Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 95

Isolde's POV

Alpha Ezra's eyes swept over the security-locked door at the end of the corridor, his brow furrowed with concern.

"Are you sure you want to talk to her alone?" he asked, his voice low and measured.

I frowned at him, irritation prickling beneath my skin. "Of course I can. Stop treating me like some helpless, fragile thing."

*That's right,* Lyra growled in agreement within me. *We're not weak.*

Ezra raised his hands in surrender, his expression softening in a rare display of yielding. "I apologize. Proceed." There was an unusual gentleness in his tone that caught me off guard.

I managed a tight smile. "Thank you." My heels clicked sharply against the marble floor as I walked forward, each step echoing in the silent corridor.

My heart pounded harder with every step toward Ash's cell. Lyra paced restlessly within me, her anxiety mirroring my own. I couldn't deny the nervous flutter in my stomach at the thought of facing her again.

I remembered how I'd first connected with Ash. We'd both been thrust into the Moon Alliance Program on the same day. I once felt sorry for her because Sybilla bullied her mercilessly—something I understood all too well.

I had trusted her completely.

And then she drugged my drink and conspired with others, setting me up to be gang-raped by werewolf executives.

My stomach clenched at the memory. Did I even want to see her? No. But I needed to talk to her, to ask why, to look into her eyes as she explained herself.

*Don't trust anyone,* Lyra whispered in my mind. *They're all here for their own gain.*

"Isolde!"

The voice jolted me from my thoughts. It came from behind the electronic door of the monitoring room.

I realized I'd reached the cell. I stopped and turned robotically to face the screen showing Ash behind the high-tech security bars.

She stood there, tear-streaked and disheveled, the Silver Moon prisoner uniform hanging loosely on her frame. Her makeup was completely ruined, mascara running down her cheeks.

"Isolde," she called again, her voice distorted through the speaker system.

Rage surged through me like wildfire. How dare she speak my name so casually after what she'd done? The anger spread through my body, making my hands shake and my jaw clench.

"I took pity on you," I said, my voice cold as the winter night outside Silver Moon Tower. "I saw how Sybilla treated you and felt sorry for you. I gave you friendship and a sense of belonging in this cruel place. And this is how you repay me?"

"Isolde, I'm so sorry!" Ash sobbed, her makeup completely ruined, eyes red and swollen.

I watched her tears fall and felt my own eyes burn. I blinked rapidly, refusing to let them fall.

"I regret what I did so much," she continued, her voice shaking. "I was so scared... scared of what they would do to me if they found out I warned you..."

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "Who are 'they'?" My fingers tapped on the security keypad, disabling the sound barrier function.

Ash shook her head frantically, her eyes darting around. "I can't tell you. They'll kill me if I do."

"Sybilla and Evanthe," I said directly, my eyes locked on her reaction. "Was it them?"

She backed away slightly. "I can't say!" But her eyes gave her away, widening just enough at the names.

*I knew it was that fake stepsister and that PR bitch!* Lyra snarled inside my head.

I took a deep breath, feeling my wolf churning within me. The anger I'd felt was beginning to subside, replaced by something else—understanding. I shouldn't hate Ash. She was a victim of circumstance. While I was furious about her betrayal, I understood her fear, especially of Evanthe. Evanthe alone was terrifying enough—her influence within the company was almost as great as Ezra's.

I entered the code to unlock the door. The locks disengaged with a soft click. I reached through the bars and took Ash's hand, my eyes locking with hers.

"If you tell me the truth, I can guarantee your safety," I said firmly. "Alpha Ezra himself will ensure you're protected, I promise." My voice was steady and sincere. "Please."

Ash continued shaking her head, desperation in her eyes. Her hand trembled in my grip.

"You have to believe me, I didn't know the drinks were drugged," she pleaded, looking directly into my eyes.

She lowered her voice to barely a whisper. "I don't want to die... I don't want my parents to die either."

"Silver Moon has the power to protect you and your family," I assured her. "But you need to tell me who was behind this."

Ash kept shaking her head, her breathing becoming rapid. She looked around fearfully as if death itself was watching. "It's not safe here," she whispered. Her eyes darted to the blind spot of the security camera. "She'll kill me if I say her name."

"Did you know they planned to have those Lycan executives..." I began, but couldn't finish the sentence.

"No!" Ash interrupted immediately. "I swear I didn't know what they were planning... If I had known, I would have told you. I swear I wasn't part of that." She wept bitterly, her tears falling onto my hand.

I stared into her eyes, searching for any sign of deception. I found none.

*She's telling the truth,* Lyra whispered in my mind.

My anger had completely dissipated now, replaced by compassion. Ash was innocent—not of wrongdoing, but of being the mastermind. She was just another pawn in someone else's game.

"I believe you," I said quietly.

Ash looked up, surprised. "You do?" Her eyes suddenly brightened with hope.

"Yes. And I'll make sure you don't get punished for something you didn't do." I squeezed her hand gently. "Just hang in there."

I turned and walked away, my heels echoing down the corridor. I was going to find Alpha Ezra. Ash was innocent—or at least not the mastermind, merely coerced. She deserved better than this.

*But Sybilla and Evanthe must pay,* Lyra growled in my mind.

I nodded, my eyes flashing gold. They would indeed.