Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 236

EZRA'S POV

The electronic doors slid open with a soft hiss, and I watched as Nathaniel entered, flanked by two security guards escorting their prisoner.

Evanthe Hawthorne walked between them with measured steps, her hands cuffed behind her back, her usual perfect composure nowhere to be found. She wore the same designer dress from earlier at her parents' house, but now it was wrinkled, and her meticulously styled hair hung loose around her shoulders.

What struck me most was her face—completely expressionless, as if she'd retreated behind some internal wall. But the dried tear tracks on her cheeks told a different story. Dark mascara streaks had left faint shadows under her eyes, evidence of the breakdown she'd had during her arrest.

The guards directed Evanthe to a single chair positioned in the center of the room, directly facing the conference table where I sat. Every eye in the hall followed her movement, all watching as she was forced to sit before them like a defendant on trial.

Evanthe lifted her eyes to meet mine, and I saw something flicker there—a mix of confusion and barely contained rage. Her voice, when she finally spoke, came out hoarse and oddly ominous.

"What the hell is this supposed to mean, Ezra?"

I leaned forward slightly, my hands clasped on the table's surface. "You'll understand very soon."

Her jaw clenched. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

A cold smile tugged at my lips. "I think you do. You've been very busy these past few months, Evanthe. Very busy with your carefully orchestrated... activities. Both in the Moon Alliance Program and throughout Silver Moon Tower. The level of cunning involved has been quite impressive, actually."

"I don't know what you're—"

"Of course you don't," I interrupted smoothly. "I expected you to deny everything. That's exactly what someone would do when faced with exposure."

I rose from my chair, the movement drawing every eye in the room. The silence was absolute, heavy with anticipation.

"Ladies and gentlemen," I began, my voice carrying easily through the acoustically perfect hall. "I'm going to tell you about a series of crimes that have been committed within our organization. Crimes that have been carefully planned and executed by the woman sitting before you."

I gestured toward Evanthe, who sat rigid in her chair, her eyes never leaving my face.

"Approximately three months ago, an incident occurred at the Moon Alliance Program residence. My mate, Isolde Blackwood, was drugged with a powerful hallucinogenic substance that left her unconscious and vulnerable to assault by a group of male wolves."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd, but I continued without pause.

"Security Director Orion arrived in time to prevent the assault and immediately notified me." My voice hardened. "Our investigation identified three girls involved in this crime: the one who handed Isolde the drugged drink, and two others who dragged her away when she became incapacitated."

I paused, letting the weight of those words settle over the room. "One of those girls, Ash, was later found dead. Murdered."

Gasps echoed through the hall. Evanthe's face went completely white.

"Now," I continued, my voice cutting through the shocked whispers, "we have confirmed that there was a fourth girl involved in that crime. And this fourth girl was the one who killed Ash to cover her tracks."

The room held its collective breath.

"After extensive investigation, we have uncovered the identity of this fourth conspirator." I let my gaze fall directly on Evanthe, whose hands were trembling despite the handcuffs. "She is none other than Evanthe Hawthorne."

The reaction was immediate and explosive. Evanthe's eyes widening in terror.

"No!" Aiden Hawthorne's voice boomed across the hall as he shot to his feet. "That's a fucking lie! My daughter would never—"

"I have substantial evidence to support these allegations," I said calmly, raising my hand to silence him. My eyes found Orion's across the room. "Evidence that I'm about to present to all of you."

Orion nodded once, his amber eyes closing briefly as he sent a mental signal through the pack link to Nathaniel.

Within three minutes, the doors opened again. Nathaniel entered, followed by Sybilla in handcuffs, two other Moon Alliance girls I recognized—also cuffed and wearing prison uniforms—and finally, a nervous-looking man carrying a large equipment bag.

Evanthe's face went ashen when she saw them, as if she'd seen ghosts risen from the dead.

*This feels so fucking good,* I thought with grim satisfaction. *Look at her trying to communicate with her former allies through desperate glances. Probably threatening them to keep their mouths shut even now.*

The man with the equipment bag—Terry Perez, our cybersecurity expert—set down his gear and began working with Orion to set up a projection system and sound equipment.

"Before we begin the video presentation," I announced to the assembled crowd, "you're going to hear testimony from these witnesses. Not only will you hear about Evanthe's crimes, but you'll see them with your own eyes."

Evanthe's composure finally shattered completely. Tears began streaming down her face as she turned to me with desperate eyes.

"Ezra... Alpha... please, you have to listen to me—"

I looked right through her, my expression completely impassive. *Did Isolde beg you the same way? Did she plead for mercy when you were destroying her life piece by piece?*

Evanthe had shown no mercy then; she would receive none now.

"While Mr. Perez prepares the video evidence," I said, returning my attention to the room, "let's hear what these witnesses have to say about Miss Hawthorne's activities."

For the next hour, Sybilla and the other girls provided detailed testimony about the crimes they'd committed under Evanthe's direction. They spoke of poisonings, frame-ups, intimidation, and worse. Their voices were steady but filled with shame as they described how Evanthe had manipulated and threatened them into carrying out her schemes.

The massive conference room remained completely silent throughout their testimony, every werewolf present hanging on every word. The pack elders leaned forward in their seats, their weathered faces growing more grave with each revelation. The district Alphas exchanged dark glances, their expressions shifting from skepticism to horrified understanding.

I watched Evanthe's face throughout the entire hour, feeling Prime's satisfied rumble in my mind as we observed her listening to her former accomplices expose every secret she'd tried to bury.

*She wishes she could disappear right about now,* I thought with cold satisfaction.

When the testimony finally concluded, I stood again, my gaze fixed on Evanthe's tear-streaked face.

"Now that you've heard these individuals testify against you," I said, my voice cutting through the heavy silence, "are you prepared to admit to your crimes?"

Evanthe shook her head frantically, her voice breaking as she spoke. "No. They're lying. All of them are lying! I never asked anyone to commit crimes for me. I didn't kill Ash, I didn't poison the food inspector, and I never planned to murder the district Alphas. I would never even think of doing such things!"

Her denial hung in the air like a desperate plea, but I could see it in every face around the room—no one believed her anymore.

The evidence was about to bury her completely.