Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 317

Isolde's POV

"Holden," I called out, my voice thick with exhaustion as I dragged myself into the kitchen.

My half-brother looked up from his phone screen, the scowl that had been etched across his face instantly melting away when he saw me. "You're awake," he said, his voice low and concerned.

"I wish I was still sleeping," I replied hoarsely, my vocal cords feeling like sandpaper.

I shuffled toward the kitchen island with all the grace of a zombie, my body feeling like it weighed a thousand pounds. Every step was an effort as I collapsed onto the high stool next to Holden, my bones creaking in protest.

My gaze immediately fell on the protein shake sitting in front of him, and my mouth practically started watering. The thick, creamy mixture looked like heaven right now, and I had the overwhelming urge to grab it and down the entire thing in one go.

"Don't even think about it!" Holden warned, as if he could read my mind. "I'll get you your own."

A tired smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. "Thank you so much. You're the best brother in the whole world!"

Holden just shook his head without saying a word, but I caught the slight upturn of his lips.

He slid off his stool and walked over to the glass rack, pulling down a clean glass before heading to the smart refrigerator. He poured organic milk into my glass.

"You look like absolute shit," he commented matter-of-factly as he worked.

"That's because I didn't sleep all night," I admitted, rubbing my burning eyes.

Holden walked back over and handed me the glass of milk. "Here. Your eyes are telling the whole story."

"Thanks," I murmured, accepting the glass gratefully and taking small, careful sips of the cool liquid.

"What kept you up all night?" Holden asked, settling back onto his stool. "And I know it's not the pressure from the ongoing design competition."

I raised an eyebrow. "How are you so sure about that?"

"It's not, is it?" he pressed, studying my face intently.

I let out a soft sigh and drained the rest of my milk. "No, it's not."

*Holden was right, of course.* The design competition had nothing to do with my sleepless night. I'd been lying in bed for hours, my mind racing with anxious thoughts because news of Lillian's return had leaked within Silver Moon Group, and now I couldn't stop worrying about what everyone was saying.

*What were they thinking about this whole mess?*

Two years ago, when the group employees and werewolf community discovered that I had a relationship with Alpha Ezra, they practically treated me like a traitor. They despised me because I came from an ordinary werewolf family background, and they refused to accept me as their Luna. The hostility had been suffocating, the whispered conversations stopping whenever I walked into a room, the barely concealed contempt in their eyes.

But Lillian? Lillian was a pure-blood Lycan who had been born and raised among Silver Moon's core families. When Alpha Ezra introduced her as his mate to the group's leadership five years ago, they adored her. They cherished her, protected her, practically worshipped the ground she walked on. When Lillian died, the entire werewolf community mourned her loss and prayed to the Moon Goddess to bring her back.

*And now that she's back and the group leadership knows about it, I'm sure their love for her will be reignited. They'll push Alpha Ezra to take Lillian back and throw me aside like yesterday's garbage.*

I felt like I didn't stand a fucking chance.

"Isolde!" Holden's voice echoed in my head, and when I felt his hand touch my shoulder, I flinched in fear.

"Whoa! Relax, sis. It's just me," he said gently, his hand remaining steady on my shoulder.

I let out a weary sigh. "Sorry. I was just lost in thought."

"Talk to me, Iso. What's wrong?" The concern in his voice made tears burn behind my eyes.

If the Moon Goddess didn't want to give me a chance at happiness with Lycan King Ezra, then why the hell did she bond us in the first place? Why was our relationship always so fucking complicated? Why couldn't she give us the peace we deserved?

"It's just that now people know Lillian's back at the group, they're definitely going to start voicing their opinions," I said, my voice cracking with emotion as I blinked rapidly to keep the tears at bay. "They worshipped her. And me? They only barely tolerate me because Ezra threatened to fire anyone who talked shit about me. They're going to push him to choose her over me."

I was fighting so hard not to cry.

"I seriously doubt public opinion can influence Ezra's choice between you and Lillian," Holden said, trying to reassure me. "He'll do what he wants to do."

"But they're his pack members," I argued. "He'll listen to them."

"Not about something like this," Holden insisted. "This is his personal life. He'll make the decision that's best for him."

"I'm scared, Holden," I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. "I swear I was really sure I didn't want anything to do with Ezra, but ever since he told me his former fated mate came back, I haven't been myself. Yes, he hurt me, and I'm still angry with him, but I love him. I love him with my whole heart. He's my soulmate. I can't live without him. I really want to be with him!"

A single, fat tear rolled down my cheek as I spoke. The thought of possibly losing Ezra felt like my heart was being sliced into pieces. I didn't think I could bear the pain of him choosing another woman over me.

"Then fight for him!" Holden encouraged.

"That's just the problem," I said, my voice hoarse as I cried. "I'm tired of fighting. I had to fight Evanthe to the point where she lost her life. Now I have to do the same thing all over again with Lillian. I don't want that!"

Holden calmly slid off his stool and pulled me into a warm, comforting hug. I stopped trying to hold myself together and cried out all my frustration against his shoulder.

*I didn't want to wage war with Lillian for Ezra, but I also didn't want to lose him to her.*

*What the hell was I supposed to do?*