Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 49

**Isolde's POV**

 

A sharp knock interrupted our conversation. Thalia and I exchanged glances before she called out, "Come in!"

 

The door swung open to reveal Emma, one of the Alliance Program girls. Though we'd never spoken directly, I recognized her from various training sessions. She carried an elegant black box sealed with a silver ribbon and the distinctive Silver Moon logo embossed on top.

 

"Isolde," she stated simply, her voice neutral.

 

I sat up, instantly wary. "Yes, Emma?"

 

"Administrator Moris has a task for you." She extended the box toward me, holding it as if it contained something precious—or dangerous.

 

I hesitated before taking it, surprised by its weight. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

 

"Deliver it to Beta Nathaniel's personal office." Her tone suggested this was a simple errand, but her eyes betrayed something else—curiosity, perhaps, or concern.

 

"Beta Nathaniel?" I couldn't keep the surprise from my voice. The CEO's right-hand man rarely interacted with Alliance girls outside of formal events.

 

Emma nodded. "That's right. And you need to go now. He needs this urgently, and the Vice President doesn't like to be kept waiting, so you'd better head out immediately."

 

She departed without another word, leaving me holding the mysterious box and feeling increasingly uneasy.

 

"Well, that was weird," Thalia remarked once the door closed. "I'm dying to know what's inside."

 

I examined the box carefully. It was sealed with the company insignia, the packaging elegant but impossible to peek through. "It's sealed. Corporate logo and everything. We can't open it." I stood, smoothing down my clothes. "I'd better deliver it now."

 

"Be careful," Thalia warned. "Silver Moon executives aren't exactly known for their patience or forgiveness, especially Beta Nathaniel. He reports directly to the Lycan King himself."

 

"I know," I replied, heading for the door. "See you at dinner?"

 

Thalia nodded. "If you don't come back by evening, I'll assume you're in the underground isolation cell again."

 

Her joke fell flat as we both remembered my recent punishment. I forced a smile and stepped into the hallway, the mysterious box heavy in my hands.

 

As I walked through Silver Moon Tower toward the executive section, I became acutely aware of a subtle movement inside the box—something rolling gently against the interior walls with each step I took. The temptation to tear open the packaging and examine the contents grew stronger with each passing moment.

 

*What if it's something dangerous?* I wondered. *Or illegal?*

 

I quickly dismissed the thought. As much as I distrusted Greta Moris, I couldn't imagine she'd knowingly set me up to deliver something illegal to the company's Vice President. That would be corporate suicide.

 

I made my way through the building, past security checkpoints where guards scrutinized my Alliance Program ID, and into areas I'd never visited before. The Silver Moon headquarters was a labyrinth of luxury and power. Each executive had their own dedicated office suite, designed more like upscale apartments than workspaces.

 

*Damn these wolves and their power displays,* I thought as I navigated the marble corridors.

 

By the time I reached Beta Nathaniel's office suite, my nerves were on edge. Two security officers flanked the entrance, their expressions impassive but their posture alert.

 

"Identification," one demanded.

 

I presented my Alliance Program credentials, which he scanned thoroughly before stepping aside. "Follow me."

 

He led me through a reception area to an inner door, where he knocked twice before opening it. Inside, a pristinely dressed assistant glanced up from his computer.

 

"Alliance Program delivery for Beta Nathaniel," the security officer announced.

 

The assistant rose, his eyes scrutinizing me briefly before focusing on the box. He extended his hands. "I'll take that."

 

I hesitated for a fraction of a second before relinquishing the package.

 

"Beta Nathaniel will receive his delivery," the assistant said dismissively. "You may leave now."

 

Without offering so much as a glass of water after my long trek through the building, he turned his back on me. The security officer gestured toward the exit, clearly expecting me to follow.

 

*So much for hospitality,* I thought bitterly as I was escorted out.

 

The journey back to the Alliance residence felt longer than the trip to Beta Nathaniel's office. My mind raced with questions about the box's contents and why I'd been selected as the messenger.

 

As I walked along the pathway connecting the main building to the Alliance residence, a sleek black SUV pulled alongside me and honked its horn. The window lowered to reveal Security Director Orion, his amber eyes twinkling with unexpected warmth.

 

"Hello, Isolde," he greeted.

 

I stopped, instantly cautious. "Security Director."

 

His eyes scanned my face with interest. "Where are you headed? Or rather, where are you coming from?"

 

"I... just completed an errand," I replied carefully. "Heading back to the Alliance residence now."

 

"Perfect timing," he said with a smile. "Let me give you a ride."

 

I glanced around nervously, checking for witnesses—particularly any of Evanthe's spies. The last thing I needed was another confrontation with his sister after humiliating her in combat.

 

"Thank you for the offer, but I prefer to walk," I replied, trying to sound polite but firm.

 

His expression shifted, a playful determination replacing his casual demeanor. "Isolde, if I count to three and you're not in this car, I'm going to get out and carry you in myself. You know how embarrassing that would be. One!"

 

My cheeks flamed at the thought.

 

"Two!"

 

I darted forward before he could reach "three," yanking open the passenger door and sliding into the luxurious interior. The leather seat seemed to embrace me as I pulled the door closed.

 

"You're really pushy, you know that?" I muttered, fastening my seatbelt.

 

Orion chuckled as he pulled the SUV back into motion. "I can't have you, so I'll take every moment alone with you that I can get."

 

My head whipped toward him. "What... what does that mean?"

 

"Nothing important," he replied, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, but something in his voice suggested otherwise.

 

I frowned, examining his profile as we drove. My birthmark tingled beneath my shirt, but Lyra remained oddly quiet. Unlike my encounters with Ezra, which sent my wolf into a frenzy, Orion's presence evoked no particular reaction from her.

 

His words echoed in my mind: *"I can't have you..."*

 

Those were his exact words. Why would the Security Director of Silver Moon Group say something like that to an Alliance Program girl? Did he somehow know about the connection between Ezra and me?

 

As we drove in silence, the weight of his statement hung between us, adding yet another layer of complexity to my already complicated existence at Silver Moon Group.