CHAPTER 108: THREE MATES, NOT ONE!

Kieran wrapped his meeting and rushed home only to feel the scent of the pheromones that had surrounded the mansion.

’What’s this? She smells like strawberries,’ he thought.

’She is our mate,’ Kieran’s wolf, Eryx, spoke.

’I think so. I’m so happy about it.’

As he rushed straight to Leia’s room, he found Ronan pacing outside the room in the corridor. He stopped and looked at the door.

"Did you not give her suppressants?" asked Kieran.

"I did. But her pheromones are still leaking even when she’s asleep," Ronan remarked. "I did call the doctor, but she said Leia should consider releasing her excessive heat with the help of an alpha."

"Oh." Kieran furrowed his brows together.

"I offered to her to calm her nerves," Ronan stated. "She has got my scent. I am here mate. So, it will be me who should help her."

"What? That’s impossible. I got her scent. How could you be her mate?" asked Kieran, frowning at him.

"That doesn’t matter. Leia’s wolf responds to me, Kieran," Ronan pronounced.

"And what about you? Did your wolf respond too?" Kieran questioned, glaring at him.

Ronan remained quiet, not wanting to answer him.

"You didn’t get her scent. That means... You’re not her mate," Kieran stated. "And don’t you dare touch her without her consent," he warned his elder brother.

"What do you consider me, huh? A beast? A monster?" Ronan’s temper rose suddenly as he almost pulled Kieran by his collar. "You always look down on me, don’t you? Is it fun for you to think of me as ’cursed’? Dad always made me feel low, but you made me feel pathetic of myself! Leia is my mate and if you dare coming near her, I swear I won’t hesitate to–" He paused, not wanting to finish his sentence.

The servants downstairs gathered upon hearing their heated argument. They began gossiping among each other, wondering if they would fight for a woman, who wasn’t even giving them her attention.

"Are you saying you’ll kill me?" Kieran muttered. "Then, do it! Just kill me today. It wasn’t my fault that you were constantly ridiculed by our father. If killing me makes you feel better, then do it!" He provoked Ronan, his eyes gleaming in anger.

Ronan’s own fangs started showing and a growling sound escaped his mouth. It was definitely his wolf, who was ready to engage in a physical brawl.

Before Ronan could throw a punch at him, Lucien grabbed his fist, sending him meters away from Kieran.

"What the fuck are you two fighting for?" He bellowed, his loud voice reverberated in the entire mansion that it sent shivers in everyone’s bodies.

Leia, who was fast asleep, also woke up upon hearing the loud voices coming outside of her room.

"Kieran started it! Why am I always blamed for everything!? Can’t I have a mate? Don’t I deserve to be loved? Why? Why do you look at me as if I want some kind of pity from you all? Why do I have to fight for validation? Why do you all blame me for everything? Only Leia loves me and only desires me. I won’t let you two have her, especially you, Kieran," Ronan declared while blurting out his frustration, which he had been holding inside him for a long time.

Lucien got confused to hear his second brother’s words. He glared at Kieran, asking him, "What did you say to him?"

"He claimed he’s Leia’s mate. This is impossible. I got her scent. But Ronan hasn’t. I never made him feel low. It’s his own insecurities, which are making him feel like that," Kieran defended himself.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Leia started feeling more dizzy. This time, she was getting a strong scent of two more wolves.

’Are they from Lucien’s and Kieran’s? But why are they fighting?’ She finally moved to the door and opened it slowly. She saw Lucien and Kieran standing together.

From Lucien, she got the scent of the same spicy cinnamon rolls with softness of vanilla. As for Kieran, his scent was the fresh smell the rain leaves behind with essence of cedarwood, warm and earthy.

’Moon Goddess has granted me three mates, not one!?’ Leia thought. She felt her heart would jump out of her throat since it was beating so fast. She could even feel its rhythm in her ears.

Then, she heard Ronan,

"Leia said she got my scent. Doesn’t that make her my mate? And you, Kieran, what did you say? I will take advantage of her!? You think that low of me! This is the reason I dislike you. You always claim yourself as victim while I become the culprit in everyone’s eyes."

"But you didn’t get her scent! That doesn’t make you her mate. As for your curse, I never even spoke about it. You are the one–"

"Stay quiet, Kieran!" Lucien said with a stern tone.

"Don’t fight, please!" Leia’s voice echoed this time.

The three brothers looked at her.

"Leia, you shouldn’t..."

"Don’t come near me," Leia told Kieran. "None of you three should. I am losing my head! How can I get the scent of three of you!?" She screamed, bringing her hand to her hair.

The three of them widened their eyes. However, before any of them could speak, Leia tightly shut the door behind her.

"Leia, but I get your scent. Your scent is like strawberries," Kieran said, rushing to the door.

"Just leave. I don’t want to hear any of your voices," Leia urged. "Lucien, take your brothers away. And, please don’t fight. I am not going to respond to anyone if you keep fighting like this."

"Did you two hear? Come with me," Lucien commanded them.

Kieran and Ronan glared at each other before walking behind Lucien, who headed downstairs.

"Why are you all gathered here? Is some kind of show being displayed here?" Lucien scolded all the servants, who quickly apologized and dispersed.

Greta looked upstairs and stepped up. "Alpha, I’ll go and check on Miss Leia."

"Hmm. Don’t let her take more pills," Lucien ordered her before walking out.

In the garden, the three of them stood in a circle.

"Apologize to Ronan," Lucien began, gazing at Kieran.

"I don’t care if you started it or not. But you brought the banned word in the argument, so you must apologize," Lucien said in an authoritative tone.

"I don’t need his apology. It don’t need his pity," Ronan muttered, still feeling angry.

"No one is feeling pity on you," Lucien pronounced. "Kieran, apologize."

"I’m sorry, Ronan. I didn’t meant to hurt you." Kieran lowered his eyes in guilt.

"Now, it’s your turn, Ronan. Apologize to Kieran," Lucien ordered.

"Why?"

"Kieran never played the victim," Lucien said. "And you dared raising your hand against our youngest brother. So, apologize."

Ronan clenched his fists. "I’m sorry. I should’ve controlled my anger," he whispered, averting his gaze quickly from Kieran.

"Can I go be with Leia?" Kieran asked.

"No," Lucien said firmly. "She doesn’t want any of us near her right now. And... she’s caught the scent of all three of us. That means the three of us are her mates."

"Did you get her scent? Because I didn’t... How come Kieran did, but not me? Is it because I’m cursed?" he asked.

Lucien met his gaze steadily.

"No. You’re not cursed," he replied. "Even I haven’t caught her scent yet."

Upon hearing Lucien’s words, Ronan’s expression shifted. The tension in his jaw eased, and the hardness in his eyes gave way to quiet relief.

For a moment, the storm of self-doubt in him settled. Knowing that even Lucien hadn’t caught Leia’s scent lifted a heavy weight off his shoulders.

He had been silently tormenting himself, believing his bad luck or some unseen flaw had kept him from being chosen. The words of father which always haunted him in the past suddenly started dissipating from his head.

"That means only I am loyal to her," Kieran murmured.

"How exactly are you loyal to her?" Ronan snapped, anger flaring again. "You were the first one itching to be near her the moment her heat started."

"I’m not you. And I’m definitely not Lucien," Kieran shot back, eyes narrowing. "From the beginning, I’ve been the one trying to make her feel safe and comfortable in this house."

"Will you two just stop?" Lucien’s voice sliced through the tension. "This isn’t a contest. We’re not going to fight over her like wild dogs. I didn’t bring her here so the two of you could tear each other apart."

He took a breath, his gaze steady.

"If I were selfish, I would have claimed her the moment I brought her home. But I didn’t. Because she’s not ours to control. We are meant to be hers. Right now, she’s in heat, confused, overwhelmed, and probably terrified after finding out that all three of us are her mates."

He looked between his brothers.

"So let’s stop fighting and focus on making her feel safe."

Ronan’s voice softened as he spoke next. "The pills aren’t helping. Her pheromones have only gotten stronger."

"Ronan called the doctor earlier," Kieran added. "She said the only way to help Leia through this might be with an Alpha’s pheromones. To soothe her."

Lucien’s expression grew more serious.

"Maybe so, but we won’t do anything she’ll regret later. I’ll speak to the doctor myself and find a solution. When I do, I’ll discuss it with both of you. She is our mate. That means we have to respect her, protect her and make her feel loved."