Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 284

Ezra's POV

"Since my wounds have healed, I feel fine now. Can I leave the medical center?" she asked, her voice carrying that familiar hopeful lilt I remembered from years ago.

I was about to respond, to tell her we should consult with the doctor first, when a knock interrupted my thoughts. The door opened, and the doctor stepped inside, his expression professional but warm.

"Perfect timing," he said with a smile, looking between Lillian and me. "I came to inform Ms. Lillian that she can be discharged today. We've completed her final examination, and all her indicators have returned to normal."

Lillian's face lit up with a brilliant smile, the first genuine one I'd seen since her return. But as I watched that radiant expression, I felt... nothing. The same smile that once made my heart race and Prime howl with joy now registered as merely pleasant.

*She's beautiful,* I thought clinically, *but she doesn't affect me anymore.*

The next hour passed in a blur of logistics and careful politeness. Nathaniel and I accompanied Lillian to the luxury apartment Orion had prepared.

Lillian stepped into the apartment and stopped, her eyes wide as she took in the modern furnishings, the floor-to-ceiling windows offering a stunning city view, the sleek kitchen and open living space.

"This is so spacious..." she breathed, turning in a slow circle. "And the design is so sophisticated. I really love this place!"

Her genuine enthusiasm should have pleased me. Instead, I found myself mentally comparing her reaction to how Isolde might respond—probably with suspicion about the expense, followed by stubborn insistence that she didn't need such luxury.

"The staff and security personnel will arrive shortly to attend to your every need," I told her, my tone polite but distant. "Why don't you go to the bedroom and rest? You've had a long day."

But instead of moving toward the bedroom, Lillian remained in the living room, her hands fidgeting with something at her wrist—a smart bracelet I noticed for the first time.

"Because if I fall asleep, you'll leave," she said quietly, her voice carrying a note of sadness that made my chest tighten with guilt. "I don't want you to leave. Not yet."

Her directness caught me off guard.

"Temporarily," she added quickly, as if sensing my discomfort.

The word hung between us, heavy with unspoken implications. I stood there, feeling awkward and exposed, unsure how to respond to this level of honesty.

"Lillian—" I began, but she cut me off.

"Why aren't you happy about my return?" The question came out flat, matter-of-fact. "Is it because of the group's current situation?"

My blood turned to ice. She was right, of course. The timing couldn't have been worse. I had another woman in my life now—a woman I couldn't resist, couldn't stop thinking about, couldn't bear to lose. But I couldn't tell Lillian that. Not when she was still so fragile, still recovering from whatever trauma had kept her away for five years.

Prime's voice rumbled through my consciousness: *You know who your true mate is.*

"Lillian, why would you ask that?" I deflected, forcing my voice to remain steady. "Have I neglected your needs since you returned?"

But she wasn't buying my evasion. Her eyes, still sharp despite everything she'd endured, fixed on mine with uncomfortable intensity.

"You're being good to me on the surface..." she said slowly, "but I can feel that you're not happy about my return."

Fuck. She was seeing right through me.

She continued, her voice gaining strength: "You've been avoiding me, avoiding eye contact. Your tone and words all suggest you don't want me here. Even your wolf's reaction to me has been... cold."

*Damn it! She's seeing right through me!*

I tried to maintain my composure, but she was stripping away every defense I'd carefully constructed.

"It's not that I'm unhappy about your return," I said finally, running a hand through my hair. "It's just... it's been many years, Lillian. Five years. A full five years."

The words felt heavy as I spoke them, carrying the weight of everything that had changed.

"When I lost you, it nearly destroyed me. Prime went dormant for months. I thought I'd never recover from the grief, the guilt of failing to protect you. I had to learn to live without you—for my own sanity and for the pack. I had to accept that you were gone forever."

I paused, watching her face. She was listening intently, tears gathering in her eyes.

"And now you're back, and I'm... I'm struggling to process it all. The timing is..."

I couldn't finish that sentence. Couldn't tell her that the timing was terrible because I'd found someone else. Someone who made my heart race and my wolf sing in ways I'd forgotten were possible.

"Do you think I'm not me?" Lillian asked suddenly. "That someone is impersonating me?"

"I know you're you!" I said immediately, and it was true. Her scent, her mannerisms, the way she tilted her head when thinking—everything confirmed her identity. "You don't know how much I want to understand what happened to you these years."

My voice dropped, becoming more serious: "Those bruises and scars I saw on you yesterday—someone hurt you. Someone tortured you. I will use every resource the Silver Moon Group has, every connection to find whoever did this to you and make them pay."

"What matters is that I'm back," she said quietly, her fingers unconsciously stroking a scar on her arm. "And I'm alive."

But I could see the hesitation in her eyes, the way she didn't want to discuss the past. Whatever had happened to her during those five years, it had left deep wounds that went far beyond the physical.

*I need to know,* I thought grimly. *I need to find out every detail of what happened to her.*

Lillian was quiet for a moment, and I could see her gearing up for another question.

"Did you fall in love with another woman?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Every muscle in my body went rigid.

I opened my mouth, but no words came. How could I answer that question? How could I tell her that yes, I had found my second chance mate? That even now, sitting here with her, all I could think about was Isolde?