Chapter 212: Crimes of his past
The next morning, Leia woke to find Kieran’s side of the bed empty. She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, just as the muted rush of running water echoed from the bathroom.
Yawning, she swung her legs over the edge of the mattress. She crossed the room and drew back the heavy curtains, pushing the windows open to let the morning air flood inside.
A second later, a flash of yellow fluttered through the opening, landing atop her head.
Leia gasped, startled as she tried to glance upward toward her crown. As she reached up to brush her fingers against her hair, the canary took flight once more, soaring out into the open sky.
A small smile tugged at her lips. "It seems today is going to be a good day," she murmured, turning back to quickly straighten the bedsheets.
As she turned away from the bed, the bathroom door swung open, and Kieran stepped out, fresh from the shower. A towel was hitched low on his hips, and he was using another to dry his damp hair.
"Leia, good morning," Kieran said.
"Morning. Are you feeling better?" Leia asked.
"Yeah. We can move back into the house today," he answered.
"Are you sure?" Leia arched her eyebrows in doubt.
"Yes, I am." He tossed the towel over a nearby chair. "Your presence and the suppressants did most of the work. The rut has passed now."
"That’s great."
"Yeah. I need to help my brothers," Kieran said. "Lucien and Ronan are already working, while I’ve just been resting. I want to pull my own weight. For years, I held a slight grudge against Lucien because our parents died saving him when he was taken. But now that I know the Alpha King was behind it all, I want to tear him down."
Leia reached out, taking both of his hands in hers. "Don’t hold that against Lucien. He suffered just as much. He rarely speaks about his past, but you can see the weight of it in his eyes. It must have broken him to watch your parents die right in front of him, unable to stop it."
Kieran looked down at their joined hands. "I know," he admitted softly. "I’ve always respected him. A part of me was just bitter, but I know I was wrong."
"Well, you and Ronan are his strength. That is what truly matters." Leia smiled up at him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"You’ve suffered too, Leia," Kieran said, holding her close. "You lost so much and were kept in the dark about your own life. Your mother passed away before she could give you answers. Bringing down the Alpha King will finally mean justice for you, too."
"My entire pack was destroyed," Leia whispered against his chest. She hesitated briefly before pulling back. "You know Ronan left to find the moonstone. Lucien told me it could be the key to defeating the Alpha King."
Kieran stared at her, his expression shifting to disbelief. "What? The moonstone... it’s the rarest stone in existence. No one has seen it in centuries." He released her, a shadow of hurt crossing his features. "Lucien should have waited for me to go with Ronan. He always excludes me."
"Maybe he has another task for you," Leia replied.
"Let’s just go. Then, only I can find out what task he has for me," Kieran replied.
She nodded and the two headed back to the villa.
~~~~~
"Renzo, will you be able to pull this off? Do not get caught," Lucien warned Leia’s uncle, his tone sharp with concern.
"I may be getting old, but trust me, I still have my skills," Renzo answered. "Don’t waste time worrying about me. Just make sure Leia and Grayson remain safe, even if things go wrong on my end."
"Do not speak like that. Nothing will happen to you," Lucien stated firmly.
Before Renzo could reply, Lucien went still, sensing a sudden presence beyond the threshold. A moment later, a knock echoed against the door.
"My lord, the Alpha King demands an audience with you. He’s on the phone," the house butler announced from the hallway.
"Why does he wish to speak with you?" Renzo asked, his brow furrowing.
"I’ll find out," Lucien replied, turning to leave the chamber while Renzo fell into step behind him.
Stepping into the corridor, Lucien took the phone from the palace butler and dismissed him with a nod. Once they were out of earshot, he brought the receiver to his ear.
"Greetings, Your Majesty," Lucien said in a polite tone.
"Lucien, I would like to see you this evening. Can you travel to the royal territory? I have an urgent matter to discuss, and it cannot be spoken of over a line," the Alpha King’s voice commanded through the speaker.
"Of course, Your Majesty," Lucien replied smoothly.
Beside him, Renzo frowned in confusion, clearly wondering why Lucien had yielded to see the Alpha King when he should be staying away from him.
"I’ll see you in the evening," the Alpha King said, and the line went dead.
Lucien lowered the receiver, his expression unreadable.
"Why did you agree to go?" Renzo hissed, stepping closer. "He called out of nowhere without giving a single reason. The Alpha King is obviously planning something."
"He won’t kill me until he gets what he wants," Lucien replied, turning to face him. "Stick to the plan. We need concrete evidence to expose what he did to your pack and my parents."
"Yes, but... I don’t trust him for a second. He’s plotting something," Renzo said, his tone laced with unease. "What if he’s already discovered that Grayson and I survived?"
"If he has, then we have a problem," Lucien affirmed coldness in his eyes. "Which makes going to his palace all the more necessary if we are to put an end to him."
"Hmm." Renzo nodded in agreement. "This time, the truth will triumph. He must answer for the crimes of his past and face his punishment," he muttered with determination.