The Lycan King's Secret Triplets

Meeting him again after Five years

Alexandria POV

"Mum," Cody called weakly from his sick bed as I stood up, ready to resume work. I was already late for my evening shift, but I couldn't leave without making sure my child was alright.

I gently grabbed his hand and kissed his forehead. "Mummy is going to spend tomorrow with you, baby," I promised, trying to comfort him.

His pale face looked sad, and I couldn't blame him. He was stuck in the hospital alone while his sister and brother were doing fine. It wasn't his fault; he was born with a chronic heart illness that had plagued him since infancy. Every time I looked at Cody, it reminded me of Raziel, who suffered from the same heart condition and was his spitting image.

"Tomorrow, Cara will be here with me, and Caden will also come to visit. I promise," I said, stretching out my pinky finger, and he intertwined it with his own. "Mummy loves you," I whispered, planting one last kiss on his cheek before reluctantly leaving the room. Once outside, I met with Elena, the caregiver who looked after my son, and we had a brief conversation.

"Your bills are piling up, Alexa," she reminded me gently. "Cody is a sweet boy, but if you can't pay, I might have to quit," she told me, concern evident in her voice. I let out a deep sigh, feeling the weight of the financial burden.

"I'll do something about it this week," I promised her, even though I had made the same promise the week before and the week before that. "Elena, I'm sorry for repeatedly making promises I can't fulfill. I'm still saving up for Cody's surgery, but I haven't been able to gather even half of the required amount."

Elena sighed in understanding and patted my back. "I understand, Alexa. Taking care of your children all by yourself for four years is not easy. I'll give you some time to sort out the bills. It's the least I can do for Cody," she said kindly.

I smiled gratefully and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you, Elena," I expressed my gratitude before glancing at my vibrating phone. It was my best friend, Mark, calling. "I'll catch up with you later, Elena," I mouthed silently and hurried towards the elevator. I answered Mark's call, taking a deep breath as I anticipated what he had to say.

Being late for the event was inevitable since I had to drop off my other children at the babysitter's and take care of Cody for a while. In moments like these, I sometimes wished I had returned to the werewolf realm and told Raizel about our children, but I had to remember his previous disbelief in me five years ago. There was no guarantee that he would believe me now.

"Hello, Mark," I whispered into the phone, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Where the hell are you, Lexi?" Mark's voice sounded exasperated.

"I got caught in traffic," I lied, knowing that Mark wouldn't buy it since he was well aware of my tendency to be tardy. "I was with Cody and had to wait for his caregiver to arrive. Has the boss arrived yet?" I inquired about our supervisor.

"No, but get your ass over here before he does. I'll cover for you, but I can only do it for twenty minutes. If you're any later than that, you're on your own," he warned me firmly.

"Thank you, Mark," I sighed gratefully as the call ended, tucking my phone into my bag. As the elevator doors opened, I hurriedly stepped out, inadvertently bumping into someone in the process. I quickly turned around to apologize for the collision."I'm sorry," I apologized, lowering my head as I hailed a taxi. "To Mark's hotel," I instructed the driver as I climbed into the cab. Once seated, I rested my head against the seat and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. As I reached for my phone, expecting it to be Mark, I discovered it was a message from the babysitter.

They are asleep now and doing fine.

I returned the phone to my bag and tapped my foot nervously, constantly checking the time. I still had at least fifteen minutes before the deadline Mark had given me, which brought a bit of relief to my racing heart. In an attempt to momentarily forget my worries, I gazed out of the window at the city lights and the bustling crowd. However, even with the vibrant scenery, my mind remained fixated on my children and the uncertainty of raising them alone. They were the heirs of the Lycan lineage, but somehow they had been born as humans. I had done everything in my power to conceal their true identities. Apart from Mark, who discovered my secret on the day I was about to give birth, no one in the human realm knew I was a werewolf. I had almost shifted in front of him, but instead of fear, he stood by my side until I returned to my human form.

Since then, I had refrained from shifting and even consumed wolfsbane to suppress my wolf's presence in my mind. Lost in my thoughts of the past, the car suddenly came to an abrupt stop, snapping me back to reality. "What's happening?" I inquired, looking at the driver.

"It seems there's a traffic jam up ahead," the middle-aged driver replied.

"Do you know what's causing it?"

"Rumors say an important figure is visiting the king today, hence the congestion," he answered.

I checked my watch and muttered a curse under my breath. With barely five minutes remaining, it didn't seem like the traffic would clear anytime soon. "I should go," I paid the driver and hastily exited the car without waiting for his response. Luckily, the hotel was only five blocks away, and running was my best option. I sprinted as if my life depended on it, even though I knew I could have run much faster if I hadn't suppressed my wolf.

"I can do this!" I shouted, running through the streets like a madwoman until I reached the front of the hotel. Pausing at the entrance, I gasped for breath. "Goodness," I panted, rubbing my chest before resuming my run. Unaware of the cause of the traffic, I rushed past the long line of vehicles until I entered the hotel, where the sight of the crowded cars made me realize the event we were hosting there was the reason for the congestion. I couldn't help but wonder who the important guest might be.

"I'm sorry for being..." I burst into the meeting room, where the rest of the chefs and event planners were seated. Fortunately, my boss hadn't arrived yet, and I spotted Mark standing near the door, waiting for me.

"No time to waste, go change into your chef outfit," Mark instructed, pointing to the door opposite the room. I hurriedly entered the restroom and washed my hands, staring at my disheveled reflection in the mirror. My hair was a mess as if I hadn't combed it that morning. I ran my hand through it, attempting to tidy it up, and gathered it into a bun. In the past, when Raizel and I were together, my hair was always braided, but things had changed. I no longer braided it, and I had cut it shorter.

After changing into my chef outfit, I returned to the room and took a seat beside Mark in the vacant chair. Just then, Crazy Dog walked in.

"With that, we have to give it our best at Kay K Restaurants and Event Planning. We are serving the king and another important guest tonight. Make any mistake, and it will be the end for you!" he declared in his usual grating voice that always annoyed me.

After his speech, he assigned everyone to their respective tasks. I was assigned to work alongside Mark as his assistant chef. Crazy Dog had already briefed us on the meal we were to prepare, and it was easy for Mark and me since we had been cooking together for years.

"You know the drill, Lexi," Mark gave me a thumbs-up as we entered the kitchen. With Crazy Dog having a team of chefs working under him, each chef was assigned to a different dish. "We have to impress Crazy Dog so he won't bark at us," he said, and I nodded in agreement. "And we're serving at the king's table, so we have to give it our all."

"We've got this, bestie," I fist-bumped him, and we started cooking and a few hours later, we were done. The three-course meal we prepared consisted of thick carrot soup with cumin and leeks as the starter, herb-roasted chicken bliss, grilled ribeye steaks served with potatoes as the main course, and banana cream pie and chocolate ravioli for dessert.

"I think we did our best," Mark commented as the servers took the meals away.

"We sure did," I replied, walking out of the kitchen alongside him.

"How are the children?" he asked, changing the topic.

I removed the net that covered my head and nodded, indicating that they were fine.

"If you ever need anything, let me know," he said, wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

I playfully slapped his hands and laughed. "We live under the same roof, and providing me with a home is more than enough. I don't want to burden you, Mark," I told him.

Mark nodded, but he didn't let go of my shoulder. "I haven't seen Cody in a while. When are you visiting him next?"

"Tomorrow."

"Great," he released his hold on my shoulder and clapped his hands. "I better prepare plenty of gifts as his godfather."

"Don't be silly, you've done enough," I told him, and we locked eyes for a moment, lost in our world, as always. Spending five years with him made me consider the possibility of a romantic relationship, but my heart was still healing, and I didn't want to hurt him, so I chose to remain his best friend.

"Mark and Alexa!" a voice called from behind, sounding familiar. I quickly turned to face the source of the voice—it was Crazy Dog.

"Sir," I smiled at him and nudged Mark on the shoulder, exchanging a knowing look.

Crazy Dog, our boss cleared his throat, folding his arms as he stared intently at us. I felt a pang of anxiety, fearing that something had gone wrong. But then he broke into a smile. "Congratulations, guys. The king and his guest loved your food," he announced.

I clapped my hands and jumped in excitement, hugging Mark. "Yes!" I exclaimed joyfully. "We did it!"

Crazy Dog cleared his throat once again to regain our attention. "That's not all. They've requested your presence immediately," he informed us.

"Really?" Mark asked, receiving a confirming nod from Crazy Dog. He turned to me, his face lit up with a bright smile. "Lead the way, sir." Mark held onto my hand as Crazy Dog guided us to the hall where the event was taking place.

"The king must be very impressed," I commented.

"What could ever go wrong with our duo?" Mark winked at me, and I smiled back. It wasn't the first time guests had loved our meals, but there was something different about having the King of the Humans and his guest appreciate our cooking.

Crazy Dog led us into a grand hall, beautifully adorned with white and gold decorations and elegant chandeliers. The lighting cast colorful hues throughout the room, and the hall was bustling with hundreds of people. It was no surprise that Crazy Dog had invited so many chefs.

"Beautiful," I remarked as I looked around, but my excitement waned as a shiver ran down my spine. I couldn't shake off the feeling as I walked among the crowd. It was a familiar sensation that made me tremble with each step. Mark noticed and pulled me closer, his hands wrapped around my waist.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concern evident in his voice. I nodded in response, though deep down, I knew I wasn't. The hall was not only filled with humans but also Lycans. It was unusual to see humans and wolves gathered in one place. I couldn't help but be curious about the identity of the king's guest. My heart raced, and a lingering sense of impending events weighed on my mind. As we approached the king's table, my anxiety grew, and my curiosity got the better of me. I stretched my neck to catch a glimpse of the guest.

"It can't be," I halted, my feet freezing as I saw him—a sight that still took my breath away. He looked as handsome as ever, with piercing blue eyes and dark hair. "Raz..."

"Are you alright?" Mark also stopped and took hold of my hands. "What's happening?" he asked, concerned.

"Raz..." I gasped as our eyes met. How could it be that I was facing him again after five years? I never expected this moment to come. Gathering all the courage left within me, I tugged on Mark's arm, urging him toward the table. I couldn't afford to let him suspect anything.

"Your Highnesses, this is Mark Brown and Alexandria Herald," Crazy Dog introduced us.

"I see," Raziel smirked as he looked at Mark. His gaze then wandered over my body until it settled on Mark's grip around my waist. "what a nice chef you have," he spoke with a tone of disgust, mirroring the annoyance he had shown five years ago.