Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 30

Isolde's POV

 

The moment I pushed open the door to my room, Thalia launched herself at me with a sob of relief.

 

"Oh my god, Isolde!" she cried, wrapping her arms around me so tightly I could barely breathe. "I was so worried. No one would tell me anything, and I thought—"

 

"I'm okay," I managed to say, though my voice cracked with exhaustion. "I'm here."

 

She pulled back to look at me, her eyes taking in my disheveled appearance with obvious concern. "You look terrible. What did they do to you?"

 

*Where do I even start?*

 

"Long story," I said, sinking onto my bed with relief. Just being back in this familiar space, surrounded by my own things, felt like a luxury after two days in that cell.

 

"Are you hurt?" Thalia asked, sitting beside me and examining the rope marks on my wrists. "Jesus, Isolde, they actually restrained you?"

 

"I'm fine," I lied, though every muscle in my body ached and my stomach was cramping from hunger. "Just tired and starving."

 

*Starving* was an understatement. I felt hollow, like my body was eating itself from the inside out.

 

"When's the last time you ate?" Thalia asked, as if reading my thoughts.

 

"Two days ago," I admitted. "They weren't big on meal service in the disciplinary chambers."

 

Thalia's face went pale. "They starved you? For two fucking days?"

 

*She's angrier about this than I am,* I realized with a pang of gratitude. Having someone care about what happened to me felt better than I wanted to admit.

 

"Come on," Thalia said, standing and pulling me to my feet. "We're going to the company cafeteria."

 

---

 

 

"So," Thalia said as we made our way through the food line, "how exactly did you get out?"

 

I loaded my tray with as much food as I could carry—sandwiches, soup, fruit, anything that looked remotely appealing to my starving body. "Alpha Ezra showed up and ordered my release."

 

Thalia nearly dropped her plate. "The Alpha himself?"

 

"That's what I said."

 

"Isolde, that's..." She lowered her voice as we found a table near the windows. "That's completely insane. I mean, I've only been here a few days longer than you, but from what I've heard, the Alpha doesn't get involved in Alliance discipline. Ever."

 

*That's what I was afraid of.*

 

"What exactly have you heard?" I asked, taking a large bite of my sandwich.

 

"Other girls talking, mostly. Apparently he's never personally intervened in any Alliance matters. Like, there are girls who've been here for months, even over a year, and they've never even seen him outside of official events." Thalia leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Isolde... what if..."

 

"What if what?"

 

She hesitated, as if afraid to voice the thought. "What if Ezra is actually your mate?"

 

The sandwich suddenly felt like cardboard in my mouth. I'd been wondering the same thing, but hearing it out loud made it feel more real, more terrifying.

 

*Because he's our mate,* Lyra whispered smugly in my mind. *Because he couldn't stand the thought of us suffering.*

 

*We don't know that for sure,* I replied firmly.

 

"That's crazy," I said to Thalia, though my voice lacked conviction.

 

"Crazy?" Thalia shook her head. "Girl, the man is the Lycan King. He doesn't have time to personally check on every Alliance participant who gets in trouble."

 

As we ate, I became gradually aware that we were attracting attention. Conversations at nearby tables had grown quieter, and I could feel eyes on us from across the room.

 

"Don't look now," Thalia murmured, "but we're being watched."

 

"I noticed," I said, keeping my voice low. "Word travels fast around here, doesn't it?"

 

"You have no idea. By tomorrow, everyone will know that the Alpha personally secured your release from disciplinary."

 

*Great. Just what I needed—more attention.*

 

We'd just finished eating when a familiar voice cut through the ambient noise of the cafeteria.

 

"Well, well. Look who's back from her little vacation."

 

I looked up to see Evanthe approaching our table, her expression a mixture of anger and something that looked like jealousy. She was flanked by two other Alliance girls I didn't recognize, both of whom were looking at me with obvious hostility.

 

"Evanthe," I said evenly, not bothering to stand. "What a pleasant surprise."

 

"Pleasant?" she laughed, but there was no humor in it. "I don't think there's anything pleasant about a girl who can't follow simple instructions suddenly getting special treatment from the Alpha himself."

 

The cafeteria around us had gone noticeably quieter, conversations trailing off as people sensed the tension building at our table.

 

"I don't know what you mean," I said, though my heart was starting to race.

 

"Don't you?" Evanthe moved closer. "I mean the fact that Alpha Ezra personally came to the disciplinary chambers to secure your release."

 

"I don't why either." I said, starting to stand. This conversation was going nowhere good, and I didn't want to have it in front of an audience.

 

But Evanthe moved to block my path.

 

"What's your relationship with Alpha Ezra?" she demanded.

 

*She's not just angry,* I realized. *She's territorial.*

 

"I don't have a relationship with him," I said, which was technically true.

 

"Bullshit," Evanthe snarled. "Normal Alliance girls don't get personal intervention from the Alpha. So what makes you so special?"

 

I felt Thalia tense beside me, and when I glanced at her, I could see righteous anger building in her eyes. She was getting ready to defend me.

 

"She's his—" Thalia started to say, her voice fierce with protectiveness.

 

"Nothing," I cut her off quickly, shooting her a warning look. "I'm nothing special to him."

 

Evanthe's eyes narrowed, clearly sensing that there was more to the story. "Stay away from him," she said, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Stay away from Alpha Ezra, or I'll make your life so miserable that you'll beg to go back to that disciplinary cell."

 

With that threat hanging in the air, she turned and stalked away, her companions following like obedient shadows.

 

The moment they were gone, Thalia asked me. "Why didn't you just tell her the truth?"

 

"What truth?" I asked, though I knew exactly what she meant.

 

"That you're his mate! That would have shut her up real quick."

 

"We don't know that for sure," I said, "What if we're wrong? What if I claim to be his mate and it turns out I'm not?"

 

*And I'm not sure I'm ready for that kind of complication.*