Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 270

Ezra's POV

I can't stop pacing. Back and forth across this sterile medical center hallway, my heart hammering against my ribs like it's trying to break free. The fluorescent lights buzz overhead, casting everything in this cold, clinical glow that makes my skin crawl.

Nathaniel sits in one of those uncomfortable plastic chairs, his fingers steepled, staring at nothing. That's his thing when he's overwhelmed—he goes into lockdown mode, analyzing every angle until his brain can make sense of the chaos. But right now, I don't need analysis. I need someone who'll look me in the eye and tell me I'm not losing my fucking mind.

I need Orion.

"Damn it!" I mutter, running my hands through my hair for the hundredth time. "My heart's about to explode."

The image of Lillian won't leave my head. Those bruises covering her skin, the way her clothes hung off her like rags, how thin she'd become. Where the hell has she been for five years? And why now? Why show up just when I thought I had my life figured out, just when Isolde—

No. I can't think about Isolde right now. One crisis at a time.

The sound of footsteps echoes down the corridor, and I spin around. Orion rounds the corner, moving with that purposeful stride of his, but I can see the concern etched into his features. The relief that washes over me is so intense I almost stagger.

"I got your call and about a dozen texts," he says, amber eyes scanning my face. "What the hell happened?"

I open my mouth, then close it. How do you even begin to explain this? "You're not going to believe this."

"Believe what?" His brow furrows deeper.

Nathaniel finally looks up from his silent brooding. "Lillian's back."

The words hang in the air like a death sentence. Orion's head snaps toward me, his eyes wide with disbelief. I nod slowly, confirming what must seem impossible.

"I... I don't understand." Orion's voice is barely above a whisper. "Which Lillian?"

"Lillian Torres," I say, my voice hoarse. "My first fated mate. The one we thought died in the assassination five years ago."

The color drains from Orion's face. His pupils dilate, and his entire body goes rigid with shock. I've seen Orion face down rogue wolves twice his size without flinching, but this news has him looking like he's seen a ghost.

Which, I guess, he has.

"That's impossible!" he shouts, his voice cracking. "Lillian can't be back. We found her body. We buried her. She's dead!"

"No," I say quietly, exhaustion seeping into my bones. "She's not."

Every word feels like it's being dragged out of me.

"How is this possible?" Orion demands, pacing now too. "How?"

"Ezra," Orion stops pacing and stares at me. "What the hell is going on?"

I drag a hand down my face, feeling every one of my thirty-two years. "I swear to the Moon Goddess, everything's gone sideways, and I have no fucking clue what to do. Lillian disappeared five years ago, now she's back. Isolde came into the Moon Alliance Program two years ago, and she's my fated mate too. I have no idea what game the Moon Goddess is playing."

Orion's expression turns serious, almost clinical. "What about the mate bond? Do you still have any connection with Lillian?"

I search inside myself, trying to feel for any trace of that connection we once shared. I recognized her face, caught her scent, felt anger and grief and pity for what she'd endured. But that electric pull, that sense of completion I used to feel with her?

Nothing.

I shake my head. "No. There's no bond between us. Nothing."

"What the fuck," Orion breathes.

My frustration builds to a breaking point. This is so far beyond anything I know how to handle, and the weight of it is crushing me.

"Why would the Moon Goddess give you a second fated mate while your first was still alive?" Orion frowns, his tactical mind trying to piece together the puzzle. "Something's not right here. Besides recognizing her face, what else makes you certain the woman in that medical room is actually Lillian?"

"Her scent," I say firmly. "I can smell her pheromones. They're exactly the same as what I used to smell from her."

"Fuck!" Orion explodes.

The frustration in his voice matches what I'm feeling. This whole situation is spiraling beyond anything we can control or understand.

"So you can smell her pheromones, but there's no bond between you," Nathaniel summarizes, his voice steady and analytical.

"That's exactly what I mean."

Orion starts pacing again, his movements sharp and agitated. "What the hell is happening here? Two fated mates? Both alive?" He stops and stares at us, holding up two fingers for emphasis. "Two! This is a fucking disaster! How can the Moon Goddess let this happen? What kind of game is she playing?"

The despair hits me like a physical blow. I sink into one of those uncomfortable chairs, feeling completely defeated. "I'm fucked."

The leather creaks under my weight as I lean forward, elbows on my knees. "Just when I thought things with Isolde were starting to get better, this happens."

"Why wouldn't things with Isolde get better?" Orion asks, and there's an edge of irritation in his voice.

"Lillian's return is going to complicate everything!" I snap. "Isolde's going to lose her shit when she finds out my first fated mate is still alive. She won't listen to anything I have to say. She'll push me away until the end of time!"

"No, she won't," Orion says firmly.

But I can already see it playing out in my head. The hurt in Isolde's eyes, the way she'll retreat behind those walls she builds when she's protecting herself. The accusations, the questions I won't have good answers for.

"We need to keep this quiet for now," Nathaniel interjects, ever the practical one. "If word gets out, this will spiral out of control. I've already instructed the security team not to spread this information—they won't. When we see the doctors again, I'll give them the same order."

"We also need to investigate," Orion adds. "You've confirmed her face and scent, but we need to do everything possible to make sure she's not an imposter. Are you certain Lillian didn't have a twin?"

"I guarantee you Lillian didn't have a twin," I say with absolute certainty. "Besides, even if she did, identical twins who are both female werewolves couldn't possibly emit the same pheromones."

"Right. You're right." Orion nods grimly. "The investigation will happen regardless. She's got a lot of explaining to do."

I stand up abruptly, decision crystallizing in my mind. "You guys handle the external issues. Let me deal with her myself."

Before anyone can respond, one of the doctors pushes through the doors. He looks tired, but there's urgency in his expression.

"Sir, she just woke up and she's very emotionally unstable. She's insisting on seeing you."

A jolt of nerves shoots through me. Prime shifts restlessly, and I can feel his unease like a physical weight in my chest.

"Take me to her..." I tell the doctor.