Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 47

**Isolde's POV**

 

I threw open the door to Sybilla's suite with enough force to make the hinges squeal in protest. The heavy door slammed behind me, the sound echoing through her apartment. 

 

My hands trembled with rage as I stood in the doorway, adrenaline coursing through my veins.

 

Sybilla lounged on her king-sized bed, surrounded by silk pillows. She looked up with exaggerated surprise, her perfect eyebrows arching.

 

"What are you doing in here?" she asked, her voice dripping with false innocence. "This is my private space."

 

I clenched my jaw so tightly my teeth ached. "Why are you spreading those lies about me?"

 

A hint of a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Oh... that." She stretched languidly, enjoying my distress. "I see the news has reached you, dear sister."

 

"I'm talking about the bullshit you told everyone!" I snarled, stepping further into her room. "That I stole Kieran from you? That I slept with him behind your back? Are you fucking kidding me?"

 

Sybilla's pale green eyes sparkled with cruel amusement. "Why so upset? It's just a little gossip."

 

"You completely reversed what happened!" My voice rose despite my efforts to control it. "YOU were the one sneaking around behind MY back with Kieran for months. I caught YOU in bed with HIM!"

 

She shrugged one delicate shoulder, completely unfazed by my anger. "Oh, really? Why don't you go tell the girls the truth then?" Her smile widened, revealing perfect teeth. "See who they believe—the daughter of the famous Alpha Alaric Blackwood, or his leftover baggage from a failed relationship."

 

I took another step toward her, my entire body shaking with the effort not to lunge at her throat. Lyra howled inside my mind, urging me to attack—to grab her by her perfectly styled blonde hair and slam her head against the marble bathroom wall until her flawless makeup was streaked with blood.

 

"Look at you," Sybilla taunted, watching my internal struggle. "Your whole body is trembling with rage. Want to hit me? Go ahead—touch me. Greta will have you locked in Silver Moon's special punishment cell before you can blink, and the girls will believe my story even more."

 

"What do you want from me, Sybilla?" I asked, my voice dropping with exhaustion. "We're in the same boat here. Both of us were sold to this 'program' to pay off Dad's debts."

 

She laughed—a high, brittle sound that contained no real humor. "I want you to know your place, Isolde. Accept that you're nothing! I'm going to be the next Luna of Silver Moon Group!"

 

"That's not true," I shot back, finding my strength again. "If either of us is nobody, it's you, not me. Because your mother wasn't our father's true mate—mine was! Your mother seduced her way to the position in Emerald Valley. She made Dad betray me and my mom. Your mother was a gold-digging homewrecker, and you're exactly like her!"

 

Sybilla's face transformed with fury. She leapt from the bed, her perfectly manicured nails curling into claws.

 

"My mother is a successful businesswoman who knew what she wanted and fought for it," she hissed. "Unlike your pathetic mother who couldn't even keep her own Alpha!"

 

Her words struck like a physical blow, stealing my breath. I swallowed hard, forcing back the tears that threatened to spill.

 

"You don't know anything about my mother," I managed, my voice lower now but sharp as a blade. "You don't get to say her name."

 

"I'll say whatever I want," Sybilla replied, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "And I won't stop until I've brought you down completely. Until you have nothing at Silver Moon, just like my mother did to yours. Ezra will choose me as his Luna."

 

"Thanks for making your intentions clear," I said, suddenly feeling calmer. "I'll make sure you fail. Or if I go down, I'm taking you with me to hell, so watch yourself, Sybilla."

 

Her perfectly lined eyes narrowed. "I'd like to see you try. What resources do you have at Silver Moon?"

 

"You'll see," I promised, backing toward the door. "I'll defeat you by any means necessary."

 

I turned and walked out, closing the door behind me with a soft click that somehow felt more powerful than my earlier slam. For a brief moment before I left, I'd noticed something in Sybilla's eyes I hadn't seen before—a flicker of genuine fear. My outburst had caught her off guard.

 

I ran out of the Alliance residence building, desperate for fresh air and space to think. The immaculately maintained gardens of Silver Moon Group spread before me, but I felt the judgmental stares and whispers of other Alliance girls watching from various balconies and windows.

 

I headed toward the private garden behind the main headquarters building, seeking a spot away from surveillance cameras where I could gather my thoughts.

 

"Are you alright, Isolde?"

 

The deep, masculine voice startled me so badly I nearly tripped over my own feet. Strong hands caught me with inhuman speed and strength, preventing my fall.

 

I knew immediately who it was—the scent of pine, winter snow, and something darkly dangerous gave him away before I even turned around. 

 

I spun quickly and stepped back from Ezra Silverwood's grasp. "Yes, I'm fine, Alpha Ezra."

 

His stormy gray eyes studied me, flecks of gold dancing in their depths. "I disagree. Your lashes are wet. Have you been crying?"

 

I touched my cheek, surprised to find it damp. I hadn't even realized I'd been crying. "I... no... I'm not crying. It's allergies."

 

"Don't lie to me, Isolde," he said, his voice softening despite the command in his words. "Tell me why you're crying."

 

"It's nothing important," I insisted, averting my gaze. "Just some girl drama."

 

"You don't strike me as someone who cries over unimportant matters," he replied. "So, what has Sybilla done now?"

 

I looked up in surprise. How did he know?

 

"If you don't mind," I said, desperate to escape his penetrating gaze, "I'd like to go change. Please."

 

He held my gaze for what felt like an eternity before reaching out to brush his fingers lightly against my cheek. The brief contact sent electricity racing down my spine.

 

"You're permitted to leave," he finally said. "But remember, Isolde, no one is allowed to bully those who belong to me in my territory."

 

My heart skipped a beat at his words. "Thank you, Alpha Ezra."

 

As I walked away, my mind reeled. Maybe, just maybe, things were starting to turn around.