Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 243

EZRA'S POV

I leaned back in my chair, studying the faces of the eight pack elders.

"Let me be completely honest with all of you," I began, my voice cutting through the silence like a blade. "I'm sure if I could see into each of your hearts right now, I'd find you're all secretly celebrating Isolde's sudden disappearance."

The reaction was immediate. Several elders shifted uncomfortably in their seats, while Elder Jace opened his mouth as if to protest.

"When I'm speaking," I said, my voice dropping to a dangerously low tone, "don't... interrupt me."

Jace's mouth snapped shut, his face paling slightly.

"And Evanthe's situation should serve as a reminder of what happens to those who cross certain lines." I continued, letting that threat hang in the air.

Elder Jace's head dropped immediately. "I'm sorry, Mr. Silverwood," he murmured, the submission in his voice exactly what I'd been looking for.

I stood slowly, placing my hands flat on the table as I leaned forward.

"I am deeply disappointed in how you've all treated my mate," I said, each word precisely enunciated. "You didn't just diminish her worth or question her character. You spread rumors throughout the entire corporation, accusing her of crimes she never committed."

The color drained from their faces as the full weight of my displeasure settled over the room.

"But your treatment of Isolde isn't even my biggest concern," I continued, straightening to my full height. "What truly infuriates me is your continued disrespect for my authority as both CEO of Silver Moon Group and your Alpha."

The tension in the room ratcheted up another notch. I could hear several elevated heartbeats, smell the sharp scent of fear beginning to permeate the air.

"You think I'm unfit to lead Silver Moon Group and the pack, don't you?" I asked, my voice deceptively calm.

One of the unnamed elders quickly spoke up, his voice slightly trembling. "Absolutely not, Alpha. You're the only leader we acknowledge and respect."

I let out a cold laugh. "Really? When I told you Isolde was innocent, you chose not o believe your Alpha's judgment."

The room fell into complete silence. Not one of them could meet my eyes.

"You forced me to confine her. You restricted my access to my own mate. All because you trusted a stranger's word over mine, driven by your hatred for the woman the Moon Goddess chose for me."

My hands clenched into fists on the table. "Do you have any idea how that made me feel? How it felt to have my own council question my judgment so completely?"

Still silence. Still those averted gazes.

*They don't care about the pack's welfare,* I realized with crystal clarity. *They only care about maintaining their own traditional power structure.*

"I'm tired of this," I said finally, my voice carrying a note of finality that made several elders tense. "This is exactly why I called this emergency meeting."

I leaned forward again, observing their anxious expressions with cold satisfaction.

"From this day forward," I announced, my voice steady and decisive, "the concept of the Council of Elders will cease to exist entirely within Silver Moon Group and the pack."

The words hit the room like a physical blow. I watched as shock, then panic, flickered across their faces.

"Your titles, your privileges, your decision-making authority – all of it is revoked," I continued mercilessly. "You'll continue working as ordinary executives, nothing more. I don't need your opinions anymore. My Gamma and Beta have proven more than capable of assisting me."

Elder Nash shot to his feet, his face flushed with outrage. "This is preposterous!" he burst out. "The Council of Elders has existed in Silver Moon Group for generations! You can't just dissolve it!"

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the other elders, heads nodding and voices rising in low, agitated conversation.

"Who says I can't?" I said sharply.

The room fell silent again, but I could see the rebellion simmering beneath their submission.

"Let me remind you of something," I said, my voice taking on a dangerous edge. "In the old days, pack elders paid with their lives for merely interrupting an Alpha while he spoke. You've done far worse than that."

Several faces went white as the historical implications sank in.

"You should be grateful I'm only removing you from your positions rather than your lives."

One elder started to speak. "Mr. Silverwood—"

The words died in his throat as my gaze locked onto his. And he immediately looked away, sweat beading on his forehead.

"The only reason I'm not exiling you from the company entirely," I continued, "is because I believe your support for Evanthe came from ignorance and shortsightedness, not malicious intent."

I paused, letting that sink in before delivering my final warning.

"But if you anger me again, being banished remains a very real possibility."

The threat hit home immediately. I could see the horror in their eyes.

"And before you even think about protesting that decision," I added, "remember that it would be preferable to the alternatives."

Though their eyes burned with unspoken objections, not one of them dared to voice another word.

"This decision is final and irreversible," I concluded, my tone brooking no argument. "The Council of Elders is dissolved. You are now ordinary employees of Silver Moon Group, subject to the same rules and expectations as any other executive."

"I suggest you use this transition period to reflect on how your actions. When you return to work tomorrow, you'll do so as individual contributors, not as a council."

"Perhaps without the echo chamber of collective decision-making, you'll each develop better judgment."

The silence was deafening. No protests, no arguments, no desperate pleas for reconsideration. Just the heavy breathing of eight men who had just watched their traditional power structure crumble in the span of a single meeting.

*Good,* I thought. *Maybe now I can focus on what really matters – finding Isolde and rebuilding what these fools helped tear down.*