The Secret Heirs of the Lycan King (Bella and scott) novel Chapter 153

Chapter 153

Troy

The moment Brandon told me that the King had come to the pack and that he had ordered me to see him, anxiety got the better of me. The idea of sitting across from him now made me uneasy.

I had not been in front of Scott for months. I had avoided the pack duties because everything reminded me of the life I used to lead before Millie died.

I took a quick bath. The warm water did not wash away the grief, but at least it made me feel clean on the outside. I dressed and while I fixed my hair and stared at my reflection, I saw a gaunt and pale man who lived mostly on alcohol.

A few minutes later, I walked toward the King’s cottage with a heaviness that did not lift.

The first thing I saw in the cottage were twins. Ryan and Emma charged at me with bright faces and loud laughter, and for the first time, I smiled in ages.

“Troy!” Emma cried, throwing her arms up as she reached me.

“We missed you!” Ryan added, almost bouncing on his toes.

I bent down and lifted them both, one on each side, and their small arms wrapped around my neck without hesitation. I kissed Emma’s cheek, then Ryan’s, and their giggles filled the space around me.

“You two are getting heavier,” I murmured.

Ryan grinned proudly. “That’s because I’m a big boy now,” he declared.

“We have a new brother,” Emma whispered loudly.

Ryan nodded. “Kael is very small!”

I chuckled quietly, holding them closer. Their excitement was contagious.

Scott entered the room with Kael in his arms. The King looked different, holding his newborn. There was pride on his face. It was the pride of a Lycan who had fought hard for his family and finally had the peace of holding them close. His eyes moved over the twins tenderly, and then he looked at Kael in his arms as if he could not believe his own luck.

I set the twins down gently, walked to Scott, bowed to him. But Scott pulled me with one hand into a firm man hug. When I stepped back, my gaze went to Kael again.

“Congratulations,” I told him warmly. “He’s beautiful, Scott.”

Scott’s grin widened. “He is,” he replied, shifting Kael slightly. “I’m lucky,” he said simply. “I chose my mate and fought for her. Only she could give me heirs as strong as this.”

I felt something twist inside me as I listened. Scott looked at me then, his expression turning serious, as if

Chapter 153.

remembering why he had called me here.

“How have you been?” he asked, his tone quieter. “It’s been months, Troy. You’ve been absent. The pack needs you back, and I need you back in your role as Alpha.”

I looked away, my jaw tightening, because I did not know how to explain what my life had become. I could not say that the grief still sat on my chest. I lowered myself into the chair he gestured toward.

Scott sat too, still holding Kael, and the room became quiet. After a long pause, I spoke, “After Millie’s death, it feels like my soul is ripped out. I don’t know how to focus on work when I can’t even focus on living.”

Scott listened to me with patience. “I hear you,” he said calmly. “But coming back to work might help. It will keep you occupied. It will give your mind less space to keep falling into the same hole. Sitting alone won’t bring her back, Troy. It will only destroy what is still left of you.”

I wanted to argue, but I did not have the energy. I stared at the floor, my hands clenched loosely. From the corner of my eye, I saw Bella entering the room with a soft smile. The moment I saw her, my body stiffened. A sharp memory flashed in my mind, Millie on the road, blood everywhere, the way my world had ended. And I once again held her responsible for it.

Logic told me Bella had not caused that. But grief was not logical. Bitterness rose before I could stop it.

I stood up immediately and bowed to her because she was my Queen. Respect was not optional, no matter what I felt.

“Your Majesty,” I said in a controlled voice.

Bella did not come to hug me or speak warmly the way she did before. She nodded politely, with a strained expression. She moved to sit near Scott.

The moment of awkwardness was broken when Cindy came forward, clapping her hands lightly toward the twins. “Alright,” she told them brightly, “pack school time. Let’s go.”

Ryan and Emma quickly got distracted by the idea of seeing friends. They left with Cindy, talking loudly to each other about Kael and what they would tell their classmates.

I looked back at Scott, surprised. “You’re putting the twins in pack school?” I asked.

Scott shook his head. “No,” he replied evenly. “I only want them to attend whenever they come here. Today is the first day. They need to know their people and understand pack life. But…” he paused. “I know their human side is strong. They will fit in the human world nicely.” Scott’s eyes went to the sleeping baby again. He continued, “Kael won’t fit there. He’s the child of mates, and he’s the child of a Lycan King who marked his mate. That makes him stronger than me. Perhaps the strongest Lycan in our lineage!”

The words made me pause. I looked at Kael in a different way. With reverence. The baby stirred slightly, his small face scrunching before relaxing again into sleep.

“The Moon Goddess has been kind to our pack,” I said quietly, and I meant it.

Scott’s gaze shifted toward Bella. “Yes,” he agreed quietly. “She was kind to me too, by giving me my moon mate.”

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Chapter 153

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The mention of that topic made my jaw clench. I did not want to talk about moon mates. The word carried too much history for me, too much pain and confusion. It was an effort to keep my face neutral and not think of Julie.

Scott gently handed Kael to Bella. The baby moved a little in her arms, then settled again, safe against his mother’s warmth. Bella looked down at him with soft eyes, and the sight stirred something complicated inside me. I saw a mother and child, a family whole and protected, and I felt both warmth and resentment at the same time.

Bella looked at me, and I felt a flash of betrayal. Maybe it was the moon goddess who betrayed me. Or Julie who rejected me for no reason. Over the years, there were many times when I asked her the reason. But every time she chose to ignore me. Why did Julie never say anything about us to her parents? The rejection was a painful bitch. I didn’t marry Millie, hoping she would return. But when she completely cut off the ties with me, and Millie and her parents insisted harder, I gave in two years ago. I married Millie. She smelled of Jasmine and mildly of wild roses. It was the smell of wild roses, of Julie, that kept my wolf calm.

Scott leaned forward slightly, drawing my attention back to him. His expression turned serious.

“I’ve come to a conclusion,” he said. “And it involves you, Troy.”

AD