Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 34

Isolde's POV

 

"I can't leave Thalia."

 

Nathaniel looked at me with what might have been exasperation. "Miss Blackwood, I told you to go to your room."

 

"Not without Thalia," I said firmly, crossing my arms despite how ridiculous I probably looked in the tiny black dress. "I'm not leaving her up there alone."

 

"Thalia is not your concern."

 

*Like hell it isn't.*

 

"She's my friend," I said, stepping back into the elevator and hitting the button for the forty-second floor. "And she's never done this before. I'm not abandoning her to those perverts."

 

"This is not part of my instructions," Nathaniel said with obvious frustration.

 

"Then your instructions are incomplete," I shot back. "Either we both leave, or neither of us does."

 

*That's probably not the smartest ultimatum to give the Beta, but I don't care.*

 

Nathaniel stared at me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. I could practically see him weighing his options—insist or deal with a stubborn Alliance girl who refused to be rescued alone.

 

"You're making this unnecessarily complicated," he finally said.

 

"Good. I like complicated."

 

The elevator dinged softly as we reached the forty-second floor. The Diamond Suite was even more luxurious than the Platinum Lounge, with private booths and dimmed lighting that made it difficult to see exactly what was happening in each alcove.

 

*That's probably intentional.*

 

"Where would she be?" Nathaniel asked quietly.

 

I scanned the room, my eyes adjusting to the low light. It took me a moment to spot Thalia in a corner booth, sitting stiffly next to a man who looked old enough to be her grandfather. His hand was resting possessively on her thigh while she stared straight ahead with the kind of blank expression that suggested she was mentally somewhere else entirely.

 

*She's dissociating. Fuck.*

 

"There," I pointed toward the booth.

 

Nathaniel followed my gaze and something flickered across his features—disapproval, maybe even disgust. "Stay here."

 

He walked across the room with the kind of authority that made conversations pause and heads turn. I watched as he approached Thalia's booth and said something to the elderly executive that made the man's face go red with indignation.

 

Whatever Nathaniel said next killed any protest the man might have had. Within moments, he was helping Thalia to her feet and guiding her toward the exit.

 

*Thank god.*

 

Thalia looked dazed when she reached me, her makeup smudged and her dress disheveled in a way that made my stomach clench with anger.

 

"Isolde?" she whispered, as if she couldn't quite believe I was real.

 

"I'm here," I said, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. "We're getting out of here."

 

---

 

The next morning, I was still trying to process the events of the previous night when I found Orion waiting for me outside the Alliance residence building. He was leaning against a sleek black car, dressed in his usual training gear, and he smiled when he saw me approaching.

 

*Why is he here?*

 

"Good morning, Isolde," he said, pushing off from the car. "You look radiant as always."

 

*Radiant?* I glanced down at my simple workout clothes and messy ponytail. "I look like I haven't had enough coffee."

 

"Charming even when caffeinated," he replied with a grin that was probably meant to be flirtatious.

 

*Okay, this is definitely flirting.*

 

"Are you waiting for someone?" I asked, though it was becoming increasingly obvious that someone was me.

 

"You, actually. I thought I'd offer you a ride to the training center this morning."

 

*A ride? Since when does the security director personally chauffeur Alliance girls?*

 

"That's... thoughtful," I said carefully. "But I usually walk. It's good exercise."

 

"I just want to make sure you're properly looked after." he said, opening the passenger door for me.

 

"If you insist," I said, sliding into the passenger seat.

 

The ride to the training center was filled with Orion's easy conversation and subtle compliments that made me increasingly uncomfortable. Not because he was unpleasant—quite the opposite. He was charming, attractive, and clearly interested in me as more than just another Alliance participant.

 

*Under normal circumstances, I'd probably be flattered.*

 

But these weren't normal circumstances, and I couldn't shake the feeling that getting involved with Orion would be like painting a target on both our backs.

 

---

 

 

The moment I stepped into the underground Battle Arena, I knew something was wrong. Alpha Ezra stood near the center mat, his perfectly tailored business suit replaced with training gear that did nothing to diminish his powerful presence. His stormy eyes tracked our entrance, his expression darkening like storm clouds before a hurricane.

 

"Good morning, Alpha Ezra," I greeted respectfully, bowing my head slightly.

 

He didn't respond, his jaw clenched tight enough to crack granite.

 

Nyssa approached from my right, her voice dropping to a whisper: "Can you feel the tension in the air? Today's going to be rough. Alpha Ezra is in an exceptionally bad mood."

 

I swallowed hard, my star-shaped birthmark warming against my skin. "I can definitely sense it."

 

"Just follow his instructions and try not to draw unnecessary attention," she advised, glancing nervously toward Ezra, who was now speaking in clipped tones to one of the senior warriors.

 

As we began our warm-up exercises, Nyssa suddenly asked, "By the way, what's the deal with you and Security Director Orion?"

 

My rhythm faltered mid-stretch. "What do you mean?"

 

She raised an eyebrow. "Come on, Isolde. Everyone's noticed how... attentive he is around you."

 

I had no chance to respond as we were called to form training groups.

 

Orion approached as we completed our warm-ups, his professional demeanor firmly in place. "I thought we might continue with the defensive techniques we were working on yesterday," he suggested.

 

"That sounds good," I agreed, relieved to focus on something familiar and uncomplicated.

 

"No."

 

The single word, cold and sharp as ice, sliced through the air. Alpha Ezra had materialized beside us, his tall frame radiating Alpha dominance.

 

"Today, she trains with me."

 

It wasn't a suggestion. It was a command.

 

The entire training center fell into deathly silence, every warrior freezing mid-motion. Orion's amber eyes widened slightly, his only visible reaction to this unexpected development.

 

*So this is how my life ends*, I thought.