Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 336

Isolde's POV

The silence in Daryl's car was suffocating. I stared out the passenger window, watching the city lights blur past as we drove away from my villa, but all I could think about was the look in Ezra's eyes when I'd walked away from him.

*Fuck.*

My chest felt like someone had carved out a piece of it with a rusty knife. The plan to make Alpha Ezra feel the same pain I'd been experiencing had backfired spectacularly—instead of hurting him, I'd only managed to torture myself.

*How is that fair?*

"Are you okay?" Daryl's voice cut through the heavy silence, gentle but concerned.

I let out a long, shaky breath and turned to look at him as he navigated the evening traffic. His hands were steady on the steering wheel, his profile calm and patient. God, I felt like such a mess compared to his composure.

*"You feel like shit because you tried to hurt your mate,"* Lyra whispered in my mind, her tone uncharacteristically quiet. *"This isn't who we are."*

I wanted to argue with her, but she was right. The satisfaction I'd expected to feel never came—only this gnawing ache in my chest.

"I feel terrible," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. I fidgeted with my hands in my lap, unable to meet his eyes. "You must think I'm an idiot."

"Why would I think that?"

"Because every time we plan to go out, there's some unpleasant drama involving Alpha Ezra." I finally looked at him, shame burning in my cheeks. "You must be getting tired of me dragging you into this mess."

Daryl was quiet for a moment, then a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "If that were true, I wouldn't keep asking you out, would I?" He glanced at me briefly before returning his attention to the road. "But here we are. It's fine—I don't mind."

The warmth in his voice made something tight in my chest loosen just a little. Even Lyra seemed to approve, letting out a soft *hmm* of appreciation.

"I heard his first mate came back," Daryl said carefully, his tone neutral. "Lillian, right?"

The mention of that woman's name made me roll my eyes.

"Yeah," I said, my voice dripping with frustration. "She's back."

I could feel the familiar surge of anger whenever I thought about Lillian Torres.

"That puts Ezra in an impossible position," Daryl observed. "This has never happened before in werewolf society—an Alpha having two fated mates. He's going to have to choose one of you."

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. My mood, which had been gradually improving thanks to his gentle presence, plummeted again.

*Why did he have to state the obvious?*

"You love him, don't you?"

The question caught me so off guard that I almost launched myself out of my seat. My eyes went wide as I stared at him, and I quickly ran my hands through my hair, clearing my throat as I tried to process what he'd just asked.

*Shit. Is it that obvious?*

"Yes," I whispered, the word barely audible. I swallowed hard and tried again. "He's my fated mate, for fuck's sake. I can't not love him."

Daryl nodded thoughtfully, and when he spoke again, his voice was filled with conviction that surprised me. "Ezra is absolutely crazy about you, Isolde. If he has to choose between you and Lillian, it's going to be you—no question about it. I'd bet my life on it."

I fought to keep the smile off my face, but his words meant everything to me. They were exactly what I needed to hear.

"The Moon Goddess has a reason for letting things unfold this way," he continued, his tone gentle but firm. "Let's just wait and see what happens, okay?"

This time, I couldn't hide my smile. I nodded, feeling genuinely hopeful for the first time since Lillian had returned. Whatever the Moon Goddess was planning to reveal—and I had a feeling it involved exposing Lillian's true nature—I was ready for it.

"Have you found your fated mate?" I asked, eager to shift the conversation away from my complicated love life.

The moment the words left my mouth, I realized how stupid the question was. If Daryl had found his mate, he wouldn't be here with me. Werewolf society didn't work that way.

"Not yet," he replied easily, not seeming bothered by the question. "But I'm not worried about it."

I was genuinely surprised. In our modern werewolf society, someone Daryl's age without a mate was considered... well, late to the game.

"You're not?" I asked.

He shook his head, his expression remarkably peaceful. "I trust the Moon Goddess completely. Whenever she decides to send me my soulmate, I'll embrace her wholeheartedly. And if she doesn't..." He shrugged. "I can accept that too."

His maturity and grace left me speechless for a moment. The way he spoke about fate and acceptance was so different from the desperate scrambling I'd been doing lately.

"Whoever she is, she's going to be incredibly lucky," I said sincerely. "You're amazing."

Daryl smiled at that, a hint of something interesting flickering in his eyes as he pulled into the parking space in front of an upscale restaurant.

"We're here," he announced.

I looked out at the elegant establishment, feeling my mood completely transformed from the miserable state I'd been in when we left my villa.

*Time to enjoy myself,* I thought, and for the first time all evening, I actually meant it.