The Secret Heirs of the Lycan King (Bella and scott) novel Chapter 90

**When Midnight Winds Carry Secrets Toward Worlds Yet Unknown**
**Chapter 90**

**Scott**

As I crossed the threshold into the dungeons, an overwhelming stench assaulted my senses—a pungent, acrid smell that clung to the air like a shroud. It was the unmistakable odor of flesh seared by silver, a scent that turned my stomach but also ignited a dark satisfaction within me. There, slumped against the cold, damp stone wall, lay Freddy. The figure before me was barely recognizable; his once-vibrant skin was now a grotesque tapestry of blisters and charred patches, the marks of the silver chains that had bound him. Blood trickled from the corners of his mouth, and each labored breath he took was a painful rattle, as if his very lungs were on the brink of collapse.

A twisted sense of glee bubbled within me as I surveyed his suffering. How dare he lay a hand on what belonged to me? How dare he attempt to harm my pups? The thought alone was enough to stoke the fire of my fury.

Brandon, standing nearby with a predatory glint in his eye, delivered a brutal kick to Freddy’s stomach. Freddy’s eyes fluttered open, and the moment they met Brandon’s, I caught the unmistakable scent of fear wafting through the air. It was intoxicating. Brandon seized Freddy’s jaw with a brutal grip, prying it open with a plier, and with a grim determination, he extracted another tooth. Freddy’s scream pierced the dungeon, a raw, agonizing sound that echoed off the stone walls, mingling with the dampness of the air.

In the adjacent cell, Cass sat in eerie silence, his head tilted back against the wall, eyes half-closed. The chaos around him seemed to wash over him like water off a duck’s back. He didn’t flinch at Freddy’s cries, nor did he show any sign of concern, guilt, or even curiosity. Detached, he appeared as if he were an observer in a world that had nothing to do with him.

The coldness of the dungeon seeped into my bones, contrasting sharply with the heat of the rage simmering within me.

Freddy’s torment was far from trivial. Brandon loomed over him, hands stained with the evidence of his brutality—the dried blood of his victim. He had informed me that Freddy was obstinate, refusing to divulge the name of his employer. In response to Freddy’s defiance, Brandon had taken it upon himself to break Freddy’s teeth one by one, filling each gaping hole with molten silver. Freddy was beyond regeneration, especially with the poison coursing through his veins, and he lay there, trembling, pleading with Brandon to end his suffering.

As I stepped further into the chamber, Brandon’s eyes flicked to me, and he instinctively stepped back, allowing me to take center stage.

Freddy’s swollen, bloodshot eyes met mine, and I could see panic igniting within them. “K-King Scott… please… please, kill me,” he whimpered, his voice a broken whisper. “I can’t endure this any longer. Just end it.”

I paused, letting the weight of his plea settle in the air between us. “You know I won’t,” I replied, my tone calm yet firm. “Not until you reveal who ordered you to attack my pups, my mate, and to burn my home to the ground.”

He hesitated, his gaze darting toward Cass, uncertainty flickering across his features.

Before Freddy could utter a word, Cass’s voice sliced through the tension, sharp and laden with arrogance. “Release me at once, King Scott!” he demanded, his tone dripping with disdain. “It is an utter disgrace to imprison an Elder of the werewolves. Since you entangled yourself with that human woman, you have lost all sense of honor. Your actions have become nothing short of sleazy. Is this how you intend to lead the werewolves? How dare you confine me to this dungeon? My nephew’s foolishness is not my cross to bear!”

A low, lethal growl erupted from my chest, an instinctive response to his insolence. “You will address my queen with the respect she deserves,” I warned, my voice a low rumble. “And you will watch your tone when speaking to me.”

Freddy’s gaze darted back to Cass, shock etching itself across his battered features. “My stupidity?” he murmured, disbelief mingling with pain.

I turned my attention back to Freddy, my resolve hardening. “Let me be perfectly clear,” I stated, my voice unwavering. “I’m not here to negotiate. You will die, one way or another. The only choice you have is how you meet your end—swiftly or in excruciating agony.”

Freddy whimpered, his throat bobbing as tears pooled in his eyes. He took a deep, shuddering breath, as if weighing his options. With a terrified glance at Cass, he finally whispered, “It was my uncle. Elder Cass. He ordered me to kidnap your pups. And when I failed, he told me to hide for a month. But your warriors found me too quickly.”

Cass lunged forward, his face contorting with rage. “You lying wretch!” he barked, his voice filled with venom. “How dare you drag me into your crimes? I never commanded anything! You brought this disaster upon yourself!”

Freddy stared at him, disbelief mingling with hurt. “I respect you, Uncle Cass,” he croaked, his voice trembling. “I did what you told me to because I trusted you.”

Cass cursed him again, slamming his palms against the silver bars of his cell. “You fool! You were always a disgrace. Your mother abandoned you, and I should have done the same. I raised you out of pity, and this is how you repay me?”

Freddy’s eyes brimmed with pain and devastation, as if something deep within him had shattered.

In a moment of sheer terror, Cass lost all control, the warmth of his fear mingling with the cold stone floor. I could smell it, sharp and acrid. He shook his head frantically. “Scott, you’re mistaken. Freddy lied. I’m innocent. I never—”

My fist connected with his jaw, dislocating it with a sickening crack. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he crumpled to the ground, choking on his own horror.

I crouched down, bringing myself to his level. “My men are already digging into your finances. You needed funds to carry out something so vile, and we will uncover where it came from.”

Cass stared at me, his expression a mix of horror and despair. His gaze flickered to Freddy’s corpse, and whatever composure he had left evaporated, replaced by the stark realization of his own fate.

I straightened, turning to Brandon. “Do the same to him,” I commanded coldly. “Exactly what you did to Freddy. And do not remove Freddy from his cell until I give the order.”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Brandon replied, his voice steady.

Cass let out a broken wail of fear, a sound that echoed in the depths of the dungeon.

I didn’t linger to hear more. I walked out of the cell, leaving his desperate screams to reverberate through the stone corridor behind me. My rage simmered just beneath the surface, but as I approached my cottage, I inhaled the crisp night air. The familiar scent of my mate and pups drifted faintly on the breeze, calming my Lycan’s restless spirit.

I made my way inside, seeking solace in the only thing that could quell the storm raging within me. Bella lay peacefully asleep on my bed, a serene vision amidst the chaos. I checked on the pups in the next room, ensuring their safety before taking a bath to wash away the remnants of the dungeon. Once clad in my boxers, I slid beside Bella on the bed. She instinctively curled into me, and I wrapped my arms around her, pulling my world close.

Yet, amidst the tranquility, my mind drifted back to Troy’s haunting words: Tasha’s wolf had been spotted nearby.