The Secret Heirs of the Lycan King (by Misha K) novel Chapter 56

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

After Bella departed from my office, her image lingered in my mind like an indelible mark. The way she had gazed at me, a mixture of vulnerability and longing, haunted me throughout the day. Her cheeks flushed with a warmth that suggested a deeper need she tried to conceal. I found a twisted pleasure in the fact that I was shaping her desires to align with my own. She was my tantalizing little human, blissfully unaware of the depths of her own potential.

The audacity of her question—if I would punish her—echoed in my thoughts, igniting a fire within me each time I replayed it. I found myself hard more than once, lost in fantasies that left me breathless. I had to give in to my urges, and twice I found relief in my own hands, yet I withheld my release, pushing myself to the brink of pain. All I could think was how desperately I wanted to spill myself upon her, to cover her in my essence.

As evening approached, an insatiable urge to seek her out consumed me. I yearned to bridge the distance between us and quell the ache I had so deliberately ignited. However, I had promised her a punishment, and I understood that true punishment required restraint. Thus, I resolved to keep her waiting. The anticipation would only heighten the tension between us, a delicious torment I was eager to cultivate. I refrained from calling or texting her, despite my Lycan’s incessant pull toward her.

“You’re being foolish!” he growled, frustration evident in his tone. “Go to her. I want her now.”

As the sun dipped below the horizon, I drove home with the reckless abandon of a beast unleashed. But upon arriving at my driveway, the scent of Elder Cass hit me like a cold wave. My muscles tensed instinctively. He never arrived unannounced, and his presence signaled trouble. He had likely caught the scent of Bella and the twins.

I hurried into the house, following the trail of his scent that led me to the dining room. My heart sank at the sight before me. The table was set, but it was the tableau of Cass and Bella that seized my attention.

Cass loomed over Bella, who stood there pale and trembling. Tears shimmered in her eyes, threatening to spill over. She held her chin high, a show of defiance, yet the hurt in her gaze twisted something deep within me. It enraged me that someone had dared to inflict such pain upon her. A simmering rage bubbled beneath my skin.

Bella was blissfully unaware of Cass’s standing in our world, oblivious to the lengths he might go to assert his will. But one thing was clear—she would not bow to him. Still, I couldn’t shake the fear that he had pushed her too far, jeopardizing my plans to introduce her as my mate.

“Elder Cass,” I called out, my voice steady yet laced with tension. “What brings you here?”

He turned to face me, a storm brewing in his eyes. “I came to speak with you.”

“Let’s move this discussion to the library,” I suggested, needing to create distance between him and Bella.

Cass nodded curtly and strode past me. The moment we closed the door behind us, the atmosphere in the room thickened with his presence.

“What happened?” I demanded, my voice low and controlled.

He stood rigid, refusing to take a seat, his eyes ablaze with anger. “You should never have brought her into your home,” he spat. “What will happen when the other Elders find out? You’ve created a mess for yourself, all because you couldn’t keep your desires in check!”

“Enough!” I growled, my patience wearing thin. “Do not insult her. She is under my protection.”

He clenched his jaw, his gaze unwavering. “Alpha Scott, do you not grasp the gravity of your situation?” he pressed on. “You are to marry Tasha soon. What then? What becomes of this woman? If you want a mistress, so be it. Hide her away and be done with it. But do not dare to speak of her as if she could ever be Luna. The pack will never accept her. She is merely a human—weak, pathetic, and already a mother to another’s pups!”

A snarl escaped my lips before I could contain it. “Enough! Do not speak of her that way.”

His gaze locked onto mine. “I am merely stating the truth.”

“I am not interested in your so-called truth,” I replied firmly. “I command you to stay out of my personal affairs.”

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