IreneLucien was gone, but I still remembered everything he said to me. He called me a liar straight to my face just because I didn’t want to tell him what my brother and I were talking about.I went back to look for Lucien, who was about to leave his study to go to who knows where.“Why did you accuse me of lying, Lucien? I need to know!” I yelled the moment I barged into his study.Lucien looked confused to see me, but I was already prepared for war if he wanted to bring it up again.“Excuse me? Why are you here, Irene?” he asked.To my surprise, Lucien’s voice was calm, but I could feel the tension buried beneath it.He tried to compose himself as he stared at me, but I was so good at pushing him to the wall.“I hate repeating myself. I'm here for the same reason you entered my room when I was talking with my brother. Is that a better answer now?” I asked, and his eyes glowed slightly as they pierced into mine.Why was he looking at me with so much anger in his eyes? Was he about t
Irene“You shouldn’t be here. I thought you were going to turn it down. But I forgot that I was dealing with Irene,” Kael teased, and it set my nerves on edge.Oh shit! That sounded a little bit disrespectful. What could I say to that? Would I be able to defend myself? I doubted it.But I was here for business, not for a random reason.I tightened my grip on the edge of the table, keeping my face neutral. I didn’t want his words to get to me.“Neither should you. Stop acting like you are different,” I fired back at him.I was not ready to take any chances at this point. I knew why I was here.He smirked, leaning back against the bar, his expression calculated.“I see… you don't always have to be so aggressive, anyway. I was just testing the waters,” he responded, and I pouted.That sounded like a stupid excuse.While he stood in front of me, I remembered what Lucien had said. He had warned me to stay away from Kael, saying he wasn’t what he seemed.But I wasn’t the type to be warned o
IreneI stumbled a little as I returned and tried to regain myself before I lost it again.To my surprise, Kael was outside Lucien's room when I got there. My suspicion about him heightened, knowing fully well that I barely knew him.I didn't know him too well.I froze, fingers tightening around the door handle.I could hear Kael’s smooth and confident voice, but there was something unsettling about the way he said it.As if he knew something I didn’t know.He stared at me like he had already decided the outcome of whatever this conversation was going to be.Slowly, I turned to watch him.Lucien’s room was just behind me, and I could still remember our last conversation.But now, I was standing there in the corridor, face to face with the last person I expected to see at this hour.Kael didn't seem to care about what was happening. He placed his hand in his pocket, staring mischievously at me.I hated his eyes more than anything in the world."What do you want?" I asked, keeping my vo
Lucien"You didn't hear this from me, but... your woman has been in Kael’s bed for weeks."Those words hit my ears hard, and I stopped mid-step.This was serious, and it was a very harsh accusation that needed to be defended.Perhaps I didn’t hear him well. Maybe my mind was playing games with me.Nowadays, I wasn’t able to rest properly, so I was hearing things. Maybe this day was part of those days.Slowly, I turned to face the guard and looked at the mouth where the words left.He stood stiffly like a statue when he saw me, but I saw the glint in his eyes despite him looking blank.He was pretending, and he was trying to deceive me. A glint that said he knew exactly what he was doing."What did you just say?" I asked him, urging him to repeat what he just said, but he refused.He was daring me. I was not going to take it lightly.The guard hesitated, scratching his head, then took a small step back as if realizing he had gone too far. But he didn’t take his words back."I overheard
IreneI heard a sharp crash of something breaking downstairs, making me jerk up from my chair."What the hell is going on down there?” I asked no one in particular as the sound came louder this time.At first, I thought it was just an object smashing into the wall, but that was not the case.The sound was too loud for such an assumption, and it was too early for anything to be happening.My heart pounded as I listened, straining to catch the voices through the thick walls that blocked everywhere.While my ears stood erect and I placed it almost to the door of my room, I heard more shouting, followed by a deep, loud growl that was so familiar."Isn't that Lucien?” I asked, and immediately, my fear heightened.What was happening that would make him shout that way?I didn’t wait to spend another minute in my room. I was already changing into a better cloth, and quickly, I pushed the door open.Looking down from upstairs, the sight of what I saw made my stomach drop.It was Lucien and Kae
Lucien"You are lucky you have a thick skull. Sometimes, I wonder if you feel pain with these wounds on your body," Irene said to me as she began tending to my wounds.Her touch was unbearably soft, and I wished this could go on forever. I enjoyed the way she was taking care of me like I was some little child."This is nothing compared to what I have had before, Irene. I doubt if I feel any pain. Besides, I'm a man. Do you expect me to cry like a child?" I asked her, and she smiled.She dipped the cloth into the bowl of water beside her, wrung it out, and pressed it gently against the cut on my cheek.The sting was nothing compared to the ache in my chest. That ache had nothing to do with bruises or broken bones. It was entirely different."Oh, really? I see. I never expected you to cry out anyway," she said, and I tried to smile."I have had worse. That's just the point," I muttered, and she shot me a look, unimpressed."Stop saying that. It's not something to be proud of," she scold
Irene"Who the hell was knocking at this hour?" I asked again through gritted teeth.I was already mad that my pleasurable moment had been disrupted by this knock.“Should I go and get the door?” I asked Lucien because the knock on the door was only getting louder as each second went by.I clicked my tongue on the roof of my mouth. I was torn between frustration and concern because of the sharp and relentless pounding on the door.My breathing was still uneven, and my body was still heated up from Lucien’s touch, and now… this.Lucien groaned behind me, his hands still resting on my waist, and he refused to let me go."Ignore it," he muttered, and his voice was thick with irritation. "Whatever it is, it can wait. Let's finish what we started,” Lucien said, trying to take my mind away from what was happening.I tried to focus on him, but the knocking only grew more desperate.Something was wrong.I exhaled sharply, stepping away from Lucien’s warmth and pulling my dress tighter around
IreneAfter dealing with Silas’ issues, I found myself in Lucien’s room while he was out.I missed that cocky bastard. I found myself looking for things in his room. I didn’t know what exactly I was looking for, but I kept searching."What else are you hiding from me, Lucien?" I asked, tracing my fingers over the leather-bound journal on his desk.I knew I shouldn’t be doing this. But the moment I saw my father’s name written on the edge of a page, I had every reason to.I felt guilty for a while because I was intruding on his privacy, but…I wasn’t going to apologize.I had been waiting for answers but had found none, and he had also refused to talk to me about it.His handwriting was bold and easy to read, and I pierced my eyes through every word."The pack deserves better.""I will do anything to protect them, even if it means making impossible choices.""Irene... if she ever knew the truth..."I sucked in a sharp breath, and my heart fell. This was all written by Lucien, and it wa
IRENE “You look beautiful, Luna.” One of the maids whispered, stepping back to admire her work on me.. It's the morning of the mating ceremony. My heart thudded with nervous excitement when the maids filed into my room to dress me up. I stared at my reflection. I looked breathtaking. This was the kind of life that I deserved. “I… thank you,” I murmured to the maid, fingers brushing over the necklace that now rested on my collarbone. The meeting ground was filled to the brim. The whole pack had gathered. It was a sea of smiling faces, murmuring blessings, dressed in their best for the occasion. Silas stood near the altar, dressed in royal blue, his hands were clasped together, the sacred scrolls at his side. And then, there he was, Lucian, my alpha. He stood at the center of the courtyard like a solid pillar. His eyes were locked on me as I was led to meet him. “By the blessing of the Moon,” Silas intoned when I was facing Lucian. “We are gathered here to witness the sacred
LUCIEN My eyes widened in shock when I heard what she said. I asked her to repeat it to be sure I heard the right thing. “I am pregnant,” Irene said again when I asked her to, her voice barely above a whisper, but those words cracked through my chest in a way I never thought it would. The world tilted. She IS pregnant. For a moment, I couldn’t speak. I just stared at her, trying to absorb the weight of her confession. I even frowned because I was too confused to understand her, not because I was angry. I saw fear travel to her eyes, and I had to soften my expression to assure her that I was happy. “You…” I took a breath. “You’re serious?” Irene nodded, her eyes already heavy with tears. “Yes.” I stepped closer, cupping her face with both hands, my thumbs brushing her cheeks. “Why… why didn’t you tell me earlier, my love?” She bit her lip, and then, as if the dam had broken, she spoke. “I found out while I was still with Kael,” she said, her voice shaking. “Back when I was ta
Irene's POVI sat cross-legged on the bed, my fingers absently trailing over the hem of the gown sample laid beside me. A maid had dropped it off hours ago, it was a gift from the council of Elders. The mating ceremony was about a week away, and the house buzzed with preparations—flowers, fabrics, feasts. It was exciting. I loved all the attention I got, but Lucien had grown distant, distracted.He was still here, assuring me that he cared, but it had changed. A knock came and Lucien stepped in. He looked tense, but he still managed to give me a soft smile."You're awake," he said.“I waited.” I rose slowly. “You missed dinner again. What's going on Lucien? Did I do something wrong?”His eyes clouded, a fleeting look of hurt flickered across his face. “Oh, Irene.” He pulled me to the bed and we sat down. “Is that how I made you feel?”I nodded and he continued. “I'm sorry, my love. I was hurting you unintentionally.” He brushed a hand through his hair. “There’s been… something to fo
Irene“Lucien, did you cook again?” I asked as I smelt the rich and buttery scent of something. My brows lifted when I stepped into the room. There it was, laid out in its glory: a large plate of pasta and chicken on the small table near the window.“My queen, it's all yours.” Lucien chuckled like a kid who just got his first bicycle. I blinked, stunned. “What is all this about?”“Don’t freak out,” he said, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “I only burned one thing this time and it's still good. The chicken is tender.”I laughed, the sound bubbling out before I could stop it. “Why did you keep cooking, Lucien?”He shrugged, as if it were no big deal. “You’re too beautiful to be stressed. I wanted to give you something back. Besides…” He stepped closer, voice dropping to a teasing whisper. “I think I’m improving.”“You are,” I murmured, staring at the food. My heart fluttered—because he cared too much. The first time he’d cooked for me, it had been a disaster.“Common,” he had s
Irene pov A month later, peace had finally returned to the pack and I could finally breathe. The air shifted and changed into something better and less contaminated. During that same time, I had been working really hard to gain the trust of the pack. "You know they're calling you 'The Gentle Luna' now, right?" Camila said, grinning as she handed me a mug of tea. I blinked and paused for a while. "Wait, what? Seriously?" I asked and She nodded at me. Her eyes were full of excitement. "It's spreading. The news is spreading outside the pack house. Even the traders in the market were saying how kind you were to the orphanage. Someone even mentioned you helped a little girl fix her broken doll. I'm so proud of you, sweetbreads,” she revealed and I chuckled, feeling warmth rise in my chest. "I didn't think people noticed that. This has to be very lovely news!” "Well, they did. And they are talking about it and they are doing that In a good way." That morning sunlight came i
Lucien “It is done, Alpha.” The guards assured me about Malcolm's additional punishment already carried out. I felt at peace at last. The traitors had been punished, and the pack would begin to heal. Though Kael was still out there, I knew he was no match for me, especially since his actions had been so wildly spread. If he were to ever be seen, he would not escape my wrath.The pack members would see that he was duly executed. Left to him, I would have killed him. He touched Irene and that alone should have made me behead him myself. Irene joined me in our room after talking to Silas. I was content that they were bonding well. She came to meet me on the bed, her warmth a gentle reminder of why I shouldn't bother about anything. She was cool, she was ice and she was fire. As we rested, Irene asked. “Lucien, why did you spare the council member's lives? I mean, you had every right to kill them, but you didn't. That's the punishment for traitors, death.”I looked at her, my eyes sea
Lucien“Long live the Alpha, long live the Alpha.”The crowd cheered loudly, content about the verdict I gave each of the traitors. It was the hardest for me to do. Tos sentence all seven of the council of Elders, but I was sure that was the right thing to do.“It's time for Malcolm Stark's verdict!” One of the guards announced. The ground fell silent as the elders were led away, their fate sealed. I nodded to the guards, my voice firm. "Bring Malcolm in."The guards returned with Malcolm, his eyes gleaming with desperation and anger. He wasn't remorseful. He didn't even reflect on what he had done. To him, he was right and everyone was wrong. He stood tall, his shoulders squared, but I saw the faintest tremble in his lips. As he faced me, his gaze darted around the room, searching for an ally or an escape.“If you're looking for where to run to, I assure you that you wouldn't move two feet without getting stabbed in your neck, so, relax and be good.” I said. The guards chained him
LucienPeris would receive his judgement today. And then the council of Elders too. I didn't want to judge them altogether. I was going to hear each and everyone's side of the story. To me, that was fair and just. I was dressed and ready for the day when Irene came to stand by my side. "It's time for Peris's judgment," I said, my voice firm.She placed a hand on my arm, her eyes searching mine. "I wish you luck, my love,” she took a pause and went on. “Peris is not a man of many words, Lucien. He is timid and loyal, in his own way. Perhaps you should allow him to speak for himself. He might not even understand half of the plan.”I nodded, considering her words. When Silas and I had been listening to the conversation they had in Kael's house, Peris seemed like the last person to understand the plan. He wasn't much of a contributor, just a sleeping accomplice. "Very well," I said. "I'll hear him out. But, why am I feeling like you want me to spare him?”She laughed. “No, silly. I know
Irene's POVI closed the door softly behind Lucien, his kiss still lingered on my lips. He said he wanted to meet with some pack members, to reassure them after the chaos of the arrest.He seemed relieved at least. That was all that mattered to me. Apart from the butterflies tingling at the pit of my belly, I was fine. It was late now and all I wanted was Lucien's presence with me. To hold me, kiss me, and feel me. I couldn't ever get enough of him. He was my strength and my weakness.A knock broke through my thoughts and I answered.“Come in,” I said, rising to my feet, heart thudding for a reason I didn't know.The door creaked open, and Silas stepped inside. He stood, his eyes somber, rimmed with guilt and sadness. He looked pale. I hadn't forgotten that he had been stabbed, his arm had been bandaged.“Silas, are you okay? You look so pale.” I said, already moving closer to him. “Did you eat at all?”“Irene,” he said, his voice low. “Can I talk to you?I nodded slowly and motione