Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 248

Isolde's POV

My stomach growled so loudly I was sure everyone could hear it across the dining room. I hadn't realized how starving I was until the scent of curry chicken hit me like a freight train. My body felt like it had been running on empty for days—which, according to my mother, it literally had.

I carefully spooned some of the curry onto my plate, hyper-aware of Holden sitting right next to me. Every time I moved, I made sure not to accidentally brush against him. The kid was like a live bomb just waiting to explode, and I had enough drama in my life without setting off my teenage half-brother.

I reached for the rice, trying to focus on not looking like a complete savage as I loaded my plate. The curry smelled incredible, and my mouth was already watering.

"Here," Holden's voice cut through my concentration.

I looked up, startled, to find him holding out a glass of fresh orange juice. Our eyes met for a split second before he looked away, his jaw tight.

"Thank you," I said softly.

He didn't respond, just went back to aggressively tearing into his chicken leg like it had personally offended him. But still—he'd offered me juice. That had to count for something, right?

*He's got a good heart buried under all that attitude,* I thought to myself, stealing another glance at his profile.

"Isolde..." Bruce's voice drew my attention away from my brooding half-brother. "Your disappearance has been all over the werewolf community. Nobody knows what actually happened to—"

"Bruce!" My mother's sharp tone cut him off mid-sentence. "Let the girl eat in peace."

"No, it's okay," I said quickly, setting down my fork. "I want to know what people are saying. What's been happening since I..." I swallowed hard. "Since I was taken."

My mother shot Bruce a warning look, but he seemed determined to continue.

"The Lycan King—Alpha Ezra—he's been going absolutely insane. He's sent search teams to werewolf territories all over the world. His people are bound to show up here eventually, asking if we've seen you."

The food in my mouth suddenly tasted like ash. My stomach dropped.

"No!" The word burst out of me before I could stop it. "Please. I can't go back there. I won't!"

My voice cracked on the last word, and I could feel tears threatening to spill over. The thought of returning to that tower, to that world of politics and backstabbing and pain—I couldn't do it. I wouldn't survive it.

"Why not?" Bruce asked, looking genuinely confused. "You're his fated mate, aren't you? Shouldn't that be a good thing?"

A bitter laugh escaped my throat. "You'd think so, wouldn't you? But Alpha Ezra knew I was his fated mate from the moment he first saw me. He could smell it, feel the bond—all of it. But he wouldn't make me Luna while other girls bullied me, tormented me, made my life hell."

The words poured out of me like water from a broken dam. Months of suppressed anger and hurt finally finding their voice.

"I suffered in his corporation, and worse than that, all his people hate me! They'd rather start a war than let me become their Luna. They all thought I poisoned Evanthe. Do you know what it's like to have everyone convinced you're a murderer?"

Bruce's face had gone pale, and even Lydia was watching me with something that might have been surprise instead of outright hostility.

"Things are different now," my mother said quietly.

I stared at her. "What do you mean, different?"

"Several days ago, there was a secret trial within Silver Moon Corporation. All of Evanthe's crimes were exposed. Alpha Ezra presented irrefutable evidence that Evanthe had murdered two people and poisoned herself to frame you, intending to kill her own unborn child in the process."

The room started spinning. "What?"

"Many other crimes were revealed as well. Alpha Ezra ordered her execution. Evanthe was put to death yesterday. She's dead, Isolde."

I pinched myself—hard—because this had to be a dream. There was no way Evanthe was actually dead. No way.

But my arm stung, and my mother was still talking, still watching me with those careful, distant eyes.

"Evanthe finally paid for her crimes," I whispered, more to myself than to anyone else.

A part of me felt vindicated, relieved that the truth had finally come out. But when I thought about Ezra, that brief moment of satisfaction crumbled.

He'd kept his promise—he'd found the evidence, exposed Evanthe, made sure she faced consequences. But that didn't change the fundamental issue between us. He'd never treated me as an equal. Never seen me as anything more than a possession.

I didn't want to give up my independence, my dreams of building my own career, my chance at a normal life where I wasn't constantly walking on eggshells around Alpha politics.

"I... I'm glad to hear that news," I said, my voice thick with unshed tears. "Evanthe deserved to pay for what she did. I'm grateful that Alpha Ezra finally dealt with the situation, but that doesn't change how I feel. I don't want to go back to that corporation. When they come looking for me, please don't hand me over to them."

The silence that followed was deafening. Then—

CRASH.

Lydia's silverware hit her plate with enough force to make everyone jump. She was on her feet, her face flushed with fury.

"Perfect! Just fucking perfect! First we drag some complete stranger into our house, and now dinner's turned into some kind of pity party soap opera!"

Her voice was shrill with rage as she glared down at me. "This is all because of you!"

She slammed her hands on the table, making the dishes rattle, then stormed out of the dining room. Her footsteps pounded up the stairs, followed by the slam of a bedroom door.

Tears spilled down my cheeks before I could stop them.

"I'm so sorry," I choked out. "I didn't mean to—"

"You have nothing to apologize for," Bruce said firmly.

My mother reached across the table and briefly touched my hand. "We'll talk to her. I promise this won't happen again."

Some of the tension in my chest eased, but my appetite was completely gone. *God, my life is such a fucking mess.*

"Would you like some more chicken?"

I jumped, startled by the unexpected voice. Holden was looking at me with an unreadable expression, and it took me a moment to process what he'd said.

"I... uh..." I stammered.

He didn't wait for my answer. Instead, he reached over and took my plate, spooning more of the curry chicken onto it before setting it back in front of me.

"There. Enjoy the rest of your dinner."

Then he turned back to his own food like nothing had happened.

I stared at him, completely bewildered by this teenager's split personality. One minute he was giving me death glares, the next he was making sure I had enough to eat. I glanced at my mother, who just smiled and nodded encouragingly.

*That was... unexpected,* Lyra murmured.

*No kidding,* I thought back. *He's really cool, actually.*