When Leia claimed to have burned the wolves, she half-expected Lucien to be intimidated. At the same time, she braced herself for punishment, knowing she was taking a risk. But she needed to understand the kind of man he truly was.
As she had suspected, his primary goal was to use her to sire heirs through her. That was all she was to him.
Ignoring that realization, Leia continued eating until she was full. Just as she was about to set her spoon down, she noticed Lucien rising from his seat.
She thought he was leaving, but instead, he retrieved a small sachet from the butler and tore it open. The fine powder within slipped into a glass of water as he stirred it with a spoon.
He pushed the glass toward her. "Drink it," he ordered.
Leia narrowed her eyes. "Is that a drug?"
Lucien scoffed, looking almost amused. "No. It's to help you recover. The wolfsbane is still in your system," he explained, his voice firm.
She hesitated. "And how am I supposed to trust you?"
His lips curled into a smirk. "You think I need to drug you just to get you in my bed?" His dark eyes held an arrogant glint. "I am not some desperate, lowly alpha without dignity. Drink it, or let the poison continue to weaken you. The choice is yours."
Before Leia could respond, Kieran spoke up, his voice softer in contrast to Lucien's sharp tone. "Leia, you should take the tonic. Your wolf will suffer if you don't cleanse the wolfsbane from your system." His concern seemed genuine.
She glanced between them before exhaling sharply. Without another word, she took the glass and downed its contents, forcing it past the fullness in her stomach. She couldn't afford to let her wolf, Zei, remain weakened any longer.
Lucien left the room without another glance while the servants moved in to clear the table. Kieran and Leia followed suit shortly after.
As they walked through the corridors, he turned to her, his expression softening. "Would you like to rest a bit more?"
Leia cast him a side glance, intrigued by his kindness. "No. You're surprisingly gentle, Kieran," she remarked. "It's strange to see how different you are from your brother. You both are opposite to each other."
Kieran let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "Yeah," he admitted. "But I promise you, Leia, no one will harm you here."
His sincerity was evident, but Leia knew better than to trust easily. Words were easy to say, but actions revealed the truth.
"I didn't see your parents. Do they not live here? And what about your other brothers? They weren't at the breakfast table either," she asked, her curiosity about this family growing.
Kieran's expression remained neutral, but there was a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. "Our parents died a long time ago, Leia," he said simply.
"Oh." A pang of guilt tightened her chest. She had unknowingly touched on something painful. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.
He shook his head with a small smile. "It's fine. You don't need to apologize."
Leia nodded, though she still felt uneasy about bringing it up.
"There are three of us," Kieran continued. "Lucien is the eldest, Ronan is the second, and I'm the youngest. Ronan isn't in the city right now—he's leading a small battle against rogues."
"A small battle?" Leia raised an eyebrow. "Wars are never small."
He let out a quiet chuckle. "You're right, but this one isn't on a large scale," he clarified.
By now, they had settled onto the couches in the vast living hall. The room was adorned with regal furnishings, exuding their family legacy.
"So, is Lucien the Alpha of this pack?" Leia asked, her curiosity deepening. "And what about you and Ronan? What roles do you play?"
"Yes, you guessed it right. Lucien is the Alpha of the Darkmoor Pack. Ronan is the leader of the warriors and trains them. I, on the other hand, manage the pack's finances and businesses. I report them directly to Lucien," Kieran revealed.
"I see."
"Were you living all this time without a pack?" Kieran asked her.
"I was among the humans, living my life to the fullest. Who needs a pack for survival in this world? But now, I am bound to be here," Leia said, feeling irritated.
She wanted to see what Kieran had to say to this, but he remained quiet.
"How old are the three of you? Since Lucien is the eldest, I suppose he looks after both his brothers." Leia wanted to find out their exact relationship. Earlier, during breakfast, she saw how Lucien showed his authority while Kieran looked a bit upset about it.
"Lucien is 33, Ronan is 31 while I am 27 years old. The relationship between us isn't like that of brothers exactly. For the sake of this pack, we live under the same roof, else we would have departed our ways a long time ago," Kieran told her. That was what she wanted to know.
"You three could have found human mates. Why do you want only a she-wolf to bear heirs for your pack?" Leia asked.
"Lucien and Ronan don't like humans. They wanted only a she-wolf to sire the heirs. For me, the reason is something else. Maybe when we grow closer to each other, I will tell you," Kieran asserted, making Leia wonder if he had a lover in the past.
However, she was now sure that these three brothers weren't supportive of each other. They lacked the understanding that existed among siblings. And she was going to use this against them to bring about their doom.
No one could own or claim her. She was a free, independent she-wolf. She would make sure to create a rift among the three for her own freedom.
Lucien was the most authoritative one among them, so bringing him to his knees seemed impossible. She thought it would be best to befriend Kieran and try to find out more about them.
"Sir, Alpha Ronan has returned!"
Just then, the house butler made an announcement, making Leia curious about who their second brother was.