Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 66

Isolde's POV

I could feel Evanthe's gaze before I even turned around. The weight of her stare—filled with contempt and something dangerously close to hatred—burned into my back as I walked down the hallway of Silver Moon Headquarters.

When I finally faced her, she was looking me up and down with undisguised disgust, her perfect features twisted into a sneer.

"I see you've just returned from your 'special services,' you whore!" she said, her voice dripping with disdain.

I wasn't surprised by her hostility. This was standard Evanthe behavior—looking for any opportunity to put me in my place. I crossed my arms over my chest and let out a small laugh.

*She's threatened by you,* Lyra growled in my mind. *She can smell Ezra all over you.*

"Is that what you're calling it these days?" I replied, keeping my voice casual despite the anger bubbling beneath the surface. "Interesting term. Isn't that what you used to provide before you got promoted to PR Director? You seem to be lumping yourself in with all the other girls who've spent the night with Ezra. Finally realizing you're nothing special in the Moon Alliance Program?"

Evanthe's eyes narrowed.

I felt a rush of satisfaction as my barb hit its mark. "Actually, I think you're finally realizing that you're nothing special. How many years have you been warming his bed now? And yet, here you are, still just the PR Director."

She forced a rigid smile, but I could see golden light flickering in her eyes—a sure sign her wolf was rising. The muscles in her neck tensed as she took a deep breath, clearly trying to maintain control.

*She's furious,* Lyra hummed with satisfaction in my mind. *Good.*

Evanthe started to reply but stopped mid-sentence, her gaze suddenly fixed on my clothes. Her eyes traveled from the shirt I was wearing to my pants, then back to my face, her expression growing darker by the second.

"Is that... Are you wearing Ezra's personal clothing?" she asked, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.

I glanced down at myself, then nodded with a smile, feeling the lingering scent of Ezra on the fabric. "I am. I didn't think people would notice, but apparently I was wrong. You're the second person to point it out."

The fury on Evanthe's face was almost worth the confrontation. Her entire body seemed to vibrate with rage, and the golden glow in her eyes intensified.

"Why the hell are you wearing his clothes?" she demanded, her voice rising slightly.

I kept my expression neutral. "I don't think that's any of your business."

Evanthe shifted her weight, dropping her arms from where they'd been crossed over her chest. She glanced around, checking if any other wolves were within earshot. A frustrated laugh escaped her as she pressed her tongue against the inside of her cheek.

"Blackwood, you're challenging a wolf far more powerful than you, and that kind of challenge will destroy you!"

I felt Lyra's excitement building within me. This was the moment to push back, to show I wasn't intimidated.

"Let me explain something, Evanthe," I said calmly. "Ezra—the CEO of Silver Moon Group—requested I stay overnight. I couldn't exactly refuse the most powerful Alpha in the city to please a PR Director, could I?" I gestured to my outfit. "And these clothes? He personally selected them for me to wear. He actually handed them to me himself."

I stepped closer, feeling bolder than I probably should have. "If anyone between us is challenging authority, Evanthe, that person is you, not me, and that kind of challenge will definitely destroy you, not me!"

"You Blackwood bitch, how dare you!" Evanthe shouted, her hand swinging toward my left cheek in a vicious slap.

I reacted instantly, raising my arm to block the blow. The impact stung against my forearm, but I'd stopped her from making contact with my face. I stared at her, shocked and angry.

"You tried to hit me?" I asked, my voice low and dangerous.

I maintained my defensive posture, ready to block another attack, but I didn't strike back. Despite my anger, I knew attacking a senior executive would only give her ammunition against me.

Evanthe was clearly furious that her attack had been blocked. The anger in her eyes intensified, her mouth twitching with rage. But she quickly controlled herself, forcing her features into a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

She leaned in close, her wolf pheromones hitting my face as she stared me down. "As your days in the Moon Alliance Program go on, you're getting more and more presumptuous, Blackwood. You seem to forget which of us holds the higher position at Silver Moon."

Her voice dropped to a whisper. "My influence here goes far beyond what you can imagine. I've built alliances while you were still learning how to shift. Don't challenge an opponent whose consequences you can't handle."

She stepped back, delivering one final warning: "Don't say I didn't warn you, Blackwood. Ezra won't protect you forever."

Then she brushed past me, her high heels clicking rhythmically down the hallway toward the elevator, leaving behind a threatening wolf scent that made my skin prickle.

I took two deep breaths, trying to calm my racing heart and Lyra's fury. My wolf was still raging inside me, wanting to chase after Evanthe and finish what she'd started.

*Next time, we won't let her walk away like that,* I promised myself. I'd need to figure out how to explain this confrontation to Ezra, knowing that navigating Silver Moon's complex web of power was becoming increasingly dangerous.

My hand unconsciously went to my neck, feeling the spot where Ezra's scent lingered. Despite everything, that scent gave me a small measure of comfort and strength. I wasn't alone in this fight anymore.