Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 312

Isolde's POV

Ezra stepped into the hospital room ahead of me. "Lillian!"

I stopped in the doorway, maintaining my distance as I watched them.

Lillian sat propped up in the high-end hospital bed, quietly sobbing. Ezra moved to her bedside. The sight of them together made my stomach churn in ways I didn't want to acknowledge.

The first thing that struck me was Lillian's goddamn golden hair. Even in her supposedly fragile state, it cascaded over her shoulders like spun silk, catching the hospital lighting in a way that made her look ethereal. *Of course she's blonde,* I thought bitterly. *Of course she's beautiful even when she's crying.*

Lillian's tears intensified the moment Ezra sat beside her bed. Her quiet sobbing escalated to full-blown weeping, tears streaming down her features in what I had to admit was an annoyingly picturesque way.

"Ezra, I'm so sorry," she choked out between sobs. "I don't know what came over me. I swear it wasn't intentional. I didn't mean to hurt myself like that."

I watched Ezra's jaw tighten. I could practically read his mind – he wanted to tell her exactly how irresponsible and dramatic her behavior was. His mouth opened slightly, and I knew he was about to let her have it.

I quickly shook my head, mouthing "No" at him.

Ezra's frown deepened, his gaze insistent, but I mouthed again, more firmly this time: "I said no!"

He looked frustrated as hell, but turned back to Lillian, his fingers drumming against the bed frame in agitation. I could see the effort it took him to hold back.

*I hate this,* I admitted to myself.

"I'm so sorry for causing you all this trouble," Lillian continued, her voice trembling.

I rolled my eyes internally, feeling my frustration spike. *What the hell is she playing at? Showing up after all these years and pulling this victim act.*

Ezra's voice came out low and husky when he said her name: "Lillian."

That's when Lillian reached out with her slender fingers and grasped Alpha Ezra's right hand, her fingertips gently stroking the back of his hand.

My heart skipped a beat. I quickly looked away, but the image burned in my mind. My stomach twisted violently, and I felt like I might actually be sick. *She touched his hand. She's holding his hand. She's touching my mate.*

"Lillian, you almost died!" Ezra's voice cut through my spiraling thoughts. "Where did you get the courage to plan something like that? Why did you want to kill yourself?"

Lillian's voice came out soft and broken: "Because I lied to you. Because I deceived you when all you ever gave me was love and care. I felt so ashamed of myself that I thought..."

"So you thought this was the best solution?" Ezra interrupted, "Attempting suicide?" He let out a frustrated sigh, shaking his head.

Then he pulled his hand away from hers and stood up.

*Thank God!* Relief flooded through me so fast I almost laughed out loud.

"Are you leaving me?" Lillian asked, her voice trembling with tears. "Just like last time..."

I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to march over there and knock some sense into her. *She knows exactly what she's doing.*

Ezra walked toward me, looking harried and overwhelmed, breathing heavily as he rubbed his forehead.

"Hey..." he said quietly when he reached me, "I need to see the doctor. I'll be right back. This situation is more complicated than I anticipated."

"Let me come with you," I offered. "I can help."

"No need," he declined. "I'll be back in five minutes. Please..." He glanced toward Lillian, whose eyes were still red and tear-filled, then looked back at me. "I know I shouldn't ask this of you, but please, can you keep an eye on her while I'm gone? I don't want her doing anything foolish to herself again. Please."

"Of course," I replied dryly, nodding despite my reluctance.

"Thank you," Ezra smiled, and for once, his smile held genuine warmth.

Then it happened. Ezra leaned down and gently kissed my forehead, the gesture so natural it seemed unconscious, before leaving the room.

I stood frozen for a full minute, my brain trying to process what had just occurred. The warmth from his lips still lingered on my skin.

*Alpha Ezra just kissed my forehead in front of his first mate?*

"Isolde."

Lillian's voice cut through my thoughts, suddenly clear and no longer weak.

I turned to see her smiling at me, her expression bright and completely different from the fragile woman she'd been moments before.

"That is your name, right?"

Despite myself, I couldn't help but smile back.

"Yes," I replied, moving closer to her bed while staying alert.

"How are you feeling now?" I asked with false friendliness. "Do you need anything?"

Instead of answering, Lillian examined me from head to toe with a calculating gaze, like she was evaluating competition. Her eyes finally settled on my face, that smile never leaving her lips. But her tears had completely dried up.

*She hates me.* I realized.

"As my replacement, you're not bad," Lillian said with condescending superiority. "Though you'd be perfect if you had golden hair like me. Ezra has always preferred blondes."

Her words hit me hard. The fake smile vanished from Lillian's face, replaced by pure hatred and disgust that twisted her delicate features into something ugly.

"Excuse me?" I asked, my voice calm but my body already on high alert.

"I think you heard me clearly," Lillian replied.

I let out a disbelieving laugh, my expression growing serious.

"What do you mean I'm your replacement?"

"Huh! You're not only plain, you're stupid too," Lillian sneered. "Looks like Ezra's standards have really dropped."

"Are you insulting me right now?" I asked.

"Yes, I just insulted you," Lillian said with challenging glee. "What are you going to do about it? Attack a patient?"

*I want to pick her up and throw her against the wall,* I thought savagely. *Make her actually die this time.*

"I thought you were some innocent girl caught up in unfortunate circumstances," I said, "but now I see you're just a bitch!"

Lillian raised an eyebrow with amusement. "You think I'm going to deny it? I won't. I am a bitch. A real bad bitch who's back to reclaim her position. So if I were you, I'd step aside unless you want to go to war with me. Trust me, you don't want to go to war with me."

I crossed my arms over my chest, staring her down. *If I can handle Evanthe, this woman is child's play.*

"You think I'm afraid of you?"

"When you find yourself with nowhere to run," Lillian warned, "don't say I didn't warn you. I know Silver Moon Group's rules far better than you do."

"Oh... how terrifying," I replied with obvious sarcasm.

"Your days as Alpha Ezra's replacement for me are over," Lillian declared. "Pack your bags and leave, because I'm back, and I'm taking back my place in his heart, in his life. No one can stop me!"

Finally, I understood what she'd been planning all along.

*She wants to become Luna again.*