CHAPTER 137: WHEN AN ALPHA IS NEAR

"Where’s Leia?" Ronan asked as he pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Sleeping," Lucien replied, his eyes still fixed on his phone screen.

Ronan frowned. "Isn’t it a bit too late for that? I’ll go wake her—"

"She was out late partying," Lucien interrupted, finally setting his phone down on the table. "Let her rest a little longer."

Just then, Kieran walked into the dining room, rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish look. "Did I cause any trouble last night?"

"You were drunk, and Leia drove both of you home. As for trouble... we’re still figuring that part out," Ronan said, settling into his seat.

Kieran let out a groan and slumped into the chair, tipping his head back with a sigh. "They kept pushing drinks at me. I didn’t want to be rude. It’s been ages since I’ve gone out like that."

Lucien raised an eyebrow, setting his phone down. "For a wolf, your alcohol tolerance is pretty disappointing."

"I have to agree," Ronan added. "You were supposed to watch over Leia, not make her babysit you."

Just then, a maid arrived with a bowl of hangover soup and placed it gently in front of Kieran.

"Thanks," he murmured, picking up the spoon and taking a careful sip.

"So, where’s Leia?" he asked after a moment.

"She’s still asleep," Ronan replied, glancing toward the staircase.

"I see..." Kieran muttered between sips, his expression unreadable.

Meanwhile, two other maids came in and began serving breakfast for Lucien and Ronan.

"Did Grandma call you?" Kieran asked suddenly, glancing over at Lucien.

Lucien shook his head. "No. Why? Did she call you?"

"Yeah," Kieran replied, frowning slightly. "There was a missed call early this morning. I was still asleep, so I didn’t pick up. I haven’t called her back yet."

He shifted his gaze toward Ronan, who didn’t seem the least bit interested in the conversation, calmly eating.

"Well, don’t bother calling her," Lucien muttered with a slight frown. "She’ll start in with the same emotional blackmail routine."

Kieran let out a sigh. "She’s old, Lucien. With her age, some of her thinking is bound to be rigid. But she’s not entirely wrong either. And after our parents... she’s all we have left. Our only blood family."

Lucien paused mid-bite, then slowly set his fork and knife down, chewing the last of his omelette in silence.

"Even if she’s our only blood relative, that doesn’t give her the right to cross the line," Lucien said. "Don’t empathize with her so easily, Kieran. Have you forgotten what she did to Ronan? She spent years making him feel like he was never enough."

His eyes darkened as he went on. "And then she tried to force a woman of her choosing onto me as if I had no say in my own life. I won’t stop you from talking to her if that’s what you want... but if you’re thinking I’ll allow her to come here, you’re wrong."

"I figured that out. I was merely telling you to talk to her once. She loves you the most. And I won’t talk to her unless you do. After all, I also didn’t like the fact that she always demeaned Ronan," Kieran explained.

"I don’t care about her," Lucien stated. "She must know the extent of damage she did."

His mood spoiled, and his appetite was lost too.

"I’m done eating," he said and left the table.

Kieran wondered if he shouldn’t have brought up the matter of their grandmother and sighed. He gazed at Ronan again, who was still quietly eating his meals.

~~~~

Leia sat quietly in front of the mirror, brushing her hair with slow strokes. Her eyes, unfocused, stared at her own reflection, but her mind was lost elsewhere, back to the night before.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t push the memory away. The way she gave in... the way she surrendered so easily to Lucien’s touch, it embarrassed her. She had always sworn she wouldn’t allow herself to fall under the influence of any Alpha unless she was absolutely certain of her feelings.

"I wasn’t supposed to lose control," she whispered to herself. "Not until I accepted his mark. Not until I was sure."

Her chest rose with a sigh, shame and confusion twisting inside her like a knot. The pleasure had been overwhelming, but now, in the cold light of morning, she couldn’t ignore the guilt creeping in.

"But is it really so wrong to feel something before a commitment?" she asked her reflection.

Then, almost angrily, she muttered, "No. I acted like an omega in heat, like one of those weak girls who can’t think straight when an Alpha is near. I messed up. I gave him too much."

Her fingers paused mid-brush, and she dropped her gaze to her lap, wondering if Lucien could sense the effect he had on her even now.

’Leia, why are you so unsure? We do like Lucien,’ her wolf, Zei, spoke gently within her mind.

Leia sighed, her brows knitting together. ’I know... but I didn’t even lose this much control during my heat. It’s embarrassing. Lucien will never let me live this down. He’ll tease me every chance he gets.’

’You shouldn’t feel so ashamed,’ Zei said. ’You enjoyed it, didn’t you? Every part of it. This was your first real experience like that your body responded, your instincts took over. It’s normal for your thoughts to be a little jumbled.’

Leia pressed her lips together, still unsure.

’But listen to me,’ Zei continued. ’Lucien desires us. Both he and his wolf want us. You felt it, didn’t you? You liked it, even if you don’t want to admit it right now.’

Leia closed her eyes, heart thudding at the memory. She couldn’t deny it, not to Zei and definitely not to herself.

’Yes, you’re right,’ Leia murmured.

"I shouldn’t feel embarrassed anymore. I will make sure to teach Lucien a lesson too. He made me so restless. I’ll also turn his nights sleepless," Leia muttered with a grin. "But if I go near him now, I’m going to shudder. I still can’t forget those eyes from last night. "