CHAPTER 51: A PROUD SON

"Where’s Lucien?" Azalea asked the moment she stepped into the hall, her eyes scanning the space with growing concern. But he was nowhere in sight.

She turned her gaze to Kieran, who remained silent. Without responding, he walked over and settled into the main chair at the dining table.

"Why aren’t you saying anything?" she asked again, her tone sharper this time, filled with unease.

"Lucien has gone to war," Leia answered calmly but firmly.

Azalea’s eyes widened. "What?" she breathed, her brow furrowing in alarm. "Why didn’t he say anything to me?"

A nearby servant quietly approached, taking the cane from her hands with a respectful bow, then stepped back, lowering his gaze.

"Grandma would’ve been worried, that’s why," Kieran said gently, trying to ease her concern. He gestured toward the maids, signaling them to begin serving dinner.

Leia quietly took her seat, picking up the spoon before murmuring, "It feels empty without Ronan."

Azalea’s eyes snapped to her. "Leia," she said coldly, "I know you were brought here by my eldest grandson, but you’d do well to remember that our family matters are not yours to comment on. These white hairs didn’t appear overnight, they carry decades of experience."

A brief silence fell across the room.

"Grandma, she didn’t mean anything by it," Kieran interjected quickly, hoping to defuse the tension. "She was justa worried about Ronan’s absence. He’s an integral part of our family."

Azalea stood up from the chair. "Send the dinner for me in the room," she said, extending her hand out for the cane. The servant was quick to give it to her.

"Grandma, don’t do that," Kieran said, but she didn’t listen to him and left. However, before walking away, she gave a sharp glare to Leia.

"I didn’t mean to upset her," Leia murmured, lowering her gaze.

"Grandma’s always been that way," Kieran whispered, trying to comfort her.

"But she left the dinner table because of me," Leia said, feigning remorse. "I shouldn’t have brought it up."

Internally, however, she was smiling.

Azalea’s distaste for her could help her in achieving her goal, and Leia had begun to realize that pushing against the matriarch’s expectations might actually work in her favor.

She lifted the spoon and took a sip of the warm soup.

’Zei, I’ve found the key to leave this pack. Their grandmother wants someone soft-spoken, obedient... I’ll do the opposite.’

’But Leia, can we really escape this pack?’ came Zei’s cautious voice in her mind. ’Don’t forget, others know who we really are too.’

’You’re right,’ Leia said, feeling low suddenly.

’There’s no way we can keep living like we used to,’ Zei’s voice echoed within Leia’s mind. ’Besides, don’t you want to find out the truth about your father? Delia resented him deeply, there must be more to the story. It’s time we uncover it.’

’Mom never wanted me to ask questions,’ Leia responded silently. ’All she ever said was that he passed away from an illness. And I believed her. But now... I wonder if he truly abandoned us, or if there’s something else she never told me.’

"Leia!"

Kieran’s voice jolted her back to the present, his hand patting her shoulder with concern. "Where are you lost?"

"Huh?" Leia blinked, startled, her gaze snapping toward him. "Sorry... I was just... lost in thought."

"Worried about Ronan?" Kieran asked, watching her carefully. "You shouldn’t be. Honestly, it’s better he’s away from here for a while."

Leia tilted her head slightly, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "What exactly happened with him?"

Kieran gave a faint smile but shook his head. "It’s a long story... and not really mine to tell. Let’s just finish dinner."

Leia nodded softly and didn’t press further. She hummed in agreement and turned her focus back to the meal.

Once they finished, they exchanged a polite "good night" and went their separate ways.

In her room, Leia lay back on the bed, one hand resting lightly over her belly as she stared at the ceiling.

A soft buzz broke the silence. Her phone lit up somewhere under her pillow.

Reaching out, she slid her hand beneath it and pulled the device out, eyes narrowing slightly at the screen. It was Ronan calling her.

Leia quickly answered the call and brought the phone to her ear.

"Hey," she greeted softly. "Are you alright?"

"Mhm," Ronan replied, his voice low. "I saw your missed calls, sorry. My phone was on silent."

"It’s okay," Leia said gently. "I was just... wondering why you weren’t around. I heard a few things here and thought I should check on you."

There was a brief pause before she added, "Did you have dinner?"

"Yeah," Ronan replied. "Did you miss me?"

"Yes. We ate dinner without you," Leia replied. "I wanted to come see you, but Lucien refused. He always restricts me from everything," she muttered, her irritation growing just thinking about him.

Ronan smiled hearing she missed him. But the question was why?

"Lucien teleported here once. Can you do that too?" Leia questioned.

"Yes," Ronan answered.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"If you feel lonely, you can come to me any time," Leia offered.

Ronan’s gaze softened to hear her. No one ever said that to him, especially, not any woman.

Ronan hung up the call, confusing Leia. As she was about to call him, he was right in front of her.

Leia sat up in shock and lowered the phone from her ear. "You’re really here!" she smiled and patted the spot next to her. "Come, sit here."

Ronan sat down beside her while Leia turned to him.

"So, where were he?" He mumbled before recalling. "So, Lucien’s headed to war," Ronan said gently. "He’s only trying to keep you safe. That’s why he stopped you from going anywhere."

Leia gave a soft, bitter chuckle. "You two always defend him. Neither of you ever questions his choices. It’s like my freedom depends on his mood; where I go, when I go, and who I go with. It’s suffocating."

"He does give you freedom, Leia," Ronan said after a pause. "Many of the alphas only care about a she-wolf for one reason: to breed pups. At least Lucien doesn’t force you into that. You misunderstand him more than you know."

Leia fell silent, the weight of his words settling over her.

"Even I tried doing that," Ronan murmured, almost to himself.

Leia tilted her head, sensing something deeper behind his words. "Why did none of you, Lucien, Kieran, or you, ever find your mates?"

Ronan gave a faint smile. "The same question applies to you. You haven’t found yours since turning eighteen either, have you?"

"True," Leia admitted. "But I wasn’t among the wolves for a long time. That might be why."

"I don’t know what our excuse is," Ronan muttered. "Sometimes I wonder if I’m just cursed in everything."

Leia’s gaze sharpened slightly. She recalled how Azalea once called him cursed. "What do you mean?"

Ronan was quiet for a second before asking, "Did Kieran not tell you?" He supposed Kieran might’ve told Leia.

She shook her head. "He said it wasn’t his place, so I didn’t push him."

A dry laugh escaped Ronan. "My birth brought a wave of misfortune to the pack. It started with our mother, she almost died delivering me. After that, a string of terrible events followed. Everyone say it all began because of me because I’m cursed."

His voice softened, layered with a bitterness he hadn’t meant to let slip. "I don’t even know why I’m telling you this."

He never interacted with women apart from his mother, who was no longer in this world. Being with Leia, he would feel an unexplainable comfort.

"I’m a good listener. You should tell me," Leia whispered, placing her hand on his.

Ronan peered into her eyes and gulped. His fingers curled and he pulled back his hand. "You can’t touch me like that," he said.

"What?" Leia chuckled as a laughter escaped her mouth. "I only wanted to comfort you. Tell me more."

Ronan continued further, "No one ever liked me in this pack. Lucien does things to protect me, stand for me, but it annoys me sometimes. As for Kieran, I don’t have much closeness with him. He has been an apple of everyone’s eyes. I always wondered why Dad never looked at me with the same gaze as he looked at Kieran and Lucien."

"What about your mother?" Leia asked.

"She did love me, but I stayed away from her. She lost her abilities as one of the most powerful Lunas. I regretted a lot whenever I saw my mother. But Leia, Mom loved me a lot. She really did," Ronan stated.

"Mothers always love their kids. It’s truly admiring that you never let your mother’s head down. You became a proud son for her," Leia asserted, squeezing his hand warmly. "You led most of the battles to save this pack. Even if some people speak against you, deep down they also know without you, this pack could’ve been crumpled. So, be proud of yourself, Ronan."