Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 46

**Isolde's POV**

 

The training center fell into complete silence after Orion's rebuke of Evanthe. Even breathing seemed to stop as everyone absorbed what had just happened. Silver Moon warriors exchanged nervous glances, nobody daring to make a sound. The tension hung in the air like a physical presence, pressing against my skin.

 

Evanthe finally broke the suffocating silence. "This isn't over," she snarled. "Not by a long shot."

 

She straightened her sweat-soaked training gear with as much dignity as she could muster before storming toward the exit. The door slammed behind her with enough force to make several warriors flinch.

 

Only after she'd disappeared did the tension in the room dissipate slightly. Quiet whispers broke out as everyone processed what they'd just witnessed—the PR Director losing not just a fight but also her composure.

 

"Holy shit," Alex whispered, appearing beside me. "You actually beat Evanthe Hawthorne."

 

I barely registered his words. Now that she-devil had me firmly in her sights.

 

The reality of my situation hit me like a physical blow. I was a Alliance girl who had just publicly defeated and humiliated one of Silver Moon Group's highest-ranking executives. Worse, I was a girl she already suspected of capturing Ezra's attention.

 

"Training is concluded for today," Orion announced, his authoritative voice cutting through the murmurs. "Everyone is dismissed."

 

I didn't wait for a second invitation. Grabbing my gym bag, I headed for the exit at what felt like light speed. Several warriors attempted to intercept me—probably to offer congratulations or ask questions—but I politely yet firmly brushed them off with mumbled excuses.

 

Despite Evanthe's physical absence, I could still feel her hostile gaze tracking my every move. Right now, the only place that felt even remotely safe was my apartment at the Alliance residence. I needed to put distance between myself and the training center.

 

*She won't forgive this humiliation,* Lyra growled within me, my wolf restless and agitated. *We need to prepare for her retaliation.*

 

---

 

As I approached the Alliance residence, I spotted a group of immaculately dressed program participants gathered in the outdoor relaxation area. They were practicing proper tea service etiquette—one of the many "feminine charm" classes offered to Alliance girls hoping to impress Silver Moon's elite.

 

The moment I came into view, their attention shifted. Conversations halted mid-sentence as heads turned in my direction.

 

"Well, look who it is," announced a blonde girl. Her red lips curved into a cold smile.

 

"If it isn't the boyfriend thief herself," added another girl from behind designer sunglasses.

 

I intended to ignore them as I always did, walking past with professional detachment. But the accusation made me stop in my tracks.

 

"Boyfriend thief?" I repeated, turning slowly to face them.

 

The girls exchanged triumphant glances, clearly pleased they'd gotten my attention.

 

"Oh, she stopped," one girl remarked to another. "Looks like she finally acknowledges her new title."

 

Another girl stepped forward, her perfect makeup creating a flawless mask. "How does it feel, Isolde? Sleeping with your sister's boyfriend?"

 

My breath caught in my throat. "What did you just say?"

 

"I said," she repeated with exaggerated clarity, "how does it feel fucking your sister's boyfriend?"

 

"What are you talking about?" I demanded.

 

Another girl joined in, her voice dripping with contempt. "Don't play innocent. Sybilla told us everything—how you seduced Kieran, the boyfriend she'd been with for two years. How you slept with him behind her back."

 

"Family traitor," someone else called out. "Either bullying poor Sybilla or trying to steal everything that belongs to her."

 

I stood frozen in place as understanding dawned. Sybilla had completely reversed our roles—painting herself as the victim and me as the villain. In her version, I had stolen her boyfriend, not the other way around.

 

No wonder every Alliance girl hated me. They'd been fed a completely twisted version of events.

 

"That's not true," I said, knowing even as the words left my mouth how futile they were. "It's exactly the opposite of what happened."

 

These girls—driven by money and status—would always believe Alaric Blackwood's precious daughter over me. Why would they question Sybilla's story? The truth wouldn't benefit them.

 

"Stop denying it!" one girl shouted. "You're such a pick-me girl!"

 

"Gold digger!"

 

"Pack traitor!"

 

The insults followed me as I pushed past them into the building. The security guard at the desk pretended not to notice, his eyes fixed on his monitor as if the commotion wasn't happening right in front of him.

 

Inside the glass elevator, my heart raced. Anger surged through me, a wave of wolf-like rage rising from my gut and spreading outward to my limbs. Lyra howled within me, demanding to be unleashed. My fingers curled into fists so tight my nails dug into my palms.

 

*Those lying bitches!* Lyra snarled.

 

The elevator dinged as it reached my floor. I stepped into the hallway, my breath coming in short, sharp bursts.

 

Standing before my apartment door, I stared at the high-tech lock for a long moment. My teeth ground together as I considered my options.

 

*Enough is enough,* I thought, my resolve hardening like steel. *I've had it with her lies and manipulation.*

 

I turned away from my door, heading instead toward Sybilla's suite at the other end of the hallway.

 

"I'm not going to let this go," I whispered, my voice tight with determination. "I'm done backing down. If she wants a war, let's start a war."