The Secret Heirs of the Lycan King (Bella and scott) novel Chapter 156

Wild Roses

Troy

Ever since the wedding, I had made sure I stayed away from Julie. I did it on purpose, and I did it every single day, like a rule I didn’t want to break.

The pack might have called her my wife now, but that did not mean I wanted her near me, and it did not mean I was willing to pretend that a forced wedding could wipe away years of hurt. It won’t. Ever.

I didn’t meet her, kept my answers short whenever someone mentioned her and avoided going her way. Because if I let her get close, I would either explode.

Noir did not agree with me. My wolf kept pushing. He had his own plan and he was tired of listening to my anger. He wanted Julie near, wanted her scent in our house, wanted her in our bed. Every time I tried to calm him down, he pushed back harder, and the more he pushed, the more I resisted.

In my mind, Julie was the last person who deserved comfort from me. She had rejected me once and then watched me move on with Millie, as if my feelings had been nothing. Even now, after everything, I could not forget that she had played with my head and left me with unanswered questions. I wanted to punish her for that.

She needed to feel the same helplessness I had felt. How could she even think I would accept her as my Luna after what happened? How could anyone expect me to bring her into my home and act like we were a normal married pair?

Noir was becoming difficult to handle. He didn’t let me sleep properly. I would lie down after a long day, thinking I might get a few hours of rest, and he would start pacing inside me, agitated, restless, and irritated. Some nights I woke up with my teeth clenched so hard my jaw hurt. Other nights I woke up ready to shift, ready to run. The lack of sleep and a war of emotions made everything worse. It turned my patience thin and my temper short.

There was not a day when I did not get into some kind of argument with my pack members. I would react too strongly when someone would speak the wrong way, or hesitate during patrol, or make a small mistake during training.

I could see fear on their faces. But I didn’t stop. The anger inside me was constant, and it came out often. Mornings were the worst, because that was when I trained the young wolves. I was harder on them than I needed to be. I shouted for the smallest reasons. I pushed them until their bodies shook, fighting them, making them repeat drills again and again until some of them looked like they might drop. I was using training to burn off what was eating me alive. One morning, I snapped at a young wolf because his stance was wrong during sparring. He tried to correct it quickly, but I shoved him back forcibly. He stumbled, and the others went quiet immediately.

“Again,” I barked at him. “You’re sloppy.”

He nodded, wide–eyed, and raised his hands again. I went at him harder, not even giving him time to steady himself, and the moment he fell to his knee, I stepped forward as if I might keep going.

“Alpha!” Brandon’s voice cut in.

I ignored him at first. “Stand up,” I ordered the young wolf. “If you can’t handle this, you don’t belong in my training ring.”

I was about to punch him when Brandon moved between us, as f drawing a line. “That’s enough,” he whispered. My eyes narrowed. “Move,” I said coldly. “Don’t interfere.”

“I’m not trying to challenge you, Alpha,” he replied even though he was on the edge. “I’m trying to stop you from turning this into something ugly. You’re punishing them for no reason.”

I stared at Brandon, my fists clenched, my wolf growling inside me, and then I forced myself to step back. I walked out of the training arena.

Brandon followed me. He lowered his voice so the others wouldn’t hear clearly. “You need rest,” he urged. “If you keep going like this, it will be detrimental to the pack’s future.”

“Don’t! Brandon!” I growled. I turned and walked out without saying anything else. I received the umpteenth message from Julie’s mother to meet me. No way in hell!

I buried myself in pack activities. Paperwork, patrol schedules, meetings with warriors, border updates, even small disputes between pack members. I filled my days so tightly that there was little room left for thinking about Julie. I kept myself away from New York. I had no interest in being near Bella.

Noir, though, continued to be restless in a different way At night when I gave way to him, he patrolled the borders aggressively. If there was even a minor threat, Successfully unlocked!

was always looking for a fight, looking for something to destroy. The other night, he took

We had heard about a pack of rogues straying deeper in the forest. I knew exactly who they were. They belonged to Cass’s nephew, Freddy’s old outfit. It was the group that had scattered after he died.

They had lived under our pack’s protection because we didn’t know about their nefarious activities. But once we learned

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Wild Roses

the truth, Scott had cracked down hard. Some of them were k nuisance, slipping in and out of our borders, stealing, and atta inside the pack especially during nights until all the rogues w 1 was hunting them with hunger and vengeance. I had already

Tonight, I went hunting again.

Noir had run deep into the forest, chasing the scent of one ro was fast, but Noir was faster. I could sense the distance betw were close enough now that I could hear the rogue’s breath ar

Noir was about to leap but stopped cold. But a scent assaulte

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Wild Roses

the truth, Scott had cracked down hard. Some of them were killed by our wolves. Some escaped. And now they were a nuisance, slipping in and out of our borders, stealing, and attacking lone travelers. We had advised all our wolves to stay inside the pack especially during nights until all the rogues were caught and killed.

I was hunting them with hunger and vengeance. I had already killed two of them.

Tonight, I went hunting again.

Noir had run deep into the forest, chasing the scent of one rogue who had crossed too close to our territory. The rogue was fast, but Noir was faster. I could sense the distance between us shrinking as we closed in. Noir’s focus sharpened. We were close enough now that I could hear the rogue’s breath and the frantic rush of his steps through the undergrowth. Noir was about to leap but stopped cold. But a scent assaulted our nostrils. Of wild roses.

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