Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 222

Thalia's POV

Isolde had been confined in that cold, miserable detention cell for nearly twenty-four hours now. The thought of her there—alone, possibly being mistreated—made my stomach twist with anxiety.

Despite everything that had happened, I knew one thing with absolute certainty—Isolde loved Ezra with every fiber of her being. That kind of love doesn't just disappear overnight.

This current nightmare—it was just another obstacle. Relationships faced challenges; that's what made them stronger. This would pass. It had to pass. The alternative was too painful to consider.

The door opened with a soft click, pulling me from my thoughts. Orion walked in, his broad shoulders filling the doorframe, that familiar smile warming his face as his eyes found mine.

"Hey, baby," he said, the endearment rolling off his tongue with easy affection.

I straightened in my chair. "Are they here? The girls I asked you to gather?"

He nodded. "They're all in another office down the hall."

I'd specifically asked Orion to help me summon these particular girls because, frankly, they all despised me with a passion.

Most of them had been in the Moon Alliance Program longer than I had, and they viewed me as an outsider, especially since my friendship with Isolde had developed.

Standing up from my chair, I smoothed down my blouse and jeans, suddenly self-conscious. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and looked at Orion with what I hoped was confidence rather than the nerve-wracking anxiety I actually felt. "Wish me luck."

He stepped closer, his scent enveloping me—a mixture of sandalwood and something uniquely him. Before I could react, he pulled me into a kiss that sent electricity shooting through my entire body. His hand cupped my cheek, gentle yet possessive, and I melted against him, momentarily forgetting everything else. Just when I was hoping he'd continue, he pulled away, leaving me slightly breathless.

"I know you don't want me to stop," he said, his voice low and teasing, his thumb tracing my lower lip, "but we have a Moon Goddess to fight for."

Heat rose to my cheeks, and I playfully swatted his chest. "You're terrible," I laughed, the tension in my shoulders easing slightly as I backed toward the door.

"Go conquer them all, baby," he called after me as I practically skipped out of his office.

A security guard with a stern expression led me three doors down the hallway. My palms grew sweaty as we approached, and I took a deep, steadying breath. *For Isolde*, I reminded myself. *She would do the same for you*.

When I stepped inside the conference room, six pairs of eyes immediately turned toward me. The reactions were exactly what I'd expected—shock, displeasure, and in some cases, pure boredom.

I recognized Nyssa among them, her athletic frame and no-nonsense expression unmistakable. She was the one who often trained with Isolde at the fitness center.

Emma, sitting closest to the door, was the first to speak. Her perfectly manicured nails tapped against the glass table as her eyes narrowed at me. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Her voice was rough, hostile, and dripping with disdain. I remembered her clearly—she was the one who had once tricked Isolde into delivering a box of sex toys to Nathaniel's house under Greta's name, a humiliating setup that had caused significant trouble.

The other girls' burning gazes supported her aggressive tone, a united front of hostility. One wore a smirk that reminded me of high school mean girls, while another simply looked annoyed at having her time wasted.

Another girl with a sleek ponytail chimed in, leaning forward in her chair. "Were you also summoned here by Security Director Orion? Because if so, this is fucking weird."

I took a deep breath, gathering my courage. "Um, no. I wasn't." I paused, meeting each of their stares one by one. "But I asked him to summon all of you here."

The room went completely silent for a moment before Nyssa's eyes widened in shock. "What? What do you mean, you asked the Security Director to summon us on your behalf? Who the fuck are you to make him do that?"

The words 'I'm his mate' were right there on the tip of my tongue, a truth that would have shut them all up immediately. But I bit them back, not wanting to use my relationship as leverage. Orion and I had agreed to keep that private for now.

"Look," I said, "why I was able to gather you all here isn't important. What's important is that we have something crucial to discuss—something that affects all of us."

A tall girl with honey-blonde hair and a perpetual sneer, rolled her eyes dramatically and pushed her chair back with a screech. "I seriously doubt that. I'm not in the mood to discuss anything with a slut like you. I'm leaving."

I felt a surge of panic—I couldn't lose any of them if this plan was going to work.

"I hope when Security Director Orion summons you again and asks why you left the meeting before I finished speaking, you'll have a good reason to give him," I said, keeping my voice calm despite my racing heart.

The tall girl stopped dead in her tracks, her shoulders tensing. She turned back slowly, her face darkening as she glared at me. "Are you threatening me?"

"Not at all," I replied smoothly, holding her gaze. "I'm just telling you to sit down and listen to what I have to say. This is important—not just for me, but for everyone sitting in this room." I gestured to the chair she'd vacated. "It won't take long, I promise."

Something in my tone must have convinced her, because after a moment of hesitation, the tall girl reluctantly returned to her seat, though her body language screamed resentment. All six girls were now looking at me with varying degrees of hostility and curiosity, waiting for me to explain this unusual gathering.

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes for a moment to gather my thoughts, my hands slightly trembling at my sides where they couldn't see. *I can do this*, I told myself.

When I opened my eyes, they were still staring at me with those dismissive expressions, but I smiled anyway and began speaking from the heart.

"I understand that you all dislike Isolde for various reasons," I started, trying to keep my voice gentle yet firm, "but if there's one thing you can agree with me on, it's that Isolde is genuinely a good person. Let's be honest—you really don't have legitimate reasons to hate her the way you do."

One of the girls—a brunette with sharp features—burst into laughter, the sound cutting through the tension like a knife. "We don't have reasons to hate Isolde? Are you fucking serious?" She leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with malice. "We know you're her best friend, but that doesn't mean you should ignore all the atrocities she's committed since arriving here."

"Atrocities she's committed?" My voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "You mean the atrocities you girls have committed and then found ways to make it look like she did them?"