Leia's POV:
When I claimed to have burned the wolves, I half-expected Lucien to be intimidated. At the same time, I braced myself for punishment, knowing I was taking a risk. But I needed to understand the kind of man he truly was.
As I had suspected, his primary goal was to use me to sire heirs through me. That was all I was to him.
Ignoring that realization, I continued eating until I was full. Just as I was about to set my spoon down, I noticed Lucien rising from his seat.
I 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 me. "Drink it," he ordered.
I narrowed my 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.
I 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 I 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.
I glanced between them before exhaling sharply. Without another word, I took the glass and downed its contents, forcing it past the fullness in my stomach. I couldn't afford to let my wolf, Zei, remain weakened any longer.
Lucien left the room without another glance while the servants moved in to clear the table. Kieran and I followed suit shortly after.
As we walked through the corridors, he turned to me, his expression softening. "Would you like to rest a bit more?"
I cast him a side glance, intrigued by his kindness. "No. You're surprisingly gentle, Kieran," I 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 I 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," I asked, my 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 my chest. I had unknowingly touched on something painful. "I'm so sorry," I whispered.
He shook his head with a small smile. "It's fine. You don't need to apologize."
I nodded, though I 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?" I 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, we 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?" I asked, my 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 train 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 me.
"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," I said, feeling irritated.
I wanted to see what Kieran had to say on this, but he remained quiet.
"How old are the three of you? Since Lucien is the eldest, I suppose he looks after his both brothers." I wanted to find out their exact relationship. Earlier, during breakfast, I 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 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 me. That was what I wanted to know.
"You three could have found human mates. Why do you want only a she-wolf to bear heirs for your pack?" I 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 me wonder if he had a lover in the past.
However, now I was sure that these three brothers aren't supportive to each other. They three lacked understanding that existed among the siblings. And I was going to use this among them to bring a doom to them.
No one could own or claim me. I was a free, independent she-wolf. I would make sure to create rift among these three for my own freedom.
'Lucien is the most authoritative one among them, so bringing him to his knees seemed impossible. I should befriend with Keiran and try finding out more about them,' I thought in my mind.
"Sir, Alpha Ronan has returned!"
Just then, the house butler made an announcement, making me curious who was their second brother.