CHAPTER 52: UNTIL HE WAS SATISFIED

Ronan felt his heart race unexpectedly as Leia’s warm words washed over him. There was a strange flutter in his chest. A foreign feeling, which he couldn’t explain. It was difficult to say why his body reacted the way it did; he only knew that something about her presence stirred emotions he wasn’t ready to name.

Before he could second-guess himself, his body moved on instinct. Leaning in, he pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek.

Leia froze, her blinking ceasing altogether. Slowly, she tilted her head to look at him with her widened eyes. One hand rose to touch the spot where his lips had been, while the other curled into a soft, nervous fist at her side.

"Th-That’s... I should go," Ronan stammered, then turned and swiftly disappeared down the hallway, leaving Leia behind in stunned silence.

Once inside the quiet of his hotel suite, he dropped onto a chair with a heavy thud, his breath uneven. Pressing a trembling hand to his mouth, he muttered to himself, "Why did I do that?"

His heart was still pounding, his skin tingling with a heat he couldn’t name. "Damn it... my whole body feels charged. It’s like I’m burning from the inside out."

’You’ve never heard praise from a woman before. That’s why,’ his wolf’s, Leo’s voice echoed in the back of head.

’Still... I kissed her,’ Ronan replied inwardly, guilt and confusion twisting inside him. ’Even if it was just on the cheek.’

’Exactly. Just the cheek, not the lips. Don’t overthink it,’ Leo said. ’You were overwhelmed. You’ve spent your whole life in the shadows, doing everything for the pack and never once being recognized. Your own father never looked at you like you mattered. And your brothers? He only watched from a distance, never stepping in.’

Ronan clenched his jaw, eyes darkening as the truth of those words sank deeper into his bones.

’So when someone finally saw you, not the warrior, not the alpha’s son, but you, it rattled you. And it’s okay, Ronan. You’re not weak for feeling.’

Ronan closed his eyes and exhaled shakily. For the first time in years, he didn’t feel angry. Just... lost and confused why Leia was so good and so unbiased unlike many around him.

’Leo... I never imagined having a woman as my companion,’ Ronan admitted quietly, his fingers clasped tightly together as he stared at the floor. ’But I think... I want Leia.’

There was a pause before Leo responded, ’Are you serious?’

Ronan nodded slowly, his voice low but unwavering. ’I’m dead serious.’ He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. ’I don’t know how it happened so fast, but... just in a few conversations, I feel something around her. A sense of peace. Like I can finally breathe.’

He exhaled sharply. ’I want to keep talking to her. I want to get lost in her eyes. It’s not just attraction, it’s more. Something I can’t explain.’

Leo’s voice softened in his mind. ’Then don’t run from it this time. Maybe she’s the one who sees the real you, the one even you’ve been afraid to look at.’

Leo’s words were absolutely true. Leia never judged him even after knowing the bits of truth from the people around her. She remained unbiased, devoid of prejudices. She didn’t see him as a cursed one, who could affect others’ lives, but as a normal person.

Ronan closed his eyes, letting those words settle inside him like embers warming the cold corners of his heart.

~~~~

As planned, Lucien launched a precise and ruthless assault on Malrik’s territory. His forces cut through the outer defenses with ease, giving him a direct path into the heart of the pack, right where Malrik was already attempting to flee.

The screech of tires echoed through the clearing as Lucien stepped into the path of the escaping vehicle, his icy eyes locking onto the man inside.

"Where do you think you’re going?" Lucien growled.

Panic gripped Malrik’s face as he barked at the driver, "Reverse! Now!"

But it was already too late.

In a second, Lucien shifted into his gigantic wolf form, towering, black-furred, and monstrous in presence. With a single slam of his shoulder, he overturned the vehicle, sending it crashing violently onto the divider’s side.

Malrik’s forehead slammed against the edge of the doorframe, leaving a deep, bleeding gash. Dazed and struggling, he reached for the door to crawl out, but before he could escape, a powerful hand yanked him out by the hair.

Lucien stood over him, back in his human form, fury burning in his eyes.

"You don’t get to run," he hissed.

The next second, Lucien’s fist drove hard into Malrik’s abdomen with a sickening thud.

Malrik doubled over, a sharp cry escaping his lips as he coughed up blood, clutching his stomach in agony. His knees buckled beneath him.

"Don’t..." he gasped, barely able to speak. "Please..."

But Lucien’s rage was far from spent.

"You tried to take my woman from me," he snarled, before slamming another brutal punch into the same spot. The impact forced Malrik to collapse onto his knees, whimpering in pain.

Lucien loomed over him. "Weren’t you the one boasting you’d defeat me? You had a chance to surrender when I offered it. You spat in my face."

He glanced at his bruised fist, then back at the man groveling before him.

"Lucien... I was wrong," Malrik gasped, lifting both hands in surrender and pressing his palms together in a desperate plea. "Please... forgive me. I’ll hand this entire pack over to you. I swear, I’ll leave and never show my face again."

His voice trembled, not with dignity, but with the fear of a man standing before him.

"You’ll have to pay with your life, Malrik," Lucien said coldly, his voice devoid of any mercy.

Before Malrik could utter another word, Lucien’s hand shot forward, clamping around his throat with unrelenting force. His grip tightened, and in one swift, brutal motion, he ripped Malrik’s throat open.

Blood sprayed in the air as Malrik’s eyes widened in horror, a final gurgle escaping his lips before his body went limp.

Lucien let go, letting the lifeless body collapse to the blood-soaked ground like discarded waste.

Grabbing a fistful of Malrik’s hair, Lucien dragged the lifeless body across the forest floor, blood leaving a thick trail behind him.

But he didn’t walk all the way back.

He teleported to the battlefield, where the clash of teeth, claws, and roars echoed around him as wolves fought savagely, defending the honor of their now-dead alpha, unaware of the truth.

Lucien’s arrival sent a ripple through the battlefield.

Without a word, he shoved Malrik’s corpse to the ground in front of them. The body hit the earth with a dull thud.

The fighting slowed as the wolves from enemy side looked at Malrik’s lifeless body.

"The one you fought for is dead," Lucien declared, "Your leader... was a coward. And he died as one. He was attempting to flee while asking you all to fight for him.

Lucien’s gaze swept across the battlefield.

"Now," he thundered, his voice laced raw dominance, "get down on your knees if you want me as your Alpha... or step aside and embrace death."

A heavy silence fell throughout the battlefield. Bloodied warriors exchanged uncertain glances, but none dared to challenge the force standing before them.

One by one, they lowered themselves to their knees, heads bowed in submission. Some did so with pride, others with fear, but all recognized the undeniable truth: Lucien had won and now was their alpha.

Lucien looked at his beta, ordering him to start the process of taking over. "Also, send the injured ones to the pack’s hospital," he stated and vanished into the thin air.

He arrived right at his room when he saw a familiar figure.

He switched on the lights by clapping twice, startling Leia, who jumped in fear seeing him as she pressed her back tightly against the cupboard after closing its door.

Her eyes glued to his face and a shiver ran down to her spine. There were some bruises on his face and his hands were covered in blood and the clothes were torn from a few places. Even his face had the blood stains.

Leia forgot to breathe in that moment when Lucien approached her in a blink of an eye.

"Breathe," Lucien said.

Leia inhaled deeply before exhaling her breath. "You’re covered in blood. How many did you kill?" she asked in worry and panic. "And you’re hurt too."

"Why are you here?" Lucien questioned, his dark red eyes fixing on him. Since the early morning his body had been burning. He negated the fact that it was his rut. But now, seeing Leia right in front of him, he knew he wanted this omega for him. He wanted to explore her body, press his body against hers and fuck her until he was satisfied.

"I’ll dress your wound," Leia said, holding his wrist when he growled, his teeth elongated. Leia thought it would be her end tonight and she regretted for coming to this room.