Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 305

Isolde's POV

The waiter approached our table with practiced elegance, setting down our plates with a flourishing smile. "Enjoy your meal."

"Thank you," Daryl and I responded in unison, our voices creating an oddly synchronized harmony that made me glance up at him.

My stomach chose that exact moment to announce its presence with an embarrassing rumble that seemed to echo through the upscale restaurant. *God, I'm starving.* I'd been so nervous about the competition results this morning that I'd barely touched breakfast.

When I looked up, Daryl was watching me with an amused expression, and heat splashed across my face like oil from a hot pan. The intensity of his gaze made my cheeks burn, and I quickly looked down at my salmon, hoping the flush would fade.

"Don't thank me," he said softly, his voice warm. "I'm just really happy to have lunch with you again. That's all."

"I have to congratulate you again on placing first in the second round," Daryl said, cutting into his steak. "That was incredible work, Isolde."

I set down my fork and shook my head. "If you keep making such a big deal out of this, I'm going to get a swollen head."

"That won't stop me from congratulating you when you achieve major victories." His tone was firm, almost... stubborn.

*He's just like Ezra,* I thought irritably. *Stubborn and never listens to what I'm saying!*

I noticed Daryl's eyes flick toward the entrance for the second time since we'd sat down.

"I'm still shocked about the one who was suddenly disqualified," I said, taking a sip of my wine. "I didn't expect them to eliminate contestants at this stage."

Daryl's expression shifted to one of mild disdain. "If your designs are as terrible as those, of course they would."

I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. Even though she had been awful to me, I couldn't bring myself to openly mock someone else's failure. It felt too cruel, even for someone who'd made my life difficult.

"What exactly started the conflict between you and them?" Daryl asked, his fork pausing midway to his mouth. "I saw them giving you a hard time this morning, saying some pretty nasty things."

I took a sip of wine and carefully set down my silverware, the expensive crystal catching the light. "They think Ezra pulled strings to get me into this competition, and that he's going to continue manipulating the results so I win."

"That's ridiculous!" Daryl's reaction was immediate and heated.

I laughed, but there was no humor in it. "I'm used to being hated by other girls wherever I go."

Daryl's expression grew serious, his brown eyes intense. "Isolde, you need to be careful. Having enemies is never a good thing, especially in a competitive environment like this. They might do whatever it takes to sabotage your chances of winning this competition."

"Oh God," I whispered. "How did I not think of that?"

Daryl leaned forward, his voice low and urgent. "When I won the Fashion Design Championship, there was a group of designers who teamed up to sabotage my equipment and try to frame me for cheating. It's more common than you think."

He paused, studying my pale face. "Now people see you as a threat. They'll do anything to get you out of the picture, Isolde. The more successful you become, the more desperate they'll get."

"Why does it have to be like this?" I asked, frustration and disappointment coloring my voice. "Why can't they just compete fairly?"

"It's sad, but what can we do?" Daryl shrugged, but his eyes remained concerned.

*Great!* So now, on top of actually competing, I had to worry about being framed or sabotaged. This was exactly what I needed.

"Thank you so much for the warning, Daryl," I said sincerely. "I'll be much more careful from now on."

His eyes flicked to the entrance again, and I couldn't ignore it anymore.

"I noticed you keep looking at the door," I said. "Are you expecting someone?"

Daryl's pupils dilated slightly - a werewolf tell that he was surprised by my observation. "Uh... yes. That's right."

"Who are you waiting for?"

"Ezra."

The name hit my ears like a sharp, discordant note. My stupid heart started doing somersaults in my chest, a mix of excitement and fury warring within me. Hearing his name thrilled me in a way that made me want to scream, but the thought of him joining us made me angry.

*"Mate,"* Lyra whispered, responding to just the sound of his name with primitive recognition.

"I... I don't understand," I managed. "Why would he be joining us?"

Daryl's expression grew uncomfortable. "I have this feeling that Ezra might burst in here at any moment to take you away. You know... like he did the last time I took you out."

Guilt crashed over me like a bucket of ice water. I covered my face with my hands, completely mortified. "I'm so sorry, Daryl. I'm really, really sorry about that."

"It's okay," he said with a gentle smile. "I don't mind."

But that only made me feel worse. His kindness in the face of Ezra's ridiculous behavior made the whole situation even more embarrassing.

"He was completely disrespectful to you," I said, my voice sharp with anger. "He's such an asshole."

"No, he's not," Daryl said quietly. "He's a man in love, trying to protect what belongs to him."

My breathing quickened. "I'm not some kind of property or possession! And by the way, he can't protect something he never owned in the first place."

*When did I become so easily offended?* I wondered, trying to calm the surge of emotion.

"There's nothing between Ezra and me," I said firmly, though the words felt like lies on my tongue. "I promise."

"I know," Daryl said calmly. "But the way he's acting now, you two are going to have something very soon."

"That's not going to happen."

*"Keep telling yourself that,"* Lyra growled, but there was amusement in her mental voice.

Daryl extended his right hand across the table, palm up, a small smile playing on his lips. "Want to make a bet?"

I froze.