The Secret Heirs of the Lycan King (by Misha K) novel Chapter 17

**When Midnight Winds Carry Secrets Toward Worlds Yet Unknown**
**Chapter 17**

Scott

As I caught sight of Bella and her children, a low, joyful growl reverberated within the depths of my mind, a response from my Lycan that I couldn’t help but smile at. Despite being surrounded by humans and my fellow wolves in the hotel lobby, the warmth in my chest was undeniable. I felt a surge of happiness that made me want to laugh, even if it risked making me look foolish. But the blissful moment was fleeting, overshadowed by the urgent summons from the Elders. I had to leave her side, not because I was in a rush, but because the weight of responsibility pressed heavily on my shoulders.

As I entered the office building, I gritted my teeth, the familiar tension creeping into my temples. “What is this about?” I asked Troy, who walked beside me, the beginnings of a headache forming in my skull. A Lycan can only endure so much nagging, after all.

Troy shrugged, pressing the elevator button as if the simple action could somehow dispel the uncertainty. “I have no clue. They’re being unusually secretive about it.”

Several employees bowed their heads in respect as we stepped into my private elevator. The moment the doors slid shut, I turned to Troy, unable to contain the urgency in my voice. “Bella has twins—a girl and a boy. I can smell her on them, but their father’s scent is absent. Find out who he is.”

“That’s strange,” Troy replied, his brow furrowing in thought. “Usually, we can easily identify both parents’ scents on the pups. It’s hard to miss.”

“Exactly,” I replied, my frustration mounting. The enigma deepened with each passing moment. How could it be that I couldn’t detect their father? Though it shouldn’t matter to me, the thought of someone else claiming those pups as his own twisted my insides. My fists clenched tightly as my Lycan growled in protest, a primal instinct awakening within me. “I want you to dig into her past acquaintances,” I commanded, my voice low and dangerous. “If she had anyone in her life with whom she was intimate.” The growl that escaped my throat startled Troy, causing him to flinch. I was teetering on the edge of rage. Somehow, I managed to rein in my Lycan’s fury. “Do it as soon as you can!”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” he replied, sensing the urgency in my tone. “There could be forces beyond our control at play here. I’ll assign some wolves to investigate.”

The elevator came to a halt, and we stepped out, heading straight for the private meeting room where the Elders awaited. As I entered, I bowed respectfully before taking my seat at the head of the table, with Troy standing vigilantly behind me.

Elder Cass, the oldest of the Elders, regarded me with a hawk-like intensity from across the table. His fingers were interlaced, resting on the polished surface, and his expression was one of grave finality. “Alpha Scott,” he began, his voice steady. “You are thirty-three years old, and time is slipping away. We have been insisting that you take a chosen mate. If you fail to do so now, we risk leaving our future without an heir.”

I shook my head, my teeth grinding together. “Not again,” I hissed, the frustration boiling within me. Not now, when Bella was so close. I knew that, being human, she would never be accepted by them. I needed more time. “Elder Cass, we’ve already discussed this.”

“No!” he thundered, his voice echoing ominously through the room. “We have waited long enough!”

My Lycan roared in protest at the challenge to my authority. He thrived on submission and dominance, with Bella being the only exception to that rule. My aura flared instinctively, causing Elder Cass to lean back slightly, but his stubbornness was palpable.

“We are aware that you have yet to find a mate after all these years,” he continued, his tone dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Therefore, we have taken it upon ourselves to find one for you.”

“We’ve seen how you favor a certain human, Alpha Scott,” he remarked, his voice unnervingly calm. “Bella William, correct? But you must understand, a human cannot be our Luna. They lack the strength to lead us. They are fragile and can be easily broken.”

I shot him a venomous glare, understanding the underlying threat in his words. He was watching Bella, and he could easily eliminate her if he chose to. The thought ignited a firestorm of rage within me. “How dare you?” I snarled, the hatred I felt for him coursing through my veins. My Lycan was ready to snap his neck, but I knew that would only reveal how fiercely I protected Bella. I struggled to restrain him.

Elder Cass scoffed, his arrogance palpable. “It is settled. Tasha will be your chosen mate. From this day forward, you are required to spend time with her. Your wedding will take place on the next full moon—the most auspicious time for werewolves. Your Lycan will be at its strongest and most virile then.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but Troy’s voice echoed in my mind, urgent and sharp. “Don’t argue now, Alpha. Accept this for the moment. Let me investigate further. I know these Elders; they will target Bella if you don’t comply.”

“This is blackmail!” I shot back mentally, my frustration boiling over.

“Yes, but we must be cautious. For Bella’s sake.”

With a final glare at Tasha, I stormed out of the room, the weight of the situation heavy on my shoulders. I could hear Elder Cass’s voice behind me, smug and self-satisfied. “We take that as a yes.”