CHAPTER 104: A JEALOUS MAN

Lucien didn’t find Leia at the dinner table that night. Instead of going to her room to call her down, he simply instructed one of the maids to deliver her dinner.

"One small comment and she’s upset," he muttered with a frustrated chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck as he turned away.

The next morning, after returning from his early run, Lucien overheard the servants talking in hushed, amused voices.

"Miss Leia is in the kitchen today. She insisted on cooking breakfast herself," one of them said.

Lucien made no remark. He walked past them silently and headed straight to his room. After a long shower, he changed into his custom-tailored suit and descended the staircase, only to find an unexpected yet familiar scene in the living room.

His brothers had returned.

But it wasn’t just their sudden presence that caught his attention. It was Leia, standing among them, wearing an apron and laughing softly.

"You two look like you’ve just come back from a battlefield," Leia remarked, a teasing smile on her lips as she looked at Kieran and Ronan.

"What?" Kieran laughed, confused. "Why would you say that?"

"Because you look completely exhausted," she replied lightly.

Ronan’s gaze drifted downward. "Why are you wearing that apron? You should be resting," he said, his eyes settling briefly on her leg.

"It’s healing well now, don’t worry," Leia replied, brushing it off. "Honestly, I was bored staying in my room. I thought I’d cook something special since you both were returning. You should freshen up before breakfast."

"We will. But only after greeting Lucien," Ronan said, glancing over her shoulder.

"Well, he’s already here," Kieran pointed out, nodding toward the stairs.

Leia turned to see Lucien standing silently behind her.

"How was the punishment?" Lucien asked his brothers.

"I learned my lesson," Kieran answered quickly, offering a small smile.

"Glad to hear that," Lucien replied, then nodded toward Leia. "She’s been in the kitchen since morning and prepared a lot for you two. Go ahead and have baths."

Both Kieran and Ronan nodded before heading to their respective rooms.

Leia turned around sharply and crossed her arms. "So, you finally decided to talk to me."

Lucien took a step toward her, his eyes narrowing. "And who was the one upset with me? Who skipped dinner and didn’t say a word?"

She instinctively stepped back, the tension between them rising. "Who yelled at me first? Who told me not to lecture him and to leave?"

She jabbed her finger against his chest, voice trembling with both anger and hurt. "You pushed me away last night. You didn’t even come to check if I was okay. And you have the nerve to say you’ll take care of me?"

Lucien’s jaw clenched as he spoke, "You never talk to me when you’re upset, Leia. You shut down. You could’ve come to me too, you know. Pampered me... like you do with my brothers."

"I never pampered your brothers," Leia said firmly, withdrawing her finger, only for Lucien to catch it and gently pull her closer.

"You pamper everyone," he murmured, his voice low, gaze flicking to her lips. "With your eyes, your smile, your words. I’ve seen it too many times."

Leia raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in her eyes. "Are you jealous that I give attention to others?"

"I’m not jealous," he replied quickly.

"You sound like a jealous man," she teased.

Lucien said nothing.

Leia placed a hand on his chest and gave him a gentle push. "I should get back to the kitchen. Let’s meet at the breakfast table."

And with that, she turned and walked away, leaving Lucien standing there.

~~~~

Kieran pulled out a chair and sat down, his eyes widening as he scanned the table.

"Wow! You’ve really gone all out, so many dishes," he said, a delighted glint in his eyes.

Leia smiled, smoothing the napkin over her lap as she took her seat.

"Yeah. I wanted us all to eat together this morning," Leia said with a gentle smile. "And with this breakfast, I want to remind everyone, don’t carry any guilt or sadness over what happened to me. It’s in the past now. What matters is that we look ahead... toward a better future, together."

The three brothers exchanged brief glances, silently acknowledging Leia’s words.

As they began eating, Kieran spoke up with a thoughtful expression. "It feels like home whenever you cook for us."

The others looked in his direction.

"When we visited your hometown... I remember how good it felt," he continued. "Doing chores together, eating what you prepared, it made everything feel warmer, more real. It was a special kind of comfort."

"I agree," Ronan said softly, nodding.

Lucien glanced at Leia before muttering under his breath, "We can’t expect her to cook for us every day."

"Exactly," Kieran replied with a smile. "We can take turns. Help her out, make it a shared thing."

Leia looked around the table as she saw how sincere Kieran was in this.

"We shall resume eating," Lucien said, bringing the conversation to a close.

Leia picked up her fork and ate slowly, lost in thought.

’Kieran is truly husband material,’ she mused. ’He understands a woman’s heart so well. If I had to describe my ideal man... it would be someone exactly like him. He has every quality I ever dreamed of in a partner.’

’But let’s not forget,’ her wolf, Zei, chimed in gently, ’we love being with Ronan and Lucien too.’

Leia sighed inwardly. ’Yeah... that’s true. They’re both strong-willed and stubborn,’ she admitted. ’But somehow, I find myself drawn to that too.’

Lucien noticed she was lost in her thoughts, but didn’t speak about it.

"I am going to meet Fabian today," Lucien said.

"The Alpha of Mist Blood Pack?" Asked Ronan.

"Yes. The meeting has been set. Since I’ll be away I want you both to protect Leia. I don’t want any kind of mistake happening anymore," Lucien clarified to his brothers.

Leia gazed at him, and sensed the possessiveness his eyes carried. ’I am attracted more to Lucien, despite I don’t like a few things about him.’