CHAPTER 67: THIS BIG BAD WOLF

Leia stepped out of the washroom, gently twisting her damp hair into a bun. She walked over to the table where she had left her phone earlier and noticed several missed calls from Kieran, along with a short message.

[I talked with Lucien. Good night.]

Her thumb hovered over the screen as she scrolled, hoping to find a message from Ronan, but there was nothing.

"What are you looking at?" Lucien’s voice broke the silence. He was resting with his head tilted against the headboard while his eyes were quietly observing her.

Leia glanced at him before turning back to the phone. "I was checking if Ronan is alright," she said. "I heard he was suddenly summoned by your grandmother. It seemed so out of the blue."

Leia dialed Ronan’s number, hoping he would answer. She waited, but the call didn’t connect. Frowning, she pulled the phone away from her ear.

"His phone is unreachable," she murmured, her gaze shifting to Lucien with a trace of worry.

"Don’t worry," Lucien reassured her. "He’s gone back to the hotel. He probably turned off his phone to rest."

Sliding off the bed, Lucien walked over to her. His eyes softened as he noticed her damp hair.

"Your hair’s still wet. Let me dry it for you," he said gently, reaching out to take her hand.

"You don’t have to," Leia replied, trying to pull back.

"Why not?" he countered, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "You should consider it as a privilege that the pack’s alpha wants to do it for you."

Before she could argue further, he guided her to the soft vanity chair and made her sit down with surprising care.

Lucien turned on the dryer and carefully undid her bun, letting her damp hair fall freely over her shoulders and back. His fingers moved through the strands gently, ruffling them slightly as warm air swept over her scalp.

"It seems like your rut has faded again," Leia muttered.

"It hasn’t," Lucien replied smoothly. "But since my little wolf refuses to lend me a hand, I’ve no choice but to keep myself in check."

Her cheeks flushed at his boldness, the heat rising faster than the air from the dryer. Lately, he had been dropping such provocative comments just to see what kind of reactions she would give.

"But you said my pheromones are enough to calm you down. And they even did," Leia said, meeting his gaze through the mirror’s reflection.

"Hmm. That’s true," Lucien replied. "But it would’ve been nice if you helped me in more ways."

"As in touch you?" Leia questioned intentionally. "Beg for it and I’ll do."

Lucien’s eyes darkened slightly. "What did you say?" His fingers stopped in her locks.

"Beg me," Leia said. ’He will never. His ego comes first,’ she thought.

’And what if he does?’ Zei spoke in the back of her mind.

’He won’t. Lucien isn’t the type who would beg anyone,’ Leia told her wolf.

Lucien switched off the dryer and placed it back in its spot.

She stood up and brushed past him when he caught her hand.

"You test me well," Lucien said in a deep voice. His hand found her neck, though his fingers didn’t tighten. "If I beg you, you’re letting me take you tonight. Do you accept it?"

Leia curled her fingers, his hot breath fanning against her lips.

Then leaning in even closer, their lips barely apart, he added, "And I won’t stop until I’m satisfied. That’s my condition, little wolf. Accept it, and I’ll beg you."

Leia chuckled, realizing he was challenging her.

"I don’t want your begging. Besides that you’re in need. Not me." Then yawning, she added, "I’m sleepy. Let’s go to bed."

She tried to move, but Lucien’s grip tightened around her throat. "That’s not a nice way to avoid me," he stated.

"What? You wanted answer and I gave you," Leia muttered while rolling her eyes. She suddenly kissed him on the edge of his lips, causing his fingers to loosen around his neck.

’I can’t test this big bad wolf. He is adamant of having me,’ Leia thought.

"Let’s sleep," Leia said, grasping his hand and taking him to the bed. Lucien followed her like a puppy and smiled.

~~~~~

"Elsa, what have you done!? Why are you in prison?" Benjamin Harty demanded, clamping his hands tightly around the cold iron bars.

Elsa scrambled to her feet from the damp stone floor, the heavy shackles clanking and biting into her skin.

"Dad, please save me," she begged, her voice trembling. "I—I only did what Madam Azalea asked me to do," she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Benjamin furrowed his brows and turned to Caleb. "Please inform Alpha Lucien that my daughter didn’t act on her own. You heard her, Beta Caleb."

"I will, Mr. Harty," Caleb replied calmly. "But knowing our Alpha... he won’t let this slide easily. You should prepare for the worst."

"No, please! I’m not the culprit!" Elsa cried out from inside the cell.

"Your visitation time is over, sir. Please follow me," Caleb said with a respectful nod.

"I’ll do everything I can to save you," Benjamin promised his daughter, stepping away reluctantly before turning to follow Caleb out.

As they exited the dim, oppressive prison corridor, Benjamin asked, "Is Alpha Lucien still not recovered from his rut?"

"No," Caleb responded. "That’s why I came to meet you. Alpha may see you tomorrow, Mr. Harty."

"Sure." Benjamin was worried thinking that Lucien wouldn’t forgive Elsa. "Is there a way if I can talk to him on the phone?"

Caleb hesitantly hummed and took out the phone from his pocket. He dialed Lucien’s number, hoping he would answer.

After a few seconds, the call was picked.

"Speak," Lucien said from the other side.

"Alpha, Mr. Harty would like to talk to you. I’m putting him on the call," said Caleb and turned on the speaker.

"Yes, Mr. Harty?" Lucien calmly spoke from the other side.

"Good morning, Alpha. Forgive me for disturbing you at such an hour. I met my daughter and she claimed that it wasn’t her, who put her into this," Benjamin said.

"I know it was my grandmother," Lucien replied. "However, your daughter agreed to my grandmother alone tells how much she is obsessed for me. She tried to take advantage of me," he stated while keeping his tone calm.

"Let’s not talk now. I’ll return to work tomorrow," Lucien said and hung up the call.

Benjamin sighed and thanked Caleb for making him talk.

"I will walk you–"

"It’s fine. I’ll go by myself," Benjamin said and walked away.

Caleb shook his head and went back to the mansion.

~~~~

Lucien sat on the chair near the bed while his gaze was fixed on Leia’s sleeping form. Her peaceful expression tugged at something deep within him.

"I hope... from now on, the distance between us has lessened," he murmured softly, before finally rising and heading to the shower.

Under the stream of water, Lucien leaned back, letting it wash over his tense body.

He released with a breathless grunt while thinking about Leia.

A short, dry chuckle escaped him. "It’s unbelievable," he muttered. "I’m losing control just by thinking of her."

"Fuck," he cursed under his breath, pressing his forehead to the cold wall as the water continued to cascade down his body.

Once finished with his shower, Lucien turned off the tap and wrapped a towel around his waist. He stepped in front of the mirror, brushing his teeth with slow, deliberate strokes before heading back into the bedroom.

Leia had shifted in her sleep, now curled around a pillow, her lips curved in a faint smile.

"Is she dreaming something sweet?" Lucien murmured to himself, quietly observing her. His gaze wandered from the curve of her legs to the relaxed expression on her face. He stood still, silently admiring her.

’She has no idea how much I’ve started yearning for her,’ he thought. ’And even when I try to show it, she just pushes me away. Still... sometimes, she surprises me.’

He turned to the cupboard, pulling out a change of clothes. While dressing, his mind wandered through the moments he had shared with Leia, her teasing words, the softness in her eyes, the rare but burning touches.

A sudden shrill ringtone broke his thoughts, and jolted Leia from her sleep.

"Ugh... where’s my phone?" she groaned, feeling around until her hand found it on the bedside table. She silenced the alarm and buried herself under the duvet again.

"Leia, aren’t you getting up?" Lucien asked, walking toward the bed.

"Mmm... Let me sleep," she mumbled.

"What about your work?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Work!" Leia sat upright, her eyes were wide-open. "What time is it?" She searched for the clock and saw it was past eight in the morning.

"I’ve to go," Leia said as she swung her legs off the bed, ready to head back to the mansion.