CHAPTER 32: NOT SCARS TO ME

Ronan slammed his hands on the shower wall as the cold water cascaded down his body.

’What was that? Why did I react so differently near Leia? And why it felt like I... I liked that feeling,’ he thought. This was the first time he felt so strange near a woman.

’Maybe because she’s too outspoken,’ he reasoned and closed the shower tap. Wrapping a towel around his lower body, he stepped out of the shower room and stood before the sink.

As he began brushing his teeth, his mind again drifted to Leia. That soft, sweet smile of hers. The way her eyes sparkled with mischief one moment and shifted to curiosity the next.

Ronan cursed internally for thinking about Leia again and lowered himself. Rinsing his mouth, he returned to the room to wear his clothes.

"Fuck! What are you doing here?" Ronan gasped, quickly folding his arms over his chest as if it would somehow shield him from her gaze.

Leia blinked, caught completely off-guard. Her eyes involuntarily swept over him, pausing at the defined muscles and the trail of water dripping down his torso. But what really caught her attention was the way he seemed... flustered.

A smile formed on her lips, but she quickly tucked it away.

"I came to get an answer," she said, lifting her chin slightly. "You didn’t tell me if you’re coming with Kieran and me."

Ronan stammered, "Yes—I mean... no."

Leia tilted her head, amused. "Are you feeling shy?"

He huffed, clearly trying to regain control. "I don’t get shy."

"Really?" she challenged, stepping closer. "Then why did you look like you’d seen a ghost the moment you saw me?"

"I did not," he muttered, lowering his arms to his sides, though his shoulders were still rigid.

Leia’s teasing expression faded as her eyes wandered over his bare skin. She noticed the marks and deep ridges carved into his body like a map of the battles he’d endured. The scars told a story, and it wasn’t one filled with ease or glory.

"You’ve got so many scars," she murmured, her voice softer now. "Are they all from battle?"

Ronan looked down at the marks before meeting her gaze again. "They’re not scars to me," he said. "They’re trophies."

Leia let out a short, disbelieving laugh. "That’s one way to avoid admitting you’ve been hurt a lot."

As she lifted her hand to touch one of them when Ronan caught it. "I may take the wrong meaning of your concern. You better not come near me unless I want you to," he stated. Then, letting go of her hand, he continued, "You should leave."

Leia felt strangely cold under his gaze and quickly walked out of his room.

Ronan ran the same hand through his damp hair, which caught Leia’s and let out a deep sigh.

"I need to keep her away from me," he murmured.

~~~~

At the breakfast table, Leia quickly noticed Lucien’s absence.

"Where’s Lucien?" she asked, glancing between the brothers.

"He must’ve left early this morning," Kieran replied, placing a fresh glass of orange juice in front of her.

Leia nodded slowly. "So, the battle is happening?"

"It’s inevitable," Kieran said, casually biting into a piece of toast. "There’s no backing out now."

Leia’s gaze drifted to Ronan, who sat quietly across the table, focused on his meal. He hadn’t spoken a word, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the marks on his body, which came from the battles only.

"I spoke to Lucien last night," Kieran said with a smile. "He agreed to let me take you to see the pack."

Leia’s eyes lit up. "Really? I’m excited!" she said, taking another bite of her toast.

As he sipped his coffee, Kieran added casually, "Also, Ronan, Leia’s going to be the new Pack Coordinator."

Ronan, mid-chew, froze. "What?" He looked between them, clearly caught off guard. "You already decided on that?"

Leia set her toast down and raised an eyebrow. "Why? You don’t think I’m suitable for the role?"

"It’s not that," Ronan muttered, still trying to process it.

"Well, I do have work experience," Leia said, her tone calm but confident. "And Kieran believes I’ll do an amazing job. Who knows?" She leaned back with a smirk. "One day, you might even give me an award for outstanding service as the pack’s coordinator."

"You think too high of yourself," Ronan said.

"Well, I carry my confidence with pride," Leia shot back.

"Hmm. I can see that," Ronan replied with a chuckle.

Kieran noticed that the two of them got comfortable with each other. How did it happen in just a day? He wanted all of Leia’s attention on him.

Once they finished, Leia told Kieran to give her two minutes as she had to fetch her things from the room. After she ran upstairs, Kieran turned to Ronan.

"You used to get irritated around women," Kieran said, eyeing his brother. "But with Leia, you seem... unusually comfortable."

"I’m just trying not to upset her," Ronan replied quickly. "She’s going to sire heirs for us."

"You sound like Lucien," Kieran frowned. "Leia’s not a breeding machine."

Ronan didn’t respond to that. Instead, he shifted the subject. "She asked me to come along with you two today, but I refused. The pack members still get uneasy around me."

"Why would you think that?" Kieran’s brows drew together. "They respect you now, Ronan. You should consider coming with us, it might help both you and the pack."

Before Ronan could answer, the sharp clicks of heels echoed from the stairs. They both looked up to see Leia hurrying down.

"Don’t run!" they said at the same time, their voices overlapping.

Leia slowed down, glancing between the two.

The brothers exchanged glances, realizing how worried they both looked.

"I’m ready! Let’s go," Leia told Kieran. She again gazed at Ronan and asked, "Are you sure you don’t want to come with us?"

Ronan didn’t reply and simply walked away.

"Why is he like that?" Leia huffed, feeling annoyed.