CHAPTER 174: BEGGED ME TO STAY AWAY

"I forgive you," Lucien said softly.

At that very moment, lightning cracked outside, its blinding flash spilling into the room, followed by the sudden roar of rain. The storm brought a strange calmness in the weather.

"Lucien, why are you not doing anything?" Leia’s voice trembled with concern as her hands cupped his face, her thumbs brushing gently over his cheekbones.

He leaned into her touch but his eyes were troubled. "There’s something I need to tell you," he confessed. The thoughts that had plagued him since yesterday pressed heavily on his chest.

Leia studied his expression carefully, unease rising in her heart. "What is it? Why do you look like this? You’re scaring me."

Lucien exhaled slowly. "Did you notice Ronan and Kieran? They aren’t here, are they?"

"No," Leia shook her head, her brows furrowed. "Only Grandma is home, and she’s resting. I was with her earlier. Why? What’s wrong?"

Lucien’s hand lifted, his fingertips brushing over the mark on her neck. His eyes darkened with the weight of his words. "Because this is about you. They need to be here when I say this."

In his mind, Lucien was thinking about Leia’s origins and his decision to punish Delia to death. He wanted to share the truth with her in presence of his both brothers.

Her breath caught, but she didn’t interrupt.

"I’ve marked you," Lucien continued, his voice low and steady. "And because I’ve marked you, Ronan and Kieran must, too. You’re not just mine, you’re ours. Soon, we’ll stand together before everyone and make it official. You’ll be our wife, our mate, and the Luna of this pack."

He searched her eyes, his thumb resting where her pulse fluttered. "I know you want time to grow into that responsibility, to feel ready for the weight of it. So the wedding date... that will be yours to choose. Until then, we’ll wait."

Leia’s lips curved into a small smile as warmth spread through her chest. He truly cared for her feelings in a way she hadn’t expected. "Your grandmother wants me to marry you three as early as I can," she whispered.

Lucien nodded slowly, his eyes holding hers. "I know. But I don’t want you to rush your decision. This isn’t about tradition or pressure. It’s about you." He paused, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Leia, you need to start taking responsibility for your own life now. I’ve bound you to this place, to us, and I know what that means. So yes, I’ll give you freedom, but you must promise me you’ll stay alert, always."

Her smile faltered slightly, but she listened, her heart thudding at the seriousness in his tone.

"You told me you wanted to grow into someone this pack could look up to," Lucien continued. "And I believe you will. But you need to understand your world among humans was sheltered. You’ve never faced the kind of people who wear smiles but sharpen knives behind your back. Selfish, backstabbing, manipulative, this world is filled with them, and as Luna, they’ll all be watching you. You not only have to protect yourself but them too."

His thumb lingered on the mark at her neck, a reminder of his claim and his promise. "You’ll stumble, you’ll make mistakes, but that’s part of becoming stronger. What matters is that you learn, and that you never let anyone break the fire inside you. Remember you’re the fire."

Leia wrapped her arms tightly around him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Thank you... for understanding me," she murmured, her voice carrying a mix of relief and gratitude.

When she finally pulled away, there was a flicker of hesitation in her eyes. She reached for her purse and retrieved her phone.

Lucien’s brows furrowed as he watched her unlock it. "Are you calling my brothers?" he asked, his tone cautious.

"No," Leia replied quickly, shaking her head. "I have something to show you." Her fingers moved with care, almost nervously, as she scrolled through her messages. "Last night, I talked to one of my friends from my hometown. His name is Adonis. He was also a good friend of Delia’s."

Lucien stiffened slightly at the mention of Delia, but he said nothing, waiting for her to continue.

Leia turned the screen toward him. "He sent me this."

On the phone was the picture of an envelope, and he narrowed his eyes at the image.

"What’s this?" he asked, confusion shadowing his face. "Why would Adonis send you a picture of an envelope?"

Leia bit her lower lip, her gaze flicking to his before returning to the screen.

"He visited my house, saying he wanted to meet me," Leia began. "Actually, he tried to reach me earlier, but my old number didn’t exist anymore. So, he went looking... and eventually found me through social media. He said the envelope seemed important, so he picked it up for me." She paused, fiddling with her fingers. "He also asked where Delia and I disappeared to. I didn’t tell him anything, just said I’d gone far away."

Lucien’s expression hardened. "I’ll send someone trustworthy to collect the envelope for you," he stated firmly.

Leia hesitated, her lips parting as though she was weighing her words carefully. "Can’t I invite him here? I mean... he’s a traveler. I think he would really like this place. I know you don’t trust humans, but they aren’t all bad." Her hazel eyes flickered with conflict.

"Still, I know Grandma is sick, so maybe it’s not the right time. It would be inappropriate to bring him here." She lowered her gaze. "But Adonis was a really good friend of mine. And lying to him... it’s hard for me, Lucien. I don’t want to ignore him either."

Lucien’s gaze softened slightly, though suspicion still lingered. "Did you ask what’s inside the envelope, and who sent it?"

Leia nodded. "Yes. He said it was blank at first. But when I asked him to open it, he found something. A bundle of old negatives of some photographs. He didn’t understand them."

"What do you think about it?" Lucien asked, his gaze fixed on her face.

Leia’s fingers brushed over the edge of her phone as though it held answers she couldn’t yet see. "I think... they might be related to my mother and father. I don’t know, but ever since I had that nightmare, I can’t shake the feeling that something terrible happened in the past, something my mother never told me." Her voice wavered with both fear and determination.

Lucien leaned closer, studying her as if debating how much truth to unveil. Finally, he exhaled. "Leia, I’ve uncovered something about your parents... especially your father."

Her breath hitched. "What about him?" she whispered.

Lucien’s jaw flexed before he spoke. "Yesterday, after our argument, I went to meet the Alpha King. The visit was meant for something else, but I couldn’t leave without asking him about your father. The King told me your father was one of the most powerful alphas of his era, feared and respected in equal measure. His territory was vast and remote, far from here, and unlike most alphas, he refused to bend to the King’s jurisdiction. He ruled his pack, his clan, entirely on his own terms."

Lucien’s crimson eyes glimmered in the dim light. "Your father wasn’t just another alpha, Leia. He was... different."

"So, what Delia said about him... was true? My father really killed her mother?" Leia’s voice trembled as she spoke, a strange hollowness spreading in her chest. "I don’t like any of this. The bloodshed... it shouldn’t have happened at all."

Lucien reached for her hand, his tone firm yet gentle. "Leia, we don’t know that yet. Delia herself doesn’t know the full truth, she only carries pieces of it. Half-truths can be more dangerous than lies."

Leia’s gaze dropped to the mark on her neck, her fingers brushing it absently. "But why? Why did my mother hide so much about him from me? Did she... never love him? I still remember every time I asked her about my father, her eyes would fill with tears. She never gave me an answer, only begged me to stay away from werewolves and live as though I were just human. Eventually, I stopped asking. I thought my questions hurt her too much. But now..." her voice cracked, "...now I feel like I was kept from something I deserved to know."

Lucien’s expression darkened, the storm outside echoing the weight of her words. He didn’t speak right away, because for once even he wasn’t certain what would bring her comfort: truth, or silence.

"Did the Alpha King tell you something more?" Leia asked with hopeful gaze.

"He only told me that your father’s clan was wiped out in a single night. Some say your father was... He was poisoned while the others say there was a deadly fire which took the lives of everyone there, including your father," Lucien revealed.

Leia didn’t blink after hearing that. She immediately related it to the nightmare she had.

"That means... What I saw wasn’t a nightmare, but a memory," Leia said, tears brimming in her eyes.