CHAPTER 126: SEEING YOU ADMIRE

"You’re late, Lucien," Sorin said with disappointment. He ceased the rhythmic tapping of his fingers on the armrest and straightened his posture, fixing Lucien with a pointed stare.

"You summoned me at the last minute, Sorin," Lucien replied with annoyance. "Besides, it’s not like you were eager to see me." He moved toward the table and settled into a chair with quiet defiance.

Without a word, Caleb dragged a chair close to Lucien and sat beside him, his gaze shifting between the two men.

"This will be our first time working alongside you, Alpha Lucien," said Ralph with respect and curiosity.

Zekiel, seated beside him, absentmindedly twisted the ring on his finger. "You’re a name many alphas talk about," he added, glancing at Lucien. "Plenty dream of forming alliances with you, but you rarely extend the opportunity to more than a select few."

"We’re not here to discuss my personal decisions," Lucien said firmly, clasping his hands together on the table. "Let’s get straight to the reason Sorin called us here."

Clearing his throat, Sorin leaned forward. "Right. I’ve discovered some new information regarding the recent attacks on lone wolves. Interestingly, a human witness came forward, claiming to have seen a woman near one of the wolves shortly before it was found dead."

"As far as we know, humans rarely involve themselves in the affairs of wolves," Lucien said, his gaze narrowing. "So where exactly did you hear this?"

"From a trusted source," Sorin replied calmly.

Lucien arched a brow, clearly unimpressed. "And who might that be?"

Sorin offered a faint smile. "That remains a secret for now. What’s important is that I believe the witches may be quietly targeting wolves who are living in hiding among humans."

"That might be true," Ralph acknowledged with a nod. Then, turning to Lucien, he added, "I heard the last remaining she-wolf has been living among humans. Why not bring her to the next meeting? She could be of help."

Lucien shot him a sharp glare, his jaw tightening. The last thing he wanted was to drag Leia into this mess.

"She knows nothing that would be useful to us," Lucien replied.

"You can’t be this selfish, Lucien," Sorin said. "The Alpha King has given his orders to find the evidence soon to stop all of this. So, Leia is expected at the next meeting to assist us. It’s no small feat for a wolf to live among humans without drawing suspicion. And yet, you found her and brought her back."

He leaned forward slightly, a knowing smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Plenty of alphas dreamed of claiming the last she-wolf for themselves. Now, rumors are swirling about your... relationship with her. I heard that she didn’t even get mated to you despite you claiming her to be your luna."

’This arrogant bastard keeps testing my patience,’ Lucien thought.

"Some matters aren’t meant to be discussed so openly," he replied calmly, masking the edge in his voice. "Sorin, even if Leia did live among humans, that doesn’t mean she holds any information that can aid us. And for the record, I believe in building trust, not forcing it. I trust you understand what I’m implying."

Before Sorin could respond, Zekiel interjected, his tone sharp but composed. "Let’s get back on track," he said. "Sorin, since this intel came from you, it’s your responsibility to dig deeper into this human witness. If you’re unable to, then at least guide us on how to proceed."

’Alpha, you should tell them about Delia,’ Caleb’s voice echoed in Lucien’s mind through the mindlink. ’She’s a witch too. Maybe she can help us. Weren’t you planning to use her for your own ends?’

’No,’ Lucien replied as he maintained his composure outwardly. ’If they find out about Delia, they’ll start pressing for Leia too. Besides, whatever hope I had in Delia vanished a few hours ago.’

Caleb fell silent.

Sorin finally spoke, "I’ll dig deeper into this before we decide on our next move. Give me two days."

"Understood," the other two replied in unison.

"Is that acceptable to you, Lucien?" Sorin asked, his gaze steady.

Lucien gave a curt nod. "Yes. I see no reason to object."

"Very well, let’s conclude the meeting here," Sorin announced. Then, casting a glance toward the untouched glass on the table, he added, "You didn’t even touch your water."

"I wasn’t thirsty," Lucien replied coolly as he rose from his seat. "We’ll take our leave first."

~~~~~

Leia’s gaze fell on the bag resting on the table in her room. "What’s this?" she murmured, curiosity tugging at her as she walked over and peeked inside.

Her eyes widened in surprise. Nestled neatly within was a dress. It was the same dress she had admired just days ago on a mannequin. Carefully pulling it out, she held it up, recognizing it instantly. It was the exact one she couldn’t take her eyes off back then.

"Who brought this?" Leia murmured, spotting a folded note tucked inside the bag.

She opened it and read aloud, "From Lucien." A small smile curved her lips until her eyes narrowed. The handwriting was unmistakably Kieran’s.

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Why would he lie?" she whispered, the note still in her hand.

Placing the dress back into the bag, she slung it over her arm and headed straight to Kieran’s room.

"Kieran, it’s me," she called out, knocking before stepping inside.

The bedroom appeared empty. She glanced around and muttered, "But I can still sense he’s here..."

Just then, the bathroom door swung open. Kieran emerged, damp hair tousled, a towel slung low around his hips, revealing his V-line and toned torso.

Leia’s eyes instinctively dropped to his chest, then trailed lower to his sharply defined abs before she quickly looked away.

"Kieran... why are you here?" she asked, still holding the note.

Kieran grabbed a shirt from the open cupboard and quickly slipped it on, aware of her discomfort. "You didn’t answer my question," he said calmly. "Why did you come?"

"Ah... this dress, who bought it?" Leia asked, holding up the bag.

Kieran turned from the wardrobe, his gaze landing on the bag she clutched. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I did," he replied honestly. "But Lucien was the one who noticed it first. He sent me a picture and the store’s address after seeing you admire it. He asked me to pick it up for you while he was away."

Leia glanced down at the note again, the words ’From Lucien’ now making sense. "That’s why you wrote his name instead of yours," she said softly, looking up at Kieran.

He gave a small shrug. "Yeah. It felt right. He’s the one who noticed you liked it. I didn’t want to take credit for something he chose for you."

There was no bitterness in his voice, just sincerity, and something else she couldn’t name.

Leia’s lips curved into a small, grateful smile. "Even so... thank you, Kieran. I really did love this dress. I didn’t expect to ever have it, especially since it was a limited edition. It must’ve sold out quickly."

"It did," he admitted. "I had to call a few branches before I found one that still had it in stock. I picked it up the same day."

Leia blinked in surprise. "You went out of your way for it?"

He nodded, rubbing the back of his neck with a hint of awkwardness. "Well... I figured if something made you that happy just by looking at it, then you deserved to have it. Simple as that."

Leia stared at him, her expression softening further. For a moment, silence stretched between them, but with unspoken gratitude and something warm that neither of them acknowledged.

Clutching the bag to her chest, Leia smiled again. "Then I’ll treasure it even more."

Leia stepped forward, closing the distance between them. Gently, she reached out and held his forearm. Then, rising slightly on her toes, she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

As her heels touched the floor again, she looked up into his eyes and whispered, "Kieran... you’re one of the few people who care for me, even from a distance. And I never forget things like that."

A slow breath escaped Kieran’s lips, touched by her words more than he let on. "I’m glad I’m one of those few people," he murmured.

He paused for a moment, his gaze flicking to the dress she held, then back to her. "Wear that dress," he said with a small smile, "when I take you to my friend’s birthday party."

Leia’s eyes lit up, her smile blooming brighter. "Of course," she replied, a hint of excitement lacing her tone. "I’d love to."

"Leia," Kieran pulled her closer, his arm circled around her waist, "I love you so much. And after we found mates in each other, my love for you has increased more."

His firm lips pressed on her soft ones. Shortly, the bag in her hand slowly slipped down to the floor.