Lucien dragged Leia to the door. Without a hint of softness, he pushed her out and growled, "Leave at once if you don’t want to end up in my bed tonight."
His knuckles had gone pale from how tightly his fists were clenched, and his voice was laced with warning. It seed like he was dangerously close to losing control.
Leia didn’t look back and ran back to her room.
The hallway felt longer than ever as she bolted into her room, slamming the door shut behind her. Her fingers fumbled to twist the lock in place before allowing herself to breathe.
Leaning against the door, she whispered to herself, "What just happened...? Did he actually let go?"
Her voice trembled, disbelief clouding her thoughts. The image of Lucien’s bloodied hands, the sharp flash of his canines, and the guttural growl all replayed in her mind.
"I thought he wasn’t coming ho tonight..." she muttered, trying to calm her racing heart.
Still shaken, Leia walked over to her bed and slid beneath the blanket, pulling it tightly around her. She let the bedside lamp remained on.
However, she couldn’t shut her eyes in fear.
"What if he storms in tomorrow and demands to know why I was in his room?" she whispered into the silence. "Agh! Why did he have to co back tonight, of all nights?"
Her thoughts wandered again, to the blood on his hands. "He must’ve killed tonight... including Malrik," she murmured. "But wasn’t the battle supposed to run all night?"
Just then, a sharp crash echoed through the hallway.
Leia bolted upright as her breath hitched. The sound had co from Lucien’s room. Unlike the other two alphas, his room was so close to hers that the vibration seed to reach the walls around her.
"What’s happening to him? Why is he breaking things? Should I check on him? No! What if... What if he kills too in rage?" Leia murmured, bringing her hand to her chest.
Just then, she heard a knock, causing her heart to thunder against her chest.
"Leia, it’s ," said Kieran. "Open the door," he urged.
Leia rushed to the door the mont she heard the sound. Her heart pounded in her chest as she twisted the knob and opened it.
Standing right in front of her was Kieran with a worried and serious gaze.
"We need to go," he said quickly. "Put on a cardigan or a hoodie, and grab your slippers."
"Huh?" Leia blinked in confusion, unsure if she’d heard him right.
"Lucien’s gone into rut," Kieran said bluntly as he strode past her and headed straight for the wardrobe. Without waiting, he grabbed the first cardigan he could find and tossed it over her shoulders. "Hurry."
Leia barely had ti to slip on her footwear before Kieran gently but firmly took her wrist and pulled her out of the room. They exited the mansion in haste.
Within minutes, they were seated in a car, Kieran behind the wheel. He drove without delaying, heading toward the sa hotel where Ronan was staying.
As the car sped down the road, Leia finally found her voice. "How did this happen out of nowhere? I thought ruts ca with signs?"
Kieran didn’t take his eyes off the road. "It didn’t co out of nowhere. Lucien didn’t pay heed to it this ti. We’ve always relied on suppressants. None of us used ogas to regulate our urges during rut seasons."
"So why now?"
"Because suppressants can only work for so long. And when a rut breaks through despite them, it hits hard, more intense than usual," Kieran explained. "Lucien was still in control when he threw you out. That alone says a lot. Most alphas in rut can’t stand being near an oga without completely losing themselves."
Leia went silent, processing everything. "That’s why he said he would take to bed," she mumbled.
Lucien had chosen to send her away before his instincts won.
’I didn’t know he would be so thoughtful.’
"So... none of you ever tried to take an oga during your rut seasons?" Leia asked cautiously, her voice soft but steady.
Kieran shook his head. "No. That’s not our way. We don’t force. We’ve always taken suppressants and stayed away from ogas during those tis."
Leia hesitated, then brought up what had always lingered in her mind. "But Ronan... he tried to—"
"I know," Kieran interrupted gently, glancing at her briefly before focusing on the road. "Leia, you’re not a hybrid. And Ronan, he tends to lose his head after returning from battle. His instincts spike, and it clouds his judgnt."
She remained quiet, waiting for the rest.
Kieran sighed. "Lucien had always planned to continue his bloodline with a pure-blooded oga. From the start, that was the goal. I’m not excusing Ronan’s actions, believe , I’m not, but in his mind, it wasn’t lust or malice. It was duty. Lucien had discussed the plan with all of us before he even began searching for you."
Leia’s hands gripped the cardigan tighter around her body. "So I was chosen."
"You were ant to be our mate," Kieran said simply. "But Lucien wanted it to happen on his terms, not through force, not under rut, and definitely not through soone else’s mistake."
"Will Lucien be alright?" Leia asked after a mont of silence.
Kieran gave a small nod. "He should recover in two or three days. The suppressant crash is harsh, but his control is strong."
Leia exhaled in relief. "That’s good to hear."
After a pause, Kieran asked, "When is your next heat?"
"Two weeks from now," she replied.
"Hm. I’ll make the necessary arrangents," he said. "Being around alphas during that ti can be overwhelming, especially for soone going through their first heat in a pack. You’ll be vulnerable, Leia. And instinct might cloud your judgnt. You may feel drawn to one of us, even if you don’t an to."
Leia bit her bottom lip thoughtfully, then gave him a small smile. "I trust you, Kieran."
Kieran glanced at her, sothing soft flashing in his eyes. "Then I’ll make sure you’re safe. That’s a promise."
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