CHAPTER 138: AGREED TO SHARE

By the time Leia reached the living room, Lucien was already gone. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she wasn’t ready to face him just yet.

"Good morning, Leia," came Kieran’s voice as he wrapped his arms around her from behind in a quick, brotherly hug before stepping back.

"Good morning," she replied, offering a faint smile. "How are you feeling now?"

"Much better," he said with a sheepish grin. "I didn’t cause too much trouble last night, did I?"

"You were just a little drunk. It was not bothersome," Leia reassured him.

Kieran chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Lucien gave me a bit of a lecture this morning."

"He must’ve gone on about how you were supposed to protect me," Leia said with a knowing look.

Kieran raised a brow. "How’d you guess?"

"I know your brother," she replied, folding her arms. "He loves lecturing everyone, it’s like his personal hobby."

Kieran laughed softly. "You’re not wrong. Lucien is just extra cautious about you. And what happened last time made him react like this," he added.

"I know." She gave a small nod.

"Have your breakfast first. Then I’ll take you to training unless you’re not in the mood today?" Ronan asked, eyeing her curiously.

"I’ll train first," Leia replied with a slight stretch of her arms. "Then I’ll get on with the rest of the work I’m supposed to do."

"Are you going to train her hard?" Kieran asked, raising an eyebrow at Ronan.

"Not hard," Ronan replied with a small smirk. "It’s her first official day of training. I’ll go easy on her." Just then, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and said, "I need to take this call," before stepping away.

Leia turned to Kieran. "Is Ronan always this strict?"

"Well... yeah," Kieran chuckled. "Most of the young warriors are terrified of him. But since you’re our mate, I’m guessing he’ll ease up a bit."

"It’s my first real training session," Leia said, determination flickering in her voice. "Even if he’s strict, I need to learn how to protect myself."

"Good mindset," Kieran nodded. "Are you planning to train regularly?"

Leia smiled. "That’s the idea. What about you heading to work?"

"I’ll be back early. There’s not much on my plate today," he said, then added with a thoughtful frown, "Actually, I might help Lucien. He’s still searching for the wolf that attacked me."

Leia gave him a look. "Lucien won’t let you help."

As she headed toward the kitchen, Kieran followed. "The maids can serve you breakfast. Just give them the word and eat at the table."

Leia waved off his concern. "I can manage something this small."

"Still," Kieran said, glancing at his watch, "you should take it easy. Don’t you want to conserve your energy for training?"

"Don’t you have somewhere to be?" Leia raised a brow.

"Yeah, I still have time," Kieran said, glancing at his watch.

A maid nearby looked toward Leia. "Please have a seat in the dining room, miss. I’ll bring your breakfast right away."

Before Leia could respond, Kieran gently took her hand and guided her out of the kitchen. Once in the dining room, he pulled a chair out for her and gestured for her to sit.

"Enjoy the royal treatment while it lasts," he teased with a wink.

Leia laughed softly. "In that case, I’m getting used to this."

"Oh, and later this evening, how about we hit a club?" he suggested, settling into the chair across from her.

"I’m in," Leia replied without hesitation. "I’ll check with Rhea and see if she wants to come too."

"Perfect." Kieran smiled, his gaze softening. As he looked at her, he noticed a few strands of hair clinging to her cheek. Without thinking, he leaned forward and gently tucked them behind her ear.

"Leia," he said quietly, "why don’t you accept my mark?"

Her eyes widened slightly, surprised by the sudden question.

"If you do... I’ll be able to sense it immediately if something happens to you, if you’re ever in danger," he explained. "You don’t have to decide right away, but at least think about it."

He pulled his hand back and leaned into his seat, giving her space to process the thought.

"Lucien wants to mark me first," Leia admitted.

Kieran nodded with a calm expression. "Well, it’s your decision to make who you choose as your first mate. No one else has the right to decide that for you."

Leia looked at him, a flicker of warmth in her eyes. "I appreciate how you always give me the choice, without pressure."

Kieran offered a soft smile, but her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

’I wonder how Lucien would react if he heard this,’ she mused silently.

Just then, the maid entered with a large tray in her hands. She placed a plate in front of Leia, carrying two perfectly folded omelettes and a tall glass of fresh pomegranate juice. On a second plate, she laid out warm slices of toast, stacked neatly.

"Enjoy your breakfast, miss. If you need more, please ask for it," the maid said politely before stepping back.

"It’s already more than enough. Thank you," Leia said with a gentle smile.

The maid nodded politely, returning the smile before turning to leave.

As Leia began to eat, Kieran remained quiet, his eyes fixed on her.

’Why do I feel like you’re drawn more to Lucien?’ he wondered. ’I always thought you’d love me more than my brothers. But around me... You hesitate. Sometimes I question if you accepted me as your mate out of true feeling, or just pressure.’

His gaze dropped slightly, remembering the party the night before. He had tried to kiss her during their dance, but she pulled away. That moment still lingered in his mind like a quiet rejection.

’That one act... it said everything. You haven’t fully embraced the bond the Moon Goddess has destined for us. At least, not from the heart.’

"What are you thinking?" Leia asked, snapping Kieran out of his thoughts.

"You look good... even while eating," he said with a soft smile.

Leia let out a small laugh and turned her attention back to the toast. "I feel so hungry," she murmured.

As she tilted her head slightly, Kieran’s eyes caught on a mark near her collarbone. It was faint, but was noticeable if it was seen intently. It was definitely a hickey.

His gaze lingered on it for a second too long before he forced himself to look away. A rush of questions flooded his mind. ’Had she already crossed that line with one of his brothers?’

A strange tightness coiled in his chest. It was jealousy.

’We agreed to share a mate. We understood this... accepted it. Then why does this hurt? Why does it feel like I’m losing something I never fully had?’

He said nothing, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Leia noticed Kieran’s gaze wasn’t on her face. It lingered lower, fixed with unusual intensity. Setting her glass down, she followed his eyes, and her stomach tightened.

"What are you staring at so intently?" she asked, her brows drawing together.

"You have a red mark on your neck," Kieran said with a probing tone.

Leia froze for a moment, the air catching in her throat. Her cheeks flushed. Why was she feeling so embarrassed? If she was meant to share a bond with three mates, things like this were bound to happen... right?

Still, something about Kieran’s steady gaze made it hard to confess.

"It’s not what you’re thinking," she said quickly, looking away.

But the lie tasted bitter. ’I wasn’t supposed to lie to him. So why can’t I bring myself to admit that Lucien was the one who left a hickey on me... that I allowed it? That I wanted it?’

Kieran leaned forward slightly. "Then what is it?"

Leia hesitated for a second, then gave him another lie. "I think it was an insect bite. I noticed it this morning."

Kieran didn’t respond right away. He simply nodded slowly, but the flicker of doubt in his eyes said he didn’t fully believe her.

"Leia, I’m serious about how I feel for you," Kieran said. "I don’t know exactly how you see me, but if you truly consider me your mate... then I hope we can be honest with each other. I want is to share everything freely between us."

He pushed his chair back and stood up. There was a trace of disappointment in his eyes.

"It’s time for me to go. I’ll see you later," he added, then turned and walked off without waiting for her to respond.

Leia sat frozen for a moment, staring at the space he had just left. Her fingers curled slightly around the edge of the table.

"What was that?" she whispered to herself. "Did he... catch my lie?"

The knot of guilt in her stomach tightened.