CHAPTER 40: TAKE IT OFF

"Your plan will fail if anything happens to me, won’t it?" Leia taunted. "You won’t be able to have pure-blood pups if I die," she muttered.

"You’re right," Lucien agreed.

Leia scoffed. "Then I don’t need your protection," she muttered, reaching to unfasten the bracelet.

Before she could, Lucien grabbed her wrist suddenly. She winced at the pressure, her back pressing against the cold windowpane.

"Let go of my hand," Leia said sharply.

"What’s this rebellious behavior? I gave you what you desired. I allowed you freedom and let you go out, be the Pack Development Coordinator. And this is how you act before me, huh?" Lucien frowned, his hold on her hand tightened.

"You’re hurting me," Leia said, looking down at their hands. There was a deep furrow on her forehead.

Lucien held her chin up to make sure she would look straight into his eyes.

"I can do more than that. I don’t have to listen to you all the time. But I want to wait until you surrender. Take it off and you’ll be punished. Try me, Leia. Try me," Lucien challenged her.

"I won’t surrender," Leia murmured, her voice turning low. "I don’t like to be controlled. And you do that. You always assert dominance. You know that I’m scared. Delia was like my family after my mother passed away or even before that. A lot is going on in my mind. Why did she have to fake everything?" Her eyes filled with tears.

Lucien’s grip loosened from her wrist before he finally withdrew his hand.

"Even blood can betray you," Lucien said. "Delia may have grown up with you, but she doesn’t see you the same way you see her."

Leia’s eyes met his, filled with both pain and truth. "That’s what hurts the most," she admitted, her voice quivering. "I thought we were more than just people thrown together by circumstance. I believed she cared."

Lucien hesitated before finally speaking again, "I almost caught her. She was hiding in a hotel. Her last call was with Malrik. I tracked her there, but the moment I looked into her eyes, she used a spell. My vision burned. That’s when she slipped away."

Leia’s heart sank. The revelation didn’t just sting, it shattered what little hope she had left of Delia being innocent.

"You should’ve told me earlier," Leia murmured.

"I want to keep you away from the troubles," Lucien said. His thumb moved to the strands stuck to her cheek and tucked them behind her ear.

"Hmm." Leia nodded finally, understanding his stance.

Lucien took a step back, ready to leave when Leia asked, "When do you go for a run?"

"Why do you ask?" Lucien turned his over his shoulder before facing her.

"You should’ve told me earlier," Leia murmured.

"I wanted to keep you away from the trouble," Lucien replied in a much calmer tone now. He reached up and gently brushed away a strand of hair that clung to her cheek, tucking it behind her ear with his thumb.

Leia nodded slowly, finally understanding his stance. "Hmm."

Lucien stepped back, preparing to leave when her voice stopped him.

"When do you usually go for a run?"

He turned slightly, glancing over his shoulder before facing her fully. "Why do you ask?"

"I was... just curious," Leia murmured, avoiding his eyes.

"I go out before dawn," he answered, studying her reaction.

Leia froze for a moment, her lashes still. "Then..." she hesitated, the words catching in her throat.

"Then what?" Lucien arched a brow, sensing the hesitation.

"Nothing," she replied, masking her expression into something neutral.

’He saw me. I know he did. But why is he pretending otherwise? It’s not even a big deal that he saw me in my wolf form... yet it still feels strange to bring it up.’ Leia’s thoughts ran quietly beneath her composed exterior.

Just then, a knock echoed from the door. Lucien turned and opened it, revealing the house butler. The man looked momentarily surprised to find Lucien in Leia’s room but quickly bowed his head in respect.

"Dinner is ready, Alpha. Your brothers are waiting for you... and Miss Leia," he informed.

Lucien nodded. "Hmm. We’re coming."

As he turned back, he saw Leia already walking past him, which made him chuckle.

~~~~

Simon stepped into the pack house, but what he saw in the living room made him stop in his tracks. Delia was there, seated comfortably like she belonged to this pack.

"Where were you?" Malrik’s voice cut through the silence.

"I went outside to get some air," Simon replied casually, masking his surprise. His gaze lingered on Delia as he nodded politely before settling into the chair across from his brother.

"Delia told me how Lucien nearly caught her," Malrik said. "But she managed to escape and came here for refuge."

Simon’s brows rose slightly, still processing her sudden presence.

"Since she’s a close friend of Leia, we’ll have an upper hand in this war," Malrik added, his tone laced with pride and determination.

"You two are close friends?" Simon asked, clearly surprised.

Delia smiled faintly, her gaze steady. "Yes. We grew up together."

She shifted slightly in her seat, confidence lacing her words. "Leia is soft-hearted. A small gesture of kindness is enough to sway her emotions."

Simon didn’t respond immediately. He watched her carefully, as if trying to see beyond her words.

"Then, why do you want to toss away your close friend? The last she-wolf had been hiding so well among the humans that no one could find her," Simon said.

"I never tossed her away. Lucien bought her against her will. I’ve heard all sort of rumors about Lucien. That’s why I came to Malrik for his help. I’ll help him in the war against Darkmoor Pack," Delia stated, still not revealing her true intentions.

"Lucien is powerful. I think we must consider stopping this war from happening," Simon opined.

"Don’t speak like a coward," Malrik reprimanded his younger brother. "The war is the only solution to win against Lucien. And we have such a powerful witch with us." He glanced at Delia, who smiled at him.