Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 219

Isolde's POV

Hunger still gnawed at my stomach like a rabid animal, but I refused to touch the questionable food Ollie had shoved through the slot.

The tray sat untouched in the corner of my cell, the contents looking even less appetizing than they had hours ago. I'd rather starve than eat something that could be tampered with.

"Fuck," I muttered under my breath, pacing the small confines of my prison.

If Ezra had marked me as his mate before all this happened, I could have reached out to him through our pack link. I could have told him I was innocent, that I was suffering down here. But no—the mighty Alpha of Silver Moon, the Lycan King, had been too hesitant, too calculating to claim me properly.

*He's looking for a way to help you,* Lyra insisted in my mind. *You know that.*

"Does he?" I whispered bitterly. "Or has he already moved on?"

The possibilities whirling through my mind were driving me crazy. What if Ezra had grown tired of me and decided to let me rot in this hellhole?

What if the pack elders and Silver Moon's board of directors had threatened to strip him of his Lycan King title if he didn't forget about me?

What if he decided that maintaining control of his corporate empire was worth sacrificing his supposed mate?

What if he didn't need me anymore?

My legs felt weak, and I leaned against the cold wall of the cell, sliding down until I was sitting on the floor. The concrete was freezing against my skin, but the physical discomfort was nothing compared to the ache in my chest.

*Don't be stupid, Isolde!* Lyra growled inside my head. *You are his destined mate. The one chosen by the Moon Goddess herself. He cannot simply discard you like trash. I'm sure he's mobilizing every resource at his disposal to get us out of here. You must have patience!*

"Patience?" I snapped. "I'm hungry, thirsty, exhausted, and freezing. I want out of this fucking underground prison cell!"

My outburst was met with silence, both from Lyra and the empty corridor outside. Then, I heard footsteps—not the heavy, deliberate stride of Ollie, but something lighter, more measured. My werewolf hearing picked up the subtle difference immediately. These were a woman's footsteps.

I stood up quickly, my heart pounding as I moved to the door. A familiar scent drifted toward me—a delicate perfume I recognized. I inhaled deeply, trying to place it, when suddenly a figure appeared on the other side of the reinforced glass panel.

My stomach dropped. I nearly vomited from shock. I couldn't believe my eyes.

"Thalia!" I gasped, the name barely making it past my lips.

Standing there with sadness etched across her face was my only friend from the Moon Alliance Program.

"Thalia!" I shouted louder, my voice cracking with emotion. "Oh my God, Thalia, how did you find me down here?"

Tears sprang to my eyes as we both pressed our hands against the glass, trying to reach each other. Her palm aligned with mine, separated only by the thick barrier between us. I wanted so badly to hug her, to feel the comfort of human contact that wasn't violent or controlling.

Thalia was crying too, her mascara running slightly as she looked at me. "Isolde," she sobbed. "I can't believe they did this to you. Are you okay? Are you holding up?"

"No," I choked out, the truth spilling from me. "Not at all. This place is worse than any cell I've ever been in, and the guard—Ollie—keeps threatening and bullying me. I need to get out of here, Thalia."

She nodded rapidly, wiping tears from her cheeks. "You will. You'll be out of here soon, I promise. Orion, Nathaniel, even some of the girls from the Moon Alliance Program are helping behind the scenes."

I pressed my forehead against the glass, feeling the cold surface against my skin. "It wasn't me. I know nothing about that poison. I swear I didn't do it, Thalia. Why would I want to harm Evanthe's baby?"

"I know it wasn't you," Thalia said firmly. "We all know this was Evanthe's carefully orchestrated plan to get you locked up. She's the one we're focusing our investigation on. Orion is gathering evidence to expose what she did and all the other shady things she's done in the company."

My breath caught in my throat. "How is the baby? Did she lose it?"

Thalia sighed sadly. "Unfortunately, yes. The whole Silver Moon is in shock about it."

A complicated mix of emotions washed over me. Despite hating Evanthe, I felt a twinge of sadness for the loss of an innocent life. But something didn't add up.

"Wait..." I frowned, pulling back slightly to look at Thalia's face. "I don't understand. Why would Evanthe poison herself to frame me? Why would she hurt her and Ezra's baby just to make me look bad? That seems extreme, even for her."

Thalia's eyes met mine, her expression intense. "Because that child was never Ezra's to begin with."

The words hit me like a bucket of ice water. My entire body went cold.

"What?" I whispered in shock.

Had Evanthe been lying to the entire Silver Moon Group about carrying Ezra's child?

Thalia nodded. "Yes. Orion and I investigated everything. Evanthe was pregnant with someone else's child but claimed it was Ezra's to cause trouble between you two and to secure her position in Silver Moon as his official Luna through the child."

My mind was reeling. "But she had already convinced everyone it was his baby. Why kill it then? Why take such a risk?"

"Because she knew that when the baby was born, they would perform DNA testing and bloodline registration, as they do for all Lycan births," Thalia explained. "Her lie would have been exposed. So she orchestrated all of this—taking the poison to kill the child and framing you for it—to gain Ezra's sympathy, make him furious enough to cast you out of Silver Moon, and accept her as his official Luna instead." Thalia shook her head.

"Holy shit!" My brain felt like a short-circuiting electrical panel.

I couldn't help but feel a twisted admiration for the elaborate scheme, even as it had landed me in this hellhole.

"But her plan is falling apart now," Thalia continued. "Ezra is starting to suspect, and we're all looking for evidence to prove that the child wasn't his, that she took the poison herself and tried to frame you, and any evidence of her abusing her position in the company. Isolde... you won't be in this underground cell for much longer. We're all working to get you out. Ezra, Nathaniel, Orion, and I are doing everything we can to bring Evanthe to justice."

Despite Thalia's hopeful words, my heart felt heavy. I didn't feel the relief I should have. Instead, I pressed my palm harder against the glass separating us.

"I shouldn't be here at all, Thalia," I whispered. "This isn't right."