Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 82

Isolde's POV

The silver medical monitor beside my bed beeped steadily as I stared at the ceiling, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in my ribs. Though the werewolf healing salve had done wonders for the visible bruises on my face, the deeper injuries from Evanthe's attack still ached. I'd just closed my eyes when the door to my private room swung open.

"Isolde! You're alive!" Thalia's familiar voice jolted me fully awake.

I opened my eyes to see her rushing toward me, followed by Ash. 

"How are you feeling?" Thalia asked, perching carefully on the edge of my bed.

"Like I got hit by a truck," I groaned, adjusting my position. "But I'll live."

Ash hovered awkwardly near the foot of the bed. "Everyone's talking about what happened in the Battle Arena."

My stomach dropped. "Everyone?"

"The entire Silver Moon building," Thalia confirmed, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Word spreads fast when the PR Director loses her mind and tries to claw someone's face off."

I winced. "Great. Just what I needed."

"Oh, that's not even the juicy part," Thalia continued, leaning closer. "People are saying Evanthe attacked you because she's jealous."

"Jealous?" I repeated.

Ash nodded enthusiastically. "The rumor is that you're replacing her in Alpha Ezra's heart, and she couldn't handle it. They're saying she took enhancement drugs because she was desperate to put you in your place."

"Stop!" I exclaimed, panic rising in my chest. "None of that is true. I'm not replacing Evanthe's position!"

Thalia pressed. "Still in denial even when it's so obvious?"

"But it's not—"

"There's more," Thalia interrupted, practically bouncing with excitement. "Alpha Ezra carried you to the medical center. He literally carried you in his arms, Isolde! Do you have any idea how many Alliance girls would kill to be in your position?"

My face flushed hot as I remembered the feeling of being cradled against Ezra's chest, his heart beating steadily beneath my ear.

"The look on Evanthe's face when he threw her across the room to protect you..." Ash shook her head in disbelief. "I've never seen anything like it."

"This is a disaster," I muttered, covering my face with my hands as anxiety coursed through me. "Every girl in the Moon Alliance Program is going to hate me now."

"Probably," Thalia agreed cheerfully. "But who cares when you have the CEO's protection?"

I glared at her. "I care! Do you have any idea how dangerous my position is now? Evanthe already tried to rip my face off—what do you think she'll do after this humiliation?"

My mind raced with horrifying possibilities. I'd come to Silver Moon to pay off my father's debt and hopefully find clues about my mother's disappearance. Instead, I'd somehow landed in the middle of a power struggle with the PR Director of the entire company—a woman who clearly had no qualms about causing me serious harm.

"I keep landing in one mess after another," I sighed. "All I wanted was to find information about my mother, and now I'm caught in some twisted battle with Evanthe."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better," Ash said, "there's talk that Evanthe might face serious consequences for what she did today."

I looked up sharply. "What kind of consequences?"

"Thalia shrugged. "Using enhancement drugs violates Silver Moon's code of conduct. Plus, she tried to permanently disfigure another Alliance participant during what was supposed to be a training match. From what I've heard, Alpha Ezra is furious."

"She deserves whatever punishment she gets," Thalia added firmly. "She could have killed you, Isolde."

I sank back against the pillows, exhaustion washing over me. "This is just going to make her hate me more."

"Maybe," Thalia conceded. "But she'll think twice before coming after you again."

I wasn't convinced. Women like Evanthe didn't back down easily—they just changed tactics. I'd probably need to sleep with one eye open for the foreseeable future.

The door to my room opened again, and my breath caught in my throat as a silver-haired woman in a crisp Silver Moon uniform entered. I recognized her immediately—Una, Ezra's personal servant who had attended to me during my previous visit to his penthouse.

"Good afternoon, ladies," she greeted formally.

"Good afternoon, ma'am," we responded in unison.

Una's sharp eyes assessed me briefly before she nodded, apparently satisfied with what she saw. "Ms. Blackwood, I've come to escort you to Mr. Silverwood's penthouse."

The room fell silent. Thalia's mouth dropped open, and Ash's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"But it's only four in the afternoon," I protested weakly. "And I need to shower and—"

"Mr. Silverwood has indicated that you may shower and rest in his suite," Una interrupted smoothly. "I see your IV treatment has concluded. We should depart now."

I stared at her, my mind struggling to process what was happening. The CEO of Silver Moon Group was sending his personal servant to bring me directly to his penthouse, hours before my scheduled service time.

"I... I don't understand," I stammered.

"There's nothing to understand, Ms. Blackwood," Una replied patiently. "Alpha Ezra has requested your presence. That's all you need to know."

Thalia and Ash exchanged shocked glances. The expression on their faces would have been comical if my heart wasn't threatening to pound out of my chest.

As Una helped me gather my few belongings, I caught Thalia mouthing "OH MY GOD" behind the servant's back. Ash looked equal parts impressed and envious.

I followed Una toward the door. 

"Special treatment from the CEO of Silver Moon Group," I thought, dazed by the surreal turn of events. "This doesn't feel real... but it's probably going to cause me even more trouble."

As I stepped into the hallway, Thalia suddenly grabbed my hand.

"Wait, Isolde," she whispered, just loud enough for me to hear but not Una. "You're going to his penthouse for hours. You know what that means, right?"

I felt my cheeks flush hot. "Don't be ridiculous. It's not like that."

"Just be careful," Thalia murmured, then her serious expression cracked into a sly grin. "And if you happen to see the Lycan King naked, I expect a full report on whether the rumors about his... size... are true."

"Thalia!" I hissed, mortified.

Ash giggled. "And find out if he really has a jacuzzi shaped like a full moon. Emma from the third floor swears he does."

"You're both impossible," I groaned, but couldn't suppress a small smile. Their joking had somehow broken through my anxiety, if only for a moment.

"Ms. Blackwood?" Una called from the doorway, her eyebrow raised slightly.

"Coming," I replied, shooting one last glare at my snickering friends.