Leia remained in bed the entire day, refusing even to touch the lunch that had been left for her. Kieran came by to check on her once, but she didn't open the door. She couldn't bring herself to see any of them.
'I'm sorry, Leia… My energy was draining while we kept running. I don't think we can escape until I fully recover,' Zei, her wolf, spoke softly in her mind.
'Don't apologize,' Leia replied, 'because I no longer plan to run away.'
'What? Why?' Zei sounded startled, even confused. 'Don't tell me you've given in that you'll let those three alphas have us.'
'No one can have me without my consent. That hasn't changed and never will,' Leia told her firmly. 'But let's face the truth. Escaping isn't possible anymore. Lucien… he's the most powerful among them. Even if we managed to get out, he'd track us down. I don't want to waste our strength on false hopes anymore.'
Zei didn't reply after that. Maybe she understood.
Leia finally dragged herself out of bed and headed into the washroom. She splashed cold water on her face and gently dabbed it dry with a towel.
Stepping out of the room, she hesitated for a moment before making her way downstairs. She paused when she saw a servant pass by.
"I'd like to see Kieran," she said softly. "Could you show me to his room?"
The servant nodded and quietly led the way. To Leia's surprise, Kieran's room was downstairs as well, close to the garden. After thanking the servant, she knocked on the door.
A few moments later, it opened.
"Leia!" Kieran's expression lit up with visible relief and warmth.
"I'm sorry for not responding earlier," she said gently. "Can I come in?"
"Of course," he said, stepping aside.
As Leia walked in, her eyes swept over his room. It was so different from Lucien's. The space was open and bright, filled with natural light. The walls were painted white with soft, pleasant colors that gave the room a calm and comforting atmosphere.
She took a seat on the couch near the floor-to-ceiling window, folding her hands neatly in her lap.
"How are you feeling?" Kieran asked, sitting across from her.
"Much better," she replied, offering a faint smile. "It's just… I did not expect all of this to happen in one day."
"I understand," he said sincerely. "I'm sorry you had to go through all this so suddenly."
His humble apology warmed something inside her. He didn't try to excuse anything, just acknowledged her discomfort.
"Aren't you hungry, though?" he asked. "You skipped lunch. I was worried."
"I ate a lot this morning," she said. "Then I ended up sleeping most of the day. My wolf is still recovering, so I figured rest was the best thing."
He nodded in understanding before his voice lowered slightly. "Did you try to run away because of what Ronan said?"
She hesitated, but there was no point in lying. She nodded. "He made that comment about 'getting ready for the night,' and it made me feel extremely uncomfortable. If this were the place I lived formerly, I'd have filed a formal complaint."
She watched Kieran closely, wanting to see how he would react, if he would defend his brother or take a stand.
"Lucien already punished him," Kieran said, and it surprised her. "Ronan's forbidden from coming near you for a week. If he breaks that rule, Lucien plans to lock him in the dungeon."
Leia blinked. She hadn't expected that kind of response. "That's… good," she said quietly.
Kieran offered her a gentle smile. "Would you like to go out with me for a bit? There's somewhere I'd like to take you."
"Where?" she asked with curiosity.
"Just a walk," he said.
"I think I need that. I haven't seen anything in the Darkmoor Pack yet," she said.
"Yeah?" Kieran smiled. "Do you want to change first or just go like this? Though… this dress looks nice on you," he added, his compliment making her cheeks warm slightly.
"I think I'll stay in this," she replied with a small smile. "You can change if you want. I'll wait for you in the living room."
"Alright," he nodded, and she stood up quietly, walking out of the room.
As she reached the living room, she slowed her steps. Lucien was standing with his back to her, his phone pressed to his ear. His voice was low, but she caught the words.
"Is he dead?" he asked.
She froze.
Her heart jumped into her throat. Was he… asking someone if they'd killed a man?
Before she could turn away or decide what to do, Lucien looked over his shoulder. His sharp gaze locked onto hers. She stiffened, her breath caught in her throat.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, lowering his phone and slipping it into his pocket.
"Good," she answered cautiously. Her voice sounded thinner than she intended. Then, gathering her nerve, she asked, "Did you… did you kill someone?"
"The one who captured you has been sentenced to death," Lucien said, keeping his eyes fixed on her.
A gasp escaped her lips. "What? Why?"
Lucien moved toward the grand couch in the center of the room and sat down gracefully. He picked up a half-burnt cigarette from the crystal ashtray and brought it to his lips.
"Didn't he hurt you?" he asked, inhaling slowly before exhaling a stream of smoke. "He should have kept you with great care."
Leia stood rooted to the spot, struggling to process his words. The casual way he spoke about death… made her head spin.
"Leia, I'm ready. Let's go," Kieran's voice reached her ears.
"Where are you taking her?" Lucien asked, glancing at Kieran with skepticism.
"For a walk. We will be back before dinner," Kieran replied.
Leia hoped Lucien would not have any problem with it. But at the same time, she knew he would not let her go out of this place.
"Hmm. Go."
His response shocked her. She had hoped for his resistance, but he didn't do it. What was Lucien exactly? So far, she was unable to understand him even a bit.