Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 72

Isolde's POV

I stole another glance at Ezra over the top of the tablet. He was completely absorbed in his work, brow furrowed in concentration as he reviewed documents.

His suit jacket hung on the back of his chair, leaving him in just his crisp white shirt with sleeves rolled up to reveal his forearms. I couldn't help but notice how the fabric stretched across his broad shoulders when he leaned forward.

*Stop staring at him like that,* Lyra growled in my mind.

"Would you like some coffee?" I asked suddenly, desperate to break the cycle of stealing glances at him.

Ezra looked up from his work, his intense gray eyes meeting mine. "Yes, that would be nice."

I stood up and walked to the small coffee station in the corner of his office. As I prepared two cups, I could feel his eyes on me, watching my movements. I added cream and sugar to mine, leaving his black as I'd noticed he preferred.

When I handed him his cup, our fingers brushed briefly, sending a jolt of electricity up my arm. "Thank you," he said, his voice softer than usual.

I returned to my spot and the tablet, but after a few minutes, I found my eyes drifting back to him. This time, he caught me looking. Our eyes locked, and heat rushed to my cheeks. I quickly averted my gaze back to the tablet, but not before noticing the knowing smirk on his face.

I closed the tablet as soon as I heard him finish and call my name, looking up to see Ezra standing there, already shrugging into his expensive tailored suit jacket.

"Yes, Mr. Silverwood," I replied, trying to mask my disappointment. I'd been in the middle of a movie—one I'd never get to finish now.

I carefully placed the tablet on his desk and stood up, memorizing how it felt to have this small electronic freedom. For a few hours, I'd forgotten I was essentially a prisoner in the Moon Alliance Program.

Ezra grabbed his phone and sleek leather briefcase, walking toward the lounge area. He glanced at his expensive watch. "Time to go."

"I figured," I mumbled, my voice barely audible. My eyes lingered on the tablet, unwilling to leave it behind.

*Look at you, pining over an electronic device,* Lyra mocked in my mind.

Ezra caught my longing gaze and smiled. "I can see you're having a hard time parting with that tablet."

I nervously touched my neck and shook my head. "It's not like that."

He chuckled softly, picking up the tablet from the desk and holding it out to me. My entire body tensed with confusion.

"It's okay, you can keep it," Ezra said.

I took a step back, shaking my head. "No, I can't accept that. If the other girls find out I took something from you, they'll tear me apart."

Ezra's expression shifted to one of hurt. "You wound me, Isolde. You're rejecting my gift not because of your own wishes, but because of what others might say. Does that mean you care too much about others' opinions?"

"In the Moon Alliance, I have to care."

Ezra laughed softly, grabbed my left hand, and placed the tablet firmly in my palm. His eyes flashed gold with emotion.

"You want it. I'm giving it to you, so take it."

"Are you sure this is okay?" I asked hesitantly.

"Do you think I'd be CEO of Silver Moon if I didn't regularly make the right decisions?" he asked with a smug half-smile.

"There are plenty of subscription services on there. Since someone's using it now, I'll make sure they stay active. Enjoy it," he added.

I looked down at the tablet and gave him a small smile. "Thank you."

His expression turned serious, his eyes flashing dangerously gold. "Just don't try to contact your father with it."

I shook my head firmly. "I won't."

"I believe you," he said.

Ezra paused, sighed lightly, then smiled. The sight of his smile made my heart melt, my pulse quickening.

"Thank you for keeping me company these past few hours," Ezra said.

"You're... welcome. Though I don't know why you wanted me to stay."

"You don't need to know everything," he replied.

He moved closer, our bodies nearly touching. I looked up into his gray eyes and felt drawn to him, powerless against his Alpha allure. His thumb gently caressed my cheek, and his eyes began shifting to gold.

"Do you know what I want to do right now?" His voice had turned husky and sensual.

"I'll only know if you tell me," I whispered back.

"I want to take you to my private suite and spend another magnificent night with you," he murmured.

"What's stopping you?" I asked.

"My reason," he whispered.

I frowned in confusion. *Alphas have reason?* Lyra scoffed inside my mind.

"Your reason?" I repeated.

"Yes." He tucked a few strands of my chestnut hair behind my ear and caressed my cheek again, making me shiver.

"Isolde," he said, my name sounding like poetry on his lips.

"Mr. Silverwood," I responded.

"After our time together last night, my reason has been hanging by a thread. If I spend another night with you, that thread will snap. And if that happens, things would..."

Ezra looked away, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. His gaze drifted around the luxurious office before meeting mine again, his eyes flashing gold.

*Ask him!* Lyra urged. *Make him finish!*

"Let's go," he said abruptly.

"You didn't finish what you were saying," I pointed out.

"It wasn't important," he said dismissively.

"I highly doubt that!" My tone was sharper than intended.

Ezra found this amusing, smiling and shaking his head as gold flashed in his eyes. He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. An electric current ran through my entire body.

"Let's go," he said again.

He turned and walked toward the door. I followed, partly because his Alpha command was impossible to resist, but also feeling the pain of unresolved suspense. *Damn Alpha control freak,* I thought.

Outside Silver Moon headquarters, two luxury cars waited. Ezra called out, "Mark." A man in a suit approached with his head lowered.

"Take her back to the Moon Alliance dormitory," Ezra instructed.

"Yes, sir. This way, Miss Blackwood..." Mark gestured toward a black luxury car.

I stared in awe at the Maybach. *A fucking Maybach. How rich is this man?*

I nodded slightly to Ezra. "Goodnight, Mr. Silverwood."

He merely nodded, his eyes flashing gold. "Take care. I'll see you again soon."

"I will. Thank you," I replied.

I walked to the car and got in. Through the passenger window, I looked at Ezra one last time, feeling that invisible connection pulling us together.

As the driver started the engine, I couldn't take my eyes off Ezra until he was out of sight, Lyra growling uneasily within me.

I stroked the tablet in my hands, thinking, *At least I have a new friend to keep me company through the long night.*

*What you need isn't an electronic device,* Lyra taunted, *but to prepare for the storm that's coming.*