CHAPTER 98: KIERAN’S PUNISHMENT

Kieran turned his head as a light knock echoed on the door. The house butler stood outside.

"Sir, the Alpha has requested your presence downstairs."

Kieran’s gaze shifted to Leia, who was still fast asleep on the bed. He gently pulled the blanket up to her shoulders before quietly leaving the room.

As he descended the stairs and stepped into the living room, he was met with a tense atmosphere. Lucien stood in the center, visibly furious as he reprimanded members of the security team. The guards stood stiffly, heads bowed, as Lucien’s scolding rang through the space.

"They slipped past you claiming to be harmless omegas, and none of you verified their backgrounds?" Lucien’s voice thundered. "What are you even guarding if not the pack’s safety?"

Ronan stood nearby, arms crossed with a grim expression on his face. When he noticed Kieran approaching, he gave a subtle nod in his direction.

Kieran stepped forward and addressed Lucien. "You called for me. What’s going on?"

Lucien turned to him with blazing eyes. "You tell me, Kieran," he snapped. "Why did you approve their entry into our territory? Do you even understand what you’ve done?"

Kieran held his ground, meeting Lucien’s furious gaze. "Before you start blaming me, maybe you should give me the full context."

It was Ronan who answered, his voice appearing far calmer. "The intruder who attacked Leia, his name is Gale. He’s from the Mist Blood Pack. He and two others posed as omegas to enter our pack. Once inside, Gale managed to join the security team."

"He’s also the one who stole the secret battle technique I spent months developing," Ronan added with bitterness.

Kieran’s eyes narrowed slightly as the implications sank in.

Lucien, who had been silently observing until now, spoke up sharply. "Why didn’t you run a thorough background check before letting them in? And on what authority did you approve their stay here?" He took a step closer to his brother. "Did I ever give you permission to make such decisions without consulting me?"

"I thought they needed help. Forgive me," Kieran said, lowering his eyes.

"Your forgiveness won’t change the fact that Gale gave the technique to the rival pack and even badly harmed Leia," Ronan stated.

"I know. I’ll willingly accept my punishment," Kieran said, keeping his head low. He was already guilty for not able to help Leia when she called him, and the truth about the attacker left him more devastated.

"You all can leave," Lucien told the guards, who bowed their heads and walked away.

Caleb wondered if their alpha would truly punish his youngest brother. He doubted that.

"How are you going to turn everything right?" Lucien asked, moving back toward the couch.

"The technique has been stolen already. So, nothing can be done. Leia has been injured badly," Ronan stated.

"Why did you share the technique with everyone then? Shouldn’t you’ve shared it in the time of need only?" Kieran inquired. "You didn’t either pick up Leia’s phone. I know you did it intentionally. You were avoiding her."

"Ronan is the one, who caught Gale," Lucien revealed. "What have you done? Understand the depth of that first," he said.

"I’m guilty, okay? I’m not like you two. When someone comes with genuine problems to me, I just help them. I had no idea they would be enemies. What can I even do when I’ve already messed up? You both are my elders, so you two should decide," Kieran said, feeling a bit frustrated.

"Don’t punish him," Ronan said and walked away. His words were brief but they carried a genuine concern toward Kieran. He knew that Kieran usually would get sensitive in such cases.

Lucien brought his hand to his forehead, pressing his fingers on the temple of his forehead.

"You’ll do patroling on the border for two days with Ronan," Lucien said.

"Just that?" Kieran arched his eyebrow.

"It’s not easy to patrol at night," Lucien said. "I know you were busy in the work, so I’ve not punished you for neglecting her call since it wasn’t intentional. The punishment is to become soft-hearted," he clarified.

"I understand," Kieran said. "What did you do to Gale?"

"I killed him and sent his body to the Alpha of Mist Blood Pack," he replied.

Kieran was not surprised by that answer. He knew how Lucien was.

"Did Leia wake up?"

"Not yet. She’s in a deep sleep," Kieran said.

"Hmm. You can rest in your room. You’ve been with her for hours," Lucien stated.

"I want to stay close to her," Kieran replied.

Lucien didn’t say anything while he understood he could go upstairs. He glanced at Caleb and walked upstairs to Leia’s room.

"Shouldn’t Alpha also go to see Leia?" asked Lucien.

"I will go later when she will wake up," Lucien replied. "Right now, I’ve something to discuss with you," he asserted. Leaning forward he grabbed the premium cigarette box and took one out. Lighting it, he stood up and went to his study while Caleb followed him closely.

Walking inside, Caleb shut the door behind him.

"What is it?" he asked, sensing the seriousness in Lucien’s demeanor.

"His Majesty has given me a task," Lucien began. "He wants me to investigate a potential Enigma. He forwarded several reports where this entity was supposedly sighted. But the problem is, he’s hidden himself exceptionally well. Tracking him won’t be easy."

Caleb’s eyes widened. "An Enigma? They actually exist?"

Lucien gave a firm nod. "Apparently, they do. And according to the reports, there’s one out there, and he’s already surfaced."

"So," Caleb asked, intrigued, "how do we begin the search?"

Lucien turned toward the table stacked with documents. "We start by going through these reports, carefully. Every detail might count."

Then he looked Caleb straight in the eye. "And one more thing, we don’t share this with anyone. No one. This mission stays between the two of us."

"I get it, Alpha," Caleb replied, then glanced at the cigarette between Lucien’s fingers. "I thought you were trying to quit smoking."

Lucien exhaled a stream of smoke slowly. "It’s harder than I thought."

Caleb stepped closer, studying his expression. "What’s on your mind?"

Lucien’s eyes darkened slightly as he furrowed his brows. "I was on the verge of losing Leia today," he said. "The fear I felt... I haven’t experienced something like that since the day my parents risked everything to rescue me."

Caleb blinked, surprised by the rare vulnerability in his voice. "You love Leia that much?"

Lucien nodded faintly. "Yeah... I do. Somehow, I ended up falling for her. I never told her, but that’s what I feel. And now, the thought of losing her, it’s been eating away at me. Did you see the condition of the car? What if I’ve not reached their on time? What if he had done something to Leia? These questions are constantly revolving in my mind."

He dropped his hand to his side and slowly walked toward the window, staring out as the weight of his words settled in the room.

"But you saved her. I knew you’d save her eventually. That’s how you are. And I’m sure after what happened today," Caleb said gently, "Leia will finally start to see the kind side of you. You’ve been telling me how it hurt, how she sometimes ignores you... how much it bothered you that she hated you."

Lucien didn’t reply. For a man used to hiding behind walls of authority and control, the cracks were finally starting to show. From the beginning, he thought there wouldn’t be any feelings attached between them, but he failed to realize how important Leia had become for him.

"You’re right," he murmured after a pause. "She hugged me today." A faint, almost disbelieving smile curved his lips. He took another slow puff of smoke, then lowered the cigarette to his side.

"You should go now," he added, his voice softer. "I’ve kept you busy ever since we returned from the palace."

"I’m not tired, though," Caleb replied, still lingering near.

Lucien gave a small, knowing chuckle. "But I know my beta needs rest, even when he insists otherwise. So, go home and rest."

With that, he turned his back fully to Caleb, his gaze lifting to the darkening sky beyond the window. The last streaks of daylight were fading, replaced by the heavy stillness of dusk.

Caleb understood that Lucien needed some time to himself. Without another word, he bowed respectfully and quietly stepped out of the study, leaving the door half-closed behind him.

After a while, Lucien moved away from the window and slowly made his way to the desk. He reached for the cigarette and pressed the last smoldering bit into the ashtray, extinguishing it with a slow grind.

As his gaze drifted over the scattered reports, it eventually landed on a framed photograph resting near the corner of the desk, a picture of his parents. His expression hardened, and a deep frown crept onto his forehead.