CHAPTER 149: NATASHA MUST BE PROUD

As the night deepened, Leia returned home with Ronan and Fleur.

"Aunt, I’ll show you to your room," Ronan offered, glancing at Leia for a moment. She gave a quiet nod before slipping away to her own room.

The guest room had already been prepared with care so Fleur would notice nothing lacking. Ronan gestured toward it politely. "Aunt, I’ll have a servant bring your dinner here, so you can rest comfortably," he said, already turning to leave.

But Fleur’s voice stopped him. "Ronan, wait. I want to talk to you. It’s been such a long time since we’ve truly spoken. If you don’t mind, give me a few minutes of your time."

Ronan turned to face his aunt and nodded at her. Sitting on the chair after Fleur sat on the bed, he waited for her to speak.

"I’m so proud of you, Ronan," Fleur began with warm words, which caught him off guard for a moment. "You have not kept any grudge in your heart towards your grandmother. One needs a big heart for that. I am aware of how you have been treated in your own house by your father and grandmother. Yet, you become such a wonderful man. I’m sure Natasha must be proud of you from wherever she’s seeing you."

Hearing his mother’s name after such a long time, Ronan felt a bit strange.

"I don’t know whether my mother is watching me or not, but I learned it from her. In the time of vulnerability of a person, you must show grace by being kind to them. As a great warrior of my pack, I shouldn’t become kind to people around me, but this one teaching of my mother I couldn’t forget."

"And you’re setting that example well," Fleur stated with a bright smile. "I was always angry at my brother for treating you unfairly. But I couldn’t stop it. I wish I had taken you with me."

"Aunt, why are we even speaking about all of this now?" Ronan asked. "I’ve moved ahead in my life. In the past, there was no one who truly cared for me. But I’ve a wonderful person by my side. So, I don’t wish to hear the past, which only brought me pain."

Then, taking a brief pause, he continued, "It must be a difficult phase for you. Losing your mother isn’t easy, especially when you know the number of days of her survival is limited."

Fluer hummed, her teeth biting her lower lip as once again her eyes brimmed with tears.

"Aunt, you’ve to be strong," Ronan said.

"Yes, I’m doing that," Fleur said, quickly wiping off her tears. She gazed into his eyes and asked, "Thank you for forgiving your grandmother."

"Yes, I’m doing that," Fleur said, quickly brushing away her tears. Meeting his eyes, she added softly, "Thank you for forgiving your grandmother."

"Don’t say that, it only puts guilt on me," Ronan replied gently. Rising to his feet, he continued, "I’ll take my leave now. Please have your dinner. You need to focus on your health as well."

Fleur hummed in response, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

Ronan left the room, closing the door behind him with care. As he reached the living room, he called for the butler. "Send dinner to my aunt’s room," he instructed. "And also prepare dinner for me and Leia. Have it delivered to her room."

With that, he returned to his own room, changed into fresh clothes, and then made his way upstairs to Leia’s quarters. She was seated on the edge of her bed, speaking into her phone with Rhea.

At the sight of him, Leia quickly ended the call. "I’ll talk to you in the morning. Goodnight," she said before hanging up.

Her gaze shifted to the small table where dinner had already been placed.

"You should have gone out tonight," Ronan remarked as he approached. "You were so excited about it."

Leia shook her head, her voice dropping to a murmur. "How could I enjoy myself when things here aren’t well?" She walked over to the couch and sank into it. "I only hope Lucien and Kieran remembered to eat. By the way... did Aunt Fleur have her dinner?"

"She must be eating by now," Ronan assured her.

Leia’s shoulders sagged, her eyes glistening as a memory surfaced. "It must be so hard for her," she whispered. "Hearing her reminds me of when the doctor told me to prepare myself... when my mother first fell sick." Her voice trembled, and tears welled up before she quickly wiped them away with the tips of her fingers.

Ronan sat down beside her and gently patted her back. "Don’t recall those memories, Leia. They’ll only upset you."

Leia hummed softly, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Come," he said, reaching for the dishes. He served food onto her plate with quiet care before filling his own. They ate together in silence, the weight of unspoken thoughts settling between them. When they finished, Ronan called for a servant to clear the table.

After a pause, Leia glanced at him hesitantly. "Will... will you sleep here tonight?"

Ronan arched an eyebrow, studying her expression. "Yes, unless you don’t want me to." His gaze lingered, searching her eyes for an answer she seemed reluctant to voice.

"No, that’s not it," Leia murmured quickly. "I just thought... maybe you’d prefer to be alone. You don’t show it to anyone, but I can tell, you’re hurting too."

Ronan’s eyes softened as he held her gaze. For a long moment, he said nothing. Then, the corner of his lips curved faintly. "How do you know me so well?" he asked with a low chuckle in surprise.

"I just guessed," Leia said softly. "You may not have been treated the same as your brothers, but you always respected your grandmother because of her age. And the way you came this evening... it showed how much you truly care for her."

Ronan’s lips curved into a faint smile. "You always amaze me. I think that’s why I keep falling more and more in love with you."

"Huh?" Leia blinked, flustered by his sudden confession. Her cheeks grew warm. "I-I need to brush my teeth. You should sleep," she mumbled quickly, slipping into the washroom to escape his gaze.

But Ronan didn’t hesitate to follow.

"What are you doing here?" Leia asked, her voice a mix of surprise and exasperation.

"I should brush too," Ronan replied matter-of-factly, pulling open the cabinet. His brows furrowed. "There’s no brush here."

"Why would there be?" Leia sighed, shaking her head.

Before she could process, he was gone in a flash. Leia uncapped the paste and began brushing her teeth. Moments later, Ronan returned, slightly out of breath, holding a brand-new brush in his hand.

Her eyes lifted to him through the mirror, and despite herself, she couldn’t help but smile.

The two of them brushed side by side. After they were done, they returned to the bedroom.

"I’m more worried about my brothers than myself," Ronan admitted suddenly. "I care for Grandma, yes, but not the way they do. Kieran especially... he’s the apple of her eye. And our cousins, too, they share a deep bond with her that I don’t."

Leia hummed thoughtfully as she smoothed the duvet across the bed. "Life is unpredictable, Ronan. We never know what might happen tomorrow. I used to think about it a lot what if someday—"

"Don’t say it," he cut in sharply, his tone firm but his eyes tender.

She stopped, her gaze lifting to meet his.

"You’re not alone anymore, Leia," Ronan said with quiet conviction. "You have three mates. You have us, and an entire pack standing with you."

"I know," Leia whispered. Pulling the duvet over herself, she muttered, "Switch off the lights," before burrowing inside.

Ronan smiled faintly and turned off the lights, the room falling into a soft hush. Sliding under the duvet beside her, he tilted his head and noticed Leia had already turned her face toward him, avoiding his gaze.

"You should’ve checked on your aunt once more," Leia murmured into the quiet.

"I did," Ronan assured her. "She ate dinner." He paused, his voice softening. "And... thank you for telling Lucien about Grandma’s call. If it weren’t for you, we might not have found out about it today."

"Lucien didn’t answer her call, I heard," Leia said.

"His temper is like that," Ronan stated. "I don’t even know what my grandmother likes except for apricots. I think I’ll buy them for her tomorrow."

"But it’s not the season for apricots," Leia reminded him.

"Ahh, you’re right! Grandma’s birthday is near, so we can celebrate it. I was never a part of it before but now, I think I can be," Ronan stated.

"Of course! You’ve a big heart," Leia complimented him. "If I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t be so forgiving. I mean... I couldn’t. You’re a beautiful person, Ronan. I just admired you for holding such a big heart."