CHAPTER 110: ONE STEP AT A TIME

"Yes, I did. So?" Leia snapped. "That doesn’t mean I’ll beg you too."

But even as the words left her lips, her wolf stirred uneasily inside her, pleading for restraint.

’Leia, why are you doing this?’ Zei’s voice echoed within her.

’Don’t respond to his wolf, Zei,’ Leia warned firmly. ’I know you want him. I want him too. Not just him... all three of them. But if we lose control now, how am I supposed to handle them? I can’t let myself look vulnerable. Not yet.’

Lucien narrowed his eyes, watching her closely. "What are you thinking?" he asked. "My wolf can’t reach yours. Why is that?"

He let out a soft, amused chuckle at her silence, clearly enjoying her resistance. Sitting upright, he reached forward, adjusting her skirt with surprising gentleness before resting his hand on her knee.

"Your skin is soft," he murmured.

Leia stiffened and sat up straight, but she didn’t push his hand away. Her heart raced beneath her composed exterior.

"You three are my mates," she said. "Is that even a good thing? Don’t you think it’s... strange? Are we supposed to—" She caught herself mid-sentence, biting her lip before she said too much.

Lucien smirked, brushing his thumb lightly across her knee. "It seems that little head of yours is overthinking," he said. "Why don’t you give it a break... and just feel for once?"

"How am I supposed to give it a break?" Leia muttered in annoyance.

"Like this," Lucien replied smoothly, tilting her chin up and leaning in.

His lips captured hers in a kiss. He nibbled gently, testing her resistance, but she didn’t pull away. Encouraged, he grazed her bottom lip with his teeth, drawing a soft mewl from her throat. His tongue traced the shape of her lips, until she parted them for him.

But just as the kiss deepened, Leia placed her palms firmly against his chest and pulled back, breathless.

"Wait," she whispered, her voice trembling. "If we keep kissing like that, I might lose control. Your scent is already driving me wild."

Her fingers curled slightly against his chest, her body betraying the restraint her words tried to enforce.

"We three had no one in our lives before. You’re the first and last for us. What’s making you so insecure about everything? If you think we will leave you, then you’re wrong. You’ve witnessed yourself the desire we three hold for you." His fingers stroked her hair once again.

"Hm. I know that," Leia replied softly.

"For now, just focus on getting through the heat," he said in his unusual gentle voice.

Leia glanced at him and murmured, "Thank you... for being a gentleman. I didn’t expect this from you."

Lucien raised an eyebrow. "You think that low of me?"

"No, it’s not that," she said quickly, shaking her head. "It’s just... you keep saying you want me, talking about claiming me, marking me... all of that. I thought maybe, in this state, you wouldn’t stop yourself."

Her voice faltered, and she lowered her gaze. "And your initial goal... it was to get me pregnant, wasn’t it?"

"Yeah," Lucien admitted. "But I can’t make that happen without your consent. And... you’d have to fall in love with me for that to mean anything."

He paused, watching her carefully. "If you were just some random omega, I wouldn’t be like this. I wouldn’t care. But it’s you, Leia. That’s why I have to take things one step at a time. I don’t want to scare you away."

His voice softened as he leaned slightly closer. "Yes, I’m possessive. I want to mark you and madly make love with you. But more than anything, I want to respect you. That’s what matters most to me."

Leia slowly lifted her gaze, her eyes locking with his. Her fingers curled tightly in her lap, and she could feel her heartbeat picking up, loud and fast in her chest.

~~~~~

In the kitchen, the gentle bubbling of chicken broth filled the space as Ronan leaned over the stove, adjusting the flame. Beside him, Kieran was focused on preparing the side dishes, though his chopping had grown noticeably tense.

"Why did you let Lucien be alone with Leia?" Kieran muttered, barely masking his frustration.

Ronan sighed, not looking up right away. "Because Leia’s dealing with a lot right now. She’s confused, torn between what she feels and what she thinks she should feel. And like it or not, Lucien’s the only one who can help her make sense of that."

He finally turned to face Kieran. "I know you’re jealous. About a lot of things. But this... this isn’t how it can work between the three of us."

Kieran remained quiet, his jaw clenched.

"I’m sorry about earlier," Ronan added, lowering the heat on the stove.

"I lost my temper. That’s on me," Ronan said, his eyes fixed on the simmering pot. "You know... Dad always compared me to you. Always made me feel like I wasn’t enough. That kind of thing... it doesn’t just fade, it gets buried in your blood."

He paused, his voice turning more deep. "Today was the first time I felt like I mattered. Like I was important to someone. Leia called me mate, and for a moment, I thought, maybe she was mine. I was on cloud nine."

His shoulders sank. "But..."

He couldn’t bring himself to finish. The words caught in his throat, too heavy to push through.

Kieran set down the knife. "Lucien didn’t feel the bond either. So you’re not alone in this. And even if it had only happened to you... I would never have called you cursed."

He looked at Ronan with sincerity. "I never saw you that way. I’ve always felt guilty, watching you carry so much while pretending it didn’t hurt. I didn’t know how to help you... so I stayed quiet. And maybe that was just as bad. I never wanted our father to treat you badly."

"I know," Ronan murmured, focusing back on his work.