Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 332

Isolde's POV

The rumble of Ezra's luxury sedan faded into the distance, leaving me standing on the sidewalk like an idiot, watching the taillights disappear around the corner. My heart sank with each passing second, the weight of our argument settling in my chest like a stone.

*Fuck.*

I hated fighting with him. I really did.

My phone buzzed in my purse. I pulled it out and immediately broke into a cold sweat when I saw Mom's name on the screen.

*Shit, shit, shit.*

Holden had warned me she was planning to come this weekend after hearing about my "difficulties" in the competition. I loved my mother to pieces, but the last thing I needed right now was her worried energy while I was dealing with Alpha drama and trying not to completely lose my mind.

Taking a deep breath, I answered in my most casual voice. "Hey, Mom."

"Hello, sweetheart," came her warm but slightly strained voice through the speaker. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing great," I lied smoothly, pushing through the front door. "Really good, actually."

There was a pause that made my stomach twist into knots.

"That's not the impression Holden gave me when he called earlier."

*Damn it, Holden.* I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Mom, you know how Holden is. He probably exaggerated whatever he told you."

"Holden doesn't exaggerate, Isolde. He said you've been having a rough time with the competition, and he sounded genuinely worried about you."

I slumped against the wall, covering my face with my free hand. There was no point in trying to convince her that Holden was wrong—she knew her stepson too well.

"Okay, fine," I sighed in defeat. "You win, Mom. I've been going through a tough period."

But I wasn't about to tell her the whole truth. The last thing she needed to know was that I was caught in some twisted love triangle with a Lycan King and his supposedly-dead-but-actually-very-much-alive ex-mate.

"The competition has a month-long break period," I continued, the lie rolling off my tongue easier than I expected. "I need to stay here and work with my team members to prepare for the next round. It's going to be even more challenging, and we can't afford to fall behind."

It wasn't a lie. We did have a month break. I wasn't just staying for the competition—I was staying because I couldn't bear the thought of leaving Ezra alone with Lillian. The bitch would probably have him eating out of her hand within a week if I wasn't here to remind him what he'd be losing.

"Are you sure that's the only reason?" Mom's voice was gentle but probing. "You sound... stressed."

*If only you knew,* I thought bitterly. *Your daughter is mated to the most powerful Alpha in the city, who's currently being manipulated by his psychotic ex while I plot revenge dates with other men.*

"I'm fine, Mom. Really. Just tired from all the competition stress, but it's nothing I can't handle." I forced brightness into my voice. "Besides, it's not like I'm going through this alone. I have Alpha Ezra to... complain to."

*More like to drive absolutely insane with jealousy,* but she didn't need those details.

"Well," Mom said softly, "just remember to take care of yourself, sweetheart. And tell Holden to call me back—he promised he would yesterday."

"I'll let him know," I promised.

After hanging up, I leaned against the wall and let out a long breath. The conversation had gone better than expected, but lying to my mother left a sour taste in my mouth.

"Holy fuck!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the voice echoing from above. Heart hammering against my ribs, I looked up to see Holden standing on the stairs like some kind of statue, staring down at me.

"Jesus Christ, Holden!" I gasped, clutching my chest and breathing hard. "Why the hell would you scare me like that?"

He was dressed in athletic wear—expensive-looking running shoes, moisture-wicking shirt, the works—with a sleek messenger bag slung across his shoulder. He looked like he'd stepped out of a fitness magazine.

"Sorry," he said, not sounding sorry at all. "I was heading out to that fancy gym at Silver Moon Group. Finally got my VIP membership approved."

I blinked at him. "You joined Silver Moon's gym?"

"Hell yeah. Have you seen that place? It's like a temple to physical perfection." His eyes lit up with enthusiasm.

Something cold settled in my stomach. "Holden... what exactly are you planning?"

He shrugged, adjusting his bag strap. "I might stick around this city for a while. I've already started applying to some of the colleges here. "

My world tilted sideways. "What?"

"Yeah, I think I like it here. The energy, the opportunities..." He grinned at me like he'd just announced he was buying a new pair of shoes instead of potentially upending his entire life. "It's exciting."

"Are you completely insane?" I hissed. "That kind of spontaneous decision is going to give your parents heart attacks!"

Holden just rolled his eyes. "Bruce and Mom should be used to my decision-making style by now."

"Used to it? Holden, you just decided to completely change your life plans on a whim! That's not a 'style,' that's—"

"That's what?" he interrupted, raising an eyebrow.

I opened and closed my mouth, unable to come up with an adequate description for his level of impulsiveness.

"Look," he continued, "I'm an adult. I can make my own choices about where I want to live and study. And speaking of which, why didn't you tell Mom I was supposed to call her back?"

"Because we literally just talked on the phone!" I snapped. "She said you promised to call her yesterday!"

"We did a video call this morning!" Holden protested. "That counts!"

"Apparently not to her!"

He waved his hand dismissively. "Whatever. I'll call her later. Right now, I have a workout session to get to, and these Silver Moon trainers don't wait for anyone."

With that absolutely maddening statement, he jogged past me down the stairs, leaving me standing there in shock.

*"You know,"* Lyra's voice suddenly filled my head,*"seeing Alpha Ezra hurt by your decision to go out with that Daryl guy tonight is actually breaking your heart. So why don't you just call the designer and cancel?"*

I groaned and buried my face in a throw pillow.

*"Because it's not that simple, Lyra,"* I replied mentally. *"He needs to understand what it feels like to worry about losing someone. He needs to know that I won't just sit around waiting while he plays games with Lillian."*

I couldn't back down now. Not when Ezra was learning what it felt like to be on the other side of jealousy.

*"Lyra,"* I said firmly, my resolve hardening. *"I have to do this. I need to do this to keep Ezra on his toes."*