Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 184

Ezra's POV

I watched in horror as Isolde absorbed Evanthe's words. Her expression morphed from good-humored to confused, then to a dawning comprehension that finally settled into cold fury. The mate bond between us pulsed with pain so acute it made my chest tighten.

Isolde descended the staircase with deliberate calm, each step measured and controlled. She was wearing my shirt, her legs bare, hair tousled from sleep. Under different circumstances, the sight would have stirred desire in me. Now, it only intensified my dread.

"You said what?" Isolde asked Evanthe, her voice low and lethal. Her eyes, usually warm blue, had turned to chips of ice.

Evanthe stepped toward Isolde, not a trace of fear in her posture. Her lips curved into a smile that didn't reach her eyes as she repeated, "I said... I'm pregnant with Alpha Ezra's child." She placed her hand possessively over her stomach, the gesture deliberate and taunting.

Isolde's gaze slid from Evanthe to me, the weight of her stare nearly buckling my knees. "Is this true?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper but carrying the force of a thunderclap. Her fingers trembled slightly at her sides.

"Tell her, Ezra," Evanthe prodded, her voice dripping with satisfaction. "Don't be shy. She's just one of the Moon Alliance girls anyway. She can't do anything to you."

I tried to speak, but my throat constricted. "Isolde... baby..." was all I managed, my composure evaporating like morning dew.

The light in Isolde's eyes dimmed further, pain flashing across her features before being replaced by a hardened mask. "Tell me this isn't true," she said, her voice trembling. Then, louder, emotion breaking through: "Tell me she doesn't have your child!" The last word cracked as tears spilled from her eyes.

"Baby, I can explain," I finally found my voice, feeling Prime's frustration merge with my own. "It was a mistake. I—"

"Oh, it wasn't a mistake," Evanthe interrupted, her smile widening. "That time... remember? When you bent me over the desk?" She ran her tongue over her bottom lip. "I guess we were just too... excited to use protection."

"Shut up!" Isolde screamed, a wolf's growl underlying her human voice. Her usually controlled demeanor cracked completely.

Evanthe took a step back, her smile faltering momentarily before returning with renewed malice. "This is quite amusing. A Moon Alliance newcomer thinking she has the right to question Silver Moon's CEO." She laughed, the sound grating against my nerves.

I'd never seen Isolde so angry—not even during her most intense fights in the battle arena. Her jaw was clenched so tight I could hear her teeth grinding. Her fists were balled at her sides, knuckles white with tension. Her face had drained of color, making her eyes—now flashing with golden wolf light—stand out starkly against her pale skin.

I moved toward her, desperate to hold her, to explain. "Isolde. This was a mistake. I—" My hand reached for hers.

She jerked away as if burned, the rejection sending a physical pain through our mate bond that made me gasp. "Don't touch me," she hissed. "I don't believe you! I thought you were different from other Lycans!" Tears streamed down her face as she turned and ran back up the stairs, the sound of her bare feet against marble punctuating my failure.

*Go after her!* Prime demanded.

I turned to Evanthe, fury replacing my shock. "You," I growled, grabbing her wrist. "You're coming with me." I dragged her toward the elevator, ignoring her protests.

"What are you doing? Let go! Alpha Ezra, you're hurting me!" she shouted, trying to twist away. "This is not how you treat the PR Director of Silver Moon!"

I pulled her into the elevator and down to the ground floor, maintaining my iron grip the entire time. Outside, my driver Cade was waiting with the car. I yanked open the passenger door and practically shoved Evanthe inside.

"You need to leave. Now," I ordered, my voice low and dangerous.

"No! I don't want to go yet! We need to discuss the baby!" Evanthe protested, flailing her arms dramatically. "My father will be so pleased to hear about this!"

"Stay there," I commanded, using my deepest Alpha voice. The effect was immediate—Evanthe froze, her wolf instinctively submitting to my authority.

"Do you have any idea what you've just done?" I asked, my voice trembling with suppressed rage.

Evanthe's chin lifted defiantly. "What I know is that I haven't even had the breakfast I came here for! And we need to talk about this child. My father will be thrilled."

I felt defeated, regretting that single moment of weakness in my office when I'd allowed Evanthe to seduce me. Prime growled in disgust at the memory.

"Cade, take her back where she came from," I instructed my driver. "Make sure she gets there."

"You should thank me for saving you the trouble of telling Isolde," Evanthe called through the open window as Cade started the engine.

I slammed the door closed, watching the car pull away, my only thought being Isolde and the pain radiating through our bond.

I rushed back to the penthouse, taking the stairs two at a time when the elevator felt too slow. I found Isolde in our walk-in closet, already changed into Silver Moon training gear, her hair pulled back into a severe ponytail. She was clearly preparing to leave for the battle arena.

"Baby, please let me explain," I said, stepping into the closet.

She continued to ignore me, moving to the mirror to secure her hair, her back rigid with tension. The silent treatment cut deeper than any words could have.

I watched helplessly as she gathered her training bag, preparing to leave. My wolf Prime howled in despair. *Do something! Stop her!*

As she tried to exit the closet, I blocked her path, desperate for any response. "Please, baby... please say something. Our bond—"

"I'm going to be late for training." Her voice was ice cold, devoid of emotion.

"Baby, please—" I reached for her arm, gripping it perhaps too tightly in my desperation.

"You're hurting me," she stated flatly, looking pointedly at where my fingers dug into her skin.

I released her immediately, horrified. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"Have a good day, Alpha Ezra," she said formally, brushing past me without a backward glance.

I listened to her footsteps fade, then the sound of the elevator doors opening and closing. Only then did I allow myself to collapse onto the custom carpet, my head in my hands, the powerful Lycan King reduced to nothing.

"I've ruined everything," I whispered to the empty room. "My second chance... gone."

For the first time in years, Prime had no snide remarks, no criticism. He too had fallen silent, feeling the mate bond tremble with pain between us and Isolde.

I was utterly, completely fucked.