Chapter 208: Sheltering under Lucien’s roof
"Your Majesty, I have confirmed news. Grayson is alive," the man reported to the Alpha King. He stood perfectly rigid, a jagged scar stretching from the left corner of his mouth to his cheekbone, twisting his expression into a permanent grimace.
Francis slowly rubbed his thumb against his fingertips, absorbing the update.
"How is it possible that Grayson survived, Zakari? That fire was conjured by the witches. It was meant to ensure no one walked out alive," Francis said, his jaw tightening as anger edged into his voice.
"They must have found a way out before the perimeter was locked down, Your Majesty. If you recall, we never recovered his body from the ashes," Zakari replied smoothly.
"Find him and finish the job," Francis commanded coldly. "But watch your step. Lucien will protect him. Find out exactly why Grayson is sheltering under Lucien’s roof and what the two of them are plotting. If Lucien is turning against me, I will destroy him as well."
"But Your Majesty, what about the power Lucien commands?" Zakari asked, shifting his stance.
"His strength is useless to me if he becomes my enemy," Francis replied sharply. "If the truth about the past comes out, it will destroy everything I have built. I will not allow that to happen."
"Understood, Your Majesty. I will gather the details immediately." Zakari bowed deeply to the Alpha King before turning to stride out of the chamber.
Francis stood up from his chair and walked out onto the balcony, gripping the stone railing. Looking out over his territory, a vivid memory surfaced, cutting through his thoughts as clearly as if it had happened yesterday.
He was the one who had signed the execution order for the Moon Descendant Pack. He had demanded total annihilation, leaving no survivors, simply because they had refused to bow down and swear their loyalty to his throne.
~~~~
Kieran gently brushed a stray lock of hair from Leia’s sleeping face before drawing his hand back and slipping out of bed. He quietly stepped out of the bedroom and picked up his phone from the hallway table where he had left it earlier. Seeing a string of unread messages from Lucien checking on his well-being, he quickly typed out a reply.
Just as he was about to set the device back down, it began to vibrate and ring in his hand.
Kieran answered immediately, lifting the phone to his ear.
"Is Leia awake? Send her back as soon as possible," Lucien said without greeting him. "Her father and uncle are incredibly worried about her, especially her father."
"She’s still sleeping at the moment," Kieran replied, keeping his voice low so he wouldn’t disturb her.
"How is your rut holding up?" Lucien asked next, his tone shifting to one of practical concern.
"Much better," Kieran answered. "Leia offered to help me through it, so... yeah. She managed to calm me down completely."
"Great," Lucien said. "Just be careful. Renzo was going insane when he found out Leia was with you during your rut."
"Hmm. As soon as she wakes up, I’ll send her back," Kieran stated. "By the way, I wanted to ask about grandmother. Did you happen to talk to her?"
"I did. She’s doing much better now that she’s staying with aunt," Lucien answered. "I noticed a book in your room earlier. Were you searching for a cure for her?"
"Yes, I hoped I might find something. Leia actually helped me locate that book, and I planned to look through it, but I haven’t found anything useful yet," Kieran answered with a sigh. "I’ll resume reading it once this rut fully clears."
"Of course." Lucien didn’t want to crush his youngest brother’s hopes. If searching for a cure gave Kieran some peace of mind, he would only encourage it.
~~~~
"I’ll help you enter."
"Who are you talking to?" Renzo demanded, catching the maid whispering into her device as he approached.
"I beg your pardon?" She immediately cut the call, turning to face him with an anxious smile. "I was just speaking with my brother, sir. He’s simply curious to meet our future Luna."
"Future Luna? You mean Leia?" he questioned, his brow furrowing.
"Yes, sir," the maid answered, dipping her head.
"Leia isn’t a Luna yet. The Alphas haven’t even proposed to my niece. What makes you think she will be the future Luna?" Renzo frowned deeply. He was already deeply unsettled by the fact that she had been fated to three separate mates, and he didn’t entirely trust the brothers when it came to keeping Leia safe.
"Forgive me, sir," the maid said softly, keeping her chin tucked down toward her chest.
Renzo took a breath, realizing he had directed his lingering frustration at an innocent servant who didn’t deserve it. "It’s fine. Go back to your duties." He dismissed her with a brief wave of his hand. Turning on his heel, he walked into the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and pulled out a cold bottle of water.
"Uncle, I need water too," a voice called out.
He turned around and relaxed slightly seeing Leia standing there, looking perfectly fine. He stepped forward and handed his bottle straight to her. "It’s good to have you back," Renzo said, a genuine smile replacing his frown.
Instead of smiling back, Leia gave him a pointed glare. "Uncle, you need to stop doubting my mates. You know better than anyone how many rogues and ruthless wolves were hunting for me. If it weren’t for the brothers, I would have been forcefully claimed and mated to a stranger by now. They are actually giving me the time and freedom to figure things out at my own pace. So, please, don’t say such harsh things about them again."
Renzo felt his niece was upset and hurt with his remarks.
"Alright. I won’t do it anymore. I’m just worried for you. I want you to be happy and sound."
"Uncle, I’m happy. In fact, I love this life. I was scared about wolves and stuff all my life because mom kept me away from it, but not anymore. I want to embrace everything that exist in this world of werewolves."