The Lycan king Secret Child

One—Ivy’s POV

“I'm standing by my words, Willa. I can't attend. I'm sorry about that,” I said for what seemed like the tenth time today.

Willa, my best friend, had been trying to persuade me to attend her wedding and return to the place I had run away from four years ago.

“You have to believe me. He won't be there. I know it's his younger cousin's wedding, but he promised not to attend if you will be attending,” she said, trying to change my mind again.

“Okay, and what if he sees Pearl? What if he recognizes her? You said it yourself that she looks just like him, and I get it. But I don't want her around the man who was supposed to be her father but refused to accept her.”

I lowered my voice when I noticed Pearl sniffing slightly on the bed.

“You have my word, Ivy. If he shows up, then you're free to leave. But trust me, he won't be attending. He's busy with the divorce case and the rest of the pack issues,” she said, and I finally sighed in relief.

“Speaking about leaving, I've been meaning to tell you something, but I don't want to be a burden to you. Aside from coming to your place for the wedding, I don't have anywhere else to stay. My rent is already due, and I just got sacked recently. It's like everything is suddenly falling apart.”

A tear slipped down my face as I spoke.

Willa went silent for a few seconds before muttering, “I'll tell Kai, and I'll have him arrange somewhere in the pack for you to stay. I'll also get you a job so you can put food on your table.”

“And while you work, you can keep Pearl with us. I'll make sure she doesn't cross paths with any monsters.”

I laughed at the word monsters. I knew exactly who she was referring to.

Pearl's dad—Lycan Zyran.

Lycan Zyran was indeed a monster. One minute, he was all over me like I was something he couldn't let go of. He would plant kisses all over me, showering me with promises, and then, the next minute, he would become a totally different person.

Accusing me of faking my pregnancy to tarnish his image. Accusing me of being desperate for his attention. He even called me a cheap whore because I was just a human, and humans couldn't bear offspring for Lycans.

“Hey, Mommy, is everything okay? I heard you talking about my Dad. Is he finally coming to be with us?” my little daughter, Pearl, asked, tugging slightly at the hem of my dress and pulling me out of my thoughts.

I turned to see her fully awake, her little teddy by her side.

“Were you listening to Mommy's conversation with Aunty Willa?” I asked.

She smiled, flashing her little teeth.

“You know that's a bad habit, right? Never do that again, or Mommy will be mad at you and won't take you to the park to play again.”

Her green eyes immediately fell as she whispered an apology.

“I was just asking because all the kids in my class have Daddies, and I don't have one. They bully me all the time because of it, Mommy. I didn't mean to make you upset. I'm sorry, Mommy,” she apologized with her head bowed.

I stared at her as a bittersweet smile spread across my lips. I wondered what she must have been going through at the hands of her peers. But despite all the love and attention I usually showered on her, I knew the day would come when she would ask about her Dad.

“Don't worry. We are going to see Daddy. Aunty Willa said he just got back from his long trip, and he is waiting for us.”

She immediately got up and started jumping on the bed. I could tell she was very happy to meet him, but me? I had vowed never to set my eyes on him until the day I breathed my last.

“Will Daddy like Harper? Can I give Harper to Daddy to play with?”

She stopped dancing and began asking all sorts of questions, curiosity shining in her eyes.

“Yes, Daddy will play with Harper and with you as well,” I responded with a smile on my face so she wouldn't notice how painful it was for me. How hard it was for me to believe that I was finally going back there.

“Can Daddy take me to school instead, Mommy? I want all my friends to see that I have a Daddy too.”

She spun around with excitement, and I just laughed. I had only seen her this happy once before, and it was the first time I got her the teddy she named Harper.

“Enough with the questions. We have to start packing so we can leave. Remember, it is not safe to walk at night, right?”

She nodded her head and spread her arms open so I could take her off the bed.

“Mommy, please pack all my fine clothes so I can show them off to Daddy. I want to brush my teeth myself today so I can tell Daddy I'm a big girl.”

She giggled before running off to the bathroom.

While she was busy in the bathroom, I just sat still, muttering words of encouragement to myself and telling myself that I wouldn't bump into him, just like Willa said.

I didn't know how many minutes I had spent sitting there staring into space before I was pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of Pearl's stamping feet.

“Are we all packed, Mommy?” she asked as her little eyes scanned the room.

“No, baby. Mommy was waiting for you to finish so we could both do it together.”

She smiled as she sat on the floor, her legs crossed and her damp hands ready to do it herself.

A few minutes later, we were done and ready to leave. But just as we got closer to the door, my phone chimed, and a notification came in.

It was from Willa.

I opened it, and I felt like I was losing my breath already.

He already knows about you coming. I told Kai, and it somehow slipped out of his mouth while he was speaking with Zyran. And as we speak, he is coming to get the both of you.

I stood still, trying to make sense of what I had just read, but it seemed like my brain was preoccupied at that moment. My head instantly filled with images of him, his voice, and practically everything I had fought so hard to forget for the past few years.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Pearl immediately hid behind my back, as if she sensed that something was up.

Then came the voice I hadn't heard in years.

“Open up, Ivy. It's me.”