Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 221

Isolde's POV

The words hit me like physical blows, each one driving deeper into my chest. *Ezra is taking excellent care of Evanthe right now.* The pain was so intense I thought I might pass out right there on the cold concrete floor.

*It's not true,* Lyra insisted in my mind, but even she sounded uncertain. *He wouldn't—*

Yeah he promised me. But what took him so long?

And I remembered that he stilled hadn't mark me.

"What do you suggest we do about her refusal to eat?" one of the guards asked, and I heard the cruel anticipation in his voice.

Another guard stepped closer, his shadow falling over me. "How about we force-feed her what she's been refusing?"

The pain in my chest transformed into rage so sudden and fierce it took my breath away. My right fist clenched at my side, gathering every ounce of strength I had left. Without thinking, I swung upward with all my might, aiming for Ollie's face.

But I never made contact. Two pairs of hands caught my arms mid-swing, their grips like iron shackles. I struggled against them, pulling and twisting, but these weren't ordinary men. They were Silver Moon's specially trained security personnel, werewolves chosen for their strength and brutality.

"Shit," I gasped, fighting uselessly against their hold.

Ollie released my hair and stepped back, his cold smile widening. "Did the little bitch just try to hit me?"

The first punch came without warning, his fist connecting with my right cheek. Pain exploded through my face and I cried out, my head snapping to the side. My hair fell across my face in a tangled mess.

Before I could recover, his other fist slammed into my left cheek. My head whipped the other direction and I sobbed openly now, feeling my face burn like fire. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

Ollie grabbed my hair again, yanking my head back to force me to look at him. His smile was pure evil, satisfaction gleaming in his eyes. "How does that feel? That's what happens when you cross us."

The bitter taste of bile rose in my throat, mixing with the blood. I sucked in my cheeks, gathering what moisture I could in my mouth. I knew it was stupid. I knew it would only make things worse.

But I did it anyway.

I spat directly in his face, watching with grim satisfaction as my bloody saliva hit its mark. His triumphant grin morphed into humiliated fury.

"Oh god!" one of the guards groaned.

Ollie raised his fist again. This time, I knew, he wouldn't hold back.

*Shift!* Lyra screamed inside my head. *It's our only chance!*

I closed my eyes, surrendering to the burning heat that suddenly flooded my veins. I welcomed the familiar ache in my bones, the sensation of my skin stretching as my wolf fought to break free. Even outnumbered four to one, I'd rather die fighting as a wolf than suffer another minute of this torture as a human.

*We'll tear his throat out,* I promised Lyra, feeling my fingernails lengthening into claws. My jaw began to ache as fangs pushed against my gums. If I was going to die here, I'd take at least one of them with me.

"What the hell is going on here?"

The voice cut through the tension like a blade. Low, masculine, and achingly familiar. I stopped shifting. My heart recognized it before my mind did.

Ezra. The Silver Moon CEO, the Lycan King himself.

Ollie's hand released my hair instantly, his raised fist dropping to his side. All four guards turned toward the door, and the fear on their faces was almost comical. Ezra stood there looking ready to kill, his gray eyes already shifted to dangerous gold.

Our eyes met across the cell, and I broke completely. The sobs tore from my chest, loud and desperate, all my pain and fear pouring out at once.

The next few minutes were chaos. The cell and corridor filled with screams and pleas for mercy as Ezra unleashed his fury on my tormentors. Bodies slammed into walls with sickening thuds. The guards' broken forms were dragged away by other security personnel, leaving trails of blood on the expensive flooring.

Two pack elders stood watching from the doorway. Their faces showed shock at the violence, but they said nothing.

Ezra rushed into the cell and dropped to his knees in front of me, his eyes frantically checking my injuries. My face throbbed where Ollie had hit me, swollen and painful. My expensive clothes were torn from the struggle.

"Please," I sobbed, my voice barely audible. "Take me away from here. If you leave me here, they'll kill me. Please, take me out."

He cupped my face gently, his thumbs brushing over my bruised cheeks with infinite care. Then he looked up at the elders standing in the doorway, and the dangerous light returned to his eyes.

"I suppose you're quite pleased to see her like this, aren't you?" His voice was rough with barely controlled rage.

The two old men remained expressionless and silent. I didn't understand why they were here—they'd been with him last time too, as if supervising the whole process.

"Baby..." Ezra turned back to me, his voice softening. "I promise they'll pay for what they did to you. This is my company. I won't allow this to happen."

"I don't care about that," I whispered desperately. "I just want you to take me out of here. You know I didn't do those things. Please, take me away."

I watched him shake his head, and something inside me shattered into a million pieces. The crack started at my cheeks and spread through my arms, my torso, my legs, until my entire heart lay in fragments.

"I can't," he whispered, and the pain in his voice almost matched mine. "Not yet. Not until your innocence is proven. The board demands strict procedures."

"Don't you see what they did to me here? If I don't get out soon, they'll kill me. You're the CEO—you can order everyone!" My voice rose with disbelief.

"They won't," he said firmly. "I'll punish those men severely and warn all security personnel. They won't dare try this again. I promise!"

I stared at him in complete disbelief, anger surging through me again. Lyra roared in my mind, matching my fury.

"Get away from me!" I shoved his hands away and scooted back against the wall, shaking my head as tears poured down my face. "You're just like them!"

I turned my face away, unable to look at him. After a long, painful silence, he sighed and stood. His designer suit was stained with my blood.

He left with the elders, and as their footsteps faded down the corridor, I felt like he'd taken my soul with him. I was nothing but an empty shell now.

For the millionth time, I reminded myself of my determination to leave Silver Moon and this pack, no matter the cost.

I should have known then that no one would ever truly protect me.