Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 17

Isolde's POV

 

I arrived at the battle arena the next morning and made my way toward the sparring mats, where Nyssa was setting up equipment for the morning session.

 

"Isolde," she said with a professional smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Ready for another day of training?"

 

"Absolutely," I replied, though I could feel the tension radiating from the other women in the room.

 

"Excellent. Today we're focusing on partner drills." She gestured toward the group that had assembled near the mats. "Find yourself a partner and we'll begin."

 

I looked around the room expectantly, waiting for someone to step forward or at least make eye contact. Instead, the other women had suddenly become very interested in adjusting their gear or stretching muscles that apparently didn't need stretching.

 

*Seriously?*

 

"I'll partner with whoever needs one," I called out, trying to keep my voice light.

 

A tall, muscular woman with short auburn hair looked up from tying her shoes. Her name was Vera, I remembered, and she was one of the more advanced fighters in the group.

 

"Actually," she said with a slight smirk, "I think you should find someone more... suited to your level."

 

"My level?" I kept my tone neutral.

 

"Well, you're still pretty new here," another woman chimed in.. "Maybe you should start with basic drills before moving to partner work."

 

The condescension in her voice was unmistakable. These weren't suggestions born out of concern for my safety—they were deliberate slights designed to put me in my place.

 

"I can handle partner drills," I said firmly.

 

Vera exchanged a look with Kassie before shrugging. "If you say so. But I prefer to work with someone who can actually keep up."

 

The insult hung in the air for a moment before another voice cut through the tension.

 

"I'll partner with Isolde."

 

Everyone turned to see Orion approaching from the equipment area. He was already in training gear, and there was something in his expression that made the other women immediately find new places to focus their attention.

 

"Orion," Vera said, her tone becoming noticeably more respectful, "you don't need to babysit the new girl. I'm sure one of us could—"

 

"I'm sure you could," he interrupted smoothly, "but I offered first."

 

There was no arguing with that, apparently. The others paired off among themselves, leaving Orion and me standing together near the center mat.

 

"Thanks," I said quietly once the others had moved away. "You didn't have to do that."

 

"Actually, I did." He began stretching his shoulders, his movements casual but purposeful.

 

"You are the only normal werewolf here. They are Lycans, and they don't always react well to werewolves who can match their skill level." He glanced around the room, making sure we weren't being overheard.

 

I paused in my stretching. "So they think they're better than me because of their bloodline?"

 

"Some of them think they're better than everyone because of their bloodline," Orion corrected with a wry smile. "It's not personal."

 

"It feels pretty personal."

 

We moved into basic warm-up drills, and I was grateful for the distraction of movement. Orion was an excellent training partner—challenging enough to keep me engaged but patient enough to offer corrections when my form slipped.

 

"I notice Ezra isn't here today," I said after we'd worked through several combinations.

 

Orion's rhythm didn't change, but I caught a slight tightening around his eyes. "He rarely comes to training sessions. Yesterday was... unusual."

 

"Unusual how?"

 

"He doesn't typically have time to observe Alliance activities," Orion said carefully. "His schedule is pretty demanding."

 

*That's not really an answer.*

 

"So what made yesterday different?"

 

Orion was quiet for so long that I thought he wasn't going to respond. When he finally spoke, his voice was lower, more thoughtful.

 

"Ezra hasn't shown personal interest in any of the Alliance girls. Not since..." He trailed off, then shook his head.

 

"Not since what?"

 

"Not since he lost his first mate."

 

The words hit me like a physical blow. I stumbled slightly in our drill sequence, and Orion had to adjust his movement to compensate.

 

"His first mate," I repeated, my voice sounding strange even to my own ears.

 

"Yes. Their bond was already established when she died. It absolutely destroyed him." Orion's expression grew somber. "Since then, he's refused to form any meaningful relationship with women. Just... physical stuff, you know? Nothing lasting."

 

"So that's why..." I trailed off, pieces clicking into place.

 

"That's why the board reinstated the Moon Alliance Program," Orion said. "Silverwood needs to choose a new Luna—a partner. And according to tradition, he's supposed to select her from among the Alliance participants."

 

I nearly stumbled.

 

"Most of the girls are secretly competing for his attention," Orion said. "Becoming Ezra's Luna is the highest position any girl here could achieve."

 

"Anyway," Orion said, clearly ready to move away from the subject, "enough about Ezra's personal life. Tell me about your family. Where did you learn to fight like that?"

 

The question caught me off guard, and not just because of the subject change. There was something in Orion's tone—a casual interest that felt anything but casual.

 

"Why do you want to know about my family?" I asked, my guard immediately going up.

 

Orion raised an eyebrow at my defensive response. "Just making conversation. But if it's a sensitive subject—"

 

"It's not sensitive," I said quickly, then realized how that sounded. "I mean, it's not a secret. I just don't understand why you're asking."

 

"Because you fight like someone with formal training, not just street experience."

 

He had a point. And he'd already seen enough of my abilities that pretending to be weaker than I was would be pointless.

 

"My father is Alaric Blackwood," I said finally. "He used to be the Alpha of the Emerald Valley pack."

 

"That explains a lot," Orion continued, resuming our training sequence. "You've got Alpha blood running through your veins. No wonder you can hold your own here."

 

"But it doesn't matter now, does it? Instead of inheriting anything, I got traded away to pay off my father's debts. Just another asset to be liquidated." I said, my voice coming out sharper than I'd intended.

 

I realized I was breathing harder, my emotions bleeding into my physical responses. Orion had stopped training entirely now, watching me with an expression I couldn't quite read.

 

"Traded away," he repeated slowly.

 

"To the Alliance Program," I continued, the words pouring out before I could stop them. "Where I get to wait my turn to service whatever Lycan men decide they want a piece of me. Lucky me, right?"

 

The bitter laugh that escaped me sounded broken even to my own ears.

 

Orion was very quiet for a long moment, his gaze studying my face with an intensity that made me uncomfortable.

 

*He knows,* I realized. *He knows exactly what this place really is, and he can't even deny it.*

 

*I'm going to be a sex toy.* Honestly, the thought terrified me.