CHAPTER 157: PLANT DOUBT IN HER HEART

The next morning, Ronan returned home and found Lucien waiting for him.

"Why didn’t you come back last night?" Lucien asked, his voice laced with exhaustion. The dark circles beneath his eyes betrayed the fact that he hadn’t slept at all, waiting in vain for Ronan’s return.

Ronan exhaled and stepped closer. "Eshira broke down last night... and she confessed everything to me. I couldn’t come home as I needed to verify the information she gave."

From his coat pocket, Ronan pulled out his phone and unlocked the screen. He scrolled quickly before turning the device toward Lucien. "They’re all based in North Calimore," he revealed. "And bringing them down won’t be simple. They’ve splintered into several factions, each operating under a different banner."

Lucien’s jaw tightened. "And what did you find?"

Ronan’s expression hardened. "Do you remember the wolf attack on that woman back in Leia’s hometown? The one that nearly exposed us?"

Lucien nodded grimly.

"It wasn’t a coincidence," Ronan said. "That attack was orchestrated by a clan of hunters known as The Howl Breakers. They staged it deliberately, just to instill terror in humans... and to turn that fear against us."

"Hunters should know by now that we werewolves can’t be wiped out so easily," Lucien said, finally rising from the couch. "What’s your next move, Ronan? And did Eshira ever explain why she targeted Leia? Is it really because she’s the last she-wolf?"

Ronan shook his head. "That’s not the truth. Eshira admitted it last night. Someone in the clan ordered her to kill Leia. At first, she tried to shoulder the entire blame, claiming it would be an honor to kill the last she-wolf. But that was just a cover. The truth is, she was following an order."

Lucien’s fists clenched at his sides. "So it’s someone from them. The Howl Breakers."

"Exactly," Ronan replied darkly. "I’m certain they’ve realized that the one they sent to hunt down Leia is now our prisoner. It won’t be long before they retaliate." His expression hardened as he continued. "And about the constant security breaches, we finally know why. Some of our own pack wolves have been selling us out for money. I’ve been cross-checking every recent attack, and the pattern was too clear to ignore. Greed has rotted a few of our own."

"How can I forget? Money can buy loyalty faster than fear ever could," Lucien muttered, his brows knitting together in frustration. He exhaled slowly, then glanced at Ronan. "You did well. You should rest for a while."

"I’ll leave for North Calimore this afternoon," Ronan said firmly. "And I won’t be going alone, so you don’t need to worry."

Lucien’s eyes softened. "I’m sorry," he said at last, his voice low. "I know I’ve hurt you."

Ronan shook his head. "You haven’t. If anything, it was my fault." He hesitated, shame flickering across his face. "I’m truly ashamed of my actions, Lucien. I watched Leia get hurt right in front of me. If I’d been a second later, we could have..." His words faltered, the memory of yesterday’s incident making him scared.

Lucien fell silent, his fists curling at his sides as the image of Leia’s pain replayed in his mind.

"How is she now?" Ronan asked. "I’m sure she must be asking for me."

"She was stable last night," Lucien answered. "The pain lingered, but the medicine helped her sleep. Yeah, she kept asking Kieran to bring you home. And then, of course, she cursed me afterward," Lucien muttered.

Ronan couldn’t help but smile. "You and your never-ending bickering with Leia," he remarked.

"She started it. I only asked her to take my mark," Lucien grumbled, a frown tugging at his face. "Sometimes I wonder why she hates me."

"She doesn’t hate you," Ronan countered gently. "She’s just afraid. Put yourself in her place for a moment. Her mother never once told her the truth about her father, only that he was dead. Delia claimed he abandoned them. Leia’s grown up with half-truths and pain. There was no man in her life to guide her, and suddenly the three of us appear, demanding a bond. It’s... overwhelming for her."

Lucien studied his brother, surprised at how deeply Ronan seemed to understand Leia’s heart. It dawned on him then why Leia always spoke kindly of Ronan and never quarreled with him, the same reason she found comfort in Kieran. They understood her fears, while he only demanded.

"You should rest," Ronan said. "I’m going to sleep too. My whole body is aching," he mumbled and walked away.

Lucien walked upstairs and pushed open the doors to Leia’s room. She was fast asleep. A small smile tugged at his lips as he slipped onto the bed beside her. He hadn’t meant to rest, but exhaustion claimed him before he realized it.

When the sun rose high and the light filtered brightly through the curtains. Blinking groggily, he rubbed his eyes and frowned, this wasn’t his room. It was Leia’s.

But where was she?

Panic jolted him upright just as the door creaked open.

"Oh, you’re awake!" Leia stepped in with a faint smile, Kieran following close behind.

"You didn’t sleep the entire night, did you? Why?" Leia crossed her arms and sank onto the recliner.

Lucien’s scattered thoughts scrambled for footing. "How’s your wound? Did Jennifer come by?" he asked instead, avoiding her question.

"Jennifer already came earlier," Kieran replied, his calm gaze settling on Lucien. "Leia’s healing faster than expected. Though... she still can’t move her upper body much," he explained.

Lucien nodded, but the tension in his chest didn’t ease. "I’ll see you both later," he muttered abruptly before sprinting out the door and into his own room.

As Lucien finished freshening up, he walked over to the cupboard to pull out some clothes. Just as he reached for a shirt, movement at the door caught his eye. Leia stood there quietly, watching him.

"Take your time to get ready," she said softly.

"Leia," Lucien called, tilting his head. "Come inside."

She stepped in hesitantly, her gaze lingering on him as he slipped into the shirt and began buttoning it up.

"I heard from Jennifer that you two are old friends," Leia remarked, breaking the silence.

Lucien’s hands paused for a brief moment before resuming. "And what more did she tell you?" he asked, cuffing his sleeves.

Leia shifted her weight, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Umm... a lot of things. Including your bad habits... like smoking."

Lucien let out a quiet scoff, then turned to her fully. Damp strands of hair fell across his forehead, the faint sheen of water making him look more effortlessly striking, less like the intimidating wolf she often saw, and more like a hot man standing before her.

"You used to tell me you were never close with any woman. But Jennifer... she seems to know you more than anyone," Leia said, fidgeting with her fingers.

Lucien didn’t flinch. "Because we studied together. We went to the same college," he replied, pulling out a pair of trousers. As he slipped them on, Leia quickly averted her eyes, though the blush coloring her cheeks betrayed her.

"I don’t know many things about you," she admitted after a pause. "Sometimes I feel like... I still have so much to learn."

Lucien’s gaze flicked toward her, sharp yet unreadable. "Are you jealous of her?"

"No," Leia refused immediately, lifting her chin to meet his eyes. "What I meant is... I should know your past too. Everyone speaks about you, but it’s not the same as hearing from you. Ronan, he’s a closed book, but whenever I learn something about him that only I know, it feels... special. And Kieran, he’s open, like a friend who tells me everything. You... you share things, but not all."

Her voice wavered, but she pushed on, her fingers curling at her sides. "A Luna can’t be weak. She can’t be someone who gets attacked again and again. And yet, that’s me. I keep wondering if I’ll ever be enough for the three of you."

Lucien’s expression tightened, his fists curling for a moment before he forced them to relax. ’What did she tell her... and why? Was she trying to plant doubt in her heart?’

"I... I didn’t know you went through so much," Leia whispered, her eyes never leaving his. "Jennifer said you weren’t yourself back in the college days... that after losing your parents, the weight of the entire pack fell on your shoulders." Her voice trembled, but she steadied it with resolve. "And me, I keep making blunders. Tell me honestly, Lucien... do you really think I’m a suitable Luna for this pack? A suitable mate for the three of you?"

"What did Jennifer tell you?" Lucien asked her.

"Just this and that," Leia didn’t give the answer he wanted to hear.

"When I was young, my mother told me this: A house isn’t built alone by a man, a woman has more more greater role in that. If a woman is absent that house lacks a lot of things. The things which a man can’t understand, a woman can. This pack is a house and the kindness in you is what my pack needs. I may protect it well with my brothers, but you, as my Luna, will cherish it. I know this well. I’ve always seen you as my Luna, my mate and so did my brothers."

Leia’s heart fluttered rapidly to hear those words.

"I haven’t told you many things because they are nothing but my bad memories. I don’t want you to be burdened with them, Leia. But whatever you know about me so far is only known to you," Lucien stated.