Betrayed and Claimed by the Lycan King Chapter 96

Isolde's POV

Three hours after leaving the dungeon, I paced across the plush carpet of Silver Moon Tower's executive lounge, waiting for Alpha Ezra to finish his board meeting.

My mind kept returning to Ash. Her tear-stained face and trembling hands haunted me. She was innocent—at least of the worst part. She didn't know about the planned assault. She had been used, manipulated, threatened.

*He needs to know Ash is innocent,* I thought, resuming my pacing.

I collapsed onto one of the leather sofas, exhaustion washing over me. The events of the past days had drained me completely. I closed my eyes, just for a moment...

"Isolde."

The deep, commanding voice startled me awake. I turned weakly to see Alpha Ezra standing in the doorway, his powerful frame filling the entrance. His tailored suit hugged his broad shoulders perfectly, and his presence immediately made the spacious room feel smaller.

"Alpha Ezra," I said formally, taking a deep breath to steady myself.

He moved into the room. The air grew thick with his unique scent and the natural Alpha pheromones that seemed to radiate from him.

I couldn't understand how I was still standing. Everything about him—from his imposing height to his intimidating aura should have brought me to my knees.

"You wanted to see me?" he asked.

"Yes. I, uh... I need to talk to you." I ran my fingers through my hair nervously, exhaling heavily to hide my tension.

"I'm here. You have my full attention." His tone remained calm but carried an unusual gentleness that caught me off guard.

My heartbeat spiraled out of control. *Don't say things like that,* I thought desperately.

"Okay," I whispered.

I took two steps closer to him, gathering my courage. "Alpha Ezra. This might sound ridiculous, but I... I want... no... not want... I... uh..." The words tangled in my mouth, refusing to come out coherently.

"Isolde." He said my name quietly.

My knees weakened, barely supporting me. I struggled to stay upright, feeling like I might collapse at any moment.

"Relax... calm down and tell me what you want to say." His deep voice guided me. "Take a deep breath."

I tried, inhaling deeply several times, but it did nothing to ease my nerves.

*I have to say this,* I reminded myself. *Ash's life could be at stake. This isn't the time to be distracted by my own emotions and reactions to him.*

"Alpha Ezra. Ash is innocent," I finally stated, my voice firmer than I expected.

"What do you mean Ash is innocent? Isn't she the girl who drugged you?" he questioned.

"She didn't know the drink was drugged. She was being used," I insisted.

"Of course she didn't!" His voice dripped with skepticism.

"Listen. This might sound like nonsense—"

"It is nonsense, Isolde," he cut me off, his voice hard. "That girl is not innocent. My security team has already investigated."

"Yes, she is innocent," I raised my voice. "She was coerced into doing it, and I'm certain a deeper investigation would reveal others involved in this."

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Then tell me, who do you suspect?"

I fell silent, the internal struggle raging within me.

*I should tell him it was Evanthe,* I thought. But I hesitated, lacking concrete evidence and fearing Evanthe's powerful influence within the company. Her reach was extensive, and her retribution would be swift and merciless.

I shook my head. "I'm not entirely sure, but I know—"

The distinctive ringtone of Ezra's custom phone interrupted us. He frowned, checking the screen.

"I have to take this. It involves important company business," he said, stepping away gracefully to answer.

He spoke in hushed tones.

Then Ezra ended his call and turned to me, his expression grave. "Isolde."

"I just received word from Nathaniel. Ash has been found dead in her detention cell." His voice remained calm but carried an unusual hint of shock.

"What?" The word escaped me as a gasp. My body reacted violently—temperature rising, cold sweat breaking out, limbs shaking uncontrollably.

"Ash is dead," he repeated, his voice low and final.

My knees gave way, and I collapsed to the floor, all strength leaving my body. "No... that can't be true. She was fine just hours ago," I whispered.

"Would you like to go see for yourself, or would you prefer to stay here and collect your thoughts?" Ezra asked, his face unreadable.

"Fuck thoughts!" I struggled to my feet, rushing toward the door.

The ride in Silver Moon's private elevator down to the underground detention area was eerily silent, with only the slight mechanical hum breaking the quiet. I stood there, too shocked to speak or cry, my face pale as a ghost. My brain refused to accept Ash's death. How could she suddenly be dead? She had looked fine just hours ago—upset and crying, but not sick or injured.

When we arrived, security personnel guided us to Ash's cell.

"Isolde. Are you sure you're ready to see this?" Ezra asked, his voice carrying a rare gentleness.

Without answering, I walked directly toward Ash's cell.

The sight that greeted me tore my heart to shreds. Ash lay on the floor, foam around her mouth, her eyes wide open but devoid of life's spark.

I collapsed again, this time with a wail of anguish escaping my lips.

"Initial assessment indicates she was poisoned," the security chief reported. "Someone managed to slip something into her dinner. We're investigating fully. The surveillance footage is being reviewed."

"Ash," I called out, reaching toward her but not daring to touch. Guilt crushed me like a physical weight. *They killed Ash because of me.*

"Have the body transported to our medical center for autopsy," Ezra commanded. "Contact her family. Beta Nathaniel will personally handle this case. I want the perpetrator found within 24 hours." His voice carried undeniable authority.

Ezra crouched beside me. Through my tears, I looked up at him. "Is this enough to prove Ash was innocent?"

"Yes. No one kills a guilty person to cover up evidence," he confirmed, his voice deep and certain.

"Promise me you'll find whoever did this to her. No matter who they are or what connections they have," I pleaded.

"I promise you, as Lycan King, I will find the killer." Gold flashed in his eyes.

"Come here," he said, pulling me into his embrace. I sobbed against his broad chest, my head resting against him as I cried. He stroked my back, murmuring comforting words, his scent enveloping me, providing a small measure of solace.

"I'm moving you out of the regular Moon Alliance residence," Ezra suddenly announced. "It's not safe for you to remain there."

"What?" I pulled back from his embrace, my face tear-stained and shocked.

"I'm transferring you to the privilege apartments of Silver Moon Tower. Security is tighter there, and there are fewer women—it's reserved for especially important members of the Moon Alliance Program," he explained.

His eyes locked with mine. "I need to move you to the privilege apartments because if anything happens to you, I will lose my mind." His voice dropped low, possessive.

*Is he serious?*