CHAPTER 141: WAY OF PROTECTING US

Leia abruptly ended the call the moment Kieran asked, "What happened? You didn’t even reply to him."

"There was... a network issue," Leia murmured, avoiding his eyes.

Kieran studied her for a moment before returning his attention to the road. Thanks to his steady hands and quick driving, they reached the mansion in no time. Without wasting a second, both of them hurried inside, heading straight for Lucien’s room.

The sight that greeted them made Leia’s breath hitch. Lucien sat on the edge of the bed, bare-chested, his arm and abdomen swathed in thick bandages.

Kieran, slightly out of breath, asked, "How did you get injured?"

Before Lucien could answer, Ronan rose from the chair beside the bed with a grim expression. "Sorin called Lucien for help in Eboncrest."

Leia’s eyes widened. "Sorin? The same man who upset you before?" She stepped forward, her voice rising with indignation. "Did he do this to you? If he’s responsible, we should report him to the Alpha King immediately!"

"Sorin was in danger. So, he asked for my help. A hybrid wolf attacked me, which I believed was a hybrid. He was good in strength and even told me we would meet soon. It felt like he knew me," Lucien murmured.

"A hybrid of a wolf and a witch can definitely be stronger than the normal ones," Ronan stated.

"The wounds may heal by tomorrow. So, don’t be worried for me." Lucien glanced at the door, where a maid stood with a tray in her hands.

"Alpha, I’ve brought the herbal medicine that the pack’s doctor asked to give you," the maid informed before stepping inside. She rested the tray on the bedside table.

"Kieran, go to your room and take some rest. You too, Ronan. I’m fine," Lucien told them.

"Lucien, don’t get injured like this," Kieran said, furrowing his brows. "Why didn’t you ask me or Ronan to go with you? Don’t tell me you think that we are not strong enough to protect you."

"That’s not true. I didn’t have time to even summon Caleb. The situation was an urgent one," Lucien clarified.

"Yeah, I get it," Kieran said and walked out of the room.

"Why is he upset?" Leia murmured.

"Because Lucien always does things alone," Ronan asserted. "He believes not involving us is his way of protecting us," he added, glancing at Lucien. "You’ve weakened your body because you used teleportation for such a long distance. Sorin isn’t the wolf of our pack."

Giving an earful to Lucien, Ronan also left.

"I’ll make sure that Lucien takes the medicine," Leia told the maid, who bowed and walked out of the room. At the same time, she shut the door behind him.

Lucien grabbed the bowl and began sipping it.

"Careful. Your arm is wounded," Leia said, walking toward him.

However, by then, Lucien had finished it. He rested the bowl over the tray and finally met her gaze. Wiping his lips from the back of his palm, he finally spoke to her, "I thought you would keep ignoring me."

"I never experienced anything like that before," Leia said, not looking at him. "It was my first time. You expect me to celebrate it."

Lucien stood before her, his hand holding her chin as he made her look at him.

"You intrigue me," Lucien said.

"Let’s not talk about it." Leia pulled her hand from his grip and stepped back, her voice trembling with concern. "You weren’t supposed to get hurt like this. First, Kieran was attacked by an unknown wolf, and now you. But your injuries..." Her gaze drifted to his abdomen, to the faint crimson stain blooming through the bandage. "Are you still bleeding?"

"No," Lucien replied calmly. "The bleeding has stopped."

"Your brothers were right. You should ask for their help when you travel somewhere far. What if something... worse had happened?"

She didn’t tell him about the unsettling feeling that had gripped her back at the club, the strange sense of danger she couldn’t explain. Instead, she turned toward the cupboard, retrieving a white shirt.

Returning to his side, she gently lifted his right arm and slid the sleeve over it. Her fingers moved deftly over the buttons until she paused, meeting his eyes. "Even I can feel how much energy you’ve drained. Take a proper rest, and work from here, from this bed."

Lucien’s lips curved into a faint smirk. "Is my Luna giving me orders? If so, I’ll obey."

"I’m not your Luna yet," Leia countered softly. "Consider it an order from your mate."

"As my mate commands," he murmured, the grin deepening.

Something warm and unfamiliar stirred in her chest at hearing him call her ’my mate’.

"I’ll go to your brothers, convince them to come here and stay with you," she said gently.

But before she could step away, Lucien’s left arm circled her waist, pulling her close until her cheek rested against his chest. His voice lowered to a whisper, his hot breath feeling warm in her hair. "They won’t listen to you. I’ll talk to them in the morning. Why don’t you stay with me instead?"

Leia’s lips curved into a small smile before she caught herself. She shook her head, but didn’t pull away. She could hear his uneven heartbeats.

"I’m sorry for leaving you in a daze last night," Lucien murmured, his chin resting lightly atop her head. "I wanted you to think about how much you truly want me, how much your wolf wants me. Maybe I should’ve stayed longer, so you could feel comfort instead of embarrassment."

"I couldn’t sleep well last night. Only omegas are in front of the alphas. And I acted like one last night. I-I don’t want to surrender this easily. Instead, I want to make my Alpha surrender to me," Leia pronounced, finally looking into his eyes.

"Don’t you think I’ve already surrendered to you, Leia? I wasn’t like this before, but around you, I’m just a lost puppy," Lucien pronounced while staring deeply into her eyes.