《Pursuing My Rejected Alpha》


 Chapter 1

    ?Chapter 1: The entric Alpha and His Blind Date


    ¡°I wonder if I am that boring that Alpha is falling asleep in his seat while listening to me,¡± so the woman in front of Ronan said with a sweet, indulging tone.


    Ronan lifted his gaze to look into her mesmerizing brown eyes. Her blossoming red lips were pulled together into a slight pout. Delighted that the man finally deigned to give her some attention, Lillian Woond leaned forward with both elbows pressing against the table. Her movement was very subtle but achieved the result that she wanted. Ronan¡¯s eyes were immediately drawn to the pair of ripe and delicious fruits that hung seductively right before his eyes, their tender buds were safely hidden beneath the low-cut dress that she wore for the blind date.


    ¡°Does Alpha like what he sees?¡± Lillian teased. ¡°Is he interested to see more?¡±


    Ronan chuckled. His lips were curled up in a tyrannical smile. ¡°Miss Woond is quite eager. I was expecting you to be more innocent and timid in your approach.¡±


    The woman in front of him averted her eyes only for a second before she looked back at him with a fearless look in her eyes. There was a gleam of mischief in the bright brown eyes. She smiled sweetly and winked at him.


    ¡°I heard that Mr. Silverback likes to be rough on the bed.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you did your research,¡± Ronan slid his hand across the table and grabbed Lillian¡¯s wrist. As expected of an Alpha¡¯s daughter, she was immacte in every way. A beautiful face, a slender body, smooth and slightly tanned skin, and a pair of shapely legs. Practically a goddess with both beauty and brain. She was supposedly a virgin, but she was definitely not as innocent as most Alpha daughters were.


    Intriguing.


    .....


    For the first time in years, Ronan was not repulsed by the dates that his father arranged for him to meet almost every month. It was natural to arrange only the best Alpha daughters of high status to match with him, but why must they be so boring? They did not have even an ounce of personality.


    The highborndies were so afraid of displeasing him that they agreed with everything that he said. His favorite color was their favorite colors. His favorite food was coincidentally their favorite food. But when Ronan said that his life dream was to roll around on the bed with random women until they fell pregnant with his cubs, they all turned silent. Their eyes widened in trepidation as they stared at the shameless man in front of them.


    Ronan was especially amused by a certaindy who rose to her feet immediately after she heard his words. Her cheeks flushed crimson due to a mix of embarrassment and anger and her lips trembled from unsaid reproachful words. She had stormed out of the restaurant without a word of farewell while Ronan rubbed against his lips to hide the smug smile beneath his fingers.


    Ronan Silverback, twenty-five years old, was the recently anointed Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack. Despite his boundless charm and gantry on the outside, he was known to be quite entric. Ronan Silverback was very hard to please when it came to picking a Luna.


    His long-suffering father, Dane Silverback, was the retired Alpha of the pack who meanwhile had be a member of the Werewolf Council. He believed that his son simply had not had the opportunity to meet with a woman that was gorgeous enough to spin his head, so he kept arranging blind dates for Ronan.


    His hard work would have been easier if words of Ronan¡¯s supposed womanizing ways had not spread among the packs who looked to find matches for their precious daughters.


    On the other side, this created opportunity for rogue she-wolves who had no packs to rely on. They did not think that Ronan was hard to please. He wanted his woman to be feisty during the day but mellow and obedient during the night. It was the kind of personality that properly-raised Alpha daughters would never have.


    Not that they had no desire to engage in promiscuity. They just could not afford to, because their fathers would kick them out as soon as they found out that their daughters had been intimate with anyone before marriage, or even worse, fallen pregnant with an illegitimate child.


    Lillian Woond, Ronan¡¯stest match did not even flinch when Ronan slipped a hand under her skirt and traveled up her firm thigh. She even purred like a cat as if she truly wanted him to make her his. Ronan narrowed his eyes in amusement. Just how far was he allowed to tease an Alpha daughter without going past the point of no return? What would it take to disgust Lillian Woond?


    Before Ronan managed to muster a perfect n, his train of thought was disrupted by his vibrating phone. He threw a brief nce at the disy and saw that it was his Beta who called. His Beta, Jake, fully supported Dane in his attempt to get Ronan married as soon as possible, so he never once called during one of his blind dates before. If Jake called, then something serious was happening.


    Ronan withdrew his hand from under Lillian¡¯s skirt and rose to his feet to pick up the phone.


    ¡°Jake? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    It was quite noisy on the other side of the phone. Jake sounded half exasperated half annoyed.


    ¡°Ronan, sorry to disturb your date. Pleasee back to the Pack House first. We have a situation here.¡±


    ¡°Situation¡± usually meant that a pack member was stuck in a dire situation.


    ¡°I aming right now,¡± Ronan said while giving Lillian a look. The woman merely gave him a sweet and understanding smile.


    ¡°I have to go,¡± Ronan said after he ended the call.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Lillian pulled Ronan close and stuffed somethingcy in his hand. She had taken off her underwear discreetly while Ronan was on phone.


    ¡°A memento for our next date,¡± she whispered.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2: The Missing Little Wolf


    In light of the emergency, whatever it might be, Ronan would love to transform and run back to the Pack House in his wolf form. Unfortunately, it was not convenient to do that in the middle of a bustling city. Ronan thus decided to act more like a normal human being. One short phone call and five minutester, his car had already pulled up in front of him.


    As soon as they were alone inside the car, Ronan¡¯s wolf, Beowulf, started to talk. He always had a lot of opinions about the women that Ronan got introduced to. Hisments were anything but savory. This time too, he had thought of a few adjectives to describe Lillian Woond.


    ¡®I dislike her,¡¯ Beowulf said openly without any intention to sugarcoat his opinion. ¡®She looks cheap.¡¯


    Ronan let out a chuckle.


    ¡®Thest one was haughty. The one before her was stupid. I don¡¯t think there will ever be anyone who will be good enough for you, B. And you haven¡¯t even met her wolf.¡¯


    Beowulf growled.


    ¡®Why would I want to meet her wolf if I don¡¯t even like her?¡¯


    .....


    Ronan sighed in his heart.


    ¡®We can¡¯t keep doing this, Beowulf. We will have to decide eventually.¡¯


    ¡®I decided,¡¯ his wolf growled. ¡®Long time ago,¡¯ he added.


    Ronan closed his eyes for a few moments to disperse the image of a certain young man from his mind.


    ¡®I know.¡¯


    The Infinite Eclipse Pack House was a huge apartmentplex that was situated at the center of a forest. The wholend belonged to the pack since hundreds of years ago. All pack members were born and raised in the safe enclosure until they were ready to go out and mingle among the human beings.


    Traditionally, werewolf pack members used to go to predetermined educational institutions from kindergarten to university. This was done to ensure that the werewolf cubs¡¯ identity remained protected as they slowly grew up, met their wolves for the first time, and learned to get along with their wolves.


    Although it was highly rmended to send the werewolf cubs to certain schools and colleges and universities only, some couples liked to be different. They let their children decide where to go.


    A particr eighteen-year-old girl named Maya had decided to attend an art college that was located in a city that went by the name South Bedford City. The city was more than 500 miles away from the Great Lake City where the Infinite Eclipse Pack House and forest stood.


    She had done so well growing up and mingling with other human beings that her parents were quickly convinced that nothing would go wrong.


    Something did go wrong.


    Maya¡¯s identity was exposed in an unfortunate incident, and the poor girl in her transformed body escaped from her college and went missing.


    The Infinite Eclipse Pack had been trying to locate the girl for a week. Scouts were sent out in all directions to find out news about a possible rogue she-wolf who bore Maya¡¯s characteristics. Finally, there were some updates but they were not ttering at all.


    Ronan raised an eyebrow upon hearing the news.


    ¡°Are you sure, Robin?¡±


    Robin, the Scout who found Maya, nodded and confirmed, ¡°Yes, Alpha. There was no mistake. It was Maya, and she is currently living with a male human being.¡±


    ¡°Impossible!!!¡± Maya¡¯s father roared in fury. ¡°Not my daughter! NOT MY DAUGHTER!¡± he wailed in distress while pounding on the granite floor. Maya¡¯s mother was not able to bring out even a single word. She merely cried and cried. Judging from the redness of her eyes, she had been crying every day since her daughter went missing.


    When speaking of an ideal son-inw, most werewolf fathers had simr ideas in their minds.


    First of all, it would be great if the son-inw and the daughter were fated mates.


    Second, it would be greater if the son-inw was part of the same pack.


    Third, if it was not possible to marry someone from the same pack, then it would be wonderful if the daughter could marry preferably a well-off werewolf with a good position in another pack.


    The son-inw did not have to be an Alpha. Could also be a Beta. Or a Gamma.


    Basically, the son-inw had to be a werewolf.


    She-wolves who eloped with rogue werewolves were bad enough and risked lifelong exile. What about she-wolves who eloped with a human male?


    Exile was not even enough. The she-wolf must be recovered before she exposed her identity to the man and shamed her whole pack.


    Maya¡¯s father looked as if he would rather have Maya lying dead at his feet rather than hear the preposterous story that the Scout had to tell.


    ¡°Please, Alpha!¡± he begged. ¡°Please bring Maya back to the pack. This must be a huge misunderstanding!¡±


    Ronan closed his eyes in irritation for a while before he opened them again with a slight frown between his brows. Whether the she-wolf that Robin found was truly Maya or not, he had to find out by himself. If she was indeed Maya, then he was going to force her toe back with him to the Pack House.


    In order to not attract too much attention, Ronan decided to go with only Jake and Robin.


    The man¡¯s house was located on the outskirts of South Bedford City. It was a lone and humble house, one of many at the end of a vast sunflower field. Most houses in the area were separated by at least a hundred meters from each other.


    The inhabitants did not spend time outside of their houses other than to attend to their flourishing gardens meticulously or sit on the verandah to enjoy the beautiful spring day.


    When Ronan, Jake, and Robin walked past the other houses on their way to the house where Maya lived, the neighbors subtly lifted their heads and shot them curious looks.


    Ronan could not care less about the neighbors. His eyes were trained on their target. There were movements in the garden before they even came close to the white picket fence.


    The one who was working in the garden quickly noticed the three uninvited guests. A young woman with long, light brown hair emerged from behind a bush with huge garden shears in her hand.


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3: The Once Lost Moonlight


    Maya¡¯s eyes widened upon seeing the three werewolves in front of her. The hand that was holding the garden shears trembled violently before dropping the pointy des to the ground. The end of a de scratched the lower part of her leg and a little blood came out.


    Ronan, Jake, and Robin walked toward Maya like a tornado that was about to sweep Maya off her feet and rip her apart. There was terror in Maya¡¯s eyes, but her voice was stuck in her throat. She was not able to speak, let alone scream for help or run. The Alpha¡¯s presencemanded absolute deference from his pack members.


    Onemand echoed in Maya¡¯s mind and erased everything else in her mind.


    ¡®Kneel.¡¯


    It was the first time Maya ever met the currently reigning Alpha. Up until before she left to attend the college at South Bedford City, she had always been an ordinary pack member who never had one wrong toe out of line. There was no event big enough in her little inner family circle that required the Alpha¡¯s presence in person. Not until today.


    Maya¡¯s legs gave up voluntarily and she dropped to her knees. Her head was tilted forward to a certain degree and her eyes were unfocused.


    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡± Maya answered in her head.


    .....


    Ronan raised his chin slightly and looked down at the young woman who was kneeling before them.


    ¡°Take her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡±


    Jake and Robin each took one of Maya¡¯s sides, intent on dragging her up by the arms. A loud banging sound followed by a shout that came from inside the house startled them and caused them to stop.


    ¡°Stop right there!¡±


    Their heads snapped up to look at a man who just emerged from inside the house. He regarded them with an icy look. There was an unusual chill that emanated from him, giving him an aura of authority and grandeur.


    Both Jake and Robin froze on spot. Both of them were thinking about the same thing.


    An alpha?


    Impossible. Because they could sense that this person had no wolf! He was only a normal human being. There was no such thing as ranks in human society.


    While Jake and Robin were eyeing this neer with eyes full of curiosity, Ronan¡¯s face grew darker by the second.


    ¡°Lucien Clearwater,¡± Ronan growled under his breath, narrowing his eyes at the man in front of them. Beowulf was literally screaming in Ronan¡¯s head.


    ¡®It cannot be,¡¯ the wolf howled. ¡®I cannot sense Landon at all. Landon, where are you???¡¯


    Ronan pressed at his aching temple.


    ¡®Calm down, Beowulf.¡¯


    Unless the Moon Goddess pulled a joke on Ronan and gave him a second fated mate who looked and acted exactly like Lucien, he could impossibly be wrong.


    Despite the rejection, the fated connection that the Moon Goddess herself bestowed upon them was still strong and potent, coursing inside Ronan¡¯s blood likeva and screaming for release.


    If Lucien had been surprised to see Ronan, it was only shown for a split second in the form of a passing glint in his eyes that quickly disappeared. Ronan smirked when he saw Lucien¡¯s fleeting, barely noticeable reaction.


    It was really none other than Lucien Clearwater. No other person had a temperament that was as cold as a frozenke in the middle of a long and harsh winter.


    Lucien pulled the dazed Maya up to her feet and pushed her behind himself.


    ¡°What are three mighty werewolves such as yourselves doing at my doorstep? If I didn¡¯t know better, I would say that you were bullying my little friend here.¡±


    ¡°Maya here is a member of our pack. We are here to take her home to her family.¡± Jake said, crossing his arms before his chest. ¡°Come here, Maya.¡±


    Dazed Maya was still under the influence of the Alpha voice.


    She mumbled a hollow ¡°Yes Beta¡± before moving out of Lucien¡¯s protective back.


    ¡°Wait for a second,¡± Lucien said, stretching his arm to the side to grab Maya by her wrist. ¡°I cannot let her leave like this.¡±


    Jake took a deep breath and the air around them changed. A strong scent permeated the air, sending bitter and pungent-smelling pheromones in Lucien¡¯s and Maya¡¯s direction. Jake was about to forcefully grab Maya but Ronan ced a steely hand over Jake¡¯s shoulder.


    For some reason, the Alpha looked extremely displeased with his attempt to intimidate this inconsequential male human being that bewitched Maya. Thinking that he had offended Ronan with his domineering attitude, he stepped back cautiously.


    Little did he know that he was using his pheromones to threaten his Alpha¡¯s fated mate. Rejected or not, neither Ronan nor Beowulf could stand it when another werewolf was getting too close to Lucien.


    Ronan yanked Maya away from Lucien¡¯s grip and shoved her in Jake¡¯s and Robin¡¯s direction. Lucien only managed to let out an ¡°Ah...!!!¡± before Ronan pushed him through the door. He turned his head slightly to the side and said to his two subordinates, ¡°Go and find a hotel nearby.¡±


    Then, he went inside Lucien¡¯s house and closed the door behind him. Dumbfounded, Jake stared at the door with his mouth slightly open.


    ¡°Um... Beta, shall we go...?¡±


    ¡°Uh... yes, of course. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Jake threw onest nce at the door, wondering what his Alpha was doing with the person inside. He did not hear the violent sound of a body hitting the ground yet, so maybe Maya¡¯s boyfriend was still alive...


    Behind the closed door, Alpha Ronan Silverback was pinning Lucien Clearwater at the wall. Thest sun rays before sunset flooded into the humble living room, illuminating Lucien¡¯s features and bringing warmth into his otherwise cold caramel-brown eyes.


    ¡°Why are you here and where is Landon?¡±


    Ronan only had these two questions to ask. Even Beowulf turned quiet, waiting for Lucien to speak. He thought that he deserved to know as much. Unfortunately, the man in front of him did not think the same way.


    ¡°None of your business,¡± Lucien snapped none-too-friendly.


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4: The One Who Loved More


    Ronan tightened his grip around Lucien¡¯s wrists. The man was like an ice de, and his words were like poison. It was evident that past affection left no trace in Lucien¡¯s heart. Lucien was the lucky one out of the two. Ronan gritted his teeth in fury and shot the man a burning re.


    It had been seven years, but there was not a day when he did not ask the Moon Goddess for the reason for the injustice. For his one-sided suffering.


    Why was it that the rejection only had an effect on Lucien?


    Why was it that Ronan was still gued by endless turmoil and heartbreak night after night after separating from Lucien?


    Why was it that nothing could quench his thirst for this man? Neither man nor woman could satisfy him in bed no matter how many or how often.


    Once, Ronan thought that maybe Lucien tricked him. Maybe the werewolf who rejected the fated mate would suffer more than the one who was rejected. His theory was quickly toppled by the Pack Elder who imed the other way. The one who got rejected was supposed to suffer more.


    ¡°So why is Lucien doing fine while I am hurting every day??¡± Ronan had asked indignantly.


    .....


    And how did the Elder respond to him?


    The elder werewolf had drawn a deep breath before he gave Ronan apassionate look.


    ¡°The pain that we feel after a rejection is rted to the feelings that we have for our fated mate. Ronan, you have just met Lucien two times. It is perfectly normal if your fated mate is not overly attached to you yet.¡±


    What the Elder did not say out of kindness was that it was abnormal for Ronan to feel that much for Lucien. Despite the fated connection, they did not know each other that well.


    Ronan was the fool who insisted on pursuing Lucien. Lucien was the sensible, wise alpha who knew when to stop the momentary infatuation between two Alpha heirs that was not meant tost.


    ¡°Let me go,¡± Lucien snarled at Ronan. ¡°Damn it, let me go!¡±


    Lucien thrashed against Ronan¡¯s grasp, but the Alpha refused to let him go. The more Lucien struggled, the redder Ronan¡¯s eyes became. Until destion, anger, and frustration bubbled up in his heart and consumed thest bits of his self-restraint.


    Against better judgment, Ronan lowered his head and captured Lucien¡¯s lips in one movement.


    ¡°Mmmh... Nggh...!!!¡±


    It was not a gentle kiss. It was ravenous and wild. Ronan half-sucked and half-bit Lucien¡¯s lips, then he moved to plunder the inside of Lucien¡¯s mouth. Thetter was not prepared to be at the receiving end of such a violent disy of intimacy at all. He was slowly running out of breath.


    Ronan stopped restraining Lucien and pulled him into a tight embrace, but the man refused to cooperate. He used his fists to punch every part of Ronan¡¯s body that he could reach and his feet to stomp on Ronan¡¯s boots.


    Like oil that was doused in a burning me, it did nothing but ignited the Alpha¡¯s desire to conquer him even more.


    Adult Lucien was shorter than him by half a head. He was strong, but Ronan was stronger. He dragged the man by force to the bedroom and threw him on the bed. Dizzy from being thrown, Lucien did not get up in time. When he wanted to get off the bed, Ronan was already pinning him on the bed.


    An exasperated sigh escaped Lucien¡¯s lips.


    ¡°What do you want, Ronan?¡±


    It was their first meeting after seven years but Lucien was acting as if there had never been anything between them. As if they wereplete strangers. Ronan could not ept it, and neither could Beowulf. His wolf was as agitated as he was, and it only served to irritate Ronan further.


    ¡°I asked you two questions. Answer me.¡±


    Lucien looked away from the man on top of him and sighed again before giving him the most perfunctory answer.


    ¡°I am, as you see, living by myself away from my pack. Landon has left me.¡±


    Lucien refused to look at Ronan. He also stopped trying to get away from the Alpha. He justy there on the bed, his head turned to the side, and his gaze unfocused.


    ¡°Why are you not with your pack and why did Landon leave you?¡±


    The follow-up question displeased Lucien even more.


    ¡°I do not have to answer any of your questions. Ronan, are you or are you not letting me go?!¡±


    Ronan finally released Lucien and climbed off his body. He stood by the bed and observed Lucien.


    ¡°So,¡± he said with a hint of mockery in his eyes. ¡°You stopped being a werewolf just like that and then you seduced a young woman into your bed? Heh. I am not sure if it is luck or unluck that your little lover just has to be someone from my pack.¡±


    Lucien grabbed a pillow from behind him and threw it at Ronan¡¯s smug face.


    ¡°It is Maya¡¯s misfortune to have an Alpha that is as ignorant as you. If you had known all the facts, you would do more than juste here to drag her out of my house.¡±


    They were both alpha werewolves, but Ronan refused to take criticism from someone who not only failed to be an Alpha but also lost his wolf and got exiled from his own pack.


    Compared to Lucien, he had achieved a lot more! It was absolutely uneptable for someone like Lucien to describe him, the Alpha of the great Infinite Eclipse Pack, as ignorant!


    A sneer appeared on Ronan¡¯s handsome face. He looked down at Lucien and spoke each word slowly and clearly to make sure that Lucien did not miss even one word.


    ¡°And it was Landon¡¯s misfortune to be paired with someone like you. Look at your pathetic self. You are so cold-blooded that not even your wolf is willing to stay with you.¡±


    When Ronan saw hurt shing across Lucien¡¯s eyes, he knew that he had won. The Alpha roared inughter as he walked out of the bedroom and left the house, mming the door shut with a loud bang.


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5: The Ignorant Alpha¡¯s Blunder


    When Maya recovered from the Alpha Voice and regained her consciousness, she was almost frightened to death by the domineering presence of the three werewolves around her.


    The Alpha and Beta personally hade to pick her up. The poor young woman retreated to the corner of the bed while clutching the quilt in distress.


    Jake tried to talk to Maya, but the young woman started to scream in distress. They were starting to attract unwanted attention.


    Three grown men and an eighteen-year-old young woman in a hotel room already invited a lot of suspicious nces at the reception desk.


    Hearing the young woman let out a blood-curdling scream was not going to improve their standing.


    Jake turned to look at Ronan and spoke to him via mind link.


    ¡®Ronan, let¡¯s take her back as soon as possible. It is best to let her heal slowly in the Pack House and then we can slowly ask her what is going on.¡¯


    .....


    ¡®Hmm. Alright.¡¯


    Ronan took a step toward Maya who immediately started to shiver in fear again. She did not dare to scream but tears kept streaming down her face like rivulets.


    For some reason, Lucien¡¯s words kept haunting Ronan. It might be his ego that yearned to prove Lucien wrong and demanded him to properly apologize to him.


    Or maybe because he discovered something amiss. Ronan just knew that there was something else that was hidden beneath the surface.


    ¡°No,¡± Ronan decided, startling both Jake and Robin. ¡°We are not going back yet. Get me a Healer to stay with her during the night.¡±


    Upon hearing that they were not going back to the Pack House yet, Maya stopped crying and her expression became more tranquil.


    This did not escape Ronan¡¯s observation, but it did not make the matter any clearer than before. Why would Maya not want to go back to the Pack House? Why did she choose to stay with Lucien instead?


    Jake hated to question Ronan¡¯s decision, but as a good Beta, he still had to ask via mind link.


    ¡®Alpha, I know it iste, but we can still make it back home before midnight.¡¯


    ¡®I am sorry that you need to stay away from your mate tonight. Please ry my apologies to Cassie.¡¯


    Cassie, short for Cassandra, was Jake¡¯s mate. She was currently pregnant with the couple¡¯s first child, which exined Jake¡¯s reluctance to be apart from her.


    Jake pursed his lips, trying hard to suppress his annoyance. Unlike Ronan who enjoyed bedding random men and women and switched partners every week, Jake was a traditional-minded werewolf who cared to spend his spare time with only one woman who was no one other than his mate.


    Of course he wanted to go back home to spend time with Cassie, but it did not mean that he would neglect his responsibilities as a Beta.


    ¡®That is not it. I am worried that the man mighte back for Maya. I don¡¯t know what his deal is, but he is not a normal human being. I smelled his scent on Maya.¡¯


    Ronan¡¯s face turned sour as soon as he heard that Lucien¡¯s scent stuck to Maya. He marched to the bed, grabbed the shrieking young woman, and took a whiff.


    ¡®No,¡¯ Ronan denied with furrowed brows. ¡®This is not his scent.¡¯


    ¡®Huh? It¡¯s not?¡¯


    Granted, Lucien did not release any pheromones during their short encounter today so Jake could not be sure about the scent that stuck to Maya, but then whose scent was it?


    There was also another interesting question...


    Jake stole surreptitious nces at the Alpha. Ronan, how did you know what the man smelled like? Just what did you do with him behind a closed door after we left...?


    Jake decided to take the questions with him to the grave. He must not interfere in Ronan¡¯s private life.


    ¡®Well then, I will uh, get a Healer first.¡¯


    ¡®Hmm.¡¯


    ¡®Robin,e with me...¡¯


    ¡®Sure, Beta.¡¯


    Jake and Robin left, and Ronan was left alone with Maya in the room.


    ¡®Maya, look at me,¡¯ Ronanmanded using the Alpha voice. Maya unwittingly turned to look at Ronan.


    ¡®Go rest.¡¯


    Maya¡¯s eyes fluttered shut and she fell to the side like a rigid corpse. Ronan exhaled and went to tuck the young woman inside the quilt properly. When he caught a whiff of the scent that stuck to Maya again, Ronan furrowed his brows.


    For some reason, somewhere sometime, he smelled this scent before. But who, where, and when?


    Ronan thought hard about it but he still could not figure it out. It did not help that Beowulf kept wanting to go back to talk some more with Lucien.


    ¡®B, Landon is gone. I doubt that he excused himself and told Lucien where he was going,¡¯ Ronan told his wolf.


    ¡®I know but Landon must have his reason to leave Lucien. They are supposed to stay together for a lifetime, just like you and I are going to be together until you die.¡¯


    ¡®... How romantic.¡¯


    ¡®So let¡¯s go and ask Lucien for more details.¡¯


    Ronan groaned in his heart. Beowulf was clearly smitten with Landon. Ronan was not sure if he should be happy or miserable when facing the fact that the wolves were getting along better than him and Lucien.


    Jake returned alone to the room with cards for two other rooms.


    ¡°Ronan, you must be tired. Go get some rest. The Healer ising in a bit.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ronan said. ¡°Come to my room to report Maya¡¯stest condition before you retire for the night.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡±


    Ronan took a shower and ordered a cup of wine for the night. Jake dutifully came to report that the Healer had arrived and checked on Maya. She was going to stay with her until they were ready to go back home.


    ¡°Ok,¡± Ronan said. ¡°Go to sleep, Jake.¡±


    Jake did not move from his spot.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just... I just realized that I smelled the scent on Maya somewhere before, but I cannot remember.¡±


    Ronan narrowed his eyes at Jake.


    ¡°... You too?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Jake said. ¡°But when? Where? And who?¡±


    The Alpha and Beta were deep in thoughts. At night, the surrounding area was very quiet. The tranquility of the night was interrupted by the sound of breaking ss, followed by a muffled cry.


    Ronan and Jake stormed out of the room as fast as lightning.


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6: The Damsel in Distress


    The werewolf ran through the night with the unconscious prey that was slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He struggled to move as quietly as possible to avoid unwanted attention. It was not an easy feat because panic started to creep up his spine.


    The werewolf did not expect the Alpha and Beta toe personally to collect Maya. As he told them Maya¡¯s whereabouts, he was seething inside.


    He knew that if he had let them bring Maya back home, then it would be over. His sins would be revealed before the whole pack. Although it was not his fault at all. It was this bitch¡¯s fault, always seducing him day by day.


    So what if he just wanted to taste her once and for all? She was such a drama queen too... Transforming into a wolf like that and then running away. Heh. As if she could escape that easily.


    The werewolf knew what to do. He just needed to subdue Maya and put a baby in her belly. After that, the bitch would belong to him. Forever. A wicked smile appear on his lips. He just had to find a safe ce to lock her up. This time, no one was going toe between them.


    A rustling sound was heard and the werewolf snapped up his head in rm. He only saw the shining gleam of a long de for a split second before he let out a shriek and jumped aside from fear.


    Lucien Clearwater¡¯s red-blonde hair was illuminated by the sparse moonlight. He moved smoothly as he hacked ruthlessly at the werewolf with a medium-length saber. The curved end caught the werewolf a few times, stabbing and cutting at him ferociously. Not unlike Lucien himself.


    .....


    The werewolf was forced to drop Maya unceremoniously on the ground. He was contemting his options: grab Maya and run away or leave Maya and run away.


    Unfortunately, Lucien did not look as if he was willing to let him leave just like that. The man held his saber in a horizontal position, the shining de reflected Lucien¡¯s fierce caramel-brown eyes.


    ¡°Submit yourself or die,¡± Lucien growled.


    The werewolf brandished his teeth. The moon shall be his aid. He gave Lucien a maniacal grin as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt. Cracking sounds were hearding from his body when the transformation started.


    His neck and limbs extended in a grotesque way, the human bones were remolded into wolf bones. His eyes took on a rabid look, the white part assumed the red color of blood.


    Before long, the cornered man was gone and reced by a wolf with a dark brown coat. The beast slipped easily out of the clothes that he wore just moments ago. He showed him two rows of sharp teeth with two pairs of sharp fangs, ready to tear through anything and anyone in his way.


    Lucien squinted at the transformed man. Neither his expressionless face nor his cold eyes betrayed anything.


    ¡°Come,¡± he said, turning the de in his hands a few degrees and assuming an attacking pose.


    The wolf lunged at him with a roar. Lucien kicked off the ground and met the wolf in the air. The wolf nimbly evaded the de. With a triumphant look in his eyes, he opened his mouth wide to sink his fangs into Lucien¡¯s arm.


    Before he managed to do so, Lucien¡¯s leg shot out and kicked the wolf in an upward direction. The wolf howled in pain when Lucien¡¯s boot hit its stomach. It was flung backward, and Luciennded on the ground safely.


    The kick did hurt, but it was not enough to deter the wolf. The werewolf was humiliated to the core. He was a werewolf! How could he lose against this... human being??? Driven by his hurting pride and lust to tear his enemy into bloody shreds, he lunged forward again with the full intention to kill this annoying man who spoiled his ns again and again.


    Lucien tried his best to fend himself against the bloodthirsty wolf. The saber in his hand danced elegantly in his hand, but he only had that one saber on him. His opponent had two pairs of sharp fangs and four sets of ws.


    Luciennded a few shes and kicks, but he also sustained a few scratches on his back and shoulders. Fresh blood spurted from the open wounds and permeated the air with a rusty smell.


    The werewolf bared his fangs in a perverted delight. Lucien¡¯s mental fortitude was slowly abraded by his wounds.


    One more time, he thought.


    Onest time, the wolf thought.


    They charged at each other at the same time, the beast against the man. This time the werewolf managed to bite Lucien¡¯s saber-holding wrist. Pain streaked through Lucien¡¯s usually calm and collected eyes, distorting his face into a mask of agony.


    Lucien was forced to let go of his weapon. Blood gushed in a stream from his vein into the werewolf¡¯s throat.


    ¡°You...!¡± Lucien¡¯s eyes shed dangerously. He stepped at the hilt of his saber. The de flew into the air lightly and Lucien caught it with his left hand. Just as he wanted to stab the wolf¡¯s neck with the saber, the wolf widened his eyes in fear and let go instantly. The saber missed him by a hairbreadth.


    The man and wolf were locked in a staringpetition. Just then, a strong scent of sandalwood mixed with sea salt invaded their noses. The aggressive and tyrannical pheromones made both Lucien and the wolf wince. Not long after, the Alpha who spread the pheromones appeared before them.


    Ronan Silverback¡¯s face looked as if it was carved from stone. The severe lines on his face spoke from extreme fury. The wolf in front of Lucien immediately grabbed his clothes and went behind a tree.


    His transformation back to his human form was a lot quicker than the other way around. But what amazed Lucien the most was his shameless words right after he transformed.


    ¡°Alpha, help me! This human being kidnapped Maya. I am fighting him but he is intent on killing me!¡±


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7: Maya¡¯s Real Kidnapper


    A dangerous light shed across Lucien¡¯s eyes. His pale face was twisted by fury. How could anyone be so shameless?


    Lucien wanted to drag the werewolf out of the tree¡¯s shadow and beat him ck and blue. He could not care less whether or not Ronan was present. However before he even took another step toward the tree, Ronan already grabbed his wrist. idental or not, Ronan was squeezing a sh wound on Lucien¡¯s arm. Thetter hissed from pain.


    Thinking that his Alpha was there to save him, the werewolf came out after he finished dressing himself. He went to pick Maya up from the ground, but Jake went ahead of him.


    The Beta put one of Maya¡¯s arms around his neck as he hoisted Maya into his arms. He shot the werewolf in front of him an indecipherable look.


    ¡°Is something the matter, Gavin?¡±


    So his name was Gavin. Lucien tried to wrench his arm away from Ronan¡¯s steely grip to no avail.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Gavin answered with a grin. ¡°Alpha, Beta, I am so happy that Maya is finally safe again. What are we going to do with this human being? I fear that he is going to do something to Maya again.¡±


    .....


    ¡°You fucking bastard!¡± Lucien shouted angrily, ignoring the pain in his arm. ¡°You shameless liar!¡±


    Gavin shrank back. He furrowed his brows, pretending to worry about Lucien¡¯s emotional state.


    ¡°Alpha, it is best to take care of this human being right away. He lives alone. No one will notice if...¡±


    Gavin did not end his sentence but all of them knew what he wanted to say.


    Jake chuckled. ¡°That won¡¯t do, Gavin. Considering that he has been protecting Maya from scum like you.¡±


    Color drained from Gavin¡¯s face as soon as he heard Jake¡¯s words. He turned around and escaped.


    ¡°Ah...!¡±


    Lucien tried to free himself but Ronan was not letting him go. Jake too did not move from where he was, still standing in front of them with Maya in his arms.


    ¡°Jake, go back with Maya to the hotel,¡± Ronan saidnguidly. ¡°I still have something to do.¡±


    Jake was not in a position to question his Alpha about what it was exactly that he had to do sote in the night, so he simply nodded and went back to the hotel.


    ¡°You fool!¡± Lucien hissed at Ronan as soon as they were alone. ¡°Why are you here standing around like a useless Alpha? Are you letting that werewolf escape because he¡¯s from your pack???¡±


    Ronan raised an eyebrow at Lucien.


    ¡°I already gave an order for a hunt. He is not going to be out in the wild for long. I shall have him delivered in front of me at the Pack House tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien shot Ronan a re.


    ¡°Then what the hell are you doing here. Let me go, I...¡±


    A wave of dizziness flooded Lucien¡¯s head. He felt faint, and then his legs gave up under him. Ronan picked him up with one swift movement and carried him in his arms.


    Lucien was losing a lot of blood. Ronan brought him back to his hotel room and asked the Healer that they found for Maya to take care of him.


    Beowulf could not shut up.


    ¡®Ronan, is Lucien going to be fine?¡¯


    Ronan chuckled.


    ¡®I thought you only care for Landon. Now that Landon deserted him, do you still care about Lucien?¡¯


    ¡®I do, and so do you,¡¯ Beowulf pointed out.


    Ronan furrowed his brows in displeasure. Only Beowulf spoke to him in this way. Ronan hated to be reminded of his unrequited affection for Lucien.


    After the Healer patched Lucien up, she excused herself to go back to her and Maya¡¯s room. Jake already got them a new room.


    Ronan slowly walked toward the bed and towered over the unconscious Lucien. He was pale from excessive blood loss, and half of his body was covered in bandages. He had fought as bravely as any werewolf.


    Only that he was no longer one. Not after Landon left him.


    Ronan rubbed at his forehead and sighed. There was only one double bed in the room. Lucien was not going to like sharing a bed with Ronan, but so what. Ronan was not going to get himself a new room. Lucien just had to make do for the night. Ronan took off his shirt and slipped inside the quilt.


    The room was filled with a mix of their faint scents. It had a calming effect on Ronan, who slept throughout the night without further disturbances. He only woke up when the man next to him started to stir. Their eyes met as soon as Ronan opened his eyes.


    It was difficult to decipher the look on Lucien¡¯s face, but there was neither gratitude nor delight in his eyes. Ronan¡¯s heart turned a few degrees colder when he saw Lucien being his usual self again.


    What did he expect? He was the fool for expecting more from a heartless person like Lucien. Ronan raked his fingers through his hair and put his shirt back on. Lucien propped himself up with a lot of effort. His eyshes were slightly moist from pain. Ronan reached out to help Lucien but thetter shot him a fierce re and refused his help.


    Ronan raised an eyebrow at Lucien¡¯s haughty attitude. ¡°What¡¯s with the attitude? We shared a bed before. And we did a lot more than just sleeping next to each other.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s head snapped toward Ronan as he regarded thetter with an icy look.


    ¡°Stop speaking about the past.¡±


    Ronan scoffed. That was it? ¡°The Past¡±?


    ¡°I have a burning question for you. I hope you can enlighten me.¡±


    Lucien cut him a smirk.


    ¡°Please speak then, Alpha.¡±


    Hearing Lucien call him Alpha made Ronan bristle with annoyance. It was less apliment, more a mockery. Never mind. Ronan drew a deep breath before he posed his question.


    ¡°If you did not want to be with me, why did you let me fuck you back then?¡±


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8: The Haughty Fallen Alpha


    Lucien shed Ronan a sweet smile despite thetter¡¯s grim expression. Ronan knew that he was about to hear another jab before said jab evennded.


    The man who was covered in bandages gathered himself and climbed out of the bed. He walked around the bednguidly and stood in front of Ronan with squared shoulders, his eyes were full of unsuppressed contempt.


    ¡°What do you want me to say, Ronan? That you were so irresistible that I could not help it? That I was so ovee by lust that I let you top me? That you were destined to be a great Alpha just because you managed to fuck another alpha?¡±


    Ronan shook his head, his eyes never leaving Lucien¡¯s while his lips formed a bitter smile.


    ¡°I would not dare. After all, you were the one who broke up with me.¡±


    Lucien scoffed and threw his head back in exasperation. Rolling with his eyes, he started to criticize Ronan.


    ¡°That is your biggest problem, Ronan. You fucked me once and you acted as if we were married.


    .....


    Who can stand that? You acted like a clingy wife. If I did not, as you put it, ¡®break up¡¯ with you back then, I would do so dayster.


    Or weekster. It didn¡¯t matter. Thankfully I am not the sort of person who likes to waste my time or my supposed fated mate¡¯s time. Be thankful for that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am,¡± Ronan said with a poisonous grin. ¡°Thanks to you, I was able to taste many other men and women. I can say that theirpany is preferable to yours.¡±


    ¡°I am excessively happy for you,¡± Lucien said with cold exaggeration. He averted his eyes afterward. Ronan thought that he saw dark clouds hushing over Lucien¡¯s face for a while, but it must have been his imagination. A momentter, Lucien¡¯s head snapped back up and he shot Ronan a re.


    ¡°After I answer your boring question, can I leave? Infinite Eclipse Pack members sure think that they are so great that they can detain anyone for as long as they want.¡±


    The statement was pretty vexing. It was less a detainment, more a medical treatment.


    ¡°I brought you back to treat your wounds,¡± Ronan pointed out.


    ¡°Wounds that I got thanks to your incapability as an Alpha,¡± Lucien snapped. ¡°So you are wee.¡±


    Lucien put his bloody white shirt back on and left the room without another word. Ronan stood in the middle of the hotel room with fire burning in his eyes. He was so angry that he could punch the nearest wall. What exactly made Lucien think that he was better than Ronan? How infuriating!!!


    Ronan¡¯s mood was entirely foul when he departed with his little group in tow that morning. It was made especially difficult because Maya broke into hysteria as soon as she caught sight of Gavin. Not that Gavin was all that well-behaved either. He knew what was waiting for him once they arrived at the Infinite Eclipse Pack House, so he tried to escape a lot of times. Ronan had to use Alpha Voice to subdue both of them.


    Upon arrival, Gavin was immediately detained in the Pack Prison and Maya was returned to her parents. Although she was resistant to going home at first, it was her parents¡¯ warm embrace that eventually calmed her down. And yet, she was still very shaken from the recent events in her life that she immediately mped up upon being questioned.


    After trying hard for a whole day, the Healer reported to Ronan that Maya would require a longer time to heal, possibly months. Gavin could impossibly be imprisoned for months while waiting for Maya to recover. There was only one other person that they could turn to. Someone who might know the story from his point of view and Maya¡¯s point of view.


    Having met with his wife again and ensured that she was still well-fed, safe, and sound, Jake was again ready to attend to his responsibilities conscientiously.


    ¡°Alpha, why don¡¯t I go back to South Bedford City tomorrow and ask the man some questions? He can provide us with some insight into this matter. Besides, the pack owes him. He protected Maya for days.¡±


    Ronan replied with a nomittal grunt as his fingers rubbed against a decorative carving at his seat.


    A tight smile formed on Jake¡¯s lips. He waited for Ronan to tell him to go and do that, but somehow it did not seem that Ronan heard him at all. Jake was already wondering if he should repeat his words when Ronan finally decided to give him some attention.


    ¡°Do you know who he is?¡±


    Jake averted his eyes for a split second before he met Ronan¡¯s eyes again. His gut told him that it was the beginning of a very unpleasant conversation. ¡°I found out. His name is Lucien Clearwater. He is an art professor in the college that Maya attends. Maya is one of his students.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Jake swallowed and tried his best to maintain the polite smile on his face.


    Ronan narrowed his eyes at his Beta. ¡°What else?¡±


    Jake sighed in his heart. Of course Ronan knew that he had dug further. For the first time since he became Ronan¡¯s Beta, Jake regretted taking initiative in this matter. If he knew what he was about to find out, he would not even do so unless Ronan asked him to specifically look into it.


    Anyway, there was no room for pretense. Jake cleared his throat and told Ronan everything that he knew about Lucien.


    ¡°I also heard that Lucien Clearwater used to be one of the alphas that belonged to the Silent Walkers Pack. And,¡± a muscle at Jake¡¯s cheek twitched visibly, ¡°that you and he used to be fated mates.¡±


    Ronan rubbed at his lips thoughtfully while pinning Jake with an unfathomable look. Jake could see a hidden sneer forming behind his fingers. He just didn¡¯t know what it was that Ronan was thinking.


    ¡°You have found out that much and you are now offering to meet up with him directly. What is your intention, Jake?¡±


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9: Trouble At Silent Walkers Pack


    Lucien Clearwater went back to his house that morning. The sight of a man who was covered in bloody clothes with numerous bandages underneath quickly freaked his neighbors out.


    Lucien¡¯s grim expression did not help his case. He looked like someone who just had a bloody, life-or-death fight at a cliff with someone who was not less fierce than him and won to boot.


    As soon as Lucien entered his house and closed the door behind him, he crumbled in a heap of mess right at the door.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± he cursed under his breath. He acted strong, but his wounds were not light. Werewolves healed quickly so the wounds that he inflicted on Gavin must have healed partially.


    Not so with the bite and scratch wounds that Gavin gave him. Without a wolf, he was only a werewolf in name. He was unable to transform, and his recovery process was no different from a normal human being¡¯s.


    Lucien groaned as he dragged himself up from the floor only to copse on a nearby sofa, staining it with the blood that seeped through the bandages. Lucien sighed in his heart. It took him an hour of rest before he had enough energy to drag himself to the bathroom to clean himself and re-dress his wounds.


    The man soaked inside a tub filled with warm water to loosen the bandages around his body. The water quickly turned red, a ghastly sight to anyone who did not know the full story. Not long after Lucien was done with bathing and re-bandaging himself, his phone started to ring.


    .....


    Lucien gingerly supported himself on the walls while walking toward his bedroom. The phone dropped to the carpeted floor just when Lucien opened the bedroom door. The man sighed. He sat on his bed and bent to pick up the phone.


    It was one of his colleagues at the art college, Mark Young.


    ¡°Hey, Mark.¡±


    The voice on the other side sounded relieved but also surprised. ¡°Lucien, thank God. I have called you ten times sincest night! What is happening? Are you alright? Are youing to the college?¡±


    Lucien rubbed between his eyebrows. ¡°No, Mark. I am feeling unwell. I cannote today.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Then please rest for the day. Get well soon!¡±


    ¡°Um, thank you.¡±


    Lucien ended the conversation and saw a lot of notifications on his phone. Ten missed calls from Mark, two missed calls from an unknown number, twelve missed calls, and a wall of messages from his twin sister, Annalynne.


    While Lucien was contemting to call Annalynne or to read her messages first, Annalynne called.


    ¡°Big Brother,¡± she sobbed into the phone. ¡°We lost the fight. Our Alpha has died during the battle.¡±


    Lucien closed his eyes and leaned against the headboard of his bed.


    He knew that this would happen. And it was unfortunately inevitable. The Silent Walkers Pack declined a lot since seven years ago. There had been some recurring conflicts with the Night Prowler Pack for a few months. It culminated in an official war between the two packs.


    As much as Lucien hated to admit it, the Silent Walkers Pack was no longer the big pack it used to be. Unfortunately, the reigning Alpha refused to embrace humility and asked the Alpha of Night Prowler Pack for a peaceful end to the disputes. When Lucien heard that there would be war, he knew that the Silent Walkers Pack would lose.


    ¡°Anna, how is everyone? Are there many casualties?¡±


    ¡°Only the Alpha died... and... and... the Alpha of Night Prowler Pack has demanded to see you.¡±


    The Alpha of the Night Prowler Pack. Kinnon Youngshaper. The two missed calls from an unknown number. It was him.


    ¡°Is he... there?¡±


    ¡°Yes... the Night Prowler Pack has not left. The Alpha is waiting for you to settle the issues between the two packs...¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Lucien said while rubbing against his bandaged arm absent-mindedly. ¡°I wille back and meet him within the week.¡±


    The sooner they met, the better. The Silent Walkers Pack House was located in the outskirts of a faraway Blue Hill City, some 1000 miles away from South Bedford City.


    By the time Lucien finished making the travel arrangements, it was already evening time. Lucien went to the kitchen to see what he could devour for dinner. He had only taken a few steps away from the bed when he was hit with an excruciating pain that spread from his chest to his whole body.


    It was as if someone had stabbed a knife into his heart and given it a twist. Lucien cried from the immense pain. There was no new wound on his body, but it hurt more than all the wounds that Gavin inflicted on him.


    Lucien rolled around on the carpeted floor. Crying. Begging for the pain to stop. But it was of no use. It was not the first time he had had this kind of attack. He knew very well what triggered it. After what felt like forever, Lucien passed out from the agony andy motionless on the floor.


    The man woke up hourster. The extreme pain had disappeared. Only the pain from the physical wounds remained. Some of them had started to bleed again because he tossed and turned in the evening.


    Lucien sat up and leaned his head against his raised knee. His tears started to flow incessantly, running down his cheeks like tiny rivers. Lucien hated the tears more than the pain. It always made him feel so vulnerable, so weak. Lucien hated to be weak.


    A certain person¡¯s face kept floating to his head. Lucien stubbornly refused to call his name. He did not eat dinner that night and went straight to bed.


    The next morning, Lucien woke up early and tended to his wounds. He already used up his storage of medicine and bandages so he had to get new supplies. And then he had to go to the train station to catch the train to the Blue Hill City.


    Lucien went out of the house with a shopping list. He was so immersed in his list that he almost bumped into the man who was waiting outside of his house. The man¡¯s familiar sandalwood scent mixed with sea salt alerted Lucien of his presence before Lucien even saw his pair of boots.


    Ronan Silverback leanedzily against a maple tree trunk, fixing Lucien¡¯s form with his sharp eyes.


    ¡°Yo.¡±


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10: Penniless and Shameless


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Lucien asked without so much of a greeting.


    If it were anyone else, Ronan would see it as an insolence. Since it was Lucien, this behavior was perfectly normal.


    Ronan scrutinized Lucien from top to bottom. Thetter was wearing a ck long-sleeve sweater, a grey turtleneck shirt underneath, and long ck pants toplete his selection of outfits. Ronan remembered that Lucien hated the color ck. Did his taste change over the years?


    ¡°Fancy seeing you in ck,¡± Ronanmented.


    Lucien cut him a sardonic smile.


    ¡°I am mourning my ruined morning.¡±


    It was early in the morning and Lucien did not even need a cup of coffee before he abused his opponent verbally. For once, Ronan did not get angry. He locked Lucien¡¯s chin between his thumb and index finger and leaned closer to him.


    .....


    ¡°Big wordsing from someone who is half-dead from the fight two days ago.¡±


    Ronan released Lucien¡¯s chin before Lucien smacked his hand away.


    Lucien clicked with his tongue. He decided that the best way to get rid of Ronan was by ignoring him, so he walked away in a hurry. Ronan chuckled and followed him casually. Lucien turned around after he reached a nearby bus station. He looked extremely displeased to see Ronan tailing him.


    ¡°Just how much longer do you n to follow me around? Ronan, what do you want exactly?¡±


    Ronan shrugged. ¡°The road is not yours, the city is not yours. I have neither receivedints from the city council nor been banned from the area. I don¡¯t see why I cannot be here.¡±


    Lucien rolled with his eyes in annoyance. He turned around resolutely and decided to ignore his stalkerpletely.


    There was a convenience store connected to an apothecary just a few hundred meters away from the bus station. Lucien went to get bandages and medicines from an aisle. Behind him, Ronan grabbed some drinks from a fridge.


    Lucien turned his head slightly and wondered what he could do to get rid of Ronan. He did not know what Ronan was following him for, but he definitely did not want Ronan to follow him back to Blue Hill City and meet up with Kinnon Youngshaper. Nothing good coulde out of that.


    ¡°Young Mr. Clearwater, it is too warm to wear such thickyers,¡± the old man who worked as the cashiermented with a chuckle. Lucien gave him a polite smile. ¡°I am feeling a little cold, Mr. rke. Maybe I aming down with the flu.¡±


    The corners of the old man¡¯s mouth tugged downward. ¡°Oh, that is not good.¡±


    He grabbed a bottle of vitamin C and added it to Lucien¡¯s stuff on the counter.


    Lucien hastily spoke, ¡°Mr. rke, I don¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°I shall hear no rejection, young Mr. Clearwater. Take this bottle and eat one tablet every day.¡±


    ¡°At least let me pay for it...¡±


    Mr. rke pressed his hand against Lucien¡¯s hand. ¡°Just take it. Get well soon.¡±


    ¡°... Thank you, Mr. rke.¡±


    Lucien turned around with the stic bag dangling at his arm to leave, but Ronan caught his shoulder.


    ¡°Wait, Lucien.¡±


    Lucien wanted to tell him that he did not have to wait for anyone, but one look at Mr. rke and the other people who lined up behind Ronan put him to silence. He thus stood there with his arms crossed, waiting for Ronan to pay.


    As an Alpha from a powerful pack, Ronan Silverback never had to buy anything on his own or pay for anything upfront. The can of carbonated drink that he wanted to buy only cost a dor and eighty cents, but he did not even have a single cent in his pockets.


    ¡°Uh...¡±


    Mr. rke raised his eyebrows at him. Ronan turned to look at Lucien.


    ¡°Lucien, can you lend me some money?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He never knew that on top of enduring Ronan¡¯s annoying stalking activity, he also had to pay for Ronan¡¯s expenses.


    ¡°Oh, you are such a handsome man,¡± an elderdy behind Ronan crooned. ¡°I will pay for him, old man rke.¡±


    ¡°Or I can do that,¡± anotherdy said with a giggle. ¡°You can take more if you want, young man. Don¡¯t be shy.¡±


    Ronan shot both women his most charming smile. Lucien¡¯s face darkened. This shameless man did not hesitate from taking advantage of gullible, elder women!


    Lucien pushed a two-dor note toward Mr. rke. ¡°Keep the change, Mr. rke.¡±


    Then he walked out of the convenience store, rolling his eyes all the way.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ronan said after catching up with Lucien outside of the store. The can opened with a fizzing sound and the man drank the whole can in one gulp. Ronan had a bad habit. He liked to drink carbonated drinks early in the morning before he even had breakfast.


    It was the one thing that Lucien asked him to change seven years ago. He did when they were together. And then after the separation, he adopted the bad habit all over again.


    Ronan smirked at Lucien over the soda can.


    ¡°I am hungry,¡± he dered.


    ¡°Then go home,¡± Lucien snapped.


    ¡°Don¡¯t want to. Feed me.¡±


    Lucien had a lot of curse words he wanted to spit at Ronan¡¯s face, but then his own stomach started to rumble. Lucien pressed against his stomach. To think about it, he did not eat anything the whole day yesterday and this morning.


    Lucien looked around and found a breakfast stall nearby that was selling pancakes with all kinds of topping. Ronan raised an eyebrow at Lucien¡¯s choice for breakfast. He pulled at Lucien¡¯s shoulder to get him away from the pancake stall.


    ¡°Too oily,¡± hemented.


    Lucien furrowed his brows. ¡°I happen to like oil. I want to eat pancakes. You go and eat whatever you like.¡±


    Ronan did not release his grip around Lucien¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Come with me. I will treat you.¡±


    ¡°Ha!¡± Lucien scoffed. ¡°With what money? Are you going to ask a few aunties to pay for your and my breakfast? Ronan Silverback, unlike you, I still have some self-respect.¡±


    Out of nowhere, a car stopped in front of Ronan and a stunned Lucien. Ronan opened the door and shoved Lucien into the car none-too-gently.


    ¡°Hey...!!!¡± Lucien shouted angrily.


    Ronan climbed into the car after Lucien and calmly said, ¡°Drive.¡±


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11: The Invitation to Brunch


    Suppressing the urge to jump out of the car, Lucien only had one thing to say.


    ¡°This is kidnapping, you know.¡±


    Ronan took out his phone and started scrolling on it. ¡°Really. Have I forgotten to extend you an invitation for breakfast?¡±


    Lucien shot Ronan a re. ¡°Hmph!¡± he snorted, looking away from Ronan.


    The man next to him did not say anything else. Lucien stared at the passing scenery outside of the window. Fifteen minutester, they stopped in front of Carlton Bay Hotel. Lucien squinted at the huge words that hung fifty stories above him. The door at his side opened with a click. Ronan bent down with both arms spread between the car door and the car roof. He stared at him intently.


    ¡°Can you get out or must I carry you?¡±


    Lucien shot Ronan daggers but he said nothing. He stepped out of the car and pped Ronan¡¯s lower arm out of the way.


    .....


    It was supposed to be a breakfast, but it turned out to be brunch. Carlton Bay Hotel hosted a luxurious buffet selection throughout the day, naturally at an astronomical price per person. Even the oxygen felt expensive. Lucien crossed his arms in front of his chest, refusing to even take a look at the buffet table. He went to sit at a table in the corner and waited for Ronan while thetter went to pick up his breakfast.


    Despite his bad habit of drinking carbonated drinks every morning before breakfast, Ronan lived a healthy lifestyle since childhood. Boiled eggs, oatmeal with milk and fruit slices, toasts with cottage cheese, avocado, and bacon slices. Lucien knew what Ronan would get before he even returned from the buffet table.


    Lucien closed his eyes, stubbornly refusing to look at food and ignoring his crying stomach. One hour top. Ronan was not a slow eater. His voice rang out close to Lucien¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Lucien.¡±


    ¡°What? Mmmphhh!!!!¡±


    Lucien opened his eyes in fright. Ronan just shoved a croissant into his open mouth unceremoniously! It was incredulous! Lucien spat out the croissant to an empty te and opened his mouth to scold Ronan but thetter stuffed a pineapple slice into his mouth instead.


    ¡°Go on,¡± he said. ¡°I will keep stuffing food into your mouth until you go and pick your breakfast.¡±


    Lucien spat the pineapple out and blocked further attempts to feed him.


    ¡°Ronan, don¡¯t be childish! You must be dreaming if you think I will pay any cent for breakfast here! Don¡¯t you know how much it costs to eat here???¡±


    Ronan took a seat opposite Lucien and started to peel a boiled egg.


    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t know. I eat here for free. The Carlton Bay Hotel belongs to my family.¡±


    Lucien rolled with his eyes and rose to his feet, intending to leave.


    ¡°By the way, having food inside your mouth is considered eating so it is necessary to pay.¡±


    Lucien shot Ronan an icy look. ¡°You set me up.¡±


    Grinning, Ronan offered the peeled egg to Lucien. ¡°I said that I wanted to invite you. Please sit down and let me treat you to breakfast, Mr. Clearwater.¡±


    Lucien did not take the proffered egg. ¡°For what purpose?¡±


    ¡°To tell me what you know about Gavin and Maya, for starters.¡±


    Lucien sighed. He went back to sit and eat the pineapple slice and croissant that he spat out previously.


    ¡°Maya is one of my students in the art ss that I am teaching,¡± he started. ¡°I knew that she was a she-wolf from day one. And I also knew that there was another werewolf who was stalking her aggressively. Gavin followed her from ss to ss and tried to talk to her many times.¡±


    ¡°That day, he cornered her again in the evening after she finished art club activities. I happened to witness Gavin when he dragged an unconscious Maya into the basketball group storage house. I intervened and got into a fight with Gavin. I kept telling Maya to run away but she didn¡¯t. She had been drugged, and the drug muddled her mind. In her confusion, she transformed and escaped into the woods in her wolf form.¡±


    ¡°Gavin also transformed into a wolf and went into the woods. I could not transform. It took a long time to finally find Maya and bring her back home with me. I reckoned that Gavin woulde to get Maya again, so I did my best to prepare.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s eyes swept over Lucien¡¯s thin frame. If Landon was still there, Lucien would not be wounded that severely. Ronan had once fought against Lucien in their wolf forms. Lucien was not easy to defeat.


    ¡°Thank you for protecting one of my own,¡± Ronan said finally.


    ¡°She is also one of my students. Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Lucien replied.


    Ronan pushed a te of omelets in front of Lucien.


    ¡°Eat properly. The breakfast costs 100 dors whether you only eat one croissant or a fulfilling breakfast.¡±


    It was the most civil conversation they had since they met again. Urged by his rumbling stomach, Lucien let himself be persuaded to go to the buffet table and pick some food.


    They spent the remaining time eating in silence. Lucien¡¯s mind started to wander toward his n to take the train at night. It took seven hours of train travel to arrive at the Blue Hill City train station. After that, he still needed to take a bus for an hour to reach the nearest station to his destination. The Silent Walkers Pack House was around one kilometer away from the bus station. Most wolves would transform and disappear into the woods. Lucien, unfortunately, had to walk on his two feet.


    Ronan took Lucien home after the meal. Lucien stepped out of the car without looking back. Ronan¡¯s gaze lingered on Lucien for some time before he ordered his driver to go back to Great Lake City. After two hours of the car trip, Ronan received a call from Jake.


    ¡°Ronan, bad news,¡± Jake said as soon as Ronan picked up the phone. Jake liked to go to the point every time. ¡°Gavin has escaped!¡±


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12: A Rival to Behold


    Gavin¡¯s parents passed away when he was ten years old. He had been raised together with other orphans by the Gamma and her mate. The Infinite Eclipse Pack¡¯s Gamma was a she-wolf who went by the name Quinn.


    After Gavin¡¯s detainment, Quinn continued visiting Gavin and taking care of him like a mother would. Gavin did not show any abnormal behavior during her visits, but then he broke out of the prison after spending only one night in the prison.


    It was to be noted that the prison merely served as a temporary lodging for guilty werewolves who were waiting for the Alpha to decide their fates. There was only one cell inside the prison.


    The Warriors watched over him day and night alternately, and yet Gavin still managed to escape. The Warrior in charge imed that he had not seen anything. It was almost as if Gavin evaporated into thin air.


    After careful investigation, they discovered a hole at the bottom of the bed. No one knew how long the hole had been there. The prison was left unguarded when no prisoner was inside. It was possible that Gavin dug the hole in preparation for his escape if he was ever caught. It looked like his efforts paid off.


    Thinking that Gavin was hiding somewhere, Jake had a search conducted to the whole Pack House and its surrounding to find Gavin. He truly had left.


    ¡°Is Maya safe?¡± Ronan asked.


    .....


    ¡°Yes, she is. She is surrounded by a lot of people. Gavin will not be able to get to her easily.¡±


    It was easy to get Maya when she was surrounded by strangers in a city far from home. It was basically impossible to do the same thing when Maya was surrounded by so many werewolves who would detect Gavin by his scent before thetter even came close to Maya.


    So where did Gavin go?


    What was he nning to do?


    Ronan clenched his fingers into fists. He could only think of one person who might be in danger at the moment.


    ¡°Get the Scouts to find me Gavin,¡± he said to Jake before ending the conversation. To the driver he ordered, ¡°Go back to South Bedford City.¡±


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Lucien¡¯s fellow teachers at the South Bedford Art College were surprised to see hime in the afternoon. Even more surprised when the man asked for one-week leave.


    The dean was so concerned that he invited Lucien to his office to have a private talk.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater,¡± The Dean said with furrowed brows. He leaned forward and spoke to Lucien with a paternal tone, ¡°should you require any assistance, please do not refrain from contacting us. We can help, be it financially or psychologically.¡±


    Lucien was touched. ¡°Thank you, Dean. I am fine. I just have to go back to my hometown for a while. My family needs me.¡±


    It was technically not a lie. Only that it was not his family specifically but his own pack.


    The Dean sighed and leaned back in his seat. ¡°Alright, you are allowed to take leave. Please take care of yourself, alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Dean.¡±


    Lucien was in the middle of packing up when the unknown number called again. Lucien let his finger hover unsteadily over the phone screen, unsure whether he should answer or not. In the end he didn¡¯t answer. He merely stared at his phone screen for a long time.


    Kinnon Youngshaper.


    The name was connected to a lot of memories in the past, most of them quite pleasant. Kinnon had expected Lucien to be the Alpha of the Silent Walkers Pack. Had he been one, then maybe Kinnon would be more lenient when dealing with Lucien¡¯s birth pack.


    Lucien already left the Silent Walkers Pack. Why would Kinnon want to meet him? For what purpose?


    They were childhood friends. All of them. Lucien wanted to trust that Kinnon had not changed much. And him? What about him? Lucien scoffed to himself. He had changed so much that it was hard to associate him to a werewolf pack.


    The phone lit up again and started to ring. This time Lucien decided to ept the call.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    The voice on the other side was gentle but powerful at the same time. ¡°Lucien, finally.¡±


    It was none other than Kinnon Youngshaper indeed.


    ¡°I am in front of your house. Will you please let me in...?¡±


    One thing was asking to meet him, and the other thing was appearing at his doorstep.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Lucien answered before ending the call. He gingerly went to the front door and opened it. A tall man in ck suit stood in front of him. His intensive ck eyes were locked on Lucien¡¯s own caramel-brown eyes.


    ¡°Kinnon.¡±


    The corners of Kinnon Youngshaper¡¯s lips tugged up in a charming smile. He extended his arms and gathered Lucien into his arms. Lucien only managed to let out a surprised gasp before his face was pressed into Kinnon¡¯s warm chest. An overwhelming scent of pinewood and fresh grass invaded his nose and dazed him momentarily.


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you,¡± Kinnon whispered into Lucien¡¯s ear intimately. His breath tickled at Lucien¡¯s earlobe. Lucien gently pushed at Kinnon¡¯s chest. ¡°Kinnon, release me.¡± It sounded like a plea. Kinnon did not seem to hear him. He tightened his arms around Lucien¡¯s waist instead.


    ¡°You have lost weight.¡±


    Lucien pulled a grimace. Despite the thick bandages, he still felt pain from the tight embrace.


    ¡°Kinnon, let me go.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Kinnon buried his head into the crook between Lucien¡¯s head and shoulder. ¡°I finally have you back in my arms now. I am not going to let you go anymore.¡±


    Lucien sighed. His eyes wandered over Kinnon¡¯s broad shoulder andnded on someone who was standing just a hundred meters away from them. Lucien¡¯s eyes widened in shock.


    Ronan Silverback¡¯s eyes were as cold as ice, but he was burning with rage. The Alpha of Infinite Eclipse Pack marched toward the two people in front of him who were locked in an intimate embrace. He pulled at Kinnon¡¯s shoulder forcefully and his fist flew toward Kinnon¡¯s face.


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13: A Fight Between Alphas


    Kinnon blocked Ronan¡¯s fist and pushed him to the ground instead. Ronan grabbed the back of Kinnon¡¯s neck and pulled him down together. The two Alphas finished their transformation before they even hit the ground.


    ¡°STOP IT!¡± Lucien screamed. He looked around frantically. Curiosity over the loud noises invited the first neighbors toe out of their houses. Alphas transformed into giant wolves!


    There was no way people would think that it was just a fight between two street dogs. Lucien gritted his teeth. Out of option, he pushed open the door to his house as wide as possible and encouraged the two wolves to continue their fight inside his house.


    As Ronan and Kinnon snapped, bit, and wed each other, they also jumped around and knocked down everything that was of value within the living room, no matter how small.


    There went the paintings that his students gave him for his birthday.


    And the antique vase that he chanced upon in a flea market.


    They even bumped off the television and left long scratch marks over the table and sofas. Lucien cast an icy look at the dissected sofa. The sponge underneath had been torn along with the fabric.


    .....


    Lucien never thought that he would one day witness the destruction of his living room in this manner.


    Lucien went into the bathroom and connected a rubber hose to the water tap before turning it on. He then came out and sprayed cold water all over the two wolves that were wrestling with each other for domination.


    Startled, the two wolves immediately transformed back into two very naked men. Ronan and Kinnon wrinkled their faces in disgust and distanced themselves from each other right away.


    ¡°Sober now?¡± Lucien asked, his voice was trembling from anger. ¡°Do the so-called Alphas still have the sense to protect the secrecy of the werewolfmunity? Or must I invite the whole neighborhood to watch your magnificent disy of prowess???¡±


    Neither Ronan nor Kinnon answered Lucien. They merely scowled at each other and licked the blood off their wounds. There was an ugly gash on Ronan¡¯s cheek and a bite wound at Kinnon¡¯s neck. Lucien grabbed two towels and threw one at each of them.


    ¡°Dry your honorable selves,¡± he said sarcastically.


    When Lucien opened the door again to fetch the scattered clothes on hiswn, the neighbors were staring at him. There was slight judgment mixed with curiosity in their eyes. Lucien did not know what to say. He took the clothes inside and tossed them at the two Alphas who were still ring at each other.


    They all averted their eyes when they got dressed in silence. The atmosphere inside the house was heavy with pheromones and bloodlust. Lucien had to open the windows to let fresh air inside, not without closing the curtain.


    Ronan tugged at his cor to loosen it. ¡°What is the meaning of this, Lucien? Why do you let ¡®that thing¡¯ hug you?¡±


    Kinnonughed. ¡°¡®That thing¡¯, eh? So much for brothers who grew up together since childhood.¡±


    Ronan shed Kinnon a hate-filled re. ¡°My brothers will not go behind my back and touch my fated mate like that.¡±


    Kinnon chuckled. He straightened his suit and smiled at Ronan. ¡°Ronan, aren¡¯t you too much? You have already rejected Lucien. You have no right toy im on him. Lucien is avable for everyone else but you. Aren¡¯t you, Lucien?¡±


    Lucien threw a tattered pillow at Kinnon¡¯s face as an answer. ¡°I am not a toy for you two Alphas to fight over. Get the fuck out of my house, NOW!¡±


    Ronan strode toward Lucien and grabbed his right upper arm. ¡°I need to talk to you. Privately,¡± he added, casting a side nce at Kinnon. He hoped that Kinnon could read between the lines and scram, but thetter did not show signs of leaving. He eyed the hand that Ronan put on Lucien¡¯s arm with a burning re. The way Kinnon looked at them made Ronan¡¯s hair bristle.


    ¡°Will Alpha Kinnon Youngshaper please grant us some privacy?¡± Ronan asked through gritted teeth.


    Lucien sighed. ¡°Kinnon, please.¡±


    Kinnon licked at the bloody wound on the back of his hand and walked toward Lucien. He extended a hand and smeared some of his blood on Lucien¡¯s chin.


    Kinnon actually dared to mark Lucien as his possession! Ronan wanted to rip the man into shreds. When Kinnon reached the door, he turned around onest time with his hand on the door handle. ¡°Come back with me today. No need to travel on your own.¡±


    Ronan red at him. Kinnon¡¯s words made the blood inside Ronan¡¯s veins boil. The werewolf spoke as if there was indeed something between him and Lucien. But it was Lucien¡¯s ¡°Okay¡± that almost made Ronan¡¯s heart stop.


    The door shut, leaving Ronan alone with Lucien. Thetter turned his face to look at Ronan. The calm eyes met with fiery ones. Ronan put more pressure on Lucien¡¯s right arm and made him wince from pain. ¡°You are pressing right into my wound,¡± Lucien hissed. ¡°Release me, now.¡±


    Ronan loosened his grip but he did not think about releasing Lucien.


    ¡°What is between you and Kinnon Youngshaper?¡±


    ¡°It does not concern you,¡± Lucien answered as a matter of factly. ¡°Ronan, there is nothing between us.¡±


    It was over seven years ago.


    Pain shed across Ronan¡¯s reddened eyes. ¡°You forced me,¡± he reminded the man in front of him. ¡°You forced me to reject you. Is it because you want to stay with him???¡±


    Lucien red at Ronan. ¡°You. Are. A. Fool,¡± he spoke slowly, emphasizing every word as if Ronan were too stupid to understand. ¡°Besides...¡±


    Lucien shoved at Ronan¡¯s chest hard. Thetter had to retreat a few steps backward.


    ¡°Why are you acting like you keep yourself pure during these seven years? Didn¡¯t you say it yourself? You dragged countless men and women into your bed. Was it not pleasurable? Why can I not do the same?¡±


    A primal growl escaped Ronan¡¯s throat. He grabbed Lucien¡¯s wrists with both hands and pinned him to a nearby wall. ¡°Is that what you want? Do you want to sleep with Kinnon Youngshaper???¡±


    Lucien gritted his teeth but said nothing. His silence was a confirmation. Ronan¡¯s burning eyes wandered to the bloodstain on Lucien¡¯s chin. He could not take it anymore.


    He rummaged in his pocket to find anything to wipe the blood away. There was something silky in his pocket and he took it out hastily.


    It was unfortunately not a handkerchief. It was a woman¡¯s underwear. The silk piece unfurled itself in Ronan¡¯s hand before thetter could stop it. Lillian Woond¡¯s sweet scent still stuck to it. Lucien¡¯s icy stare moved from the underwear to Ronan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Aha.¡±

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14: Half A Bond


    For the first time in his life, Alpha Ronan Silverback cursed his maid¡¯s habit to take out everything from his old pants and stuff it into his new pants. Thanks to her, Ronan stood there like deer in the headlights ¡ª the headlights being Lucien¡¯s merciless stare.


    Ronan dropped the underwear on the floor and grabbed Lucien¡¯s arms. ¡°It is not what you think!¡±


    It was a cliche statement spoken by numerous cheating husbands to their betrayed wives upon discovery of their debauched nature.


    Even lovers with good temperaments would frown upon the sinners, let alone someone with a temperament as vtile as Lucien. Thetter shoved Ronan hard one more time. ¡°Stay away from me,¡± he hissed. ¡°And take that love token with you.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s eyes were full of disgust when he saw the item that Ronan dropped on the floor. One would think that Ronan just dumped a pail of slime all over Lucien¡¯s impable floor.


    Lucien¡¯s rejection only served to pour oil over the me in Ronan¡¯s heart. The Alpha grabbed Lucien by his waist again and wiped away the bloodstain left by another Alpha by using his cuff. Even after rubbing hard against the man¡¯s chin and getting rid of the other werewolf¡¯s blood, Ronan was still dissatisfied.


    He wanted more.


    .....


    He wanted to mark Lucien so deep that no one else couldy im on him.


    He wanted to devour Lucien with hair and bones and prevent anyone from even looking at his remains. His obsession ran deep, coursing in his blood like a potent poison. Seven years of separation did nothing but amplify his desire for the fated mate that he rejected.


    Panting from unvented desire, Ronan captured Lucien¡¯s lips and pried open thetter¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Mmmh... Nggghh...!!!¡±


    Lucien bit down in resentment. Blood quickly flowed from Ronan¡¯s torn lips but he could not care less. He bit back and tore a wound at Lucien¡¯s lips.


    ¡°!!!¡±


    Lucien clearly did not expect that. The kiss became deeper and wilder, their counterpart¡¯s blood flowed down their throats as they sucked on each other¡¯s lips without restraint.


    Lucien was thoroughly confused.


    One second he was pushing at Ronan¡¯s chest, and the other second he was grabbing Ronan¡¯s hair to deepen the kiss. The nature of Ronan¡¯s tyrannical kiss robbed the breath out of Lucien¡¯s lungs, plundering the inside of his mouth ravenously.


    Lucien could hardly keep up. His knees went weak and he hung limply from Ronan¡¯s strong arms like a doll with broken strings.


    Ronan gathered the half-conscious Lucien in his arms and went in the direction of the bedroom. He kicked open the door in a brutish manner and threw Lucien on the bed.


    Lucien groaned while rolling to his side. His mind was hazy. For a split second, he was not sure where he was or what time it was. He was not even sure what he was doing on the bed. Not until the Alpha mounted him, pulled his legs apart, and settled in-between. There was something big that was pulsating against Lucien¡¯s own hardened sexual organ. Something that threatened to take his life away.


    Soft moans emanated from Lucien¡¯s throat as Ronan¡¯s lips moved to the side of his neck and peppered it with tiny, greedy kisses. Lucien¡¯s fingernails wed into Ronan¡¯s shoulder and scalp, but Ronan could not care less. He had one hand wing the back of Lucien¡¯s neck while his other hand snaked at the back of the man underneath him, locking him in position.


    Lucien parted his lips in consternation. He pushed and kicked at the werewolf on top of him desperately but it was sheer impossible to escape the steely grip of Ronan¡¯s limbs.


    ¡°Ah... Ronan, don¡¯t...!!!¡±


    The werewolf in question might or might not hear what Lucien was shouting. Before Lucien knew it, Ronan already sank his fangs into his nape, biting directly into his scent nd, marking him.


    Lucien¡¯s scream of pain failed to leave his throat. His warm blood flowed like a tiny stream and Ronan drank it all like a gluttonous beast.


    As his blood slowly drained from his nape to Ronan¡¯s throat, exhaustion crept into Lucien¡¯s body and numbed him. He stopped resisting Ronan and his limbs fell from the Alpha¡¯s body. Tears started to fall from his eyes as he drifted into a daze.


    Ronan froze when he felt the body under him go ck. He lifted his eyes and saw tears dripping from the end of Lucien¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Lucien...?¡±


    Ronan wiped the tears away from Lucien¡¯s face but they kept falling.


    ¡°Hey...¡±


    Ronan sighed. He pulled Lucien into his arms and pressed a kiss against his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Lulu. I am sorry.¡±


    Lucien broke into a sob but he still said nothing in response. Ronan sighed. His warm breath blew against Lucien¡¯s face. Ronan sat up and pulled Lucien to sit on hisp. He rocked the trembling man in his arms gently, trying to coax him like he would a child.


    ¡°Lulu, don¡¯t cry alright? I am sorry for hurting you. It didn¡¯t count just now. It is only half a bond... It will disappear within days.¡±


    Ronan kissed the spot where he marked Lucien. It might only be for several days, but during these several days, Lucien was his and his only. He would respond to his pheromones only and no one else¡¯s.


    Ronan¡¯s hand slid to Lucien¡¯s slim waist and held him tight. His lips trailed the path from Lucien¡¯s nape and ended at Lucien¡¯s torn lips. Lucien¡¯s eyes fluttered open. Tears glistened at the bottom of his eyes. He let himself be kissed again and again, but there was no energy left in his body.


    ¡°Ronan,¡± Lucien called in a hoarse voice. ¡°you have to let me go. Let me go, okay?¡±


    Ronan shook his head stubbornly. ¡°I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t want to. Lucien, it has been seven years.¡±


    Lucien broke into another sob. ¡°It has been seven years. So let¡¯s stop this madness. Let this be thest time. Let¡¯s never meet again.¡±


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15: The Alpha¡¯s Persistence


    Ronan was unable to answer. He was unable to hear anything but the sound of blood rushing past his ears. Why was it that Lucien had such power over him? He was the Alpha, but he waspletely at Lucien¡¯s mercy. The man¡¯s kisses were more intoxicating than the strongest wine and his cruel words were more devastating than any natural cmity.


    ¡°Why?¡± Ronan asked, his voice hoarse from the turmoil in his heart. He grabbed Lucien¡¯s face and held it close to his own. ¡°Why did you say that?¡±


    Lucien¡¯s lips trembled slightly. ¡°We are not good for each other, Ronan.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t love you anymore.¡±


    ¡°Liar.¡±


    The knot at Lucien¡¯s neck bobbed up and down. ¡°If it were a lie, then I would not have asked you to reject me seven years ago.¡±


    .....


    Ronan pinched Lucien¡¯s chin between his fingers. His thumb rubbed against the man¡¯s chin thoughtfully.


    ¡°Your kisses stemmed from love.¡±


    ¡°That was not love.¡±


    ¡°Lulu!¡±


    Ronan tightened his grip around Lucien¡¯s waist and shortened the distance between their faces effectively. Their lips brushed lightly over each other. ¡°No,¡± Lucien said in a low voice. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Ronan was not sure if his persistence was a blessing or a curse. He just knew that he could not give up now.


    ¡°What was that if not love?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Tell me!¡± Ronan pushed for an answer.


    Lucien¡¯s eyes snapped up. Cold light gleamed in his eyes. He raised his hand and rubbed at the tear wound on Ronan¡¯s bottom lip slowly. Ronan winced when the man pressed at his wounded bottom lip without hesitation. And yet the pain was iparable to what Lucien had to say next.


    ¡°It was nothing but animalistic lust. I have never denied your attraction to me. It just isn¡¯t love.¡±


    Ronan slowly exhaled. Despite the cruel retort, he still did not want to let go. It was as if he was a glutton for punishment. The body that pressed against his wasfortably warm, but the person himself was as cold as the harshest winter in the north pole.


    The wounds on Lucien¡¯s body were ripped open again during the tussle with Ronan. The dark sweater and pants effectively drowned out all the discoloration from the blood that seeped out, but Ronan naturally could smell it on Lucien. He grabbed the end of Lucien¡¯s sweater and pulled it upward.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lucien asked, throwing Ronan a re.


    ¡°You are hurt again. Let me help bandage you.¡±


    ¡°No need. I can do it myself.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan continued his efforts to undress Lucien. Lucien gave up and cooperated. Ronan narrowed his eyes at the loose bandages around Lucien¡¯s body. The ends were not tucked in neatly between the folds. Lucien basically covered his whole torso, arms, and legs in bandages. It was a wonder that he did not overheat under the manyyers.


    Lucien red at Ronan, challenging him to say something. Ronan gave him a deprecating look.


    ¡°Lulu, your bandaging technique sucks as always.¡±


    Lucien gave Ronan a p across his cheek.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± he hissed. ¡°Did I ask for your opinion?¡±


    Ronan responded by ripping the soaked bandages from Lucien¡¯s body and making him scream. ¡°Where did you put the stuff you bought this morning?¡±


    In pain, Lucien pulled his lips into a line. He pointed inside the bathroom. Ronan climbed off the bed and went into the bathroom. He emerged a momentter with a stic bag full of medicine, fresh bandages, a huge bowl of water, and a towel.


    Ronan carefully loosened Lucien¡¯s bandages with the towel while Lucien sat on hisp, facing him.


    ¡°Ngghh...!¡±


    Ronan pressed a kiss on Lucien¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°You can bite me if you want.¡±


    Lucien wed at Ronan¡¯s back every time Ronan ripped a bandage from a wound. After being tortured for some time he ended up biting into Ronan¡¯s shoulder. Ronan chuckled.


    After Ronan finished with Lucien¡¯s upper body, he unbuttoned Lucien¡¯s pants and grabbed the waistband to pull them down. He was stopped by Lucien.


    ¡°I can do this myself.¡±


    Ronan cut him a cynical smile.


    ¡°Lulu, you can¡¯t do it even if you grow another pair of hands.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Despite Lucien¡¯s protests, the pants came off a whileter.


    Ronan¡¯s eyes were quickly drawn to Lucien¡¯s hardened penis.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien turned away from Ronan, determined to not look at him at all. He sucked in his breath when his legs were yanked up and a pair of warm lips pressed against the inside of his thighs. A pair of bright, mesmerizing greenish-blue eyes stared into his own when Ronan lifted his head again. The Alpha continued cleaning and bandaging Lucien conscientiously.


    After Ronan was done, Lucien gingerly went to fetch some clothes from his wardrobe. The Alpha¡¯s eyes never left him as he put on fresh clothes. His movement was no longer impeded byyers andyers of overused bandages thanks to Ronan.


    ¡°Lulu.¡±


    Hot chest was pressed against Lucien¡¯s back, then a pair of arms wrapped themselves around Lucien¡¯s waist.


    ¡°It has been seven years. I understand if you want to move on, but I cannot deny my feelings any longer. Please consider, alright?¡±


    Lucien closed his eyes and put his arms on top of Ronan¡¯s. He leaned his head on Ronan¡¯s shoulder and inhaled thetter¡¯s scent. Thanks to the mark at his nape, Ronan¡¯s pheromones gave him a calming effect. But no. Lucien peeled Ronan¡¯s arms away from him and freed himself.


    ¡°Ronan, don¡¯t say irresponsible things. You are an unmarried Alpha. Instead of chasing for a broken werewolf who cannot give birth to your children, you should go marry a fertile she-wolf, make her your Luna, and get yourself some healthy alpha pups.¡±


    Ronan grabbed Lucien by his elbow.


    ¡°So if I am willing to throw away all of that, you will be willing to consider rekindling our rtionship?¡±


    A crease appeared between Lucien¡¯s eyebrows.


    ¡°Stop spouting nonsense. Take your position seriously. Your whole pack is depending on you.¡±


    Ding dong.


    Both Lucien and Ronan nced in the direction of the house door. Ronan put his hands on Lucien¡¯s shoulders and kissed the mark he gave him. Lucien flinched from the sensation. Ronan smirked. Kinnon only smeared some blood on Lucien¡¯s chin, but Ronan bit into Lucien¡¯s nape. That should be enough to dere his intention. A decent werewolf should know when to back off.


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16: Returning To Blue Hill City


    After they hit the age of eighteen years old, the alpha children were sent to a special summer camp that was located at North Ridge Forest, right where the Werewolf Council Headquarters was. It was widely known as Alpha Camp.


    There were a few reasons to support this yearly gathering. One was to foster bonds between future pack alphas against the external world. The second one was to find worthy mates to maintain the purity of the alpha bloodline.


    Although there was no guarantee that a union between two alphas would result in alpha pups, the probability was still quite high.


    Back then, they were all innocent children. Youngsters who were drunk on the concept of fated mates and bonding romance. They did not know about the struggles that cameter once they reached adulthood. In a war between packs, they might end up killing each other or each other¡¯s family members.


    As Lucien Clearwater sat inside Kinnon Youngshaper¡¯s car, he could not help but feel like a prisoner. His pack had been utterly defeated in a senseless fight. If only the Alpha picked reason over pride.


    But then if he did, he might as well hand over the Alpha position to someone else in the pack. Pride was a huge part of a werewolf¡¯s world. Maybe that¡¯s why Lucien was not destined to be an Alpha.


    Even without his strange afflictions and Landon¡¯s abandonment, he was not fit to be an Alpha. He was a disgrace. Not only to his family but to his own pack.


    .....


    And now Kinnon was taking him back to Blue Hill City. Back to the Silent Walkers Pack. Lucien had both his hands on hisp, rubbing his fingers against each other in hope that his uneasiness would dissipate. Arge hand reached out andnded on top of his hands. Lucien looked up and his eyes met with Kinnon¡¯s warm, dark eyes.


    ¡°Worried?¡±


    Lucien¡¯s automatic response was to shake his head, but mid-way that headshake turned into a curt nod. He was no longer in line for the Alpha position. He was not even considered an alpha anymore so why bother sticking to the alpha pride?


    Kinnon squeezed at Lucien¡¯s hands. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am not trying to make things difficult. I have a proposal to make to the Silent Walkers Pack, and I hope that you will agree.¡±


    Lucien stared at Kinnon. ¡°You give me too much power. Whatever proposal you have shall be discussed with the Luna after the Alpha¡¯s demise. Or maybe the Beta,¡± Lucien added thoughtfully.


    If he was not mistaken, the Luna was rather timid in nature. Also, her mate just died. She might not be capable of dealing with political talks as of now.


    Kinnon shed Lucien a mysterious smile that contained a lot of unsaid words. ¡°You will understand why your presence is necessaryter on.¡±


    He patted Lucien¡¯s head fondly. ¡°Rest a little. It takes a while before we reach Blue Hill City.¡±


    Lucien leaned back against the upholstered seat and closed his eyes. He was unable to sleep well the previous night, so he fell asleep not long after. He only opened his eyes again when he heard Kinnon¡¯s whisper in his ear.


    ¡°Lucien, we are here.¡±


    Lucien opened his eyes. The car door at his side was open, revealing the Pack House he was born and raised in. It was early morning. No one had risen from their bed yet.


    Lucien gingerly stepped out of the car and stared at the dpidated stone gate that was in a half-destroyed state, presumably due tock of maintenance, or maybe it was done by the Night Prowler Pack? Lucien cast a side nce at Kinnon, who immediately put up his hands in defense.


    ¡°It is not us, I swear.¡±


    Lucien stepped into the huge front yard. The surrounding was very quiet. Lucien faintly remembered that it was the same as it was seven years ago. It only felt foreign because he had not visited even once after he left the pack.


    A series of banging sounds were heard, and a momentter a woman with a face that was very simr to Lucien appeared behind the Pack House¡¯s entrance door. She sped both hands across her mouth and started to cry.


    ¡°Lulu...! Lulu...!!!¡±


    Annalynne was not usually a crybaby. As an Alpha¡¯s daughter, she had been told that she must be strong. For her pack.


    For her brother, who might one day be an Alpha. Her brother never became an Alpha and the pressure on Annalynne only grew after that. She never again shed a tear in front of others. Seeing Lucien stepping a foot into the Silent Walkers Pack House was all it took to turn Annalynne into her childish self. The siblings ran toward each other and fell into a tight embrace.


    ¡°Anna, I am here,¡± Lucien whispered while pressing a kiss on the top of Annalynne¡¯s head.


    Annalynne put her arms around Lucien and cried loudly. A soft groan escaped Lucien¡¯s lips when Annalynne¡¯s touched one of his wounds. The woman froze on spot. Other than her brother¡¯s scent, she also smelled blood on him.


    ¡°Lulu, you are hurt...?¡±


    Lucien was not in the mood to exin. ¡°Long story. Let¡¯s talk about what happened here first.¡±


    Annalynne cast a worried look at Kinnon, who stood some distance away, watching the exchange between the two siblings.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°I shalle back tomorrow morning to discuss my proposal. Until then, enjoy your reunion with your family, Lucien.¡±


    Kinnon Youngshaper left right after. Lucien furrowed his brows. ¡°I thought he was staying in our Pack House?¡±


    Annalynne shook her head. Her thick red-blonde hair, simr to Lucien¡¯s, swayed around her gracefully. ¡°No, the Night Prowler Pack set a camp nearby. Theye in the morning, do some stuff, and then they go back to their camp.¡±


    ¡°Do what, for example?¡±


    Annalynne wrinkled her nose in disgust. ¡°Getting data about our pack and then checking our storage house...¡±


    Lucien pulled his lips into a tight smile. They lost the war after all.


    ¡°How is Mom?¡±


    ¡°Mom is still at the mourning hall. Deacon has been buried yesterday in the pack cemetery.¡±


    Deacon Clearwater, the deceased Alpha of Silent Walkers Pack, was Lucien¡¯s cousin.


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17: The Night Prowler Pack¡¯s Proposal


    Seven years ago, the Alpha position of the Silent Walkers Pack was filled by Gordon Clearwater, Lucien¡¯s father. He had an alpha brother, Marcus, who acted as his Beta. Marcus¡¯ wife was always dissatisfied with her children¡¯s prospects because Lucien was there to inherit the Alpha position after his father retired.


    Aunt Catherine, as Lucien and Annalynne used to call her, was very critical of her son Deacon. She demanded Deacon to be smarter, faster, and generally better than Lucien, in hope that Gordon would pass the Alpha position to Deacon instead.


    Lucien never begrudged Aunt Catherine¡¯s glee when thetter¡¯s eyes practically shone with excitement upon hearing that Landon left Lucien. If Lucien¡¯s recurring disease turned him into a cripple that was not fit for an Alpha position, his wolf¡¯s disappearance cut him off from the pack within an instant. He sincerely wished Deacon the best, all the while believing that Deacon was too immature, too hot-headed to be an Alpha.


    It thus came as a surprise when Aunt Catherineshed out at Lucien upon seeing him at the entrance of the mourning hall.


    ¡°You...!!¡± she shouted like a hysterical harpy as she lunged toward Lucien. Lucien pushed Annalynne behind her to protect her. Aunt Catherine only managed to leave one scratch mark on Lucien¡¯s cheek before Annalynne and her mother unitedly attacked her. Soon afterward, everyone in the mourning hall helped out to calm the grieving widow and mother.


    Lucien¡¯s heart trembled when he saw his mother again after so many years had passed. ¡°Mama?¡± he softly called.


    Lucien¡¯s mother, Alice, burst into tears. ¡°Lulu, my baby.¡±


    .....


    Alice pulled Lucien into an embrace. ¡°Oh, how I missed you. You have lost weight. And how are you injured this badly?¡±


    ¡°I had a confrontation with a wolf,¡± Lucien answered dismissively. ¡°I am alright, Mama. What is happening here?¡±


    There was not much to tell as Annalynne had done her best to keep her brother updated about the situation in the pack. Although Lucien never asked, he always listened to Annalynne attentively. The dispute between the Silent Walkers Pack and the Night Prowler Pack started with personal dislike between their two Alphas from centuries ago.


    When Gordon Clearwater held the Alpha position, he tried very hard to make Lucien and Kinnon get along, in hope that these two youngsters could iron out all the creases between the two packs. Lucien and Kinnon got along tremendously. Kinnon and Deacon on the other side were like fire and ice. It was hate at the first sight for both of them.


    When both packs were determined to go for a war, both Alphas were summoned by the Werewolf Council in ast attempt to prevent the war. Neither Deacon nor Kinnon was willing to back down. And thus the war happened and the Silent Walkers Pack lost their Alpha. A lot of pack members were wounded, but all of them survived.


    Initially, the Silent Walkers Pack members were thankful that the Night Prowler Pack had enough civility to spare them. This gratitude turned into a big question mark when Kinnon demanded Lucien to step forward to represent the Silent Walkers Pack in the meeting to decide the fate of said pack.


    Lucien was after all excluded from the pack a long time ago. In her delusion, Aunt Catherine started imagining things. And this she spat at Lucien¡¯s face without a single shred of self-restraint.


    ¡°You traitor!¡± she shouted while struggling to free herself from those who held her back. ¡°You must have cooperated with Kinnon Youngshaper behind Deacon¡¯s back! You fed the enemy information about the pack! About Deacon!¡±


    It was an outrageous usation that Lucien heard for the first time, but Alice and Annalynne heard for the n-th time since the theory first manifested out of nowhere.


    ¡°Shut up, Kat!¡± Alice eximed. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare me Lucien for your son¡¯s death! Lucien left the pack years ago! How is he supposed to know anything about the pack¡¯s dynamic??¡±


    Aunt Catherine burst into maniacalughter. ¡°He was groomed to be an Alpha since birth! Are you trying to tell me that he has no idea about how the pack works??¡±


    Lucien gently pushed his mother aside. He pinned Aunt Catherine with an icy look. ¡°Aunt Catherine, I have not colluded with Kinnon Youngshaper. Deacon¡¯s death has nothing to do with me.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me,¡± Aunt Catherine¡¯s eyes burned with bloodlust. ¡°Why is Kinnon demanding to see you right after we lost? Tell me!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lucien answered as a matter of factly.


    Annalynne jumped to Lucien¡¯s defense. ¡°Lulu and Kinnon are good friends since childhood. Maybe Kinnon just feelsfortable to speak with Lulu!¡±


    Aunt Catherine started tough hysterically again. The women decided to drag her to the Healer so she could be sedated to calm down her nerves.


    Lucien sighed in his heart.


    ¡°How is Kendra?¡±


    Kendra was Deacon¡¯s Luna.


    Annalynne shook her head in sadness. ¡°Kendra lost her baby. She didn¡¯t even know she was pregnant until she miscarried. She is not doing too well.¡±


    It was Deacon¡¯s first child. So Deacon died without leaving an heir. Not that the heir would be able to take over all the responsibilities as Alpha.


    Lucien did not know what the next morning brought. He simply wished that Annalynne was right about Kinnon feelingfortable to negotiate with Lucien.


    It was not until the next morning that they all found out the extent of Kinnon¡¯sfort level with Lucien. In the proposal that the Night Prowler Packid before the Silent Walkers Pack, Kinnon offered the members of the Silent Walkers Pack to merge into the Night Prowler Pack, but those who wished to stay in the Blue Hill City were still allowed to keep their territory and their pack name.


    A Beta will be assigned to be the head of the Silent Walkers Pack, and he would report directly to Kinnon.


    Kinnon only had one condition.


    Lucien Clearwater must marry Kinnon Youngshaper and be his Luna.


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18: Unrequited Love From Years Ago


    Kinnon Youngshaper wished to take Lucien Clearwater as his Luna.


    That was his only condition, and none other. The Silent Walkers Pack had practically raised Lucien since birth. Although thetter suffered from a tragic misfortune that caused him to live as an outcast far away, a lot of the pack members still held a deep affection for the alpha man. They saw it as a huge insult. Aunt Catherine on the other side saw it as a good trade-off.


    ¡°Wonderful proposal,¡± she praised wholeheartedly. ¡°Let¡¯s find an auspicious date to conduct the wedding ceremony at the Holy Temple of Moon Goddess.¡±


    The Holy Temple of Moon Goddess was the official site to hold wedding ceremonies between werewolves, particrly the Alpha weddings. The wedding took ce under the full moon at midnight at a sacred cliff in front of the Moon Gate.


    All she-wolves dreamed about climbing up the steps to reach the cliff with a handsome and powerful Alpha by their sides.


    Lucien did not. Lucien was not a she-wolf. The sheer image of him letting Kinnon take his hand as they both headed to the cliff filled him with nothing but trepidation. It was nothing short of a humiliation.


    Kinnon shed the eager Aunt Catherine a charming smile, but then he fixed his gaze on Lucien, who looked so pale as if he was about to vomit soon.


    .....


    ¡°Lucien? Do you have something to say?¡±


    Lucien had nothing to say. He merely pinned Kinnon with a re. The Alpha was not surprised. He expected that much.


    Aunt Catherine cackled. ¡°What else is there to say but ¡®yes¡¯?¡±


    Alice shot Catherine a sharp look. ¡°Shut up, Kat. Why must Lucien sacrifice himself just so you can live in your stinky hole???¡±


    Aunt Catherine¡¯sughter echoed throughout the room. ¡°Me??? His willingness to marry into the Night Prowler Pack will allow EVERYONE in the Silent Walkers Pack to remain in the pack. And we will be affiliated with one of the strongest packs on the continent. How is that a bad deal???¡±


    With a cruel smile on her face, Aunt Catherine added, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not like...¡±


    She did not get to finish because Alice hissed andunched an attack at her. The room quickly turned chaotic as werewolves jumped in to prevent the two she-wolves from wing at each other¡¯s throats.


    ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE OPEN YOUR FILTHY MOUTH AND SAY A THING ABOUT MY SON!!!¡± Alice roared, tears falling down her cheeks like two streams of waterfall. ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE!¡±


    Aunt Catherine had three long scars on her cheek, caused by Alice¡¯s sudden attack. One end was very close to her right eye. Shaken from the ferocity of Lucien¡¯s mother, Aunt Catherine finally quieted down and said nothing else.


    It was clear to everyone what she wanted to say. It was not as if Lucien never rolled around another male werewolf before. His past romance might be short-lived, but the witnesses were aplenty. Lucien raised a hand to rub at the aching spot between his brows.


    ¡°Please give us a few days to think about this.¡±


    Kinnon gave Lucien a look full of understanding. He nodded in assent. ¡°Of course. One week from now?¡±


    ¡°Ten days.¡±


    ¡°Alright, ten days it is.¡±


    ¡°Also, I need to talk to you now.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien led Kinnon to his childhood bedroom. Although he vacated it seven years ago, Alice had been keeping everything clean. When Lucien came the previous day, the bedsheet was reced every month, the carpeted floor was vacuumed, and all surface was dust-free. Even the window panes were clean. It was as if Lucien never left. The framed photographs at the walls and on the desk showed pictures of a bright alpha boy from childhood to teenagehood. And then it stopped there.


    Kinnon looked around. He rubbed his finger against teenage Lucien in a particr group photo. ¡°You still keep a picture from that year¡¯s Alpha Camp.¡±


    ¡°My mom did,¡± Lucien corrected him.


    Alice was ecstatic when she sent her son to the Alpha Camp. All alpha moms were. There was no telling how disappointed she was when Lucien only went one time, and then never again because of his recurring sickness.


    Kinnon looked at the group photo thoughtfully. His eyes darted between one corner where his younger self stood with a sullen face, and the middle of the first row where young Ronan and young Lucien stood next to each other, their hands linked intimately. It was a negligible thing, but maybe it was all Lucien had from his brief romance with Ronan. The mere fact that Lucien kept this one photo hanging at his bedroom wall while he was lying sick on his bed irked Kinnon tremendously. Just what was he thinking?


    Kinnon¡¯s line of thought ended there when he felt something pressed against his neck. It was the dull edge of a de. The Alpha slowly turned around to face Lucien, who slowly flipped the de so that the sharp edge was pointing at Kinnon directly.


    ¡°What were you thinking?¡± Lucien asked, narrowing his eyes at the childhood friend in front of him. ¡°Is this payback? Do you wish to humiliate me?¡±


    Kinnon chuckled. ¡°Is that what you think?¡±


    Lucien raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°Or else?¡±


    Kinnon grabbed Lucien¡¯s hand and pulled him close. ¡°Was Ronan all that you can remember from the Alpha Camp that year?¡±


    Lucien furrowed his brows. He red at Kinnon while trying to free himself, but Kinnon was not giving in at all. He was sick of waiting for Lucien to change his mind. He was sick of waiting for Lucien to finally look at him.


    Kinnon held Lucien so close that their faces were only centimeters away from each other. He could see the anxiety pooling in Lucien¡¯s eyes, the irregr breath that blew at his own face. The soft lips that spoke harsh words, a shield of words to hide the real Lucien Clearwater beneath all the pretense.


    ¡°I confessed my love to you, do you remember?¡±


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19: The Win-Win Situation


    Lucien averted his eyes. His long eyshes fluttered in distress when he heard Kinnon¡¯s words. Of course he remembered. It was on the first day of Alpha Camp. Young Kinnon Youngshaper invited Lucien for a ¡°talk¡± and ended up confessing his love to him. Back then, both Lucien and Ronan were still struggling with their feelings and their position as Alpha heirs. Lucien never openly rejected Kinnon. He merely started dating Ronan, choosing him on ount of their fated mate connection, only to break up with him on thest day of the Alpha Camp.


    The de left Kinnon¡¯s neck. Lucien¡¯s grip turned ck. The dagger fell off his hand andnded on the floor.


    Suddenly Lucien felt so tired. A wave of dizziness passed through his head. He pulled his arm away from Kinnon¡¯s grip and went toward the window to open it. He needed fresh air desperately. To breathe and to cool off.


    Once enough amount of oxygen flooded his brain, he was able to think again.


    ¡°Kinnon, it has been years,¡± he said after the emotional high ebbed away. ¡°You got married. You even have a child!¡±


    The corners of Kinnon¡¯s lips ticked upward. He crossed his arms and approached Lucien. Once he stood next to him in front of the open window, he turned to look at the man next to him. ¡°You are well-informed.¡±


    Lucien cut a sardonic smile. ¡°The most promising Alpha heir from the Night Prowler Pack got married. It literally made headlines in the newspaper.¡±


    .....


    Kinnon Youngshaper married a very beautiful Alpha¡¯s daughter from a pack that was allied to his own. The reason why their wedding was publicized even in human news was that said Alpha¡¯s daughter was also a renowned celebrity in the human world.


    ¡°My deepest condolences to her passing,¡± Lucien found himself saying. His pack sent an official letter to convey their heartfelt sympathy over the passing of Kinnon¡¯s Luna. She died during childbirth three years ago. Lucien at that time had already left his pack and cut off all connection to the werewolf world, save for asional phone calls and messages with his sister and his mother.


    ¡°She is in a better ce now.¡±


    Lucien turned to look at Kinnon¡¯s side profile. His strong jawline framed a handsome face that was stern by nature. Kinnon also turned his head to face Lucien. His dark eyes were as deep as the night. One could easily lose himself in the unknown depth.


    ¡°Did you love her?¡± Lucien heard himself asking.


    Kinnon smiled at him. ¡°You think?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Maria had a lover before me. She cried on our wedding day and refused me on our wedding night. In a way, we were simr. We were both unable to stay with the ones we loved.¡±


    It was a political marriage.


    ¡°My son is three years old this year, and he needs a mother more than ever. The Elders from my pack have been pushing me to get a new Luna. So I thought... why not go for the person who I wanted all along?¡±


    A bitter taste passed through Lucien¡¯s throat. He feared the answer but he still had to ask. ¡°So did you kill Deacon because you want me to marry you?¡±


    ¡°God, no.¡±


    Kinnon leaned his back against the window frame and scoffed. ¡°Sorry to say but yourte cousin was an arrogant idiot. Under his reign, the Silent Walkers Pack was doomed to perish. You have always been the better choice. Lucien, don¡¯t you see? If you marry me, I will give you the power to rule over the Silent Walkers Pack. You can ensure your pack members¡¯ well-being.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s chest felt stuffy. Kinnon denied it, but it really sounded as if Kinnon killed Deacon so that Lucien could regain the Alpha position. Only that he wouldn¡¯t be the Alpha. He would be the Luna. A Luna was still higher in the hierarchy than a Beta. The Silent Walkers Pack will be left at his mercy, to build or to destroy. Aunt Catherine¡¯s nonsensical usation might not be too nonsensical after all.


    ¡°Be my Luna, Lucien. Let¡¯s build our both packs together. Help me raise my son to be the Night Prowler Pack¡¯s next Alpha.¡±


    Lucien tightened his grip against the window sill. Kinnon¡¯s eyes were drawn to Lucien¡¯s neck. There was something there. A wound. Kinnon reached out and pulled at Lucien¡¯s cor to expose the mark that Ronan made on his nape. Kinnon¡¯s gaze turned icy upon the discovery.


    ¡°Did you sleep with Ronan?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± The answer came right away. Kinnon exhaled out of relief. ¡°Did you mark him?¡±


    Another ¡°No¡± left Lucien¡¯s lips.


    ¡°So this is only half a bond.¡±


    Kinnon¡¯s hand wandered to Lucien¡¯s cheek and moved to thetter¡¯s chin. He leaned closer toward the man to kiss him, but Lucien pulled away at thest second when their lips were just a hairbreadth away from each other.


    ¡°No,¡± he said again, hugging himself from the sudden difort. A cold shiver ran down his spine and he was overwhelmed by immense guilt.


    Although it was only half a bond, some temporary changes took ce in his body. His body rejected the advances of werewolves other than Ronan. epting the affection of other werewolves constituted a cheating act and Lucien would pay a lot for that.


    The Alpha from Night Prowler Pack heaved a sigh. He did not bother to hide his disappointment, but he still had enough grace to say ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    Kinnon rubbed against the deep red mark on Lucien¡¯s nape. ¡°You asked for ten days. I will give you ten days to think about my proposal. Until then this mark should disappear. Then I will leave my mark on you, so everyone will know that you belong to me.¡±


    Kinnon said ¡°everyone¡±, but he was referring to Ronan in particr.


    Lucien turned around and leaned against the window frame as well. ¡°Kinnon, do you still love me?¡±


    Kinnon took one of Lucien¡¯s hands and kissed his knuckles in a revering manner.


    ¡°I have never stopped.¡±


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20: The Infinite Eclipse¡¯s Proposal


    Jake was confused. When Gavin escaped, he called Ronan to share the news and then went on to carry out his duty as a good Beta, which was to handle the matter appropriately so that Ronan did not have to move a finger.


    Ronan did note back to the Pack House that night. He only came back the next morning, and he had bloody gashes and cuts all over his body. One would have thought that he found and beat Gavin up. Only that Gavin was found the very same day he escaped and was now chained inside his own bedroom that was found to be hole-proof.


    Ronan returned in good mood. Jake assumed that he spent the night with another rogue she-wolf. Ronan did ¡°take care of¡± a few of them financially, and they dly repaid him with their bodies. Not that Ronan ever had to force them. If any of them managed to catch Ronan¡¯s seed, then the she-wolf would be the Luna at once. Who would not want to be the Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack?


    Then again, Ronan would not make any rogue his Luna. If he nned to make anyone his Luna at all. Jake was not privy to what was going on between Ronan Silverback and Lucien Clearwater, but if he believed everything that Robin found out about the past romance between these two ex-fated mates, then Lucien was supposedly Ronan¡¯s one and only true love.


    After that one rejection that ended their fated romance, the then eighteen-year-old Ronan threw himself into the arms of basically anyone just to numb out the pain in his heart.


    It took seven years to erase Lucien Clearwater¡¯s shadow from Ronan¡¯s heart.


    And only seven seconds to let him back in.


    .....


    A few dayster, Jake stood at the side and watched as the Healer checked the progress of Ronan¡¯s wounds. Most of them already healed.


    ¡°Barely anything left, Alpha,¡± the Healer confirmed with a smile.


    ¡°Thanks, Jane.¡± Ronan put on his shirt and buttoned it up. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he nodded at his Beta.


    Jake followed Ronan out of the bed-chamber. They got a report that Maya¡¯s emotional state finally stabilized, and she was ready to speak. After they finished drawing conclusion from all the statements that Maya, Lucien, and Gavin made, Gavin would be punished ordingly.


    Maya lived with her parents and a little brother in an apartment on the ground floor.


    There was a little flower garden just in front of the apartment.


    It used to be an empty patch of soil, but now all kinds of flowers were blooming in there. The flowers did not magically grow within a night.


    The neighbors bought them in pots and nted them in the empty patch of soil tofort Maya. Taking care of the garden proved to be therapeutic for the young woman.


    Ronan recalled that Maya was also taking care of Lucien¡¯s garden back when she stayed at his house.


    Lucien...


    Ronan felt a pang of regret in his heart. Should he have dragged Lucien to his Pack House instead of letting him leave with Kinnon? He could have locked him inside his bed-chamber, waiting patiently until Lucien¡¯s rejection turned into eptance. Beowulf would have consented to it.


    The clinking sound of the cup of tea that was served in front of him snapped Ronan out of his daydreams. He regarded the young woman who was slightly trembling at his sight.


    She looked terrified of having the Alpha and Beta visit her. Her whole family was.


    Jake tried his best to loosen the tension. ¡°Maya, how are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Good...¡± came the hesitant answer, as if doing good bordered on doing something wrong.


    ¡°Can you tell us what happened? With... Gavin?¡±


    Maya flinched. It took a few minutes of persuasion before she finally started talking. Her exnation was no different from Lucien¡¯s, other than the additional information that Gavin had tried to approach her numerous times while they were both staying at the Pack House.


    Considering that they were surrounded by a bunch of werewolves, Gavin never dared to do anything reckless. He expressed his interest in a childish way. A love letter, a bouquet of flowers, a box of chocte.


    All the things that teenagers gave to each other as tokens of love, only to have the love disappear into thin air one day for no reason at all.


    When Maya went to South Bedford City to further her education, she did not expect Gavin to follow her. She initially thought that it was a good thing to have someone from her pack close by, but then it became a nightmare.


    Maya buried his face in her mother¡¯s arms. She refused to continue describing her traumatic experience, and neither Jake nor Ronan pushed her to do so.


    ¡°I heard you are a student at Lucien... I mean Mr. Clearwater¡¯s ss?¡±


    Maya nodded. Her expression brightened upon hearing Lucien¡¯s name. There was even a slight smile that formed on her lips.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater found me... and saved me.¡±


    ¡°Well, I guess the story is all clear now. Have you properly ryed our thanks to Lucien Clearwater?¡± Jake asked once they left Maya¡¯s apartment behind. Ronan gave him a nonchnt grunt. It was neither a yes nor a no.


    ¡°Speaking about Lucien Clearwater, there are some updates about the war between the Silent Walkers Pack and the Night Prowler Pack.¡±


    Ronan stopped in his track. He knew about the war, of course. He just did not care much because Lucien was no longer in the Silent Walkers Pack. But then why did Kinnon Youngshaper, the Alpha of the Night Prowler Pack look for Lucien?


    Jake cleared his throat before he answered the question that Ronan did not ask at all.


    ¡°Alpha Kinnon Youngshaper has formally asked for Lucien Clearwater¡¯s hand in marriage in exchange for the Silent Walkers Pack¡¯s autonomy.¡±


    Jake watched with a face full of concern as blood drained from Ronan¡¯s face, only toe back and turn his face almost purple from rage. He gritted his teeth and asked, ¡°Did Lucien ept?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Jake confirmed. ¡°He asked to think for several days, but the Werewolf Council...¡±


    ¡°Write me a proposal with simr terms to the Silent Walkers Pack,¡± Ronan cut Jake mid-sentence.


    Jake thought that he misheard. ¡°Sorry, what?¡±


    ¡°I also would like to ask for Lucien¡¯s hand in marriage. I will provide everything that the Night Prowler Pack promised the Silent Walkers Pack. I am also willing to negotiate for more.¡±


    Jake was speechless. His jaw dropped open in disbelief.


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21: The Unexpected Visit


    The next day, Kinnon and a few representatives from the Night Prowler Pack came by the Silent Walkers Pack House again. They wanted to excuse themselves to go back to their territory. Kinnon gave Lucien a hug and a kiss on his cheek. ¡°I will be waiting,¡± he whispered lovingly before he departed with his pack members.


    After the Night Prowler Pack left, the Silent Walkers Pack members were finally able to breathe again. Everyone had more smiles on their faces. The wounded ones were healing faster. Children started to run around cheerfully again. It was as if the war never happened. Only the Alpha family locked themselves inside their apartments and mused about the proposal that needed to be answered within ten days.


    Alice forbade anyone toe and see Lucien. If they really needed to see him, then they were forbidden from mentioning the proposal. Alice did not want Lucien to make a decision that he woulde to regret. Her son had suffered a lot in the past years. It was too cruel to force him into a marriage with another pack to redeem the Silent Walkers Pack. Lucien was no longer part of the pack. He had not contributed anything to Deacon¡¯s decision in marching to war, so he should not be burdened with the aftermath.


    Annalynne was constantly on her toes. She was used to speak her mind with her twin brother. Now that she was not allowed to talk about the proposal, she was like an elephant that was surrounded by a bunch of ants. She was restless when Lucien was around, and anxious when Lucien was not around. Eventually Lucien could not take it anymore.


    ¡°What is it, Anna?¡±


    Annalynne looked pitiful. She opened her mouth to say something but then immediately pressed her lips together in reluctance. Lucien patted at the empty seat next to him on the couch, gesturing for his twin sister to sit down.


    ¡°Say it already. Is it about the proposal?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Oh, Big Brother,¡± Annalynne broke in a wail. She sat next to her twin brother and grabbed his hand.


    ¡°Mom doesn¡¯t want us to talk to you about it.¡±


    Lucien sighed in his heart.


    ¡°I know. And yet you seem to have something on your mind. Enlighten us. What is the matter?¡±


    Annalynne rubbed at Lucien¡¯s hand intimately. ¡°I just... Big Brother, I missed you so much. Mom and I. We missed you so much.¡±


    Lucien patted Annalynne¡¯s head fondly.


    ¡°I missed you and Mom too. Very much.¡±


    ¡°I just want to say that... it would be great to have you back. If you marry into the Night Prowler Pack, you will be able toe by often, right?¡±


    Lucien shook his head in response.


    ¡°I have not spoken in detail about the post wedding arrangement, but I most likely will live at the Night Prowler Pack¡¯s territory.¡±


    Annalynne¡¯s face fell instantly.


    ¡°But you will be back in the werewolf world!¡± she recoiled in an instant. ¡°We will have a lot more chances to meet up.¡±


    Lucien nodded. He was not sure if that was a good or a bad thing. He just knew that Annalynne seemed to be inclined to have him go in a certain direction.


    ¡°Do you want me to marry Kinnon, Anna?¡±


    Annalynne¡¯s cheeks started to glow pink.


    ¡°Not if you don¡¯t want to!¡± she hastily spoke. ¡°Lulu, I just want you to be happy. And I want you back.¡±


    Annalynne grabbed Lucien¡¯s hand and squeezed it.


    ¡°Lulu, do you... do you have any feelings for Kinnon?¡±


    Lucien did not tell anyone about Kinnon¡¯s confession to him back in the Alpha Camp. He doubted that Kinnon told anyone. Especially not after Ronan came into the picture.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other for years, there could be none.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Um... Do you think you can ever have feelings for him?¡±


    ¡°Feelings are unpredictable. Then again it doesn¡¯t really matter in a political marriage. There are a few expectations toward the Luna, but love for the Alpha is hardly one of them.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Annalynne wanted to say something else, but at the inopportune moment the door opened up and Alice walked into the room. As soon as she saw Annalynne¡¯s guilty face, she furrowed her brows and growled.


    ¡°Anna, are you bothering Lulu?¡±


    Annalynne jumped off the couch as if she got bitten by a couch bug. ¡°What?? No, I...!!!¡±


    ¡°We are only reminiscing about the past,¡± Lucien interceded. ¡°Mom, what is it?¡±


    Alice¡¯s facial muscles turned taut.


    ¡°Lulu, we have guests. You shoulde to greet them together with the others.¡±


    It was an unusual request because Lucien was after all no longer part of the Silent Walkers Pack. Even if he was considered one due to the proposal made by the Night Prowler Pack, he was about to be an outsider soon so there was no need to get involved in the Silent Walkers Pack¡¯s internal business.


    Lucien and Annalynne rose to their feet and followed their mother silently, not without exchanging curious looks with each other. In the guest reception hall, two groups of people sat at the long table and discussed in a low voice about the pleasant weather, the trip to Blue Hill City, and the hospitality that the Silent Walkers Pack extended to their guests.


    The Betas were always in charge of exchanging pleasantries, so Lucien¡¯s eyes were quickly drawn to the Beta of the other group. It was Jake. Lucien¡¯s eyes quickly moved to the person at his left side, who was sitting in the middle of the row like a celebrated King. Lucien¡¯s lips were pulled into a taut line. What was the purpose of the Infinite Eclipse Pack¡¯s visit this time? Even the Alpha came along. The Beta or even the Gamma should have been enough for an official visit.


    Lucien was given the seat opposite of Ronan, as if he were the reigning Alpha of the Silent Walkers Pack. He could see the scowl on Aunt Catherine¡¯s face, but the woman dared not say anything in front of strangers.


    Jake smiled at Lucien.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater, long time no see.¡±


    Lucien nodded in return. ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°We have a proposal to make to the Silent Walkers Pack, and we hope for a good answer.¡±


    Jake pushed a rolled leather parchment toward Lucien. It looked a lot like the proposal that Kinnon submitted just a few days ago. Lucien took the parchment and unrolled it. Before he got to read the first line, Jake dropped the bomb dramatically.


    ¡°The Infinite Eclipse Pack humbly requests Lucien Clearwater¡¯s hand in marriage to our Alpha, Ronan Silverback.¡±


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22: Two Marriage Proposals


    If Lucien¡¯s initial reaction to Kinnon¡¯s proposal was humiliation, then his initial reaction to Ronan¡¯s proposal was unbridled fury. The half-opened proposal was mmed against the table surface as Lucien rose to his feet and towered over everyone who was sitting at the table. Some of them gaped at Lucien in disbelief. Some, like Jake, had predicted that Lucien would not take the proposal with a smile, let alone a thanks.


    ¡°You,¡± Lucien growled, his eyes gleaming with uncontained rage. He did not even bother to address Ronan politely anymore. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Ronan calmly rose to his feet and followed a fuming Lucien outside. Lucien brought Kinnon to his bedroom to talk, but he did not feel safe about doing the same with Ronan. Not after Ronan¡¯s savage behavior thest time they were left alone behind a closed door.


    They instead walked into the forest behind the Silent Walkers Pack House. Once Lucien thought that they were far enough into the woods, he turned around and red at Ronan. ¡°What the hell do you think you are doing?¡± he snappedpletely. ¡°Is this a joke to you?¡±


    Ronan crossed his arms in front of his chest and tilted his chin upward slightly. ¡°It is not a joke. I am serious.¡±


    ¡°We have broken up,¡± Lucien reminded him. ¡°Seven years ago, if you recall.¡±


    Ronan gnashed his teeth. How could he forget? It was the worst day of his life.


    .....


    ¡°Oh, I remember it as clear as yesterday. Thanks for the reminder, though.¡±


    ¡°Then do you also remember that I no longer want anything to do with you?¡±


    ¡°Your wish doesn¡¯t matter. This is an official marriage proposal from one pack to another.¡±


    Lucien threw his neck back inughter. ¡°And how are you so confident that the Silent Walkers Pack will choose your pack over Kinnon¡¯s?¡±


    A cold smile formed on Ronan¡¯s lips. ¡°Oh, I am sure of it. It alles down to the terms after all.¡±


    Lucien left the proposal behind when he stormed out of the room, so naturally he could not read it at the moment.


    ¡°Care to enlighten me, Alpha?¡±


    Ronan hummed.


    ¡°Since Mr. Clearwater is asking so politely, I shall indulge you. In addition to everything that the Night Prowler Pack offers the Silent Walkers Pack, we are willing to pay any amount of money to reimburse the war tributes that the Silent Walkers Pack owes the Night Prowler Pack. The Silent Walkers Pack can keep everything that they have currently. Nothing will be taken away. Also, the Silent Walkers Pack can elect their own Alpha from the prospective alphas internal of the pack. The elected Alpha has no obligation to report to the Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack. Instead of submission, we offer the Silent Walkers Pack cooperation on the same level.¡±


    It was a very generous offer. More than enough to sway the majority of the Silent Walkers Pack members, should they ever decide to vote between the two packs.


    ¡°And what does the Infinite Eclipse Pack stand to gain from this very generous proposal?¡±


    ¡°You,¡± Ronan answered uninhibitedly.


    Lucien scoffed.


    ¡°Just how terrible of an Alpha are you? You are wasting the Infinite Eclipse¡¯s resources for your own selfish ambition? And what about heirs? Do you even care to leave any pups behind to continue your bloodline???¡±


    Ronan gave Lucien an impassive look.


    ¡°What the Infinite Eclipse Pack agrees on internally has nothing to do with you. Whether or not I leave heirs behind too, has nothing to do with you. All you need to think about is picking the best proposal of the two. Whichever serves your pack better. Because you are such a good Alpha. Oh wait, you are not,¡± he added cruelly.


    Lucien sucked in a deep breath and pinned Ronan with a re. But then he decided that no tongueshing was going to solve the problem so he decided otherwise.


    ¡°Kinnon can always negotiate better terms,¡± Lucien said. ¡°We are done here.¡±


    Lucien turned around to leave, but Ronan pulled him back and wrapped his arms around Lucien intimately. His hot breath blew at Lucien¡¯s neck, his pheromones attacked Lucien¡¯s nose and made his knees go weak. The scalding chest that pressed against Lucien¡¯s back threatened to burn him alive. Lucien was barely able to stifle the burning sensation that grew in the pit of his stomach. The half bond mark was still in effect. Lucien was unable to resist Ronan¡¯s advances.


    Ronan knew that too. He pushed Lucien¡¯s hair aside and licked at the mark on thetter¡¯s nape.


    ¡°You look good with my mark,¡± he chuckled.


    Lucien¡¯s eyes were burning from humiliation. He wanted to strike Ronan but his body was pliant to Ronan¡¯s touch. Aggrieved, Lucien resorted to closing his eyes and ignoring Ronan altogether. He focused only on breathing.


    Seeing that Lucien turned into a block of ice again, Ronan became rather unhappy. He sank his fangs into Lucien¡¯s nape again and tore at Lucien¡¯s flesh. Thetter widened his eyes in shock.


    ¡°Ahhh...!!! No!!! Ronan, you beast! How many times do you intend to do that???¡±


    Ronanpped up Lucien¡¯s blood as if he had never drunk anything more delicious. Then he grabbed Lucien¡¯s neck, turned his head toward his own, and kissed Lucien with his bloodied mouth.


    ¡°Mmphh...!!!¡±


    The trees around them became silent witnesses as Ronan pushed Lucien to the ground and the two alphas rolled around in an attempt to gain the upper hand over each other.


    By the time they were done, both were panting hard. Ronan pressed his face into Lucien¡¯s chest that moved up and down rapidly. Lucien¡¯s heart was pounding hard. As hard as his own did.


    Ronan lifted his head to look into Lucien¡¯s dazed eyes. Thetter¡¯s eyes were misty from a mix of lust and reluctance. Ronan caressed Lucien¡¯s cheek gently.


    ¡°You are mine, Lucien Clearwater,¡± he dered with a husky voice. ¡°In this life or any life, you can only be mine. I will not let anyone else touch you.¡±


    In Ronan¡¯s head, Beowulf howled in approval.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23: The Alpha Was Scolded Harshly


    Ronan and Lucien came back from the forest after disappearing for an hour. Even a blind werewolf could feel the ufortable atmosphere between them.


    The air seemed to be loaded with gunpowder. A single spark sufficed to blow them all into smithereens. The more observant werewolves saw a ring and bloody mark on Lucien¡¯s nape, clearly left by Ronan during their ¡°private discussion¡±.


    After agreeing to give the Silent Walkers Pack ten days to decide, the representatives from the Infinite Eclipse Pack left as quickly as they came.


    Ronan went back to his Pack House at Great Lake City with a smug grin on his face. It was quickly wiped out when an ufortable-looking Quinn came to report that Ronan¡¯s esteemed father, the previous Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack hade to pay a visit.


    The word ¡°fuck¡± left Ronan¡¯s lips instantly. Jake and Quinn exchanged nces. They both knew it would happen. Ronan¡¯s careless action was sure to invite frowns on the pack members¡¯ faces, though very little of them dared to question the Alpha. Not so with Dane Silverback, who was additionally a renowned member of the Werewolf Council.


    Dane Silverback might have retired from his Alpha position, but he still enjoyed the reverence from the Infinite Eclipse Pack members without exception. Jake and Quinn thus did not hesitate at all when Dane dismissed them with a mere ¡°Leave us¡±. ustomed to his father¡¯s domineering attitude, Ronan did not react at all.


    The father and son nced at each other for some time. At fifty years old, Dane was still as robust as always. The only difference was that he had gotten ustomed to wearing lighter color suitspared to the time when he was still the Alpha and the CEO of the Silverback Corporation. And yet the lines on the elder werewolf¡¯s face seemed to be etched even deeper into his face, giving him an eternal scowling expression.


    .....


    ¡°Long time no see, Father.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. You look well.¡±


    Ronan struggled to maintain a smile on his face. Sure enough, Dane followed up with an unpleasant remark.


    ¡°I, however, am not convinced that you are truly well.¡±


    Here it is, Ronan thought to himself, trying hard not to roll his eyes at his father. He crossed the hall and walked toward the drinks counter to pour himself a ss of whiskey.


    ¡°Do you want one too, Father?¡±


    ¡°If your drinking habit is to me for your bad decisions, maybe we should ban alcoholic drinks from the Pack House,¡± Dane Silverback quipped.


    Ronan downed a full ss of whiskey nheless. Dane strode over and grabbed Ronan by his upper arm.


    ¡°What on earth do you think you are doing? Exin it to me properly,¡± he hissed at his son.


    ¡°Is this about my proposal to marry Lucien Clearwater?¡±


    Dane gave Ronan a pointed look while spreading his arms in a desperate gesture. ¡°Well, is there more that I need to be concerned about???¡±


    Ronan squared his shoulders in defiance. ¡°Father, I am a grown man. I am no longer that young pup that needs you to point out directions for him to go.¡±


    ¡°With agee responsibilities! Ronan, Lucien was thankfully the reasonable one between the two of you. He broke things off with you seven years ago and I could not be more grateful. Now you are literally grabbing him to fall together from the cliff. What. The. Hell. Are. You. Thinking???¡±


    Reasonable? Lucien broke his heart. How was that ¡°reasonable¡±? The ss in Ronan¡¯s hand cracked and broke into pieces that cut into Ronan¡¯s hand. A muscle on Dane¡¯s temple twitched violently.


    ¡°I have danced ording to your pipe for years, and I have aplished what you asked me to. There is only one thing I want for myself and that is to marry Lucien. You cannot stop me. He is mine. He can only be mine.¡±


    A crisp p caused Ronan¡¯s face to turn violently to the other side. The stinging pain did nothing to change his mind. It merely fueled his resolution even more.


    ¡°For your information, Father. The only reason why I agreed to reject Lucien was his wish to be an Alpha of his own pack. Now that he no longer clings to this dream, I have no reason to not hold on to him.¡±


    ¡°Lucien cared about his own pack. What about you?? Don¡¯t you care???¡±


    Ronan pulled a grimace.


    ¡°There are a lot of alphas in the Infinite Eclipse Pack. Not to mention that you also sired a few alpha sons with your lovers. They can take my position after I die.¡±


    ¡°RONAN!!!¡±


    ¡°The discussion is over,¡± Ronan decided. ¡°Good day, Father.¡±


    Dane was left alone in the hall. His burning gaze followed Ronan¡¯s back until it disappeared around the corner. The elder werewolf kicked a chair hard, causing it to crash against the granite floor.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± he muttered under his breath.


    He doted on Ronan the most. His eldest son, his pride. But Ronan never once forgave him for cheating on his mother. To add salt to the wound, his wife had since been hospitalized from the trauma.


    Dane never thought of himself as the epitome of a good husband, but he was at least a responsible Alpha and father.


    He fulfilled his tasks conscientiously. He made sure to get an heir and raised him to be the next Alpha. And what about Ronan?


    His womanizing way was at the same level as Dane¡¯s if not worse.


    And he did not even think about leaving, let alone raising an heir!


    Dane refused to hand over the Alpha position to other alphas in the pack. No way. He had worked hard to get the Alpha position since he was young. The Alpha position must stay within his family no matter what.


    Dane Silverback rummaged inside his pocket and pulled out his phone. He searched the address book for a certain person who he had only contacted once and never again. Someone reliable.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Dane spoke into the speaker when the call connected. ¡°This is Dane Silverback.¡±

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24: Visiting The Former Alpha


    The end of Lucien¡¯s one-week leave from the college was quickly approaching. The aftermath of the war and dealing with two marriage proposals took the majority of everyone¡¯s time.


    By the time the necessary arrangements had been done, only two days were left before Lucien had to go back.


    After spending quality time with his sister and mother, Lucien still had one person to visit. His father, Gordon Clearwater.


    Gordon Clearwater, the former Alpha of the Silent Walkers Pack, lived in a special nursing home for werewolves since three years ago. Sporting the name ¡°Wolf Valley Recuperation Home¡±, the nursing home was located at North Ridge Forest and was directly managed by the Werewolf Council.


    It was thest resting ce for werewolves with incurable afflictions. Some of them departed within days, while some had longer years to live and thus became ¡°permanent residents¡± of the nursing home. Gordon Clearwater was one of these permanent residents.


    The former Alpha was very emotional about his condition in the first months of his stay at the nursing home. The years of ruling a pack as an Alpha had taken a lot from the man, including his ability to let go of things that he no longer had an influence on.


    The transition time was always the hardest. Gordon felt as if he lost the ground under his feet and fell into a deep depression.


    .....


    Thankfully, the Healers in the nursing home were used to treating retired Alphas and were able to properly listen to them and attend to their emotional needs.


    The Healers constantly reminded Gordon that he had fulfilled his roles and responsibilities within the pack and that it was his time to kick back and rx. He should see theing days as a chance to heal and pursue a new life instead of a downgrade of his previous upation as an Alpha.


    After a while, he came to appreciate the tranquility and peace that the nursing home had to offer.


    Unlike sick patients that required supervision 24/7, the permanent residents were given little houses to be able to live like normal, healthy people. The management of Wolf Valley Recuperation Home encouraged them to pursue hobbies and interests to keep themselves engaged at all times.


    When Lucien and Annalynne arrived at the reception hall of Wolf Valley Recuperation Home that weekend, they were led to Gordon Clearwater¡¯s little house.


    Artistic blood ran in the Clearwater family. Both Gordon and Lucien had natural talents and also a high interest in art and music. Annalynne on the other side had zero talent in both. Her best art was stick figures and she was given the triangle for a musical instrument in the school orchestra because it was the only thing she could y without messing up the whole performance.


    As a child, Annalynne often wondered whether she was adopted. Lucien kept admonishing her for the silly thought. Because how did they look so simr if they were not twins?


    Later on, she came to terms with hercking talent after finding out that her mother was also an untalented artist. It seemed that zero talent for art was also a trait that ran in the family. It was either the genius or theplete idiot.


    The little house was but a little building in a huge yard full of potted nts of various sizes and a few apple trees. There was also a small lotus pond with several fat fishes swimming inside. A painting easel and bench stood on the porch overlooking the green surrounding.


    When the door opened, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi dog ran out excitedly. Having recognized Annalynne with one nce, it jumped at the woman whoughed and hugged the energetic dog to her chest.


    When Lucien extended his hand to pat the dog¡¯s head, it gave a little whine and shrank back. Lucien thus withdrew his hand.


    ¡°He is shy when meeting a new person for the first time,¡± a voice rang out from the door. Gordon Clearwater had one hand against the door frame while the other was supporting his body with a cane.


    ¡°Dad!¡± Annalynne cried. She rushed toward Gordon and thetter patted her head lovingly.


    ¡°Anna, how are you?¡±


    ¡°I am good. Dad, Lulu is back...¡±


    A tiny smile formed on Lucien¡¯s lips. ¡°Hi, Dad.¡±


    ¡°Lucien...¡±


    Gordon extended an arm toward Lucien. Thetter walked toward him and was pulled into a tight embrace by him.


    ¡°Lucien, how are you?¡±


    ¡°I am fine,¡± Lucien answered.


    After leaving the pack, Lucien had only visited Gordon two times. One time when he was in the hospital, and the other time when he entered the nursing home.


    The corners of Annalynne¡¯s eyes quickly became moist from tears. ¡°You two talk!¡± she eximed. ¡°I am going to buy us some food!¡±


    Before Annalynne disappeared, Gordon called, ¡°Anna, wait.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    The elder werewolf turned to Lucien with a smile. ¡°I missed your cooking. Do you mind cooking us some dinner?¡±


    Annalynne answered in Lucien¡¯s stead. ¡°Of course, Dad! What do you want to eat for dinner???¡±


    ¡°Hmm... What about chicken sd, beefsagna with four kinds of cheese, and chocte creme pudding for dessert?¡±


    All of these were not Gordon¡¯s favorite dishes but Annalynne¡¯s.


    ¡°Oh, yes!¡± Annalynne agreed excitedly. ¡°I will also get some almond slices for the pudding!¡±


    She did not even wait for Lucien to say yes or no before she dashed away at lightning speed.


    Lucien lifted his eyes to look at Gordon.


    ¡°You sent Anna off on such a huge errand list. I reckon you want to talk to me alone?¡±


    The happy smile on Gordon¡¯s face was slowly reced with a sad one. Gordon sighed and muttered, ¡°Sharp as always.¡±


    Gordon beckoned Lucien toe inside the house. Lucien waited until the Corgi got inside before he closed the door.


    Gordon sank on top of a recliner and sighed. Lucien took a seat across him and leaned forward in expectation of Gordon¡¯s exnation.


    ¡°Lucien, Dane Silverback called yesterday.¡±


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25: It Is Not Up For Discussion


    A weak smile spread on Lucien¡¯s face when he heard that one sentence. Gordon could not bear to look at his son. He hung his head and sighed.


    It had been seven years. He thought that they were over it. Apparently, they were not.


    ¡°Did you meet with Ronan Silverbacktely?¡± Gordon heard himself asking.


    Lucien had nothing to hide. ¡°Yes. One of the students in my ss happens to be a she-wolf. She is part of the Infinite Eclipse Pack.¡±


    Lucien told Gordon about Maya and Gavin, and the events that led him to meet with Ronan again. Gordon waited until Lucien was done with his story before he asked, ¡°Has Ronan Silverback shown any interest to pursue you again?¡±


    He had indeed. Despite Lucien¡¯s harsh treatment and cruel words. Lucien was stuck with two official marriage proposals, one from Kinnon Youngshaper and one from Ronan Silverback.


    Gordon sighed.


    .....


    The father and son duo fell into a deafening silence. Outside, it had begun to rain. Lucien immediately thought about his sister who was still buying ingredients to cook family dinner for the three of them.


    ¡°It is raining. I should ask Anna if she can make it back here without help.¡±


    Gordon grunted in agreement. His eyes were locked on his son, never once leaving his face. Surely Lucien knew what Gordon wanted to say. What he needed to say. Whenever Dane Silverback was mentioned, it was to end whatever there was between Lucien and Ronan.


    ¡°Lulu...¡±


    ¡°Dad...¡±


    They spoke at the same time and stopped at the same time from the awkwardness. Then Gordon cleared his throat. ¡°Go ahead, Lucien. What do you want to say?¡±


    Lucien put his hand over Gordon¡¯s and spoke in a calming voice, ¡°Dad, rest assured. I have already rejected Ronan¡¯s proposal beforeing here.¡±


    Gordon¡¯s eyes widened in shock. The turmoil in his heart was supposed to subside, but it instead raged stronger than ever.


    ¡°Lulu, you...¡±


    ¡°I wrote the rejection letter myself. I believe Mom sent it out on my behalf this morning. Dad, you will not hear anyints from Dane Silverback.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    A certain numbness prevented Gordon from saying anything in retaliation. This was what he wanted. This was what he wanted to tell his son to do, so now that it happened, why did Gordon not feel happy at all?


    And then it hit him like thunder striking across the sky. Lucien had automatically assumed that Gordon wanted him to reject Ronan so he sent out the rejection letter without even consulting him. Lucien¡¯s initiative stemmed from Gordon¡¯s unreliability.


    Gordon had been hating himself for seven years. He hated himself for not being able to protect his son¡¯s happiness. For asking his son to end things with his fated mate after a brief period of romance. For ruining his son¡¯s life. For the second time.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± he said with a hoarse, emotional voice as he crumbled into a heap of sobbing mess. If his pack members got to see the current Gordon Clearwater, they would not recognize him at all. The once so powerful Alpha who ruled over their pack had been reduced to a pathetic version of himself.


    Gordon cried even harder when he felt a pair of arms hugging his bent shoulders. He did not deserve to have a son like Lucien. No, it was inurate. Lucien deserved to have a better father than Gordon. He deserved to have a father that could stand up for him and shield him from the oing storm and heavy rains. An eighteen-year-old Lucien was not supposed to shoulder a burden that was too heavy for Gordon to bear.


    Gordon had single-handedly ruined Lucien¡¯s life. The worst part about it all was that Lucien did what Gordon told him to do without the slightest resistance. He did it seven years ago and he did it again in the present time. Gordon would never forget the silent tears that the immature Lucien shed in front of him when the teenager heard what he had to do. After that fateful day, Lucien no longer shed tears in front of others. He kept a brave front, biting back all the resentment in his heart and pretending that he did not care about it. That he epted his life as it was.


    Broken.


    Destroyed.


    Losing his chance to shine at his prime age.


    ¡°I am sorry... Lulu, I am so sorry... Your father is incapable. I am so sorry...¡±


    Gordon apologized over and over while Lucien patted his back.


    ¡°Dad, it¡¯s okay. It is all over. This is thest time.¡±


    Ronan proposed to him in a fit of jealousy. He probably just wanted to shift his own weight around and showed Kinnon that he still yed a prominent role in Lucien¡¯s heart.


    Of course he did.


    But did it mean that Lucien would automatically ept his marriage proposal and ruin the rtionship between the three packs for all eternities?


    Of course not.


    Gordon had taught Lucien that an Alpha had to be strong not only physically but mentally. Physical strength was built by engaging in rigorous training on daily basis. Mental strength was built by making the right decisions for the benefit of the pack although the Alpha himself had to suffer for it.


    Gordon did it, and Lucien wished to do the same. It did not matter whether he became the Alpha of the Silent Walkers Pack or not. Or whether he still lived in the Pack House or not. As long as he was able to protect his pack, he would do so without the slightest hesitation.


    That was why Gordon did not have to be sorry. This was what Lucien had to do, so he did it.


    The seven years of agony told Lucien that when something was not meant to be, it was not meant to be. There was no reason to push the wheel of fate to rotate in a direction that does not align with the universe.


    As for his fated connection with Ronan?


    Well, it was simply a mistake made by the Moon Goddess. There was no way they could end up together.


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26: The Alpha Had To Take Another Rejection


    Ronan Silverback sat on his throne with one leg crossed over the other as he waited for Gavin to be brought into the audience hall. All Elders as well as Maya and her family were present for his trial.


    The prospect of meeting Gavin again filled Maya with trepidation. Herplexion was especially pale and she kept twitching in her seat whenever someone spoke to her.


    Quinn escorted Gavin to the audience hall herself. The young man had both of his arms and legs chained together. The chains were only long enough to allow him to do some basic movements such as walking and eating.


    Maya¡¯s father growled violently when he saw the young werewolf who almost tainted his daughter. If he had not spared everyone in the room any thought, he would have lunged forward and ripped this insolent young man into pieces.


    After getting caught and dragged back to the Pack House, Gavin no longer denied his sins. He admitted that he lusted for Maya and intended to take her against her will. If not for Lucien Clearwater who protected Maya for days, Gavin would have seeded in his endeavor.


    Gavin confessed to everything, admitting to all usations on the list.


    ¡°You son of a bitch!¡± Maya¡¯s father roared. He had to be restrained by his fellow pack members in order to not attack Gavin. ¡°You fucking asshole!¡±


    .....


    ¡®Silence.¡¯


    One word from the Alpha sufficed to put a stop to Maya¡¯s father. Thetter slumped to the ground and said nothing else. Only a low whimper was heard as he tried hard to suppress his unvented anger. Ronan turned his attention to Gavin and spoke with an icy expression.


    ¡°This crime is unpardonable. You have used your gift to prey on your fellow werewolf, a member of your own pack to be precise. In ordance with the regtion set by the Werewolf Council, I herewith decide to send you to the prison on ck Reef Ind.


    You shall serve a five-year-imprisonment there, and then you will be released. The Werewolf Council will keep an eye on you for your whole life. The next offense merits no less than a death penalty.¡±


    ck Reef Ind was a lone ind that served as a correctional institute for werewolves. It was strictly managed by the Werewolf Council. No visitors were allowed on the ind. Werewolves were only allowed to leave after they finished serving their sentence period.


    Most of them were branded as criminals upon leaving the ind. These werewolves would never again be able to rely on the pack¡¯s protection. They would henceforth live on as rogue werewolves unless a pack decided to adopt them.


    The branding mark led to almost zero chance of adoption. Their best chance at life was living their life as a normal human being and forgetting their identity as werewolves.


    Gavin¡¯s lips trembled when he heard about the imprisonment sentence. He sneaked a furtive nce at Maya who kept her eyes downcast, her shoulders shaking with fear. It almost looked as if Gavin wanted to say something, but then he decided not to.


    Gavin was sent back to his bedroom where he was to spend onest night in the Infinite Eclipse Pack House before he was forever banished from the pack.


    As his caretaker, Quinn was deeply ashamed of her failure to raise Gavin into an honorable werewolf. To atone for it, Quinn was going to deliver Gavin to the ck Reef Ind herself.


    Meanwhile, Jake had a problem on his own. He held in his hand a parchment roll that was no different from a roll of dynamites. He, the Beta, had the honor to deliver it to Ronan because no one in their sane mind wanted to be in the room when the Alpha went berserk.


    After everyone poured out of the audience hall, Jake confronted Ronan.


    ¡°Ronan, the answer from the Silent Walkers Pack just came.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s eyes drifted to the parchment roll in Jake¡¯s hands. Wordlessly, he extended his hand to receive said roll.


    He did not open the letter right away. Instead, he went to his study with Jake in tow. After they arrived at the study and Jake closed the door behind him, Ronan unrolled the letter and read the content. Jake followed Ronan¡¯s eyes as they flew from top to bottom of the letter, going from line to line. After Ronan finished, he kept staring at the letter without saying anything.


    Jake was burning with curiosity. He wanted to ask what the letter said, but he did not want to offend Ronan. He just stood there and waited. Until Ronan turned to him with annoyance and threw the parchment roll at his feet. Jake closed his eyes and sighed in his heart.


    Oh, no.


    Jake picked up the letter and read it. It was a formal rejection letter, expressing a great deal of gratitude toward Infinite Eclipse Pack¡¯s offer of joining hands in marriage. Unfortunately, the Night Prowler Pack was the first one to make the offer. In order to prevent offending thetter, the Silent Walkers Pack thus regretfully had to decline the offer from the Infinite Eclipse Pack.


    Jake forced himself to smile. ¡°They are not wrong. The Night Prowler Pack did submit their proposal earlier than us.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s face was distorted into an ugly sneer. It did not work like that. Lucien simply chose to reject him. Again and again.


    ¡°Lucien,¡± Ronan growled between gritted teeth.


    Against better judgment, Jake spoke up again.


    ¡°Alpha, you should not take it personally. The Silent Walkers Pack has...¡±


    ... a right to decide which offer they would like to ept.


    That was what Jake wanted to say, but he never managed to finish his sentence because Ronan silenced him with a sharp re. The Beta of the Infinite Eclipse Pack could only purse his lips and kept quiet.


    Ronan stepped behind the desk, crossing one leg over another as he sat on hisfortable leather seat. He put the tips of his fingers together and gazed at Jake over his steepled hands.


    ¡°Do you want me to do anything?¡± Jake asked, hopeful that Ronan would say no and kick him out of the room. The atmosphere was too stifling with Ronan¡¯s pheromones, threatening to suffocate him.


    ¡°No,¡± Ronan calmly said. ¡°I will.¡±


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27: One More Answer To Give


    Annalynne made it back safely with two bags full of groceries. She and Gordon helped with the cooking preparation while Lucien stood in the kitchen to cook them a marvelous dinner. By the time they were done, it was already quitete at night. Thankfully, Gordon¡¯s couch could be expanded into an extra bed. Annalynne and Lucien thus slept on the extra bed for the night.


    Lucien and Annalynne went back to Blue Hill City the next morning. Back at the Silent Walkers Pack House, Alice Clearwater had been waiting for her two children toe back, particrly for Lucien.


    When the Night Prowler Pack came with the first marriage proposal, everyone and his mother hoped that Lucien would say yes and saved the entire Silent Walkers Pack. But then when the Infinite Eclipse Pack came with a second, better proposal, everyone and his mother were burning with the desire to have Lucien agree to say yes to thetter pack instead.


    The Silent Walkers Pack did not know much about what happened between Lucien Clearwater and Ronan Silverback seven years ago, but they knew that the two men used to be fated mates. Although Ronan Silverback rejected Lucien Clearwater, he was clearly still enamored with thetter. Else, why would he propose? This undisputed fact gave the Silent Walkers pack members a lot of hope.


    Until Lucien wrote the rejection letter and Alice Clearwater sent it out on his behalf to the Infinite Eclipse Pack. There was no answer for the Night Prowler Pack yet. The Elders approached Alice with questions regarding Lucien¡¯s decision, but Alice merely told them that Lucien had already decided and the Silent Walkers Pack did not have the right to force him to do anything.


    ¡°That is very correct,¡± an Elder said in a cating tone. ¡°But then this still involves everyone in the Silent Walkers Pack. Should we not know what he is nning to do?¡±


    ¡°Naturally it is Lucien¡¯s prerogative to ept or reject any proposal. We just want to know what he ns to do. Everyone is harboring a lot of hope.¡±


    .....


    ¡°To be honest, I was hoping that he would ept Ronan Silverback¡¯s proposal. I cannot imagine having to bend my knee in front of the Night Prowler Pack.¡±


    ¡°I believe Lucien would be a lot happier with Ronan Silverback. Despite the rejection, there is still a chance for reconciliation. The fated mate connection is sacred and blessed by the Moon Goddess herself...¡±


    Thest Elder who spoke shut up immediately when he saw the look on Alice¡¯s face.


    A murmur of agreement went through the Elders who failed to notice.


    Alice snorted in annoyance. She herself had to admit that the Night Prowler Pack was not her first choice at all. But then what did these Elders know about Lucien and Ronan? Not enough to im that they were a better fit!


    Lucien was packing up to leave for the South Bedford City when Alice entered his bedroom with a tray of tea and freshly baked almond cookies.


    Lucien looked up and gave his mom a soft smile.


    ¡°Thanks, Mom.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm. How was the night with Dad?¡±


    ¡°Good. Too bad you couldn¡¯te.¡±


    Alice set the tray on a table and sat at the bedside.


    ¡°I promise to be there the next time.¡±


    They had not spent time together as a family for years.


    Alice went to visit Gordon every week, but she never visited at the same time her children did. The reason was both simple and ridiculous. The couple tended to burst into tears when they met, and while Gordon opened uppletely in front of Alice, he refused to do so in front of even his children.


    If Alice hade with Annalynne and Lucien, Gordon would have forced himself to act like the strong dependable Alpha that he used to be instead of letting the loving father meet with the children he had not seen for a long time.


    Lucien put thest piece of clothing into his luggage and shut it with a click. Then he turned around and sat next to his mother.


    ¡°What is it, Mom?¡±


    Alice gave him an uneasy smile. She herself told everyone to never mention anything regarding the wedding proposals to Lucien and here she was, trying to talk about exactly the same thing.


    No, no, no, she kept telling herself.


    It was not the same. She merely wanted to know what Lucien wanted to do regarding the proposal from the Night Prowler Pack. A mother should know this. Should Lucien agree to marry Kinnon Youngshaper, Alice naturally had to be involved in the wedding nning.


    ¡°So...¡± Alice coughed a little. ¡°Are you all set for your trip tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mom.¡±


    Lucien raised an eyebrow at Alice. Alice stared at her son for a while before she sighed and gave in. ¡°Fine. Mom wants to ask you about the, uh, the proposal.¡±


    Lucien cracked a smile. ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°Both.¡±


    Alice was the type of person who either did nothing or went all out. If she happened to step into a mud pond with one foot, she would enter with the second foot and enjoy the mudball war.


    Lucien sighed.


    Alice put an arm around her son¡¯s shoulder and pressed a kiss on his cheek.


    ¡°Mom is not forcing you to do anything. You know that. It¡¯s just that...¡±


    Nervousughter escaped the elder woman. ¡°You two were very young back then. Mom thought that maybe this time, things would be different.¡±


    Lucien shook his head gently. He put his hand on top of Alice¡¯s and rubbed it fondly.


    ¡°Mom, he and I are over. I do not n to stir the pot once again.¡±


    Alice¡¯s lips parted slightly but she quickly pressed them together. Lucien no longer wished to be associated with Ronan. That was the reason for the rejection. Although Ronan¡¯s heart was still burning with desire, Lucien¡¯s heart already cooled down. It was unfortunate, but it was unavoidable.


    Then, only one more question was left. Alice swallowed hard. She could not help but lower her voice in a conspiratorial tone, ¡°Then, are you going to say yes to Kinnon Youngshaper¡¯s proposal?¡±


    Mass Release


    There will be additional 5 chap release on 17th, 23rd, and 29th!

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28: The Alpha Commanded Attention


    ¡°Not unless necessary, Mom. I have been assessing the pack¡¯s current condition. Maybe I can talk Kinnon into agreeing to let the pack off while we pay our debts bit by bit.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Alice was not sure that Kinnon Youngshaper would let himself be coerced into letting Lucien off the hook. Whatever the reason behind the proposal was, the look that Kinnon gave Lucien had always been warm and indulgent.


    Alice would not be surprised if Kinnon proposed out of love. Her son was just too good-looking that two Alphas asked for his hand in marriage at the same time. If only Lucien were a girl. Sigh.


    Lucien kissed his mom on the cheek.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. Let me handle it. Even if I end up marrying Kinnon, it will not be the end of the world.¡±


    Alice gave her son a pitiful look. ¡°Lulu, do you... Do you like Kinnon? Even a little bit?¡±


    .....


    ¡°I do not dislike him,¡± Lucien pointed out. ¡°That should be enough.¡±


    Alice cringed on the inside. That was not exactly the foundation for a strong, happy marriage. Nevertheless, she was unable to dissuade her son.


    With four days left to answer the Night Prowler Pack, Lucien went back to South Bedford City. Both his colleagues and his students were delighted to see him back in the college the next morning.


    The students were especially happy to see him because the renowned Annual Art Exhibition of the South Bedford City was drawing near and they were far from being done with their submissions.


    The painters could not get the colors right and kept scrapping one work after another. The sculptors werecking inspiration. Their works were neither brimming with life nor eye-catching. Lucien¡¯s teaching assistant, Hayley, was frantic day in and day out. ck circles surrounded her eyes, making her look like a panda. She literally burst into tears when she saw Lucien walking into the ssroom.


    ¡°Praised be the Lord, Mr. Clearwater! You are finally here!!!¡± she eximed while rushing toward Lucien to take his bag off his shoulder. Strangers would think that she was just being a helpful little assistant. Those who were acquainted with them closely knew that Hayley was just holding Lucien¡¯s bag hostage.


    Lucien shed her a smile. ¡°Why do you look so disheveled? Have you not had your morning coffee?¡±


    Hayley tilted her head to Lucien¡¯s table where three tall coffee paper cups stood, two empty and one half-full. Lucien raised his eyebrow. ¡°Aha.¡±


    ¡°Mis... Mr. Clearwater...¡±


    Lucien turned around and looked at the nervous young woman who stood in front of him with a box in her hands. Maya Greenwood had returned to the college as well.


    ¡°How are you doing now, Ms. Greenwood?¡±


    Maya burst into tears.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater, I am so sorry for bothering you. Also... Also... I wonder if we can have lunch together today? I would love to treat you to a meal.¡±


    Lucien rubbed at his temple. He did not feel like eating anything. He still had to contact Kinnon and ask whether he could offer them something else beyond marriage...


    ¡°I... I brought a strawberry cream cheeseyered cake for dessert!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Never someone who could resist the temptation of desserts, Lucien simply had to agree to the young woman¡¯s request.


    ¡°How lovely,¡± a cold voicemented from the side. ¡°Can I also join you for lunch?¡±


    Ronan Silverback crossed his arms and cut Lucien a scary smile. ¡°I would love to have a piece of that cake.¡±


    The Alpha wore a baby blue shirt with white horizontal stripes that extended from top to bottom and a pair of beige pants. Together with the clear-rimmed sses that he pushed up from his nose, he looked a lot like a handsome, mature college student. Only that he wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Al...! I mean... yes, of course, Mr...¡± the flustered Maya Greenwood looked around her, afraid that someone heard her misspeech. ¡°Mr. Silverback,¡± she ended with a low voice.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Lucien asked with a frown. ¡°You are not even one of the students.¡±


    Ronan shed him an ID card. Lucien was speechless. Ronan Silverback actually managed to smuggle himself as an art student into the South Bedford Art College within days.


    He extended his hand at Lucien with a yful smirk. ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. Clearwater.¡±


    Lucien squeezed Ronan¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t you have better things to do, Mr. Silverback?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s smile only grew brighter. ¡°No, my biggest wish right now is to disy my painting at the art exhibition.¡±


    Lucien scoffed. The Ronan Silverback that he knew back from the Alpha Camp never touched a painting brush in his whole life.


    ¡°Really. And have you decided what to draw?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly, making him look like a shy man in love when he answered, ¡°The person who I love.¡±


    Unbeknownst to Lucien, the whole ss had been listening to their conversation. They quickly fell into a choir of ¡°Ooooooohhh!!!¡± as they looked at Ronan with nothing short of admiration in their eyes. Only his first day at the art college and he was already distracting his students? How was that supposed to help with getting his students ready for the art exhibition???


    Lucien was determined to kick this ruffian out of his ss. And then a female student spoke up.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater, I have decided on who to draw.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful. Who?¡±


    The female student blushed profusely as she blinked a few times at Ronan. ¡°The person I love.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    A male student raised his hand.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater, I know what to sculpt now.¡±


    Lucien covered half of his face to prevent his exasperation from showing. ¡°Great. Who to sculpt?¡±


    He winked at Ronan while biting the handle of his sculpting knife. ¡°The person I love.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan beamed like a prom king that he never was and never would be. ¡°I am d that my fellow students and I share the same inspiration. Good luck to all of us with the art exhibition!¡±


    Ronan¡¯s words received round apuse from the whole ss. The shameless Alpha turned to face the scowling Lucien. ¡°Well then, Mr. Clearwater, please proceed with instructing the ss.¡±

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29: A Steamy Affair (NSFW)


    Poor Maya lost her cake to Ronan. It sat on the table, bearing witness as Lucien was cornered against the wall by Ronan inside the empty ssroom.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Lucien shot him a re.


    ¡°What do you think I want? I want to know why you rejected my proposal.¡±


    Lucien pushed Ronan away. ¡°I never promised to marry you. Stop making demands as if you own me. I am a free person, Ronan.¡±


    Ronan licked his teeth while staring at Lucien. ¡°Your pack is ruined. It is up for sale to the highest bidder. How was my offer inferior to Kinnon¡¯s?¡±


    A crisp sound whipped through the air when Luciennded a vicious p across Ronan¡¯s cheek. Thetter merely smirked in return.


    Lucien narrowed his eyes at Ronan. ¡°My pack lost the war but we are NOT for sale. I am NOT for sale. Watch your mouth, Ronan Silverback.¡±


    .....


    Ronan tossed out cruelughter before he pinned Lucien with a scorching re. ¡°You are marrying Kinnon Youngshaper to retain your pack¡¯s resources! How is that not selling yourself??? I don¡¯t give a shit what you call it. I just want to know why you pick Kinnon over me!¡±


    It was not about Kinnon. It was about everyone else who Lucien let into his life while he kicked Ronan out ruthlessly without looking back. Hate glinted in Ronan¡¯s eyes.


    He was the famous Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack.


    His whole life long he was surrounded by men and women alike who threw themselves at him without a single care. Some women who he bedded even asked him to give them his seed, to let them carry his babies. They did not even care about bing his Luna. That was how desirable he was.


    But then there was Lucien who not only was his fated mate, but also the person who kept rejecting him again and again. Ronan could not ept this humiliation. He was going to pry the answer from between Lucien¡¯s teeth if need be.


    Lucien, unfortunately, did not n to enlighten Ronan anytime soon. He turned around and left the ssroom without giving Ronan so much as a look.


    ¡°Wait...!!!¡±


    Ronan shouted after Lucien angrily. The box with the strawberry cheesecake was still sitting on the desk inconspicuously. Ronan grabbed it and rushed out of the ssroom to go after Lucien.


    If he was not teaching, Lucien spent the majority of his time in his office, which was also his art studio. Three sides of the room were full of finished paintings with tags that contained information about the painting.


    There were a few sculptures thaty around the room like silent, cold guardians. The fourth side of the room was a huge window that extended from top to bottom. At noon, the sun¡¯s rays came in and bathed the whole room in golden light.


    Watched by the many cold y, marble, and wooden sculptures, two men were intimately pressed against each other at the nearest wall. They gasped for breath like fishes out of the water while their bodies rolled gently together like sea waves hitting the beach.


    The atmosphere inside the room quickly became dubious as both men released their pheromones against each other. While the initial goal was to dere sovereignty, the scents ended up evokingpletely different reactions from both men.


    A strong scent of orange and honey tickled Ronan¡¯s nose. He buried his nose in the crook of Lucien¡¯s neck and inhaled a lungful of his intoxicating scent. The bitter undertaste was gone. It was sweet. So sweet. Ronan could not help but suck at the side of Lucien¡¯s neck.


    ¡°You... stop right now,¡± Lucien said, his voice trembling with a mix of unmistakable longing and desire. He told Ronan to stop, but his hands were snaking up Ronan¡¯s back, tracing the powerful curves of his body with the tips of his fingers.


    Ronan was unable to stop. He pulled Lucien into an intimate embrace and continued sucking at the man¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Why are you so sweet today? Lucien, your scent is driving me crazy.¡±


    Lucien had no answer for that. He was too confused by the strong salty sandalwood scent that invaded his nose.


    He did not want to inhale it, but his body craved it.


    His self-restraint quickly crumbled like a butter cookie under a hammer and he sumbed to Ronan Silverback¡¯s strong pheromones.


    And then it hit him like a boulder. His rut! He was having his rut! By the looks of it, Ronan was also experiencing his rut!


    The rutting period of two werewolves fell in sync after they mated with each other for the first time and fell out of sync when the couple separated.


    Ronan and Lucien had their first time during the Alpha Camp, but then they underwent a seven-year separation. Ronan went on to have sexual intercourse with many other werewolves, so why were their rutting periods still in sync with each other???


    Ronan did not try to hold back at all. His hands traveled all around Lucien¡¯s body, pinching and kneading any body part he could reach. His touches left burning spots on Lucien¡¯s skin, threatening to engulf him alive and burn him into a pile of ash.


    ¡°No, let me go... No...¡±


    Lucien¡¯s pleas turned into an unbridled moan when Ronan grabbed the twin mounds at his backside and pressed their lower regions together.


    ¡°Ah... mmm... ahh...¡±


    Lucien¡¯s knees went weak as his body sagged against Ronan¡¯s. Thetter pulled Lucien up and carried him to the nearest wall. Then he pushed the man against the wall and propped his butt up. Not wanting to fall down, Lucien wrapped his legs around Ronan¡¯s waist automatically. He was at the end of his limit. Breathing hard against Ronan¡¯s shoulder, Lucien fought to maintain thest bit of sanity in his head.


    ¡°Ronan, don¡¯t. We should not.¡±


    Ronan pressed a wet kiss on Ronan¡¯s lips and muttered heatedly, ¡°Your lips say one thing but your body another. Which one is true?¡±


    ¡°My... lips... ahhh...!!!¡±


    Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s manhood through the fabric and squeezed it.


    Lucien¡¯s scream was effectively muffled when Ronan¡¯s lips closed over his own.

 Chapter 30

    30 It Will Never Fit (NSFW)


    ¡°What¡¯s this? Your mouth says no but you are hard,¡± Ronan chuckled and gave Lucien another squeeze.


    ¡°Ngh...!¡±


    Lucien wed into Ronan¡¯s back. ¡°God damn it, stop squeezing!¡±


    Ronan carried Lucien to the desk and lowered him on top of it.


    ¡°You can also squeeze mine,¡± Ronan said teasingly. He led one of Lucien¡¯s hands to touch between his own legs. Lucien widened his eyes when his hand was pressed against a certain erect organ.


    It was huge. Bigger than what he remembered. How could he grow so much within seven years? Lucien had not discovered simr growth with his own, if anything.


    Preposterous.


    Lucien scoffed.


    .....


    He averted his gaze and withdrew his hand quickly as if he just touched a scalding pot containing boiling water and balled it into a fist.


    ¡°Don¡¯t avert your eyes. Take a look.¡±


    Ronan unzipped his pants and a long, thick penis sprang free. Purple veins protruded from the dark red rod, looking more like a weapon of mass destruction than a sexual organ.


    Lucien¡¯s eyes started burning. He turned away but his chin was quickly captured by Ronan again. They soon fell back into deep kissing.


    Ronan¡¯s kissing skills advanced by leaps and bounds from the time he was eighteen years old. Lucien was seething inside. He should congratte this yer on the remarkable progress. The Ronan that Lucien knew was a clumsy alpha who never even held hands with a girl.


    Even their first time was awkward.


    But Lucien was happy during the short time they spent with each other in the Alpha Camp. He willingly gave his first time to Ronan, and he was d to be Ronan¡¯s first as well.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Lucien¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down in pleasure as he drowned more and more in Ronan¡¯s kisses. Thetter plundered the inside of his mouth with vigor, pouring in it every inch of his ferocious passion for Lucien.


    This possessiveness was new to Lucien.


    Ronan used to be meek andpliant when he was in love.


    When did he be tyrannical and forceful? When he became an Alpha? The thought caused Lucien to bite into Ronan¡¯s bottom lip resentfully. Ronan responded with another bite. He lowered Lucien to the desk and pressed his hands against Lucien¡¯s, intertwining their fingers intimately.


    That one bite was Lucien¡¯sst act of resistance. His rut was clouding his brain in a lusty haze, as it did Ronan¡¯s.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Ronan cursed under his breath after he broke the kiss. Both of them were panting hard after such intensive and long kisses.


    ¡°I never thought I would fall into a rut here and now. Lulu, let me fuck you, okay? We both need the release.¡±


    Lucien did not answer. He turned his expressionless face to the side but he did not say no. Encouraged by the absence of Lucien¡¯s usual protests, Ronan did not waste any time and got to work.


    The Alpha unbuttoned Lucien¡¯s pants and stripped them off in an instant. He did not have enough patience to take off Lucien¡¯s underpants. They were ripped into two and tossed aside crudely. After he kicked off his own pants and underpants, he started to take off both of their shirts. Or better said ripped them off their bodies.


    Lucien sucked in a deep breath when Ronan took hold of his penis and gave it a squeeze. Fueled by a vengeful spirit, Lucien propped himself up from the desk and grabbed Ronan¡¯s none-too-gently. They stared at each other with eyes that were drunk on passion and lust, holding each other hostage with their hands.


    Ronan gently massaged Lucien¡¯s penis, going slowly from the base to the tip in an attempt to milk the man. Lucien gritted his teeth. He did the same to Ronan and elicit the same reaction from him. Their expressions probably reflected each other¡¯s. A look of great consternation coupled with an unrelenting urge to win thispetition.


    The one to submit to the pleasure first was the loser.


    Thest man standing was the winner. Apetition that was only possible between two alpha males who were born and raised with only one thing nailed into their skulls: pride.


    The pain was too great.


    Ronan grabbed a handful of Lucien¡¯s hair and forced both of them to indulge in another sinful round of kisses. Lucien found himself rocking on the desk, moving against Ronan¡¯s hand in an upward thrusting motion.


    The corner of Ronan¡¯s mouth ticked up when he noticed that Lucien was enjoying his touch. He expertly applied pressure using his thumb, drawing whimpers from the man he was kissing.


    The sensitive ns was flicked a few times by Ronan until Lucien could not take it anymore. He was aching for sweet release. He started fucking Ronan¡¯s hand savagely, climbing the peak of pleasure without a single ounce of care toward anything else. The penis in Ronan¡¯s hand started to swell and then spewed out turbid liquid at Ronan¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Aaahhh... Ahhhhhh...!!!¡±


    Lucien broke the kiss and arched his back. He released Ronan¡¯s penis and supported himself with both arms at the desk to prevent himself from falling. His whole frame was trembling violently as his essence shot out violently. Without letting go of Lucien¡¯s penis, Ronan calmly scooped the cum off his chest and rubbed an index finger at Lucien¡¯s opening. Thetter flushed in an instant.


    ¡°Wait, I am still...!!! Ahh...!!!¡±


    Lucien¡¯s protests were drowned in moans when the single finger pushed into his moist tunnel, using his own cum as lubrication. The knot on Lucien¡¯s penis was yet to subside, but he was already under attack by Ronan¡¯s ruthless finger.


    ¡°So tight,¡± Ronanmented, but he was more than pleased to feel the man¡¯s inner muscles mping on his finger like that. Either Lucien had not been active sexually, or he had been sleeping with men with tiny dicks.


    The first finger was quickly joined by another. Together they were stabbing into Lucien¡¯s belly while he was still shooting cum from his knot. When Ronan pressed a third finger in, Lucien¡¯s eyes widened in terror.


    ¡°It will never fit!¡± he eximed, grabbing Ronan¡¯s wrist to stop him.


    ¡°It has to,¡± Ronan growled. ¡°My penis is thicker than my three fingers together.¡±

 Chapter 31

    31 The Unexpected Help (NSFW)


    Lucien thrashed around in pain when he struggled to take the three fingers in. It hurt so much that his knot quickly deted in Ronan¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Not enough,¡± he choked out. ¡°Not enough lubrication. Ronan, it hurts...¡±


    Ronan withdrew his fingers and patted Lucien¡¯s cheek. ¡°Rx, baby. I will find something.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s eyes widened in horror. This... this lust monster! How on earth was he going to find any lubrication inside his office? Lucien was a serious artist. Why would he keep a tube of lube ready? It¡¯s not like he anticipated any fucking session in between sses!


    ¡°There is none!¡± Lucien snapped, his cheeks were red from a mix of embarrassment and rage. ¡°If you want to do it, you just have to go out and buy some!¡±


    Ronan gave Lucien a stare.


    Go out? While pitching a tent? Alone the imagination was enough to make his dick dete.


    No, he could not do that. He just had to find something. Ronan¡¯s eyes wandered around the room. The first thing he saw was the color tubes that were neatly stacked next to an unfinished painting.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare slick me up using paint!¡± Lucien howled in exasperation. Ronan this madman would do anything when he¡¯s horny. Thankfully, Ronan¡¯s eyes shifted to other ces. Lucien heaved a sigh of relief. Until he heard Ronan¡¯s amused tone.


    .....


    ¡°Ooh, what do we have here?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan shed Lucien a sweet smile. In his hand, he was holding the cake box containing the strawberry cream cheese cake.


    ¡°Good thing that I brought the cake here. I did not expect to eat something else instead.¡±


    Lucien smacked at Ronan¡¯s chest. ¡°Maya bought it for me! Don¡¯t you dare ruin it!¡±


    Ronan chuckled. ¡°Who is ruining what? I am just trying to feed Mr. Clearwater the cake that he likes so much.¡±


    To Ronan¡¯s delight, the cake came with a thickyer of cream cheese frosting.


    Ronan picked the strawberry off the cake and pushed it into Lucien¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°How is it? Delicious?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien¡¯s scowling face made Ronanugh. He scooped two fingers full of cream from the cake and brought it toward Lucien¡¯s lower mouth.


    ¡°Ngh...!¡±


    Lucien flinched from having two raw fingers enter him again, but he felt no pain at all. The cream cheese frosting worked perfectly to lubricate Lucien¡¯s intestinal corridor.


    He closed his eyes and bit his lower lip in consternation as he enjoyed Ronan¡¯s fingers pistoning in and out of his depth.


    The man on the desk was showing Ronan an erotic expression. His mouth was slightly open, the seductive pair of lips was like a venus trap, inviting its prey to draw close and be swallowed whole. His chest heaved up and down rhythmically, the two rosebuds at his chest looked like two ripe fruits, ready for picking.


    Ronan withdrew his fingers, scooped up more frosting, and shoved three fingers into Lucien¡¯s body. Thetter gave a small grunt when his hole was expanded more and more by Ronan¡¯s relentless attack.


    A deep crease appeared between his brows when Ronan touched upon a certain spot inside him. He grabbed Ronan¡¯s wrist to stop him. ¡°Don¡¯t. Not there.¡±


    Ronan raised his eyebrow. ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Ahh!!¡±


    The Alpha had just stumbled upon a precious beehive that was overflowing with precious, sweet honey. Being an animal that he was, how could he hold back? He could only pounce harder and harder into it to get more honey out. The same went with Lucien. Ronan drilled harder and faster into the direction that Lucien didn¡¯t want him to, bullying Lucien endlessly. The slicked-up tunnel and the three fingers made obscene water sounds that made even ice statues like Lucien blush.


    After a rigorous effort on Ronan¡¯s side, Lucien¡¯s love hole soon turned soft and pliant. It was time.


    Ronan pushed Lucien on his back and spread his legs apart to grant himself more ess to the man¡¯s body. When Lucien realized what was happening, he could not help but tense up. Like Ronan said, his tool was bigger than his three fingers. At that moment, the angry penis was standing to attention and pointing at him menacingly.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Lucien shouted. ¡°Use some protection!¡±


    Ronan gave the man on the desk azy look. ¡°It feels better without.¡±


    Of course it did, but that was beyond the point. Though his brain was addled with lust, he still could not stomach the thought of having Ronan inside him without any barrier. He after all slept with so many people previously!


    ¡°No! Who knows who you have been dipping it inside!¡±


    Ronan grabbed the back of Lucien¡¯s neck and pressed a kiss on his protesting mouth before telling him, ¡°You are the only person I do it with without using protection.¡±


    Lucien did not believe Ronan, but his remaining protests died out in his throat when Ronan pushed his swollen tip into Lucien¡¯s body.


    ¡°Aaah... Ahnnn... No, too big... take it out...¡±


    But how could Ronan take it out? Letting Lucien slowly adapt to his size was the best he could do when what he really wanted to do was push his whole length inside Lucien and let thetter¡¯s inner muscles clench and massage the rude intruder.


    Large beads of crystal-like sweat dropped from Lucien¡¯s forehead down his cheek. It almost looked as if Lucien was crying. Ronan tried to pull out a little, but was ecstatic to find that Lucien¡¯s tight hole was biting into his dick persistently.


    ¡°Are you hungry, Lucien? Look at how hard you are biting me down there. I can¡¯t even move.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Lucien snapped, his eyes flew open in embarrassment.


    Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s waist and gave it a massage.


    ¡°Come now, let me in. Don¡¯t clench so hard.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien averted his gaze wordlessly. Ronan¡¯s eyes wandered from Lucien¡¯s face to Lucien¡¯s chest. His heart was burning with lust, and the two tantalizing fruits on Lucien¡¯s chest only made it worse. Ronan lowered his head and pressed his wet tongue against one of the blooming buds.

 Chapter 32

    32 Be Quiet Or Else (NSFW)


    ¡°Stop it! Stop it!¡± Lucien shouted. How embarrassing. He was not a woman. Why would Ronan even lick him there!


    Unfortunately, Ronan did not want to stop. His tongue expertly moved up and down and moistened the little red bean. Then he kissed and sucked it into his warm mouth.


    ¡°Uhh...!!¡±


    Lucien pressed a hand across his mouth to prevent any sound from escaping his throat. He could not do this. It was too embarrassing. He pushed at Ronan¡¯s head with extreme urgency.


    ¡°Ronan! You are not going to get milk out of it!¡±


    The Alpha perked up and said, ¡°Why, if we don¡¯t try we won¡¯t know.¡±


    Then he went back at it. Lucien was close to losing it.


    ¡°YOU...!!!¡±


    ¡°Um... Mr. Clearwater?¡± Hayley¡¯s hesitant voice was heard outside of the door, followed by an equally hesitant knock on the door.


    .....


    Both of their heads snapped up instantly. Lucien and Ronan stared at the door for a while before they exchanged nces with each other. A mischievous smile spread on Ronan¡¯s face when he saw Lucien¡¯s horrified face. Lucien narrowed his eyes at Ronan. He had a feeling that the man in front of him was up to no good.


    Indeed he was.


    Ronan went back to licking and sucking Lucien¡¯s nipple while gently nudging his penis deeper inside Lucien. Thetter kept pushing at Ronan desperately while at the same time struggling to not let any sound escape from his throat.


    ¡°Um... Mr. Clearwater, are you not there? The afternoon course is starting soon. All the students are already waiting in the ssroom.¡±


    Lucien grabbed Ronan¡¯s hair and forced him to look up at him. shing his tormentor a dangerous look, he hissed in a whisper, ¡°Let me go, you mad wolf. My students are waiting for me!¡±


    Ronan chuckled and whispered back, ¡°You don¡¯t even have proper clothes to wear. Unless you want to be a nude model for your students? How unsightly.¡±


    His one hand was pinching Lucien¡¯s waist while the other yed with Lucien¡¯s other nipple.


    If not for Hayley who was still waiting outside, Lucien would have given Ronan another p across his cheek for his insolence. Instead, he was forced to be quiet while the mad Alpha worked on him.


    Ronan was going mad with his rut and pent-up desire. His lust was like hot blood dripping into a pool of clear water, coloring it red. He carelessly grabbed a handful of whatever remained from the cake and smeared it all over his thick flesh rod.


    And then he pushed harder into Lucien¡¯s tight hole. He got half of his shaft inside with a single thrust. Lucien arched his back and threw his head backward. Although he tried so hard to keep quiet, he still ended up screaming from the overwhelming pressure.


    Outside of the door, Hayley thought that Lucien was having a seizure. It was not the first time since she became Lucien¡¯s teaching assistant. Intent on helping, she thus turned the door handle to open it. The door had only opened to reveal a two-centimeter gap before it was mmed close again violently.


    Hayley gaped at the door dumbly. It seemed that Lucien was not having a seizure? And what was he doing? Why did he skip ss? Too many questions emerged in Hayley¡¯s mind.


    Inside the room, Ronan had his back against the door. He could not believe that they did not lock the door before they got at it. It was a close call.


    ¡°H-Hayley...¡±


    Having been given a chance to speak, Lucien naturally wouldn¡¯t waste it. Was he going to tell Hayley that a big bad wolf had been harassing him inside his office? Ronan shot Lucien a burning re.


    ¡°Please teach the afternoon ss in my stead. I am sorry. I will exin myself better tomorrow.¡±


    Ronan closed his eyes and sighed softly out of relief.


    ¡°Oh... okay.¡±


    Ronan waited until Hayley¡¯s hesitant footsteps went away before he locked the door with one click and went back to Lucien.


    Truthfully, Lucien was not doing too good at all. His rut had never been this strong. Adding to that the bonding mark that Ronan left on him and also Ronan¡¯s strong pheromones in the air, Lucien could barely control himself.


    The nipples that Ronan yed with were raw and red. His lips were bleeding from their ferocious kisses, stinging painfully. But the most embarrassing thing was that he actually wanted Ronan to get back inside of him. That was the easiest thing to achieve.


    Lucien spread his legs on the desk, granting Ronan¡¯s dark eyes sight of white cream dribbling softly out of his expanded hole to the desk.


    ¡°Come here, you crazy Alpha. Let¡¯s finish this.¡±


    No man would be able to withstand the temptation. Ronan moved like a brainless undead, controlledpletely by lust. He carried Lucien off the desk andy him on top of their shredded clothes. Then, he pushed back inside Lucien¡¯s warm, wet tunnel.


    Lucien put his arms around Ronan¡¯s neck and wrapped his legs around Ronan¡¯s waist. He then looked at Ronan¡¯s beautiful greenish-blue eyes and gave him a kick with his heel.


    ¡°Kiss me,¡± he ordered.


    The Alphaplied and started to ravage the man beneath him with kisses. Lucien¡¯s eyes slowly fluttered shut as he fought to stifle the moans that kept bubbling up treacherously.


    Ronan¡¯s kisses moved from Lucien¡¯s lips to his cheek, his neck, then his shoulder. Lucien opened his eyes slightly. He knew very well what Ronan was doing. He had always been fixated on marking Lucien, all the while knowing that the bond was temporary until Lucien agreed to mark him as well. Ronan did not care. And this time, Lucien also did not care. He buried his fingers into Ronan¡¯s ck hair and guided him toward his nape.


    Ronan bared his fangs and took a bite. At the same time, Lucien stopped clenching. The tight ring that limited Ronan¡¯s intrusion ckened and Ronan¡¯s flesh rod slid right in until he waspletely sheathed inside Lucien¡¯s body.

 Chapter 33

    33 Forget Everything (NSFW)


    Lucien sucked in a deep breath and tensed up right away from being pierced by the enormous meat de.


    Ronan closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh. He stayed still for a while to let Lucien get used to his size and at the same time revel in the nostalgic warmth that he once had been privileged enough to be engulfed in.


    Lucien was the love of his life, the fated mate that the Moon Goddess blessed him with. As frivolous as Ronan might be, his heart never once wavered. Lucien Clearwater would always be his sun and moon, the only shining star in his sky.


    Lucien knitted his brows from the sharp pain in his stomach. The arms that wrapped around Ronan¡¯s body were restless. His body was trembling slightly. Judging by what he saw between Ronan¡¯s legs, Lucien knew that it would hurt.


    He didn¡¯t even think that it could fit inside him. And then it did, and now Lucien was worried that that one final thrust had pierced through several of his internal organs and caused internal bleeding.


    ¡°Lulu...?¡±


    ¡°Hm? What?¡±


    Ronan caressed Lucien¡¯s pale cheek.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    .....


    Lucien scowled at him and pped the hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t coddle me like one of your whores.¡±


    Ronan kissed the side of Lucien¡¯s neck and breathed in a lungful of Lucien¡¯s delightful scent. ¡°Then, can I move?¡±


    ¡°W-Wait!!!¡±


    Ronanplied and continued kissing and sucking at Lucien¡¯s neck instead. Lucien loosened the knits on his brows and then said with a hoarse voice, ¡°Okay. Move now, but slowly.¡±


    Lucien did not see the smile spreading on Ronan¡¯s face after he gave the Alpha the green light to proceed. He had his eyes closed tightly as if not seeing was equal to no pain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lulu... I will be gentle.¡±


    Ronan had one hand at the back of Lucien¡¯s neck while the other slipped under Lucien¡¯s butt as if securing the man in ce. He withdrew from the sweetness of Lucien¡¯s embrace only to m right back inside viciously. Lucien¡¯s eyes flew open in disbelief.


    It hurt. It hurt too much.


    ¡°Ronan, it hurts...¡± Lucien choked out.


    ¡°Bear with it,¡± Ronan said while kneading at the back of his neck. ¡°It will feel better soon.¡±


    Ronan kissed the tears away from Lucien¡¯s eyshes and moved in a slower tempo.


    Lucien tried hard to focus on his breathing. He tried to recall the first time they did it. Was it also this painful when he epted the young man inside him? He couldn¡¯t remember.


    What he knew was that it was the highlight of his youth. Tumbling around with Ronan under the moonlight, caring about nothing but the passion that coursed within their young hot blood. In all these seven years, Lucien had never once stopped loving Ronan.


    The man was now inside him, having grown into a magnificent specimen of alpha and taken his rightful position of Alpha in his pack.


    This would be thest time, Lucien told himself. So why not make the best out of it? Lucien spread his legs wider to allow Ronan deeper ess to his body. He had buried his left hand into Ronan¡¯s hair and his right hand traced the powerful lines of Ronan¡¯s back. Taken by the sudden change, Ronan could not help but lift his head and frown a little at Lucien.


    ¡°Fuck me, Alpha,¡± Lucien provoked Ronan with a smirk. Ronan was not one to turn down any challenge. Especially not if the challenge involved plundering Lucien¡¯s body.


    The room that Lucien once dedicated for the creation of masterpiecespletely lost its grandeur at the moment. The paintings and sculptures became silent witnesses as their creator was pinned on the floor with only the remains of their clothing serving as a bedsheet and being thrust into within an inch of his life.


    By that time none of them cared about the outside world anymore.


    Forget about the rejection from seven years ago.


    Forget about the rejection from a few days ago.


    Forget about Kinnon Youngshaper and Dane Silverback.


    Forget about the packs.


    Nothing else mattered but the present time. Lucien bit and wed at Ronan¡¯s shoulder from the mix of pain and pleasure that thetter gave him, while Ronan keptpping up the blood from the bite wound he left on Lucien¡¯s nape. They were both drunk in each other¡¯s pheromones and submerged in the sea of their carnal desires.


    After what felt like hours of wild coupling, Ronan squeezed at Lucien¡¯s penis.


    ¡°Nghh...¡±


    The stimulus was too much. He soon popped a second knot in Ronan¡¯s hand and started shooting out his essence at their upper bodies. The embarrassing liquid dripped down their chests and stained the scattered clothing under their sweaty bodies.


    Lucien¡¯s body was tinted soft pink all over as if he was simmering in a pot of fragrant, orange wine. Ronan could not have enough of him. Desire burned away all his rationality. All he wanted to do at that time was stay inside Lucien for the longest time. He would not mind if they were unable to part after this crazy sex. Maybe that was for the best, then Lucien would not be able to leave him.


    While Lucien was still ejacting in spurts, the penis inside his body started to pulsate in a terrifying way. Ronan was starting to knot inside him. The Alpha let out an animalistic grunt. He pistoned in and out of Lucien¡¯s body with abandon before pushing in onest time and locking their bodies together.


    Sounds of wet moans emanated from both of them when ropes and ropes of Ronan¡¯s scalding hot seed shot out and hit Lucien¡¯s sensitive spot. The added stimulus while he was stilling down from the peak of a strong orgasm was too much for Lucien. He soon passed out in Ronan¡¯s arms while thetter was still ejacting inside of him.


    Ronan pressed a kiss on Lucien¡¯s lips and whispered into his lips passionately, ¡°I love you, Lucien. I love you.¡±

 Chapter 34

    34 You Are The Only One (NSFW)


    Tick, tack, tick, tack...


    The only sound that echoed in the room came from the hanging clock on the wall. It showed six o¡¯clock in the evening. The room was flooded with warm golden light from the setting sun. Ronan opened his eyes and immediately close them again.


    No, he was not ready to wake up yet.


    He did not want to.


    He wanted to stay like this forever, lying on the floor with Lucien in his arms and inside him. He couldn¡¯t care less about anything else.


    Ronan pressed his lips against the mark he left on Lucien¡¯s nape while inhaling his sweet scent. His nose caught the man¡¯s usual scent with a slightly bitter tang. A slight disappointment made his heart go heavy. The rut was officially over.


    ¡°Mm...¡±


    Lucien stirred not long after. When he opened his eyes, what he saw was a bunch of sculptures looking down at him, their cold expression bore judgment on his wanton behavior. And then his eyes too wandered to the clock on the wall. Six thirty. It was getting dark. The man cursed under his breath.


    Lucien propped himself up from Ronan¡¯s body in an attempt to sit up, but he was unable to. He was sore all over and his waist was weak. On top of that, Ronan was still shamelessly stuck inside him. Lucien pressed against his stomach. He felt so full inside.


    .....


    ¡°Awake?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s hand slid toward Lucien¡¯s stomach and covered Lucien¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t move yet. Stay like this a bit longer.¡±


    ¡°Ronan, if you are awake then pull out,¡± Lucien said, furrowing his brows in displeasure. It wasmon courtesy. There should be no need for Lucien to even say it out loud.


    Ronan did not look like he nned to get up anytime soon, so Lucien forcefully got up on his shaky legs. The former¡¯s penis slid out with a soft popping sound, and a thin trail of whitish translucent cum ran down Lucien¡¯s legs. The sight was rather breathtaking. Ronan had never seen a sight that was more erotic than the one Lucien showed him right now.


    Eyes dark with desire, the Alpha got on his feet rapidly and tackled Lucien off his feet.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡± Lucien shouted when Ronan pinned him down on the floor, making him lie on his stomach. He then spread Lucien¡¯s buttcheeks apart and pushed his hardened penis back inside Lucien¡¯s stretched and well-coated hole.


    ¡°Ronan!!!¡± Lucien gritted his teeth. ¡°Was it not enough? Let me go!¡±


    ¡°Not enough,¡± Ronan answered, his breath heavy with longing. Hey on top of Lucien and started thrusting inside him rapidly while intertwining their fingers.


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± Lucien shouted. He elbowed Ronan viciously, flipped on his back, and thennded a strong kick at Ronan¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°Uff...¡±


    Ronannded with a loud thud on the floor. He held his stomach while shooting Lucien a re. The kick just now was hard enough to break a regr man¡¯s ribs.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Lucien dered. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can do me as many times as you want. I am not your whore.¡±


    Lucien picked what remained of their clothes off the floor and scowled when he discovered that only their pants were still intact, albeit smeared with cum and cream. Even his underpants were ripped into pieces. Lucien threw Ronan¡¯s pants at thetter¡¯s head.


    ¡°Get dressed already!¡±


    Ronan wrinkled his nose.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to wear these. They are soiled.¡±


    Lucien raised an eyebrow. ¡°And would the Alpha like to walk home naked?¡±


    Ronan smirked. There was a slight distortion in the air when he transformed into a huge dark-haired wolf who shared his greenish-blue eyes. Licking his lips, he looked at Lucien as if pondering whether thetter would make a great dinner or not.


    Show-off.


    ¡°Do you want to go through the door or the window?¡± Lucien asked in a mocking tone. Ronan of course could not talk in his wolf form. He gestured toward the door as an answer. Lucien opened the door wordlessly to let him out.


    When he turned around, he was attacked by Ronan.


    ¡°What the...!!!¡±


    Ronan bumped hard against Lucien¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°Uff...!!!¡±


    Lucien bent over, his fingers brushing against Ronan¡¯s velvety fur when he realized what was happening. Ronan¡¯s head went between his legs and he heaved Lucien¡¯s body to his back without much effort. And then he ran out of Lucien¡¯s office and out of the South Bedford Art College.


    ¡°You crazy wolf, where are you taking me???¡± Lucien demanded to know. If not for his unsightly appearance and the fear of being left in the middle of nowhere with no phone and no money, Lucien would have jumped off Ronan¡¯s body and escaped. Unfazed, Ronan continued running.


    Lucien was ovee with relief when he recognized the path that Ronan was taking. The Alpha was taking him back to his own home. For once, Lucien was grateful and did not resist.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said once they arrived in front of his porch.


    Ronan licked some cream off Lucien¡¯s naked upper body before he dashed off into the night.


    Lucien left his house keys in his bag, but thankfully he had a spare key under a flowerpot. Right after he got inside, he marched to the bathroom to take a shower.


    Ronan¡¯s cum was trickling down his hole the whole time and soiling his pants, but arge part of it was deposited deep inside his stomach. He groaned as he pushed his fingers in to clean himself.


    The cum dribbled out obscenely and fell down his shapely legs together with the warm water. It was impossible to reach as deep as Ronan did with just his fingers. Part of his seeds was trapped inside his body, unable toe out.


    After the shower, Lucien stood in front of the long mirror in his bathroom and stared at his own form. He pressed at his lower stomach and thought about Ronan¡¯s words.


    ¡°You are the only person I do it with without using protection.¡±

 Chapter 35

    35 A Midnight Guest


    A giant ck wolf ran among the trees of the nearby forest under the moonlight that night. He climbed up a steep cliff and howled to his heart¡¯s content at the shining moon above his head.


    Ronan smirked in his heart.


    ¡®Happy now?¡¯ he nudged Beowulf.


    ¡®Happier¡¯, Beowulf pointed out. ¡®It took you too long a time to convince Lucien. Look at how great you two were!¡¯


    Ronan scoffed. ¡®Great? He only agreed to have sex with me because he was having his rut as well. Have you not seen the way he kicked me when I mounted him just now?¡¯


    Beowulf was clearly in denial. ¡®He is just shy! And probably sore from the first round. You should be more sensible.¡¯


    ¡®... B, he is not a woman. I have had virgins who were more than happy to let me in the second time.¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t want to talk about your whores. Let¡¯s talk about Lucien instead.¡¯


    Ronan rolled with his eyes. Beowulf had even started to refer to the women he slept with as ¡°whores¡±.


    .....


    ¡®I wonder how our ruts fell in sync again. We already severed our fated mate connection years ago and we stopped sleeping with each other after that first time.


    Technically we should not share the same rutting period. Or is that all just a coincidence?¡¯


    ¡®There is no coincidence. This is the will of the Moon Goddess. We have to get back together with Lucien and Landon.¡¯


    ¡®Ah, it turns out that you still remember Landon.¡¯


    Beowulf growled in displeasure. ¡®Of course I do. For as long as we are unable to win back Lucien¡¯s heart, Landon will nevere back.¡¯


    After running around for a few more hours to cool himself off, Ronan felt a lot more refreshed. He decided to go back to his private suite at Carlton Bay Hotel.


    Owing to the many werewolves that frequented the hotel especially but not exclusively the ones from the Infinite Eclipse Pack, the hotel had a special emergency check-in counter for werewolves only.


    Other than the nervous receptionist who was fidgeting in her seat behind the counter, there was only one other woman who was sitting with a long beautiful leg crossed over the other.


    Lillian Woond¡¯s long blonde hair fell down her back like a cascade of molten gold, beautiful against the red velvet sofa that she sat on. She had a ssy short-sleeved ck-and-white top coupled with a ssic tight-fit skirt and a pair of high-end, very rare collection of ck boots that were the price of a luxury car. She looked a lot like an heiress who was waiting for hertest boyfriend toe and pick her up.


    The notion about her being an heiress might not be too far from the truth, but the one who showed up at the automatic swing door was less a boyfriend more a giant ck wolf who narrowed his eyes at her as soon as he caught sight of her.


    Lillian Woond rose from her seat with a sweet smile.


    ¡°I thought I had to wait until morning. It is good to see the Alpha back so early.¡±


    Ronan growled in amusement.


    Other werewolves had to climb up a steep path to go to their rooms and have their rooms opened by the receptionist, but Ronan had a special elevator built for him that led directly into his VIP suite. Lillian conveniently waited in thevish living room while Ronan went inside the bathroom to take a shower.


    He could not help but smile when he rubbed traces of Lucien¡¯s dried cum off his torso. He could still feel Lucien¡¯s heat engulfing his penis, the warmth of his slender body inside his arms. Ronan had the n to revel in the beautiful memories a little more, privately. That n was off the table now that Lillian Woond was there.


    Although Lillian was only one of the many Alpha¡¯s daughters that Dane Silverback pushed into Ronan¡¯s arms, she came from the renowned Irond ws Pack that was established for hundreds of years. That alone resulted in her status being higher than the average Alpha¡¯s daughters. Not to mention that not many of Alpha¡¯s daughters were blessed with both excellent family background, beauty, and wits at the same time.


    There was a saying that strong alpha women produced strong alpha sons.


    Lillian Woond had no less than a long line of suitors, even a longer line of admirers who did not even have the privilege to kiss the heels of her boots. The fact that she was waiting for Ronan toe backte at night in a hotel room was something to die for.


    Most Alpha¡¯s sons who had the least bit of gratitude would most likely go to the closest diamond shop and buy Ms. Woond at least a diamond ne to soothe her mood. If that was not enough, other gifts would follow. Anything just so that she would not lose interest.


    And there she was, her arms draped so sweetly on a loveseat, her legs were shyly tucked together to one side, the very picture of dignity but full of female charm. Although she looked vulnerable and enchanting, her pair of brown eyes were nothing but limpid pools of desire that threatened to drown anyone who dared toe close.


    And yet thedy was the one who had to hold her breath when Ronan showed up wearing nothing but a bathrobe that was too small to cover his broad upper body, resulting in a wide expanse of toned, muscr chest.


    Drops of water as clear as crystal fell from Ronan¡¯s wet hair on said chest and ran down the tight lines and disappeared behind the bathrobe. The pair of sturdy legs looked like they could break through anything with one kick.


    Ronan gave Lillian a sweet, indulgent smile as he leaned against the archway like the king of the night.


    ¡°I am sorry for appearing before Ms. Woond this way, but I don¡¯t usually sleep with any clothes on at night.¡±

 Chapter 36

    36 The New Secretary


    One could interpret the sentence in two ways.


    One, Ronan was politely telling Lillian to leave because he was preparing to rest for the night.


    Two, Ronan was inviting Lillian to join him for the night.


    Whichever way Lillian decided to interpret it, Ronan was sure that Lillian would either politely excuse herself or be so disgusted with him that she left right away. He forgot that Lillian Woond was unlike any other blind dates that he met before.


    The Alpha¡¯s daughter shed Ronan a bright smile and pointed to Ronan¡¯s left side. There was a suitcase standing at the corner of the room.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I have taken some liberty to go shopping for some clothes for Mr. Silverback. I hope they suit your taste.¡±


    Ronan rubbed his face and sighed before he shot Lillian an ufortable look.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Doing what?¡± Lillian asked sweetly. ¡°Did I do anything wrong?¡±


    Ronan raised an eyebrow at Lillian. She was too smart to y dumb and both of them knew that.


    An unmarried goody-two-shoes Alpha¡¯s daughter should never find herself alone with another man at midnight in a hotel room.


    Nothing good coulde out of it, whether or not something happened between them.


    Lillian gracefully rose to her feet and approached Ronan. She stopped just a few centimeters apart from him, enough for Ronan to smell her scent : a mix of rose andvender.


    Lillian took a card from her designer handbag and showed it to Ronan. It was an employee ID card for hispany, the Silverback Corporation.


    ¡°I have epted a position as your secretary this afternoon, starting immediately.¡±


    Ronan squinted at the employee card. Most employees wore their most professional, rigid expressions when HR took their photos to make the ID card. Then came Lillian Woond with her shiny supermodel-like smile, not even wearing the employee uniform. It was clear that the secretary position was nothing but a facade.


    ¡°I did not request for a secretary,¡± Ronan said with a chuckle.


    Lillian beamed with a smile. ¡°I trust you will find me quite useful.¡±


    Ronan scoffed. What could an elite Alpha¡¯s daughter like Lillian even do? Women like her were fed with silver spoons from birth. They were born to be pampered. Education was probably the most arduous part of their lives. Naturally, these spoiled misses were not expected to work. Not even a single day in their glorious, cozy lives.


    ¡°Your Beta, Jake, has been trying to reach you to no avail. Your phone is either off or missing,¡± Lillian reported smoothly. ¡°I took the liberty to buy you a new phone just in case you need a new one.¡±


    She took out a brand new android phone that had already been unboxed and handed it to Ronan.


    ¡°I have entered all the contacts from your address book and connected all your ounts. The phone is ready to use.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    He was not sure where his phone was. He possibly dropped it somewhere in the South Bedford Art College.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ronan said dryly, taking the phone from Lillian.


    ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to read your agenda for tomorrow?¡±


    Talking about workte at night was thest thing on Ronan¡¯s to-do list that night.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ronan said, rubbing at his aching forehead. ¡°It iste at night. I would like to rest for the night. Please leave.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Lillian smiled. ¡°Good night, Mr. Silverback.¡±


    ¡°I will get my chauffeur to drive you home,¡± Ronan said. Dane would never forgive him if he let such a prestigious Alpha¡¯s daughter go home alone.


    ¡°No need,¡± Lillian said, tossing her long hair backward. ¡°I already reserved the next-door suite.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°For how long?¡±


    ¡°For as long as you decide to stay in this city, of course. I am here to help.¡±


    Ronan balled his fingers into fists. Ayer of ice descended over his eyes and coldness spread in his chest.


    Help?


    Ronan did not think so.


    After Lillian left, Ronan activated his Mind Link. He had kept it deactivated for the whole day because he did not want to be disturbed when he confronted Lucien. Who would have guessed that one thing led to another and he ended up missing for more than twelve hours straight?


    ¡®Jake.¡¯


    ¡®RONAN!!!!¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®I mean... cough... Alpha, where have you been?¡¯


    ¡®Where else? South Bedford City.¡¯


    ¡®Are you already at Carlton Bay?¡¯


    ¡®Yes. What is with this new secretary that I did not ask for?¡¯


    Jake was silent for a few seconds before he came up with an answer.


    ¡®Mr. Silverback Sr. has decided that it is beneficial to foster a deeper rtionship with the Irond ws Pack. The Alpha and Ms. Woond also agree.¡¯


    Ronan scoffed.


    He would love to ask Jake who he was actually loyal to. His Alpha or Mr. Silverback Sr.. Then again it was unfair to Jake. Ronan knew it too.


    How was a secretary position befitting such a prestigious youngdy? Should she not be at least a member of the board of directors?


    If Lillian Woond had a higher position in the Silverback Corporation, naturally she would stop being Ronan¡¯s second shadow. A smirk spread on Ronan¡¯s face. He should bring it up to Ms. Woond and see what she had to say.


    The next morning, they sat opposite each other as they enjoyed breakfast from Carlton Bay Hotel¡¯s renowned breakfast selection.


    ¡°I have thought about it, Ms. Woond. You are certainly a smartdy who is overqualified for a mere secretary position. I happen to need someone of your caliber to fill an important executive position in mypany. Why don¡¯t I apany you to the office to settle the formalities?¡±


    Lillian put down the knife and fork and dabbed at the corners of her mouth gracefully.


    ¡°Mr. Silverback seems to misunderstand something. I am not trying to build a career at the Silverback Corporation.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Ronan raised an eyebrow. He cocked his head to the side and observed the beautiful woman in front of him with great interest. Was Lillian Woond that desperate that she was going to tell him that she intended to stick to him for all eternities until she was made a Luna?


    Ronan was not one to shy from imparting cold, hard truth to women.


    ¡°I share my father¡¯s opinion that it is time for me to learn how to be a good Luna.¡±

 Chapter 37

    37 The Past And The Future


    Lucien Clearwater had a thin face. After he cleaned himself up, he went back to his office just to clean the mess that he and Ronan left behind. He also found his and Ronan¡¯s phones, both out of battery. After locking up, Lucien went home and charged his phone.


    There were a few missed calls from Hayley and some messages from his colleagues and students. Most of them were fretting about the uing art exhibition. It was the first step to getting recognition for their talents. Who had not heard about the glorious stories of past graduates who managed to attract visitors¡¯ attention with their masterpieces and proceeded to thrive in the world of art wonderfully? That was all these students heard from day one!


    Lucien did not have the heart to tell them that sess depended on a lot of factors. Talent, unfortunately, was not enough to be famous and sessful.


    Nevertheless, as their teacher, Lucien was determined to motivate and not demotivate his students. The future was uncertain. Who would be able to say for sure that none of his students would grow into, say, a Picasso or a Da Vinci or a Michngelo?


    Lucien¡¯s spirit plummeted slightly when he saw Ronan again in his ss the next day. He almost forgot about this insolent werewolf who smuggled himself into a pack ofmbs that were his students. Not only that, he even brought one of his girlfriends with him.


    Ayer of ice covered Lucien¡¯s eyes when he saw Ronan and the blonde woman gettingfortable with each other. The woman was exceedingly pretty in her white dress, even without any essories or brand items on her. The kind of woman that Ronan had the privilege to surround himself with.


    A sour taste rose up Lucien¡¯s throat, making him want to spit at Ronan. He would not have slept with Ronan if not because of the sudden arrival of his rut. Ronan on the other side did not have the slightest bit of decency. Jumping from one bed partner to another like switching pants. To think that he ever fell for this kind of man made Lucien sick.


    Thankfully, his desperate students were willing aplices to distract him from looking at Ronan and his girlfriend.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater! I wanted to draw a waterfall but it looks like a giant, blue dog!¡±


    .....


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater! I identally chopped the nose off my statue! What should I do!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater! This is over! I cannot do this anymore! I want to quit!!!¡±


    The art teacher/counselor went around to help his students one by one. Lucien now understood why Hayley took the day off. The poor woman must be suffering a lot on her own yesterday afternoon while Lucien skipped the ss. Lucien reminded himself to treat Hayley to lunch in the near future.


    After going around the ss and visiting each student at least twice, Lucien couldn¡¯t continue ignoring Ronan and his girlfriend. Stiff like a stone statue, he thus came by to take a look at what the two people were doing.


    One closer look at Ronan¡¯spanion sufficed to tell Lucien that she was not an ordinary woman. She was a werewolf and not any random she-wolf of obscure background. It must be one of Ronan¡¯s mate candidates. A very strong one.


    The white dress that she wore was sttered with paint, but she seemed to not care at all. She was instead having a heated discussion with Ronan about the best color to use in their paintings. Lucien looked at the two people thoughtfully. They looked like a match made in heaven.


    Such a captivating woman indeed.


    Lillian Woond turned to Lucien with a smile as soon as Lucien came close.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater, you finally have time to check on our progress!¡±


    Lucien returned her smile with a polite, albeit slightly cold one.


    ¡°Yes. Miss, I have not seen you around here. Are you new?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. Lillian Woond. I just registered yesterday. I have heard a lot about you even before I join your ss. I cannot wait to participate in the art exhibition!¡±


    ¡°That is wonderful. On the other side, the registration will conclude by the end of this week. Not sure if Miss Woond can make it.¡±


    Ronan leaned in with a conspiratorial smile. ¡°Mr. Clearwater, can you not make an exception? Miss Woond is very talented.¡±


    Lucien gave Ronan a super-sweet, poisonous smile. ¡°Unfortunately, I do not own the South Bedford Art Exhibition Center. Forgive me but I cannot help.¡±


    Lillian gasped. She pressed her slender fingers against her red lips in surprise.


    ¡°Oh, then I am exceedingly lucky! My father just recently bought the whole building!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Exceedingly lucky?


    South Bedford City was only a small citypared to the manyrger, more prosperous cities that werewolves lived in. In fact, Lucien was pretty sure that he was the only werewolf who lived in the city until Maya came along. So why was Lillian acting as if South Bedford City has been one of the most prominent werewolf dwellings for ages?


    Ronan shed Lucien a victorious smile. Lucien raised an eyebrow at him. If Ronan thought that he could aggravate Lucien that easily, he was sorely mistaken.


    ¡°Then I am so sorry to inform Miss Woond that art exhibition participants must not have any rtionship with the center to prevent unfair judgment. This is a serious event for up-anding artists where they can get their first public opinions about their works. I am sure Miss Woond will understand.¡±


    The disappointment did not linger for long on Lillian¡¯s face. She instead grabbed Ronan¡¯s arm and hugged it against her ample bosoms.


    ¡°It is fine. I will support Ronan instead then.¡±


    Lucien almost burst intoughter. Ronan Silverback¡¯s artwork would not gain public recognition even if all artists suddenly got diarrhea and could not finish their works.


    The little smile on Lucien¡¯s lips betrayed his thoughts. Ronan raised an eyebrow. He was more than ready to take Lucien up on the challenge.

 Chapter 38

    38 Ronan¡¯s Future Luna


    It turned out that Ronan did not have to try so hard to be a proficient artist before the annual art exhibition began.


    An excited girl raised her hand in hesitation after listening to their conversation.


    ¡°I... I am willing to help Ronan with his artwork!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan¡¯s sexy lips curled up in victory. He shed an excessively sweet smile at the girl and said ¡°Thanks¡± with a wink. The girl practically melted into a puddle of water on the floor.


    Lucien barely held himself back from rolling with his eyes.


    Encouraged and maybe blinded by Ronan¡¯s single-word gratitude, the other students started to chime in.


    ¡°Of course, we all want to help!¡±


    ¡°Ronan, don¡¯t be shy. I can even help you with sketching!¡±


    .....


    ¡°And I can help you with coloring! Mr. Clearwater always praises me for my good eyes in bncing colors!¡±


    Shy?


    Sketching?


    Coloring?


    Then what exactly was Ronan Silverback going to contribute to this so-called artwork?


    Later on, his girlfriend might just pay and then drag art critics over to appraise his painting. How was that going to be fair for everyone?


    Lucien red at Ronan. Thetter was here not only to mess up with his life but also his students¡¯ life. To top it up, the students were all victims of Ronan¡¯s charm. The focus of the annual art exhibition had shifted from getting public opinion for the first time to pleasing Ronan Silverback.


    You must be kidding me.


    Lucien praised himself in his heart for the extraordinary self-restraint that he exercised at that very moment.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just continue,¡± he said with repressed anger.


    The rest of the period went without a hitch. Lucien did not even have to go over to Ronan¡¯s and Lillian¡¯s anymore because they kept getting frequented by female and male students alike who kept offering their help.


    Never mind that Ronan and Lillian looked like a couple of lovers. As long as they did not confirm their rtionship, they apparently were still on the market.


    Lucien could feel a headacheing up. He was thus more than d when the ss was finally over.


    ¡°Please tidy your workce up before leaving,¡± Lucien pped his hands to get the attention of students who were preparing to leave.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Clearwater!!!¡± came the reply of the students. After the students put away their masterpieces, they practically stuffed everything into their bags and rushed out of the ssroom.


    ¡°Bye, Mr. Clearwater!!!¡± they said one by one while waving at Lucien. Lucien waved back with a smile.


    A group of students were teasing each other on the way out. One of them identally bumped against Lucien¡¯s easel and sent a bunch of painting materials crashing onto the floor.


    ¡°Oh, no...¡±


    ¡°Man, how clumsy you are.¡±


    The students bent down and started collecting the items from the floor, but Lucien stopped them.


    ¡°You have another ss after this. Go, I will handle them.¡±


    They looked immensely guilty.


    ¡°So sorry, Mr. Clearwater.¡±


    ¡°No worries,¡± Lucien said with a smile.


    From the back of the ssroom, Lillian Woond tucked a strand of golden hair behind her ear and walked toward Lucien with a smile.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater, let me help,¡± she offered.


    Without waiting for Lucien to answer, Lillian picked up the color tubes from the ground and lined them up on the teacher¡¯s desk neatly.


    ¡°No need,¡± Lucien said. ¡°It is not much.¡±


    Lillian turned deaf ears to Lucien. She continued tidying up Lucien¡¯s desk. Of course, that was not what she was there for. And Lucien also knew it.


    Lucien swept the ssroom with a gaze. Ronan was not there. Lucien and Lillian were the only ones who were left.


    ¡°Ronan had to take a long call,¡± Lillian answered Lucien¡¯s silent question with a smile. ¡°I thus decide to get to know Mr. Clearwater better. Or maybe, since we are all close in age, can I call you Lucien instead?¡±


    ¡°What do you really want to tell me?¡± Lucien asked directly while looking into Lillian¡¯s eyes.


    Lillian¡¯s lips curled up in amusement.


    ¡°I am the eldest daughter of the Irond ws Pack,¡± she exined. ¡°Our two packs have a marriage arrangement. I am supposed to be the Infinite Eclipse Pack¡¯s future Luna.¡±


    Lucien had nothing to say but ¡°Ah¡±. It was not surprising, really. ¡°Congrattions then.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lucien. I wonder if you can help me.¡±


    Help her?


    ¡°Help you with what, exactly?¡±


    Lillian¡¯s eyes wandered from Lucien¡¯s eyes to his nape. Lucien¡¯s hand automatically moved to straighten his cor and hide the hideous mark on his neck. Not that it was necessary. Lillian smelled Lucien¡¯s scent on Ronan when thetter came back the previous night. There was no need for an exnation. Lillian chuckled.


    Lillian took some tissue papers from the desk and rubbed the red and blue paint off her fingers.


    ¡°Mr. Dane Silverback spoke highly of you, Lucien. He said that you were very... reasonable.¡±


    The beautiful she-wolf emphasized the word ¡°reasonable¡±.


    Lucien knew what she meant. He also knew why Dane Silverback¡¯s name fell into the conversation. Lucien curled up his fingers into fists behind his back.


    ¡°Please ry my thanks to Mr. Dane Silverback for the undeserved praise. I shall continue being... reasonable.¡±


    Lillian shed Lucian her most charming smile.


    ¡°That is great.¡±


    But Lucien was not done with what he wanted to say. ¡°On the other side, I want to emphasize that me being reasonable has nothing to do with you bing the future Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack.¡±


    Lillian¡¯s smile drained from her face. She unwittingly ended up ring at Lucien, who had a wide grin stered all over his face.


    ¡°If I were you, Ms. Woond, I will pay more attention to my future husband. Maybe you too should be more... reasonable.¡±


    Lucien did not have the chance to see whether Lillian had anything to say to him. Just at that moment, the door to the ssroom creaked open and Ronan Silverback showed up again. His eyes shifted from Lucien to Lillian and then settled on Lucien.


    Lillian, on the other side, burst into tears and drew both men¡¯s attention to her immediately.


    ¡°I am sorry, Lucien. I didn¡¯t mean to be condescending or anything. I had no hidden agenda, really... Please forgive me if I said anything insensitive...¡±

 Chapter 39

    39 Painting Of The Past


    Ayer of ice formed over Lucien¡¯s eyes as he watched Lillian¡¯s convincing performance. This was the second time someone tried to make him up to be the viin in front of Ronan.


    Lucien folded his arms in front of his chest in defiance and turned to look at Ronan with a raised eyebrow, indirectly challenging him. Ronan gave him an annoyed look.


    ¡°What is going on in here?¡± the Alpha demanded to know.


    ¡°I... It¡¯s just... I identally offended Lucien.¡± Lillian put a hand on Ronan¡¯s arm. Coupled with the teary eyes, she looked very pitiful. ¡°Please help me apologize to him, Ronan...¡±


    Ronan looked at Lillian¡¯s tear-streaked face. The tears were real, but was she acting or was she not? Oh, but did it matter? Could it be that Lucien was jealous of Lillian and thus attacked her? A victorious smile spread on Ronan¡¯s face.


    If that¡¯s the case why not douse more oil to the fire? At the same time, he could show Lillian Woond his goodwill, so that his insufferable father would stop bothering him for a while.


    A smart werewolf should grab every opportunity that was presented to him.


    Ronan grabbed Lillian¡¯s shoulder in a loving gesture and pulled the sobbing woman close to his chest.


    ¡°There, there, stop crying,¡± heforted the sobbing woman with a gentle tone like a good boyfriend that he was not. Then he lifted his eyes and smiled at Lucien.


    .....


    ¡°Lucien, look at her. Don¡¯t you think you went too far? Be reasonable and stop making a fuss, will you?¡±


    A giant, sour lump of something formed in Lucien¡¯s throat. Lucien was beyond disgusted.


    Be reasonable? Him?


    Was Ronan going to repeat what Lillian said? That Dane Silverback thought of him as reasonable? Did this idiot Ronan even know what ¡°being reasonable¡± meant???


    Lucien drew a deep breath.


    He went through a lot of adversities in the past to be able to stand where he was. These two werewolves in front of him were external factors that he could easily purge out of his life. There was no point getting agitated over them.


    Ronan, the bastard, could go and make Lillian Woond his Luna for all Lucien cared.


    Yes.


    That¡¯s it.


    ¡°I did not mean to make Ms. Woond cry,¡± Lucien said curtly. ¡°If Mr. Silverback and Ms. Woond have nothing else to say, do excuse me. I need to go somewhere else.¡±


    Maybe that was no different from running away, but Lucien could not care less. He went straight to his office studio and locked the door behind him.


    He listened to his own heartbeat for a while before sliding down the door to the floor. Ridiculous, he thought. He was an alpha. He should not be acting like some weak-ass woman. To think that Ronan would choose him over Lillian...


    ¡°Arghh,¡± Lucien growled as he buried his face into his palms.


    It was clear seven years ago as it was clear at the very moment that there should be and would never be anything between them. He was just confused because he had sex with Ronan the previous day. Yes. That was it. It was just a one-night stand to fulfill both of their urges. Nothing more.


    Lucien walked toward the easel that stood in the middle of the studio. It was carefully covered in a white cloth. Lucien took the cover off and gazed at what he had been working on.


    It was a painting of two wolves treading through a grassy field in summer. A scene from seven years ago, a memory he was unable to forget. A wolf with brown-red coat and a wolf with jet-ck coat. The two of them running around, ying around, rolling around in a vast field of yellowing grass. Taking in each other scents and getting to know each other in the short summer period.


    Landon and Beowulf, back when Lucien and Ronan were still happy together.


    Lucien took the painting from the stand and stared at it. He liked painting wolves. A reminder of what he originally was. The world he was forced to leave.


    He submitted simr kinds of paintings to the art exhibition every year. The paintings were good and his skillful usage of brushes made the wolvese alive. Unfortunately, they were not attractive enough.


    These days, art critics liked to see paintings with human beings as subjects. Lucien often got some feedback to paint human beings instead. If he did, the result would be great. But Lucien did not want to. He just wanted to paint some wolves.


    At the moment, he wanted to erase the ck wolf from the picture. But then he would have to make changes on the other wolf too. Landon was looking at Beowulf a little too adoringly. Lucien himself would never show such an expression to Ronan. But Landon would. Landon loved Beowulf.


    Lucien grabbed a brush and started painting over Beowulf. A few hourster, Beowulf was reced by Seara. Seara was Annalynne¡¯s wolf. She looked a lot like Landon, albeit smaller and cuter. Twin brother and sister ying around together. That was also good.


    Lucien set the brush aside and watched his artwork. The more he looked at it, the warmer he felt inside.


    That¡¯s right.


    Lucien took a deep breath to calm down.


    He did not need Ronan to make things perfect.


    The afternoon ss went a lot more peaceful because both Ronan and Lillian skipped the ss. It was Friday, so maybe they already had ns for the evening or the weekend.


    So did Lucien.


    Tomorrow was the tenth day after he received the proposal from the Night Prowler Pack. It was high time for him to answer Kinnon¡¯s proposal. Thanks to advanced technology, he could have submitted his answer in one click through his phone, but Lucien had other things in mind.


    He nned to go to East Temple City, the seat of the Night Prowler Pack this very night. It was necessary to speak to Kinnon Youngshaper personally.

 Chapter 40

    40 Visiting East Temple City


    Despite making acquaintances and fostering rtionships every year at the Alpha Camp, there was no such custom that allowed the alpha children to visit each other.


    The reason for that was rather simple. One did not know when a good rtionship ended and turned bad. No pack would risk its safety by allowing potential enemies to peek into their pack situation.


    That was not all. No Alpha was dumb enough to let their heirs walk into another pack¡¯s area of territory just like that. They might just get murdered or maimed.


    The Silent Walkers Pack, Alice Clearwater in particr, was heavily opposed to Lucien¡¯s idea of going to the East Temple City for a discussion with Kinnon Youngshaper.


    ¡°Lulu, can¡¯t you just meet him up at a public venue?¡± Alice asked during a call to persuade his son. ¡°Mother doesn¡¯t think that it is safe for you to go there alone.¡±


    Lucien smiled while listening to his mother. His mother had grown to be more and more protective of him ever since he lost his wolf. She forgot that he was still an alpha, with or without a wolf. And he was an adult.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I can handle this. Besides, what is the point of doing anything to me? Unless you think that something else is hidden beyond the marriage proposal.¡±


    ¡°But...¡± Alice still wanted to say something, but she did not know what.


    ¡°Mom, I have to go now. I will call you once I arrive at East Temple City.¡±


    .....


    Alice had no other choice but to let Lucien do what he thought was best.


    The trip to East Temple City took a whole night. The bright morning sunlight woke Lucien up from his slumber. Thetter rubbed at his eyes and looked out of the window.


    A breakfast cart rolled through the corridor and stopped next to Lucien.


    ¡°Coffee and croissant, Sir?¡±


    ¡°No, thank you,¡± Lucien answered almost on cue. He did not feel like eating anything.


    Although he told his mother not to be worried, truthfully he was.


    The Kinnon Youngshaper that he knew seven years ago was not that kind of a person, but what about the Kinnon Youngshaper of the present time?


    Lucien sighed.


    You are being silly, Lucien...


    If he really wished to harm you, he would already do that. There were plenty of times he could have.


    Lucien stepped off the train and slung his backpack over a shoulder. As he walked along the railway tform to head for the exit, two men in ck suits approached him and bowed respectfully before him.


    ¡°Mr. Lucien Clearwater, we are here to pick you up.¡±


    Lucien nced at the two men. He called Kinnon to tell him that he wasing to pay a visit. Kinnon had offered to send a car to pick him up, but Lucien said that he was already inside the train. In the end, another car was still sent to pick him up, albeit for thest part of the trip.


    Kinnon Youngshaper was only a year older than both Lucien and Ronan, but he was already a deeply respected Alpha. Not only in the eyes of his pack members but generally in the eyes of the werewolf society.


    It had little to do with strength and more to do with maturity and a sense of responsibility.


    Despite thecking love between him and his dearly departed Luna, they had sessfully secured an heir to the Alpha position. This might be the reason why the pack elders were not against his wish to take Lucien as his next Luna. Lucien might even be considered a reward for Kinnon¡¯s years of dedication to his pack.


    The car door slid open smoothly.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater, we have arrived.¡±


    Lucien snapped back into reality and climbed out of the car.


    The scene that he saw was breathtaking. One must admit that the Night Prowler Pack was a rich pack. A huge forest area surrounded the Pack House that looked a lot like a five-star hotel than a Pack House. It was a good disguise in case curious human beings happened to pass by.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater, our Alpha has been expecting you. Allow me.¡±


    The man who opened the door for him took his backpack from his shoulder and carried it up the luxurious staircase made of sparkling white stone. Exquisite. It must have cost a lot.


    The Night Prowler Pack¡¯s Beta already waited for Lucien at the top of the staircase. He was at least five years older than Kinnon. His name was Bjorn.


    ¡°Wee, Lucien,¡± he said with a smile.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Lucien smiled back at him.


    Elder alphas who graduated from the Alpha Camp were still required to participate to help out with the camp activities.


    Lucien knew Bjorn as one of the mentors at the training arena.


    ¡°Was the trip pleasant?¡±


    ¡°Not too bad. I need to talk to Kinnon.¡±


    Bjorn nodded apprehensively. ¡°He is expecting you. Come.¡±


    Against Lucien¡¯s expectations, Bjorn did not lead him to the guest reception hall where Alphas typically weed their guests. He was instead led to the highest floor of the luxurious mansion, then passing through carpeted corridors that ended up at Kinnon¡¯s private bed-chamber. The two of them stopped before a polished, wooden double door with intricate carvings at the edges.


    ¡°...¡±


    It was rather awkward. Lucien turned at Bjorn with a slight frown. This was beyond appropriate. Even if, let¡¯s say, he had agreed to be the pack¡¯s next Luna, he could not just march into his future husband¡¯s bed-chamber without any reservation.


    Unless it was meant as a derogatory gesture?


    As if reading Lucien¡¯s mind, Bjorn provided an exnation before Lucien¡¯s mind wandered further.


    ¡°There is no hidden meaning behind this. Kinnon is, unfortunately, unable to leave the bed for the time being. Please take a look for yourself.¡±


    Kinnon Youngshaper was injured?


    So badly that he was bedridden?


    Lucien knocked on the door three times but he received no answer. Encouraged by Bjorn¡¯s nod, Lucien pushed the door open and the sight in front of his eyes almost made his heart stop beating.


    Kinnon was sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard. He was holding hands with a red-headed beauty who sat at his bedside.


    When both of them turned to look at Lucien, the woman gasped and quickly withdrew her hand from Kinnon¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°Lu... Lulu!!!¡±


    It was Annalynne.

 Chapter 41

    41 The Scent On You


    Lucien took long strides toward the two werewolves on the bed and yanked Annalynne to her feet. He shot Kinnon a murderous re.


    ¡°What did you do to my sister???¡±


    If an Alpha was considered a king, then an Alpha¡¯s daughter was nothing less than a princess. An Alpha¡¯s son was the pride of the Alpha, but an Alpha¡¯s daughter was the dignity of the whole pack. Although the Silent Walkers Pack had fallen to such a state after losing the war with the Night Prowler Pack, no one in the pack would ever let Annalynne be toyed with!


    All thoughts of peaceful discussion to negotiate deals regarding the Silent Walkers Pack fell off the table as soon as Annalynne came into the picture. Lucien would rather kill Kinnon on spot. He did not expect Annalynne to clutch at his arm and said hastily, ¡°Big Brother, it is not what you think.¡±


    Annalynne was trembling next to him. She was shaking like a leaf. It was not how an innocent person would behave.


    Lucien turned to Annalynne with bewilderment.


    ¡°Can you exin why you are even here if no one took you here? Don¡¯t tell me that you...¡±


    Lucien was unable to finish his words.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you came here of your own volition¡± was what he wanted to say originally.


    .....


    Tears started to build in Annalynne¡¯s beautiful eyes. She started to sob uncontrobly in front of her brother.


    ¡°Anna...¡±


    Lucien was not an impulsive person. His instinct told him that there was more to the story than what appeared on the surface.


    Lucien pulled his crying sister into a hug. He pressed a kiss against her soft hair and inhaled her scent. His sister smelled like gardenia flowers with a light trace of mint. There was no other scent that stuck to her.


    Annalynne was still pure.


    Relief flooded Lucien¡¯s heart like a dam of water breaking and sending waves and waves of water to extinguish a forest fire within an instant.


    It was natural for family members to smell each other upon meeting. So Annalynne too inhaled her brother¡¯s scent while she was pressed against her brother¡¯s neck. Her eyes flew open in surprise.


    There was someone else¡¯s smell on Lucien.


    Annalynne was shocked. She wanted to ask but she was not dumb enough to expose her brother in front of Kinnon Youngshaper. Especially when considering the marriage proposal and the well-being of her own pack.


    The woman simply looked at Lucien in a daze. Lucien knew the meaning behind Annalynne¡¯s looks. Shame crept up his throat, turning into a lump of sticky something that refused to go away.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Lucien cleared his throat.


    He disentangled himself from his sister and pushed Annalynne behind him.


    ¡°Can you tell me what is happening here?¡± Lucien demanded from Kinnon.


    The handsome Alpha of the Night Prowler Pack gave him a faint smile but did not answer. Lucien probed parts of the man that were not hidden under the nket. His white shirt was unbuttoned. Underneath,yers of bandages covered Kinnon¡¯s torso and abdomen.


    ¡°Kinnon, how did you get hurt?¡± Lucien asked in disbelief.


    An Alpha was always heavily guarded. It was thus sheer impossible to catch an Alpha off-guard. The Alphas were usually hurt or killed only during wars.


    Was the Night Prowler Pack engaged in a war with another pack so soon after winning over the Silent Walkers Pack?


    Kinnon pulled his shirt close as if to hide the wounds underneath. He chuckled to himself as if Lucien just said something funny.


    ¡°Ah, it was nothing. Just a sudden ambush.¡±


    A sudden ambush?


    How dumb did Kinnon take Lucien for?


    Thetter approached Kinnon and stood by Kinnon¡¯s bedside. Kinnon calmly looked up at Lucien, wondering what the man nned to do.


    Lucien boldly pulled Kinnon¡¯s shirt apart and stared at Kinnon¡¯s heavily bandaged upper body.


    ¡°It was a frontal attack,¡± he remarked.


    ¡°It was nothing,¡± Kinnon said. ¡°I was careless.¡±


    Lucien raised an eyebrow. Careless? Could an Alpha who was seasoned in wars be injured like that due to carelessness?


    ¡°Big... Big Brother, the truth is...¡±


    Lucien shut his eyes in reluctance.


    No.


    Annalynne was better not involved in a homicide attempt of Kinnon Youngshaper.


    ¡°Anna, can you excuse us for a while?¡± Kinnon asked, cutting through Annalynne¡¯s attempt to exin rather abruptly.


    The woman still wanted to say something, but she then decided not to.


    ¡°Then, I... I will be in the south garden.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Lucien wille in a while.¡±


    The door shut close behind Annalynne, leaving only Kinnon and Lucien in the vast bed-chamber.


    ¡°Tell me the truth,¡± Lucien demanded. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I have only that one exnation for my injuries. It is inappropriate for me to borate on the rest.¡±


    Which meant that the rest of the story shoulde out of Annalynne¡¯s mouth. Lucien gritted his teeth in displeasure. He was not sure how to even begin the talk.


    Kinnon pulled Lucien closer to him. His eyes wandered from Lucien¡¯s eyes down to his nose, his mouth, and finally settled on the side of his neck.


    ¡°I am more interested in this,¡± Kinnon slowly said, his hand flew to Lucien¡¯s nape without warning and pinched the mark wound that had yet to heal from hisst encounter with Ronan. Lucien winced from the stinging pain but he did not resist.


    When Kinnon took his hand off Lucien¡¯s nape, there was some blood pinched between his thumb and index finger. He rubbed it between the two fingers and showed it to Lucien.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Kinnon demanded, his eyes looked fierce. Despite being wounded, he looked ready for another fight with Ronan Silverback if needed.


    ¡°You slept with Ronan.¡±


    His grip around Lucien¡¯s arm tightened.


    It was no longer a question but a statement. Ronan¡¯s smell on Lucien said it all. There was no use denying it. The scent that stuck to someone after sexual intercourse did not go away quickly. Married couples who did it again and again were eventually stuck with their partners¡¯ scents.


    Lucien looked Kinnon in the eyes and confirmed his discovery. ¡°Yes, I slept with him.¡±

 Chapter 42

    42 The Giant Orange


    Kinnon took a deep breath. He then released his grip on Lucien and leaned back on the bed.


    ¡°I should be grateful that you are not denying it,¡± he said, his anger subsiding slowly. ¡°I was worried that you would lie to my face.¡±


    ¡°Why should I?¡± Lucien asked.


    Kinnon shot him a smile. ¡°Because I am not such a saint to let my Luna be taken advantage of before our uing wedding.¡±


    Speaking about that.


    The lump in Lucien¡¯s throat seemed to growrger.


    How should he even breach the topic now that Annalynne was involved?


    ¡°You rejected Ronan¡¯s proposal but then you slept with him, is that right? Or is it the other way around?¡±


    Kinnon seemed to be more interested to continue talking about the rtionship between Lucien and Ronan.


    .....


    Any start was a good start.


    ¡°It was after I rejected him.¡±


    Kinnon narrowed his eyes at Lucien. ¡°Why? Did you change your mind? Are you here to tell me that you are rejecting me because you choose him over me?¡±


    Lucien exhaled. He straightened his cor to hide the wound. ¡°Not quite. I was hoping that we can make things work somehow.¡±


    The part where Lucien did not wish to marry Kinnon was implied.


    The two men looked at each other for some time. And then the door burst open and a loud, childlike voice was heard along with the pata pata sound of small footsteps approaching.


    ¡°Daddy...!!!¡±


    It was a toddler with a pair of big, gray-blue eyes and curly blonde hair. His little mouth dropped open in amazement when he caught sight of Lucien.


    The little boy stopped running and stood there, unsure what to do. Kinnon smiled and extended his hand to his son.


    ¡°Ralphy,e here.¡±


    Ralph Youngshaper lit up with joy. He rushed to his father¡¯s arms happily. Lucien tactfully stepped away so that Ralph could climb into Kinnon¡¯s bed.


    Kinnon kissed the little boy on the cheek. Then he looked up and smiled at Lucien. ¡°Lucien, meet my son Ralph. Ralphy, this is Lucien, my...¡±


    Kinnon pursed his lips. Lucien was also silent.


    But Ralph did not care what Lucien was. His gaze was full of admiration when he shouted happily, ¡°Orange!!!¡±


    Lucien was baffled.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Uncle is a giant orange!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Kinnon coughed lightly.


    ¡°Ralphy, don¡¯t be rude. Lucien is not an orange.¡±


    Although he did smell like oranges. And he kinda looked like an orange too, with the red-blonde hair and a pair of bright caramel-brown eyes.


    Ralph crawled away from Kinnon and stood on the bed in front of Lucien. He scrutinized this giant orange that was not an orange for quite some time. Lucien was not sure what to do.


    The little boy suddenly grabbed the front side of his clothes and slipped from the bed. Lucien instinctively grabbed him and held him in his arms. Ralph happily sniffed at Lucien¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Orange. I love orange.¡±


    Kinnon shook his head but he could barely contain his smile.


    ¡°Silly boy, he is not your orange. He is...¡±


    Lucien shot Kinnon a look. They should not talk about it in front of a little boy.


    At any rate, Lucien still had to talk to his twin sister. He approached Kinnon and patted his shoulder.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you rest for a while? Let¡¯s talkter.¡±


    Kinnon took Lucien¡¯s hand and kissed the knuckles.


    ¡°Okay. It is time for Ralph¡¯s nap. Please hand him over to the nanny. She must be outside, waiting for him toe out.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Rest well.¡±


    ¡°Bye-bye Daddy!¡± Ralph shouted, waving at his father as Lucien carried him outside.


    The nanny was indeed waiting outside. She was horrified when she saw Lucien with Ralph in his arms. She did not expect the Alpha to be having a guest inside his private bed-chamber at all!


    ¡°I... I am so sorry,¡± she apologized profusely. ¡°I thought that...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Lucien said, handing Ralph over to the nanny.


    Unfortunately, Ralph was not willing to part from his giant orange. He pouted and grabbed Lucien¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°Noo, orange...!!!¡±


    Lucien smiled.


    ¡°We can y togetherter. It is time for your nap, okay?¡±


    ¡°Oh, but... Daddy has not kissed me yet!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Daddy always kisses me! I don¡¯t want to nap without a kiss!¡±


    The nanny looked as if Ralph just asked her to please throw herself into a sea full of sharks.


    It was one thing when the Alpha was not injured. Who dared to disturb the Alpha when he was resting???


    ¡°I want a kiss I want a kiss I want a kiss!!!¡±


    The little boy did not understand the situation. He was simply unhappy that he was not getting his usual kiss before his nap.


    Lucien grabbed Ralph¡¯s tiny face with both hands and gave him a kiss on the forehead.


    The nanny gaped.


    The little boy was dumbfounded.


    ¡°There, will that do?¡± Lucien asked.


    Ralph lightly touched the spot on his forehead and blinked. Then his little face melted into a huge grin.


    ¡°Un! Thank you, Uncle Orange!¡±


    The nanny bowed at Lucien and hastily took Ralph away before he started making more demands from the esteemed guest.


    Ralph giggled and waved Lucien goodbye.


    ¡°Bye-bye Uncle Orange, bye-bye!!!¡±


    Lucien waved back.


    After Ralph and his nanny disappeared, Lucien went along the corridor. In front of the elevator, a man in a ck suit was already waiting for him. It was one of the two men who picked him up from the train station.


    When he saw Lucien, he pressed the elevator button and it opened immediately with a ding sound.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater, please.¡±


    Lucien entered the elevator wordlessly.


    ¡°Our Beta has arranged a guest room for you, Sir. Would you like to rest a while after a long trip?¡±


    It was indeed a long and exhausting trip. Lucien could feel his body aching for a soft mattress, but his mind had never been clearer.


    It was not the time to rest.


    ¡°I wish to talk to my sister,¡± he dered.


    ¡°Very well, Sir. Miss Annalynne Clearwater is currently rxing in the south garden.¡±

 Chapter 43

    43 Annalynne¡¯s Initiative


    Back when they were still babies, Annalynne and Lucien werepletely indistinguishable from each other. The same eyes, the same hair, the same face. The bigger they grow, the more attractive they became. The alpha twins of the Silent Walkers Pack was the talk of the whole werewolfmunity back then.


    Alice Clearwater was especially delighted to have one alpha boy and one alpha girl who were so good-looking. Her two children were her biggest pride, her everything.


    Lucien and Annalynne were inseparable as babies. Once the babies grew up, though, they started to drift apart. They developed different personalities, different hobbies, and befriended different people.


    That was just natural, many people thought. Boys would be boys and girls would be girls. Even if both were alphas.


    And then Lucien lost his wolf and his position in the Silent Walkers Pack. Everything changed within an instant. Lucien left and Annalynne stayed behind.


    They still loved each other dearly, of course, but Lucien had always thought that his twin sister gradually developed some reservation around him. As if she were afraid of offending him. As if she were afraid of hurting him.


    As if Lucien were made of ss and could shatter any moment.


    Lucien hated it.


    He could take it from anyone, even from his own mother, but not from his twin sister. He wanted to be treated normally. Not like some broken werewolf. Not like someone who needed to be protected the whole time.


    .....


    It was suffocating.


    Their pity was killing him slowly and they didn¡¯t even know it.


    The south garden had five ponds with extraordinarily unique designs. If someone were looking at the ponds from the sky, they would see that the ponds formed a wolf¡¯s paw print. Around the ponds, colorful flowers were nted. One-meter hedges were ced around the ponds to give an illusion of abyrinth.


    Then again only small children like Ralph would get lost in thebyrinth. Adults could easily find their way to the center of thebyrinth.


    Annalynne was sitting on one of the wooden benches at the center of the garden with her legs drawn to her chest. She was too busy plucking petals off a pitiful flower that she did not notice Lucien approaching at all.


    The petals rained on the ground as Annalynne softly murmured, ¡°He¡¯s mad at me. He¡¯s not. He¡¯s mad at me... Hey!!!¡±


    Annalynne¡¯s voice quieted down once she saw the person who grabbed the flower off her hand.


    ¡°B-big Brother...¡±


    Lucien plopped down next to Annalynne and turned to look at her.


    ¡°Tell me what happened. I want to hear it from your own mouth.¡±


    Annalynne did not dare to look at her brother at all.


    ¡°I... I came here of free will. No one forced me. I came to...¡±


    Annalynne bit her lower lip. Lucien knew what she was there for, but he wanted Annalynne to say it.


    ¡°I... I came to offer myself to Kinnon.¡±


    Lucien sighed and rubbed at the spot between his brows.


    ¡°Anna, why?¡±


    Tears started to flow across Annalynne¡¯s cheeks again.


    ¡°Do you know that a thousand things could have gone wrong just by youing here?


    What if something happens to you while you are here?


    Where is your pride as an Alpha¡¯s daughter??? How could you do that???¡±


    Annalynne started to sob.


    Lucien looked away in exasperation. His fingers were shaking with fury as they raked through his own hair.


    The proverb said, no wolf would refuse a willing prey. If Kinnon were aplete asshole, he would have taken advantage of Annalynne and never made her his Luna. Annalynne¡¯s reputation would be thoroughly destroyed, and so would the Silent Walkers Pack¡¯s reputation.


    ¡°I need you to stop doing it,¡± Lucien said, his voice trembling from suppressed rage. ¡°Stop trying to protect me all the time! I am still your elder brother, damn it!¡±


    Annalynne was unable to say anything. She merely cried and cried. Lucien furrowed his brows.


    ¡°Why are you crying like that? Stop crying already. I forgive you.¡±


    Annalynne looked beyond pitiful. She hugged her knees to her chest and sobbed softly to herself.


    ¡°Anna, you... I messed up, alright? I lost my wolf. It doesn¡¯t mean that you have to pay for everything that I fail to deliver.


    Marrying Kinnon is the least I can do for the pack. You don¡¯t have to y my substitute. You are worth more than that. Do you hear me?¡±


    Annalynne closed her eyes and bit her lip.


    ¡°Anna, do you hear me?¡±


    The woman nodded. ¡°Big Brother, I...¡±


    She exchanged one look with Lucien and suddenly she lost her motivation to speak up.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Lucien demanded. ¡°What do you want to say?¡±


    ¡°I... Uhm, I...¡±


    Annalynne¡¯s hesitation drained Lucien¡¯s patience. Seeing his sister in that state, Lucien suddenly remembered a certain afternoon in the Alpha Camp seven years ago.


    The sky was bright red, so red that it seemed to be burning. Eighteen-year-old Annalynne sat alone by theke, her back facing the beautiful sunset as she plucked petals off a big flower. That was how Lucien found his sister.


    Annalynne rarely cried, so Lucien thought that it must be serious. He pestered her for days to tell him what happened, but Annalynne¡¯s lips were sealed tightly.


    Even after seven years had passed, Lucien never found out what it was that drove his sister to tears. Annalynne never wanted to speak of it.


    The Alpha Camp...


    Lucien¡¯s eyes widened when he thought about a possibility. But it was unlikely. Or was it not?


    Maybe he was too busy with Ronan to notice anything else, including his own sister.


    Lucien gently put his hands on Annalynne¡¯s shoulders. The twin siblings looked at each other.


    ¡°Anna, tell me the truth. Do you have feelings for Kinnon?¡±


    A choking sound escaped Annalynne¡¯s throat. She stared at her big brother with a pair of big eyes that were so simr to Lucien¡¯s. The astonishment in the eyes quickly dimmed and was reced with heartbreak.


    Annalynne lowered her head in shame.


    ¡°Yes...¡±

 Chapter 44

    44 Love and Conspiracy


    Lucien held his breath unintentionally.


    Looking at the shocked expression on her brother¡¯s face, Annalynne¡¯s beautiful face crumpled into a heap of mess. She felt like a huge failure. An embarrassment to her family if not her whole pack.


    What would her father say? And her mother? Her mother might beat her up for her shamelessness.


    ¡°Big Brother...¡±


    Annalynne threw her arms around Lucien¡¯s neck and leaned against thetter¡¯s body. Lucien in turn put his arms around Annalynne¡¯s waist and pulled her into a hug. It was one of the rare moments in the siblings¡¯ adult life.


    Moments when Annalynne was vulnerable and sought her brother¡¯s warmth and protection.


    ¡°Lulu, it is so unfair,¡± shemented.


    ¡°We are born identical, but he only has eyes for you. It is ironic. He loves you so much, but you don¡¯t even like him,¡± she added with a hint of resentment.


    Annalynne sniffled in her brother¡¯s arms and whined like a little girl from years ago, ¡°I am so ugly.¡±


    .....


    Lucien pinched at Annalynne¡¯s earlobe yfully.


    ¡°Hey, did you just say that I am ugly?¡±


    ¡°No, I said I am the ugly one,¡± Annalynne mumbled. ¡°Lulu, you need to clean your ears.¡±


    Her brother scoffed and pinched at her cheek. Annalynne screamed from the pain.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that we were identical? If you are ugly, then so am I.¡±


    A displeased growl escaped Annalynne¡¯s mouth. Back to leaning on Lucien¡¯s body, she rubbed at her reddened cheek and muttered darkly, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant and you know that very well.¡±


    Lucien said nothing. He merely caressed Annalynne¡¯s hair repeatedly. If Kinnon had bullied Annalynne somehow, Lucien would have stood up to her defense and fought Kinnon. Beat him ck and blue. But an unrequited love was something else. Lucien could not me Kinnon for something like that.


    Especially not after Kinnon confessed to him and he simply started dating Ronan without properly rejecting him.


    Lucien pursed his lips, ashamed of his younger self.


    Really, he could have just said thank you and told Kinnon that he already fell for someone else.


    ¡°Anna,¡± he softly called, kissing the top of her head. ¡°Do you remember that time at Alpha Camp when you were crying by theke?¡±


    The body in Lucien¡¯s arms froze up almost immediately. ¡°Yes...?¡±


    ¡°Did you confess to Kinnon and he rejected you?¡±


    Annalynne sat straight next to Lucien and shook her head.


    ¡°I overheard his confession to you.¡±


    Lucien raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Annalynne pursed her lips because Lucien did not buy her statement. ¡°I followed him and listened in on your conversation.¡±


    That was more like it.


    Kinnon had asked Lucien toe to the running track in the evening. The track and field team already finished their training for the day. Other than the two young men, no one was around.


    ¡°You knew, and you still offered yourself to him?¡±


    Lucien narrowed his eyes at his foolish little sister. Before Lucien started again with his lecture about the pride and dignity of an Alpha¡¯s daughter, Annalynne decided toe forward with the truth.


    ¡°Lulu, you rejected Ronan within two days of receiving his proposal but you took your sweet time to answer Kinnon¡¯s proposal. Everyone who has two functioning eyes can see that you are stalling, trying to buy your time.¡±


    ¡°So what if I am?¡±


    ¡°So I thought... You will never be dedicated enough to be his Luna. We look so alike, and I... I can even give birth to his children.¡±


    As opposed to Lucien. Annalynne turned red when she stammered out thest sentence.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that I was better than you!¡± she quickly followed up. ¡°I am just saying that I will not be that bad of a substitute!¡±


    Lucien groaned.


    ¡°Anna, listen to me. You are you. You are not my substitute or anyone else¡¯s substitute. Do you hear me?¡±


    Annalynne nodded. She heard him, but she did not necessarily agree with him. Oh, the curse of love...


    ¡°Did he reject you?¡±


    Annalynne¡¯s tears dropped again. ¡°He did! He said that he was not after your face. We might look alike, but we are different in his eyes!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Anna, maybe he just... Maybe he just likes men. Have you ever thought about it?¡±


    A miserable look spread on Annalynne¡¯s face. ¡°Lulu, he had girlfriends after his wife died! He never had boyfriends!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien was speechless. If someone had told him months ago that his only sister had been actively stalking Kinnon Youngshaper¡¯s private life, he might have written the person off as a lunatic.


    This was his sister. His very own sister.


    So in love with Kinnon Youngshaper and thetter proposed and confirmed his love to Lucien instead. Things could not get messier. The mere thought was enough to give Lucien a week-long migraine.


    ¡°Anna, go back,¡± Lucien decided. ¡°Let me handle this matter.¡±


    Annalynne pulled a grimace. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    Lucien turned to her and gave her a puzzled look. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you still don¡¯t want to give up.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not why I can¡¯t go back. You see, Kinnon got injured because of me. I asked him toe with me to a remote spot to talk, and then we got attacked by a bunch of werewolves.¡±


    Lucien widened his eyes in horror. The Alpha of the Night Prowler Pack was injured in Annalynne¡¯s presence??? While both packs were in the middle of post-war negotiation???


    Before Lucien had time to assume the worst, his sister told him the news in a straightforward manner.


    ¡°Lulu, the Night Prowler Pack assumes that this attack is orchestrated by the Silent Walkers Pack. I am technically a prisoner in here.¡±


    ¡°How do I not know about this?¡± Lucien demanded angrily.


    ¡°Well, the attack happened yesterday night. You were heading here anyway so Kinnon strictly demanded his whole pack to not pass any judgment or contact the Silent Walkers Pack until you arrive,¡± Annalynne exined. She was more sorry than ever.


    ¡°So you see, Lulu, you also can¡¯t leave here. Not until the Silent Walkers Pack is cleared from all charges.¡±


    Great. Wonderful. Magnificent. More and more good news areing, Lucien thought to himself sarcastically.

 Chapter 45

    45 The Elders Meeting


    Werewolves, no matter how civil, would always have that beastly side that was hidden beneath their subconsciousness, deep in their heart, engraved in their skull. This beastly side was necessary to survive, to thrive in the wilderness when killing was often the only other option after getting killed.


    Werewolf packs of ancient times used to engage in ferocious battles over territories and food. It was not rare for one mighty werewolf pack topletely destroy another pack and take over its territory.


    Along with the progress of civilization and the decreasing number of werewolves, packs were discouraged from engaging in wars. Even if such wars were to happen, the winning pack must minimize casualties. Unnecessary deaths must be avoided to preserve the precious werewolf bloodline.


    Unfortunately, beasts were still beasts after all. They often failed to control their urges and fall victim to their own bloodlust. The younger werewolves especiallycked self-restraint.


    To ensure that all existing werewolf packs were able to co-exist peacefully, the Werewolf Council was established. It had representatives from all packs, particrly ex-Alphas or esteemed Elders. Packs with grievances were allowed to lodge aint against other packs and the Werewolf Council would then investigate and make a decision for the greater good.


    It was said that only the Werewolf Council had the power topletely obliterate a whole pack. This was typically done when said pack crossed a certain taboo line. An assassination attempt toward another pack¡¯s Alpha mid-negotiation, for example, was one of the despicable things that could drag the Silent Walkers Pack in front of the Werewolf Council.


    Lucien was desperate to straighten the facts before the Night Prowler Pack started to develop more suspicion toward the Silent Walkers Pack.


    He wanted to meet Kinnon again after speaking to Annalynne. Unfortunately, the Alpha was still recuperating from his injuries and was thus not avable for an audience.


    Lucien tried again the next morning but again, Kinnon was not epting any guests. Lucien had no other option but to wait with a nervous Annalynne, who felt as if the sky above their heads was doomed to fall any second. Three dayster, there still was no progress. Kinnon still refused to meet up with Lucien and Anna became quite desperate.


    .....


    ¡°Lulu, I am so sorry,¡± she kept apologizing over and over again. ¡°I did not think my actions through. If the Night Prowler Pack insists that the attack is nned, then let me take the me. You and the pack must not suffer... O!¡±


    Lucien flicked hard at Annalynne¡¯s forehead, causing thetter¡¯s eyes to be misty from pain. She rubbed at the spot on her forehead and protested, ¡°What was that for???¡±


    ¡°You are my only sister. The Night Prowler Pack must kill me first before they get through to you.¡±


    Lucien furrowed his brows and squinted at Annalynne. ¡°Remember that.¡±


    ¡°... Oh, Lulu!¡±


    Annalynne jumped at Lucien and hugged him tightly. Lucien put his arms around Annalynne and sighed into her thick wavy hair.


    He wanted to settle the misunderstanding but what could he do if the Alpha refused to see him?


    Find the next most powerful pack member in line, of course.


    It just so happened that Bjorn was expecting him and was thus well-prepared. When Lucien and Annalynne were looking to speak with him, they were told that Bjorn would spare some time for them in the evening. When the time came, the two siblings were led to the audience hall where Bjorn was sitting together with all Night Prowler Pack¡¯s Elders.


    The temperature inside the room seemed to drop a few degrees as Lucien and Annalynne found themselves surrounded by a bunch of high-ranking werewolves from the Night Prowler Pack.


    Bjorn cleared his throat and gestured for Lucien and Annalynne to take a seat.


    ¡°Please have a seat, Lucien and Anna.¡±


    Lucien and Annalynne sat side by side, holding hands while they were struggling to maintain theirposure under the many judgmental pairs of eyes that were looking at them from all directions.


    ¡°Anna, why don¡¯t you tell everyone what happened? I am sure this will help Lucien to understand what is happening.¡±


    Annalynne swallowed hard and then began retelling the story from her point of view.


    Annalynne contacted Kinnon prior to her departure from Blue Hill City, telling him that she had something personal to discuss with him about.


    Kinnon had initially refused. He was after all courting Lucien to be his Luna. Meeting up with Annalynne, his future inw was not appropriate.


    And yet, Annalynne insisted. She left without waiting for Kinnon to agree. By the time Annalynne arrived at the Central Train Station, she was greeted by the two same men in ck suits who picked Lucien up.


    Annalynne was led to Kinnon, who had been waiting for her to arrive.


    Once they met up with each other, Annalynne asked for them to go somewhere quiet with no one to listen to their conversation. Kinnon led her into the forest to talk privately.


    ¡°I refuse to inform the nature of my conversation with Kinnon,¡± Annalynne said with burning cheeks. Thankfully, no one pressed her in that regard.


    While they were speaking to each other, five werewolves appeared out of nowhere in their wolf forms. Although Annalynne was with Kinnon at that time, they were focused on attacking Kinnon.


    Annalynne testified to fighting alongside Kinnon in her wolf form. Biting and tearing at the other werewolves to chase them away. Kinnon alsonded a few strikes. Together, they managed to kill the five werewolves, but Kinnon was heavily injured. Annalynne was the one who dragged him back into the Pack House and got some help.


    Bjorn nodded in appreciation. ¡°Thank you for telling us what happened, Anna.¡±


    ¡°Anna already told the story from her point of view. May I know what the Beta and the Elders think about it?¡±


    An elder cleared his throat to draw everyone¡¯s attention toward him.


    ¡°Elder Luke, would you like to say anything?¡± Bjorn asked politely.


    ¡°Miss Clearwater, we are very thankful that you brought our heavily wounded Alpha back to the Pack House that day. You yourself did not sustain a single scratch. I am interested to know why.¡±

 Chapter 46

    46 The Alpha¡¯s Unconditional Trust


    It was a question that Annalynne was unable to answer, so she told Elder Luke straightforwardly that she did not know.


    ¡°All of them just rushed toward Kinnon and attacked him at the same time. There was no argument, no discussion. I don¡¯t know where they came from.¡±


    Another Elder spoke up. This time it was Elder n.


    ¡°Does Miss Clearwater know what happened to the corpses of the fallen werewolves?¡±


    Annalynne nodded once. ¡°Yes. Kinnon told me that they were nowhere to be found.¡±


    Elder Luke spoke up again.


    ¡°They disappeared without a single trace. Even the blood was wiped clean off the ground. You must understand that the circumstance was extremely unusual.¡±


    Unusual was not a good word in light of the situation. Lucien disliked talking in circles. He would rather hear the allegations right away.


    ¡°Beta, Elders, let¡¯s go straight to the point. Do you harbor suspicion that my sister might be involved in the assassination attempt?¡±


    .....


    Bjorn cupped his hands together and looked at Lucien with a cold, hard gaze.


    ¡°Unfortunately, yes.¡±


    Lucien drew a deep breath.


    ¡°In that case, we would like to inform you that Annalynne did not have a hand in the unfortunate attack. Should the Night Prowler Pack nheless demand a payback, I would like to see the incriminating pieces of evidence and or witnesses.¡±


    Annalynne hugged her brother¡¯s arm. She was terrified, not only for herself but also for her brother. While it might be true that there was nothing to prove Annalynne¡¯s involvement, there was also nothing to prove her innocence.


    Annalynne could not stop ming herself. If not for her stubborn foolishness, she would not have dragged her brother into such a pit. She would rather die than let Lucien take the fall for her.


    While the siblings and those from Night Prowler Pack were participating in a staring contest, the door of the audience hall opened with a dramatic creaking sound and revealed Kinnon Youngshaper. The Alpha stood there, supporting himself on a polished teak wood cane.


    Kinnon swept a nce into the room, eyeing his pack members and also the two siblings in the middle of the room thoughtfully.


    ¡°Why, such an important meeting and I am not invited.¡±


    Bjorn rose to his feet and walked toward Kinnon.


    ¡°You are resting. We do not mean to disturb you.¡±


    Bjorn took one of Kinnon¡¯s arms and helped him toward his throne. Kinnon lowered himself onto the seat with a sigh. The short trip that he took from his bedroom to the audience hall already managed to exhaust him, but he was d to have made it in time.


    ¡°What is this about?¡± he asked the people inside the room.


    ¡°Alpha, we were discussing... the assassination attempt,¡± Elder n answered while shooting a look at the Clearwater siblings. ¡°We are d to hear the story from Miss Annalynne Clearwater herself.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Now that you heard it, I believe that the matter is settled. We shall no longer speak of it.¡±


    ¡°Alpha!¡±


    ¡°Alpha, we must take this matter seriously!¡±


    ¡°If this incident repeats itself...!¡±


    Kinnon held a hand up to demand silence from his pack members.


    ¡°I am solely responsible for carelessly putting myself in danger. It will never happen again.¡±


    ¡°Alpha, does this mean that you are not even going to investigate?¡± another Elder queried.


    ¡°Elder Noah, the corpses disappeared. I don¡¯t think there is any track we can pursue at this point.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, the corpses disappeared. A very convenient situation,¡± Elder n muttered darkly.


    They all knew what Elder n was talking about. If Annalynne had organized the attack, it was easy to arrange for other werewolves to drag the corpses away while she distracted the pack with the injured Alpha.


    ¡°I believe it is best for Miss Annalynne Clearwater to remain with us until we have gotten some answers regarding this incident,¡± Elder Luke said.


    ¡°Anna already told you everything that she knew. There is no point keeping her here,¡± Lucien said. ¡°Please let my sister go. I will stay here in her ce.¡±


    ¡°Lulu, no!!!¡± Anna shouted. ¡°I will stay here, please let my brother go!¡±


    Kinnon closed his eyes and heaved a sigh.


    ¡°I trust that neither Annalynne nor Lucien had anything to do with this attack.¡±


    ¡°It can still be someone from the Silent Walkers Pack,¡± Elder Noah pointed out. ¡°We understand that the Silent Walkers Pack has yet to answer our proposal regarding the post-war arrangement.¡±


    ¡°This has nothing to do with the attack,¡± Kinnon said in a sharp tone. ¡°I will not use the Silent Walkers Pack of anything even if they reject our proposal.¡±


    Lucien looked up at Kinnon in surprise. Kinnon shifted his eyes and met with Lucien¡¯s gaze. A silent understanding went through their eyes. If Kinnon had wanted to, he could have forced Lucien into marrying her. If not to save his pack then to save his only sister.


    And yet Kinnon readily let go of this golden opportunity.


    Lucien was speechless.


    Everyone was dismissed from the informal meeting, leaving only Lucien and Kinnon alone.


    ¡°Have you been avoiding me?¡± Lucien asked.


    Kinnon let out a chuckle.


    ¡°Pretty much. I know that youe here to reject me. I just want to prolong the uncertain period. I don¡¯t want to hear a ¡®no¡¯ as an answer. Not yet.¡±


    ¡°And yet here you are, out of your bed.¡±


    Kinnon pulled his lips into a thin smile. ¡°I do not im to be kind or gracious. I simply dislike intimidating someone just because I can.¡±


    Kinnon took Lucien¡¯s hand into his and kissed the back of his hand. ¡°You are free to go, Lucien. Take Anna back to Blue Hill City for the time being. Let¡¯s talk about a new proposal once everything settles down.¡±


    Lucien grabbed Kinnon¡¯s chin and forced him to look up from his seat. ¡°How are you so sure that I am here to reject you?¡±


    Kinnon raised an eyebrow. A helpless grin spread on his face. ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Lucien didn¡¯t even blink before he answered, ¡°It would be my honor to serve as your Luna in the Night Prowler Pack.¡±

 Chapter 47

    47 Rescuing the Rejected Mate


    Ronan Silverback, on the other side, had a lot on his te.


    Thanks to his poor choice in recent days, he ended up neglecting his business and thus had to deal with the consequences all at once.


    They came back to haunt him in form of piling paperwork and documents, not to mention scheduled business trips to meet up with unhappy business partners all around the globe.


    Lillian Woond conveniently hired a real secretary to do all the legwork and mundane activitieste into the night while she apanied Ronan for meals and leisure activities only.


    Whenever the other secretary popped up to apany Ronan through meetings, Lillian would go on shopping sprees with her friends and post cute pictures on social media.


    As infuriating as it might be, Ronan could not even begrudge the werewolf princess¡¯ unconventional behavior because she paid the other secretary¡¯s sry with her own pocket money.


    After two weeks of an unintended trip with Lillian, Ronan was more than happy to return to the Infinite Eclipse Pack House.


    The first thing he did after he opened the door to hisvish apartment was to lower himself onto the couch while loosening his necktie.


    The second thing he did was ask about Lucien.


    .....


    The person who had the unlucky task to monitor Lucien¡¯s movement was none other than Jake.


    It just so happened that Ronan came back when Jake was enjoying some private time with his pregnant wife.


    Not that Ronan, the model employer, remembered. If he were not able to use the Mind Link, he would have marched to Jake¡¯s apartment and intruded shamelessly.


    ¡®Jake, how is Lucien doing, these days?¡¯


    Jake, who was putting together a baby crib, almost hammered a nail through his own finger.


    ¡®Oh Ro... I mean, Alpha, you are back.¡¯


    ¡®Well...?¡¯


    ¡®Lucien Clearwater wasst seen getting off the train at the East Temple City¡¯s central train station,¡¯ Jake reported.


    East Temple City?


    Ronan sat up straight immediately. It was the territory of the Night Prowler Pack. Why would Lucien even go there?


    ¡®Then?¡¯


    ¡®Then, he has been off the radar ever since.¡¯


    What the hell?


    ¡®What do you mean, off the radar? I asked you to keep an eye on him. Where did he go after leaving East Temple City?¡¯


    ¡®... Alpha, he never left.¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®Lucien Clearwater has been staying in the East Temple City for two weeks straight now.¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®Alpha?¡¯


    No answer. Ronan had closed off his Mind Link. Jake sighed.


    The moment the Alpha was pissed was the end of his well-deserved break.


    In his apartment, Ronan leaned against the couch while pressing a hand against his eyes.


    ¡®Ronan, we must go,¡¯ Beowulf urged him in his head. ¡®Something is up.¡¯


    ¡®B, I can¡¯t just roll into the Night Prowler Pack¡¯s territory without any reason.¡¯


    ¡®So you are not going to do anything? You are just going to dismiss it altogether?¡¯


    ¡®No, of course not... Beowulf, give me some time to think.¡¯


    Beowulf stopped talking in his head. Once he was all alone, various thoughts came to invade Ronan¡¯s brain and give him a massive headache.


    What the hell was Lucien thinking?


    Lucien was not a frivolous person. If he had wanted to ept Kinnon Youngshaper as his husband, he would not have gone all the way with Ronan. Ronan was 100% sure that Lucien was going to reject Kinnon.


    Should the Night Prowler Pack then try to do something funny in retaliation, Ronan would have been there for Lucien to protect him, to cover his ass.


    So why would the man himself go to East Temple City and stay there for two weeks and counting?


    Ronan got to his feet and started walking around his apartment anxiously. If Lucien did not stay there out of free will, it only meant that Kinnon Youngshaper was keeping him as a hostage.


    It was not allowed to do such a thing, not even after a pack lost to another in a war. The Silent Walkers Pack would always have the Werewolf Council at their back.


    Why did the Silent Walkers Pack do nothing? Did they even know that Lucien had been staying there? Why didn¡¯t they submit a report to the Werewolf Council?


    Ronan gritted his teeth.


    Knock, knock, knock...


    Ronan¡¯s head snapped toward the door.


    ¡°Who??¡± he yelled at the door, undoubtedly startling the person on the other side of the door.


    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Jake¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°May I enter, Alpha?¡±


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Ronan said in response.


    The door opened with a click and a sympathetic-looking Jake entered.


    Jake did not know how strong the attraction between fated mates was. All he knew was that Ronan was actively pursuing Lucien while Lucien only took a day to reject Ronan¡¯s marriage proposal.


    Through the rejection letter, Lucien had officially expressed his disinterest in pursuing a rtionship with Ronan. But what did Ronan do? Ronan kept chasing him, salivating after him like an obsessed wolfdog.


    After Lucien rejected Ronan, he went to stay with Kinnon Youngshaper. Was it not obvious? He already epted Kinnon Youngshaper¡¯s proposal. They just had not announced it officially.


    As Ronan¡¯s Beta, Jake saw it as his responsibility to wake his Alpha from his unreal dreams. The truth always hurt. So why wait until the wound festered? The sooner they treated the wound, the better...


    Jake opened his mouth to say something, but Ronan cut him off before he even said a word.


    ¡°Where is that saber?¡± Ronan asked, furrowing his brows at Jake.


    ¡°I... What saber?¡± Jake asked dumbly. How did Ronan end up thinking about a saber? He better not think about killing Kinnon Youngshaper!


    ¡°Lucien¡¯s saber. The de he used when fighting against Gavin.¡±


    ¡°Oh, THAT saber. We collected it and cleaned it. It is now sitting in the workshop. We should return it to Lucien with our thanks...¡±


    ¡°Get someone to bring it to me tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright.¡±


    The saber was brought to Ronan¡¯s room and Jake was dismissed right after. Only to be summoned again within an hour.


    When Jake arrived, Ronan was sitting at a bar counter. He was pouring himself a ss of wine. Judging from the level of the wine bottle, it was not his first ss. Jake feared that it was also not hisst.


    Ronan drank half a ss before he turned to look at Jake again.


    ¡°Go to East Temple City tomorrow morning and return the saber to him personally,¡± Ronan said impatiently.


    ¡°... Oh.¡±


    Jake¡¯s throat went dry.


    Ronan crossed his arms in front of his chest as he approached Jake and pinned him with a re.


    ¡°You must hand it over to Lucien personally. Do not agree to leave the de with anyone else but Lucien.¡±


    Jake swallowed hard. ¡°Understood, Alpha.¡±

 Chapter 48

    48 A Picturesque Couple


    It was Friday morning, and Annalynne stood in the foyer, ready to go back to the Silent Walkers Pack.


    She was holding her brother¡¯s hand anxiously as thetter squeezed back at her hand to calm her down.


    ¡°It will be fine. Go back, Anna.¡±


    Annalynne whispered, ¡°Lulu, I am so sorry...¡±


    She messed up. It was all her fault.


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Lucien said gently.


    If he could send Annalynne back safely, all his efforts were worth it.


    Annalynne kept ncing back at her brother as she descended the staircase and got into the car. She could not take her eyes off her brother even as the car was leaving.


    Lucien stood at the top of the staircase, watching the car that took Annalynne depart from the Night Prowler Pack House. For the first time in two weeks, he was able to breathe out in relief.


    .....


    The first person that Lucien informed about his decision to marry Kinnon Youngshaper was his own sister, who broke down in tears as soon as she heard it.


    ¡°Anna, I am sorry,¡± Lucien said while kissing his trembling sister on top of her head. ¡°I know that you like him, but there is no other way.¡±


    Annalynne shook her head fervently. ¡°Lulu, that¡¯s not it. He already rejected me and I already came to terms with the rejection. But you... Don¡¯t you still love Ronan Silverback...?¡±


    Annalynne knew her brother enough to know that Lucien would not have slept with Ronan if he had no feelings for thetter. If Anna had not messed up, Lucien surely hoped to get back with Ronan eventually.


    A sad smile appeared on Lucien¡¯s face. He caressed Anna¡¯s long hair lovingly.


    ¡°We are fated to part. Don¡¯t feel bad about it.¡±


    ¡°Lulu...¡±


    Anna did not see the whole picture from Lucien¡¯s point of view.


    Even if he did not end up marrying Kinnon Youngshaper, he still could never be together with Ronan Silverback. Ronan Silverback was supposed to walk a fixed path in life. The Alpha¡¯s path in life. Sooner orter, he would grow up and do what was demanded of him. That was for the best.


    The first person who Kinnon Youngshaper told about the uing wedding was his son, the three-year-old Ralph Youngshaper. The father¡¯s exact words were, ¡°Dad and Lucien are getting married. Lucien is going to stay with us forever. He will help me to take care of you.¡±


    Ralph was too young to understand what ¡°getting married¡± meant. He only knew that Lucien was going to be there for him forever, and if that was not the greatest news ever, then nothing was.


    After seeing his sister off, Lucien went to see Kinnon in his bedroom.


    Kinnon was leaning against the headboard, reading some documents while running his hand across his pet Persian Cat. When Lucien approached the bed, he extended his hand and pulled Lucien close by his waist.


    ¡°Is Anna gone?¡±


    ¡°Yes. How are you feeling today?¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Kinnon answered. ¡°Come closer.¡±


    Lucien climbed into the bed and Kinnon pulled him to sit on hisp. When the Alpha pushed the hair at his neck aside, Lucien trembled slightly.


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± Kinnon observed what remained from Ronan¡¯s bite mark on Lucien¡¯s nape.


    ¡°It is healing well.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Meowwrrr...!!!¡±


    With one swift movement, Kinnon had Lucien pinned on top of the bed. The poor Persian Cat jumped down from the bed and hissed at his owner in fury. Unfortunately, Kinnon Youngshaper was too busy to pay him any attention.


    Sprawled on his bed, Lucien looked more than breathtaking. Kinnon licked his lips in excitement. He could not wait to sink his fangs into the man beneath him and make him his.


    Kinnon ced his hand on top of Lucien¡¯s beating heart and slowly ran it down the curves of his body. When he tugged at Lucien¡¯s pants, thetter grabbed his wrist and stopped him.


    ¡°You are still hurt,¡± Lucien reasoned. ¡°There is plenty of time to do that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait,¡± Kinnon said.


    He lowered himself on top of Lucien and sucked at the side of his neck. Lucien¡¯s alluring scent invaded his nose and robbed him of his senses.


    Lucien tried to rx, but his body tensed up instead. He was not ready to be intimate with anyone. He knew that, but he also did not want to deny Kinnon the pleasure.


    ¡°Lucien...¡±


    Kinnon slipped a hand under Lucien¡¯s shirt and traveled up his back. His other hand sneakily went inside his pants and kneaded the twin mounds deftly.


    Heavy breathing and ambiguous sounds filled the bedroom as the two men on the bed gently rolled on top of each other, the sweet scent of their pheromones mixing and entangling intimately.


    ¡°DADDY!!!¡±


    Kinnon and Lucien separated almost immediately, not unlike a married couple that had been caught red-handed by their toddler.


    The door opened and the pata pata sound of Ralph¡¯s footsteps was heard.


    The little boy looked up and saw his father and Lucien on the bed. Lucien was a little red in the face while Kinnon struggled hard to wipe the scowl off his face.


    ¡°Oh, Mommy is here too!¡± he gleefully remarked.


    Lucien¡¯s mouth dropped open.


    Kinnon¡¯s scowl turned into a frown.


    ¡°Ralphy, who told you to call Lucien ¡®Mommy¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    Ralph extended his hands upward at his father. Kinnonplied and pulled the little boy into the bed and held him in his arms.


    ¡°The big sisters at the yground said that daddies and mommies are married. Didn¡¯t Daddy tell Ralphyst time that you are going to get married to Uncle Orange? Then Uncle Orange is now Ralphy¡¯s Mommy!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Right? Right???¡±


    Ralph attacked the two adults with his sparkling eyes.


    Kinnon did not want to correct him. Lucien did not know how.


    Ralph enjoyed Lucien¡¯s presence very much. Now that Lucien was going to be his mommy, Ralph felt entitled to 90% if not 100% of Lucien¡¯s time. Although Kinnon was not too happy about not having enough private time with Lucien, his heart softened upon seeing Lucien and Ralph spend time together.


    Lucien looked good with children, he thought. When he held Ralph in his arms, it almost gave an illusion that Ralph was the child they gave birth to.


    The days that followed were peaceful and uneventful. Kinnon was recovering well, and the couple made ns to go to the Werewolf Council¡¯s Headquarters to announce their n to get married.


    One day before they made the trip to North Ridge Forest, a guest from the Infinite Eclipse Pack came to pay Lucien a visit.

 Chapter 49

    49 The Alpha¡¯s Promise


    Jake forced himself to smile at the two men in sunsses and ck suits that were guarding him closely while he sat in the guest hall, waiting for Lucien to show up. He used to think that the Beta position was just right for him. Only less respectable than the Alpha but minus all the stress and responsibilities that were closely tied to the Alpha position.


    Dane Silverback¡¯s Beta who happened to be Jake¡¯s uncle once told him that a Beta¡¯s responsibilities were often more than what they seemed. Jake merelyughed it off. He did not believe his uncle.


    In retrospect, his uncle tried to prepare Jake for a role that he did not quite understand. Jake¡¯s opinion about the nature of a Beta¡¯s role quickly changed as soon as he started serving as Ronan Silverback¡¯s Beta.


    Oh, Ronan Silverback was a great Alpha. He was strong and a born leader. He was also a womanizer who did not bother to hide his promiscuous nature.


    After serving Ronan for two years, Jake thought that he was in for no more surprises. The road ahead should be smooth and straight. How wrong was he.


    Knowing Ronan Silverback, he was dying toe to the Night Prowler Pack House himself and take Lucien away using his own two hands.


    Fortunately, he still minded his position as the Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack who should not pick fights with other packs for personal reasons.


    Unfortunately, Jake as the Beta had to fill in for Ronan.


    To make things worse, Lucien did note alone. He was in thepany of none other than Kinnon Youngshaper. The Alpha had one arm around Lucien as the both of them entered the guest hall, his hand resting intimately at Lucien¡¯s waist. It was a clear disy of his intention toward Lucien.


    .....


    Jake swallowed the lump in his throat. Good that Ronan was not there, because Jake did not have the confidence that Ronan would be able to keep himself in check when he had to see Kinnon touching Lucien as he pleased.


    Lucien himself did not show any signs of objection toward Kinnon¡¯s behavior. Jake did not know Lucien well, but it seemed that both packs hade to a certain agreement.


    ¡°Hello, Jake.¡±


    ¡°Hi, Lucien.¡±


    Kinnon shot Jake a smile. ¡°Fancy having the Infinite Eclipse¡¯s Beta here in our humble abode. May I know the reason for this visit?¡±


    ¡°I am here solely to pay a friendly visit to Lucien. How are you doing?¡± Jake turned to look at Lucien with an official smile stered all over his face.


    Lucien almost pitied Jake for whatever he was there for.


    ¡°I am doing fine, thank you.¡±


    ¡°I am also here to return something to you. It is long overdue, really.¡±


    Jake took the ck wooden box that sat next to him on the couch and opened it before Lucien¡¯s eyes. In it was Lucien¡¯s saber. The one he procured for self-defense.


    Lucien took the saber out of the box and slowly pulled it out of its scabbard.


    The handle was loose.


    Lucien¡¯s eyes dimmed. It had been tampered with.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, putting the saber back into the box.


    ¡°You are wee. In fact, we should be the ones thanking you. Thank you for protecting Maya.¡±


    Lucien shook his head. ¡°It was my job to protect my student.¡±


    Jake nodded. Now came the most difficult part.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel very well. May I ask for the Alpha¡¯s permission to spend a night as a guest?¡±


    Kinnon did not immediately answer. He scrutinized Jake with a sharp look. Jake did not even dare to blink, out of fear that he would identally reveal something.


    Lucien put a hand on Kinnon¡¯s leg, drawing thetter¡¯s attention to him right away. Jake exhaled quietly.


    ¡°Kinnon, Jake must be exhausted. Can he please spend the night?¡±


    A slight smirk yed across Kinnon¡¯s lips. ¡°Of course, anything that you want.¡±


    Kinnon turned to face Jake and gave him a condescending look. ¡°Feel free to stay, Beta Jake. By the way, since you are here as a friend, I believe that you should be privy to some good news.¡±


    Good news?


    Jake swallowed again.


    Kinnon¡¯s hand traveled up Lucien¡¯s back and settled on the side of his neck.


    ¡°Lucien has agreed to marry me. We n to announce it soon.¡±


    Oh no. Ronan would flip.


    ¡°Right, my Luna?¡± Kinnon asked Lucien while caressing the side of his neck lovingly. He almost treated the man like a favorite pet.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lucien confirmed.


    Jake was given a guest room to spend the night in, just a few rooms away from Lucien¡¯s. Kinnon had wanted Lucien to move into his bedroom right away, but Lucien imed that it was improper for them to cohabitate before the wedding. Kinnon begrudgingly agreed.


    Lucien returned to his room after dinner. It felt rather empty without Annalynne. His eyes flew toward the ck box with his saber inside.


    He opened the box and took the saber out. It only took a slight pull to remove the de from the handle.


    There was a piece of paper crammed into the hollow side of the handle. Lucien unfurled it and read two sentences that were written in the secret letter.


    ¡°If you are in danger, return the saber to Jake immediately. I wille for you no matter what.¡±


    Ronan...


    Lucien closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and sighed.


    Lucien lit a candle and held the letter against the me.


    The letter quickly caught me and burned bright red against the dark backdrop. Lucien watched the me engulf Ronan¡¯sst message to him. Turn it into a pile of ash.


    Lucien thought that he would feel upset, but he did not. For some reason, he was unable to feel anything. It was as if something died inside his heart.


    And then, someone knocked at his door.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Lucien asked without turning away from the candle me.


    ¡°Lucien, it¡¯s me. Can Ie in?¡±


    It was Kinnon Youngshaper.

 Chapter 50

    50 Lucien¡¯s Choice


    The door opened with a click and revealed Kinnon¡¯s somber expression.


    ¡°Can Ie in?¡±


    Lucien stepped aside and waved in the direction of the room.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    As soon as Kinnon entered, his eyes darted around in search of a certain item. As soon as he found it, his eyes were stuck on the opened ck box, and also the saber de that had been pulled out of the handle. Kinnon slowly approached the de and traced it with his fingers.


    There was also the smell of something burning.


    ¡°Did Ronan pass you something?¡± he asked without looking at Lucien.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lucien confirmed.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    .....


    Lucien burned it as soon as he finished reading it. What was it about? And what did it mean?


    A lot of questions went through Kinnon¡¯s mind. He wanted to ask Lucien, but he did not want thetter to smell the jealousy on him.


    Lucien took the saber de in his hand and stuck it inside its handle. It made a clicking sound when it went inside.


    Then, he tucked the saber away inside the ck box.


    Kinnon followed Lucien¡¯s movement with his gaze. After thetter stuffed the box into a closet, he turned to face Kinnon.


    ¡°It is nothing,¡± Lucien told Kinnon.


    He raised a hand to caress Kinnon¡¯s cheek. ¡°No need to make a fuss about it.¡±


    Kinnon took Lucien¡¯s hand and nted little kisses on his palm.


    ¡°He has not contacted you for a while.¡±


    ¡°I also have not contacted him,¡± Lucien reminded Kinnon.


    He and Ronan never exchanged phone numbers. They always met directly. With Lucien staying at the Night Prowler Pack House since two weeks ago, Kinnon would naturally know if Ronan came to meet him or not.


    Kinnon closed his eyes and sucked in a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, there was some strong emotion reflected on them.


    ¡°Now that you hear from him again after such a long time, are you changing your mind?¡±


    Lucien shook his head.


    ¡°Why should I?¡±


    Kinnon stared at Lucien. Lucien might have agreed to marry him, but he never fantasized about Lucien being in love with him. It was clear who Lucien was in love with.


    ¡°You never told me why you suddenly agreed to marry me.¡±


    ¡°Is that important?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    How could that be unimportant? Lucien spoke about it as if being his Luna was a job. Kinnon could not help but feel enraged. Would he speak the same way if he were to be Ronan¡¯s Luna?


    Kinnon was seething inside. His face was darker than the clouds that were hanging in the sky outside. It also seemed like the storm wasing. Outside and inside the Pack House.


    Lucien approached Kinnon and put his arms around the Alpha from behind, startling him. He covered Lucien¡¯s hand with his own. The warmth and the scent of the man quickly lightened his mood.


    ¡°Kinnon, you don¡¯t have to be jealous of Ronan. I have decided to be your Luna, and I will not go back on my decision.¡±


    Kinnon pulled Lucien into his embrace and buried his nose into the crook of thetter¡¯s neck. The man in his arms smelled so good.


    ¡°After we send Beta Jake off, can we depart for North Ridge Forest right away?¡±


    Lucien chuckled.


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said. ¡°Was that not the n all along?¡±


    ¡°I love you,¡± Kinnon told Lucien abruptly. Thetter widened his eyes in surprise. He wanted to say something, but he knew that there was only one answer that Kinnon wanted to hear.


    Anything else would not be good enough.


    Unfortunately, it was the one thing that Lucien was unable to say.


    Kinnon lowered his eyes. His disappointment could not be more apparent.


    ¡°Give me some time, Kinnon.¡±


    Lucien put his arms around Kinnon¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Give me some time to fall in love with you.¡±


    Kinnon lowered his head and kissed Lucien on the forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t make me wait too long,¡± he whispered softly.


    Lucien smiled. ¡°I will do my best.¡±


    The next morning, Jake emerged from the guest room. He was told that the Alpha was rxing in the recreational room, so he went there to bid farewell before returning to Great Lake City.


    The family scene that greeted him was beautiful. Lucien was apanying Ralph to y with a train toy set while Kinnon was reading the morning newspaper.


    ¡°Choo choo... choo choo...¡± Ralph imitated the sound that the train set made as it traveled in circles. He was sitting on Lucien¡¯sp, giggling happily whenever the train passed in front of him.


    Both Lucien and Kinnon looked up at Jake when thetter showed up.


    ¡°Hi, Jake. How did you sleepst night?¡±


    Jake barely slept, but he quickly lied, ¡°Wonderful. Thank you for letting me stay for the night, Alpha Kinnon.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Kinnon grunted. ¡°Thank Lucien instead. My future Luna is very agreeable.¡±


    Lucien smiled when Kinnon reached out to caress his chin.


    A heavy feeling settled on Jake¡¯s stomach when he saw the three people together. He did not want to believe it when Kinnon told him that he and Lucien were getting married.


    Jake waited the whole night for Lucien to knock on his door, to return the saber to him for whatever reason, for any cry of help. But, Lucien never came. It now seemed that he never needed any help to escape from the Night Prowler Pack.


    Lucien truly went there to ept the marriage proposal.


    Ronan was going to suffer from a seizure for sure.


    ¡°Thank you for allowing me to stay, Lucien.¡±


    Lucien patted the little boy in his arms and gestured for him to stand up. Ralph went to hug his father¡¯s leg. Lucien stood up and said, ¡°Let me send you off.¡±


    They finally had a chance to be alone.


    Jake¡¯s heart was skipping a beat. This was thest chance.


    If Lucien had anything to say, anything at all!


    Jake¡¯s hopes were dashed when the car to pick Jake up arrived and Lucien still had nothing to say to him. Dejected, Jake climbed into the car.


    ¡°Goodbye, Lucien,¡± he said, dispirited.


    ¡°Bye, Jake.¡±


    For a moment, Jake believed to see some glimmer of sadness in Lucien¡¯s eyes. But maybe it was only his imagination.

 Chapter 51

    51 The Moon Goddess¡¯ Abundant Blessings


    ording to the legend, werewolves were once wolves that were blessed with superior abilities. They not only ruled amongst the ordinary wolves but also acted as guardians to men. Over time, the superior wolves became more and more envious of the human beings that, despite their weakness and limited wits, were able to thrive and be the rulers of the earth.


    The superior wolves on the other side had to remain hidden in darkness.


    Night after night, the wolves howled out of frustration and sadness. They begged the gods and goddesses to be able to be human beings as well. The story said that the wolves cried for a hundred days and nights before a goddess finally deigned to grant them their wishes.


    The strongest of the superior wolves,ter on referred to as alpha werewolves, were granted the ability to shift into human form and wolf form at will. These alpha werewolves then separated and established their own packs. That was the origin of the werewolves.


    Every year, the Werewolf Council celebrated the Moon Goddess¡¯ blessings upon the werewolves. Every werewolf was invited to the event without exception.


    There were two rules that all event participants must obey.


    First, the participants were required to wear only white to symbolize pure heart and rebirth.


    Second, no one was allowed to engage in any kind of fight during the celebration event. Those who broke the rules would be punished harshly, as it was considered disrespectful toward the Moon Goddess.


    ¡°Ronan, are you ready?¡±


    .....


    Lillian Woond sauntered into Ronan¡¯s bedroom casually. She was wearing a beautiful white gown with long sleeves. Small diamonds were sewn onto the gown, making it one of the most expensive gowns out there. The gown sparkled whenever Lillian moved, dazzling all those who gazed upon the wearer.


    The long sleeves almost made Lillian look innocent. As Ronan fastened his cuff links, he could not help but frown. It was not Lillian¡¯s usual style, definitely not. She had a beautiful body with sensual curves that entuated her slender waist and pair of beautiful legs. It was not until Lillian turned around that Ronan saw that the gown was anything but innocent.


    Lillian¡¯s back was open, exposing her perfectly tanned skin down in a V-shape. If Ronan were the man from a year ago, he might have seduced this beautiful temptress of a she-wolf into his bed. The current Ronan, unfortunately, could not think about anyone else but his fated mate who was about to get married to the Alpha of a rival pack.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Ronan smiled at Lillian and offered her his arm.


    The beautiful woman looped her arm through Ronan¡¯s and let him lead her to the event venue.


    Every year, the event was held in the Holy Temple of Moon Goddess during the full moon. It began with a ritualistic mass that was led by the High Seer, during which all werewolves were asked to take a seat on the verdant grass field at the temple yard.


    The yard was not mown in order to imitate the wilderness. It served as a reminder for all werewolves that they were once mighty beasts that thrived in nature. It was only by the grace of the Moon Goddess that the werewolves came to be.


    The werewolves poured into the yard one by one, all of them clothed in white clothes of various forms and sizes. Ronan was reminded that white was coincidentally Lucien¡¯s favorite color. It was the kind of white that was pure and innocent. The kind of white that men wanted to soil.


    Ronan and Lillian took their seats side by side. Ronan tried hard to not be too obvious, but his eyes were searching the yard for a certain person. All Alphas were obliged to attend the event without exception. Since Kinnon Youngshaper was guaranteed to attend, Lucien as his future Luna naturally also had to attend.


    Two weeks had passed since the news of Kinnon Youngshaper¡¯s uing marriage with Lucien Clearwater spread throughout the werewolf society. Ronan naturally heard it from Jake personally. Jake swore to him that he had seen Lucien with his own eyes, handed the saber to him personally, and even had Lucien send him off. Lucien had neither said a word nor dropped any hint.


    He looked happy.


    That was what Jake said.


    Ronan did not believe it.


    In this world, who other than him could make Lucien happy?


    They were fated mates. Their lives were intertwined into one by the Moon Goddess herself. Lucien was supposed to be his, and he was supposed to be Lucien¡¯s. Kinnon did not fit anywhere in the equation.


    Ronan had expected Lucien to continue teaching at the South Bedford Art College. He had wanted to get through to Lucien by sneaking into the college as a student again.


    He wanted to talk to Lucien directly.


    He had a thousand questions to ask the man, and thetter was the only person who could answer Ronan¡¯s questions.


    Unfortunately, Lucien resigned from his position a few days after his engagement with Kinnon was made public.


    How typical, Ronan had thought when he heard the news. He hated how Lucien was acting like a she-wolf who was getting married to any strong Alpha. Throwing away his life like that to be Kinnon Youngshaper¡¯s Luna?


    It was as if Lucien had no other identity other than attending to Kinnon¡¯s needs and bing the mother of the pack.


    It was so ridiculous.


    Pathetic.


    ¡°Oooh, Alpha Kinnon Youngshaper, it is great to see you again,¡± a Werewolf Council member gushed.


    Ronan slowly turned his head to take a look.


    Some distance away, Kinnon Youngshaper was chatting with the Werewolf Council member. He had one arm wrapped around another man in a protective manner. The two men looked exceedingly handsome in white robes ofplementary design. They might as well conduct their wedding ceremony on the spot because they were dressed perfectly for the asion.


    Lucien was carrying a small child with blonde hair in his arms. The child rubbed against Lucien in a spoiled manner and they exchanged loving smiles.


    What a beautiful family.


    Ronan clenched his jaw and curled his fingers into fists.

 Chapter 52

    52 The Alpha Wished To Have A Word


    The moon was shining brightly in a cloudless sky. It was a perfect night for the yearly asion. After exchanging brief greetings and friendly banters, the werewolves spread on the field and took their seats.


    At 8 PM sharp, the High Seer appeared from the temple. Her appearancemanded silence. The atmosphere turned solemn almost instantly. Her movement was graceful as she walked soundlessly toward the heightened stone tform in the middle of the yard.


    The High Seer was an elderly woman who had lived for more than two hundred years. Despite her age, she looked no older than twenty years old. Her youthful appearance was a direct blessing from the Moon Goddess. Only her long, silver hair bore testament to her actual age.


    The mass started with a formal greeting to all participating werewolves. Then, everyone was required to recite the Blood Oath together.


    The Blood Oath was a set of rules that werewolves swore by from birth to death. It dictated the expectations toward the behavior of all werewolves for as long as they nned to be part of the werewolf society.


    All werewolf pups learned about the Blood Oath as soon as they started recognizing letters and characters. It was the first lesson they had in kindergarten and it was repeated again and again throughout their life in the hope that they not only remembered it but also internalized it.


    After the reciting was done, the High Seer rose to her feet to deliver a sermon. It was not an ordinary sermon. The High Seer always incorporated hints about the future within her sermons.


    The Moon Goddess bestowed the gift of divination onto the High Seer. She was granted ess to visions of the future but she did not have the freedom to speak of them openly.


    The reason was quite simple. If she openly shared her visions with relevant parties, then the future would change and there was no telling whether it would be better or worse. When the High Seer did share her visions, then it was usually pertinent to the greater picture, for example the harmony between the werewolf packs.


    .....


    ording to the rumors, the High Seer had specifically approached Deacon Clearwater the previous year. She warned him about the great danger of pride.


    The Silent Walkers Pack¡¯s defeat in the hand of the Night Prowler Pack was shocking at first, but more and more people came to understand what happened.


    The High Seer had seen the war between the Silent Walkers Pack and the Night Prowler Pack in her visions.


    The result of the war was quite obvious. Kinnon Youngshaper would win the war. That was why the High Seer approached Deacon Clearwater, hoping that thetter would practice humility and not agree to a war. Unfortunately, Deacon failed. And so the Silent Walkers Pack was now at the brink of destruction.


    At least that was how most packs perceived it. It thus came as a surprise when Kinnon Youngshaper proposed to Lucien Clearwater who was once an Alpha candidate prior to contracting a mysterious disease.


    Thanks to Lucien Clearwater¡¯s eptance, the Silent Walkers Pack had some hope to rebuild itself. It delighted everyone even more to see Lucien blending in so perfectly into Kinnon¡¯s small family. Ralph clearly adored Lucien and the gazes that Kinnon gave his future Luna was nothing short of love and devotion.


    After the sermon ended, the mass concluded and a banquet followed. The Moon Banquet was to be held inside the temple. The rxed atmosphere returned in an instant. Everyone started to mix with each other and discussed about a variety of topics while they moved into the temple.


    Kinnon and Lucien too rose from their seats with Ralph holding onto both of their hands. The cute little boy attempted to swing while hanging onto his parents¡¯ hands.


    ¡°Ralphy,¡± Kinnon scolded with a frown. ¡°Not here.¡±


    Ralph immediately stopped and apologized, ¡°Sorry, Daddy.¡±


    The little boy looked rather pitiful when he pressed his lips together into a thin line and hung his head. Lucien could not help but chuckle.


    Lucien took Ralph into his arms with a swoop. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. You can do it once we get back home,¡± heforted him with a smile.


    Ralph beamed. He put his tiny arms around Lucien and happily squealed, ¡°Mommy is the best!¡±


    ¡°Lucien.¡±


    Lucien and Kinnon stopped in their tracks. Kinnon turned around and saw Ronan standing some meters behind them.


    ¡°It¡¯s Alpha Ronan Silverback,¡± Kinnon remarked.


    Ronan gave him the slightest nod of acknowledgement before shifting his focus back to the man who still refused to face him.


    Lucien had seen Ronan before the mass began. He did not n to speak to Ronan about anything at all. He had hoped that Ronan would do the same thing. Just pretend to be strangers until the night was over.


    s, Ronan was never one to shy away from any confrontation. Seeing that Lucien did not respond, he did not choose to back off.


    ¡°Lucien, can we talk?¡±


    Lucien closed his eyes and swallowed hard. He then gingerly handed the confused Ralph over to Kinnon.


    ¡°Please excuse me,¡± he said to Kinnon.


    Kinnon deliberate pulled Lucien close and pressed a kiss at thetter¡¯s forehead before he replied, ¡°Don¡¯t take too long.¡±


    Seeing that he was looking at Ronan when he said it, it was obvious that the words were directed to Ronan instead of Lucien.


    All the guests had left the yard and went inside the temple to enjoy thevish banquet. Only Lucien and Ronan remained outside, looking at each other in depressing silence.


    It had been a month.


    Within this one month, so many things had happened. The intimate encounter at South Bedford Art College seemed like a distant memory.


    ¡°Do you remember?¡± Ronan asked while tugging at his tie to loosen it. Although it was how he usually wore it, it felt so tight all of a sudden.


    ¡°This was where we met for the first time.¡±

 Chapter 53

    53 Goodbye, Alpha


    Whether he remembered, the Alpha asked.


    A strange light shed across Lucien¡¯s ssy eyes, taking him on a journey through the memories of their adolescent romance.


    Ronan would never know that these memories kept ying themselves before Lucien¡¯s eyes while thettery on his bed and suffered through the pain.


    So how could he ever forget?


    It was indeed during the Moon Goddess Celebration Event seven years ago that they firstid their eyes on each other and sumbed to the forceful attraction that only fated mates had for each other.


    Those who saw the two young alphas rolling on the ground on top of each other would have thought that they were engaged in a fight.


    Thankfully, no one saw them.


    The two young alphas breathed heavily in between kisses, the sound of their pounding hearts was louder than the music that came from inside the temple.


    Ronan waspletely immersed in lust. He only had one goal in mind, and it was to make Lucien his. He tore at Lucien¡¯s white robe to expose his scent nd, intent on marking him. Lucien barely managed to break away from the clutch of desire and shove Ronan away.


    .....


    Even then, Ronan had innocently asked him, ¡°Why?¡±


    Why are you pushing me away?


    We are fated to be together.


    Our wolves scream for our union.


    You are mine and I am yours.


    Back in the present time, Lucien merely closed his eyes for a while to get rid of the sentiments of the past. When he opened his eyes again, he was the cold and ruthless Lucien again. The one who told Ronan that he no longer wanted to stay together with him.


    And that Ronan should reject him aspensation for Lucien¡¯s sudden change of mind.


    Ronan had never changed.


    Be it seven years ago when they first met, when they started dating, when they broke apart or now, he still longed to fulfill the fated mate connection that the Moon Goddess personally established between the two of them.


    s, Lucien was not able to ept Ronan¡¯s outstretched hand. He did not deserve Ronan¡¯s devotion and love.


    ¡°I guess you no longer remember,¡± Ronan chuckled, more at himself than at Lucien. His fingers raked through his inky hair, messing up the neat slick back hairstyle.


    Lucien did not have any intention to correct Ronan. Misunderstandings would only help Ronan reach closure faster. If Lucien had to be the viin, then so be it.


    ¡°Lucien, just what did I do wrong?¡± Ronan asked, his voice trembling from desperation. Lucien clenched his jaw.


    You did nothing wrong.


    ¡°Have I not been sincere in my love for you?¡±


    Yes, you have.


    ¡°You said you wanted to be an Alpha, and I did what you asked me to do.¡±


    Yes, you did and I thank you eternally for that.


    ¡°When you suddenly disappeared and left the Alpha position for your cousin, to be honest I was overjoyed.¡±


    A wild glee danced in Ronan¡¯s eyes. ¡°I know that I was aplete asshole for being happy over your misfortune, but Lucien...¡±


    Ronan gave Lucien a bewildered look.


    ¡°I thought that it was the Moon Goddess giving us another chance. If you have long given up on your ambition to be an Alpha, you... Why didn¡¯t youe back to me?¡±


    Lucien furrowed his brows and pursed his lips. He was unable to answer.


    Ronan, you have only seen things from your own perspective. There are so many things you know nothing about. The deal with Mr. Dane Silverback, your father, was to sever the rtionpletely. It was never about my ambition to be an Alpha at all.


    ¡°I was so happy when I found you again. Lucien, although harsh words were exchanged between the two of us, have you never once thought about bing mine?¡±


    I did and do not dare to.


    ¡°Lucien, I kept thinking that you are being forced into this situation. I kept trying to give you a way out but you never replied to me. Lucien, tell me the truth. Are you... Are you in love with Kinnon Youngshaper?¡±


    No...


    I never was. I never am. The only person in my heart has always been you, but don¡¯t you understand, Ronan? We can never be together! It doesn¡¯t matter who I end up with. It will never be you!


    ¡°Lucien, talk to me. Say something. Tell me that you need help and I will take you away from here, the packs be damned.¡±


    Lucien shot Ronan a sharp re.


    ¡°Those are words that are unbefitting of an Alpha,¡± he chided the Alpha in front of him.


    Ronan broke into a burst of desperateughter.


    ¡°Is that all you have to say to me? After I pour out the whole content of my heart to you?¡±


    Lucien used up every ounce of self-restraint in his body to prevent himself from doing the same.


    ¡°Yes. I have nothing else to say.¡±


    Lucien turned around to leave, but Ronan grabbed his hand and stopped him from leaving.


    ¡°Lulu...¡±


    Ronan sounded desperate.


    Lucien inhaled a lungful of fresh air.


    ¡°... Let me go, Ronan.¡±


    Ronan refused to let go. He squeezed at Lucien¡¯s hand instead.


    ¡°Lulu, is this how we are going to end things? Is this our final goodbye?¡±


    Yes, Ronan... This is our final goodbye.


    Tears came streaming down Lucien¡¯s face. He prayed with all his heart that Ronan never pulled him back to look at his face.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lucien confirmed, trying hard to sound as normal as possible.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Lucien squeezed back at Ronan¡¯s hand. That was the only thing he could do for Ronan.


    ¡°Goodbye, Alpha Ronan Silverback. May the Moon Goddess bless you with the greatest blessings on earth.¡±


    Ronan let Lucien¡¯s hand go silently. He had anticipated this ending, but he never knew that it would hurt so much to look at Lucien¡¯s back and send him off to a marriage with another man.


    ¡°Goodbye, Lucien Clearwater,¡± was all he could choke out after a while.

 Chapter 54

    54 A Toast For The Happy Couple


    Ronan took some time topose himself before entering the temple to participate in the Moon Banquet. Lillian Woond was chatting with a few Alphas who were entirely captivated by the beautiful woman. They hung at her every word, mesmerized by her bright, beautiful brown eyes and her seductive pair of lips.


    The Alphas quickly dispersed as soon as Ronan Silverback entered the scene.


    Only those who had been living under the rock did not know that Lillian Woond was promised to Ronan Silverback, courtesy of Dane Silverback¡¯s repeated promotion.


    Even without Dane Silverback telling every werewolf who walked the earth about the match made in heaven, the Alphas knew when to retreat. Ronan Silverback was an Alpha just like they were, but all Alphas would agree that he belonged to apletely different ss. Not many Alphas dared to bare their fangs at Ronan Silverback. One of those who could do that was Kinnon Youngshaper.


    Kinnon Youngshaper just happened to bring his Luna-to-be and his baby heir with him. The three of them offered a beautiful picture, an absolute delight to those who had the pleasant chance to greet the little family.


    ¡°You are back,¡± Lillian greeted Ronan with a coquettish smile and a wink.


    Ronan took his seat next to Lillian and regarded every Alpha at the table with a cold re.


    ¡°Gentlemen, how are you enjoying your evening?¡±


    The Alphas immediately felt something cold running down their spines. Their survival instinct kicked in and told them to either fight or flee. Fighting was not an option during the Moon Banquet, so naturally, they only thought about fleeing. Not that they could win in one-on-onebat against Ronan.


    .....


    The poor Alphas quickly came up with a bunch of excuses to escape.


    ¡°Ohhh... Alpha Ronan, I just happen to see Mr. Dane Silverback over there... I shall greet him first.¡±


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, I was just wondering where you were! Forgive me but I need to get myself some martini...¡±


    Two Alphas were gone within an instant. Ronan shifted his gaze unto the only remaining Alpha on the table, who was sweating profusely while searching for any believable excuse.


    In his panic, he searched the hall and his eyesnded on Kinnon Youngshaper, Lucien Clearwater, and little Ralph Youngshaper who was leaning against Lucien¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Oh! I need... I need to talk to Alpha Kinnon real quick!¡±


    The said Alpha almost pped himself as he walked away as soon as possible. Why the hell did he have to mention Alpha Kinnon? How could he not remember that the Infinite Eclipse Pack and the Night Prowler Pack were rivals?


    Thankfully he did not turn around to see the look on Ronan¡¯s face as soon as Kinnon was mentioned.


    Kinnon Youngshaper was his rival indeed. Their pack members maintained civil rtions with each other because they knew that the smallest spark could cause a war. But that was not why Ronan especially hated to hear the words ¡°Kinnon Youngshaper¡± that night.


    It was because Lucien had chosen Kinnon over him.


    And he looked so happy with Kinnon.


    Ronan red at the arm that Kinnon put around Lucien¡¯s body. He had one hand resting snugly against Lucien¡¯s waist. And his son in Lucien¡¯s arms.


    God.


    So lecherous. Touching Lucien like that in public. Acting like they were already a properly married couple.


    Lucien too, so shameless. Actually letting himself be touched like that for all eyes to see. Where was his pride as an alpha werewolf? Possibly gone down the drain as soon as Landon left him.


    Hmph.


    A cold sneer formed on Ronan¡¯s lips, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared.


    Ronan downed sses of wine one after another. He had a high alcohol tolerance so he did not usually care about how much wine he drank. Lillian Woond on the other side was getting a little worried. Ronan had been drinking wine like his life depended on it.


    ¡°Ronan, are you alright?¡± she asked with a raised eyebrow.


    Ronan turned to her with a smile. ¡°Yes, why? Do you also want to drink some?¡±


    Lillian¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The night is still long.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Ronan agreed. He held a hand up and a waiter quickly arrived with a tray of a bottle of wine and a few sses. He had wanted to pass Ronan a ss, but Ronan grabbed the bottle instead.


    The waiter¡¯s jaw dropped open for a split second before he regained hisposure and closed his mouth abruptly.


    Ronan drank while staring at Lucien. Amazing how he could be so in love with someone so cold.


    Lucien...


    Lucien, you are so heartless...


    How can you smile so happily after breaking my heart?


    You have done it twice now. Bravo, Lucien...


    ¡°Excuse me, everyone.¡±


    The sound of metal clinking against ss was heard, drawing everyone¡¯s attention to the person who made the sound.


    An elder from the Werewolf Council stood at the staircase while tapping his ss with a silver spoon. Ronan squinted at him. He used to be an elder in the Silent Walkers Pack if Ronan was not mistaken.


    ¡°I would like to propose a toast for Alpha Kinnon Youngshaper, who finally decided to take a Luna. Cheers to Alpha Kinnon Youngshaper and his new Luna, Lucien Clearwater! May this union bring prosperity and eternal blessings over both the Night Prowler Pack and the Silent Walkers Pack!¡±


    Everyone but Ronan raised their sses.


    ¡°To Alpha Kinnon Youngshaper and his new Luna, Lucien Clearwater!¡±


    ¡°To the Night Prowler Pack and the Silent Walkers Pack!¡±


    ¡°Congrattions on a blessed union!¡±


    Kinnon beamed with joy. He shed the elder a charming smile. ¡°Thank you, Elder Rick. It is my luck to be able to attain Lucien¡¯s promise of marriage.¡±


    He then pulled Lucien closer and pinched his chin between his thumb and index finger. Lucien looked a little surprised. He parted his lips slightly as if wanting to ask Kinnon what it was about, and Kinnon took the chance to press his own lips against Lucien¡¯s.

 Chapter 55

    55 Another Toast For Another Happy Couple


    The congrattory cheers from all the banquet participants drowned out the sound of shattering ss at Ronan Silverback¡¯s table. The Alpha had one hand bleeding severely after getting cut by the ss that he was holding. Alone the sight was enough to make witnesses cringe, but Ronan could not care less about his bleeding hand.


    He had both hands grabbing the edge of the table when he rose to his feet, preparing to jump over the table and rushed toward Kinnon Youngshaper to punch the hell out of him.


    For sullying the lips of his beloved.


    For taking what was his.


    Asshole.


    Ronan.


    Ronan!


    Ronan!!!


    ¡°Ronan.¡±


    .....


    It was Lillian Woond¡¯s stern voice and the strong grip on his arm that caused Ronan to regain his sanity. The usually yful and flirty Alpha¡¯s daughter shot him a sharp look.


    ¡°Calm down,¡± she said in all seriousness.


    ¡°What?¡± Ronan asked, frowning at Lillian Woond. What was this woman talking about? Calm down? How was he supposed to calm down?


    Lucien just shared a kiss with another man!


    Lillian Woond did not loosen her grip on Ronan¡¯s arm. Her eyes took on a sharp glint as she looked at the man in front of him. He was so obsessed with Lucien that he was about to desecrate the temple with a fight and he wouldn¡¯t even regret it. All for a single man.


    Some distance away, Kinnon and Lucien broke apart. The intensity of the kiss was enough to make the hearts of the younger werewolves skip a beat. Lucien lightly shoved at Kinnon¡¯s chest while looking away. Embarrassment colored his cheeks pink and enhanced his handsome features.


    Onlookers could not help but swallow hard. It was no wonder that Kinnon Youngshaper was so adamant about making Lucien Clearwater his Luna.


    Ronan¡¯s father, Dane Silverback, leaned with his back against a pir in a corner of the room. He was watching the scenes unfold with a great deal of interest. His gaze shifted from Kinnon and Lucien to Ronan and Lillian.


    Certainly, he had not made a wrong choice when he decided that Lillian Woond was the right woman for his son. She might look superficial at times, but Dane knew that there was more to Lillian than what met the eyes.


    Dane Silverback suddenly had a great idea.


    ¡°Attention, everyone,¡± he spoke up.


    Dane Silverback had been a renowned Alpha his whole life. Even after retiring, his presence was enough tomand the attention of the whole room. All eyes were immediately drawn to him. Silence settled in the room while everyone waited for Dane to speak as if he were the messenger of the Moon Goddess herself.


    Dane Silverback raised his ss of wine in the direction of Ronan¡¯s and Lillian¡¯s table.


    ¡°What a joyous asion for the Night Prowler Pack and the Silent Walkers Pack indeed. I too would like to share another joyous asion in the name of Infinite Eclipse Pack and Irond ws Pack.


    My son Ronan has also decided to settle down properly, and his chosen Luna is none other than the lovely Lillian Woond.¡±


    Both Ronan and Lillian were surprised. They froze on the spot while everyone turned to face them and started pping animatedly.


    ¡°What wonderful news!¡±


    ¡°Alpha Ronan and Miss Lillian Woond are finally going to tie the knot!¡±


    ¡°Congrattions, Mr. Dane Silverback. Congrattions, Mr. Conrad Woond!¡±


    Mr. Conrad Woond, the currently reigning Alpha of the Irond ws Pack was also baffled. Since when did those two be an official couple, let alone give each other their hands in the promise of marriage?


    Unless he had somehow grown senile in the past weeks and forgotten about a few things, did Lillian herself not tell him just a few weeks ago that Ronan was still chasing after Lucien¡¯s shadow?


    It was not after the surrounding werewolves started to line up to shake his hands that he broke into a nervous grin and thanked all those who came with best wishes for the couple.


    Ronan narrowed his eyes at his father, who raised the ss in his direction.


    Lillian thought that the whole thing was a very bad idea. It was clear to her that the Night Prowler Pack and the Infinite Eclipse Pack were rivals, but did it mean that they even had topete in terms of marriages?


    Lillian was racking her head for solutions. How to properly do damage control without causing both packs to lose face? And her father looked so happy, too... Goddess.


    Was there any easy way out of this outrageous lie?


    Unexpectedly, Ronan put his arm around Lillian and smoothly pulled her toward his chest. And then, he lowered his head and sampled the sweetness of Lillian¡¯s lips. Thetter was so shocked that she had her eyes open the whole time during the kiss.


    Ronan Silverback seemed to be determined to win even in a kissingpetition. His practiced tongue pried Lillian¡¯s teeth open skillfully and plundered the inside of the woman¡¯s oral cavity with the prowess of a true yboy.


    Those who did not know that Ronan Silverback had never even held hands with Lillian on his own ord would think that these two had done more than just kiss.


    The crowd was roaring with cheers. This year¡¯s Moon Banquet had blessed four packs altogether with two very harmonious unions. The werewolf society truly could not ask for more.


    A few meters away, Kinnon and Lucien watched Ronan kissing Lillian with uninhibited passion.


    Kinnon pped together with the other werewolves. Lucien had one hand looping around Kinnon¡¯s arm while the other was holding the sleeping Ralph up.


    For once, he was d that both of his hands were upied.


    For once, he was d that he did not have to p.


    Ronan broke the kiss after a long while. He smiled while caressing the dumbfounded Lillian¡¯s cheeks while thetter snapped after fresh air to fill her lungs.


    Thedies in the room had to fan the heat out of their cheeks. All of them would love to take Lucien¡¯s or Lillian¡¯s ce for the night.

 Chapter 56

    56 Drowned in Passion (NSFW)


    After Ronan was done showering Lillian with his fake attention, he lifted his eyes and looked in Lucien¡¯s direction. The fire in his heart burned brighter and bigger when he saw that Lucien was not only not looking at him but was also more interested in chatting with Kinnon.


    What followed was an impromptu piece of a theater show.


    Ronan had to listen to more of Dane Silverback¡¯s lies and silently support the lies by shing everyone a fake smile.


    He had to charm peers and elders who came to congratte him and Lillian on the joyous union.


    He ended up hugging and kissing Lillian a few more times throughout the night to demonstrate the depth of their love for each other.


    ¡°Ronan.¡±


    Dane Silverback came over and put his arm around his son.


    ¡°I have never been more proud in my life,¡± he announced, and the surrounding werewolves agreed unanimously. ¡°My immature son finally grows up. He decides to settle down and sire some pups.¡±


    ¡°I do hope to see some little pups running around the Great Lake City soon,¡± an elder teased.


    .....


    Lillian tossed out a cheerful but secretly mockingughter.


    Ronan Silverback scoffed into his wine ss.


    The wine eventually got into Ronan¡¯s head.


    He did not quite remember how the night ended. When he regained his consciousness again, he was busy kissing and groping Lillian Woond in an attempt to strip her naked.


    Lillian on the other side seemed to have drunk a ss or two as well. She took Ronan¡¯s tie off and tossed it carelessly to the ground. After she was done taking Ronan¡¯s suit off, Ronan still did not know how to get Lillian out of her gown.


    Lillian snickered.


    She took Ronan¡¯s hands and guided them toward her shoulders.


    ¡°It¡¯s here, Alpha.¡±


    ¡°Ah. So obvious and yet not so obvious,¡± he remarked.


    Ronan peeled the gown off Lillian¡¯s sleeves and soon the woman stood in front of him in just hercy underwear.


    Ronan pulled his belt and took his pants off. He then pulled Lillian close and imed her lips ravenously. With only their underwears to prevent their skins from touching each other, Ronan rubbed his swollen genitalia against Lillian¡¯s belly. A sweet moan escaped thetter¡¯s lips.


    Ronan put both of his hands under Lillian¡¯s buttcheeks and lifted her up effortlessly. The woman in his arms gave a surprised yelp when his feet suddenly left the ground. Ronan mmed Lillian roughly against a wall and started grinding against her. He thrust against her intimately through the underwear. Although he did not prate her directly, Lillian still felt the heat climbing up from the spot between her legs.


    She was wet for him. She desired him so much, and he desired her as well.


    ¡°Alpha, ahh... ahh...¡±


    Lillian had to bite into her lip to prevent herself from moaning continuously like some cheap she-wolves out there.


    Dignity, she said to herself. Dignity and pride. Dignity and pride.


    Her chants were rudely interrupted by what Ronan did next. Dissatisfied with just pounding against her through her underwear against the wall, Ronan decided to take the game one level higher.


    The Alpha captured Lillian¡¯s lips smoothly and carried her toward the bed. Lillian¡¯scy panties were quickly stripped away, revealing the sacred part of her body that she had never before exposed to anyone.


    Although Lillian often acted like some promiscuous youngdy with a lot of experience, she had been dutifully guarding her chastity since the day she was born. Her mother had emphasized to her again and again that she was the apple of her father¡¯s eye, the dignity of the Irond ws Pack. She must never allow anyone to take her before marriage.


    Her parents changed their minds quite abruptly as soon as Dane Silverback came to propose a match between Lillian and his son, Ronan. Dane was desperate to get his son to settle down. Although Ronan Silverback was a notorious yer, he had always been responsible toward his women. The rogue she-wolves who managed to catch his eyes were all very well taken care of. In this aspect, he was no different from his father.


    Lillian¡¯s parents encouraged this union very much. Men were all the same everywhere. They were never able to use their heads once their blood rushed downward. When Alpha Ronan one day drowned in lust and could only think about satiating his carnal desires, Lillian should wee his advances with open arms.


    An even better scenario was to have Ronan shoot his seeds deep inside Lillian¡¯s womb. This was not an easy feat because Ronan had been very careful about siring unwanted pups. It did not matter. Even if his seeds failed to take root, Ronan would never be able to escape the responsibility after tainting an Alpha¡¯s daughter.


    Lillian shyly opened her legs to grant Ronan the beautiful sight that she had to offer.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± Ronanmented as he climbed into the bed after Lillian. He was drawn to her like a moth to a me.


    ¡°Really?¡± Lillian blinked at Ronan seductively. ¡°It is yours if you want it.¡±


    Ronan put a finger on Lillian¡¯s lips and slowly traced down her neck, cleavage, t belly, and the folds of her genitalia.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ronan answered with a grin. ¡°I want it.¡±


    He balled his fingers into a fist and stuck his middle finger out. The finger made a squelching sound when it went inside Lillian¡¯s well-lubricated love tunnel smoothly. Thetter arched her back and moaned in a mix of pain and pleasure when the finger obscenely ravished her, going in and out of her while imitating the act of sexual intercourse.


    When Ronan thought that Lillian was ready, he took his finger out and pulled his underwear down. The huge penis sprang free and pointed at Lillian like a loaded gun. Lillian could not help but marvel at the girth and the length of Ronan¡¯s penis.


    She had heard that Ronan Silverback was well-endowed, but she never thought that he would be that well-endowed. Then again it was a little bit toote to get scared now. Ronan held his engorged cock in his hand and approached Lillian.

 Chapter 57

    57 Moving On


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Kinnon Youngshaper asked his future Luna as soon as they got into the car.


    Lucien had gone silent for the remainder of the night, and Kinnon knew why. Although Lucien did not openly show his dislike in front of everyone to preserve their faces, he must be angry that Kinnon kissed him like that in public. It was their first kiss as a couple, too.


    To make matters worse, Lucien had to watch as Ronan Silverback fell upon Lillian Woond like a hungry beast the whole night long. It was like stumbling upon a scene of a tragic car ident. He wanted to look away, but the picture was already carved into his skull. He was forced to watch the same disy again and again. It was not possible to erase it.


    ¡°Mm,¡± was Lucien¡¯s answer. He leaned against the car window with an elbow resting against the window frame. The other arm was draped around Ralph who had his head lying on Lucien¡¯sp.


    Kinnon pursed his lips in displeasure as Ralph stretched himself between them, acting like a bridge to separate Kinnon and Lucien. Although Kinnon loved Ralph dearly, sometimes he wanted to leave Ralph with his nanny for long enough time so that he could do intimate things with Lucien. Unfortunately, Ralph believed that he had more im on Lucien¡¯s time because Lucien was going to be his mommy.


    The Alpha took Lucien¡¯s hand and pressed a kiss on top of the knuckles. Lucien turned his head and gave him a quizzical look.


    ¡°Are you sure that you are not angry?¡± Kinnon queried.


    Lucien sighed. ¡°No, I am not. I just don¡¯t feel too well tonight.¡±


    There were times when Lucien hated himself for being weak, and tonight was one of those times. Ever since he was young, Lucien was able to spout the harshest words, but he often failed to live up to his words. Unlike Ronan.


    .....


    Ronan could talk about his feelings all he wanted and he would still be unable to move Lucien¡¯s heart. It was not because Lucien was heartless. It was because he knew better. Ronan gave him a speech about disappointment and heartbreak tonight, only to hook up with Lillian Woond not even an hourter. Between the two of them, Ronan was always the first person to move on and Lucien thest.


    No.


    In fact, Ronan had moved on a few times while Lucien was still stuck in the past.


    The Moon Goddess bestowed two alpha werewolves with a fated mate connection. One of them was naive and innocent. He fell in love as easily as he fell out of love. The other one was serious and thoughtful. Once he fell in love, he was unable to crawl out. Not even to save his life.


    Lucien heaved a deep sigh. He was so mentally exhausted that he did not even bother hiding it anymore.


    Kinnon¡¯s hand traveled to Lucien¡¯s neck and gently massaged the back of his neck. Lucien sighed contentedly when Kinnon¡¯s strong fingers hit the sore points at his neck skillfully.


    ¡°Are you tired?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lucien replied while rubbing the spot between his brows to alleviate an iing headache. ¡°I don¡¯t like being in thepany of too many people.¡±


    Kinnon was relieved to hear Lucien¡¯s words. Maybe he really was just foul-mooded because he had to socialize with too many people that night.


    The North Ridge Forest was located in a remote ce ¡ª far from all Pack Houses, including the Night Prowler Pack House. Most werewolves did not go back home straight but spent a night in the nearby Hapsborough City instead.


    Just as the Silverback Corporation owned the Carlton Bay Hotel chain, the Youngshaper Corporation owned the Seaside View Hotel chain.


    A presidential suite in Seaside View Hotel was booked for Kinnon and Lucien for that night. Ralph shared the suite next door with his nanny. If Ralph had not been so tired, he would have protested loudly. Kinnon thought that a night alone with Lucien was long overdue.


    Intent on impressing the Alpha and his future Luna, the hotel manager waited for their arrival and personally showed them the suites. After ensuring them that the hotel personnel were only one phone call away in case they needed anything, the hotel manager wished them a good night and left.


    The door fell shut with a soft click.


    ¡°I need to wash my face,¡± Lucien announced before going into the bathroom.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Kinnon said in response.


    The Alpha took his robe off, leaving only a white undershirt and pants underneath. Lucien took a while inside the bathroom. When the man did note out after thirty minutes, Kinnon became concerned. He knocked on the bathroom door three times and asked, ¡°Lucien, everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± came the reply right away.


    The bathroom door opened and a red-eyed Lucien came out.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien wiped at his face with a towel that he draped around his neck.


    ¡°I had some dust in my eyes,¡± he lied.


    Both eyes? Lucien is such a lousy liar.


    ¡°You can use the bathroom now. I will go to sleep.¡±


    Lucien went past Kinnon. He did not make it far before his hand was caught by Kinnon. The man hugged him from behind. He pressed a kiss on Lucien¡¯s neck, his warm breath trailing from the base of his neck to his ear.


    Lucien looked up at Kinnon, and thetter leaned in closer to him.


    ¡°Lucien,¡± he whispered in a maic voice. ¡°do you mind if we establish our mating bond tonight?¡±


    Lucien¡¯s eyshes trembled slightly in hesitation.


    ¡°I thought you would want to wait until we are married.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can wait that long.¡±


    Kinnon pressed a kiss on Lucien¡¯s forehead, and then his lips went down the bridge of Lucien¡¯s nose and settled on his lips. It was only a slight brushing between two pairs of lips at first, but it slowly turned into a gentle kiss. Kinnon was quickly aroused when Lucien responded to his kiss. He put both hands inside Lucien¡¯s robe and took it off with one smooth movement.

 Chapter 58

    58 Letting It All Go (NSFW)


    It should be fine, right?


    They were going to be married soon, anyway. None of them were virgins. There was no need to be shy around each other.


    Lucien moaned softly when Kinnon¡¯s hands crept under his undershirt and caressed the gentle waves on his torso. He had a slender buildpared to Ronan and Kinnon. He got a toned body from regr exercises, but his muscles were never big.


    Lucien leaned back against Kinnon¡¯s shoulder, and thetter peppered his neck with little kisses.


    ¡°Is that a yes, then?¡± he asked again.


    Lucien thought about Ronan and Lillian. How they looked like they were about to swallow each other. A lump of sadness built in his throat, but he did not want Kinnon to notice it. What better way to mask it than to agree to Kinnon¡¯s request?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lucien answered. As if to convince Kinnon of his sincerity, he took the initiative to kiss Kinnon for the first time.


    The kiss was the long-awaited green light, a drop of morning dew for a thirsty traveler. Kinnon¡¯s patience was eroded by a single kiss. He was no longer able to hold himself back.


    They quickly freed each other from the remainingyers of clothes around their bodies while kissing every part of the other¡¯s body that they could reach. Once they had enough, they tactfully slipped under the nket, naked.


    .....


    Kinnon had his arms wrapped around Lucien as he kissed Lucien¡¯s nape continuously. It was a subtle sign to indicate that he wanted to mark Lucien. A mating bond was strictly established during sex, and only when both parties did it at the same time. Lucien kissed Kinnon¡¯s nape as well to indicate his willingness to form the mating bond with him.


    An appreciative growl escaped Kinnon¡¯s throat. He caressed Lucien¡¯s beautiful body all over. How long had he dreamed about this night? He had once thrown this dream away, and now his dream was finallying true.


    ¡°Lucien,¡± he whispered. ¡°Lucien...¡±


    Kinnon rolled on top of Lucien and gently rocked against thetter¡¯s body, allowing their hardened penises to rub sensually against each other.


    ¡°Mmmh...¡±


    Lucien put a hand against his lips to prevent himself from moaning too loudly. Kinnon took his hand away.


    ¡°Moan for me, Lucien. I want to hear your sweet sounds in bed.¡±


    ¡°Ralph is next door,¡± Lucien whispered.


    ¡°He is asleep,¡± Kinnon argued. He took Lucien¡¯s hand and kissed his fingers lovingly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡±


    Despite the fully air-conditioned suite, the bedroom felt hot. After rubbing against each other slowly at first, Kinnon grabbed both of their manhoods and rubbed them together.


    Beneath him, Lucien arched his back from pleasure. His lips were slightly open and his eyes were ssy with lust. The Lucien that was always so prim and proper had been transformed into a seductive beauty in bed. And it was all through Kinnon¡¯s hands. The Alpha had never seen a more beautiful sight.


    After they reached their first climax, theyy on the bed for a while to rest. And then, Kinnon sat up and rummaged inside the drawer of the nightstand that was closest to him. His experience told him that hotels usually prepared a bottle of lube in presidential suites just in case the guests would like to enjoy a romantic evening.


    The hotel indeed did not disappoint. There was a bottle of lube to ease the process aside from a few condoms. The lube even had a minty sensation.


    ¡°Do you mind?¡± Kinnon asked while showing the bottle to Lucien.


    Lucien shook his head. It was definitely proper lubrication as opposed to the cream cheese frosting that Ronan used a while ago. Kinnon scooped a fingerful and shoved it into Lucien¡¯s depth.


    ¡°Uhh...¡±


    The lube was so cold that Lucien unwittingly shuddered when Kinnon¡¯s finger went in and coated his inside skillfully. The feeling of Lucien¡¯s muscles clenching intimately around his finger was almost too much for Kinnon.


    His animal instinct told him to skip the loosening process and just shove his erect penis inside Lucien and im his body right away. He would do that if he were a mindless beast. Thankfully he was not.


    Kinnon wanted his first time with Lucien to be perfect. He did not want to rush it. He wanted Lucien to enjoy him as much as he enjoyed Lucien. He wanted to do all the right things and erase all the marks that Ronan Silverback left on Lucien. From now on, Lucien must carry only his scent apart from his own.


    One finger turned into two after a while.


    Lucien leaned his forehead against Kinnon¡¯s shoulder. He bit into his lower lip while enduring the two fingers inside his body that were thrusting in and out smoothly thanks to the minty lube.


    Kinnon could not take it anymore. He was aching to be inside Lucien.


    ¡°Lucien, I want to be inside you. Are you ready?¡± he asked with a voice that was hoarse from deep longing. He took Lucien¡¯s hand and guided it around his erect penis. He was not wearing a condom. He nned to enter him raw.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Lucien murmured. ¡°Please turn off themps.¡±


    Kinnon obliged. He climbed off the bed to turn off themps one by one.


    It gave Lucien a little more time to prepare himself mentally. He had never been with anyone else but Ronan. For the first time in his life, he was going to betray the fated mate connection. The first time was always difficult, but it would get better. Look at Ronan, he was doing splendidly.


    Kinnon came back to the bed after thestmp had been extinguished. Shrouded in the darkness, they had to rely on their senses to make the other party out. Kinnony Lucien gently on his back and kissed his way down to Lucien¡¯s stomach. Then, he pressed both of Lucien¡¯s legs against thetter¡¯s chest and positioned his sexual organ at Lucien¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Ready?¡± He asked again.


    In the darkness, Lucien shed a single tear.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said.


    And then, everything turned ck.

 Chapter 59

    59 The Alpha¡¯s Unintended One-night Stand


    ¡®Ronan...¡¯


    Ronan woke up with a start in the middle of the night. He heard someone calling for him. The voice sounded so desperate. So sad.


    Ronan swallowed hard and furrowed his brows.


    ¡®Who?¡¯ he asked using his Mind Link.


    There was no answer at all.


    Eventually, exhaustion and wine kicked in. Ronan fell asleep again within minutes.


    The next time Ronan woke up was when a bunch of ants decided to feast on his brain.


    Or that was what it felt like after a night of heavy drinking.


    His groans were muffled by the pillow as he strived to remember where he was and what he didst.


    .....


    ...


    Yes, what was it exactly that he had been doing? Why did he get so wasted?


    Once he was able to open his eyes, he tried to move his limbs. Any limb.


    His arm swept over the bedsheet.


    Oh. He was at least lying on a bed. Good job.


    It was definitely much better than, say, lying on the pavement at the side of the road or an asphalt-covered alley in a questionable neighborhood.


    Not that Ronan had ever found himself in such a miserable state.


    No...


    Ronan rolled on the bed andnded on his back with a sigh.


    Just then, a manicured hand snaked across his stomach and chest intimately.


    ¡°Did you have a good sleep, Alpha?¡±


    That one sentence made Ronan Silverback open his eyes abruptly.


    He turned his head to the source of the voice and found Lillian Woond lying next to him under the same quilt.


    She was not wearing anything, and neither did he.


    Oh, shit.


    What did he do?


    ¡°Miss Woond, I...¡±


    Lillian pressed a finger against his lips to prevent him from speaking further.


    ¡°I thought I asked you to call me Lillian. After spending a night together, do you mean to alienate me and not take responsibility for taking my innocence?¡±


    Ronan could have smacked himself many times with a brick. For once, he wished that he was not lying on the velvety bed but somewhere questionable. At least then he wouldn¡¯t be stuck in this predicament.


    Lillian climbed on top of Ronan to give him a light kiss before she climbed off the bed.


    ¡°I will use the bathroom first, then. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Mind? There were a lot of other things that he minded at the moment.


    Ronan flipped the quilt and check for any traces of intercourse. Not that he nned to escape his responsibilities, but he needed to make sure that he was indeed stuck in a pool of crap before hemented his situation.


    There was some sticky cum around his manhood.


    On the bed, there were a few damp spots and also... some blood.


    Ronan was speechless.


    What did a man do after spending a night together with ady who was not some helpless she-wolf he picked on the street? This was Lillian Woond. The most desirable bachelorette in the werewolfmunity at the very moment. He took her virginity. Before they even mutually agreed to get married. Unless Dane¡¯s little lie was akin to an unspoken agreement between the two packs.


    Great.


    Just great.


    ¡®Beowulf, are you there?¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®B, I know you can hear me. Can you uh. Remember anything fromst night?¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®B, we are living in the same body. You can¡¯t pretend to not hear me.¡¯


    ¡®I am sorry,¡¯ his wolf spoke up atst. ¡®I sealed my consciousness as soon as you tumbled through the door with that woman.¡¯


    Ronan groaned in displeasure.


    He could not remember anything. Did he drink that much? Of course he did. If he did not, would he even be crazy enough to make this one grand mistake?


    Lillian Woond exited the bathroom after spending thirty minutes inside. She was wrapped in a bathrobe when she came out. Steam rose from her slender form, making her look hotter than she already was.


    ¡°Not taking a bath?¡± She asked sweetly, tilting her head to the side. ¡°I have to go back soon. My father won¡¯t like it if I do not go back to the Pack House with him.¡±


    Ronan rubbed at his aching temples.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Bath.¡±


    Ronan walked to the bathroom and shut the door behind him. He nced at the mirror and looked at his naked self.


    Good grief!


    His own father would be, for once, ecstatic to hear that Ronan fooled around with Lillian Woond, identally or deliberately.


    Ronan Silverback might be a yer, but he knew that he could not carelessly take an Alpha¡¯s daughter to bed without bearing the consequences. He would have to marry Lillian Woond.


    Yes.


    Better make it quick.


    After a refreshing bath, Ronan stood in front of the full-length mirror while drying his hair and body.


    Ronan stilled for a while when he gazed at his reflection.


    Marriage.


    Lucien...


    No, he told himself. Lucien is off-limit.


    Lucien is no longer your Lucien. He is Kinnon¡¯s Lucien now. You already said goodbye. You shall not chase after his shadow anymore.


    When Ronan got out of the bathroom, the suite was empty. Lillian left after leaving a message on his phone.


    ¡°It was a wonderful night, Alpha. See you around.¡±


    Ronan furrowed his brows.


    What? That¡¯s it? Was the woman out of her mind? Should she not be ying the pitiful maiden who just had her innocence stolen and then demanded the man to take responsibility?


    Ronan¡¯s headache intensified. He was not sure whether it was the hangover or Lillian Woond.


    Ronan exited his suite and found Jake and Robin whispering to each other in the corridor. Their facial expressions were grim and their tones were serious.


    Ronan raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Good morning, Alpha,¡± both of them greeted him as soon as they caught sight of him.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Ronan asked. If they were gossiping about him and Lillian, he wanted to hear it from their own mouths directly.


    Jake swallowed hard.


    ¡°Robin just came to report that Lucien Clearwater has gone missing.¡±

 Chapter 60

    60 The Robbery At The Seaside View Hotel


    Around midnight, the peaceful neighborhood around the Seaside View Hotel was disturbed by two loud noises that urred one after another. The first one was the loud sound of ss shattering and the second one was the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground.


    Fearing for the worst, the residents of the neighborhood immediately called the emergency numbers to report the abnormal sounds. It was not until the sirene of police cars and a fire truck was heard that the inhabitants dared to go out of their homes to see what happened.


    It did not take the professionals a long time to find the source of the noises.


    Onlookers at the side of the road could see a gaping hole at one of the top floors in the Seaside View Hotel where a window wall used to be. Floors beneath the hole was a heap of wooden, red velvety cloth, and sponge material that were brutally ripped apart, possibly due to the fall.


    Although the frame waspletely destroyed, it did not take long to recognize that the broken furniture used to be a recliner. Two heart-shaped red pillows were found around a hundred meters away from the broken furniture.


    The receptionists were shaken when a bunch of grim-looking, uniformed police officers and firemen marched into the hotel.


    ¡°Police. We would like to investigate the top floor area.¡±


    One of the poor receptionists trembled when she reported the presence of local authorities in the hotel.


    Just when the police officers lost their patience and demanded one of the receptionists to take them upstairs, the hotel manager came down in a hurry to lead them to the presidential suite in question.


    .....


    The only good thing about the whole incident was that the Seaside View Hotel was managed by werewolves. A group of trained personnel had been prepared a long time ago to address such incidents. Their job was to conceal any clues that would lead to the discovery of the werewolf society.


    When the police officers and firemen entered the presidential suite, they were led to the room just beneath the presidential suite floor.


    Aside from the broken window, the room looked as if it had been ransacked by a robber. A couple of werewolves were shivering in a corner. While their wounds were attended to by medics, they narrated a story in which a group of gunned robbers barged into the room and took everything that they had.


    Said robbers broke through the window in order to escape as fast as possible after they finished raiding the room for valuables.


    Inspector John Wilkins who listened to the couple¡¯s testimony went to inspect the broken window afterward, but he could not find anything amiss.


    The couple decided to not press charge and just let it be because the stolen valuables were not much. Also, it put too much strain on their mental sanity if they had to testify in court and so on.


    After gathering all pieces of evidence and barricading the room, the police officers informed the hotel manager that they would still investigate the case whether or not the couple wanted to press charge.


    Inside the car on their way back to the police station, the young police officer who drove the car made a remark.


    ¡°That was something, wasn¡¯t it, Inspector Wilkins?¡±


    The inspector merely gave a grunt while looking outside the window and watching the streetlights as they passed by quickly.


    ¡°Did you uh, did you find something interesting, Sir?¡±


    The young police officer had just started working a month ago. Not many things happened in Hapsborough City. A mysterious incident that involved the Seaside View Hotel was definitely one of the highlights of the young man¡¯s week.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Umm... Care to share, Sir? Hahaha...¡±


    Inspector Wilkins turned from the window and stared at the young police officer¡¯s head through the driver seat¡¯s headrest.


    ¡°Do you know any robber who would jump out of a nieth floor to escape the crime scene?¡±


    The young police officer frowned. ¡°No, Sir.¡±


    ¡°On top of that, it was tempered ss. Just how great the impact must be when the furniture hit the ss?¡± He pondered.


    The young police officer was quiet for a while, then he started babbling.


    ¡°Then these robbers must be equipped with hi-tech equipment! Sir, maybe they are like Spiderman. They can just jump to the nearest tree and go down from there and...¡±


    Inspector Wilkins let the young man continue with some imaginary conspiracy theories when he turned his head to look outside the windows again.


    What really disturbed him was not the broken window or the strange robbers.


    The red recliner looked like a luxurious piece of furniture. It did not fit with the other cream-colored furniture in the ordinary room at all.


    Meanwhile, the hotel manager waited until everyone left before he quietly made his way up to the presidential suite floor.


    ¡°Alpha, the officers are gone,¡± he reported dutifully.


    ¡°Good job.¡±


    Kinnon was sitting on a couch in the living room. Two Healers had just finished bandaging his chest and stomach. They wanted to continue with the scratches and bite marks on his arms and neck, but he stopped and dismissed them all instead.


    ¡°But Alpha, we are not done yet,¡± one of them protested.


    There was a haughty glint across Kinnon¡¯s eyes when he lifted his gaze to look at the Healers.


    ¡°Who do you think you are speaking to?¡± he asked.


    While he was speaking, the small wounds on his arms started to heal.


    After that, the Healer had no more objections. Everyone obediently took their leave.


    Kinnon went into thevish bedroom that had been destroyed thoroughly in a short time.


    The bed was broken and the mattress was brutally torn. There were long, deep scratches all over the wall and carpets. Some parts of the wallpaper had been ripped mercilessly off the wall.


    Most of the furniture were overturned if not smashed and destroyedpletely.


    If Inspector Wilkins were there, he would have noticed that a ferocious fight had taken ce in the room.


    Not between two human beings but between two beasts.

 Chapter 61

    61 Tell Me What Happened


    The first thing that Bjorn did after taking care of the local authorities was contact the Werewolf Council and report Lucien¡¯s disappearance. Early the next morning, Elder Rick and a council assistant arrived at the Seaside View Hotel to meet up with Kinnon.


    Although Kinnon was beyond exhausted because he could not sleep a wink, he still agreed to meet up with the two representatives from the Werewolf Council.


    The second worst thing that happened to someone after going through a ghastly incident was being forced to retell the story. Once he was done, Kinnon was a nervous wreck.


    ¡°Then, we only need Alpha Kinnon¡¯s signature underneath,¡± Elder Rick concluded. He too did not enjoy the task.


    Next to him, the council assistant finished writing down thest lines of Kinnon¡¯s statement. The parchment was then respectfullyid before Kinnon.


    Kinnon bit into his thumb and pressed the bloody thumb at the bottom part of the parchment to signify the authenticity of the report. The council assistant bowed at Kinnon before he took the parchment, rolled it up, and put it inside his small suitcase.


    ¡°Alright then. We will take our leave. Take good care of your wounds, Alpha Kinnon.¡±


    Kinnon nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°And also...¡± Elder Rick gave Kinnon amiserating look before he turned to leave. ¡°I am very sorry about what happened. Rest assured, a task force has been assembled to search for Lucien Clearwater. We will do our best to find him as soon as possible.¡±


    .....


    A task force.


    Kinnon heaved a long sigh after the two members of the Werewolf Council left.


    The Alpha used his arms to push his body up from the chair, but the wound across his stomach did not allow him to. After several futile attempts, he had to give up. Stifling a frustrated groan, the Alpha leaned back against his seat and closed his eyes.


    If someone had told him before that Lucien would attack him and then disappear a few hours after they announced their marriage during the Moon Banquet, Kinnon would have thought that the person was nuts. They were happy together. They were supposed to be happy forever.


    Who would have known that this kind of thing could happen?


    Forget about the fight, about the wounds that Lucien inflicted on him. What hurt Kinnon the most was the fact that Lucien escaped from between his fingers again. This time he was not sure that he could win him back.


    ¡°Daddy...?¡±


    Ralph¡¯s head poked from behind the door. The little boy also woke up in the middle of the night due to the loud noises, but tired children were easy to coax back to sleep. He only noticed that something bad happened when a lot of adults rushed past his suite in a fit of panic.


    For the little boy, waiting was torturous. He was thus more than d when his father was rid of his guests and he could finally meet his father.


    Kinnon¡¯s expression softened when he saw his son. He extended his hand toward Ralph.


    ¡°Come here, Ralphy.¡±


    Ralph looked more than relieved. He dragged his favorite rabbit doll with him when he ran toward his father. Ralph tried to climb up his father¡¯sp, but he was too short. Kinnon winced slightly when he had to pull his son up. It was rather pathetic, he told himself. He was not even able to pull Ralph up without experiencing pain.


    ¡°Daddy... are you hurt?¡±


    Ralph extended his little hands toward Kinnon¡¯s chest. His fingers brushed against the thick bandages around Kinnon¡¯s body.


    ¡°Mmm, just a little.¡±


    Ralph directed his big eyes at his father.


    ¡°Daddy... where is Mommy?¡±


    Kinnon¡¯s face darkened visibly.


    ¡°D... Daddy?¡±


    ¡°Mommy just went away for a while,¡± Kinnon said without looking at his son.


    Ralph¡¯s little mouth dropped open. His eyes turned as round as the moon. Kinnon furrowed his brows when he saw the unusual reaction. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Daddy... you also said that about Nana.¡±


    Nana, Ralph¡¯s pet rabbit, died six months ago.


    ¡°...¡±


    Ralph fought hard against the tears that were building in his eyes.


    ¡°Daddy, is Mommy not going toe back anymore...?¡±


    It was not something that Kinnon wanted to hear. Maybe because what Ralph said sounded like a bad omen that might juste true. Either way, Kinnon no longer wanted to talk to Ralph about Lucien.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. Stop saying that,¡± he snapped. Unfortunately, his stern face and voice did nothing to cate the little boy. Instead, it served to confirm his fear.


    ¡°Waaaaahhhh....!!!¡± he started to cry.


    Kinnon¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down in annoyance.


    ¡°Ralphy, don¡¯t cry.¡±


    ¡°Waaaahhhhhhhh... I don¡¯t want Mommy to go. Wahhhhhhh....!!!¡±


    Thest thing Kinnon wanted to hear was the incessant sound of a crying little boy.


    ¡°Ralphy!¡± he raised his voice in anger.


    Ralph stopped crying almost immediately out of shock, but then he howled even louder.


    ¡°WAAAAHHHHHHH...!!!¡±


    Kinnon rubbed at his temple. He wanted to pull Ralph into a hug, but the little boy hopped down hisp and ran away.


    ¡°Ralphy,e back!¡±


    The boy did not bother to turn around. Blinded by tears, he almost bumped into a tall man who was standing just outside the door.


    ¡°Waaaahhhh... Wahhhh...!!!¡±


    Ralph slumped against Ronan Silverback¡¯s leg and hugged it.


    Ronan looked down at the little blonde boy who suddenly went to hug his leg. He was momentarily speechless. Was this not Kinnon¡¯s son? The boy who, during the Moon Banquet, spent the majority of the time in Lucien¡¯s arms?


    Ralph¡¯s nanny quickly arrived and peeled the little boy from Ronan¡¯s leg.


    ¡°I... I am sorry, Alpha Ronan. He is just a little boy,¡± the nanny quickly apologized.


    Ronan raised an eyebrow disapprovingly. Despite the obvious rivalry between their two packs, he never thought of doing unspeakable things to Kinnon¡¯s son. The mere fact that the Night Prowler Pack members believed that he would was quite offensive.


    ¡°You are here?¡±


    Kinnon¡¯s voice was hearding from inside the room.


    Ronan slowly pushed the door open and saw Kinnon leaning against his chair. The two Alphas looked into each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ronan confirmed. ¡°I am here because I want you to tell me directly what happened.¡±

 Chapter 62

    62 The Truth About The Night


    Kinnon regarded Ronan with a cold look.


    ¡°Your father is a Werewolf Council member,¡± he pointed out. ¡°I just finished making my statement. Go to your father and find out.¡±


    Ronan closed the door behind him and slowly walked toward Kinnon.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear the marked-up version of the truth. I want to know exactly what happenedst night.¡±


    ¡°I did not make up anything. What an outrageous usation!¡±


    The only reason why Kinnon¡¯s anger was only heard in his voice and not in his action was the fact that he was badly wounded and could not stand up at all. Else he would have thrown Ronan out of his suite, and his hotel.


    ¡°Aha.¡±


    Ronan chuckled. His eyes wandered to the thick bandages that peeked out of Kinnon¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°Are you seriously trying to tell me that Lucien attacked you for no reason?¡±


    .....


    ¡°It is none of your business,¡± Kinnon replied while looking away from Ronan.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Ronan¡¯s voice gradually go higher as he pinned Kinnon with a scorching re. ¡°You don¡¯t feel remorse for throwing him under the bus? And I thought you loved him.¡±


    Kinnon snapped his head in Ronan¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Watch your mouth. Who is throwing him under the bus?¡±


    ¡°Unless you tell the Council the real reason why Lucien suddenly attacked you, Lucien¡¯s reputation will suffer from this incident!¡±


    Kinnon wed into the armrests. ¡°I will never let it happen.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me what happened.¡±


    Kinnon cut a smirk. ¡°Spoken like Dane Silverback¡¯s true son. You are every bit as pushy as your father. How is this any of your business?¡±


    Ronan leaned in closer to Kinnon. ¡°Lucien is my business.¡±


    ¡°Lucien is my betrothed!¡±


    ¡°He is also his own person!¡±


    ¡°Ronan, don¡¯t get out of line!¡±


    Ronan knew what Kinnon wanted to say. After their uing marriage was announced, it was fair to count Lucien as part of the Night Prowler Pack. That being said, Ronan had no business interfering in the Night Prowler Pack¡¯s private matters.


    Both Alphas took an imaginary step back. Ronan closed his eyes and inhaled a few times before he tried to talk to Kinnon again.


    ¡°Lucien is missing. I just want to find him and take him back home. If you want the same thing, then we should cooperate.¡±


    The word ¡°home¡± made Kinnon wonder which home Ronan was referring to. Nevertheless, the man in front of him had a point. His injuries paralyzed him. He was unable to go out there to search for Lucien. The Werewolf Council assembled a task force, but what did they know about Lucien? Nothing. By the time they found Lucien, it might be toote.


    At this point the only person who could independently search for Lucien was Ronan.


    Kinnon subtly nodded.


    ¡°We came back from the banquet and went into this suite to spend the night,¡± he started, gesturing toward the room.


    ¡°We are going to get married soon and it was a beautiful night, so I proposed to take our rtionship to the next level.¡±


    Ronan wished he did not have to be there to listen to Kinnon, but he had to. If he wanted to find Lucien.


    ¡°I wanted us to consummate our rtionship and bind us to each other as mates.¡±


    Ronan clenched his jaw and curled his fingers into fists. He did not know what his face looked like, but it was enough to put a smirk on Kinnon¡¯s face.


    ¡°He agreed,¡± Kinnon said. ¡°I would have epted it if he rejected me, but he agreed anyway.¡±


    Ronan did not know what hurt more. The knowledge that Kinnon asked to bed Lucien the previous night or the fact that Lucien agreed.


    Ronan never thought that a day woulde when Lucien¡¯s enchanting body would be exposed to someone other than him. When another person would have the privilege toy on top of Lucien and push inside him. And im him as a mate.


    Alone the thought was enough to make Ronan go berserk.


    ¡°And then?¡±


    His voice sounded weird. Like that of a wounded animal.


    Kinnon observed Ronan¡¯s expression. He could see a lot of emotions that were reflected on thetter¡¯s face. Rage and jealousy towered against one another in an attempt to take the upper hand.


    ¡°And then we got into the bed. Just before I entered him, it happened.¡±


    The tension in Ronan¡¯s body declined upon hearing Kinnon¡¯s words.


    They did not do it.


    Lucien had not slept with Kinnon.


    Ronan hated himself for caring that much, but it allowed him to shift his focus from his personal feelings to Lucien¡¯s safety.


    ¡°We had all the lights turned off as per his request. I did not see it happen, but I still get goosebumps when I think about it.¡±


    Kinnon furrowed his brows and rubbed at his arms subconsciously.


    ¡°He transformed very quickly. I did not have time to react at all. The next thing I knew, he had already torn at my body. Despite my injuries, I also transformed and tried to contain him.


    Naturally, I failed.


    After a while, he decided not to bother with me anymore and made his escape through the window.¡±


    Kinnon turned his head to look at the wall window that the hotel personnel switched that very night before the police officers and firemen came to investigate the hotel.


    After wounding Kinnon, Lucien in his wolf form rushed toward the wall window. The red recliner just happened to be standing in front of the thick ss te, between Lucien and freedom.


    Lucien mmed hard against the recliner, using it to shield him from the tiny pieces of shattered ss as he made his escape.


    It all happened very quickly.


    Kinnon saw the giant wolf disappear into the night, and then he lost consciousness from losing too much blood.


    Ronan left after he heard the truth from Kinnon¡¯s mouth. Once he got outside of the hotel, he punched hard at a tree. The innocent tree broke and fell onto the roadside, just as Ronan¡¯s car pulled up to fetch the Alpha.

 Chapter 63

    63 Searching For Lucien


    Lucien¡¯s sudden transformation despite having lost his wolf was the first hottest topic that the werewolf society talked about for the next two days.


    Most people thought that maybe Lucien never lost his wolf. But if he had not lost his wolf, why could no one detect his wolf? Werewolves instinctively recognized each other.


    Did Lucien not lose his qualification to be the next Alpha because he was no longer aplete werewolf? He even left the pack out of shame and lived far far away from his family.


    An elder in the Werewolf Council cited a phenomenon called ¡°wolf possession¡±. It happened when a human being was possessed by a wolf spirit and then transformed into one. Said wolf spirit would continue controlling the body until the human being was strong enough to break free from the possession.


    This theory was contested by many other elders. One imed that it only happened to normal human beings, and another imed that it was nothing but a fairytale. The wolf spirit itself was not real.


    Also, how likely was it for a werewolf who lost his wolf to be possessed by a wolf spirit?


    Humbug.


    Nonsense.


    The truth remained hidden until Lucien was found. Thus, the second hottest topic in every werewolf¡¯s mouth was none other than Lucien¡¯s whereabouts.


    .....


    Where did Lucien go after he wounded Kinnon?


    The task force decided that Lucien would not go back to the East Temple City, so he most likely would go back to the Silent Walkers Pack.


    But no, he was not in the Pack House. Or the nearby forest. Or the nearby neighborhoods.


    Then they postted that Lucien might go back to his actual home. The South Bedford City where he lived and worked for seven years after he left his pack.


    Werewolves searched his home. It was locked. No one was around.


    Werewolves searched the South Bedford Art College and questioned Maya about Lucien.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater did note here,¡± Maya informed them while shaking her head fervently. She told the truth, but at the same time, she also thought to herself that if she knew where Lucien was, she would not tell a soul about it.


    Why?


    Because Lucien wounded Kinnon.


    ording to what Maya heard, it was not a lovers¡¯ quarrel. Lucien had the intention to kill Kinnon.


    Maya still couldn¡¯t believe it.


    The Mr. Clearwater that she knew was a gentle soul. He would never even hurt a single fly. When he hugged little animals to his chest, his expression was the very picture of tranquility. There must be a misunderstanding and Maya was determined to help Lucien. If only Lucien would show up and ask for her help.


    Maya sighed.


    Someone else did show up and ask ¡ª no, demand ¡ª for her help. Someone who scared Maya more than a bunch of werewolves from the council.


    Ronan Silverback showed up at the college, again disguised as an art student who skipped weeks of art ss like a rebel.


    The Alpha did not trust that the so-called task force that the Werewolf Council put together would be able to find Lucien. They simply did not understand Lucien. At least that was what he thought. Ronan¡¯s arrogance plummeted with every passing hour when he himself failed to locate Lucien.


    He ended up following the task force¡¯s trail and tried to pick up any lead from there. It brought him to Maya, the only werewolf who knew him the longest in the recent years.


    The poor girl was just finishing her painting when Ronan walked through the door. She gasped once, dropped the palette on the floor, identally swiped at her wet painting with her elbow, and caused a long ugly streak to ruin her almost finished painting. Another gasp escaped her when she saw that her painting was ruined.


    Ronan squinted at Maya.


    Their, or better said Maya¡¯s ssmates could not help but snicker at her.


    ¡°Aw, Maya. We know that he¡¯s handsome but must youpletely lose your focus like that?¡±


    ¡°Ro-ro, look at what you did to Maya¡¯s painting!¡±


    Maya¡¯s face was pale instead of red. If only these fools knew who they were bbering about!


    Ronan shed Maya a charming smile. ¡°Maya? Will youe with me for a second?¡±


    Maya nodded fervently. Not because she was a shy maiden who was ecstatic at the prospect of dating the most handsome boy in ss, no. It was more like amoner who had to answer to a king¡¯s summon.


    Although Ronan was not sitting on his throne and Maya was not kneeling on the floor, both of them knew how they stood to each other. An Alpha enjoyed absolute obedience and loyalty from his pack members. In turn, the Alpha took care of the pack.


    ¡°I am here to ask you something.¡±


    Maya bowed as low as she could.


    ¡°Please ask, Alpha.¡±


    The Alpha took the trip from Great Lake City to South Bedford City to speak to her. There was no greater honor. Maya would be d to be able to help the Alpha.


    The weird thing was that her Alpha came to specifically inquire about her art teacher.


    ¡°How long have you known Lucien?¡± He asked. ¡°What do you know about him? Tell me everything.¡±


    A baffled look stered Maya¡¯s face. She thought that she must have misheard. Did she identally project her own worries for Lucien onto Ronan¡¯s questions? How inappropriate! What treason!


    It was not until Ronan repeated his questions that Maya realized that Ronan really was asking about Lucien.


    I see, she thought. The Infinite Eclipse Pack¡¯s unhealthy rivalry with the Night Prowler Pack had been going on for some time. The Alpha must n to take this chance to showcase his goodwill toward future cooperation between the two packs.


    Alpha Ronan was wise!


    Alpha Ronan was insightful!


    Poor, innocent Maya could not be more wrong.


    A slightly insolent pack member or Jake would have seen through Ronan¡¯s fake disy of authority right away.


    What future cooperation?


    What wisdom?


    The two Alphas were clearly fighting over Lucien Clearwater!


    Maya gulped and started to tell her story.


    ¡°I met Mr. Clearwater three years ago during the Annual Art Exhibition...¡±

 Chapter 64

    64 Maya¡¯s First Love


    Maya often thought that shifting into a wolf was the only thing that made her a werewolf. She had a timid character and a small body since birth. When she was eighteen years old, she was merely 5 feet and 2 inches tall. It did not surprise her when her wolf was also small with average strength.


    Her family members and good friends all told her that she was special in her own way. And that she was really cute. Not all werewolves had to be big and buff.


    Maya always forced herself to smile and agree with them because she knew that they said it out of love. Truthfully she believed that she was useless. If a war happened, then she would not be able to contribute. If anything, she would be a burden.


    These negative thoughts corrupted her mind day by day, until one day it became too suffocating to stay within her pack.


    To console herself, Maya went with one of her cousins to South Bedford City. Her cousin was a museum curator who was always on the look for new aspiring artworks to add to his museum¡¯s collections.


    Every year, South Bedford City held an Annual Art Exhibition where unknown artists were encouraged to submit their artworks for public viewing. Art critics, art collectors, museum curators, and evenmon folk who did not understand art at all were among the visitors. Unexpected opportunities for the artists might just emerge out of nowhere.


    Maya knew nothing about art. Sure, she thought that some paintings were pretty and exciting, but she was never able to immerse herself in the perfect bnce of colors that took the artists a long time to achieve. She failed to capture the beauty of every artwork, the minuscule expressions on the painting objects that spoke louder than any words.


    Since her cousin was busy reviewing artworks for his job, Maya was left wandering on her own. She wandered from corridor to corridor, chancing upon sculptures and paintings of various forms and sizes.


    And then she saw a painting that truly captured her heart.


    .....


    It was a painting of two wolves in nature. One with an orange coat and one with a ck coat. The two wolves were cutely nuzzling each other by ake.


    It was not the only painting that depicted wolves, but most paintings portrayed wolves from their fierce sides. The eyes were always sharp and the pose intimidating. This one painting on the other side was brimming with warmth and had mysterious healing properties. Maya could look at it for hours.


    And so she did.


    Until someone came and took it away. The painting was sold to a couple who thought that it would be a wonderful decoration piece for their son¡¯s bedroom.


    Maya was utterly disappointed. She remained standing in front of the empty wall, gazing at the spot where the painting used to hang.


    The exhibition center employees felt sorry for Maya, so they talked to the artist of the wolf painting, who was none other than Lucien Clearwater.


    They asked him to coax Maya. She looked too pitiful.


    Lucien approached Maya and introduced himself as the artist of the wolf painting.


    The moment Maya gazed upon Lucien, fireworks lit up in her heart. She had never seen someone more handsome than Lucien. For the first time in her life, the timid girl had enough courage to ask Lucien for his phone number.


    In the following months, Maya texted Lucien a lot. She was graduating from high school and she had yet to decide on her major in university or college. Whatever she ended up studying, Maya already made up her mind to study at South Bedford City ages ago.


    When Lucien told her that he was going to be an art teacher at South Bedford Art College, Maya told him, ¡°What a coincidence! I n to enroll in the college as an art student!¡±


    In the present time, Ronan pinned Maya with a cold re.


    ¡°So,¡± he said in a chilling tone, ¡°Lucien was the reason why you even decided to study at the South Bedford Art College.¡±


    Timid Maya nodded nervously. She honestly told Ronan the whole story, but why was Ronan ring at her as if she had done something unforgivable? Sure enough, Maya might skip the part about Lucien setting off fireworks in her heart if only she knew about the past affair between her Alpha and her first love.


    ¡°What else?¡± Ronan asked, drumming his fingers against his arm impatiently.


    ¡°That... We talked a lot, but it was nothing important. I found out that his favorite color is white and that he likes sweets...¡±


    Nothing that Ronan did not know. He was just pissed that someone else knew about these tiny things. If Ronan could, he would imprison Lucien in a dark room so Lucien would only be there for him. Ronan hated it when other people gawked at Lucien.


    ¡°Is there a ce that he likes to go to when he¡¯s upset?¡±


    Maya thought for a while but she then shook her head. ¡°Mr. Clearwater is a very private person. He doesn¡¯t like to mingle much with people. When he¡¯s in the college, he is either in the ssroom or in his studio. Otherwise, I don¡¯t know where he goes in his free time.¡±


    Ronan perked up.


    His studio.


    Now that was a ce worth investigating.


    ¡°Thanks, Maya. You can go.¡±


    Ronan turned around and marched into the dean¡¯s office.


    The poor dean did not expect the CEO of the Silverback Corporation to be disguised as an art student in his college. Even then, he refused to open Lucien¡¯s studio for Ronan.


    ¡°Mr. Silverback, a studio is an artist¡¯s oasis of inspiration, a safe ce for the birth of great artworks.¡±


    Lucien Clearwater was one of his best teachers. The dean had a lot of respect for the young man.


    It was not until Ronan informed the dean about Lucien¡¯s disappearance that the Dean begrudgingly agreed to unlock the door.

 Chapter 65

    65 The ce Where Our Time Stopped


    Thest time Ronan was inside Lucien¡¯s studio, he was a little too busy nailing the man at the wall to notice that it was in fact full of Lucien¡¯s amazing creations.


    Vibrant paintings hung on the wall and marble statues stood in the middle of the rooms. Lucien arranged so that they had their eyes trained at the entrance.


    Was it meant to greet or scare guests? Maybe only Lucien could answer.


    Ronan let his fingers brush against the desk. He recalled Lucien¡¯s trembling body on the desk. The lustful gaze that he threw him. The pair of luscious lips that asked to be kissed the whole time.


    His eyes drifted to the floor just next to the desk.


    Before his eyes, he could see two men intertwine on the floor passionately, give in to the heat of their ruts, and drown together in their carnal desire for each other.


    ¡°Mr. Silverback?¡±


    The dean was impatient. He finally agreed to unlock the studio and all Ronan did was rub the desk.


    ¡°Are we done?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Just a little bit more,¡± Ronan said.


    The Alpha searched Lucien¡¯s studio, but he could not find anything other than teaching materials. There were a few books about contemporary and ancient art on the shelves, a collection of brushes in the first drawer, and a sketchbook in the second drawer.


    The sketchbook contained random drawings that Ronan could not decipher.


    He closed the sketchbook with a sigh. Maybe he should go and check Lucien¡¯s house himself, then maybe he could find some clues about his whereabouts. Unfortunately, he could not just go and enter Lucien¡¯s house without permission. Should he mobilize the police force? With his connections, he will be able to open Lucien¡¯s house and search it.


    No, that¡¯s not a good idea. It might lead to the discovery of Lucien¡¯s identity as a werewolf. He needed to get information without leaking secrets of the werewolfmunity.


    ¡°Excuse me...¡±


    Both Ronan and the dean turned their heads to see a delivery man in a brown uniform stand at the door.


    ¡°Yes?¡± the dean asked while narrowing his eyes at the delivery man.


    The delivery man dangled a single key before them.


    ¡°I am here to pick up Mr. Lucien Clearwater¡¯s painting to disy at the Annual Art Exhibition.¡±


    Ronan raised an eyebrow. ¡°Lucien made the order?¡±


    ¡°Yes, around two weeks ago.¡±


    That was quite some time ago. Ronan frowned.


    ¡°Can I pick the painting up?¡± The delivery man looked at the dean and Ronan alternately. ¡°Or should Ie backter?¡±


    ¡°No, please. Go ahead,¡± the dean said, gesturing for the delivery man to go inside the studio.


    The delivery man knew right away which painting to take away. It was the one that was covered by arge white cloth that extended to the floor.


    Their interest piqued, Ronan and the dean automatically moved toward the easel to take a look at Lucien¡¯s submission this year.


    It was a painting of two wolves that were ying together in the summertime. Ronan recognized the bigger wolf right away. Landon. And the smaller one that shared the same brown-red coat must be Seara, Annalynne¡¯s wolf.


    How cute.


    Ronan turned away from the painting to look at the other artworks.


    The delivery man carefully packed the painting in a special container. He could not help but make a remark, ¡°This year the painting is a little different.¡±


    Ronan furrowed his brows and turned his head toward the delivery man.


    ¡°Different how?¡±


    ¡°Usually it is always a pair of a red wolf and a ck wolf,¡± the delivery man exined. ¡°I have been picking up Mr. Silverback¡¯s painting for three years so I know that. His submissions always had the same two wolves in them.¡±


    A red wolf and a ck wolf?


    ¡°The theme is still the same. It doesn¡¯t have to be the same wolves every time.¡± The dean objected. He pointed at the painting behind the translucent cover and exined further. ¡°All paintings depict wolves in the summertime. It evokes the feeling of simple and yet profound happiness that stemmed from friendship andpanionship.¡±


    ¡°Artists create from their hearts. These paintings speak volumes about the kind of person that Mr. Clearwater is. He is not someone who is interested in murky rtions full of deceptions and lies. He values basic and important things such as love, loyalty, and honesty.¡±


    Ronan scoffed.


    ¡°Love is not simple.¡±


    The dean smiled at Ronan.


    ¡°It is, actually. In order to see the love, you need to take away all the other emotions that oftene with it and thus obscure the true nature of love.¡±


    The delivery man scratched his head andughed. ¡°I am not a refined person. I don¡¯t really understand, hahaha. I like seeing these paintings, though. They are really nice.¡±


    The dean extended his hand and caressed the side of the covered painting.


    ¡°This is thest one of the series. I believe he wants to start something new.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    The delivery man looked disappointed. ¡°What a pity.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel like that. An artist must grow. You cannot expect him to draw only wolves in his whole life. I am excited to see his future works. It will surely be as good as ¡®The ce Where Our Time Stopped''¡±.


    ¡°The what?¡± Both Ronan and the delivery man asked in unison.


    ¡°It is the name of the painting series, consisting of four pieces of painting. ¡®The ce Where Our Time Stopped''¡±.


    Having found nothing in Lucien¡¯s studio, Ronan left and the dean locked the door.


    ¡°Mr. Silverback,¡± he called before Ronan walked away, ¡°if you ever meet with Mr. Clearwater again, please tell him that he is wee toe back anytime.¡±


    It was only then that Ronan remembered that Lucien had resigned from his position.


    ¡°What is going to happen to the studio?¡± he inquired.


    ¡°It will be vacated while waiting for a new art teacher to fill the position.¡±


    ¡°And the artworks?¡±


    All the paintings and sculptures?


    ¡°All of them will be auctioned as per his instruction.¡±


    ¡°No need. I will buy all of them,¡± Ronan imed.

 Chapter 66

    66 Our Memories Together


    The dean stared at the rich man that stood in front of him and made such a bold statement. There were around thirty-something artworks inside the studio. Did he just say that he wanted to buy all of them?


    He could, of course. A rich tycoon like Ronan Silverback could afford this little expense without breaking into a sweat.


    The dean did not think that it was a good idea to sell everything to Ronan Silverback.


    If Lucien¡¯s artworks were sold to various buyers, then there was a chance for him to rise in fame.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater has expressly asked for the artworks to be auctioned,¡± the dean exined. ¡°I would like to respect his wish.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Ronan said. ¡°My assistant will contact you regarding the auction time and date. I will bid on every piece without fail.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan got into his car a whileter. The car did not move as the driver was waiting for the CEO¡¯s instructions.


    ¡°Mr. Silverback? Where are we going to next?¡±


    .....


    Yes. Very good question.


    Ronan rubbed at his tired eyes.


    Where to go next?


    Lucien, where the fuck are you?


    ¡°The ce Where Our Time Stopped¡±...


    Ronan opened his eyes and stared at an imaginary object in front of him.


    ¡°Go to the Art Exhibition Center,¡± he ordered.


    The Art Exhibition Center kept a record of all submissions from year to year. The artists that created the artworks, the buyers, and also the price at which the artworks were sold.


    The building was thankfully bought off and managed by the Woond Enterprisetely. The building manager was a member of the Irond ws Pack.


    When Ronan said that he wanted to take a look at the submission record, he was led to a private waiting room. Coffee and baked goods were served while folders containing the submission data from the past three years were hauled into the private waiting room.


    Naturally, Ronan did not have to skim through the pages himself. He merely had to wait for a little while ten people went through the folders in search of the three paintings that were submitted by Lucien Clearwater in the past three years for the Annual Art Exhibition¡¯s purpose.


    ¡°We found them,¡± the manager announced eagerly once they had all three paintings together.


    Ronan put down his cup of coffee and extended his hand for the three stic files, each representing Lucien¡¯s submission of the respective year. A picture of the painting was stuck on the front page along with Lucien¡¯s name.


    The first painting showed a pair of a brown-red wolf and a ck wolf that were cuddling in the middle of the woods.


    Ah.


    Ronan¡¯s heart melted at the sight.


    It had been so long ago, but the memories of that day were as vivid as ever. It was the day of their first date. Sneaking around the woods in order to hide their rtionship from curious eyes. In retrospect, although Ronan kept proiming that their rtionship was blessed by the Moon Goddess herself, he knew right at the start that it was going to be a bumpy ride. He was willing to hold Lucien¡¯s hand and bleed together while climbing one hurdle after another.


    In the end, Lucien was the first to let go.


    The second painting showed the same pair of wolves by ake. There were blurred shadows in the backdrop, most likely the other alpha werewolves who took part in the camp.


    The ck wolf was nuzzling the brown-red wolf intimately.


    Ronan smiled.


    The days in the Alpha Camp were filled with lessons and exercises. From Monday to Friday, the young teenagers worked hard to fill their brains and build their muscles. Saturdays were reserved for games, and Sundays were reserved for free time.


    That day, the children were split into teams of ten yers. They were taken to theke where a bunch of colorful balloons were gently bobbing up and down in the water.


    There were five colors altogether to represent the number of children that attended the Alpha Camp that year : red, yellow, green, blue, and purple.


    Ronan was in the Yellow Team and Lucien was in the Blue Team.


    The team who got all their balloons from the water and put them into respective underwater baskets would win the game.


    Once the instruction was clear, the alpha werewolves were lined up at the edge of theke in their bathing suits.


    A bang into the sky signaled the start of the game. All the teenagers jumped in at once.


    Naturally, theirpetitive nature prevented them from just obediently collecting their own balloons. When they reached balloons of different colors, they mischievously threw them as far as possible from the baskets.


    Ronan was a natural-born swimmer. He was faster than anyone else. He kicked and punched balloons away from his peers, making them curse and swing their punches at him while he swam away like a sly eel.


    Except of course when he was dealing with Lucien. Ronan was so sweet to Lucien that he not only gathered the yellow but also the blue balloons.


    It was thus no surprise then the Yellow Team came first and the Blue Team came second.


    Ronan and Lucien exchanged their winning medals for fun. The Alpha still kept the medal that he got from Lucien.


    Lucien... It turns out that the memory is as precious to you as it is to me.


    The third painting depicted the same pair of wolveszying around in front of a wooden hut.


    It was their second Sunday during the Alpha Camp. They found a deserted wooden hut in the forest by chance, so they tidied it up and turned it into their secret rendezvous ce.


    After that, they met up almost every night there to whisper sweet things to each other while curling up against each other under a nket. They only went back to the campsite in the wee hours before anyone noticed that they were gone the whole night.


    Ronan looked at the paintings one by one many times.


    The three paintings told the beautiful love story between him and Lucien back when they were just two alpha werewolf boys in love at Alpha Camp.

 Chapter 67

    67 North Ridge Forest


    Ronan exited the Art Exhibition Center with copies of the three files in his hand. By the time he reached the car, his newly recruited assistant was already waiting for him.


    Ronan handed the copies to him. ¡°Get me all these paintings, no matter how much they cost. Then find out from the South Bedford Art College dean about the date and time of the auction. Buy all of Lucien Clearwater¡¯s artworks. Make sure you get everything inside the studio.¡±


    Milroy, the poor man, gaped at Ronan for a split second before he started writing whatever he could remember from Ronan¡¯s instructions. Poor boy, the driver thought. The Alpha always expected anyone to know what he wanted just by dropping random orders. Milroy would have to pick up on every single hint and trace it backward in order to fulfill his tasks. Knowing that he had a long day ahead of him, the man excused himself before Ronan could give him more assignments.


    The driver on the other way had a much easier task. He only needed to drive Ronan Silverback around.


    ¡°Where do you wish to go next, Alpha?¡± he politely asked.


    Ronan sat inside the car, busy with his thoughts.


    A few minutes of silence passed, interrupted only by the frantic typing on Milroy¡¯s phone as thetter tried to google some information. the driver started to panic. Had the Alpha started to expect him to know where he was going without even saying a single word?


    The driver thus thanked the Moon Goddess for all of her blessings when Ronan suddenly became wiser and realized that his driver could not read minds.


    ¡°Noah, to the North Ridge Forest.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Right away, Alpha,¡± was what the ted Noah, the driver, said as he started the car, but then a lot of questions popped into his mind.


    North Ridge Forest?


    Why?


    Where exactly?


    What for?


    ¡°Excuse me, Alpha. Are we going to the Werewolf Council Headquarters?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ...


    That was it? A single no?


    Where exactly at North Ridge Forest are you nning to go to, Mr. Ronan Silverback??


    Ronan Silverback waspletely oblivious to his driver¡¯s distress. He closed his eyes to take a nap not long after the car pulled onto the highway that led to the North Ridge Forest.


    That fourth painting.


    It was the ce where he confessed his love to Lucien.


    The eighteen-year-old Ronan was not very happy about having another alpha male as his fated mate, but he was unable to escape the Moon Goddess¡¯ will.


    The more he resisted Lucien Clearwater, the more he fell for the boy.


    Ronan who never once had sexual thoughts about anyone, boy or girl, started to pay more attention to Lucien. Lucien always appeared calm and collected. Mature for his age. He was not fun. He did not know what fun meant. He liked to stay in the art room and paint for hours.


    Lucien, boy or girl, was not Ronan¡¯s type at all!


    Despite all of that, Ronan still ended up stalking Lucien whenever he was bored or had some free time in his hands.


    This alpha teenage werewolf sucked at hiding. It did not take long before Lucien ran out of patience and pulled him out of his hiding ce to confront him.


    ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡± the redhead snapped in annoyance. ¡°Why are you following me every day?¡±


    Ronan still remembered how nervous he was. There, in the middle of a grass field with yellowing ends and the scent of summer, he gathered his courage and confessed.


    ¡°Lucien Clearwater, I like you!¡±


    I like you.


    Lucien, I like you.


    Ronan Silverback sighed in the present time.


    Once they arrived at North Ridge Forest, Ronan finally had the grace to inform his driver where exactly they were heading.


    ¡°Alpha Camp.¡±


    It was ¡°The ce Where Their Memories Stopped¡±.


    The Alpha Camp was only open for three weeks in summer, then closed for the whole year. At that time it was already the end of summer. The weather was still warm, but sometimes the chill of autumn could be felt through random gusts of wind that blew through the camp area.


    The Alpha Camp site was directly connected to the North Ridge Forest itself. It was a training ground for alpha werewolves after all, so the camp instructors were not afraid of wild beasts or anything.


    Ronan walked into the empty piece ofnd and looked around.


    ¡°Lucien...?¡± He called out.


    No answer.


    He went to the woods, the spot that inspired the first painting.


    There was no one there.


    Then he went to theke where they once had that balloon-collecting game.


    Not even Lucien¡¯s shadow was around.


    Ronan went to the hut where they spent nights in each other¡¯s arms. It was now a dpidated hut. After breaking up with Lucien, Ronan never again came back. Neither did Lucien because he only visited Alpha Camp once.


    Naturally, Lucien was also not there.


    Ronan started to grow restless.


    His feet took him to the grass field. The field was the same as it was seven years ago, but Lucien was also not there.


    In his fury, Ronan punched at yet another innocent tree. Thankfully this one was thicker than the other one. It shook violently but it remained standing.


    Ronan bit into his lip.


    Was he wrong?


    Was Lucien not in the Alpha Camp after all?


    Ronan rubbed at his face and roared in exasperation.


    But then where did he go???


    Ronan already went through all the ces that held the slightest meaning for Lucien and yet the man remained missing.


    Lulu, where the hell are you?


    Don¡¯t scare me. Almost three days have passed. Where are you???


    Tired, the Alpha took a seat on a nearby rock. His elbows rested over his knees while his both hands were supporting his head.


    Did he miss something? During the three weeks of Alpha Camp, was there another ce that might hold any meaning to their rtionship?


    Oh, wait.


    There was one more ce.


    It was located on the north side of the Alpha Camp. It was the ce Lucien took him to in order to break up with him.

 Chapter 68

    68 When The Wolves Met Again


    With every step that Ronan Silverback took, his feet felt heavier and heavier. Almost as if he were dragging two blocks of iron up the deserted stone steps.


    The north side of the Alpha Camp was not known by too many people. Beyond the thick, untouched section of the forest,y an unparalleled, incredibly beautiful scenic area.


    The first thing that people saw once they got out of the woods was a two-meter-high waterfall that fed water from a hugeke into a smaller stream underneath. The tiny river flowed between the woods and an orchard. It was packed with fat and sulent trout in the summertime.


    Lucien and Ronan found the spot by chance when they were looking for ces to be alone. They never expected to find such a beautiful nook in the wilderness.


    The werewolves who found the spot before them must have put some effort into nting all sorts of fruit trees to create a piece of heaven.


    In summer, the orchard bloomed beautifully. The sweet, enticing smell of ripe fruits was appealing to their noses. It caused the two teenagers that were already drunk from love to get drunk even more.


    Further up from the orchard was a huge stone tform where they used to sit toze around while feeding each other a bunch of strawberries, cherries, and raspberries.


    The sweetest fruits that Ronan ever ate were the ones that he licked off Lucien¡¯s fingers.


    The greatest joy that Ronan ever had other than bullying Lucien on the bed at night was pampering Lucien, watching the young man glow with happiness from the love they shared.


    .....


    Sometimes they would catch some trout and roast them over an open fire. None of them knew how to cook so their first attempt was a fail. They still ate it all up anyway. After browsing for some good outdoor recipes, they finally managed to cook more or less decent dinners.


    It was supposed to be their safe haven.


    And then Lucien just had to ruin it by breaking up with him there.


    Ronan never again stepped a foot into the orchard.


    Never again fished for trout and roasted them over an open fire.


    The once so wonderful ce lost its appeal when he lost Lucien. The same thing happened with the hut. It was only then that Ronan realized something.


    The only reason why he liked such remote ces was the opportunity to be alone with Lucien.


    For as long as he remembered, Ronan had always preferred bustling, crowded areas.


    Lucien on the contrary enjoyed the serenity that only solitude could offer.


    The orchard and the hut were something like apromise. Ronan made do with only Lucien as hispany, and Lucien tolerated Ronan¡¯s noisiness for love.


    After climbing the steps for some time, Ronan arrived at the ce that used to be their ce for secret rendezvous. The orchard was still there despitecking some housekeeping efforts. The river was still the same.


    He could see the huge stone tform some distance away.


    After walking a few steps toward the said tform, he stopped in his track. Something, or someone, was resting on top of it.


    It was a lone wolf with a glorious brown-red coat.


    Ronan sucked in a deep breath and held it in as he continued to move as quietly as possible toward the stone tform.


    Although he was very skinny, he was bigger than any other wild wolf. He was most definitely a werewolf. And not just any werewolf.


    This distinct fur pattern...


    The burning longing in Ronan¡¯s heart that screamed a name into his mind incessantly...


    Ronan¡¯s heart pounded hard against his chest. It was Beowulf who first recognized his fated mate.


    ¡®Landon...?¡¯


    The brown-red wolf on top of the tform opened its eyes when he heard the unusual sound of rustling leaves. He jumped to his feet in one swift movement and shot Ronan a fierce look. Two rows of sharp teeth were brandished at the Alpha, a warning for Ronan to stay as far away as possible.


    But Ronan could not stop himself from drawing near.


    ¡°Landon...?¡± He called while extending his hand toward the wolf. ¡°Landon, it¡¯s me...¡±


    It¡¯s me, Ronan.


    Landon, do you still remember?


    It was unclear whether Landon remembered or not. He always had a hot-headed temperament, very much the opposite of Lucien. Since he already warned Ronan not to get close and thetter chose to disobey his direction, Ronan ought to reap the consequences.


    The giant wolf pounced at Ronan with a thundering roar and two sets of sharp ws. Ronan gritted his teeth. He dodged the two sets of ws just in time before they tore him into shreds.


    Ronan took off his long coat to catch Landon once he turned for another attack, but the second attack never came.


    Landon ran away and disappeared into the woods.


    ¡°Ck...!¡±


    Ronan clicked his tongue. He threw his coat to the ground and ripped his clothes open as he ran in pursuit of Landon.


    Within an instant, a giant ck wolf took his ce and ran with a speed that was not inferior to the Landon¡¯s.


    Just as Lucien was tied to Ronan by fate, so was Landon tied to Beowulf. The brown-red wolf faltered in his movement for some time when he sensed his fated mate approaching. His desire urged him to turn around and run into Beowulf¡¯s arms, but his instinct told him to run away.


    Run away, run as far as possible.


    A sad whine escaped Landon as he continued running blindly across the forest. Anywhere was fine as long as he could escape Beowulf.


    He must not get caught.


    Landon already ran as fast as possible, but he had been out for days with barely any food. He was starving and weak. Beowulf easily caught up with him within minutes.


    The giant ck wolf jumped at Landon¡¯s back as soon as thetter was close enough. Beowulf tackled Landon to the ground hard and pinned him onto the grass.


    Landon struggled to break free, but he could not escape Beowulf¡¯s persistent grip. Beowulf indulged Landon¡¯s useless endeavors for as long as possible. Until thetter gave up and whined pitifully whileying his head on the ground, exhausted and defeated.


    Beowulf nuzzled against Landon¡¯s cheek intimately. He licked at the wolf that was trapped under him many times until Landon nuzzled back at him.

 Chapter 69

    69 Go Back With Me


    Landony his head weakly on the ground. His caramel-brown eyes were full of usations.


    It is all your fault that I became like this.


    Look at what I have gone through.


    I suffered so much... Ronan...


    Beowulf gave Landon a yful bite and nudged thetter¡¯s muzzle with his own. Landon whimpered. He wanted to stand up but Beowulf was still pinning him down with his weight.


    Landon licked at Beowulf¡¯s face a few times to coax him to get up from his body. Eventually, once Beowulf felt that Landon was not going to run away anymore, he got up and Landon scrambled to his feet.


    The two wolves stared at each other. Beowulf nuzzled against Landon¡¯s neck, asking for some love. Landon opened his mouth and gave Beowulf a gentle bite on his neck.


    Beowulf jumped at Landon in retaliation. Thetternded on his back and Beowulf showered him with kisses. The two wolves rolled around the ground and exchanged affectionate kisses and bites.


    ¡®Beowulf,¡¯ Ronan¡¯s voice rang out in Beowulf¡¯s head.


    .....


    ¡®What?¡¯


    ¡®Get Landon to return to Lucien¡¯s body.¡¯


    ¡®No,¡¯ Beowulf refused Ronan without skipping a beat.


    Ronan sighed.


    ¡®B... Lucien has been out for three days without human food and water. He hasn¡¯t transformed for a while. His body must reject whatever Landon tries to eat. At this point, both of them will die.¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    Beowulf continued rolling around with Landon, ignoring Ronanpletely.


    ¡®BEOWULF!¡¯ Ronan angrily shouted. ¡®Get him to return to his human form, NOW!¡¯


    ¡®FINE!¡¯ Beowulf shouted back. ¡®You didn¡¯t have to yell, geez...¡¯


    Beowulf nudged at Landon a few times and thetter stared at him. A low growl escaped Beowulf¡¯s throat when Landon refused to do what he wanted. Landon turned away from Beowulf. He was a tougher nut to crack than Beowulf. Unfortunately only Beowulf could coax him right now so Ronan had to be patient.


    Landon barked at Beowulf when thetter became too annoying. Beowulf had to act meek to win over his lover again.


    ¡®Ronan, he doesn¡¯t want to,¡¯ Beowulf reported.


    Ronan was about to get out of his mind.


    ¡®This is not negotiable. He is already very weak. He cannot survive if Lucien dies.¡¯


    ¡®I know, but... Ronan, Landon is even more stubborn than Lucien. Besides, Lucien haspletely given up.¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    Ronan bit his lips. Beowulf was not wrong. Landon did invade Lucien¡¯s body, but Lucien was still the master of the body. If he wanted to, he could fight against Landon¡¯s consciousness and suppress him. Lucien was stuck in a wolf body because he did not want to fight Landon. He basically gave Landon full control over his body.


    ¡®This won¡¯t do. I will talk to him.¡¯


    ¡®What...? But...¡¯


    Beowulf¡¯s protests disappeared as the giant ck wolf transformed into a naked Ronan. Landon narrowed his eyes at Ronan and growled at him.


    ¡°Landon,e.¡±


    Ronan stretched out his arms and beckoned the wolf toe to him.


    ¡°Come to me, Landon.¡±


    The wolf snorted but he eventually trottedzily toward Ronan.


    ¡°Good boy,¡± Ronan ced a kiss on Landon¡¯s forehead affectionately. He pulled Landon to the ground and let ity its big head on hisp.


    ¡°Landon, release Lucien, please.¡±


    The wolf blinked a few times but otherwise ignored his plea. Ronan did not give up. His fingers traveled across Landon¡¯s fluffy fur and gently rubbed his belly. The belly rubs caused Landon to whimper from pleasure.


    ¡°I know that I messed up.


    I know that I let both of you down.


    But I beg you, please give me another chance. I want us all to be happy again together.¡±


    Landon gave Ronan a look and snorted.


    He almost sounded like Lucien when he scoffed.


    ¡°Please?¡± Ronan begged again.


    ¡°I love Lucien. I do.¡±


    Landon snorted again.


    Ronan swallowed hard. Why was it that it was so much easier to convince someone of hatred than love? Of course he had been a despicable ass to Lucien, but this time he truly just wanted to save Lucien¡¯s life.


    ¡°Please, Landon.¡±


    That was all Ronan could do. Begging Landon for Lucien¡¯s life.


    ¡°I know that you also want him back. If this continues, the both of you will die.¡±


    Landon closed his eyes and grunted.


    ¡°Hey... Hey, listen to me. Landon...¡±


    Ronan pulled Landon into his arms.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it another try, okay? This time, we will be together. I will never ever leave you again.¡±


    Landon turned his head and licked at Ronan¡¯s belly. Then he went lower and his tongue scraped against Ronan¡¯s manhood. The sensation of having a beast licking his organs was enough to make Ronan¡¯s blood freeze in his veins.


    It was almost as if Landon was saying, ¡°If you lie then I am going to cut your penis off.¡±


    Landon stood up and wagged his tail around. He turned to face Ronan and gave him a stern look. And then, he transformed. The brown-red form copsed into a naked man who shared the same hair color.


    Lucien Clearwatery on the grass, his face pale and his lips bloodless.


    Ronan sighed out of relief.


    He quickly approached Lucien and lifted the man¡¯s upper body into his arms.


    ¡°Lulu? Lulu, can you hear me?¡±


    He could not.


    Lucien¡¯s eyes were shut tightly and he was barely breathing.


    Ronan put one of Lucien¡¯s arms around his own neck and lifted the lifeless body in his arms. He walked as fast as possible toward the entrance of the Alpha Camp, where his car and driver were already waiting for him.


    Although their goal was indeed to find Lucien Clearwater, Noah could not help but gape when he saw the naked Alpha walking out of the woods with an equally naked Lucien in his arms.


    He quickly grabbed a thick, fluffy nket and helped Ronan swaddle Lucien in it to keep him warm. After that, he gave Ronan another nket.


    ¡°Alpha, for you.¡±


    ¡°To the hospital. Now,¡± Ronan ordered after taking the nket from Noah¡¯s hands.

 Chapter 70

    70 Landon and Lucien


    Landon...


    Landon was crying.


    ¡®Landon... You are back...¡¯


    He kept crying as he ran and ran into the night.


    ¡®Please don¡¯t cry, Landon... Why are you crying?¡¯


    The wolf sniffled for a while before he finally spoke up.


    ¡®Why, Lucien?¡¯ he asked, his tone full of recrimination. ¡®You love Ronan. I know you do. So why? Why did you do everything to sabotage your happiness?¡¯


    Lucien sighed.


    ¡®Landon, you know why.¡¯


    .....


    ¡®Don¡¯t give me that bullshit excuse with your father because I am not taking it,¡¯ the wolf snapped. ¡®What is the real reason, Lucien?¡¯


    ¡®There is no other reason,¡¯ Lucien answered meekly. ¡®I had to do things in the best interest of my family.¡¯


    The cold wind whipped against the wolf¡¯s face.


    ¡®It is always like this,¡¯ he spoke bitterly. ¡®Always. Always making the decision that is good for everyone but yourself! You are even willing to sell yourself to the enemy!¡¯ Landon spat at Lucien.


    Lucien could only close his eyes and sigh.


    ¡®Then what about me, Lucien? What about me?!¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®Do I mean nothing to you?!¡¯


    ¡®... You know that is not true.¡¯


    ¡®Then why do you choose to hurt me?! Day and night, the pain... The pain... I can¡¯t take it...¡¯


    ¡®I never med you for leaving.¡¯


    ¡®Of course. You had no right for ming me!¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    Landon wailed. His sobs grew increasingly louder.


    ¡®Landon, don¡¯t cry. What is it this time?¡¯


    Landon already left once. And then he came back again. For what?


    Lucien sighed in his heart.


    He did not want Landon to suffer.


    If Landon was happier when he was away from Lucien, then maybe it was for the best.


    Lucien was trapped between the walls. Pick the pack or pick his wolf? Pick his family or pick his fated mate?


    Whatever he picked, it would always be wrong.


    He just never thought that he would end up hurting himself and Landon so badly.


    ¡®Landon, please don¡¯t cry,¡¯ Lucien begged again. ¡®I will listen to you this time. You can do whatever you want with me. Just stop crying.¡¯


    I can¡¯t take it.


    I owe Landon too much.


    That was Lucien¡¯sst thought when fatigue and malnourishment took their toll on his body and sent his consciousness into a deep slumber.


    When Lucien opened his eyes again, it had been a week since Ronan brought him to the hospital. He was lying on a bed in the middle of the night. The room was dimly lit by amp with a flower-shaped shade at the nightstand.


    Lucien turned his head weakly on the pillow and saw that an IV drip hung from a stand and connected to his hand.


    His whole body hurt.


    And he was so thirsty.


    Lucien opened his mouth but nothing came out.


    He was also unable to move even a single finger.


    How was he supposed to call for help?


    The door opened with a cking sound and in entered a man.


    ¡°Lulu...?¡±


    Lucien furrowed his brows. The man¡¯s face was obscured by the darkness, but his voice was familiar.


    Ronan.


    ¡°Hey...¡±


    Ronan approached Lucien¡¯s bed and caressed his cheeks lovingly. ¡°Hey, how are you feeling?¡±


    Lucien swallowed hard. He opened his mouth again, and again he was unable to say anything.


    ¡°Water? You must be thirsty,¡± Ronan quickly said.


    The Alpha went to pour Lucien some water from a container that stood on a table some distance away. He put the ss of water on the nightstand, helped Lucien to sit, and then held the ss against his lips to help him drink.


    The ss of water was like rain on the desert. Lucien¡¯s throat finally did not feel dry anymore. Ronan pressed his forehead against Lucien¡¯s. Lucien¡¯s forehead felt warm against his.


    ¡°You still have some fever. Why don¡¯t you sleep a bit more?¡± He suggested.


    Lucien shook his head.


    ¡°I slept enough. What happened to me?¡±


    Ronan lowered his gaze and took Lucien¡¯s hand in his.


    ¡°What do you rememberst?¡±


    Lucien¡¯s eyes wandered away from Ronan¡¯s face.


    ¡°I remember attacking Kinnon.¡±


    He clenched at Ronan¡¯s hand. ¡°Is he... alive?¡±


    Jealousy climbed up Ronan¡¯s throat. Displeasure was written all over his face.


    Must they talk about Kinnon right after Lucien woke up?


    Ronan took a deep breath and cleared his throat.


    ¡°Yes. He is recuperating.¡±


    ¡°Was it serious? His wound, I mean.¡±


    Landon almost ripped the poor man into two, but of course Ronan would not tell Lucien that.


    ¡°It was not that bad. He is fine. Let¡¯s not talk about him.¡±


    But then what should they talk about? About Lucien and Ronan?


    Both of them fell into awkward silence.


    ¡°Do you uh... Do you want to eat something?¡± Ronan asked awkwardly.


    Lucien shook his head. ¡°I am not hungry.¡±


    ¡°You have to eat something,¡± Ronan insisted. ¡°The doctor said that it¡¯s best to start with something light. I will order you some porridge. Do you want fish? Shrimp? Chicken? Beef?¡±


    Lucien did not answer. He merely gave Ronan a strange look.


    ¡°Ronan.¡±


    ¡°... What?¡±


    Ronan gulped. Was Lucien going to kick him out? Because there was supposedly nothing between them anymore?


    ¡°Are you tired?¡± Ronan asked, retracting his hand from Lucien¡¯s grip.


    ¡°Ronan...¡±


    ¡°You should sleep a bit more. I will order the porridge and then I will call the nurse to help you eat...¡±


    Lucien grabbed Ronan¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Ronan, thank you. For saving me.¡±


    .....


    Oh.


    Ronan held his breath while staring at Lucien. That was it?


    After Lucien did not say anything else to kick Ronan out, the man finally felt safe enough to rx. He pressed a chaste kiss on Lucien¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°No need to thank me.¡±


    Ronan raised a hand to caress Lucien¡¯s cheek. His thumb slowly moved to touch Lucien¡¯s tender lips. It pressed against Lucien¡¯s lower lip, the topmost part gently lodged between Lucien¡¯s lips.


    The two men were so busy with each other that they did not hear the sound of a third personing.


    ¡°Indeed, there is no need for him to thank you. I should be the one to thank Alpha Ronan instead.¡±


    The door opened and Kinnon Youngshaper walked in.

 Chapter 71

    71 You Don¡¯t Deserve Him


    Kinnon Youngshaper¡¯s eyes were burning with jealousy and rage.


    He was thankful for Ronan¡¯s help in finding Lucien, but he in no way tolerated the closeness between them. Especially not after his and Lucien¡¯s marriage n had been announced.


    Ronan should have known his ce.


    Kinnon stepped into the room and held out his hand to touch Lucien¡¯s chin.


    ¡°Lucien, how are you doing?¡±


    A strange light flickered across Lucien¡¯s eyes when he caught sight of Kinnon. Instinctively, Kinnon withdrew his hand and retreated a few steps. That was the right thing to do.


    A split secondter, Lucien jumped off the bed andunched at Kinnon with an inhuman speed. Two sets of sharp, glinting wolf ws protruded from the pair of deformed human hands, aiming at Kinnon¡¯s neck and chest.


    ¡°Lucien...!!!¡±


    The ws missed Kinnon by a hairbreadth. If Ronan did not additionally hold Lucien back by his waist, Lucien would not have missed his target.


    .....


    All of them were shocked by the sudden aggression, especially Lucien. His body trembled in Ronan¡¯s arms, his voice broken from a mix of shock and regret.


    ¡°I... Sorry, Kinnon, I...¡±


    Ronan held Lucien tight in his embrace. He ced a kiss on Lucien¡¯s neck to soothe him.


    ¡°Ssshhhh... Sshhhhh, it is fine. Don¡¯t worry about it. Nothing happened.¡±


    Lucien struggled to breathe. His eyelids were so heavy that he could not keep his eyes open any longer. The man slumped against Ronan¡¯s body, his head resting on thetter¡¯s shoulder. He suddenly felt so tired. The one attack drained the little energy that he had.


    Ronan pressed a kiss against the side of Lucien¡¯s head.


    ¡°Rest, Lucien. Everything will be fine, I promise.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s ws disappeared, and he fell asleep in Ronan¡¯s embrace. Ronan sighed out of relief. He turned his head slightly in Kinnon¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Please leave, Alpha Kinnon. Lucien is not in a good state for a conversation.¡±


    Kinnon shot Ronan a sharp re.


    ¡°Lucien is to be my Luna! If anyone should leave here, it should be you, Alpha Ronan.¡±


    Ronan put Lucien back to bed and tucked him in. He then rose to his feet and faced his rival.


    ¡°Someone has to take care of him, and at the moment you are thest person he wants to see.¡±


    Kinnon gritted his teeth.


    Ronan was right, but did it mean that he should just let Ronan hang around his Luna shamelessly like that? No way.


    ¡°I will find someone to take care of Lucien,¡± Kinnon scowled. ¡°I will not show myself before him until he gets better.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that that is up to you,¡± Ronan remarked. ¡°This is Lucien¡¯s decision to make.¡±


    Kinnon scoffed. He grabbed Ronan¡¯s cor and shot him a scorching re.


    ¡°So until he can make his decision, who will take care of him, you? Don¡¯t make meugh.¡±


    His own blood pressure rising in response to Kinnon¡¯s words, Ronan also grabbed at Kinnon¡¯s cor and hissed at him.


    ¡°At least his wolf likes me better than you.¡±


    Kinnon pulled his fist back and prepared to punch Ronan in the face, but then a booming voice rang out from outside.


    ¡°WILL THE TWO GENTLEMEN PLEASE KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN? THIS IS A HOSPITAL NOT A BAR!¡±


    The door was pushed open forcefully and a furious nurse stomped into the room.


    Both the Alphas stared dumbfounded at the nurse. They still had their hands at each other¡¯s cors.


    ¡°YOU!¡± The nurse yelled while pointing at Ronan¡¯s face. ¡°AND YOU!¡± Her finger moved like a de and stopped at Kinnon¡¯s face.


    ¡°OUT! OUT! SETTLE YOUR BUSINESS OUTSIDE! DON¡¯T DISTURB THE PATIENT!¡±


    That was what she said, but her voice was loud enough to awaken dead people. It for sure dragged Lucien back to consciousness.


    The two Alphas were kicked out of the ward unceremoniously.


    ¡°This was your fault,¡± Kinnon hissed at Ronan once the door was mmed shut in front of their faces.


    ¡°How was that my fault? We were doing fine before YOU showed up!¡± came Ronan¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Whatever. I will arrange for a Healer from my pack to take care of Lucien.¡±


    Ronan scoffed.


    ¡°No need, my Healer is already in charge of Lucien for a week.¡±


    Kinnon raised an eyebrow. ¡°The Night Prowler Pack can provide a Healer to take care of their Luna. Thank you for Alpha Ronan¡¯s good intention.¡±


    ¡°Do you even care for Lucien¡¯s well-being? No wonder his wolf hates you. You are suffocating him.¡±


    That was thest thing that Kinnon wanted to hear. He was about to punch Ronan across his face when an elder female voice announced her presence, her tone carrying a hint of admonition.


    ¡°I care for my son¡¯s well-being. Can I take care of my son?¡±


    For the second time that day, the two Alphas were caught off guard.


    Alice Clearwater passed both men an icy look before she disappeared behind the door. Annalynne who apanied her mother gave them brief nods before she too entered the ward.


    Kinnon and Ronan were left outside, cursing softly more at themselves than at each other.


    The grouchy nurse came out, and she did not look too happy to see the two troublemakers outside of the ward.


    ¡°The patient is resting,¡± she announced while looking down her nose at both men. ¡°Please learn to conduct yourself properly before you show up at this hospital again.¡±


    Ronan and Kinnon were thus kicked out of the hospital for the night.


    It was a first for both Alphas to experience such crude treatment. As Alphas of renowned packs, they were used to being worshipped by their pack members and even enjoyparable adoration from werewolves from different packs.


    Kinnon raked his fingers through his hair. He shot Ronan onest re before they both went back to their respective cars.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that you are so special because Lucien¡¯s wolf chooses you, Ronan Silverback,¡± he growled. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve him at all.¡±


    Ronan chuckled. ¡°And you think you deserve him more than me? How arrogant.¡±


    A cynical smile spread on Kinnon¡¯s face. ¡°I never hurt him the way you did.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s smile drained from his face. Kinnon turned around andughed all the way to his car. For some reason, Ronan did not feel at ease. He was 99% sure that Kinnon spouted some bullshit to provoke him, but the remaining 1% nagged at his conscience.


    Did he really do something to hurt Lucien badly?

 Chapter 72

    72 The Relentless Wolf


    On the night of their eighteenth birthday, all werewolves would be paired with their wolves. They met their wolves in a dreamscape and woke up to them as lifepanions as well as the ability to shapeshift into said wolves. It marked their first step into adulthood.


    Every werewolf pup was excited to hear about this story. All of them greatly anticipated their eighteenth birthday, all the while praying to the Moon Goddess to bestow them with the strongest, the coolest, and the bravest wolf of all time. The wolf of the wolves! The king of the wolves!


    Unlike the others, Lucien prayed for a wolf that was in touch with his sensible nature. Either the Moon Goddess misheard his prayer or wished to reward him, Lucien ended up getting paired with Landon, one of the strongest and fiercest wolves of his generation. Landon was the kind of wolf that most alpha werewolves dreamed to be paired with. He was not only strong but also beautiful, with a ferocious but at the same time enchanting character. Very much like a double-edged de that kept his owners on their toes at all times. Only the bravest ones should attempt to wield it.


    That was not all.


    Landon was extremely willful and stubborn. Although young Lucien was supposed to retain control over his body, he often lost against Landon in the early days. Landon then randomly forced Lucien to transform just so he could go around and have fun in a wolf body. Only when he got bored would he let Lucien return to his human body.


    It was not after several months had passed that Lucien developed enough mental fortitude to master his own body and gain Landon¡¯s eptance. Even then, Landon was never submissive toward Lucien. It was simply not his nature. A wolf like Landon was meant to walk side-by-side with Lucien. That was also what Lucien had in mind. Apanion and not a pet.


    It was rare for a wolf who already left to return to his paired human being, but it did happen in some instances throughout the history of werewolves. The process was pretty much the same as the first time. It involved a pair of a human being and a wolf that tried to amodate to each other in order to upy the same body without breaking into a fight. It was a painful but also rewarding process in the end.


    Lucien¡¯s fever worsened throughout the week. He was barely lucid enough to respond to people who came to his bedside and spoke to him. The only one who stayed by his side at all times was still Landon, who he had toe to peace with.


    Unfortunately, for Landon peace only came if Lucien adhered to his bidding.


    .....


    ¡®I want you to break the marriage promise to that Alpha of Night Prowler Pack,¡¯ so the wolf demanded.


    Coincidentally, Lucien wanted the exact opposite and would like Landon to agree with him.


    ¡®A promise is a promise,¡¯ Lucien insisted. ¡®He is a good person. He will take good care of us. And our pack.¡¯


    Landon snorted.


    ¡®Ronan can do that as well.¡¯


    Not Ronan again.


    ¡®I can almost understand why you were unable to rely on him seven years ago. He was just a pathetic little pup back then. But look at him now! Why didn¡¯t you take him into consideration?¡¯


    It was not as if Landon did not know why. The reason was still the same as the one seven years ago.


    ¡®Landon, Ronan is off-limit,¡¯ Lucien dered.


    ¡®Who says that?¡¯


    ¡®I do.¡¯


    Landon sometimes wished he could beat Lucien up in a fight. If they did not share the same body, he might do that a few times just to make a point.


    ¡®I will never ept Kinnon Youngshaper and his wolf as our mate. Remember that.¡¯


    ¡®Landon...¡¯


    ¡®Unless you want me to leave again?¡¯


    Lucien sighed.


    ¡®Of course not. We are a team.¡¯


    A delighted growl was hearding from the wolf.


    ¡®Then as a good teammate, you will listen to me.¡¯


    Landon seemed to have mistaken teammates for subordinates.


    ¡®As teammates, we shoulde to apromise,¡¯ Lucien pointed out.


    ¡®I am all aboutpromises. Just don¡¯t hang around Kinnon Youngshaper anymore.¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t think that¡¯s an option.¡¯


    ¡®Why not?¡¯


    ¡®I am going to be the Luna of his pack.¡¯


    ¡®Then you will be known as the Luna who kills the Alpha on the first wedding night.¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t test me, Lucien. You know I am more than capable to do it.¡¯


    Of course he was. He already proved it on the night Lucien and Kinnon wanted to consummate their rtionship.


    And on the day Kinnon came to visit him in the hospital.


    Landon¡¯s hostility toward Kinnon stemmed from his determination to stay with Ronan. It was almost unfair to Kinnon how Landon was so at ease with Ronan.


    Is it because of the fated mate connection?


    After all this time, why?


    Ronan...


    ¡°Ronan...¡±


    Lucien breathed out the man¡¯s name in his sleep, unaware that the very man was sitting at his bedside at the moment. Ronan was looking through a report that Milroy put together by his request.


    Ronan looked up as soon as he heard Lucien calling out to him. He set the papers aside and went to sit at Lucien¡¯s bedside.


    ¡°Hey...¡± he whispered at Lucien, but thetter did not respond.


    He was still unconscious after all.


    Ronan pulled the nket to Lucien¡¯s chin and tucked his arms in.


    The man on the bed was red in the face due to a high fever. There was a slight crease on his forehead and his eyshes fluttered restlessly. It looked like he was gued by a nightmare.


    ¡°Ronan...¡± He called out again.


    Ronan patted Lucien¡¯s head. His skin felt hot against his cold hand.


    ¡°I am here,¡± he whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about anything else, Lucien. Just rest.¡±


    He himself did not think that he could rest that night. Not after what he read.

 Chapter 73

    73 Visiting Dane Silverback


    Ronan¡¯s memory about the day remained vivid even after a long time had passed.


    He still remembered what a great summer day it was. Not too hot and not too dry. It was a good day for a pic. Or a date.


    He never thought that it would turn into something else instead.


    Something so devastating.


    ¡°Breakup? But why?¡±


    The eighteen-year-old Ronan Silverback back then could barely believe his ears.


    ¡°Why, Lulu, why?¡±


    He grabbed the youth in front of him and shook his shoulders in exasperation.


    Lucien¡¯s expression was so cold, devoid of the slightest emotion. His lips were pulled into a thin, hard line.


    .....


    In the few weeks that they spent together as a couple ¡ª no, even before they started dating ¡ª Ronan had never seen Lucien look at him like that. As if Ronan was a nuisance. As if Lucien could not wait to be done with him.


    ¡°I want to be the Alpha of my pack,¡± he said. ¡°And you will be the Alpha of yours. Our paths were set in stone years ago before we were even born.¡±


    ¡°But... But we are...¡±


    We are fated mates.


    We are supposed to be together.


    Lucien, don¡¯t you love me anymore?


    Thinking back, maybe he should have said all that. Then maybe Lucien¡¯s resolution would crumble and they would stay together instead of breaking up.


    But no, Ronan did not have the confidence that Lucien loved him.


    The boy that he loved so much spoke so casually about breaking up at their secret dating spot. Ronan thought that maybe he was wrong all along. Maybe Lucien did not love him that much. Maybe it was all his wishful thinking.


    One sentence of rejection was all it took to break Ronan¡¯s heart. Lucien on the other side did not look affected at all. Thest thing that Ronan remembered about Lucien was the relief on thetter¡¯s face before he turned around and left Ronan to deal with his broken heart on his own.


    ¡°Mr. Silverback, we are here.¡±


    Ronan opened his eyes in the present time and nced at the Werewolf Council Headquarters that towered high in the middle of North Ridge Forest.


    It was the highest building in the middle of a small werewolf settlement, but it did not immediately draw attention.


    Why?


    Because there was a huge Moon Goddess statue that was even higher than the building right behind it. The Moon Goddess was the goddess of all werewolves. The statue had her eyes cast down with a gentle smilecing her lips.


    Ronan stepped into the building and marched toward the reception table. Two young she-wolves stood up to greet him right away.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan,¡± they greeted politely. ¡°May we inquire about the reason for your visit this time around?¡±


    Ronan took his sunsses off and smiled at bothdies.


    The two she-wolves swallowed hard. The smile on the Alpha¡¯s face was beyond mesmerizing. It could render any women powerless, and force them into submission. But then they would quickly sober up once they looked into Alpha Ronan¡¯s deep-set, hooded hunter eyes. There was no warmth within.


    A few years ago, Dane Silverback literally had to force the Alpha position onto his hedonistic son while thetter was busy living the best part of his life. Society had split opinions about Dane Silverback¡¯s sudden decision to step back. It might just mean the doom of the Infinite Eclipse Pack.


    He should have passed the Alpha position to another alpha in his pack. Someone who was a lot more responsible.


    The werewolfmunity waited nervously for something big to happen after Ronan ascended the throne.


    Their wait was ultimately proved to be futile.


    There was nothing worth licking their paws for.


    Ronan continued enjoying his life but at the same time was able to manage the pack well.


    That was not even the most surprising thing.


    After being saddled with the unwanted responsibility, Ronan never once came to the council to seek his father¡¯s counsel.


    Some would im that Ronan Silverback was such a capable Alpha that he did not need to rely on his father to rule over a big pack. After all the Infinite Eclipse Pack remained standing even after months had passed. Dane Silverback must be proud.


    Some others would whisper about the dysfunctional father-son rtionship between Dane and Ronan Silverback. They never saw eye to eye. Everyone knew that.


    And yet there Ronan was, visiting his father for the first time since thetter joined the Werewolf Council.


    The Alpha was led to one of the elevators by an attendant. Another attendant already waited in front of the elevator when they reached the floor.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan Silverback, please follow me,¡± the second attendant said while bowing deeply.


    Ronan was taken to one of the council¡¯s private meeting rooms. Four cream-colored single couches wereid around a circr tea table. A bookshelf was built into one of the walls. There was even a small window that overlooked the small werewolfmunity that resided in the North Ridge Forest.


    Ronan leaned against the window frame and stared out of the window.


    He did not need to wait long before Dane arrived.


    ¡°Fancy seeing you here,¡± Dane¡¯s voice was heard behind Ronan¡¯s back. Ronan turned around and met his father¡¯s gaze.


    Dane gestured toward the couches. They each took a seat across from each other. ¡°What a surprise.¡±


    Ronan leaned back on his couch and gave his father a diplomatic smile.


    ¡°Can a son not visit his father?¡±


    Dane raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Most certainly. Then again when did you be so attached to this old man?¡±


    Ronan chuckled.


    Indeed, there was no use putting up performance when there were just the two of them.


    Ronan ced some papers on the tea table between them and pushed them toward Dane.


    Dane had his arms crossed in front of his chest. He did not look as if he nned to take a look at the papers on the table.

 Chapter 74

    74 The Secret From Seven Years Ago


    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t want to take a look at them, I will still ask you about them.¡±


    The Alpha steepled his fingers together, his elbows resting on the couch armsfortably.


    The way Dane Silverback eyed the stack of papers on the table was rather amusing to him.


    Eventually, Dane Silverback deigned to give the stack of papers the briefest nce.


    ¡°So?¡± He ced them back on the table, their treacherous content facing up for both of them to see. ¡°What is it about?¡±


    ¡°If Father is not going to tell me what happened, then let me just ask howe the Silverback Corporation owned 65% of Clearwater Finance¡¯s shares?¡±


    Dane Silverback rang a bell at the side of the tea table and the floor attendant appeared at the door right away.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Dane?¡±


    ¡°Bring us both two cups of coffee. ck, no sugar.¡±


    .....


    ¡°One,¡± Ronan corrected his father.


    Dane pulled a smirk. ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    Ronan hated ck coffee. Too bad his father never cared to remember.


    ¡°Answer me.¡±


    ¡°This is a business deal from the past, I don¡¯t remember the details,¡± Dane Silverback answered lightly. ¡°It was only one of the many acquisitions that Silverback Corporation did. It was nothing special.¡±


    Ronan chuckled.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Ronan leaned forward and tapped on the papers.


    ¡°It just happened to be seven years ago, near the end of August.¡±


    It was, to be exact, one day before Lucien broke up with Ronan.


    The father and son engaged in a heated staring contest, none of them refused to budge. It was the attendant with a cup of coffee on a tray that eventually broke the deafening silence in the room.


    ¡°Mr. Dane, your coffee.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Put it down.¡±


    The attendant put the cup of steaming coffee on the table. He gave Ronan a curious look and quickly looked away when thetter stared at him.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± he stammered before he took his leave.


    ¡°That is not all that I found,¡± Ronan said while watching his father drink his coffee. ¡°Arge sum of money was transferred from your personal bank ount to Gordon Clearwater¡¯s on the very same day. What a coincidence, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I don¡¯t remember at all,¡± Dane smoothly lied through his teeth. There was even a shameless smile on his face. If Ronan did not know better, he would have punched the smile out of his father¡¯s face.


    ¡°Since you don¡¯t remember, I have taken the liberty to buy 55% shares of Clearwater Finance with my own money.¡±


    Dane¡¯s smile disappeared like a wisp of smoke, reced by severe lines that indicate his utmost displeasure at hearing the news.


    He was now sitting upright on the couch, ring at his son.


    ¡°You dare to steal from Silverback Corporation?!¡± He shouted in disbelief.


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    A chuckle escaped the Alpha. Why would he even need to steal?


    ¡°I bought the shares at the current share price. Not a cent less,¡± Ronan dered.


    ¡°You lied,¡± Dane decided.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t. If you are interested, you can go and check it out.¡±


    Theoretically, Dane Silverback should not be privy to the corporation¡¯s insider information anymore after he retreated from the CEO position. Practically, he had ess to any information he wanted and Ronan knew that.


    ¡°No need,¡± Dane said through gritted teeth. ¡°You are now the CEO of the Silverback Corporation. Build or destroy it, you can do whatever you want now.¡±


    Ronan shook his head in a mocking manner. ¡°I am just here to share with you thetest news about my personal acquisition. Oh, and...¡±


    Ronan rose from his seat and ced his hands on the table, leaning close to his father. He could smell some fright in Dane¡¯s breath and it pleased him immensely.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare use your influence on the Clearwater family anymore. Particrly on Lucien.¡±


    That was what he came to say. Ronan¡¯s fingernails scraped the surface of the table when he picked the financial report from the table. Without a single word of goodbye, the son walked toward the door.


    A ttering sound was heard when the ebony table shook. A momentter, the coffee cup fell on top of the carpeted floor. The ck stain spread like a blooming flower, ruining the otherwise immacte fur carpet.


    ¡°Ronan!!!¡±


    Ronan stopped in his track and turned to look at Dane. Thetter stood up straight and red at him with unconcealed anger.


    ¡°When will you finally grow up?¡± he chastised. ¡°When will you stop chasing after that boy¡¯s shadow???¡±


    Ronan tilted his head backward, looking exceptionally handsome with a smug grin on his face.


    ¡°I grew up, Father. That¡¯s why I do not listen to you anymore.¡±


    ¡°You...!!!¡±


    Dane Silverback was outraged.


    Ronan turned to leave, but he suddenly remembered something else. Hatred shed in his eyes when he looked back at his father and said something else.


    ¡°Ah yes. If you want an obedient son who listens to everything that you have to say, then maybe you should make that boy from just now your heir.¡±


    He was naturally referring to the floor attendant.


    Ronan mmed the door in front of his father¡¯s face. He could hear muffled soundsing from inside the room, presumably his father who wasunching curses at him. Sad, but Ronan did not care anymore.


    Some distance away from the room, the floor attendant stood and waited. When Ronan walked past him, he kept his eyes down.


    Ronan did not bother to give him another nce. A careful observation just now sufficed to see that the young man inherited some facial features that were inherent to the Silverback family¡¯s good looks.


    That was not all.


    Around his neck was a golden chain locket with the Silverback family¡¯s sigil on it, depicting a silver wolf howling at the moon. It was a token of love that Dane Silverback distributed to all the women who bore his children, legitimate or not.


    Ronan tossed his locket into the trash can ages ago when he learned about his father¡¯s infidelity.

 Chapter 75

    75 I Won¡¯t Tell You Anything


    Ronan never disillusioned himself with the thought that one day his rtionship with his father would improve. The more they saw each other, the less they could tolerate each other.


    It thus came off as a surprise when his father picked him to be the next Alpha to the Infinite Eclipse Pack. Dane Silverback sired enough illegitimate alpha sons and daughters out there to make one of them his sessor.


    These sons and daughters were additionally more than happy to serve their father in that sense. Unlike those bastards, Ronan never once insisted on being the Alpha. His only qualm if any of his illegitimate half-siblings became the Alpha was that he would not feelfortable enough to remain in the pack.


    Then again, it didn¡¯t matter. Ronan always had the option to leave the pack and be a rogue werewolf.


    Given the broken marriage between Dane Silverback and his Luna, the werewolfmunity might not even criticize Ronan.


    And yet there he was, the rightful Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack.


    On the day of his coronation, an elder once told him that it was proof of Dane¡¯s fatherly love. Ronan remained unconvinced then, as he was now. What fatherly love wouldpel his father to destroy the rtionship between him and his fated mate?


    When Ronan arrived at the hospital in thete afternoon, Lucien was wide awake. He was lying on the bed but his eyes were wide open. The window curtains were drawn aside to let some remaining sunlight in before the sun set.


    Lucien had his eyes trained on the scenery outside of the window. The setting sun colored the clouds and the sky in various shades of red and orange. It produced a sight that was both beautiful and mesmerizing. Lucien could not take his eyes away from the beautiful painting that nature created every day.


    .....


    Knock, knock.


    Lucien turned his head in the direction of the door. His gaze fell on Ronan who had a bouquet of red carnations in his arm.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± The Alpha asked him.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s eyes followed Ronan¡¯s figure as he emptied a ss vase, filled it with water from the bathroom, and put the carnations inside.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been here the whole day,¡± Lucien remarked.


    Ronan was mildly surprised to hear Lucien¡¯s words.


    ¡°How do you know? You were stillrgely unconscious yesterday.¡±


    ¡°I can feel you,¡± Lucien answered without thinking. He regretted it as soon as the words left his lips, but there was no takeback.


    Ronan merely gazed at Lucien for a few seconds before he went to sit on a chair in front of the bed.


    Taking Lucien¡¯s hand in his, Ronan gazed at Lucien¡¯s beautiful face.


    ¡°I have something for you,¡± he blurted out.


    Lucien furrowed his brows at the man in front of him. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Ronan took out an envelope from inside his coat pocket and handed it to Lucien.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Lucien asked warily.


    ¡°Open it,¡± Ronan urged him.


    Lucien tore the envelope open and found a folded-up document inside. He straightened it and the first words that he read caused his eyes to go round from surprise.


    ¡°This is...¡±


    Ronan pressed at Lucien¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Keep reading.¡±


    It was an asset transfer notification from Ronan Silverback to Lucien Clearwater. The asset in question was 55% share of Clearwater Finance.


    Clearwater Finance.


    Just reciting the two words in his heart was enough to make Lucien¡¯s body tremble.


    Clearwater Finance was once the bread and butter for the whole Silent Walkers Pack. Losing Clearwater Finance was the beginning of the pack¡¯s decline. Now Lucien was holding a document that stated that he, effective starting today, held the majority of Clearwater Finance¡¯s shares.


    Ronan bought the shares under his name and gave them to Lucien free of charge.


    Lucien was horrified.


    He pushed the document into Ronan¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Are you crazy, Ronan Silverback? Take the shares back!¡±


    Ronan grinned at the man on the bed.


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t have enough money to buy the shares from your hand. I am poor now.¡±


    ¡°You...!¡±


    Ronan sped both of Lucien¡¯s hands in his. ¡°Sorry, Lucien. I didn¡¯t know.¡±


    Know what?


    About what happened seven years ago?


    Lucien swallowed hard.


    Did Dane Silverback tell Ronan? No, unlikely. He would never.


    Lucien remained silent as he stared at Ronan and waited for him to say what he wanted to say.


    The Alpha raised his hand and caressed Lucien¡¯s cheek gently. His hand felt cold against his feverish skin.


    ¡®He knows,¡¯ Landon spoke to him. ¡®He found out the truth.¡¯


    ¡®No,¡¯ Lucien disagreed. ¡®I don¡¯t think so.¡¯


    There was no reason at all for Ronan to suddenlyunch an investigation for something that happened seven years ago. The agreement between his father and Ronan¡¯s father was a tightly guarded secret. Ronan was not supposed to find out at all.


    The wolf growled in displeasure at Lucien¡¯s pessimism, but he did not go berserk. He merely sumbed to the joy of being touched by Ronan. Meanwhile, Ronan was still trying to coax Lucien.


    ¡°I hurt you without knowing. I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I was stupid and immature.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan lowered his head and sighed.


    ¡°Lucien, say something. Can you ever forgive me?¡±


    Lucien only had one thing to say. ¡°I will not tell you anything.¡±


    I will not tell you that I am also sorry.


    I will not tell you that you were indeed stupid and immature.


    I will not tell you that I do not need to forgive you.


    The one who should ask for forgiveness is me.


    Unfortunately, I cannot tell you anything.


    So I will keep the secret forever and carry it to the grave.


    Ronan rose from his seat and hovered over Lucien. Their faces were so close to each other that he could count the eyshes over Lucien¡¯s beautiful, ssy eyes.


    ¡°I will not tell you anything,¡± Lucien repeated in a whisper.


    Their lips lightly brushed against each other.


    Ronan¡¯s warm breath blew softly against Lucien¡¯s skin, causing his heart to beat faster against his chest.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± Ronan whispered back at Lucien and leaned in for a kiss.

 Chapter 76

    76 Not Now


    The strong desire that pooled in Lucien¡¯s eyes was not different from the one in Ronan¡¯s. s, Lucien¡¯s sense of responsibility was too great. Although Landon practically wed his insides, aching for Ronan¡¯s touch, Lucien still pressed his lips together and looked away.


    ¡°No,¡± he said while pushing gently against Ronan¡¯s chest. Thetter cleared his throat and returned to his chair obediently. He looked like a wolf pup that just got rejected for a treat. Lucien could almost see a pair of wolf ears on his head, slumped forward in disappointment.


    The man on the bed reached out and hesitantly touched Ronan¡¯s cheek. ¡°Not now,¡± he added in a low voice. It was only the two words, but for Ronan it sounded like the beautiful toll of wedding bells.


    Lucien rarely said yes and he did not make fake promises.


    A speck of hope was still a speck of hope. Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s wrist and nted a chaste kiss on its inside.


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    There were a lot of underhanded methods to drive apany to ruin. The Silverback Corporation and the Youngshaper Corporation for example were at it for decades : passive-aggressivelyunching attacks through smallerpanies, ruining future and ongoing business deals, down to sabotaging each other¡¯s shipment andplicating bureaucratic procedures via smallerpanies.


    Their hands were dirty with mud, but both parties still had to maintain their appearance in social circles. Greeting each other,plimenting each other with hidden barbs and dripping poison.


    Then again the packs were still united in a werewolfmunity. Packs rarely ruined each other and sent them down the ravine of oblivion. Unless of course both packs openly engaged in a war.


    .....


    The Silverback Corporation and Clearwater Finance were no rivals in business.


    The former was a bigger one, having various core businesses ranging from manufacturing to entertainment.


    Thetter was an investmentpany that invested in promising start-ups or projects of existingpanies and drew their profit after thepanies were established or the projects concluded.


    And yet Dane Silverback went out of his way to gain control over Clearwater Finance. His goal was clear; he was looking to destroy the Silent Walkers Pack. Quite a drastic move just to force Gordon Clearwater to the corner.


    The rest of the story was easy to guess.


    At the brink of ruin, Gordon Clearwater was desperate for any way out.


    Dane Silverback offered him arge sum of money. Money from his own pocket directly to Gordon¡¯s bank ount with just one very humble request. For Lucien Clearwater to please end his ill-fated romance with his son, the heir to the Alpha position of the Infinite Eclipse Pack.


    What option did Gordon Clearwater have?


    Lucien was not the type to choose his own happiness over his parents¡¯ or his whole pack¡¯s. Ronan hated him for that, but it was inherent to Lucien¡¯s character.


    One week passed by without any other urrences but feverish bouts that came and went as Lucien struggled to keep his wolf at bay.


    After the first visit when Lucien nearly ripped him apart, Kinnon decided to give him some space and took care to recover from his own injuries.


    Alice Clearwater made a point to visit with Annalynne every day to apany her son during the day. Unwilling to disturb the peaceful family time, Ronan only showed up at night. Sometimes he came close to midnight and Lucien was already asleep, so he only held thetter¡¯s hand and stayed with him until the wee hours. Before morning sun broke through the horizon, the Alpha already left. Only his scent lingered inside the ward to tell Lucien that Ronan was there.


    It was a peaceful time, but Lucien knew that it was calm before the storm. There was still the issue between the Silent Walkers Pack and the Night Prowler Pack. And about him attacking Kinnon. This time it was he himself who injured Kinnon, not some rogue werewolves whose corpses disappeared mysteriously.


    Sooner orter, the Werewolf Council woulde knocking.


    The uncertainty of the situation was the source of Lucien¡¯s restlessness. He feared the implications for his family and his pack. And for Landon.


    When he was awake, he racked his brain for solutions. When he was asleep, he was gued by nightmares about the worst oues of the situation.


    One day, Alice Clearwater could not take it anymore and forced Lucien to go and take a walk with her.


    ¡°You need to move around to clear those dark clouds above your head,¡± she dered.


    Lucien did not share the same opinion, but he was toozy to argue with his mother. He thus let himself be dragged out of his ward and out of the hospital.


    The St. rence Hospital was run by a werewolf family who did not stay with any pack but was considered part of the werewolfmunity. It was necessary to ensure fair treatment for every werewolf who needed one.


    In the backyard was a huge garden where patients were encouraged to visit at least twice daily to get some sunshine and exercise, including those in wheelchairs.


    Alice dumped Lucien in the garden and forbade him from going back to his room until at least thirty minutes had passed.


    Lucien ghosted around mindlessly, stopping only to admire the marble statues that the hospital ced at strategic spots for aesthetic purposes. The chubby cherubs with their golden trumpets at four corners of the garden, and a benevolent angel at the center of the fountain. She was looking down at the mortal subjects withpassionate eyes, that were painted so vividly to resemble human eyes.


    This was not the usual practice. The cherubs¡¯ eyes were not painted. Why were the eyes of the angel statue painted?


    Gripping the fountain railing to maintain his bnce, Lucien¡¯s upper body leaned forward to take a closer look at the statue.


    Behind him, a gentle female voice spoke up.


    ¡°Careful, Lucien. You will fall into the fountain if you do not pay attention.¡±

 Chapter 77

    77 Judgmental Stranger


    When Lucien whipped around, he came face-to-face with an elderdy. Although the ruthlessness of time had taken a toll on the woman¡¯s appearance, she still looked astounding with long, curly jet-ck hair and a pair of clear greenish-blue eyes.


    Her voice might not be familiar, but the person herself was.


    Or to be more precise, the woman looked like someone who was familiar to Lucien. She was the spitting image of Ronan Silverback.


    ¡°Mrs. Silverback?¡± Lucien greeted in hesitation. Ronan had never spoken about his mother during their short time together, so Lucien knew nothing about her.


    ¡°No,¡± thedy responded decisively.


    Lucien immediately apologized, ¡°I am sorry. I mistook you for someone else.¡±


    Thedy stifled a smile behind a silk handkerchief.


    Even the smiles were simr.


    Lucien could hardly believe that thedy was not Ronan¡¯s mother. Could she be a rtive of Ronan¡¯s mother then? A twin sister, maybe?


    .....


    Thedy in question turned her head slightly to talk to her nurse.


    ¡°Please leave us, Edith.¡±


    The nurse must have known what brought Lucien to the hospital because she threw thedy terrified looks.


    ¡°But Ma¡¯am,¡± she objected as discreetly as possible while throwing obvious looks at Lucien. Lucien might as well be a serial killer. It would not have made much difference to Edith.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± thedy smoothed the nket on herp with a smile. ¡°Leave us.¡±


    Edith left reluctantly, not without throwing nces over her shoulder. Lucien was not surprised. Responsible as she was, she would most likely call for some hospital security guards to lurk around just in case Lucien decided to go on a rampage and hurt the defenseless woman...


    ¡°No need to mind Edith,¡± thedy said. ¡°Will you push me around for a bit? There is a small pond over there. The air is nice and fresh. It¡¯s a good ce to talk.¡±


    A good ce to talk.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Lucien moved behind thedy and wheeled her in the direction she described.


    Indeed, there was a little pond just some distance away from the garden. While Lucien was wheeling thedy in the direction of the pond, he caught sight of other patients who were also enjoying the fresh air outside of their wards. When they saw Lucien, they could barely conceal the shock on their faces.


    Humph.


    News traveled fast, especially the scandals.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about what people say about you. Only you know what is going on, so why do you care about other people¡¯s opinions?¡± Thedy asked once they arrived at the side of the pond.


    Lucien smiled as he went on his knees to secure thedy¡¯s wheelchair.


    ¡°You are wrong. I don¡¯t really care that much.¡±


    A soft smile adorned her visage, enhancing her beautiful features even more, but the words that she spoke carried a sharp tone. ¡°You are lying.¡±


    Lucien lifted his gaze in sheer amazement. Was he such a bad liar if even a stranger could tell in an instant?


    Thedy looked down at Lucien, scrutinizing him with Ronan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I can see that you are bothered by what people think about you, and the recent incidents that happened in your life.¡±


    Lucien could not help butugh.


    ¡°That is quite judgmental,ing from someone who I met for the first time.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, quite judgmental of me, to say that to someone that I meet for the first time,¡± thedy agreed with a grin. ¡°Is that not true, though?¡±


    ¡°I do not wish to answer,¡± Lucien said. He was not willing to talk about himself, even less with aplete stranger.


    ¡°I should go back to my room now. Please excuse me.¡±


    The man rose to his feet and turned around to leave. On his way back, he almost bumped into Edith. The nurse looked terrified. She mumbled a hurried apology before she rushed to thedy¡¯s side.


    At night, Lucien waited for Ronan to arrive to ask her about somedy with a striking resemnce to him. Unfortunately, Ronan did not show up in time. Lucien was tempted to send him a message to quench his curiosity, but then he decided not to.


    It was not that important.


    Besides, he had more pressing matters to think about.


    It turned out that Ronan did note at all that night. He merely made a call and asked his assistant to drop off another bouquet of red carnation flowers for Lucien.


    The next day, Alice again kicked Lucien out of the ward.


    ¡°The sun has done wonders to yourplexion. Go take a walk again, make it an hour this time.¡±


    It was naturallyplete nonsense. Whoseplexion would improve after thirty minutes of walking around in the garden?


    Nevertheless, Lucien obediently went down to the garden. Just as luck had it, he just had to bump against Edith and the mysteriousdy.


    ¡°...¡±


    Thedy beamed at Lucien and greeted him, ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Lucien greeted back with a stiff nod. He then quickly distanced himself from thedy and everyone else just in case people feared him.


    He found himself afortable spot under arge tree, so he sat beneath the tree and leaned against the trunk.


    Above him, the dark green leaves were densely piled together to form a natural canopy that only let some strands of sunlight through.


    Before long, his head started to feel heavy and his eyelids kept threatening to fall shut. Lucien rubbed at his eyes to stay awake, but the temptation was too great.


    Maybe it was also because he had not been having the best sleep night after night, but the gentle blowing wind and the warm sunlight were mostly to me for the sudden drowsiness. Before Lucien knew it, his eyes were already closed for good and his body ckened.


    His sleep was so deep that he did not even hear the sound of a rolling wheelchair approaching.


    Edith stopped wheeling the wheelchair when thedy who sat on it held her hand up.


    ¡°Edith, my shawl.¡±

 Chapter 78

    78 The Fang And de Sigil


    ¡°Lucien...?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Lulu!¡±


    Lucien opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the brown color of earth.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Lulu!¡±


    The second thing he saw was his twin sister, pale from fright.


    Annalynne dragged her elder brother up to a sitting position and wiped the dirt off his body.


    ¡°Mom and I are so worried. How did you end up passing out in the garden?¡±


    Lucien rubbed at his eyes. ¡°I did not pass out. I fell asleep.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Oh fine. Fell asleep it is. But then you really should not be sleeping outside. Mom wants you to breathe some fresh air and not sleep.¡±


    ¡°I do breathe while I sleep, Anna.¡±


    Annalynne pursed her lips. ¡°You know what I meant!¡±


    Of course he did, but he could not help it. Something slid off his body when he stood up. Lucien¡¯s eyes were drawn to a heap of white garment thaty on the ground. He picked it up and observed it.


    The white shawl was made of very soft cashmere material, and it bore a sigil in the middle part. A wolf fang crossing against a sword de. A golden ribbon wrapped itself around the fang and the de, binding them together.


    Annalynne mumbled an ¡°Oh¡± when she too was looking at the shawl with great interest.


    Lucien¡¯s fingers rubbed against the sigil.


    Not all werewolf families had sigils, although they were more than free to make one. Sigils were more relevant to the ancient werewolf families that existed over centuries.


    Such as the Silverback family¡¯s sigil that depicted a silver wolf howling at the moon.


    Or the Youngshaper family¡¯s sigil that depicted a ck wolf looming behind a child.


    ¡°I wonder whose family sigil this is,¡± Lucien murmured.


    ¡°I also don¡¯t know. But the person is nice enough to lend you his shawl!¡±


    ¡°Yes, I guess so.¡±


    Since they were unable to find out the owner of the shawl, the two siblings decided to just go back to Lucien¡¯s ward.


    Alice was speaking to the doctor when Lucien and Annalynne arrived.


    ¡°Oh, thank the Goddess!¡± Alice was full of gratitude. She rushed toward Lucien and patted him all over as if trying to make sure that he was not broken somewhere.


    ¡°Lulu, are you alright?? Where did you go?? It has been three hours!¡±


    ¡°I fell asleep. Sorry, Mom.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s eyes drifted toward the doctor who was smiling at them.


    ¡°How are you feeling, Mr. Clearwater?¡±


    Alice dragged Lucien to sit on the bed so that the doctor could examine him.


    ¡°I am feeling fine. I believe I am mostly recovered.¡±


    The doctor flipped through Lucien¡¯s medical file and hummed in agreement.


    ¡°No more fever for two days. Has the wolf been acting up? Do you feel ufortable anywhere?¡±


    Lucien shook his head.


    After struggling to keep Landon at bay for weeks, he finally did it. Landon was no longer able to take over his body and do as he pleased.


    ¡°Very good.¡± The doctor closed the file dramatically. ¡°Let¡¯s wait for one more day. If everything is fine, you can be discharged in two days. Until then, please continue taking your supplements and rest as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Doctor,¡± Alice answered with determination.


    The same determinationpelled her to get Lucien to take a bath after taking a nap outside and then bundle up for the night.


    After making sure that Lucien finished his dinner, Alice tucked him into the bed and left with Annalynne.


    Feeling so tired for no reason, Lucien dozed off again. He startled himself awake a few hourster when Ronan entered his ward.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± thetter whispered. ¡°Did I wake you up?¡±


    ¡°No, I slept a lot today,¡± came Lucien¡¯s answer. ¡°The doctor said that I can be discharged two days from now.¡±


    Ronan raised an eyebrow in doubt. He reached out to feel Lucien¡¯s forehead. Thetter did look a lot better already. He did not have a fever anymore. And yet Ronan¡¯s face became gloomy.


    The Alpha did not dare to say it out loud, but he had been enjoying their time alone night after night in the hospital.


    All he had ever wanted was to lock Lucien somewhere safe, allowing only his closest family member in and no one else other than him.


    Unfortunately, he could not. Not that Lucien would willingly enter into solitary confinement.


    ¡°What is it? You don¡¯t look too happy,¡± Lucien furrowed his brows at Ronan.


    Ronan quickly moved away from Lucien, worried that he would somehow smell the heinous thoughts in his depraved mind.


    ¡°I am. Work has been tough these days.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Lucien believed Ronan because Ronan had not been able toe early these days. Yesterday he did note at all.


    Ronan emptied the vase and refilled it again before he put the fresh flowers in.


    When he put the vase back on the table, he saw a neatly folded piece of clothing by the couch.


    His gut feelings told him that he saw it before, but where? It was not something that Lucien would wear.


    ¡°Do you know who it belongs to?¡± Lucien asked. ¡°Open it, there is a sigil in the middle of the shawl.¡±


    Ah.


    Ronan knew who it belonged to right away without looking at the inner side of the shawl.


    ¡°How does this shawle to your possession?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t. Someone put it around me when I fell asleep in the garden this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    If Ronan was not more interested in the encounter between Lucien and the shawl owner, he would chastise Lucien about sleeping outside.


    ¡°So, who does it belong to?¡±


    Lucien¡¯s thoughts immediately flew to thedy with astonishing simrities to Ronan. He held back from saying the words ¡°Your mother?¡± because why would Ronan¡¯s mother be staying in the hospital?


    Thedy did not look like she was there just for a short visit.


    Ronan eyed the fang and de sigil inside the shawl before he meticulously folded it together again.


    ¡°It is my mother¡¯s.¡±

 Chapter 79

    79 In An Attempt To Meet Ronan¡¯s Mother


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Ronan did not continue speaking. Neither was he surprised that Lucien happened to meet his mother in the hospital garden. Just like Lucien thought, Ronan¡¯s mother was a long-term patient in the hospital.


    The Alpha did not want to speak about his mother, so he quickly switched the topic.


    ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    Lucien had already eaten his dinner, but being awakete at night made him want to eat something.


    ¡°Hm, a little.¡±


    ¡°Then let me get Milroy to buy us something to eat. What do you want to eat?¡± Ronan took out his phone, preparing to make a call. Lucien put his hand on top of Ronan¡¯s and stopped him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. It is alreadyte in the night.¡±


    Poor Milroy. Ronan must be very difficult to please.


    .....


    The Alpha heaved a sigh.


    ¡°Alright, let me go buy something for you then. What do you want to eat?¡±


    Rather than eating, Lucien was more interested in taking a ride to the nearest town to chase off his boredom.


    ¡°Can we go out to get some food? Together?¡±


    ¡°Uh. Sure, I think the hospital staff wouldn¡¯t mind if I take you out for a few hours.¡±


    Ronan thus went to ask the nurse in charge. By the time he was back, Lucien already changed into a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt.


    ¡°Wow, that was fast,¡± Ronan remarked. He held out his hand in Lucien¡¯s direction with a broad grin stered all over his face. ¡°Come, let¡¯s get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Lucien took his hand and they walked hand-in-hand out of the hospital. Summer already ended and the autumn season started without any dy. The night air was so cold that it sent shivers down Lucien¡¯s spine. Ronan took off his suit jacket and put it around Lucien¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Don¡¯t catch a cold one day before you get released,¡± he teased.


    Lucien scoffed. ¡°Do you think I am made of ss?¡±


    He immediately took the suit jacket off and tried to return it to Ronan. Ronan ended up wrapping Lucien in the suit jacket again. When Lucien resisted, Ronan hugged Lucien in his tight embrace.


    ¡°No, but I know very well that you are not made of steel,¡± Ronan quipped, his warm breath hot against Lucien¡¯s cold cheek. ¡°Stop acting so tough.¡±


    Lucien disliked being treated like a sick person, but he also did not want to argue with Ronan over a suit jacket. The man thus, for once, obediently let himself be taken care of.


    The nearest town was thirty minutes away by car. Lucien wanted to have some midnight snacks. His idea of midnight snacks involved greasy food with a lot of sugar. Ronan wrinkled his nose in disgust when Lucien asked to stop at donut shops and fried chicken outlets.


    ¡°No!¡± he said decisively while driving as far away as possible from the fast food joints. ¡°How could you even eat those junks when you are still in the hospital?¡±


    Lucien groaned. ¡°Just once! Why do you care so much about what I like to drink or eat?¡±


    Ronan furrowed his brows at him.


    ¡°Because I care about you. Is that so hard to understand?¡±


    They exchanged nces before Ronan turned his attention back to the car. Lucien did not ask to eat any unhealthy snacks anymore. He merely mumbled some hmms in agreement when Ronan gave him some healthier options.


    ¡°That ce over there is selling some hummus sd. Or do you want some fruits? We can go for apples. Oranges and berries if you want sweeter fruits...¡±


    ¡°Mmm. Up to you.¡±


    Ronan thought that Lucien was secretly angry because he did not get to eat donuts and fried chickens. He did not notice that beneath the hand that covered the lower part of Lucien¡¯s face, thetter¡¯s lips curled up in a hidden smile.


    The two men ended up getting some hummus sd and warm milk for the night. The warm milk was to help Lucien fall asleep quickly, so Ronan said. Even without the milk, Lucien already felt warm inside his heart.


    It was already quitete when the two people made their way back to the hospital. The nurses in charge could not help but shoot Ronan a judgmental look. Although Lucien was not in any danger anymore, he was still a hospital patient. He should not stay out for hours, especially not in the middle of the night.


    Belly full with delicious food and milk, Lucien fell asleep almost immediately.


    The next day, Alice arrived a littlete at the hospital.


    ¡°Lulu!¡± She shouted as soon as she opened the door. ¡°Sorry for beingte, I was held up at... Eh? Lulu?¡±


    The ward was empty.


    Alice gazed dumbfoundedly at the empty bed.


    ¡°Mrs. Clearwater?¡± A nurse poked her head into the ward. ¡°If you are looking for Mr. Clearwater, he is taking a walk in the garden. He should be back in a bit.¡±


    Lucien, taking a walk without being kicked out of the ward?


    ¡°Oh, wonderful!¡± Alice pped her hands in delight. Finally, Lucien realized the benefit of getting some exercise! He could stay out a little longer. If he fell asleep again then Alice woulde to pick him up.


    Meanwhile, Lucien was busy scanning the surrounding area for Ronan¡¯s mother. Unfortunately, she was not there. Lucien walked around for almost two hours but she did not show up at all that morning.


    Garden visitation time was limited to morning from 8 to 10 andte afternoon from 5 to 7. Thinking that maybe thedy visited in the afternoon instead, Lucien made a point to go in the afternoon but again he failed to meet her.


    A little disappointed, Lucien made his way back to his ward. When he was walking through the corridor, he overheard some nurses speaking about a recent death.


    ¡°What a pity. And she was such a nicedy too.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Her family is going to arrive soon to take care of the body...¡±


    Lucien¡¯s heart dropped to the ground. Could it be? How could there be such an unlucky coincidence?

 Chapter 80

    80 Lady Adele Fangde


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± he asked the nurses anxiously. ¡°Are you talking about Mrs. Silverback?¡±


    The nurses stared at Lucien¡¯s handsome face for a while before they snapped back to reality. ¡°Oh, no... not Mrs. Silverback. Grandma Kelley passed away this morning from old age. She is ny years old.¡±


    Oh.


    Although Lucien had no idea how old Ronan¡¯s mother was, he was sure that she was not ny years old. But then what happened to her? Why did she not show up for her daily walk in the garden?


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± he disturbed the nurses again. ¡°Did something happen to Mrs. Silverback?¡±


    The nurses exchanged confused nces. ¡°Mrs. Silverback? We don¡¯t know. Young man, why don¡¯t you ask the receptionist for some information instead?¡±


    ¡°Alright, thanks.¡±


    Lucien went to the receptionist area right away. The nurse in charge beamed at the handsome man in delight when he approached the desk.


    ¡°Excuse me, I would like to inquire about Mrs. Silverback.¡±


    .....


    ¡°First name?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°... Alright, any rtives?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Ronan Silverback, son. Dane Silverback, husband.¡±


    The nurse started typing on her keyboard and moved theputer mouse around while going through the patient list.


    ¡°There is no such patient.¡±


    Lucien could barely believe his ears.


    ¡°Impossible. Mrs. Silverback is a long-term patient here.¡±


    The nurse shook her head. ¡°Short-term or long-term, there is no patient here whose surname is Silverback. I also can not find them in the rtive list.¡±


    This was rather puzzling. Did Ronan not say that it was his mother?


    Why would Ronan lie about it?


    If Ronan did not lie, then Lucien might have mistaken something.


    ¡°Anna, what do you know about Mrs. Silverback?¡± Lucien messaged his sister after he finished his dinner and Alice left. Unlike him, Annalynne never left the pack. She would know any news that circted among the werewolfmunity, especially when said news revolved around prominent werewolf packs.


    ¡°Mrs. Silverback? Do you mean Mr. Dane Silverback¡¯s divorced wife?¡±


    ¡°What? They were divorced?¡±


    Pack Alphas did not usually get divorced unless the Lunas had gravely sinned and thus deemed to be unsuitable to hold the Luna position any longer. Otherwise, almost all Lunas were devoted to the pack and would not do anything that went against the pack rules.


    It was a sensitive topic, so Annalynne ended up calling her brother to talk about it.


    ¡°Lulu, why are you suddenly interested in Mrs. Silverback?¡± She asked in a low voice.


    ¡°I just want to return her shawl and say thank you,¡± Lucien said as a matter of factly.


    Annalynne sucked in a deep breath.


    ¡°Oh, Goddess. How could I forget? That sigil! It was the sigil of the Fangde family!¡±


    The Fangde family.


    Now that Lucien heard the name, he remembered hearing one thing or two about the family. If he was not mistaken, the Fangde family no longer existed.


    ¡°Correct,¡± Annalynne said, confirming Lucien¡¯s thought. ¡°thest generation only had one daughter, and she married into the Infinite Eclipse Pack. That was how the family line ended.¡±


    Ronan Silverback was born to Lady Adele Fangde, thest descendant of the Fangde family and Dane Silverback, the heir to the Silverback family. He carried the bloodline of two powerful werewolf families.


    Annalynne quickly put two and two together. ¡°Oh,¡± she said. ¡°The mysteriousdy who covered you with the shawl must be Ronan¡¯s mother.¡±


    ¡°Yes. What is her full name?¡±


    Annalynne hummed at the end of the phone line.


    ¡°You know what, Lulu? I don¡¯t know. Give me some time, I will ask the elders about her.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    The elders naturally knew more about the history of werewolf familiespared to anyone else.


    Lucien did not have to wait for long. Annalynne called again within an hour.


    ¡°Her name is Lady Adele Fangde. She refused to renounce her surname even after marriage,¡± Annalynne said as soon as Lucien picked up the phone.


    ¡°Oh? Possibly due to a sentimental reason. It was natural to be attached to one¡¯s birth family.¡±


    ¡°And um...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Annalynne lowered her voice down to a whisper. ¡°I also found out the reason why Lady Adele is in that hospital.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Dane Silverback betrayed his Luna. His extramarital affairs caused Lady Adele to suffer greatly. She never recovered from the pain of the betrayal. Due to her gradually failing health, she entered the hospital five years ago and never left.¡±


    Lucien was speechless.


    ¡°Okay, Anna. Thanks. Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Yes...¡±


    ¡°Alright. It iste, go to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Bye, Big Brother...¡±


    Lucien ended the phone call and slumped against his pillow.


    He always thought that Ronan was raised in a picture-perfect family. The only alpha son of a powerful couple, doted on by the whole pack. Who would have known that his father did such a thing to his mother?


    It wasmon knowledge that every time a werewolf betrayed his mate, said mate would suffer from tremendous pain. The physical pain was already horrendous enough, not to speak of the emotional pain.


    To know that your mate openly betrayed you despite knowing the consequences. To know that it was a choice made with sound body and mind. It was the worst thing that a mate could do to you.


    Lady Adele Fangde must have suffered so much when she was married to Dane Silverback. In the end, maybe it was a good thing that she never renounced the Fangde surname. After the divorce, she did not have to listen to other people referring to her as a ¡°Mrs. Silverback¡±. The name must be so disgusting to her.


    After knowing thedy¡¯s backstory, Lucien truly felt bad for his harsh tone during their first meeting. He wanted to sincerely apologize, but how could he do that if Lady Adele Fangde decided to not visit the garden?


    The next day, Alice and Annalynne came to pack up Lucien¡¯s stuff in preparation for the discharge. After changing to a new set of clothes, Lucien decided to pay the garden onest visit, in hope that Lady Adele Fangde would be there.


    To his surprise, thedy was indeed there. Interestingly, the person who pushed her wheelchair around was not Edith but Ronan. Both mother and son were surprised to see Lucien, but Lady Adele Fangde¡¯s expression quickly melted into a smile.


    ¡°Hello, there,¡± she greeted. ¡°I should thank you for staying longer here so that my son finally has some more time to apany me.¡±

 Chapter 81

    81 Thank You For Loving My Stupid Son


    Lady Adele Fangde¡¯s words were basically a jab at her own son, who immediately began protesting, ¡°Mom, that is not true.¡±


    The woman tapped at her son¡¯s cheek fondly. ¡°I am just messing with you. I do think that you spend more time in this hospital when there are two people that you have to visit, hmm?¡±


    Ronan had no answer to that. He just gave his mother a gentle smile.


    Lucien suddenly felt self-conscious. Should he really barge in when Ronan was spending time with his mother? Of course not. In that case, better make it short.


    ¡°Lady Adele Fangde, nice to meet you. Thank you for lending me the shawl. And I am really sorry for my behavior previously.¡±


    Lucien held the cashmere shawl in front of him like some sort of sacrificial item. Ronan threw Lucien a quizzical nce, clearly curious about Lucien¡¯s improper behavior toward his mother. His mother could not help but break intoughter.


    ¡°Oh my. You don¡¯t have to apologize. I was indeed being nosy and judgmental. Ronan, honey, why don¡¯t you get us something to drink? Mother is thirsty.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Mom.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s hand lingered on his mother¡¯s shoulder for a few seconds before it left. When he passed by Lucien, he briefly hugged him. The gesture did not escape Lady Adele Fangde¡¯s keen observation. Smiling, she gestured for Lucien toe closer.


    .....


    ¡°Come, child. Come sit next to me.¡±


    She patted on a bench just next to her wheelchair. Lucien obediently took a seat.


    ¡°Your shawl,¡± he said, again offering the shawl to thedy.


    Unexpectedly, she grabbed his hand instead. ¡°Keep it. I want to give it to you.¡±


    ¡°I cannot ept it,¡± Lucien quickly said. ¡°This is....!¡±


    Lady Adele Fangde shook her head. ¡°If I say that I am giving it to you, then you should ept it. Why so reluctant to ept my gift?¡±


    Lucien¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down nervously. The shawl itself was expensive, but the real valuey within the sigil that was carefully sewn into the shawl. It was not something that one could buy at any store. For a Fangde, items bearing their house¡¯s sigil must be worth more than any amount of gold.


    ¡°I trust that you will take good care of it,¡± thedy gently said.


    Lucien nodded stiffly.


    ¡°Take it as my thanks for loving my stupid son.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°As someone who has experienced the bacsh of a mating bond, I can imagine why your health suddenly declined and you had to disappear for years. I am sorry. My son is impulsive. I did not teach him well.¡±


    Lucien remained silent. He had never once spoken about his mysterious disease, but he knew how it came to be. The effect of betrayal by a fated mate was as severe as that by a bonded mate. Because fated mates were rare, no one really knew what would happen if they ended up having sexual rtions with other people.


    Lucien too did not know. Until he tasted it himself.


    For years, Lucien had paid for Ronan¡¯s licentious behavior with his own body. Every single intimate encounter for Ronan equaled a torture session for Lucien. He never knew it for sure, but he felt it in his heart.


    The feeling of having his heart ripped into pieces.


    When the man who he loved, who said he loved him in return, did not shy from betraying their fated connection, again and again.


    Lucien¡¯s devastation must be written all over his face because Lady Adele Fangde suddenly moved to hug him.


    ¡°I apologize on his behalf. He didn¡¯t know he would hurt you by doing that. Fated mates are something so rare that the werewolfmunity does not have a set of written rules for them.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t me him,¡± Lucien said over thedy¡¯s shoulder.


    Lucien really didn¡¯t. After all, Ronan needed to heal from the rejection. Even if he had not behaved wantonly, one day he had to take a proper Luna and mate with her. Either way, Lucien was bound to be hurt again and again. No one knew when it would end.


    Lady Adele Fangde released Lucien and gave him a sad smile.


    ¡°He does, and I do too.¡±


    ¡°There is no need,¡± Lucien said.


    It was part of the deal. To his greatest consternation, Ronan was still unmarried and heirless. It was as if his suffering all these years were for nothing.


    Lady Adele Fangde grabbed both of Lucien¡¯s hands.


    ¡°My son loves you,¡± she said in all seriousness. ¡°For the sake of both of you, will you consider letting him pursue you?¡±


    Lucien furrowed his brows.


    ¡°Lady Fangde, Ronan needs a Luna. A Luna who can birth him some healthy pups. I cannot do that.¡±


    Tears glistened in thedy¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Of course you cannot give birth to his pups, but is that so important?¡±


    ¡°What can be more important?¡± Lucien challenged the elder woman.


    After all, that was the most important duty of a Luna. A Luna who could not give birth to pups was only half a Luna, no matter how wise or how devoted she was to the pack.


    ¡°Happiness, my child,¡± she answered. ¡°As simple as that. Happiness.¡±


    ¡°Ronan will be happy when he meets the right one,¡± Lucien said, his voice trembling from pain.


    In fact, he already did. Lillian Woond.


    Suddenly, Lucien¡¯s throat became dry.


    Lillian Woond would make a perfect Luna for Ronan. She was smart, beautiful, and she hailed from a prominent pack.


    Their rtionship had been announced during the Moon Banquet. They had given their promises to each other. Dane Silverback approved of her. Everyone did.


    Lucien staggered to his feet, his legs shaky from the realization.


    ¡°Lucien? What happened?¡±


    Lady Adele Fangde extended her hand toward Lucien to pull him closer, but Lucien already retreated a few steps back. ¡°Lucien?¡±


    He was so stupid.


    He should have known that Ronan was only keeping himpany to keep Landon at bay.


    It did not matter whether Ronan realized the truth about the past or not.


    Ronan was no longer his, and he would never be his. Never again.

 Chapter 82

    82 Stop Running Away From Me


    Lucien was not sure what made him angrier: the fact that he was hurt by the mere existence of Lillian Woond or that despite all his speech about being a good Alpha, marrying a Luna, and siring pups, he secretly harbored the wish to have Ronan all for himself.


    Why was he so weak?


    How could he even give Ronan the tiniest glimmer of hope? Where did his self-restraint go? Did Landon swallow all of it when he came back to Lucien?


    ¡°I have to go,¡± the man pressed a hand against his forehead.


    Thedy in front of him looked half confused and half terrified. ¡°Is something wrong? You look so pale...¡±


    ¡°I am fine, Lady Fangde, thank you. Excuse me.¡±


    Lucien turned to go. It was best to not talk to Ronan¡¯s mother further. He did not want to let the seed of hope grow in his heart. There would and must never be anything between him and Ronan, and that was final.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe this,¡¯ Landon growled. ¡®Why are you pushing Ronan away again, Lucien? I thought we had an understanding.¡¯


    ¡®Your presence muddled my brain. I got lulled into thinking that things could go back to the past.¡¯


    .....


    Landon humphed.


    ¡®So what. Let¡¯s just resume from where we stopped. From the way I see it, Ronan is more than willing. He has been so good to us, Lucien...¡¯


    Lucien shook his head repeatedly as he marched out of the garden.


    ¡®No. Damn it, no! Landon, don¡¯t you understand! Ronan already has a future Luna!¡¯


    Landon¡¯sughter rang out in Lucien¡¯s head.


    ¡®That coquettishss? I saw her. Ronan will never like her.¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t give a damn about that. He promised to marry her!¡¯


    ¡°Lucien!!!¡±


    Lucien was yanked backward forcefully. He quickly lost his bnce, but then tworge hands grabbed him and pressed his body against a broad, warm chest. A strong sandalwood scent with an acidic tone invaded his nose and threatened to suffocate him.


    Ronan was angry.


    ¡°Let me go,¡± Lucien said, his nasal passage felt like it had been set on fire.


    ¡°Ronan, let me go!!!¡± He repeated when the Alpha did not loosen his grip. Lucien pushed and kicked at Ronan vehemently.


    ¡°RONAN SILVERBACK! LET GO OF MY SON THIS INSTANT!¡±


    Both Ronan and Lucien looked up in bewilderment. A huge, reddy bag mmed against the side of Ronan¡¯s face a whileter.


    ¡°Ow!¡± Thetter groaned from pain when the metal part at the front side of the bag hit his eyebrow


    ¡°Ronan!¡± Lady Adele Fangde¡¯s worried voice was hearding from a distance.


    The two elder women red at each other. One standing tall and mighty, the other one sitting on the wheelchair with a straight and unrelenting back.


    Blood trickled from the wound at Ronan¡¯s eyebrow, getting into his eye. The Alpha started rubbing at his eye to get the blood out.


    When Lucien¡¯s fingers pressed against the tear wound, Ronan hissed from the pain.


    ¡°You are hurt. Let¡¯s get it treated.¡±


    Half-blind, Ronan let himself be dragged by Lucien in the direction of the infirmary. Alice Clearwater and Lady Adele Fangde took their eyes off each other long enough to see their sons leaving before they continued ring at each other.


    It was not until Annalynne arrived that she managed to drag her mother out of the garden. Lady Adele Fangde pursed her lips in displeasure. Lucien had a meek personality, where did that mother evene from? Was she even his biological mother?


    Inside the infirmary, Lucien told Ronan to sit on a bench. He got permission from a nurse to ess the first-aid kit, so he cleaned Ronan¡¯s wound and treated it with iodine, gauze, and bandage.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Ronan praised him. ¡°You can work as a Healer.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± Lucien chastised him.


    Healers were required to do more than just treat small wounds like these.


    Ronan put his arms around Lucien¡¯s waist and burrowed his face into Lucien¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°What made you so upset?¡± He asked softly. ¡°Did my mother say something wrong?¡±


    Lucien sighed.


    He buried his fingers into Ronan¡¯s hair and yanked it backward.


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    The Alpha stared at Lucien, who looked down at him with the same pair of cold eyes as months ago.


    ¡°Lulu...¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t say anything wrong. I just don¡¯t think that you and I should hang out anymore.¡±


    Lucien pushed Ronan away. This time, Ronan¡¯s arms fell weakly off his body.


    ¡°Are you going back to Kinnon?¡±


    Lucien remained quiet.


    ¡°Are you?¡±


    Ronan repeated his question. Lucien could see the muscle at his cheek twitching violently as a thousand negative thoughts took root in his brain.


    ¡®You better remember what I told you, Lucien.¡¯


    Landon¡¯s words were full of threat.


    ¡®If you decide to marry Kinnon Youngshaper despite my warning, I will overpower you again and kill him as soon as I get the chance.¡¯


    ¡®You will not,¡¯ Lucien said decisively.


    ¡®Then you know what not to do.¡¯


    Of course he knew.


    And that was also what he told Ronan.


    ¡°No, I am not.¡±


    There was no point getting together with Kinnon if Landon was going to try murdering Kinnon the whole time.


    ¡°No.¡±


    The dark clouds on Ronan¡¯s head literally dissipated into thin air when he heard Lucien¡¯s answer.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said, heaving a sigh of relief.


    Unhappy, Lucien folded his arms before his chest and red at the Alpha.


    Good?


    Good for what, exactly? Was Ronan relieved that Lucien remained single while he himself was about to build a family with Lillian Woond?


    How selfish.


    Lucien was disgusted with both Ronan and himself. This was what he wanted. He should be happy. Once Ronan was happily married, he could decide what to do with the rest of his life.


    ¡°Lucien.¡±


    Ronan pulled at Lucien¡¯s elbow, forcing the tightly folded arms toe apart until a hand was free for Ronan to wrap his hands around.


    ¡°I love you, Lucien. I love you with all my heart. Please stop running away from me.¡±

 Chapter 83

    83 You Can Only Say The Right Thing


    Lucien swallowed hard. Ronan pinned him with a sharp gaze. If Lucien dared to say something wrong, that gaze might just cut him into pieces. And yet, Lucien still had to say it. Even if it was a lie, even if it hurt him to even say it out loud, he had to say it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t...¡±


    Swift like a predator, Ronan got to his feet, pulled Lucien toward himself, and nted a kiss against Lucien¡¯s lips. Thetter gaped at the former in disbelief. He rubbed at his lips and tried again.


    ¡°Ronan, I...¡±


    Ronan kissed him again, this time it took longer for him to release Lucien. The redhead had to literally w at Ronan¡¯s back and smack hard at his chest to get away from him.


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan raised an eyebrow at Lucien, smiling innocently as if he did not just silence the other man twice in a row.


    ¡°Yes? What did you want to say?¡±


    Lucien stepped away from Ronan, his face sour with indignation.


    .....


    ¡°I... Mmphh!¡±


    BANG!


    Ronan mmed Lucien against a nearby wall. He pressed their lips together for another long, suffocating kiss. By the time Ronan released him, Lucien was panting and red in the face.


    Ronan turned Lucien around and hugged the man from behind. Lucien was pressed between the wall and Ronan¡¯s body. He looked so pitiful. And so captivating. The man nted small kisses along Lucien¡¯s fair neck and settled at his nape.


    The danger was imminent. Lucien let out a gasp, and then a plea.


    ¡°Ronan, don¡¯t.¡±


    Something wild flickered in Ronan¡¯s eyes. Lucien¡¯s scent tickled his heart, clouding his senses. How he wanted to just sink his fangs into Lucien¡¯s nape and imed the man in his arms as his.


    It did not matter if Lucien never bit him in return.


    If the half-bond mark disappeared, he just had to bite him again and again.


    Until the mark carved itself on Lucien¡¯s neck, leaving a scar that would never disappear.


    Until Lucien understood that he would never be able to get away from Ronan in this life.


    Until the man was his. Body, heart, and soul.


    Ronan¡¯s tongue brushed against Lucien¡¯s nape, causing thetter to shudder and unwittingly moaned out his name.


    ¡°Ronan... ah...¡±


    If Lucien was trying to curb Ronan¡¯s desire, he was doing a very poor job at it. Save for the two men¡¯s heavy breathing sound and rapid heartbeat, the room was very quiet.


    In Ronan¡¯s head, Beowulf was constantly howling for him to do it.


    ¡®Mark him.¡¯


    ¡®Do it already, Ronan. Do it!¡¯


    The man in front of him did not resist. It was almost as if he was waiting for Ronan to do what he wanted to do. It was as if he also wanted it.


    Ronan¡¯s hunting breath lingered against Lucien¡¯s neck long enough before he finally decided to forsake his animalistic desire and released Lucien from his embrace.


    The warmth at his back suddenly disappeared, and Lucien was left in a daze for some time. For once, he wanted Ronan to do it. He wanted Ronan to mark him, to show everyone in the werewolfmunity that he still desired Lucien.


    What if Lucien marked him as well?


    Would that have changed anything?


    Lucien¡¯s hand reached after Ronan¡¯s neck. Thetter was rather startled, but he did not utter any word of objection. Lucien¡¯s fingers caressed the spot at Ronan¡¯s neck. He stared at the man¡¯s nape.


    Despite the rejection, they were still fated mates. It only took two bites during sex to forever bind them together as mates. Lucien knew that Ronan desired him. If Lucien wanted to, he could do it... Lure Ronan into his bed, let the man fuck him until he forgot his own name, and then...


    Ronan hoisted Lucien¡¯s body with both hands under his buttocks, and thetter obediently wrapped his legs around Ronan¡¯s waist. Their mixed scent permeated the room, thebined fragrance acted like a special aphrodisiac that only applied to the couple.


    Ronan carried Lucien to a nearby patient bed and lowered him on top of it.


    Lucien was so beautiful.


    His cheeks were like blooming pink roses. His eyes were ssy from pent-up desire. His body was slender and alluring...


    Ronan climbed on top of the bed and pressed their bodies together.


    ¡°Ah... Ahh...¡±


    Eyes closed, Lucien¡¯s moans reverberated throughout the room. It was the most beautiful music that Ronan had ever heard, more pleasing than the choir of a thousand angels. It awakened his bestial side.


    Ronan supported his upper body with both arms while he rammed his lower body against Lucien¡¯s, mimicking the act of coption. He wanted to rip both of their clothes so bad. In his head, he saw himself doing exactly that, tearing every piece of clothing away from Lucien, and exposing him to Ronan¡¯s hungry eyes.


    ¡°Ronan...¡±


    Lucien was calling for him.


    Oh, his beloved Lucien...


    Ronan covered the man¡¯s seductive lips with his own while he continued to thrust rapidly against Lucien¡¯s body.


    It was so hot down there.


    It was as if someone set them both on fire.


    Ronan was aching for release.


    He wanted to rip Lucien¡¯s pants off and shoved his engorged organ rudely into the man. He wanted to climb the peak of pleasure together with his lover, moaning and groaning their way to the top, only to plunge together into the sea of bliss. To drown in the afterglow of their union.


    ¡°Mmmhh...!!!¡±


    Lucien furrowed his brows in pain when Ronan bit into his lip. Thetter thrust violently against him, causing the whole bed to rattle like insane. The uncontrolled moans only added more decadence to the atmosphere.


    ¡°Lulu...¡±


    ¡°Ronan...¡±


    ¡°Lulu, I love you... I love you! Ahh...!!!¡±


    ¡°AHHH!!!¡±


    Both of them screamed in unison. Not because they just climaxed. It was because they were falling. Unable to support the two men and the strenuous exercise that went on, the poor bed finally gave up and crumbled under the weight of the two lovebirds.

 Chapter 84

    84 Stop Lying To Me


    CRASH


    Ronan and Lucien groaned amidst the broken bed. Being the one on the top, Ronan was entirely unharmed. As soon as he got on his feet first, he pulled Lucien up and examined him.


    ¡°Lulu, are you okay? Are you hurt?¡±


    Lucien shook his head.


    ¡°WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE???¡±


    The door opened with a bang and a very unhappy nurse ¡ª the same one who threw Ronan and Kinnon out for fighting inside a hospital ward ¡ª came in. When she saw what remained from the hospital bed in the infirmary, she almost lost it.


    ¡°What have you two done!¡± She howled in distress.


    The nurse pushed both men aside to look at the ruins in disbelief. The poor bed! It had served countless patients in the hospital. To be destroyed in such a horrible way!


    ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything, it just broke,¡± Ronan lied without batting an eyelid.


    .....


    Lucien shot him a re, but he too was unwilling to tell the nurse that they had been rocking the bed hard and exhausted its capacity.


    Unfortunately, the thick pheromones that permeated the room did not help their case.


    ¡°LIAR!¡± The nurse snapped, calling them out on Ronan¡¯s lie.


    Not wanting to argue further, Ronan dragged Lucien out of the infirmary before they were thrown out of the hospital for real.


    Once they went out to an empty corridor, though, Lucien pulled his hand free from Ronan¡¯s grip.


    Ronan turned around and saw Lucien who stood just two steps away with his head lowered in distress.


    ¡°Lulu?¡±


    Ronan held out his hand to caress Lucien¡¯s hair, but before his fingers even sank into the tangles of the red-blond hair, the man already moved away from him.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Lucien said. ¡°It was a mistake. I got carried away.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s face turned cold.


    A mistake?


    He grabbed at Lucien¡¯s upper arm and yanked him upward, forcing thetter to look up at him.


    ¡°How so?¡±


    As Lucien¡¯s heart hardened, so did his gaze. He looked Ronan straight in the eyes and lied.


    ¡°I do not feel the same way about you.¡±


    Ronan chuckled, not from amusement but irritation.


    ¡°You liar,¡± he called him out.


    Lucien smirked.


    ¡°If I love you, I would not have picked Kinnon over you,¡± he taunted.


    ¡°If I loved you, I would not have broken up with you in the first ce.¡±


    The vein in Ronan¡¯s temple twitched. Really. Lucien was so determined to sever their rtions that he literally pulled out all the stops. He knew how to hurt Ronan, and he used all the weapons that he had just to drive Ronan away.


    Relief mixed with pain spread in Lucien¡¯s heart when he saw the hurt in Ronan¡¯s eyes. As always, it was easy to hurt Ronan, to drive the man away.


    ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Silverback,¡± Lucien said before he turned to leave.


    He had barely walked away when a pair of arms wrapped themselves around his body and his back was pressed against a broad, strong, and warm chest. Ronan¡¯s voice was steady when he spoke in a low voice.


    ¡°Stop lying to me, I beg you.¡±


    ¡°I did not lie,¡± Lucien said.


    ¡°Liar,¡± Ronan whispered.


    ¡°Ronan, I...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you say. You are dishonest with your words. Only your body and your wolf are honest.¡±


    Lucien closed his eyes with a sigh.


    ¡°I am not going to listen to you again. I wish I never did.¡±


    The Alpha was naturally referring to their breakup from seven years ago. On drunken nights when Ronany awake on the bed, with or without a naked body on his bed, he always wondered whether things would be different if he had not listened to Lucien.


    When Lucien spoke about the rejection, what if Ronan had said no?


    What if Ronan had insisted on pursuing Lucien?


    Would things have been different?


    Would his wretched father let go of Clearwater Finance because Ronan was so persistent?


    Maybe Ronan could even help the Silent Walkers Pack using his mother¡¯s resources. Or his own.


    Anything.


    Anything just to keep the beautiful boy from that time in his arms, in his bed, his limbs entangled with his own as they drank from each other¡¯s fountain of love.


    Lucien sighed in exasperation when he could not break free from Ronan¡¯s grip.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know the truth,¡± he said, cursing at his hoarse voice that was brimming with suppressed emotions.


    Lucien cleared his throat.


    ¡°You don¡¯t really know how I feel about you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I do,¡± the Alpha answered.


    Lucien started to get annoyed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t,¡± he insisted.


    ¡°I do,¡± the man behind Lucien refused to give in.


    ¡°Ronan, you...¡±


    Lucien roared in distress.


    ¡°Believe what you want, now let me go.¡±


    Whether Ronan believed him or not, it did not matter. Lucien got rid of him once. He could do it all over again.


    As long as he maintained his distance from the man, he would be able to persevere.


    Until Ronan gave up for good.


    Until he was properly married.


    Until he had a family of his own.


    Lucien¡¯s eyes started to sting, so he rubbed at them. Some wetness stuck to his fingers.


    Until Ronan became a respectable Alpha. Just like they all wanted him to be.


    Lucien closed his eyes while tilting his head upward, striving to prevent the hot tears from falling.


    A soft sigh escaped Ronan.


    ¡°If you are so sure about not liking me, then why are you crying?¡± The Alpha asked.


    ¡°I am not crying,¡± Lucien snapped. Only for his tears to fall for real.


    Damn it.


    Lucien wanted to curse at everyone and everything. He quickly wiped his tears away, but Ronan already saw them.


    The Alpha turned Lucien around and looked at thetter¡¯s tear-streaked face. Although Lucien¡¯s face was full of indignation, the tears were proof of his anguish.


    Ronan did not like it when Lucien cried. Unless of course, it was Ronan who made him cry.


    Ronan pulled Lucien close and nted a soft kiss on the man¡¯s lips.


    ¡°You love me,¡± he decided.

 Chapter 85

    85 Advancing Storm


    What brought about this unexpected surge of confidence?


    Or was it just a fake one?


    Was this how he won the hearts of all those whores of his?


    By manipting them into loving him?


    Lucien red at Ronan. When thetter reached out to caress Lucien¡¯s cheek, his hand was viciously pped away.


    Lucien hated it when Ronan did not listen to him, but he hated it even more to be babied around. By anyone, but especially by Ronan.


    ¡°I am not one of your whores,¡± Lucien had to remind the Alpha.


    Ronan gave Lucien an indulgent smile. He tilted his head slightly to the side while observing Lucien¡¯s twitching lips. It was great when Lucien was anything but condescending and cold. It made Lucien more approachable. More human.


    ¡°You are not,¡± Ronan agreed.


    .....


    Before Lucien said anything in return, Ronan grabbed his hand and pulled him away.


    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡±


    ¡°I thought you are getting discharged.¡±


    Well, that was not wrong.


    After exiting the corridor, the two men arrived at the foyer.


    In the left corner of the foyer, Alice Clearwater and Lady Adele Fangde were facing each other and chatting in a serious tone. Once Ronan and Lucien approached them, they stopped talking altogether. It was pretty clear who they had been talking about.


    Thedy in the wheelchair exhaled out of relief when she saw Lucien, but her expression turned stern when she saw Lucien¡¯s reddened eyes and bitten lips.


    ¡°Ronan, have you been bullying Lucien? Why did he cry?¡± Thedy snapped at her son.


    Ronan¡¯s lips parted in surprise. His mother was probably the only person in the whole world who did not have the slightest qualm about chastising her son in front of outsiders.


    Lucien wiped at his eyes in a hurry, but it was a littlete to hide at that moment. It was also rather stupid to lie about not crying.


    Alice approached her son with a sigh.


    ¡°Lulu, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Mn. Mom, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Alice nodded.


    ¡°Right. Anna is handling your discharge procedure. We already emptied the ward. Why don¡¯t we wait in the car?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Lucien gave Lady Adele Fangde a polite nod. ¡°Lady Fangde, I shall take my leave.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± she pleaded. ¡°Pleasee closer, Lucien.¡±


    Lucien approached her and she put the quilt with the Fangde family sigil around him. The cashmere quilt felt warm around Lucien¡¯s shoulder. As warm as Lady Adele Fangde¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Take care of yourself, Lucien.¡±


    ¡°You too.¡±


    Lucien did not know what to say to Ronan, so he chose to say nothing and leave. And yet, Ronan still had something else to say to him.


    ¡°Lulu, I am not ying around with you. Please think about it.¡±


    He was being vague in his words, but Lucien knew what Ronan was talking about.


    If Lucien was not going to move forward with his marriage n, then Ronan wanted him to reconsider the continuation of their romantic affair.


    Lucien gave Ronan a brief nce but said nothing. It was not something that he could decide on the spot. Especially because of the deal that his father had with Dane Silverback. How much did Ronan find out about the past? Did he know about the deal?


    Unlikely...


    Annalynne came over soon enough.


    ¡°All finished!¡± She dered ecstatically. ¡°We can go back!¡±


    Lucien gave Ronan onest look once the car departed the hospital ground. It just so happened that Ronan was also looking in Lucien¡¯s direction so they got to exchange looks for a few seconds.


    His gaze held a certain expectation. The kind of expectation that Lucien was unable to fulfill.


    Lucien sighed once Ronan was no longer in sight.


    ¡°Lulu? Are you ufortable?¡± Alice was concerned. The past few days had been very peaceful, but today was rather eventful. Alice did not know how to interpret it. She only knew that something wasing up real soon.


    ¡°I am fine, Mom.¡±


    Lucien leaned back on the seat and closed his eyes.


    He had to be fine.


    He could not afford to be anything but fine.


    Because after he left the hospital, a storm was bound to happen.


    The car arrived at Blue Hill City close to dinner time. Lucien felt somewhat lethargic when he got off the car and walked toward the Pack House.


    Thest time he left the Pack House, he carried with him thebined hope of the whole pack. Now he came back bearing nothing more than disappointment.


    The news about what happened at Hapsborough City already spread to the whole werewolfmunity, including the Silent Walkers Pack. It was received with arge amount of trepidation that grew more and more with each passing day.


    The pack members knew that there was nothing that Lucien could have done to prevent it, but it still did not make them feel any better.


    What was to be the future of the Silent Walkers Pack?


    Alice Clearwater had other worries in mind.


    What was to happen to her son?


    She had hoped that Lucien would have some days to sort his thoughts out and maybe n for what¡¯s toe, s time waited for no one.


    Barely two days passed after they returned from the hospital when a somber-looking letter arrived for Lucien. The envelope was sealed with the familiar wax seal of Werewolf Council. The red impression depicted two wolves with their backs facing each other and the Moon Goddess standing behind them.


    Lucien calmly tore the letter open and read the content.


    The day had finallye.


    ¡°Dear Mr. Lucien Clearwater,


    to address the recent event that transpired between yourself and the Alpha of the Night Prowler Pack, Kinnon Youngshaper, we herewith invite both of you to attend the hearing on 5th October, 10 AM. Said hearing shall take ce in the Werewolf Council Headquarters at the North Ridge Forest.


    We expect you to arrive in time for the hearing, please make your preparations ordingly.


    Sincerely yours,


    The Werewolf Council.¡±

 Chapter 86

    86 A Joyous Event At The Infinite Eclipse Pack


    Over at the Infinite Eclipse Pack House, Cassie ¡ª Jake¡¯s mate ¡ª had just given birth to an alpha wolf pup. The little girl was the couple¡¯s first child. As the custom demanded, the parents and the children should spend an intimate period of four weeks adapting to the challenges of bing parents to an infant.


    Jake was thus momentarily released from his tasks as the Beta of the pack and took on a new job as the father of a little girl. One of his tasks was to arrange for visits from pack members who would love to share in on the joyous event. Cassie, who had just given birth, was naturally very protective of her baby girl. Although she tried to suppress her beastly nature at all times, it often manifested in form of an unexpected snarl whenever she saw someone extending their paws to touch her little girl.


    A little squeal from the baby girl was enough to set Cassie aze.


    It was thus necessary to regte the visits. Not too often as it would upset Cassie, but also not too seldom as it would alienate the remaining pack members and they did not want that. It took a whole pack to raise a little pup!


    Ronan Silverback extended his congrattions to Jake and Cassie the same day Cassie gave birth, but he did note back to the Pack House until after Lucien was discharged. By that time, the four weeks had passed and Jake was ready to retake his position as the Beta.


    To his greatest dismay, the first piece of news he heard on his first day of returning to his job was the hearing to clear up the mess between the Silent Walkers Pack and the Night Prowler Pack.


    Jake restlessly waited for Ronan toe back in thetter¡¯s office. Poor Milroy was also there, going back and forth between the office and the entrance to see whether Ronan had finally arrived or not. The young man had lost a lot of weight, but he knew how to do his job by now. That was good because Ronan was not a patient boss. He expected his subordinates to read his mind without Mind Link.


    Just as Jake was busy scolding his Alpha in his mind, Milroy entered the room hastily with a leather bag full of Ronan¡¯s work documents.


    ¡°He is here,¡± he reported. There was fear in his eyes. Jake had to swallow. He straightened his suit and gestured for Milroy to stay out of the hell fire.


    .....


    Ronan¡¯snguid footsteps were heard along the corridor long before he arrived in his office. He did not look happy, but he also did not look angry. Jake had expected worse. He should be d, but he knew he should not rx yet. Not until Ronan said something.


    The Alpha entered the office and smiled at Jake.


    ¡°Back already, Jake? How is Cassie doing?¡±


    Well, that was unexpected. How nice of Ronan.


    Jake cleared his throat before answering. ¡°She is doing just fine.¡±


    ¡°Have you decided the name for your little girl?¡±


    ¡°Uh, no. Not yet. We are hoping to get some suggestions from Cassie¡¯s parents.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Cassandra was not born of the Silent Walkers Pack. Her birth pack was located some cities away from the Infinite Eclipse Pack. Although her parents were part of the family, they were not part of the pack. The custom demanded them to wait until the four weeks were up before they could pay a visit to their daughter and their granddaughter.


    Although Cassie understood the rules among the packs, she was still very unhappy about the fact that she did not have her mother around to take care of her when she needed her the most. That was why Jake had to pamper her a lot so that she did not feel all too lonely.


    Ronan tugged his tie loose and sighed as he plopped down on his leather seat.


    He looked exhausted, Jake thought. Maybe he did not want to talk about the heavy topics yet.


    ¡°I have not visited your daughter even once,¡± Ronan remarked. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go there now?¡±


    Jake gaped at Ronan for a split second before he quickly gathered himself.


    ¡°Sure! Let¡¯s go now!¡±


    The Beta hastily contacted his mate through Mind Link, knowing that Cassie would go rampant if he let Ronane to their apartment while it was in no different state than a shipwreck.


    ¡®CASSIE! QUICK, TIDY UP THE HOUSE!¡¯


    On a brighter note, maybe Jake could have rephrased his sentence in a better way because his wife was not in the mood for cleaning the house. Not while she was taking care of a newborn baby at least.


    ¡®STOP ORDERING ME AROUND! JAKE, I NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THE BABY!¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    Jake tried again.


    ¡®Cassie, uh. Ronan ising.¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®How wonderful. Excuse me for a little bit, I need to throw out some trash and vacuum the floor.¡¯


    Jake heaved a sigh. He knew that he was going to pay for it after Ronan left. Jake had been tidying up the apartment during the four weeks that the pack members get to visit. After the visitation period was over, naturally the couple did not pay too much attention to the cleanliness of the ce. Until the Alpha of the pack decided to pay them a visit, at least.


    It was amazing how fast Cassie worked when she had to. The apartment was spick and span by the time Jake and Ronan entered through the door. Cassie even found some time to change from her overge pajamas to a cream-colored dress.


    ¡°Wee, Alpha,¡± she greeted politely.


    Ronan closed the distance between them, took her hand, and ced a kiss on her knuckles.


    ¡°You have worked hard, Cassandra. Where is the little princess?¡±


    At the receiving end of such a gant gesture, Cassie inevitably blushed.


    ¡°Oh, she is in her crib...¡±


    As if on cue, the little baby started crying right after.

 Chapter 87

    87 Good Night, Ronan


    Cassie and Jake were horrified. Would Ronan be irritated by the crying noise?


    They entered the nursery ¡ª Ronan at the front and the anxious parents at the back. When Ronan saw the baby kicking up a fuss in her crib, he picked the baby girl up with one smooth movement. As soon as shended in his arms, she stopped crying and blinked at Ronan in adoration.


    Either Ronan was a natural-born Dad or his oppressive nature as an Alpha was enough to force even newborn babies into obedience.


    ¡°Such a precious treasure,¡± Ronan remarked as he gazed upon the tiny face but big, round eyes that were directed at him with unconcealed fascination.


    Unbeknownst to people around him, Ronan did not dislike babies. In fact, he adored them. He too thought about having his own pups one day, having the tiny hands and feet crawl all over him to wake him up when he was rxing in bed with his mate. It was just that the mate next to him was never anyone other than Lucien Clearwater.


    Be it seven years ago or recently, when Ronan bedded Lucien, he always fantasized about Lucien getting pregnant. When he knotted inside his lover and slowly filled him up, Ronan hoped that his seed would take root in Lucien¡¯s belly. Lucien would look good with his baby growing inside him. He would be a good mother to their pups. And their pups, boy or girl, would look adorable. It would be great if they inherited Lucien¡¯s beautiful eyes.


    Ronan could not help but chuckle to himself. Their children would probably be as hard-mouthed as Lucien was. They would enrage Ronan to no end, but Ronan would love them until thest drop of his blood left his body.


    Unfortunately, it was all nothing but sweet dreams. If Lucien was able to get pregnant at all, Ronan would have locked him up ages ago and not let him run free until his belly was protruding from a new life.


    The little girl in Ronan¡¯s arms squirmed unhappily when the Alpha put her down in her crib, but she did not cry. Her face just crumpled in dejection and she gave Ronan a look full of indignations.


    .....


    Jake was not sure if he should beat his Alpha for making his infant daughter fall in love with him within weeks after being born or not. That was his daughter and she was not even half as clingy to her own father!


    Ronan turned around and smiled at both Jake and Cassie. ¡°She is adorable. Congrattions again.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Alpha,¡± they both spoke up almost simultaneously.


    Cassie dropped on a chair next to the crib after Jake and Ronan took their leave. She groaned at her baby girl who immediately threw a crying fit as soon as the door closed with a click.


    Ronan was very quiet, and Jake disliked it. It was not in Ronan¡¯s nature to be that quiet. Did he find out about the hearing? Of course he did. Milroy would have gotten some beatings if he did not report such an important thing to Ronan. Not that Ronan cared so much about official hearings of anyone. Anything about Lucien Clearwater was considered an important matter, including his sleeping schedule.


    ¡°Jake.¡±


    Jake snapped back right away.


    ¡°Yes, Alpha?¡±


    ¡°Find out what happened to Miss Lillian Woond. Why did she suddenly disappear?¡±


    Jake¡¯s jaw dropped open. Lillian Woond? Really? At this time? Why would Ronan even think about Lillian Woond when Lucien Clearwater was set to participate in an important hearing before the Werewolf Council???


    ¡°I will get on it right away,¡± Jake answered nheless.


    Ronan gave him a subtle nod before he went back to his own residence.


    Lucien.


    Ronan took out his phone and sent Lucien a message.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Ronan waited for whole five minutes, but Lucien neither read nor replied. Ronan put his phone aside and went to take a shower. When he came out of the shower, there was a new message from Lucien.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Ronan sat on the couch with only the bathrobe draped around his muscr body. His wet hair was dripping copiously onto the backrest but the Alpha could not care less.


    ¡°How are you?¡±


    This time Lucien replied right away. ¡°Are you asking because of the hearing?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I will be fine. This is something that I have to settle with the Night Prowler Pack.¡±


    ¡°I¡± instead of ¡°Silent Walkers Pack¡±.


    It was ridiculous how much responsibility Lucien took upon himself without even serving as an Alpha of his pack. Deacon Clearwater was an idiot, and every single member of the Silent Walkers Pack was shameless for relying on someone who already left the pack ages ago.


    Ronan suppressed his anger and typed in something helpful instead. He knew that Lucien would not look favorably upon Ronan for badmouthing his pack members.


    ¡°Do you need anything?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Thanks.¡±


    Hmph.


    Cold and indifferent as always.


    Ronan did not know what else to say. He did not usually send any text messages to anyone. His closest confidante was his mother, and his mother did not like to use phones. Ronan had to call her nurse if he wanted to talk to her, or just visit the hospital right away to spend some time with his mother. It was what she preferred anyway.


    After getting dressed, Ronan went back to his office to take care of some internal matters within the pack before he retreated back to his apartment for a good night¡¯s rest.


    His phone was still sitting on the couch, neglected by his owner.


    The moon was already high up in the sky. Ronan grabbed his phone and sent Lucien onest text message for the day.


    ¡°Good night, Lucien.¡±


    And then he took the phone with him to his bedroom and discarded it on the night table. After he changed into his night attire and climbed into his bed, he saw the screen lit up with another message from Lucien.


    ¡°Good night, Ronan.¡±

 Chapter 88

    88 Meeting Again Just Before The Hearing


    Right after typing that onest message to Ronan, Lucien sighed and put his phone on the desk. He was about to leave for Hapsborough City the next morning, spend the night, and then attend the hearing in time. Alice and Annalynne had both offered toe with him, but he refused both of them.


    ¡°I can take care of this matter myself,¡± he told them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will go back as soon as the hearing is done.¡±


    Alice bit into her lip. She did not think that the hearing would end peacefully, and honestly, Lucien would be stupid if he thought that way.


    Lucien himself did not think that it would end peacefully. He just did not want to implicate more people from the Silent Walkers Pack, especially the few people in his inner circle of family.


    If Lucien did not want to be apanied, no one could force their way through. Alice and Annalynne had no other choice but to watch the car that took Lucien away from the Silent Walkers Pack House depart, leaving a cloud of dust behind.


    Call it premonition or bold assumption, but Lucien knew that he would not be alone after all.


    He did not tell anyone the name of the hotel that he was checking into, but Ronan simply knew. He must have put a lot of people to tail him ever since he left the hospital.


    The Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack was sitting on a couch in the hotel lobby. He had his left arm draped around the couch¡¯s backrest, while his other hand was holding up a book. Passing guests could not help but gush about this extraordinarily handsome man, whose simple but alluring choice of grey shirt and ck pantsplimented his toned body perfectly.


    Unfortunately, the handsome man only had eyes for another handsome man who was just checking into the hotel.


    .....


    ¡°Excuse me, Sir, but you have already been booked into a presidential suite,¡± the receptionist said while pushing Lucien¡¯s card toward thetter.


    Lucien was momentarily taken aback, but he quickly regained hisposure. ¡°Is that so? Thank you, then.¡±


    The receptionist smiled and passed him the card to the presidential suite. ¡°You are wee. Enjoy your stay.¡±


    Lucien looked around, searching for a certain nosy Alpha. He spotted Ronan in the lobby quickly enough. The man looked up from his book and shed Lucien a toothy grin. Lucien rolled with his eyes and approached Ronan.


    ¡°Ronan, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Because I know that you insist on going alone to the hearing.¡±


    ¡°And how is that of any concern to you?¡±


    Ronan stood with a chuckle. He put his book down on the couch and reached out for Lucien¡¯s neck. When his warm fingers brushed against the side of Lucien¡¯s neck, thetter frowned and pushed his hand away.


    ¡°Ronan, don¡¯t.¡±


    It was just a little touch, but Lucien could not take it at all.


    ¡°Although you have Landon fully under your control now, he still affects your mood severely, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    Lucien pressed his lips together, refusing to answer. He did not need to, because Ronan also felt it. The strength of their fated connection increased after Landon returned to Lucien¡¯s body. Despite Lucien¡¯s fierce resistance, he still had to give in to Landon at times. Otherwise, Landon was more than d to dole out punishments for Lucien in form of difort or bad mood.


    ¡°Landon is just so attached to you because you keep popping up,¡± Lucien said in an usatory tone. ¡°If you stay away, his feelings will also cool down.¡±


    Ronan stared at Lucien in disbelief. Did he think that Landon was a little pup who had poor memory retention? To think that Lucien would diminish their fated connection down to a simple ¡°out of sight, out of mind¡±.


    ¡°That is not true and you know that,¡± Ronan called him out on it.


    Lucien scoffed.


    ¡°So what if it isn¡¯t true? Ronan, I... This is not the right time to even think about having an affair.¡±


    Ronan was stumped. Was that what Lucien thought about him all this time?


    The Alpha pulled Lucien by his waist into his embrace. It was like hugging a block of ice that refused to melt despite his warmth. Ronan could not help but chuckle.


    ¡°What is so funny?¡± Lucien asked in irritation.


    Ronan whispered his answer directly into Lucien¡¯s ear.


    ¡°It is not funny or anything. I just want to tell you that although I long to undress you this very second and have my way with you, I will not do anything until we finish dealing with the Night Prowler Pack.¡±


    Lucien scowled at Ronan.


    ¡°And what makes you think that I need you to help me deal with the Night Prowler Pack?¡±


    ¡°Easy,¡± Ronan answered confidently as he ran his hands up from Lucien¡¯s waist to his back.


    ¡°I will keep youpany so that nothing happens before the hearing. This is the Hapsborough City after all. Kinnon will also be here tonight.¡±


    Upon hearing Kinnon¡¯s name, Lucien flinched from difort. Landon was wing furiously inside him. He knew that Ronan was right. Landon despised Kinnon enough to kill him. If he had been left alone in the Hapsborough City a day before the hearing and he ran into Kinnon, who knew what ugly things might unfold?


    Whatever happened would not be in Lucien¡¯s favor. Annalynne was suspected of trying to murder Kinnon once. And then he also almost ripped Kinnon into two the night of the Moon Banquet. He should be d that the Werewolf Council did not ask Annalynne toe along. Lucien could not afford to mess this hearing up.


    The man lifted his gaze seductively and smiled at Ronan.


    ¡°In that case, will the Alpha please kindly stay with me so I don¡¯t rip Kinnon Youngshaper or any other werewolves into pieces?¡±


    Ronanughed.


    ¡°Sure, I shall keep Mr. Clearwater busy so that he can not think about anyone else but me.¡±

 Chapter 89

    89 The Burning Desire


    There was only one presidential suite at the highest floor, and hotel guests were not allowed to ess the suite floor without swiping the suite card against the card reader in the elevator. The suite itself had avish living room that separated the two bedrooms at each end.


    As soon as Lucien entered the suite, he marched into one of the bedrooms, mmed the door shut behind him, and locked himself inside the bedroom. Landon was close to turning rabid.


    ¡®Lucien, are you crazy? You are finally staying with Ronan in avish hotel suite and you n to lock yourself inside this bedroom until morning?¡¯


    ¡®Yes,¡¯ Lucien answered curtly.


    ¡®I can¡¯t believe it. Let¡¯s go out, I want to hunt.¡¯


    ¡®I will not allow you to. Who knows what or who you want to hunt.¡¯


    Landon giggled like a madman.


    ¡®Are you afraid that I will rip your ex-boyfriend to pieces?¡¯


    ¡®Landon, you...¡¯


    .....


    Lucien growled into a pillow in frustration. ¡®Don¡¯t you feel bad at all? He was not raping me. I consented to the consummation.¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t,¡¯ Landon answered smoothly. ¡®If you want to have sex, get out of this bedroom and drag Ronan into your bed. Or his bed. Whichever works.¡¯


    ¡®Are you crazy? I cannot do that to Kinnon!¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t tell me you are still hoping to get back with him? I swear I am going to kill him the next time he dares toy his hand on you.¡¯


    Lucien rolled onto his back and sighed. How could he make Landon understand?


    ¡®Even if we are not getting married anymore, it ispletely disrespectful to have sex with Ronan before we officially end our rtions, don¡¯t you think?¡¯


    ¡®As far as I am concerned, it ended the night I almost killed him.¡¯


    Practically yes. But not on paper.


    ¡®I already said that I am not going to marry him anymore. Will you please just spare him? Or anyone who is not Ronan?¡¯


    Landon growled in displeasure. ¡®You are making things way tooplicated, Lucien. Just give in to your instincts and heart. I know you love him too.¡¯


    That was exactly why he had to lock himself up inside the room. He could not just give in to what he truly wanted, or else it would be a disaster. Lucien noticed that his self-restraint declined by leaps and bounds as soon as Landon came back.


    His desire for Ronan threatened to engulf his sanity, his peace of mind. If the hospital bed did not break back then and no one interrupted them, he might have ended up having sex with Ronan without caring about the time, ce, and asion.


    And then the fool just had to knock at the door and excite Landon.


    ¡°Lucien?¡±


    The man pressed his face against a pillow as soon as he heard his name. Forget it. He was not going to answer. He should just go to sleep.


    ¡°Lucien, if you don¡¯t answer then I assume that you have escaped through the window again.¡±


    Lucien turned his head to look at the window wall in his bedroom. What was with hotels and their fascination for window walls?


    Lucien dragged himself off the bed with the nket wrapped around him like an overge cloak. He opened the door and gave Ronan a peeved look. Then he stepped aside and pointed at the intact window wall in his bedroom.


    ¡°See? Not a crack. I have not transformed too.¡±


    Did he look that weak? Landon was powerful but it did not mean that he could push Lucien around if thetter was not in a weak state.


    Ronan smirked. He grabbed Lucien¡¯s wrist and pulled him outside. The nket slid off his body within an instant.


    ¡°Hey! Where do you think you are taking me? Hey!¡±


    ¡°Stop causing a fuss. You are staying in a presidential suite and all you want to do is lock yourself up in the bedroom? Seriously, you are so boring, Lucien.¡±


    Lucien pulled his wrist free from Ronan¡¯s grip.


    ¡°If I am that boring then why are you constantly following me?¡±


    ¡°Because I love you, stupid.¡±


    It¡¯s that word again. Love.


    Lucien sighed in his heart.


    If it were seven years ago, he would delightfully reply with an ¡°I love you too¡±. It was unfortunately no longer possible right now.


    ¡°Ronan, I...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear your rejection,¡± Ronan quickly interrupted Lucien. ¡°I am going to pester you until you are ready. Until then, feel free to not say anything.¡±


    Ronan turned around and grabbed the room service menu booklet from a tea table.


    ¡°What do you want to eat for dinner? Or should we go down to a restaurant?¡±


    Landon was literally howling.


    ¡®I want to go out. Lucien, please. I will behave. I will even let Kinnon live as long as we get to eat dinner with Ronan.¡¯


    ¡®Do you promise?¡¯


    ¡®Yes yes yes.¡¯


    Extracting a promise from Landon had never been that easy. He must be quite desperate. Oh well. They had not been around much, indeed. Only the hospital and the pack house. And now the hotel. It was good to wander around with Landon for a little bit and breathe in some fresh night air.


    ¡°I would rather eat downstairs. Can we also take a walk after dinner?¡±


    That was quite surprising, but Ronan had absolutely no objection. He pped the booklet shut andid it back on the tea table.


    ¡°Wonderful. Let¡¯s go to the restaurant then. We have three restaurants in the hotel. What are you in the mood for? Western or eastern cuisines?¡±


    ¡°I just want some pancakes.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan shook his head in disbelief. What was with Lucien and his sweet tooth? Also, they were going to eat at a fancy restaurant and he only wanted pancakes.


    ¡°You are not getting any pancakes unless it is for dessert. Come, let¡¯s have some grilled seafood then.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The two men took the elevator down and headed toward the seafood restaurant. There was already a line of guests waiting to be seated. At the back of the line was a familiar man with ck eyes and dark brown hair. It was none other than Kinnon Youngshaper.

 Chapter 90

    90 The Alpha Wanted To Have A Nice Dinner


    Kinnon Youngshaper turned around when he sensed two pairs of eyes staring at his back.


    ¡°Lucien,¡± he softly said when he saw Lucien.


    When his eyes drifted to the man next to Lucien, though, his gaze cooled visibly by a few degrees. ¡°Alpha Ronan. Fancy seeing you here. Or maybe I should say that it no longeres off as a surprise to me, considering you have been hanging around my future Luna shamelessly for a while now.¡±


    Ronan cocked his head in arrogance.


    ¡°Your future Luna? Alpha Kinnon, don¡¯t be delusional.¡±


    Kinnon gritted his teeth. He held out his hand for Lucien.


    ¡°Lucien,e here.¡±


    A shiver ran down Lucien¡¯s spine. It was Landon who was about to break his promise to stay put.


    ¡°No,¡± Lucien said while shaking his head and hugging himself. ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡±


    .....


    That was all he could say to keep Landon under control.


    The hand that was extended in Lucien¡¯s direction was balled into a fist. ¡°Fine,¡± Kinnon said angrily.


    Bjorn came out of the restaurant just in time to witness this exchange.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Lucien,¡± he said with a diplomatic smile. ¡°And Alpha Ronan,¡± he added with an acknowledging nod.


    The Beta of the Night Prowler Pack saw that the situation was not good, so he tactfully grabbed Kinnon by his elbow. ¡°Alpha, our table is ready. Let¡¯s continue the discussion tomorrow.¡±


    During the hearing.


    In front of the Werewolf Council.


    Bjorn nodded at Lucien and gave both him and Ronan a polite smile. ¡°Excuse us.¡±


    Lucien felt sick to the stomach. Suddenly he was no longer in the mood for any dinner. Not even pancakes.


    ¡°I think I would rather have some room service now,¡± he said. ¡°Can we go back?¡±


    Ronan nodded.


    ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Once they went inside the suite, Lucien wanted to do nothing but bury himself insideyers of nket. Even the promise of pancakes did nothing to stir his interest anymore.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like this.¡± Ronan pulled at Lucien¡¯s wrist before thetter managed to crawl into a safe hiding space. ¡°You said that we should order room service so let¡¯s do that. Why let Kinnon Youngshaper ruin the night?¡±


    Lucien pressed both palms against his face and groaned in frustration.


    ¡°You are mistaken,¡± he stated once he revealed his face again. ¡°It was not he who ruined my night. It was I who ruined his night.¡±


    Ronan shook his head. ¡°You are giving yourself too much credit.¡±


    Lucien sighed and tried to go back into his room again but Ronan dragged him to the couch instead.


    ¡°The Youngshapers usually stay at the Seaside View Hotel. His appearance in this hotel is totally unexpected, so he is the one who is raining on our parade.¡±


    Lucien buried his fingernails into Ronan¡¯s arm and red at him, causing thetter to pull a grimace from the sting.


    ¡°And why do you think he chose to stay in a nameless hotel instead?¡±


    Oh.


    Ronan pursed his lips when it dawned on him.


    What a pity. After that one scandalous night, Kinnon Youngshaper might not be able to stay in any of the Seaside View Hotels for a while.


    Ronan would have suggested going to Carlton Bay Hotel if he did not remember what happened between him and Lillian Woond on the same night. Lillian ghosted himpletely after that night.


    Ironically Ronan had wanted Lillian to get lost for a while, but he wanted to do it without sleeping with her. Ronan did not know what to make of her sudden disappearance. Should he be grateful or worried?


    Yeah, nope. Not the Carlton Bay Hotel either.


    After much persuasion, and also because Lucien did not want to deal with a nagging Ronan outside of his bedroom door the whole night, Lucien agreed to stay for a simple dinner. A simple dinner as in something along the line of ¡°I don¡¯t care what you order.¡±


    After expressing his nonchnce, Lucien dragged an armchair to a wall window and sat there facing the ss. He looked like a student who was being punished by facing the wall. Only that this wall at least gave him a good night¡¯s view of the Hapsborough City.


    Meanwhile, Ronan, heaving a sigh, busied himself to find something to feed Lucien and himself.


    ¡°Hi. I want to order some room service. Please bring me a serving of each of the following dishes : torti chips with goat cheese and caviar dip; white bean and mushroom soup; beef-and-chicken stuffed potatoes; Greek sdplete with olives, lettuce, red onions, and feta cheese; lobster thermidor sprinkled with basil; roasted duck with honey and lemon ze....¡±


    Ronan¡¯s call to the front desk was ended abruptly by Lucien who pressed the end call button while staring at Ronan in disbelief.


    ¡°Are you insane? Why are you ordering a twelve-course menu for room service?¡±


    Ronan blinked at Lucien, not understanding what the problem was.


    ¡°I thought you don¡¯t care what I order.¡±


    ¡°I care if you order a humongous amount of food only to eat barely half of it in the end!¡±


    Ronan chuckled. He held out the room service menu in Lucien¡¯s direction.


    ¡°In that case why don¡¯t you choose what you want then? Otherwise don¡¯t me me for being a spendthrift.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien flipped through the menu with an evesting scowl on his face. Ronan happily sat next to him and watched as he looked through the booklet. Back when both of them were young, Ronan found that it was difficult to get along with Lucien because of their differing personalities and hobbies. And yet once they started dating, they fell together harmoniously into the same rhythm.


    Ronan often wondered whose rhythm they had been following. His or Lucien¡¯s? Probably Lucien¡¯s, because Lucien did not like to be hurried. He needed his own time to n out his life and handle things carefully and meticulously. That¡¯s why he cared so much about not wasting food before the food was even cooked.


    When someone like Lucien hosted a banquet, he surely would demand to have a detailed guest list, making sure that the number of people he had on the list was correct, and then calcte the amount of meat, vegetables, fruits, and drinks that he needed to appease said guests. Not an ounce more and not an ounce less.


    Lucien might even implement a no-waste policy to further irritate the guests.


    What about Ronan? Ronan was ratherx. Ronan would be the one who smuggled extra wine bottles into the banquet or ordered unnned boxes of pizzas and earned grateful cheers from the guests.


    ¡°Ronan. Hey, Ronan.¡±


    Lucien snapped his fingers a few times in front of Ronan to pull him out of the trance.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I already called the room service.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Thanks then.¡±


    Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s face with both hands and locked their lips together in an intimate kiss before Lucien had time to raise any objection.

 Chapter 91

    91 Don¡¯t Be Scared, I Am Here For You


    ¡°What was that for?¡± Lucien asked once they broke the kiss.


    Ronan smiled indulgently at the man whose cheeks turned slightly pink from the unexpected kiss.


    ¡°I just want you to know how much I love you.¡±


    Lucien gave Ronan¡¯s chest a gentle push. ¡°Ronan, I...¡±


    He was silenced by a single finger that pressed against his lips.


    ¡°You are not obligated to respond to each of my love derations. I already said that I want to hear no rejection.¡±


    Lucien smirked. ¡°What if rejection is all I have for you?¡±


    Ronan smirked in return. ¡°Then you will have me at your neck for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    .....


    Ronan¡¯s smirk was soon wiped off his face when the room service came to knock at the door.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡± Ronanined when the food and drink were served before him. He did not even wait until the poor server left the suite, which he did in a hurried manner. Who would want to stay when the guests were unhappy? If they could not unload their displeasure on each other, he, the innocent party, might just get the unjustified me.


    There were two tes of macaroni and cheese and two sses of milk on the table.


    Ronan looked up at Lucien in disbelief. There was not even a strip of garnish on the macaroni! Lucien looked down at Ronan and crosses his arms before his chest like an arrogant lord.


    ¡°What is it? Dissatisfied?¡±


    What Ronan wanted to say was : ¡°Every single dish that I listed out in my room service call was at least ten times more delectable than what sad dinner you just put on the table.¡±


    And yet he swallowed his bitterness and forced himself to smile.


    ¡°Oh, no no. It is very charming,¡± he said, disying two rows of sharp teeth.


    So charming that Ronan was determined to murder every single piece of macaroni on his te with the fork before he devoured his meal.


    The next morning, Lucien exited his bedroom with his tiny luggage ready for check out. Ronan was slurping his morning coffee in the living room, shirtless with only a towel draped around his waist. His powerful upper body was in full disy, the muscles on his upper arms rippled beautifully as he moved his arm up and down to sip from the coffee cup now and then. The man looked like he was ready for a porn shooting.


    No, Lucien quickly corrected himself with gritted teeth. The man looked like he was already starring in some porn movie.


    ¡°I am leaving,¡± Lucien said in a huff and went out of the door without waiting for Ronan¡¯s reply.


    He was headed toward the reception desk to check out, but then he remembered that he did not check in at all. The room was booked by Ronan, using both of their names. Ronan was still living the best time of his life in the presidential suite.


    For a split second, Lucien was filled with dread. He ran into Kinnon Youngshaperst night. Kinnon most likely spent the night in the same hotel. What if they ran into each other again and Landon ran berserk?


    No, he told himself. You must be strong for yourself, Lucien. You cannot depend on Ronan for the rest of your life. Landon is your responsibility. If he manages to overpower you, then it is your fault and no one else¡¯s.


    ¡°Good morning, Lucien.¡±


    Lucien turned around and found a smiling Jake behind him.


    ¡°Hey, Jake.¡±


    He suddenly remembered something from the time he was cocooned in the hospital when he saw Jake¡¯s beaming face.


    ¡°I heard you became a father. Congrattions.¡± Lucien extended his hand and Jake took it happily.


    ¡°Thanks. Did Ronan tell you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. He showed me the baby picture too. An adorable princess you have there.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha yeah. I must say that it is quite a challenge to be new parents. She is very energetic and loud, but that is good. Yeah.¡±


    Lucien patted Jake on the back.


    ¡°So what brings you here? Did Ronan ask you to put a cor around my neck to prevent me from ripping people apart?¡±


    Jake broke intoughter.


    ¡°No, no. Nothing of that sort. Did Ronan not tell you? The Werewolf Council sent an invitation to all packs and demanded the presence of the Alphas and Betas for this hearing.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Was that not too much? Was it a hearing or a trial?


    ¡°Good morning to the both of you,¡± Ronan¡¯s voice rang out from behind.


    The Alpha approached Lucien and Jake with a smug look on his face. He looked especially dashing in his bespoke suit. It highlighted his body contour perfectly.


    ¡°Alpha, good morning,¡± Jake greeted his boss.


    Lucien walked away without a single word and headed outside to hail a cab.


    A tinum Maserati stopped just in front of the lobby but the passenger seats were empty. Ronan¡¯s driver stepped out and opened the door for Lucien.


    ¡°Lulu, stop being stubborn. Let¡¯s go,¡± Ronan said, pulling at Lucien¡¯s elbow.


    As 10 AM slowly drew near, Lucien¡¯s cold hard front melted in face of the hearing. He meekly went into Ronan¡¯s car. Ronan followed soon after, and Jake sat next to Noah.


    ¡°To the Werewolf Council Headquarters,¡± Ronan ordered.


    The car rolled smoothly away from the hotel. The trepidation within Lucien¡¯s heart grew more and more as they approached the headquarters.


    Once the headquarters were in sight, they could see many luxury cars that were already parked in the reserved parking area.


    It was an amazing sight indeed. So many Alphas and Betas from all packs all over the continent gathered within the area. It almost felt like the Moon Banquet all over again.


    When Lucien stepped out of the car, the first thing he saw was the gigantic Moon Goddess statue that towered over them. Thest time he came to visit, he was holding Kinnon¡¯s hand. They came to inform the council about their decision to get married.


    Who could have known that this day woulde?


    Lucien clenched both his hands into fists.


    Ronan pried Lucien¡¯s right fist open and held his hand within his own.


    Lucien turned his head to look at Ronan, who smiled wistfully at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Lulu. I am here for you.¡±

 Chapter 92

    92 The Hearing At The Council


    Lucien felt as if he carried a mark on his face.


    As soon as the two she-wolves at the reception desk saw them, they did not bother to ask about their intention.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan and Beta Jake, you are cordially invited to go to the Crescent Hall.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Lucien Clearwater, please follow us.¡±


    Lucien and Ronan exchanged onest look.


    ¡°Bye,¡± Lucien said softly.


    Ronan nodded. He and Jake left for the hall. Lucien on the other side was led to a small room. Inside this room, a group of people were seated.


    Dane Silverback as the council chairman, Elder Rick to represent the Silent Walkers Pack, Elder Jonas to represent the Night Prowler Pack, and of course Kinnon Youngshaper.


    Thetter¡¯s eyes were pinned on Lucien the moment he appeared at the door. Lucien refused to look back, for fear of instigating Landon.


    .....


    ¡°Good morning, Lucien,¡± Dane Silverback greeted him with an official smile. ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    Lucien nodded at Ronan¡¯s father. ¡°Nice to see you again, Mr. Silverback.¡±


    The small group exchanged their greetings, and then they started to talk about the issue at hand.


    ¡°It hase to our attention that the feud between the Silent Walkers Pack and the Night Prowler Pack has yet to be solved properly.


    Consent was given for the two packs to engage in a war. Said war took ce between the two packs a few months ago, with Night Prowler Pack emerging as the winner. The Alpha of the Silent Walkers Pack, Deacon Clearwater, was killed during the confrontation, and the Silent Walkers Pack has been without an Alpha ever since then.


    Is that correct?¡± Dane Silverback asked to the other four attendees after reading from the case record in front of him.


    ¡°Yes,¡± they all answered one by one.


    ¡°Alpha Kinnon Youngshaper made a proposal to settle the aftermath of the war by asking Lucien Clearwater to be his Luna and in turn sheltering the Silent Walkers Pack as a subsidiary of Night Prowler Pack,¡± Dane Silverback continued.


    At this point he turned to Lucien and spoke to him directly, ¡°Lucien Clearwater epted the proposal. Is this true?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lucien confirmed.


    ¡°After that, both parties reported their intention to enter into a marriage to the council. The council recorded this, and then for a while, nothing happened.¡±


    ¡°You missed a little detail, Mr. Silverback,¡± Elder Jonas interceded. ¡°There was a little incident at the East Temple City which resulted in Alpha Kinnon being injured by three rogue werewolves. Annalynne Clearwater was in suspicion.¡±


    ¡°¡®Was¡¯,¡± Kinnon Youngshaper followed up. ¡°She and the whole Silent Walkers Pack are cleared from suspicion.¡±


    Lucien was endlessly grateful. Elder Jonas on the other side assumed a sour expression upon Kinnon¡¯s interruption.


    Dane Silverback¡¯s eyes moved from Lucien to Elder Jonas and finally settled on Kinnon, whose gaze was unwavering.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Dane Silverback continued.


    ¡°And then wee to the night of the Moon Goddess celebration.¡±


    Upon hearing this sentence, the elders shifted ufortably in their seats.


    ¡°Lucien Clearwater who imed to lost his wolf at the age of eighteen suddenly regained his wolf and proceeded to attack Alpha Kinnon.¡±


    ¡°Objection, Mr. Silverback,¡± Elder Rick had been waiting to speak up for a while now. ¡°The wolf attacked Alpha Kinnon. Lucien did not mean for it to happen.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Elder Jonas said. ¡°How often did it happen that a wolf possesses a werewolfpletely and runs rampage like that?¡±


    ¡°It has never happened,¡± Elder Rick imed.


    Just as Elder Jonas wanted to make it his point of argument, Elder Rick quickly followed up with, ¡°It does not mean that it is impossible.¡±


    ¡°Lucien,¡± Elder Rick¡¯s tone grew soft when he turned to Lucien. He had seen Lucien grow up. Although Lucien was no longer that sweet toddler from the past, Elder Rick refused to believe that Lucien meant for it to happen.


    The elder man grabbed Lucien¡¯s hand.


    ¡°That night, were you truthfully ready to consummate the rtionship with Alpha Kinnon? Or...¡±


    Thest word spoke volumes. Elder Jonas rose to his feet right away. ¡°What exactly are you insinuating? Kinnon Youngshaper did not do anything against Lucien Clearwater¡¯s wish!¡±


    And just to make sure he was not wrong, Elder Jonas turned to Kinnon to ask for support. Unfortunately, Kinnon had no interest in saying anything. His gaze was directed at Lucien instead.


    Lucien swallowed hard. He shut his eyes for a moment before he looked up at the other people at the table.


    ¡°Kinnon did not force me. I willingly agreed to it because I thought I was ready.¡±


    Turned out he was not. He never was.


    When Kinnon was about to enter him, all Lucien felt was utter devastation. Hugs and kisses were trivial things that he shared with his family regrly. Sex, on the other side...


    Lucien sighed.


    ¡°It was my fault,¡± he murmured.


    ¡°No, it was not!¡± Elder Rick howled. ¡°It was an ident!¡±


    It was indeed an ident but it was also his fault. If only he stayed true to his feelings for Ronan. If only he did not make promises that he could not keep. If only he gave himself more time... There were so many if only¡¯s. And yet regret brought him no absolution.


    ¡°Or it might be deliberate,¡± Elder Jonas refused to back down. ¡°There was no proof that Lucien¡¯s wolf did not return earlier.¡±


    Again, Kinnon came to Lucien¡¯s rescue.


    ¡°I can testify that Lucien was still without wolf when we started making love. His wolf only appeared shortly before the actual intercourse.¡±


    Elder Jonas looked as if he was about to throw a tantrum soon. His biggest enemy in this room was neither Lucien nor Elder Rick. It was the very person whose interest he was representing!


    Elder Jonas sat back down with a huff. He crossed his arms before his chest and shot daggers at everyone.


    ¡°Then do we agree to me Landon instead of Lucien?¡± Dane Silverback queried.


    ¡°If we do, the next step is clear. Landon shall be eliminated forever, and Lucien Clearwater will be cleared of all offenses.¡±

 Chapter 93

    93 I Plead Guilty


    ¡°No,¡± Lucien said right away.


    Dane Silverback, the two elders, and Kinnon Youngshaper all directed their eyes at Lucien, who for the first time in the course of the hearing strongly spoke for something.


    Elder Rick forced himself to smile as he put a hand on Lucien¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Lucien, don¡¯t be too quick to say no. I know that Landon is a part of yourself, but he left once. You were doing so well without him. With his awful temper, are you not better off without him?¡±


    Lucien gave Elder Rick a sharp re instead.


    ¡°Landon and I are inseparable. I am responsible for Landon¡¯s every mistake. It was my weakness that allowed Landon to lose his temper and attack Kinnon.¡±


    Even Elder Jonas started to feel sorry for Lucien when thetter insisted to be punished the same way.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater, please rethink your decision. If you are willing to sacrifice your wolf, further discussion with the Night Prowler Pack will be a lot smoother.¡±


    Elder Jonas turned to look at Kinnon.


    .....


    ¡°What does Alpha Kinnon think about it?¡±


    Kinnon solemnly said, ¡°I am willing to forget and forgive the past incidents if Lucien is still willing to be my Luna.¡±


    If Lucien was still willing.


    The problem was that Landon was not willing and to be honest Lucien was not ready. While Lucien might get over Ronan one day, Landon would never do. Unless Lucien agreed to part with Landon, he could say goodbye to marrying Kinnon.


    Lucien insisted to stick with Landon no matter what. He owed it to his wolf who he had driven through rounds of sufferings and pain in the past.


    The man shook his head in regret.


    ¡°I am sorry, Kinnon,¡± he said. ¡°I have to break my promise to you. I can no longer serve as your Luna.¡±


    Pain was seen shing within Kinnon¡¯s eyes.


    Of course, he thought bitterly. Someone like Lucien would never choose to kill Landon just so he could be with Kinnon. In the first ce, Lucien did not agree to Kinnon¡¯s proposal out of love. It was to save his pack. Lucien¡¯s heart had been stolen by Ronan years ago and it was noting back.


    Kinnon knew it every time he saw Lucien and Ronan together. No matter what scowling faces or what harsh words were exchanged between the two werewolves, Kinnon could see the love between them.


    He hated it.


    He wanted to destroy their love.


    ¡°You already agreed to my proposal,¡± Kinnon reminded.


    ¡°Yes, now I have to take it back.¡±


    Kinnon wed into the edges of the table.


    ¡°Do you know what it means?¡± Dane Silverback asked, watching Lucien over his steepled hands.


    Lucien nodded.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Kinnon almost lost it.


    ¡°And are you prepared for whateveres next?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    The elders sucked in deep breaths.


    This was it.


    The hearing was to be concluded soon.


    ¡°And are you not going to regret it?¡± Dane Silverback offered Lucien a way out onest time.


    Before Lucien answered, he had Elder Rick grabbing his shoulder.


    ¡°Lucien, please,¡± he begged. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be this way. Please take your time to think.¡±


    Lucien gave him a sad look.


    Time to think?


    Think about what?


    About whether he would want to sacrifice Landon instead?


    Why would Lucien need even a second longer to reject that offer?


    ¡°I am sorry, Elder Rick,¡± Lucien was more than determined. ¡°I will not go back on my decision. Not this time. I am willing to share the me and take responsibility for Landon. It is my duty as his human.¡±


    The two elders heaved heavy sighs. Lucien, the stubborn fool, they thought.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Dane Silverback said. He took a quill, dipped it in an ink case, and started to write on the parchment in front of him.


    ¡°Lucien Clearwater pleads guilty on the charge of a third-degree murder attempt on Alpha Kinnon Youngshaper from the Night Prowler Pack. Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lucien confirmed.


    ¡°In that case please add your thumbprint down here.¡±


    Dane Silverback pushed an ink pad toward Lucien.


    Lucien pressed his right thumb into the ink pad.


    It was then that Landon spoke up.


    ¡®Wait. Lucien, don¡¯t do this.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry, Landon. We will go through it together.¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t want us to do that. I don¡¯t want you to suffer because of my action.¡¯


    Lucien pressed his thumb into the parchment.


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®Lucien, you...¡¯


    Lucien calmly wiped the ink off his thumb with a napkin.


    ¡®I already said it many times, Landon. We are teammates. I will never leave you behind.¡¯


    ¡°Alpha Kinnon, please add your signature here.¡±


    ¡°The two elders, please add your signatures here.¡±


    Andstly, Dane Silverback as the presiding judge signed the document and stamped it with the Werewolf Council¡¯s official seal.


    ¡°We shall proceed with the trial, then.¡±


    Landon howled in Lucien¡¯s head. He was not one to openly express his emotions, but the howl carried a myriad of feelings. Pain, fear, and regret.


    Two attendants came into the room upon Dane Silverback¡¯s summon. They brought hand shackles that they put around Lucien¡¯s wrist.


    One by one, the other four people left for Crescent Hall. Kinnon and Lucien were thest two to leave.


    When Kinnon was about to leave, Lucien called out to him.


    ¡°Kinnon.¡±


    Kinnon turned around to look at Lucien.


    ¡°I am deeply sorry,¡± Lucien said.


    He did not mean for any of these to happen. He had truly wanted to fulfill his promise. On the other side, he would never be able to live with himself if he had to sacrifice Landon on the way.


    Kinnon gave him a curt nod.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    The wait until Lucien too was led to the Crescent Hall was agonizing. It was only a few minutes, but it felt like hours.


    After emerging from the small room and entering the huge Crescent Hall, Lucien had to lift his arms to shield his eyes from the bright light.


    He was not sure which one stung his eyes more. The light within the hall or the judgmental looks that the Alphas and Betas showered him with.

 Chapter 94

    94 The Judgment Of The Collective Community


    There were almost a hundred werewolves inside the Crescent Hall ¡ª thirty-five Werewolf Council members to represent each pack and thirty Alphas and thirty Betas who came to represent their packs, not counting Kinnon Youngshaper and Bjorn, the intiffs. The other packs were either destroyed or on the brink of destruction. Such as the Silent Walkers Pack for example.


    Lucien was led to the middle of the hall. There was a chair with chains at the armrests and on the ground. The man with red golden hair breathed out a sigh of relief when the attendants did not chain him up and just asked him to take a seat.


    It was degrading enough to sit there with shackled hands.


    Lucien looked up and saw the many people in the hall who craned their necks to take a better look at him. They were seated in circr rows that were gradually elevated from the front to the back side of the hall.


    Lucien could barely make out Ronan¡¯s face in the middle of the crowd, but they all could see him. Almost a hundred pairs of eyes were directed at Lucien, judging him amidst faint murmurs.


    The murmurs stopped abruptly when Dane Silverback took his stand next to Lucien.


    He read from the parchment to brief everyone about what happened between the Silent Walker Pack and the Night Prowler Pack.


    This was an official announcement, as opposed to the circting rumors in the werewolfmunity. Some of them knew about the matter from trustable sources while others heard the exaggerated version.


    ¡°Lucien Clearwater had already pleaded guilty for the attack on Alpha Kinnon Youngshaper from the Night Prowler Pack,¡± Dane Silverback announced in the end.


    .....


    The hall broke in an uproar. A confession toward a murder attempt on an Alpha was a serious offense!


    Lucien Clearwater was done for, and so was the Silent Walkers Pack!


    ¡°SILENCE!¡± Dane Silverback roared, mming a hand against the podium table. Everyone stopped talking all at once.


    ¡°We are here to decide the right punishment for the Silent Walkers Pack,¡± Dane Silverback continued.


    Lucien widened his eyes upon hearing Dane Silverback¡¯s words. ¡°Wait, Mr. Silverback,¡± he quickly interrupted the elder man. ¡°Please do not drag the Silent Walkers Pack into this matter. I am solely responsible for the attack on Alpha Kinnon.¡±


    Dane Silverback narrowed his eyes at Lucien. ¡°Unfortunately, it is not up to you to decide in this fashion. Did you not ept the proposal made by Kinnon Youngshaper in the name of the Silent Walkers Pack?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but...¡±


    ¡°Then your failure inmitting to the proposal will naturally reflect on the whole Silent Walkers Pack,¡± Dane Silverback informed him. ¡°There is no other way.¡±


    It was worse than what Lucien had expected. He was ready to die with Landon should the council demand that, but he never thought that he would implicate his whole pack! His mother, his father, his sister! Everyone in the Silent Walkers Pack!


    Lucien curled his fingers into fists. It was no longer about his life. It was about the survival of his whole pack. He must fight until the bitterest end.


    Dane Silverback walked off the podium withnguid steps and addressed everyone inside the hall.


    ¡°ording to the council regtion, a pack whomits atrocities against another pack shall be dealt with by using one of two methods. The first one would be the Judgment by the Moon Goddess. The second one would be the Judgment by the Collective Community.¡±


    Dane Silverback turned on his heel to face Lucien again.


    ¡°Which one do you choose?¡±


    It was not a difficult question.


    The Judgment by the Moon Goddess effectively meant throwing the individuals in question into a deep pit and letting them be for three days and three nights without food and water. Only those whom the Moon Goddess granted mercy would be able to survive. Those who survived the ordeal would be cleansed from all their sins and were epted back into themunity without any condition.


    The problem was that despite werewolves¡¯ naturally stronger bodies and higher endurance, not many of them could endure the trial. Non-alpha werewolves would die for sure. Alpha females and children would usually also sumb to death before the 72 hours were over. Those who managed to survive had to watch as their friends, brothers, sisters, parents, spouses, and even children died one by one. It was torture that was crueler than death itself.


    When faced with the two choices, any werewolf would go for the second option.


    ¡°I would like to go with the Judgment by the Collective Community.¡±


    Even though the second option was not less brutal, it at least granted quicker death and less suffering than the first one.


    The Judgment by the Collective Community demanded all the present pack representatives to take a stand and choose who to side with, in this case, either the Silent Walkers Pack or the Night Prowler Pack. Once all packs had chosen who to side with, they must send ten warriors from each pack to participate in the uing war between the Silent Walkers Pack and the Night Prowler Pack.


    Unfortunately, the Silent Walkers Pack was at a huge disadvantage. Deacon Clearwater, theirst Alpha, was not good at forming ties with other packs. Not that it would help much, because who would not prefer to side with the stronger pack? Which was ¡ª naturally, in this case ¡ª the Night Prowler Pack.


    One by one, the Alphas announced who they would like to side with.


    ¡°I choose the Night Prowler Pack.¡±


    ¡°The Night Prowler Pack for me.¡±


    ¡°Me too, the Night Prowler Pack.¡±


    Lucien saw a council attendant drawing a line for every pack who chose to side with the Night Prowler Pack. The situation was not looking good. If all thirty packs decided to go against the Silent Walkers Pack, thetter would be decimated within a minute.


    Just as the situation was looking gloomier with each passing minute, an Alpha decided to side with the Silent Walkers Pack.

 Chapter 95

    95 The Alpha Wanted To Protect His Fated Mate


    ¡°I side with the Silent Walkers Pack.¡±


    All eyes flew toward the speaker, a handsome Alpha with hair that was as dark as the night and a pair of greenish-blue eyes that threatened to drown anyone who looked at them for a second too long.


    Lucien was pale with fright, but Dane Silverback looked as if Ronan had just pped him twice, once on every cheek. Either Ronan was extremely dumb or so love-stricken that he was willing to die with Lucien Clearwater. Dane Silverback would never have chosen Ronan as his heir if thetter was brainless.


    Or maybe he would because dumb people at least feared death.


    The lovesick idiots, on the other side, were too busy impressing their lovers to fear death!


    Dane Silverback was trembling all over from anger. He contemted dragging Ronan outside of the hall that very instant to smack some sense into his son¡¯s head. But no, that was not the right thing to do because he still had to preserve Ronan¡¯s dignity as the current reigning Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack! Just what would the other packs think when they saw Dane dragging Ronan out by his ear???


    Dane¡¯s burning gaze drifted to Jake who was sitting next to Ronan.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan had made an unexpected choice,¡± Dane gritted his teeth. ¡°Does Beta Jake share the same opinion?¡±


    It was unprecedented because Dane did not ask for other Betas¡¯ opinions. His asking about Jake¡¯s opinion put Jake in an extremely ufortable position. If he agreed with Ronan, he would earn Dane Silverback¡¯s wrath and effectively contribute to the decline of the Infinite Eclipse Pack. If he disagreed with Ronan, he would discredit his own Alpha and would earn Ronan¡¯s wrath instead.


    .....


    Swallowing hard, Jake knew that he had no way out of this dilemma. He had to smash against either a car or a truck.


    ¡°I agree with my Alpha.¡±


    Dane Silverback looked as if Jake just shoved mud into his throat. Fuming, he red at the rest. ¡°Let¡¯s continue then!¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Dane Silverback stared at Ronan, who looked as if he was not done causing misfortune for the day.


    Ronan casually leaned forward and observed the Alphas and Betas around him.


    ¡°Please remember that if you side with the Night Prowler Pack, you will be going against the Infinite Eclipse Pack.¡±


    A wicked smileced Ronan¡¯s lips when he saw what impact his words had on the remaining packs. It was no longer the weak Silent Walkers Pack versus the strong Night Prowler Pack. It was now Infinite Eclipse Pack versus Night Prowler Pack. The two strongest packs in the continent, who had until then remained amicable at the surface, were finally going to go into a war!


    Kinnon¡¯s eyes shed dangerously as he and Ronan gave each other scorching res.


    After Ronan made his statement, the packs no longer sided with just the Night Prowler Pack only. Those who were close and or relied on the Infinite Eclipse Pack had no other option but to side with thetter one.


    After all Alphas made their decisions, altogether 14 packs sided with the Silent Walkers Pack and 16 packs sided with the Night Prowler Pack.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Dane Silverback said. Although he was displeased with Ronan siding with the weaker pack just to protect Lucien, at least Ronan managed to drag 13 other packs to help him out. It was better than nothing.


    ¡°The war shall take ce at 10 AM of the 12th October, one week from now. Rules and restrictions formon wars apply here. The war ends automatically when either Lucien Clearwater or Kinnon Youngshaper dies.¡±


    The trial ended, and Dane Silverback dismissed the crowd. One by one, the Alphas and Betas poured out of the hall. Thest remaining council members stole surreptitious nces at the pair of father and son. They quickly walked away to avoid unwanted troubles.


    Ronan, Jake, Dane, and Lucien were thest to leave. When Ronan walked to the middle of the hall to get Lucien, his father stopped him in the middle and grabbed his arm hard. Burying his fingernails into his son¡¯s biceps, the elder man then pulled Ronan close to him until their faces were only centimeters apart from each other.


    ¡°I hope you know what you are doing,¡± Dane Silverback hissed into Ronan¡¯s face. ¡°How dare you make such a decision!¡±


    Ronan freed himself from his father¡¯s grip and regarded him with a cold look.


    ¡°How dare I? Mr. Dane Silverback, please watch your tone. I am currently the Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack, not you.¡±


    ¡°You...!¡±


    Mr. Silverback Sr. wanted to shower his insolent son with ancient curses, but he swallowed all of those and gave Ronan a scary smile instead. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you manage this. Ronan, I already paved the path to sess in front of you. All you have to do is walk on it and you are not even capable of doing so! Hmph!!!¡±


    Dane Silverback left angrily, not without giving Jake a hard bump to express his displeasure toward the younger man. Jake sighed in his heart. He had nothing to say to Dane Silverback, so he just rubbed his shoulder wordlessly.


    Lucien, the criminal, remained standing in the middle of the hall. His gaze was fixated on the stupid Alpha who just dered war against his biggest rival pack. All just to protect him and his pack.


    Said Alpha came over with a smile.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± Ronan said as he took Lucien¡¯s hand and pulled him gently toward the exit.


    But Lucien did not move from the spot. He instead pulled back at Ronan¡¯s hand and gave Jake a look.


    ¡°Sorry, Jake. Can you give us a minute?¡±


    Jake cleared his throat. ¡°I, uh, I will get the car.¡±


    As soon as Jake left, Lucien spoke to Ronan in an urgent tone.


    ¡°Ronan, you don¡¯t have to do this. I mean, you MUST NOT do this.¡±


    It was not toote for Ronan to change his mind. He could still back off. His siding with the Silent Walkers Pack was already a handicap. How could he hope to win against Kinnon Youngshaper?


    Ronan Silverback on the other side did not look worried at all. He raised a hand and caressed Lucien¡¯s cheek lovingly.


    ¡°I want to,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°I will protect you.¡±

 Chapter 96

    96 The Beta Assumed Things


    Lucien sighed.


    He was indebted to Kinnon for clearing Annalynne¡¯s name. What about Ronan who wanted to save his whole pack?


    Lucien could not even imagine what he could do to repay Ronan.


    ¡°No,¡± he insisted. ¡°Please keep yourself out of this.¡±


    Ronan chuckled.


    ¡°Lulu, you are so funny. Twelve other packs agreed to side with you. Are you going to kick all of them out of the war? Knowing you, you might intend to go alone against the Night Prowler Pack with just that one de of yours.¡±


    ¡°Those twelve packs only agreed to join because you shifted the focus of the war to your pack!¡± Lucien retorted.


    Ronan took a deep breath. That was not even his greatest concern. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you deny what I just said?¡±


    ¡°Deny what?¡±


    .....


    ¡°That you might want to fight the Night Prowler Pack all alone?¡±


    Sporting a scowl across his face, Lucien averted his eyes.


    Ronan¡¯s eyes twinkled from fury when he realized that that was most likely what Lucien nned to do.


    Lucien¡¯s silence was practically a confirmation. Ronan was about to go out of his mind.


    ¡°I will not let you do that,¡± he hissed. ¡°If anything, I will tie you up and hang you upside down from the tallest tree in the forest so you can watch everything unfold but cannot participate at all!¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t dare,¡± Lucien said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Try me,¡± Ronan replied stubbornly.


    He grabbed Lucien by his elbow and pushed him toward the exit door.


    ¡°Seriously, Lucien, where did you get this self-sacrificial trait from? Did you get high on hurting yourself or what???¡±


    ¡°You...!¡±


    Lucien wanted to talk back, but then he bit into his lip and swallowed the words. What was the point of starting a fight with Ronan? Adult Ronan was not his agreeable younger self. He was stubborn and hot-tempered. When someone attacked him, he woulde back with an attack that was at least a hundred times fiercer than the one he had to deal with.


    So what was Lucien supposed to do?


    Act meek and seduce Ronan intopliance? The man¡¯s handsome face darkened as soon as the thought popped up.


    He could never do that.


    He would rather beat Ronan up until thetter regained somemon sense.


    Or die trying.


    Seeing that a lot of werewolves poured out of the Werewolf Council Headquarters, Noah, who was sitting under a tree and smoking, realized that the hearing was over.


    Ronan Silverback did not like to wait. Noah quickly climbed into the driver¡¯s seat and started the engine. When thest cars were leaving, Jake came out and climbed into the seat next to Noah.


    He inhaled a deep breath and looked as forlorn as a young man who was burdened by immeasurable problems.


    ¡°Beta, is everything alright?¡± Noah asked, concerned about the hearing result.


    ¡°It is now,¡± Jake said as he brought a hand to his lips to bite at his fingernails. ¡°The future is unclear.¡±


    A cold shiver ran down Noah¡¯s spine. What was that supposed to mean?


    Looking at Noah¡¯s face, Jake knew that a thousand theories went through his head. Might as well break the news to Noah. He was also part of the Infinite Eclipse Pack after all.


    ¡°We are going to enter into a war.¡±


    Noah¡¯s eyes turned round.


    ¡°But... Beta, why?¡±


    Their pack had nothing to do with the hearing that took ce today. Their pack was only one of many packs that were supposed to bear witness to the hearing process. Why the sudden war?


    ¡°W... With whom?¡± Noah heard himself asking.


    The man next to Noah turned his head slowly and gave him an ominous look. ¡°With the Night Prowler Pack.¡±


    Noah gasped loudly.


    ¡°B-Beta, are you jesting?¡±


    Jake shook his head. ¡°Why would I jest about such an important matter?¡±


    Noah looked down on hisp.


    The truth was that everyone knew that the hostility between the two packs would eventually culminate in the form of war. There could not be two packs with equal strength and dominance in the same continent. What Noah bemoaned was the fact that this war had to happen in his generation.


    Why, why, why?


    Could it not wait for another generation?


    He was only a driver!


    He didn¡¯t want to start lifting swords and spears and rode into a horde of angry werewolves from the Night Prowler Pack.


    If Noah were not in front of Jake, he would have howled out loud. He could risk it even less to have Ronan see him in a pathetic state. The Alpha was known to be less forgiving of his subordinates¡¯ weaknesses.


    Meanwhile, the two werewolves had waited for a good half an hour already but there was no sign of Ronan and Luciening out. Inside the car, while Noah was busy thinking about his role in the war, Jake wondered what exactly was happening inside the Crescent Hall.


    His face darkened when he thought about the Alpha and his unhealthy obsession with his fated mate.


    No way.


    Seriously?


    Were Ronan and Lucien?


    Ronan, that horndog.


    Inside the Crescent Hall where the Werewolf Council members regrly held a meeting? Considering Ronan¡¯s adventurous and bountiful sexual escapade, it might even be an entry on his bucket list.


    To have sex with someone in one of the Werewolf Council Headquarters¡¯ meeting halls.


    ¡°Hell, no,¡± Jake muttered under his breath. He climbed out of the car and marched toward the building like an angry soldier.


    I am not purposefully doing this to ruin Ronan¡¯s fun.


    This is the Werewolf Council Headquarters, for Goddess¡¯ sake!


    How dare you undermine the authority?


    Ronan, our ancestors are going to flip in the afterlife...


    When Jake arrived in front of the Crescent Hall, the door was closed. Jake gritted his teeth. He opened it with a bang and shouted, ¡°Alpha, it is time to go!¡±


    From the middle of the hall, Ronan and Lucien looked up at Jake at the same time.


    They were perfectly clothed with noyer missing and lying on the floor.


    Jake cleared his throat.


    ¡°What are you screaming around for?¡± Ronan asked with a frown. He held his hand out toward Lucien. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Unless you want to continue arguing in here.¡±


    Lucien shot Ronan a re and pped his hand away.

 Chapter 97

    97 The Alpha¡¯s Fated Mate Made A Fuss For Nothing


    The atmosphere inside the car was chilly. The cold tension that emanated from the backseat was enough to cause both Noah and Jake difort throughout the ride.


    One would think that alone the thought of having to face sixteen werewolf packs in a war would be enough to force even the bitterest enemies to put aside their disagreements and work together as a team; let alone a couple who was clearly in love with each other. Not so with Ronan and Lucien who, instead of getting closer, were getting into an argument instead.


    ¡®You two are ridiculous,¡¯ Beowulfmented.


    ¡®Talk to your Landon. I did not do anything wrong,¡¯ Ronan quipped.


    ¡®Ronan, it is not always about being right. Argh, you are the human being here. Why am I even giving you advice on how to deal with Lucien?¡¯


    Ronan rolled with his eyes.


    ¡®I did not ask for any.¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    Ronan turned his head toward the window on his side. In the car window, the man on the other side was reflected. Ronan red at Lucien¡¯s silhouette with growing indignation.


    .....


    In Ronan¡¯s years of experience in helping out women and men alike, werewolves or humans, they were usually very grateful for his help. Especially if said help involved preserving their lives.


    Not so with Lucien.


    Ronan would not go as far as saying that Lucien was trying to die young, but the man was really reckless with his own life. He would do anything to preserve the lives of those around him, whether or not they were worthy of his care and protection. On the contrary, he did not care about himself at all.


    This was what Ronan hated about Lucien the most.


    On the other side, Landon shared Beowulf¡¯s sentiment.


    ¡®Lucien, why can¡¯t you just say thank you?¡¯


    ¡®Did I ask for his help?¡¯ Lucien snapped.


    ¡®You need his help.¡¯


    ¡®I can manage.¡¯


    ¡®Did you really n to go kneel in front of Kinnon Youngshaper and beg his whole pack for forgiveness?¡¯


    ¡®Of course not. I cannot risk you trying to kill him again.¡¯


    Landon giggled viciously.


    ¡®Lucien, you are so smart. I like that most about you.¡¯


    Lucien did not think that that was funny at all.


    ¡®We can just run away together, you know,¡¯ Landon suggested. ¡®You and I, just the two of us.¡¯


    ¡®And what about my family? My pack?¡¯


    ¡®Honestly, Lucien? They did not care about you that much.¡¯


    ¡®Are you the right one to talk to me about that?¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    Lucien rubbed at his temple and sighed in his heart.


    ¡®Sorry, Landon. I am not in a good mood. Can we please just drop the topic? I need to think.¡¯


    ¡®I am truly sorry for everything, Lucien. That was not a lie. Whether it was about the past or the present time. I just think that we stand a chance for happiness.¡¯


    ¡®You are still reveling in that beautiful Alpha Camp dream.¡¯


    ¡®It was not a dream. It happened.¡¯


    Lucien closed his eyes.


    ¡®It ended. Now it is nothing but a dream.¡¯


    Landon let out a sorrowful howl and went silent.


    Great, Lucien thought. That was thest thing he needed. He had a war hanging above his head, and then he had an argument with both Ronan and Landon. The bad things always happened all at once.


    The air inside the car was so suffocating. Lucien could barely breathe. He looked out of the window and saw that they were in the middle of Hapsborough City.


    ¡°Please drop me at the central train station, thank you,¡± Lucien spoke in a cold tone.


    Ronan turned his head toward Lucien, his eyes were zing with anger.


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°What else? Going home of course,¡± Lucien snapped at Ronan with an equally furious look. Ronan was not the only one who could be intimidating. They were both alphas.


    ¡°No,¡± Ronan determined.


    Lucien was like a volcano close to eruption.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®no¡¯? Ronan Silverback, just so you know, I am not your property.¡±


    ¡°You are sick in the head. It is my responsibility as a good fellow werewolf to make sure that you don¡¯t go to the East Temple City to offer yourself up topensate for everything that happened.¡±


    Not that Lucien did not do that once already, so Ronan¡¯s words for once had weight. Red color crept up Lucien¡¯s face and marred his expression. The mere fact that Ronan had to say all that in the presence of two other people was excessively humiliating. Jake and Noah, on the other side, were as still as corpses. They did not even dare to breathe. They wished they were not there at all to listen to the lover¡¯s spat.


    As soon as Ronan saw the change on Lucien¡¯s face, he knew that he went too far. Unfortunately, the milk had been spilled on the ground. He could no longer take back his words.


    ¡°Let me out of the car now or I will jump,¡± Lucien said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Ronan said. ¡°Stop the car.¡±


    Noah wordlessly abided. The car pulled up smoothly near a traditional market not long after.


    Wasting no time at all, Lucien climbed out of the car with a huff. Ronan did the same.


    ¡°Go back to the pack house, no need to wait for us,¡± he said to Noah.


    When the Alpha gave them a reason to flee, naturally they had to express their gratitude byplying with the order. Noah did not need to be asked twice. He merely uttered a ¡°Yes, Alpha¡± before he escaped from the scene.


    Ronan sucked in deep breaths a few times before he caught up with Lucien. When the other man saw Ronan, his temper red up again.


    ¡°Why did you get off the car as well?¡±


    Ronan put both his hands into the pockets of his suit while he strolled casually next to Lucien.


    ¡°Who said that I am following you? Lucien, you always act as if you own a city when your holy self walk on one of its streets. This is never the case, be it in South Bedford City or the Hapsborough City.¡±


    Lucien decided that every stupid sentence that Ronan Silverback spouted would kill one of his brain cells, so he decided to no longer waste his time, ignore Ronan, and just walk away.


    As expected, Ronan did not let him go that easily. The Alpha grabbed Lucien¡¯s wrist and stopped him from getting away.


    ¡°Lucien, let¡¯s talk. What are you so dissatisfied about?¡±

 Chapter 98

    98 A Gift For My Beloved


    What was he so dissatisfied about?


    Lucien did not even know where to begin.


    The fact that his peaceful life in South Bedford City ended the moment he met Ronan again?


    The fact that Ronan needed to be told to stay away again and again but he kepting back to ruin Lucien¡¯s ns?


    Or was it his own treacherous heart that grew fonder and fonder of Ronan every time their paths crossed?


    After Landon ran rampant and almost murdered Kinnon, Lucien was stuck in a critical predicament. He was struggling to do damage control. And then Ronan came and did the exact opposite.


    So what was Lucien dissatisfied about, again?


    Everything!


    ¡°Ronan, I just want you to stop bugging into my life. Can¡¯t you just leave?¡±


    .....


    The words that came out were harsher than Lucien¡¯s original intention. Ronan¡¯s grip on Lucien¡¯s wrist ckened instantly before the former let go.


    An empty ¡°Oh¡± was heard behind Lucien. Ronan¡¯s voice sounded so hollow. So sad.


    Lucien clenched his jaw and cursed inside his heart. It was not a fair thing to say. Ronan was just trying to help. Lucien quickly turned around to face Ronan.


    ¡°Ronan, that was not what I...¡±


    ¡°ORANGES FOR SALE, ORANGES FOR SALE! 1 KG FOR 2 DOLLARS, 2 KG FOR 3 DOLLARS!!! COME COME COME AND BUY NOW!¡±


    ¡°HANDSOME MAN, COME AND BUY FLOWERS FOR YOUR BELOVED!¡±


    Both Ronan and Lucien were stumped. How did they end up in the middle of a traditional market? Left and right of them, eager vendors stood in front of their goods and merchandise. There were fruit stalls, flower stalls, essories stalls, clothing stalls, etc..


    Some young men and women walked back and forth with various goods in baskets that dangled from their arms. Their goal was to sell to prospective buyers that were too shy orzy to approach the stalls.


    When Lucien and Ronan walked between the rows, they quickly attracted the attention of the vendors and the visitors alike.


    Some were attracted by Lucien¡¯s otherworldly beauty and Ronan¡¯s domineering masculinity, but most of them only cared about one thing : money.


    Lucien did not look like a rich CEO, no. Ronan on the other side with his expensive watch, bespoke suit, and shiny shoes screamed young millionaire to their faces.


    Lucien was quickly pushed aside by a bunch of street vendors who then proceeded to surround Ronan like hungry hyenas. They pushed forward with their baskets, intent on squeezing the Alpha dry.


    ¡°Esteemed Young Master, you look so gloomy. Did your girlfriend refuse to take a walk with you? Buy her some flowers to soften her heart!¡±


    ¡°Flowers are outdated. Buy her a box of chocte instead! Look, I have here thetest, most popr product that just came outst week!¡±


    ¡°Pah, you say that every week!¡± A jewelry vendor broke intoughter. ¡°Handsome man, everyone knows that diamonds are women¡¯s best friends! As soon as your wife looks at this diamond bracelet, she will be nothing but molten wax in your palm!¡±


    Ronan gave Lucien an exasperated look. Thetter just stood aside with a nonchnt expression on his face. Lucien did not intend to help Ronan at all. Instead, he was watching the show with great amusement.


    Ronan reached out and picked a white rose from the flower vendor¡¯s basket. A white ribbon with a little card was tied to its stem. The young woman almost cried from joy.


    ¡°A white rose symbolizes loyalty, purity, and innocence! What a great choice!¡±


    The enchanting white rose was extended toward Lucien, who was still staring at Ronan as if thetter was part of a circus attraction.


    The vendors and visitors fell into a choir of ¡°Ooooooooh¡±s when they realized who the rich man¡¯s lover was. No wonder they were walking together. The husband was chasing his wife!


    Lucien¡¯s gaze drifted from the white rose to Ronan. Instead of taking the rose, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and pursed his lips.


    Truly, this ice statue was not easy to melt.


    Ronan sighed.


    ¡°I am sorry for not discussing this with you first prior to making the decision. I did not mean to hurt you. I just don¡¯t want to give you a chance to reject me.¡±


    A round of ¡°Aw¡±s went through the crowd. What a poor man! How could his lover be so unforgiving???


    ¡°Please take the rose, my heart is breaking here,¡± an elder woman clutched at her chest, tears welling in her eyes.


    ¡°Young man, look here, this man loves you so much. He is practically dering his endless love to you in public. Why would you not ept his wholehearted apology?¡±


    The vendors were pushing for Lucien to take the rose.


    ¡°Come on, just take it!¡±


    ¡°Look at how sincere he is!¡±


    Ronan gave Lucien an innocent smile.


    Lucien stared at Ronan in disbelief. Was he really using the crowd to force Lucien into epting his apology?


    Why was it that random strangers automatically sided with Ronan? They did not even know the whole story! It was as if thetter had a mysterious charm that made people trust him unconditionally. Or was it because Lucien exuded such negative, viinous energy?


    Sick of the whining and crying spectators, Lucien finally epted the rose under the gleeful cheers of vendors and visitors alike.


    ¡°Good for you!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am so happy I can die now!¡± Someone in the crowd sobbed.


    Lucien twirled the white rose in his hand and looked at the three words that were written inside the card.


    ¡°I love you,¡± it said, written in a dark pink script font with colorful hearts as a backdrop.


    And then the flower-selling young woman turned to Ronan and politely asked, ¡°Mister? It costs two dors.¡±


    An awkward silence settled in the crowd when Ronan reached neither into his suit nor his pants pockets for a wallet. He instead cleared his throat and shed his lover a shameless grin.


    ¡°Lucien, lend me two dors.¡±

 Chapter 99

    99 The Worst Lunch In The Alpha¡¯s Life


    The crowd was amazed.


    The supposedly rich man was actually so penniless that he could not afford to pay for the one white rose that he just gave to his lover.


    An evil smirk hushed across Lucien¡¯s face. He yed with the thought of leaving Ronan there and just walking away with the rose.


    Just what would Ronan do then?


    Then again Ronan was still Ronan. He did not mind taking money from others.


    The elder woman, whose heart was on the brink of breaking, quickly took out a five-dor note and pressed it into the flower-selling girl¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Here, take it! I am so touched by their beautiful love story. Don¡¯t ruin it for me!¡±


    Ronan sighed dramatically.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, thank you very much for your...¡±


    .....


    Before Ronan even ended his sentence, another hand shot out and pressed another five-dor bill into the flower-selling girl¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Thank you, not necessary,¡± Lucien said gloomily. He then grabbed Ronan¡¯s wrist and pulled him away before he bought more things he could not afford to pay.


    ¡°Shameless!¡± The red-blonde man muttered under his breath. Behind him, the Alpha was without a single shred of remorse.


    Snickering, Ronan even had the face to wave at the traditional market crowd as he was being dragged away by a thin-skinned Lucien.


    ¡°Lulu.¡±


    Ronan slumped against Lucien¡¯s body and hugged him like a bear. ¡°I am hungry. Treat me to lunch.¡±


    Lucien was tempted to tell Ronan to ask the elderdies in the market for some lunch money. The only problem was that they already knew that Ronan was rted to Lucien.


    If Ronan was shameless enough to approach people to ask for money, what would those people think about Lucien?


    Oh, forget it.


    Lucien had a better idea.


    ¡°Ok,¡± the man said. He did not even bother elbowing Ronan to free himself.


    Ronan raised an eyebrow in suspicion. Did Lucien just turn obedient for no reason? Of course not.


    Ronan¡¯s face quickly darkened when he saw where Lucien was taking him for lunch. It was an ice cream parlor. A gigantic signboard in form of a huge cone with three scoops of strawberry, chocte, and vani ice cream hung on top of the pink ss panel front door. The words ¡°Joe¡¯s Best Ice Cream Lounge¡± were written across the cone, sprinkled with what looked like a bunch of rainbow glitter.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± he asked loudly when Lucien dragged him through the entrance.


    The building exterior was enough to make Ronan cringe. The interior threatened to make Ronan vomit. The wall was painted bright pink. The tables were chocte brown. The floor wasid with tiles of three alternating colors : white, chocte, and pink.


    It was like entering an ice cream world where salt did not exist.


    Ronan gagged.


    ¡°I am out of here,¡± he proimed as he broke free from Lucien¡¯s grip.


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± Lucien said with a smile. He did not bother to stop Ronan. Instead, he picked a seat at a circr table near the window. As soon as he was seated, a waitress quickly came over with a menu selection.


    Ronan muttered a curse under his breath and sat opposite Lucien. He looked extremely unhappy.


    ¡°I want theva cake with chocte and vani ice cream. And a ss of fruit punch.¡±


    Lucien smiled sweetly at Ronan. ¡°What do you want to eat, Ronan? My treat.¡±


    Ronan took the menu booklet from Lucien and shot him a dirty look before he read through the colorful pages.


    Ice creams.


    Cakes.


    Ice cream cakes.


    Waffles.


    Ice cream waffles.


    Ice cream sandwiches.


    Sweet drinks.


    Ronan wrinkled his face in disgust.


    ¡°Do you guys have anything other than ice cream here?¡± he asked the poor waitress who did not understand why someone would willinglye inside an ice cream shop if he hated ice cream that much.


    ¡°Um... what about cakes and waffles?¡±


    ¡°Are those sweet?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes...?¡±


    How could cakes and waffles not be sweet? Was this man kidding her or what?


    Ronan rubbed the bridge atop his nose and sighed.


    ¡°What about sandwiches? You have ice cream sandwiches. I want sandwiches with ham and cheese or tuna and egg. Please don¡¯t forget the sd and tomato.¡±


    The waitress gaped at Ronan. Did the customer mistake the shop for a sandwich shop? They did not even have proper bread! Why didn¡¯t this customer just go to a sandwich shop just two blocks from the ice cream shop?


    ¡°Did you hear me?¡± Ronan asked impatiently. ¡°Why are you still standing here?¡±


    The waitress¡¯ face quickly crumpled. The customer was so mean! He scared her! Before she burst into tears, Lucien intervened.


    ¡°He was kidding,¡± Lucien said. ¡°Please give him waffles with less sugar and a cup of tea instead.¡±


    The waitress quickly noted down Lucien¡¯s order and escaped with the menu booklet. Ronan groaned in exasperation.


    ¡°Lucien, could you just... I had the worst dinner in my life yesterday,¡± Ronanined. He was naturally referring to the macaroni and cheese that was way below his dinner standard. ¡°I only had a cup of coffee this morning. Please give me a decent lunch. Or let¡¯s just go to Carlton Bay. I need something wholesome instead of this kiddy treat that you thrive on.¡±


    Lucien could not help but smile.


    When Lucien smiled, he was no less warm than the morning sunshine, no less sweet than honey, and no less enchanting than a love goddess. Ronan reached out and cupped Lucien¡¯s beautiful face with both of his hands.


    ¡°Still angry?¡±


    Lucien¡¯s smile disappeared. He smacked Ronan¡¯s wrist with a long metal ice cream spoon.


    ¡°Ow.¡±


    ¡°Stop touching me as you please in public.¡±


    Ronan withdrew his hands. So Lucien did not want to be touched in public. Did it mean that he consented to be touched in private?


    Their meals arrived after fifteen minutes of waiting time. Ronan poked at the pile of pale waffles in front of him, all the while thinking that he had never had a more tragic lunch.


    ¡°Ronan.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Ronan dissected a waffle and dragged a piece across the te to see whether it had any cream filling.


    ¡°What is your n?¡±


    Ronan looked up from his te and his eyes met with Lucien¡¯s.

 Chapter 100

    100 Do You Love Him?


    When they were young, the alpha children learned about pack wars from the werewolf history books and also from their pack elders. Back when the werewolves first came to be, there were a lot of small packs that fought for territories. Over time, the smaller packs merged into bigger packs, usually through pack marriages. Fights over territories decreased as the number of packs decreased and vacant territories were imed one by one.


    Although werewolf society evolved along with human civilization, they were still bloodthirsty beasts. When conflicts between packs arose, they quickly resorted to violence first and then peaceful discussion. Over time, peaceful discussions were encouraged and violence was repressed. When peaceful discussions no longer helped, then wars were necessary to offset the umted malice.


    Thest war that was fought was the one between the Silent Walkers Pack and the Night Prowler Pack.


    How unfortunate that the next war was also between the Silent Walkers Pack and the Night Prowler Pack. Along with representatives of thirty other packs.


    ¡°You have been gone for a few years,¡± Ronan remarked. ¡°Did you know anything about the war that Deacon started?¡±


    ¡°Only when it started and when it ended,¡± Lucien answered with a grim expression.


    Ronan stopped stabbing at his waffles and stared at Lucien. ¡°It is surprising that you did not try to stop Deacon.¡±


    Lucien shook his head. ¡°Deacon was the Alpha. I was nothing.¡±


    Lucien did not say that because he had some kind of an inferiorityplex. After losing Landon, he simply did not think of himself as a werewolf anymore. Especially after Deacon took over as the next Alpha. When Lucien left the Silent Walkers Pack, he was determined not to look back. Until of course, Kinnon killed Deacon and Lucien came back into the picture.


    .....


    ¡°For someone who is nothing, you hold a great importance within the Silent Walkers Pack,¡± Ronan pointed out.


    Lucien scoffed. ¡°What importance? I was a useful pawn.¡±


    ¡°So you know,¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes at Lucien. ¡°And you still nned to sacrifice yourself for your pack.¡±


    Lucien ate his cake wordlessly.


    Seeing that Lucien did not n to continue talking about the topic, Ronan circled back to Lucien¡¯s first question.


    ¡°To put it in simple words, we all transform and attack each other until one of the opposing sides gives up.¡±


    ¡°It is the fairytale that they told us when we were young,¡± Lucien scoffed. ¡°I want to know the truth.¡±


    Ronan sneered. ¡°Well, at least you don¡¯t hold any of those naive thoughts. It is a good start.¡±


    ¡°The reality of a werewolf war is that one of the Alphas must die. It is the only method of conflict resolution that is known to werewolves.


    Well. In this case, you hold the position of the Alpha in the Silent Walkers Pack. You will be the target of assassination in order for the war to conclude.¡±


    Was that the only way out of this war?


    To kill each other?


    Although Lucien and Kinnon were not fated to be mates in this life, Lucien hoped to at least be friends with Kinnon. Kinnon had been anything but unkind to him and Annalynne. Lucien owed him that much.


    ¡°Lucien, don¡¯t you dare try to use your life to end the war,¡± Ronan warned.


    Lucien scowled at the Alpha.


    ¡°Do you think I am depressed? Suicidal? What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I have reason to suspect,¡± Ronan argued. ¡°Let¡¯s just prepare well for the war and go for it.¡±


    Lucien cut into hisva cake and the chocte sauce inside flowed out like a little river. Like blood. Kinnon¡¯s injured figure appeared before Lucien¡¯s eyes. He could not do it. He could not kill Kinnon.


    ¡°Ronan, I don¡¯t want Kinnon to die.¡±


    Ronan wrinkled his brows.


    Kinnon.


    It¡¯s Kinnon again.


    Ronan¡¯s fingers curled up into fists on top of the table.


    Kinnon was the Alpha of the opposing side! The one they were supposed to kill in this uing war! Should Lucien not be worried about his own people? Or about Ronan? Ronan was going to stand next to him, fighting one werewolf after another!


    Why was Lucien worried about Kinnon? That guy was supported by sixteen other packs! Seventeen including his own!


    Ronan could not take it anymore. Before he could stop himself, he already blurted out the question that he wanted to ask so many times.


    ¡°Tell me the truth, Lucien. Do you love him?¡±


    As soon as he asked the question, Ronan wanted to bolt out of the door and disappear from Lucien¡¯s sight until the day of the war came. He was not prepared to hear the answer at all.


    Ronan was as pale as a ghost.


    ¡°Never mind, I...¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± came the answer short and clear.


    Ronan¡¯s mouth dropped open. Did Lucien just say no?


    ¡°Excuse me, what did you just say?¡± he asked with a hollow voice.


    Lucien shot him an annoyed look. ¡°Are you deaf? I said no, I do not love him.¡±


    ¡°Then, are you in love with someone else?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The Alpha was too greedy.


    It was good to hear that Lucien did not love Kinnon, but it did not mean that he loved Ronan in return.


    Ronan was desperate to hear it from Lucien¡¯s mouth. He had confessed his feelings to Lucien on so many asions, but Lucien had never once told him that he felt the same. Although Ronan kept telling Lucien that thetter could take as much time as he needed to say yes and that Ronan would wait for him no matter how long, it was still a torturous ordeal.


    They were about to participate in a war against seventeen werewolf packs. Would it have killed Lucien to tell Ronan just once that he also loved him? That the affection was not lost after the third painting was finished?


    He did not know that Lucien too had his insecurities.


    ¡°What about you?¡± the red-blonde man asked in return. Pain flickered in his caramel-brown eyes for an instant, before he gave Ronan a prating look. ¡°Do you love Lillian Woond?¡±

 Chapter 101

    101 You Are So Beautiful (NSFW)


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Lucien squinted at Ronan.


    ¡°Oh. Her. No, I don¡¯t love her.¡±


    Lucien rolled with his eyes.


    Ronan, this grand yboy. Lucien thought that he only messed around withmon she-wolves but it turned out that even high-level women such as Lillian Woond were nothing but a forgettable fling for him!


    Lucien brutally stabbed into hisva cake and continued eating, leaving his conversation partner in an awkward position.


    ¡°Lulu, I don¡¯t love her or anyone else. I just want you.¡±


    Lucien choked on his cake. He started coughing violently.


    ¡°Lulu!¡±


    .....


    Ronan went over and patted his lover¡¯s back hurriedly.


    ¡°Hey! I want a ss of water!!!¡± Ronan shouted toward another poor waitress across the shop floor. The girl quickly came back with a ss of water for Lucien.


    Lucien gulped it down as if his life depended on it. It was not a good idea to eat when discussing such a heavy topic.


    Once Lucien calmed down, Ronan exhaled out of relief and went back to his seat. He grabbed Lucien¡¯s hand over the table and locked their fingers together. Lucien blushed. It was a tiny gesture but they were not alone! Why could Ronan not restrain himself from disying his affection in public?


    ¡°L-let go.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien red at Ronan. The rims of his eyes were a little red from the coughing fit just now. He looked like a wolf pup who went on a hissing fit after being bullied badly. How cute. So cute that Ronan wanted to roll him up his tongue and swallow him whole.


    It was not a good idea to eat ice cream during the cold season. Once they got out of the ice cream shop, Lucien inadvertently hugged himself when a gust of cold wind blew through the streets. Gant as ever, Ronan took off his suit jacket and put it around Lucien.


    The man gave the Alpha a quizzical look. ¡°Are you not cold?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ronan replied with a smile.


    How could he be cold? He was all warm inside.


    Unable to contain his love for Lucien, Ronan eventually dragged Lucien back to the same hotel they spent the previous night. They never checked out, so the couple went into the elevator right away and headed toward their room.


    As soon as the door mmed shut behind them, Ronan pushed Lucien against the door and started kissing him hard. The single stalk of white rose fell to the floor, followed by Ronan¡¯s expensive suit jacket. Both men kicked off their shoes and Lucien was hoisted into Ronan¡¯s arms in one swift movement.


    The Alpha carried his lover to his bedroom and lowered him onto the soft mattress, all the while kissing and rubbing every part of him that he could reach.


    Lucien too was heavily stimted. He grabbed Ronan¡¯s neck and sucked on his lips like a thirsty traveler sucking from thest drops inside a water bottle. His own hands ran across Ronan¡¯s back, feeling thetter¡¯s muscles move beneath his palms.


    The two men were messily entangled in bed. The kisses traveled from the lips to the neck, to the corbones, and the shoulders. Impatient, Ronan slipped both of his hands inside Lucien¡¯s shirt and pulled it off his neck. He barely managed to not rip his own shirt off his body.


    As soon as their upper bodies were free from the clothes, they quickly fell into kissing again. Guttural moans escaped their throats, their voices heavy with suppressed longing.


    ¡°Ronan... ah... ah...¡±


    One moment, Lucien heard the sound of his zipper being pulled down. The next moment, his pants were taken off and his underwear too was stripped down his legs.


    Lucieny naked on the bed, fully exposed to Ronan¡¯s hungry eyes. The Alpha could not take it anymore. He got rid of his own pants and tossed their remaining clothes off the bed.


    They were both hard with pent-up desire, but Ronan¡¯s organ looked like an angry monster. The big, throbbing purple shaft looked intimidating when it pressed against Lucien¡¯s delicate, shell-pink-colored stem.


    When Ronan grabbed both of their manhoods into his hand and rubbed them together, Lucien pressed a hand against his mouth to stifle his moan. It felt too good. He inadvertently started to thrust against Ronan¡¯s hand, encouraging Ronan to be bolder in his advances.


    Licking his lips in pleasure, Ronan spat into his hand and started kneading their manhoods together using his saliva as lubricant. Lucien was so sensitive. Every time Ronan flicked at his ns, he started to shiver. So beautiful. And all because of Ronan¡¯s touch.


    The Alpha swallowed hard. Why was the man on the bed so alluring? Did Lucien even know how many people fell in love with him already? Truly, Ronan did not feel safe having Lucien running around in public.


    Someone like Lucien needed to be locked away in a room with no visitors allowed. Ronan should be the only one who had the privilege to feast his eyes on him. To rip his clothes off his body. To pin him down and press his body against his. To melt together in love and be one. Again and again.


    ¡°Nngggh... Ahh... Ahh...!!!¡±


    Lucien buried his fingernails into the mattress. He thrashed around like a fish out of water. A few more strokes were all it took before Lucien came violently inside Ronan¡¯s warm grip.


    His powerful orgasm triggered Ronan¡¯s. As Lucien¡¯s penis twitched and shot its essence all over Ronan¡¯s toned chest, Ronan pushed hard against Lucien, arched his back, and soon propelled ropes and ropes of thick cum onto Lucien¡¯s stomach.


    Having reached climax together, the two men slumped together in a pile of sweaty, panting bodies. The two men exchanged soft kisses and looked into each other¡¯s eyes. Ronan¡¯s hand caressed Lucien¡¯s glowing cheek, then it moved down to his swollen lips, his corbone, and then traced down the beautiful contour of his frame.


    ¡°You are so beautiful,¡± Ronan praised.


    The blush on Lucien¡¯s cheeks deepened visibly and he averted his gaze from embarrassment.

 Chapter 102

    102 You Will Be My Prize


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that,¡± Ronan said with a chuckle.


    He grabbed Lucien¡¯s chin and forced thetter to look at him again.


    ¡°Never look away from me,¡± he said. ¡°Do you understand?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s eyes were full of hot, burning love. Although years had passed and a lot of things happened between them, Ronan¡¯s way of loving someone never changed. When he fell, he fellpletely. He was unable to lie about his feelings or hide his emotions. His living, beating heart was naked for everyone to see. Every single vein, every heartbeat, every drop of blood was visible. There was only one spot within Ronan¡¯s heart. It had always been reserved for Lucien and no one else.


    Lucien could not withstand the other man¡¯s eyes. If he looked at those bewitching eyes a while longer, he might lose himself and drown in the two limpid pools of desire.


    Lucien ended up closing his eyes instead to escape Ronan¡¯s burning love for him.


    Ronan broke intoughter.


    ¡°Oh, Lulu,¡± he crooned. ¡°You are so cute.¡±


    A gentle but possessive kiss was pressed between Lucien¡¯s eyebrows. Thetter was pulled then into a tight hug with a contented sigh. Ronan pinched at Lucien¡¯s chin. When Lucien parted his lips involuntarily, Ronan stuck his tongue into Lucien¡¯s mouth and ravaged his oral cavity like a maniac. Meanwhile, the hand that rested on Lucien¡¯s waist wandered sneakily downward. It scraped the thick cum that coated both of their stomachs and made its way between Lucien¡¯s legs.


    .....


    Lucien¡¯s eyes flew open in an instant when he realized where Ronan¡¯s fingers were headed.


    ¡°Ronan, wait,¡± he quickly grabbed Ronan¡¯s arm to stop him.


    Ronan pressed onest kiss on Lucien¡¯s cheek before looking up at himzily with eyes that threatened to drown the man who resisted him.


    ¡°Hmm? What is it? Did you think that I was done?¡±


    After just one time? Lucien¡¯s cheeks were burning hot.


    It would be a lie to say that Lucien did not wish for more, but...


    ¡°This is not the time to fool around at all,¡± he chastised the Alpha.


    They were about to go to war after all! Should they not go out and get into some rigorous exercises???


    A sigh that was as heavy as heaven, earth, and hellbined was heard. Ronan¡¯s shoulders slumped forward in disappointment. Lucien took the time to sit up and put a distance between him and Ronan, just in case Ronan could not ovee his horniness and decided to tackle Lucien in bed again.


    Ronan, thankfully, was able to contain himself.


    The Alpha also sat up on the bed and groaned. ¡°It is too beautiful a day to talk about war preparation,¡± he imed.


    ¡°Do you need hail to bounce off the roof in order to focus?¡± Lucien offered.


    Not that he could conjure hailstorms at will. Ronan chuckled at his words.


    ¡°Sure. That would be a change for once.¡±


    Ronan climbed off the bed and held out his hand toward Lucien.


    ¡°Take a shower with me.¡±


    Lucien shook his head. ¡°It is not a good idea.¡±


    Ronan leaned closer to Lucien and whispered with a maic voice, ¡°I am not going to assault you in the bathroom. Give me this onest bit of happiness. Come on.¡±


    Lucien sighed. He pushed himself off the bed and took Ronan¡¯s hand. Thetter smiled happily as he led Lucien across the bedroom toward the bathroom.


    Although the hotel was not as fancy as the Carlton Bay Hotel or the Seaside View Hotel, the owner put a lot of effort to design the presidential suites. The bathroom especially was exceedinglyvish.


    As soon as they entered, the couple was greeted by a round chaise lounge chair on the right side. It matched the round table that was snugly ced nearby. On top of the round table were two sets of fresh towels.


    Ronan grabbed the towels on his way while Lucien continued walking through the powder room. The powder room extended from the chaise lounge to the backside of the bathroom.


    On the backside were the huge shower room on the left side and a whirlpool tub on the right side. Warm water was bubbling inside, waiting for the guests to soak inside and rx their tired muscles.


    Outside was a garden with a mix of blue, pink, and purple delphiniums. It was inessible from within the suite areas. It seemed to be there just to enrich the bathing experience for the suite guests.


    Lucien and Ronan stepped into the shower room first to wash off the sticky white liquid that stuck to their bodies. As warm water poured out and washed down the cum and sweat off their bodies, they pressed their bodies together and shared a long, intimate kiss.


    When they broke off the kiss, a thin trail of translucent liquid was formed between their lips.


    More kisses were exchanged as they tumbled out of the shower room into the whirlpool.


    A whimper escaped Lucien when he waspletely soaked inside the bubbling warm water. Ronan pulled Lucien close and let the man sit on hisp.


    When a thick, pulsating rod rubbed against Lucien¡¯s butt, thetter tensed up almost immediately and tried to move away. Ronan had to circle an arm around Lucien¡¯s waist to pull him close again.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said, biting gently into Lucien¡¯s right earlobe and pulling at it yfully.


    ¡°I am not going to do it. Not yet.


    After we win the war, I am going to im you as my prize. The night the war ends, I am going to ravish you all night until you cry like a girl.¡±


    Lucien scoffed.


    He grabbed at the thick penis under his body and gave it a delicious squeeze. It elicited an expected moan from the man behind him.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try.¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s tongue trailed down from Lucien¡¯s neck down to his nape. He then sucked at the spot where he bit Lucien so many times before.


    ¡°Don¡¯t eat your wordster.¡±

 Chapter 103

    103 Will You Date Me Again?


    Having sent Noah and Jake back to the Infinite Eclipse Pack House, Ronan had no other option but to follow Lucien to the train station that evening.


    The Alpha was not used to crowding together with human beings, so he was quite cranky. If not because they did not have much time to prepare for the uing war, he would have, as he told Lucien many times, rxed in the Carlton Bay Hotel until a car came to pick him up.


    ¡°You can still do that,¡± Lucien said. It was unclear which was colder when he uttered the statement, his tone or his eyes.


    Grinning from ear to ear, Ronan stuck to Lucien like a piece of gum in thetter¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Get away from me, we are in public!¡± Lucien hissed, shoving the Alpha away.


    ¡°How cold,¡± Ronan pouted. ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to foster deep andsting rtionships while we fight against the seventeen opposing packs?¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Lucien gave Ronan a surprised look. ¡°Am I supposed to hug and kiss the thirteen other Alphas who agree to help us?¡±


    Ronan responded with a scary smile.


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said, a vein popping at the side of his head before he came up with an additional retort. ¡°I will end the war before it begins.¡±


    .....


    Lucien scoffed.


    Between Landon and Ronan, he could not tell which one of them was more aggressive.


    Unfortunately for Lucien, there were no more free seats for the train they wished to board.


    ¡°If the two gentlemen insist on boarding this train, you must stand for the entire trip,¡± the woman at the ticket counter told Lucien.


    They did not have much time. Besides the next train was four hours away. There was no point sitting in the train station for four hours just to wait until the next one showed up.


    ¡°We will stand,¡± Lucien said, pushing a few hundred dor bills over the counter.


    He then approached Ronan who was standing in front of a vending machine.


    ¡°I bought the tickets,¡± Lucien informed him.


    The Alpha responded with a grunt. His eyes were fixated on an item in the vending machine.


    ¡°Lulu, I want a can of soda,¡± he announced.


    Lucien stared at hispanion.


    ¡°Are you a little boy? Why do you want a can of soda so suddenly?¡±


    ¡°I just want it.¡±


    Ronan shot Lucien a gloomy look. ¡°Please buy it for me.¡±


    Lucien sighed. He took some coins out of his pocket and bought Ronan the can of carbonated drink with the orange vor that he wanted. After taking the can from Lucien, Ronan quickly popped it open and downed half the can in one gulp.


    ¡°So thirsty?¡± Lucien raised an eyebrow quizzically.


    ¡°I failed to get my dose of vitamin C today, so I need to replenish it through other means.¡±


    Lucien furrowed his brows. ¡°What dose of vitamin C?¡±


    Ronan pulled Lucien close and gave him a wet smooch on the lips. ¡°This dose.¡±


    Ovee with embarrassment, Lucien shoved Ronan away from him. ¡°Get away from me, you pervert. Lecher.¡±


    Ronan would love to just jump on Lucien and cuddle him all the way to Blue Hill City. At least that was his original n until Lucien told him that they did not have any seats reserved under their names.


    ¡°What, does this mean that we have to stand all the way to your city?¡± Ronan asked, his eyes round with disbelief.


    ¡°Yep. Just take it as some kind of exercise.¡±


    Ronan groaned. ¡°What exercise? Standing too long will give you nothing but muscle and joint pain!¡±


    ¡°You are justining because you are used to sitting in that fluffy car seat of yours every day. Your buttocks are rounder than what I remember from the past.¡±


    ¡°What?? My buttocks are NOT round!¡±


    Lucienughed as he walked to the tform while Ronan skulked unhappily behind him. Just what was Lucien telling about his butts? He exercised every day to train his muscles! Although he never specifically looked at what his butts looked like, he was sure that they looked amazing. Just like the rest of his body was.


    For some reason, the train that they boarded was indeed crowded. They were not the only ones who did not get any seats but insisted to take the train, but the other passengers most likely alighted after a maximum of one hour. The trip to Blue Hill City took at least four hours.


    Lucien was standing close to the door and Ronan stood behind him. Thetter was still unhappy about Lucien¡¯sments about his rear sides, so he took the time to grab into Lucien¡¯s buttcheeks to check whether they were firm or squishy.


    ¡°...!!!¡±


    Lucien sucked in a sharp breath.


    ¡°Ronan!¡± he hissed at the man behind him in a low voice. ¡°What the hell are you doing!¡±


    ¡°You are all talk,¡± Ronan grunted. He kneaded the two round, fleshy parts as if they were a blob of dough. ¡°You are all soft here, you know? How dare you criticize my buttocks?¡±


    ¡°Stop it right now!¡± Lucien hissed again. He wanted to elbow Ronan, but he didn¡¯t want to cause a scene.


    Ronan chuckled.


    Suddenly standing on a crowded train posed an advantage for him. He got to fondle Lucien and thetter could not escape. After he had his fill touching Lucien¡¯s butts, Ronan put his arms around Lucien and leaned on him.


    When he inhaled deeply, the sweet scent of fresh orange and honey invaded his nose immediately. It had a calming effect on him. It always had, especially on nights when they were cuddled up together.


    ¡°Are you tired?¡± Lucien asked softly.


    Lucien was not a monster. Ronan was not used to enduring the hardships ofmon folk. Standing for over four hours in a moving train must be torturous for him. The man behind him shook his head in response. He had something else in mind.


    ¡°Hey, Lulu...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If we make it out of this war, will you consider dating me again?¡±

 Chapter 104

    104 Yes


    Lucien turned his head slightly so that their eyes met.


    ¡°I thought you wanted to ravish me until I cry like a little girl.¡±


    Ronan chuckled.


    ¡°That is for sure, but I want more than just sex. I want a rtionship.¡±


    ¡°And I thought you were a hopeless yboy.¡±


    Ronan tightened his arms around Lucien¡¯s body.


    ¡°Stop assuming things about me. Just say yes.¡±


    Lucien chuckled and turned away from the Alpha. The dejected Alpha nuzzled the side of Lucien¡¯s head and urged him. ¡°Come on. What is your answer?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    .....


    ¡°Lulu...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan bit into Lucien¡¯s earlobe and pulled at it impatiently. He had never had to pursue someone this hard. It was not as if he was asking Lucien to marry him. Why would Lucien still disagree to date him? Would he prefer having Ronan annoy him day in and day out before he finally said yes?


    Lucien was at the end of his wits. Maybe he did not understand Ronan well enough. Most men, particrly the alpha werewolves, would be appalled by constant rejection. It did not seem to apply to Ronan. The more Lucien pushed him away, the harder Ronan gave chase.


    ¡°Scarsdale City, exit to the left.¡±


    Thest passengers who were standing in the same space alighted, leaving the two men who were still huddled together intimately.


    Lucien raised his eyes and looked at Ronan¡¯s reflection on the ss pane at the sliding door. The Alpha was also looking at Lucien¡¯s reflection at the same time.


    ¡°Ronan, I love you,¡± Lucien confessed.


    The three words that Ronan longed to hear for months. The Alpha was itching to turn the man in his arms on his heels and kissed the breath away from Lucien, but he knew that Lucien was not done yet. Whatever Lucien wanted to say, Ronan only hoped that it was nothing new.


    Indeed it wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°I know that you also love me. Unfortunately, our situation is veryplicated. Whether it was in the past or now, our positions in the packs simply do not allow that.¡±


    Ronan turned Lucien around and looked deep into thetter¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°If you are willing to marry into the Night Prowler Pack as Kinnon¡¯s Luna, why can you not do the same for me?¡±


    ¡°Kinnon already has an heir.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t,¡± Lucien pointed out the obvious.


    Ronan scoffed. ¡°Lulu, whether or not I have a child, why is it so important to you?¡±


    ¡°The right question would be why it is not important to you at all. Do you not wish to preserve your bloodline? What about keeping the Alpha position in your family?¡±


    ¡°Lucien.¡± Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s arms and sighed. ¡°I want you. I don¡¯t want any child unless it is yours.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s right hand slid slowly down Lucien¡¯s arm andnded on Lucien¡¯s stomach. ¡°Unless you n to give birth to my child in near future, you don¡¯t need to concern yourself with my having children or not.¡±


    Lucien averted his eyes but he ced his left hand on top of Ronan¡¯s.


    ¡°Stupid,¡± he muttered. ¡°If I can give birth to your child, I would have done so years ago.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s lips curled up in a smile. He pulled Lucien into a hug and lowered his head to kiss the man. Ronan¡¯s tongue tickled at Lucien¡¯s lips, forcing thetter to allow him in. The man eventuallyplied and let Ronan kiss him so hard that his knees went weak.


    They were busy kissing each other in the empty corridor for who knew how long. It was not until the train stopped at the next station that Ronan and Lucien finally broke the kiss.


    Two passengers entered the corridor but they thankfully reserved their seats so Ronan and Lucien had the corridor all for themselves again.


    ¡°So, was that a yes?¡± Ronan prodded.


    Lucien wiped at the corner of his swollen lips and said nothing. His face was tinted red and the corners of his eyes were also slightly red. He looked a lot like someone who just got bullied to tears.


    ¡°Lulu...? Give us another chance, please.¡±


    Lucien looked up at Ronan.


    ¡®Say yes,¡¯ Landon begged in Lucien¡¯s head. ¡®Please. Please, I beg you.¡¯


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lucien said in the end, giving in to both Ronan and Landon.


    ¡°Finally,¡± Ronan whispered. He took Lucien in his arms again, pinched thetter¡¯s chin between his fingers, and locked their lips together one more time.


    ¡®FINALLY!¡¯ Landon cried. He had the good sense to disappear right after to not ruin the moment between Ronan and Lucien.


    It had to be the second most beautiful day in Ronan¡¯s life; the first one was when Lucien agreed to date him after his first confession at the Alpha Camp. Although he had been standing for two hours and his legs started to ache, Ronan could not care less.


    There in the narrow corridor where the two men did not even have seats to sit on, on an exhausting train ride from Hapsborough City to Blue Hill City, Lucien had finally agreed to date him again. Ronan could not be happier.


    For all he cared, the train ride couldst a bit longer. He wished to extend this beautiful moment for a while longer.


    The beautiful moment when there were only the two of them. The perfect continuation of the time that they spent together in the hospital.


    ¡°I love you, Lucien Clearwater,¡± Ronan said again, peppering his lover¡¯s face with little kisses.


    ¡°I love you, Ronan Silverback,¡± Lucien said in return. He put his arms around Ronan and buried his face into the Alpha¡¯s chest. The sandalwood scentced with sea salt filled Lucien¡¯s nasal cavity, evoking a soft grunt from him.


    Time passed by quickly when people least expected it to. The train ride ended before Ronan and Lucien even knew it. At the Blue Hill City¡¯s train station, Annalynne already waited for their arrival with a car.


    When the woman saw Ronan and Lucien walking side-by-side with intertwined hands, she quickly flushed. She had a lot of personal questions to ask her brother, but it was not the time for that.


    In the Silent Walkers Pack House, things had taken a ratherplicated turn.

 Chapter 105

    105 The House Guest


    ¡°Good night!¡± A little girl bade goodbye to her ymates as she rushed back home.


    ¡°Byeee, Nana!¡± The other kids waved at the little girl¡¯s back before they all dispersed to their own houses.


    Not long after, Nana¡¯s mother went out to take out the trash. When she walked back to her apartment, she caught sight of Alice Clearwater who was leaning against the window in her apartment on the upper floor.


    The woman swallowed her nervosity before she greeted the elder woman.


    ¡°Mrs... Mrs. Clearwater, good evening.¡±


    Alice tilted her head slightly to look at Nana¡¯s mother.


    ¡°Good evening, ra.¡±


    Nana¡¯s mother almost cried from happiness. Alice Clearwater knew her by name! Truly, Alice was the only Luna that ra respected. Too bad that the Clearwater family had to take the fall back then. It was the one thing in the history of the Silent Walkers Pack that young ra regretted the most.


    ording to ra, the ascend of Deacon Clearwater as the Alpha was a terrible decision. She even voiced the exact same thing to her mother, word after word. Her mother then pped her hard across the face and warned her from speaking ill about the currently reigning Alpha, ever again.


    .....


    ra had bitten her lips in resentment and held her tears back then, unable to say a single word in return.


    And look at what Deacon Clearwater had done! The Silent Walkers Pack was thrust into the worst predicament ever, left at the mercy of the Night Prowler Pack. ra kept screaming in her heart that she knew it. She knew it would happen. Deacon Clearwater was not suitable to lead a pack!


    If only Lucien Clearwater had taken over as the Alpha instead. But he just had to lose his wolf and disqualify himself entirely from being part of the pack, let alone bing the next Alpha!


    What ra didn¡¯t expect was Lucien Clearwater¡¯s return to clean up the mess that Deacon Clearwater left after the war ended.


    It became quickly apparent that the string of bad luck had not ended for the Clearwater family. Everything that could go wrong already went wrong without a single fail.


    ra heaved a sigh as heavy as the dark cloud that hung over the pack house that night.


    No wonder Alice Clearwater did not care to even take some meal. She was waiting for her children toe home, and it broke ra¡¯s heart.


    Alice waited for hours by the window, only going in for short periods of time a few times. By the time night settled on the pack house and all pack members prepared for bed, she had yet to change into her night attire.


    ra made a point to go out of her apartment one more time to check up on Alice Clearwater.


    ¡°Mrs. Clearwater, good night!¡± She said.


    ¡°Good night, ra.¡±


    The younger woman went back into her dwelling, praying in her heart that Alice Clearwater¡¯s children mighte back soon. Not long after, the light in her apartment was extinguished.


    Alice Clearwater saw the lights in the pack house disappear one by one. Soon, the only section that was still illuminated brightly in the middle of the night was the small apartment where the Clearwaters resided.


    It did not matter for the elder woman. Even if it would take the whole night, she was still going to wait.


    Alice Clearwater¡¯s gaze was trained at the pack house entrance for what seemed to be an eternity until finally two beams of headlight appeared in the darkness. By the time the car pulled before the pack house, Alice Clearwater arrived at the ground floor.


    She ran out and hugged both Annalynne and Lucien who climbed off the car at the same time.


    ¡°Oh, my babies,¡± she breathed into their shoulders as soon as she held them in her arms. ¡°You are finally back.¡±


    ¡°Mom.¡±


    Lucien gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. After the trio disentangled themselves, Lucien took his mother by the elbow and led her to Ronan, who stood some distance away, not wanting to disturb the family reunion.


    ¡°Mom, Ronan came back with me. There are many things I need to tell about the hearing and trial today...¡±


    With a charming smile on his face, Ronan pulled at Lucien¡¯s waist and stopped him from speaking further.


    ¡°Lulu, it iste. Should we not talk about it tomorrow? We still have some time.¡±


    Alice¡¯s jaw dropped open when she saw the open disy of intimacy. She was even more surprised to see Lucien being so obedient. What was going on? Did she miss something? It seemed that she missed a lot.


    Alice sneaked a nce at her daughter, who gave her an I-know-as-much-as-you-do-Mom look.


    ¡°Right,¡± Alice Clearwater agreed with Ronan.


    ¡°Wee to our modest settlement, Alpha Ronan. I hope you will enjoy your stay here.¡±


    Alice assigned Ronan a guest room in their apartment and suggested that they all retreat for the night. By that, she meant that everyone but Lucien and herself should go to sleep. Alice had a lot of questions on her mind, and all of them were pertinent to the Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack.


    Not fifteen minutes after she went into her bedroom, she came out again and marched toward Lucien¡¯s bedroom. Alice Clearwater swallowed hard and raised her hand to knock at Lucien¡¯s door.


    Before the first knock evennded, she heard something that gave her goosebumps.


    ¡°No, Ronan...¡± Lucien¡¯s sweet, satiny voice was hearding from inside his bedroom. ¡°Don¡¯t... Ah...¡±


    ¡°Sssh, baby...¡± Ronan¡¯s seductive voice rang out in retaliation. ¡°Just rx, will you?¡±


    Drowsiness and exhaustion drained like water from Alice Clearwater¡¯s body. She did not wish to listen more to what was going on inside Lucien¡¯s bedroom.


    That night, Alice Clearwater could not sleep even a wink. Not because her children were not home yet. It was because of the house guest who was doing unspeakable things with her son under her roof!

 Chapter 106

    106 Just One Kiss


    ¡°I said, NO!¡±


    Lucien broke the kiss and elbowed Ronan in the ribs. He then spun around andnded a kick on the man¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°Uff...!¡±


    Ronan barely managed to block Lucien¡¯s foot.


    The Alpha pursed his lips in displeasure. He red at his fated mate who refused to cooperate.


    Lucien straightened his clothes and scowled at Ronan.


    ¡°Please conduct yourself properly, Ronan. This is my pack house, for Goddess¡¯ sake!¡±


    Ronan rolled with his eyes. ¡°It was just a kiss. What are you getting so worked up for?¡±


    Lucien pulled his cor together to hide his neck away from Ronan¡¯s scorching gaze.


    .....


    ¡°You and I know that it is never ¡®just a kiss¡¯ with you, Ronan Silverback. If youe here to mess around, please return to your room instead.¡±


    Ronan chuckled. He raised both his hands in surrender and walked toward the couch.


    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s properly discuss what to do tomorrow, then.¡±


    Eyes full with distrust, Lucien chose to sit at the farthest end of the couch.


    ¡°Seriously?¡±


    Ronan pulled at Lucien¡¯s arm, forcing thetter to sit on hisp instead.


    ¡°Is this how you conduct a strategic meeting before an uing war?¡± Lucien grabbed Ronan by his jaw.


    Ronan shrugged. ¡°Maybe. You can sit on myp every day. I don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Shameless!¡±


    Lucien pushed himself off Ronan¡¯s body while thetter roared withughter.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s talk serious business,¡± the Alpha steepled his hands together on his knees.


    ¡°Do you mind if I appoint myself as your second-inmand?¡±


    Lucien chuckled.


    ¡°Who else if not you?¡±


    Ronan smiled. ¡°If it is anyone but me, we will have a problem.¡±


    ¡°I will handle the representatives from the other packs. What you need to do is gather your pack members and get them trained. I am not sure about your pack¡¯s readiness when facing the Night Prowler Pack, but I do hope that Deacon did not go into war without adequate preparation.¡±


    Lucien nodded. ¡°I will find out.¡±


    The Alpha held up four fingers. ¡°Four days before the war begins, the representatives from other packs will arrive for strategic alignment.¡±


    Two fingers went down.


    ¡°Two days before the war begins, we must depart to the warring ground. To prevent cheating, the location of the war will be disclosed only shortly before the departure.¡±


    One finger went down.


    ¡°It usually takes at least one day to reach the war site. We have one day to build camps and revamp our strategy when necessary. And then the war starts at 10 AM sharp until it ends.¡±


    ¡°That means,¡± Ronan gave Lucien a look. ¡°You have two whole days to select the pack members to join the war and train them properly.¡±


    ¡°Sure. I will do that.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s eyes softened. He reached out and pinched Lucien¡¯s cheek, earning a re and a smack from thetter.


    The Alpha leaned back at the couch rest and crossed one leg over the othernguidly.


    ¡°You can rely on me a little more, you know.¡±


    ¡°I can take care of my pack just fine,¡± came the answer.


    Ronan shook his head. The man was so stubborn. If it were any other person, Ronan might just be appalled by his arrogance.


    ¡°Come here,¡± he said, his voice heavy with desire.


    Lucien scooted back on the couch and gave Ronan a suspicious look.


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°What else? I want a kiss.¡±


    Lucien stood up from the couch immediately.


    ¡°It iste. Please leave, Alpha Ronan.¡±


    ¡°One kiss,¡± Ronan begged, rising to his feet nheless. ¡°One kiss, then I will go.¡±


    Ronan pursued Lucien for so long and only got a ¡°yes¡± today. He still could not believe it. It might just be a beautiful dream. When he woke up, Lucien would be gone again, off to a ce far away with another man. Ronan¡¯s heart ached terribly whenever he thought that way.


    Lucien did think that Ronan looked too pitiful, but he did not dare to relent. If he gave Ronan an inch, the greedy Alpha would want a foot. One kiss could turn into many. Many kisses could turn to... Goddess knew that it was not easy to get Ronan to stop once they were already doing it.


    ¡°One kiss. I promise,¡± Ronan repeated his request.


    ¡°Fine. One kiss.¡±


    Lucien let Ronan wrap him in a tight embrace before tilting his head slightly upward and inhaling the Alpha¡¯s calming sandalwood scent.


    One of Ronan¡¯s hands was pressed against the base of Lucien¡¯s neck while the other one was draped around thetter¡¯s back.


    Lucien lifted both of his arms and put them on Ronan¡¯s shoulder, hugging his neck while the two men lost themselves in each other¡¯s eyes.


    Their lips were locked in a tender kiss, so tender that both men wanted it tost forever.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    ¡°Mmmh...¡±


    Soft moans escaped their throats while they indulged in each other¡¯s lips and caress.


    When it became too much for Lucien, he tried to break the kiss but Ronan did not share the same idea.


    Every time Lucien tried to pull away, Ronan forced him to prolong the kiss.


    Ronan was naturally greedy. It was just one kiss, but no one said how long the kiss was supposed tost. For the Alpha, it meant that they should kiss until one or both of them passed out due tocking oxygen.


    After indulging Ronan for as long as he could, Lucien bit hard into Ronan¡¯s lip and forced the Alpha to stop kissing him.


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    Ronan pulled away when he tasted blood.


    Lucien opened his bedroom door and pushed Ronan out mercilessly.


    ¡°Good night, Alpha Ronan,¡± he told him with a t tone before closing the door on Ronan¡¯s face.


    The Alpha stood there in a daze for a while.


    A silly smile spread on his face a momentter.


    ¡°Good night, Lucien,¡± he spoke to the door before he made his way to the guest room.


    Unbeknownst to him, Lucien was sitting on the floor while leaning against the door. Ronan¡¯s kiss turned his feet to jelly and caused blood to shoot up to his head.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± the man cursed in a low voice.


    If he could not wake up early tomorrow, then it was purely Ronan¡¯s fault.

 Chapter 107

    107 The Disagreement Within The Silent Walkers Pack


    6th October, 9 AM.


    The Silent Walkers Pack was at its peak during the early years of Gordon Clearwater¡¯s reign. It plummeted toward the end, and when Deacon Clearwater took over, it went from bad to worse.


    After the war with the Night Prowler Pack concluded, the pack suffered from not only physical wounds but also humiliation by a stronger pack. It was thus no wonder that they did not take the news about a second uing war well.


    The one pack member who was strongly against participating in the war was Catherine Clearwater, who did not have any qualms in voicing her opinion out loud in the vast yard so that every pack member could hear what she had to say.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that the Silent Walkers Pack need to participate in this war at all,¡± she stated after Lucien informed them of how the hearing and the subsequent trial went.


    ¡°To my understanding, this war only takes ce because you lost control of your wolf, Lucien, and tried to kill Kinnon Youngshaper. That being said, this is a personal dispute between you and the Night Prowler Pack. The Silent Walkers Pack must not be dragged into this war!¡±


    Lucien wanted to tell Aunt Catherine that he already said that during the trial only to be turned down by Dane Silverback, but Alice Clearwater was not willing to let the vile woman provoke the whole pack against her son.


    ¡°You shut up, Kat!¡± Alice¡¯s eyes zed with resentment. ¡°You were too willing to push Lucien forward when he turned out to be the solution for all the mess that YOUR son left after the war ended. After Lucien failed to deliver, you want him to deal with it on his own! How cruel can you be???¡±


    Catherine Clearwater tilted her head backward andughed.


    .....


    ¡°I am speaking for the good of the whole pack while you just want to protect your darling son. Feel free to judge me.¡±


    Alice growled in displeasure. She pinned Catherine with a re while thetter did not seem affected at all. She even had a slight smilecing her lips, seemingly amused by what was toe.


    ¡°Mom.¡±


    Lucien grabbed his mother¡¯s shoulder and gave her a slight nod. Alice gave onest huff before she backed off.


    Lucien stood before the entire Silent Walkers Pack members and spoke up.


    ¡°First of all, I want to apologize for failing to live up to your expectations. It was beyond my control and it led us to this oue. I am terribly sorry.


    Second of all, I want to sincerely ask for your help to win this war. Although, as Aunt Catherine said, this war happens because of me, the entire pack will have to suffer from the consequences if we happen to lose again. I hope that we can work together to ovee this obstacle.¡±


    A slight murmur went through the crowd as families and friends started to discuss with each other. And then, a hand went up. It was a young man in his twenties.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Is it true that we only have the support of fourteen packs while the Night Prowler Pack has sixteen packs behind it?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    Another hand went up, this time it was an elder woman.


    ¡°Supporting packs can only send ten representatives for the war, correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, correct.¡±


    ¡°The warring packs themselves can send as many as they want. And we are fighting against the Night Prowler Pack. One of the two strongest packs in the continent.¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    With every confirmation that Lucien gave, the pack members grew more and more restless.


    ¡°Then, how do you n to win?¡±


    It was a difficult question. Honestly, the chance to win was less than 40%. Even without the aid of supporting packs, the Silent Walkers Pack was weaker and also lesser in number than the Night Prowler Pack. Not to mention that the Silent Walkers Pack just lost in a war against the same pack a few months ago. Only fools would maintain a high level of confidence in light of the uing war.


    There was no use sugarcoating the situation, so Lucien decided to give his pack members what they did not want to hear : the truth.


    ¡°The odds are not in our favor due to the huge disparity between the two warring parties. If we do note up with a very good strategy, we will lose.¡±


    Upon hearing Lucien¡¯s words, some she-wolves started to whimper.


    ¡°My son almost died in thest war!¡±


    ¡°My husband went into aa right after the war and he has not woken up to this second!¡±


    A teenager pointed at his father who sat in a wheelchair and tearfully imed, ¡°My father can never walk again after the war!¡±


    Lucien closed his eyes and rubbed between his brows. Of course. Of course, he knew that it would not be easy to gather the people to fight again. It¡¯s just that they did not have much time.


    Two days.


    Two days were all he had to gather willing fighters, train them, and prepare them for the war. It was basically impossible to achieve within such a short time. Most packs thus regrly trained for war situations just in case. And Lucien had not evene to that part yet. He did not know if the willing fighters were adequately prepared. Or whether or not there would be any willing fighters at all.


    ¡°Everyone, I understand your reluctance. I am not forcing anyone to participate. If you are willing to fight, please report yourself. We only have two days to prepare for the war. Those who are willing to fight, please step forward.¡±


    Instead of stepping forward, the pack members retreated one by one. Those who were supporting themselves with crutches had to hobble away in a hurry in order to not get drafted for the war.


    Lucien heaved a sigh in his heart. Maybe Ronan was right. He might need some help in managing his pack. He just did not know what.

 Chapter 108

    108 Recruiting Volunteers


    One could easily say that not all packs were geared toward wars. The Silent Walkers Pack used to keep to themselves and not seek troubles with other packs. This time around, they not only managed to get into trouble with the Night Prowler Pack but also did it twice in a row.


    After what happened in the first war, everyone was terrified to go to the next. Lucien understood as much.


    So what was the point of forcing anyone to join the war? None. Even if he were to drag all those who were healthy and able to join the war, they would only serve as wolf shields at most. They had to be willing to fight for their pack.


    ¡°Those who are willing to join the war, please stay. The others, you can leave,¡± Lucien instructed.


    The pack members were not willing to step forward to openly dere their willingness, but they were also not willing to be the first to go. No one wanted to be branded as the first coward to flee. They merely looked around and hoped that someone would make the first step so the others could follow.


    Someone did make a step, but it was not to flee. It was to join the war.


    Kendra Firemoon, Deacon¡¯s Luna, stepped forward.


    ¡°I am willing to join the war.¡±


    ¡°Kendra, are you crazy???¡± Catherine Clearwater wed at her daughter-inw¡¯s arm. ¡°Do you want to lose your life???¡±


    .....


    Kendra shot Catherine a look.


    ¡°Until a new Alpha and a new Luna are appointed, I am still the Luna of this pack. I am not going to sit around while others do the job.¡±


    Kendra turned to look at Lucien. ¡°I should have been there to take charge over the pack after Deacon¡¯s passing. Lucien had been kind enough to shoulder all the burden until now. Joining the war is the least I can do.¡±


    It was only one person, but the one who spoke was the Luna. It meant a lot for the Clearwaters to have Kendra speak on their behalf.


    ¡°Thank you, Kendra,¡± Lucien said sincerely.


    Alice Clearwater did not interact much with Kendra before, but this woman quickly won her heart just by joining the war. What a Luna! What a Queen!


    Despite having barely recovered from losing a husband and suffering from miscarriage, Kendra was there to support Lucien. The pack members who still had one ounce of pride and shame in their blood naturally felt the urge to participate in the war.


    The spirit of younger men and women was especially easy to rouse.


    ¡°I will join the war!¡±


    ¡°I will also join!¡±


    ¡°And me!¡±


    ¡°Me as well!¡±


    Relief flooded Lucien¡¯s heart as more and more werewolves agreed to join. He saw Catherine shake her head in disgust and leave the crowd. Some pack members followed her lead, but only those who were physically unable to participate. It was good enough.


    ¡°Lulu, we are going to a war!¡± Annalynne whispered to Lucien in excitement.


    Lucien cracked a smile. ¡°What is there to be happy about? Silly girl.¡±


    After the initial hurrah, it was time to talk about group division and training.


    The war participants were split into five groups altogether, led by the Luna Kendra, Beta Desmond, Gamma Acatha, Annalynne Clearwater, and Lucien himself. Each group would have one lead warrior to coordinate the warriors.


    Gamma Acatha was in charge of pack members¡¯ training. Lucien was pleased to hear that she had made sure that able pack members went through regr training to keep fit and prepare for an unwanted confrontation with other packs. Deacon never cared for all of that, unfortunately.


    ¡°This is the data containing the fitness level of each pack member,¡± Gamma Acatha said while showing Lucien the record that she kept updating for the past five years.


    ¡°Very good,¡± Lucienmented as he went through Gamma Acatha¡¯s report. It was fairly detailed. Every pack member, minus Lucien, was recorded with their family background, their strengths and weaknesses, down to their battle preferences.


    ¡°Please handle the warrior distribution in each group with the Lead Warriors,¡± he then said, returning the report to Gamma Acatha. ¡°Then we can determine which group goes under whosemand.¡±


    Gamma Acatha bowed deeply. ¡°Yes, Alpha!¡±


    Lucien was speechless but Gamma Acatha left as if she did not make any mistake in addressing him that way.


    He turned to look at Kendra, who did not look as if she minded at all.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said when she took note of the strange expression on Lucien¡¯s face. ¡°You are after all Gordon Clearwater¡¯s son. You were also an Alpha candidate.¡±


    ¡°I lost that privilege,¡± Lucien reminded her.


    ¡°Now you have it again,¡± Kendra pointed out. She naturally referred to Landon¡¯s return.


    ¡°We do need an Alpha for the war,¡± Beta Desmond agreed. ¡°The official posts will be decided once we are done with the war.¡± Whatever the oue was.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Lucien nodded. ¡°Thank you all for your trust.¡±


    Desmond and Kendra exchanged smiles before they looked at Lucien.


    ¡°Thank you too for leading the war.¡±


    After the warrior distribution was done, the training began.


    The war was to be conducted in their wolf form, so everyone was required to transform to participate in the training regime.


    The first part was running, dashing, and jumping. All werewolves did it as soon as they reached the age of eighteen and were able to morph into their wolf form.


    The second part was fighting. For this one, Gamma Acatha put the werewolves into various battle scenarios. One-on-one, two-on-one, and group-on-one. Those who were able to take on many wolves alone were the alpha wolves, but even they get overwhelmed when some of their opponents were also alpha wolves.


    The third andst part was picking up tracks and sharpening senses. This was by far the most difficult part of the training because only alpha wolves were born with keen senses and sharp observation skills.


    After joining the first and second parts for the whole morning and afternoon, the alpha wolves gathered after dinner to partake in the third part.

 Chapter 109

    109 The Hunting Game


    In order to train the five senses and learn how to track other wolves, it was beneficial to train in the surrounding forest. What better way to conduct the training than turning it into a hunting game?


    At 8 PM sharp, the alpha werewolves left the pack house and gathered in a clearing just at the entrance of the thick, dense forest.


    Above their heads, the moon was shining brightly as their only source of light. Alice Clearwater gave each of the alpha wolves a blue locket that was tied around their waist and a leather bag that was tied around their neck.


    Before the game began, the alpha wolves had fifteen minutes to go and hide anywhere they liked in the forest.


    The hunting game itself was tost for an hour only.


    The goal was to collect as many lockets as possible from thepeting wolves. The ones who lost their lockets were disqualified automatically. They must leave the forest and return to the clearing.


    Acting as the referee, Alice Clearwater had some fireworks with her. The first firework was to be shot at the start of the game. The second thirty minutes into the game, and finally thest to conclude the game and call all werewolves to go back.


    ¡®Ah, so refreshing,¡¯ Landonmented as soon as Lucien transformed into his wolf form. He ran around the other alpha werewolves happily. Infected by his energy, the other wolves howled and became restless. They jumped around in euphoria, impatient for the game to begin.


    ¡®Don¡¯t y around too much, remember that this is a training session,¡¯ Lucien reminded him.


    .....


    ¡®Oh, geez. This is a hunting game. I will beat them all.¡¯


    Lucien was barely able to conceal his smile.


    ¡®Alright, do your best.¡¯


    ¡°ATTENTION!!! The fifteen minutes start now!¡± Alice Clearwater shouted. ¡°THREE... TWO... ONE... GO!!!¡±


    The spectators, mostly consisting of the family members and friends of thepeting alphas, cheered loudly for each of the alphas as they ran into the forest.


    ¡°NATHAN!!!!! YOU ARE MY HERO!!!! BEAT THEM ALL!!!¡±


    ¡°BRETT!!!! IF YOU WIN THE GAME, YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO ME!!!!¡±


    ¡°THE ONE WHO WINS THIS GAME WILL GET MY DAUGHTER¡¯S HAND IN MARRIAGE!!!!¡±


    Landon gagged as he ran into the woods.


    ¡®What the hell? That was disgusting,¡¯ hemented.


    ¡®If it can provide extra motivation for them to perform, I don¡¯t mind,¡¯ Lucien said with a shrug. ¡®Focus on your task.¡¯


    ¡®Yes, yes, Master Lucien,¡¯ Landon said in a mocking tone.


    After fifteen minutes, the first firework was shot to signify the start of the game. Landon sniffed into the air and trotted lightly in a direction. He carefully ced his paws, making barely any sound as he stepped on the many twigs and leaves on the forest ground.


    His target was not as careful. He was being too obvious.


    Landon pulled a grimace when he spotted the alpha wolf just some distance ahead of him. His target was also sniffing the ground and trying to track the others, but he was not sharp enough. And not fast enough.


    He emitted a sharp howl when Landon closed the ten-meter distance between him and the wolf and pounced at him violently. The wolf that Landon was pinning to the ground freaked out. He seemed to forget that it was a game. Once Landon bit off the locket from his waist, he quickly escaped, whimpering all the way.


    ¡®That was easy,¡¯ Landonmented. ¡®And pretty embarrassing for an alpha wolf, if I may add. I do hope that that one is an exception and not the norm.¡¯


    Lucien had to agree.


    What would it look like if his pack members started to run from the enemies after the first pounce? The war would end thirty minutes after it started. At the very least, even if he lost his locket, he must fight back.


    ¡®That one was pretty young, right?¡¯


    ¡®Yeah, maybe it¡¯s his first time. Don¡¯t be too hard on him.¡¯


    ¡®Meh. The enemies will not let him off during the war.¡¯


    That was unfortunately also true.


    Landon casually put the locket inside the leather bag around his neck. He then yawned andy down in a rxed manner.


    ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ Lucien asked, puzzled.


    ¡®I don¡¯t want to hunt small fries. Let the big, bold onese to me.¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    Lucien was not sure if anyone would show up. Which big, bold alpha wolves would willingly confront Landon? After all, the goal of the game was to get as many lockets as possible. Strategically speaking, hunting small fries was what they needed to do at the moment.


    Never mind, Lucien thought to himself. Landon spent seven years running around in the woods. This kind of hunting game must be boring for him. Lame, even. Let the others shine for a little bit. Lucien needed the alphas of his pack to grow some self-confidence as they honed their skills through games like these.


    ¡®If you don¡¯t want to join the game, it is fine. What about we do something else then?¡¯ Lucien suggested.


    ¡®Like what?¡¯ Landon perked up.


    ¡®ying the hero?¡¯


    Landon guffawed. ¡®Do I look like a hero to you? Plus, you are talking about saving alpha wolves from alpha wolves here. How degrading. If I find myself requiring some savior, I will stop calling myself an alpha wolf.¡¯


    Crack.


    The subtle cracking sound caused Landon to whip his head in fright. There was an alpha wolf close by. One with an oppressive aura, one who did not bother to hide himself. He was there for a fight, not a game.


    ¡®Oh, there¡¯s one for you,¡¯ Lucien remarked.


    Landon did not need Lucien to tell him that. Excitement ran through his slender body. He was so happy that he got electrifying goosebumps from merely sensing the other wolf¡¯s presence.


    It was dark and the wolf was around fifty meters away from Landon, but they noticed each other quickly enough.


    Landon assumed an offensive pose, beckoning the other party toe to him. The other party did not shy away from the invitation. He closed the distance between them with a single jump. Despite being prepared for the attack, Landon was still unable to push against the other party.


    He was strong.


    Very strong.


    When his opponent bared his fangs and grazed his neck, for the first time in his life Landon tasted the bone-chilling sensation of fear.

 Chapter 110

    110 A Worthy Opponent


    Landon barely managed to dodge the bite. The two alpha wolves rolled around on the ground, fighting fiercely to win the upper hand. At some point, Landon was not sure anymore whether it was only a game or a serious fight. The opponent did not care about the locket at Landon¡¯s waist at all. He was more interested in overpowering Landon.


    ¡®Who the hell is this???¡¯ Landon screamed in his mind.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know. Pin him down first!¡¯ Lucien shouted in return.


    ¡®I am trying! He is too strong!¡¯


    An alpha wolf that was stronger than Landon was not necessarily bad news. As long as he¡¯s on their side.


    After struggling hard for more than ten minutes, Landon finally broke free from the other wolf. They stood opposite of each other in the darkness, growling as they moved slowly in a circle. Landon was unable to find an opening in the other¡¯s movement and vice versa. One wrong move could result in a fatal injury. Naturally, both wolves remained cautious and did not dare to act on impulse.


    The second firework was shot into the air.


    Only thirty minutes were left.


    ¡®Now!¡¯ Landon shouted in his head.


    .....


    The giant wolf with the brown-red coat jumped at his opponent with his fangs bared and two sets of sharp ws out to tear into the other wolf. The other wolf moved like a shadow. He waited until Landon was close enough before he rammed hard against Landon¡¯s stomach, throwing him back against a nearby tree.


    There was no time to rest.


    Landon used the force of the impact to propel himself off the tree like a rocket and bumped his opponent off his feet.


    ¡®HAHAHAHA!¡¯ the wolf cried in delight. ¡®Take that, you...!!!¡¯


    Lucien did not know what the deal was with the other wolf. He only knew that despite the aggression, there was no real killing intent behind the other one¡¯s attacks. That was good enough. Landon finally got aparable sparring partner. Lucien could not ask for more. He was rather curious about the other wolf. Who might it be? When did their pack raise such an excellent specimen of an alpha wolf?


    The two wolves fought for good thirty more minutes until the third firework was shot. Only then did Landon smell a familiar scent. Sandalwoodced with sea salt.


    ¡®What the hell?¡¯ both the human being and the wolf thought in unison.


    Their mysterious opponent turned out to be Beowulf!


    Beowulf came over and nuzzled Landon affectionately. Landon returned the favor and showered Beowulf with little kisses.


    ¡®Ahem,¡¯ Lucien cleared his throat. ¡®It is time to go back.¡¯


    Landon could not care less. He and Beowulf started to roll around yfully. Lucien rolled with his eyes. He transformed back to his human form and Ronan did the same right after.


    ¡°Hey Lulu,¡± the Alpha greeted his lover before rubbing their naked bodies together and covering Lucien¡¯s lips with his own.


    When his engorged penis poked at Lucien¡¯s stomach, thetter sighed from deep longing. A shameless grin spread over Ronan¡¯s face, hidden only by the dark veil of the night.


    ¡°If you keep making such delicious sounds, don¡¯t me me for identally fucking you right here and now,¡± he taunted.


    Lucien pursed his lips and pushed Ronan away. ¡°Why are you even here? I thought you left early morning to take care of the other packs?¡±


    ¡°I did, and I finished. They will arrive here tomorrow,¡± the Alpha replied with a chuckle.


    The trip back and forth between Blue Hill City and Great Lake City was not only exhausting but also took a lot of time. And yet Ronan insisted on making it back to the Silent Walkers Pack the very same day.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t smell your scent throughout the whole fight,¡± Lucien remarked. ¡°How did you hide it?¡±


    ¡°By training, of course. It is beneficial especially if you are the assassination target during the war.¡±


    Ronan pulled Lucien to his feet and into his arms. Their bodies were covered with ayer of sweat that acted like glue between them. Ronan¡¯s hands wandered naughtily around Lucien¡¯s back and ended up grabbing Lucien¡¯s fleshy twin mounds.


    ¡°You...!!!¡±


    Lucien was beyond embarrassed. Their manhoods were rubbing against each other between their bodies, generating heat that pooled at the bottom of his stomach.


    Ronan whispered intimately into Lucien¡¯s ear, ¡°Werewolves release their pheromones when they are stimted. You have to fight against the stimtion and keep calm no matter what.¡±


    At the end of his words, Ronan¡¯s scent disappeared again. He tilted his head and started kissing the side of Lucien¡¯s neck.


    ¡°I can smell you from hundreds of meters away. Come on, focus. Calm down.¡±


    ¡°Uhh...¡±


    Lucien could barely catch his breath in-between kisses, let alone focus on hiding his pheromones.


    ¡®Calm down, calm down, calm down...¡¯ he kept chanting in his mind. But how was he supposed to do that if Ronan kept rubbing and kissing him? Unlike Ronan who had years of experience in his sexual escapade, Lucien had remained abstinent throughout the years! Of course, he would react more to the so-called stimtion!


    Ronan chuckled when he sensed Lucien¡¯s agitation. It was fun to see the man trying hard to suppress his own desire while being unable to get away for the sake of training.


    ¡°Ronan, you asshole,¡± Lucien said, his breathing haggard from overstimtion. He could not take it anymore. He let go of his self-restraint and the thick scent of his pheromones permeated the air around them. Ronan actually giggled in response. The shameless Alpha enjoyed making fun of him!


    Lucien smacked hard on Ronan¡¯s naked chest. Thetter pulled him into a hug again and nted a kiss on Lucien¡¯s forehead to cate him. ¡°There, there. I am asking too much of you. I myself needed more than three years to be able to hide my scent perfectly. You won¡¯t be able to do it within days.¡±


    Anger flickered in Lucien¡¯s eyes. So Ronan needed more than three years to do it? And then he had the audacity to lecture Lucien about not being able to hide his scent? This shameless Alpha!


    ¡°Really? Then I am going to master it before the war and show you how it is done.¡±

 Chapter 111

    111 Rigorous Training


    ¡°Adorable,¡± Ronan said in response, chuckling while giving Lucien a peck on the cheek.


    Lucien¡¯s face turned sour. Ronan was not even taking him seriously! Did he think that Lucien could not do it? The insolence! The arrogance!


    The man curled his fingers into fists. The more Ronan looked down on him, the more he wanted to make it happen!


    One by one, the alpha wolves who had not been disqualified poured out of the forest and returned to the entrance. Every single one of them was greeted with cheers from the excited spectators.


    About half of the alpha werewolves were eliminated during the one hour. Most of them were young and inexperienced.


    When no more wolves showed up after fifteen minutes had passed, Alice dered the end of the game. They could now start counting the lockets that the alpha werewolves managed to collect for one hour.


    The exciteddies had begged Alice to allow them to help. Everyone was itching to know who the winner was. After they were done counting from every leather bag, they had a winner. It was one of the lead warriors by the name of Lowell.


    The handsome man might already have his own group of fans before the hunting game began, but at the end of it, he was practically a hero among the she-wolves.


    ¡°Mrs. Clearwater,¡± ra, one of those who counted the lockets, approached Alice.


    .....


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Um, two lockets are missing. One belongs to the first young man who came out of the forest. The other one should belong to Lucien.¡±


    The poor young man was scared shitless by Landon¡¯s aggressive approach.


    Alice Clearwater furrowed her brows in confusion. Had Lucien note out yet?


    It definitely took some time to cross the forest from end to end because the area was quite huge. Then again, they were talking about wolves here. Just how long could it take Lucien to get back?


    Alice Clearwater was about to search the forest for her son when Beta Jake from the Infinite Eclipse Pack made his appearance at the forest entrance.


    ¡°Good evening, Mrs. Clearwater,¡± he greeted politely.


    ¡°Good evening,¡± Alice returned the greeting. ¡°My apologies, I did not expect anyone from the supporting packs to arrive tonight.¡±


    Jake hastily corrected the misunderstanding.


    ¡°Incorrect, Mrs. Clearwater. The others will start arriving tomorrow. Only Alpha Ronan and I are here tonight.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Speaking about Alpha Ronan...


    Alice cleared her throat.


    ¡°Where is Alpha Ronan then?¡±


    Jake cut Alice an ufortable smile. ¡°He went into the forest.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I believe he wanted to participate in the hunt.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    So only Lucien and Ronan were still inside the forest.


    Jake and Alice exchanged knowing looks. What to do?


    ¡°Let me try contacting my Alpha with Mind Link,¡± Jake offered.


    ¡°Please do,¡± Alice said, thankful for Jake¡¯s help.


    ¡®Alpha? Are you there?¡¯


    Wonderful. Ronan shut off his Mind Link. Jake fantasized about kicking Ronan in his mind.


    The Beta turned to face Lucien¡¯s mother and shook his head in regret.


    ¡°I can go into the forest and try to find them,¡± Alice said, grabbing an oilmp as she spoke.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t Ie with you, Mrs. Clearwater,¡± Jake quickly offered. He was pretty sure that Ronan, the lecher, held Lucien back. The fool should have known that there would be people looking for them! Could he not wait until everyone went to bed or something???


    Jake could not stop cursing at Ronan in his head.


    Alice Clearwater herself was filled with trepidation after listening in on Ronan and Lucien the previous night. Honestly, she didn¡¯t want to witness anything inappropriate between Lucien and Ronan.


    And she thought she knew her son! Since when did Lucien start engaging in lewd activities? Her son was pure and innocent! It must all be Ronan Silverback¡¯s bad influence. Who in the werewolfmunity did not know about his infamous womanizing way???


    Alice and Jake were thus more than relieved when the two giant wolves emerged from the forest a few minutester.


    ¡°Lucien,¡± Alice breathed a sigh of relief. She approached her son and covered him with a huge nket. Lucien transformed back into his human form soon after.


    Ronan did the same after Alice gave him another piece of nket. The Alpha winked at Lucien, who shot him a re and turned away from him without a single word.


    This attitude was quite iprehensible.


    Jake turned to look at Ronan, his gaze full of unspoken questions.


    ¡°What?¡± Ronan asked innocently.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Jake replied. Ronan¡¯s love affair was none of his business. He was merely concerned about the war and nothing else.


    Relieved that her son did not do anything inappropriate with Ronan in the forest, Alice decided to have a heart-to-heart talk with her son that night. Judging from the way Lucien looked at Ronan just now, she was sure that Ronan would not be in Lucien¡¯s room that night.


    After she changed into her night attire, Alice made her way to Lucien¡¯s room. She brought a ss of warm milk tea on a tray with her. It would help Lucien to sleep better after they had their talk about his rtionship with Ronan Silverback. Alice was sure that Lucien was going to need it. If the conversation was embarrassing enough, she might need one for herself.


    ¡°Lucien?¡± Alice knocked on Lucien¡¯s door.


    ¡°Lulu?¡±


    There was no answer.


    Alice waited for a while before knocking a second time but there was still no answer.


    Did Lucien fall asleep as soon as he hit the bed due to exhaustion?


    In Lucien¡¯s defense, he must not have gotten enough physical exercise after leaving the pack. Today was just the first day of training. He would feel better with each passing day.


    Alice yawned. It was also a tiring day for her. They should all just rest for the night. The talk could wait. The elder woman lifted the ss of milk tea that she brought for Lucien from the tray and drank up the entire content of the ss right away.


    She was forever thankful to the Moon Goddess that she already drank most of it when she heard something that gave her the chills.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Came Lucien¡¯s taunting voice from behind the guest room door.


    ¡°I thought you wanted me to practice. Come on, stimte me all you want.¡±


    Alice almost choked on the remaining milk tea. She hasted back to her own bedroom and mmed the door behind her.


    The next morning, Alice learned something new.


    The milk tea did not help at all with sleeping.

 Chapter 112

    112 Heaven Or Hell


    Inside the guest room, Ronan was sitting on the edge of the bed. He stared at Lucien who just said the provocative words that were so unlike him.


    Ronan was not sure whether he was in heaven or hell. At a nce, there was Lucien who willingly came into his room to seduce him and be seduced. After a closer and more thorough look, he found out that Lucien was there for the sake of training and not to have sex.


    In fact, Lucien Clearwater was not at all interested in having sex. He just wanted to use Ronan as a trainer sh stimtor so that the former could hide his scent from thetter.


    It was the first time ever that Ronan wanted to throw Lucien out of his bedroom. But how could he?


    Lucien was dressed in a white shirt and white short pants. He looked so pure. So innocent. So captivating. He was basically asking to be touched and pampered.


    ¡°It is toote for this kind of training,¡± Ronan tried to get out of this dire situation. He did not have the confidence to control his urge.


    ¡°Oh? Then what time is good for you?¡±


    Lucien was unwilling to give in.


    Ronan crossed his arms before his chest to steel his mind.


    .....


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, we will see,¡± the Alpha said with a shaky voice.


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Lucien narrowed his beautiful eyes at Ronan. He then scratched the floor with his toes slowly, forming invisible circles on the floor.


    ¡°I thought that you are the only one who can help me in this regard. Are you telling me that I should practice with someone else?¡±


    Ronan furrowed his brows, his face darkened in an instant.


    ¡°Which ¡®someone else¡¯ do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know,¡± Lucien trailed. ¡°A lot of alpha wolves outside. And moreing,¡± he added.


    Ronan¡¯s lips parted in bewilderment. He would rather die than send Lucien out there to get stimted by random alphas! How many of them could resist Lucien¡¯s temptation? What if they ended up bedding him instead?


    ¡°Come here,¡± the Alpha growled in displeasure. He extended his hand after Lucien, who took it despite his growing hesitation.


    He spouted big words, but he was also aware that he put himself in a dangerous situation. He might not make it out of Ronan¡¯s bed safely that night.


    Ronan tugged at Lucien¡¯s hand, pulling him toward the bed.


    Lucien fell like a block of wood. Ronan raised an eyebrow. Lucien had both his eyes closed and his brows furrowed in concentration. It did not require a genius to guess what Lucien was concentrating on.


    So the challenge was to seduce this block of ice and melt the cage that prevented the sweet orange scent from leaking out.


    Ronan licked his lips in anticipation.


    Interesting.


    Since Lucien was being such a hardworking student, he as the teacher should be generous and give him a very good lesson.


    Ronan slid a naughty hand under Lucien¡¯s shirt. He nned to y with Lucien¡¯s nipples, but his hand was quickly caught by thetter.


    ¡°Wait!¡± He shouted. ¡°Not that far yet. Let¡¯s start with kisses and caresses through clothes. You can¡¯t touch my skin.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    What kind of rules were those?


    Whatever.


    Ronan pulled Lucien¡¯s legs apart and positioned himself in-between. Then hey on top of Lucien and bumped their lower regions against each other.


    ¡°Mmmf...!¡±


    Lucien put both hands against his mouth, his brows were scrunched up in painful endurance and sweat started to form on his forehead.


    But there was no scent yet.


    Lucien was doing so well.


    Ronan¡¯s lips curled up in a wicked smile. He lowered his head and bit into Lucien¡¯s earlobe. Sucking on it, pulling at it, bullying the tender flower petal like a maniac.


    Lucien gasped a few times. He instinctively moved around to free himself from Ronan¡¯s onught, but the man refused to let go.


    In the end, Lucien grabbed Ronan¡¯s face with both hands and pulled him for a kiss instead.


    Hahaha, so cute.


    Lucien¡¯s limbs were wrapped around Ronan¡¯s body, locking him in a sweet trap that Ronan did not wish to escape from.


    Just as Lucien wished, Ronan obediently kissed him while rubbing their bodies together with the annoying clothes in between. An evil thought formed in Ronan¡¯s lust-addled mind. He could rip both their clothes open before Lucien even knew it. And then he could slide inside Lucien¡¯s body. Thetter was so busy trying to suppress his scent that he might not even notice it.


    Ronanughed at himself.


    Look at him. He was dying to fuck Lucien. He slept with so many women before, but he was never this thirsty for a single person. Only Lucien was able to make Ronan constantly horny, constantly thirsty for him.


    Ronan¡¯s breathing grew heavy with unvented desire.


    No, he could not do it.


    He should not do it after all. They were so close to the war. He should focus on winning the war instead. Only six more days... No, five. Then he would have Lucien in his bed. Day and night, he would make Lucien fulfill his promise again and again.


    ¡°Ah... Stop... Stop!!!¡±


    Lucien pushed Ronan away and rolled off the bed.


    He was all hot and sweaty.


    ¡°Sorry, that¡¯s all for the night,¡± he said before he rushed out of Ronan¡¯s room.


    Ronan stared at the bedroom door in disbelief. Did Lucien just give him blue balls and escape like a cunning thief?


    The Alpha groaned into the pillow.


    He did not think that he could stand more of this kind of training session.


    The dejected Alpha dragged himself into the bathroom. He pulled his zipper down and his erect penis sprang free.


    Ronan sighed and let go of his suppressed pheromones. They flowed out like crazy.


    ¡°Oh, Lucien. You will be the death of me,¡± the Alpha mumbled in consternation.


    It only took a few strokes until Ronan came with a loud groan. His essence sttered against the toilet bowl, the thick whitish liquiding out in form of intermittent, violent spurts.

 Chapter 113

    113 The Aggressive Alpha Werewolves


    The same training program resumed as usual the next day for the normal werewolves. Lucien was particrly happy to detect a positive change in the pack members¡¯ mindset, both in terms of confidence and endurance.


    At the end of the third part of training on the previous night, it was discovered that the alpha werewolves disyed a huge range of performance, starting from very bad to excellent.


    This was naturally an outrageous result that required immediate correction.


    Gamma Acatha hade up with a new training regime for specifically alphas. She nned to split the alphas into three groups : the beginner group, the intermediate group, and the advanced group. The training program for each group was tailored ording to the abilities of the alpha werewolves in said group. This was done to ensure that everyone got just the right exercises to build their muscles and endurance.


    ¡°This is good,¡± Lucienmented when he read through the proposal that Gamma Acatha had prepared diligently overnight. Gamma Acatha beamed at thepliment.


    ¡°Then, I shall proceed, Alpha.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, please do.¡±


    It was only for the war, but Lucien still felt weird when the others addressed him as the Alpha. He felt like he didn¡¯t deserve it. It for sure did not make Catherine Clearwater more fond of him. The elder woman made sure to give Lucien an evil eye whenever their gazes met.


    After Gamma Acatha left, Ronan came over and sat next to him.


    .....


    They exchanged a peck on the lips.


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    ¡°Good morning,¡± Lucien said in response. ¡°We are continuing with the training today. Acatha made some impromptu changes after what happened yesterday during the hunt.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good. The representatives from the fourteen packs are due to arrive today. I checked with your mother and she said that she had already prepared the necessary amodation. Let¡¯s have a strategic meeting to discuss our preparation tonight.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Speaking about preparation, Lucien had something else in mind.


    ¡°Can Ie to your room tonight as well?¡±


    Ronan almost choked on his spit. Lucien gave him a look full of expectations. Ronan never felt more miserable. He did not think that he had enough self-restraint in him to prevent himself from attacking Lucien for real, should they repeat the same kind of ¡°training¡± that night.


    ¡°About that. Maybe we can do it differently.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a practice fight instead. The kind of stimtion that you will experience during the war is not a sexual one after all.¡±


    Besides, Ronan did not want Lucien to start developing the habit to suppress his scent when they were in bed. He loved inhaling Lucien¡¯s fresh orange and honey scent during sex.


    Thankfully, Lucien agreed.


    ¡°Oh, alright. Makes sense. Maybe we can do that for the other alphas too.¡±


    ¡°Yep. And do that in wolf form.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good call.¡±


    Lucien started to make some notes at the bottom of Gamma Acatha¡¯s proposal.


    ¡°Can we arrange to have cross-pack training once everyone arrived?¡±


    A gentle smile appeared on Ronan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Why not? It is a very good idea. And do you know what this reminds me of?¡±


    Lucien chuckled. Of course he knew what Ronan was referring to.


    ¡°The Alpha Camp?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Lucien only visited the Alpha Camp once, so he only had precious memories from that one year. Ronan, on the other side, visited for many more years. At first as a camp participant andter as a mentor to the younger alphas.


    ¡°We had war simtions a few times, too. They were mostly done to prepare the older alpha werewolves for emergencies.¡±


    ¡°What did it look like?¡±


    ¡°The alphas were split into two opposing groups. Each group elected an ¡®Alpha¡¯ to lead the war. The ¡®Alpha¡¯ was responsible for setting up themand structure and making the final decision on the war strategy that the group wanted to implement.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good. I assume you yed an ¡®Alpha¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Of course he did. The other alpha werewolves did not dare to appoint another one out of fear of offending the Infinite Eclipse Pack. Ronan himself could not care less.


    ¡°The other ¡®Alpha¡¯ was yed by Kinnon.¡±


    Just like the alphas in his group did not want to offend his pack, the alphas in Kinnon¡¯s group also did not want to offend the Night Prowler Pack.


    Ronan and Kinnon were put in opposing positions since they were young. It was no wonder that the rivalry between the two packs carried on for another generation.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± Lucien asked with a grimace.


    ¡°It always ended with me and Kinnon engaging in a duel.¡±


    ¡°Really. Who won in the end?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes I did, sometimes he did. We usually carried on until one of us was unable to stand properly anymore.¡±


    Lucien widened his eyes in shock. ¡°It was just a simtion! Why did you and Kinnon hurt each other for real?¡±


    Ronan gave Lucien a meek smile. It was not as if Lucien did not know the aggressive nature of alpha wolves.


    ¡°It could not be avoided. Lucien, it happens. We were hot-headed young alphas. Our wolves screamed for a bloody fight. We just went along with it.¡±


    Suddenly Lucien was worried about having both Ronan and Kinnon facing each other in the uing war. If a war simtion was enough to make them beat each other up, imagine what the actual war could do.


    Lucien ced his hand on Ronan¡¯s upper arm and said, ¡°You should not fight against Kinnon at all in this war.¡±


    Ronan took Lucien¡¯s hand and pressed a chaste kiss on his knuckles reverently.


    ¡°In that case, then you must not lose against him.¡±


    In a war, the opposing Alphas would engage in a duel. The one to fight against Kinnon would be Lucien, not Ronan.


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Lucien promised.


    ¡°If you do lose, I will step in as your second-inmand.¡±


    ¡°We won¡¯t get to that point.¡±


    Lucien was pretty sure that his fight with Kinnon would be less intense than Ronan¡¯s. After all, he and Kinnon used to have a good rtionship with each other.


    Right?


    Heavy feelings settled at the bottom of Lucien¡¯s stomach when he recalled hisst interaction with Kinnon during the hearing.


    Was Kinnon very offended by Lucien¡¯s decision?


    Would Kinnon seek to kill him like he killed Deacon?


    The change of expression on Lucien¡¯s face must be quite obvious because Ronan reached out to pat his back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my love. I will always be there to protect you.¡±


    That was exactly what Lucien was worried about.


    This was originally the war between the Silent Walkers Pack and the Night Prowler Pack. Whatever the oue of the war was, it must not affect the Infinite Eclipse Pack¡¯s standing. Lucien was determined to not drag Ronan down with him.

 Chapter 114

    114 The First Strategic Meeting


    Ten alpha warriors from each of the fourteen packs that swore to support the Silent Walkers Pack arrived in groups fromte afternoon until after dinner¡¯s time. As the custom demanded, each pack must send a lead warrior to act as the group coordinator.


    The Infinite Eclipse Pack went a few levels higher. Their Alpha personally led the representatives from his pack, which were not regr alpha warriors but the best lead warriors from the pack. They were personally selected by Quinn, the best of the best fighters in the pack.


    Before Jake left for Blue Hill City, Quinn pulled Jake aside to tell him that everyone was really excited about the uing war and would give their all to win the war.


    Although no one dared to voice it out loud in front of Ronan, the whole pack was pretty sick of the constant discordance between the Infinite Eclipse Pack and the Night Prowler Pack.


    They were dying to demonstrate their pack¡¯s supremacy once and for all.


    The fact that the Alpha dared to openly challenge the Night Prowler Pack like this, the sheer brilliance of grasping the opportunity was reason enough to praise the Alpha for days. And weeks toe if they won the war. No, AFTER they won the war.


    With Ronan¡¯s determination, victory was practically within grasp.


    While listening to Quinn gushing about their magnificent Alpha, Jake the Beta merely nodded repeatedly in agreement while saying a lot of ¡°Yes¡± and ¡°That¡¯s correct¡± and ¡°Definitely¡±.


    That was all he could do in order to not grab Quinn by the shoulder and shake her around to wake her up from her beautiful daydream.


    .....


    What brilliance?


    What supremacy?


    Ronan Silverback was literally pulling all the stops to impress his fated mate, Lucien Clearwater!!!


    Against his wishes, the poor Beta had had to witness the many embarrassing asions when his Alpha chased after Lucien relentlessly.


    Ronan was thick-skinned.


    Hopefully, that thick skin would help him in winning the war.


    Maybe not even Kinnon¡¯s ws could pierce through that thick skin of Ronan.


    Although Jake was not participating in the war, Ronan asked him to stand guard in the Silent Walkers Pack House anyway. That was the official order that the Alpha gave. The unofficial order was to coordinate the lead warriors in Ronan¡¯s stead while thetter spent his time with Lucien.


    Sigh.


    That was why Jake was also invited to the first strategic meeting that they held that night.


    Although Lucien was the one who led the meeting, it was quickly apparent who the real leader of the operation was. It was Ronan Silverback.


    Why, you might ask?


    It was because the lead warriors from the thirteen packs had the same instruction from their Alphas : ¡°Do whatever Ronan Silverback tells you. If he wants you to jump, you ask how high. If he asks you to run, you ask how far.¡±


    They were expected to disy total obedience toward Ronan.


    How lucky that Ronan was on Lucien¡¯s sidepletely, so that Lucien did not have any problem telling the lead warriors what to do at all. In fact, the biggest resistance that Lucien faced while preparing for the war came from his own pack, much to his chagrin.


    After all pack representatives had been distributed to the five group leaders, Lucien finally could breathe for a bit. The major preparation was done. The next item on his to-do list was to make sure that all the warriors were perfectly aligned with each other during the next two days.


    Both Ronan and Lucien agreed that they could use some more sleep for the night, so they parted with a good night kiss and headed toward their respective rooms.


    When Lucien opened the door to his bedroom, his stomach started to growl. Apparently, he had forgotten to take his dinner. Lucien thus headed toward the pack kitchen to get some snack for the night.


    Before he even entered the kitchen, the fragrant smell of mushroom soup wafted from between the slightly ajar kitchen door and tickled his nose. Someone was cookingte at night.


    Lucien stepped into the kitchen and saw Kendra at the stove, cooking something inside a pot. The woman whipped around in fright when she sensed someone else in the kitchen.


    ¡°Oh. It¡¯s you, Lucien.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Kendra. Did you also miss dinner?¡±


    Kendraughed.


    ¡°You can say that. Would you like to eat together?¡±


    ¡°Only if you have enough,¡± Lucien replied with a smile. ¡°Can I help?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, uh... Why don¡¯t you help me fry the steak? That is thest thing we need to do,¡± Kendra said.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Lucien took a frying pan from its hook and poured some oil into it. After the oil was hot enough, he put the seasoned steak slices into the pan and let them sizzle for some time before flipping them.


    A gentle smile appeared on Kendra¡¯s face when she observed Lucien.


    ¡°You are not bad,¡± she praised.


    ¡°This? This is nothing. You were the one who did the seasoning. The credit is yours.¡±


    Kendra shook her head. ¡°If you burn the meat, even the seasoning cannot save it.¡±


    Kendra turned off the stove anddled out two bowls of creamy mushroom soup and put them on the table, next to a big bowl of noodles.


    Lucien took the fried steaks out of the pan and cut them into strips before serving them on a te. He also took two round tes and two sets of cutleries for their use.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Kendra sniffed at the steaks with delight.


    ¡°I hope they are edible.¡±


    ¡°I hope so too,¡± Kendra joked as she bit into the juicy steak strip. ¡°Ohh, yummy. You should cook more often for me.¡±


    Lucienughed. ¡°You contribute the most to this excellent dinner. I should be the one saying that.¡±


    Kendra poured the bowl of mushroom soup into her noodles and started to mix them thoroughly.


    The woman already twirled the noodles around her fork and lifted it to her lips before she thought about something else and put the fork back on her te.


    ¡°Say, Lucien. Should we get married?¡±

 Chapter 115

    115 I Am In Love With Another Person


    Stupefied by what he just heard, Lucien too dropped his fork and stared at Kendra. A soft pink color crept toward Kendra¡¯s cheeks and she dropped her gaze to her te.


    ¡°Too soon? Haha...¡± She forced herself to make fun of the situation. She should have waited to breach the subject. But then the atmosphere was so good. She could not help it. It just came out.


    Sitting opposite of her, Lucien swallowed hard.


    ¡°Kendra, what are you thinking...?¡± Lucien asked.


    He wanted to be kinder, but he did not know how to conceal his surprise.


    Kendra twirled the noodle on her te into a huge nest around her fork.


    ¡°The pack needs an Alpha,¡± she slowly said. ¡°As of now, you are the best candidate to fill the position.¡±


    Kendra pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and raised her eyes to meet Lucien¡¯s.


    ¡°As a widowed Luna, I have the right to appoint the next Alpha. Otherwise, the next Alpha will be appointed by means of fairpetition among all alphas inside the pack.¡±


    .....


    ¡°You and I know that the strongest alpha werewolf does not automatically make a good Alpha. I fear that the throne will fall on thep of someone who does not deserve the position.¡±


    Kendra bit into her lip. There was a subtle hint in her words that pointed outte Deacon Clearwater¡¯s w as the previous Alpha.


    ¡°Kendra, I am honored. Thank you for considering me for the position, but I don¡¯t share the same sentiment.¡±


    Kendra moved her hand and touched the ring on her left hand. Lucien recognized the ring. The 3-carat diamond ring in cushion cut was an heirloom of the Clearwater family.


    Originally, it was supposed to be given to Lucien when he ascended as the next Alpha. After Lucien left the pack, the ring was given to Deacon instead.


    Lucien and Kendra continued eating in silence.


    After they were done, Lucien offered to help with the dishes, to which Kendra agreed. She took off her ring and set it on the table before she grabbed the dishwashing sponge. Lucien took the soapy dishes from her to rinse them with water.


    When Kendra handed Lucien thest te, she held on to the te and looked up at Lucien.


    ¡°If you had not lost your wolf, you and I were supposed to get married.¡±


    Lucien sighed in his heart.


    Of course, he knew that.


    His grandmother and Kendra¡¯s grandmother were the best of friends. Before she passed away, she told her sons ¡ª Gordon and Marcus Clearwater ¡ª that whichever grandson inherited the Alpha position must take Kendra as his Luna. The ring was to be given to Kendra as her wedding ring.


    And so Deacon got the Alpha position, the ring, and then Kendra as his wife.


    Ever since she was but a young girl, Kendra had thought that she would marry Lucien one day. Lucien was kind and gentle. He was mature for his age. He always protected Kendra when thetter was being bullied by Deacon.


    Who would have guessed that she ended up marrying Deacon instead of Lucien?


    ¡°I know,¡± Lucien said in response.


    Disappointment was clearly seen in Kendra¡¯s beautiful features when Lucien had nothing else to add. The beautiful woman pursed her lips in exasperation. Had she not been obvious enough? Lucien was not dumb. Surely he knew what Kendra was trying to say.


    ¡°Lucien, you...¡±


    ¡°Kendra.¡±


    Kendra shut up immediately. Her gaze bore a certain expectation. Unfortunately, Lucien could not respond to her feelings.


    The man took the ring from the table and slipped it on Kendra¡¯s ring finger.


    ¡°I am sorry, I am in love with another person.¡±


    Kendra sucked in a deep breath.


    ¡°Who?¡± She demanded. ¡°Is it someone from the pack?¡±


    Lucien shook his head.


    Kendra trembled slightly.


    ¡°You have been away for years. Did you... Did you go to another pack? Did you start dating a woman from another pack?¡±


    That would make sense, really. Lucien was old enough to settle down. He was too ashamed to go back and court any girl from the Silent Walkers Pack. He must have decided on another woman. A good girl from a good family in another pack. One that did not mind that he lost his wolf.


    Lucien shook his head again.


    ¡°A rogue she-wolf then???¡±


    Kendra was about to lose her patience. It was not her fault that she ended up marrying Deacon. At any rate, she was a much better choice than a rogue she-wolf. Just what was Lucien thinking??? His grandmother was going to turn in her grave!


    Instead of answering, Lucien merely shook his head again.


    ¡°Well???¡± Kendra demanded. If Lucien thought that some cheap rogue she-wolf was better than Kendra, then Kendra wanted to know who exactly the woman was.


    Before Lucien managed to utter a single syble, a man¡¯s voice was hearding from the kitchen entrance.


    ¡°Lucien? Can we talk?¡±


    Both Lucien and Kendra stared at the uninvited intruder.


    It was Ronan.


    His nk expression morphed into a polite smile when he slowly approached the two people who stood by the sink.


    ¡°Am I interrupting?¡± He asked, shifting his gaze from Lucien to Kendra.


    ¡°No,¡± Lucien said.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Kendra said despite cursing Ronan¡¯s inopportune appearance. Did Ronan even need to ask? If he had the slightest decency, he should have left right away.


    Ronan held out his hand in Lucien¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Shall we?¡±


    Lucien took Ronan¡¯s hand, but he did not move from his spot. He turned to face Kendra instead. Infuriated, the woman already turned her back toward him.


    ¡°Kendra,¡± Lucien called. ¡°You want to know who the person is, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Kendra turned around immediately. ¡°Yes,¡± she answered, her eyes full of curiosity. ¡°I want to know.¡±


    Lucien subsequently tugged at Ronan¡¯s hand and drew the Alpha closer to him. He then grabbed Ronan¡¯s cor and forced thetter to lean closer to him. Without any warning, Lucien tilted his head and gave the stunned Ronan a passionate kiss on the lips.

 Chapter 116

    116 The Alpha¡¯s Insecurity


    ¡°Mmph...¡±


    Ronan could not remember thest time Lucien took the initiative to kiss him, let alone kiss him in front of others.


    Lucien pried Ronan¡¯s lips open and gently sucked on his tongue. Ronan¡¯s mind went nk right away. For all it mattered, Kendra just dissipated into thin air. Both of his hands flew to Lucien¡¯s waist and kneaded it.


    Lucien¡¯s eyes fluttered open.


    The kiss ended as fast as it began. Lucien¡¯s tongue lightly scraped Ronan¡¯s lips as they parted, leaving Ronan to ache for more. Just like a desert wanderer who only got to take one precious sip of water.


    ¡°I believe you have the answer now,¡± Lucien said to Kendra. Speechless, Kendra stared at Lucien without blinking even once. She looked as if she was about to get a heart attack soon.


    It was not some she-wolf of good breeding from a different pack.


    It was not some rogue she-wolf.


    It was... the Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack!


    .....


    Rumors about Lucien and Ronan did spread in the Silent Walkers Pack years ago, but Kendra dismissed thempletely. She never thought that... that Lucien... that Lucien and Ronan!!!


    Seeing that Kendra was still in her own world, Lucien passed her a curt smile and turned to look at Ronan. The Alpha cleared his throat to suppress the urge to kiss Lucien one more time.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Lucien said. He then dragged the Alpha out of the kitchen.


    Ronan shot Kendra a sympathetic look before he left the kitchen. It was too bad for Kendra, but Ronan felt a little better now that he was not the only one who had to suffer from Lucien¡¯s merciless rejections.


    He obediently followed as Lucien dragged him all the way to his bedroom. He only let go of Ronan¡¯s hand after the door closed behind them.


    ¡°What are you following me around for?¡± Lucien demanded to know. He put both hands at his waist and pinned Ronan with a re.


    Thetter merely covered the top half of his face with his hand and sighed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t really have anything to talk about, do you?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ronan admitted.


    They already agreed to sleep early that night. There was no urgent matter to talk about. Not yet anyway.


    Lucien furrowed his brows at the man in front of him. ¡°You know I hate to be followed around.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he repeated his words.


    Ronan might have grown up, but he was acting the same way he did back then when they were teenagers. Lucien remembered the young Ronan who stalked him for days. He ended up scolding the boy, only to hear his love confession that warm summer day.


    Lucien put his arms around Ronan and leaned against the man¡¯s broad and warm chest. Ronan wrapped his lover in an embrace and pressed a kiss on the side of his head.


    ¡°Did you feel insecure?¡± Lucien asked.


    ¡°Mhm. A little.¡±


    Lucien looked up at Ronan.


    ¡°And now?¡±


    Now? Ronan was happy that Lucien openly disclosed their rtionship to Kendra, but the fact that Kendra pursued Lucien was disconcerting enough. How many more flies did Ronan have to swat away to keep Lucien safe?


    His insecurity might never go away.


    ¡°Oh, Ronan.¡±


    Lucien sighed. He pulled away from Ronan¡¯s embrace when the Alpha failed to respond to his query.


    ¡°Lulu.¡±


    Ronan pulled Lucien back into his arms.


    ¡°I am sorry. It¡¯s just... The temptation is too big. You always preached about being a good Alpha, marrying a Luna, and having pups. Now you have the chance to do so. I can¡¯t me you if you want to grasp the chance.¡±


    Ronan did not even want to talk about Kendra and Lucien being childhood sweethearts. Or that Kendra knew Lucien longer than Ronan did. Thinking about these things only served to add fuel to Ronan¡¯s jealousy.


    Lucien grabbed Ronan by his jaw and grinned from ear to ear.


    ¡°Is that so? Should I go back to Kendra now to tell her that we can hold the wedding ceremony right after the war ends? And then we can start making babies together...¡±


    ¡°NO!!!!¡± Ronan did not want to listen more to Lucien¡¯s alternative love life. One without Ronan. The Alpha tightened his arms around Lucien¡¯s body. ¡°You are mine. You promised to give us a chance.¡±


    He meant to be intimidating, but he sounded like he was begging instead.


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    Lucien patted Ronan¡¯s cheek a couple of times.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to just trust me? I will not go against my words. Not without a good reason anyway.¡±


    Landon would ensure that any good reason turned into a meaningless wisp of smoke.


    ¡°Mh, you better don¡¯t.¡±


    Ronan took Lucien¡¯s hand and nted small kisses along his palm and the inner side of his hand. An idea manifested itself in Ronan¡¯s head. There was something that Lucien could do for him to alleviate his insecurity to some degrees.


    Ronan did not shy away from asking directly.


    ¡°I need something, Lulu. Something to tell everyone that you are mine.¡±


    ¡°Go buy us a pair of rings. I will wear it,¡± Lucien quipped, still thinking about the Clearwater family¡¯s heirloom ring.


    A chuckle escaped Ronan. Rings? If anything, it would be hand shackles, not rings.


    ¡°Eventually,¡± he said. ¡°But for now I want something else.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Like this.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s hand wandered to Lucien¡¯s neck and settled on his nape.


    ¡°Let me bite you.¡±


    Lucien raised an eyebrow in surprise. Ronan Silverback, asking for permission to bite him? Was Judgment Day nearing or what?


    ¡°Fancy hearing you ask for permission. You never bothered with it before.¡±


    Ronan shed Lucien a charming smile.


    ¡°Should you not reward me for my good behavior then?¡±


    ¡°Heh,¡± Lucien scoffed. ¡°We are not having sex right now. Even if you bite me, it is not going to do anything.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just want to leave my mark on you.¡±


    Lucien rolled with his eyes.


    He then unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt and pulled it down, exposing his nape to Ronan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Lucien said in a sultry voice. ¡°Bite me all you want, then.¡±

 Chapter 117

    117 Lucien¡¯s Interesting Fall


    Looking back, both Lucien and Ronan agreed that it was not a good idea at all to expose one¡¯s weak point to a beast. The carnal desire that clouded Ronan¡¯s mind somehow morphed into bloodlust when Ronan cast a look on Lucien¡¯s naked nape.


    He bit hard into Lucien¡¯s flesh.


    Too hard.


    ¡°...!!!¡±


    Lucien did not even get to scream. He thought that he was going to die for sure.


    And Ronan thought he just killed Lucien in a crazy fit. He could not even me his wolf for the act.


    ¡°Oh Goddess, Lulu...!!!¡±


    His knees weak from the sudden loss of blood, Lucien dropped to his knees and fell to the floor with a thud.


    There was blood everywhere. His blood.


    .....


    Lucien¡¯s eyes were unfocused as hey on the floor and stared at Ronan¡¯s shoes.


    A few secondster, Ronan shook his shoulders in a fit of panic.


    ¡°Lulu, where is your first aid kit?¡±


    ¡°Lulu! Lulu, answer me!!!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien thought that he must be the only assault victim who had to additionally point out where to get help. He raised his hand weakly, his finger pointing at the bathroom.


    ¡°Bathroom. Mirror.¡±


    That was all he managed to say before he passed out.


    When Lucien opened his eyes again, the night had already passed and the morning sunlight had already broken through the horizon. He was lying on his stomach across Ronan¡¯sp while the sleeping Alpha leaned against a stack of pillows to maintain his sitting position.


    Lucien hissed from the stinging pain on his neck when he tried to move. He raised his hand and ended up rubbing his fingers against theyer of bandages around his neck. Additionally, there was thick padding on top of his nape.


    Good that it happened after Landon came back. Thanks to his healing ability, Lucien¡¯s wound healed rapidly. At the very least, the bleeding already stopped.


    Ronan was startled awake by Lucien¡¯s movement.


    ¡°Lulu, don¡¯t move around too much,¡± Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s arms and pushed him back onto the bed.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    How was he feeling?


    What kind of dumb question was that?


    Lucien wanted to w at Ronan¡¯s face.


    ¡°You brute,¡± he scolded the Alpha without hesitation. ¡°When you said you wanted to bite me, did you mean to kill me?¡±


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Ronan quickly said.


    ¡°Because if that were your n, I would rather have a fight out in the open instead of offering you my neck in your bedroom.¡±


    Ronan massaged his aching temples.


    ¡°Lulu, shut up,¡± he begged. ¡°It was an ident, alright? I am sorry.¡±


    Lucien scowled. He wed hard into Ronan¡¯s thigh and propped himself up that way.


    ¡°You are not going to bite me again,¡± Lucien narrowed his eyes at Ronan. ¡°Not until you learn the differences between a mate and food.¡±


    Mate.


    Ronan¡¯s guilt was quickly washed away by the single word. He tackled Lucien into bed and showered him with kisses all over his face.


    ¡°Ronan!¡± Lucien shouted. ¡°Get away from me, you mad wolf...!¡±


    ¡°I am so sorry, my Lulu. My love. My mate,¡± Ronan rambled between kisses. Lucien groaned. He pushed at Ronan but thetter was like a giant dog that loomed over its poor owner. Lucien could not break free at all.


    After cuddling for an hour or so, Lucien finally managed to remind Ronan that they were preparing for war. It was the first day of cross-pack training, and Lucien could not wait to start.


    Although Lucien wore a turtleneck sweater to hide his injury, the bandages still peeked out of the cor treacherously and drew everyone¡¯s attention during the morning meeting.


    ¡°Your neck,¡± Beta Desmond stared at Lucien¡¯s neck. ¡°What happened to you?¡±


    ¡°I fell,¡± Lucien lied.


    Desmond gave him a look. ¡°Really. What an interesting fall.¡±


    Lucien ignored his remark altogether. ¡°Did you get acquainted with the packs under your lead?¡±


    Desmond shrugged. ¡°I met the lead warriors. I have yet to meet the warriors. Will do so once we begin with today¡¯s training.¡±


    When Acatha, Annalynne, and Kendra came to the meeting spot, their eyes too were drawn to Lucien¡¯s neck instantly.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your neck?¡± Kendra asked with a frown. If she did not misremember, Lucien¡¯s neck was still intact the previous night.


    Desmond answered on Lucien¡¯s behalf, ¡°He fell.¡±


    Annalynne stared at her brother.


    ¡°What?¡± Lucien snapped. He did not want to be the center of attention. Maybe he should have worn a scarf to further hide the bandages.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Annalynne retorted in a haste.


    The meeting proceeded without a hitch. All group leaders then left to take care of their group training.


    Lucien had wanted to put the warriors from Infinite Eclipse Pack under Annalynne¡¯s charge because Annalynne had the second least experience with wars in general after Lucien.


    Lucien was worried that Annalynne would get overwhelmed. If that were the case, Ronan would be a great help.


    Unfortunately, Ronan disagreed. The focus of the war would be Lucien, so he argued, so naturally, Lucien should have the strongest pack around to protect him.


    Despite much persuasion, this point remained non-negotiable for Ronan.


    Eventually, Lucien gave in. In turn, he allocated the weaker packs under his lead to bnce the power distribution among the five groups.


    After the meeting ended, Lucien went over to the training spot that was reserved for his group. Ronan and Jake were already there. They were chatting in a low voice.


    In front of them, the lead warriors and the other alpha warriors already transformed into their wolf form.


    Jake had arranged to split them into four teams of equal strength to do war simtions.


    Each team had an ¡°Alpha¡±, a wolf who had a colored scarf around its neck, that served as the target. When an ¡°Alpha¡± lost his scarf, his respective team automatically lost the war.


    This was the training n that Lucien and Acatha finalized the day before.


    Lucien took off his shoes and walked across the field. He also wanted to join the war simtion. When Ronan saw him, though, he stopped Lucien right away.

 Chapter 118

    118 The War Simtion


    ¡°Your wound,¡± Ronan whispered as he grabbed Lucien¡¯s arm. ¡°If you run around in your wolf form, the wound will tear again. Rest for the day, it will not be toote to join tomorrow.¡±


    Lucien scowled in displeasure.


    Great.


    Thanks to Ronan, he was going to miss out on an exciting war simtion. ¡°This is all your fault.¡±


    Aware of his contribution to the situation, Ronan was quick to agree. ¡°I know. If you want, we can practice somebat skills with weapons. How does it sound? It will also be useful for you on the battlefield.¡±


    Training was training. Human form or wolf form. With or without weapons.


    Lacking better alternatives, Lucien begrudgingly agreed.


    When Jake saw the bandages around Lucien¡¯s neck, he didn¡¯t even bother to ask. He also did not wish to know the details.


    ¡°Hi Lucien,¡± he greeted before handing two spears to Lucien and Ronan. ¡°I will go and watch the war simtion.¡±


    .....


    Ronan nodded at him in agreement.


    Lucien swung the spear like an expert and aimed the pointy end at Ronan, his eyes burning with fighting spirit. Ronan¡¯s lips were pulled into a smirk.


    ¡°Come at me, baby,¡± he taunted.


    Lucien squinted at his opponent. He lunged forward and aimed at Ronan¡¯s waist. The Alpha quickly used his spear to block Lucien¡¯s attack.


    He did not expect Lucien to lightly step to the side, let the spear drop, andnd a kick at Ronan¡¯s chest instead.


    ¡°...¡±


    That one kick wiped the smirk off Ronan¡¯s face.


    Thankfully, Lucien only used half of his power. If he had been serious, he would have broken a rib or two.


    ¡°You will regret it if you underestimate me, Alpha,¡± Lucien said with a sweet smile.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Ronanmented, a glint of amusement shed in his eyes. ¡°And I thought that you did nothing but painting in the past seven years.¡±


    The two men attacked at the same time and met in the middle, their spears shing against each other with every turn.


    Ronan knew that Lucien was not as weak as he thought, but the man truly knew how to fight. In the past years, the man had been actively working on his fighting skills. Not bad at all.


    Lucien especially liked to catch his opponent off guard. When one expected the pointy end of the spear, he got a ming fist instead, and vice versa.


    His movement was elegant like a dancer and smooth like flowing water.


    Ronan got hit more than once while admiring Lucien¡¯s beautiful moves.


    Just as Lucien thought to give Ronan one final whack to sober him up, the Alpha turned around, smacked the spear off Lucien¡¯s hand, and locked thetter¡¯s limbs in a tight embrace.


    Lucien threw Ronan an annoyed look.


    ¡°Is this how Alpha Ronan subdued his enemy in a fight on regr basis?¡±


    ¡°Only if the enemy is my beloved Lucien Clearwater,¡± Ronan flirted openly.


    Lucien could not help but smile. He averted his gaze but it was a tad toote. Ronan already saw it.


    ¡°You are so lovely,¡± Ronan whispered with a husky voice. His warm breath ghosted at Lucien¡¯s neck. ¡°I might just identally kiss you. Sorry in advance.¡±


    Lucien wriggled around in Ronan¡¯s arms restlessly. ¡°Ronan, don¡¯t y around,¡± he hissed.


    Ronan lowered his head teasingly. If they were not standing out in the open right now, he would love to attack Lucien with hundreds of kisses. Sticks and stones only hurt him, but kisses would melt Lucien into a pool of wax. One that Ronan could knead to his pleasure.


    A choir of howls was hearding from a distance away. Ronan released Lucien and dragged him to look at how the warring teams were performing.


    The red team won over the blue team as the ¡°Alpha¡± of the blue team had lost his scarf to another wolf from the red team.


    Later on, the yellow team lost against the green team. The second round was to take ce after lunch. When lunchtime arrived, all the wolves morphed back to their human form. They all looked messy and exhausted.


    Alice Clearwater and a fewdies from the pack were in charge of preparing lunch and distributing them to the hardworking war participants.


    Today, they came with another delectable lunch menu : fresh chicken sd with a generous amount of dressing, grilled cheese sandwiches, and piping warm apple pies.


    A lot of wooden tables and benches wereid outside for each group to take their lunches.


    Ronan and Lucien sat together in a corner. There were still some free spots at the table, but no one dared to take a seat close to Ronan Silverback. Not even Jake the Beta. Only Alice Clearwater had the guts to disturb the couple.


    ¡°Lucien? What happened to your neck?¡±


    Lucien could not bear to feed his mother the same dumb lie, so he decided to tell her half of the truth.


    ¡°I got hurt by ident, Mom. The bleeding has already stopped. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    Alice said nothing, but she gave Ronan a bone-chilling side stare.


    ¡°Is that so? Then please enjoy the food.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Mom. They are delicious.¡±


    ¡°The best, Mrs. Clearwater,¡± Ronan added.


    Alice gave them both curt smiles before leaving with the otherdies to tend to the next group.


    After lunch, Ronan and Lucien joined Jake to watch the final simtion between the red team and the green team. While the first rounds took merely around two hours each, the final roundsted more than that. Both teams took it very seriously. No one wanted to be on the losing team, especially those who came from the Infinite Eclipse Pack.


    Ronan looked around by chance and caught sight of Annalynne who was standing at the periphery. She was not there to watch the second round. She stared at Ronan the whole time instead. Once she locked eyes with the Alpha, she gestured for him toe over.


    ¡°I will get us some water,¡± Ronan said as he rose to his feet.


    ¡°What? I will do that,¡± Jake quickly said, but Ronan pressed on his shoulder instead.


    ¡°Sit.¡±


    Ronan strolled away from the area and found Annalynne near the fence.


    ¡°Hello, Alpha Ronan,¡± Annalynne greeted him with a solemn expression. ¡°Please follow me.¡±

 Chapter 119

    119 Lucien¡¯s Woman Squad


    Annalynne led Ronan to the pack house, heading toward the Clearwaters¡¯ living room. Inside, Alice and Kendra were already waiting for them.


    Alice gestured toward the couch area.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a seat. Anna, can you pour us some tea?¡±


    ¡°Sure, Mom.¡±


    Ronan eyed the steaming pot of tea on the table suspiciously. He was an Alpha, but the three women gave off intimidating auras. Just what were they nning to do?


    Anna served each of them a cup of tea before she took her seat on a single couch.


    ¡°Have some tea, Alpha Ronan.¡±


    Ronan stared at the red-brown color of the tea. No one else was drinking. Was it poisoned? His instincts told him not to touch it.


    He smiled graciously at Alice, ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Clearwater. I am not thirsty. Maybeter.¡±


    .....


    Alice regarded him with a cold look.


    ¡°If you are not thirsty, then why did you have to drink my son¡¯s blood yesterday night?¡±


    All three women stared at Ronan with deadpanned expressions on their faces. Ronan cleared his throat. Did Lucien tell them?


    All of them?


    It was just an ident!


    And that was also what he told the three women that were judging him harshly.


    ¡°It was an ident. Lucien and I, we...¡±


    When Ronan looked at Alice¡¯s face, the words would note out. Apparently, no matter how thick his skin was, he still had some restrictions from speaking of his love life.


    He should not have to tell Alice what was going on between him and Lucien, right? Right???


    Could they not all just take care of their mothers? Lucien! Talk to your mother!


    Ronan was unable to finish his sentence, so Alice decided to help him.


    ¡°I know that you have been doing unspeakable things, night after night.¡±


    Goddess.


    Ronan wished that the earth could open up and swallow him.


    ¡°My son is a grown-up. I do not wish to tell him what to do and what not to do.¡±


    Thank you, Goddess.


    ¡°But it is in my interest to keep my son away from harm.¡±


    ???


    Ronan was in a daze.


    The three women looked no different than vengeful harpies at this point. Aggressive she-wolves were the worst. They used their ws and fangs effectively to maximize pain for the victims.


    ¡°So let me ask you again, was it really an ident, or were you bullying my son?¡±


    ¡°It was an ident,¡± Ronan repeated. ¡°I would never bully Lucien.¡±


    From now on, he continued in his heart.


    If Alice knew everything that happened in South Bedford City, he would perish here and now before the war even started.


    Annalynne¡¯s face loosened somehow, but the lines around Alice¡¯s and Kendra¡¯s faces were still as tight as before.


    Ronan started to get irritated.


    Annalynne was Lucien¡¯s sister and Alice was Lucien¡¯s mother. So what was Kendra there for?


    Was she considered part of the family or what???


    As if reading his mind, Alice continued, ¡°Kendra informed us that Lucien had openly confessed his feelings for you. Honestly, I don¡¯t know what the two of you n to do. All I want is for my son to no longer get hurt, physically or mentally.¡±


    Ronan nodded. ¡°I will take good care of Lucien.¡±


    Alice furrowed her brows at Ronan.


    ¡°If ever I get another clue that you hurt my son... Then forgive me, Alpha Ronan. The next time we meet, I will not be as friendly.¡±


    Ronan could not help but raise an eyebrow.


    This is friendly?


    What does unfriendly look like, then?


    Alice sipped from her cup of tea, and so did the two other women.


    Ronan swallowed hard as he scrutinized his own cup, partly hoping that the cup would suddenly strike an rm and shout that it contained poison.


    ¡°Are you not thirsty yet?¡± Alice demanded.


    Ronan forced himself to smile at Lucien¡¯s mother.


    He took the cup of tea in front of him and downed it in one gulp.


    Then he ced the cup none-too-gently against the tea table surface.


    ¡°If Mrs. Clearwater has nothing else to talk about, I shall excuse myself.¡±


    Ronan rose to his feet, and so did the three women.


    When Ronan walked toward the door, Alice stepped before him.


    The Alpha was a lot taller than Alice Clearwater, but Alice¡¯s back was ramrod straight as she nced up at Ronan. There was neither fear nor a sense of inferiority in her eyes.


    When she stepped closer to Ronan, it was Ronan who felt a slight chill in his bones.


    ¡°I almost forgot,¡± Alice Clearwater slowly said before shended a hard p across Ronan¡¯s face.


    The Alpha unwittingly red at Alice. Before he even opened his mouth to ask what that p was for, Alice told him.


    ¡°Your mother, esteemed Lady Fangde had given me permission to give you a p whenever you hurt Lucien.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan was stumped.


    Mom! He screamed in his mind.


    How could you allow strangers to hit your son? I am an Alpha, damn it!


    Ronan left the room without another word, mming the door behind him.


    Back at the training ground, Ronan grabbed Lucien from behind and bit into thetter¡¯s cheek out of resentment.


    ¡°Ronan, have you gone mad?¡± Lucien pushed Ronan away and rubbed at his cheek.


    He then narrowed his eyes at the red handprint on Ronan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Did someone p you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Lucien was dumbfounded. Who in this ce even dared to look straight into Ronan¡¯s eyes without blinking, let alone p him?


    ¡°Who did it?¡±


    Lucien pinched Ronan¡¯s chin between his fingers and examined his cheek.


    ¡°Who else but your woman squad?¡± Ronan muttered under his breath.


    ¡°Huh? What did you say just now?¡±


    Ronan cleared his throat.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Lucien stared at Ronan for a while but then he decided if Ronan was not going to tell him then he was not going to push for it.


    When Lucien had his eyes on the contending teams, Ronan sneaked a nce at his lover.


    What was with Lucien and all these women anyway? Even Ronan¡¯s mother ended up taking Lucien¡¯s side!

 Chapter 120

    120 The Final Round


    On theirst day of training before they departed for the war site, everyone gathered to watch the final round of the war simtion. The winning teams from all five groups got to participate, and this time the group leaders also joined in.


    Lucien and Annalynne formed a group together while Desmond, Acatha, and Kendra formed the opposing group. The distribution reflected the actual war circumstance where the Silent Walkers Pack was at disadvantage in terms of number.


    After they all transformed into their wolf forms, Alice tied a green scarf around Lucien and a blue scarf around Kendra. When she was tying the scarf around Lucien¡¯s neck, she took the chance to inspect Lucien¡¯s wound. Thankfully, it was healing well.


    The whistle was blown at 10 AM, announcing the start of the final round. ording to their current strategy, Ronan and his lead warriors were to push through the crowd so that Lucien could reach Kendra. Annalynne¡¯s group was in charge of engaging the other werewolves and keeping them busy.


    Desmond, Kendra, and Acatha were not stupid. They came up with their own strategy. It was to separate Lucien from Ronan and his lead warriors as far as possible so that Kendra could disarm Lucien easily.


    That proved to be a difficult feat because Ronan was faster and stronger than any of them. He casually flung away one alpha werewolf after another that blocked his way. Whenever Kendra wanted to pounce on Lucien, Ronan was there to foil her n.


    Thankfully, Kendra¡¯s group had a lot more werewolves. Because Ronan was not attacking to kill, naturally the werewolves he tossed aside could easily make aeback. Eventually, Ronan was separated from Lucien. Desmond and Acatha forced Ronan to fight far away, while Kendra and her team cornered Lucien in the opposite direction.


    The two alpha wolves walked in a big circle while ring at each other. They both had their eyes set on the scarf that the other party was wearing.


    Kendra struck first with her paw, and Lucien retaliated.


    .....


    And then they were back to observing each other¡¯s movements again. Being the impatient one, Kendra kept trying to find a hole in Lucien¡¯s defense. She lunged and snapped at him a few times to no avail.


    Lucien was very patient. He yed with Kendra for a long time until he managed to read Kendra¡¯s movement.


    She was always a little insecure on her left side.


    Lucien made one jump and pinned Kendra to the ground. Thetter struggled and the two alpha wolves ended up rolling together on the ground in an attempt to break free and also snatch the other one¡¯s scarf.


    Kendra¡¯s scarf was tied a little too tight together. Lucien tugged at it a few times but did not manage to pull it off. In the end, he ripped the scarf apart and jumped off Kendra before thetter snapped at his scarf.


    ¡°THE GREEN TEAM WON!!!¡± Alice announced loudly, followed by excited cheers from the spectators.


    Jake pped his hands from the side.


    That was it then, thest training in the Silent Walkers Pack territory.


    The youngdies from the pack came over with nkets to wrap around the alpha wolves so they could transform into their human forms.


    ¡°Great match, Lucien,¡± Kendra said with a smile. She had the nket wrapped around her slender body, disying her naked shoulder and some cleavage.


    ¡°You too,¡± Lucien said with a smile.


    Kendra then left to take a shower.


    It did not take long for him to defeat Kendra. She was smaller than Lucien, be it in human form or wolf form. She was also weaker.


    Kinnon was bigger than him in human form, but their wolf forms were somewhatparable, whether in size or strength. The only thing that Lucien was mostly worried about at the moment was hisck of experience in wars.


    Lucien¡¯s train of thought was interrupted by a scoff behind his back. He turned around and came face to face with Ronan, whose lips were pulled into a taut line.


    Lucien raised his eyebrows at him.


    ¡°What is it? Not good enough for you?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s face darkened. He stuck at Lucien¡¯s back and hugged him from behind.


    ¡°I saw you rolling around with her,¡± he said, his tone dripping with unconcealed jealousy.


    Lucien rolled with his eyes.


    ¡°That was unavoidable, was it?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s brows were pulled together into a tight knot. He knew that, but it still made him unhappy.


    Lucien could not help but tease him a little bit.


    ¡°Or are you telling me that you would rather have me roll around with Acatha? Or Desmond?¡±


    ¡°For goodness sake, no!¡± Ronan snapped.


    Acatha was another she-wolf, but Desmond was a male! Ronan could not digest the image of Lucien rolling around with another man, pressed together skin-to-skin... It was as bad in wolf form as it was in human form.


    ¡°Then stopining,¡± Lucien said while patting Ronan¡¯s cheek. Thetter pressed a secret kiss into Lucien¡¯s palm while no one was looking at them.


    ¡°You are all sweaty,¡± hemented right after the kiss. ¡°And your palm has dirt on it,¡± he added.


    Lucien chuckled.


    ¡°Did I ask you to kiss my hand? Why don¡¯t you wait until I am clean from head to toe before you kiss me?¡±


    Ronan responded by stealing a quick kiss from Lucien¡¯s lips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°Rascal.¡±


    The two men walked together and headed toward the pack house to take a shower.


    From the other direction came three elders who walked in their direction as soon as they spotted Lucien.


    ¡°Lucien,¡± one of them bowed his head when he arrived in front of Lucien. His hand trembled a little when he held out an envelope in Lucien¡¯s direction.


    Lucien took the envelope and flipped it to reveal the wax seal from the Werewolf Council.


    ¡°Is this...?¡± He asked although he already knew what the answer was.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ronan said in response. ¡°The location of the war has been decided.¡±

 Chapter 121

    121 The Shadow Mist Creek


    Inside the envelope, there was a huge map that was folded neatly together.


    On the map, the battleground area was marked within a dotted line. Outside of the marked territory were two smaller circles that were reserved as camping sites for the Silent Walkers Pack and the Night Prowler Pack.


    The camping sites were purposefully marked on the map to prevent one pack from attacking the other ahead of the designated time andter feigning ignorance.


    Written across the area was a string of cursive letters that formed the words Shadow Mist Creek.


    Once the three elders caught sight of the three words, they snapped for air dramatically.


    Standing next to Lucien, Ronan let out a mocking ¡°Hah¡± instead.


    Lucien turned to look at the aghast elders. Their big eyes were directed at Ronan, so Lucien¡¯s gaze drifted to the Alpha next to him as well.


    ¡°Do you know this ce?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes,¡± Ronan scoffed. He stabbed at the three words using his point finger. ¡°This no-man¡¯snd is an object of dispute between my and Kinnon¡¯s pack.¡±


    .....


    Ah.


    It made a click in Lucien¡¯s head right away.


    That exined why the three elders were so surprised about getting Shadow Mist Creek as the war site. Officially, it was a war between the Silent Walkers Pack and the Night Prowler Pack. Unofficially, thanks to Ronan¡¯s interference, it had turned into a war between the Infinite Eclipse Pack and the Night Prowler Pack.


    Coincidentally, the two Alphas fought over Lucien. A fight that Ronan won only because Landon returned to Lucien¡¯s body and was so adamant about being with Ronan.


    Choosing Shadow Creek Mist as the war site was practically a p across Kinnon Youngshaper¡¯s face. It was a reminder that he lost Lucien Clearwater, and that he would eventually lose the Shadow Creek Mist too. As if Kinnon Youngshaper was not bitter enough.


    While every single war participant was running around to pack up, a second strategic meeting was held among the leaders that night. Other than the elders, no one in the Silent Walkers Pack would have guessed that the war site was a disputed piece ofnd.


    Jake, on the other side, gasped as loudly as the three elders. Shadow Mist Creek was mentioned a lot in the history books of the Infinite Eclipse Pack. Their ancestors never got over this piece ofnd.


    He and Ronan exchanged quick nces, after which they excused themselves to discuss in private.


    Ronan came back alone fifteen minutester to brief them about the terrain of the war site. Thest time it was used as a battleground was around two hundred years ago, when Ronan¡¯s forefather fought against Kinnon¡¯s forefather there.


    ording to the legend, the intense warsted for several months. It destroyed the beautiful piece ofnd and turned it into a wastnd. Despite suffering from a lot of casualties on both sides, neither pack was willing to give in. In the end, the other packs staged an intervention and forced both packs to stop.


    That was how the Werewolf Council was established. Its first decree was to force both packs to sign a peace treaty to end the war.


    The tremendous loss on both sides caused both packs to shy from another direct confrontation in years toe.


    Both packs also agreed to cease their im for Shadow Mist Creek for the time being.


    Ronan could not speak about Kinnon¡¯s pack, but Infinite Eclipse Pack still dreamed about conquering thend.


    When Ronan was five years old and had not yet learned about Dane Silverback¡¯s debauched affairs, Dane took him to visit Shadow Mist Creek. By then it was already covered with wild vegetation and turned into a natural jungle.


    He passionately told Ronan that thend was rightfully theirs. It was his dream to defeat the Night Prowler Pack once and for all, and for the Infinite Eclipse Pack to be acknowledged as the strongest pack on the continent.


    ¡°There can only be one strongest pack, Ronan,¡± Dane told his little son. ¡°And it can only be our pack. Never forget that.¡±


    The words ¡°natural jungle¡± did not make anyone feel less insecure.


    ¡°Are we sure that it is still a jungle?¡± Desmond asked, his tone full of hope.


    ¡°Pretty sure. No one would go there willingly to cut down all the trees and tten thend. Besides, it is a huge area. It would take months to clear thend,¡± Ronan replied while encircling the area on the map with his finger.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Desmond¡¯s hope plummeted to the ground.


    ¡°What about these two circles that are supposed to be the camping sites for both packs?¡± Annalynne asked.


    ¡°Also a jungle. Bring axes and chainsaws with us so that we don¡¯t have to gnaw at the trunks.¡±


    Annalynne¡¯s jaw dropped open.


    ¡°Are we supposed to help clear thend or something???¡±


    ¡°Well, we need to cut maybe around thirty trees. It will be fine. We just need enough area to pack all the tents together.¡±


    That was going to be a challenge anyway because their group had around two hundred werewolves.


    ¡°The strategy remains the same. A group must survey the battleground before the battlemences. If we need to change something, we will fix it on thest night prior to the war,¡± Lucien decided.


    Everyone was thus dismissed.


    Annalynne was mumbling about packing everyone into the tents like sardines in tomato sauce.


    Acatha went to check the packing preparation.


    Desmond said something about taking all the axes and chainsaws in the pack. Kendra told him that they should get electric chainsaws from Blue Hill City instead.


    The only ones who were left in the room were Ronan and Lucien. As thetter rolled the map together, he noticed the deep trench between Ronan¡¯s brows. Ronan had both arms folded before his chest. He was staring at nothing particr on the table where the mapy just a few minutes ago.


    When Lucien touched his biceps, Ronan gave him a reassuring smile. He took Lucien¡¯s hand and gave him a peck on the lips.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get packing then.¡±


    Lucien pulled at Ronan¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Ronan, is there something I need to worry about?¡±

 Chapter 122

    122 To Kill The Alpha


    A heavy sigh escaped the Alpha. He dragged Lucien into his arms and pressed a kiss on top of his lover¡¯s head. Lucien closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Ronan¡¯s body.


    ¡°If something is weighing on your mind, you should tell me openly,¡± Lucien said while nting a kiss on Ronan¡¯s corbone in return. ¡°At the very least, I can share your burden with you.¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Ronan swayed a little with Lucien in his arms. ¡°I need you to be extra careful during the war.¡±


    He loosened his embrace and gazed into Lucien¡¯s bright eyes.


    ¡°Not that I n to be careless, but what made you say that?¡±


    Ronan heaved another heavy sigh and pulled his lips into a thin line.


    ¡°Honestly, there are not many ces that the Werewolf Council could choose to provoke the Night Prowler Pack. If I am not mistaken, the Night Prowler Pack must be quite pissed right now.¡±


    Lucien guessed as much.


    ¡°This is a decision made by the Werewolf Council. Can we rule out any ill intention?¡±


    .....


    Ronan shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I just know that whatever reason lies behind choosing Shadow Mist Creek will not sit right with Kinnon Youngshaper.¡±


    In fact, Ronan could not think about one single positive reason to support the choice.


    The Alpha lifted a hand and caressed Lucien¡¯s cheek gently. Tracing thetter¡¯s pale lips with his thumb, he leaned in and whispered, ¡°There is a slight chance that this is done to enrage the Night Prowler Pack.¡±


    Ronan did not have to tell Lucien that their odds of winning the war had just been diminished by more than just a few percent. The war was difficult enough without having to face a bunch of angry werewolves from the Night Prowler Pack.


    Ronan knew that Lucien did not want to hear it, but he needed to say it out loud anyway.


    ¡°If worsees to worst, Kinnon must die,¡± Ronan stated.


    Just as he expected, Lucien¡¯s face darkened in an instant and he pulled away from Ronan¡¯s hug. Thetter grabbed him from behind and pressed his body against Lucien¡¯s back.


    The two of them had gone through the topic so many times. There were only two ways in which the war could end in the Silent Walkers Pack¡¯s favor : Kinnon¡¯s death or Kinnon¡¯s surrender.


    Lucien had been quite adamant about the second one. He did not care how, he ordered that Kinnon must not be killed during the war. Lucien wanted him to surrender. At the very least, this was the only thing he could do for Kinnon without harming Landon and the entire Silent Walkers Pack.


    ¡°I know that you want to force him to surrender instead, but if he does not want to, we have no other way.¡±


    Ronan turned Lucien around and cupped his face with both hands. The two men looked deep into each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Lulu... if everything goes well, this war will conclude within these few days. Your pack will be saved. And then we will be together forever. I need you to focus on these goals and nothing else.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Promise me,¡± Ronan pleaded as he pressed a kiss on Lucien¡¯s forehead, ¡°that you will do your best to stay alive. Even if it means that you have to end Kinnon yourself.¡±


    Unable to answer, Lucien buried his face into Ronan¡¯s chest. Ronan¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down in anxiety. It was a tough decision for Lucien. Ronan did not want to force him to answer. He merely hoped that Lucien would do the right thing when they came across a furious Kinnon Youngshaper. Time was slowly running out. The decision had to be made before they stepped into the boundaries of Shadow Mist Creek.


    Ronan¡¯s fingers slipped into Lucien¡¯s hair and massaged his scalp gently. Of course, he could always take things into his own hands.


    If Lucien was still unable to kill Kinnon in the end, then Ronan would do the job himself.


    After a while, Lucien lifted his head and looked up at Ronan.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said, startling the Alpha. ¡°I promise.¡±


    Ronan blinked at Lucien in disbelief. Against his expectations, he did not feel relieved at all. He hated that Lucien had to make such amitment.


    ¡°I am so sorry, my love,¡± he whispered into Lucien¡¯s hair.


    Lucien merely gave an imperceptible nod.


    Swallowing the bitterness into the bottom-most pit of their stomachs, the two alphas hugged and exchanged kisses with each other for some time.


    ¡°We have to go back,¡± Lucien whispered when the dark curtain of night slowly descended around them.


    ¡°Mhm. Lulu...¡± Ronan¡¯s lips brushed against Lucien¡¯s jawline seductively.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Can I sleep with you tonight?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t do anything. I just want to be with you. It is thest night before we depart for Shadow Mist Creek,¡± he reminded Lucien.


    ¡°Oh, alright then.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then let me grab my bag,¡± Ronan said while kissing Lucien¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you need to pack?¡± Lucien frowned as Ronan dragged him toward his bedroom.


    ¡°I never unpacked.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan was too sly. He was determined to make use of thest few peaceful hours before the war. Once they arrived at Shadow Mist Creek, they could forget about their privacy. If the group did not manage to cut enough trees, Ronan might sleep with a lot more people he did not want to be close with at night. And so might Lucien.


    Additional to the request of sleeping together, Ronan also wanted them to shower together. The water did not stop flowing for almost two hours. By the time they were done, Lucien felt like he became dirtier than before the shower. Ronan on the other side was fully refreshed.


    When Lucien and Ronan came out of the shower in bathrobes, Lucien¡¯s phone was vibrating on the nightstand. He picked it up and saw ten missed calls from an unknown number.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Ronan asked casually while drying Lucien¡¯s hair.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Lucien pondered about the people from South Bedford City that might give him a call, but none of them had any urgent business with him. Just then, the phone started to vibrate. The same person called again.


    This time Lucien was there to receive the phone call.


    A childish voice was heard at the other side of the line, shyly calling, ¡°Mommy?¡±

 Chapter 123

    123 Daddy, Please Don¡¯t Leave...


    Lucien froze on the spot when he heard Ralph¡¯s voice. Ronan furrowed his brows when Lucien tensed up all of a sudden.


    ¡°Lulu...?¡±


    ¡°Mommy...?¡± Ralph called again, causing Lucien to snap from his daze.


    ¡°Ralphy, how did you get my number? Whose phone are you using?¡±


    ¡°Ralphy... Ralphy just...¡±


    The little boy¡¯s voice shook from fear. ¡°Is Mommy angry that Ralphy called?¡±


    Lucien smacked a hand against his face. Ralphy¡¯s crying face appeared before his mental eyes.


    ¡°No,¡± he replied. ¡°Of course not. I am just surprised.¡±


    Ronan finished drying Lucien¡¯s hair and went into the bathroom. Not long after, the muffled sound of a hair dryer was heard.


    .....


    ¡°Mommy... Ralphy really misses you,¡± Ralphy sobbed. ¡°Daddy is mean to me... Daddy screamed at me when Ralphy asked about Mommy...¡±


    ¡°Oh, Ralphy...¡±


    Lucien swallowed hard. Why did Kinnon unleash his anger on Ralph? Ralph was his only child. Why couldn¡¯t he treasure him more?


    ¡°Mommy... Do you miss me as well?¡±


    ¡°I do. I miss you a lot.¡±


    ¡°Then will you pleasee home? If Mommy is here, Daddy will smile again... Sob sob...¡±


    Lucien was speechless. How did he exin the current circumstances to a three-year-old boy? Not to mention they were so far away. If only he could hug and kiss the boy while they talked...


    The only thing he could say was, ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡± Ralph demanded. ¡°When can youe then?¡±


    I can nevere back, Ralph...


    ¡°Mommy, I am so scared...¡±


    ¡°What is happening? Are you in danger?¡±


    ¡°Daddy left the pack house today. He said he was going somewhere for a while.¡±


    Ralph started to sob uncontrobly. ¡°Daddy hugged Ralphy and said goodbye. Why did Daddy say goodbye?¡±


    Lucien¡¯s heart twisted itself into a tight knot. He could almost see it happening before his eyes. Kinnon hugging little Ralph and saying goodbye.


    ¡°The others are saying that Daddy is going for a war. Nanny told Ralphy that a lot of people don¡¯te back from wars. Is... Is Daddy going to leave Ralph too?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lucien heard himself saying. ¡°No... Ralphy, don¡¯t think that way. Daddy wille back home to you, alright?¡±


    Ralph continued sobbing into the phone.


    ¡°Ralphy, repeat after me,¡± Lucien demanded.


    ¡°Daddy is going to be fine and he wille home.¡±


    Ralph mumbled something unintelligible.


    ¡°Ralph, repeat what I just said.¡±


    ¡°Daddy... Daddy is...¡±


    ¡°Is going to be fine,¡± Lucien urged him.


    ¡°Daddy is going to be fine...¡±


    ¡°And he wille home.¡±


    ¡°And... And he will... Wille home.¡±


    ¡°Good boy.¡±


    Lucien smiled to himself. He wished he could just reach out through the phone screen and hugged the little boy. Sweet, precious Ralph...


    ¡°Umm...¡±


    Some other sounds came from the other end of the line.


    ¡°Ralphy!¡±


    A female voice gasped. ¡°Who are you talking to?¡±


    ¡°Umm... It¡¯s... Mom...¡±


    The phone call ended abruptly.


    Lucien leaned backward and fell on the soft mattress, his phone slipped from his grip and fell onto the carpeted floor. He closed his eyes and groaned in frustration.


    Ronan went out of the bathroom and picked up the phone from the floor. The bathrobe was Lucien¡¯s size. It was not big enough to cover the wide expanse of Ronan¡¯s chest. The more he moved, the more skin peeked from beyond the white fluffy folds.


    Ronan ced the phone into Lucien¡¯s hand and kissed the man on his lips.


    ¡°Was that Kinnon¡¯s son?¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    Ronan slipped a hand into Lucien¡¯s bathrobe and pinched one of his nipples. Lucien¡¯s eyes flew open right away and he sprang up from the bed.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡± He smacked at Ronan¡¯s naughty hand. Laughing, the Alpha pulled him across the bed and pinned him onto the mattress.


    ¡°I hate it if you think about other men when you are on the bed with me,¡± Ronan growled.


    ¡°What men? He is three years old,¡± Lucien pointed out.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point,¡± Ronan scoffed.


    Ralph was Kinnon¡¯s son. Thinking about Ralph was equal to thinking about Kinnon.


    Locking Lucien¡¯s hands above his head, Ronan pulled Lucien¡¯s bathrobe open and began to suck on the shy red button on thetter¡¯s chest. Lucien whimpered when Ronan¡¯s teeth grazed against the sensitive bud.


    ¡°Ah... Ronan, no...¡±


    Lucien¡¯s protests were soon drowned by sighs of pleasure as Ronan continued feasting on his body.


    The Alpha yed with his lover untilte into the night. He only stopped after Lucien fell asleep from exhaustion. Ronan rubbed Lucien¡¯s sweaty back as hey on top of him, his warm breath blowing against Ronan¡¯s neck.


    With his other hand, he tossed Lucien¡¯s phone off his hand and caught it again a couple of times.


    Hidden in the darkness of the night, Ronan¡¯s face was distorted into a mask of fury.


    He could scarcely believe that Kinnon was the type to y such dirty tricks. He went as far as using his son to get on Lucien¡¯s soft sides!


    If he thought that it would be enough to make them lose the war, Kinnon was sorely mistaken.


    Lucien was too naive. Kinnon had all the advantages he could get in this war. Besides, he was ruthless enough to kill Deacon.


    He imed to have loved Lucien since they were young. If he loved Lucien as much as Ronan did, then they had a problem.


    Had Lucien ended up marrying Kinnon for real, Ronan might have lost it. He was afraid to think about what he would do.


    He merely hoped that Kinnon¡¯s feelings toward Lucien were a lot more shallow than his own.


    Early the next morning, the war participants were ready with their backpacks and other things that were useful to clear their camping site.


    Alice pulled her children into a hug and gave each of them two kisses, one on each cheek.


    ¡°Be safe, my babies,¡± she whispered, her voice brimming with emotion. ¡°Come back soon.¡±


    ¡°How nice,¡± Ronanmented when they sat next to each other in Ronan¡¯s car.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Your mom sees you off with a kiss. Mine with a p,¡± Ronan replied full of indignation.


    ¡°???¡±


    And so the war participants left for the Shadow Mist Creek. Alice Clearwater stood at the gate for a long time, praying hard to the Moon Goddess in her heart for the safety of every single person who fought for the Silent Walkers Pack.

 Chapter 124

    124 Big Joe¡¯s Diner


    The group of cars that moved like a royal procession quickly drew a lot of attention from all those in Blue Hill City.


    On the front side were six air-conditioned mini-busses that could fit ten people each. And then there was one regr car with Kendra, Desmond, Acatha, and Annalynne inside. Next to it was a super luxurious car with Noah, Ronan, and Lucien inside.


    Behind the two cars were a lot more mini-busses to carry the remaining warriors and their stuff.


    Due tocking insight regarding the morningmute of the mortal folk, the magnificent parade was stuck in traffic.


    While pedestrians enjoyed the fantastic sight, all those who woke upte and had to rush to work by car that morning were disgruntled beyondpare.


    One angry man on a motorcycle made a point to stop at the side of the road and walked toward one of the mini-busses to file aint.


    He knocked at one of the windows furiously. The window rolled down and a gigantic wild wolf emerged. It snapped fiercely at the motorcycle rider.


    The man shrieked like a high school girl. He almost stumbled over his own motorcycle as he ran away while screaming, ¡°MONSTER! WILD ANIMAL IN THE CAR! HELP! HELP!!!¡±


    Inside the two cars in the middle of the mini-busses, the leaders sighed in exasperation.


    .....


    Desmond lowered the window at his side and screamed toward the mini-busses at the backside.


    ¡°You idiots! Stop fooling around!!!¡±


    Lucien shuffled closer to Ronan and leaned against thetter¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Tired?¡± Ronan asked while rubbing Lucien¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Mmm. A little.¡±


    ¡°Sleep a little. Come.¡±


    Lucien curled up on Ronan¡¯sp and closed his eyes to sleep. Ronan buried his fingers into Lucien¡¯s soft hair and yed with it.


    They had not talked about Ralph¡¯s unexpected phone call. If Lucien did not n on breaching the subject, Ronan too did not wish to push him. And yet the longer they dyed talking about the elephant in the room, the bigger the elephant became.


    Ronan sighed in his heart.


    ¡®If you want to ask him, why don¡¯t you just ask him?¡¯ Beowulf suggested. ¡®Better than sulking before the fight.¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t know what to say,¡¯ Ronan thought helplessly. ¡®It was hard enough for him to agree to kill Kinnon if things get rough. What do you want me to do? Ask him to repeat his promise after that little dwarf called him?¡¯


    ¡®Talk to him about your feelings.¡¯


    ¡®I can¡¯t.¡¯


    ¡®Why not?¡¯


    ¡®Because.¡¯


    Ronan clenched his jaw.


    He messed up too much in the past.


    He wanted to be the best version of himself in front of Lucien.


    He didn¡¯t want to ruin the chance of happiness that he finally got.


    He was so afraid of losing Lucien that he would rather swallow all the indignation and lock away all his resentment.


    Sigh, Lucien.


    If only you know the anguish in my heart. I just hope that the war will not scar us too much.


    Ronan closed his eyes and leaned against the car seat.


    On hisp, Lucien opened his eyes and sneaked a peek at the sleeping Alpha. The corner of his lips tugged up into a smile as he watched Ronan¡¯s sleeping face. The cute boy from seven years ago had grown into such a handsome man. And this man loved him so.


    It was not an easy decision to give them both another chance. Ronan might be overly cautious about their rtionship, but Lucien too wanted to protect the little seedlings that grew in their hearts.


    As he watched Ronan¡¯s handsome features, drowsiness overcame Lucien and he fell asleep for real.


    After exiting Blue Hill City, the trip was rtively smooth. Even the warriors were lulled into some sleep after they got tired of fooling around. The ten-hour ride by car took them to a small town by the name of Amberport. It was the closest town to Shadow Mist Creek, which they could only reach by foot. Or in their case, by paw.


    Amberport was a small town. There was a small family diner that was located just near the entrance of the town. The diner was established in the first month of the town¡¯s inauguration by the patriarch of a very old family. He passed the family business to the son, the son then to the grandson, and so on. The current owner went by the nickname ¡°Big Joe¡±. Big Joe was a grumpy old man who needed time to get used to new people.


    When the group from the Silent Walkers Pack thus stopped by the diner, the town folks half expected Big Joe to turn purple from so many foreign visitors. Not to mention that Big Joe specifically closed early that afternoon. Against all expectations, Big Joe rushed out of the diner just to wee the group of almost two hundred people to his humble diner.


    As soon as all the guests entered, the diner curtains were pulled down so that no one could see what was going on inside.


    In the middle of the room, Big Joe and his family knelt before Ronan Silverback.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, what an honor,¡± the old man said, his lips trembling from happiness. ¡°It has been a while since yourst visit. This old man is so happy to be able to serve you again.¡±


    Ronan gave them a gracious smile.


    ¡°Thanks for hosting us, Joe. This time we are here for more than just a visit.¡±


    Big Joe knew. He too had heard about the uing war.


    ¡°We are here to serve you, Alpha,¡± he replied, bowing his head as low as possible.


    ¡°We n to head to Shadow Mist Creek. The vehicles will be left in your care until we return.¡±


    ¡°Very well, Alpha.¡±


    Ronan then turned to look at all the warriors who gathered inside the diner and spoke to them in an authoritative tone.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s not dally any further. Once we arrive there, we need to start clearing the campsite.¡±

 Chapter 125

    125 Exploring Shadow Mist Creek


    Amberport was a good fifty miles away from Shadow Mist Creek, but alpha wolves could easily reach the spot within an hour. In order to not alert the residents of Amberport, the wolves travel in groups of five with an interval of ten minutes between the groups. The first groups were loaded with electric chainsaws and instructed to start cutting trees as soon as theynded.


    Lucien and Ronan were thest ones to leave, of course with only their personal belongings to carry.


    Ronan took off his jacket and shirt, revealing broad shoulders that hung above the powerful torso. Within an instant, hepleted his transformation. Big Joe and his family could barely take their eyes off the majestic wolf, the Alpha of their pack, that graced their home with his presence.


    ¡°All done,¡± Lucien patted Ronan¡¯s back after he finished tying their bags on Ronan¡¯s back. He then took off his jacket and started to unbutton his shirt.


    A sudden chill emanated from Ronan, his eyes shing with danger.


    Big Joe was about to tell his family to turn around, but Ronan was faster. Before Lucien showed even a strip of bare skin, Ronan went behind him and hoisted him unto his back. Hended just behind the bags.


    ¡°...!!!¡±


    It was so sudden. Lucien was not prepared at all. He ended up holding tightly onto Ronan¡¯s neck in order to not slide off his body.


    ¡°I can run on my own,¡± Lucien pulled at Ronan¡¯s pointy ear and whispered into it. Unfortunately, it did not make any impression on thetter.


    .....


    The big ck wolf merely flicked his ear and trotted toward the door with Lucien on his back.


    ¡°Safe trip and good luck, Alpha Ronan and Mr. Clearwater,¡± Big Joe sincerely said while opening the door to let them out.


    ¡°Thank you for the hospitality,¡± Lucien said in return.


    Ronan gave him a slight nod before dashing off into the night.


    After Ronan and Lucien left, Big Joe and his family were finally able to breathe out.


    ¡°Papa, that was intense,¡± the eldest daughter Polly started to chatter. ¡°I never thought that Alpha Ronan would be so handsome! Oh my gosh! I want to marry him!¡±


    The girls started to squeal in delight while the only boy, a youngd of the age of thirteen merely gaped at his sisters.


    Big Joe¡¯s wife, a hearty woman who was poprly known as Mama Sally, snorted after hearing her daughter¡¯s words.


    ¡°Do you think you are some princess? Go sleep now, kids. Up, up, we are switching off the lights in ten minutes!¡±


    Polly and her siblings started to groan.


    ¡°Mama, you are such a mood spoiler!¡±


    ¡°Mama, why don¡¯t you tell us more about Alpha Ronan? I want that instead of bedtime stories!¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡±


    Big Joe did not bother responding to his daughters¡¯ lovestruck chatter. Were they blind? Ronan Silverback did not even take one look at them. The only person in his eyes was his handsomepanion, the one with red hair and sparkling caramel eyes. The one who had the privilege to ride on his back.


    It was such a sweet gesture among werewolves, one that Big Joe did not expect to see from a Silverback.


    It was easy to see how deeply in love the Alpha was.


    He was so possessive over Lucien Clearwater that he did not even let his lover expose his body and transform before others.


    In his wolf form, Ronan was very fast. Before long, the silhouettes of Big Joe and his family, the diner, and Amberport altogether disappeared. Strong gusts of wind whipped into Lucien¡¯s face. When they entered the forest area, he had toy low on Ronan¡¯s back to avoid catching some branches and leaves on their way.


    The wolf growled when they were running toward a small river, a warning for Lucien to get ready for the jump. Lucien hugged Ronan¡¯s neck tight when thetter stepped off the edge of the stream and crossed it in a single jump.


    The route to reach Shadow Mist Creek was not smooth at all. Lacking any human touch, the barely existent path was entirely at mother nature¡¯s mercy. If Ronan had identally stepped on a slimy surface, he would lose his bnce and sprain his ankles.


    Despite the difficult trip, Ronan did not hesitate to maintain his speed. In a way, it could be considered some kind of training, too. The battleground itself would not have a better appearance, he was pretty sure of it.


    Meanwhile, at Shadow Mist Creek, the werewolves quickly worked hard to clear the piece of jungle area that they were supposed to utilize as a camping site. By the time Ronan and Lucien arrived, almost fifty trees had been cut off.


    Half of the group went out to hunt dinner for the whole group, while the rest were busy putting up tents for everyone to rest in.


    Kendra, Annalynne, Desmond, and Acatha stood by the side, chatting animatedly while they were waiting for Lucien and Ronan to arrive.


    Once Ronan was done transforming and putting on his clothes again, the four werewolves approached them to share their newest finding.


    ¡°We took some time to check the battleground out. It is quite interesting. Why don¡¯t we go and take a look?¡± Desmond offered with a sly smile.


    The Beta did not want to exin in detail, so Lucien and Ronan were led to the battleground to take a look with their own eyes.


    It only took them around twenty minutes on foot to reach the perimeter of the battleground. Lucien stopped walking as soon as his foot stumbled upon the edge of a cliff.


    Beneath the cliff was a huge area that extended as far as eyes could see. It was covered with thick vegetation. The leaves were so wide and piled on each other so closely that they formed a possibly imprable barrier to sunlight.


    Ronan whistled once he saw what stood before them.


    ¡°It is going to be an interesting war,¡± he remarked with a smirk.

 Chapter 126

    126 Battle in Darkness


    Wolves were nocturnal animals. Wild wolves were used to hunting and scavenging at night, and they could do that because they had excellent night vision that not many animals couldpare with.


    A certain reflectiveyer behind their retinas helped increase the light exposure and allowed them to see clearly in the darkness.


    Additionally, their eyes glowed in the dark and gave them a haunted look.


    In this aspect, werewolves were no different from regr wolves. If anything, their sense of sight was a lot better than that of an average wolf.


    The six werewolves were more than interested to go down the cliff to take a look at the actual battleground beneath the thick canopy of leaves, but it was already quitete at night.


    They eventually decided to go back to the camping site to get enough rest for the night.


    ¡°How many warriors does the Night Prowler Pack have?¡± Kendra queried on their way back.


    ¡°With the sixteen other packs to support them, I would say they have almost three hundred,¡± Acatha replied. The Night Prowler Pack was a huge pack, so it was just natural to have that many warriors going into a war.


    It was too bad that the Infinite Eclipse Pack, the only pack that wasparable to the Night Prowler Pack in size, was only a support pack.


    .....


    Just like other support packs, it was only able to send a maximum of ten warriors to help.


    ¡°Three hundred!¡± Desmond eximed. ¡°We have almost two hundred on our side. Sheesh. Imagine five hundred pairs of wolf eyes haunting around the battleground.¡±


    Annalynne and Kendra started to giggle at each other. ¡°We will look like some beasts in horror movies, waiting to tear our victims to shred.¡±


    ¡°Unless they tear you to shred first,¡± Desmond raised an eyebrow at the twodies.


    Smiles quickly drained from their faces as they were reminded of the gravity of the war.


    ¡°This also means that everyone is exposed to everyone,¡± Lucien remarked. ¡°There is no point in hiding, unless the wolf in hiding keeps his eyes closed the whole time.¡±


    Desmond hummed while rubbing his chin. ¡°Not necessarily not doable. We can try it tomorrow during our final training, but oooaaaahhhhhhhmmmmm...¡±


    Desmond yawned as soon as he saw the rows of tents that stood all around the camping site. They were cramped together in order to save as much space as possible.


    ¡°Oh, whatever. Let¡¯s just sleep for the night. We can think about some special training tomorrow to get our warriors used to fighting in the darkness,¡± he said while stretching his back and cracking his neck.


    The Beta waved at his brothers- and sisters-in-arm before slipping into an empty tent. Acatha and Kendra said good night to Annalynne, Lucien, and Ronan before they also went into another empty tent.


    There were neither enough tents nor enough space to build more tents. Due to the present limitations, it was agreed that two people must share a tent.


    Annalynne grabbed Lucien¡¯s hand and begged, ¡°Big brother, sleep with me?¡±


    ¡°Out of question!¡± Ronan eximed, pulling at Lucien¡¯s other hand. ¡°A grown-up man and woman cannot share a single tent! That is unheard of!¡±


    Annalynne pursed her lips in displeasure.


    ¡°We are siblings who grew up together. Will Alpha Ronan please rid himself of unspeakable, dirty thoughts?¡±


    ¡°Exactly because you are siblings that you must avoid this kind of thing. In the darkness, anything can happen!¡±


    Annalynne put both hands at her hips as she red at Ronan. ¡°What can happen? Lulu and I sleep together a lot! If anything is supposed to happen between us, it would already happen ages ago!¡±


    ¡°Why must you insist to sleep with Lucien? Go sleep with another woman!¡±


    Annalynne fumed. ¡°If you have not noticed, we have exactly three women in this group! Kendra and Acatha are already sharing a tent!¡±


    Annalynne had expected to share a tent with Lucien, so she happily told Acatha and Kendra to get a tent together.


    ¡°Then go squeeze with them, three can still fit inside a tent!¡± Ronan said dismissively.


    The red-headed woman roared in frustration. ¡°Why don¡¯t YOU go squeeze with another man so I can sleep with Lulu???¡±


    Ronan was about to lose it.


    ¡°What are you thinking? Your brother and I are dating!¡±


    ¡°Dating doesn¡¯t mean that you two are officially mates. You have even less reason to share a tent with my brother!¡± Annalynne cried.


    ¡°Why less reason? We are both men!¡±


    Annalynne stepped closer to Ronan and narrowed her eyes at him.


    ¡°Exactly. I have reason to believe that you are up for something indecent tonight.¡±


    ¡°Whether or not it is decent, it is entirely between your brother and me. You have no say in this,¡± Ronan hissed.


    ¡°I am his sister,¡± Annalynne imed.


    ¡°You two, stop bickering,¡± Lucien finally decided to speak up.


    Both Ronan and Annalynne turned to look at him with sour expressions.


    ¡°If you want us to stop fighting, then why don¡¯t you decide who you want to sleep with tonight?¡± Ronan asked, crossing his arms before his chest while pinning Lucien with a re. ¡°This sister of yours or me?¡±


    Annalynne made puppy eyes at her brother. ¡°Lulu? Lulu, you will pick me, right? I am your only sister in this world! And I am also your twin! Can you bear to discard me???¡±


    Lucien rubbed at his temples and sighed.


    ¡°I told you two to stop fighting because there is only one empty tent left.¡±


    Lucien pointed at a tent in a corner of the camping site. Indeed, it was the only tent that had not been zipped up for the night.


    ¡°We will have to cramp together into that tent tonight, or else one of us must sleep outside of the tent tonight.¡±


    Ronan and Annalynne threw one nce at each other, and then they ran toward the tent in a hurry. They both had one foot inside the tent at approximately the same time.


    ¡°It is mine!¡± Annalynne shouted while pushing Ronan away. ¡°Go sleep outside!¡±


    ¡°In your dreams!¡± Ronan growled in return. ¡°You are a big girl. Stop pestering your brother!¡±


    Behind them, Lucien rolled with his eyes. It was going to be a tiring night.

 Chapter 127

    127 Scoping the Battleground


    The three werewolves changed into morefortable wear and then slid under their nkets. Lucien, who slept between Ronan and Annalynne, was quickly monopolized by his sister who insisted that she needed to hug her brother in order to fall asleep.


    Ronan could not be more miserable. Clearly, he and Lucien were the couple, but Lucien was busy with his sister and Ronan became the third wheel.


    To make matters worse, Annalynne was acting like a five-year-old spoiled princess. She could not stop talking.


    ¡°Lulu, I am so cold, hug me tighter...¡±


    ¡°Lulu, do you remember when we were still young...¡±


    ¡°Lulu, I want a good night kiss...¡±


    In the darkness of the tent, the sounds of the kisses and their breathing were magnified tenfold. Ronan might as well be drenched in oil and grilled over fire. He was so jealous that he was about to explode.


    Gritting his teeth angrily, the Alpha rolled to his side and turned his back toward Lucien and Annalynne. That was the best he could do to ignore the pair of siblings who were all lovey-dovey next to him.


    The Alpha started to make some ns in his head. Tonight he had no other choice but to endure Annalynne. Tomorrow night he must have Lucien all for himself. For that, he needed to stick Annalynne with Kendra and Acatha, maybe get them a bigger tent. Ronan would personally go to Amberport to buy a bigger tent.


    .....


    Or maybe he could arrange for Annalynne to get her own tent. For all he cared, Annalynne could ce her tent next to theirs. It was not like he could do much night activity while being surrounded by so many werewolves. At any rate, Annalynne must not share the same tent with him and Lucien again!


    Although he was boiling inside, Ronan too was not immune to exhaustion. The long trip from Blue Hill City to Amberport followed by the run to reach Shadow Mist Creek drained a lot of his energy. Eventually, Annalynne fell asleep. The tent fell into a peaceful silence, and Ronan too slowly gave in to the sweet temptation of sleep.


    Lucien carefully disentangled himself from Annalynne once his sister was deeply asleep. He turned to the other side to see how Ronan was doing. The Alpha was dozing off as well.


    Lucien tucked Ronan¡¯s free arm properly inside his nket and pressed a kiss on his cheek.


    He then whispered gently into his ear, ¡°Good night, Ronan.¡±


    After he was done taking care of his sister and his boyfriend, Lucien finally got to sleep. In the middle of the night, a pair of arms wrapped themselves around him and he was pressed against another warm body.


    It felt sofortable that Lucien could not help but want more. He put his arms around Ronan¡¯s neck and snuggled closer.


    When Annalynne woke up, she was alone on her side while Lucien had been kidnapped by a big bad wolf to the other side.


    The fine hairs at the back of Annalynne¡¯s neck rose instantly when she saw the two men hugging each other in their sleep.


    Ew!


    She grabbed her pillow and mmed it at Ronan¡¯s head before she ran out of the tent.


    Ronan was startled awake by the sudden pillow hit. When he stirred, Lucien too opened his eyes.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he said while rubbing his eyes.


    ¡°Good morning, my love.¡± Ronan kissed Lucien on the forehead. ¡°Your sister is too kind for waking us up,¡± he added.


    Still sleepy, Lucien did not even register the sarcasm. He merely nodded and muttered, ¡°I will ry your thanks to her.¡±


    Some werewolves were hobby hunters. They had the good idea to install some traps in the forest before they went back to the camping site in the evening. Thanks to their effort, the group got to eat wild hare meat sandwiches for breakfast.


    The war was finally going tomence the next day. Everyone was anxious but they also could not wait to start and finish as soon as possible.


    Acatha found another valley that was somewhat simr to their battleground. It was covered with vegetation and no sunlight could pass. It was the best training ground that she could find to get the warriors ustomed to fighting in the dark.


    Meanwhile, Lucien gathered a group after breakfast in order to inspect the battleground area prior to the war.


    Acatha and Desmond were busy with the warrior training, so only Kendra and Annalynne had time to join Lucien and Ronan.


    Thedies were given the task to watch for any unforeseen circumstances on top of the cliff while the remaining two transformed and went to roam around the darkness.


    Ronan had a rope tied around his waist, and the end of the rope was held by Kendra. Lucien¡¯s was held by Annalynne. The purpose of having such ropes was to ensure that those on top of the cliff knew if something happened to the ones down the valley.


    Likewise, if Kendra and Annalynne were to be ambushed up there, they merely had to give the rope a tug to get help.


    The valley was not as deep as they thought, but it was indeed pitch ck down there.


    Ronan gave Lucien an intimate nuzzle before he trotted silently to the right, leaving Lucien to check the left area.


    The area had nothing but a lot of strong and tall trees with thick trunks and roots that protruded from the earth.


    Lucien did not smell anything unusual. There were only the scents of earth, nt resin, and leaves. Other than being deprived of sunlight, it could be considered a natural scenic area.


    Thinking that he had enough, Lucien gave the rope around his waist a slight tug to indicate to Annalynne that he was going up.


    Annalynne also gave a slight tug in response.


    Just as Lucien wanted to turn around and go back, he spotted another pair of bright eyes staring in his direction from a distance.

 Chapter 128

    128 I Trust You


    Kinnon.


    Lucien could feel his throat tighten.


    Kinnon did note over. He merely stared at Lucien from a distance. Lucien too did not move from his spot. Warring parties were not supposed to get into contact before the war to prevent any cheating allegations.


    Lucien was not aware of how long they stood there staring at each other. The soft tugs at the rope around his waist reminded him that he should go back.


    After giving Lucien onest look, Kinnon turned around and trotted back to his own side.


    When Lucien came back up, he was slightly pale in the face.


    Ronan also came back not long after. Lucien wrapped a nket around him as he transformed back into his human form.


    ¡°I came across some wolves from the Night Prowler Pack,¡± Ronan informed them.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Lucien asked.


    .....


    Ronan shook his head and patted Lucien¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nothing happened. What about you?¡±


    Lucien lowered his eyes.


    ¡°I saw Kinnon.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s lips were pulled into a tight line. He did not ask further. He merely pulled the nket tighter around Lucien¡¯s frame.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± he said, taking thetter¡¯s hand in his and leading the way back to the camping site.


    The training was stopped in the afternoon. At this point, they had done everything they could to prepare for the war. It was particrly important to rest well before the next morning arrived.


    Although it was a chance to rx after a week of hard work, the warriors were restless. When they were fighting, they did not feel anxious. Once they were told to do nothing, they started overthinking.


    Lucien thus arranged for the restless ones to go and hunt some food to cook avish dinner.


    After they came back from the valley, Ronan managed to sessfully fake a good mood throughout the day. As the sky turned darker though, his mood became worse and worse.


    There was a cold, aggressive aura that emanated from the Alpha. The other werewolves sensed the danger, so they avoided him like the gue.


    In the end, Ronan got tired of pretending. He finished his dinner and went to sleep early.


    Once he got into their tent, he zipped it up without even waiting for Lucien to get in.


    Annalynne was happy beyondpare when she saw it, but Lucien felt a stabbing pain in his heart.


    Ronan was clearly upset. And Lucien knew it was because of him.


    ¡°No need to bother with a sulking big man,¡± Annalynne said. ¡°Lulu, let¡¯s sleep together tonight, okay?¡±


    Lucien shook his head in response. ¡°You go and sleep with Kendra and Acatha. I need to talk to Ronan.¡±


    The woman pouted at her twin brother. ¡°Why do you have to bother with him so much?¡±


    ¡°Because I love him,¡± Lucien answered as a matter of factly.


    After bidding everyone good night, Lucien headed toward Ronan¡¯s tent and slowly unzipped the tent p. He expected to find a sleeping Ronan, but the man was sitting inside the tent, wide awake.


    ¡°Took you long enough,¡± he said with a zing pair of eyes.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Lucien zipped the tent shut behind him.


    Crossing his legs, he went to sit in front of Ronan and waited for thetter to say something. Unfortunately, Ronan was not interested to talk. He just wanted to sulk.


    ¡°Oh, Ronan.¡±


    The Alpha¡¯s eyes shed dangerously. Before Lucien knew it, he was already tackled to the ground and Ronan was hovering on top of him.


    ¡°I wonder,¡± he said slowly, grabbing Lucien¡¯s wrists with both hands. ¡°Will you hate me if I kill Kinnon tomorrow?¡±


    Lucien furrowed his brows. ¡°Do you want to kill him that badly?¡±


    Ronan heaved a sigh.


    ¡°I want you to stop thinking of him and only think of me. Is that too much asked?¡±


    ¡°Ronan, I am not thinking of him at all.¡±


    Ronan released Lucien from his grip and turned away. ¡°Forget it. You will never understand.¡±


    ¡°Then make me understand. I cannot read your mind.¡±


    Instead of exining, Ronan let out a frustrated roar andy down to sleep.


    Lucien sat up behind him and yed with Ronan¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Ronan, I can¡¯t change the past. A lot of things happened between him and me. I cannot undo all of them. You understand this, right?¡±


    Ronan gave a grunt.


    ¡°If I can make you feel better somehow, just tell me what to do. Just don¡¯t bite me tonight. I don¡¯t want to risk it before the war.¡±


    A chuckle escaped Ronan. ¡°Sorry for being a brute.¡±


    Lucien smiled. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t mean to.¡±


    He gave Ronan a kiss on the back of his head. ¡°Whatever happens tomorrow, I will not me you.¡±


    Ronan turned around and eyed Lucien full of suspicion.


    ¡°Really? Even if Kinnon dies at my hand?¡±


    Lucien patted Ronan¡¯s cheek fondly. ¡°I trust you.¡±


    Ronan crawled into Lucien¡¯sp and buried his face on thetter¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he mumbled in a spoiled tone.


    Lucien hugged Ronan¡¯s head and went to lie down as well. They fell asleep in that position and only woke up when morning arrived and Acatha started calling outside of the tents.


    Light drizzle fell upon the forest on the morning of the war. At 10 AM sharp, everyone transformed into wolves at the camping site and walked slowly toward the agreed war site.


    They slowly descended into the valley one by one and got themselves ustomed to the dark surroundings.


    After everyone came down, the group slowly made their way to the center of the valley.


    Numerous pairs of shining eyes in the distance told them that the wolves from the Night Prowler Pack were already there for the war.


    Standing at the front was Kinnon Youngshaper, standing in an intimidating pose. One step behind him was Bjorn.


    The Silent Walkers Pack had not even stopped walking when Kinnon dashed forward and thus began the war. Lucien gritted his teeth and wed into the ground hard to counter Kinnon¡¯s attack, but it never came.


    Kinnon went past Lucien and pounced at Ronan instead.

 Chapter 129

    129 The Unforeseen ident


    Ronan had a premonition that Kinnon was going to attack him because the brown wolf kept staring at him intently.


    While the other wolves quickly scattered away, Ronan stood firm on his feet to take on Kinnon¡¯s first attack. He sessfully dodged to the side, but one of Kinnon¡¯s sharp ws managed to graze his cheek.


    Ronan let out a wild roar and snapped at Kinnon fiercely in return.


    The goal was to keep Kinnon¡¯s attention directed at him. Itter proved to be unnecessary because Ronan was Kinnon¡¯s target all along. Once he engaged Ronan, he did not even try to attack other werewolves. All of his attacks were vicious and carried murderous intent.


    The Alpha of the Night Prowler Pack was determined to end the Alpha of the rival pack in the war.


    This confrontation was both good news and bad news.


    The good news was that it was a one-on-one confrontation. Alpha against Alpha.


    The bad news was that the rest of the Silent Walkers Pack¡¯s group had to deal with the rest of the Night Prowler Pack¡¯s group.


    Ronan¡¯s initial n to take on at least ten werewolves at once while protecting Lucien was thwarted effectively. In the middle of Kinnon¡¯s fierce and unrelenting onught, Ronan did not even dare to take his eyes off Kinnon. His opponent had two sets of sharp fangs and four sets of sharp ws that he did not hesitate to use.


    .....


    Ronannded as many hits as he could on Kinnon in order to incapacitate him. He needed Kinnon to stop attacking him so he could find out what was happening to Lucien.


    Unfortunately, the Alpha of the Night Prowler Pack was not that easy to defeat. He was there for a blood bath, and he would not stop until Ronany dead at his feet.


    ¡®Lucien, please be safe,¡¯ Ronan kept saying in his mind. ¡®Please, please. Wait for me. I will be by your side as soon as I am done with Kinnon.¡¯


    Meanwhile, the soft drizzle had turned into a heavy downpour. Everyone was drenched in the heavy rain. The solid ground turned into a huge field of mud. The fight became more and more ridiculous as every wolf just pounced blindly around to stay alive.


    Ronan¡¯s and Kinnon¡¯s fight also suffered greatly from the rain. They kept missing each other because their footing was ruined by the slippery ground.


    After attacking each other intensely for an hour, both wolves had to take a little break. Both of their bodies were covered with w and bite wounds. The heavy rain washed more and more blood away from their bodies as they tried hard to maintain straight postures.


    Ronan took the time to scan the surrounding area but he could not locate Lucien at all. Everywhere, giant wolves were rolling on the ground and exchanging bites and scratches. Kinnon had managed to separate Ronanpletely from Lucien.


    Panic crept into Ronan¡¯s heart.


    What was happening?


    Who was Lucien fighting at the moment?


    Was he doing fine?


    He racked his brain for a list of the strongest werewolves on Kinnon Youngshaper¡¯s side. Landon just recently returned to Lucien¡¯s side. Lucien was not going to be able to take one, let alone two or three of them!


    Ronan¡¯s only constion was the fact that they were all still fighting. If something had happened to Lucien... They would know. He would know.


    Before long, Kinnon decided to end their little break and aimed for Ronan¡¯s neck right away. Ronan too was at the end of his patience. He ducked and mmed Kinnon hard against his stomach.


    A sharp wail escaped Kinnon when Ronan¡¯s attack ended up breaking some of his bones.


    ¡®Be d that I did not tear you into pieces and let your guts spill on the ground,¡¯ Ronan thought angrily.


    In his carelessness, he identally exposed his backside to Kinnon, who did not need to think twice before seizing the opportunity.


    A searing pain spread across Ronan¡¯s back when Kinnon buried two sets of sharp ws into it and viciously tore through Ronan¡¯s back.


    ¡®AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!¡¯ Beowulf screamed in Ronan¡¯s head.


    Ronan bit into his lips to prevent himself from screaming. He violently hurled Kinnon into the air to get thetter¡¯s ws out of his back.


    Kinnon ended up mming against the cliff¡¯s side. He lost consciousness for a few minutes. The few minutes that Ronan desperately needed to assess his wounds.


    He was bleeding severely from his back, and the rain only made it worse. The blood loss caused his sight to be blurry. His head felt so heavy and he started to lose consciousness.


    ¡®No,¡¯ he told himself.


    ¡®No, Ronan. You can¡¯t lose now. You can¡¯t die here. Lucien is here somewhere, surrounded by a bunch of wolves. He needs you. You must stay strong.¡¯


    Ronan shook his head desperately and focused on Kinnon, who was slowly getting up from the ground.


    Both wolves red at each other for a whole minute before they started pouncing at each other again.


    Ronan and Kinnon fought valiantly despite their heavy injuries. They kept mming each other against the cliff sides, intent on ending the fight as soon as possible because both of them could not carry on for much longer.


    Ronan tackled Kinnon hard against the cliff onest time. After repeatedly bumping his head against the rocky side, Kinnon eventually slumped to his side andy on the ground, unmoving.


    Ronan too fell to the ground while breathing heavily. He decided to take a few minutes to catch his breath before going out there to find Lucien.


    Unfortunately, the continuous attack on the cliffside did not go without any consequences.


    A loud crashing sound was hearding from the cliff. What followed was a flood of mud and soil that flowed into the valley. The flood carried with it huge trees and boulders that rained down on Kinnon and Ronan mercilessly.


    Thest thing that Ronan remembered before his sight turned ck was a loud voice that was calling after his name.


    ¡®RONAN!!!¡¯

 Chapter 130

    130 The First Honest Conversation Between The Alphas


    ¡®Ronan...¡¯


    ¡®Hey, Ronan...¡¯


    A worried voice spoke in his head. Beowulf¡¯s.


    ¡®Mmm...¡¯


    ¡®Ronan! Ronan!!!¡¯ Beowulf started to shout frantically when Ronan finally responded.


    ¡®Shut up, Beowulf, you are so loud...¡¯


    Ronan¡¯s head hurt badly. Where was he? What was he doing there? Ronan could not remember at all. He tried to move his body but what followed was extreme pain instead.


    ¡°Ahhh...!!! Ow, ow...¡±


    Ronan gritted his teeth. His eyes flew open and there was a huge rock just in front of his face. He blinked in disbelief. Where the heck was he? What happened?


    .....


    He was unable to move his body because he was lying under a huge tree trunk. All around him, he could only see solid mud and rocks.


    ¡®Ronan, don¡¯t move. You are severely wounded,¡¯ Beowulf advised him.


    ¡®I...¡¯


    Unable to move even a single finger, Ronan decided to justy low and recall what happened. The first thing that flew to his mind was Lucien.


    ¡®Lucien!¡¯ he shouted.


    He remembered. They started with the war. Kinnon attacked him. He fought with Kinnon and bumped against the cliff a few times. There was a mudslide...


    ¡®Oh, that asshole Kinnon,¡¯ Ronan cursed in his head. ¡®Beowulf, how long have we been here?¡¯


    ¡®How am I supposed to know?¡¯ the wolf snapped. ¡®I was also out of it the moment you fainted.¡¯


    Ronan chuckled. He felt so pathetic. Not only was he unable to protect Lucien, but he also ended up in such a predicament.


    ¡®I should have killed Kinnon right away. Look at what happened.¡¯


    ¡°Heh,¡± came a voice somewhere to his left side. Ronan¡¯s neck turned in the direction right away.


    It did not require a genius to guess who else was trapped under the mudyers other than him. Kinnon, the bastard, was still alive!


    ¡°Are you happy now?¡± Ronan snapped at his rival. ¡°Is this how you want the fucking war to end? Congrattions, dude.¡±


    Kinnon scoffed.


    ¡°Not really. I had hoped to kill you first but then you just have to bang me repeatedly against the cliffside. Good job, Ronan. This is entirely your fucking achievement. Your pack must be so proud of you.¡±


    Ronan gritted his teeth.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t die in here and manage to get out somehow, the first thing I will do is snap your neck into two. You better count on it.¡±


    ¡°Heh, you took the words out of my mouth. You are a nuisance, Ronan. If only you are not there, Lucien and I would be very happy together.¡±


    Hearing Kinnon mention Lucien was enough to bring Ronan¡¯s blood to its boiling point.


    ¡°Shut up! Don¡¯t you dare mention Lucien¡¯s name! Thanks to you he has to deal with your crazy pack. Are you even still qualified to fantasize about being with him?¡±


    Dryughter was heard from Kinnon¡¯s side, followed by a series of throaty coughs.


    ¡°You fool,¡± he said with a lot of effort after the cough attack stopped. ¡°I would never hurt Lucien. I never nned to.¡±


    Ronan smirked.


    So Kinnon¡¯s n was to kill Ronan all along.


    ¡°What do you n to do after I die, pray tell? Eliminate Landon and force Lucien to be your Luna again?¡±


    ¡°I will never force Lucien to do anything. I just can¡¯t stand seeing you hang around him so shamelessly.¡±


    ¡°You are such a hypocrite, Kinnon,¡± Ronan said mercilessly. ¡°You killed his cousin, forced him to be your Luna to save his pack, and now you are here to preach to me about being shameless. Do you have any mirrors in East Temple City? Maybe I should send you a full-length one just so you can see what a douchebag you are.¡±


    It was Kinnon¡¯s turn to grit his teeth.


    ¡°I never forced Lucien to be my Luna! He agreed to do so!¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha....¡±


    Ronan too had once thought that Lucien epted Kinnon¡¯s proposal because he was in love with Kinnon. But Lucien had told him openly that he was not in love with Kinnon. The one he loved, back then and now, was still Ronan. The paintings said it all. Ronan was the foolish one to believe otherwise.


    ¡°Hey, Kinnon. Do you really think that Lucien agreed to be your Luna because he loved you? Think again. I am sure that you are not that dumb.¡±


    ¡°You know what, Ronan? I am so sick of your arrogance. You are not better than me in any way. The only reason why you can spout such big words at my face is the fact that Lucien, unluckily, is in love with you. Does that make you feel superior, Alpha Ronan?¡±


    Of course, it did. What Kinnon did not know, and what Ronan hated the most about Kinnon, was that Lucien agreed to be his Luna so easily. Ronan had to chase Lucien for months to get him to agree to be his spouse. They had yet to talk about being mates. Or about Lucien being his Luna. They were so far from making it official before the Werewolf Council.


    Ronan was willing to shower Lucien with his love and attention until he died, but he was not sure if he had what it took to get Lucien to say yes to his marriage proposal.


    What if things went wrong?


    What if they broke up again?


    What if Lucien¡¯s love was again overridden by his sense of responsibility?


    ¡°Unable to answer, huh?¡± Kinnon taunted from the other side. ¡°I knew it. You are so pathetic. You are unworthy of Lucien.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Ronan snapped angrily. ¡°What do you know about him and me? Do you think you are that great? Do you think you are that smart, Kinnon? You actually used your own son to derail Lucien before the war started. Just how sick can you be?¡±


    A moment of silence followed, and then Kinnon¡¯s tone became a lot colder.


    ¡°What the hell? How dare you mention my son in front of me? Ralph is still being treated at home for his injuries!¡±

 Chapter 131

    131 Rescuing the Alphas (1)


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The image of the little blond boy who hugged his leg appeared before Ronan¡¯s eyes. That little guy was injured? When? Before or after he made the phone call?


    Ronan did not listen in on the phone conversation, but if it¡¯s before, should Lucien not say anything? Lucien would tell him this kind of thing. Besides, they chatted for some time. An injured boy would not talk that long into a phone.


    Was it after, then? Did he get punished because he made the phone call...?


    No... unlikely. Kinnon would not do that to his only child.


    ¡°What happened to him?¡± Ronan heard himself asking.


    Exasperatedughter rang out from Kinnon¡¯s side.


    ¡°Ronan, what are you ying dumb for? You can y the hero for the whole world, including Lucien, to see. In front of me, do not try to even pretend. I know what kind of person you are.¡±


    Ronan furrowed his brows in anger. Did he need Kinnon to pull his name into the mud? Lucien was allowed to say these words if he wanted to, but Kinnon was not! Ronan did not remember doing anything to Kinnon or his little son.


    .....


    ¡°Alpha Kinnon, speak clearly. I can tell you honestly that I have done nothing to you or your son.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Kinnon, are you still there? Hello?¡±


    Ronan cursed under his breath when he tried to poke some dirt on his left side but failed. Thinking about it, he did m Kinnon¡¯s head repeatedly against the rocky cliffside during their fight. That guy might suffer from heavy bleeding from the head. He needed help.


    They both needed help.


    Ronan tried to move different parts of his body.


    His arms werepletely trapped. His back was stuck thanks to the big trunk of the tree. His legs...


    Ronan tried to prop himself up by using his knees, but then he heard a precarious tinkling sound above his head. The Alpha unwittingly broke into a cold sweat.


    A lot of things came crashing on them when the mudslide happened. By Goddess¡¯ mercy, none of those ended up crushing their heads. That was already very lucky. If Ronan moved carelessly around, he might set off an unwanted movement up there.


    The Alpha groaned out of agitation. What was he supposed to do then? Just wait here for someone to rescue them?


    Once he stopped exchanging verbal ammunitions with Kinnon, the adrenaline in his blood receded. Ronan started to get tired again. His eyelids grew so heavy. They fluttered a few times until they fell shut.


    When he regained consciousness again, he seemed to hear someone calling for him.


    ¡®Ronan...¡¯


    ¡®Ronan...¡¯


    Beowulf?


    No, it doesn¡¯t sound like Beowulf...


    It sounds like...


    Ronan furrowed his brows.


    He heard it before, but he has not heard the voice for a long time. Thest time he heard it was seven years ago.


    ¡®O...!!!¡¯


    It was Sunday. One of the many Sundays that they spent together at the Alpha Camp. The two teenagers were lying together in their secret hut at nighttime. They made love all afternoon and were then reveling in the sweet afterglow. Young Lucien pulled a grimace when young Ronan withdrew from his body. He purposefully pressed his face into the pillow just so that Ronan could not see the painful expression on his face.


    Strangely, Ronan still found out.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Ronan asked, his tone full of concern. He put his hand against Lucien¡¯s lower stomach and clumsily tried to massage the invisible sore points.


    Surprised, Lucien turned around and blinked at him.


    ¡°It does, but... how did you know?¡±


    Ronan shot Lucien a confused look.


    ¡°Well, because you groaned?¡±


    ¡°I did not.¡±


    ¡°You did. You said, ¡®ow¡¯.¡±


    Lucien stared at Ronan. ¡°Ronan, I really did not say that.¡±


    Ronan was puzzled. He was sure that he heard Lucien. Or was it not Lucien? But then who was it?


    At present time, Ronan fell into a daze.


    So who called for him just now?


    The voice was very insistent, too. And it sounded so desperate. So sad. So pitiful.


    Ronan muttered under his breath, ¡°Lucien...¡±


    ¡°Lucien...¡±


    Due to exhaustion, he was unable to keep calling for Lucien. His voice died out, so he could only call in his heart.


    ¡®Lucien...¡¯


    ¡®Lulu...¡¯


    And then the voice that had been calling for Ronan started getting louder.


    ¡®RONAN! RONAN, CAN YOU HEAR ME???? WHERE ARE YOU???¡¯


    Ronan knitted his brows.


    ¡®I am... Lucien?¡¯


    ¡®IT¡¯S ME! NOW TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE!¡¯


    Where was he? Good question. All he knew was that he was buried under a huge mass of earth, mud, and everything else that came down with them. How was he supposed to tell his exact location?


    ¡®Close to the cliffside,¡¯ Beowulf tried to be helpful. ¡®We were resting near the cliffside after Kinnon fell unconscious.¡¯


    Right.


    ¡®I am close to the cliffside,¡¯ he spoke in his heart again. ¡®Me and Kinnon both. He is also still alive.¡¯


    Ronan bit his lips in resentment when he told Lucien about Kinnon. Truthfully, he never wanted to talk about Kinnon ever again, but he knew that Lucien would feel better if he knew that Kinnon was still alive.


    ¡®Be patient, Ronan... I am going to get you out of there,¡¯ Lucien said.


    Ronan closed his eyes and dozed off again.


    He did not know how many minutes or hours passed after that. asionally he heard soundsing from above him. There were also the frantic voices of some people. What they said was unclear. Ronan could not make sense of the cacophony of sounds. All that he knew was that when he opened his eyes again, he was tightly wrapped in Lucien¡¯s embrace.


    Lucien was crying loudly. He was all naked, and his skin was as cold as ice.


    ¡°I got you,¡± he sobbed loudly. ¡°I got you, Ronan...¡±


    Ronan gave him a weak smile.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, my love,¡± he whispered. ¡°I will alwayse back for you.¡±


    And then he passed out again.

 Chapter 132

    132 Rescuing the Alphas (2)


    When Lucien saw that Kinnon pounced on Ronan, he turned around to jump at Kinnon, but he ended up bumping against Bjorn instead. The giant wolf with silver-blond fur stood in front of him, blocking his ess to Ronan and Kinnon.


    ¡°Move away!¡± Lucien wanted to say when he howled at Bjorn.


    The wolf merely gave him an imperceptible head shake. He was not going to move.


    Behind them, the wolves from both sides started to engage each other in a fight. Lucien saw the stronger ones from his pack take on two or three werewolves at once.


    Seeing that Bjorn did not intend to fight, Lucien went to attack some of the werewolves from the Night Prowler Pack, but Bjorn kept interfering again and again. He kept preventing Lucien from attacking, but at the same time, he also prevented Lucien from being attacked.


    It was then that Lucien understood what was happening.


    Kinnon had ordered Bjorn to keep Lucien safe, while he himself went after Ronan.


    If Ronan died, then the Silent Walkers Pack would lose a huge chunk of its fighting force.


    If Ronan died, the Silent Walkers Pack would most likely fall into disarray.


    .....


    If Ronan died, the Night Prowler Pack would win the war without hurting Lucien.


    If Ronan died, the object of Landon¡¯s obsession disappeared. He might change his mind.


    If Ronan died, there was a chance for Lucien and Kinnon to be together.


    Ronan¡¯s death could do so many things at once.


    Lucien wanted to fling all kinds of curses to Kinnon and Bjorn. Ronan was innocent! Ronan did nothing wrong! If anything, Lucien was the one who had to pay for this mess. Ronan should not have to die!


    Full of indignation, Lucien started attacking Bjorn. Thetter was very calm. Himself a very capable fighter, he had no problems dodging Lucien¡¯s attacks. He only gave Lucien asional shoves with retracted ws when Lucien came too close to him. It was as if he was dealing with a little pup who just learned how to fight.


    Lucien knew that Bjorn was just doing what Kinnon told him to do, but his actions enraged Lucien so much.


    Many times Lucien feigned an attack just to turn around to go to where Ronan was, but Bjorn caught up with him again and again.


    As the rain became heavier and heavier, it became more and more difficult to find Ronan. All the werewolves looked the same. It did not help that none of them stood still even for a second.


    Wherever he wanted to go, Bjorn stepped in front of him like a ghost.


    ¡°Get lost!!!¡± Lucien barked at Bjorn, trying to headbutt the elder man.


    After getting into a scuffle, Bjorn ended up pinning Lucien¡¯s back to the wet, muddy ground.


    Lucien snapped at Bjorn fiercely, but thetter refused to let him go. He mighte to the realization that he should just immobilize Lucien to prevent him from running around.


    The both of them froze in position when they heard the ominous booming sound. What followed was the sound of something falling from the edge of the cliff and the shrieks and howls of wolves that tried to escape the natural disaster as fast as possible.


    Both Bjorn and Lucien got to their feet as fast as possible to see what was happening.


    The werewolves that managed to escape the mudslide were shivering in their drenched forms, while the unlucky ones were trapped under the huge mass of mud. Trees were falling from the top of the cliff due to erosion. Stones that were hidden beneath the cliff surface were also falling down incessantly.


    And then, a giant boulder came rolling down the cliffside and crashed onto the valley with an eardrum-shattering sound.


    Lucien¡¯s heart lurched to the ground. He could only hope that no one was smashed under the boulder. As if it had not done enough damage, the boulder continued rolling away from the mudslide.


    Bjorn barked loudly at the surviving werewolves to get them out of the trance. They had to run for their lives. The mudslide was still continuing.


    ¡°Ronan!¡±


    Against rationality, Lucien ran toward the mudslide instead. He was desperate to find Ronan.


    Did Ronan get caught by the mudslide?


    Did the boulder hit him?


    Could he escape from the boulder?


    Bjorn practically bumped his head many times against Lucien¡¯s stomach and kept hitting him until the half-conscious Lucien agreed to turn around and move toward a safer spot.


    The mudslidested for almost an hour. Lucien kept wanting to go and search for Ronan, but Bjorn stopped him with all his might. He only let Lucien go when the earth calmed down and everything stopped moving. By then the heavy rain already stopped, leaving the valley in a state of destion.


    In the face of the unexpected disaster, both packs agreed to stop the war and help each other. Acatha and Kendra went to Amberport to get some help. All the other wolves started digging at the huge mass to unearth anyone who might be trapped under the mudslide, no matter from which pack.


    The scene was beyond grotesque. At their weakest point, the werewolves returned to their human forms. Some werewolves died on the spot while they were still in their wolf forms. Their corpses were ripped apart by the force of the slide.


    Those who were found in their human forms were heavily injured. Although they were still alive, their breathing was shallow and their pulses were very weak.


    Every time another werewolf was found, Lucien kept hoping that it was Ronan, and that he might be found alive. Unfortunately, despite having dug around for more than three hours, they were still unable to locate the Alphas.


    Since Kinnon and Ronan were fighting each other at the time of the mudslide, they must be quite close to each other. But where exactly were they?


    In his desperation, Lucien kept calling for Ronan in his heart.


    ¡®Ronan...¡¯


    ¡®Ronan, where are you...?¡¯


    ¡®Ronan, please be safe...¡¯


    He called so many times until finally, Ronan answered.


    Ten minutes after the werewolves dug out Ronan and Kinnon, a helicopter arrived with Acatha and Kendra inside.

 Chapter 133

    133 A Bitter Rendezvous


    Thergely unconscious Ronan and Kinnon were dug out of the mountain of dirt and hoisted carefully into the helicopter.


    The helicopter was a small one. It could only carry the pilot and the two injured Alphas, so not even Lucien could tag along.


    He gave Ronan onest kiss on the cheek before he stepped out of the helicopter and watched it slowly leave the ground and fly toward the St. rence hospital.


    Over at St. rence hospital, hospital staff had been notified about the arrival of the two injured Alphas.


    As soon as the helicopternded on the roof of the hospital, the Alphas were moved to waiting gurneys and taken to the Emergency Room for a detailed inspection.


    Ronan¡¯s back was torn in such a savage manner that parts of the white bones were peeking out. Other than that, he only suffered from bruises and cuts all over his body and face.


    Kinnon, who at the first nce was only bleeding profusely from the left temple, sustained much heavier injuries.


    He had a severe concussion due to having his head mmed against a hard surface a couple of times, and also internal bleeding due to blunt force trauma.


    Both Alphas were sent to surgery rooms to be patched up immediately.


    .....


    The St. rence hospital staff was very careful when handling the two Alphas. Even the surgery chambers were located in opposite wings to ensure that the packs did not continue their fight inside the hospital.


    Meanwhile, more and more werewolves were delivered to St. rance hospital within the next ten hours. Empty gurneys rolled to the entrance of the Emergency Room, and loaded gurneys with bloody, lifeless bodies rolled even faster into the hospital.


    The St. rence hospital staff were extremely busy. Even the receptionist counter was busy with endless visitors from both packs who were trying to find out the fates of all those who participated in the war.


    Unfortunately, the hospital¡¯s main focus was to treat the injured ones. Other than Alpha Ronan and Alpha Kinnon, the other werewolves had yet to be identified. This naturally led to outrage among the worried family members.


    An elderly man mmed his hand on the receptionist counter and shouted furiously, ¡°It has been a while since tens of werewolves entered the hospital and you im that you don¡¯t know who they are? What kind of hospital is this???¡±


    The younger receptionists were close to tears. They tried to tell the angry people that it was not like the werewolves wore cors with their identity information to the war. So how could they know who all those battered and bloody werewolves were???


    While the angry werewolves were busy abusing the poor receptionists, an elder gentleman strolled into the hospital foyer. He was apanied by a young man who walked behind him solemnly.


    The steady sound of a polished wooden cane that hit the hospital¡¯s marble floor along with thenguid steps of the owner was intimidating in its own way. The screaming werewolves fell into silence as they parted to let the elder gentleman through.


    Dane Silverback looked down at the shivering receptionists along the high bridge of his nose.


    ¡°I am here for Ronan Silverback.¡±


    ¡°Mister... Mr. Silverback, of course, Alpha Ronan is...¡±


    The young receptionist who answered Dane was shaking all over.


    ¡°I... please wait a little bit...¡±


    Exactly three minutester, the doctor in charge of Ronan arrived at the receptionist counter and bowed deeply at Dane. He had just finished Ronan¡¯s surgery, so he was still wearing the surgery robe.


    ¡°Mr. Dane Silverback, please let me escort you to Alpha Ronan¡¯s ward...¡±


    As they walked, the doctor gave Dane thetest update on Ronan¡¯s condition.


    The surgery was a sess. Ronan¡¯s back had been stitched together. With the Alpha¡¯s regenerative properties, he would heal within a week. It might leave some scars though, he added. Not that werewolves were particrly distressed about scars. Any scar was proof of a werewolf¡¯s battle prowess as long as it did not incapacitate the werewolf.


    The three people strolled through a corridor and arrived in front of Ronan¡¯s VIP ward. In front of the ward, someone was waiting while rubbing her hands together nervously. It was a nurse in an all-white uniform. When she caught sight of Dane Silverback, she quickly lowered her eyes. Not without sneaking surreptitious nces at Dane. There was fear in her eyes.


    Dane looked her up and down for a moment but was unable to recognize her. Dismissing her as some lowly nurse in the hospital, he pushed the door open and entered Ronan¡¯s ward.


    Inside the ward, Ronan was lying on his stomach with his heavily bandaged back exposed to the air. Next to him, holding his hand, was his mother, Lady Adele Fangde.


    Thedy looked up when she heard someone entering the ward. When she saw that it was Dane, her usually calm disposition and gentle eyes were quickly reced by dark expression and zing eyes.


    Behind Dane, the young man sucked in a deep breath. He stood frozen inside the ward, not knowing what to do. Dane Silverback turned to look at him and dismissed him, ¡°Get out.¡±


    The young man quickly left. He then waited outside next to the nurse who furrowed her brows at him and gave him judgmental looks.


    Inside the ward, Lady Adele Fangde decided that one nce was more than enough for Dane Silverback. She gave her son her full attention.


    Dane Silverback cleared his throat and pulled a chair toward Ronan¡¯s bed. Sitting on the other side of the bed, he crossed his arms and watched his ex-wife. His ex-mate. The previous Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack.


    ¡°Adele,¡± he softly spoke. ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    Lady Adele Fangde gave him a curt smile. It was the kind of smile that Ronan gave his father these years, brimming with contempt and disgust.


    ¡°Stop speaking to me as if you and I were some long-lost friends, Dane Silverback. The mere sight of you makes me sick.¡±

 Chapter 134

    134 He Is My Son, Too


    Dane Silverback closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, he shot Lady Adele Fangde a pleading look.


    ¡°Adele, please. Not in front of our son.¡±


    Lady Adele Fangde smirked. She tilted her head to the side and scrutinized the elder man before her.


    ¡°Do you still need to pretend in front of him? Dane Silverback, he is twenty-five years old.¡±


    Dane¡¯s eyes drifted toward the man on the bed. Ronan had never appeared so weak before him. No, that was inurate. He and Ronan used to have a good rtionship with each other. Dane adored Ronan. He was always there to wipe little Ronan¡¯s tears and tucked him in at night.


    And then his marriage was destroyed and Ronan never again looked at him the same way. Dane knew that he messed up, but he could no longer change the past. Even though he tried his best to make up for his past mistakes, everything was already toote. The hurt already happened, the betrayal could never be erased.


    ¡°Adele, he is my son too,¡± Dane said.


    ¡°Do you think that I was the one who made him hate you?¡± the elder woman raised an eyebrow quizzically.


    ¡°No, but you could have made things better,¡± Dane argued. ¡°He is my son. He is not supposed to meddle in our rtionship. I did him nothing wrong.¡±


    .....


    Lady Adele Fangde heaved a sigh. Was Dane foolish enough to think that he could just keep Ronan out of the marital conflicts? They were a family. Once it was broken, naturally it would affect everyone in the family.


    ¡°Ronan is old enough to know what is going on. If he chooses to hate you, that is his decision and not mine,¡± she replied harshly.


    Dane Silverback gritted his teeth.


    ¡°Never mind,¡± he growled. ¡°I am the stupid one for expecting you to step in.¡±


    Angrily, Dane Silverback rose to his feet and left the ward without looking back even once.


    Ronan¡¯s mother shook her head.


    How pathetic.


    Although she loved Ronan as much as Dane did, originally Ronan was closer to his father than his mother. The reason was quite simple. His father was the all-powerful Alpha, the most important man in the Infinite Eclipse Pack. Although Lady Adele Fangde did not hail from a less prestigious family, her family was declining. The Infinite Eclipse Pack members respected her, but they looked up to their Alpha, Dane Silverback.


    So much so that when it was clearly Dane Silverback who ruined their marriage, it was her who lost her standing as the Luna.


    Not a single soul in the Infinite Eclipse Pack sided with her, except for her precious son.


    Lady Adele Fangde clenched her jaw and curled her fingers into fists at the sheer remembrance.


    She nced at the pearl of her eyes, her little boy. Ronan was the only good thing that came out of her marrying into the Silverback house. He was her little knight in shining armor. Ronan was just ten years old at that time, but he spoke harshly against his father and all the elders in the pack.


    ¡°My sweet baby,¡± the elder woman spoke softly. ¡°My darling son.¡±


    On the bed, Ronan furrowed his brows and his eyes fluttered open.


    Lady Fangde¡¯s eyes turned as round as the moon.


    ¡°Ronan? Don¡¯t move... Sweetheart, don¡¯t move. You are badly hurt.¡±


    Although Ronan wanted to move, he was unable to fight against the many straps that tied him to the bed.


    ¡°Mom,¡± he grabbed his mother¡¯s sleeves. ¡°Mom, Lucien... Where is Lucien?¡±


    His mother had no answer to that. Shepletely forgot that Ronan and Lucien were fighting on the same side in the war.


    Oh, Lord.


    Her heart lurched to the bottom of her stomach.


    What if Lucien...?


    No, can¡¯t be...


    If anything, he would be sent together with Ronan to the hospital.


    ¡°Edith!!!¡± She called for the nurse who waited outside of the ward. Edith came in as soon as she heard her mistress¡¯ call.


    ¡°Was Lucien Clearwater delivered to the hospital as well?¡±


    Naturally, Edith had no ready answer for this abrupt question.


    ¡°Let me check, Lady Fangde,¡± Edith replied. She hurried out of the room to get some information from the receptionist counter.


    Lady Fangde pursed her lips. Just how much information could the poor receptionists provide? If only Lucien came together with Ronan...


    ¡°Mom,¡± Ronan spoke again, his voice hoarse and broken. ¡°Thirsty... Mom.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Lady Fangde rose from her wheelchair with a lot of effort. Her legs were shaky, but she was still able to cross the room to get her son some water. About a third of the cup spilled on the floor when she walked back to Ronan¡¯s bed. Thankfully, the cup was equipped with a straw to prevent spilling when the patient drank from the cup.


    Ronan tried to get up again to no avail. He ended up roaring in anger and fell back to the bed like a heavy log of wood.


    Lady Fangde rubbed his son on the back clumsily. Arge part of his back was bandaged heavily. It was rather difficult to find a spot to rub.


    ¡°Sweetheart, don¡¯t be agitated. Rest, will you? I promise that we will find Lucien for you.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s eyes were unfocused for a second, and then he let out a chuckle.


    ¡°No need, Mom,¡± he said, closing his eyes as his breathing evened out.


    Lady Fangde blinked in confusion. She was about to ask why Ronan suddenly did not feel the need to find Lucien when the door cracked open and she heard Lucien¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Lady Fangde?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s mother broke into a smile when he saw Lucien at the door. The man was drenched from top to bottom. After he and Bjorn finished taking care of all the corpses, all the injured werewolves, and all the survivors, he left Shadow Mist Creek as soon as possible to be at Ronan¡¯s side.


    ¡°Come in, Lucien,¡± Lady Fangde said as she extended her hand for Lucien. ¡°Ronan has been demanding to see you.¡±

 Chapter 135

    135 I Heard You


    After surviving a horrible war together, there must be a lot of things that the two alpha werewolves wanted to say to each other.


    Lady Fangde tactfully left after giving Ronan a kiss on the cheek and Lucien a squeeze in the hand.


    ¡°Take care of Ronan,¡± she said with a wink as Edith rolled her out of the ward.


    Lucien stiffly nodded.


    He inhaled a deep breath and slowly approached Ronan¡¯s bed.


    The Alphay on his stomach with his head facing the right side, just where the window was. Outside, the moon was already high up in the sky.


    Lucien sat in front of Ronan¡¯s bed with his back facing the window. Ronan sighed out of relief when he finally caught sight of Lucien¡¯s face. He looked haggard and the ends of his eyes were red from crying, but otherwise, he looked fine. That was the most important thing.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Lucien called softly. He reached out and rubbed Ronan¡¯s head, his trembling fingers sliding into his hair clumsily. He looked disoriented, very much unlike the Lucien that Ronan was used to.


    The Lucien that Ronan knew was always prepared for everything. No matter what kind of shitty situation he was facing, he could always think of a way out and act without losing hisposure.


    .....


    Oh, Lucien.


    Ronan sighed in his heart.


    ¡°Hey you back,¡± the man on the bed replied with a weak smile.


    Lucien¡¯s hand wandered to Ronan¡¯s forehead. The man was gradually heating up.


    ¡°You have a fever,¡± Lucien said, his gloomy expression bing even gloomier.


    ¡°Mhm, I guess so.¡±


    When Ronan closed his eyes, he could feel his eyeballs burning. It was ufortable, but it was a thousand times better than being buried alive under a tree and hardened mud.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Lucien choked out with sobs, his tears fell like two rivulets across his cheeks.


    The man lowered his head and wed into his legs fervently. He felt extremely guilty.


    It was a war that he started, but Ronan ended up paying a price for it.


    He almost lost Ronan for good.


    He cried a lot when they finally managed to dig Ronan out.


    His tears didn¡¯t stop even after he sent Ronan off on the helicopter ride. Although he would rather run away from Shadow Mist Creek to be by Ronan¡¯s side, he was unable to do that. He had to fulfill his responsibilities and take care of everyone else.


    For the first time in Lucien¡¯s life, he wanted to just run away. Run away from everything and just be by Ronan¡¯s side. He lifted his gaze and looked at Ronan with eyes that were glistening with tears.


    ¡°I am so sorry,¡± he repeated.


    He did not know what he would do if Ronan did not survive. When he held Ronan¡¯s cold body in his arms, he almost went insane. It was the shallow breathing and the weak heartbeat that eventually calmed him down and allowed him to focus.


    The Alpha on the bed was not really appreciative of Lucien¡¯s tears.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t stop saying sorry, I am going to punish you,¡± Ronan muttered darkly.


    Lucien¡¯s lips parted slightly. He seemed to want to protest, but he eventually swallowed the words of apology that were waiting toe out.


    ¡°I heard you, you know,¡± Ronan smiled, his expression softened.


    ¡°You heard me?¡±


    ¡°All the time,¡± Ronan confirmed.


    ¡°I heard you when I was buried down there.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Every single word. You kept me lucid.¡±


    Lucien started to sob.


    Ronan¡¯s face crumpled in distress.


    Whenever he saw Lucien in this state, he always wanted to hug the man,fort the man, and tell him that everything would be fine.


    Unfortunately, he was strapped into the bed. Even his arms were tied down by the straps. He could not reach out for Lucien, let alone hug him.


    Ronan discovered that watching Lucien cry without being able tofort him was a kind of torture of its own.


    ¡°Lulu, don¡¯t cry,¡± he begged in desperation. ¡°I want to hug you but I can¡¯t. I am so useless right now.¡±


    Lucien leaned closer and pressed a kiss on Ronan¡¯s forehead.


    When he pulled away, he saw a scowl on Ronan¡¯s face.


    ¡°... What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Ronan wasrgely dissatisfied and he had no problem saying it out loud.


    ¡°I got hurt this badly and I only get a kiss on the forehead??? Lucien, aren¡¯t you too stingy???¡±


    Lucien was taken aback.


    He could not help but chuckle at Ronan¡¯s unhappy expression.


    ¡°You are hurt so severely. Should you not abstain from intimacy?¡±


    ¡°What intimacy???¡± Ronan demanded. ¡°It was only a kiss! If you don¡¯t kiss me right now, I am never going to get better!¡±


    Lucien shook his head in disbelief.


    ¡°You kiss monster,¡± he scolded the Alpha, but he lowered his head anyway and kissed Ronan on the lips.


    ¡°More,¡± the Alpha demanded.


    He almost died after all. He wanted Lucien to pay up in form of kisses. And more.


    And so Lucien kissed Ronan again and again until thetter got drunk from love and dozed off with a silly smilecing his lips.


    Lucien then got to his feet to find a nurse.


    ¡°Mr. Ronan Silverback is getting a fever,¡± he reported.


    ¡°Thank you for the information, Mr. Clearwater. We will exchange the IV drip in a little bit,¡± the nurse replied.


    Lucien nodded. He went back to Ronan¡¯s ward and slumped against the chair.


    Although he tried his best to stay awake, he was unable to prevent the exhaustion from taking over his body and siphoning the remaining energy away.


    It was a tiring day. He was drained physically and emotionally.


    Lucien slumped forward andy the upper part of his body on top of Ronan¡¯s bed. He ced his hand on top of Ronan¡¯s and gave it a kiss.


    Unfortunately, it was not over yet.


    Lucien¡¯s eyes shed dangerously as he stared at nothing particr ahead of him.


    The war still had yet to end.


    This time, Lucien was going to end it with his own hands.

 Chapter 136

    136 The End Of The War


    It took longer for Kinnon Youngshaper to regain consciousness after hest spoke with Ronan. The hospital staff had purposefully given him a sleeping drug so that he could rest while his body worked to repair itself.


    By the time Kinnon finally opened his eyes, three days had already passed.


    When he first opened his eyes, he fell into a daze. After being awake for an hour, he was able to piece together his memories.


    He was fighting fiercely with Ronan Silverback. There was heavy rain. And then there was the mudslide.


    He and Ronan were trapped underneath.


    After everything that happened, he managed to make it out alive from the mudslide.


    Turning to his Beta, the first thing he asked was : ¡°Did he die?¡±


    Bjorn shook his head.


    Kinnon pursed his lips.


    .....


    Typical werewolf wars did not go that way. Packs liked to lurk around and make strategic moves against the enemies. There should be plenty of chances of hiding in caves, behind huge walls, or even crossing bodies of water if need be.


    And yet the Werewolf Council decided to dump them all in a valley that had nothing but trees.


    They had no other choice but to battle it out on spot.


    That was exactly what Kinnon wanted. He neither had the time nor wanted to entertain the Silent Walkers Pack any longer.


    ¡°How is Ralphy?¡± The Alpha asked.


    Bjorn took out his phone and made a video call.


    The call was received and Ralph¡¯s nanny answered.


    ¡°Yes, Beta?¡±


    ¡°The Alpha would like to see the heir. Is he there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he just finished his breakfast. He is now watching some television. Let me take the phone to him.¡±


    Bjorn handed the phone to Kinnon wordlessly. The screen shifted, and then a little boy appeared on the screen.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± He called with a bright smile.


    Kinnon¡¯s eyes softened when he saw that his son was alright.


    ¡°Ralphy, how are your injuries?¡±


    Ralph lifted his bandaged arms and leg for Kinnon to see.


    ¡°Daddy, I am fine! It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore, look!¡±


    Kinnon bit back the remark that it only did not hurt because the thick bandages act like a cushion. He instead smiled and replied, ¡°Very good. Don¡¯t watch too much television. Get a lot of rest.¡±


    The words were mainly directed at the nanny, who immediately spoke up.


    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡±


    The line was cut and Kinnon returned the phone to Bjorn.


    A werewolf pup was no different from a human child. They did not have their wolves yet, so they did not heal quickly.


    It was good that nothing else happened to Ralph. If something did, Kinnon did not think that he could take it.


    ¡°What happened while I was unconscious?¡± was the next question that Kinnon asked.


    Bjorn took out a small notebook from his pocket and dutifully reported, ¡°After thendslide happened and both you and Ronan were found to be missing, I took the liberty to cease the war on your behalf.


    Lucien and I worked to take care of the bodies of the deceased, send the injured ones to St. rence, and also get the survivors back to their respective packs.¡±


    ¡°What is the body count?¡±


    ¡°From our side, 10 deceased, 125 injured, and 196 survived with little to no injuries.¡±


    10 deceased.


    Kinnon rubbed at his tired eyes.


    ¡°What about the opposite side?¡±


    Bjorn flipped the page and continued to read, ¡°From the Silent Walkers Pack¡¯s side, 15 deceased, 103 injured, 79 survived with little to no injuries.¡±


    15 deceased.


    That was quite a number for a war thatsted less than three hours effectively. Then again, how many wars ended with a mudslide? They were all just extremely unlucky.


    Thankfully, 25 were all the werewolves that they lost in the war. Those with heavy injuries might require some time to recover, but they will eventually recover.


    ¡°Alpha, there is one more thing,¡± Bjorn solemnly spoke.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Lucien Clearwater has requested to speak to you as soon as you wake up.¡±


    Kinnon¡¯s face darkened.


    He was pretty sure that Lucien was not looking for him because he was worried about his injuries.


    ¡°Oh, really,¡± the Alpha said with a chuckle. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask him toe then?¡±


    Bjorn lifted his gaze and gave his Alpha an expressionless look.


    ¡°He is outside. He has been waiting for some time.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Kinnon said. ¡°Let him in.¡±


    Bjorn gave a curt nod. He put away his notebook and exited the ward to get Lucien.


    A momentter, Lucien entered the ward. Bjorn was close at his heels.


    ¡°Hello, Lucien,¡± Kinnon greeted.


    ¡°Hi, Kinnon,¡± Lucien said in return, but his eyes were devoid of warmth.


    He turned to look at Bjorn who was watching his every movement without blinking.


    ¡°I wish to have a private talk with the Alpha of the Night Prowler Pack,¡± he pointed out.


    Bjorn was still not moving.


    ¡°Bjorn, leave us,¡± Kinnon said.


    Bjorn furrowed his brows. ¡°Alpha, I don¡¯t think that it...¡±


    ¡°Leave us. This is an order,¡± Kinnon emphasized.


    Bjorn stared at his Alpha in disbelief. Lucien clearly did note with a basket of fruits here. Did the Alpha contract a death wish?


    Nevertheless, Bjorn inhaled a deep breath and then left without a word of reply.


    The door closed behind him, leaving Lucien and Kinnon alone in the ward.


    ¡°Well? What do I owe this honor to?¡±


    Lucien shot Kinnon an icy look.


    ¡°I am here to end the war.¡±


    A smirk spread on the Alpha¡¯s face. He propped one of his legs up and used it to support an arm.


    ¡°And how do you want it to happen?¡±


    ¡°I only see two options,¡± Lucien narrowed his eyes at the man on the bed.


    ¡°One, you surrenderpletely without any conditions.¡±


    A corner of Kinnon¡¯s mouth ticked up.


    ¡°And if I refuse?¡±


    ¡°You will die here and now,¡± Lucien said without skipping a beat.


    Kinnon pinned Lucien with a re.


    ¡°What will it be, Alpha Kinnon?¡± Lucien asked.

 Chapter 137

    137 Irrefutable Piece Of Evidence


    Kinnon chuckled at Lucien¡¯s words.


    ¡°Did you forget? Wars are conducted in wolf forms.¡±


    Lucien had a quick solution for that tiny problem.


    ¡°To adhere to the war regtion, I don¡¯t mind transforming into my wolf form and slitting your throat with my w,¡± Lucien added mercilessly.


    Kinnon had never experienced this side of Lucien, so naturally, he was taken aback.


    Since when did Lucien be so fierce?


    Kinnon shot Lucien an indulgent smile.


    ¡°You are so impatient to kill me that youe here as soon as I woke up. Why the hurry?¡±


    Lucien¡¯s lips were pulled into a thin line. He had a very good answer to that question.


    .....


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to give you another opportunity to hurt Ronan.¡±


    So it was all about Ronan Silverback.


    Kinnon wed into his bedsheet furiously.


    Ronan, Ronan. Ronan again!


    Ronan kepting between him and Lucien. And now Lucien was here on Ronan¡¯s behalf.


    What was so good about Ronan anyway???


    ¡°You are choosing the wrong man,¡± Kinnon spat out. ¡°You don¡¯t even know what Ronan is capable of doing.¡±


    ¡°Are you referring to the recent attack on Ralphy?¡±


    Kinnon pursed his lips.


    So Lucien knew?


    ¡°Ronan told me,¡± Lucien enlightened him. ¡°Apparently, you assumed that Ronan orchestrated the attack.¡±


    Kinnon scoffed.


    ¡°Assume? Don¡¯t look down on me.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any proof then?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I do,¡± Kinnon smiled. ¡°Will a belt with the Silverback family¡¯s sigil do as proof?¡±


    Lucien narrowed his eyes at Kinnon. ¡°What exactly happened? How did you get your hand on the belt?¡±


    Kinnon motioned toward a chair in front of him.


    ¡°Take a seat. I will tell you everything that I know. After that, we can decide how to end the war.¡±


    Lucien exhaled and took a seat in front of Kinnon.


    ¡°Please speak, Alpha Kinnon.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s invite Bjorn in to narrate the event then. I want you to hear it from someone other than me.¡±


    Lucien agreed.


    Summoned through the Mind Link, Bjorn entered the ward again with a solemn expression.


    ¡°Yes, Alpha?¡±


    ¡°Tell Lucien what happened on the day of Ralph¡¯s attack,¡± Kinnon gestured toward Lucien, who turned to face Bjorn.


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    The attack happened in the week of the war preparation. Kinnon was busy coordinating the sixteen other packs that he barely had time to spend with Ralph.


    The little boy asked to be allowed to go to a brand new amusement park at East Temple City, and Kinnon immediately said no.


    His reasoning was simple. It was a tense situation in the werewolfmunity.


    They were going to have a war that involved 32 packs, counting the Silent Walkers Pack and the Night Prowler Pack together.


    The timing could not be poorer.


    Although Ralph was unhappy, he obeyed Kinnon and did not ask about the amusement park anymore. He instead asked to be allowed to watch the training.


    Kinnon thought that it was a good idea to let Ralph see how war preparation went. After all, wars did not happen all too often, and one learned faster when one got to see how they happened.


    Ralph thus spent a lot of time watching from the spectator seat while representatives from other packs poured into their residence and participated in the daily training.


    On thest day before Kinnon and his group set out to Shadow Mist Creek, he invited the leaders from the sixteen other groups for a coordination meeting.


    Bjorn was overseeing the other warriors. For some reason, his gaze drifted to the spectator seat and Ralph was not there. His nanny also had left.


    Ralph had a habit of waving and shouting goodbye cheerfully to the warriors before he left to go back to the pack house for whatever reason, so Bjorn went to ask a lead warrior when Ralph left the training ground.


    The lead warrior did not even know that Ralph left. No one knew where he ran off to.


    After rallying the servants and searching everywhere, Bjorn eventually found him.


    The little boy was cowering on the ground with sh wounds on his arms and right leg. Next to him, his nannyy dead after being maimed terribly by a werewolf. Said werewolf stood before Ralph, preparing to kill the boy.


    In his aggression, Bjorn failed to control his strength and ended up killing the werewolf. After a careful investigation, it was found that he smuggled himself into the Night Prowler Pack House by pretending to be one of the warriors that came from supporting packs.


    He was even assigned a guest room that he shared with other warriors. His belongings were taken from the room and inspected thoroughly.


    What they found in his bag was a belt with the Silverback family¡¯s sigil that was imprinted on a silver te.


    A sinful-looking wolf that was howling at the moon.


    It was definitely something, because no werewolf family distributed items that bore their sigil freely. On the other side, ancient werewolf families believed in people who were ¡°not bound by blood but by hearts¡±. This typically referred to anyone that someone from said ancient family trusted with all their hearts and felt deeply connected to.


    For example, when Lady Adele Fangde gave Lucien the shawl with the Fangde family sigil on it. By doing so, Lady Fangde told Lucien that she considered Lucien as one of her family members. And that he approved of Lucien as her son¡¯s partner.


    And this was also why the belt was bad news.


    It screamed something like ¡°I am sent by the Silverback family to murder the only son of Kinnon Youngshaper, the future Alpha of the Night Prowler Pack.¡±


    Lucien would rather eat lead than believe that Ronan had anything to do with it. Unfortunately, he could not speak for the entire Silverback family. Whoever it was, Ronan was still head of the family. He was responsible for everyone who bore the surname Silverback in the Infinite Eclipse Pack.


    Unless...


    Lucien swallowed hard. There was one other possibility. The only other possibility that could clear the Silverback family¡¯s name.


    ¡°It could be a fake,¡± Lucien suggested.

 Chapter 138

    138 I Will Kill You With My Own Hands


    Everything could be faked these days. Lucien was pretty sure that he could falsify the Werewolf Council stempel if he wanted to.


    He could just take the envelope with the wax seal to the workshop.


    Which werewolf in the werewolfmunity did not know what the sigil of the Silverback family looked like? The Silverback family, along with the sigil, was featured in the Werewolf Council newsletter at least once a month. It was ridiculously easy to fabricate this belt.


    To Lucien¡¯s greatest dismay, Both Bjorn and Kinnon shook their heads. A grim expression spread across both of their faces.


    ¡°Lucien, you might not know this, but all silver tes with the werewolf family sigils are forged by a special silversmith under the Werewolf Council,¡± Bjorn exined. ¡°They all carry the High Seer¡¯s special charm.¡±


    Lucien did not need to ask whether they checked the authenticity of the silver te with the Werewolf Council or not.


    Of course, they did.


    That¡¯s why they were so sure of the Silverback family¡¯s involvement.


    ¡°Well? Do you still think that Ronan is innocent?¡± Kinnon asked.


    .....


    Lucien gave the man a firm nod. ¡°I still do. Just because the belt originates from the Silverback family, it doesn¡¯t mean that Ronan is the perpetrator.¡±


    Kinnon scoffed. Even with a piece of clear evidence on the table, Lucien still stood by Ronan.


    ¡°He is not the head of the Silverback family for nothing. What do you think, Bjorn? Should I drag him before the Werewolf Council?¡±


    Kinnon turned at Bjorn who remained impassive upon his Alpha¡¯s taunting words. He instead threw a nce at Lucien, curious about what thetter nned to do.


    ¡°Either way, Ronan has to take responsibility for the crime. The only good thing out of this whole thing is that Bjorn saved Ralph. You and Ronan should be thanking Bjorn on your knees. Otherwise, it is blood for blood.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Lucien said, ¡°As you said, Ronan is the head of the Silverback family. Your son was hurt. Naturally, you have the right to blow this incident up. You can even drag the Silverback family through the mud if you want.


    But think about it, Kinnon. Do you want to find out who the real culprit is, or do you want to destroy Ronan, and with him the Silverback family, just to feed your hatred?¡±


    A very good question. The answer was clear, but Kinnon was not willing to say it out loud. Of course he wished to find the animal who daredy his ws on his baby son. Might the Moon Goddess have mercy on him, because Kinnon would not be as nice.


    Although Kinnon hated Ronan to the bone because Lucien was hopelessly tied to him, the Alpha knew that Ronan was innocent. If he had wanted to hurt Ralph, he could have done it on many other asions.


    Doing it while they were preparing for war was just stupid and careless. On top of that, it was not done cleanly. The assassin could have used poison. Why even bother transforming into a wolf?


    Also, why did he dally so much?


    He already killed Ralph¡¯s nanny.


    Killing Ralph would be a piece of cake.


    So what was he waiting for?


    A lot of things did not add up.


    It was almost as if he was there to be found. He even purposefully carried the belt with him. Considering that the belt was a precious token that was given directly by a member of the Silverback family, anyone at the receiving end of the belt would have kept it safe, probably even locked it in a safe.


    So why was he carrying the belt around?


    No, to be exact, he carried it into the Night Prowler Pack¡¯sir.


    It was all extremely fishy. It sounded like someone, or some people, wanted to use the Silverback family of the crime. They must have expected Kinnon to run berserk after his son was wounded.


    Indeed, Kinnon foolishly fell for the trap and was thus determined to avenge his son and kill Ronan.


    ¡°What do you suggest if I choose to find the true culprit?¡± Kinnon inquired. Anyway, this was his riddle to solve. Lucien was only there to end the war. He could not care less.


    Against his expectation, Lucien wanted to be involved in the investigation. ¡°I suggest that you surrender with no condition so we can end the war peacefully. After that, all three of us ¡ª you, me, and Ronan ¡ª will help each other to find out the truth behind the attack.¡±


    Lucien was not done yet.


    ¡°Until the truth is revealed, I will not forgive you if you darey your hands on Ronan again,¡± he added.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are so worried about. Do you even know what kind of injuries he inflicted on me?¡± Kinnon grumbled.


    Kinnon had only managed to stab into Ronan¡¯s back and tore at it, while Ronan bumped him against the cliffside numerous times and also gave him internal bleeding from endless head bumps.


    The Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack was not the toothless werewolf pup that Lucien made him out to be. He was more than able to defend himself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Lucien snapped impatiently. ¡°Touch Ronan again and I will kill you with my own hands.¡±


    Kinnon roared out of frustration. He turned to look at Bjorn and gloomily said, ¡°Bjorn, give me a piece of paper and ink.¡±


    In the end, Kinnon agreed to surrender. The second war between the Silent Walkers Pack and the Night Prowler Pack thus ended with the Silent Walkers Pack¡¯s victory.


    Lucien was almost moved to tears when he held the resignation paper that Kinnon personally wrote,plete with his signature and thumbprint.


    ¡°Satisfied?¡± he asked in a snarky tone.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Lucien looked up from the paper and smiled at Kinnon. ¡°Thank you, Kinnon.¡±


    ¡°If you really want to thank me, you better keep your promise,¡± Kinnon pointed out. ¡°I expect full cooperation from the Silverback family to unearth the child murderer that almost murdered my son.¡±


    Lucien nodded. He folded the resignation letter carefully and tucked it into his pocket. When he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something else.

 Chapter 139

    139 The Silverback Family


    ¡°You know, Kinnon, Ronan was not lying when he told you that Ralph called me before the war started. Now that I think about it, could it not be Ralph after all?¡±


    It was not that difficult to imitate Ralph. Any child could act spoiled, call him Mommy, and pretend to cry. The culprit¡¯s goal was clear. He was appealing to Lucien¡¯s tender heart, using Ralph to tether Kinnon to life.


    How could Lucien bear to kill Kinnon, all the while knowing that the innocent little boy would then lose not only his mother but also his father? Not to mention that the child was very close to Lucien during thetter¡¯s stay in the Night Prowler Pack House.


    ¡°I can assure you that it is not Ralph. Ralph does not even know how to use phones,¡± Kinnon answered.


    Well.


    Of course.


    Initially, Lucien also had his doubt. That was why he bombarded the fake Ralph with questions. But then when the fake Ralph started acting pitiful, Lucien imagined the boy on the other end of the line blubbering with sadness. Then, he dropped his guardspletely.


    That was what the perpetrator wanted.


    Lucien wed into the door frame full of resentment.


    .....


    ¡°How is Ralph doing now?¡± he asked without raising his eyes to meet Kinnon¡¯s.


    ¡°I had a video call with him today. Through his second nanny,¡± he added, just in case Lucien thought that his story was inconsistent. ¡°He is doing fine, thanks for asking.¡±


    Lucien gave a slight nod and then excused himself. As he strolled along the corridor to cross the hospital from one wing to another, he kept wondering who the person behind the wicked schemes was.


    The person was responsible for the attack on Ralph.


    At the same time, the person also made sure to weaken Lucien¡¯s resolution in the war.


    Actually, it was not only Lucien¡¯s but also Ronan¡¯s.


    Lucien thought back about Ronan¡¯s bad mood the night before the warmenced. Even without him saying anything about it, Lucien knew that Ronan was disturbed by Ralph¡¯s call.


    Could it be that Ronan was hurt that badly because he also hesitated to kill Kinnon? He too would not want to see Ralph ending up as an orphan.


    Despite his harsh exterior, Ronan was kind andpassionate. Lucien knew that very well.


    From the look of it, he was not the only one who knew that.


    Lucien gritted his teeth.


    Unforgivable.


    Whoever it was, Lucien would track the person to hell and back.


    When Lucien arrived at Ronan¡¯s ward, thetter was deeply asleep. The doctor gave him some sleeping drugs so that he stopped moving around and trying to free himself from the straps.


    ¡°The wound is going to closepletely within a week,¡± the doctor informed Lady Fangde. ¡°But if he keeps moving around restlessly like this, it is going to take longer. Plus there is a risk of infection.¡±


    When head smacking and scolding no longer helped, Lady Fangde and Lucien agreed to knock Ronan out for the time being.


    The Alpha only woke up around an hour a day to mumble something about wanting to eat something, which he would gobble down the following day before he fell asleep again.


    With no one else to talk to but Lady Fangde, Lucien decided to ask her about the belt instead.


    To his greatest relief, Lady Fangde was not entirely allergic to the surname Silverback. The fact that her darling son bore the name did help a lot.


    ¡°The Silverback family does have a few items that are emzoned with the sigil, but most of them were made a long time ago. They are usually family heirlooms,¡± she exined to Lucien.


    ¡°How long is a long time ago?¡±


    ¡°Something like a hundred to two hundred years ago, I think?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    That was really a long time ago then.


    ¡°The practice of putting the sigil on every valuable item ceased along with the growing civilization. Besides, if I am not mistaken, the Werewolf Council no longer offers the silversmithing service for that.¡±


    ¡°Alright. So, is there a list of werewolves or human beings that had been fortunate enough to receive these special items as gifts?¡±


    Lady Fangde shook her head solemnly.


    Lucien¡¯s face fell right away.


    Lady Fangde gave Lucien a sympathetic smile.


    ¡°No family keeps track of the gifts they distribute to others. Not to mention that every family member can do that as long as the items are within their possession.¡±


    ¡°Lady Fangde, just how big is the Silverback family?¡±


    The elder woman puffed into the air as she slumped back to her seat and recounted the Silverback family members before Lucien.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see. Ronan¡¯s grandfather had two sons and a daughter altogether. Dane is the eldest, Kragen is the second, and Helene is the youngest.


    Each of them got married and had families of their own. Dane has who knows how many children other than Ronan, Kragen has three of his own, and Helene has four.¡±


    ¡°Before you ask further, the majority of family heirlooms fall into thep of the new family head upon the demise of the previous one. Which means that they were Dane¡¯s, and now they belong to Ronan.¡±


    ¡°What about the rest?¡± Lucien continued to ask.


    ¡°The rest might be distributed when the previous head was still alive. Those items have been gifted away. Naturally, the current family head will not start asking for the items to be returned one by one.¡±


    ¡°Are there many belts that bore the family sigil?¡±


    ¡°Not many,¡± Lady Fangde answered, ¡°But belts are very ordinary. No one from the Silverback family would remember such an item. Nowadays, the family heirlooms that Ronan kept are treasures like the first sword that the Silverback ancestor forged to y his enemies or the twelve-jewel crown that the first Luna of the pack wore.¡±


    Indeed, a mere belt could notpare to a sword or a crown.


    ¡°Since it is not an item worth remembering, could it be that the belt was a stolen item?¡± Lucien asked hopefully.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± Lady Fangde drawled. She knitted her brows as she tried to recall something from the past. ¡°There was indeed an incident from the past when the Silverback family¡¯s treasure vault was raided.¡±

 Chapter 140

    140 The Raid Incident


    A raid?


    The tiny fire of hope that was almost snuffed out by many cul-de-sacs suddenly red up again. The belt might very well be a stolen good!


    ¡°When did this raid happen and where can I get more information about it?¡± Lucien asked enthusiastically.


    Lady Fangde had to suppress a smile when she looked at Lucien.


    ¡°For that, you need to ask Ronan yourself. The raid happened around a week after he became the Alpha. So to say a speck of dirt at the start of his reign. Until now he is still very unhappy when he has to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how ufortable he is, I will get him to talk,¡± Lucien insisted.


    It was necessary to solve the big riddle that was ahead of them. Their enemy was lurking in the darkness, pulling invisible strings and making one move after another against them.


    Lucien needed to find the person before he caused even more harm to the people that he cared about.


    At that time, his phone started to ring. Lucien took his phone out of his pocket and saw that it was his mother.


    .....


    ¡°Sorry, Lady Fangde,¡± Lucien quickly said. ¡°I need to go.¡±


    Lucien rushed out of Ronan¡¯s ward and walked toward the stairs. He picked up the call as he ran down the flights of stairs.


    ¡°Mom? How is Anna?¡±


    ¡°The doctor just came,¡± Alice informed him. ¡°Are youing? I think I can hear your footsteps.¡±


    At the end of the other line, Alice furrowed her brows and shifted her eyes toward the door.


    Sure enough, Lucien appeared at the door secondster, panting and sweating as he stumbled into the ward.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he apologized while pulling her mom into a hug. And then he scanned the ward for other people who were already there.


    Kendra and Acatha were seated on the chairs. Kendra was more or less unscathed. She only had scratch and bite wounds that healed within a day. Acatha¡¯s arm was broken and put into a cast.


    On the bed sat Annalynne with half her head covered in thick bandages. She also broke her right leg during the fight.


    Lucien greeted Kendra and Acatha, and then he went to sit next to Annalynne.


    ¡°Hey, Anna,¡± he took Annalynne¡¯s hand in his and gently squeezed at it. Annalynne turned her head to look at her brother, but her gaze was empty and she said nothing in return.


    Ever since they returned from the war, Annalynne had not said even a word, let alone conversed with others.


    The doctor said that it was caused by immense shock.


    She was one of the werewolves who were trapped under the mudslide. When they first recovered her, she started screaming in horror until she passed out. After that, aplete radio silence.


    The door was opened again and a nurse rolled Desmond¡¯s wheelchair into the ward.


    ¡°Am Ite?¡± He asked, looking around at the people inside the ward.


    ¡°No, you are just in time,¡± Alice said with a smile. ¡°Come in, Desmond.¡±


    ¡°How are you doing, Desmond?¡± Lucien inquired.


    Desmond shrugged.


    ¡°Eh. I was hit hard and some of my bones were dislocated. I think I am more or less fixed, but the doctor insists on keeping me around for observation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you need to practice walking again,¡± Kendra reminded him. ¡°The doctor told you that he will not let you go until you can leave the hospital on both feet.¡±


    Desmond groaned.


    ¡°That will take months! I want to go back to my wife and kids!¡±


    Kendra and Acatha exchanged smiles.


    While Alice entertained the visitors, Lucien wrapped an arm around Annalynne¡¯s shoulder and gave his sister a kiss on the forehead.


    ¡°Anna, you will be fine,¡± he whispered. ¡°The war has officially ended. No one is going to hurt you anymore.¡±


    The red-headed woman said nothing, but she leaned her head on Lucien¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± Lucien praised as he rubbed his sister¡¯s upper arm.


    The next time the door opened, Gordon Clearwater entered.


    Kendra, Acatha, and Desmond were mildly surprised.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater!!!¡± They shouted in unison.


    ¡°Hello, everyone,¡± Gordon nodded at the three members of his pack. He then approached the bed and took both of his children into his arms.


    ¡°Lulu, Anna, you two have worked very hard,¡± he said, his voice trembling from emotion. ¡°I am sorry that I could not be there for you.¡±


    Lucien hugged his father as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Dad,¡± he mumbled against the man¡¯s shoulder.


    Anna still said nothing, but she kept looking at Gordon with a pair of sad eyes.


    ¡°How is my little princess doing?¡± Gordon raked his fingers through Anna¡¯s curly hair.


    No answer as always.


    ¡°The doctor ising soon,¡± Gordon informed them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about this,¡± Alice said, rubbing her hands together nervously. ¡°What if Anna is getting worse?¡±


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t say that,¡± Lucien said while covering Annalynne¡¯s ears. ¡°Anna will be fine. She is just...¡±


    She was just traumatized, that¡¯s all.


    The word ¡°just¡± sounded like an impartial diminution of what happened to every single werewolf who took part in the war.


    How could she not be traumatized? It was traumatizing for all of them.


    It was not Annalynne¡¯s fault at all. She was one of the victims.


    The doctor came in apaniment of two nurses.


    ¡°Ready?¡± He asked everyone in the room.


    Some remained silent while most nodded stiffly. Annalynne was moved to the edge of the bed and the doctor held a pair of scissors up.


    Once Annalynne caught sight of the pair of scissors, her eyes turned round and she jumped off the bed.


    ¡°Anna...!!!¡±


    Panicked, Annalynne pushed everyone who was in her way as she stumbled with one foot toward the door.


    ¡°Anna!!!¡±


    Lucien threw himself at Annalynne and grabbed her from behind.


    ¡°Anna, please,¡± he begged. ¡°We will always be with you. No matter what happens, we are still one family.¡±


    Tears started forming in Annalynne¡¯s eyes. She opened her mouth and a sorrowful cry came out.


    ¡°Waaaahhhhhhhh... Ahhhhhhh...!!!¡±

 Chapter 141

    141 I Am Ugly Now


    Once Annalynne calmed down, she finally agreed to return to bed. Her tears kept falling while the doctor cut the bandages around her head.


    Strips of bandages came off and revealed Annalynne¡¯s swollen face.


    The left side of her cheek was torn cruelly by an opposing werewolf, leaving three long cuts that extended from her ear to her chin.


    Although the cuts have healed, scars in form of three lines remained.


    Annalynne sat there while the people around her stared at the scars, unsure what to say.


    For the first time in days, Anna spoke up.


    ¡°I want a mirror.¡±


    A nurse pulled her lips into a tight smile and handed Annalynne a hand mirror.


    The woman stared at her reflection. Her fingers traced the ss, touching the scars through the mirror. And then she touched the scars on her face gingerly.


    .....


    The three lines were so ugly.


    She was so ugly.


    Annalynne¡¯s face crumpled and tears started forming again.


    ¡°Big Brother, Dad, Mom, I am so ugly now,¡± shemented.


    ¡°No, you are not,¡± Alice said softly. ¡°You are still my most beautiful girl.¡±


    Gordon pulled his sobbing daughter into a hug. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, Anna. We can do something about the scars. Stop crying, alright?¡±


    At loss, Lucien rubbed at Annalynne¡¯s shoulder. He did not know what to say. He was a man, after all. He did not care much about scars. But Annalynne was not the same. Although Lucien wanted to, he would never be able to understand Annalynne¡¯s anguish.


    When visitation hour was over, Kendra, Acatha, and Desmond were kicked out of the ward.


    Alice and Gordon too were asked to leave for the day.


    Only Annalynne and Lucien were left in the ward. Lucieny on the bed, cuddling his sister in his arms while she sniffled softly.


    Anna kept rubbing against the scars on her cheek, as if trying to erase them.


    ¡°Anna, don¡¯t,¡± Lucien grabbed Anna¡¯s hand and put it aside. ¡°The wound is not entirely healed yet. You should stop touching it. The doctor already said that we need to rub some ointment on the scars.¡±


    Lucien climbed off the bed to grab the tiny ointment jar from a table.


    Annalynne grumbled.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like they will disappear.¡±


    Lucien patiently scooped some of the ointment and smeared it on Annalynne¡¯s cheek. ¡°At least it wouldn¡¯t get worse,¡± he tried tofort her.


    Annalynne pursed her lips and looked at her brother.


    ¡°Lulu, I... We are now no longer twin beauties. We are the beauty and the beast.¡±


    Lucien shook his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡±


    Annalynne was too fixated on her scars. Lucien needed her to stop thinking about her scars, and even better, stop wanting to touch her scars.


    ¡°Anna, is there something that you want to do? We can watch some television. Do you want to look at trending videos? Or...¡±


    ¡°I would rather eat something good.¡±


    Lucien rubbed at Annalynne¡¯s hair lovingly. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°What about some Honey BBQ Squid from the Food Market?¡±


    ¡°Alright, then I will go there to get you some.¡±


    ¡°Get three portions. We will share,¡± Annalynne demands.


    ¡°Alright, three portions it is.¡±


    After Lucien left, a nurse came in and asked whether Annalynne wanted to have her ward cleaned. They were unable to clean in the afternoon due to the many visitors.


    Annalynne agreed. She thus left her bed and went for a walk in the hospital garden. Thankfully only one leg of hers was broken. She could still move around with crutches.


    At 6.30 PM, there were still a lot of patients that were walking around in the garden. When Annalynne saw that many people around, she suddenly felt self-conscious about the scars on her cheek. She would love to hide the scars behind her hand, but Lucien would not be happy if she smeared the ointment.


    Annalynne thus made a U-turn to go back into the hospital building. She could just wander around the corridors until her room was done.


    As luck had it, she just had toe across the one person she did not want to see at all.


    ¡°Annalynne?¡±


    The voice behind her caused Annalynne to freeze on spot.


    Because she didn¡¯t turn around, Kinnon Youngshaper made a point to walk up to her and look at her face.


    Her scarred face.


    Annalynne looked up and gave him a burning re.


    So what?


    Why did she have to hide?


    Anyway, the wound was caused by someone from Kinnon¡¯s group.


    The Alpha from the opposing side was stunned to see the three long lines that marred Annalynne¡¯s face. He reached out to grab Annalynne¡¯s chin, but thetter dodged his hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± she hissed.


    Kinnon sighed.


    ¡°Leave us,¡± he said, addressing the male nurse who was tagging along behind him.


    After the nurse left, Kinnon grabbed Annalynne¡¯s shoulders to take a better look at the scars. The woman could not free herself because she had to hold on to the crutches under her armpits.


    ¡°I know a very good stic surgeon,¡± Kinnon muttered as he moved Annalynne¡¯s chin left and right to get a better look at the scars. ¡°He can make the scars disappear for good.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to do that,¡± Annalynne replied. ¡°You don¡¯t have to concern yourself with me.¡±


    ¡°I am not trying to be nosy,¡± Kinnon exined. ¡°I am just offering to help.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your help,¡± Annalynne frowned at Kinnon. ¡°If you wanted to help, you could have stopped the war.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t,¡± Kinnon said.


    Of course he could not. He barely managed to free the Clearwater siblings from suspicion when the rogue werewolves attacked him and Anna. He could not do that the second time around when the city was full of werewolves who spent the night after the Moon Banquet.


    ¡°It is not that simple, Anna.¡±


    Kinnon did not mean anything when he said the words, but Annalynne was quickly enraged. Those were the exact same words that Kinnon used when he rejected Annalynne¡¯s advances. It was like adding salt to injury.


    ¡°Fine!!! I am a stupid simpleton who doesn¡¯t know anything! Are you happy now, Kinnon???¡±

 Chapter 142

    142 The Alpha Wanted To Cuddle


    Annalynne bumped against Kinnon¡¯s shoulder and stormed into the hospital without looking back.


    Don¡¯t cry don¡¯t cry don¡¯t cry... She kept chanting in her heart. Unfortunately, her tears were not listening to her. They fell freely across her cheeks and blinded her sight.


    Coincidentally, Lucien just got back from buying the night snack that Annalynne wanted. He was standing in front of Annalynne¡¯s empty ward, wondering where she ran off to when she stormed toward him.


    ¡°Anna, where did you... Huh...???¡±


    Annalynne grabbed her brother by the wrist and dragged him into the ward, mming the door close behind them.


    ¡°Why are you so agitated? Why are you crying? What happened?¡± Lucien demanded to know after he put the snack on the table.


    ¡°I met Kinnon,¡± Annalynne confessed. ¡°That asshole, pretending to be a gentleman and offering to fix my face! Who does he think he is?¡±


    Lucien was a little confused. He himself had thought about offering the same thing to Annalynne while he was out buying food. Who would know that Annalynne was strongly against stic surgery?


    ¡°Well...¡±


    .....


    Lucien took a seat on the bed, next to his sister.


    ¡°How did that offend you, again?¡± He hopelessly asked, and that earned him a re from the woman.


    ¡°Lulu, you are... Ahhhhh you men are all so...!!!¡±


    Annalynne buried her face into a pillow and whined.


    Lucien was speechless.


    ¡°Do you want to eat first? Then we can talk?¡±


    Annalynne whipped her head and gave her brother a menacing re. ¡°No. But do leave the Honey BBQ Squid behind.¡±


    Lucien heaved a sigh. Ever since Annalynne grew up, it had been increasingly difficult to understand her. Annalynne¡¯s mood was not the best today, so Lucien decided to give her some space. He grabbed the jar of ointment from the table and put it in front of Annalynne.


    ¡°Then eat when you want to eat. After that re-apply the ointment and go to sleep early, alright?¡±


    Annalynne grunted to signify that she heard what Lucien said.


    Lucien then left and went up to Ronan¡¯s VIP ward. Each VIP ward was equipped with a bedroom for one caretaker. Ever since Lucien came back from the Shadow Mist Creek, he had been sleeping there every night. It was rather convenient because then he could be there for Ronan whenever Ronan was awake. Convenient for Ronan, to be precise.


    Ever since they discovered that they couldmunicate using Mind Link, Ronan had been using it to summon Lucien on spot.


    He did not wake up a lot throughout the day due to the sleeping drugs, so he often woke up at night to bother Lucien like a spoiled three-year-old boy.


    ¡®Lucien.¡¯


    ¡®Luciennnnnn...¡¯


    ¡®LULU!¡¯


    ¡®WHAT!!!!¡¯


    Lucien tossed his nket aside and marched out of the caretaker¡¯s bedroom to take a look at Ronan. The Alpha had been allowed to lie on his side instead of his stomach, but he was still strapped tightly to the bed.


    A shameless grin spread on Ronan¡¯s face as he looked at the fuming Lucien.


    ¡°I am bored. Come and entertain me.¡±


    ¡°Do I look like some clown to you, Alpha???¡±


    Nevertheless, Lucien still climbed into Ronan¡¯s bed and slid under his nket. Ronan pulled Lucien close and buried his nose into thetter¡¯s corbone. The sweet scent of orange and honey instantly filled his lungs. He sighed contentedly.


    Lucien wrapped his arms around Ronan¡¯s neck, searched for Ronan¡¯s lips, and kissed them.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Excessively bored,¡± Ronan answered with a t tone. ¡°Tell me what is happening. I want to hear it.¡±


    ¡°I went to see Kinnon today,¡± Lucien told him. ¡°He agreed to surrender after much persuasion, but...¡±


    Lucien sighed.


    ¡°But what?¡±


    Ronan coiled a strand of Lucien¡¯s hair around his little finger yfully.


    ¡°But after we talked, we found out that there was a third party in this war who was doing things unknown to us.


    There had been an attack on Ralph. At the same time, I received a fake call from Ralph.¡±


    Ronan widened his eyes in surprise.


    ¡°The call was fake? And that little boy was attacked?¡±


    Lucien nodded. ¡°Kinnon thought that you did it.¡±


    Ronan scoffed and rolled with his eyes.


    ¡°Sorry to say but Kinnon isn¡¯t exactly the peacemaker that he believes himself to be. Do you even know how many packs he offended???¡±


    And herees the difficult part, Lucien thought.


    ¡°The assassin had a belt that bears the Silverback family sigil. It was found among his belongings.¡±


    Ronan was quiet for a while. He looked deep into Lucien¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t do it.¡±


    Lucien smacked at his forehead. ¡°I know you didn¡¯t do it, silly.¡±


    Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s wrist and pressed it against his lips.


    ¡°What I am trying to say is that this enemy is themon enemy of both packs. If you say that Kinnon is a warmonger, can you think about someone or some people that might be out to hurt your pack?¡±


    ¡°Uhhh...¡±


    Ronan thought for a while, but he could note up with any concrete name.


    ¡°Both my and Kinnon¡¯s pack did not be the two strongest packs because other packs support us, that¡¯s for sure. I am sure that the others harbor a certain amount of enmity, but I don¡¯t know who would be so bold tounch a scheme against both packs at once.¡±


    ¡°What about the third strongest? Fourth?¡±


    Ronan shook his head.


    ¡°After Infinite Eclipse Pack and Night Prowler Pack, there is ayer of equally strong packs. There is no third or fourth per se.¡±


    ¡°Can we check those packs one by one?¡± Lucien offered.


    ¡°It would be around twenty-something packs, then, Lulu. Besides, how do you n to check?¡±


    ¡°Well... We can track the packs that ever received a belt with your family sigil on it?¡±


    ¡°Our family doesn¡¯t keep a record.¡±


    ¡°What about the raid that happened in the past?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s mood turned sour in an instant.


    ¡°Who told you about the raid?¡±

 Chapter 143

    143 Dane Silverback¡¯s Many Children


    Lucien had nothing to hide.


    ¡°Your mom.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s face darkened. He was not in the mood to cuddle anymore. He wanted to pull away from Lucien, but he was still strapped to the bed so he had nowhere to escape to.


    For once, Lucien did not n to leave Ronan. The Alpha had no other option than to continue the conversation.


    ¡°Heh. Well, the belt might be stolen during the raid, indeed.¡±


    Lucien watched Ronan¡¯s expression with growing interest. ¡°It seems that you know the responsible person behind the raid.¡±


    Ronan scoffed. Of course he knew. He knew more than Lucien thought.


    ¡°I also know their father.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    .....


    Lucien was stunned. Thinking that Ronan was trolling him, he drilled Ronan with a judgmental look. To Ronan¡¯s great consternation, Lucien did not catch on at all until Ronan resentfully added, ¡°I am talking about my father.¡±


    Oh.


    Dane Silverback.


    Without realizing it, Lucien already stepped into andmine that was the Silverback family¡¯s room full of Dane Silverback¡¯s dirtyundry.


    This exined why Ronan hated talking about the raid. It not only happened shortly after his appointment, but was also caused by his father¡¯s illegitimate children.


    It kinda made sense. Maybe the perpetrator¡¯s target was not the entire Infinite Eclipse Pack but only Ronan.


    ¡°Ronan, was there any dispute regarding your legitimate im to the Alpha position?¡±


    If there was a second candidate, they might as well check that person first.


    ¡°No. My father passed the Alpha position to me without considering anyone else.¡±


    Lucien pursed his lips. Tough luck for the other illegitimate children.


    Also tough luck for them because now they had to check every single one of those children.


    ¡°Okay, out with it. How many are there?¡±


    He was of course referring to Dane Silverback¡¯s illegitimate children. Ronan pulled a disgusted face.


    ¡°How am I supposed to know? Do you think I am the manager of my father¡¯s whorehouse???¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even have a number?¡± Lucien frowned at the man in his arms. He could hardly believe it. Ronan must know to a certain extent. He just didn¡¯t want to list them out. ¡°Fine, can you at least name the more prominent ones?¡±


    Ronan rubbed at his eyes and muttered some curses under his breath. Why must they talk about Dane Silverback¡¯s heinous extramarital children while they were cuddling on the bed? Ronan was about to lose it.


    After taking a deep breath a few times, the Alpha was finally willing to talk.


    ¡°My father had two lovers before he married my mother. They were already pregnant when my parents got married.¡±


    Ouch.


    ¡°They were low-borns, so they were quite happy to receive monthly allowances for them and their children. But then after I was born, they started to get greedy. They wanted to be a Luna and not just side lovers.¡±


    Ronan heaved a deep sigh.


    ¡°ording to my father, he fell into a trap and ended up having sex with the both of them. ording to my mother, he willingly had sex with them. Anyway, both women got pregnant again. One had a miscarriage, the other gave birth to twins.¡±


    ¡°So at that point, my father had three illegitimate children by a woman, another illegitimate child by another woman, and one legitimate child by my mother.¡±


    ¡°The woman who ended up with three children demanded to be the Luna because she bore three of my father¡¯s children. That was when my mother asked for a divorce and rejected my father to end the mating bond between them.¡±


    ¡°But your father never made the woman his new Luna,¡± Lucien said. If he did, Lucien would know. The whole werewolfmunity would know. The news would have blown up for weeks or months toe.


    ¡°No, and that¡¯s why the women became angrier and angrier. They then expected my father to pick one of their eldest sons to be the next Alpha. Mind you, at that time my rtionship with my father is as rotten as it can be. Those women must be quite confident.¡±


    ¡°Of course when that did not happen, they were as angry as a bunch of harpies.¡±


    A cruel smirk was stered on Ronan¡¯s face when he recalled the huge ruckus that happened shortly before he took over the Alpha position.


    The shameless women had barged into the Great Lake City and demanded Dane to hand over the Alpha position to one of their sons. He refused to, and they kicked up a huge fuss.


    ¡°The women had an agreement with each other. Whichever son became the Alpha, both women and the other children would be epted into the pack. That was the main goal of the whole scheme. The second one was, of course, riches.¡±


    ¡°And that brings us to this raid that you want to know about. The women brought their adult children and came to the bank to ess the Silverback family¡¯s treasure vault. Don¡¯t ask me how they got the key to the treasure vault. They took as much as they could and escaped to Europe.¡±


    Against Lucien¡¯s initial guess, the raid was done out of greed and not to destroy Ronan. They must be delighted to be able to use the belt to frame Ronan yearster.


    ¡°Then what happened?¡±


    ¡°My father asked me to let it go.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Ronan rolled with his eyes.


    ¡°They only managed to steal some gold and some less valuable items anyway. There was only so much that four people could hoist out of the treasure vault. The high-end family heirlooms were locked in a secondyer deposit box that only the Alphas could open.¡±


    ¡°So this belt...¡±


    Ronan shrugged.


    ¡°I cannot tell you anything until I get to see the belt with my own eyes.¡±


    Lucien had already predicted that.


    ¡°I know, so I got Kinnon to cooperate with us. Let¡¯s take a look at the belt as soon as we can.¡±


    Ronan heaved a sorrowful sigh in his heart.


    It did not seem as if they could get Kinnon out of their life anytime soon.

 Chapter 144

    144 Funeral Of The Deceased


    Two weeks after the war ended, a funeral was held at the Eternal Sleep Lake at North Ridge Forest.


    Werewolves were born in different packs. They might leave and join other packs throughout their life. But when they died, they all returned to the Moon Goddess in the same way.


    Representatives from each pack along with the family members of the deceasedid the body of their fallen heroes and heroines into cedar caskets.


    After that, one by one, the caskets were pushed into the water and set aze by a ming arrow.


    It was especially heart-wrenching to see the families that were left behind, especially if the pups were still so young that they could notprehend what death was. For them, the funeral was when the werewolfmunity collectively killed their parents.


    A lot of them were throwing a tantrum and screaming hysterically when they saw their sleeping fathers or mothers being set aze.


    Lucien too could not help but cry when he and Annalynne held back a young boy from the Silent Walkers Pack who lost both of his parents in the war. He was only three years old, too small to bear the burden of such loss.


    Lucien swore to never go to war again, no matter what.


    At the funeral, they all met Kinnon Youngshaper again.


    .....


    The war had ended, so all packs greeted each other amicably. At least on the surface.


    ¡°Hello, Anna,¡± Kinnon greeted.


    Annalynne hid her scowl behind a scary smile. ¡°Hello, Kinnon,¡± she said before stomping away, leaving Lucien and Ronan to speak with Kinnon.


    ¡°Do you have the belt?¡± Lucien asked directly.


    Kinnon nodded. He snapped his finger and Bjorn came over with a long box.


    Insidey a modestly designed belt made of supple buffalo hide. The silver te with the sigil served as the belt buckle.


    Ronan¡¯s fingers ran along the belt and touched around the edge of the buckle slowly.


    ¡°Well?¡± Kinnon asked after a while. ¡°Have you seen it before?¡±


    Ronan took a while to answer. He kept turning the belt around back and forth, as if looking for some clues. Atst, he had to give up.


    ¡°Sorry, I have never seen it before. I was hoping to find the year it is made, but it is nowhere to see.¡±


    ¡°If you haven¡¯t seen it before, does it mean that it is not one of the high-tier heirlooms?¡± Lucien queried.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± Ronan confirmed.


    ¡°Then they might be lost during the raid,¡± Lucien postted.


    ¡°Maybe, maybe not,¡± Ronan replied.


    It did not help at all. They were right back at the beginning.


    Lucien took out his phone and snapped a few pictures of the belt. And then they returned the belt to Bjorn and the Beta packed it away.


    ¡°We will keep searching for clues,¡± Lucien promised.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Kinnon grunted. ¡°Likewise.¡±


    He extended his hand toward Lucien. ¡°Peace for now?¡±


    Lucien gratefully took his hand.


    ¡°Peace for now and hopefully forever.¡±


    Kinnon shed Lucien a bright smile.


    Ronan quickly separated their hands.


    ¡°No need to hold each other¡¯s hands for so long,¡± he reasoned. Ronan did not want Kinnon to develop funny ideas about Lucien.


    Unfortunately for Ronan, Kinnon indeed harbored some thoughts about Lucien.


    ¡°By the way, we are notpletely done yet,¡± he announced dramatically.


    Ronan furrowed his brows and stood in front of Lucien. He acted like a possessive boyfriend who was trying to hide his lover from the other man¡¯s indecent thoughts. ¡°What else?¡±


    Kinnon ignored Ronan and looked at Lucien instead.


    ¡°This war was to settle the night in Hapsborough City. We are yet to settle the debts that the Silent Walkers Pack owed the Night Prowler Pack from the first war.¡±


    Ronan stared at Kinnon in disbelief.


    Amidst the chaos and preparation for the second war, Kinnon still remembered old debts!


    Kinnon gave him a shifty smile.


    He could read Ronan¡¯s expression urately.


    ¡°This does not concern Alpha Ronan, so kindly keep yourself out of this matter.¡±


    ¡°Everything about Lucien concerns me,¡± Ronan said, narrowing his eyes at Kinnon. ¡°Alpha Kinnon, just so you know, Lucien already agreed to be mine. Don¡¯t you try to seduce him.¡±


    Lucien smacked at his own face in embarrassment. He pushed Ronan aside and spoke to Kinnon directly.


    ¡°You are right. How should we settle it?¡±


    Kinnon straightened his long coat and regarded the two of them with a cool look. He then said, ¡°I wille to Blue Hill City next to discuss this matter. You shall receive a notification before I depart.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    Lucien did not have any objections toward Kinnon¡¯s visit, but the Alpha that he was dating was not very delighted with the prospect.


    As a result, Ronan refused to go back to Great Lake City and demanded to go back with Lucien instead.


    ¡°Why?¡± Lucien asked in confusion.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to meet with Kinnon alone. He is an old, sly wolf,¡± Ronan said it like a deeply guarded secret.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien was speechless. Kinnon was only one year older than the both of them!


    Jake, the poor Beta, was close to tears. He had been managing Ronan¡¯s tasks for weeks! The Alpha did not even feel the slightest guilt upon overloading his poor Beta!


    Desperately, Jake tried to infuse some wisdom and sanity into his Alpha, but said Alpha was immovable.


    ¡°I still need to recover from my injuries, Jake,¡± he reasoned. ¡°For the time being, I will stay with Lucien. You can take care of both the Silverback Corporation and the pack for me. If there is anything urgent, you are allowed to contact me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Injuries?


    What injuries?


    Ronan recoveredpletely a week ago!


    Jake shot Lucien a pitiful look, but Lucien could not help him out.


    Ronan shamelessly put his arms around Lucien and shifted his weight unto thetter.


    ¡°Lulu, I am feeling dizzy. Hold me tight.¡±


    Jake¡¯s pitiful look morphed into a sympathetic look. On second thought, it might be good to have Ronan out of his way for some time. At least then he had one less person to boss him around.

 Chapter 145

    145 A Little Vacation


    Against Ronan¡¯s expectation, Lucien did not choose to return to Blue Hill City. He instead wanted to go to South Bedford City.


    Worried, Alice pulled her son aside for a talk.


    ¡°Lucien, Landon is now back with you. Should you not abandon your life among human beings? Come back and live in the pack,¡± she begged him.


    Lucien shook his head gently and hugged his mother.


    ¡°Mom, I still have some unfinished business in South Bedford City. I wille back soon.¡±


    He said he woulde back, but he said nothing about relocating to the pack house for good.


    Since Ronan was also present, Alice decided not to push the matter further and let them go.


    ¡°What are you nning to do now?¡± Ronan asked once they were out of earshot.


    ¡°I am thinking of taking a little vacation while reorganizing my life,¡± Lucien replied. ¡°You said that you wanted to apany me, right? Then juste with me.¡±


    .....


    Ronan shrugged.


    They walked toward Ronan¡¯s ck Porsche. Noah was already waiting inside. Instead of getting into the car, Ronan knocked at his window instead.


    The window rolled down and revealed Noah¡¯s confused face.


    ¡°Yes, Alpha?¡±


    ¡°Noah, go home with Jake,¡± Ronan told his driver while fixing his cufflinks. ¡°I will take the car.¡±


    ¡°Very well, Alpha.¡±


    Noah got out of the driver¡¯s seat and bowed deeply before he went in the direction of the Eternal Sleep Lake to find the Beta.


    Ronan slipped into the driver¡¯s seat and Lucien climbed into the front seat.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you can drive,¡± he pointed out. ¡°You have been chauffered since you were a child. When did you learn how to drive?¡±


    Ronan broke intoughter.


    ¡°I started wrecking my father¡¯s cars when I was ten. By the time we met, I was able to drive pretty well.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever gotten into an ident?¡±


    ¡°A few, yeah. In case you are wondering, no one has ever been heavily injured or killed. It was mostly me crashing against some inanimate objects. Trees, street poles, walls...¡±


    Walls.


    Lucien stared at Ronan.


    ¡°How did you not see that there was a wall in front of you?¡±


    ¡°I was in a hurry.¡±


    ¡°... No need to hurry when driving today.¡±


    Ronan shed Lucien a grin. ¡°Where does Mr. Clearwater want to go precisely?¡±


    ¡°My house,¡± Lucien answered. ¡°I haven¡¯t been there for a while. I want to know if everything is alright.¡±


    It did note off as a surprise to see that Lucien¡¯s house was in a dpidated condition.


    During the months that Lucien was not at home, the area became victim to asional storms that turned the garden intoplete chaos. Pots were upturned, therger ntsy pitifully across the unmanicuredwn.


    The wind was so strong that it managed to unhinge the front door from its frame.


    Wind and rain crept into the house through the door crack, turning the walls moldy and ruining the furniture.


    The paintings on the wall were lying on the floor in a heap of wet mess. Lucien squatted and tried to salvage them but they quickly crumbled into shreds.


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan pulled a grimace when he looked at the moldy walls.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stay here. Come on, let¡¯s go. I will ask people toe and fix your house.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Lucien said. ¡°I don¡¯t n on going back here anyway.¡±


    Ah.


    So Lucien did not intend to resume his life in South Bedford City.


    Lucien rose to his feet. Ronan expected to leave the wrecked house in the next second, but Lucien went into what remained of his bedroom instead.


    ¡°Lulu, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I need to pick something up,¡± Lucien mumbled.


    He reached into various drawers and cupboards, stuffing random things hastily into his pockets.


    Ronan raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Looks like you are not attached to too many items in here.¡±


    Lucienughed.


    ¡°How can I be attached? They are all destroyed and turned to pulp.¡±


    Once Lucien was done taking whatever small items he could salvage from his house, Ronan grabbed him by his waist and led him outside.


    It was already the end of October. The strong gust of wind that blew through the area carried the strong scent of winter.


    Although both werewolves wore coats and shawls, they unwittingly shivered from the blowing wind.


    They quickly stepped into the car. Both of them sighed when their numb frozen fingers slowly turned warm and they could feel blood circting through their bodies again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to Carlton Bay, alright?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    During the car trip, Lucien was eerily silent. He was busy with his phone, only replying with unfocused ¡°Hmm¡± and ¡°Yes¡± to whatever Ronan said.


    Whenever the Alpha tried to take a peek at what Lucien was doing, he was shot down by thetter¡¯s annoyed expression.


    ¡°Stop peeking and drive properly!¡± He chastised the Alpha.


    Afterward, Ronan did not peek anymore.


    They arrived at Carlton Bay Hotel soon after. As soon as an attendant saw who it was who graced their hotel with his presence, he quickly greeted, ¡°Wee, Alpha Ronan.¡±


    He shot Lucien a curious look, not sure how to address him.


    The hotel manager was more knowledgeable.


    ¡°Good day, Alpha Ronan and Mr. Clearwater,¡± he said with a polite smile. ¡°The suite is ready for use. This way, please.¡±


    Lucien gave Ronan a look.


    ¡°Do you have your own suite in every Carlton Bay Hotel?¡±


    ¡°More or less. Used to be my father¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    When they got to the room, Lucien went to sit on the couch and busied himself with his phone again. He looked like a little boy who was immersed in the newest gadget and Ronan the parent who wanted to cut off his screen time.


    ¡°Lulu,¡± Ronan pulled Lucien into his arms and kissed the side of his neck.


    ¡°You are cold all over. Let¡¯s take a bath together.¡±


    The Alpha¡¯s maic voice was alluring and tugged at Lucien¡¯s heartstrings.


    Ronan took the phone from Lucien¡¯s hands and tossed it on the bed.


    Before Lucien knew it, his coat and his clothes were swiftly taken off his body and left to pool around his feet.

 Chapter 146

    146 The Alpha imed His Prize (NSFW)


    Ronan¡¯s fingers trailed the contour of Lucien¡¯s body. They were cold, but they left a tingling sensation on Lucien¡¯s skin. Thetter shivered from his touch and tried to take his hands away.


    ¡°Ronan, the sun is still out,¡± he said, trying to dy the inevitable. Unfortunately, the Alpha did not care much about the sun.


    ¡°It will set soon,¡± Ronan whispered. Even if it was not going to set soon, Ronan would close off all the curtains and hide from the sun.


    The taller man took both of Lucien¡¯s arms and put them around his neck. With one light swoop, he lifted the red-blonde man into his arms and marched toward the bathroom.


    Inside thevish bathroom, the huge bathtub at the center of the room was already filled with warm water. The bathtub had a temperature-regting feature to ensure that the water inside was always warm.


    Ronan put Lucien gently into the water, then he stripped down to nothing. His broad, muscr chest heaved up and down from suppressed desire.


    Lucien¡¯s eyes were inadvertently drawn to the swollen rod between Ronan¡¯s legs. It was bouncing slightly when Ronan climbed into the bathtub.


    Lucien averted his eyes in shame, but Ronan already saw what he was staring at.


    A wicked grin spread on Ronan¡¯s face. He pulled Lucien closer and let him straddle hisp. Lucien¡¯s legs were pried open and settled at each side of Ronan¡¯s waist. Pressed between Lucien¡¯s legs was none other but the thick shaft that he was staring at.


    .....


    It gently rubbed against the man¡¯s abdomen and drown him in his own desire.


    The Alpha pinched his lover¡¯s chin and gave him a tender kiss on the lips. Lucien responded with another kiss, and so they were locked in a tight embrace while kissing each other for a long time.


    Ronan considered himself as someone who did not get excited quickly, unless of course the person who was rubbing against his manhood was his beloved fated mate.


    Besides, it had been so long since he had prative sex. The smoldering organ at the base of his loins also could not wait any longer. He wanted to get inside Lucien right away and feel thetter¡¯s flesh squeezing tightly around his shaft, trying hard to milk it.


    The hardened penis poked obscenely against Lucien¡¯s hole, begging to get inside. Lucien lifted his upper body out of the water. He then took Ronan¡¯s hands and guided them toward his rear opening.


    ¡°Expand me,¡± he ordered.


    Ronan did not need to be told twice. He lubricated his fingers with his saliva and gently pushed a middle finger into Lucien¡¯s tight hole.


    ¡°Ngh...!!!¡±


    Lucien shut his eyes from the pain.


    Thest time he had prative sex was during his rut, and a few months had passed since then. Even one finger hurt at this point.


    It did hurt, but Lucien enjoyed it when the naughty finger went in and out of his body rhythmically. Pulling out until only the top section was in before plunging in again, plundering his depth like a hungry beast.


    Ronan had his eyes locked on Lucien¡¯s face. He savored his fluttering eyshes and trembling lips. He enjoyed the soft moans that emanated from the man as Ronan stabbed viciously into his body.


    When Lucien¡¯s pain disappeared and he started to bounce up and down on Ronan¡¯s finger to meet his thrusts, Ronan added another finger.


    Lucien¡¯s eyes flew open from the sudden expansion. He wed into Ronan¡¯s shoulders and trembled all over.


    Ronan bit into one of Lucien¡¯s protruding nipples and pulled at it.


    ¡°Ah... Ronan... Ahh...!!!¡±


    Ronan released the nipple and pressed a kiss on Lucien¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Sssh, my love,¡± he whispered against Lucien¡¯s fair skin. ¡°Bear with it for a little more. It will feel better soon, I promise...¡±


    Lucien¡¯s tight muscles wrapped around Ronan¡¯s two fingers, leaving not even a millimeter of moving space. Lucien could feel every stroke, every joint of Ronan¡¯s fingers as they incessantly invaded the depth of his body.


    Lucien arched his back and tilted his head backward when Ronan added a third finger. His mouth was open in a silent scream, and beautiful tears rolled down the ends of his eyes.


    Ronan licked his lips in anticipation.


    The inside of his lover¡¯s body was tight and hot. It engulfed not only his three fingers but also clouded his sensespletely.


    Both alphas¡¯ pheromones filled the bathroom, their sweet but deadly scents threatened to drive them crazy.


    Once Lucien got used to the three thick fingers that were invading his body, he started bouncing up and down in ecstasy.


    Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s neck and pulled him down for a kiss, burying his fingers deep inside Lucien. It was too much. Lucien saw stars exploding before his eyes before unbridled waves of pleasure washed over him.


    He broke the kiss and cried out loud, ¡°Ahhh... Ahhh...! Ronan, stop! I can¡¯t...¡±


    Before Lucien managed to end his sentence, his body started to spasm violently.


    Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s manhood and squeezed it inside his hand, while his other hand was still embedded in Lucien¡¯s ass.


    Lucien knotted violently inside Ronan¡¯s hand. He thrust against Ronan¡¯s hand a few times until he came hard and sent ropes and ropes of thick cum sshing against Ronan¡¯s chiseled body.


    When Ronan pulled out the three fingers, Lucien fell limply onto Ronan¡¯sp.


    The Alpha kept squeezing Lucien¡¯s knot fondly. He watched Lucien shooting more of his essence onto his body with fascination.


    His own sexual organ was like an angry beast that demanded release. Ronan nudged it gently against Lucien¡¯s expanded hole.


    Stilling down from his orgasm, Lucien felt a little light-headed.


    ¡°Wait, Ronan...¡±


    Panting slightly, Lucien rested for a minute before he raised a leg and positioned himself on top of Ronan¡¯s mighty shaft.


    The thick flesh rod was peeking out of the water surface. The swollen ns was glistening with pre-cum.


    Ronan put his hands at Lucien¡¯s waist, helping him as he lowered himself unto Ronan¡¯s shaft.

 Chapter 147

    147 Did You Not Ask Me To Fuck You? (NSFW)


    Guttural moans of pleasure were hearding from both men when Ronan slowly entered Lucien. The hole that had been expanded by the three fingers slowly swallowed Ronan¡¯s stiff rod, taking it inch by inch.


    The Alpha felt so good that he might juste while looking at Lucien.


    Thetter looked as if he was under hypnosis when he slowly sat down on Ronan. And then he started to knit his brows when the murderous weapon inside him started to cause him pain. It felt as if he was about to be split into two by Ronan¡¯s manhood.


    Halfway in, Lucien stopped moving. He leaned against Ronan, seeking thetter¡¯s warmth. Ronan hugged Lucien close, his intermittent breathing was the only thing Ronan could hear other than their heartbeats.


    ¡°Wait a bit,¡± Lucien pleaded.


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    Ronan pressed small kisses against Lucien¡¯s corbone and inhaled his sweet scent. Lucien tried to ease himself downward, but he was unable to do it without feeling any pain.


    ¡°I think water got in,¡± Lucien mumbled. There was no other exnation. He felt so full inside. It felt like hitting against a dead-end. There was no more space for Ronan to intrude, although he was only halfway in.


    Doing it in the bathtub might not be such a good idea after all.


    .....


    Ronan chuckled. He obviously did not share the same theory. Ronan gave his fated mate another kiss before he assured Lucien that, ¡°No water came in.¡±


    How could any watere in? He entered Lucien before Lucien even lowered himself into the water. If Ronan could not get in, no water could. Ronan was pretty sure about that.


    The man in his arms was so tight, his muscles were clenching around Ronan¡¯s manhood deliciously, smothering him passionately.


    ¡°Then what is the reason?¡± Lucien asked, frowning a little bit at the Alpha.


    His eyes were ssy from tears. He was so beautiful. Ronan could look at him every day and not get bored.


    Ronan wrapped his arms tight around Lucien¡¯s waist.


    ¡°There is no reason,¡± he said in a whisper, his deep voice hoarse from longing. ¡°Lulu, I aming in.¡±


    He then slowly thrust deeper into Lucien.


    ¡°Ahh...!!!¡± Lucien cried from the burning pain in his rear opening. The ring of flesh was being forcefully expanded. It was going to tear!


    Thetter pushed at Ronan desperately and struggled to get up, but the Alpha was unable to let him go.


    How could he? The most beautiful man in his eyes was naked, his body slowly taking Ronan in.


    ¡°Rx, Lucien...¡± Ronan peppered Lucien¡¯s neck with kisses. ¡°Don¡¯t bite me so hard.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Lucien shook his head repeatedly. ¡°Take it out. It hurts. It hurts so much.¡±


    Ronan reached between his legs and felt between his penis and Lucien¡¯s body. Only two more inches were left, but Lucien was resisting hard against his intrusion.


    Having slept with Lucien so many times before, Ronan knew that Lucien could take his whole length. It just had been some time when theyst did it, so Lucien¡¯s hole required time to adjust.


    Lucien heaved a sigh out of relief when Ronan slowly pulled out, but then he almost choked from surprise when the Alpha mmed back inside.


    Tears started to roll down from the tails of Lucien¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Ronan, it hurts,¡± he whined.


    Ronan¡¯s burning gaze disappeared when he saw Lucien¡¯s pitiful appearance, reced by regret. He had been too impatient that he hurt the man he loved.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Ronan quickly apologized.


    Lucien shook his head slowly as tears continued running down his cheeks. ¡°No, maybe I am just too nervous.¡±


    A corner of Ronan¡¯s mouth ticked up.


    Nervosity was a good thing, especially when it was about Lucien.


    Ronan gently rocked against Lucien¡¯s body.


    ¡°Kiss me, Alpha,¡± Lucienmanded.


    Ronan smirked and captured his lover¡¯s lips with his own.


    ¡°Is there anything else I can serve you with?¡± He asked in a seductive voice.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lucien said while panting. ¡°Fuck me.¡±


    ¡°With pleasure, Mr. Clearwater.¡±


    Without any warning, Ronan carried Lucien out of the bathtub andy him on top of a fluffy lounge chaise.


    The Alpha showered Lucien with kisses everywhere. His face, his lips, his neck, and his chest.


    Ronan was pulsing hard inside Lucien, his penis beating furiously against Lucien¡¯s sensitive spot. A soft mewling sound was hearding from Lucien, after which he smacked a hand against his mouth to prevent more embarrassing sounds from leaking out.


    Ronan grinned. He took Lucien¡¯s hand away and pressed a kiss against its knuckles.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. I want to hear your sweet sound while I make love to you.¡±


    Lucien averted his eyes from embarrassment, but he then wrapped his legs around Ronan¡¯s back and granted him more ess.


    Ronan started thrusting into Lucien, slowly at first, but it became gradually faster. Even if Lucien didn¡¯t want to, he still ended up moaning into Ronan¡¯s ear.


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± he mumbled, unconsciously encouraging the Alpha.


    ¡°Keep going, Ronan... Right there... Ahhh... Ahhhh...¡±


    ¡°Right here?¡± Ronan teased as he drilled against Lucien¡¯s sensitive spot mercilessly. ¡°Do you like it when I do this?¡±


    Lucien kept shaking his head in denial, but his body was saying something else.


    Ronan could feel Lucien¡¯s walls getting softer around him as he pounded harder and harder into the man beneath him.


    The Alpha did not give up easily. He waited patiently for Lucien to open up to him, to spread his legs willingly, and let him in.


    Before Lucien knew it, he already swallowed the entire length of Ronan¡¯s penis, burying the pulsing meat de inside his own body.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said when he felt Ronan¡¯s balls mming against his butt.


    ¡°You are inside,¡± he added, amazed that Ronan managed to go inpletely.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ronan confirmed, biting into Lucien¡¯s jaw. Lucien closed his eyes. He turned his head to nt a kiss at the side of Ronan¡¯s head.


    Ronan smiled at him lovingly. He then buried his hand into Lucien¡¯s hair and teased, ¡°We finally did it. Now let me serve Mr. Clearwater properly.¡±

 Chapter 148

    148 The Alpha Wanted A Lot Of Pups (NSFW)


    Lucien threw his neck back and cried when Ronan started to m hard into him repeatedly. Not only that, the Alpha¡¯s hands even started to wander to his chest.


    The twin peaks at Lucien¡¯s chest were attacked mercilessly, sucked, and bitten until they were swollen.


    Enraged, Lucien pushed at Ronan¡¯s head and scolded him, ¡°Are you trying to scrape them off with your teeth??? Stop biting me there!¡±


    Ronan shed Lucien a shameless grin and attacked his lips instead to shut him up. Meanwhile, his hands kept kneading at Lucien¡¯s body. His narrow and supple waist, the plump and fleshy twin mounds, Ronan could not get enough of them.


    To Ronan¡¯s amusement, Lucien¡¯s body was very sensitive to touch. He liked to return tit for tat. A squeeze of his body part equaled a squeeze at the massive tool inside his body.


    Ronan loved it so much.


    After being prated for an hour, Lucien¡¯s insides became soft and pliant. It weed Ronan¡¯s powerful thrusts obediently and mped on him desperately whenever he retreated.


    The two people on the chaise lounge were locked in an intimate embrace. Muddled by the concentrated pheromones that pervaded the air, they only focused on plundering each other¡¯s lips and copting wildly like two animals in mating season.


    ¡°Ahhhhh...!!!¡±


    .....


    Lucien broke the kiss and cried when he reached orgasm for the second time that afternoon. As his slender penis spewed his essence between their locked bodies, Lucien¡¯s muscles tightened and mped hard around Ronan.


    The Alpha muttered a curse under his breath. He could not take it anymore. Pumping vigorously into Lucien¡¯s body, Ronan could feel his own release drawing near.


    He looked down at the beautiful man who was breathing heavily with his eyes shut tightly.


    Ronan slipped his hands beneath Lucien¡¯s buttocks and mmed hard a couple of times.


    ¡°Ahh, Ronan, ahh... Stop, don¡¯t...¡±


    Lucien¡¯s whimpers came out in a flood of slurred speech.


    In response, Ronan went to kiss and suck at the side of Lucien¡¯s fair neck. Hended one kiss mark after another, dotting Lucien¡¯s fair skin with blooming flowers.


    Although Ronan would love tost longer, he eventually had to sumb to his climax. The Alpha let out a mighty roar before he buried himself deep inside Lucien¡¯s body and knotted him.


    Lucien wed into Ronan¡¯s arms when he felt Ronan¡¯s scalding hot semen sshing against his sensitive point, coating his insides with his seed.


    Coming down from their exhaustive lovemaking session, the two men exchanged love-drunk gazes and fell into soft kisses.


    Wordlessly, Ronan picked Lucien up and headed toward the bedroom.


    When they started having sex, they were wet from the bathwater. By the time they were done, they were drenched in sweat and cum.


    The chaise lounge too waspletely ruined from the intense lovemaking.


    Ronany Lucien on the bed and climbed after him, the knot still tying their bodies together. Tired from their afternoon exercise, Lucien¡¯s eyelids grew heavy. ¡°Tired?¡± Ronan asked softly while ying with Lucien¡¯s hair.


    ¡°Mmm. Just a little,¡± came the answer.


    Ronan turned Lucien around and spooned him from behind. He pressed a kiss on Lucien¡¯s nape. It healed a long time ago, but Ronan¡¯s bitemark still remained, leaving a distinct mark on Lucien¡¯s fair skin.


    While Lucien slept, Ronan put both of his hands against Lucien¡¯s lower abdomen. If he pressed harder, he could feel his pulsing penis, still pouring the content of his balls into Lucien¡¯s belly in an attempt to impregnate his sexual partner.


    It was indeed such a pity.


    Ronan would love to have Lucien give birth to their pups. Half of them would have red-blonde hair and the other half ck hair. The ones with ck hair should get Lucien¡¯s caramel-colored eyes. The ones with red-blonde hair should inherit Ronan¡¯s greenish-blue eyes.


    Boy or girl, alpha or not, he would love them as long as they were his and Lucien¡¯s.


    The knot deted after half an hour, but Ronan remained embedded inside Lucien.


    When Lucien woke up a few hourster, he felt the thick rod stirring inside his abdomen. He felt so full. Full of Ronan¡¯s semen.


    Behind him, Ronan too woke up.


    ¡°Mmmh...¡±


    Ronan tightened his arms around Lucien¡¯s body.


    ¡°You know what? If you were a woman, you might really be pregnant from all the cum inside your body.¡±


    Lucien chuckled.


    ¡°If I were a woman, how many pups do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, good question.¡±


    Ronan slipped out of Lucien¡¯s body. A stream of cum slowly poured out of the puckered hole.


    He then flipped Lucien on his stomach and pulled his waist up so that his well-used hole was exposed to Ronan¡¯s hungry eyes.


    The Alpha grabbed his cum-lubricated shaft and slowly pushed it into Lucien¡¯s slippery tunnel. The man on the bed arched his back and let out a scious moan.


    ¡°How many, huh...¡±


    ¡°Mmm... Ronan, uhh...¡±


    Wet squelching sounds were heard as Ronan pistoned in and out of Lucien¡¯s body. The cum that he deposited into his lover¡¯s body oozed out obscenely with every pumping movement.


    ¡°I would have gotten you pregnant from our time in Alpha Camp,¡± he mused.


    Lucien closed his eyes and wed into the bedsheet.


    Ronan pried open Lucien¡¯s butt halves to allow himself more ess.


    ¡°I want you to give birth to my pup every year,¡± he whispered in a prating voice.


    The Alpha wanted to be the one standing next to Lucien at the Moon Banquet. He wanted to have his hand around Lucien¡¯s waist, as he carried their son in his arms while another tiny life was growing inside his belly.


    Ronan gritted his teeth.


    It was too much.


    Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s erect cock and stroked along its length while he mmed his own into Lucien¡¯s body violently.


    ¡°Ronan, not too rough,¡± Lucien begged at first, but then he buried his face into his arms and said nothing else. The muffled moans could only be heard when Ronan leaned in. Other than that, there was only the loud sound of flesh pping against each other rhythmically.

 Chapter 149

    149 Look At What You Did To Me (NSFW)


    While teenage Ronan was horny, he usually could not continue after cumming twice.


    Not so with adult Ronan who was not only horny but also insatiable.


    Lucien could barely remember how many times he came, and how many times Ronan came inside him. His whole body was hot from Ronan¡¯s body temperature, his heart was beating so hard against his chest. His throat burned and his voice was hoarse from moaning for hours.


    Even when the man had nothing else to spray out but a pitiful amount of thin liquid during hisst orgasm, Ronan still managed to pump creamy, potent cum into his belly.


    ¡°Lulu.¡±


    Panting hard, Lucien opened his eyes.


    Ronan grabbed his jaw and leaned in for a kiss. Inside Lucien, the Alpha popped onest knot and started ejacting.


    Tired to death, Lucien slumped to the mattress and closed his eyes. He wondered if there had been a case where someone was fucked to death. If there had been no precedence, maybe he would be the first one.


    Lucien was particrly worried about how his ass looked like after the many fucking sessions. He was worried that his usually tight hole had lost its sticity. The gaping hole might remain. He would forever suffer from fecal incontinence. All that was because Ronan could not control himself.


    .....


    When Lucien opened his eyes again, the first thing that he saw was Ronan¡¯s naked, toned chest, heaving up and down as the Alpha rested. Thank Goddess that he still needed sleep!


    Lucien slowly disentangled himself from Ronan and climbed out of the bed. He rose to his feet, intent on getting himself a ss of water, but his legs quickly gave out under his weight and he fell to the carpeted floor.


    The noise woke the beast on the bed up. Ronan opened his eyes and yawned.


    ¡°Lulu?¡±


    When he saw that Lucien was sitting on the floor, he quickly came over to help his lover back to bed. Instead of gratitude, what he got was a full smack on the chest.


    ¡°You asshole,¡± Lucien chastised. ¡°Look at what you have done to me. I can¡¯t even walk!¡±


    Regret was not seen on Ronan¡¯s face. His shameless grin showed that he was not only not apologetic, but he was also even proud of his achievement. That earned him more smacks from Lucien.


    ¡°You. Beast. Lecher. Pervert.¡±


    Lucien smacked him with every word that he spouted.


    Laughing, Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s hands and intertwined their fingers reverently.


    ¡°I thought you came prepared,¡± he teased. ¡°Did you think I would let you off after just three rounds?¡±


    Lucien¡¯s red face turned even redder.


    ¡°You sex maniac!¡± he cried. ¡°You are not allowed to touch me again, not for the next two months!¡±


    ¡°A, don¡¯t say that.¡±


    Ronan wrapped his arms around Lucien and sniffed at Lucien.


    ¡°You smell so good.¡±


    Lucien shot him a dirty look.


    ¡°I smell like you.¡±


    The Alpha¡¯s pheromone was strong. Besides, he left a lot of his essence inside Lucien¡¯s body.


    ¡°And that¡¯s why you smell especially good today,¡± Ronan grinned and gave Lucien a kiss on the cheek.


    Lucien pinched at Ronan¡¯s nipple in response.


    ¡°Ow! Careful with that one!¡±


    Ronan released Lucien right away and rubbed at his vited nipple.


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    Lucien put his arms around Ronan¡¯s neck. Ronan thought that Lucien wanted to cuddle, but thetter pushed his face away when he tried to kiss the red-blonde man¡¯s swollen lips.


    ¡°I want water.¡±


    ¡°Right away, Mr. Clearwater.¡±


    Ronan got to his feet and brought the both of them two bottles of water.


    Lucien sighed contentedly once his dry throat had been attended to.


    ¡°Take me to the bathroom. Clean me up properly.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Mr. Clearwater.¡±


    Ronan lifted Lucien and carried him to the bathroom easily. Exhausted and dizzy, Lucien leaned against the Alpha.


    The bathwater needed to be prepared first.


    The chaise lounge was soiled with body liquids, so Ronan put Lucien down on an ottoman instead.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Lucien said before his ass even touched the ottoman. ¡°Towel.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Lucien red at Ronan. ¡°I am leaking everywhere.¡±


    Ronan was barely able to suppress hisughter. He did not quite care if the suite was soiled by their semens or not, but Lucien was either too considerate or too easily embarrassed.


    He did not want the cleaning staff to find out that the two of them had been fucking intensely for hours.


    Chuckling from Lucien¡¯s thin face, Ronan grabbed a towel and handed it to Lucien.


    Lucien carefullyy the towel on top of the ottoman before he lowered himself on top of it.


    Ronan shook his head while smiling. He then went over to drain the cold bathwater and fill the tub again. The warming function automatically switched on as soon as a certain level of water had been reached.


    While waiting for the water to get ready, Ronan went to kneel in front of Lucien.


    ¡°Lulu, we are a couple and this is my private suite. Isn¡¯t it perfectly normal for us to have sex?¡±


    Lucien sighed.


    He cupped Ronan¡¯s face with his hands and looked deep into his eyes.


    ¡°It is. Everything just happened so fast. I barely have the time to digest it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it,¡± Ronan said in a low voice. He leaned closer and captured Lucien¡¯s lips in an intimate kiss.


    He ced a hand on Lucien¡¯s cheek, while the other hand caressed his knee and slowly went up his thigh. The danger was imminent. The fine hairs at Lucien¡¯s neck stood up right away.


    ¡°Stop it,¡± Lucien barked. ¡°I told you that you are not going to fuck me in the next two months.¡±


    Ronan pursed his lips into a pout.


    ¡°But why? Did you not enjoy it as well?¡±


    Lucien narrowed his eyes at the ignorant Alpha. Exhaling in exasperation, he thenid down on the ottoman and pulled his legs to his chest. His asshole was fully exposed to Ronan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Take a look, Alpha, and tell me whether the ban is justified or not,¡± he said in a sultry voice while throwing a seductive look at the man in front of him.


    Ronan swallowed hard. He could not take his eyes off the mesmerizing sight in front of him, whether he wanted to do it or not.

 Chapter 150

    150 Lucien¡¯s Fever


    The outer ring was swollen from their rough mating sessions. The initially expanded hole thus shrunk in size.


    ¡°Well, is it not swollen?¡± Lucien queried.


    ¡°Yeah, it is,¡± Ronan confirmed.


    He then pushed a finger inside the hole.


    Lucien widened his eyes in disbelief. He quicklynded a kick at Ronan, but his foot was caught by the Alpha.


    ¡°What are you doing???¡± Lucien shouted, followed by a hiss of pain.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want me to clean you up? Look, so much ising out.¡±


    ¡°Not here,¡± Lucien thrashed around on the ottoman. ¡°Do it in the bathtub.¡±


    Ronan gazed at the pool of semen under Lucien¡¯s butt. Fascinating, he thought. Lucien stored a lot of the seed inside his belly.


    .....


    Impatient, Lucien gave Ronan¡¯s chest a gentle kick.


    ¡°Are you going or not?¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. I will do as per Mr. Clearwater¡¯s wish.¡±


    When Lucien was adamant about not fooling around, he was very strict. Ronan was only allowed to touch him for cleaning purposes. Whenever his hands wandered to pinch and knead at other body parts, he would earn smacks from Lucien.


    After having a fulfilling meal, Ronan did not mind as much. He obediently cleaned Lucien up, bathed the both of them properly, and then carried Lucien to the other bedroom to sleep.


    A good warm bath and clean bedding quickly lulled Lucien into sleep. Because he felt good, he was generous enough to allow Ronan to hold him on the bed.


    When Ronan woke up in the morning, he furrowed his brows in confusion. He felt unusually warm. Initially, he thought that the heater¡¯s temperature setting was too high, but then he realized what was happening.


    Lucien was running a fever.


    The man in question was curled up in a fetal position, hugging himself into a ball. He was all red in the face, the chill of fever caused him to shiver intermittently.


    Ronan covered Lucien up and called for a healer and the cleaning service.


    It must be noted that it was the first time that Ronan brought someone to his private suite and fucked the person senselessly like this. Usually, he took the business outside to avoid the other people¡¯s scents lingering in his private space.


    So when the cleaning staff came in and was hit with the lingering scent in the air, they were absolutely astounded.


    After they saw the state of the other bed and the bathroom, they were partly mortified and partly fascinated.


    The young men knew right away that whichever princess was lying in the suite¡¯s other bedroom, she must be the future Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack!


    The hottest bachelor in the werewolfmunity was finally going to settle down properly! It was a joyous asion!


    When the Healer arrived at the suite, the young men could not help but blush. Ronan Silverback was so overwhelmed by his beastly desire that he was not able to control himself.


    Either thedy was such a tease in bed or the fabled Mr. Silverback Jr. was just such a bull in the bed.


    While the young men were busy with their thoughts as they cleaned the suite, the Healer went to examine Lucien.


    Unlike the young men outside, this Healer was fairly older. He had often attended to the Alpha¡¯s many bed partners, so he was ustomed to being summoned after the Alpha was done with another man or woman.


    Just like the cleaning staff, the Healer too noticed that the Alpha chose to sleep with Lucien in his private suite. The lingering scent of both pheromones bore testament to the passionate encounter from the previous night.


    Also, the Alpha was kind enough to clean the man on the bed up. And he was wearing the Alpha¡¯s pajamas.


    The healer realized in a simr way that Lucien was important to Ronan. He had heard circting rumors about the Alpha¡¯s fated mate, but this was the first time he ever caught sight of Lucien.


    The healer¡¯s first impression of Lucien was that he was lovely, a kind of soft beauty.


    He must have seduced the Alpha with his alluring voice and sweet words, causing the Alpha to lose his control altogether.


    He was a little thin, so he should eat more in the future. Otherwise, how could he survive the endless onught of the Alpha?


    The healer cleared his throat from embarrassment.


    ¡°Alpha, the fever is not too bad. If Mr. Clearwater takes his medication three times a day and rests aplenty, then he will be fine in a few days.¡±


    After such a wild night, with or without fever, the healer would still rmend Lucien to rest a lot.


    Interestingly, the man on the bed disagreed.


    ¡°No,¡± he said weakly. ¡°I need to get better by today.¡±


    Ronan raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Lucien, you are having a fever. There is nothing urgent for you to deal with outside. Just rest for a few days.¡±


    Unlike Ronan who got to restpletely while he stayed at St. rence, Lucien had continued to remain at a constantly high level of stress after the war concluded.


    Ronan wanted to use this time to whisk Lucien away from his immense burden and let him rx for a while.


    ¡°No,¡± Lucien insisted. ¡°I need this fever to end as soon as possible.¡±


    Ronan pursed his lips and went to stand by the window. The Healer had no other choice but to administer Lucien an IV drip.


    While Lucien sat on the bed and waited for the IV drip to finish feeding the fever medication into his body, he continued ying on his phone in silence.


    Ronan was about to lose his mind.


    He marched to the bed in displeasure and yanked the phone out of Lucien¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Lulu, I don¡¯t care if you have anything urgent to deal with or not. I want you to sleep now! Stop ying with your phone!¡±


    ¡°I am not ying,¡± Lucien said.


    He reached out to grab his phone back from Ronan, but Ronan quickly moved out of the way.


    ¡°Then what are you doing since yesterday?¡±


    ¡°It will be over soon,¡± Lucien promised.


    The phone made a soft ding sound. It was a notification. Ronan¡¯s face darkened instantly.

 Chapter 151

    151 The Alpha Was Mortified


    ¡°Is it Kinnon?¡± The Alpha demanded to know, his tone dripping with jealousy. ¡°You and I are finally spending time together, but one message from him and you are in such a hurry to get back?¡±


    Lucien gaped at the fuming Alpha in front of him. It was unbelievable.


    ¡°Ronan, we fucked for half a day and you are still jealous of Kinnon?¡±


    ¡°Why should I not be?¡± Ronan squeezed Lucien¡¯s phone in his hand. He would rather squeeze Kinnon¡¯s neck, but the rival was hundreds of miles away.


    Seeing that Ronan was close to exploding, Lucien shook his head in disbelief.


    ¡°Come here,¡± he said.


    ¡°No. I won¡¯t let you get away with kisses. I want to know when you will stop paying attention to him, especially when we are being alone!¡±


    Technically, they were not alone. The healer was in the living room, and he could hear every word. But of course Ronan could not care less.


    Lucien sighed.


    .....


    He raised his thumb toward Ronan, who stared at him in confusion.


    ¡°To unlock my phone,¡± Lucien exined. ¡°I allow you to take a look at what I have been doing.¡±


    Eyes full of distrust, the Alpha finally agreed to let Lucien touch his phone. As soon as it was unlocked, though, he quickly took the phone away and started inspecting its content like a vulture.


    The notification came from Lucien¡¯s mailbox. There was an email from a local travel agency.


    It contained confirmation for sessful booking and payment for two flight tickets for Mr. Lucien Clearwater and Mr. Ronan Silverback.


    Ronan could hardly believe it.


    When did Lucien n this trip for the both of them??? How did he not know about it?


    On the bed, Lucien shot Ronan a victorious smile.


    ¡°How is it? Is Kinnon asking me to go back to Blue Hill City right away?¡±


    Ronan was ashamed of himself. He had nothing good to say. He merely gave Lucien a beseeching look.


    On the other side, Lucien rarely managed to get Ronan in this kind of embarrassing situation, so he naturally was not willing to let Ronan off the hook so easily.


    Leaning back on a stack of pillows behind him, Lucien heaved a long, deep, sorrowful sigh while he cast a look at the hand that was punctured by the IV needle.


    ¡°Look at me, I am so pitiful. I run a fever from being toyed with by my boyfriend for hours. He even had the cheek to use me of paying attention to another man.¡±


    Ronan could not take the implied reproach anymore. He climbed on the bed and sealed Lucien¡¯s lips with a kiss.


    ¡°Lulu, I am sorry,¡± he mumbled after they broke the kiss. He looked so distraught that Lucien could not help but chuckle at his expense.


    ¡°You silly, jealous, crazy wolf,¡± he scolded the Alpha.


    Ronan threw himself on top of Lucien and cuddled him.


    ¡°I am so sorry, my love, my Lulu. You are the absolute best. Where are we going, by the way?¡± He quickly switched the topic in hope that Lucien would not linger any longer in the previous one.


    The ticket itinerary only mentioned Snowmelt City. It was located on the far, far, northern side of the continent.


    ¡°To meet Kinnon of course,¡± Lucien teased. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that I answer to his summon on spot?¡±


    Ronan buried his face into Lucien¡¯s chest like a little spoiled pup.


    ¡°Stop talking about him, please,¡± he begged.


    Lucien made a dramatic gasp.


    ¡°I should stop talking about him? Ronan Silverback, between you and me, who mentioned him first?¡±


    The Alpha growled and bit into Lucien¡¯s corbone.


    ¡°Great, now he bites me,¡± Lucienmented. ¡°You are so difficult to please, Ronan.¡±


    Ronan lifted his head and shut Lucien up with another kiss.


    ¡°Hmmn...¡±


    Lucien raised his free hand and sank it in Ronan¡¯s ck hair, gently massaging his scalp.


    The two men rolled gently on the bed, immersed in each other¡¯s lips, caring for nothing else that happened outside of the bed.


    A soft embarrassed cough was heard from the door. Ronan broke the kiss immediately. The poor healer stood at the door, his face red from watching the intimate scene on the bed.


    ¡°I am here to exchange Mr. Clearwater¡¯s IV drip...¡±


    Ronan quickly got off Lucien¡¯s body, prompting thetter to snicker at him.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater, how are you feeling?¡± the healer asked.


    ¡°Much better,¡± Lucien answered perfunctorily.


    ¡°This is thest bag. After one more hour, your fever should have disappeared. Nevertheless, I would rather have you not overexert yourself for the day.¡±


    Lucien nodded.


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Avoid fried and grilled food for now. Drink a lot and take care to have regr meals with bnced nutrition.¡±


    At the mention of food, Lucien gave Ronan an icy look. Ronan sweatdropped. Now that he thought about it, thest meal that they had was brunch before the memorial service. After that, Lucien had only taken a bottle of water!


    Ronan quickly marched out of the room to search for his own phone. The two young men who cleaned the room had dutifully ced it on the tea table in the living room and attached it to a charger.


    Ronan switched it on and saw that there were about 35 missed calls from Jake.


    Jake was the person he needed.


    The phone barely rang three times before Jake hollered into the phone.


    ¡°RONAN! FINALLY! IF YOU NEED TO DEACTIVATE THE MIND LINK, AT LEAST KEEP YOUR PHONE AROUND!¡±


    Ronan cleared his throat.


    ¡°What was that?¡± he asked, pretending not to hear what Jake just said.


    Jake too cleared his throat. ¡°I mean, so d to hear from you again, Alpha.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Jake, what did you feed Cassie when she was pregnant?¡±


    Jake thought that his ears were ying a trick on him.


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°I said, what nutritious food did Cassie eat when she was pregnant?¡± Ronan repeated his query impatiently.


    At the end of the other line, Jake was gaping at the wall in front of him.


    Why did Ronan ask this kind of question?


    Who was pregnant?


    ¡°Who... Who is it for?¡± Jake heard himself asking.


    ¡°Who else? Lucien of course,¡± Ronan answered, a little irritated at the stupid question. ¡°Just send me the list. I have to go. Lucien and I are going on a vacation.¡±


    Ronan hung up, leaving Jake with his thoughts alone.


    Did the Moon Goddess bestow a special blessing upon Lucien and allow him to get pregnant?

 Chapter 152

    152 The Alpha¡¯s Favorite Kind Of Dessert


    It was going to be their first vacation ever. Ronan was practically floating on seventh heaven.


    That day, he catered to Lucien¡¯s every whim, feeding him only the most delicious kinds of food that he could get in his paws. Naturally, the Alpha did not even bother looking at the menu booklet when he asked a room attendant to note down his orders.


    Lucien was unable to prevent Ronan from ordering a twelve-course menu for brunch. Seeing that the hotel attendant did not even flinch upon taking Ronan¡¯s order, Lucien understood that they were used to catering to Ronan¡¯s senseless requests whenever he stayed in their hotel. Or any Carlton Bay Hotel in the continent, possibly.


    One by one, a delectable selection of appetizers, soup, sd, and main courses were served before Lucien and Ronan.


    Lucien forced himself to chew through the supposedly nutritious meal, all the while regretting that he did not see a single fried or grilled item on the tters.


    It did not matter, because he was just waiting for the dessert to arrive.


    When they came to dessert, though, all that Lucien got to eat was a piece of lemon yogurt cake with cream cheese.


    Lucien bit his lip in extreme disappointment. He only stared at his cake without even touching it.


    Sitting next to him, Ronan had to suppress a burst ofughter. He pped once, and another serving was brought into the room.


    .....


    Lucien¡¯s eyes lit up in excitement as soon as he saw what was under thest cloche.


    It was a serving of banana split ice cream sundae! The three scoops of strawberry, vani, and chocte ice cream were topped with chocte syrup, maraschino cherries, and sprinkles of roasted nuts.


    The corner of Lucien¡¯s lips tugged up in a smile. Ronan could not help but pull him closer for a kiss. A happy Lucien was too enchanting.


    Lucien gave his lower lip a tiny bite before they parted.


    ¡°You naughty Alpha,¡± he scolded with a smile.


    ¡°Sorry, it was such a great opportunity,¡± Ronan said with a wink. ¡°Go on, I want to know how you like your real dessert.¡±


    Lucien took a spoonful of banana and vani ice cream. The heavenly sensation prompted him to moan out of delight.


    ¡°So good,¡± he praised.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to try some?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Ronan said.


    Lucien wanted to feed Ronan from his boat, but Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s chin and sampled the ice cream from his lips instead.


    The Alpha¡¯s tongue slithered inside Lucien¡¯s oral cavity like a snake, scraping the wall and sucking on Lucien¡¯s tongue greedily. If Lucien did not know better, he would think that Ronan want to devour him.


    Ronan licked the leaking saliva from the corner of Lucien¡¯s lips after he ended the kiss.


    ¡°Very sweet,¡± hemented with a smile. Ronan found that he could only tolerate sweets when he ate them straight from Lucien¡¯s lips.


    Red from the unexpectedly passionate kiss, Lucien had nothing to say. Flustered, he merely continued to eat his banana split dessert while Ronan continued to eat his lemon yogurt cake.


    Ronan stopped browsing Lucien¡¯s phone after spotting the two ne tickets, so he had no idea what Lucien was nning. That did not stop him from being curious.


    The Alpha kept bugging Lucien to tell him, but Lucien merely handed Ronan his phone as an answer.


    ¡°Check for yourself if you want,¡± he challenged him.


    Ronan of course did not want to give Lucien another reason to make him feel guiltyter, so he gracefully refused his fated mate¡¯s generosity.


    In the end, Ronan could only be patient and let Lucien take him wherever he wanted to.


    While Lucien took a nap after the fulfilling brunch, Ronan googled for some information about their destination.


    Snowmelt City, against its name, was a city that was covered in snow six months in a year. The remaining months were split into autumn, summer, and spring, but the number of warm days could be counted with fingers.


    The weather station showed that the current local temperature was around -11 degrees Celcius. Since Lucien was still recovering from fever, Ronan decided to get the both of them thick winter clothing to ensure that Lucien would feelfortable throughout their precious vacation.


    When Lucien woke up around dinner time, Ronan proudly showed him what he bought while Lucien was resting.


    Thick winter jackets.


    Thick winter boots.


    Thick winter hats.


    Thick winter gloves.


    Thick winter scarves.


    He even paid attention to picking different colors for them. Ronan had the ck one while Lucien had the white one.


    ¡°How do you even know my size?¡± Lucien asked with a frown. He was surprised to find that Ronan managed to get him the right size for everything.


    What an odd question, Ronan thought to himself. How could he not know? He had been messing around with Lucien enough to know his perfect measurements.


    The day passed quickly in peace. After the plentiful brunch, they settled for a humble dinner of mushroomsagna and sauteed asparagus with garlic. Of course it was Ronan who selected the dishes.


    After going through a series of bad meals with Lucien, Ronan was not willing to let Lucien pick the food ever again.


    At night, Lucien still refused to engage in sexual intercourse with Ronan, but he agreed to sleep naked in Ronan¡¯s arms.


    The Alpha hugged his lover from behind and squeezed his penis through Lucien¡¯s thigh. It rubbed intimately against Lucien¡¯s slender one. Although Ronan longed to make love to Lucien again, he did not want Lucien to swear off sex altogether.


    The Alpha decided to patiently wait until Lucien gave him the green light.


    After breakfast the next morning, they took a cab to the airport.


    Inside the cab, Ronan suddenly remembered something else.


    ¡°Lulu, send me pictures of the belt,¡± he said.


    ¡°Right. Of course.¡±


    Ronan then forwarded the pictures to Jake, with the instruction to ¡°find the original owner of the belt in the Silverback family and the person whoter received the belt as a gift.¡±

 Chapter 153

    153 Arriving In Snowmelt City


    The Snowmelt City was covered in a thickyer of snow. The temperature was so low that breath came out as fog that quickly dissipated into the air.


    Ronan pulled Lucien¡¯s coat tighter around his slender frame.


    ¡°Bundle up,¡± he whispered into his lover¡¯s ear. ¡°Else you will get sick.¡±


    A sweet smile appeared on Lucien¡¯s face. His cheeks were reddish from cold, giving him unintended blush.


    ¡°Mmn,¡± Lucien mumbled. In return, he wrapped Ronan¡¯s scarf tighter around the man¡¯s neck and tucked the ends into his jacket. ¡°You too, don¡¯t get sick.¡±


    Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s hand, intertwining their fingers as they walked slowly out of the arrival area.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get to the hotel soon,¡± Ronan said, shivering despite the thickyers of clothes around his body.


    If it were up to him, he would have picked a warmer destination. Maybe a tropical ind in Asia. They could swim or sunbathe during the day and then melt in each other¡¯s arms at night.


    s, Lucien chose to go to a cold ce. It was already a miracle that he took initiative to n the vacation, so Ronan did not want toin.


    .....


    Generally, they could go to the North Pole and Ronan would still say that it was an amazing experience. He was willing to go anywhere as long as Lucien was with him.


    Lucien turned to Ronan and said, ¡°The hotel is about three hours from here.¡±


    Ronan was baffled. The airport was not exactly located in a remote ce. It was only thirty minutes away from the center of the city. So why did they need three hours to reach the hotel?


    ¡°Um, alright.¡±


    After they got inside a cab again, Ronan found out why exactly it took three hours. They were not heading toward the city at all. They were heading in the opposite direction, away from the city.


    The trip to the hotel did not go smoothly. They were unlucky enough to be caught in the middle of a snowstorm when they were halfway there. In order to not end up in an unwanted ident, they had to stop at a nearby inn to wait for the storm to settle and also to rest a little.


    The inn was bustling with a lot of guests who, like Ronan and Lucien, were traveling somewhere in the snowstorm.


    Ronan ordered three cups of warm malt wine for him, Lucien, and the cab driver. The hot liquor quickly warmed up their bodies. Ronan sighed in delight as he put down his cup on the counter.


    Lucien had not even finished half of his cup.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Ronan asked while caressing Lucien¡¯s cold cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t you like it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like alcoholic beverages,¡± Lucien admitted.


    ¡°Drink it anyway, it will keep you warm. We still have one to two hours of travel time before we reach the hotel, right?¡±


    Lucien nodded. After he finished the cup, he pulled a disgusted face.


    ¡°Never again,¡± he mumbled.


    When the snowstorm stopped, everyone in the inn cheered. One by one, the guests started pouring out. Ronan and Lucien too resumed their trip to the hotel.


    It took two hours until they reached the hotel.


    Or to be more precise, the hut.


    Ronan¡¯s jaw dropped open when they stood before the old, wooden building with an askew signboard hanging on top of it. The words ¡°Ice Cabin¡± were written on the signboard.


    Ronan sneaked a nce at Lucien. Thetter did not look surprised at all. He knew that they were heading to this dpidated house.


    Ronan groaned in his head.


    Oh, Goddess.


    Of course. He should have known that this was going to happen. Lucien was not exactly swimming in money.


    Where did he have the money to n this kind of trip for the two of them?


    Lucien must have emptied his savings just to give Ronan this surprise.


    Ronan¡¯s heart was hurting immensely. He knew that Lucien meant well, and truthfully Ronan could not care less where they ended up as long as they were together, but they should not have to stay in this horrible ce!


    Ronan had money!


    He had lots of money!


    He could afford to buy a whole hotel in Snowmelt City!


    Lucien reached out for the doorknob, but Ronan stopped him.


    ¡°Lulu, wait.¡±


    The man furrowed his brows at the Alpha. Was Ronan not in a hurry to get to the hotel? Why was he dallying around now?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Ronan swallowed hard. What was the best way to tell his lover that the ce he picked was awful and might not even have a proper heating system?


    ¡°Lulu, uh... Why don¡¯t we stay in another ce?¡± He asked with a smile as charming as he could conjure under the circumstances.


    Lucien raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because, uh... I think we can get a better ce.¡±


    ¡°There is no better ce,¡± Lucien replied. ¡°This is the only one in this area.¡±


    ¡°Lucien, I mean... I am sure that I can get a better one. Why don¡¯t you let me handle it?¡±


    Lucien crossed his arms before his chest and cocked his head to the side.


    ¡°If you are so sure, you can point the direction and I will reserve it for us.¡±


    Ronan cleared his throat again. He knew that Lucien could not afford more than this sad hut, but how could he say it nicely?


    ¡°That, uh, why not just let me pay for a change?¡±


    Lucien narrowed his eyes at Ronan. His lips were pulled into a thin line.


    ¡°Oh, now I know what is going on. Ronan Silverback, do you think I cannot afford the kind of lodging that is befitting of a high-born Alpha such as yourself?¡±


    Ronan smacked a hand against his face.


    This was his greatest fear.


    Why must Lucien alwaysnd at the worst conclusion???


    Seeing that Ronan did not bother to deny it, Lucien snorted in annoyance.


    ¡°Ronan Silverback, don¡¯t you look down at me. Come with me now. I am not giving you another choice.¡±

 Chapter 154

    154 Do You Still Have Any Other Comints?


    Ronan followed Lucien into the old wooden building reluctantly. The interior was as bad as the exterior. There was an odd smell that permeated the room. Ronan wrinkled his nose in unconcealed disgust when he saw suspicious ck stains at the corners of the room.


    Lucien approached what seemed to be a receptionist counter. He rang the call bell and waited. Not long afterward, a young man emerged from the back.


    ¡°Hello!¡± He happily greeted Lucien. ¡°Mr. Clearwater and Mr. Silverback, correct? We have been expecting you.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lucien answered curtly.


    ¡°Please follow me,¡± the young man slipped out from behind the counter.


    Ronan groaned in his heart.


    The building only had two stories. Apparently, they were going to stay in one of the pathetic rooms in the second story.


    But the young man did not go up the stairs. Instead, he grabbed his wool jacket and then slipped out of the entrance door.


    Ronan gaped at the open door.


    .....


    Lucien gave Ronan shifty eyes before he went after the young man.


    Ronan¡¯s instinct told him that he just messed up again, but he was not sure in what way. In order to cate his fated mate, the Alpha grabbed the handle of Lucien¡¯s luggage out of his hand.


    Lucien gave Ronan a look.


    Ronan shed him his most brilliant smile.


    ¡°My love, you must be tired. Why don¡¯t I carry your luggage for you?¡±


    Lucien humphed.


    ¡°Suit yourself,¡± he said, letting go of his luggage and walking away with empty hands.


    The three people walked for almost ten minutes to reach their real destination. Once they arrived, Ronan widened his eyes in disbelief.


    Around twenty-something ss igloos were spread across the vast snow terrains. Sturdy pine trees, covered in snow, stood tall between the igloos. Separated by a few rows of pine trees were a bunch of wooden cabins.


    The young man led them to one of the ss igloos, opened the door, and handed Lucien the key.


    shing them both a toothy grin, he said, ¡°Enjoy your stay!¡±


    Wordlessly, Lucien walked into the ss igloo. He turned on the light and turned on the heater.


    It was almost remarkable how the igloo resembled a studio apartment greatly.


    As soon as they walked in, there was a bathroom to their left and a small kitchen to their right.


    The bathroom was rather small for Ronan¡¯s taste, but it had enough space for a shower and sauna. The small kitchen had two cooking stoves. There were some basic cooking appliances in the overhead cupboard and a microwave in the corner.


    At the end of the corridor, taking up thergest area of the ss igloo was avish bedroom with a queen-sized bed. Dim lights burned in the flower-shapedmpshades on the nightstands at each side of the bed.


    The ss igloo allowed the inhabitants to have a clear view of the sky.


    In winter, the sun set earlier. When Lucien and Ronan arrived at the ss igloo, the sky was slowly turning dark. The stars appeared as specks of light in the dark blue sky.


    Ronan put the luggage aside and went to hug his lover from behind.


    ¡°Well?¡± Lucien turned his head slightly toward Ronan. ¡°Do you still have any otherints?¡±


    Ronan snuggled against the side of Lucien¡¯s neck affectionately.


    ¡°How can I? My beautiful mate has taken me to heaven. I do not wish to go back to the mortal world at all.¡±


    Lucien scoffed. He turned around and pushed Ronan toward the bed.


    Grinning, Ronan happilyplied. Lucien forced Ronan toy on top of the bed, and then he climbed after Ronan and straddled hisp.


    A soft sigh escaped Ronan¡¯s lips when his manhood rubbed against Lucien¡¯s through their thick pants.


    He ced both of his hands at Lucien¡¯s waist.


    ¡°Careful there,¡± he whispered.


    Ignoring Ronan¡¯s warning, Lucien grabbed the huge bulge and squeezed it.


    ¡°Uhh...¡±


    Ronan shut his eyes and bit into his lip. He grabbed into the fur quilt, trying hard not to give in to Lucien¡¯s temptation.


    Lucien had to smile when he looked at Ronan¡¯s expression.


    Ronan sighed in relief when Lucien climbed off the bed, but then he almost stopped breathing when he saw what Lucien did.


    Lucien took off his clothes, discardingyer afteryer onto the floor, until he stood stark naked before Ronan.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± he said mysteriously before he transformed into his wolf form and trotted out of the igloo.


    Ronan was stunned for a few seconds before he snapped back into reality. He undressed himself and quickly transformed.


    Outside of the igloo, the moon was hanging low in the sky.


    Lucien was waiting for him, his caramel-colored eyes shone brightly in the dark.


    ¡®Ronan,¡¯ Lucien spoke through the Mind Link. ¡®Let Beowulf out. Let the wolves spend some time together.¡¯


    ¡®Sure.¡¯


    Ronan dly stepped back and let Beowulfe out to y for a change. His wolf was ecstatic.


    ¡®WOOHAWWWW!!!¡¯


    He jumped around like a maniac, bumping against Landon who had been given control over Lucien¡¯s body. Landon kissed Beowulf and urged thetter to follow him.


    The two giant wolves slipped into the forest, racing against each other as they trekked along the snowy hills.


    It was an amazing experience, unlike anything that Ronan and Lucien could have in their human forms. Beowulf and Landon were able to climb the highest peaks within minutes and walk along steep slopes to reach secret ces that remained untouched by human beings.


    A lot of wild animals were active at night. They went out to find food to bring home to their offspring.


    The two giant wolves came across a lot of regr wolves and foxes that darted quickly past them to avoid unwanted confrontations with the two strangers.


    After running around for some time, they decided to rx by a frozenke. The two wolves cuddled against each other, rolling around the snowy ground intimately.


    Ronan could feel a heavy sexual urge gradually building in Beowulf. The ck wolf then lowered his head and licked at Landon¡¯s rear hole.

 Chapter 155

    155 The Wolf Business (NSFW)


    ¡®Oh, oh,¡¯ Ronan thought.


    ¡®Um, Beowulf, maybe you should not...¡¯


    Ronan was pretty sure that Landon was not going to agree. Was Lucien not still sore down there?


    But then the wolf with red-golden fur simply gave Beowulf one look before he stretched himself andy on his stomach.


    Ronan shut up within an instant.


    With a domineering growl, Beowulf rose to his feet and positioned himself behind Landon.


    ¡®Oh, Goddess.¡¯


    When Beowulf started mounting Landon, both Ronan and Lucien shut away their consciousness as soon as possible. Although they had fucked each other many times before, it was too awkward to watch the same thing happening between their wolves.


    Landon whimpered when Beowulf entered him. Thetter shifted his weight on top of Landon to pin him down. He then pumped rapidly into Landon. His vigorous movement caused Landon to growl with delight. After some time, Beowulf jerked violently and sessfully knotted Landon.


    .....


    They remained in that position for a long time, until Beowulf finished ejacting inside Landon and the knot deted.


    Knowing that they might not get another chance to be together again in their wolf forms, the two wolves did it again a few times.


    By the time Ronan and Lucien were called back to upy their bodies, they were standing naked inside the shower.


    Lucien shot Ronan a grim look.


    Ronan put his hands up and shook his head.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. I swear. Beowulf didn¡¯t tell me that he nned to... Cough.¡±


    Lucien pursed his lips and threw a towel at Ronan¡¯s face.


    ¡°I am going to shower first,¡± he announced before closing the ss door.


    Ronan leaned against the door frame and asked seductively, ¡°Do you need help to clean up?¡±


    ¡°I need food,¡± came the disgruntled answer. ¡°Go get us some decent dinner.¡±


    Ronanughed.


    He put a bathrobe on and called for some room service.


    Lucien needed some time to clean himself. By the time he got out of the bathroom, the cinnamon buns and salmon soup had turned cold.


    Ronan was standing in front of the microwave. He knew that he could use it to warm up the food but he did not know how.


    Of course he did not. Ronan was used to having servants around to wait on his hand and foot ever since he was small. Lucien was not the same. Although he too was a little prince in his pack, his parents did not hire servants to take care of their home. Lucien and Annalynne were used to splitting household chores with their parents.


    ¡°Ronan,¡± Lucien pulled at Ronan¡¯s arm. ¡°Go take a shower. Let me take care of this one.¡±


    Ronan gave his lover a broad smile. He pulled Lucien into a hug and sniffed the refreshing scent ofvender soap from his body.


    ¡°You smell so good,¡± he crooned.


    ¡°You smell like sweat and dirt,¡± Lucien replied ruthlessly.


    ¡°Now go take a bath,¡± he added, pushing Ronan away with a finger.


    Instead of going into the bathroom, Ronan threw himself at Lucien and gave him a messy kiss. Lucien had to literally kick Ronan into the bathroom.


    ¡°Lecher!¡± he shouted before closing the ss door. Ronanughed inside the bathroom. Meanwhile, Lucien fumed while heating the soup and bread for dinner.


    When Ronan came out in his pajamas, Lucien already set up a small dining table near the ss windows. He had two pillows lying on the floor. One for him and one for Ronan. The Alpha took a seat on the only remaining pillow and nced at the amazing view outside. It was breathtakingly beautiful.


    Although werewolf packs were spread across the continent, they usually chose to stay in warmer areas. If ever they travel to cold ces like this, it is usually due to business purposes.


    The Silverback family might be filthy rich, but Ronan grew up in a strict environment that did not allow him to go and have fun. He had the money to go on vacation anywhere, but he had no one to go with.


    Unexpectedly, Lucien took the initiative to take Ronan out of hisfort zone and allow him to enjoy this magical time.


    Ronan supported his chin on the table while he gazed at Lucien lovingly.


    Feeling self-conscious, Lucien furrowed his brows. ¡°What is it? Not hungry?¡±


    Ronan chuckled. He tore at a cinnamon bun and stuffed the soft bread into his mouth. It tasted heavenly. Ronan did not know he was that hungry until he started gobbling up the food on the table.


    ¡°Oh, so good,¡± he sighed when he was done.


    Lucien put away the dishes in a small stic container outside for the hotel staff to getter on. He then poured them two cups of hot cocoa and added some marshmallows.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ronan said when Lucien handed him the cup of cocoa.


    He pulled Lucien into a hug as they sat side-by-side on the pillows.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get mad, Lulu, but how can you afford this trip?¡±


    Lucien sipped at his cup and gave Ronan shifty eyes.


    ¡°You really think that I am that poor, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Ronan chuckled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to say that out loud bute on. I don¡¯t mean to be rude. I just don¡¯t want you to burn a hole in your pocket for this trip.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to concern yourself about my finance,¡± Lucien quipped. ¡°Just stopining and enjoy the trip.¡±


    Ronan shed Lucien a grin. ¡°Oh, did I get myself a rich wife by chance?¡±


    Lucien flushed a bright pink when he heard the word ¡°wife¡±. They had not talked about marriage yet. It was too early to even think about that. Right now, Lucien simply wanted to enjoy a rxing vacation with Ronan. When they went back, they had to start thinking about other things. The belt. The discussion with Kinnon. The continuation of the Silent Walkers Pack.


    Even though Lucien did not respond to his words, his adorable reaction did not escape Ronan¡¯s eyes. He set his cup on the wooden floor and pulled Lucien to sit on hisp.


    Putting his arms around Lucien¡¯s waist, the Alpha whispered into Lucien¡¯s ear, ¡°By the way, when will we establish our mating bond?¡±

 Chapter 156

    156 The Alpha Extracted A Promise From His Fated Mate


    Lucien slid his fingers into Ronan¡¯s hair affectionately.


    ¡°We are already having sex. Don¡¯t you want to wait until we are married?¡± he asked.


    In response, Ronan unbuttoned Lucien¡¯s pajamas and pulled thepel aside to reveal a sexy shoulder. He then kissed and sucked along Lucien¡¯s corbone.


    ¡°It¡¯s not enough,¡± Ronan said, his gaze burning with lust. ¡°I want more, Lucien. I want us to be bound to each other properly.¡±


    Lucien sighed when Ronan¡¯s lips traveled along his jawline and he sucked at one of his earlobes yfully. The red-blonde man rubbed at Ronan¡¯s back and reveled in the other man¡¯s warmth.


    He too wanted to give in to his primal instincts and seal the mating bond with Ronan. Then they would transcend from being fated mates to being actual mates. It was what they both wanted. They were adults. It was fine to do it even before they got married, right?


    Ronan rose to his feet and carried Lucien to the bed. One by one, the buttons on their pajamas came off and soon they were lying there with not a single thread covering their bodies.


    ¡°Lulu...¡±


    Ronan¡¯s voice was heavy with desire. His teeth scraped against Lucien¡¯s nape, giving Lucien goosebumps.


    .....


    ¡°Wait,¡± Lucien hastily spoke up. ¡°Ronan, not now.¡±


    Ronan understood as much. After being taken advantage of in his wolf form, Lucien must still be sore down there.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I will wait until you heal up.¡±


    Lucien shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s not it. Ronan, I still need to announce our rtionship to my family. And then, there is the matter of leadership in the Silent Walkers Pack.¡±


    Ronan let himself fall next to Lucien and caressed thetter¡¯s arm. He did not know how to tell Lucien that his whole family, except for maybe his father, knew about Ronan and Lucien. His mother and sister even threatened Ronan.


    Speaking about the leadership matter in the Silent Walkers Pack, Lucien already openly told Kendra that he did not wish to be the next Alpha of the pack.


    ¡°If we manage to settle the matter from the first war with Kinnon, who do you think deserves to be your pack¡¯s next Alpha?¡±


    Lucien heaved a sigh.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I am thinking of just having all alphaspete for the position.¡±


    Ronan nodded in agreement. ¡°That might be the best. We don¡¯t want another Deacon Clearwater to be the next Alpha.¡±


    Lucien moved his hand to caress Ronan¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°After everything is settled... Let¡¯s mark each other.¡±


    The corners of Ronan¡¯s lips were pulled into a broad smile.


    ¡°I would love to.¡±


    Naked under the fur quilt, the two men cuddled and entangled their limbs together. Eventually, exhaustion set in and they fell asleep in each other¡¯s arms.


    In the morning, they woke up to a beautiful sky that was painted with soft colors of pink, orange, and blue. Breakfast was delivered punctually at 8 AM.


    After breakfast, Ronan wanted to go back to bed to sleep another round, but Lucien pulled him out of the bed.


    ¡°Why?¡± Ronan asked while throwing himself at Lucien. ¡°Lulu, I am so tired.¡±


    ¡°You are on vacation,¡± Lucien reminded him. ¡°If you just want to sleep, you will get plenty of those once we got back home.¡±


    The man hugged Ronan and coaxed him with a kiss on the cheek.


    ¡°Come on, get dressed. I already nned the whole day for us.¡±


    Upon hearing Lucien¡¯s words, Ronan¡¯s interest was piqued. He thus obediently get dressed and strolled out of the cozy ss igloo with Lucien.


    Lucien unfolded a map of the resort area and located a snowmobile rental stall. They rode the snowmobile until they reached the same frozenke that Beowulf and Landon spotted the previous night.


    In front of theke, there was another stall. A man and woman, clearly a couple, were busy renting skating shoes to guests.


    ¡°I can¡¯t skate,¡± Ronan said with a frown.


    ¡°Really? No worries, I can teach you,¡± Lucien said.


    Flustered, Ronan pulled at Lucien¡¯s waist. ¡°Lulu, where are we going? Why do we have to skate?¡±


    Lucien pointed at the blurry buildings across the frozenke.


    ¡°We are heading to Winter Magic Vige. To reach the ce, we need to skate across the frozenke.¡±


    ¡°But... But...¡±


    Ronan was visibly pale. ¡°What if we identally fall and break the iceyer?¡±


    Lucien raised an eyebrow. Was Ronan scared of skating? A... That was too adorable.


    Lucien chuckled and pinched at Ronan¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you have me with you. If you are afraid of falling, just hold on to me.¡±


    Ronan pursed his lips. He usually did not require further encouragement to stick to Lucien like a blob of glue. Unless of course it was because he was scared of something and needed Lucien as his crutch.


    How humiliating. How could he still refer to himself as an Alpha???


    Ronan straightened his back and marched toward the stall.


    ¡°I want to have two pairs of skating shoes, please,¡± he said confidently.


    ¡°Of course. That will cost sixteen dors altogether for a whole day¡¯s usage, please,¡± the elder woman beamed at him.


    Ronan was stumped when he heard what the elder woman said. As usual, the CEO of Silverback Corporation had no cash with him and must rely on his lover to pay for both of them.


    Trying hard to suppress hisughter, Lucien stepped closer and pressed two ten-dor bills into the elder woman¡¯s hand.


    Ronan could barely stand up after he changed into his skating shoes, let alone slide across the ice. Laughing non-stop, Lucien dragged Ronan with him as they slowly made their way across the frozenke.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ronan?¡± Lucien asked with a wicked grin. ¡°Come on, put your arms around my waist.¡±


    Initially, Ronan wanted to preserve what was left of his dignity by relying on Lucien as little as possible. That n was quickly abandoned as soon as he stepped onto the ice.


    Ronan hugged Lucien from behind and buried his face in thetter¡¯s neck as Lucien dragged them both across the frozenke. The other couples who watched them were burning with envy and rage. Must they disy their intimacy openly during the day??? Could they not care for the tender feelings of those who were too shy to do the same???

 Chapter 157

    157 The Winter Magic Vige (NSFW)


    The Winter Magic Vige was a piece of heaven on earth. It looked like a warmer version of the North Pole.


    The Santa Workshop sold all kinds of hand-made wooden items, such as toys, picture frames, and small kitchen appliances.


    The items wereid neatly in rows.


    Behind the cashier, carpenters in white shirts and red jumpsuits were working on the goods. They were all very focused on their work, their nimble hands turning blocks of ordinary wood into extraordinary items.


    A nutcracker in form of a soldier attracted Lucien¡¯s eyes. He took it in his hands and flipped it around.


    Ronan furrowed his brows at the toy soldier. ¡°Is that from ¡®The Nutcracker¡¯?¡±


    He referred to a ballet performance with the same name. Lucien nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Yup. Look, isn¡¯t he interesting?¡±


    Lucien shook the toy in front of Ronan. Ronan pulled Lucien into a hug and pressed a kiss on his forehead.


    .....


    ¡°Do you know the story?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Loosely. The nutcracker bes alive and kills the Evil Mouse King, right?¡±


    Ronan smiled.


    ¡°Yeah, it is a good-luck amulet.¡±


    ¡°Then it is a perfect gift for my sister.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Does your sister need someone to save her?¡±


    Lucien sighed.


    ¡°Anna recently got rejected, and now she has an unsightly scar on her cheek. I want to give her some encouragement.¡±


    Although they did not talk about it anymore, Lucien knew that Annalynne¡¯s feelings for Kinnon had yet to fade. Her self-confidence must have plummeted even lower when Kinnon saw the scar on her cheek.


    ¡°I can introduce you to a very good stic surgeon if Annalynne wants to get the scar fixed.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s solution was the same as Kinnon¡¯s and his. Unfortunately, Annalynne refused to go under the knife. When Lucien pestered her about the reason, she darkly muttered that ¡°with or without a scar, Kinnon is not going to look at me anyway.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Ronan. I will contact you when Anna changes her mind,¡± Lucien said, giving Ronan a peck on his lips.


    After they exited the Santa Workshop, they had lunch at the Elf Restaurant. The waiters and waitresses were all dressed in red and green elf uniforms. The women wore red hats while the men wore green ones.


    The whole restaurant was decorated with fake, giant candy canes and various humongous sweets. There was even a real gingerbread house on disy at the center of the restaurant.


    ¡°Look, Ronan. The door is made of chocte.¡±


    Lucien pointed at the meticulously assembled house.


    ¡°They use caramel to glue the parts together. Smart.¡±


    Ronan was filled with dread. Was he going to have another diabetes-inducing lunch?


    Thankfully, the menu had more to offer than Christmas desserts. Ronan ordered a serving of roast turkey with steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes. Lucien ordered a te of tpia steak with baked beans and lemon-cheese sauce. For beverages, Ronan wanted a ss of Cherry Cocktail while Lucien wanted a ss of Christmas Punch with a scoop of vani ice cream.


    After a fulfilling lunch, the two men walked around the vige and talked to shopkeepers who were more than happy to tell about the history of the vige.


    The Winter Magic Vige was originally a normal vige in the farther end of Snowmelt City. When tourism hit and the area became popr, everyone in the vige started to start winter-rted businesses. Thanks to everyone¡¯s contribution, the vige was in Christmas season throughout the year.


    ¡°It is like a dreame true,¡± a happy girl who sold them candy canes said, swooning with delight.


    ¡°It does seem like a happy ce full of happy people,¡± Lucien remarked.


    Ronan took Lucien¡¯s hand and gave it an adoring kiss.


    ¡°Are you happy?¡± He asked.


    Lucien nodded. ¡°Are you?¡±


    ¡°I am happy whenever you are with me,¡± Ronan replied flirtatiously.


    ¡°Even if I force you to bathe in a pool of melted candies?¡±


    Ronan could not think about anything more disgusting than that, but he still lied through his teeth, ¡°Anything as long as you are next to me.¡±


    They left the vige when the sun was about to set. Each visitor was given a light badge courtesy of the vige before they crossed the frozenke again. The second time around, Ronan developed more self-confidence. He still had to rely on Lucien to drag them both across theke, but at least he could move by himself.


    Once they arrived at their ss igloo, the night already set in. Ronan expected to be pampered with a sky full of stars when he looked up, but he saw something else instead.


    The sky was bright with greenish-blue curtains of light that gently swayed as if the wind blew through them.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Ronan mouthed.


    It was a magical sight. Entirely mesmerizing.


    Ronan froze on spot, his eyes glued to the disy of light outside of the igloo. Lucien stepped next to him and took his hand in his.


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Lucien whispered.


    Ronan turned to look at the man next to him.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied.


    The Northern Lights were beautiful, but so was the person who showed him the wondrous sight.


    Ronan seized Lucien¡¯s cheek and captured his lips in a gentle kiss.


    ¡°Hmmm...¡±


    Ronan pushed Lucien against the ss window and deepened the kiss. Lucien sucked on Ronan¡¯s lips greedily while taking Ronan¡¯s jacket off. Ronan was more than eager to help.


    Before long, Lucien¡¯s naked body was pressed between Ronan¡¯s and the cold ss window.


    Although the ss igloos were at least a hundred meters away from each other to allow guests some privacy, Lucien did not feelfortable about the possibility of shing unsuspecting victims.


    ¡°The bed,¡± he managed to say between kisses before he led Ronan toward the bed.


    Ronan was pushed to sit at the edge of the bed. Lucien went to his knees between Ronan¡¯s legs and looked up at him.


    ¡°Lulu? What are you...¡±


    His question was stuck in his throat when Lucien took hold of his shaft, caressed the length, and then pressed the dark red ns against his hot tongue.

 Chapter 158

    158 An Unexpected Surprise (NSFW)


    ¡°Ugh...!¡±


    Ronan arched his back. His brows were knitted tightly and his mouth was open from the unbearable sensation that spread from his sexual organ throughout his whole body.


    The physical stimtion was an out-of-the-earth experience, but the realization that his Lulu, his beloved fated mate, was doing him this favor was mindblowing.


    ¡°Lulu... Ah...¡±


    Ronan could not stop himself from moaning.


    It was not his first time getting a blowjob, but it was his first time getting it from someone he loved. Someone who he wanted to marry and take home as his Luna.


    Lucian suckled on the ns like he would the tastiest lollipop in the world. He raised his eyes to look at Ronan¡¯s facial expression.


    It was his first time giving a blowjob, so he did not dare to be rash. Studious as he was, Lucien had nned it for some time. While he spent his time browsing on his phone, he also searched for tips to please a man with his tongue.


    A lot of people shared their experiences on the inte, both men and women.


    .....


    As a man, Lucien thought that there was not much he needed to pay attention to.


    He was wrong.


    He never sucked such a big object into his mouth, and he also never had his organ sucked by another person. He did not know how it would feel if he did this or that.


    Ronan was his first. Lucien wanted to be careful. He did not want to identally scrape the sensitive veins with his teeth, for example.


    Lucien sucked on the ns for a long time before he slowly moved down the length. Every time he took an inch deeper, he made sure to get used to the giant object that was slowly obstructing his breathing process.


    Ronan¡¯s penis was not only huge but also long. Lucien only managed to shove half of it into his mouth before he started to gag. At that point, he was no longer able to go deeper. Otherwise, he was going to choke.


    It was alright because Ronan also could barely take the stimtion


    Completely turned on, Ronan reached down and held Lucien¡¯s face with both hands. He then gently thrust it into Lucien¡¯s mouth.


    It was a little abrupt for Lucien, but he decided to control his breathing inside. When he got used to it, he started to suck on the iron rod every time Ronan withdrew. It never failed to make the Alpha moan from pleasure.


    The sight of his penis going in and out of Lucien¡¯s mouth was as mesmerizing as the beautiful curtain of light on top of Ronan¡¯s head.


    In fact, it was a sensational experience. Enough to make him explode then and there. Ronan had to control himself in order to not shove his manhood into Lucien¡¯s throat frantically.


    When it became too much for him, Ronan pulled out of Lucien¡¯s mouthpletely.


    Lucien was puzzled.


    ¡°What happened? Didn¡¯t you like it?¡±


    Ronan was all red from embarrassment.


    How could he not like it?


    ¡°No, I like it too much, but I don¡¯t want to knot inside your mouth.¡±


    Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s arms and pulled him to bed.


    Ronan then went to lie down on the bed and motioned for Lucien to climb on top of him.


    The two men exchanged passionate kisses while rubbing their bodies against each other. Lucien blushed when he felt the thick rod poking his stomach.


    ¡°Turn your back at me,¡± Ronan instructed with a hoarse voice.


    Lucien was not sure what Ronan wanted to do, but he did what Ronan wanted anyway.


    Ronan then folded Lucien¡¯s legs under him with one movement and pulled thetter¡¯s waist toward his face. Lucien¡¯s buttcheeks were spread, revealing the star-shaped hole in the middle.


    Without giving Lucien any warning, the Alpha stuck his tongue out and licked at the pink outer ring. Lucien was so startled that he tried to get up right away.


    ¡°Ronan, don¡¯t, it¡¯s dirty,¡± Lucien protested when Ronan pulled at his waist and forced him to sit on his face again.


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Ronan said. He continued assaulting Lucien¡¯s hole with his tongue.


    ¡°Hnngh... Ahhh...!¡± Lucien moaned when a lubricated finger stabbed into his body. It went in and out smoothly.


    ¡°You are still soft,¡± Ronan remarked with a smile. Of course he was. They had been fucking a lot in the few days. Ronan made a mental note to thank Beowulf for his audacity the previous night.


    A second finger quickly joined the first. This time Lucien¡¯s walls put up more resistance to Ronan¡¯s invasion.


    ¡°Ahhh... Ahhh...¡±


    Lucien¡¯s body trembled violently, but Ronan was not willing to let him go. The two fingers went in and out rapidly while expanding Lucien¡¯s tunnel at the same time. Whenever the two fingers spread inside Lucien¡¯s body, the man shivered and gave a sweet moan. It was music to Ronan¡¯s ears. asionally, Ronan thrust his tongue into it.


    ¡°Aahhh... Ronan... Stop... Ahhh...¡±


    Lucien arched his back and his body tensed up in an instant. The pressure that pooled at the bottom of his stomach was too much to handle. He came hard against Ronan¡¯s fingers, shooting his essence in spurts at Ronan¡¯s chest and abdomen.


    Having reached his climax, Lucien became light-headed for a moment. He slumped against Ronan¡¯s body uselessly.


    The Alpha kneaded at Lucien¡¯s round buttocks.


    ¡°Ready for more?¡± He asked while pressing a kiss on Lucien¡¯s butt.


    Lucien did not answer but he gave a subtle nod.


    Ronan spat into his fingers and pushed the saliva into Lucien¡¯s depth. He then turned Lucien around and let the man straddle him.


    Still dizzy from his earth-shattering orgasm, Lucien put both hands on Ronan¡¯s body to support himself.


    ¡°Put it in yourself,¡± he told Lucien with a deep, maic voice.


    The Alpha had both hands under Lucien¡¯s buttcheeks. He spread them and positioned the hole above his erect penis.


    Lucien reached down and guided the steel rod into his expanded hole. Closing his eyes, he slowly sat down on Ronan and let the massive tool impale him.

 Chapter 159

    159 Sorry For The Dy (NSFW)


    Both men moaned in unison when Ronan was buried to the hilt inside Lucien.


    Ronan opened his eyes and saw Lucien straddling him with the amazing Northern Lights as the backdrop.


    Lucien¡¯s eyes were tightly closed. Pain caused cold sweat to build between his brows. He visibly struggled to adapt to Ronan¡¯s size. With Lucien on top, Ronan was able to intrude even more into his deepest recess.


    It felt so good, but at the same time also ufortable to be stuck like that for a long time. Ronan wanted to move, but he did not dare to. Lucien should be the one to make the first move.


    When Lucien opened his eyes again a few momentster, some tears stuck to his eyshes.


    Inside his belly, there was another pulse that was beating strongly.


    Lucien took one of Ronan¡¯s hands and pressed it against the lower part of his stomach.


    ¡°Can you feel it?¡± He asked. ¡°You arepletely inside me.¡±


    Ronan answered with a shallow thrust, causing Lucien to gasp. It might be only Ronan¡¯s overactive imagination, but he felt like Lucien¡¯s belly bulged a little when he thrust into him, bumping against his palm.


    .....


    ¡°Lulu, you are so beautiful,¡± Ronan said. ¡°You make me the happiest man on earth. I love you very much.¡±


    Lucien looked down at Ronan and smiled.


    ¡°That makes the two of us.¡±


    The Alpha was sprawled on the bed, his perfectly sculpted body was exposed to Lucien¡¯s eyes. When Lucien traced the deep lines with his fingers, he could feel the muscles underneath rolling with anticipation.


    Lucien took a deep breath and then pushed himself off Ronan¡¯s body. His inner walls squeezed Ronan¡¯s penis from the base to the ns. Ronan sucked in a deep breath. He wed into the mattress and furrowed his brows. It felt so good. A perfect mix of pain and pleasure.


    The withdrawal was done slowly, but the re-insertion was done quickly.


    When Lucien mmed back down on him, Ronan almost lost his soul. In fact, he might not mind losing his soul to the devil if he could stop the time and preserve this moment forever.


    With only the two of them at a ce far far away from their friends and families, all the problems that burdened their minds were momentarily forgotten.


    Inside the secluded ss igloo, there were only the two of them, a couple in love who were enjoying each other¡¯s bodies.


    They made sweet love to each other that night. After cumming together once with Lucien on top, Lucien¡¯s hole was even softer and more receptive to Ronan¡¯s attack.


    Ronan took Lucien the second time in the missionary position, where he pounded into Lucien while thetter was watching the beautiful disy in the sky.


    For the third time, he took Lucien from the side while spooning him. The both of them were facing the ss window, so they could admire the Northern Lights together.


    After knotting and ejacting three times inside Lucien¡¯s body, Ronan waspletely drained. The exhaustion finally set in for the Alpha.


    He spooned Lucien and pressed his lips against Lucien¡¯s nape.


    Ronan closed his eyes to sleep, but then an rm on Lucien¡¯s phone went off, startling the both of them.


    Ronan rubbed at his eyes drowsily. Still stuck to Ronan through the knot, Lucien stretched his upper body to grab the phone on top of the nightstand.


    Ronan grunted when he felt a delicious pull at hisher region.


    His hand wandered around Lucien¡¯s back and shoulder. So sexy, he thought.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Ronan asked, pulling Lucien back to bed and pressing a kiss against his back.


    The clock was showing 00.03 AM.


    Lucien turned his head, put an arm around Ronan¡¯s neck, and gave Ronan a loving kiss.


    ¡°Happy Birthday, Ronan.¡±


    Surprised, the Alpha stared at Lucien for a while before he connected the dots together.


    ¡°You remember,¡± he said, smilecing his lips.


    Lucien nodded and returned the smile.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ronan could barely believe it. He had only told Lucien about his birthday once, when they were at the peak of their happiness at the Alpha Camp. At that time, the two youthful werewolves were busy making ns for the future.


    ¡°Did you forget?¡± Lucien asked as he moved a strand of ck hair from Ronan¡¯s face and tucked it behind his ear.


    ¡°Back then you told me that your birthday wasing up in a few months. You wanted us to meet up so we could celebrate your neenth birthday together.¡±


    Indeed, there was that kind of talk. Young Ronan had an impulsive and outgoing personality. Ecstatic by his first serious rtionship with his fated mate, the youth had even thought about proposing to Lucien as soon as they left the Alpha Camp.


    He did not want to be separated from his lover. He wanted to be together with Lucien forever.


    All of his daydreams and wishes turned to naught when their rtionship ended. Heartbroken, Ronan subconsciously locked the beautiful memories away in a secret chest and buried it deep inside his heart.


    It turned out that Lucien still remembered this little detail from the past.


    ¡°I thought for a long time about how to best spend your birthday,¡± Lucien slowly said.


    Lucien started nning during the months when he was bedridden. Young Lucien was unable to escape the cage of his physical body, so his mind escaped to a beautiful parallel world instead. A world where he did not break up with Ronan. A world where they went off to a faraway ce, a beautiful scenic ce to celebrate Ronan¡¯s birthday.


    When they started dating again and Ronan¡¯s birthday was approaching, it was all that Lucien could think of.


    ¡°Sorry for the dy,¡± Lucien muttered. ¡°I was unable to celebrate your neenth birthday with you. For your twenty-sixth birthday, I wish you all the happiness in the world. May the Moon Goddess bless you with evesting health and prosperity as well.¡±


    Ronan tightened his embrace around Lucien and gave the man a long kiss.


    ¡°It is such a wonderful surprise. Thank you, Lulu.¡±


    Lucien snuggled against Ronan.


    ¡°This is only one of many,¡± he whispered. ¡°From now on, let¡¯s celebrate our birthdays together.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ronan agreed. Lacing their fingers together, he shared another kiss with Lucien. ¡°We will always be together.¡±

 Chapter 160

    160 The Reindeer Farm


    Spurned by the spirit of celebration, they made love two more times that night.


    As a result, the merry couple was out cold for the whole morning. By the time they woke up in the afternoon, they were starving.


    Because it was Ronan¡¯s birthday, Lucien who was not the birthday boy demanded to order two slices of ck forest cake with extra whipped cream on top.


    Ronan scraped all the cream off the cake and only ate the sponge part. He tried to scrape off the cake in Lucien¡¯s te too, but thetter smacked his hand with the metal spoon.


    ¡°We should check your blood sugar level,¡± Ronan said. ¡°How long have you indulged in these sweet stuffs?¡±


    ¡°Not long.¡±


    ¡°How long is not long?¡±


    ¡°Around eight years.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    .....


    Ronan extended his hand to pinch Lucien¡¯s soft butt.


    ¡°I guess all of it goes to your butt.¡±


    He earned himself another smack by a fuming Lucien.


    ¡°It does not!¡±


    Ronanughed. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I love touching your butt when we are doing it.¡±


    Lucien grabbed a nearby pillow and smacked Ronan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa! Be nice to me! It¡¯s my birthday today!¡±


    Lucien had a reason to throw a tantrum.


    Thanks to Ronan¡¯s excellent performance at night, Lucien¡¯s waist felt as if it was going to fall off any moment. He could not even stand, let alone walk.


    The man muttered curses under his breath as Ronan helped him drag his feet toward the bathroom to clean himself.


    It was not that Ronan did not feel guilty at all, but he was secretly happy that it was their intense lovemaking sessions that made Lucien unable to walk every time.


    ¡°What are you grinning about?¡± Lucien barked.


    Ronan quickly wiped the smug grin off his face, but he was still getting kicked out of the shower room.


    After some perfunctory cleaning and coaxing, Ronan managed to persuade Lucien to try the home sauna.


    Enclosed with the menu booklet was an instruction card on how to use the sauna for maximum health benefit and rxation.


    The two men drank a full ss of water each before they indulged in the dry sauna. After ten minutes, they went out to ssh their bodies with cold water in the shower. The cycle was repeated three times, but at the third time they went to roll around in the snow with only their underwear on.


    After drying themselves properly, they got dressed and went to find something else other than cake to fill their stomachs.


    To Ronan¡¯s delight, the resort restaurant offered a lot of local specialties in form of fulfilling meals instead of diabetes-inducing snacks.


    For theirst day, Lucien booked a trip to the Reindeer Farm. It was located deep in the forest, and guests could reach it by using snowmobile or reindeer sleigh ride.


    Lucien decided for thetter, so he and Ronan sat snugly at the backseat while a talkative driver took them through the forest.


    ¡°The Reindeer Farm is managed by my family since generations!¡± He announced proudly. ¡°Many other people try to start their own farms but nope, they all fail. You know, breeding reindeers is an art in itself...¡±


    Ronan wanted to cuddle, but Lucien pushed his face away while gesturing toward the driver¡¯s back.


    Dejected, the Alpha forced himself to listen to the driver¡¯s tall tale about how his ancestors started out with only one reindeer.


    ¡°Attention, guests! We are going through a dark tunnel!¡±


    Darkness enveloped them as soon as they entered the cave. To the driver¡¯s credit, he did not even slow down although he could not see anything. Ronan craned his neck to see the end of the cave.


    A pair of gloved hands reached out and grabbed his jaw.


    The next moment, Ronan¡¯s lips were captured by a pair of soft lips.


    Lucien sucked gently on Ronan¡¯s lips. Ronan did not need much coaxing before he parted his lips and the two men started making out heavily in the dark.


    As soon as Lucien saw the speck of light at the end of the tunnel, he pushed Ronan away and wiped saliva off his lips.


    ¡°Aaaaand we are out! How was it?¡± The driver cheerfully inquired.


    Ronan grinned like a little boy on Christmas Day. How exciting, Lucien had learned how to sneak an opportunity for a kiss.


    ¡°Exciting,¡± Ronan answered. ¡°Can we do it again?¡±


    The driverughed. ¡°We will on our way back.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t wait,¡± Ronan said with a grin while squeezing Lucien¡¯s hand.


    Over at the Reindeer Farm, there were a lot of visitors who were walking around and feeding reindeers in the vast enclosure.


    Ronan and Lucien got a bag of reindeer moss to feed the reindeers with. They were very careful not to leak their pheromones in order to not alert the reindeers, but the reindeers still noticed that there was something amiss about them.


    Even the wildest ones acted submissive when they came face-to-face with the two alpha werewolves.


    To avoid giving the reindeers unnecessary distress, Lucien and Ronan agreed to walk around the farm instead.


    Just like the driver said, his family owned the biggest if not the only reindeer farm in the area. They also opened a little bistro in a snow cabin.


    After walking around for a while, they decided to eat something before going back.


    The snow cabin was full with guests. Lucien and Ronan had to wait a while before they managed to get a table. As soon as they took their seats, a young waitress came over with a tray of two bowls of traditional reindeer soup, a basket of warm bread sticks, and two cups of warm malt wine. It was free for everyone, whether they ordered additional food or not.


    Ronan enjoyed the soup so much that he ordered two more servings. Lucien opted for a te of fish pie instead.


    It was theirst night before the vacation officially ended.


    On the way back to their ss igloo, Lucien got a message from Kinnon. He then passed his phone to Ronan, who looked back at Lucien with alert eyes. Kinnon nned toe and visit the Silent Walkers Pack House in five days¡¯ time.

 Chapter 161

    161 Shadow In The Dark


    Five dayster, Kinnon Youngshaper arrived at the Silent Walkers Pack House. He was not at all surprised to find Ronan there, guarding Lucien like a precious pearl.


    Kinnon was not alone. He brought Ralph with him. The little boy lit up as soon as he caught sight of Lucien.


    ¡°Mommy!!!¡± He shouted and threw himself at Lucien.


    Lucien picked him up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He was beyond d to see that despite the bandages around the boy¡¯s limbs, he did not seem to carry severe psychological trauma from the attack.


    ¡°Hello, Ralphy.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s face was as dark as the valley where theirst war took ce.


    Sipping on his cup of tea, Kinnon pretended to not notice Ronan¡¯s death res at all.


    Ronan was itching to separate Kinnon¡¯s son from Lucien, but he did not know how to do it without appearing like a petty, jealous boyfriend.


    He thus pestered Lucien using Mind Link.


    .....


    ¡®Lulu, how much longer do you want to hug him?¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®LULU!¡¯


    Lucien sighed via the Mind Link.


    ¡®Seriously, Ronan? Ralph is only a little boy.¡¯


    ¡®He is Kinnon¡¯s little boy!¡¯ Ronan argued.


    Lucien rolled with his eyes.


    ¡°Mommy, is this your pack house? Take me around, please~¡± the little boy in Lucien¡¯s arms begged with a pair of cuterge eyes and spoiled tone.


    Ever since he was born, Ralph rarely left the pack house. When he did, he was only allowed to go to East Temple City with a lot of bodyguards if not his father personally.


    The little boy was ecstatic to be able to leave the boundaries of East Temple City, even if he ended up in another pack¡¯s pack house. At least it was a change of scenery.


    Lucien would love to do that, but did Kinnon note to negotiate the best way to settle the Silent Walkers Pack¡¯s debt to the Night Prowler Pack?


    ¡°Can you do me a favor and show Ralph around, Lucien?¡± Kinnon asked as he leaned back on the couch. ¡°I would love to have a chat with Alpha Ronan.¡±


    Ronan narrowed his eyes at Kinnon. Thest private chat they had took ce when they were buried under mud. Despite their heavy injuries, they still managed to aggressively throw sarcastic remarks at each other¡¯s heads.


    Lucien shared Ronan¡¯s sentiment. He draped a hand around Ronan¡¯s neck protectively.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it is a good idea,¡± he dered, furrowing his brows at Kinnon.


    Kinnon scoffed.


    ¡°Unlike Alpha Ronan, I know when to dere defeat.¡±


    As he said thest sentence, he gave Ronan shifty eyes.


    ¡°I will not resort to violence, I promise.¡±


    Ronan pressed a kiss on Lucien¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Go,¡± he urged Lucien. He was curious about what Kinnon wanted to tell him.


    ¡°I will be fine.¡±


    Lucien exhaled.


    ¡°Fine. Try not to rip each other¡¯s heads while I take Ralph for a walk.¡±


    Bjorn and Ralph¡¯s new nanny dutifully followed behind Lucien and Ralph.


    After the little entourage left, Ronan and Kinnon were left alone in the audience hall.


    ¡°Well?¡± Ronan cocked his head to the side. ¡°What do you want to tell me?¡±


    ¡°I have some news.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Kinnon took his phone out and showed him a few pictures.


    All of them depicted a dead man. Ronan did not need to ask who it was. Kinnon had forcefully transformed the rogue werewolf who tried to kill his son into a human form.


    ¡°Who is this?¡±


    ¡°Do you know someone by the name of Gavin Ashmore?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s eyes grewrge at the mention of the two words.


    Indeed he knew a Gavin Ashmore.


    Just to be sure, Ronan looked through the pictures again.


    Thest time he saw Gavin, he just sentenced the young man to imprisonment on ck Reef Ind for five years. One year had not even passed and the young man had conducted another crime. Hisst one. This time his target was the only heir of the rival pack.


    ¡°I know him,¡± Ronan said.


    He sighed and rubbed the spot between his brows.


    ¡°He was one of my pack members. I banished him from the pack because he vited another pack member.¡±


    ¡°Did you just kick him out of the pack house?¡±


    Ronan shook his head. He pushed Kinnon¡¯s phone back to him.


    ¡°I sent him to ck Reef Ind.¡±


    ¡°Who delivered him?¡±


    ¡°My Gamma, Quinn.¡±


    Ronan could guess what went through Kinnon¡¯s head, so he refuted it right away. ¡°Quinn has been the pack¡¯s Gamma for years. She served my father before me. Both her loyalty and her integrity are wless.¡±


    ¡°Why did your Gamma deliver Gavin to the prison? It is too much an honor for a criminal, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Quinn raised Gavin. Gavin was an orphan.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Kinnon leaned in and spoke in a low voice.


    ¡°Lucien trusts you unconditionally. I believe to know your character after years of rivalry. You are not someone who pulls this kind of dirty scheme. But, you must admit that both the belt and the identity of the criminal point toward the involvement of someone from the Silverback family.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Gavin had been banished from the pack. A probable scenario would start with a visit from someone influential in the pack. Preferably someone from the Silverback family.


    The person might approach Gavin with the insidious n. In return for sessfullypleting the job, he might be offered a ce back in the Infinite Eclipse Pack.


    For someone like Gavin, it was like a chance for a new life. No one in ck Reef Ind would refuse this kind of offer.


    Especially if the person who came was someone he trusted. For example Quinn.


    Even if Quinn was involved ¡ª and the probability was infinitely small ¡ª there must be someone else behind the scene.


    Who was the person who pulled the strings from the dark?


    His father?


    His father¡¯s lovers?


    His father¡¯s extramarital children?


    It could be anyone but Dane Silverback. Dane Silverback cared too much about the Infinite Eclipse Pack, particrly about the Silverback family. Even if he sought to destroy Ronan, he would not do it in a way that besmirched the Silverback family¡¯s good name.


    A n brewed in Ronan¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Alpha Kinnon, I have a favor to ask,¡± Ronan decided.


    The two Alphas exchanged piercing gazes.


    ¡°Do speak up, Alpha Ronan,¡± Kinnon said finally.

 Chapter 162

    162 Kinnon¡¯s New Proposal


    Lucien knew that he should trust the two Alphas who should be mature enough to lead a conversation without exchanging fists. On the other side, these two Alphas only recently engaged in a mortal one-on-one fight.


    After apanying Ralph for thirty minutes, Lucien thus handed Ralph over to Bjorn and the nanny before he rushed back to the audience hall.


    The man was more than delighted to find that the two Alphas still maintained the same distance between them.


    They were even chatting amicably with each other.


    At least that was what it looked like until Lucien drew closer.


    ¡°I have not even talked about that time when you stole my client in the Middle East,¡± Ronan grumbled.


    ¡°If you are going to hold a grudge over every defeat, you are not going to keep your current clients either,¡± Kinnon quipped.


    ¡°How can I not? Your offer was a cent below mine!¡±


    Kinnonughed.


    .....


    ¡°That is called market intelligence.¡±


    ¡°Bordering on espionage.¡±


    ¡°Youin a lot about the loss on your side, Ronan Silverback. Why don¡¯t we talk about that one time when you sank my ship near Spain?¡± Kinnon furrowed his brows at Ronan. ¡°Do you know the amount of loss that you incurred?¡±


    Ronan pursed his lips. ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about,¡± he denied with a t tone.


    ¡°Of course. It was just such a coincidence that you had exactly the same amount of the same product ready to offer from your side,¡± Kinnon sneered.


    Ronan took a sip from his cup of tea and looked away from Kinnon.


    ¡°It was a stroke of luck,¡± hemented.


    Kinnon scoffed. ¡°Aren¡¯t you one lucky bastard?¡±


    Lucien cleared his throat and took a seat next to Ronan.


    ¡°Is everything alright, Alphas?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Kinnon muttered while giving Ronan a stink eye.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t be better,¡± Ronan replied with a re.


    Lucien poured himself a cup of tea.


    ¡°So, can we talk about how to settle the first war¡¯s aftermath?¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    ¡°What do you have in mind, Kinnon?¡±


    Ronan tried to sneak an arm around Lucien¡¯s waist, but his hand was pped away by thetter.


    ¡®Stop it,¡¯ Lucien hissed using Mind Link.


    ¡®Stingy.¡¯


    The exchange did not escape Kinnon¡¯s eyes. He pinned Ronan with a re before he shifted his gaze back to Lucien.


    ¡°I want you to continue helping me raise my son.¡±


    Ronan almost choked on his spit.


    Lucien was stunned.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°You heard me correctly. I want you to be there for Ralph whenever he needs you.¡±


    Ronan rose to his feet, his face almost blue from anger. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®whenever¡¯?¡±


    ¡°From now on until death do them part,¡± Kinnon answered.


    Ronan was about to go out of his mind.


    ¡°How can you demand such a thing??? Your son is your responsibility!¡±


    ¡°I never said otherwise,¡± Kinnon replied calmly with a wicked smile.


    ¡°Lucien is to be my Luna! How on earth do you think such an arrangement should work???¡±


    Kinnon too rose to his feet.


    ¡°If you remember, he was supposed to be my Luna first before you came and messed everything up.¡±


    ¡°Again, Alpha Kinnon, it is not my fault that you fail to charm Landon.¡±


    ¡°I did not even have the time to charm him, did I? In any case, Ralph is emotionally very attached to Lucien. Fine with me if he can no longer be my Luna but what about Ralph?¡±


    ¡°Enough!!!¡± Lucien shouted to end the petty argument.


    He pulled at Ronan¡¯s arm while facing Kinnon. ¡°Alpha Kinnon, can you excuse us for a moment?¡±


    ¡°Sure, take your time,¡± Kinnon nodded.


    Lucien dragged Ronan out of the audience hall. They exited the pack house and headed toward the training ground.


    ¡°Lulu!¡±


    Ronan yanked Lucien¡¯s hand impatiently.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you are seriously considering Kinnon¡¯s ridiculous proposal!¡±


    Lucien heaved a sigh. He turned around and cupped Ronan¡¯s face with both hands.


    ¡°I am, but not for the reasons that you think.¡±


    ¡°What other reasons can they be?¡±


    ¡°Ronan, think about it. Your pack and Kinnon¡¯s pack have beenpeting against each other for ages. Isn¡¯t it time to end the strife?¡±


    Ronan sighed.


    ¡°Lulu, the grudge between the two packs runs deep. Even if I want to end it, I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You can start making the change starting from your generation,¡± Lucien insisted.


    ¡°And how?¡±


    ¡°By fostering a good rtionship with the next heir of the Night Prowler Pack.¡±


    Ronan slumped against Lucien and groaned.


    What Lucien said made sense, but Ronan was still unwilling.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to y his ¡®Mommy¡¯ for all eternity,¡± he mumbled against Lucien¡¯s shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s as if I am sharing you with Kinnon. I don¡¯t want to. I want it to be just the two of us.¡±


    Lucien patted the big Alpha who was hanging onto him like a big wolf-dog that was asking for love.


    ¡°Stupid, it will still be only the two of us. Stop focusing on what word Ralph uses to call me. He will grow up eventually. He is not going to call me ¡®Mommy¡¯ forever.¡±


    Ronan was not so sure about that. The little brat did not look too bright.


    ¡°I see this as an opportunity to establish good cooperation between the two strongest packs in this continent. The werewolfmunity needs to stand together. Wars among the packs must stop.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s body trembled slightly when he said thest sentence.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose you.¡±


    Ronan hugged Lucien and pressed a kiss on thetter¡¯s forehead.


    He was so insensitive. Thest war must have been traumatizing for Lucien.


    Ronan could not imagine what would happen if it were not him but Lucien who engaged in a deathly match with Kinnon, only to be buried alive under the mudslide.


    He might have gone insane on spot. He would not even be able to take care of other things when Lucieny there, lifeless in his arms after being dug out.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Ronan said before pressing a kiss against Lucien¡¯s lips, wishing that he could erase the painful memory from Lucien¡¯s mind.

 Chapter 163

    163 The Alpha Had To Say Goodbye For Now


    Lucien did not realize how much the past events haunted him. In the first nights after the war ended, nightmares gued him continuously. When he was awake, he had to see the wounded werewolves. When he was asleep, he was back in the wretched valley. Thend copsed, burying the unlucky warriors underneath.


    Including Ronan.


    No matter how loud Lucien screamed, his voice did not reach Ronan.


    ¡°Lulu?¡±


    Lucien inhaled a deep breath.


    He put his arms around Ronan and buried his face into thetter¡¯s chest.


    He could feel the Alpha¡¯s steady heartbeat. His warm breath. His warm body.


    The war was over.


    Twenty-five precious lives were lost.


    .....


    Lucien hated himself for being thankful that Ronan was not among those who passed away. He did not know what he would do if Ronan was no longer around.


    ¡°I love you,¡± Lucien whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t ever leave me.¡±


    Ronan tilted Lucien¡¯s chin up and locked their lips together again.


    ¡°I will never leave you,¡± Ronan promised. ¡°I love you to the moon and back.¡±


    A gentle smile appeared on Lucien¡¯s face.


    ¡°Then, you agree, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Ronan...?¡±


    ¡°... Fine.¡±


    The Alpha earned himself another kiss as a reward for his cooperation. Lucien happily pulled him back to the audience hall by his hand, while Ronan dragged his feet reluctantly behind Lucien.


    The Alpha could not help but feel that Lucien had no qualms about rejecting Ronan¡¯s advances, but Ronan was more than willing to exchange favors against kisses.


    He never fell this desperately in love before. It was rather infuriating. Ronan made a mental note to demand quality time with Lucien in the future for every second thetter spent with that brat from the Night Prowler Pack.


    Shortly before Lucien and Ronan came back, Bjorn, the nanny, and Ralph returned to the audience hall.


    ¡°Have you twoe to an agreement?¡± Kinnon asked, shifting his gaze between Ronan and Lucien.


    ¡°We ept,¡± Lucien said with a smile. ¡°With this, there is no more debt between the two packs, right?¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Kinnon confirmed.


    He then turned to the excited little boy on hisp and said, ¡°Ralphy, Mommy is going to y with you whenever you want.¡±


    ¡°Really? Yayyyy!!!¡±


    Ronan rolled with his eyes. He was regretting it already.


    ¡°By the way, Kinnon...¡±


    Ronan put his arms around Lucien intimately.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t abuse Lucien¡¯s kindness. I am also entitled to reserve Lucien¡¯s time. Unless of course you want your son to have a second ¡®Daddy¡¯.¡±


    Kinnon narrowed his eyes at Ronan.


    ¡°I will keep that in mind. Excuse me.¡±


    Ralphy hopped down from his father¡¯sp and ran toward Lucien and Ronan. He then extended his little arms toward Lucien.


    ¡°Mommy, hug. And kiss.¡±


    Lucien dlyplied.


    While Ralph was in Lucien¡¯s arms, he threw a curious nce at Ronan, who furrowed his brows at him.


    Ralphy went back to Kinnon, but he kept ncing back at Ronan. Not Lucien but Ronan.


    ¡°What is it, Ralphy?¡± Kinnon asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that... Why does Mommy smell like that Uncle?¡± Ralph asked loudly, pointing at Ronan.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Bjorn cleared his throat.


    Ralph¡¯s new nanny turned bright red.


    Lucien covered his burning face in embarrassment.


    Ronan had a victorious smirk stered all over his face.


    Kinnon furrowed his brows.


    ¡°That¡¯s because Uncle Ronan cannot keep his pants on around Mommy.¡±


    Ralph tilted his head cutely to the side in confusion.


    Ronan¡¯s smirk was wiped off his face and reced by a scowl.


    How dare Kinnon criticize him? Ronan had seen how he had his hands all over Lucien at the Moon Banquet. What a hypocrite!


    ¡°Hey, Ronan.¡±


    Kinnon gestured for Ronan toe closer.


    As soon as Ronan was within his arm range, Kinnon yanked him by the cor and spoke in a low voice.


    ¡°You have a real chance at happiness here. Don¡¯t mess it up.¡±


    Ronan smiled.


    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±


    After Kinnon left, Ronan too needed to get back to his pack. Ever since he left his pack to join the war, he had onlye back for two days before leaving again to meet up with Lucien and Kinnon.


    Jake had very subtly reminded the Alpha of his neglected duties both in the pack as well as in Silverback Corporation.


    Besides, he still had to investigate the belt¡¯s origin and find out the person who hired Gavin tomit the crime.


    Lucien too was surprised to hear about Gavin¡¯s involvement.


    ¡°That person? Howe?¡±


    Lucien remembered Gavin¡¯s beastly nature. Alone the thought of him molesting Maya was enough to enrage him. To think that he almost took Ralph¡¯s life!


    ¡°I thought that you sent him to prison.¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Ronan remarked. ¡°Someone got him out and gave him this evil assignment.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Lucien frowned.


    ck Reef Ind was not an amusement park. Werewolves did not just go in and out casually as per one¡¯s wish.


    ¡°Kinnon suspects my Gamma, Quinn. She is the one who raised Gavin, and she has enough authority to get Gavin out of there if she wants to.¡±


    Lucien parted his lips in surprise.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not her,¡± Ronan said. ¡°I know her for years. I don¡¯t want to believe that she did this kind of thing.¡±


    Lucien patted Ronan¡¯s back.


    ¡°Go and find out. Be careful. Tell me if you find something, or if you need help.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Ronan pinned Lucien to the wall and kissed the breath out of his lover before he left.


    ¡°I am going to miss you,¡± Lucien whispered.


    Ronan caressed Lucien¡¯s cheek and gave it a slight pinch. ¡°Call me. Text me. Let¡¯s have a video call every night. Until we meet each other again.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Lucien remained standing at the gate for a long time after Ronan¡¯s car disappeared.


    Now that the issues between the Silent Walkers Pack and the Night Prowler Pack had been settled, it was time to build up the Silent Walkers Pack.


    .....


    The time to elect a new Alpha from all the alphas in the pack hade.

 Chapter 164

    164 New Alpha Election


    The news regarding the end of the dispute between the two packs was received very well by the entire Silent Walkers Pack.


    Kendra Firemoon as the current Luna announced that she did not wish to make use of her right as a widowed Luna to select a new Alpha. That meant that all alphas who were interested in bing the next Alpha must partake in apetition.


    The winner would be the next Alpha by default.


    The night before thepetition began, Alice Clearwater found Lucien lounging alone at the edge of an open window, looking like a lost soul.


    ¡°Lulu? Is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mom. Everything is fine,¡± Lucien answered automatically, smiling at his mother to cate her.


    ¡°Lucien, do you n to participate in thepetition tomorrow?¡±


    When Lucien was a child, he was automatically selected as the heir because his father was the reigning Alpha at that time.


    Her son was too young to exhibit good Alpha attributes, so Alice personally never saw him as a strong Alpha candidate.


    .....


    It was not until he came back, wolf-less, to help out his birth pack that Alice realized what a wonderful Alpha Lucien would make. Landon was strong, of course, but what saved the pack, in the end, was Lucien¡¯s mental fortitude as well as endless care for the pack.


    Alice wanted Lucien to be the next Alpha. It was not even about keeping the Alpha position in the Clearwater family. It was about rebuilding the pack. No one could do it better than Lucien.


    And yet, Kendra informed her that despite Kendra¡¯s willingness, Lucien had refused to be the next Alpha by marrying her.


    Alice was rather disappointed.


    But then she thought, maybe Lucien did want to be the Alpha, just not by marrying Kendra because he was in a rtionship with Ronan. Winning thepetition was the best way to seize the Alpha position. It would shut up those whose conventional minds still believed that strength was everything.


    To Alice¡¯s greatest disappointment, Lucien shook his head.


    ¡°No, Mom.¡±


    Alice swallowed hard.


    ¡°If you do not wish to be the Alpha, are you looking forward to serving as the Beta maybe? Or the Gamma?¡±


    Betas were as good as Alphas. If the Alpha was not good, as long as he trusted the Beta, the Beta could still make some changes. Desmond, bless his heart, did not have a good enough rtionship with Deacon to counsel him.


    Or, Lucien could be the Gamma. Acatha was good, no doubt about that, but Alice could see Lucien in that role as well.


    Again, Lucien shook his head.


    Alice sighed.


    ¡°Is it because of Alpha Ronan?¡±


    Lucien¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly when he heard Ronan¡¯s name.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said in the end.


    ¡°Lulu, you can keep both the Alpha position and your rtionship with Alpha Ronan,¡± Alice tried to coax her son. ¡°The pack will understand if you decide to adopt a child or pass the position to someone elseter on.¡±


    ¡°I know, Mom. I am grateful for that, but Ronan and I might be nning to take our rtionship to the next level in the future.¡±


    Alice¡¯s eyes grew round.


    ¡°Are you nning to be his Luna? The Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack?¡±


    Lucien took a while to answer, but when he did, his tone was unwavering and his eyes harbored no doubt.


    ¡°If Ronan asks me to be his Luna next time, I would like to say yes.¡±


    That was why he could not fill any critical position within the pack. He must be receable. The best he could do was provide counsel to anyone in the pack, be it the Alpha, Beta, or even Gamma.


    ¡°Lulu... My son, are you sure?¡± Alice asked, lowering her voice to a whisper.


    ¡°Mom has neither prejudice nor objection toward your choice of partner, but we are talking about the Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack here.¡±


    Infinite Eclipse Pack was a huge, powerful pack. Such packs typically required their Alphas to lead a typical, idealistic life and fulfill their responsibilities conventionally.


    Even more so Ronan Silverback, who carried two powerful bloodlines in his body.


    Alice could not help but bite her lip in regret.


    If only Lucien were a woman.


    Alice had seen with her own eyes how much Ronan doted on Lucien. Ronan and Lucien would have been a perfect couple if only Lucien could give birth to the couple¡¯s pups.


    Unfortunately, Lucien was a man.


    Alice did not want her son to suffer. The path leading to the Luna position of the Infinite Eclipse Pack was full of roadblocks and spiky barbs. Even if Lucien attained the position through marriage, would he be able to gain everyone¡¯s respect and rule over those who rejected his mere presence?


    ¡°I understand, Mom,¡± Lucien replied.


    He too had thought about this matter for months before making the decision.


    ¡°Ronan and I will ovee the challenges together.¡±


    Alice exhaled.


    She was not sure why, but she trusted Lucien¡¯s judgment. Her son had rejected Ronan¡¯s advances fiercely for months. If he thenplied, then it must mean that the couple hade to a rtively secure ce in their rtionship.


    Following Alice¡¯s urges, Lucien went to bed early.


    The next morning, all alpha werewolves in the pack who wished to fight for the coveted Alpha position gathered in the courtyard. Young and old, all of them were ready for what was toe.


    Desmond and Acatha refused to participate in thepetition, citing ack of interest in the Alpha position. They would rather enjoy thepetition and root for the ones that showed high potential.


    While the nonpeting pack members were putting up a small elevated arena for battling purposes, thepetition participants were asked to draw lots from a leather bag. After everyone got their numbers, the order of the matches would be established by another lot drawing, this time by Kendra and Lucien.


    The two of them watched as the alphas walked past them one by one and drew their numbers. Having been away from the pack for a long time, Lucien only recognized a handful of them.


    And then he saw someone who he would recognize from miles away.


    ¡°Anna???!¡± Lucien shouted in surprise.


    His twin sister was clothed in protective gear, ready for a fight.

 Chapter 165

    165 Annalynne¡¯s Determination


    Lucien pulled Annalynne aside after she drew her lot.


    ¡°Anna, you... Do you want to be an Alpha?¡± He asked in disbelief.


    His twin sister nodded.


    ¡°Yes. Why are you asking, Lulu? Am I not a good fit?¡± She returned the question to her brother.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± Lucien quickly answered. ¡°You are also an alpha. Naturally, you have the right to fight for the position as well. It¡¯s just that...¡±


    Annalynne knew what Lucien wanted to say without him saying it out loud.


    Alpha she-wolves didn¡¯t usually go for the Alpha but the Luna position.


    The woman shook her head.


    ¡°It is up to us to rebuild this pack. If you are not willing to be the Alpha, then I will.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Anna! I am sorry that I can¡¯t be the Alpha, but it doesn¡¯t mean that you have to be in my stead,¡± Lucien said while grabbing Annalynne¡¯s wrist. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Forget about thispetition.¡±


    Annalynne pulled her hand free from Lucien¡¯s grip.


    ¡°Lulu, have you ever thought that maybe the Moon Goddess made a mistake with us?¡±


    Lucien furrowed his brows.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    Her eyes turned ssy when she spoke.


    ¡°You are the male and I am the female, but you have two Alphas chasing after you while I have none. In the end, you, who are supposed to be an Alpha, decide to be a Luna instead. Maybe the Moon Goddess meant for me to be the Alpha.¡±


    Lucien sighed.


    ¡°Did Mom tell you?¡±


    Annalynne nodded stiffly.


    ¡°Make no mistake, Lulu. I am not ming you. I wished I could have a romance that is half as passionate as yours. Recently I realize that it is just not meant to be. Not for me.¡±


    Annalynne pressed a palm against the scar on her face.


    Lucien pulled her hand away, revealing the three dark-red lines that marred her otherwise attractive face.


    ¡°Anna, you are still so very beautiful even with the scar. I will take you to the best stic surgeon on the continent, alright? We will fix it.¡±


    ¡°No, Lulu, you don¡¯t understand. This scar isn¡¯t distressing me. It is a sign. As an alpha she-wolf, I can choose between beauty and power. Since beauty has been taken away from me, only power is left.¡±


    Lucien sighed.


    Annalynne put her arms around Lucien and leaned against thetter¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Lulu, don¡¯t worry. It is not a war. It is just apetition. Let me give my all. I want to know if the Alpha position is fated to be mine or not.¡±


    Lucien sank his fingers into his sister¡¯s thick curly hair and gently massaged her scalp.


    More than twenty-five years ago, the Clearwater family was blessed with twin alpha pups. One was a boy and one was a girl. Both babies were very beautiful. Back then the Elders kept saying that the boy was going to be a mighty Alpha and the girl would marry into a strong pack as a Luna.


    The twin babies were supposed to bring prosperity to the pack.


    Tragedy struck without warning, and once everything was over, their roles had been switched.


    The boy grew up to be a man who was to marry into the Infinite Eclipse Pack as Alpha Ronan¡¯s Luna, and the girl grew up to be a woman who stood a chance to seize the Alpha position in the pack.


    What kind of a messed-up fairytale was that?


    Unable to change Annalynne¡¯s mind, Lucien was forced to return to where Kendra was.


    Kendra gave him a sympathetic pat on the back.


    ¡°Lucien, you should not continue seeing Annalynne as a little helpless girl. She is now a woman.¡±


    Lucien furrowed his brows. ¡°She is just twenty-five years old,¡± he argued.


    Kendra gave Lucien a meaningful stare. ¡°I am twenty-four years old. I married Deacon when I was only twenty years old. I got pregnant a year ago.¡±


    ¡°I am really sorry to hear that,¡± Lucien said. ¡°I wish that things could be different for you.¡±


    Kendra dismissed his words with a wave of her hand.


    ¡°I am not trying to switch the focus of the talk to my sad, miserable life. All I am saying is that Annalynne is a woman that can fall in love and can make her own decisions. She has been standing in your shadow until now. It is good that she finally decides toe out on her own.¡±


    ¡°I am his brother. It is my duty to protect her.¡±


    Kendra heaved a long sigh.


    ¡°Lucien, oh Lucien. You always want to protect everyone. Including Anna. But just how long do you want to keep her under your wings like that?¡±


    ¡°As long as possible,¡± Lucien quipped.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Kendra said with a stern tone. ¡°Stop that. Let Anna run free, for Goddess¡¯ sake. Let her live. You can still interfere if she turns out to be a dumbass who is running toward a cliff.¡±


    Lucien stared at Annalynne¡¯s silhouette in the distance. If he stopped controlling Annalynne¡¯s life, would she be able to take control of her own life? Or would she, like Kendra just said, run toward a cliff?


    ¡°Come on,¡± Kendra said while pulling at Lucien¡¯s elbow.


    ¡°They have all drawn their numbers. Let¡¯s decide the order of the match.¡±


    Lucien reluctantly dragged his feet to the second leather bag that contained the same numbers as the first one.


    Kendra drew a number three.


    ¡°First match, the first contestant is number three!¡± She announced loudly.


    A cheer went through the crowd as number three, an alpha in his thirties climbed the steps to the battle arena.


    Lucien reached into the bag and drew a number forty-seven.


    ¡°Number forty-seven,¡± Lucien announced while holding the piece of paper up into the sky. His heart lurched to the ground when he saw who number forty-seven was.


    Annalynne slowly walked from the end of the crowd to the front.


    She gave her brother a bittersweet smile before she too climbed the steps to the arena.

 Chapter 166

    166 The Final Match


    The fight was done with bamboo canes only, but Lucien could barely open his eyes to watch.


    Back then when he was busy preparing for the war, he did not manage to pay attention to Annalynne. Now that he was standing to the side and not fighting himself, his heart was filled with immeasurable trepidation for his sister.


    Surprisingly, Annalynne was not bad at all. Despite being the weaker gender, she was able to fight on par with her male opponents by employing different tactics.


    Most male alphas counted on knocking out their opponents in a single blow.


    It was not something that Annalynne could do. Her blows did not have the same powerful impact, so she took more than just one attack to bring her opponents to their knees. Every blow wasnded carefully with utmost precision. Step by step, she worked to gradually incapacitate her opponents.


    Lucien cheered the loudest when Annalynne won her matches, but he was also the one who cowered the most in his seat whenever Annalynne took a hit.


    ¡°Oh Goddess, I can¡¯t watch this at all,¡± Lucien murmured under his breath when Annalynne came face-to-face with a burly man that was around twice her weight.


    Kendra could barely stifle herughter.


    ¡°Open your eyes and watch. You should be rooting for your sister.¡±


    .....


    ¡°I am,¡± Lucien said while pulling a grimace. ¡°I just don¡¯t want her to be smashed into pulp.¡±


    Kendra shook her head at Lucien¡¯s dark words. ¡°Silly Lucien. We might bepeting against each other, but we still keep in mind that we belong to the same pack. No one will hurt her for real.¡±


    ¡°I do hope so,¡± Lucien said while pulling a grimace.


    If this burly man dared to hurt his darling sister, he did not know what he would do.


    It turned out that Lucien¡¯s worries were for nothing. After dodging hits like a pro, Annalynne smacked the burly alpha at the back hard and then kicked the back of his knees.


    ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!¡±


    The watching crowd instantly cringed.


    The poor alpha buckled and fell outside of the arena with a loud thump.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien rubbed the side of his head.


    ¡°I guess we don¡¯t need to worry about Anna. If it were me, I would be worried about her opponents instead,¡± Kendra joked. ¡°She is doing great.¡±


    After watching Annalynne kick-ass left and right, Lucien had to agree. He did not know when Annalynne learned to fight. Was she that good during the war? Or did she continue training after the war?


    Either way, Lucien was d to see a side of his sister that he was not aware of. Annalynne¡¯s talk about wanting to be an Alpha did carry some weight. It was not just a fleeting wish of a little girl that Lucien kept seeing in Annalynne.


    The matches ended one by one, some of them took longer than the others. By noon, only 5 alphas were left ¡ª four men and one woman. The one woman was of course Annalynne.


    Numbers for the next two matches were drawn, and Annalynne¡¯s number was not selected. The other four men thus got to fight each other while she watched from the side.


    ¡°Anna.¡±


    The woman was startled when she saw her brother cross thewn and approach her.


    ¡°Lulu.¡±


    ¡°Good job,¡± Lucien praised her. ¡°You have worked hard.¡±


    Annalynne grinned. ¡°I did not bring shame to the Clearwater family name, did I?¡±


    Lucien shook his head and smiled.


    ¡°Silly girl. How can you ever bring shame to the family name? You will forever and always be the precious princess of the Clearwater family.¡±


    Together, they directed their eyes toward the arena.


    The four remaining alphas were all quite resilient and skilled.


    The two matches did not end quickly. Every each of them was trying their best to excel not only physically but also strategically.


    By the time they were done, only three people including Annalynne were left.


    Two more numbers were drawn for the next match.


    Annalynne¡¯s number was again not drawn, so the remaining two male alphas got to fight each other. The winner would then fight with Annalynne in the final round.


    ¡°I got lucky,¡± Annalynne heaved a sigh.


    ¡°I have two fights less than my next opponent. Will they think that I win unfairly?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Lucien said. ¡°Luck is part of the equation. Simrly, they are not going to let you get away with it if your number was drawn again and again.¡±


    ¡°True.¡±


    After fighting for almost an hour, one of the alpha werewolves was too exhausted to continue. He thus dered his defeat, and his opponent emerged as the victor.


    It was Lowell, the lead warrior who won the first hunting game during the war preparation training week.


    At this point, Lowell had gained a sizeable fanbase. A lot of she-wolves were shouting their encouraging words from the sides.


    ¡°LOWELL!!!! AAHHHHHHH YOU ARE SO COOL!!!¡±


    ¡°LOWELLLLLLLL MY FUTURE ALPHA! THERE IS NO ONE MORE DESERVING OF THE ALPHA POSITION!!!!¡±


    ¡°LOWELL!!!! MY HEART IS YOURS, AND EVERYTHING ELSE AS WELL!!!¡±


    Both Lucien and Annalynne furrowed their brows after hearing the screeching she-wolves¡¯ calls.


    ¡°If he bes the next Alpha, anotherpetition will take ce,¡± Desmond dered as he stepped closer to Lucien and Annalynne.


    ¡°Whatpetition?¡± Annalynne asked.


    ¡°Thepetition to pick the next Luna of course,¡± Desmond answered with a chuckle.


    ¡°Way to destroy the fan group,¡± Annalynne scoffed.


    Lucien put an arm around Annalynne and kissed her on the forehead.


    ¡°Good luck, Anna. Do your best.¡±


    Annalynne nodded.


    At the arena, Lowell was already waiting for her.


    Acatha handed both Lowell and Annalynne two new bamboo canes. Both of them had broken enough canes during their previous fights.


    ¡°START!¡± Acatha shouted to start thest match.


    The crowd did not even dare to blink let alone breathe too loudly. This was it! They were finally going to crown a new alpha!


    It was not until ten minutester that the crowd realized that something was not quite right.

 Chapter 167

    167 An Unexpected Oue


    It was quickly apparent that Annalynne¡¯s abilities were still beneath Lowell¡¯s. Thetter was able to parry all of Annalynne¡¯s hits smoothly.


    While Lucien expected the match to be over rather quickly, the crowd was stunned to watch the two alpha candidates in the arena exchanging blows without moving even an inch toward the match conclusion.


    ¡°Erm.¡±


    Desmond leaned closer to Lucien.


    ¡°What the hell is happening?¡±


    Lucien shrugged.


    ¡°I also want to know.¡±


    ¡°If I were Lowell, I would kick Annalynne off the arena in the first five minutes,¡± Desmond said with a shrug.


    ¡°No offense,¡± he quickly added when he saw the sour expression on Lucien¡¯s face.


    .....


    Lucien disliked hearing Desmond¡¯s bold statements, but he had to secretly agree. Just what was Lowell doing?


    In the arena, Annalynne was slowly losing her cool. She red at Lowell angrily, herposure unraveling into a series of uncoordinated attacks.


    ¡°Oh, oh...¡± Lucien mumbled.


    ¡°There we go,¡± Desmond said.


    The two men half-expected Annalynne to fall off the edge of the arena on her own ord due to her carelessness, but Lowell actually prevented her from doing so.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Again, the crowd was speechless.


    Lucien did not know what to make of it.


    Desmond rubbed at the bottom half of his face, wondering just how long the circus was going tost.


    Annalynne too was at the end of her wits. Lucien could almost hear her patience bar snap like a twig above her head.


    ¡°RAAAAAHHHHHHH...!!!¡± Annalynne lunged at Lowell with a battle cry.


    Lowell looked a little shaken. He raised his bamboo cane to block Annalynne¡¯s attack, but thetter sneakily dropped her weapon to stab at Lowell¡¯s stomach instead.


    Eyes wide open from the sudden change of Annalynne¡¯s movement, Lowell reacted very quickly. He stepped aside, missing Annalynne¡¯s attack by a mere millimeter, and then smacked thetter on her back and sent her flying to the edge of the arena.


    Aided by both theirbined forces, Annalynne ended up cing her weight on the wrong foot position.


    She yelped before she fell off the edge andnded on the grass.


    ¡°ANNA!!!¡±


    Lucien and Alice quickly rushed over to take a look at Annalynne. Before they got to her though, Lowell already jumped down to help Annalynne sit up.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± he quickly apologized. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Meh,¡± Annalynne said as she examined her foot. ¡°I think I sprained my ankle.¡±


    ¡°Anna! Are you alright?¡±


    Lucien pulled his sister away from Lowell and inspected her wounds. Other than the sprained ankle, she only had some scratch wounds.


    ¡°Lulu, I am fine. So sorry that I lost, though.¡±


    Only then did Kendra realize that thepetition hade to an end. Clearing her throat, she thus announced the winner.


    ¡°Right. Herewith we announce that the winner of the Alphapetition is...!!!¡±


    ¡°WAIT!!!¡±


    All heads turned to Lowell in confusion. The handsome man was rather pale on the face.


    ¡°I surrender!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Dude,¡± Desmond furrowed his brows and patted Lowell on his shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why would you surrender after a clear win?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lowell denied. ¡°I nned to surrender before Miss Clearwater fell out of the arena anyway.¡±


    The statement was not something that he should say out loud in front of so many people. Lowell quickly cursed under his breath when all pairs of eyes were staring at him in surprise.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Umm...¡±


    ¡°I knew that you were just humoring me up there. What is thispetition to you? A joke?¡± Annalynne snapped impatiently.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it,¡± Lowell hastily retorted. ¡°I just... I didn¡¯t want to surrender before fighting for some time. Just to make it somewhat real. I...¡±


    Lowell heaved a deep breath before he continued.


    ¡°I only joined thispetition to win and then to swear my allegiance to Miss Clearwater.¡±


    By saying that, what Lowell meant was that he nned to hand over the Alpha position to Annalynne as soon as he won it through thepetition. It was another legal way to obtain an Alpha position, although it must be said that people rarely did that.


    Everyone coveted the Alpha position for themselves and their descendants, right?


    Annalynne and everyone else gaped at Lowell for some time until Lucien broke the silence with the one word that resounded in everyone¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    Lowell was bright red when he stammered out, ¡°B-because I believe that she would make a good Alpha.¡±


    Kendra rubbed at her lips to suppress a smile.


    ¡°Are you sure that that¡¯s all there is?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes.¡±


    Desmond shrugged. ¡°Okay, so I personally don¡¯t mind. Either Lowell or Annalynne will emerge as the winner anyway. If Lowell doesn¡¯t want the Alpha position and decides to hand it over to Annalynne, then, by all means, you know?¡±


    Annalynne struggled to stand up, but her sprained ankle kept dragging her down.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Annalynne said. ¡°Unlike my brother, I have done nothing meritorious for this pack.¡±


    ¡°Anna, shut up,¡± Desmond said with a frown. ¡°At the very least you have someone willing to be your champion. Just say thank you.¡±


    Annalynne pursed her lips. She turned to Lowell and said, ¡°Then, I shall pick you to be my Beta.¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± Lowell shouted in return.


    He again amazed everyone with his sudden rejection.


    ¡°Why would you refuse to be my Beta if you truly support my im to the Alpha throne?¡± Annalynne asked in confusion.


    ¡°B-because, because...¡±


    The knot on Lowell¡¯s throat moved up and down anxiously. He tried to speak up a few times but failed to formte his sentences. In the end, he only managed to say, ¡°Can we please talk alone? Just the two of us?¡±


    ¡°There is nothing secretive about this matter,¡± Annalynne said impatiently. ¡°Whatever you want to say, please say it openly. Why do you not want to serve as the Beta?¡±


    Lowell clenched his fingers into fists. He stared hard in Annalynne¡¯s direction for a few seconds before he gave everyone another shocking statement.


    ¡°Because I have been in love with you for some time. I wish to one day marry you.¡±

 Chapter 168

    168 Annalynne¡¯s Secret Admirer


    A public love confession.


    And a bold one too.


    Alice failed to prevent a broad grin from appearing on her face.


    Lucien too could not help but smile. He patted his sister¡¯s arms affectionately and then said to Lowell, ¡°Lowell, my sister sprained her ankle. Do you mind taking her inside the pack house and helping to attend to her injuries? We will clean up over here.¡±


    Annalynne shot her brother an rmed look. A soft blush appeared on her cheeks, turning the fierce warrior back to the little sister that Lucien was used to spoiling.


    ¡°R-right away!¡± Lowell shouted, his voice trembling a little from anxiety.


    He wanted to take Annalynne into his arms in a princess carry, but Annalynne shot him a warning look. In the end, the helpless man put one of Annalynne¡¯s arms around his neck and held her close by her waist.


    The crowd watched the couple slowly move toward the pack house. After the hems of their clothes disappeared, chaos ensued.


    ¡°WHAT THE HELL!!! LOWELLLL, NOOOOO...!!!!¡±


    .....


    The she-wolves who until then were in aplete daze broke into tears.


    ¡°WHYYYYYY!!! WE HAVE SUPPORTED YOU FOR SO LONG!!!¡±


    ¡°LOWELL!!! I ALSO LOVE YOU! TAKE ME INSTEAD!!!¡±


    ¡°I feel that an internal war is about to break out,¡± Desmond said in a murmur. He then went to shoo the grieving women and take apart the makeshift arena.


    Lucien, Kendra, and Aliceughed.


    ¡°What internal war? I think a wedding is going to happen soon,¡± Kendra said. ¡°Good for Anna. Who would have known that the hottest bachelor in our pack is secretly in love with her?¡±


    ¡°And he gantly protected her im to the Alpha throne too!¡± Alice gushed. ¡°I hate to say this but this is by far the most romantic thing that I have witnessed in my whole life.¡±


    Kendra giggled.


    She then slowly scraped the diamond ring, the heirloom of the Clearwater family, off her hand and returned it to Alice.


    ¡°Mama Clearwater, it is time to return this ring to your family. I hope to see it on Anna¡¯s finger on the wedding day.¡±


    Lucien and Alice stared at her, aghast.


    ¡°Kendra, you don¡¯t have to. The ring has been given to you. It is yours.¡±


    Kendra shook her head.


    ¡°It should remain in the family. After Deacon¡¯s death, I am not tied to the family anymore. I also failed to give birth to his son, so...¡± She shrugged. ¡°Catherine and I had a falling out when I decided to join the war. She disowned me. I am free now. I am Kendra Firemoon, not Kendra Clearwater. I want to pursue my own happiness.¡±


    Alice took the ring from Kendra¡¯s hand and pulled her into a hug.


    Sighing, she whispered, ¡°I would have loved to have you as my daughter-inw. You are an amazing woman. You need to know that.¡±


    Kendra whispered back while looking into Lucien¡¯s eyes, ¡°I know, but your son preferred thepany of an amazing man instead.¡±


    After Alice let go, Lucien too hugged Kendra.


    ¡°Sorry, Kendra,¡± he whispered. ¡°You know that you deserve a man who loves you wholeheartedly for his whole life.¡±


    Kendra nodded subtly.


    ¡°I know.¡±


    The crowd dispersed and celebrated privately at home. They finally had a new Alpha! The new Alpha must be a little busy for the rest of the day, though, so the pack members did not bother her yet.


    Annalynne and Lowell were seen holding hands at the entrance of the forest as they spoke in a low voice.


    The she-wolves were nursing their broken hearts in the pack kitchen, crying and eating together.


    Lucien and Alice returned to their apartment and opened the windows to let in some fresh air before closing them for the night.


    At night, Lucien made a call to Ronan.


    His call was not picked up.


    Although they kept sending messages throughout the day after Ronan left, they kept failing to talk to each other directly.


    Lucien disliked sharing news through messages, particrly if they were happy news. He wanted to hear it in Ronan¡¯s voice.


    Dejected, he thus threw his phone on the bed and helped his mother prepare dinner instead.


    To celebrate Annalynne¡¯s victory in the Alphapetition, they decided to prepare her favorite dishes. Chicken sd with feta cheese cubes; slices of baked garlic bread; beefsagna with four kinds of cheese; mushroom, potato, and carrot cream soup; and of course creamy chocte pudding with whipped cream on top.


    ¡°I called your father just now,¡± Alice informed Lucien while they were peeling the vegetables. ¡°He is surprised. He is going toe to visit tomorrow.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s eyes widened in delight. ¡°Really? Anna is going to be so happy.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell him about Anna joining thepetition. Honestly, I did not expect her to reach the final round at all.¡±


    ¡°Well, she did get a bye for two rounds just before the final round. Lowell is the one who has been working hard.¡±


    ¡°Speaking about Lowell. We can take the time to introduce Lowell to his future father-inw as well,¡± Alice winked naughtily.


    ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t think Anna is going to get married so soon. Lowell just confessed today. I think it is going to take a while before they even start dating.¡±


    By the end of Lucien¡¯s sentence, the front door opened. Both mother and son poked their head out of the kitchen frame to see a bright red Annalynne enter with a dashing but also blushing Lowell. Their hands were locked together.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Alice leaned closer and whispered to Lucien, ¡°What did you say just now, Lulu? By the look of it, I believe they are already dating.¡±


    Lucien was speechless. Did couplese together so quickly these days? Back then when he was his younger self, it took Ronan a week or two of stalking and himself a few days of thinking before they started dating. Even then, Lucien would never dream of taking Ronan home to introduce him to his parents!


    His twin sister, Annalynne, was rather bold!

 Chapter 169

    169 Dinner At The Clearwaters


    The lovebirds took their seats at the dinner table side-by-side. They kept sneaking nces at each other, both extremely nervous to be in the presence of Annalynne¡¯s mother and brother.


    Alice recalled the time when she, Kendra, and Annalynne cornered Ronan for taking a bite at Lucien. Lowell should be thankful that Alice did not chastise him for stealing her daughter¡¯s heart that quickly.


    ¡°So,¡± Lucien broke the awkward silence over dinner. ¡°Are you two dating now?¡±


    The two people in front of him flinched when they heard the word ¡°dating¡±.


    They exchanged nervous looks, and then Lowell cleared his throat.


    ¡°Actually, I am here to ask for your blessings. I would like to propose marriage to Anna.¡±


    Lucien almost dropped his fork.


    Alice gaped at her daughter.


    Wow.


    .....


    Talk about speed romance.


    ¡°No way!¡± Alice shouted.


    ¡°It is too rushed, Anna,¡± Lucien spoke to Annalynne in a stern tone. ¡°You guys literally just start talking to each other today. How did it go so quickly from fighting each other in the arena to a marriage proposal???¡±


    Annalynne pulled a grimace. She raised her head and looked at her brother and mother beseechingly.


    ¡°But... But if I know that it is the right person, why can¡¯t I just go for it? Why must I wait?¡±


    Oh, Goddess.


    Lucien rubbed at his temples.


    In her teens, Annalynne was in love with Kinnon Youngshaper. Up until two weeks ago, she still harbored strong feelings for the Alpha.


    Lucien never even heard her talk about Lowell. They were not even acquainted with each other. She might not even know that a Lowell existed in the pack!


    ¡°Anna, marriage is a serious matter. You should not go about it in a careless manner.¡±


    To Lowell, Alice had something to say.


    ¡°Lowell, you seem to be a responsible man. I thank you for the kindness and affection that you showered my daughter with today. Let¡¯s wait with the marriage talk until a few months have passed.¡±


    The lovebirds hung their heads in disappointment, but they begrudgingly epted Alice¡¯s and Lucien¡¯s objections.


    Drawing lessons from her awful experience with Lucien¡¯s own heated romance, Alice made sure to shoo Lowell out of the door after dinner. She could not risk it. If Lucien easily fell into Ronan Silverback¡¯s love trap, who was she to im that Annalynne would not do the same?


    Heck, Lowell was a fine specimen of werewolf!


    When Lucien returned to his bedroom, there were a few missed calls from Ronan.


    Lucien sat at the edge of his bed and made another phone call to Ronan. This time he picked up the phone.


    ¡°Hello, my love,¡± came the greeting from the other end of the line. Lucien¡¯s heart melted right away when he heard Ronan¡¯s husky, sexy voice.


    ¡°Hi, Ronan.¡±


    ¡°I miss you,¡± Ronan said. ¡°I miss you so much.¡±


    Lucien bit his lip.


    Maybe he should not have called. Now that he heard Ronan¡¯s voice again, he longed to run into his arms and bury his face in the man¡¯s warm chest. He wanted to have Ronan¡¯s strong arms around him, his hand gently tussling up Lucien¡¯s hair as Lucien breathed in his calming scent.


    ¡°Um. I miss you too,¡± Lucien said in return awkwardly.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to meet you again,¡± Ronan said.


    ¡°You will,¡± Lucien said, smiling to himself. ¡°The Alphapetition is over. We have a new Alpha.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°My sister, Annalynne.¡±


    There was silence on the other line, but then Ronan quickly picked himself up.


    ¡°Right. Wonderful. Please extend my congrattions to Annalynne.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    Lucien wanted to tell Ronan about Lowell, but he did not want to say it through the phone.


    ¡°Am I going to see you during the appointment ceremony?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ronan replied smoothly.


    The appointment of every Alpha was a serious business. It was handled officially in a ceremony at the Holy Temple of the Moon Goddess, attended by all the currently reigning Alphas.


    It served as an event to strengthen the bond between the werewolf packs as well as to introduce the newly anointed Alpha to the other Alphas.


    At the same time, the new Beta and the new Gamma would also be appointed and introduced to the werewolfmunity.


    ¡°After your pack no longer needs you to handle its matters, can you focus your attention on something else?¡±


    Lucien furrowed his brows.


    ¡°On what?¡±


    ¡°On us, of course,¡± Ronan chuckled. ¡°Come to my pack house. I want you to stay by my side.¡±


    In the darkness, Lucien could feel his face glowing hot. Was Ronan expecting a continuation of their short vacation? It would be a lie if Lucien said that he did not wish for more.


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    Ronan was not one to stop before getting what he wanted.


    ¡°I love you, Lucien. I want us to go back to the same pack.¡±


    And by that, naturally, he meant his own pack.


    Lucien¡¯s mind was a mess. Was Ronan just saying it casually because they were dating? Or was he asking him to move in together with him? Or was he nning to propose to him?


    It was all happening too quickly.


    Or not?


    Lowell and Annalynne were excited to get married on the first day they started dating.


    What about him and Ronan?


    They had been in and out of it for a while now. It was time to step up the game.


    ¡°Mmm, alright.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s voice was soft, but Ronan heard every syble. At the other end of the line, the Alpha was grinning like a big bad wolf.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he repeated, expecting Lucien to say the same thing in return.


    If his pack members knew, they might ridicule him. The Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack was such a lovesick fool that he could not sleep a wink if he did not hear an ¡°I love you¡± from Lucien¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°I love you,¡± Lucien said, drawing a contented sigh from Ronan. ¡°Now go to sleep, it iste.¡±


    A gentle smileced Ronan¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Good night, Lulu.¡±


    ¡°Mm... Good night, Ronan.¡±


    Lucien quickly ended the call. If he did not, he would not be able to stop thinking about Ronan for the rest of the night.

 Chapter 170

    170 Tracing Back From ck Reef Ind


    As per Ronan¡¯s agreement with Kinnon, Gavin Ashmore¡¯s body arrived at the Infinite Eclipse Pack a few days after Ronan went back to his pack house.


    The tinted ss coffin was sealed from top to bottom, preventing anyone from knowing whose body it was.


    Ronan ordered for the coffin to be brought to the audience hall, and then he summoned Jake and Quinn.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± the Beta and Gamma greeted their Alpha.


    Ronan was seated on his throne, his eyes pinned on the ss coffin before him.


    A few attendants were working to remove the lid to unearth the content inside the coffin.


    ¡°Jake and Quinn,e closer and take a look at this person.¡±


    Both Jake and Quinn eyed the coffin curiously. As soon as the lid came off, they approached the coffin and saw the frozen body inside it.


    Thanks to Kinnon¡¯s arrangement, Gavin Ashmore¡¯s corpse was well preserved during the trip. Bloodless and cold, the convicted criminal that had been cut off from the Infinite Eclipse Packy there motionlessly.


    .....


    Ronan narrowed his eyes and pinned both of his subordinates with an icy look.


    ¡®Look at me,¡¯ hemanded using the Alpha Voice.


    ¡®Yes, Alpha,¡¯ both of them responded as they raised their eyes to meet Ronan¡¯s.


    ¡®Tell me everything that you know about the man inside the coffin.¡¯


    Jake was the first to speak.


    ¡®This is Gavin Ashmore. He used to be part of the pack until he was punished and then expelled due to endangering Maya Greenwood, another pack member.¡¯


    Quinn¡¯s description was more detailed because she knew Gavin the longest.


    ¡®Gavin Ashmore became an orphan at the age of ten. My mate and I raised him along with the other pack orphans. Hemitted a crime against Maya Greenwood, upon which he was sentenced to imprisonment at ck Reef Ind.¡¯


    ¡®Is there anything else that you know after he went to ck Reef Ind?¡¯


    Jake¡¯s tone was steady. ¡®No, Alpha.¡¯


    Quinn on the other side was unable to answer right away. Beads of cold sweat appeared on her face. She looked very conflicted.


    ¡®Quinn?¡¯ Ronan put additional pressure on the elder woman. ¡®Are you keeping something from me? Answer me.¡¯


    wing into his armrest, Ronan could barely believe it. Quinn was one of the pack leaders that he valued a lot. She was a lot older than him or Jake, a mother figure for a lot of the younger pack members.


    Her loyalty to the pack was supposed to be wless, so why was she involved in this heinous crime against the Night Prowler Pack?


    Quinn must know very well what impact the assassination attempt on Ralph Youngshaper had on her pack!


    ¡®There is something that I have not bothered to inform the Alpha,¡¯ Quinn said with a trembling voice.


    Under the Alpha Voice¡¯s influence, even if she did not want to, she still had to obey Ronan¡¯s orders.


    ¡®I have never again seen Gavin after I delivered him to the prison. But, one of my prot¨¦g¨¦es kept a close rtionship with him. She visited him almost every week in ck Reef Ind.¡¯


    So it was not Quinn but one of the children that she raised.


    ¡®What is her name?¡¯


    ¡®Sha inheart. She lost her parents around the same time Gavin did. They have been close since they were children.¡¯


    Ronan lifted the oppressive effect of Alpha Voice from his subordinates. Jake and Quinn dropped to their knees right after, their legs weak and wobbly.


    Jake looked terrified, but Quinn was as pale as a sheet of white paper.


    ¡°Alpha, what really happened to Gavin Ashmore?¡± Jake asked in confusion.


    Gavin had been expelled. His death was nevertheless regretful, but why was there even a need to interrogate them by using the Alpha Voice?


    Unless, of course, Gavin¡¯s death was rted to something sinister.


    This sinister thing was what Ronan had yet to tell his Beta and his Gamma.


    Heaving a deep sigh, he filled them in on the conversation that he, Lucien, and Kinnon had.


    Undoubtedly, it sparked outrage from Jake and Quinn.


    ¡°What audacity!¡± Jake shouted furiously. ¡°The Infinite Eclipse Pack had no need for such dirty tricks!¡±


    Ronan corrected him.


    ¡°To be precise, the belt was pointing out toward the Silverback family in particr, not the pack in general.¡±


    ¡°Still!¡±


    Jake¡¯s eyes were zing with fire.


    ¡°The Silverback family is one of the prominent families in the Infinite Eclipse Pack. using anyone from the Silverback family of the crime simply means using the whole pack!¡±


    Ronan sighed.


    ¡°Thank you, Jake.¡±


    Quinn¡¯s face was as dark as the night. ¡°Alpha, I am ashamed of my failure for having raised these two irresponsible children. Please punish me as you see fit.¡±


    Ronan shook his head.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know about the involvement of Sha inheart yet. Please call her into this hall. Let¡¯s hear what she has to say.¡±


    Quinn bowed deeply in front of Ronan before she left to personally fetch Sha.


    Left alone in the audience hall with Ronan, Jake kept mumbling under his breath, ¡°Oh, Goddess. I never thought that... I never expected this to happen.¡±


    Ronan crossed one of his legs over the other.


    ¡°So when Kinnon Youngshaper attacked me as soon as the war began, he truly meant to end me to avenge his son.¡±


    Jake swallowed hard.


    ¡°Alpha, I have not heard any death announcement from the Night Prowler Pack. May I safely assume that the little heir survived the attack?¡±


    Ronan nodded.


    ¡°You may. Kinnon took him to y to Blue Hill City. He has fully recovered. Then again it was all thanks to their own efforts.¡±


    ¡°I... I understand,¡± Jake said weakly.


    Quick footsteps were heard approaching. The door of the audience hall opened with a loud bang.


    A terrified-looking Quinn stood there, her hair and clothing somewhat disheveled.


    ¡°Alpha, Beta, I am so sorry. Sha inheart left the pack house two days ago to go back to the university for a new semester. I just called to check with the university, and the staff informed me that Sha never arrived.¡±

 Chapter 171

    171 The Alpha¡¯s Date With His Mother


    It was 4 PM Friday at St. rence hospital.


    Lady Adele Fangde hummed a tune in a low voice while she worked on a dark green sweater for her only son.


    Said son always came to have dinner with her every Friday evening. Today was no different.


    Three knocks at the door announced Ronan Silverback¡¯s arrival.


    Lady Fangde quickly put the unfinished sweater aside and sat up straight.


    ¡°Come in,¡± she said in the direction of the door.


    A tall man with dark hair, a pair of greenish-blue eyes, and a face that was practically a copy of her own appeared at the entrance with a bouquet of red carnations.


    ¡°Mom,¡± he said, greeting his mother with the same gentle voice and smile.


    Lady Fangde stretched her arms out for a hug.


    .....


    Ronan Silverback handed the bouquet to a waiting Edith and scooped his mother up in a hug.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lady Fangde nodded with a smile.


    When Ronan loosened his hug, his mother¡¯s legs shook a little but then she stood up firmly and put one of her arms around Ronan¡¯s.


    ¡°Shall we?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Lady Fangde threw a nce at her nurse.


    ¡°Edith, you don¡¯t have to wait for us. Ronan will send me to bed today.¡±


    Edith dutifully bowed. ¡°Very well. Thank you, Lady Fangde.


    Ronan led his mother to the luxurious ck car that had been waiting at the hospital entrance. For his weekly date with his mother, Ronan always drove by himself. During the trip to Lady Fangde¡¯s favorite restaurant, mother and son exchanged news from their lives.


    Ronan had an update regarding the mysterious belt. Unfortunately, it was not a good one.


    After they found out that Sha inheart, the young woman who had kept in touch regrly with Gavin Ashmore, went missing, all hell broke loose.


    Ronan went back to the Silverback Corporation Headquarters to clear the mountain of paperwork while Jake and Quinn mobilized scouts and select pack members to find the missing girl.


    It was all for naught, for Sha seemed to be swallowed whole by the earth on her way to the university.


    None of Quinn¡¯s foster children noticed anything amiss with that young woman. She was behaving normally day in and day out, up to the day she went missing.


    Despite extensive search day after day, they were back to square one.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Lady Fangde sighed. ¡°This belt is rather curious. Do we know anything else other than it bore the Silverback family¡¯s sigil?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. I have some pictures of the belt on my phone. Lucien sent them to me. Take a look, Mom.¡±


    ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Lady Fangde opened the chat message between his son and Lucien.


    ¡°Oooh~¡± she said when she saw thest conversation on the previous day.


    Ronan took a while to realize, but when he did, he almost smashed the car against a nearby traffic pole.


    ¡°Mom! Don¡¯t look at those!!!¡± He shouted in panic.


    Lady Fangde chuckled.


    ¡°Toote,¡± she giggled as she showed Ronan thetest picture that he sent Lucien.


    It was a picture of him, naked as he soaked in his whirlpool at his apartment in the pack house. A ss of Champagne cocktail was held loosely between his fingers.


    The picture came with a caption : ¡°I wish I could drink you up, right here and now.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s answer was one single word, ¡°Shameless!¡±


    Ronan rubbed at his reddened face with a hand while the other was holding the steering wheel.


    ¡°Mom, please stop. Give me my phone back, I will show you the belt picturester.¡±


    ¡°Pffft. I have seen every part of you when you were growing up. I still remember the location of every mole in your body.¡±


    ¡°Mom! Goddess, that is so embarrassing,¡± Ronan murmured under his breath.


    Other than wanting to spend intimate quality time with his mother, this was his other reason to send everyone away when they were going for dinner. Ronan could y the mighty, respectable Alpha in front of everyone in the werewolfmunity as much as he wanted to, but in front of his mother, he would always be her little boy.


    Ignoring her son¡¯s plea, Lady Fangde continued scrolling down the chat until he found the pictures that Ronan was referring to.


    ¡°Hmmm.¡±


    ¡°Well? Any clue, Mom?¡± Ronan asked, d that he could talk about something else than the sexy pictures that he had been sending Lucien. He was secretly grateful that Lucien never replied with a picture of his own. Imagine how humiliating that would be!


    Lady Fangde tapped at her lips as she looked at the pictures.


    ¡°I feel like I have seen it before, but I cannot be sure,¡± she slowly said.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. The design is very nice, too. Simplistic but elegant. I like it.¡±


    A soft ding sound was hearding from the phone, followed by a tiny number 1 that appeared at the bottom right corner of the chat.


    ¡°Oh, Lucien sent you a message.¡±


    ¡°Really? How rare,¡± Ronan remarked.


    Lucien rarely took the initiative to message Ronan. When he did, it was usually something serious.


    ¡°What does he say?¡±


    Lady Fangde scrolled up to see Lucien¡¯stest message. Once she saw what it was, she gaped at the screen with her lips slightly parted.


    Ronan furrowed his brows when he saw his mother¡¯s reaction.


    ¡°Mom? What is it?¡±


    Lady Fangde cleared his throat. She waited until Ronan finished parking the car in the parking lot before she showed him what Lucien just sent.


    It was a picture that Lucien took while he and Ronan were rxing on the bed after a passionate lovemaking session.


    In the picture, Ronan was resting with his eyes shut. He had his arms wrapped around Lucien¡¯s waist while half of his face was hidden behind Lucien¡¯s shoulder. Lucien¡¯s naked upper body was seen clearly along with the lovebites that were scattered over his fair skin like flower petals.


    Under the picture, Lucien wrote, ¡°I miss you. See you soon at the appointment ceremony.¡±

 Chapter 172

    172 The Alpha Wanted To Make Things Official


    Lady Fangde had a smug grin stered all over her face as she walked into the restaurant with her ashen-faced son.


    Ronan was so embarrassed that he could die on spot.


    On one side, he was extremely happy to know that Lucien took pictures of their intimate times together. He wanted to transform into his wolf form, howl at the full moon, and jump from roof to roof to celebrate.


    On the other side, this was the kind of picture that should be reserved for his and Lucien¡¯s eyes only!


    If Lucien knew what happened, he might go rampant and scold Ronan harshly for allowing anyone to see the embarrassing things that they sent each other in private.


    And then, he might refuse to sleep with Ronan for a few weeks just to punish him.


    Ronan did not dare to imagine what would happen if he told Lucien that his mother feasted her eyes on the picture before he did.


    Lucien was going to kill him.


    The Alpha groaned in his heart.


    .....


    In the end, it did not matter whether Lady Fangde saw the picture before or after Ronan saw it. It would not be less embarrassing, or less awkward.


    And because Lady Fangde knew just how much it distressed Ronan, she could not stop talking about it.


    As soon as they arrived, they were greeted by a concierge with a smile. They were led to a private cubicle on the second floor, the same cubicle that they frequented every week.


    The restaurant was used to receiving Ronan and Lady Fangde every week, so the staff always took care to get the cubicle ready even without any reservation.


    Two sses of water and a te of snacks were quickly served while the mother and son pored through the restaurant menu.


    ¡°I see that things are going well between you and Lucien,¡± Lady Fangdemented after they ced their orders and sent the waiter on his way.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Ronan mumbled while taking a sip from his ss. He was suddenly so thirsty.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you are actively exploring each other¡¯s bodies,¡± she teased.


    Ronan almost choked on his water. He had a coughing fit while his mother could not stop grinning.


    The only saving grace was that she didn¡¯t know that the two men ¡°explored each other¡¯s bodies¡± as early as seven years ago.


    The Alpha cleared his throat a few times before he answered his mother, ¡°Yes. It is going splendidly.¡±


    ¡°Sooo, any ns in the near future?¡± The elder woman could not help but ask.


    With a sheepish smile on his face, Ronan shyly looked up at his mother.


    ¡°Mom, I n to ask him to marry me.¡±


    Lady Fangde¡¯s eyes lit up in surprise.


    ¡°Oh, Goddess! This is the best news I get to hear since ages! When???¡±


    ¡°Soon. He has been busy with his pack, smoothening everything for his sister who is about to be crowned as the next Alpha.¡±


    ¡°Ohh... Is that so?¡±


    Lady Fangde only managed to catch a glimpse of Lucien¡¯s sister a few times. She remembered that the woman shared simr features with Lucien, despite being less attractive than her brother.


    Most Alphas were rather famous before they even became Alphas. Speaking about the Silent Walkers Pack for example, everyone had been expecting Lucien Clearwater to inherit the Alpha position from his father, Gordon Clearwater. He had thus been in the middle of the spotlight ever since he was born. His sister on the other side was always hidden in the shadow.


    Speaking about Lucien...


    Lady Fangde reached over the dinner table and grabbed her son¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Ronan, have you talked about the future with Lucien? It is good that he does not be the Alpha, but he should not fill any powerful positions in his pack. Otherwise, he will leave an opening behind when he marries into the Infinite Eclipse Pack.¡±


    Ronan squeezed back at his mother¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. Lucien is very sensible. He is not going to serve as Beta or Gamma either. He can leave the Silent Walkers Pack anytime. All that is left is for me to propose.¡±


    The corners of Lady Fangde¡¯s lips were pulled into a wide smile.


    ¡°That is wonderful, Ronan. So wonderful.¡±


    ¡°It is, Mom.¡±


    Their conversation was cut short when a waiter came by to bring their dinner.


    For years, Lady Fangde never failed to order her favorite grilled salmon steak over a bed of roasted mini potatoes and finger carrots. She generously poured the creamy lemon garlic butter sauce all over the steak before she dug in.


    Ronan¡¯s taste changed every week. This week, he ordered a te of grilled lobster tail topped with thyme,plete with a bowl of cheese and white wine sauce.


    At the end of the night, Ronan took his mother back to St. rence hospital. As usual, he nned to wait until his mother was asleep before he went on his way. This time though, Lady Fangde did not n to go to bed early. She sat up straight on the bed with bright, sparkling eyes that held unconcealed expectations.


    In her hand, she was holding a ck, velvety box.


    ¡°Mom? What is that?¡± Ronan asked, staring at the tiny box in his mother¡¯s hands.


    ¡°This, is something really, really special,¡± Lady Fangde answered mysteriously.


    The box opened with a gentle click, exposing a beautiful diamond ring that nestled elegantly within.


    ¡°This is...¡±


    ¡°The Silverback family¡¯s heirloom, ¡®Maiden Of Endless Purity¡¯. It was handed over to me when I married your father. Now it¡¯s time to pass it to you.¡±


    Ronan carefully took the ring out of the box and examined it. The huge brilliant-cut diamond stone was embedded in a white gold ring that was iid with exquisite, smaller diamond stones in marquise cuts. They looked like sparkling leaves that framed the huge diamond stone at the center.


    ¡°Thanks, Mom,¡± he said, grinning bashfully from ear to ear.


    Lady Fangde tussled up her son¡¯s hair affectionately.


    ¡°Happiness is within your grasp, Ronan. Mom wishes you and Lucien all the best in your marriage.¡±

 Chapter 173

    173 The Clearwater Siblings¡¯ Talk


    Man and woman, every Alpha that ever ruled in any werewolf pack was crowned in the Holy Temple of Moon Goddess.


    It was an intimate ceremony that was attended by a small number of people from each pack, among which were the reigning Alpha and Beta.


    For the pack that was about to crown a new Alpha that day, the rule was slightly different.


    The former Alpha must be present to hand over the pack authority to the next Alpha. The next Alpha was to name the new Beta and new Gamma on spot.


    Since Deacon Clearwater, the former Alpha, was no longer there and Lucien took over the Alpha¡¯s responsibility during the second war, Lucien was tasked to perform the handover to Annalynne.


    On the day of Annalynne¡¯s crowning ceremony, the air was unbelievably fresh because it rained heavily the previous night.


    The sky was splendidly blue, dotted by fluffy clouds that gently drifted with the wind.


    A temple priestess yed a soft ethereal melody on the piano while the gathering crowd waited for the ceremony to start.


    The powerful men of all werewolf packs greeted each other politely and engaged in small talks to update each other on some news from the human world.


    .....


    In her preparation room, Annalynne was trembling all over. She was beyond nervous. Her nervosity grew more and more every time she took a peek at the gathering Alphas and Betas outside. All of them were males. Annalynne was going to be the only female Alpha after generations of male Alpha, and the prospect terrified her.


    ¡°Lulu, I am so scared,¡± Annalynne said while grabbing her brother¡¯s sleeves just before the ceremony started.


    Clothed in an immacte white robe with her long hair put up beautifully, Annalynne Clearwater looked more like a Luna than the Alpha.


    ¡°You are only now worried about this? Didn¡¯t you think about it before you joined thepetition?¡± Lucien teased.


    Annalynne pursed her lips. ¡°Lulu!¡± She shouted, stomping her feet full of indignation.


    Lucienughed. He put an arm around Annalynne¡¯s neck and kissed her forehead.


    ¡°That only means that you have the making of an Alpha, unlike the other alpha she-wolves who prefer to marry good men instead ofpeting against men.¡±


    Annalynne made puppy eyes at her brother.


    ¡°Really?¡± She whispered. ¡°Do you really think that way, Lulu?¡±


    After all, Lucien was against her joining thepetition in the first ce. She always thought that her brother considered her to be beneath the alpha males in the pack.


    Lucien tucked a stray strand on Annalynne¡¯s forehead behind her ear with an indulgent smile.


    ¡°I was against your participation in thepetition because I did not want you to get hurt.¡±


    Lucien bumped his forehead against Annalynne¡¯s lovingly.


    ¡°Who would have known that my own sister is such a magnificent fighter? Your brother is very, very proud of you.¡±


    Annalynne¡¯s lips trembled. Her eyes started to be ssy from unshed tears.


    ¡°Lulu, I... I...¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t cry now, you will mess up your face,¡± Lucien said. He hastily pressed a handkerchief against the ends of Annalynne¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Look at you. You are about to be the next Alpha of our pack. Why are you still such a crybaby?¡±


    ¡°Just... I am only a crybaby in front of you,¡± Annalynne said in her defense.


    ¡°Oh really. Have you never cried in front of Lowell?¡±


    Annalynne¡¯s face turned pink right away. She looked like a steamed lobster.


    ¡°I... No, I...¡±


    Lucien started to giggle. ¡°No need to be shy. We are all adults.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    Annalynne took her brother¡¯s hand and squeezed it.


    ¡°Say, Lulu... Umm...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Umm...¡±


    Annalynne¡¯s cheeks were burning from shame, but she asked what she wanted to ask anyway.


    ¡°Can Lowell and I not get married after, say, three months?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien¡¯s smile drained from his face within an instant, reced by a scowl.


    ¡°Anna, it is too early,¡± he said full of determination.


    Annalynne¡¯s face fell.


    ¡°Then, can we mark each other before we get married?¡±


    Mark each other?


    By marking, was Annalynne talking about establishing a mating bond?


    A mating bond was established by marking each other during orgasm.


    Orgasm happened during sex!


    Annalynne was literally asking for permission to have sex with Lowell!


    A dangerous light shed across Lucien¡¯s eyes. His handsome face was distorted into a mask of fury.


    No way in hell!


    Lucien squared his shoulders and red at his sister. ¡°Is this his idea? I am going to beat some sense into him once we get back.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Annalynne grabbed Lucien¡¯s arm hastily. ¡°It¡¯s just... For werewolves, the mating bond is more important than the wedding itself. It doesn¡¯t require any ceremony.¡±


    Lucien grabbed Annalynne¡¯s shoulders and spoke to her in a serious tone, ¡± Exactly because it is more important that you must not take it lightly. If Mom and I do not allow you two to get married so soon, of course you two are not allowed to mark each other yet!¡±


    Annalynne bit into her lip while she listened to her brother¡¯s scolding.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what makes you think that you can do it. I demand that you uphold your chastity until Mom and I decide that he is the right man for you.¡±


    Annalynne groaned.


    ¡°But Lulu...¡± The woman started to protest.


    ¡°But what?¡± Lucien snapped. There were no buts. Annalynne must not be careless and make a mistake that she could not undo.


    Annalynne pulled her lips into a thin line. She took a deep breath a few times before she managed to muster all the courage to say what she was thinking.


    ¡°Lulu, you slept with Ronan Silverback many times,¡± she said in a low voice with a hint of displeasure. ¡°You haven¡¯t marked each other, but you might as well have. I can smell his scent on you.¡±


    Lucien facepalmed.


    ¡°All the time,¡± Annalynne added, emphasizing each word to indicate that it was still happening.


    Blood shot to Lucien¡¯s face. He wished the earth beneath his feet could open up and swallow him whole.

 Chapter 174

    174 Annalynne¡¯s Crowning Ceremony


    Ronan Silverback and his Beta Jake stood with other Alphas and Betas in the vast, verdant grass field. They formed a trust circle, with those from the Silent Walkers Pack kneeling in the middle. Their backs were stiff and straight, but their heads were slightly bowed.


    An air of solemnity washed over the werewolves when the High Seer made her appearance with a few priests and priestesses in tow. Despite her old age, she was blessed with an evesting youthful appearance. For this asion, she wore her long silver hair in a French braid bun that was essorized with flower hairpins.


    After the High Seer took her ce in front of the kneeling werewolves from the Silent Walkers Pack, she extended both of her hands in front of her.


    ¡°Wee, all Alphas and Betas,¡± she greeted everyone with a voice that was both light andmanding at the same time.


    All Alphas and Betas crossed their right arms over their chest and solemnly answered, ¡°We are here to answer to the Moon Goddess.¡±


    The High Seer had a pair of beautiful turquoise eyes that were unfortunately non-functional. Those who the Moon Goddess elected to be High Seers lost their worldly sights but gained the godly eyes instead.


    Nevertheless, when her gaze drifted around the crowd, she did not appear blind at all. She saw them, just not with her eyes.


    ¡°The Silent Walkers Pack has gone through a drastic growth in thest few months.


    Today, we are here to crown a new Alpha of the pack, and wee the pack back into our midst.¡±


    .....


    The High Seer¡¯s empty eyes were directed at Lucien Clearwater at first, and then her gaze drifted slowly to Annalynne Clearwater who was slightly trembling in front of her.


    The High Seer put one of her hands on top of Annalynne¡¯s head, and the other on top of Lucien¡¯s head.


    ¡°The Alpha position is often associated with pride and fame. While many chase the honor, little realize the amount of burden and responsibility that Alphas must carry behind their back.¡±


    ¡°Lucien Clearwater, in name of Deacon Clearwater, you are here to hand over the Alpha position of the Silent Walkers Pack to Annalynne Clearwater.


    Is this what you wish to do?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Lucien answered, his eyes shut tightly.


    The High Seer then turned to Annalynne.


    ¡°Annalynne Clearwater, you are here to take over the Alpha position of the Silent Walkers Pack.


    Is this what you wish to do?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Annalynne answered with a broken voice.


    ¡°Are you willing to serve the Moon Goddess with all your heart and soul?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Annalynne answered again, this time with a firmer voice.


    ¡°Are you willing to abide by the Blood Oath and enforce the Blood Oath among your pack members?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°Are you willing to serve and represent your pack in the werewolfmunity?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°Are you willing tomit your life to your pack, never to turn your back on your pack members no matter what happens?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    Annalynne flinched when something cold was transferred from the High Seer¡¯s palm to her head. The icy sensation flowed down her head, spreading slowly to the ends of her fingers, her legs, and the ends of her toes.


    Both Lucien and Annalynne when the High Seer removed her hands.


    ¡°By the grace of the Moon Goddess, the handover has been performed sessfully.


    Alpha Annalynne, please stand up and greet your fellow Alphas and their Betas.¡±


    Annalynne rose to her feet and turned to face the many Alphas and Betas whose pairs of eyes were directed at her.


    ¡°I, Annalynne Clearwater, henceforth will serve as the Alpha of the Silent Walkers Pack. I humbly beg for the guidance of all Alphas and Betas.¡±


    As the custom demanded, Annalynne thus approached the Alphas and Betas one by one and exchanged deep bows to signify an introduction of the new Alpha to the currently reigning Alphas and Betas from the other packs.


    They all whispered their congrattions and good wishes for the new Alpha as they exchanged bows.


    Atst, it was time to announce the Beta and Gamma of the Silent Walkers Pack.


    Annalynne picked Kendra Firemoon as her Beta and Acatha Goldenfell as her Gamma.


    This decision undoubtedly invited questionable looks from the surrounding Alphas and Betas. All the powerful positions in the pack were filled by women. It was, to be frank, a very bold and interesting move.


    Then again there was no guarantee that women could not do the job as well as men.


    At the end of the ceremony, there was a celebratory banquet for socializing purposes.


    While everyone else was interested to talk to Annalynne, Kendra, and Acatha, Ronan only had eyes for Lucien.


    The Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack scanned the crowd for his lover and found Lucien near the staircase. He was chatting with Bjorn.


    ¡°Lulu.¡±


    Ronan circled an arm around Lucien¡¯s waist from behind. A soft sigh escaped his lips when he inhaled the sweet, familiar fragrance from Lucien¡¯s body.


    Bjorn could barely suppress a smile.


    ¡°Well then Lucien, we will talkter.¡±


    Bjorn left without waiting for Lucien to answer.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Ronan said while grinning at Bjorn¡¯s back.


    The man in his arms was not as thankful.


    ¡°Ronan!¡± He hissed. ¡°We are in a public ce!¡±


    ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s go somewhere private,¡± Ronan decided. It had been a week since hest sampled Lucien¡¯s sweet body. Ronan could not wait any longer.


    The Alpha wanted to lead Lucien away from the grass field, but to his bewilderment, Lucien refused toe along.


    Ronan furrowed his brows in confusion.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked while caressing Lucien¡¯s cheek and drawing a soft sigh from thetter.


    After making sure that no one heard him, Lucien cleared his throat and spoke in a low voice.


    ¡°Ronan, I am trying to set a good example for Anna. Let¡¯s not do anything beyond kissing for now.¡±

 Chapter 175

    175 About Setting A Good Example


    Ronan stared at Lucien. His gaze spoke a thousand words, but he simplified them down to a statement.


    ¡°Lucien, we did more than just kissing.¡±


    His cheek glowing pink from hearing Ronan¡¯s words, Lucien dragged Ronan to a corner.


    ¡°I know,¡± he hissed in a low voice.


    Ronan gave him a look full of disbelief.


    ¡°We had sex. A lot, if you remember. Both in human form as well as... Mmff!!¡±


    Lucien pressed a hand against Ronan¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± He hissed urgently. ¡°I forbid you from speaking about it ever again!¡±


    Although there was nothing wrong with Beowulf and Landon having sex, Lucien still felt ufortable talking about it.


    .....


    Ronan¡¯s gaze drifted to the many Alphas and Betas in the crowd, and his eyes happened to meet with Annalynne¡¯s.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± He asked, his face darkened in an instant.


    ¡°Is this the first rule that Annalynne enforced after bing an Alpha? Forbidding you from sleeping with me?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Lucien quickly denied it.


    Goddess forbade what Ronan would do if that were true. He might start an argument with Annalynne on spot, ignoring the time, ce, and asion. Ronan was shameless like that. Lucien knew him well enough to say that.


    ¡°Then what is it?¡± Ronan asked with a growl of displeasure. ¡°Why can we not go beyond kissing?¡±


    ¡°Because! I already told you that I want to set a good example for Annalynne.¡±


    Lucien then told Ronan all about the Alphapetition, how it started and ended, the start of Annalynne¡¯s and Lowell¡¯s love story, and the conversation that the siblings had before the crowning ceremony took ce.


    Ronan¡¯s jaw dropped open.


    ¡°Lulu, she is a big girl. If she wants to have sex, let her.¡±


    Lucien was enraged.


    ¡°What do you mean, let her?? It is as if you don¡¯t know how the werewolfmunity sees women who practice debauchery!¡±


    Of course Ronan knew.


    Male werewolves could go and have sex with anyone before they established a mating bond with a she-wolf.


    She-wolves did not share the same privilege. Once they lost their virginities to anyone other than their mates, they were often considered damaged goods and earned spite and mockery from others.


    It was even worse when they got pregnant by men who refused to take responsibility for both the women and the pups.


    The family members of the pregnant women might just disown them. Most of these pregnant women ended up as rogue she-wolves. Surviving was difficult enough without pack support, let alone surviving with pups in their bellies.


    This was the main reason why Ronan helped out as many rogue she-wolves as he could. He did not even demand them to serve him in bed initially. When their heat arrived, they automatically sought him to vent their pent-up desire.


    As a grown-up man with a healthy sexual appetite, Ronan of course did not refuse their advances. He rolled with them between the sheets and earned the notorious reputation of being a yboy just like that.


    The Alpha sighed as he recalled his debauched affairs back then.


    ¡°Lulu, she is the Alpha now,¡± Ronan calmly said. ¡°You can¡¯t tell her what to do and what not.¡±


    The man in front of him straightened his robe and scowled at Ronan.


    ¡°Thankfully, Anna still sees me as her big brother. As long as I do what I preach, she will not be careless in her rtionship with Lowell.¡±


    Ronan shook his head. Well. Good that he already nned to propose to Lucien, then. Otherwise, he would have to be abstinent for a long time. Ronan shivered at the mere thought.


    ¡°Please?¡± Lucien begged, cupping Ronan¡¯s face with both hands. ¡°Just until we know what kind of person Lowell is.¡±


    Ronan pulled Lucien into an embrace and nted a kiss on Lucien¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Say, Lulu. What is your thought about the way werewolf society treats she-wolves? Should rogue she-wolves really be punished for having sexual rtions outside of marriage?¡±


    Lucien shook his head gently.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± he sighed. ¡°But then again I also disagree with the notion that everyone can have sex with anyone they wanted and sire pups that end up having no fathers to look up to.¡±


    Ronan had to agree.


    Unfortunately, the young werewolves were eager to have sex but they did not care much about the she-wolves that they slept with, let alone about the pups that said she-wolves gave birth to. The she-wolves ended up suffering, yes, but the pups suffered even more.


    ¡°If you were a girl, would you refuse to have sex with me when we met at Alpha Camp then?¡± Ronan asked out of curiosity.


    Lucien¡¯s eyes softened.


    ¡°If I were a girl, I can ensure you that I will not sleep with you that quickly. As an Alpha¡¯s daughter, the pressure to be prim and proper is unbearable.¡±


    Ronan slid his hand into Lucien¡¯s hair and smiled mischievously.


    ¡°I might seduce you every second of the day, though.¡±


    Lucien chuckled.


    ¡°If I did it with you as a girl and fell pregnant with our child, would you be willing to marry me?¡±


    What a question.


    Ronan grinned and gave Lucien another kiss before he answered.


    ¡°I would drag you and our unborn child to this very temple and demand for the High Seer to marry us on spot,¡± he dered. ¡°And then I would go back to my father, take whatever beating he dished me, and return to your side. If we were both kicked out of our packs, we would live happily somewhere else. I know that my mother will help us still.¡±


    It all sounded so simple when Ronan said it. Lucien could not help butugh at his naivete. In what world would Dane Silverback let go of his precious son?


    ¡°I love you,¡± Lucien whispered while tracing Ronan¡¯s powerful jawline.


    ¡°I love you more,¡± Ronan whispered back, taking Lucien¡¯s hand into his and kissing the knuckles.


    ¡°So I guess you cannote to live in my pack starting from today?¡±


    Lucien shook his head in regret.


    ¡°No, I am sorry.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, let me take you out on a date.¡±


    Stunned, Lucien blinked at Ronan who shed him a roguish smile.

 Chapter 176

    176 Ronan¡¯s Invitation To A Date


    When Ronan asked him out on a date, Lucien was thinking about going to see movies or maybe a visit to local zoo or aquarium.


    At least that was what normal people envisioned when they nned a date.


    Unfortunately, Ronan was not one of the normal people. He demanded to pick Lucien up at 5 AM sharp.


    Despite Lucien¡¯s initial objection, he eventually gave in to Ronan¡¯s incessant pleas and agreed to go on a super early date with Ronan on the first day of December.


    Lucien was a punctual person. He was ready forty minutes before the clock hit 5 AM. After he got dressed, he opened his bedroom window to allow some fresh air inside. It was still pitch dark outside. Lucien had to press a hand against his mouth to stifle a yawn.


    After some time, he shut the window again and went to stand in front of the bathroom mirror.


    Lucien wore a baby blue shirt underneath his white sweater. The colorplimented his blue jeans and his blue cap toe boots.


    The man adjusted the cor of his shirt many times as he scrutinized his reflection in the mirror.


    Did he look good? Was Ronan going to like it?


    .....


    Other than the Sunday dates that they used to have at the Alpha Camp, Lucien had never been to any date with Ronan. In his heart, he knew that Ronan would not care about his clothing. Before they established their status as a couple, they used to meet and go to various ces. Lucien never cared about what he wore and Ronan never once said anything about it.


    But now they were a couple.


    Lucien felt that he had to care somehow. He wanted to look good for Ronan. Ronan probably expected him to dress to the nines on their first date.


    The man went back to rummage inside his wardrobe, but he could not find anything that he liked better than the ensemble that he was currently wearing. The main reason was that Lucien liked the color white the most. His clothes were mostly white or blueish.


    Only a few clothing items came in other colors, and that was because Annalynne bought them for him. They came in pairs. One for Annalynne and one for Lucien. The patterns that Annalynne picked were all very girly. There was a yellow long-sleeved shirt with a huge teddy bear print on the front side. And then there was a red sweater with a reindeer and Santa pattern.


    Lucien closed his wardrobe with a sigh and went to the dining room to make himself some cappino.


    He barely finished brewing the espresso when he heard a distant sound of car tires rubbing against pebbles. A luxurious ck Porsche pulled up at the entrance of the pack house and a dark silhouette stepped out of the driver¡¯s seat.


    The figure raised his eyes to look at the only window in the pack house that was burning with light.


    The man walked up the staircase of the pack house and came knocking at the Clearwaters¡¯ apartment.


    He did not have to wait long.


    Smiling, Lucien opened the door with a cup of cappino in his hand.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he greeted Ronan Silverback who gave him a roguish smile in return.


    The Alpha was dressed in a long dark brown top coat that reached to his knees. Ronan Silverback boasted a height of 1.87m. On average men, the top coat would look like a giant¡¯s coat. On Ronan, it looked exquisite, just right for his height.


    ¡°Hello, my love. You look gorgeous.¡±


    Ronan pulled Lucien into his arms for a hug while thetter carefully moved the hand that was holding the cup of cappino out of their ways.


    ¡°I miss you,¡± he whispered before pressing a kiss against Lucien¡¯s soft lips.


    ¡°Do you want some coffee?¡± Lucien asked after they broke apart, pointing at the half-drunk cup of cappino in his hand.


    ¡°I added some syrup for you.¡±


    Ronan took the half-drunk cup from Lucien¡¯s hand and finished its content in one gulp.


    ¡°I am good,¡± he said with a grin.


    Lucien chuckled.


    ¡°Should we go?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    Lucien walked back to the kitchen to put the coffee cup into the sink. He then grabbed his jacket and followed Ronan out of the apartment.


    The two men walked hand-in-hand across thewn. Winter already started. A gust of frosty wind blew through the area, shaking leafless trees and sending chills down the two men¡¯s spines.


    Lucien and Ronan hurried toward the car.


    As soon as they got inside, they sighed in unison from having warm air blow at their faces.


    Ronan reached out to strap the safety belt across Lucien¡¯s body while taking the opportunity to steal a kiss from his date.


    ¡°Your lips are so cold,¡± Ronan whispered.


    ¡°Then warm them up for me,¡± Lucien whispered back.


    The Alpha raised an eyebrow in surprise.


    ¡°You have learned how to flirt,¡± he teased.


    Lucien craned his neck and leaned closer toward Ronan. ¡°Shut up and kiss me.¡±


    Ronan happilyplied.


    He sucked gently on Lucien¡¯s lips, coaxed thetter to part his soft lips, and slid his tongue between Lucien¡¯s wet folds.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Wet kissing sounds were heard as they sucked on each other¡¯s lips. The longer the kisssted, the more erratic Ronan¡¯s mood became.


    He slipped an arm around Lucien waist and another hand under Lucien¡¯s shirt. When the cold hand touched Lucien¡¯s warm abdomen, thetter opened his eyes and grabbed Ronan¡¯s wrist before he wandered further.


    ¡°Ronan,¡± Lucien called after breaking the kiss, his breath heavy with desire. ¡°I thought we didn¡¯t have much time.¡±


    Ronan wiped traces of saliva from the corner of Lucien¡¯s mouth with a grin and then returned to his seat obediently.


    ¡°Right.¡±


    Where are we going?¡± Lucien asked once he recovered from Ronan¡¯s stormy kiss.


    Ronan¡¯s lips curled up in a smile.


    ¡°That is for me to know and for you to find out,¡± he answered casually.

 Chapter 177

    177 High Altitude Romance


    The car gently pulled away from the Silent Walkers Pack¡¯s territory and rolled unto the road.


    Not used to waking up this early, Lucien quickly became sleepy. The plush headrest, thefortable seat, and the car heating system did not help keep Lucien awake at all. The man was quickly lulled back to sleep.


    He was gone for only around ten minutes before Ronan pinched his cheek and kissed him awake.


    ¡°Wake up, Lulu. We are here.¡±


    Lucien mumbled something incoherent and rolled on the car seat to continue sleeping.


    Ronan chuckled. He peppered Lucien¡¯s neck with kisses as he coaxed him into waking up.


    ¡°Rise and shine, sleepyhead. If you don¡¯t, I am going to carry you out of the car.¡±


    ¡°I can walk alone,¡± Lucien mumbled while rubbing his eyes and squinting at the scenery ahead of the car.


    As far as his night vision allowed him to see, they were in the middle of a vast clearing. There was nothing in there but emptiness.


    .....


    Ronan unbuckled his and Lucien¡¯s safety belts.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s get out,¡± he said, tapping Lucien on the shoulder.


    Lucien wrapped his jacket tighter around his body in preparation for the harsh winter wind. Once he stepped outside, he started looking around in the darkness.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said when he saw some light ahead of him.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s find out,¡± Ronan replied, smiling to himself.


    The two men walked together toward the source of the light.


    As the light gradually grew bigger, so did the things that the light illuminated.


    Lucien widened his eyes in disbelief when he caught sight of the wonderful object thaty ahead of them.


    A few hundred meters away from them, across the short-trimmed grass field, stood a huge hot air balloon. It bobbed up and down in the air as if nodding its head at the two approaching men.


    Lucien, ¡°...¡±


    He was so amazed by the gigantic balloon that he barely noticed it when Ronan led him by his elbow.


    A few local men were busy holding down the balloon while two people held oilmps nearby for lighting purposes. Behind them, a younger man was seen screaming some guidance.


    ¡°A little to the right!¡±


    ¡°No, no, too much! Go back!¡±


    ¡°Wait, it is about to fall backward!!!¡±


    ¡°Ahhhhhhh!!!¡±


    It turned out to be a panda-eyed Milroy. It was clear that he too had not had a good night¡¯s sleep for a few nights in a row. As soon as thetter caught sight of Ronan and Lucien, he came over hastily to greet them.


    ¡°Mr. Silverback, everything is ready,¡± he reported, breathless from screaming around.


    ¡°Good job,¡± Ronan praised. He ced his hand at Lucien¡¯s waist and kissed the side of his head.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over there, my love.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Lucien gently hummed, letting Ronan lead him toward the balloon. Lucien gave Milroy a tiny smile, meant to be a sympathetic gesture. Ronan must be a tough boss to serve. The little smile drew a gasp from the younger man instead.


    Oh my gosh, the assistant screamed in his head. So this was the person who stole the Alpha¡¯s heart in one fell swoop! He was so, so, so handsome! No wonder the Alpha could not take his eyes off him for even one second!


    Blushing profusely, Milroy quickly dedicated himself back to giving instructions to the men who were working hard to stabilize the hot air balloon.


    After some more time, they finally managed to tie the hot air balloon to the ground by using ropes and wooden stakes.


    Lucien reached out and ran his hands around the edge of the huge basket beneath the balloon. It was made of woven rattan sticks and canes. Sturdy but light.


    The pilot was already inside the basket.


    ¡°Come on in,¡± he gestured for Lucien and Ronan to get into the basket.


    Lucien had never been in a hot air balloon before. He put both of his hands at the edge of the basket, unsure how to get in.


    Behind him, the sly wolf lifted him up easily and helped him into the basket.


    Ronan himself slotted his feet expertly through some holes at the side of the basket and jumped in.


    ¡°Hold on tight,¡± Ronan whispered into Lucien¡¯s ear, his warm breath tickling thetter¡¯s earlobe.


    Lucien held on to the basket edge tightly while Ronan stood behind him and put his hands next to Lucien¡¯s.


    ¡°Ready???? GOOOO!!!¡± The ropes that tethered the hot air balloon to the ground were cut at the same time, allowing the balloon to gently bounce up and down before it lifted into the air.


    Lucien sucked in a deep breath when the ground, the local men, and Milroy became smaller and smaller. At the same time, a strong gust of winter wind blew and caused his teeth to tter.


    Ronan put a blue beanie hat over Lucien¡¯s head, covering his freezing earlobes. After making sure that Lucien was warm andfortable, he put a dark brown beanie hat over his head.


    The scenery was amazing.


    The hot air balloon reached a certain altitude before the pilot stopped going higher and steered the balloon in a certain direction.


    When the balloon left the ground, it was still rather dark. Five minutes in the sky, golden streaks broke through the horizon. The morning sun emerged from beyond the fluffy clouds, sending red, orange, and yellow hues across the sky.


    The hot air balloon was bathed in warm, sparkling golden light.


    ¡°It is so beautiful,¡± Lucien said, overwhelmed by the enchanting sunrise.


    ¡°Not as beautiful as you,¡± the man behind him flirted.


    Ronan licked at Lucien¡¯s nape, bit at Lucien¡¯s pheromone nd, and gently sucked on it.


    The sensation caused Lucien to shiver inadvertently.


    After Ronan was satisfied with the kiss mark that he left on Lucien¡¯s nape, Lucien tilted his head to the side to give Ronan a smooch on the lips.


    ¡°How many people have you taken on this ride and how many times have you said this sentence?¡±


    ¡°With you, two.¡± Ronan wrapped a strand of Lucien¡¯s red-golden hair around his finger and kissed it.


    Lucien¡¯s face darkened in an instant.

 Chapter 178

    178 An Outdoor Pic


    ¡°Hmph!¡±


    Lucien smacked Ronan¡¯s hand furiously and turned away from him.


    He knew that he was being childish, but he could not help it. Could Ronan not take him on a date where he had never been with anyone else?


    Biting his lip from jealousy, he failed to notice the wide grin that spread on Ronan¡¯s face.


    Thick-skinned as always, Ronan hugged the sulking Lucien from behind.


    ¡°I also told my mother that she was more beautiful than the sunrise.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan pressed a kiss on Lucien¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°... Your mom?¡±


    .....


    ¡°My mom,¡± Ronan confirmed.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien felt so stupid.


    ¡°Do you not agree?¡± The Alpha teased.


    ¡°I do,¡± Lucien answered begrudgingly.


    Ronan spun him around and bumped their foreheads together.


    ¡°Then why were you angry?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien red at the Alpha who shed him an innocent smile. Lucien could almost see the bushy tail wagging behind Ronan. What a bad, bad, bad wolf.


    If he could lie smoothly about not being mad, Lucien would have lied. Unfortunately, his fury bled through when he pped Ronan¡¯s hand away.


    Unable to answer, Lucien resorted to employing a trick to divert Ronan¡¯s attention.


    He put his arms around Ronan¡¯s neck and started kissing him instead.


    The corners of Ronan¡¯s lips ticked up in a victorious smile.


    He wrapped his arms around Lucien, pressing their bodies together while exchanging kiss after kiss.


    On the other side of the balloon, the poor pilot pretended hard to be invisible, blind, and deaf.


    The hot air balloon drifted past the buildings characteristic of Blue Hill City.


    All the buildings were reduced to their miniature versions. The people were reduced to moving dots on the ground.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Lucien whispered in amazement as they passed the city¡¯s famous cathedral. He never thought that he would one day watch the bell tower from the sky.


    While Lucien was mesmerized by the amazing view, Ronan grabbed a bottle of champagne from the small storage inside the basket.


    The sudden popping sound of the champagne bottle drew Lucien¡¯s attention.


    He turned around to see Ronan pouring champagne into sses that the pilot was holding.


    The pilot handed one of the sses to Lucien.


    After Ronan put away the bottle, they stood in the middle and raised their sses.


    ¡°To the flight!¡± The pilot hollered.


    Following the toast, the pilot started to give them a little lecture about the history of hot air balloon rides.


    Lucien leaned against Ronan¡¯s body while he listened. Such a small gesture was like an open invitation for Ronan to pamper him. The Alpha enveloped Lucien in the warmth of his embrace while they enjoyed the remainder of the trip.


    The hot air balloon crossed ake and then slowly descended toward a resort area.


    The beach had a few huge, white umbres with a pic table and two lounge chairs each. A few fire pits stood some distance away from the white umbres for outdoor cooking purposes.


    A group of people were already waiting for their arrival. As soon as their hot air balloonnded, a few men rushed over to tie the hot air balloon to the ground.


    Ronan jumped out without much effort, then he put his hands around Lucien¡¯s waist to help him climb out of the basket.


    As soon as they picked their table and took a seat on the lounge chairs, a man came over to bring them a pitcher of fresh orange juice and two sses.


    While he poured the orange juice into the two sses, Lucien looked around curiously.


    ¡°Why is there no other guest here?¡± He asked.


    ¡°I booked the whole resort for today,¡± Ronan answered without skipping a beat.


    Lucien gaped at him.


    ¡°Why...?¡±


    ¡°I want to be alone with you,¡± Ronan said, reaching for Lucien¡¯s hand across the pic table.


    Lucien chuckled.


    ¡°Did you miss me that much?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ronan replied, pressing kisses on Lucien¡¯s hand. ¡°I did.¡±


    Lucien said nothing in return. He merely averted his gaze in embarrassment. The fluttering eyshes and the soft pink blush that crept toward his cheeks were enough of an answer for Ronan.


    While the two men were enjoying the refreshing orange juice, two braided girls in kitchen uniforms came over. They each had a pic basket in their hands.


    ¡°Excuse us,¡± they said in unison before emptying the baskets and putting all the contents on the pic table.


    A cardboard box was ced in front of Lucien directly. Curious, he opened it and found six individually-packed burgers inside.


    His eyes lit up with delight instantly.


    Burgers!


    On the surface, one would have thought that Ronan picked the burgers up from a random, unknown burger shop in town.


    It was not until Lucien took a bite that he realized that the content had been tampered with.


    The cheap processed Cheddar cheese had been reced with a selection of Gouda, Camembert, and Emmental cheese.


    The beef patties were extra juicy and vorful, clearly hand-made with the best ground beef that Ronan could find.


    Even the sd looked as if it had just been washed and slipped between the bread buns ten minutes ago!


    Lucien stared at Ronan, who gave him a nervous smile.


    ¡°Well? Is it good?¡±


    It was too delicious. Onlycking some edible gold sheets and truffle bits to make them the costliest burgers in the world.


    Ronan had learned to lower his standard for high-quality dishes, but Ronan was still Ronan after all. Although he was willing to lower his regr meal standard down to burgers, he was still adamant about selecting only the best ingredients.


    As expected of a Silverback, Lucien thought as he chuckled to himself.


    ¡°Very delicious,¡± he praised, prompting a smile to appear on Ronan¡¯s face.


    ¡°I am d.¡±


    Other than the burger box, a bunch of ss containers were ced on the table, covering almost the entire table.


    These containers contained a lot of fillings, among which crab sticks, corn kernels, caviar, boiled eggs, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, tuna and salmon fillets, fried shrimps, hotdogs, ground beef, and even fried chicken strips.


    The smallest ones contained various condiments.


    Lucien¡¯s jaw dropped mid-eating.

 Chapter 179

    179 Burrito-making Competition


    He was about to ask what all the fillings were for until the bag with torti wrapsnded in front of Ronan.


    ¡°Um, Ronan...¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Are you hosting a feast? Just how many people are you inviting to this date???¡±


    ¡°Only you and me,¡± Ronan said cheerfully. ¡°I think you can eat a little more. You are too skinny.¡±


    Lucien scoffed.


    ¡°Were you not the one who said that my butts are squishy?¡±


    Ronan steepled his hands below his chin in a cute manner.


    ¡°I like your squishy butts. Eat more.¡±


    .....


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien pursed his lips in displeasure.


    ¡°Maybe you should eat more so I also have some squishy butts to grab.¡±


    Ronan chuckled.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a small burrito-makingpetition? The loser has to eat all the burritos that the winner prepares.¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    Brimming with confidence, Lucian leaned in and said, ¡°You are going to lose, Ronan Silverback. What does a rich boy like you know about making burritos?¡±


    Ronan leaned in as well and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I have better taste than you.¡±


    Without further ado, four resort personnel were recruited as judges for the impromptupetition.


    Ronan and Lucien gave each other onest re before they went to work on their unique burritos. Each of them had to prepare two burritos that were cut in halves for the judges to rate. There was no limitation on the amount and type of fillings. Anything can be used.


    Ronan took care of spreading molten cheese over his torti wrap before he stuffed his burrito with salmon filet, caviar, tomato, and lettuce.


    Lucien did a lot more work on his burritos. He first minced the cabbage and red onions. He then fried them over the fire, adding ck beans and ground beef one by one. The fragrant smell that emanated from the pan was enough to make the bystanders salivate.


    Atst, he arranged the steaming fillings neatly on his torti, topped it with shredded Gouda cheese, and rolled it carefully so that the filling did not spill out.


    After both Lucien and Ronan were done with the wrapping, the chefs helped them to roast the burritos over the fire pit.


    The burritos were served on two small tes in front of the judges along with salsa and sour cream. The red-rimmed te had Lucien¡¯s burrito while the green-rimmed te had Ronan¡¯s.


    ¡°Please taste them and tell us which one tastes better,¡± Lucien said.


    The four judges exchanged funny nces before they tasted the burritos in front of them one by one.


    In order to respect the Alpha, naturally they tasted the green-rimmed tes first.


    ¡°Hmmm,¡± they nodded in appreciation while nodding toward each other after taking the first bite. Beaming with pride, Ronan shot Lucien a victorious look.


    ¡°I told you that I have better taste.¡±


    Lucien rolled with his eyes and said nothing in return.


    When the judges tasted Lucien¡¯s, though, they could not stop eating. After they were done, they showered Lucien¡¯s creation with praises.


    ¡°Amazing! Mr. Clearwater really knows how to make proper burritos!!!¡±


    ¡°This has to be one of the most authentic burritos that I have ever tasted in my life!¡±


    ¡°It reminds me of my dead grandmother!¡±


    ¡°The perfectbination of the fillings makes me want to cry!¡±


    The winner of the smallpetition was clear.


    Ronan¡¯s face darkened visibly. He crossed his arms before his chest and pursed his lips.


    The four judges looked like prisoners who were about to face the gallows.


    Patting Ronan on the back, Lucien grinned at the taller man.


    ¡°I told you that you are going to lose.¡±


    The four judges were dismissed right after to preserve what remained of Ronan¡¯s dignity.


    The Alpha took his seat and sulked while Lucien happily rolled up his sleeves to make burritos for Ronan.


    He took out not one, not two, but five burrito wraps at once.


    Ronan widened his eyes in shock.


    The Alpha thought that his lover was an excessively petty person. If Ronan had won, he would not have forced Lucien to eat five burritos in one sitting! How evil! This angelic-looking man in the white sweater was a devil in disguise!


    Lucien was extremely good-mooded.


    He had been wanting to punish Ronan Silverback for some time. Ironically, it was Ronan who dug his own grave.


    After he finished roasting the five burritos, Lucien strolled over to the waiting Ronan with a huge grin.


    He picked a burrito from the te and held it in front of Ronan.


    ¡°Come, Alpha. You should keep your word,¡± Lucien taunted while he pressed the end of the burrito against Ronan¡¯s lips.


    Aggrieved, Ronan pulled his lover to sit on hisp. He then obediently opened his mouth and ate his lover¡¯s creation.


    It was not bad. Ronan did not say it out loud, but he imed credit for sourcing the best ingredients for Lucien to pick from.


    If they had sent Lucien off to go shopping for ingredients, Goddess knew what cheap, low-quality meat and vegetables he might get from the supermarket.


    Although they were very good, Ronan was still unable to devour five burritos for brunch.


    After eating only two, the Alpha cuddled his lover and shot him a barrage full of pitiful looks.


    ¡°I can¡¯t eat anymore,¡± he begged. ¡°Please don¡¯t do this to me.¡±


    Lucien chuckled.


    ¡°Then what do you want to do?¡± He teased. ¡°Are you going to waste my cooking?¡±


    Ronan lifted a burrito, dipped it into salsa, and held it before Lucien.


    ¡°Help me eat,¡± he begged further.


    Lucien broke into a smile. He thought that the Alpha in front of him was both shameless and adorable. He spouted big words prior to thepetition, but after he lost, he not only failed to deliver but also tried to make the winner share his punishment.


    The sauce dripped down Ronan¡¯s fingers when Lucien finished eating the burrito from his hand. The man then proceeded to lick Ronan¡¯s fingers clean.


    His tongue danced around Ronan¡¯s middle finger before he sucked it into his mouth.

 Chapter 180

    180 Watching The Sunset


    The beast that hid between Ronan¡¯s legs quickly reared its ugly head. The Alpha licked his lipssciviously. He sank his middle finger deep into Lucien¡¯s mouth before withdrawing half of it and thrusting it inside again.


    The act was very simr to sexual intercourse.


    Lucien¡¯s warm mouth made wet, sucking noises as it spat and swallowed Ronan¡¯s finger.


    The jut on the Alpha¡¯s throat moved up and down from lust. He grabbed Lucien¡¯s hand and pressed it against his breeches.


    Lucien blushed immediately.


    Ronan was rock hard.


    ¡°We should stop,¡± Ronan whispered with a hoarse voice. ¡°Otherwise don¡¯t me me if I shove my burrito into your other mouth.¡±


    Lucien smirked.


    He squeezed at Ronan¡¯s manhood through the fabric, extracting a moan from the Alpha.


    .....


    ¡°You are such a horndog,¡± Lucien scolded him. ¡°You get excited too quickly.¡±


    Ronan raised an eyebrow at Lucien. He wiped his hands clean on the tablecloth to get rid of the remaining salsa and then reached under Lucien¡¯s sweater to pinch his waist.


    ¡°And you don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Lucien stated confidently.


    ¡°Oh, really.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s hand wandered to Lucien¡¯s chest and rubbed against Lucien¡¯s trained nipples.


    The color on Lucien¡¯s face changed immediately.


    ¡°WAIT!¡±


    Ronan¡¯s wrist was grabbed and pulled out right away. Lucien was all red in the face.


    ¡°You are ying dirty,¡± heined. ¡°You have been stimting me there so many times that they have be sensitive to touch. You cannot touch there!¡±


    Ronan gave Lucien a disgruntled look.


    ¡°If you forbid me from touching your sensitive points, how am I supposed to prove that you are as easy to excite?¡±


    Lucien grabbed Ronan¡¯s hand and inteced their fingers.


    ¡°Like this.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan leaned his forehead against Lucien¡¯s shoulder while he shook fromughter.


    ¡°Lulu, you are killing me.¡±


    ¡°It is not that funny,¡± Lucien murmured, a little offended and peeved at the same time.


    Ronan wiped at his lips to suppress the urge to continueughing. Just what kind of man could excite another by holding hands? If he truly managed to do that, Lucien should be deeply concerned. Or did Lucien maybe think that Ronan only needed to do that to reel in his ¡°whores¡±?


    Ronan grabbed the back of Lucien¡¯s neck and pulled him in for a kiss.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he whispered. ¡°Silly Lulu.¡±


    Lucien leaned against Ronan and inhaled a lungful of his scent.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± he said, rubbing the side of his head against the Alpha¡¯s chest.


    It felt sofortable and secure when hey in Ronan¡¯s arms. The sun shone brightly above them, but the blinding light was effectively filtered out by the umbre. Only the gentle warmth filled the air. The sound of water waves that softly crashed against the beach further acted like a luby to Lucien¡¯s ears.


    Belly full and eyelids heavy, Lucien fought hard against the oing drowsiness but was eventually defeated.


    He nodded off a few times until he finally fell asleep from exhaustion.


    Ronan waited until Lucien was sound asleep before he carefully lifted him in his arms and carried him to one of the rented beach cottages.


    The sound of waves apanied Lucien throughout his sleep, but the scent and feel of Ronan¡¯s body were gone after a while, reced by the velvety, smooth surface of fabric.


    When he opened his eyes again, he was lying on a bed, tucked in properly under a quilt.


    ¡°Ronan?¡± He mumbled sleepily, sweeping the other side of the bed for the Alpha.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    His voice came from another corner of the room. A momentter, a kiss was pressed on Lucien¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Hello, my love. Did you have a nice nap?¡±


    Lucien rubbed at his eyes.


    ¡°Mmm... Sorry, I fell asleep.¡±


    Ronan raked his fingers through Lucien¡¯s hair.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I want you to be properly rested.¡±


    Lucien raised his hand and caressed Ronan¡¯s cheek. ¡°We are on a date though. You already prepared everything so wonderfully. I don¡¯t want to sleep through it.¡±


    ¡°You woke up early today. It is normal to feel exhausted.¡±


    Lucien blinked at Ronan.


    He did wake up early, but what about Ronan? Ronan must have woken up earlier than him. Ronan must be more exhausted than him.


    Lucien¡¯s hand slid to Ronan¡¯s strong biceps and gave his upper arm a gentle tug.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take a little nap? Do you want to rest a little, then?¡±


    Ronan shook his head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t fall asleep.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    As an answer, Ronan took Lucien¡¯s hand and pressed it against his cheek.


    ¡°Just because,¡± he said mysteriously.


    Ronan¡¯s mood was not quite right. They were on a date, but the Alpha seemed so nervous, so restless.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Lucien asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Ronan quickly denied. ¡°Why would you think that?¡±


    ¡°Well, you seem a little...¡±


    Lucien could not think of a good word to say.


    ¡°I am okay,¡± Ronan interrupted him.


    ¡°Um, Lulu... The sun is setting soon. Would you like to walk along the beach and see it?¡±


    In the winter months, the sun set earlier. Lucien sat up on the bed and squeezed Ronan¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    It was magnificent to watch the sunrise during their hot air balloon trip, but watching the sunset while they were leisurely strolling along the beach was quite magical.


    The cold, damp sand rubbed against their feet as they walked along the coastline. Above their heads, the pearly clouds were slowly dyed in multiple shades of red, yellow, and orange. As the sun slowly slipped into the night, the symphony of colors gently faded into a calm and peaceful blue.


    Lucien and Ronan stood at the beach, facing the direction where the sun disappeared.


    What a beautiful ending to their date, Lucien thought.


    He turned to Ronan and slid an arm around the Alpha¡¯s back.


    ¡°Thank you, Ronan. It was a wonderful date.¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± the Alpha said with a smile. ¡°Lulu, there is one more ce I wish to take you to.¡±


    Lucien widened his eyes in surprise.


    One more ce?

 Chapter 181

    181 The Art Gallery


    Astoundingly, the resort was on the far side of South Bedford City. Lucien had lived in the same city for more than four years, but he did not even know that a piece of heaveny on the outskirts of the city.


    He only got to know after they passed the familiar buildings in the car on their way to thest date venue for the day.


    In South Bedford City, a new art gallery was opened in the name of the Silverback Corporation. Tonight just happened to be the inauguration ceremony.


    As an active part of the artmunity, Lucien was naturally more than interested to go and apany Ronan.


    The art gallery was located in an elite part of the city. The single building was surrounded by neatly-trimmed hedges of various heights that were arranged in circles around the building. Ronan informed Lucien that the hedges formed steady and graceful waves from a bird¡¯s-eye view.


    The exterior of the building itself was a perfectbination of wilderness and modern architecture. The wood, metal, and ss material seemed to transition into each other smoothly, forming an unlikelybination, an artwork in itself.


    ¡°Who is the architect?¡± Lucien asked as he marveled at the intricate details of the building.


    ¡°One of our pack members,¡± Ronan answered him. ¡°A cousin of your student, Maya Greenwood.¡±


    ¡°I thought her cousin is a museum curator.¡±


    .....


    ¡°She has a lot of cousins. All of them are very talented individuals.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    As they made their way toward the gallery entrance, a bunch of soft, colorful lights were cast on the crowd and the bare ground. Lucien looked up and saw a lot of swirling lights in the sky. Their colors changed smoothly from one to another as they performed a coordinated dance in the sky.


    ¡°What are those?¡± He asked, pointing at the mysterious light sources.


    ¡°Drones withmps. Let¡¯s go inside,¡± Ronan answered curtly. He then pulled at their intertwined hands.


    On the opening night, the art gallery was crowded with a lot of people. Lucien did not know most of them personally, but he had seen them on television. While scanning the crowd, he was pleasantly surprised to see the dean of the South Bedford City Art College. Said man was immersed in a serious conversation with a famous art critic, clearly from the Silverback family¡¯s acquaintance circle.


    Lucien wanted to go over and say hello, but Ronan dragged him toward the foyer instead.


    ¡°The opening ceremony was about to start,¡± he informed Lucien.


    ¡°Oh, alright.¡±


    Lucien made a mental note to greet the deanter.


    More and more people entered the foyer from outside. They gathered in front of the huge ss sliding door that separated the foyer from the exhibition center. A huge blue ribbon with a blue and white ribbon bouquet was tied across the door, with the meticulously dressed art gallery personnel standing at the front side.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, wee to the opening ceremony of the ¡®Clearwater Contemporary Art Gallery¡¯,¡± the art gallery curator announced.


    Lucien raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°What?¡± He asked while furrowing his brows at Ronan.


    The Alpha gave Lucien a nervous smile, ¡°Surprise.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s jaw dropped open.


    ¡°You named your new art gallery after me?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    Lucien opened his mouth to say something to Ronan, but at that time the art gallery curator called his name.


    ¡°And now we shall invite the CEO of Silverback Corporation, Mr. Ronan Silverback, and our artist, Mr. Lucien Clearwater to cut the ribbon and officiallyunch the opening of the art gallery!¡±


    Lucien¡¯s head snapped toward the group of people at the center of the foyer. They were all looking in his direction, their gaze full of unconcealed admiration.


    Ronan tugged at their hands to urge him to step forward.


    Lucien was dumbfounded.


    When did he be the artist of an art gallery that he just now came to know?


    The crowd apuded as the two men made their way to the front and joined the art gallery personnel. The art gallery curator, a man in his thirties with slicked back hairdo, handed Lucien a pair of huge scissors with a broad smile.


    From behind Lucien, Ronan put his hands on top of Lucien¡¯s.


    Snip.


    The crowd broke into another round of apuse when Lucien and Ronan cut through the ribbon.


    Ronan handed the scissors back to the art gallery curator, who announced the opening with a cordial but joyous enthusiasm, ¡°Esteemed visitors, the art gallery is officially open! We herewith wee you to take a look!¡±


    Lucien was speechless. He still had yet to fullyprehend what just happened, so he let Ronan guide him toward the exhibition area.


    Once Lucien saw the first artworks, the puzzle pieces started toe together.


    The so-called Clearwater Contemporary Art Gallery was none other than a private exhibition center for every artwork that Lucien had ever created.


    The team of exhibit designers worked hard with colorful and plentiful materials to create an unforgettable set that brought out the life within each sculpture.


    Some sculptures were paired together to tell stories. Stories that Lucien had long since forgotten, but were engraved so vividly in the magnificent presentations.


    Lucien could not help but feel emotional when seeing his artworks being disyed like that. He buried his face into Ronan¡¯s shoulder and cried silently while thetter wrapped his arms around him.


    ¡°Are you happy?¡± Ronan asked while patting Lucien¡¯s head.


    Lucien made some incoherent noise, muffled by Ronan¡¯s coat. What a stupid question. Of course he was. How could he not be happy?


    But then... Wait a second.


    Lucien lifted his head to look at Ronan. There was a little frown on his face. The pair of reddened eyes stared at Ronan as if thetter wronged him.


    ¡°So it¡¯s you,¡± he growled while burying his fingers into Ronan¡¯s cor.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, what?¡± The Alpha failed to catch the meaning.


    ¡°You are the insane art collector who bought all my artworks from the auction,¡± Lucienpleted his sentence.

 Chapter 182

    182 What A Coincidence!


    Guilty as charged.


    Ronan cleared his throat.


    ¡°Uh, yes, it was me.¡±


    Lucien wed into Ronan¡¯s coat.


    ¡°I am going to return the money to you,¡± Lucien decided.


    His determination made Ronan chuckle.


    ¡°No need. I bought them and disyed them in my art gallery. It was an honest business transaction.¡±


    ¡°Your art gallery that you named after me,¡± Lucienmented.


    Ronan cupped Lucien¡¯s face with both hands.


    .....


    ¡°Am I not allowed to, Mr. Clearwater? Are you going to drag me to court for that?¡±


    ¡°No...¡±


    They leaned closer to each other and shared a gentle kiss. Lucien hummed contentedly when Ronan hugged him afterward, peppering the side of his head with little kisses.


    ¡°We are not yet done,¡± Ronan whispered into Lucien¡¯s ear. ¡°You have to take a look at the rest.¡±


    Lucien wanted to look, but at the same time, he also did not want to look.


    Although he was generally satisfied with his creations, it was still rather embarrassing to have them disyed for public consumption. It was even more embarrassing to have a whole gallery full of his artworks only and nothing else.


    Traditionally, visitors were able to roam around the exhibition center as they pleased. For those who wanted a brand new experience, they had the option to step onto a broad moving pavement that took them from one artwork to another.


    If they wish to linger or take a closer look at a certain artwork, they had to step off the moving pavement into the respective sets.


    If they wanted to move faster to the next artwork, they could also walk freely on the pavement.


    Waiters swiftly moved along the pavement to offer wine to the visitors. Ronan grabbed two for himself and Lucien when they stepped into the moving pavement and watched the exquisite disy.


    The pavement was a continuous loop, but at the end of thest artwork were some luminescent footprints that led away from the pavement.


    It was all dark, so visitors had to rely on the footprints to move forward.


    The footprints led them up the staircase. As soon as they reached the top, they were greeted by a forest.


    ¡°...¡±


    Or better said, a very convincing imitation of a forest. The visitors had their mouths open in amazement.


    But it was not what surprised Lucien the most. The most surprising thing for him was the two wolf sculptures in the middle of the forest, one with a ck coat and the other with an orange coat. They were intimately nuzzling each other.


    The sculptures were as real as they could be.


    The fur was made of the best synthetic material out there.


    Lucien started to feel weird when he looked at the two wolf sculptures and the fake trees around them.


    What a coincidence!


    He remembered having painted a simr scene before. The thing was that the painting was sold years ago during the Annual Art Exhibition. There was no way that Ronan could get his hands on the painting, was there?


    Just as the thought crossed Lucien¡¯s mind, the ck screen at the back side of the room lit up with a magnified version of the painting that Lucien was thinking about.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien¡¯s face turned ashen. He caught Ronan¡¯s wrist in a steely grip.


    ¡°Ronan. Where did you get this painting from?¡±


    Ronan coughed into his fist.


    ¡°I, uh, found it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bullshit me,¡± Lucien furrowed his brows. ¡°This painting was bought by a couple who was visiting from another country! It is impossible for you to just find it.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I searched for it and bought it,¡± Ronan answered helplessly.


    Lucien was speechless.


    ¡°How much did you spend to get this one painting?¡± He asked once he found his words again.


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know, I forgot,¡± Ronan said, beaming with a smile.


    ¡°...¡±


    This rich, pampered Alpha from the Silverback family.


    Lucien buried his face into his hands and groaned.


    ¡°You... Why must you do such unnecessary things?¡±


    Ronan grabbed both of Lucien¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Lulu, this is our precious memory. It should stay with us.¡±


    Lucien averted his eyes.


    ¡°It is just a coincidence,¡± he murmured. ¡°I did not intentionally draw us.¡±


    Ronan narrowed his eyes at Lucien with a cryptic smile on his lips.


    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± he said.


    There was another staircase leading to the next floor.


    This time, it was a scene depicting the same two wolves by ake.


    Lucien turned to stare at Ronan.


    ¡°Did you search and buy the second painting as well?¡±


    Ronan scratched at the synthetic grass beneath his feet.


    ¡°Did you coincidentally draw us for the second time?¡±


    Lucien smacked a hand against his face. He could not believe it.


    He was no longer surprised to find the scene from the third painting waiting for them on the next floor. Ronan literally recreated the hut and turned the painting into reality.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Lucien murmured. ¡°How did you even find out? This is so embarrassing.¡±


    Ronan hugged Lucien from behind and rubbed the side of his face against Lucien¡¯s.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you just be honest for once? Now, do I or don¡¯t I have the right to keep these paintings? These are our most intimate memories from the Alpha Camp.¡±


    Lucien wordlessly nodded. Whether he agreed or not didn¡¯t matter. Ronan already bought the paintings and put them on disy along with Lucien¡¯s other creations.


    Lucien looked around, searching for the next staircase, but it was not there. He could not help but feel disappointed.


    Did Ronan not know that there was a fourth painting in the series?


    Oh, it didn¡¯t matter, the redhead thought to himself. The three amazing paintings had been recreated so beautifully. What else could he ask for?


    Lucien turned his head and gave Ronan a peck on the lips.


    ¡°Thank you for putting so much effort into the art gallery. It is amazing.¡±


    Ronan replied with another kiss, albeit longer.


    ¡°Now that you have seen my extensive effort, I need you to contribute as well.¡±

 Chapter 183

    183 The Painting Was Incorrect


    ¡°What do you need me to contribute with?¡± Lucien asked in confusion.


    ¡°You will see,¡± Ronan replied mysteriously.


    While the other visitors were still marveling at the recreated third painting, Ronan led Lucien out of the exhibition room and went into a narrow corridor at the other end of the floor. There was a private elevator at the end of the corridor.


    Ronan took out a card from his pocket and swiped it against the card reader in front of the elevator.


    The door opened with a soft ding sound, announcing, ¡°Wee, Mr. Ronan Silverback.¡±


    Lucien stared at Ronan.


    When they got inside the elevator, Lucien saw that there were four floors altogether, not counting the ground floor.


    ¡°So mysterious,¡± Lucienmented. ¡°Where are you taking me to?¡±


    Ronan adorably tilted his head. ¡°You will see.¡±


    .....


    After a short trip with the elevator, they arrived at the fourth floor.


    The elevator door opened up with a soft ding sound and led them to a pitch-ck room. While Lucien fumbled at the walls, trying to find some buttons to switch the light on, Ronan pped twice and the room lit up almost instantly.


    Impressed, Lucien whistled. ¡°Fancy.¡±


    It wasrgely empty, but Lucien could see what the room was. It was an art studio.


    An easel stood tall and mighty in the middle of the room, covered by a cloth. Shelves containing art-rted books stood on one side of the wall. Behind the easel was a desk with some sketchbooks stacked on top of it. Opposite the wall with the shelves were huge windows that could be opened at different angles. Long purple curtains that extended to the floor were tied at each side neatly.


    At the backside of the room was a small bathroom that also functioned as a washing area.


    Ronan walked ahead of Lucien and stood next to the easel. He then pulled the cloth off the easel, exposing the fourth painting in the ¡°The ce Where Our Time Stopped¡± series.


    So Ronan also got his hands on his fourth painting after all, Lucien thought.


    The man gave Ronan a quizzical look.


    ¡°If you have the fourth painting in your possession, why don¡¯t you disy it along with the others?¡±


    Ronan pulled his lips into a thin line. ¡°Because this painting is incorrect,¡± he said, sounding a lot like a client who had been wronged by the artist.


    ¡°...¡±


    How could a painting even be incorrect?


    Lucien stepped closer to the painting and examined it. He did not see any ring ws at all.


    Seeing that Lucien did not understand the reason for his utter dissatisfaction with the painting, Ronan pointed at the two brown-red wolves that were ying with each other in the grass field.


    He then asked with a tone full of grievances, ¡°Why did you rece me with Annalynne???¡±


    Lucien gaped at Ronan for a while before he broke intoughter.


    ¡°Hahahahahaha...!!!¡±


    The impatient Alpha pulled a long face and jabbed at Lucien¡¯s torso viciously.


    ¡°Are youughing at my expense? Hmm?¡±


    ¡°No, not at all... Hahaha, stop it,¡± Lucien begged, protecting his soft spots when Ronan started tickling him.


    ¡°Well? Are you not going to correct the painting? Hmm?¡±


    Lucien raised his arms and hooked them around Ronan¡¯s neck. He then leaned forward, shifting his weight onto the taller man.


    His gaze was brimming with endless amusement.


    ¡°Really, Ronan? You already starred in three paintings. You cannot even spare the fourth and let Anna take your ce?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ronan said, loud and clear. ¡°Now fix the painting so I can put it out there.¡±


    Lucien giggled. Ronan Silverback must be the first art collector ever to demand the artist to alter a finished painting.


    ¡°Oh, Ronan,¡± he whispered. ¡°You are such a jealous man. What should I do with you?¡±


    Ronan pulled at Lucien¡¯s neck and kissed the breath out of his lover before giving Lucien the answer


    ¡°You must love me and only me. You are not allowed to even look at another man. Or woman,¡± he added meaningfully.


    Lucien bit into Ronan¡¯s lower lip for fun.


    ¡°Do you really want me to fix the painting?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I will do itter.¡±


    ¡°No, do it now.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien slumped forward. What a demanding customer.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said in exasperation.


    ¡°How do you want me to fix the painting? I don¡¯t have any ready painting materials in here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, fret not...¡±


    Ronan pointed at a huge cupboard in the other corner of the room.


    ¡°You will find whatever you need in there.¡±


    Lucien threw Ronan a quizzical look before he approached the cupboard and inspected its content.


    Stacked neatly on multiple levels was everything that Lucien had in his studio back at the South Bedford City Art College.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien went to grab one of the sketchbooks on top of the desk. As he flipped through it, he discovered that they were full of his sketches. The sketches that he drew back in the art college.


    ¡°Were you in my art studio again? When?¡±


    ¡°When you went missing, I searched for you everywhere,¡± Ronan confessed. ¡°I went to your house, then the art college. I needed to find some clues about your whereabouts.¡±


    A soft sigh escaped Lucien¡¯s lips. He pped the sketchbook shut and approached Ronan.


    Caressing Ronan¡¯s cheek lovingly with the back of his hand, Lucien sincerely apologized. ¡°I am sorry. It must have been hard for you.¡±


    Lucien did not want to talk too much about the painful interaction between them in the past. After all, the actions could not be undone, the words could not be retracted. All he could do was apologize, and hope that Ronan would forgive him for his stubbornness and foolishness back then.


    Fortunately, the Alpha shared the same sentiment.


    ¡°It was worth it,¡± Ronan replied with a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t regret it.¡±


    In fact, searching for Lucien allowed Ronan to discover the truth about Lucien¡¯s feelings toward him.


    He was d that he found the four paintings.


    He was d that he found Lucien.


    He was d that he did not give up.


    He was d that they managed to arrive to this day.

 Chapter 184

    184 Will You Marry Me?


    The painting originally depicted Landon and Beowulf. Out of spite, Lucien painted Seara over Beowulf and turned it into a painting of him and his twin sister.


    After working on it for half an hour, the original painting was restored. Once Lucien was done, he put his brush aside and observed his work.


    ¡°How is it?¡± he asked the demanding customer in the room. ¡°Satisfied?¡±


    Ronan beamed at the altered painting. Now the fourth painting in the series no longer depicted Seara but Beowulf next to Landon, just how it was supposed to be.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he confirmed. ¡°More than satisfied.¡±


    ¡°Now you can go and disy this painting out there,¡± Lucien teased.


    ¡°Oh, I will,¡± Ronan said with determination.


    Lucien shook his head with a chuckle.


    Ronan swallowed hard when he watched Lucien tidy up his painting materials and put them back into the cupboard.


    .....


    ¡°Oh, excuse me for a little bit,¡± Lucien said when he noticed some paint on his fingers.


    Lucien went to the bathroom to clean his fingers and Ronan waited outside restlessly.


    The man in the white sweater was clueless about the turmoil in Ronan¡¯s heart.


    They had finallye to this point. There was no more turning back. Not that Ronan wanted to. He had worked so hard and relentlessly toe to this point.


    Out of the bathroom, Lucien slid Ronan¡¯s hand into his, beaming at the Alpha with a gaze filled with warmth and adoration.


    ¡°Is that it? Let¡¯s go then, I want to take a round on the travtor again...¡±


    ¡°Umm... Lulu, wait.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°There is one more thing,¡± Ronan said helplessly.


    Lucien stared at Ronan.


    ¡°I only drew four paintings with this theme, Ronan Silverback,¡± he said with a frown.


    ¡°You cannot possibly have found some random ck and red wolf paintings and assumed that I painted them? I am not going to correct other people¡¯s paintings for you.¡±


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± Ronan hastily muttered. ¡°I just want to show you something else.¡±


    Ronan led him back to the elevator.


    ¡°What? There is another floor???¡± Lucien eximed in surprise.


    ¡°No, not quite,¡± Ronan said, pressing an ¡°R¡± button on the floor selection panel.


    It turned out that ¡°R¡± stood for ¡°Roof¡±.


    The elevator door did not open up to a fifth floor but to the open roof instead.


    The open space was utilized as a little garden. There were beds of flowers and also some potted nts that surrounded a sitting bench for two in the middle of the floor. Two tallmps stood solemnly at each side of the sitting bench to provide adequate lighting.


    The little garden looked especially enchanting at night.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Lucien said with a chuckle. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this. You have a roof full of nts and flowers!¡±


    Ronan smiled.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Of course! It¡¯s amazing, I have to say,¡± Lucien admitted.


    He bent his knees at a group of potted nts, wanting to see what kind of nts they were, but Ronan pulled him up instead.


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°Do thatter,¡± Ronan said, his voice trembling a little. ¡°Let¡¯s go over there first.¡±


    The Alpha pointed toward the end of the floor. The edge of the roof was equipped with a sturdy circr railing. Looking down from the railing, Lucien could see the visitors in the yard. They were chatting animatedly in groups while sharing sses of wine. Meanwhile, a group of drones hovered over them, casting colorful lights at them.


    It was even more magical when seen from above, because then Lucien could see how the colors mingled together to form a beautiful, dynamic mosaic that flowed smoothly from one pattern to another.


    ¡°I like the drones a lot,¡± Lucienmented. ¡°How do you make sure that they move in sync like that? One false move and they will crash against each other.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Ronan said. ¡°Our drone team worked very hard to ensure no incidents. They went through rigorous training just for the sake of today.¡±


    Lucien gave Ronan an amused look.


    ¡°Training? Sounds interesting. What other things can the drones do?¡±


    Ronan smiled.


    ¡°Let me show you what they can do.¡±


    The Alpha took out his phone and typed a message to someone. As if on cue, all the drones flew up to the sky, hovering above Ronan¡¯s and Lucien¡¯s heads.


    Ronan pulled Lucien to sit on the bench while they watched the drone performance.


    The drones formed a pair of ducks that were kissing in the sky, then a group of doves that flew in circles.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Lucien whispered when the drones arranged themselves to a pounding heart formation, its color changing subtly from pink to red. ¡°I have to say, you need to give them a raise.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Ronan said.


    The pounding heart up in the sky might as well be his own.


    After a few more tricks, the drones formed letters.


    LULU


    Lucien gaped at the sparkling letters in the sky.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s my...¡±


    The word dissolved and another was formed.


    WILL


    YOU


    MARRY ME?


    Lucien parted his lips from surprise. He turned to look at Ronan, who was no longer sitting next to him, but was kneeling in front of him instead.


    The Alpha had a small velvety box open in his hand. Inside the box was the most beautiful diamond ring that Lucien had ever seen.


    Lucien heard himself gasping when he caught sight of the ring. He could feel his blood draining from his head, going to his heart. It was beating so fast that it might burst any second.


    Other than the sound of blood rushing past his ears, all he could hear was Ronan¡¯s gentle plea.


    ¡°Lucien Clearwater, the love of my life.


    I love you more than words can express.


    Will you do me the honor to marry me and be the Luna of my pack?¡±


    Lips trembling from overwhelming emotions, Lucien was unable to speak. He merely looked at Ronan as tears slowly trickled down his cheeks.


    Ronan felt his chest squeezing with pain.


    ¡°Lulu? Say something,¡± he begged.


    Lucien nodded a few times before he found his words.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said, choking with sobs. ¡°Yes, I will marry you.¡±

 Chapter 185

    185 The Ridiculous Agreement


    It was 10.30 PM at night, and Annalynne kept staring at the clock.


    ¡°Anna,¡± Alice Clearwater showed up in the living room in her sleeping attire. ¡°Should you not go to sleep? You nned to have an important meeting with all elders tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I will sleep in a bit,¡± Annalynne said while stealing surreptitious nces at the clock again.


    Alice groaned and took a seat in front of Annalynne.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know about this silly arrangement that you have with Lucien.¡±


    Annalynne widened her eyes for a second before she quickly averted her eyes in avoidance.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about, Mom.¡±


    Alice pinned her daughter with a re.


    ¡°I know that you and Lucien have this ridiculous agreement to remain pure until marriage.¡±


    .....


    Annalynne sulked.


    ¡°Mom, it is not ridiculous. Besides, did you not also want him to stop fooling around with Alpha Ronan?¡±


    Alice sighed. She leaned on the couch and stared at the ceiling above her head.


    ¡°I did. But now they are happy together as a couple. They are both adults. They should know what¡¯s good for them and what¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then why are you two against my and Lowell¡¯s wedding?¡±


    Alice lowered her head and pursed her lips at her silly daughter.


    ¡°Anna, how many days do you know Lowell altogether? Can you two evenpare with what Lulu and Alpha Ronan went through?¡±


    ¡°We also went through the war,¡± Annalynne quipped. ¡°Other than that, Lowell did not go whoring around and break my heart. In that sense, our rtionship is a lot healthier than theirs.¡±


    Unfortunately, when Anna was right, she was right.


    Alice was out of excuses to support Lucien¡¯s rtionship with Ronan. She thus stopped arguing with her daughter.


    ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t make things difficult for your brother. He suffered enough. Let him be happy with someone who he loves.¡±


    Alice rose to her feet, gave Annalynne a kiss on the cheek, and then left to go to sleep.


    Annalynne stubbornly stayed behind. She gnawed at an edge of a pillow out of spite while she was waiting for her brother.


    10.50 PM.


    Only ten minutes left until the time was up. Annalynne started rocking back and forth on her seat restlessly.


    Five minutester, Annalynne started walking in circles in the living room. A lot of things went through her head. Maybe something happened to Lucien.


    She should give him a call. She should.


    Annalynne went to grab her phone from her bedroom.


    The screen showed that it was 10.58 PM.


    Annalynne groaned in frustration and put her phone on the tea table.


    She must be a fool to expect Lucien to keep his word. Obviously, he was entangled with Ronan again. He was never able to resist the horndog that he was dating.


    Lucien was not going toe home. Not tonight. If Annalynne was lucky, he mighte home the night after!


    Annalynne threw the pillow that she had been gnawing back on the couch and marched toward her bedroom.


    Suddenly, her phone rang.


    Annalynne looked at the screen and saw that it was Lucien who called.


    ¡°Well? Where are you? Are you calling to tell me that you are going to spend the night with Ronan?¡± Annalynne snapped as soon as she picked up the call.


    A long sigh came from the other end of the call.


    ¡°Lulu? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°Come up here.¡±


    ¡°...? Up? Up where?¡±


    ¡°I am on the roof.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien was toozy to exin further.


    ¡°Just get up here. You will understand.¡±


    If any other man but her beloved brother asked her to climb the roof in the middle of the night, Annalynne might tell him to go to hell.


    Since it was Lucien, Annalynne found herself scaling the steep slope of the pack house¡¯s concrete tile roof a whileter.


    Lucien sat on top of the roof, his silhouette looked impressive against the moon as a backdrop. All alone, he looked as if he was lost in thought.


    Anna poked her head and shouted, ¡°Lulu!¡±


    Lucien turned his head in Annalynne¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Help me!¡±


    Lucien rose to his feet and pulled his sister up to the roof.


    The first thing that Annalynne saw once she was standing on top of the roof was the huge piece of curious-looking cloth that looked a lot like an overge nket.


    ¡°Come and sit,¡± Lucien said, patting the spot next to him.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Annalynne asked as soon as she took a seat.


    ¡°Parachute.¡±


    ¡°... Oh.¡±


    And then, an awkward silence fell around them.


    Annalynne peeked at Lucien¡¯s face. Her brother seemed somewhat pensive. He did not look like someone who just came home from a first date with his lover.


    Unless...


    Annalynne¡¯s heart went cold.


    Ronan Silverback, that bastard.


    Did he do something against Lucien¡¯s wish? Was that why Lucien was so depressed?


    Or, good Goddess, did he break up with Lucien because Lucien refused to sleep with him???


    What a belligerent asshole!


    Annalynne threw herself at Lucien and hugged him tight around the shoulders.


    Leaning her head against Lucien¡¯s neck, Annalynne sorrowfully mumbled, ¡°Lulu, don¡¯t be sad. I am here for you.¡±


    Lucien furrowed his brows, unsure about what his sister was referring to.


    ¡°Wha...?¡±


    Annalynne loosened her hug and grabbed Lucien¡¯s hands.


    ¡°You will never be alone. I will always be there for you. I promise,¡± she said with a serious face and tone.


    Lucien could not help but chuckle.


    ¡°Oh, Anna,¡± Lucien sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not what you are thinking about at all.¡±


    Lucien rubbed at his forehead. The wool gloves felt rough when he tried to massage the aching spot between his brows.


    ¡°Then... What happened?¡± Annalynne asked carefully.


    ¡°It¡¯s just...¡±


    Lucien opened his mouth a few times but ended up closing it again and again. For some reason, he was unable to find his words. In the end, he simply took off his left glove and showed Annalynne the sparkling diamond ring on his ring finger.


    ¡°Ronan proposed. I epted.¡±

 Chapter 186

    186 You Are A Big Girl And I Trust You


    Annalynne stared at the ring.


    She grabbed Lucien¡¯s hand and held the ring against the moonlight.


    It was an authentic diamond ring. It was the most gorgeous ring that Annalynne had ever seen in her life.


    ¡°Does this mean that you and Alpha Ronan are engaged now?¡± Annalynne heard herself asking. She could barely believe it.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Lucien answered.


    Annalynne was amazed.


    Ronan just proposed, and Lucien was able to extricate himself from his fiance and go home in time. Annalynne did not smell Ronan¡¯s scent on Lucien. So they did not do it. Not even after Ronan proposed to Lucien.


    Annalynne was not sure if she should say ¡°Good job¡± or ¡°Wow¡±. Either way, Lucien did not look happy.


    ¡°Lulu, is something wrong? You don¡¯t look happy,¡± Annalynne bit into her lip.


    .....


    Lucien sighed.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t want to let me go. He wanted me to go home with him and marry him the next day.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Okay, even that was rather rushed in Annalynne¡¯s eyes. An Alpha¡¯s wedding must be carefully nned and executed in a grand manner before the Holy Temple of the Moon Goddess! From the day they reported their intention to get married to the Werewolf Council, it usually took a few months until the actual wedding day!


    ¡°And honestly, I wanted that as well.¡±


    ¡°.....¡±


    Annalynne stared at her only brother, the man who shared the same face and hair as her.


    She knew Lucien.


    She grew up with Lucien.


    Lucien was not some lovestruck dumbass who renounced everything in the name of love.


    Lucien sighed again and squeezed Annalynne¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Anna, I know that Mom and especially you dislike Ronan. But he and I, we havee to the point where we wish to get married and stay together. I am hoping to get your blessings for our rtionship.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Annalynne was so stunned that her soul might just leave her body on spot.


    ¡°Wait,¡± she quickly said before Lucien uttered another word to speak about his burning, passionate love affair with Ronan. She was not ready for this talk. She didn¡¯t think that she would ever be ready.


    Lucien pulled Annalynne into a hug.


    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t continue ying the game with you again.¡±


    Annalynne rolled with her eyes in response. She put both of her hands on Lucien¡¯s back, huffing in exasperation.


    ¡°It was not supposed to be a game. I just want to keep my brother for as long as I can.¡±


    Even without Alice mentioning it, Annalynne knew that she was being silly. She should not be jealous of Ronan but be happy for Lucien instead. She also was displeased that Lucien needed Ronan to be happy.


    It felt as if Lucien was going far, far away.


    As if he was not going to be her twin brother anymore.


    ¡°Silly girl,¡± Lucien whispered, pressing a kiss against the side of Annalynne¡¯s head. ¡°I will always be your brother. I will always be there for you.¡±


    Annalynne pulled her lips into a thin line.


    ¡°So, can I do what I want with Lowell?¡±


    Lucien took a deep breath. He loosened his embrace and grabbed Annalynne on the shoulders.


    ¡°Anna, I still think that it is too early for you and Lowell. Then again you are a big girl and I trust you. I just hope that you don¡¯t make any rash decisions to regret it.¡±


    Annalynne swallowed.


    ¡°That being said, if he breaks your heart, I will personally break his legs and then help you to raise any pup you have from him if he ever leaves you behind.¡±


    Annalynne blinked and chuckled.


    ¡°You seem to be prepared for the worst.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to, but I have to,¡± Lucien muttered. ¡°I am your brother, after all.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lulu... you are so adorable,¡± Annalynne crooned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will not be dumb about it. I know that my actions will reflect on all unmarried young she-wolves in the pack. I don¡¯t want to give rise to some unwanted development.¡±


    Lucien patted Annalynne¡¯s head.


    ¡°My Anna has grown up.¡±


    Annalynne pursed her lips.


    ¡°It is Alpha Anna now!¡±


    Lucien giggled.


    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡±


    ¡°I am kidding!¡± Annalynne said with a visible shudder. ¡°Don¡¯t call me Alpha, ever again! For you, I will always be Anna. And for me, you will always be Lulu. So sorry but I am never going to refer to you as Luna Lucien.¡±


    Lucien had to agree. The title ¡°Luna Lucien¡± made him cringe.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± he said. ¡°Between us, there is no need for pesky titles. We will always be Lulu and Anna.¡±


    Annalynne put her arms around Lucien and cuddled her brother again.


    ¡°So, when are you going with him to report to the Werewolf Council?¡±


    ¡°In three days. Tomorrow, a group of movers wille to help me pack my belongings and send them over to the Infinite Eclipse Pack House.¡±


    Annalynne tilted her head and stared at Lucien with a frown.


    ¡°Are you not going to tell Mom?¡±


    ¡°I will, as soon as we wake up tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°... Like maybe an hour before the movers arrive?¡±


    Lucien cleared his throat. ¡°Something like that.¡±


    ¡°I should consider myself lucky to find out tonight rather than tomorrow morning then,¡± Annalynne grumbled. ¡°I am going to hate it to part with you so soon.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, I am not going to leave right away tomorrow. I also have a few matters to settle around here. He and I agreed to meet at the Werewolf Council Headquarters in three days. And then, I will go back with him to Great Lake City.¡±


    Three days seemed so short.


    Annalynne hated to part from her brother, but she knew better than rain on her brother¡¯s parade.


    ¡°I am going to miss you so much, Lulu,¡± she mumbled.


    Lucien rubbed Annalynne¡¯s shoulder and back lovingly.


    ¡°Me too. But feel free toe and visit. I will alsoe to visit you and Mom often.¡±


    ¡°You better do that, or I will file aint to the Werewolf Council regarding a missing brother.¡±


    Lucien scoffed.


    ¡°Lulu?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I am so, so happy for you. Congrattions on your engagement with Alpha Ronan.¡±


    A beautiful smile appeared on Lucien¡¯s face. The man seemed to blush, but it was difficult to tell at night.


    ¡°Thank you, Anna.¡±

 Chapter 187

    187 The Clearwater Twins¡¯ Short Vacation


    Despite being surprised by how fast the rtionship between Lucien and Ronan progressed, Alice Clearwater took the news of their engagement positively.


    In a way, she expected it to happen sooner orter. The Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack had after all expended a lot of effort and resources to court her son.


    In the afternoon, Jake came by to deliver the official marriage proposal to the Silent Walkers Pack. The only thing that caused the Clearwater family to scrunch up their brows was the fact that Jake came with a huge moving truck in tow.


    While the Beta sat with Annalynne, Kendra, Alice, and Lucien in the audience hall, the diligent movers in bright yellow uniforms went to raid Lucien¡¯s bedroom and packed everything they could see inside boxes.


    The floor reverberated with the incessant sound of heavy footsteps, going back and forth at an unhurried pace.


    Inside the audience hall, the atmosphere was beyond awkward.


    In an attempt to restore the ambiance, Jake cleared his throat. Beaming with a professional smile, he then proceeded to inform everyone of the reason for his visit this time around.


    ¡°Our Alpha would like to request for Alpha Annalynne¡¯s permission to court her brother, Lucien Clearwater, to be our pack¡¯s next Luna.¡±


    Jake bowed and handed the neatly-sealed proposal over to Kendra, the Beta.


    .....


    Kendra took the proposal, broke the wax seal, and rolled it open in front of Annalynne.


    It was simr to what Lucien received before, minus the sentence that mentioned anything about willing to override the Night Prowler Pack¡¯s proposal.


    Annalynne had epted the fact that her brother was going to leave soon, but she despised the constant reminder.


    Unable to unleash her displeasure on her future brother-inw, Annalynne ended up punishing Jake with her grumpiness instead.


    ¡°What are you going to do if I refuse?¡± She asked with an expressionless face.


    Jake said nothing. His expectant eyes just slowly wandered to Lucien, who knew to immediately step in.


    ¡°Anna, stop it,¡± he chastised his sister. ¡°I already epted the proposal.¡±


    Annalynne pouted.


    ¡°Lulu, technically you are not allowed to marry him unless I ept this proposal.¡±


    Lucien turned to look at Annalynne. Raising an eyebrow, he queried, ¡°Then, do you ept?¡±


    Instead of answering her brother, Annalynne turned to look at Jake with a dark expression on her face.


    ¡°Listen carefully, Beta Jake. Lucien is my most precious brother,¡± she spoke as if he was one of many and not the one and only.


    ¡°He is the most beautiful, kindest, gentlest person on earth. If Alpha Ronan dared to abuse his position and hurt Lucien, he will have to go against me.¡±


    Jake sighed in his heart.


    ¡°I understand,¡± he said in response.


    The new Alpha pushed the proposal toward Lucien.


    ¡°I ept,¡± she said, more to Lucien than to Jake.


    Lucien squeezed his sister¡¯s hand. ¡°Thanks, Anna.¡±


    Kendra helpfully brought an ink pad for Lucien and Annalynne to dip their thumbs in.


    One by one, Lucien and Annalynne added their thumbprints to the proposal to signify their agreement.


    In the end, the proposal was rolled together neatly and returned to Jake. The Beta exhaled from relief once he held the proposal in his hand.


    ¡°I am so d,¡± he said openly.


    Jake extended his right hand toward Lucien.


    ¡°I know I should wait until after the wedding, but you are practically one of our own already. Wee to the pack, Luna.¡±


    Lucien took his hand with a smile.


    ¡°Thanks, Jake.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, whoa!¡±


    Annalynne stormed forward and smacked Jake¡¯s hand away. She then put her arms around Lucien protectively while ring at Jake. ¡°Lucien is still a member of our pack until the wedding is finished!¡±


    Alice facepalmed.


    Kendraughed.


    Lucien bumped his forehead against his ridiculous sister¡¯s gently. ¡°Yes, yes. I will still be part of this pack until I get married.¡±


    After Jake left, Lucien went to his bedroom to make sure that he still had enough clothes and other necessities for the next two days.


    Annalynne came by not long after the movers left the building.


    Sadness quickly flooded her heart when she saw how empty the bedroom became.


    Lucien was sitting on his bed, all alone. He was typing on his phone. Presumably texting Ronan.


    ¡°Hey, Lulu.¡±


    Lucien looked up and smiled at his sister.


    ¡°Come in, Anna.¡±


    Annalynne sat next to his brother and hugged his arm.


    ¡°I hate it that you are leaving.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, it¡¯s not like we won¡¯t meet again.¡±


    Of course she knew that, but it would not be the same. They would be in different packs. As soon as Lucien married Ronan, he had to put the Infinite Eclipse Pack first. And the Silent Walkers Pack, including Annalynne, second.


    ¡°Hey, Lulu...¡±


    Annalynne suddenly came up with a brilliant idea.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go on vacation?¡±


    ¡°Um... Anna, I am leaving in three days.¡±


    ¡°I know. Not a long one. Do you remember that water park in Blue Hill City? The one I wanted to go to years ago?¡±


    ¡°Uhhhh...¡±


    Annalynne jumped from the bed.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± she told her brother before dashing off to her own bedroom.


    When she got back, she had a pamphlet in her hand.


    ¡°Lulu, do you remember?¡± She asked while shoving the pamphlet under Lucien¡¯s nose.


    ¡°When it opened, I asked you toe home so we could go together. You never came,¡± she reminded him with a hint of admonishment.


    ¡°...¡±


    Now Lucien remembered. Back then he just started working at the South Bedford City Art College. Although he did want to spend some time with his sister, he was reluctant to go back and visit the pack. He thus kept making excuses to not go until Annalynne forgot all about it.


    It turned out that Annalynne never forgot. She was just now demanding a payback.


    ¡°Alright,¡± the brother agreed with a sigh.


    ¡°Yayyyy!!!¡± Annalynne cheered, throwing both hands in the air.


    After browsing through avable package options, they agreed to book the two-day-and-one-night package.


    When Lucien was booking the hotel, his phone started ringing.


    The call came from Kinnon.


    Wondering whether Kinnon discovered more clues about the mysterious ambush on Ralph, Lucien answered the phone right away.


    ¡°Yes, Kinnon?¡±


    Unexpectedly, the one at the other end of the line was not Kinnon but Ralph.


    ¡°Mommy....?¡±

 Chapter 188

    188 Taking Ralph Out To y


    The first thing that crossed Lucien¡¯s mind when he heard the little boy¡¯s voice was the fake phone call that he received before the war started.


    Naturally, he was wary and did not know what to say at first. His heart pounded hard against his ribcage.


    Was it another trap?


    ¡°Mommy? Daddy said that I can call.¡±


    Ralph¡¯s words brought Lucien back from his stupor.


    Of course.


    Ralph was using Kinnon¡¯s phone to make a call. It was the real Ralph this time.


    ¡°Hey, Ralphy.¡±


    Lucien wiped the cold sweat away from his forehead. ¡°How are you doing?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Mom, Ralphy is all healed up. Daddy said that I can go out and y.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, that is wonderful.¡± Lucien smiled to himself. He could picture the bubbly little boy just by hearing his cheerful, spoiled voice.


    ¡°Mommyyy... Can Ie and visit you? Can we go out and y?¡±


    Lucien was a little taken aback. What impable timing. He and Annalynne were just nning to go out and y at the water park.


    ¡°Ralphy, can I call you back in a bit?¡±


    ¡°Okayyy!!!¡±


    Once the call ended, Lucien walked over to Annalynne¡¯s bedroom.


    Lucien had wanted to spend time with Ralph for some time. It would be great to be able to celebrate his recovery by going somewhere to have fun.


    Besides, Lucien was moving in with Ronan in three days.


    Once Lucien entered the Infinite Eclipse Pack, Ronan would be unwilling to let Lucien wander around with Kinnon¡¯s son.


    So why not take Ralph to the water park as well?


    Annalynne was in the middle of packing her luggage when Lucien came up with the idea.


    ¡°Hmmmmm...¡± Annalynne pursed her lips in deliberation. She originally wanted to spend time with her brother alone, but having a little boy around was a good excuse to enjoy all the rides, even the most childish ones.


    ¡°Ok!¡± She shouted in agreement.


    ¡°Great, let me get back to Ralph,¡± Lucien said with a smile. He knew that Annalynne would not say no. Like they said, the more the merrier.


    Lucien called back to ask whether Ralph would be interested to join him and Annalynne for a little vacation at the water park. Naturally, the answer was a loud ¡°YES!!!¡± before the little boy even asked permission from his father.


    Lucien did not know what trick he used to cajole his father into agreeing, but within the next hour, Kinnon sent him a text saying that Ralph and his nanny were on their way to Blue Hill City.


    The Clearwater siblings finished packing within an hour and left after Annalynne dumped all her responsibilities on Kendra¡¯s shoulders. Thetter was not pleased with the sudden workload, but she understood how important this trip was for both Annalynne and Lucien.


    Thankfully, she still had Alice and Acatha to help her out.


    The trip from East Temple City to Blue Hill City was supposed to take hours, but Ralph and his nanny managed to arrive not long after Lucien and Anna checked into the hotel.


    The nanny mentioned that Kinnon allowed Ralph to take the helicopter just to reach Blue Hill City as fast as possible.


    After the four people put their luggage in the hotel and got some lunch, they made their way to the water park.


    It had only been open for a few years, but the water park was very popr with the inhabitants of Blue Hill City and out-of-city visitors alike.


    Ralph¡¯s energy was only second to Annalynne¡¯s. Two days were more than enough to try out all the rides and visit all attractions, provided that they used their time efficiently.


    Lucien and Ralph¡¯s nanny ended up being dragged around by Annalynne and Ralph.


    They even managed to get the nanny to slip into swimwear and enjoy the vacation as much as they did.


    The four people only left the water park close to its closing time at 9 PM.


    While they ran around and went from one attraction to another, their adrenaline levels were high. As soon as they arrived at the hotel, though, Ralph fell asleep like a log of wood. Meanwhile, the three adults were aching and sore. They could barely move a muscle without feeling pain.


    ¡°I cannot walk anymore,¡± Annalynneined, her body a mass of pain even after taking a hot shower.


    Lucienughed.


    ying with a strand of Annalynne¡¯s hair, he teased, ¡°Does this mean that you want to go home tomorrow morning?¡±


    Annalynne ripped her eyes open.


    ¡°No!¡± She shouted and sat up on the bed. ¡°Lulu, you promised!!!¡±


    Her brother chuckled.


    ¡°Rx, Anna. I am just teasing you.¡±


    Annalynne let herself fall on the bed with a groan again.


    Lucien massaged his sore limbs.


    Thest time he and Annalynne went to an amusement park with their parents was when they were seven-year-olds. Time did the strangest things to the bodies.


    ¡°We are old now,¡± Lucienmented.


    Annalynne gasped in horror.


    ¡°Lulu, I forbid you from saying such heinous things! We are NOT old!¡±


    Lucien went to lie next to his sister on the bed.


    ¡°Compared to Ralph, we are old.¡±


    ¡°That kid is three!¡± Annalynne argued.


    Lucienughed. ¡°We are more than twenty years older than he is.¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I refuse to be called old. Here, let me search for the correct definition of ¡®old¡¯ for you.¡±


    Annalynne grabbed her phone and started searching on the search engine.


    When Lucien saw Annalynne¡¯s phone, he came to remember his own phone. The electronic device was tucked inside his backpack. He forgot to charge it, so it remained dead the whole day.


    As soon as Lucien switched his phone on, the screen showed him one missed call from Ronan.


    Lucien waited until his phone had enough power before he dislodged it from the charging station.


    He went to the balcony and shut the door behind him before he gave Ronan a call.


    The phone rang for a long time, but Alpha did not answer.


    Lucien tried again after one hour, but still nothing.


    He sent Ronan a text and asked, ¡°Hey, my phone was dead, what¡¯s up?¡±


    After Lucien sent the text, he went to lie next to Annalynne. He waited and waited, but Ronan did not reply to his message.


    Eventually, Lucien fell asleep with his phone in his hand.

 Chapter 189

    189 The Radio Silence


    Lucien woke up the next day to Ralph¡¯s excited cries.


    The little boy ran into their connected bedroom to wake him and Annalynne up.


    ¡°Mommy Mommy Mommy, let¡¯s go to the water park again!!!¡± the little boy shouted as he pulled at Lucien¡¯s nket insistently.


    Ralph¡¯s nanny was aghast to see what Ralph was doing. She quickly pulled the little boy away and apologized profusely.


    ¡°No need to be sorry,¡± Lucien dismissed her with a wave of his hand. ¡°We need to get ready anyway.¡±


    Lucien grabbed his sister¡¯s shoulder, prompting thetter to groan.


    ¡°Anna, wake up. I thought you wanted to y again.¡±


    ¡°Mmmmm...¡±


    ¡°Go and take a shower,¡± Lucien told her.


    .....


    After much persuasion, Annalynne finally dragged her feet into the bathroom.


    Lucien¡¯s phoney just next to his pillow. He had expected to see a reply to his message from Ronan, but there was still nothing at all.


    For some reason, Lucien felt restless.


    It was unlike Ronan to cut him off like that. Or was Ronan maybe that busy at work?


    Lucien tried hard to distract himself throughout the day. It worked for maybe an hour at most before he was back thinking about Ronan again. His mood gradually grew worse with every hour of radio silence from Ronan¡¯s side.


    Atst, the day ended.


    After thanking Lucien and Annalynne for the fun vacation, Ralph and his nanny left on Kinnon¡¯s helicopter. Lucien and Annalynne took a car to go back to their pack house.


    Inside the car, Lucien¡¯s expression was as dark as the approaching night. Annalynne squeezed Lucien¡¯s hand and asked out of concern, ¡°Lulu? Is everything alright?¡±


    Lucien had been out of it the whole day. Only a blind person would not notice.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just...¡±


    Lucien ran his fingers through his hair. He looked lost. Atst, he pressed his lips together and gestured toward the phone in his hand.


    ¡°Ronan called yesterday. My phone was dead the whole day so I missed it. After that, I kept calling and sending messages, but he did not reply at all.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Annalynne gaped at her brother.


    ¡°What kind of attitude was that? Is he that childish to get mad over one missed call???¡±


    Lucien shook his head.


    ¡°No, Anna. We often missed each other¡¯s calls. And we also do not have the habit to reply to messages as soon as possible. There is nothing irregr about that.¡±


    ¡°So... what could it be?¡±


    Lucien shrugged in exasperation.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    They were supposed to meet up at the Werewolf Council Headquarters the next day. As of now, Lucien did not know what to think about the whole thing.


    Annalynne could easily guess her brother¡¯s train of thought. She squeezed her brother¡¯s hand again and asked, ¡°Lulu, do you still want to go tomorrow?¡±


    Lucien did not answer right away.


    He wanted to go. He agreed to go. But was Ronan even going toe? Where did he go off to? Why did he suddenly go off the radar?


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we give Beta Jake a call?¡± Annalynne helpfully suggested. ¡°Maybe something happened to Ronan and they failed to inform us. We should grab some initiative.¡±


    Lucien could barely believe his ears.


    Annalynne was right. Why did he not think about that?


    Jake would know where his Alpha was.


    Without waiting for Lucien¡¯s answer, Annalynne dialed Jake¡¯s number and made a call. Unfortunately, Jake also did not pick up. Lucien sighed and groaned into his hands.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Should I go to Great Lake City to take a look?¡±


    Annalynne bit her lip. ¡°No... what about this? Let¡¯s not fret. Why don¡¯t I apany you to the council headquarters tomorrow? If Ronan does not show up, we march straight to the Great Lake City, alright?¡±


    ¡°Mmm... okay.¡±


    At night, Lucien barely slept a wink. He kept looking at his phone, hoping to receive any news from Ronan. Unfortunately, his hope was dashed.


    Early the next morning, he and Annalynne left the pack house to go to the council headquarters. The agreed appointment time was at noon.


    By the time the siblings arrived, Ronan had yet to appear.


    After waiting for more than an hour, Lucien lost his patience. He turned to Annalynne and spoke in an aggrieved tone, ¡°We should leave. He is not going toe.¡±


    Annalynne gritted her teeth in fury.


    ¡°Lulu, do you want to go to Great Lake City?¡±


    The man next to her was unable to answer. He tried to make up reasonable excuses on Ronan¡¯s behalf, but none of them make sense.


    There was only one possible reason why he did not show up.


    Ronan changed his mind about the wedding.


    ¡°Lulu. Lulu!¡±


    Lucien snapped from his dazed state.


    Annalynne was pulling at his arm. ¡°Your pocket! Your phone is vibrating!¡±


    Lucien widened his eyes in anticipation.


    Ronan!


    Lucien quickly took out his phone. When he saw the name on the screen, though, his spirit plummeted to the ground. It was not Ronan. It was Jake.


    ¡°Hello? Lucien?¡±


    Jake¡¯s voice trembled slightly over the phone.


    Despite Lucien¡¯s initial conviction that Ronan changed his mind, he could not help but bombard Jake with questions.


    ¡°Jake, what happened? I tried calling Ronan so many times...¡±


    At the other end of the line, Jake was heard taking a deep breath.


    ¡°Oh, Goddess....¡± he whispered into the phone. ¡°Lucien, where are you? Did no one contact you?¡±


    ¡°I am at the Werewolf Council Headquarters,¡± Lucien informed the Beta. ¡°Ronan and I agreed to meet here today. Where is he? Why is he noting?¡±


    Panic could be heard in Jake¡¯s voice when he spoke next.


    ¡°Lucien, you know what? Let me go there okay? Please don¡¯t move. I wille as fast as possible.¡±


    The phone call ended just like that without further clues.


    Although Jake said that he wasing as fast as possible, he still needed two hours to arrive. Lucien and Annalynne had meanwhile retreated to Hapsborough City, intent on staying overnight before heading back to Blue Hill City.


    When Jake finally caught up with them, he was not his usual self. He seemed to have not slept for days. There were dark circles around his eyes. On top of that, he was also restless and irritable.


    ¡°Jake, what... what¡¯s wrong with you? You look...¡±


    Awful. That was the word that crossed Lucien¡¯s mind, but he did not want to say it out loud. On the other side, Jake could not care less. He had something more important to tell Lucien.


    ¡°Listen to me,¡± he hissed, grabbing Lucien¡¯s shoulders hard. ¡°Lucien, Lady Adele Fangde passed away two nights ago.¡±

 Chapter 190

    190 Lady Adele Fangde¡¯s Death


    Lucien¡¯s heart went cold when he heard the news. He wished with every cell of his body that he misheard. Unfortunately, he did not.


    Numb from shock, what he heard afterward were broken sentence fragments such as ¡°heart failure¡± and ¡°gradual health deterioration¡±.


    He barely registered his sister¡¯s squeezes around his upper arm.


    The two people then ushered him out of the Werewolf Council Headquarters foyer and pushed him into a car.


    Lady Adele Fangde, Ronan¡¯s mother, the previous Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack, passed away two nights ago.


    That was why Ronan made that single call. He needed Lucien but Lucien was not there to answer the call.


    How terrible.


    Lucien could not believe that he was not there for Ronan when he had to go through the loss.


    Having met Lady Adele Fangde just a few times when he stayed at the hospital and when he took care of Ronan after the war ended, Lucien was unable to get to know Ronan¡¯s mother thoroughly.


    .....


    All he knew was that she was an exceptional individual with a strong personality but an endlessly gentle heart. Two traits that she passed down to her son other than good looks.


    Ronan rarely spoke about his mother or his parents in general because his parents were involved in an outrageous marriage scandal. He and his father maintained a distant rtionship, but he was very close to his mother.


    There was a special connection between the mother and son. Lady Adele Fangde had been in Ronan¡¯s life from the time of his birth and she never left.


    She watched him grow from a newborn pup to a man who was worthy to be the Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack.


    Lady Adele Fangde was the only person who treated Ronan as a regr werewolf who could feel pain and sorrow. In front of her, Ronan could be himself. Just Ronan Silverback and not the Alpha.


    And now, Lady Adele Fangde was gone forever.


    ¡°Lucien.¡±


    Jake grabbed Lucien¡¯s shoulder hard to pull him out of his daze.


    ¡°We are here.¡±


    Lucien climbed out of the car and looked up. Enclosed within a vast, thick forest was a group of buildings that stood tall and mighty before them.


    They had arrived at the Infinite Eclipse Pack House.


    Three hundred or so families that made up the whole pack were living in altogether seven apartment buildings. The seven buildings were arranged so that the main building was situated at the center, surrounded by six others.


    This main building was the heart of the pack house. This was where the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, the Lead Warriors, and the Elders resided with their families. It was also the ce where various pack events took ce.


    Jake pulled at Lucien¡¯s elbow and led him to the highest floor of the main building, the private residence of the Alpha and his family. Being unmarried, Ronan Silverback had the whole floor for himself.


    As the Beta, Jake had ess to Ronan¡¯s apartment. He unlocked the door with his card and let Lucien into thevish living space.


    The apartment was spick and span without a single item out of ce. The surface was dustless, the nts were watered regrly.


    The ce was beautiful but lifeless. Itcked the touch of a living person. Almost as if no one had lived there for a long, long time.


    Ronan¡¯s bedroom was located at the backside of the apartment. When they arrived before the door, Lucien could sense something ominous behind the door.


    Jake turned to look at Lucien with a beseeching gaze.


    ¡°Ronan has locked himself up in his bedroom since he came back from the mortuary. Lucien, I beg you. Please talk to him. He shut off his Mind Link and does not answer his phone. I don¡¯t know how he is doing inside.¡±


    Lucien nodded wordlessly.


    Jake bowed at Lucien before he left, leaving Lucien in front of Ronan¡¯s bedroom door alone.


    Lucien inhaled and then pressed both of his hands against the door.


    ¡°Ronan...?¡± He called gently. ¡°Ronan, are you there? Will you please let me in?¡±


    Lucien could hear a faint tinkling sounding from inside the room. The sound of ss hitting a surface, probably the wooden floor. Relief filled his heart in an instant. At least Ronan was still conscious. It was better than nothing.


    Unfortunately, that was all that Ronan was willing to let Lucien know. No further movement was heard.


    ¡°Ronan? Open the door, please.¡±


    No answer.


    The Alpha did not allow Lucien in but he also did not ask him to scram. Lucien gritted his teeth. If Ronan thought that it was enough to make Lucien leave, he was sorely mistaken.


    Lucien started to hammer at the door with his fists.


    ¡°Ronan. Let me in, now!¡± he shouted. ¡°If you don¡¯t let me in, I am going to kick down the door!¡±


    Lucien must have pounded on the door for almost ten minutes before it finally opened with a soft click. The narrow gap at the door allowed light from outside to flood the room, but Lucien could not see anything. It was pitch dark inside.


    The first thing that he noticed was the smell of thick pheromones that seeped out like a poisonous cloud.


    Before Lucien was able to react, a hand shot out from inside the bedroom and pulled Lucien inside.


    It was unbearably hot inside the room. Ronan must have turned the heater to the maximum. Lucien was pressed against Ronan¡¯s naked, sweaty body. Wrapped in the Alpha¡¯s strong and muscr arms, Lucien was forced to inhale Ronan¡¯s strong pheromones. The strong salty sandalwood scent told him that Ronan was not in his regr state. He was having a rut!


    ¡°Lulu,¡± the Alpha said in a hoarse, broken voice. ¡°My mother... my mother is gone.¡±


    ¡°Ronan... mmmph...¡±


    Before Lucien finished what he wanted to say, Ronan mmed him hard against the wall and plundered the inside of his future Luna¡¯s mouth with his tongue.


    ¡°Sorry, Lucien...¡± he muttered once he broke the kiss. ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡±


    In the next moment, a loud ripping sound tore through the air.

 Chapter 191

    191 Fighting The Rut (NSFW)


    A werewolf¡¯s rut happened one to two times a year. It was mostly affected by the moon¡¯s movement, but also by a lot of other aspects such as the mental stability and physical condition of the said werewolf.


    When the werewolf in question was heavily agitated or was experiencing extreme grief, the rut often came early. When it came, the werewolf went through intense pain. It was almost as if the pain in the heart manifested itself into a pain in the body and condemned the werewolf to endless torture.


    Unless the werewolf got to unburden himself, he was going to suffer until his rut period was over. It usually took from three days to a week.


    In such cases, the only person who could provide any sort of relief was the mate.


    Judging from Ronan¡¯s condition, his rut must have started as soon as he returned home.


    Lucien closed his eyes and hooked his arms around Ronan¡¯s neck, epting Ronan¡¯s forceful kisses willingly. He could taste blood in the kisses because Ronan¡¯s fang scraped against his lip and tore it open.


    Without a single thread covering his body, Lucien was lifted easily and thrown into the bed. Another ripping sound told Lucien that Ronan had also gotten rid of his remaining clothes.


    It did not take long for the Alpha toe pouncing at him again.


    His beastly instincts told him to intrude into Lucien¡¯s body right away and feed into his carnal desire.


    .....


    Unfortunately, Lucien¡¯s body was too tight. The flower hole between his legs had shrunk to its original size again after days of no pration. It was not suitable for entry.


    Ronan roared in frustration as he kept trying to push his engorged organ into Lucien.


    ¡°Ronan.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s cold hands pressed against Ronan¡¯s feverish cheeks. The cool sensation made Ronan gasp but also provided him some heat relief.


    ¡°Get us some lube. This is going nowhere.¡±


    Wordlessly, Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s arms and started peppering his colder body with kisses.


    ¡°Ronan.¡±


    Lucien bit into his lower lip to stifle a moan when Ronan started sucking on one of his nipples.


    He buried one of his hands into Ronan¡¯s hair while the other brushed against the bedsheet and the nightstand.


    He was looking for some remote control to turn off the heater, but said remote control was nowhere to find.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Ronan growled in displeasure and bit into the swollen nipple. His action prompted Lucien to scream in pain.


    ¡°Ahhhh!!! No, it¡¯s just... Too hot. Ronan, turn off the heater.¡±


    Again, Ronan did not answer.


    He was too busy attacking Lucien on his chest. When he was done with one blooming bud, he went to pamper the other.


    Furious with theck of response, Lucien grabbed a handful of Ronan¡¯s hair and tugged it backward.


    ¡°I said, turn off the heater and get us some lube,¡± he repeated angrily.


    Ronan stared at Lucien.


    In a daze, he eventually climbed off Lucien¡¯s body and went to press a button on the headboard.


    A beeping sound was heard, and the gently buzzing sound that the heater generated was gone.


    Ronan rummaged into the nightstand¡¯s drawer, but he could not find what he wanted.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± He cursed loudly, his mind drowned in a flood of emotions.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have any?¡±


    Ronan did not answer. He merely turned away from Lucien and sat at the edge of the bed, rocking back and forth with his head buried in his palms.


    Lucien put his arms around Ronan from behind. He gently kissed thetter¡¯s neck and shoulder.


    ¡°I am sure we can find something useful in this apartment. Some oil? Cream?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s body tensed up somehow when he heard Lucien¡¯sst words.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Lucien queried. ¡°Do you have something in mind?¡±


    Ronan pressed a hand against his eyes. The minute trembling of his body told Lucien that he was crying. He was grieving for his mother.


    Lucien pulled Ronan back into the bed. He let the Alphay on top of him and wrapped him in a tight embrace.


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep it inside,¡± he softly whispered. ¡°Let it all out.¡±


    Ronan buried his face into the pillow above Lucien¡¯s shoulder and cried silently. Lucien kept his mouth shut, pretending not to be there while Ronan drowned himself in sorrow. It was probably the best thing to do in this situation.


    Ronan was not only an alpha werewolf but also the Alpha of his pack. He had his pride. Despite the immense pain that he was going through, he knew that he could not afford to appear weak in front of anyone, not even in front of Jake.


    But who could do that? Alphas were living beings, their bodies were made of flesh. Blood flowed through their vessels just like everyone else¡¯s.


    Joy and sorrow, happiness and sadness, all of these were part of life.


    No one was constantly happy, as no one was constantly sad.


    The huge pressure that Alphas had to endure was brutal.


    Lucien gently pressed a kiss against Ronan¡¯s neck.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he whispered. ¡°I am here for you.¡±


    That was all he could say. Anything else would be insensitive.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡± was not okay.


    ¡°Everything will be fine¡± was not going to make anything fine.


    ¡°Calm down¡± would only re Ronan up.


    They were, after all, talking about his mother here.


    Above him, Ronan shifted and rubbed his forehead against Lucien¡¯s neck. The other man¡¯s lower body temperature felt good against his skin, but it was unable to quench the fire inside Ronan¡¯s body.


    The fire raged like an untamed beast, demanding him to devour everything and anything, including the naked fated mate on his bed.


    ¡°Lulu, I am so ufortable,¡± he said with a muffled sound.


    ¡°I know,¡± Lucien replied. He reached downward and seized Ronan¡¯s rock-hard erection. ¡°Do you want to cum first? Then we can use your semen as lubricant...¡±


    Ronan shook his head.


    ¡°No need,¡± he said. ¡°I have something else.¡±

 Chapter 192

    192 The Induced Rut (NSFW)


    The Alpha went to the couch and grabbed something from inside a bag. He then went back to the bed with a tube of hand lotion in his hand.


    Lucien was rather surprised. He did not expect Ronan to carry around some hand lotion.


    Nevertheless, it was a solution to their problem.


    Lucieny on his back and pulled his legs up. He then spread it willingly and waited for Ronan to make his move.


    Ronan poured the hand lotion into his hands and rubbed them together. He took care to smear the length of his fingers with the slick liquid.


    Lucien looked away from embarrassment and shut his eyes.


    The rustling sound of the bedsheet and the shifting weight on the bed told him that Ronan was approaching him.


    A pair of strong hands grabbed Lucien¡¯s legs and let them settle against each side of Ronan¡¯s powerful waist.


    Lucien shivered when some of the cold hand lotion was rubbed against the tight ring around his hole. And then, the same finger was pushed into Lucien¡¯s depth.


    .....


    ¡°Ngh...!¡±


    Lucien arched his back from the sudden pressure.


    The finger pushed relentlessly inside until it could not go any deeper.


    Lucien wriggled around on the bed. He instinctively sought an escape, but Ronan grabbed his waist with his other hand and kept him in ce.


    Low moans escaped Lucien¡¯s throat as the single finger stabbed into his body repeatedly.


    Its ceaseless assault eventually turned Lucien¡¯s resistant insides into a pool of mud, soft and velvety folds that weed Ronan¡¯s invasion. Whenever the finger came in, it was massaged lovingly. When it was pulled out, Lucien¡¯s muscles sucked hard on it. They were reluctant to let him go.


    Ronan¡¯s breathing grew heavy with rising passion.


    One finger turned into two. They pumped in and out of Lucien¡¯s body vigorously. The thick hand lotion had been turned into thin oil due to the rapid and continuous movement.


    When Lucien¡¯s breathing evened out and he no longer resisted the two fingers, Ronan added another finger.


    The man on the bed pulled a grimace from the pain. He turned his head to the side, grabbed a pillow, and bit into a corner.


    He felt so full down there.


    It hurt so much when Ronan expanded him.


    He was not having his rut, so he was not as easily excitable.


    The Alpha on the other hand was close to exploding. His self-restraint was like sand that ran through the gap between his fingers, which were going in and out of Lucien impatiently, demanding his lover to quickly catch up, so that they could burn together in lust.


    Lucien was enveloped in Ronan¡¯s salty, sandalwood scent. He was dizzy and disoriented. The only thing that kept him conscious was the three fingers that went in and out of him wantonly. His mind slowly unraveled, clouded by lust.


    Let go, a voice spoke in his head. Let go of everything.


    You don¡¯t have to hold back anymore.


    When he gave in to the scent of Ronan¡¯s pheromone, his body eventually reacted to it.


    Lucien gasped hard when his heart started to pound hard against his ribs.


    The jerking movement that Lucien¡¯s body made did not escape Ronan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Lulu? What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked, sliding the hand that rested at Lucien¡¯s waist to his cheek.


    ¡°Are you in pain...?¡±


    When Ronan leaned closer, the first thing that he noticed was the unmistakable sweet scent that emanated from Lucien¡¯s body.


    He took a deep breath and let Lucien¡¯s pheromone wash over him.


    So delicious.


    Ronan licked his lips.


    Finally, he thought.


    His fingers started to pump faster into Lucien¡¯s depth.


    ¡°Aaah, ahhh...!!!¡±


    Lucien wed into Ronan¡¯s arms, leaving marks on the flesh.


    Ronan was not only not bothered, he even weed the pain.


    On the bed, Lucien still tried hard to maintain his sanity. He could feel the bubbling desire in his heart, the pressure in his chest.


    He was more than familiar with this feeling, but it was the first time his rut came because it was induced by someone else.


    When Lucien¡¯s rut came, it came like a tsunami that flooded the entire beach and destroyed everything in its wake.


    His body became pliant, his sweaty body smelled like the sweetest oranges. Ronan could not have enough of them.


    He could no longer wait. He needed to have Lucien right now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t... No...¡± Lucien whimpered when Ronan withdrew his fingers from Lucien¡¯s bodypletely.


    Lucien curled up on the bed. He felt so empty down there.


    He needed something to fill him up.


    Or someone...


    Lucien peered at Ronan from his position on the bed.


    ¡°Come inside,¡± he told him.


    Ronan was more than d to be of service.


    He poured the hand lotion into his hand and coated his shaft from the ns to the base. The liquid felt cool against his hardened flesh.


    Ronan closed his eyes and sighed.


    Even the mere act of lubricating was already too much for him. He had been erect for a long time. He needed to unload himself as soon as possible, but not yet. He needed to make Lucien feel good as well.


    ¡°Lulu, I aming in,¡± the Alpha announced, pressing his engorged penis against Lucien¡¯s softened hole.


    Lying on the bed, panting and sweating, Lucien merely gave a subtle nod.


    His waist was pulled downward and a steely rod was slowly fed into his expanded tunnel.


    The actual organ was after all longer and thicker than just three fingers.


    Lucien inadvertently started to squirm in difort again. His insides tensed up almost immediately, causing Ronan to groan from the tightness.


    ¡°Baby, don¡¯t clench so hard,¡± Ronan said in a husky voice. ¡°Rx. Let me in. I want to be inside you. Be one with you.¡±


    ¡°Mmmh...¡±


    Lucien wed into the mattress. No matter how many times they did it, the first pration would never be painless. Ronan was simply too big.


    Lucien opened his mouth in a silent scream when the Alpha mmed thest two inches home.


    His mouth was quickly captured into a kiss when Ronan shifted his weight on top of Lucien and started pounding into him.

 Chapter 193

    193 The Alpha¡¯s Greatest Shock (NSFW)


    ¡°Slow... Slowly,¡± Lucien begged while he endured Ronan¡¯s frantic assault.


    In his frenzy, the Alpha seemed to forget his initial n to make Lucien feel good.


    He pinned thetter against the bed and mmed hard into him mercilessly.


    Lucien felt like a dying man. It became increasingly difficult to breathe let alone feel good. All he could think about was that Ronan¡¯s incessant pounding must have dislocated some of his internal organs. And ruptured some.


    ¡°Ahh... Ahhh... Ronan, stop...¡± He begged, his broken voice shaking with every thrust.


    Instead of slowing down, Ronan pressed his lips against Lucien¡¯s to shut him up.


    Fingers intertwined on the pillow, their limbs locked together, Lucien had no way to free himself. He could only sumb to his fate.


    Until he got enough of being bullied.


    The sound of Lucien¡¯s patience thread snapping into two was so loud that it was a miracle that Ronan did not hear it.


    .....


    The Alpha merely felt an inexplicable chill running down his spine before Lucien bit him hard on the lower lip, pulled a leg free, and kicked him hard on the stomach. They were separated instantly.


    The force of the kick almost sent Ronan falling off the edge of the bed.


    On the bed, Lucien turned to his side and curled into a ball. His face was scrunched up from the pain.


    ¡°Asshole,¡± he muttered in resentment. ¡°I am not here to be fucked to death!¡±


    After getting kicked, Ronan sobered up somehow.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said while rushing to Lucien, his voice full of concern.


    ¡°Sorry, Lulu. Are you hurt?¡±


    Lucien groaned.


    ¡°Hurt? Do you need to see blood???¡±


    The Alpha hung his shoulders in depression.


    In the darkness, it was rather difficult to read Ronan¡¯s expression. Only his hunched frame gave hints about his inner turmoil.


    Lucien sighed. He raked his fingers through his hair and scowled.


    Their ruts were not going to go away until they finished what they already started.


    Having endured the force of the rut period alone for more than a day, Ronan needed it even more than Lucien.


    ¡°Come here,¡± Lucien said meekly, extending an arm at Ronan.


    Ronan breathed out of relief.


    The Alpha took Lucien¡¯s arm and peppered it with kisses, starting from his open palm to the inside part of his lower arm, the soft spot inside his elbow, and settled along the upper arm.


    ¡°Mmph...¡±


    Lucien pressed a hand against his mouth to stifle any noises that threatened to spill from his lips.


    Encouraged by Lucien¡¯s sweet voice, Ronan¡¯s kiss wandered to Lucien¡¯s shoulder, his teeth gently bit into thetter¡¯s corbone before he started licking and sucking on the side of Lucien¡¯s neck.


    When Ronan felt that Lucien was no longer angry, he pulled him to sit on hisp.


    The two men exchanged sweet, gentle kisses while their hands explored each other¡¯s bodies. Lucien¡¯s fingers rubbed against the defined pectoral muscles and the deep abdominal lines on Ronan¡¯s body.


    ¡°Do you like what you touch?¡± Ronan whispered into Lucien¡¯s ear, his hunting breath hot against thetter¡¯s earlobe.


    In response, Lucien¡¯s hands moved downward and seized Ronan¡¯s manhood in a tight grasp.


    The Alpha sucked in a deep breath.


    ¡°Lulu, be careful,¡± Ronan hissed.


    ¡°What if I am not?¡± Lucien asked him in a t tone.


    Ronan chuckled.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want me toe yet.¡±


    ¡°Oh really,¡± Lucien murmured gloomily. ¡°When do I want you toe then?¡±


    ¡°When I am inside you,¡± Ronan ended the conversation with a kiss.


    Ronan¡¯s hot andrge hands kneaded at Lucien¡¯s shapely back before they wandered to his waist and then to the twin plump flesh underneath.


    ¡°Um...¡±


    Lucien closed his eyes and arched his back. He slipped Ronan¡¯s penis into the gap between his thighs and gently rocked against it.


    Ronan dlyplied, helping Lucien with his hands.


    The bulbous tip poked into Lucien¡¯s hole with every thrust. While Lucien seemed to enjoy it, Ronan was in hell.


    ¡°Lulu, please,¡± he begged. ¡°Don¡¯t y games with me.¡±


    Lucien opened his eyes and pressed their foreheads together.


    ¡°Lift me,¡± hemanded. ¡°Then slowly go inside.¡±


    Ronan did what Lucien wanted him to do and pressed his penis against his lover¡¯s entrance.


    He thrust shallowly at first but then gradually went deeper.


    Judging from Lucien¡¯s silence, this was what he preferred too. Slow and sensual lovemaking despite what their raging pheromones were asking for.


    Ronan tilted his head in search of Lucien¡¯s lips. Once he found them, he locked their lips together in a passionate kiss. Lucien hooked his arms behind Ronan¡¯s neck and bounced gently on top of him.


    The sweet sensation of being enveloped by Lucien¡¯s warm and wet folds was overwhelming. His movement became faster and faster, but this time noint spilled from Lucien¡¯s mouth. The perfect curve of Ronan¡¯s meat de grazed against Lucien¡¯s sensitive points with every thrust. He too was nearing his limit and aching for release.


    Other than the heavy breathing sounds and asional moans, only the obscene sound of flesh pping against flesh filled the air.


    When Ronan could not take it anymore, he put both of his hands against Lucien¡¯s waist. Lucien was held down as Ronan thrust deep into him several times.


    ¡°Oh... no, I am...¡±


    Lucien was unable to finish his sentence. He started spasming and clenched hard around Ronan.


    Clenching his jaw from the stimtion, Ronan spread Lucien¡¯s buttcheeks with his hands and pushed onest time deep into thetter.


    ¡°Ah... Ahh...!!!¡±


    Lucien hugged Ronan¡¯s neck and came at the same time the Alpha popped a knot inside him. His penis jerked uncontrobly, sending spurts of cum sttering against their sweaty chests and abdomens.


    Inside Lucien, Ronan¡¯s swollen organ started spilling his seed into Lucien.


    Both of them sighed as they drowned in the sea of bliss. Ronan wrapped Lucien¡¯s body in his arms and pressed a kiss against thetter¡¯s neck.


    When his tonguepped around Lucien¡¯s nape, his mating instinct took over. It forced Ronan to bare his fangs and bite into Lucien¡¯s scent nd.


    Through the bite, he injected his pheromone into Lucien¡¯s body and marked him as his own.


    Lucien trembled slightly when it happened. The tension in his body eventually melted away as the Alpha¡¯s pheromone slowly enter his system.


    That was probably the best reaction that Ronan could hope for.


    Relieved that Lucien was not upset, Ronan prepared to release him. But then he felt an unfamiliar pain on his own nape.


    His eyes widened in shock when he realized what was happening.


    Lucien was biting into his scent nd!

 Chapter 194

    194 Greeting Each Other As Mates


    When two werewolves established their mating bond with each other, the mutual injection of each other¡¯s pheromones brought about physicochemical changes that took effect almost immediately.


    Exhausted physically, mentally, and emotionally, Ronan ended up passing out on the spot.


    Lucien remained lucid for some time before he too was knocked out for the night.


    When Lucien opened his eyes again in the morning, the first thing that crossed his mind was how warm and stuffy the air inside the bedroom was.


    He carefully disentangled himself from Ronan to prevent thetter from waking up.


    His clothes had been ripped to pieces so he had nothing to wear. He thus picked Ronan¡¯s shirt from a couch and draped it around his naked form.


    Walking across the bedroom, he found a ss door behind a set of thick curtains. It opened to a round balcony.


    As soon as he opened the door, the cold winter wind blew inside, purging the room of the smell of theirbined pheromones and sex.


    Lucien leaned against the railing andced his fingers together.


    .....


    ¡®Well, you did it!¡¯ Landon spoke up in Lucien¡¯s head. ¡®I am so proud of you!¡¯


    Blood gave rise to the crimson blush on Lucien¡¯s cheeks when he was reminded of what he and Ronan did the previous night.


    ¡®It feels surreal,¡¯ he told his wolf. ¡®We haven¡¯t even got married yet.¡¯


    Lucien did not have any problem consummating his rtionship with Ronan, but he did have some reservations about sealing a mating bond with him prior to the marriage.


    Landon, on the other side, could not care less.


    ¡®You human beings always make it soplicated,¡¯ he growled. ¡®If it were up to me and Beowulf, we would have done it weeks ago.¡¯


    He of course was referring to the time he had sex with Beowulf.


    Lucien cringed.


    ¡®Stop, I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡¯


    Landon scoffed.


    ¡®What, you and Ronan can fuck each other freely but you can¡¯t stand it when I do the same with Beowulf???¡¯


    ¡®Just... Don¡¯t talk about it, okay?¡¯


    Landon howled inside Lucien¡¯s head.


    ¡®Anyway. We worked hard to get to this point. Don¡¯t waste this chance for happiness.¡¯


    ¡®Mmm.¡¯


    While Lucien busied himself with his wolf and his thoughts, the other man on the bed stirred.


    ¡®I can¡¯t say that I am not surprised,¡¯ Beowulf immediately started to talk in Ronan¡¯s head. ¡®But wow. Absolutely fantastic. Lucien is such a dream.¡¯


    A dream?


    ¡®Was it all a dream, then?¡¯ Ronan asked dumbly.


    Beowulf cackled like a hyena.


    ¡®Why don¡¯t you check your nape for an answer?¡¯


    Ronan lifted a hand and started rubbing against his neck. When his finger touched Lucien¡¯s bitemark, he immediately hissed from the pain.


    It was real.


    The pain was real.


    The bitemark was real.


    He could still taste Lucien¡¯s blood in his mouth.


    Yesterday, he and Lucien...


    A faint blush appeared on the Alpha¡¯s cheeks. He rubbed against his face with one hand, while the other hand brushed against the empty spot on the bed. Lucien¡¯s scent lingered on the bed, but the man was not there.


    ¡®Where is he?¡¯ Ronan asked again. ¡®Did he run away after marking me?¡¯


    Beowulf cackled again.


    ¡®Find out for yourself. Just don¡¯t mess it up this time.¡¯


    Ronan lifted himself to a sitting position with a groan. His whole body felt sore and sticky. And the room was freezing cold!


    Ronan pulled the nket off the bed and wrapped it around his body as he walked toward the source of the cold air.


    The view was amazing.


    Barefooted and only wearing Ronan¡¯s overge shirt, Lucien was leaning against the railing. Beneath the singleyer of fabric were the fair shoulders that Ronan loved to squeeze, the slender waist that he loved to grab, and the two round flesh that he loved to knead.


    The Alpha had to swallow hard in order to not jump at Lucien and push himself inside the sweet spot between his legs again.


    Lucien must still be sore from the previous night.


    Ronan cleared his throat, pulling Lucien out of his daydreams.


    The man straightened his form and turned to face Ronan.


    ¡°Awake? How are you feeling?¡±


    In response, Ronan pulled Lucien into the bedroom and closed the door leading to the balcony.


    ¡°It¡¯s cold outside,¡± he murmured.


    Ronan took Lucien in his arms and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. Lucien¡¯s lips were like ice. And so was his whole body.


    ¡°Look at you, your body is so cold,¡± Ronan said with a hint of irritation. ¡°You will get sick if you stay even a minute longer out there.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, sorry.¡±


    He could not help it. The cold air helped to clear his mind and quench the burning fire in his heart.


    ¡°Lulu, yesterday we...¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    Ronan tightened his hug around Lucien¡¯s slender body. Warmth crept into his heart when his hug was returned by Lucien. He inhaled a lungful of Lucien¡¯s scent and rubbed his head against his lover¡¯s affectionately.


    ¡°I dreamed about this moment many times,¡± Ronan said in a low voice. ¡°You and me, finally marking each other and bing true mates. There is nothing I have ever wished for more.¡±


    Lucien buried his face into Ronan¡¯s neck and nted a kiss against his corbone.


    ¡°Are you happy that the dream finallyes true, then?¡±


    Ronan hummed.


    ¡°More than what I can express with words.¡±


    Lucien brushed against Ronan¡¯s lips with his thumb while his other fingers rubbed at Ronan¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He queried.


    Ronan squeezed at Lucien¡¯s fingers and gave them a reverent kiss.


    ¡°I am, it¡¯s just...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just what?¡± Lucien urged him to speak.


    Ronan sighed.


    ¡°I have always wanted it to be the most beautiful moment of our life. A grand celebration of our union as mates.¡±


    Lucien lowered his eyes and pulled away from Ronan.


    ¡°Was it not beautiful then?¡± He asked, gently pushing against Ronan¡¯s chest.


    There was a hint of disappointment in Lucien¡¯s tone. Panic climbed into Ronan¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Of course it was beautiful,¡± he said frantically, grabbing Lucien¡¯s shoulders hard and forcing thetter to face his direction again.


    ¡°I just wished that it happened in better circumstances.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s lips parted slightly and an ¡°Oh¡± escaped his lips.

 Chapter 195

    195 The Undeserved Treatment


    The Alpha pulled his mate into his arms again and groaned in distress.


    Binding each other as mates was supposed to be the penultimate milestone in his rtionship with Lucien, thest one being spending their life together until death did them part. He wanted it to be perfect. It just had to be perfect.


    Right now it barely fulfilled his expectations.


    Of course Ronan was happy that Lucien finally became his mate, but he was still grieving for his mother. He was unable to fully rejoice. It felt so wrong to even feel the slightest tinge of joy.


    And that made Ronan feel even worse.


    He did not want Lucien to think that he was not happy.


    He was. Lucien¡¯s willingness to be his mate meant the world to him.


    He just did not know how to show it under these circumstances.


    Against Beowulf¡¯s warning, he just had to mess it up again.


    .....


    Ronan would love to smack his head against the wall a few times.


    Lucien heaved a deep sigh. He patted Ronan¡¯s cheek lovingly before locking his jaw and forcing him to look into Lucien¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Now you listen to me, Ronan Silverback,¡± Lucien narrowed his eyes and growled at his mate. ¡°I did not do it for the hype. I did it for us.¡±


    He then cupped Ronan¡¯s face in his hands.


    ¡°Ronan, I will never be able to fully understand the heavy loss that you sustained. I just want you to know that I am here for you.¡±


    When Ronan averted his eyes, Lucien grabbed his chin again and forced the Alpha to look at him.


    ¡°I am your mate. Don¡¯t exclude me from your life. Share your pain with me, I can take it.¡±


    His mate.


    A soft sigh escaped Ronan¡¯s lips.


    How ironic, he thought. He just lost his mother, the only person he acknowledged as his family member. He felt so alone in this world. So lonely.


    And then Lucien came and chose the moment to establish a mating bond with him. To be part of his family.


    Ronan tilted Lucien¡¯s head upward and kissed him.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he whispered. ¡°Thank you for being by my side. Thank you for being my mate.¡±


    ¡°Likewise,¡± the other man replied curtly.


    Lucien hooked his arms around Ronan¡¯s neck and pulled him deeper into the kiss.


    They sucked gently on each other¡¯s lips, letting their hands wander around the other person¡¯s body. Pinching, kneading, rubbing any soft part that they could reach.


    ¡°I love you,¡± Ronan said again between kisses. ¡°I love you so much.¡±


    He just loved Lucien so much.


    He loved his beauty, his alluring body, his stubbornness, and even his foul mouth.


    There were endless words that could be used to describe him, but those words would never be able to urately portray Lucien¡¯splexity.


    He loved the man in his arms so much. So much, so that the word ¡°love¡± seemed to do his feelings injustice. He needed another, stronger word to tell Lucien how he felt about him.


    ¡°Marry me,¡± he begged again although Lucien already said yes to his proposal a long time ago.


    Lucien chuckled.


    ¡°You took advantage of me so many times, and we were joined together as mates yesterday night. If you don¡¯t marry me, I will submit aint to the Werewolf Council.¡±


    A bitter smile appeared on Ronan¡¯s face.


    ¡°I want nothing more than marry you this very second.¡±


    Ronan inhaled a deep breath before he clenched his jaw.


    ¡°But I am sorry, Lulu. I can¡¯t marry you for now. Not for a few months, I fear. It feels wrong.¡±


    Ronan released Lucien. Groaning in frustration, he turned around and rubbed at his face with both hands.


    He did not think that he would be in the mood for any festivities anytime soon.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said again.


    It was rather ungentlemanly of him to break his promise to Lucien, he knew that. But he could not help it.


    A warm bodytched itself at Ronan¡¯s back and hugged him from behind.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Lucien said, leaning his head against Ronan¡¯s powerful back. ¡°Take as much time as you need. I don¡¯t want to marry you during the mourning period anyway.¡±


    Lady Adele Fangde¡¯s death deserved to be mourned properly.


    Speaking about mourning...


    Lucien disentangled himself from Ronan and pulled at thetter¡¯s upper arm to gain his attention.


    ¡°Ronan, do you want me to handle your mother¡¯s funeral? I can do that as your mate.¡±


    Lucien meant well, but unexpectedly Ronan shook his head. His gaze was empty when he forced himself to exin further, ¡°No need. Mom was cremated two days ago.¡±


    Lucien was shocked.


    Cremated?


    So soon?


    It was not the standard procedure to handle death in the werewolfmunity. Cremation was something that was done only to...


    Lucien failed to prevent himself from gasping.


    Ronan looked up at him, his sorrow was reflected in his reddened eyes.


    ¡°Ronan, I... am so, so sorry,¡± Lucien said helplessly.


    Ronan scoffed.


    ¡°It is how it is. There is no need to sugarcoat it.¡±


    Lucien shook his head in disbelief.


    He forgot that Lady Adele Fangde rejected Ronan¡¯s father and divorced him. She was no longer part of the Infinite Eclipse Pack. She was, however crude and tasteless, basically a rogue she-wolf.


    Rogue werewolves, male or female, had no ce in the werewolfmunity. They were considered traitors, infidels, no longer the sons and daughters of the Moon Goddess. Even in death, they had no ce among the other honorable werewolves.


    That was the cruel fate that the werewolfmunity bestowed on the outcasts.


    Ronan walked toward the living room and came back with a decorative urn in his hands.


    ¡°She¡¯s in here,¡± he said curtly while caressing the urn lovingly. ¡°My mom. Sad, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Lucien gazed at the urn sadly.


    It felt like yesterday when thedy put his arms around Lucien, telling him to choose happiness, telling him to take care of Ronan.


    Lady Adele Fangde was the sun in Ronan¡¯s life. The sun had been reduced to ash, stuffed into an urn that barely deserved to contain the magnificence of the werewolf inside.


    It was too unfair.


    Lucien curled his fingers into fists.


    ¡°You know what?¡± he snarled. ¡°Let¡¯s do something about it.¡±


    Ronan stared at Lucien.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Lady Adele Fangde deserves better treatment,¡± Lucien decided. ¡°Let¡¯s give her that.¡±

 Chapter 196

    196 The Alpha And His Mate Were Full Of Surprises


    After delivering Lucien to Ronan¡¯s bedroom, Jake went back to his apartment and slumped at the entrance as soon as he got inside.


    Cassie, his mate, rushed out with their little daughter Wi in her arms.


    ¡°How is the Alpha doing?¡± She asked while pulling the Beta to his feet.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Jake answered truthfully. ¡°I picked Lucien up and left him at Ronan¡¯s apartment. I hope he can coax him somehow.¡±


    Cassie sighed.


    Wi made baby noises and stretched her tiny arms at her father. Jake took her into his arms and pressed a kiss on her forehead.


    ¡°Good girl, Wi.¡±


    ¡°It was so sudden,¡± Cassie pulled at Jake¡¯s elbow and led him to sit in the living room. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to make of it.¡±


    ¡°Her nurse said that she passed away peacefully. That was not too bad, was it?¡± Jake pressed his chin against Wi¡¯s head.


    .....


    ¡°Her death might not be that bad, but the way they handled her body...¡±


    ¡°Cassie, say no more,¡± Jake pleaded. ¡°It was Mr. Dane Silverback¡¯s prerogative. It is none of our business.¡±


    Cassie clicked with her tongue and furrowed her brows.


    ¡°It is not,¡± she agreed. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t mean that I can¡¯t speak up my mind within the safety of our four walls.¡±


    Jake said nothing. He yed with Wi¡¯s tiny fingers instead.


    If he were to be brutally honest, he too could not understand Mr. Dane Silverback¡¯s way of thinking sometimes.


    Upon being informed of his ex-mate¡¯s death, the elder man rushed to St. rence and ordered an immediate cremation.


    By the time Ronan arrived at the mortuary, his mother¡¯s body was already set aze.


    He did not even get to say goodbye.


    Heartbroken and shattered into pieces, Ronan had to swallow his bitterness in public.


    Jake still got chills in his spine whenever he remembered the way Ronan looked at his father¡¯s back when thetter left.


    It was filled with utmost hatred. Ronan was never going to forgive his father for treating his mother¡¯s corpse this way.


    It was undignified.


    It was heartless.


    The Alpha waited for hours until the ash cooled down and collected inside the urn. During the ride back home, he held the urn close to his heart. His gaze was empty and no word escaped his lips.


    That was thest time Jake saw him, because after that he locked himself inside his bedroom and rejected all attempts ofmunication.


    The Beta took a deep breath.


    Please, please, Lucien.


    You are my only hope.


    Please get Ronan out of the bedroom.


    We still need our Alpha.


    The afternoon went without news. The night arrived and there was still nothing. Jake went to sleep with a chaotic mind.


    Sleeping for a whole night had its own benefit. He felt a lot better.


    After breakfast, he went to spend some time with his wife and his baby daughter; cherishing family moments that were hard toe by.


    Werewolf pups, particrly alpha pups, grew up faster than normal human being babies. Wi was able to crawl when she reached the age of three months.


    These days, Cassie was busy training Wi to walk and talk.


    Jake was told to sit still and encouraged Wi as she stumbled and fell on her way to her father¡¯s arms. Babies were so cute, Jake thought. He would love to have more.


    Once Wi was older, Cassie might be open to the discussion.


    ¡®Jake.¡¯


    Jake ripped his eyes open in shock. He was so surprised by the sudden call that he choked on his spit and coughed violently.


    Cassie took Wi away in a hurry and stared at her husband. ¡°Jake? What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I mean... Wait.¡±


    ¡®Yes, Alpha?¡¯


    ¡®I need the car keys. I aming down to your apartment now.¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    Oh, Goddess.


    Lucien, you are a miracle!


    You are the savior of the whole pack!


    Jake jumped to his feet and grabbed the car keys from a basket that hung at their door entrance.


    By the time he reached his front door, Lucien was about to push the doorbell.


    Jake gaped at the couple.


    He smelled something different about them.


    Their scents had changed. Ronan¡¯s sandalwood scent now carried an air of sweetness while Lucien¡¯s sweet orange scent was nowced with a distinct, exotic aroma.


    Jake¡¯s eyes unwittingly wandered to Ronan¡¯s neck, but it was covered perfectly under his clothing.


    Ronan and Lucien had marked each other!


    It happenedst night.


    There was no mistake about it, Jake was pretty sure.


    Ronan regarded Jake with a cool expression.


    ¡°Keys,¡± he said.


    ¡°Oh, here,¡± the Beta hastily handed over Ronan¡¯s keys.


    The Alpha took the car keys and put an arm around Lucien¡¯s waist.


    ¡°Thanks. I will be gone for a while.¡±


    Jake stared at Lucien, demanding some sort of exnation. Lucien, unfortunately, had nothing to say. He merely gave Jake a wistful smile. In his arms, he held the urn that contained the remains of Lady Adele Fangde.


    ¡°Um, Alpha, excuse me. Where are you nning to go?¡±


    Ronan furrowed his brows in annoyance. He looked at Lucien, who gave him a subtle nod.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, you can tell Jake.¡±


    ¡°To the North Ridge Forest,¡± Ronan said solemnly.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Jake said in response.


    He gaped at Ronan and Lucien as they departed.


    Once he got back inside his apartment, he went to the kitchen to pour himself a drink.


    ¡°Why are you drinking vodka in the morning?¡± Cassieined. ¡°Was that Alpha Ronan?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Jake said, emptying the ss in one gulp despite Cassie¡¯s objection.


    ¡°Is he out of his bedroom? That¡¯s wonderful! Fine, you can drink one ss.¡±


    ¡°They marked each other,¡± Jake blurted like an overflowing fountain.


    Cassie¡¯s jaw fell open.


    ¡°They what?¡±


    ¡°I said, they became bonded mates.¡±


    Cassie stared.


    ¡°Your eyes were ying tricks on you,¡± she decided.


    ¡°I also smelled it.¡±


    ¡°So was your nose.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    .....


    Jake poured himself a second ss before he continued, ¡°They are reporting their wedding n today.¡±


    Cassie stared at Jake in disbelief. ¡°What the hell? No way!¡±


    ¡°He told me that they are going to North Ridge Forest,¡± Jake said with a gloomy face. ¡°I am pretty sure that¡¯s why.¡±

 Chapter 197

    197 Proper Farewell At The Eternal Sleep Lake


    The two men stood solemnly at the edge of Eternal Sleep Lake that morning.


    Above them, the gloomy clouds covered the vast expanse of sky. The greyish fluffs were reflected in the clearke water, drifting in an unhurried pace from the edge of theke to the center.


    Ronan held the urn with both hands. His empty gaze drifted along the water surface, seeking sce in the resting ce of all werewolves, generation after generation.


    Lucien touched the small spot on Ronan¡¯s back.


    ¡°Ronan?¡±


    The Alpha snapped back from his trance and cleared his throat.


    ¡°My Mom was an only daughter, thest person who carried the name of the Fangde family. Her parents doted on her a lot. Although the family never belonged to any pack, she was raised properly as a high-born she-wolf, more than what most Alpha¡¯s daughters can say about their upbringings.


    She is loyal and has never once strayed from the righteous path.


    When her parents asked her to marry into the Silverback family, she agreed without a single word ofint. Even though she knew the circumstances that surrounded her future husband.


    .....


    She kept to herself, working hard to be a good Luna to Infinite Eclipse Pack and a better mother for her son.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s voice trembled when tears fell across his cheeks.


    ¡°Mom, I love you. I am going to miss you so much. Thank you for giving birth to me, raising me, and teaching me how to be a good Alpha.


    Without you, there will not be me.


    And I am sorry for not being there during yourst moments.¡±


    Lucien rubbed Ronan¡¯s upper arm to soothe him.


    ¡°Lady Adele Fangde was a remarkable person,¡± he said. ¡°I wish I had the chance to get to know her. I would love for her to get to know me, too.¡±


    Ronan wiped at his eyes.


    ¡°She knows you.¡±


    Lucien widened his eyes in disbelief.


    ¡°Huh? How?¡±


    Ronan sniffled.


    ¡°Well, she was my confidante. I told her everything about us. Starting from our meeting, our breakup, our reunion, up until now.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien was a little speechless. ¡°I wish I knew about her earlier.¡±


    Ronan chuckled.


    ¡°It was a little difficult to do that when we were busy preparing for war and other things. Besides, I always thought that we had more time.¡±


    Lucien nodded apprehensively.


    The good times neversted long enough, the bad times never ended soon enough. Time was but an independent constant. It flowed gently but also mercilessly, forcing all living beings to drift together into the sea of uncertainty.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± He asked softly.


    ¡°Mmhm.¡±


    Ronan took off the lid of the urn and tilted it toward theke.


    A gust of wind blew almost immediately, taking with it the content of the urn and letting it spill into theke.


    ¡°Goodbye, Lady Adele Fangde,¡± Lucien whispered.


    ¡°Bye, Mom,¡± Ronan choked with sobs.


    When they finished scattering the ash, snowkes started to fall from the sky into theke. At the same time, the sky cleared up and the sun shone brightly upon them.


    Lucien shielded his eyes from the sun when he looked up at the sky.


    ¡°It is a good day to return to the Moon Goddess,¡± he remarked.


    ¡°Mhm, it is,¡± Ronan said, smiling sadly.


    It was almost as if the sky opened up for Lady Adele Fangde, epting the most precious daughter back to her mother¡¯s arms.


    Ronan leaned closer to Lucien and kissed his lips under the falling snow. Lucien¡¯s lips were icy cold. Not too different from his own.


    They had been standing outside for almost an hour after all.


    When Lucien spoke about scattering Lady Adele Fangde¡¯s ash into the Eternal Sleep Lake, Ronan was at first reluctant.


    He had wanted to keep her ash with him.


    But then Lucien convinced him that every werewolf mustplete the cycle and return to the Moon Goddess. The werewolf society denied her the right, so Ronan as her son had to make it happen for her.


    Now that it was done, Ronan felt as if the chains that tied his heart to the bottom of the sea ever since his mother passed away were broken.


    His mother was free.


    And so was he.


    Ronan smiled at his mate.


    ¡°Thank you for being with me, Lulu.¡±


    Lucien patted Ronan¡¯s cheek lovingly. ¡°I would not want to be anywhere but here with you.¡±


    Sharing your pain and joy, we will always be together. You and me.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Ronan said, clearing his throat again. ¡°Shall we go?¡±


    ¡°Mmm, let¡¯s go,¡± Lucien replied.


    Their job was done.


    The two werewolves made their way to the waiting car at the forest entrance.


    By chance, someone was standing near their car.


    Ronan¡¯s face was distorted into a mask of fury when he saw who it was.


    It was none other than Dane Silverback.


    The elder man was draped in a thick ck coat. His eyes drifted from Ronan to Lucien, and finally settled on the empty urn in Ronan¡¯s arms.


    Lucien swallowed. His steps inadvertently became slower, but Ronan¡¯s did not. It was as if he was prepared for a confrontation.


    The father and son stood in front of each other, the first time they met after they parted at the mortuary.


    ¡°So,¡± Dane Silverback narrowed his eyes at Ronan. He pulled at Ronan¡¯s cor and saw the bite wound that Lucien left on his nape.


    Anger shed across his eyes.


    At his son, and then at Lucien.


    He did not want to believe his nose at first. He just had to take a look, and Ronan was more than happy to show him.


    ¡°Do you want to see Lucien¡¯s nape too?¡± Ronan taunted with a cynical smile.


    ¡°No need,¡± Dane snapped.


    Ronan chuckled when Dane released his cor angrily, passing him a p on the chest right after.


    The elder man walked past Ronan. When he stood in front of Lucien, he only had a few words to tell him, ¡°You are going to regret thister.¡±

 Chapter 198

    198 The Memorial Service


    Lucien was visibly distracted on their trip back home. Dane Silverback¡¯s words left a shadow in his heart and made him restless.


    When Lucien was restless, so was Ronan.


    The Alpha squeezed his mate¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Are you worried?¡±


    Lucien cut him a curt smile.


    ¡°It would be a lie if I say that I am not.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There is nothing he can do. He just said that out of spite.¡±


    Lucien hummed and squeezed back at Ronan¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said absent-mindedly.


    Ronan stole a nce at his mate.


    .....


    ¡°Lulu, I am thinking of hosting a small gathering at the pack house. Something like a memorial service in remembrance of my mother. I want to invite my mom¡¯s living rtives who shared the Fangde family¡¯s blood, her nurse Edith, her trusted friends.


    Can you help me with the preparation?¡±


    Lucien nodded.


    ¡°Sure. For today, I n to tidy up the boxes from Blue Hill City.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no worries about that. I asked someone toe to clean up after we left.¡±


    Lucien raised an eyebrow.


    When they got back to Ronan¡¯s apartment, the boxes had indeed disappeared, their contents neatly arranged in the only other bedroom in the apartment.


    There was only one problem with the otherwise wonderful private chamber.


    There was no bed.


    Not even a single couch or chair or footrest.


    Lucien turned on his heels and frowned at Ronan, who did not look apologetic at all.


    ¡°This looks more like a storage room,¡± heined.


    Ronan pulled his mate to his arms and gave him a peck on the lips.


    ¡°It is,¡± he admitted. ¡°Your bedroom is my bedroom. We should not spend any night apart from each other.¡±


    ¡°Oh really,¡± Lucien sneered. ¡°And what will you do if I one day kick you out of the bed?¡±


    Ronan made puppy eyes at him. ¡°If my dear Lulu wishes to let me sleep on the floor, then sleep on the floor I will.¡±


    Lucien pinched the bridge of Ronan¡¯s nose. ¡°You better keep your words.¡±


    At night, Lucien called his mother and told her about what happened in the past two days.


    The elder woman sighed at the other end of the line.


    ¡°How unfortunate. She was an exceptional individual.¡±


    Alice recalled the brief conversation she had with Ronan¡¯s mother back at the hospital.


    Thedy initially did not look favorably upon Alice Clearwater who viciously hit her son with a bag. But then after a few exchanges, they learned to appreciate each other.


    Part of it was because she spoke highly of Lucien.


    Lady Adele Fangde was a huge supporter of Ronan¡¯s rtionship with Lucien. She told Alice that Alice should feel free to punish Ronan if the Alpha ever dared to bully Lucien.


    Alice would have loved to know Lady Adele Fangde better. s, the Moon Goddess had another n for her.


    ¡°Is Ronan alright?¡±


    ¡°He will be,¡± Lucien answered. ¡°Mom, we n to conduct a memorial service for thedy. Are you interested toe?¡±


    ¡°Of course!¡± Alice quickly said. ¡°I would love to be there.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, alright.¡±


    Lucien put a tick next to his mother¡¯s name on the list.


    After he ended the call, he nced upon the many names that had yet to be verified.


    Ronan had personally scratched out Dane Silverback¡¯s name.


    Most of them were elder people who did not look favorably upon written invitations. The best way to reach out to them was through phone calls. Naturally, the one who called could not just be anyone.


    Ronan and Lucien split the names between them. Ronan called those who were especially close to him, while Lucien got the rest.


    Lucien also busied himself with the preparation. Thankfully, Cassie and Quinn were there to help him. The two she-wolves were surprised to meet Lucien for the first time.


    At first nce, they thought of him as a beauty.


    At second nce, they saw the loving gazes that the Alpha and his mate threw at each other.


    It truly made them melt.


    And a little envious, too.


    A weekter, written invitations were sent out just for formalities. The memorial service was to be hosted in the Infinite Eclipse Pack House¡¯s banquet hall three dayster in the evening.


    Lucien, Cassie, and Quinn worked from morning to decorate the hall, putting up ck silk ribbons and arranging white chrysanthemums in vases, and cing them all around the hall.


    A huge portrait of Lady Adele Fangde was put up in the center of the room, adorned with colorful flowers.


    Having finished just in time, all that was left was waiting for the guests toe and attend the memorial service.


    Ronan and Lucien wore matching ck suits for mourning. They stood at the hall entrance to greet the guests one by one.


    It was more like a private, intimate gathering that did not carry the name of Infinite Eclipse Pack. The guests more or less knew each other through association with Ronan and his mother.


    Words offort were exchanged between the grieving guests.


    Lucien and Ronan felt even closer to Lady Fangde after hearing tales from thetter¡¯s childhood and youth.


    She was known to be a vibrant, delightful child that brought happiness wherever she went.


    Everyone greatly bemoaned her early departure from the living world. They all agreed that thedy deserved better.


    Halfway through the service, a few more people came to offer their condolences.


    This group came from the Irond ws Pack. The Alpha, his mother, and his eldest daughter Lillian Woond.


    Beautiful as a blooming flower in spring as always, Lillian never failed to make an appearance.


    This time she attracted even more attention to herself because other than the beautiful sleeveless dress that she wore, she also sported a pregnant belly under her heart.


    Her sight knocked the air out of Lucien¡¯s lungs. He took a deep breath but it was as if the room was depleted of oxygen. Dane Silverback¡¯s words kept reverberating in his head.


    ¡°You are going to regret thister.¡±

 Chapter 199

    199 The Father Of Lillian¡¯s Baby


    ¡°Lulu!¡±


    Lucien was pale and drenched in a cold sweat. At some point, he had a feeling that he was tumbling to the floor, but Ronan¡¯s arm around his waist kept him in a standing position.


    The man was still struggling to breathe. The people around him turned into blurry shadows.


    ¡°Ronan, I...¡±


    Lucien closed his eyes and leaned against Ronan¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡®I really don¡¯t feel good.¡¯


    ¡®I think I am going to be sick.¡¯


    Ronan pressed a kiss on the side of Lucien¡¯s head.


    ¡®Breathe, Lulu. Don¡¯t worry. Everything will be alright.¡¯


    .....


    Lucien was not too sure about that.


    The group from Irond ws slowly made their way through the crowd as they greeted and engaged in some small talks with the other guests.


    Atst, Lillian Woond stood before them.


    She cocked her head to the side and smiled at Ronan.


    ¡°Hello, Alpha Ronan. It is nice to see you again.¡±


    Ronan gave her a polite smile while squeezing Lucien tighter to his body. The man in his arms could not rip his eyes off Lillian¡¯s belly. It was as if he expected a pup to emerge any moment and tell him who the father was.


    ¡°Likewise, I did not expect you to be here at all.¡±


    Lillian chuckled while she rubbed the swell on her belly.


    ¡°I apologize for being away for so long. As soon as I fell pregnant, the Healer told me to rest until the fetus is stabilized.¡±


    Lillian¡¯s smile became wider as her eyes shifted from Ronan to Lucien, who became increasingly paler with further exchanges.


    ¡°But then I thought, I should really be here tonight. After all, it is the memorial service for the grandmother of my baby.¡±


    An audible gasp was heard, followed by a ss of wine that came crashing on the floor.


    It was unclear who dropped the ss to the floor. The body in Ronan¡¯s arms went limp right away


    Lucien fell unconscious from the shock.


    ¡°LULU!¡± Alice shouted in terror.


    She quickly pushed her way through the crowd to be at her son¡¯s side.


    ¡°Lulu???¡±


    Alice patted Lucien¡¯s cheek but thetter gave no response at all.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± Ronan told Lillian with a darkened face. ¡°My mate is feeling under the weather.¡±


    The smile on Lillian¡¯s face disappeared within an instant. A strange light shed across her eyes when she heard the words ¡°my mate¡±. Wordlessly, she nodded and joined her father and grandmother.


    Ronan lifted Lucien into his arms and stalked out of the banquet hall. Just as his silhouette disappeared from the door frame, the hall broke into an uproar.


    The Alpha clenched his jaw in fury.


    If Lillian Woond wanted to y, he, Ronan Silverback, was more than happy to beat her in her own game.


    Alice Clearwater could not care less about the gossip that circted behind the Alpha¡¯s back. She followed closely behind Ronan with a face that was equally if not darker than the Alpha¡¯s.


    Ronan kicked the door open impatiently and lowered his mate to the couch.


    Lucien¡¯s breathing was irregr. He kept wing at his neck, almost as if he was suffocating on something.


    Ronan pulled at Lucien¡¯s tie and loosened his cor.


    A soft sigh escaped Lucien, and the knit between his brows loosened gradually.


    Behind him, Ronan heard Alice Clearwater¡¯s furious footsteps.


    Once she reached Ronan, she wed at the Alpha¡¯s shoulder and forced him to face her.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, I thought that you were worthy of my son,¡± she spat directly with tears glistening in her eyes. Lucien rarely allowed strangers to see him in his weakest moments. Her son must be in so much pain.


    Alice could not imagine how hurt Lucien must be.


    ¡°You have just sealed a mating contract with my son. What are you going to do with the bastard pup in that woman¡¯s stomach???¡±


    Ronan turned to look at Alice.


    ¡°Mother,¡± he called her, melting Alice¡¯s cold front away with one word. ¡°I belong to Lucien. Heart, body, and soul. I will put an end to this matter. I won¡¯t let Lucien suffer.¡±


    Alice red at Ronan. Maybe it was the Alpha¡¯s dominance, maybe it was not. Alice feltpelled to believe her son¡¯s mate, but her brain told her that it was not as easy as it sounded.


    She wanted to question Ronan like a criminal, hear how he wanted to ¡°put an end to this matter¡±, but Ronan too had just found out about this bastard pup¡¯s existence. Of course he could not give her any answer. Not now, at least.


    On the couch, Lucien stirred. He tossed around on the bed with knitted brows.


    ¡°No,¡± he cried. ¡°No...¡±


    ¡°Lulu.¡±


    Ronan turned to Alice. ¡°Sorry Mother, can you give us a minute?¡±


    After throwing onest look at her pitiful son, Alice rose to her feet and left.


    ¡°Lulu. Lulu!¡±


    Ronan put his hands on Lucien¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°Lulu, it¡¯s me.¡±


    Lucien opened his eyes and stared right into Ronan¡¯s greenish-blue eyes.


    He then shoved the Alpha hard on the chest.


    Unprepared for the sudden shove, Ronan almost fell from the couch.


    ¡°You,¡± Lucien gave him a sorrowful look. ¡°You said that... That I was the only one.¡±


    Ronan did not get it at first. He only understood when he caught the few words that Lucien murmured under his breath afterward.


    ¡°Protection. You said I was the only one without.¡±


    ¡°You are!¡± Ronan insisted.


    ¡°Liar!!!¡±


    A crisp p fell on Ronan¡¯s cheek. Tears fell from Lucien¡¯s eyes, blurring Ronan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Your father was right,¡± he muttered under his breath, his words muffled by the hands that he pressed against his face to stop the flood of tears.


    Merely hearing the two words ¡°your father¡± was enough to set Ronan¡¯s heart ame.


    ¡°He is not!¡± Ronan shouted, grabbing Lucien¡¯s wrists and pulling them away from thetter¡¯s face.


    Lucien never knew that he could feel so much pain without having a physical wound. He grabbed Ronan¡¯s cor and hissed at him, ¡°Then exin to me where the baby came from.¡±

 Chapter 200

    200 Lillian Woond Wanted To Talk


    Ronan squeezed at Lucien¡¯s hands while ring at his mate.


    ¡°Whoever put his seed in her belly, it was not me!¡±


    Lucien¡¯s tears spilled again. He tried to push Ronan away again, but thetter hugged him tight in his arms.


    ¡°Let me go,¡± Lucien said weakly, his face buried into Ronan¡¯s chest.


    ¡°No,¡± Ronan said in response. ¡°Lulu, I swear. That baby is not mine.¡±


    ¡°How are you so sure...?¡±


    ¡°Because I...¡±


    Suddenly, a female voice rang out from behind Ronan. To be precise, the person was standing at the door.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, can we talk?¡±


    .....


    Ronan did not even bother to turn around.


    ¡°Not now,¡± he hissed. ¡°Leave.¡±


    Lillian Woond did not move from her spot. She lowered her eyes to her protruding belly and insisted, ¡°We need to talk.¡±


    Still pressed against Ronan¡¯s body like a ragged doll, Lucien mumbled a ¡°Go¡± but Ronan refused to. For him, the most important thing right now was to take care of Lucien. Everything else came second tost.


    ¡®Go and find out what she wants,¡¯ Lucien spoke through the Mind Link.


    ¡®I don¡¯t want to leave you alone here. I don¡¯t care what she wants,¡¯ Ronan replied, gnashing his teeth in fury.


    ¡®I need a healer. Get me someone. I will wait here until you are done talking to her.¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®Go,¡¯ Lucien urged Ronan.


    Against his will, Ronany Lucien gently on the couch and gave Jake an order through Mind Link.


    ¡®Jake, get me a healer. Lucien is not feelingfortable.¡¯


    Jake was also present during the memorial service. He already waited with a healer outside of the room, just waiting for Ronan to call for him.


    ¡®Alpha, I am outside,¡¯ Jake informed him. ¡®I have a Healer with me. Please rest assured.¡¯


    Ronan lowered his head and kissed Lucien on the lips. He then rose to his feet and shot daggers at Lillian, who still stood at the entrance without the least bit of guilt.


    ¡°I thought you want to talk,¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°Don¡¯t stand where Lucien can see you. Your presence agitates him.¡±


    Lillian said nothing in response. She took her eyes off the man who was lying on the couch weakly and followed Ronan to another room.


    Ronan led Lillian to the audience hall.


    As soon as Lillian closed the door behind her, Ronan gave her a piercing gaze. ¡°Speak. I don¡¯t have much time for you.¡±


    Lillian put a hand over her swollen belly.


    ¡°I recall you being a lot nicer during ourst meeting,¡± she said.


    She was of course referring to the morning after the Moon Banquet, when they woke up next to each other on the bed.


    ¡°That baby is not mine,¡± Ronan said. ¡°Stop lying and tell everyone out there, including your father and your grandmother, that you let someone else impregnate you.¡±


    Lillian chuckled. She shook her head whileughing as if the man in front of her was not the Alpha of Infinite Eclipse Pack but some werewolf pup that was still green behind the ears.


    ¡°Stopughing,¡± Ronan hissed. ¡°Thanks to you, Lucien suffered from a breakdown.¡±


    Lillian indeed stoppedughing. She cocked her head to the side and stared into Ronan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I am curious,¡± she said. ¡°You were so drunk that night. How did you know that this baby was not yours?¡±


    Ronan scoffed.


    ¡°Have you forgotten where we allegedly had sex and conceived this miracle baby? It was my bedroom suite at Carlton Bay. After your mysterious disappearance, I recovered the CCTV recording and saw what happened that night.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    No wonder, then, Lillian thought.


    That night, they were really close to having sex.


    Against better judgment, Lillian was willing to give up her virginity to Ronan that night, just as what her family had wished for.


    When the Alpha climbed on the bed, though, he flipped Lillian on her stomach and whispered, ¡°Lucien¡± into her ears.


    Just as what he would do if he were having sex with Lucien, Ronan stuck his finger into Lillian¡¯s ass and expanded her rear hole.


    Looking back, if Lillian had allowed Ronan to take her from behind first, she might be able to coax him into putting his hardened meat de into the correct hole.


    But then, who the hell did Ronan think she was?


    She was Lillian Woond.


    She refused to be Lucien Clearwater¡¯s substitute!


    She was appalled at the prospect of giving up her virginity to someone who kept calling the wrong person on the bed.


    Driven by anger, Lillian thus turned around and kicked the Alpha square on his stomach, causing him to m hard against the wall.


    Ronan was so drunk. He drank so much wine that he went down after only one kick.


    Her chest heaving up and down in contempt, Lillian stared at the disgraceful heap of Alpha that leaned against the wall for some time before she hauled him toward the bed and theny down to sleep herself.


    Of course, when the Alpha saw that he did not move at all after Lillian¡¯s kick, he realized that they never had sex. Lillian literally pulled the nket over their bodies and went to sleep. The only movements that Ronan saw throughout the night were when Lillian tossed and turned, kicking Ronan a few more times in her sleep.


    In the morning, the Alpha¡¯s daughter cut her thumb and pressed her bloody finger on the bedsheet, just where shey during the night.


    That was where the blood came from.


    ¡°So you see,¡± Ronan said, raising an eyebrow at Lillian, ¡°I know exactly that the baby isn¡¯t mine. If you are not willing to take back your words and insist that it is mine, I will get a DNA test performed this very moment.¡±


    Lillian¡¯s lips were pulled into a taut smile.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she said. ¡°The baby is indeed not yours, but I will not retract my statement.¡±


    Ronan broke intoughter.


    ¡°Are you crazy, Lillian Woond? One DNA test is all it takes to prove that you lied. You are going to ruin your reputation over a stupid lie.¡±


    Lillian swallowed but she persevered.


    ¡°I want you to cooperate with me.¡±


    Ronan thought that Lillian must be out of her mind.


    ¡°I am going to ask for a DNA test,¡± Ronan decided. ¡°We are done here.¡±


    ¡°WAIT!¡± Lillian shouted at Ronan¡¯s back after he went past her. ¡°I know who killed your mother.¡±

 Chapter 201

    201 I Know Who Killed Your Mother


    Ronan had his hand on the door handle, but he was unable to turn it.


    Lillian¡¯s words kept echoing in his mind.


    ¡°I know who killed your mother.¡±


    His mother.


    Killed.


    ¡°My mother died of natural cause,¡± Ronan announced with a hollow voice. It seemed as if he was trying to convince himself and not Lillian.


    She did, didn¡¯t she?


    Ronan wed into the door handle.


    The sound ofnguid footsteps hitting the floor was hearding behind the Alpha.


    .....


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Lillian¡¯s question was like a de that cracked Ronan¡¯s conviction. ¡°Not even the slightest doubt?¡±


    Ronan did not know. After he received the call from St. rence, he rushed to the hospital right away. Dane Silverback went ahead of him. By the time Ronan arrived, his mother had been taken to the mortuary.


    By the time the frantic Alpha reached the mortuary, his mother had already...


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said. ¡°I did not even see her body. She was cremated within two hours after death. The doctor said that it was heart failure.¡±


    Ronan banged a fist against the door.


    What was the meaning of this?


    Was Lillian saying the truth?


    Was his mother... killed?


    ¡°Well, that is convenient, indeed,¡± Lillian mused. ¡°After they get rid of her body, they can spin any tale for you to hear.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Ronan heard himself asking.


    He waited for a while but he received no answer from the woman behind him.


    Ovee with both grief and anger, Ronan turned around swiftly and grabbed Lillian¡¯s neck. Thetter was unable to dodge in time. Gasping from shock, she desperately wed at Ronan¡¯s hand to free herself. Unfortunately, the Alpha¡¯s grip was too strong.


    ¡°Speak,¡± Ronan hissed.


    Lillian¡¯s face turned purplish fromcking oxygen.


    She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing but a series of choked noises came out.


    Ronan scoffed from disdain and loosened his grip.


    Killing a pregnant woman was taboo.


    When Lillian was about to drop to the floor, Ronan dragged her toward the nearest couch and dropped her there.


    ¡°Don¡¯t y games with me,¡± he warned her. ¡°Weren¡¯t you so eager to talk? Why are you all silent now?¡±


    Lillian rubbed at the mark around her neck and breathedboriously.


    ¡°I cannot tell you.¡±


    Ronan red in her direction.


    ¡°Then I am going to destroy you before I find out the truth.¡±


    Lillian shook her head weakly.


    ¡°If you kill me, you will never find out the truth.¡±


    ¡°And why not? Do you think yourself so smart that you can protect the killer from me?¡±


    ¡°I am not protecting anyone. I need protection myself,¡± the blonde woman imed.


    Ronan roared out of frustration.


    He dropped his weight on the opposite couch and wed into his scalp with both hands.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, listen. If you help me and pretend that this baby is yours, I will tell you who the killer is after the baby is born.¡±


    Ronanughed mockingly.


    ¡°Again, maybe I don¡¯t need your help. Maybe I can find out by myself. Don¡¯t underestimate Infinite Eclipse Pack.¡±


    Lillian took a deep breath.


    ¡°Have you found Sha inheart?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s face turned ashen.


    Sha inheart was an inconspicuous member of the Infinite Eclipse Pack. Even Ronan never took notice of her until Quinn talked about her possible involvement with Gavin Ashmore.


    ¡°Let me guess,¡± Lillian gave him a cynical smile. ¡°You are wondering how I even know her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you,¡± Ronan growled. ¡°You are the one who set me up.¡±


    Lillian red at Ronan.


    ¡°Will you please use your brain, Alpha Ronan?¡± She snapped impatiently. ¡°Do you think I am courting death? Why would I tell you all this if I am really the one?¡±


    ¡°Maybe because you came rolling into my pack house, iming to be pregnant with my baby!¡± Ronan snapped back.


    The two werewolves red at each other for a while before Lillian decided to be the more mature one and ended the ring contest.


    ¡°The culprit intends to have me marry into your pack,¡± she slowly exined.


    ¡°Well, tough luck. That is not happening.¡±


    ¡°Stop acting like I am dying to marry you, Ronan Silverback. Because I am not.¡±


    ¡°Aha.¡±


    Ronan leaned back on his seat, prating Lillian with a disdainful gaze.


    Lillian huffed angrily. She was after all the most desirable Alpha¡¯s daughter out there. She did not deserve to be treated like this. s, she had no other choice. She had to hang all his hopes onto Ronan Silverback.


    ¡°Listen to me,¡± she tried again, gritting her teeth as she spoke. ¡°We just need to pretend until the baby is born. Then you will find out the truth and you can do whatever you want with the culprit.¡±


    ¡°What if I still refuse to? You know more than I thought, but it doesn¡¯t mean that I will not find out. I am going to find out the truth if it means that I have to chase the murderer to hell.¡±


    Lillian bit into her lip. She did not want to say it out loud, but Ronan left her no option.


    ¡°Honestly, Alpha Ronan? You are right. You can investigate all you want, but you are going to hurt people around you, left and right. Once the culprit is aware of their implication, they are in peril.¡±


    ¡°You are bluffing,¡± Ronan called her out on her theory.


    Lillian raised her eyebrows at the Alpha.


    ¡°Oh really? Why do you think your mother was killed?¡±


    Ronan was stunned. For once, he was unable to answer.


    Why? Why must his mother die?


    His mother had no enemies. Sure, maybe Dane Silverback¡¯s mistresses held some grudge toward her, but she already left the Luna position years ago. It made no sense to make a move now.


    So why?


    Why was his mother killed?


    He stared back at Lillian, who did not blink even once.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he admitted. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you showed the belt to your mother and she started to investigate,¡± Lillian told him. ¡°Your mother¡¯s death was entirely your fault.¡±

 Chapter 202

    202 Lillian Wanted Five Months


    Ronan Silverback was infuriated.


    He wanted to w at the woman in front of him.


    He wanted to make her suffer.


    But at the same time, he wanted to make himself suffer even more.


    Lillian¡¯s words were as sharp as a judgment spear that stabbed through his body and pinned him to the ground.


    By instinct, Ronan knew that the woman spoke the truth.


    It was Ronan who showed his mother the pictures of the belt.


    It was Ronan who asked his mother if she saw it before.


    He could faintly remember what his mother said about the belt.


    .....


    ¡°I feel like I have seen it before, but I cannot be sure.¡±


    ¡°The design is very nice, too. Simplistic but elegant. I like it.¡±


    The conversation took ce thest time they went out to have dinner together. It happened in the privacy of his own car.


    Only a handful of people knew about the belt.


    Kinnon and Bjorn.


    Ronan and Lucien.


    Ronan was the one who shared the belt pictures with his mother.


    If Ronan had not tried to seek an answer from his mother, his mother would not haveunched an investigation on her own.


    It was his fault.


    It was his fault his mother died.


    Ronan shook uncontrobly in his seat.


    He condemned Dane Silverback for the despicable way he treated his mother¡¯s body after death, but the person who sent her to her death was none other than Ronan!


    Her own son!


    The Alpha let out a sorrowful howl.


    Lillian flinched in her seat. She gave the pained Alpha in front of her amiserative look.


    She curled her trembling fingers into fists, resting them on herp.


    Although she knew that it pained Ronan to continue talking about this subject, she had to continue. She needed Ronan to agree to her proposal.


    ¡°Look, I am not going to pretend to be a saint and act as if I have nothing to gain from this arrangement.


    Please, Ronan. You want to know the truth about who killed your mother and set you up in a conflict with the Night Prowler Pack. I just want to safely give birth and take my child away.¡±


    ¡°Why do you need me for that?¡± Ronan asked once he was calm enough to speak again.


    ¡°For as long as you acknowledge the child as yours and ept me into your pack, the person will not do anything else,¡± Lillian said, tears started falling from her beautiful eyes.


    ¡°Please. If you refuse to, they are going to kill my baby.¡±


    Ronan sighed into his steepled hands.


    ¡°I can guarantee your safety,¡± Ronan said. ¡°I can make sure that youe unscathed if you tell me right now who the person is. I will even arrange for you to start a new life somewhere hidden. You will be able to live the rest of your life in peace.¡±


    Sobbing loudly, Lillian shook her head.


    Ronan Silverback was not one to break his promises, but how could Lillian be sure that Ronan could deliver?


    What if he lost against the viin?


    Up until now, he did not even know that his own mother had fallen victim to an evil scheme that yed out behind his back!


    Lillian simply could not take the risk.


    ¡°Ronan Silverback, even if I tell you now, you are not going to be able to detain the person,¡± she stated.


    ¡°The mastermind is going to be released due tocking evidence. You will lose your chance and I will be in danger.¡±


    Ronan banged a fist on his armrest and covered his face with his other hand.


    ¡°Then what is the point of waiting???¡± He shouted. ¡°If I can¡¯t get the person now, I will not get him even after the baby is born!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lillian shook her head. ¡°You will, I promise.¡±


    Ronan clenched his jaw and stared at the sobbing mess in front of him.


    ¡°I need time,¡± Lillian tried hard to convince him. ¡°Give me time. By epting me into your pack, the person will be rxed enough to cover his crimes one by one. I will personally dig out the evidence and present them to you. All you need to do is trust me and wait.¡±


    ¡°I need to talk to Lucien first,¡± Ronan said after a while.


    He needed Lucien to understand.


    He needed Lucien to agree.


    Until Lucien agreed to partake in Lillian¡¯s n, Ronan was unable to make any promises.


    The Alpha staggered to his feet and stumbled toward the door, but he was stopped by Lillian. The woman stepped before him and stretched her arms out to block the man from reaching the door.


    ¡°No!¡± Lillian cried. ¡°You cannot tell your mate.¡±


    Ronan furrowed his brows at Lillian


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°If he knows, he too will be a target.¡±


    Ronan scoffed. Lillian underestimated Lucien too much.


    ¡°Lucien is not dumb. He knows how to y along.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t unless he remains oblivious to this whole scheme,¡± Lillian insisted. ¡°Ronan, do you want the same thing to repeat? Do you want Lucien to lose his life?¡±


    A sorrowful roar escaped Ronan¡¯s throat. He wed at his head, trying to escape from the horrible images that his brain painted before his eyes.


    Lucien¡¯s weakened state on the couch appeared before his mental eyes.


    Lucien inside a casket. Pale and lifeless.


    The burning me of the mortuary, the merciless fire that engulfed his mother and turned her into a pile of ash.


    No, Ronan shouted in his head.


    ¡°No,¡± he cried. ¡°Not Lulu. Nothing must happen to Lulu!¡±


    Lillian closed her eyes and sniffled silently.


    ¡°You want to protect your mate and I want to protect my child. You can understand that, right Alpha Ronan? Let¡¯s cooperate.¡±


    Ronan looked up at Lillian. The woman was a bundle of tears.


    ¡°Five months,¡± she begged. ¡°Only five months.¡±


    ¡°Please give me five months.¡±


    Ronan did not answer.


    He went past Lillian and moved toward the door.


    This time, he was able to turn the handle and escape the room.

 Chapter 203

    203 The Alpha Refused To Let Go


    Agitation was like poison, the healer told Lucien.


    ¡°In order to spread quickly into the victim¡¯s body, it drives the victim into a crazed state. After the poison achieves its goal, it slowly unfolds its true effect.


    Before the poisoning victim knows it, he is already losing control over his body and bes a prisoner in his mind.¡±


    Lucien had to agree.


    By that definition, he was already submerged into agitation.


    ¡°Thankfully, for every poison, there is an antidote.¡±


    The healer gave Lucien some concoction to calm his nerves. He offered to apany Lucien until Ronan came back, but Lucien dismissed him instead.


    Lucien did not know how much time passed. When he was close to falling into a slumber, Ronan came back.


    Lucien turned his head toward the Alpha who staggered toward him. Ronan¡¯s face was pale with fright. As soon as he spotted Lucien on the couch, he knelt in front of the couch and pulled Lucien into a messy hug.


    .....


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lucien asked, sinking his fingers into Ronan¡¯s hair.


    Ronan did not answer. He buried his face in Lucien¡¯s neck instead, taking a lungful of his mate¡¯s calming scent.


    He needed it.


    He needed Lucien.


    He needed Lucien to stay with him, be with him.


    He did not want his mate to leave him.


    Ronan¡¯s desperation was apparent in the way he wrapped his arms around Lucien, trapping him in a hug he could not escape from.


    Even without asking, Lucien could guess what Ronan and Lillian just talked about.


    ¡°The baby is yours, right?¡±


    The warm body that pressed against Lucien trembled slightly, but Ronan said nothing.


    There was really no need to say it out loud.


    Silent tears spilled from Lucien¡¯s eyes.


    He did not think that he could survive if he heard Ronan say it out loud.


    ¡°Ronan, what do you n to do now?¡± Lucien asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Ronan said. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything. I just want you.¡±


    Lucien chuckled. It was ironically funny how things turned out in the end.


    How many years had he hoped that Ronan would settle down with some woman and start producing heirs?


    Up until two months ago, he believed that Ronan had found his soulmate in Lillian. That Lillian was Ronan¡¯s destined Luna.


    Of course Lucien was not happy about it. Who would? He was not a selfless saint and he never imed to be one.


    Despite his unhappiness, he had to admit that they made a great couple.


    Ronan and Lillian could be very happy together.


    That was what he believed in.


    Thanks to his weak resolution, he ended up falling for Ronan again, deeper than before.


    He loved the Alpha enough to leave his pack behind.


    He loved him enough to brave the uing storm together.


    If someone had told Lucien that this storm was going to take the form of a pregnant Lillian Woond, would Lucien still make the choice to be with Ronan?


    His tears fell on Ronan¡¯s shoulders.


    Maybe not.


    And here they were, stuck in a crappy situation. It could not get any worse, really.


    ¡°Do you want to end our mating bond?¡± Lucien asked softly, his tone devoid of emotion.


    Ronan shook his head vigorously.


    ¡°No,¡± he begged. ¡°Please don¡¯t. I refuse. I will not ept it.¡±


    The Alpha pulled his mate from the couch so that they were both kneeling on the carpeted floor.


    ¡°Lulu, I will never reject you again. And I will not allow you to reject me.¡±


    The concoction worked wonderfully, Lucien thought. Although he was utterly devastated, he was as calm as the ocean.


    The raging wolf inside him was transformed into a weak, powerless pup that only knew to cry and whine for affection.


    ¡°Ronan, she is not one of those rogue she-wolves that you sleep with for fun,¡± Lucien reminded him. ¡°She is the daughter of Conrad Woond, Alpha of the Irond ws Pack.¡±


    Ronan said nothing in return.


    Lucien sighed into Ronan¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see any other way other than us breaking the bond so that you can be with her.¡±


    ¡°No!!!¡± Ronan shouted. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to. Lulu, we are legally bonded to each other. The contract is protected by the Moon Goddess!!!¡±


    And the Moon Goddess was also the one who allowed Lillian to fall pregnant with Ronan¡¯s child.


    ¡°Then, will you send Lillian Woond away?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Together with the child,¡± Lucien added.


    ¡°...¡±


    Again, Lucien thanked the Healer for the powerful medicine that he gave him.


    Even though he wanted to push Ronan away and give him some well-deserved punches and kicks, he was powerless.


    The adrenaline level in his body was not high enough to engage in a fight.


    The way Lucien saw it, Ronan wanted it all.


    He wanted to keep Lucien as his mate.


    He also wanted to keep Lillian around because Lillian was having his baby.


    So what was Lucien supposed to do?


    ept this unnatural arrangement with a smile?


    Lucien thought of himself as rtively agreeable, but there was no way he would agree to share his mate with someone else.


    Ronan should have known better.


    ¡°Let me go,¡± Lucien said while pushing at Ronan¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Ronan. You cannot hug me forever. Let me go, I can hardly breathe.¡±


    In response, the Alpha bared his teeth and bit into Lucien¡¯s nape instead.


    Lucien ripped his eyes open in shock.


    ¡°Ronan!¡± He shouted, struggling to break free to no avail.


    Ronan did not care what Lucien thought about it.


    It might be a dirty trick.


    Infusing Lucien with more of his pheromones just to mess with his hormones.


    He did not want Lucien to leave him.


    The best way to do that was by making sure that Lucien could not live without him.


    Just like Ronan could not live without Lucien.


    After the tyrannical Alpha had his fill, Lucien fell limply against his body.


    Ronan lifted Lucien to his arms and pressed a kiss against his mate¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Five months,¡± he whispered into Lucien¡¯s ear. ¡°Five months and I will make it all disappear. Lulu, please trust me.¡±


    That was thest thing Lucien heard before he lost consciousness.


    .....

 Chapter 204

    204 What Do You Want Me To Do?


    Trust you?


    Trust you to do what?


    Ronan...


    As soon as Lucien opened his eyes, a searing pain stabbed into his skull.


    The man rolled to the side and pressed at the aching spot between his brows.


    What a terrible headache. And his whole body was sore too. He felt as if he had been beaten back and blue overnight. Only that he had not.


    Next to him, the bed was empty.


    Ronan had already left, only his scent lingered behind.


    Lucien crawled to the edge of the king-sized bed. When he looked down at the carpeted floor, a wave of dizziness attacked him and he slumped against the bed again.


    .....


    ¡°Lulu.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s voice was loud and clear, followed by a warm hand on his cheek.


    A momentter, Lucien was dragged back to the bed and tucked in properly under the quilt.


    ¡°The Healer said that you are exhausted from the memorial service preparation. You should rest a lot this week.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Was Ronan stupid or did he think that Lucien was demented?


    Lucien wed into Ronan¡¯s arm and shot him a re.


    ¡°We are not done,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can get away with biting me again and again.¡±


    The Adam¡¯s apple on Ronan¡¯s throat bobbed up and down nervously.


    ¡°Lulu, I... don¡¯t have anything else to add to what I said yesterday.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s face darkened.


    ¡°You are a selfish person,¡± he chastised. ¡°You want the best of both worlds.¡±


    Ronan grabbed Lucien under the armpits and dragged him so that thettery on hisp.


    He knew that he was selfish.


    Of course he was.


    But what else could he do?


    Tell Lucien and risk his safety?


    He could not.


    ¡°Lulu, please,¡± he begged. ¡°Please trust me.¡±


    ¡°I want to go home,¡± Lucien snapped.


    A heart-wrenching expression spread on Ronan¡¯s face. He pulled Lucien into a hug and mumbled against thetter¡¯s neck, ¡°But Lulu, this is your home. It has been your home for more than a week.¡±


    Lucien blinked into the distance. He forgot about that one.


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    Lucien shoved at Ronan¡¯s chest and grabbed his cor right after.


    ¡°What do you want me to do, Alpha?¡± He hissed. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that I too am an alpha. I have my own pride. I am not willing to be your ything, your mistress!¡±


    Ronan cupped Lucien¡¯s face and pressed a kiss on thetter¡¯s reluctant lips. He only let Lucien go when thetter bit into his lip angrily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare bite me again,¡± he snapped, wiping the saliva off the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°Lucien, you will forever be my number one,¡± Ronan begged. ¡°This situation is beyond my control. I am very, very sorry.¡±


    In Ronan¡¯s head, Beowulf kept screaming for him to tell Lucien the truth.


    ¡®You are so stupid,¡¯ the wolf roared. ¡®Let that bitch take care of herself. You need to clear this misunderstanding with Lucien!¡¯


    ¡®I can¡¯t,¡¯ Ronan said through gritted teeth. ¡®My mom. And Lulu¡¯s safety.¡¯


    ¡®Go hide Lucien in a far, far away ce but tell him everything,¡¯ Beowulf insisted. ¡®Ronan, you are ying with fire.¡¯


    ¡®I trust Lucien,¡¯ Ronan sighed. ¡®He has to trust me as well.¡¯


    ¡®You are a fool. You, trusting Lucien? You don¡¯t even trust that he isn¡¯t texting Kinnon when he¡¯s on phone. If a woman shows up and announces that she is pregnant with Lucien¡¯s baby, won¡¯t you be angry at all?¡¯


    Ronan clenched his fists.


    Angry?


    He would go rampant.


    He would threaten the woman with Goddess knew what and then send her and the baby away for good.


    ¡°Arghhhh.¡±


    Ronan buried his face in Lucien¡¯s shoulder.


    Lucien sighed.


    He hooked his arms around Ronan¡¯s neck and exhaled.


    ¡®Lucien, can I kill that woman?¡¯ Landon asked calmly. His tone was no different from one he used when he begged for cookies.


    ¡®Are you nuts? Do you want another war? Or do you want to be dragged to the trial again?¡¯ Lucien growled.


    ¡®It¡¯s all her fault,¡¯ Landon hissed. ¡®What a shameless wench, making her appearance during a solemn memorial service and drawing all attention to her.¡¯


    Lucien scoffed.


    ¡®Would you rather she makes her appearance during the wedding then?¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡°Ronan.¡±


    Ronan looked up with a distraught expression.


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me,¡± he begged. ¡°Lucien, please. I can¡¯t take it. We are mates. You should not leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°... Alone? Technically, I will be leaving you with the mother of your child and your heir.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ronan shook his head desperately.


    ¡°Please. Please. Please, don¡¯t leave me. I will do everything that you ask of me.¡±


    Landon howled in Lucien¡¯s head.


    ¡®Ask him to get rid of Lillian Woond and I will act as if nothing happenedst night.¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    Landon was fierce. He was not as forgiving as Lucien. For him, anyone who stood between him and his happiness deserved to be eliminated.


    Lucien could not do that.


    ¡°You ask for five months,¡± Lucien spoke, his tone calm and collected. ¡°I need five days away from you. I need to think. Alone. Without you injecting me with more pheromones.¡±


    Guilt washed over Ronan. He knew he was wrong, but he truly couldn¡¯t help it.


    ¡°Agree, but you muste back every night during the five days.¡±


    Lucien red at Ronan.


    ¡°Are you nuts? I am not going tomute just so you have me to warm your bed every night!¡±


    Ronan yanked at Lucien¡¯s arm impatiently.


    ¡°Lulu, we are mates,¡± he emphasized every word. ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal to want to be together?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Lucien admitted. ¡°But right now, I can¡¯t even look at you.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s every word was like a hammer swing that mercilessly mmed against Ronan¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Lulu...¡±


    Lucien sucked in a deep breath and pinned Ronan with a cold re.


    ¡°I will be at South Bedford City,¡± the man announced while freeing himself from Ronan¡¯s grip. ¡°I will rent a house near the art gallery so I can work on my new piece for the time being.¡±


    Despite Ronan¡¯s incessant pleading, Lucien packed some clothing and several necessities into a small luggage and left the Infinite Eclipse Pack House that morning.


    .....

 Chapter 205

    205 Out Of Sight But Not Out Of Mind


    Ronan wanted to take Lucien to South Bedford City himself, but Lucien briskly rejected his offer.


    ¡°The more you cling to me, the more I want to get away from you,¡± he said ruthlessly.


    The red-blonde man even forbade him from delivering him to the car.


    All Ronan got was a door mmed in front of his face and Beowulf¡¯s neverending curses.


    By the time Lucien arrived, ayer of snow already covered South Bedford City. Noah refused to leave him until he found the house he wanted to rent. The driver knew that Ronan would give him hell if he dared to do so.


    Just before night arrived, Lucien finally found a suitable one. Just a hundred meters away from the art gallery, it was a small but cozy house for one person to two people at maximum.


    A lone grandmother used to live there alone after her husband¡¯s demise. This Christmas, she nned to move to a home. Lucien even helped her with loading the boxes into the moving car.


    ¡°It is quite funny,¡± she remarked. ¡°I lived for 80 years but in the end what really mattered could fit inside a small car.¡±


    The elderly woman handed Lucien the keys to her house.


    .....


    ¡°You seem like a nice person,¡± she said, her smile adding more wrinkles to her face. ¡°Please stay for as long as you need to. There is no rush.¡±


    Lucien squeezed the elderly¡¯s hands and returned her smile.


    ¡°Thank you, Mrs. Wilson,¡± he said. ¡°For renting it to mest minute.¡±


    The old womanughed.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not like I need the money. I just want someone who can take care of my house.¡±


    She turned around and threw onest nce at her home for the past forty years.


    ¡°I am going to miss living in here so much,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°But well, life goes on. Best of luck, child.¡±


    Lucien looked at the retreating car with a solemn gaze.


    When he entered the house, it still carried the traces that its previous owner left behind.


    The elderly woman was a sentimental person. She kept a lot of pictures and a lot of mementos. Although she was the only one who lived in the house for more than twenty years, Lucien could smell the faint scent of other people.


    Her dearly departed husband. Her grown children and grandchildren.


    Lucien set the luggage in the bedroom and went to the kitchen. He was starving.


    Unfortunately, the refrigerator was empty and Noah already left.


    Lucien thus put on his coat again and went to a convenience store to buy some instant noodles for dinner.


    He especially picked the unhealthiest one just to piss Ronan off. Even though the Alpha was not there to scold him and throw away his bowl of noodles.


    Strange, he thought.


    He was the one who left Ronan on his own ord, citing the need to clear his head. He was also the one who missed Ronan after only a few hours.


    Lucien sat in front of a steaming bowl of spicy chicken noodle soup. The red oil swam to the surface, screaming danger like poisonous frogs in nature.


    Hezily stirred into the bowl using his fork, his appetite decreasing with every passing minute.


    It was the pheromones, he thought, raising a hand to feel the bite wound on his nape.


    Nothing else.


    It was going to get better and better as long as Ronan did note to disturb his peace again.


    Lucien ate three mouthfuls before he could not eat anymore.


    For some reason, the noodles did not taste as delicious as they did previously.


    Lucien was enraged.


    Ronan even managed to ruin a bowl of noodles for him.


    The man went to the refrigerator to take out a cup of caramel and vani pudding. Impatiently, he stabbed into the heavenly goodness and scooped a spoonful into his mouth.


    Well.


    Lucien closed his eyes and sucked at the spoon.


    At least the pudding still tasted good.


    Thankfully Ronan did not ruin all the food for him, otherwise he would be livid.


    While he enjoyed every bit of the pudding, his phone vibrated next to him.


    Lucien craned his neck and stared at the notification on the screen.


    There was a voice message from Ronan.


    Lucien ignored it and continued eating his pudding.


    Another came after three minutes.


    Then another after two minutes.


    Lucien pressed at his phone furiously.


    Did no one teach Alpha Ronan the meaning behind the words ¡°I want to be alone¡±???


    The first voice message yed.


    ¡°Lulu, have you had your dinner? Do you like the rental house?¡±


    And then there was the second message, a lot shorter than the first one.


    ¡°Lulu? I miss you so much...¡±


    And then the third one, the longest of them all.


    ¡°Lulu, just send me one voice message, alright? I want to hear your voice. This is the first night you are gone. I can¡¯t sleep if I don¡¯t hear your voice...¡±


    Lucien rolled with his eyes.


    Then how did you sleep before I moved into your bedroom?


    Lucien sighed.


    It¡¯s not as if he hated Ronan to the core. He understood very well that they were not a couple back then. Ronan could go and have sex with anyone he wanted without notifying Lucien.


    This baby was conceived during the period.


    The pup was innocent.


    The pup deserved to have a father and a mother.


    Ronan and Lillian and the pup made a wonderful family.


    Lucien was unable to see himself in this beautiful family picture.


    That was not even what bothered him the most.


    Lucien was afraid that Ronan would realize what he already realized the moment he saw Lillian in the memorial service.


    That Lucien was inferiorpared to the prospect of having a Luna and an heir.


    That now that Lillian and the baby were there, Lucien was no longer necessary...


    The man buried his face into his palms and groaned.


    What was he supposed to do?


    He could not just linger around shamelessly until Ronan sent him back to Silent Walkers Pack, could he?


    Lucien could not take it anymore. Too much to digest for the time being.


    Despite his low alcohol tolerance, he drank three sses of wine just to knock himself out for the night.

 Chapter 206

    206 The Constant Disturbance


    When Lucien opened his eyes the next morning, he was tortured by an excruciating pain that seemed to inhabit the inside part of his skull and pierce through it with a thousand needles.


    It took him a while to remember what brought about this horrible headache.


    Once he recalled everything, he groaned and closed his eyes again.


    In the kitchen, his phone kept ringing incessantly.


    How annoying.


    Lucien buried his head under a second pillow.


    He did not want to hear from anyone.


    He was tired.


    He wanted to sleep and do nothing else for five days.


    .....


    And then someone banged at the front door.


    Lucien peeked from under the pillow and stared in the direction of the front door. Unfortunately, being a werewolf did not grant him the ability to see through walls.


    ¡°...¡±


    Thinking that it might be someone who was acquainted with Mrs. Wilson, Lucien dragged his sorry ass from the bed and stumbled toward the front door.


    Unexpectedly, the person at the door was Alice Clearwater.


    ¡°... Mom.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lucien, my baby,¡± the woman heaved a deep and theatrical sigh.


    Alice swept her son into her arms. ¡°I heard that you moved here temporarily.¡±


    Lucien rolled with his eyes. His mother sure was up-to-date with thetest news.


    He did not need to ask his mother where she heard it from.


    ¡°Mom, I am fine,¡± he said, trying his best to belittle the pain in his heart. ¡°I just need to breathe some fresh air somewhere else.¡±


    Away from Ronan¡¯s pheromones that kept trying to cloud his mind.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Alice patted Lucien¡¯s cheek and gave her son an understanding smile.


    Without waiting for her son to invite her inside, she then walked past Lucien and stepped into the cozy living room.


    ¡°Oooh, look at the nice rug! The owner must be quite a ssydy!¡±


    Beaming at Lucien, Alice then continued, ¡°This is my first time in South Bedford City. Can I stay with you for a while?¡±


    ¡°Um... Yes Mom, of course. Make yourself at home.¡±


    Lucien rubbed at the painful spot between his brows. His mother acted as if visiting South Bedford City was her lifelong dream.


    ¡°Goodness, Lucien Clearwater! What¡¯s with this pile of junk food that you bought???¡±


    Lucien swallowed.


    ¡°Get your coat!!! We are buying groceries, NOW!¡±


    Lacking another option, Lucien put on his coat and followed his mother out of the house. He threw a nce at the phone that was neglected on the kitchen counter, untouched since yesterday night.


    He still did not want to look at it, so he left it behind.


    Alice dragged Lucien from shop to shop, buying all sorts of vegetables and meat that was more than enough to feed a family of four for two whole weeks.


    Lucienter found out why, and it did not make him any happier.


    While Lucien was helping Alice to prepare food, more and more people came to knock at the door to visit Lucien.


    The first one was the dean of South Bedford City Art College. And then his ex-colleagues. And then some of his students back when he was still teaching art.


    The funniest thing about them was that they came with the same excuse, saying that they were there to visit him after hearing the news that he nned to stay in the city for a few days.


    Just where did they hear the news from?


    Did Ronan Silverback announce his arrival on television?


    Alice did not mind at all. She even urged them to stay longer and offered every single person a seat at the dinner table.


    That was how Alice¡¯s visit turned into a dinner party.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien was speechless.


    He was also furious.


    With so many people around, even though Lucien wanted to think, he was unable to.


    Thest people who appeared just before dinner and then of course also stayed for dinner were the curator and designer of Clearwater Contemporary Art Gallery.


    The designer just happened to be one of Maya Greenwood¡¯s cousins. He was in charge of designing the set for all of Lucien¡¯s paintings, including thest one which he was working on.


    ¡°Absolutely exquisite,¡± he praised with eyes full of admiration. ¡°I am so happy to be able to see thest painting in your masterpiece series.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien wondered how much Ronan paid them all to be here, to coax and cajole him like some high school girl.


    ¡°Will Mr. Clearwater be interested in working with me on thest set?¡± A bright, hopeful smile spread across the designer¡¯s face. ¡°It is always nice to get some input from the artist himself. Your interpretation must be deeper than mine. We can do that for all the others too.¡±


    Well.


    Lucien did not want toin, but he did have some constructive feedbacks that he was dying to give.


    The offer was so attractive that he could not refuse it at all.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said. ¡°When can we start?¡±


    At the Infinite Eclipse Pack House, Ronan Silverback was tapping impatiently at his desk.


    He had a lot of work to do, but all he cared about was getting some news about Lucien. Sometime before dinner, he finally got a message from Maya Greenwood¡¯s cousin, the designer Alistair Greenwood.


    There was a photo of Lucien during dinner with the caption ¡°Reporting to the Alpha, Mr. Clearwater has agreed to work on the set for the fourth painting.¡±


    Ronan leaned against the headrest and shut his eyes.


    He needed Lucien to be busy.


    Busy enough to not pay attention to thetest news in media.


    Ronan stared at hisputer screen. Featured on the cover of an e-magazine for famous rich heiresses and madams, mvision, was Lillian Woond.


    She was photographed with a sleeveless, cordless, light-blue and grey satin maternity gown that showed off her naked shoulders and arms.


    On the first page of the main article, the beautiful blond woman posed with both hands cupping her round belly, looking as radiant as the sun.


    The title of the article was ¡°Pregnant With The Silverback Corporation CEO¡¯s Child ¨C Secret No More¡±

 Chapter 207

    207 Silverback Corporation¡¯s Response


    Just like every otherrge-scale business out there, the Silverback Corporation was equipped with an amazing Public Rtions Team that had been trained very well to manage crisis situations.


    While Ronany restless at night thinking about the mate who was miles away from him, his PR team assembled that very night to discuss the best way to fight the heinous article that was published the same night.


    After they came up with a few solutions, the PR Head, Mara Keenthorne, asked to meet with Ronan just after Ronan had his first morning coffee.


    She brought with her the printed-out magazine cover and the article, which she politely shoved toward Ronan just in case Ronan wished to pore over it.


    Ronan merely threw a nce at it.


    ¡°I read it yesterday night.¡±


    The PR Head pushed the gold-rimmed sses up her nose and gave the Alpha a report.


    ¡°Yesterday night, our team already contacted mvision and asked them to take off the whole e-magazine temporarily. They did after much persuasion. We have until noon toe up with a proper response, otherwise the e-magazine will be back online.¡±


    ¡°Very well. What do you suggest?¡±


    .....


    Mara took out another file that contained the proposal that the whole team worked on for the entire night.


    ¡°We have prepared three different responses: most aggressive, mildly aggressive, and least aggressive.


    The most aggressive response entails a PR statement from ourpany to call out Woond Enterprise for its shameless lies.


    The mildly aggressive response requires us to release a nonmittal statement about the article.


    The least aggressive response would be approaching the Woond Enterprise for directmunication purpose.¡±


    Ronan left his desk, straightened his suit, and walked toward the huge window behind his desk.


    ¡°I do not wish to go against Lillian Woond,¡± he said, crossing his arms before his chest.


    Despite herck of understanding, Mara Keenthorne knew not to question her Alpha.


    ¡°Of course. Then, shall we go with the least aggressive path?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ronan said. ¡°I wish to make noment. Wrap that in whatever package that you deem necessary.¡±


    ¡°Very well, Alpha. Then, allow me to excuse myself.¡±


    Mara collected her proposal from Ronan¡¯s desk but left the mvision cover and article behind.


    After Mara left, Milroy walked in with his notebook and stylus.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Silverback?¡±


    Ronan turned to look at him with his hands sped behind his back.


    ¡°I wish to meet with Miss Lillian Woond alone today. Be discreet about the time and ce.¡±


    Milroy bowed, ¡°Right away, Alpha.¡±


    Ronan put an arm against the window and pressed his forehead against his arm.


    Lucien...


    Lucien, I miss you.


    I need you.


    My mate...


    After half a day had passed, Milroy managed to set a lunch appointment between Ronan and Lillian.


    The meeting was to take ce in a private chamber, away from unwanted nces and whispers.


    Dashing as always, Lillian Woond wore a minx fur coat on top of a high-end maternity gown.


    Ronan gantly pulled the chair for her to sit on.


    After exchanging small talks and ordering some refreshments, they proceeded to talk about the matter at hand.


    ¡°I reckon that you saw the article,¡± Lillian remarked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ronan confirmed.


    ¡°My family believes that you are indifferent about the fact that I am carrying ¡®your¡¯ baby, hence they feel the need to make a public statement. Besides...¡±


    Lillian rubbed her belly affectionately. ¡°The pup is growing bigger. It is getting more and more difficult to conceal it.¡±


    ¡°What do you need me to do?¡± Ronan asked, raising an eyebrow at the woman before him. ¡°I am a mated man. There are limits that I cannot cross.¡±


    Lillian chuckled.


    ¡°Honestly, when I first met you, I thought that you copied your father¡¯s mannerisms. Did he not have children before he married your mother? Should you not consult him about what to do?¡±


    Ronan scoffed.


    ¡°Those were low-born rogue she-wolves. Would you like to be treated simrly?¡±


    A sour smile spread on Lillian¡¯s face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. So, how did it go with Lucien Clearwater?¡±


    Ronan heaved a sigh.


    ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t tell him anything. Otherwise, the n might as well crash and burn.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ronan said. ¡°Of course not.¡±


    Lillian exhaled with relief. ¡°Alright. Right now, the fact that I am pregnant with ¡®your¡¯ baby is widely circted while your rtionship with Lucien is not known by many.


    I need you to respond properly to the article.¡±


    ¡°What kind of proper response do you want?¡±


    ¡°Do you need me to teach you? What would you do if the woman you love is pregnant with your baby?¡±


    Ronan chuckled.


    ¡°The one I love is Lucien and he cannot be pregnant.¡±


    To Ronan¡¯s greatest chagrin.


    Lillian rolled with her eyes. She pinned the Alpha in front of her with two lines of scorching re.


    ¡°Just imagine what you would do if I were Lucien. In a weird alternate universe.¡±


    Ronan shook his head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t teach you what to do,¡± Lillian said. ¡°It needs to be something that bears your seal of approval.¡±


    ¡°Basically, you need me to court you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, because the end goal is to have me marry into your pack.¡±


    Three knocking sounds were heard at the door before two waiters rolled in with a trolley. On top of it were a te of finger foods and a jug of Honey Rosemary Iced Tea.


    Ronan poured himself and Lillian two sses of iced tea.


    ¡°We need to pretend to have a romantic rtionship for five months,¡± Lillian remarked. ¡°I need you to take initiative as well, don¡¯t just wait for me to make my moves.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Sure, but don¡¯t you think you can share your finding every time we meet up?¡±


    ¡°No problem,¡± Lillian agreed. ¡°I do not intend to keep you in the dark anyway.¡±


    Ronan picked a truffle cheese baby potato and bit into it.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you start telling me about what happened to Sha inheart?¡± He asked without losing Lillian out of his gaze.


    The woman¡¯s lips curled up into a smile.


    ¡°That one is quite easy. She died about two weeks ago.¡±

 Chapter 208

    208 A Bouquet Of Hundred Red Roses


    Time passed quickly when one was having fun, people said. No one spoke about it happening when one was trying to distract himself.


    In an attempt to stop thinking about Ronan and Lillian, Lucien worked hard at the art gallery. He not only gave precious feedback to the gallery staff but was also actively involved in doing some of the work himself.


    Every day he found new things to do. He also gained sce from interacting with visitors and art critics that came from time to time to admire the fascinating disy.


    The young artist was also greatly admired by the gallery interns, particrly the female ones. They often came to him to discuss their own projects, seeking precious constructive critics to enhance their skills.


    After three days had passed, Alice Clearwater had to go back home. She extracted a promise from Lucien to always reply to her messages and phone calls. Otherwise, so she threatened, she woulde to pester him again.


    On the fourth day,cking the motivation to cook for himself, Lucien decided to eat lunch at the gallery bistro. It was managed by the gallery directly, serving fresh sandwiches and baked goods every day.


    Lucien grabbed himself a cup of milk tea and a te of ham and cheese sandwiches. He had just taken a seat at a table next to the small garden when three female interns with bright, expectant eyes came with their trays to join him. They were Lily Brenston, Neena Evans, and Helene Bradford. These three young women were the best of friends. They were rarely seen without thepany of the others.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater, can we join you for lunch???¡± Lily asked excitedly.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Lucien answered with a smile. ¡°Do take a seat.¡±


    .....


    All three of them shrieked with joy.


    While they were in the middle of enjoying their lunch, Lily took out a magazine and put it in the middle of the table.


    ¡°Look, look! I managed to snatch the limited Christmas edition of mvision!¡± The young woman proudly announced.


    It was still wrapped in a thin stic bag, fresh from the stall.


    A round of oohs and aahs went around the table.


    ¡°Ooh, isn¡¯t this the posh magazine for rich people?¡±


    Helene rubbed at the glossy cover and eximed, ¡°I so want to know what rich people eat on Christmas!¡±


    But when Lucien looked at the magazine, what piqued his attention was not the ¡°Latest Christmas Cookies Recipe From All Over The World¡± but Lillian Woond¡¯s smiling face across the cover along with the words ¡°Pregnant With The Silverback Corporation CEO¡¯s Child ¨C Secret No More¡±.


    The girls fawned over the magazine. As they pored through the pages, naturally they alsonded on the article with Lillian Woond as the main character.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Neena gushed. ¡°Look at her. So gorgeous.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like her, she¡¯s a snob,¡± Lily wrinkled her nose.


    ¡°Snobbish she might be, but she is so so lucky to win the love of a prince charming!!!¡± Helene eximed.


    ¡°What prince charming? This CEO might be an old, baldy guy. It must be why he isn¡¯t featured next to her.¡±


    ¡°No, no, no,¡± Helene wagged her finger at Lily. ¡°Check out histest picture on the web. This is the CEO of the Silverback Corporation, Mr. Ronan Silverback.¡±


    The three women stuck their heads together and peered into Helene¡¯s phone screen.


    ¡°Oh, God.¡±


    ¡°So handsome.¡±


    ¡°I want to marry him!!!¡±


    Lucien sipped at his cup of tea and listened quietly to their chatter.


    The article began with an introduction of Lillian Woond as the daughter of the tycoon Conrad Woond. Her twenty-five years of life were summarized in a sinct and precise manner, unting her status as a wealthy heiress who wanted for nothing.


    Rich girls like Lillian Woond were fated to marry rich men and be pampered in luxury until death. She carried her baby like some sort of a trophy, a proof that she fulfilled the expectation of every other girl who was not fortunate enough to walk the same path.


    Following the summary was an interview between mvision and the aforementioned Alpha¡¯s daughter.


    Lillian narrated a cute story about how the two of them met after being introduced by their families. A rich young woman and a rich young entrepreneur. They allegedly hit it off right away, falling in love with each other inevitably after only a few weeks of dating.


    Although both families supported their rtionship, they were asked to keep it a secret for the time being.


    s, consumed by their burning passion for each other, they were unable to wait for the wedding to happen. Thus the baby in her belly.


    When asked about their future ns, Lillian said that she was not in a rush. She wanted to focus on their child first. Marriage couldeter. It was up to Ronan to decide their wedding date.


    By the end of the article, all three young women already fell for Lillian Woond and her amazing love life.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I get such a handsome hunk too???¡± Lily wailed in distress.


    ¡°Maybe you still have a chance,¡± Neena teased her. ¡°Don¡¯t you know? This art gallery was built by the Silverback Corporation.¡±


    Both Lily and Helene made big eyes after hearing Neena¡¯s words.


    ¡°No way!¡±


    ¡°Really???¡±


    ¡°Yes, I heard from Mr. Greenwood yesterday. He met Mr. Ronan Silverback personally during the opening. He was so, so, so handsome.¡±


    A soft ding sound on Helene¡¯s phone notified her of thetest hot news in the celebrity world. Once she saw what it was, she could not help but shriek loudly.


    ¡°What is it???¡± Lily and Neena asked at the same time.


    Helene shed them all the content on her phone screen.


    Lillian just posted a photo on her social media ount. The beautiful woman was sniffing into a bouquet of a hundred red roses.


    The photo bore the caption ¡°Thank you, my sweetheart for the roses. They are as beautiful as your love for me.¡±

 Chapter 209

    209 What Took You So Long?


    Ronan kept a timer that counted down 120 hours shortly after Lucien left.


    As soon as the timer hit 0h, 0m, and 0s, the Alpha sent his mate a message on the phone.


    ¡°Lucien, the five days are over.¡±


    He half-expected to get a reply right away, but the message remained unread even after ten minutes had passed.


    When Lucien still had not read the message after 30 minutes, Ronan gave him a call.


    Lucien did not pick up the phone.


    The dark-haired man sighed. He predicted as much.


    It did not matter. He nned to go straight to South Bedford City to pick Lucien up anyway.


    Inside his car, a bouquet of hundred white rosesy on the passenger seat. They were plucked just an hour ago, fresh droplets of dew still hanging on the petals. The roses were bundled together with a bright red ribbon. A heart-shaped card was slipped among the roses.


    .....


    Ronan was infinitely nervous.


    He had received the ominous news that Lucien saw not only the article in mvision but also the picture that Lillian had to post on her social media ount to brag about the bouquet that she received from Ronan.


    The Alpha had hoped to keep the news hidden until after he came to pick Lucien up personally. Which was of course not feasible because even if Lucien lived under a rock, the people around him did not.


    Shortly before Ronan arrived at the Clearwater Contemporary Art Gallery, he received one more message from Maya¡¯s cousin.


    ¡°Reporting to Alpha, Mr. Lucien Clearwater is currently supervising thepletion of the set for the fourth painting.¡±


    Ronan swallowed hard once he brought his car to a halt at the special parking spot that was reserved only for him.


    What was Lucien going to tell him after five days had passed?


    Was he still upset?


    Was he going to insist on leaving him?


    Ronan sighed.


    ¡®I thought you trusted him,¡¯ Beowulf sneered at the Alpha.


    ¡®Don¡¯t mock me,¡¯ Ronan said in response. ¡®I trust him more than I trust myself. The problem is that I would not be able to ept this if I were in his ce.¡¯


    And yet, he still selfishly required Lucien to stay with him no matter what.


    Ronan hated himself for his hypocrisy, but what else could he do? He knew very well that the moment he let Lucien go, Kinnon woulde swooping down like a vulture. His son was already calling Lucien mommy!


    The staircase that led to the fourth exhibition floor had already been built. While Ronan slowly walked from one floor to another, he noticed that the exhibition sets had been altered to some degree.


    The paintings were still the same, but the wolf sculptures had been repainted. The background was more lively and colorful. The fake grass and trees had been reced with the real ones. Even the water was real.


    ¡°...¡±


    Who would have known that Lucien was very particr in recreating his artworks?


    Once Ronan got to the fourth floor, the sight almost knocked the air out of his lungs.


    For a split second, he believed that he was transported back to years ago, back to the day when he confessed his feelings to Lucien.


    The memories were as vivid as if it happened just a day ago.


    He could almost see Lucien¡¯s younger self before him, just a short distance away from him. Beautiful and radiant as he sparkled under the sun.


    The youth was startled to hear Ronan¡¯s love confession, but he eventually replied in a shy tone that made the butterflies in Ronan¡¯s stomach flutter like crazy, ¡°I like you too.¡±


    The youth had meanwhile grown up to be a man.


    Said man stood among the tall spread of summer grass, one of his hands held a color palette while the other hand held a brush that danced around the pair of wolf sculptures in the middle.


    His deft movements breathed new life into the sculptures.


    Ronan¡¯s eyes were inadvertently drawn to Lucien¡¯s slender fingers.


    The muscles on his cheeks tensed when he saw that Lucien¡¯s right hand was empty.


    His beloved Lucien was not wearing his engagement ring.


    Ronan¡¯s mouth turned dry.


    He suddenly lost all his confidence.


    The bouquet of white roses that he brought hung limply at his side, his head lowered in dejection.


    There were other people in the room, including Lily, Neena, and Helene. When they saw who it was who came to their workce unannounced, they almost fainted from shock.


    Alistair Greenwood showed up in time behind Ronan. He gestured at the three women to leave and then closed the door behind them.


    Lucien looked up when the three women left without a single word of goodbye. He turned around and saw Ronan at the entrance.


    ¡°Lulu...¡± Ronan called out to his mate.


    Lucien stared at Ronan. His gaze was undecipherable.


    Ronan wanted to tell Lucien that he loved him and that he missed him greatly. But then when he saw that Lucien¡¯s ring finger was empty, he was unable to utter even a single word.


    He was afraid that whatever he said would only push his mate further away from him.


    In the end, he said nothing else and just looked down at the floor.


    Lucien¡¯s eyshes fluttered slightly, betraying the owner¡¯s heart for just a split second.


    Seeing that Ronan did not n to say anything, Lucien put aside the palette and brush in his hands on a table. He looked down at his hands which were stained with paint blotches. There were more of them on the apron that he was wearing.


    ¡°I need to go to the bathroom to clean myself,¡± Lucien announced as he walked past Ronan, heading out of the set.


    The Alpha could not take the cold treatment anymore. The beautiful bouquet fell on the floor unceremoniously when he grabbed Lucien¡¯s wrist and pulled the man into his arms. Thetter gasped lightly when he was pressed against Ronan¡¯s body.


    ¡°Lulu, I miss you so much,¡± hemented. ¡°You can curse me, hit me all you want, but please don¡¯t ignore me, alright?¡±


    The man in his arms sighed heavily.


    ¡°Ronan.¡±


    Putting his arms around the Alpha, Lucien whispered against his mate¡¯s shoulder, ¡°What took you so long?¡±

 Chapter 210

    210 Lucien¡¯s Jealousy


    Ronan tightened his arms around Lucien and buried his nose in Lucien¡¯s neck. His mate¡¯s sweet scent instantly flooded his lungs, its calming effect was a thousand times stronger after they abstained from intimacy for five days and five nights.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he choked out, breathing against Lucien¡¯s corbone. ¡°Have you been waiting?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Lucien reciprocated the hug, but the Alpha could feel that the anguish in Lucien¡¯s heart was far from being extinguished.


    ¡°Lulu...¡±


    Luckily, Lucien never liked to beat around the bush. The time off that he requested had passed, so it was time to talk about the huge elephant in the room.


    ¡°When you bit me again that night, I was very upset.¡±


    The hands that pressed against Ronan¡¯s back turned into ws.


    ¡°What you did was despicable.¡±


    .....


    The jut at Ronan¡¯s throat bobbed up and down nervously.


    ¡°I thought, you must have done something terribly wrong if you were so afraid of me leaving you.¡±


    Ronan clenched his teeth together.


    I didn¡¯t!


    Lulu, I didn¡¯t!!!


    Please, please, please just trust me!


    ¡°And I wondered if you were going to be insecure for your whole life. It is very disconcerting.¡±


    Lucien sighed.


    ¡°While we are apart, I see some development between you and her.¡±


    The word ¡°development¡± sent Ronan into a panic. He hastily interrupted Lucien. ¡°Lulu, if you are talking about the red roses, they mean nothing. It was just for show. Please don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    ¡°I am not that petty,¡± Lucien loosened his embrace, his gaze sharp and unyielding. ¡°I don¡¯t get upset because of some red roses.¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± Ronan made a sharp U-turn shamelessly, taking Lucien¡¯s hands and squeezing them to his chest.


    Lucien furrowed his brows in displeasure.


    ¡°But for once, for a split second, I wished you were in front of me so I could mark you again and kick her out of your mind.¡±


    The red-blonde man pulled his hands free from Ronan¡¯s grip and wiped the ends of his eyes.


    When he sat together with the three interns during lunch, the thought crossed his mind so quickly. It was as if an unknown entity emerged from the depth of his heart and wed its way out.


    The jealousy might have always been there, but Lucien always suppressed it.


    Once it came out, it scared him with its intensity.


    Ronan reached out to touch Lucien, ¡°Lulu...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just dust,¡± the man in front of him snapped. ¡°I am not crying.¡±


    Quite frankly, Ronan could not care less whether it was dust or not. He weed Lucien¡¯s tears, whether they existed or not.


    ¡°Baby, you can bite me again. No, I beg you, please bite me again.¡±


    If Lucien¡¯s pheromones could keep Ronan¡¯s feet nted on the ground and alleviate Lucien¡¯s temper, Ronan dly exposed his neck to Lucien any time, any ce.


    ¡°No,¡± Lucien refused. ¡°I don¡¯t want to employ an underhanded tactic to keep you around me.


    Ronan Silverback, you asked for five months. I will give you five months.¡±


    Ronan had not even exhaled out of relief when Lucien held up a hand in front of his face and continued, ¡°But, as your mate, I deserve to know if you have a change of mind. These five days were supposed to be for the both of us to ponder about the continuation of our rtionship.¡±


    Ronan shook his head fervently.


    ¡°Lucien, I don¡¯t need these five days. Not in the past, not in the present, and also not in the future! I am in love with you. You are my one and only. I will never fall for someone else!¡±


    Lucien¡¯s gaze softened when he heard another of Ronan¡¯s powerful love derations.


    ¡°I know,¡± he said, patting Ronan¡¯s cheek with his hand and smearing some paint on it in the process.


    ¡°But, if ever you do, I want you to tell me directly,¡± Lucien said. ¡°Promise me that.¡±


    Ronan nodded solemnly. ¡°I promise.¡±


    Lucien smiled at Ronan. His eyes wandered from the stain on Ronan¡¯s cheek down to his soiled front.


    ¡°Now, if you will please follow me. We really need to clean up.¡±


    Ronan did not immediately understand what Lucien said until he saw the colorful stains on Lucien¡¯s apron. He then looked down at himself. His expensive suit was covered with blotches of various colors. One look sufficed to know where the stain came from. The front side of Lucien¡¯s apron was full of colors.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Have you just realized it now?¡± Lucien could barely conceal hisughter.


    ¡°You silly Alpha. Come now,¡± Lucien dragged Ronan toward the ss door.


    After passing two doors and a dimly lit corridor, the two mennded in Lucien¡¯s studio.


    The room was rtively empty when Ronan first took Lucien there, but after five days it looked a lot more like a real studio.


    In other words, it became rather messy.


    Color tubes and palettesy on top of the counters. A sketchbook was open on top of a pile of art books that Lucien bought to add to his collection.


    There was a half-finished y sculpture on one side of the room, and an empty easel on the other side.


    Lucien was spick and span again after washing his hands and taking off his apron. The Alpha was not that lucky. His suit was soiled and he had no clothes to change into.


    Lucien did have some clothes inside the wardrobe, but they were too small for his mate.


    ¡°Poor you,¡± Lucien sneered out of schadenfreude as he stood in front of the Alpha. Ronan looked as if a rainbow-colored unicorn just puked all over his suit.


    Ronan raised an eyebrow at the man before him. Before Lucien knew it, he was already pulled back into Ronan¡¯s arms. Only that this time the Alpha deliberately rubbed off the stains on his suit onto Lucien¡¯s white shirt.


    ¡°Ronan!!!¡±


    Lucien pushed Ronan away and red at him.


    ¡°This is my favorite shirt!!!¡±


    ¡°Was,¡± Ronan snickered. He wrapped his arms around Lucien from behind and rubbed at him again.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien was about to smack Ronan for his childish action, but thetter grasped Lucien¡¯s jaw with a hand and kissed the back of his neck.


    ¡°Can I?¡± He asked, his lips brushing at the thin skin over Lucien¡¯s scent nd.


    Lucien closed his eyes.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said.

 Chapter 211

    211 The Alpha Was Full Of Surprises (NSFW)


    Once Ronan and Lucien got back to Lucien¡¯s rented house, the bouquet of white roses was put in a huge vase and ced near the living room¡¯s window.


    Outside of the house, the snowstorm raged for a whole night.


    Inside the dimly lit bedroom, the Alpha and his mate were busy making out with each other to make up for the lost time.


    ¡°Wait a second,¡± Lucien managed to blurt out between passionate, wet kisses.


    ¡°I rented this house from Mrs. Wilson. Doing it in her house is beyond mannerless.¡±


    Not to mention in her bedroom. On her bed.


    ¡°No need to worry about that,¡± Ronan said without skipping a beat. Under Lucien¡¯s amazed stare, he took out a bottle of lubrication from his suit pocket and popped it open with a smooth flicking movement.


    ¡°I bought this house and reced the bed when your mom was here.¡±


    Debauched as he was, Ronan too could not imagine sleeping with Lucien on Mrs. Wilson¡¯s bed.


    .....


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien was speechless. When exactly did Ronan rece the bed? How did he not notice anything?


    Also, when did her mother start being in cahoots with Ronan Silverback???


    ¡°Wait, wait!!!¡± Lucien shouted again, pushing Ronan away from him when thetter climbed on top of him.


    ¡°No,¡± Ronan snapped, pinning his mate by intertwining their fingers on the bed. A fierce look was stered on his handsome face. ¡°I am not waiting anymore. Lucien, it has been too long.¡±


    Ronan seized the back of Lucien¡¯s neck and tilted his head for a kiss. His other hand kneaded down, moving from Lucien¡¯s shoulder down to his supple waist and curvy buttocks.


    Delicious moans spilled from Lucien¡¯s lips when Ronan¡¯s lips wandered to his cheek, jaw, and then the side of his neck.


    Burning with a violent and insatiable hunger for his mate, Ronan hooked both thumbs into Lucien¡¯s pants and pulled them down with one swift movement.


    The pair of slender legs were exposed to his zing eyes, along with the tent between Lucien¡¯s legs.


    Ronan ripped his suit open and tossed it on the floor ruthlessly. He then approached Lucien and hooked a finger into his shirt, pulling it down slightly.


    ¡°Do you want to undress or do you need me to lend you a hand?¡± He asked with a teasing smile.


    In response, Lucien raised a naked leg and ced it against Ronan¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you help me out with something else when you are so adamant about it?¡±


    Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s ankle and kissed it reverently. ¡°Do speak up, my Lulu.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s lips curled up into a smile. He unbuttoned his shirt and revealed a thin silver chain around his neck. Hanging on the chain was the heirloom of the Silverback family, the ¡°Maiden of Endless Purity¡±.


    ¡°I need you to put my ring back on my finger.¡±


    The corners of Ronan¡¯s lips ticked up with a smile.


    ¡°dly, my Luna.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s heart trembled slightly when he heard the way Ronan addressed him.


    The Alpha unhinged the diamond ring from the chain and slid it on Lucien¡¯s ring finger.


    ¡°Thank you, Alpha,¡± Lucien said while admiring the brilliant jewel on his ring finger. ¡°It is beautiful.¡±


    Ronan pushed Lucien onto the bed and spread his legs open.


    His greenish-blue eyes sparkling with mischief, he then folded Lucien¡¯s legs to his chest and muttered with a heavy voice full of scorching desire, ¡°Not as beautiful as you.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s favorite shirt was taken off its owner a momentter. It joined the heap of discarded clothes on the floor.


    From the bed, ambiguous sounds of two men pleasing each other with their hands and mouths were heard.


    Afterward, Lucien was forced on all fours and Ronan pulled at his waist. The Alpha then rubbed his engorged sexual organ against Lucien¡¯s back entrance and slowly pushed in.


    ¡°Arghh,¡± Ronan groaned from lust.


    ¡°So tight, my Lulu...¡±


    Lucien¡¯s eyes widened in shock when the pulsing rod inside his body kept advancing without stopping.


    ¡°Wait, Ronan...! Arghh!!!¡±


    ¡°Let me in, Lulu,¡± Ronan whispered in Lucien¡¯s ear when he leaned closer. ¡°I want to be inside you. I want to be one with you.¡±


    Lucien arched his back from pain, his mouth was open in a silent scream as he endured Ronan¡¯s intrusion.


    Once Ronan was fully inside, he heaved a sigh and pried another kiss from his mate. The pain was so intense that it drew a few droplets of tears from Lucien¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Sorry, does it hurt too much?¡±


    Ronanced their fingers together.


    ¡°Mm,¡± Lucien mumbled.


    ¡°I need to move,¡± Ronan kissed Lucien¡¯s cheek affectionately. ¡°Otherwise, I will knot you here and now.¡±


    The Alpha started pumping in and out vigorously, forcing the tight ring of flesh to ept his entire length again and again.


    ¡°Ahh... Ahh... Ronan, slowly... You are going to break me, ahhh...!!!¡±


    Instead of slowing down, Ronan gritted his teeth and pounded harder and faster into Lucien. The squelching sound of lubrication that leaked from their connection point as their bodies mmed into each other was louder than Lucien¡¯s protests.


    After he was invaded for a while, Lucien reached his climax. While his penis spewed its content violently, Lucien squeezed hard at Ronan¡¯s cock, propelling thetter to his own peak of pleasure as well.


    ¡°Ronan.¡±


    Ronan leaned closer and Lucien hooked an arm around his neck. He tilted his head backward, his lips searching for Ronan¡¯s nape. Once he found it, he bit down hard.


    A guttural sound escaped Ronan when Lucien¡¯s pheromone poured into his body through his nape.


    After a few more deep thrusts, he rammed hard onest time into Lucien and knotted inside his mate.


    ¡°Mnh...!¡±


    Lucien¡¯s body went limp.


    The feeling of having Ronan¡¯s gigantic rod swell inside his body was always overwhelming no matter how many times they made love with each other.


    Ronan wrapped his arms tight around Lucien and slumped on top of him.


    ¡°Ronan, you are heavy,¡± Lucienined.


    The Alpha merely grunted to signify that he heard his mate, but he made no effort to move away.


    Lucien sighed. He closed his eyes to rest, letting Ronan slowly fill him up as they both drifted into the sea of blissful sleep.

 Chapter 212

    212 Coaxing The Alpha


    Ronan had hoped to spend a rxing day with Lucien the next day, but when he opened his eyes the next morning, the spot next to him was empty.


    The sound of running water that came from the bathroom told him that Lucien was cleaning up from the traces of their passionate lovemaking sessions the previous night.


    ¡®Lucien, what¡¯s the rush?¡¯ Ronan asked using Mind Link while rolling inside the thick nket. ¡®It is thest day before the holidays kick in.¡¯


    ¡®Oh, you are awake. Rise and shine, Ronan.¡¯


    ¡®... Nnh.¡¯


    Fresh after a hot shower, Lucien stepped out of the bathroom without a single thread covering his body.


    Ronan opened his eyes to take a peek. His lips curled up in ascivious smile while his hungry eyes followed a droplet of water that trailed down the deep lines from Lucien¡¯s torso to his stomach, his shapely leg, and finally dripped to the floor.


    ¡°Starting from the second week of January, there will be a section in the art gallery to showcase select artworks of promising and yet undiscovered artists,¡± Lucien exined while he picked the dirty clothes from the floor. ¡°We dub it the ¡®Hidden Treasures Under The Sea¡¯.¡±


    Ronan was barely paying attention. He neither understood nor cared for art.


    .....


    ¡°It does not sound different from the Annual Art Exhibition,¡± the taller man remarked casually. He was more interested in his mate¡¯s alluring figure. Ronan became hard just by looking at the marks that he left on Lucien¡¯s body.


    ¡°Come here, Lulu,¡± he said with a husky voice.


    Surprisingly, Lucienplied. If Ronan¡¯s mind was not clouded with lust, he would have known that there was a catch to it.


    The red-blonde man tossed the dirty clothes into aundry basket one by one before he climbed into the bed and straddled the Alpha¡¯sp.


    Ronan¡¯s erection rested between Lucien¡¯s buttcheeksfortably.


    ¡°It is not the same kind of event,¡± Lucien insisted while cupping Ronan¡¯s face in his palms.


    Ronan put both of his hands around Lucien¡¯s waist and kneaded at it.


    ¡°Oh, really? And how is it not the same?¡±


    ¡°The gallery will feature only three artists that fit the theme instead of showcasing a lot of artworks at once. We need at least a day to finalize the details... Hss...¡±


    Lucien hissed and tilted his head back when the infuriated Alpha nibbled on one of the swollen red buds on his chest. They had been attacked so many times the previous night that they had be sensitive to touch. It was, unfortunately, not enough excuse for Ronan to spare them.


    ¡°Ronan, don¡¯t... Ahh... Ahh...!!!¡±


    Lucien smacked hard against his mate¡¯s shoulder. Ronan groaned. He released the swollen nipple and burrowed his face into Lucien¡¯s chest instead.


    ¡°Lulu, you are so ruthless,¡± heined woefully. ¡°How could you pick some nameless artists over your mate???¡±


    Lucien hugged Ronan¡¯s head to his chest affectionately and slid his fingers into thetter¡¯s thick, lustrous hair. ¡°I didn¡¯t. It is an initiative to help budding artists. It is something that I truly want to be involved in. To build the artmunity, we need to help each other to grow and shine.¡±


    Ronan growled.


    ¡°Then what about me?¡± He demanded. ¡°What about us???¡±


    Lucien chuckled. He cupped Ronan¡¯s face and pinched both of his cheeks at the same time. The sight prompted him to burst intoughter. That did not make the Alpha any happier. His face was as dark as a pot bottom.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. Since you already bought the house, why don¡¯t we stay here one more night? I will go back with you dutifully tomorrow morning.¡±


    Ronan pursed his lips.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    Ronan squeezed Lucien¡¯s butt and grumbled, ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can get away with this forever, Lucien Clearwater. I demand payment with interest.¡±


    ¡°I shallply with the Alpha¡¯s terms,¡± Lucien answered with a blinding smile.


    Nothing that he had not endured before, he thought to himself. If worse came to worst, Ronan just had to carry him to the car for the trip back to the Great Lake City.


    Lucien¡¯s effort to clean himself was futile because Ronan demanded morning sex for bribery purposes. After shaking the bed for an hour, it took Lucien another hour to peel Ronan off the bed and get him ready for the day.


    ¡°The faster I reach the art gallery, the faster I finish my work,¡± Lucien reminded the dejected Alpha when he wanted to lie down again and skip work.


    Afterward, the disgruntled man agreed to drag his feet to the car.


    When they arrived at a streetside near the art gallery, Lucien asked Ronan to stop.


    ¡°I can walk from here.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ronan said. ¡°I will walk you to the entrance.¡±


    Lucien chuckled. ¡°Afraid that I will run away?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Ronan.¡± Lucien shook his head with a smile. ¡°You silly Alpha.¡±


    The two men exited the car and walked hand-in-hand until they reached the entrance of the art gallery.


    ¡°See you tonight,¡± Lucien smiled at Ronan.


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    Lucien tugged at Ronan¡¯s tie and gave him a peck on the lips.


    Ronan was quick toin.


    ¡°That¡¯s it???¡±


    Dissatisfied with Lucien¡¯scking disy of affection, Ronan pulled Lucien into a hug and showered him with tiny kisses all over his face. Laughing, Lucien had to ward off Ronan¡¯s attack with both hands.


    ¡°You kiss monster,¡± he told Ronan.


    ¡°You can call me whatever you want. I want a proper kiss,¡± Ronan demanded while leaning closer to Lucien.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Lucien said, tilting his head in Ronan¡¯s direction.


    Their lips barely met when they heard a distinct clicking sound.


    Lucien and Ronan separated immediately.


    ¡°What was that?¡± Lucien looked around in confusion.


    ¡°Not sure.¡±


    Ronan raked across his dark hair with his fingers. He narrowed his eyes at the surrounding hedges.


    ¡°Never mind, I am sure it is not important,¡± Lucien said dismissively.


    Ronan rubbed at his chin while staring at a distance thoughtfully.


    ¡°Go,¡± Lucien urged him with a nudge. ¡°I need to get to work.¡±


    Ronan nodded reluctantly.


    ¡°Alright, Lulu. I will be back tonight.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±

 Chapter 213

    213 A Christmas Scandal


    On Christmas Day, the official social media ount of Clearwater Contemporary Art Gallery wished everyone a blessed festive season. At the same time, it announced the installment of a new section in the art gallery that was devoted to helping emerging artists rise to fame.


    In ordance with the holiday season, the first theme was dubbed ¡°Winter Wondend¡±. All submissions must be made before the year ended. The three best artworks would be selected in the first week and disyed at the art gallery in the second week of January.


    The post, titled ¡°Launch of ¡®Hidden Treasures Under The Sea¡¯ by the Clearwater Contemporary Art Gallery¡±, was quickly reposted by the Silverback Corporation¡¯s official ount as well.


    As a hardworking pack member who loved her job above everything, Mara Keenthorne made it her habit to check social media for any news pertaining to the Silverback Corporation every morning.


    It was barely necessary, because his team worked around the clock in shifts to make sure that the name of the group did not get dragged into the mud without any counteractions.


    The picture was posted by an anonymous ount without a single tag or any caption. Posts like these did not usually attract anyone¡¯s attention, but once they attracted the right crowd, they spread like fire and burned the whole forest.


    Re-posted many times with various tags, the image finally reached Mara Keenthorne¡¯s feed.


    The PR Head gasped audibly. She almost got a heart attack then and there.


    It was a picture of Ronan and Lucien, kissing each other at the entrance of the art gallery.


    .....


    The picture itself was already quite disastrous, but thements were a lot worse.


    ¡°What the hell? Why is that hunk snogging another man? Is he gay?¡±


    ¡°Duuuude, if I had a pregnant wife as fine as Lillian Woond, I would not even blink at another woman, let alone a man!¡±


    ¡°All these rich men are cheaters.¡±


    ¡°Poor Lillian Woond. @LillWoond, I am rooting for you! Go grab your man, girl!¡±


    Mara Keenthorne quickly called one of her subordinates.


    ¡°Thomas, prepare for a meeting right away! We must address the picture quickly before it causes more damage!¡±


    The Silverback Corporation¡¯s PR Team was very capable. Before long, they managed to stop the distribution of the picture. Mara Keenthorne contacted Milroy to ask to meet with Ronan. Thetter naturally already saw the picture in question.


    The Alpha weed Mara in his private quartier. He was dressed casually in a dark green sweater and a pair of grey pants. A total contrast from Mara, who was dressed in the Silverback Group¡¯s official executive suit.


    Lucien entered the living room a few minutes after Mara arrived. The woman had to swallow when she saw Lucien. Although the name Lucien Clearwater was already connected to the Luna position in a lot of conversations, it was the first time Mara caught sight of the person himself.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater, it is my honor to meet you,¡± Mara quickly said.


    Lucien smiled at her in return. ¡°Mine as well.¡±


    Mara thought that her eyes might deceive her, because she seemed to catch Lucien ring at Ronan when thetter took his hand and led him to sit on the couch.


    The PR Head proceeded to inform the Alpha and his mate about the circting picture and the action that her team took.


    ¡°Let it be. Lucien and I are legally bonded as mates. What¡¯s with a little kiss in public?¡± Ronan responded casually.


    Ronan¡¯s words stunned Mara.


    Did the Alpha forget about Lillian Woond and the pup inside her belly?


    She was thus more than thankful when she heard what Lucien had to say.


    ¡°Ronan, don¡¯t take this matter lightly. In public eyes, you are a cheating bastard who pays no attention to the pregnant woman who carries your child.¡±


    Ronan rubbed at the spot between his brows.


    ¡°Mara, excuse us. Lucien and I need to talk.¡±


    Mara Keenthorne bowed and left right away. She would hate to be caught in an argument between the Alpha and his mate.


    ¡°Lulu, I don¡¯t give a shit about Lillian,¡± Ronan said viciously. ¡°I care even less for her stupid fans.¡±


    Lucien lowered his eyshes. Lillian Woond¡¯s reappearance caused a huge ripple in their rtionship, but Ronan¡¯s words were too harsh.


    ¡°Think about the baby,¡± Lucien murmured without looking up. ¡°A distressed mother will affect the fetus.¡±


    ¡®Whether or not you wanted the fetus.¡¯


    Ronan groaned in his heart.


    It was not even his fetus!


    The Alpha mmed a fist against the wall in fury.


    Lucien left the couch and approached Ronan. He took Ronan¡¯s reddened fist in his hand and rubbed at it.


    ¡°Ronan, don¡¯t be agitated. Let¡¯s just not meet up in public for a while, let alone hug and kiss for all eyes to see.¡±


    Ronan sighed. He bumped his forehead against Lucien gently.


    ¡°Are you upset?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lucien answered. ¡°I already decided to stand by you. I am not going to make a scene every time something happens.¡±


    ¡°Lulu...¡±


    Ronan circled an arm around Lucien¡¯s waist.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t think that this is right. I am going to make a public statement that you are my legal partner.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary,¡± Lucien shook his head. ¡°Rumors like this one will disappear eventually. You can just ignore it. When they don¡¯t see us together in public anymore, they will automatically forget that I even exist.¡±


    ¡°Or they will know that you belong to me,¡± Ronan insisted.


    ¡°That will cast an unfavorable light on you,¡± Lucien pointed out. ¡°You are a father who is expecting a child. You should not be affiliated with anyone but Lillian right now. At least in public.¡±


    In the end, Ronan had to give in and choose to ignore the vile post andments.


    Just like Lucien said, the rumors eventually died down. Unfortunately, it did note without consequences. When the art gallery reopened in January, five employees submitted their resignation first thing in the morning.

 Chapter 214

    214 Damaged Reputation


    After Lucien went back to Infinite Eclipse Pack House, he was fairly busy. He dedicated his time and focus to learning the ropes to be a proper Luna for the pack.


    Every day the studious, future Luna went to the pack library to read about the past Lunas or discuss with Jake, Quinn, and their mates to find out everything that he needed to know as a Luna.


    The happiest person to guide Lucien was Jake. For him, it was a cooperative rtionship. By keeping a close eye on Lucien, he managed to catch Ronan off guard a few times to get him to do his work.


    In front of Lucien, Ronan was naturally very obedient. He did not dare to ck off and always yed the role of a responsible, earnest Alpha.


    After the New Year arrived, the hardworking Lucien received an invitation from the art gallery curator, Mr. Boyd, to join the judging panel.


    ¡°It is just befitting to have Mr. Clearwater around to help determine the first three artworks to be disyed in the art gallery,¡± Mr. Boyd exined through the phone. ¡°Is it convenient for you toe over to South Bedford City for a few days?¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Lucien was flipping through a thick leather-bound book in the library when he took the call.


    ¡°Can I vote for the artworks by looking at the pictures only?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Oh. Sure.¡±


    The elder man¡¯s disappointment was barely conceble from his voice. On the other side, the curator understood Lucien¡¯s position inside the Infinite Eclipse Pack. In fact, he had been at the receiving end of Ronan¡¯s wrath when he loaded Lucien with all kinds of works and made him unable to leave South Bedford City in time.


    Never mind that the request originally came from Ronan himself.


    ¡°I am sorry for the sudden request, Mr. Clearwater. I will send you the highest resolution pictures through mail.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Lucien quickly spoke before the curator hung up the phone.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Clearwater?¡±


    Lucien bit into his lower lip.


    ¡°Never mind,¡± he then said hastily. ¡°Please take pictures of each artwork from different angles. I would also love to hear feedback from the others because I can¡¯t be there personally.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Mr. Clearwater.¡±


    Lucien put down his phone with a sigh.


    Thanks to the scandalized picture on Christmas Day, both the Silverback Corporation and the Clearwater Contemporary Art Gallery sustained some reputational damage.


    Lillian Woond¡¯s fans, whether or not they were backed up by the Woond Enterprise, were very persistent in defending their idol. They caused a lot of ruckus on their social media, re-posting the picture again and again and tagging any business or cause that bore the Silverback and the Clearwater name.


    Even Clearwater Finance suffered from this one scandal greatly. Under immense pressure from the board of directors, Lucien handed over his position to his father, Gordon Clearwater.


    The elder man thus left his recuperation home and moved back into the Silent Walkers Pack. It was a happy family moment, but Lucien was unable to celebrate with his family. He did not want the whole pack to suffer from his tarnished reputation.


    Lucien leaned back in his seat and stared out of the open window. For the time being, he had no other choice but to hide from the public eye.


    That was the only thing he could do to protect the people that he loved.


    Hopefully, the hatefulments would disappear soon and he could resume a normal life outside of the pack house.


    As per Lucien¡¯s request, he got to vote for the three best artworks by looking at pictures that Mr. Boyd sent almost two hourster.


    Despite having high-resolution pictures to stare at and personal feedback from the gallery staff to go through, Lucien was still dissatisfied.


    It was a different experience to admire the masterpieces using one¡¯s own five senses instead of relying on man-made devices to capture the beauty of said masterpieces.


    Nevertheless, Lucien did not wish to disappoint Mr. Boyd¡¯s expectations. He spent the remaining of the day checking one creation after another, admiring the works of those who were brimming with potential and yet to be recognized.


    ¡°Hidden Treasures Under The Sea¡± was sure to generate a huge impact across the artmunity, Lucien was pretty sure about it. All artists thirsted to have their talent acknowledged and their works appraised.


    Ronan Silverback came back in time for dinner, but his mate was not at home. Confused, he made a call to Lucien who promptly answered, albeit with a slight gasp.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said. ¡°I aming back right away.¡±


    Ronan chuckled.


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°In the library. Ahh!!!¡±


    Ronan could hear the sound of a few books falling to the floor in the background, followed by Lucien¡¯s curses in a low voice.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move, let me go and pick you up.¡±


    Ronan ended the call and headed to the pack library.


    When he spotted Lucien, the man was heading toward the shelves with a bunch of heavy books.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he said breathlessly when he caught sight of the Alpha.


    ¡°Hello, my Luna,¡± Ronan took the books from Lucien¡¯s hands and leaned in to kiss thetter on the lips.


    ¡°Busy day?¡± Ronan helped Lucien returned the books to the top shelves.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just... Do you remember the new section at the art gallery I told you about?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the treasure chest under the sand something.¡±


    Lucien pursed his lips.


    ¡°You mean ¡®Hidden Treasures Under The Sea¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that one,¡± Ronan grinned. ¡°What about it?¡±


    ¡°It is going to beunched next Monday. The team is in the middle of deciding the first artworks to disy.¡±


    Lucien picked up his tablet from the desk and showed Ronan the pictures that he received from Mr. Boyd.


    ¡°Look, aren¡¯t they just precious?¡± He asked while flipping from image to image.


    ¡°Oh, absolutely.¡±


    Lucien turned to look at the philistine next to him with a dead-panned expression.


    ¡°Which one do you like the most?¡±


    ¡°Oh, the uh... The bunch of dogs over there. So cute.¡±


    ¡°... Those are reindeers.¡±


    What dog had a shiny nose?


    The Alpha cleared his throat. ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Forget it,¡± Lucien grumbled. Ronan was never able to appreciate the beauty of paintings and sculptures alike.


    Grinning from ear to ear, Ronan hugged Lucien from behind and inhaled his mate¡¯s refreshing scent.


    ¡°Sorry, Lulu. I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±


    ¡°Meh, it¡¯s okay.¡±


    Lucien put the tablet back on the desk.


    ¡°Do you want to go to the art gallery next Monday to see the artworks for yourself?¡± The Alpha asked softly while nting a kiss on Lucien¡¯s neck.

 Chapter 215

    215 The Unfair Judgment


    A tempting offer, but...


    Lucien shook his head.


    ¡°It is not a good idea,¡± he stated. ¡°I will submit my votes through email and see the news coverage through the site. It is enough.¡±


    Ronan rubbed their cheeks together.


    ¡°Lulu, I enjoyed having you to myself during the holidays, but you should not imprison yourself in the pack house.¡±


    Lucien turned to look at Ronan with a sneer.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who keeps sulking whenever I leave the pack house?¡±


    Ronan cutely tilted his head.


    ¡°Only when you leave after an unfinished argument. Other than that, you are free to go anywhere you want and I am free to stalk and sleep with you anywhere I want.¡±


    .....


    Lucien shuddered at Ronan¡¯sst sentence.


    ¡°You lecherous wolf,¡± he scolded his shameless mate.


    ¡°Then, do you agree? Let¡¯s go next Monday, alright?¡±


    Lucien raised an eyebrow at the Alpha.


    ¡°What about your CEO job? All done?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Jake can cover for me for a day.¡±


    Or a week.


    Or a month.


    Jake had done more than that in the past. Ronan was pretty sure that he could go missing for a year and no one in the pack other than Jake and Quinn would notice.


    Lucien reached at Ronan¡¯s face and squeezed his nose.


    ¡°Ow,¡± the Alphained.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that you are overloading Jake with work?¡± Lucien asked with a frown.


    Ronan scoffed.


    ¡°Did hein to you?¡±


    ¡°No one did,¡± Lucien replied. ¡°But thest time I met Cassie, she told me that their daughter Wi had been quite unforgiving when her father did note home to tuck her in every night.¡±


    Ronan cleared his throat.


    ¡°Fine, I will grant Jake a few days off on Tuesday.¡±


    Lucien squeezed at Ronan¡¯s jaw.


    ¡°You cannot be seen with me in public, have you forgotten? I will go alone if you insist. No need to apany me.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s face was crumpled unhappily.


    ¡°But I wanted it to be a date...¡±


    Lucien hooked an arm around Ronan¡¯s neck and pressed a kiss on his mate¡¯s lips.


    ¡°We live together,¡± he pointed out. ¡°Are we not past dating?¡±


    Ronan pressed his lips together in dejection.


    ¡°Is it so wrong to want to spend time together with the love of my life out there?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, right now it is.¡±


    Unable to persuade his mate, Ronan ended up working as usual on Monday while Lucien made a trip to South Bedford City with Noah.


    After spending more than two weeks cooped up in the pack house, Lucien was ecstatic to finally get out and enjoy some alone time. He leaned an elbow against the window frame, admiring the beautiful winter scenery outside as the car rolled smoothly from Great Lake City to South Bedford City.


    When the car pulled into the parking lot and Lucien stepped out, he saw a lot of eager visitors at the art gallery.


    The main attraction for today was not his own creation, but Lucien was more than happy to be there.


    Mr. Boyd hurried to greet Lucien the moment he saw Ronan¡¯s car approach.


    ¡°I am so happy that you can make it,¡± he said with a bright smile. ¡°Come, we are about to unveil the three artworks.¡±


    Lucien turned to Noah. ¡°Come with us, it must be boring to wait in the car.¡±


    Noah was bbergasted. He did not expect Lucien to invite him. What an honor! His only fear was that the Alpha might murder him for daring to walk next to the future Luna of the pack.


    On the other side, saying no to the Luna was also not an option.


    Noah hung his head and agreed to go with Lucien and Mr. Boyd.


    The art gallery staff were all present to unveil the three selected artworks. Since Lucien was not part of the staff, he refused to stand together with them and chose to mingle with the visitors instead.


    ¡°Respectable art critics, art lovers, established artists, budding artists, and everyone else, wee to the inauguration of the new section in our art gallery, the ¡®Hidden Treasures Under The Sea¡¯.¡± Mr. Boyd spoke to represent the whole art gallery.


    He then exined the concept behind the new section, the hard work that everyone had done in order to make today happen, and thanked everyone deeply for their support.


    ¡°And now, we shall reveal to you the three best artworks that fit this week¡¯s theme best! These artworks will be disyed for two weeks straight. Please keep your eyes open for the next theme! It will be announced on our website tomorrow morning. Registration for the next round will be open next Monday!¡±


    The three artworks were disyed under a huge ss case to protect them from the weather.


    At the moment, it was covered by a huge red cloth with green and golden ribbons.


    The ribbon was cut by Mr. Boyd who then grabbed one end of the cloth. The other end was grabbed by Alistair Greenwood.


    The two men nodded at each other with a smile.


    ¡°Ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The red cloth was pulled off the big ss case and revealed three artworks inside ¡ª two paintings and one tree sculpture.


    A round of apuse went through the crowd. Three people who must be the creators of the three selected pieces jumped up and down like maniacs.


    One of them was Maya Greenwood.


    ¡°OH MY GODDESS, I WON! I WON! I WONNNN!!!¡± she shouted many times.


    Although Lucien now belonged to Infinite Eclipse Pack, he had not seen Maya for a long time. The disparity of status between them did not allow them to meet easily within the pack house. Not to mention that Ronan was very protective. He was jealous of anyone who looked at Lucien one second longer and got to spend time with him while he ved around at the Silverback Corporation.


    When Maya spotted Lucien, she went through the crowd and threw herself at Lucien.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater, I won! I wonnn!!!¡±


    Laughing, Lucien rubbed the young woman¡¯s head and praised her, ¡°Good job, Maya.¡±


    He wanted to ask which one of the three was hers, but then a loud voice full of indignation rang out from the crowd.


    ¡°CHEATER!!!¡±

 Chapter 216

    216 Ungrounded Cheating usation


    The one who shouted was a bespectacled young woman with long brown curly hair and a pair of dark brown eyes. At that moment, her facial expression was distorted in fury.


    She raised a finger that stabbed in Maya¡¯s direction.


    ¡°I know for a fact that this girl is a cousin of the art gallery¡¯s designer! If this art gallery does not n on being impartial with its judgment, then your flowery speech about wanting to support the artmunity is nothing but a big fat lie!¡±


    An audible gasp went through the crowd.


    The art gallery staff were so shocked by the young woman¡¯s statement. They werepletely oblivious.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°That girl is Mr. Alistair Greenwood¡¯s cousin?¡±


    Alistair wanted to speak up on Maya¡¯s behalf, but the fuming young woman stopped him.


    ¡°I can speak for myself,¡± Maya muttered.


    .....


    Her cheeks red from a mix of anger and humiliation, Maya faced the other young woman and shouted, ¡°I did not cheat! I registered my artwork the same way everyone did!¡±


    ¡°You are a liar!¡±


    ¡°I am not!!!¡±


    The crowd parted and rearranged itself. The various visitors ended up surrounding the two young women and observed their exchanges.


    After enduring the two young women that were shouting at each other without any conclusion, Mr. Boyd decided to take the lead and clear the misunderstanding. Holding his hands up, he tried to exin, ¡°Miss, for your information, the panel of judges decided the winning artworks without knowing the names of the creators. I can assure you that no cheating took ce.¡±


    The young woman broke into a hysterical fit ofughter.


    ¡°Well, who can assure that you are not lying out of convenience?¡±


    ¡°I can let you meet our judges if you insist that much...¡±


    Mr. Boyd was slowly losing his patience, but he still maintained his professional attitude. Lucien, on the other side, could not tolerate the young woman¡¯s behavior any longer.


    It was supposed to be a day to celebrate three wonderful creations by three talented artists. It must not be ruined by one person who threw a tantrum just because her creation failed to rise above the others.


    Lucien was not going to let this one person cause difort to the other judges.


    ¡°No need,¡± the red-blonde man intervened. ¡°Miss, I am one of the judges. Mr. Boyd did not lie. Judges only get to see the artworks minus the names of the creators. No artwork was treated preferentially and thus bypassed the judgment criteria.¡±


    The young woman stared at Lucien with a slight frown between her brows.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know you. Who the hell are you? Is this art gallery recruitingymen to judge serious artworks???


    I demand to know who all the judges are. Maybe there is something wrong with your eyes if you think that mine is inferior to these... these three so-called winning artworks!¡±


    The young woman pointed at the paintings and sculpture in rage.


    This time it was not only Maya whounched a protest. The other two winners, both of them men, also started to raise their voices at the bespectacled young woman.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa. Excuse me, little missy,¡± one of them pushed his way through the crowd. ¡°What makes you think that your creation is above the others? Maybe you didn¡¯t win because it was crap!¡±


    The young woman gasped and pushed at the young man.


    ¡°Asshole!!! Mine was so glorious that the Grinch would work for Santa once he sees it!¡±


    The other young man sneered while pushing his sses up his nose.


    ¡°The way I see it, if Christmas is all you can think of when you read ¡®Winter Wondend¡¯, then no wonder you lost. Just what did you make? A painting of the Grinch decorating a Christmas tree?¡±


    The young woman roared and pounced on the young man as soon as he was done with his mockery.


    The crowd broke into chaos.


    Lucien, Alistair, and Mr. Boyd all jumped in to separate the three bickering artists.


    ¡°Stop it! STOP IT!!!¡± Lucien roared.


    He hissed from pain when the young woman identally scratched his face.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater!!!¡± Maya shouted in horror. ¡°Are you alright???¡±


    ¡°I am fine,¡± Lucien answered.


    While they were busy trying to end the petty fight, someone spoke up from the watching crowd.


    ¡°Hey wait,¡± the woman in a tweed jacket said. ¡°I know you. You are Lucien Clearwater!¡±


    The fight stopped abruptly as the three people stared at Lucien with their mouths wide open.


    Silence fell upon the crowd. More than two hundred pairs of eyes stared at Lucien as if he were an alien that hailed from outer space.


    All of a sudden, the focus shifted from the enraged event participants to Lucien.


    ¡°Homewrecker!¡± Someone shouted from the crowd.


    ¡°Man-stealer!!!¡±


    Before Lucien knew it, tens of people flung all kinds of curses at him. Most of them were women, both old and young. They were all angry, very angry. Even more than the hysterical young woman whose voice was no longer heard. Herints drowned in a sea of shouting mass.


    Lucien¡¯s lips were open in shock as he stared back at the many people who had to be held back by security guards when they tried to approach Lucien. Their ws were extended in Lucien¡¯s direction, their eyes were burning with inexplicable bloodlust.


    In a daze, Lucien¡¯s ears automatically filtered out all the hateful noises. His consciousness withdrew itself to a safe ce beneath the surface, far from external influences that he did not wish toe into contact with.


    ¡°MR. CLEARWATER!!!¡±


    It was Noah¡¯s voice. He was warding off a woman who managed to break through the security guards.


    Lucien looked up. He saw the stone in the woman¡¯s hand, but he was unable to dodge it entirely. It ended up smashing the side of his head.


    ¡°...!!!¡±


    The burning pain blinded Lucien temporarily.


    The man lost his bnce and stumbled to the side. A pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around him and prevented him from falling.


    Although the feeling was familiar, it was the scent that betrayed the person¡¯s identity. Contrary to the salty sandalwood scent that had a calming effect on Lucien, this time the scent was concentrated and corrosive. A malicious aura radiated from the Alpha.


    Ronan Silverback was boiling with intense rage.

 Chapter 217

    217 Homewrecker


    Ronan hugged Lucien to his chest, protecting him like the most precious treasure.


    ¡®Lulu...¡¯


    When he saw blood trickling from the side of Lucien¡¯s head, his own blood rushed through his veins and a storm brewed in his mind.


    Once the Alpha looked up, he glowered at everyone with strong murderous intent.


    ¡®Everyone, hear my bidding,¡¯ the Alpha ordered using Alpha Voice. ¡®Investigate the root cause of this chaos and detain all those who want to attack Lucien.¡¯


    ¡®Yes, Alpha.¡¯


    Under the oppressive influence of Alpha Voice, Ronan¡¯s subjects responded automatically in their minds.


    Ronan¡¯s eyes snapped toward the woman who had the guts to hit Lucien with a stone. His gaze was as cold as the water beneath a frozenke. ¡®Particrly that woman. I will take care of her myself.¡¯


    As if sensing her impending doom, the woman screeched loudly like a ghost and struggled to free herself from Noah¡¯s grip. Her weak punches and ws were regrettably futile against a werewolf. The woman¡¯s anguished cries were thest thing Lucien heard before his consciousness started to dwindle.


    .....


    ¡®Ronan...¡¯


    Wanting to say something, Lucien tugged at Ronan¡¯s shirt. The Alpha turned to look at his mate, but Lucien¡¯s body went ck in Ronan¡¯s embrace before he managed to finish what he wanted to say.


    Ronan lifted Lucien into his arms and carried him to the nearest hospital on spot, leaving the ruckus behind for his people to take care of.


    Lucien was unconscious for a few hours. When he opened his eyes again, noon had passed. The person who was waiting nervously by his side was not Ronan but Noah.


    The man almost cried from relief when Lucien stirred on the bed.


    ¡°Oh, Goddess! Mr. Clearwater, you are finally awake!!!¡±


    Noah had been in a state of panic for hours. The reason for that was quite obvious. He was entrusted with Lucien¡¯s safety for the first time in his career and the future Luna just had to be injured in his presence.


    The only usible reason why the Alpha had not skinned him alive was that he needed Noah to watch over Lucien at the hospital.


    Noah did not ask where Ronan went or what he nned to do. He also did not wish to know.


    Lucien was more than interested to know. Once he realized that Ronan was not around, he turned to look at Noah.


    ¡°Where am I? Where is Ronan?¡±


    Noah only cared to answer the first question.


    ¡°You are in the Bayleef Hospital of South Bedford City. WAIT, MR. CLEARWATER!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING???¡±


    Noah pushed Lucien back to the bed when thetter tried to get up.


    ¡°I need to go,¡± Lucien said. ¡°What happened back there? What did Ronan do?¡±


    ¡°You do not need to concern yourself with such a matter! The Alpha is going to take care of everything in your stead!¡±


    Blood drained from Lucien¡¯s face.


    Noah¡¯s words did not make him feel any better. A furious Ronan would unlikely ignore the whole incident. He might be doing something drastic and Lucien had to stop him before everything was toote.


    ¡°Take me to the art gallery, now,¡± he told Noah. Ronan was most likely there, licking his paws off the civilian blood.


    The poor driver watched helplessly as Lucien pulled his quilt aside and swung his feet out of the bed. There was nothing else he could do but help the man stand before he fell from the bed.


    ¡°Hss...¡±


    Lucien¡¯s head was throbbing with pain. When he walked past the mirror with Noah¡¯s support, he saw thick bandages around his head.


    Stumbling on shaky feet, he changed his clothes and sneaked out of the hospital with a pale-faced Noah. While he drove, the driver prayed with every cell of his body that nothing else happened to Lucien. Otherwise, the Alpha was going to grill him alive on a pyre.


    The art gallery was surrounded by a few police cars that were blinking with red and blue lights. Mr. Boyd was seen at the entrance, chatting with two policemen. One of them took notes while the other questioned the ashen-faced curator.


    When Mr. Boyd caught sight of Lucien, his face turned as pale as death.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater!!!¡± He shouted, closing the distance between them in a hurry. ¡°What are you doing here? You are injured! You should stay on the bed!¡±


    ¡°Tell me what happened,¡± Lucien demanded. ¡°What did Ronan do? What is going on here?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± Mr. Boyd insisted.


    The policemen behind him tipped their hats and directed their gazes at Lucien. Lucien ignored Mr. Boyd and addressed the policemen instead.


    ¡°Officers, this art gallery has my name on it. Please tell me what happened.¡±


    The two officers exchanged curious looks, then one of them asked, ¡°Are we speaking to Mr. Lucien Clearwater?¡±


    ¡°You are,¡± Lucien confirmed.


    Noah and Mr. Boyd exchanged helpless gazes. In a way, Ronan Silverback and Lucien Clearwater were truly made for each other. Both of them were difficult to handle.


    ¡°We received a report of vandalism here at the art gallery,¡± the other officer said. ¡°Mr. Boyd here is the one who made the report.¡±


    Lucien was stunned.


    ¡°What about the ruckus that happened earlier today?¡±


    ¡°That one is being attended by other officers, so we cannot share any details,¡± the other officer answered.


    ¡°...¡±


    Mr. Boyd took the chance to grab Lucien by the shoulder. ¡°See, Mr. Clearwater? Nothing of interest here. Why don¡¯t you let Noah take you back to rest? I can handle it from here.¡±


    The mere fact that Mr. Boyd tried so hard to drive Lucien away was suspicious enough. Lucien had a bad feeling about it.


    ¡°What is the vandalism about? I want to take a look.¡±


    The two officers exchanged nces again. Behind Lucien, Mr. Boyd shook his head fervently. Unfortunately, both policemen did not have any reason to prohibit Lucien entry. Not in an art gallery that carried his name, anyway.


    Lucien was thus led to the ce where said vandalism took ce.


    They did not have to walk far to reach the spot.


    Inside the art gallery, across the ss entrance door, giant scrawny letters were sprayed with red paint and formed the word ¡°HOMEWRECKER¡±.

 Chapter 218

    218 Lillian Woond Is A Good Actress


    ¡°Lillian Woond, are you out of your mind???¡± Ronan hollered through the phone.


    He was so loud that thedies around the table could hear his angry tone.


    ¡°Lillian darling, is everything alright?¡± Lillian¡¯s Aunt Vera squeezed her hand, her eyes brimming with concern.


    Lillian smiled at her aunt gracefully despite the angry Alpha on the phone.


    ¡°Excuse me,dies,¡± she said with a wink before hastily leaving the table.


    Lillian cursed in her heart.


    She should have known better than taking the hot-headed Alpha¡¯s phone call in public. Way to underestimate your enemy, Lillian, she chastised herself.


    Once the beautiful woman reached a safe spot to talk, she hissed into the phone, ¡°I appreciate it if you speak clearly, Alpha Ronan. Just what did I do to deserve this uncivilized scolding??¡±


    Ronan scoffed.


    .....


    ¡°Do you need me to reiterate to you what your crazy fans have done?¡±


    Lillian took a deep breath, begging the Moon Goddess for endless patience and wisdom before she snapped back at Ronan, ¡°Again, Alpha Ronan. Speak. Clearly. What exactly did my so-called ¡®crazy fans¡¯ do?¡±


    ¡°On top of ruining our names on social media, they dared to inflict harm on Lucien!¡±


    Lillian rolled with her eyes. Ronan must be insane. Inflict harm? What harm? Sticks and stones could break Lucien¡¯s bones, but words were harmless.


    ¡°Oh, please, Ronan. All my dear fans did was talk and gossip. Stop exaggerating like an old woman.¡±


    At the other end of the line, Ronan almost went ballistic.


    ¡°One of your ¡®dear fans¡¯ hit Lucien with a stone today. Is that part of their ¡®talk and gossip¡¯ routine? What ising next? Are they going to burn the art gallery?¡±


    Lillian went silent.


    Ronan took it as a deration of defeat.


    ¡°Well, Miss Woond? Nothing to say in your defense?¡±


    Lillian sighed.


    ¡°You know what, Alpha Ronan? I never follow your and Lucien¡¯s activities so naturally, I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. I will see what I can do from my side.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Ronan snapped. ¡°In the first ce, you only care for yourself and your baby. Naturally, you don¡¯t pay attention to all those who have to bleed so that you get what you want.¡±


    Lillian wed into a table edge.


    ¡°Excuse me? I can say the same about you and Lucien. The both of us protect our own respective interests here, Ronan Silverback. Don¡¯t you dare make me out to be the viin.¡±


    ¡°Very well, in that case, to protect MY interest, I am going to do what I should have done weeks ago!¡±


    ¡°And that is...?¡± Lillian queried.


    ¡°You will see.¡±


    Click.


    Ronan ended the phone call just like that.


    Lillian trembled in anger. She could just smash her phone into pieces.


    Why were all men so stupid and impulsive???


    There was nothing she could do. She only hoped that Ronan Silverback¡¯s PR Team was good enough to dissuade their Alpha from doing too much damage.


    Putting a hand across her pregnant belly, Lillian Woond made her way back to the lunch gathering with thedies from the Woond family.


    The women at the table stopped speaking abruptly when they saw Lillian approaching. Thetter did not need to guess twice to know who they had been talking about behind her back.


    Aunt Barbara Woond was a nosy one. She pretended to be concerned, but she was just there for the hot gossip. As soon as Lillian took her seat, she came over to ask, ¡°Lillian dear, was that Alpha Ronan? He sounded so upset. Did something happen?¡±


    Lillian responded with pleasingughter.


    ¡°Oh, Aunt Barbie,¡± she said sweetly. ¡°Ronan is just angry because I have not spent some time with him recently.¡±


    Everyone looked a lot more at ease after they heard Lillian¡¯s words.


    ¡°Really? Because we have all seen the picture, you know,¡± Aunt Barbara whispered in a conspiratorial voice as if she had not just personally ensured that everyone at the table saw the picture in question.


    Lillian pretended not to know.


    ¡°Which picture, Aunt Barbie?¡±


    The atmosphere around the table tensed up again.


    Did Lillian really not know?


    Should they tell her?


    Should they not?


    If they did not tell her, they would miss out on her reaction once she found out!


    Aunt Barbara could not afford to lose out on this delicious scene!


    She grabbed her phone from the table, intent on showing Lillian the picture. But then the blonde woman winced from the pain.


    ¡°Oh, my baby, ahh... My belly, it hurts so much.¡±


    Aunt Barbara turned pale in an instant. So did all the other women at the table.


    ¡°Lillian dear, where is it hurting? Do you need a doctor??¡± Aunt Vera questioned her in panic.


    Lillian shot her aunt a pitiful gaze. ¡°Auntie, I think... Something is wrong with my baby. I should go to the doctor now.¡±


    Not a momentter, the blond woman sat in her car and headed toward a famous resort on the outskirts of the town. Crossing her legs in leisure, she scrolled through the phone in search of thetest news pertaining to Ronan Silverback and Lucien Clearwater.


    There were indeed a few updates.


    The first picture depicted a lifeless Lucien in Ronan¡¯s arms. The caption underneath dered that ¡°Mr. Lucien Clearwater had been attacked by an unknown woman during the unveiling of the Clearwater Contemporary Art Gallery¡¯s new section, the ¡®Hidden Treasures Under The Sea¡¯.¡±


    A swipe to the right showed her the woman who performed the deed. She was being apprehended by a few men.


    Further down, there was a newer picture.


    Someone had sneaked into the art gallery to spray the ss entrance door with red paint. The ghastly letters formed the word ¡°HOMEWRECKER¡±.


    Lillian sighed.


    Sure, her fans could do insane things sometimes, but would they go as far as hurting Lucien Clearwater like this?


    Unlikely.


    This kind of action bore the signature of a certain someone.


    ¡°Go to Pine Groove City instead,¡± Lillian told her driver.


    ¡°Right away, Miss.¡±

 Chapter 219

    219 The Menace In Lillian¡¯s Life


    Conrad Woond might be the Alpha of the Irond ws Pack, but he was by far not the most influential person in the Woond family. The person who ruled the Woond family was still the matriarch, Lucrethia Woond.


    Lucrethia Woond was the most impressive Luna during her tenure. She had beauty and wits in one hand, and strength and ferocity in another. Easily the perfect woman in the eyes of the whole werewolf society but the men who were unable to keep up with her.


    Lionel Woond, her husband, just happened to be one of those men.


    Despite the differences between her and her husband, then the Alpha of the Irond ws, she still bore him three healthy alpha pups. One boy and two girls. The boy, Conrad Woond, was a huge disappointment in her mother¡¯s eyes.


    Lucrethia favored her middle daughter, Katreena Woond. She often said that Katreena resembled her the most. By trying to promote Katreena, she indirectly insinuated that she, a she-wolf, would make a better Alpha than her husband.


    This naturally created arger rift between the ruling Alpha and Luna.


    Lionel Woond demanded that Conrad, his humble son, seeded him as the Alpha.


    In the end, despite Lucrethia¡¯s endless campaigning on Katreena¡¯s behalf, Conrad became the next Alpha.


    Katreena was sent off to a marriage to an Alpha of another pack that lived far, far away from the Irond ws Pack.


    .....


    Katreena¡¯s marriage broke her mother¡¯s heart.


    Lucrethia¡¯s ambition was gone just like that, but not for long.


    It returned in form of an obsessive hope when Lillian was born.


    Lucrethia took Lillian under her wings as soon as the child was ready for education. She taught Lillian everything, but she learned from her failure with Katreena. For Lillian, Lucrethia had another n.


    Her granddaughter was going to marry only the strongest Alpha of the strongest pack.


    Her brilliance shall not be wasted in the Irond ws Pack.


    Lillian knew Lucrethia as long as she knew her parents. From an early age, Lillian recognized the disparity of power between his father and his grandmother.


    Lucrethia had her son on her palm.


    Conrad Woond was helpless against his mother. If anything, he was desperate for his mother¡¯s recognition. This was also why he did not at all object when his eldest daughter was turned into his mother¡¯s pawn.


    For Lillian, Lucrethia was her grandmother, her mentor, and also her superior.


    She used to love her, but now she only harbored fear of her.


    More now than before.


    It was as if the matriarch already expected Lillian¡¯s arrival. She had a jug of iced lemon tea with two sses on the gazebo table. Lucrethia Woond was rxing on a rattan lounge chair with a novel in her hands, a fluffy round pillow was ced against her back to ease the backache that tormented her in herter years.


    When Lillian approached her with her trained, expressionless smile, Lucrethia lowered her book and pushed her sses up her nose. They made her greenish-blue eyes look bigger.


    She narrowed her eyes and looked her granddaughter up and down, a cynical smile forming on her lips.


    ¡°So, how is that little bastard doing in your stomach?¡±


    Lillian¡¯s smile froze for a split second before she regained herposure and beamed at her grandmother.


    ¡°The pup is doing fine,¡± she said while caressing her protruding belly.


    Lillian used to thank everyone for asking about her pregnancy, unless of course the person who asked was her grandmother.


    Lucrethia scoffed.


    ¡°Well, now that Ronan Silverback acknowledged the baby as his, I am d that I did not beat it out of you back then.¡±


    Lillian¡¯s wolf wed inside her, demanding her to shut Lucrethia up. The woman had to take a deep breath a few times to restrain both herself and her wolf.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Lillian beamed, suppressing her rage.


    As soon as Lucrethia found out that Lillian was pregnant, she tied her granddaughter up and beat the daylight out of her. She even forced Lillian to take abortion medicines.


    It was only by a sheer miracle that the fetus survived. After some time, Lucrethia came up with a brilliant idea.


    Nevertheless, the pup in Lillian¡¯s belly shared her bloodline. Might as well ce the pup on an Alpha throne. Whether or not the pup belonged to Ronan Silverback was unimportant. That pup was going to be the next Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack.


    ¡°Tell me, child,¡± Lucrethia said on that fateful night after subjecting her granddaughter to another round of torture. ¡°Did you let Ronan Silverback take your virginity and spill his seed inside you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lillian lied through her gritted teeth.


    It was her only sliver of hope for survival.


    It happened months ago, but the memories were still fresh in Lillian¡¯s mind. Whenever she saw her grandmother, she could taste iron in her mouth. Even her baby became restless. The fetus seemed to be able to recognize the vile woman who almost killed it.


    ¡°Speaking about Ronan Silverback, he is being rather cold to you, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Is he?¡± Lillian acted surprised. ¡°I believe him to be rather affectionate as ofte.¡±


    Lucrethia cackled. ¡°Are you trying to fool me or are you really that foolish? Is a bouquet of hundred red roses enough to buy your heart?¡±


    Lillian¡¯s lips tugged up in a smile. ¡°Give him time, Grandmother.¡±


    ¡°Time is exactly what we don¡¯t have right now,¡± Lucrethia pointed out. ¡°You don¡¯t want your pup to be born out of wedlock, Lillian. Do whatever necessary to get him to marry you.¡±


    The elderly woman rose to her feet, supporting herself on a wooden cane with a pointy end.


    Although Lillian was taller than Lucrethia, she felt so small in front of her grandmother¡¯s imposing presence.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me spill blood for you,¡± Lucrethia sighed. She reached for her book but ended up swiping it to the grassy ground instead.


    Lillian forced herself to smile when she knelt down to pick the book up for her grandmother.


    From between the sheets, a photograph fell out.


    It was the original image of the picture that circted like wildfire upon its appearance. In the photograph, Ronan and Lucien were sharing an intimate kiss at the art gallery entrance.


    This single image started the whole scandal.

 Chapter 220

    220 Repaying Kindness With Hatred


    Ronan Silverback sat at his desk and red at the poor assistant who stood before him. Milroy had put together the investigation report for the riot that happened at the art gallery earlier that day.


    Smuggled among the visitors who were there to attend theunch were a bunch of troublemakers.


    After hours of tedious questioning, they admitted that they were hired especially to give Lucien some grievances.


    In exchange for a huge sum of money, they were requested to embellish the recently circted image of the Silverback Corporation CEO and his gay lover.


    The young woman who protested about the unfair selection did not even register an artwork of her own.


    The people who shouted curses at Lucien did not even know who he was until they epted the deal.


    The woman who hit Lucien with a stone was a different case. A few months ago, she became mentally unstable after her husband admitted that he was homosexual and then left her for a man.


    Interestingly, she was not the only one. Several more women with simr backgrounds were recruited to attend theunch event.


    The perpetrator had specifically found these women and brainwashed them into hating Lucien.


    .....


    The police department suspected that hypnosis was so involved because these bitter women did not see Lucien when they looked at the man. Every single one of them saw the person who stole their husbands instead.


    During interrogation at the police station, they did not mention Lucien¡¯s name. They mentioned the name of their husbands¡¯ lovers over and over again along with their personal grievances.


    ¡°All of them had been sent to psychiatric facilities for correction,¡± Milroy ended his report.


    ¡°And who is the culprit behind this scheme?¡±


    Milroy swallowed hard.


    ¡°Reporting to the Alpha, the culprit has not been found...¡±


    Before Milroy ended his sentence, Ronan swept across his desk and sent everything crashing to the floor. The young man flinched and trembled in fear.


    ¡°I... I will keep searching,¡± he stuttered while holding his notebook against his chest, just in case the Alpha nned to rip his heart out of his chest.


    Ronan roared in frustration.


    Why was he not able to unearth the viin who did all of these horrible things?


    He did not want to rely on Lillian Woond. Five months were simply too long!


    While the Alpha wrecked his brain in an attempt to find a way to squeeze the viin out of his hiding ce, someone knocked at the door.


    ¡°Alpha, may I enter?¡±


    Jake¡¯s voice was hearding from behind the door. Milroy was so grateful for the Beta¡¯s appearance that he almost broke into tears.


    ¡°Enter,¡± Ronan answered briskly.


    Jake entered, his face ashen and his expression cheerless.


    ¡°Reporting to the Alpha, Enoch Boyd reported a vandalism incident at the art gallery.¡±


    ¡°Is this even worth reporting?¡± Ronan snapped fiercely.


    ¡°It is,¡± Jake said. He took out his phone and handed it over to Ronan.


    When Ronan saw the pictures, he facepalmed.


    ¡°Goddess. Don¡¯t let Lucien see it. Erase it immediately.¡±


    Jake had nothing good to respond with.


    ¡°Lucien already saw. He went to the art gallery as soon as he regained conscious...¡±


    Ronan lunged at Jake and grabbed the man¡¯s cor across the table. Jake had to support himself with both hands on the table in order to not topple forward.


    Meanwhile, his phone tumbled down to the carpeted floor with a soft thud.


    ¡°For fucking sake,¡± Ronan hissed at his Beta, ¡°how difficult is it to keep an eye on one person??? How did he even get out of the hospital??? What the fuck was Noah doing???¡±


    ¡°You know how Lucien is,¡± Jake said in a low voice. ¡°Noah could not stop him. Neither could Enoch.¡±


    ¡°Rahhhhhh...!!!¡±


    Ronan released Jake and mmed both fists on the desk.


    ¡°Where is Lucien now?¡±


    ¡°He asked to go back to Great Lake City. Noah is taking him there now.¡±


    Ronan sighed.


    Well, at least he was back to their safe nest.


    ¡°There better be no graffiti waiting for him when he gets home,¡± Ronan scoffed.


    ¡°Get a Healer to tend to his wound and give him something to calm his mind,¡± Ronan ordered. ¡°Keep an eye on him, don¡¯t leave him alone without any supervision.¡±


    Sighing heavily, Ronan knew that his instructions were useless. Lucien hated to be tailed, let alone supervised. He would most likely just send everyone away and lock himself up in a room or something.


    The Alpha sank into his seat and pressed a hand over the upper half of his face.


    ¡°Never mind. I am going back to Great Lake City this evening. Milroy, get me Mara Keenthorne.¡±


    Given an excuse to go away, Milroy naturally seized it with n.


    ¡°Right away, Alpha!¡± He shouted before he bolted out of the door ¡ª not without shooting Jake amiserating look.


    It turned out that Jake was not done with his finding.


    ¡°We have found the people who sprayed the word at the art gallery,¡± the Beta informed Ronan while straightening his tie.


    ¡°Do we know them?¡± Ronan asked without removing his hand from his face.


    Not that he cared for some meager pawns. The person he was most interested in was the invisible person who pulled the strings and mobilized the mass against them.


    ¡°No, but Lucien does.¡±


    Jake picked up his phone from the floor and showed him mugshots of two young women. The name tags that they held up identified them as Neena Evans and Helene Bradford.


    ¡°Who are these two people?¡± Ronan asked with a frown. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that they are from Silent Walkers Pack.¡±


    ¡°They are normal human beings,¡± Jake corrected him. ¡°During his short stay at the art gallery, Lucien mentored a few interns, including these twodies.¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    A vein popped up at Ronan¡¯s temple.


    ¡°Are you telling me that Lucien was kind enough to teach them for free and then these two turned against him and bit his hand?¡±


    Jake pulled his lips into a thin line.


    ¡°More or less.¡±


    ¡°Damn it,¡± Ronan cursed.


    Lucien was too soft-hearted. He did so many things for so many people, uncaring whether they were werewolves or not, but look at what he got in return.


    It was bad enough that no one cared to stand up in his defense, but to actually ride the bandwagon to attack their benefactor?


    Unforgivable.


    Ronan wed at the sides of his desk.


    How he would love to tear them into pieces.


    If they had been she-wolves, Ronan would personally visit their Alpha and demand payback for the emotional pain that they caused his mate.


    ¡°Throw them into jail. Let those ungrateful bunch of kids rot there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡±

 Chapter 221

    221 The Alpha¡¯s Mate Needed An Excuse (NSFW)


    Noah was terrified of a lot of things.


    Right now, what terrified him the most was the man who sat in the backseat and remained silent during the entire trip.


    Noah tried hard to engage Lucien in a cheering conversation, but all he got from the man was asional hums.


    After a while, Noah hung his head and let Lucien dwell in his own thoughts.


    As soon they arrived at the pack house, Lucien stepped off the car and marched to the apartment that he shared with Ronan. Once he went inside, he refused to open the door to anyone. Not even to a Healer who came to check on him.


    At the end of their wits, they had to rely on the Alpha toe and drag Lucien out.


    Thankfully, Ronan arrived not long after.


    He was not at all surprised to hear that Lucien locked himself in their apartment.


    ¡°Leave us,¡± Ronan said before he went into his apartment.


    .....


    ¡°Lulu...?¡±


    The living room was empty, and so was the kitchen. Ronan went into the bedroom. It was dark inside. The bed was made, no trace of the man that he was looking for.


    ¡®Lulu? Where are you?¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®Lulu...? Answer me, please.¡¯


    ¡®The second bedroom.¡¯


    He referred to it as the second bedroom, but it was clearly more like a storage room for Lucien¡¯s stuff.


    The door to the room was slightly ajar. On the wooden floor, Lucien sat cross-legged and pored through his sketchbooks. He did not look up when Ronan entered. His eyes were locked on the book on hisp, but Ronan could see that his eyes were unfocused.


    Ronan sat next to his mate and put an arm around him. The sight of white bandages wrapped around Lucien¡¯s head gave him heartache.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he kissed Lucien¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Mm,¡± Lucien hummed in reply.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Just... Looking through my past sketches.¡±


    ¡°They look really, uh, nice.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    To be frank, the sketches were not even half-done. What Ronan saw was a bunch of scratches across the sketchbook. The Alpha was not sure what Lucien nned to draw with the chaotic lines.


    It didn¡¯t matter. He was not there to talk about art, anyway.


    ¡°Lulu, it¡¯s fine to be upset,¡± he carefully said.


    He promptly shut up when Lucien squared his shoulders and disentangled himself from Ronan¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°Baby...?¡±


    Ronan hugged Lucien from behind and kissed the small spot on his back. ¡°I am here for you. Just tell me how I can help.¡±


    Lucien turned his head slightly in Ronan¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Then sleep with me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan stared at Lucien.


    ¡°What is it? Didn¡¯t you want to help?¡±


    Any other day, Ronan would have tackled Lucien into bed and fucked him all night long when he was provoked in a simr manner.


    Just not today.


    ¡°Lulu, you... You are hurt. Should we not wait?¡±


    He was not referring to the wound on Lucien¡¯s head but the one in his heart.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± Lucien insisted. There was an indescribable fierceness in his usually gentle eyes. ¡°I want you to fuck me, now.¡±


    Lucien undid Ronan¡¯s pants and squeezed his manhood through his underpants.


    Ronan groaned.


    ¡°Lucien...¡±


    Ronan did not want to do it, but he was still a man after all. When his lover teased him like that, he was naturally unable to refuse his advances.


    Kissing wildly, they tumbled into their bedroom andnded on the bed.


    Ronan stripped Lucienyer afteryer, opening him up like a present. When he wanted to go down on Lucien, though, thetter stopped him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. I want you to go inside me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Again, Ronan was stunned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you are ready,¡± he said.


    ¡°I am,¡± Lucien insisted. ¡°I need you inside me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Inside his heart, Ronan cursed at himself. How could he get turned on by Lucien¡¯s words?


    The Alpha opened the side drawer and grabbed some lubricant. After coating his massive tool, he poured some on his fingers and squeezed them into Lucien¡¯s entry hole.


    ¡°Ahh...¡±


    Lucien arched his back, not bothering to stifle his moans at all.


    Ronan swallowed hard. It was too much provocation. More than what he could bear. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he spread his lover¡¯s legs and gently nudged his way inside.


    Today, Lucien was impatient.


    He hooked his legs around Ronan¡¯s waist and drew him closer. Deeper.


    Ronan tried to resist, but it felt so good inside his mate. Too good. So warm and moist. He eventually gave in to the temptation and let Lucien swallow him whole, enveloping his rockhard erection and taking it into his deepest recess.


    They made love almost every day, so Lucien¡¯s body was used to epting Ronan¡¯s cock. Almost as if it had been molded to fit Ronan¡¯s length and girth. Still, the first thrusts were painful for Lucien.


    Not wanting to hurt his mate, Ronan eased himself slowly in and out of Lucien¡¯s sweet clutches, thrusting only shallowly in and out. He wanted Lucien to feel good.


    The man beneath him wanted the exact opposite.


    ¡°Harder,¡± he ordered.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Faster.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Deeper.¡±


    ¡°Lucien, does it not hurt?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien grabbed Ronan¡¯s face with both hands and kissed him with a fiery passion.


    The bed rocked violently as the two men mmed into each other. Lucien broke the kiss and pulled Ronan into a tight embrace. Thetter buried his face into Lucien¡¯s neck while he pounded into him. Harder, faster, and deeper, just like what Lucien demanded.


    ¡°Ahh... Aaah...!!!¡±


    His moans spilled incessantly from his lips.


    ¡°Lulu, my baby... My mate... I love you, I love you so much,¡± Ronan rambled on. ¡°It feels so good inside you...¡±


    Lucien bit into his lower lip. His grip on Ronan was so hard that it hurt. Ronan was stunned when the moaning stopped and the body under him trembled.


    Lucien was crying.


    ¡°Lulu, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ronan said abruptly. He must have hurt his mate with his frantic thrusting. The Alpha wanted to withdraw from Lucien¡¯s body, but thetter mped hard around him.


    ¡°No,¡± he sobbed. ¡°Continue.¡±


    ¡°... Lulu, I don¡¯t want to.¡±


    .....


    ¡°You said that you wanted to help,¡± Lucien sobbed. ¡°Help me. I need it.¡±


    Ronan gritted his teeth. He railed Lucien hard, stabbing into his insides again and again to give Lucien an excuse to cry his eyes out.

 Chapter 222

    222 Rely On Me More


    After being pounded into roughly for more than an hour, Lucien eventually passed out. His grip around Ronan loosened, allowing the Alpha to take a look at his crying face atst.


    ¡°Lulu...¡± Ronan sighed.


    He brushed against Lucien¡¯s cheeks with his thumb to wipe his lover¡¯s tears away.


    If only he could do the same with the pain in Lucien¡¯s heart.


    If only he could erase the painful memories in Lucien¡¯s brain, leaving only the sweet, happy memories behind.


    ¡°I love you,¡± Ronan whispered. ¡°I love you so much... My sweet Lucien, my love.¡±


    Ronan caressed Lucien¡¯s beautiful hair and face again and again while waiting for his knot to dete. Once the Alpha was able to dislodge himself, he swept Lucien into his arms and carried him to the bathroom.


    Exhausted physically and mentally, Lucien remained asleep while Ronan cleaned him and put clean clothes on him.


    After the Alpha tucked his mate into bed and cleared the smell of their mixed pheromones and sex from the room, he called for a Healer.


    .....


    Having been waiting for the summon, the Healer came almost instantly. He checked Lucien¡¯s vitals and wound before he re-bandaged thetter¡¯s head.


    ¡°How is he?¡± Ronan asked, standing by Lucien¡¯s side and crossing his arms before his chest.


    The Healer tucked Lucien back under the nket properly before he answered Ronan.


    ¡°Reporting to the Alpha, the head wound is not serious. Mr. Clearwater has a slight fever and his heartbeat is irregr. It might be due to excessive stress.¡±


    Ronan gave a subtle nod.


    That was expected.


    ¡°I shall prescribe a herbal concoction for Mr. Clearwater to relieve his fever and calm his mind. Best to take it at night with a ss of milk. I shall arrange for the delivery every night.¡±


    ¡°Understood, you can leave.¡±


    The Healer bowed deeply in front of Ronan and then excused himself to give the Alpha and his mate some privacy.


    On the bed, Lucien¡¯s eyes fluttered open. He turned to gaze at Ronan who was holding his hand.


    ¡°Awake? How are you feeling?¡±


    Lucien lifted a hand to his face and rubbed between his brows.


    ¡°Mnh. I am okay.¡±


    Other than the stinging eyes and hoarse voice, he did not feel too bad.


    The bed creaked softly when Ronan climbed into the bed and pressed a kiss on Lucien¡¯s lips.


    ¡°I know that you don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t talk about it,¡± Lucien snapped at him with a re.


    Ronan squeezed Lucien¡¯s hand and continued nheless, ¡°I just want to tell you that you can rely on me. I want to be your strength.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s gaze softened. Smiling weakly, he caressed Ronan¡¯s cheek. ¡°You already are.¡±


    Ronan shook his head. He pressed a hand over Lucien¡¯s andced their fingers together.


    ¡°I am not. You always choose to depend on yourself, refusing to share your burden with me.¡±


    Lucien averted his eyes with a sigh.


    ¡°Ronan, I am not a woman.¡±


    ¡°I never think of you as one,¡± Ronan furrowed his brows. ¡°Do you need to be a woman to depend on your mate?¡±


    Lucien shook his head. He narrowed his eyes at his mate and said, ¡°You know what I mean.¡±


    ¡°Because you are an alpha as well?¡±


    Lucien tilted his head with a bitter smile.


    ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t think you would like it if Ie to you, bawling my eyes out due to some stupid picture. Or sprayed graffiti.¡±


    ¡°Honestly? Today, I wish you would.¡±


    Lucien chuckled.


    ¡°Oh, Ronan, you...¡±


    The Alpha pressed theirced fingers to his lips.


    ¡°I hurt too,¡± he whispered. ¡°I feel a lot of pain, Lulu. Will you push me away if I seek sce from you?¡±


    Lucien shook his head. ¡°Of course not.¡±


    ¡°Then what makes you think that I will push you away when you need me?¡±


    ¡°... I don¡¯t.¡±


    Ronan raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°If I, with my current position as an Alpha, can throw away my ego and expose my vulnerable side to you, can you do the same? For me?¡±


    Lucien stared at Ronan for a while before he lowered his eyes in guilt.


    He envied the man before him a lot. Not because he was an Alpha. Or because he was respected by the entire werewolfmunity. It was Ronan¡¯s openness to a range of emotions that Lucien was mostly envious of.


    The man was not afraid to expose his weakness. Fear, sadness, pain. Ronan epted the negative emotions, internalized them, and used them to be stronger.


    Lucien was never able to do that. He would rather suppress the negative feelings and pretend that they didn¡¯t exist than address them.


    Ever since he was young, he was used to building a huge, imprable wall around his battered heart. He did not want anyone to know that he was hurting inside. He growled at others to stay away whenever they came close to inspect his wounds. After he made sure that no one was around, he whined and cried tofort himself.


    But now he was no longer alone.


    He and Ronan were bound together as mates. Mates were linked to each other. In body, heart, and soul. Lucien knew that much.


    ¡°Mmn,¡± he mumbled, raising his eyes to meet Ronan¡¯s. ¡°I will do my best to change.¡±


    A warm smile appeared on Ronan¡¯s handsome face. As long as Lucien was willing to open himself, Ronan was more than willing to wait for him.


    ¡°Alright,¡± the Alpha said. ¡°You should rest. Today was rather stressful.¡±


    ¡°Ronan, what did you do to those people?¡± Lucien grabbed Ronan¡¯s sleeves when the Alpha rose to go. He naturally referred to the people who were involved in the riot at the art gallery.


    Ronan¡¯s expression turned cold when he was reminded of the awful bunch who hurt his mate.


    ¡°They are getting what they deserve,¡± he replied cruelly.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t kill them, did you?¡± Lucien asked, his eyes widened in terror.


    Ronan tossed out a mockingughter.


    ¡°Kill them? Noo.¡±


    Why would he? He considered death to be absolution and not a punishment. They should suffer tenfold for what they inflicted on Lucien. Nothing less than that.

 Chapter 223

    223 Lucien Hated To Be Followed Around


    Both the Alpha and his mate had a bad habit. They liked to leave their phones unattended, leaving them at the most random ces for dead.


    Those who knew these two eventually understood that to reach either Ronan or Lucien, they needed to contact Jake or Milroy.


    After serving as the Alpha¡¯s and the Alpha¡¯s mate¡¯s phone operator for a few days, Jake had enough. The Beta ruthlessly decided to redirect all phone calls for his two superiors to Milroy.


    The poor assistant thus had to single-handedly handle the new responsibility. He loudlyined to Quinn one day. Thepassionate Gamma then took the initiative to hire an assistant for Lucien.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need any,¡± Lucien said when Quinny before him a list of prospective assistants from the Infinite Eclipse Pack.


    ¡°Do you prefer someone from your birth pack? We can arrange for that,¡± Quinn offered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone to follow me around.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s an option, because the Alpha already arranged bodyguards to follow you around as soon as you step a foot out of the pack house.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    .....


    Thirty minutester, the Silverback Corporation Headquarters¡¯ employees at the reception desk had toe face-to-face with a very unhappy Lucien, followed by two bodyguards who looked like they could snap Lucien like a twig effortlessly.


    ¡°I want to speak to your CEO,¡± Lucien said with a grim expression.


    ¡°Our CEO is not avable at the moment,¡± so the receptionist replied with a practiced line. Because who in their sane mind demanded to see Ronan Silverback and also got to see him?


    The receptionist almost rolled with her eyes. Although the man in front of her was delicately handsome, he was also a fool.


    ¡°Make him avable,¡± Lucien shot the receptionist a re.


    ¡°Sir, I already said that he¡¯s not avable. Will you please remove yourself from this building? Otherwise, I need to call security.¡±


    The receptionist moved her hand to the phone on the desk. This small gesture worked most of the time. Unfortunately, this mad visitor was not easy to scare away.


    Lucien sucked in a deep breath. He then huffed in anger but did not make any movement to leave at all.


    ¡°Sir, I have to insist that...¡±


    The receptionist¡¯s words were cut by the ringing of the phone next to her. She reached for the phone receiver and stared at Lucien. Unfortunately, her efforts to make him leave with mere eyes did not work. Shaking her head in disbelief, she chose to answer the phone first.


    ¡°You are speaking with the reception desk,¡± the receptionist smiled as she spoke into the receiver. ¡°How can I help y... Huh???¡±


    At the other end of the phone, Milroy¡¯s panicked voice was heard.


    ¡°Let that man with red-blonde hair up, NOW!¡±


    The receptionist was stunned.


    She gaped at Lucien, the receiver still pressed against her ear.


    Before she even grabbed the electronic card to swipe the elevator, the VIP elevator at the end of the corridor arrived with a ding sound.


    The CEO of Silverback Corporation, Ronan Silverback himself, strolled out leisurely.


    He went past the reception desk without granting the receptionist even one nce. His gentle gaze was reserved for his beautiful mate only.


    The Alpha stretched out his arms and pulled Lucien into his arms before leaning closer for a kiss. Stunned by Ronan¡¯s sudden appearance, Lucien did not even have a chance to dodge the kiss.


    ¡°Fancy seeing you here, my love,¡± Ronan said with a chuckle.


    Ronan¡¯s mischievous smile quickly sobered Lucien up. He promptly remembered the reason he was even there.


    ¡°Ronan Silverback, why are you sending men to tail me?¡± Lucien grabbed his mate¡¯s cor and hissed at him. ¡°I hate to be stalked. I thought you would know that already by now.¡±


    Ronan gave his mate his most charming smile.


    ¡°Not for long.¡±


    ¡°Until when?¡± Lucien demanded.


    ¡°It ends now.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien blinked at Ronan in confusion.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± Ronan said with a mysterious wink.


    He dragged Lucien with him back into the VIP elevator. Lucien turned his head around to see that the two bodyguards indeed did not follow him to the elevator. In exchange, a bunch of Ronan¡¯s bodyguards did.


    It was such a bad joke.


    The VIP elevator was reserved for the Alpha¡¯s and his entourage¡¯s private use. Other than Ronan, only Jake was able to activate it. It was the only elevator that allowed ess to Ronan¡¯s office on the topmost floor.


    The door opened once they reached the aforementioned floor. The first thing that caught Lucien¡¯s attention was the huge Silverback family sigil on the shiny marble floor, followed by a young man who stood some distance away. Shaking like a leaf, Milroy was as pale as a three-day-old corpse.


    ¡°Ronan, what are you taking me here for?¡± Lucien furrowed his brows as they got closer and closer to Milroy. ¡°I need to go back to the pack house. Quinn is waiting for me.¡±


    Lucien had promised the Gamma to go back to discuss the assistant matter right after he got rid of the bodyguards.


    Ronan shook his head gently.


    ¡°You can do thatter. I want you to be here now.¡±


    ¡°What for?¡±


    Milroy bowed deeply before Ronan and Lucien before he turned at the door handle.


    ¡°I believe this is a good time to introduce you to every single leader in my pack,¡± Ronan said.


    The door opened and revealed a huge,vish meeting room. Inside, around thirty men and women in suits sat around a huge rosewood meeting table.


    They all looked up at the same time when the door opened.


    Of the many werewolves inside the room, Lucien had only met Jake and Mara. Both of them gave Lucien encouraging smiles when their eyes met with Lucien¡¯s.


    Ronan pressed a kiss against the side of Lucien¡¯s head while thetter was still intimately pressed against his side.


    ¡°I introduce to you all, my mate and the future Luna of our Infinite Eclipse Pack, Lucien Clearwater.¡±

 Chapter 224

    224 Formal Introduction Of The Luna


    The Infinite Eclipse Pack was a huge pack that boasted more than a thousand werewolves with a continuously growing number. Beneath the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, there were still other ranks that fulfilled important jobs within the pack and also the Silverback Corporation.


    While in smaller packs these ranks merely meant more responsibilities, in bigger packs they meant more power and authority.


    Lucien had gone through a simr introduction after he and Kinnon informed the Werewolf Council of their wedding n. Everything went smoothly back then. He was epted without any objection.


    Lucien had been dreading this moment.


    He imagined it to be full of rejection just like when he came face-to-face with the Silent Walkers Pack to ask for their help to participate in the war.


    Lucien stared at the many unknown faces that looked up at him. He almost expected them to shout curses at him, and hit him with a stone. Too scary... He would love to just turn around and bolt away.


    But then, they all rose to their feet at the same time and fell to one knee on the floor before him and Ronan.


    ¡°We swear to you our allegiance, Luna,¡± they said solemnly while bowing their heads.


    Lucien¡¯s breath was stuck in his neck. For a while, he was unable to say anything. He just stood there, his slender frame slightly trembling as waves of tion slowly washed over him.


    .....


    ¡®Are you going to let them kneel forever?¡¯ Ronan teased.


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lucien choked out. ¡°Please rise to your feet.¡±


    They all rose to his feet and beamed at Lucien expectantly.


    ¡°From now on, I want Lucien to enjoy all the privileges of a Luna. Our rtionship should be made known to the public,¡± Ronan dered.


    ¡°Of course, Alpha,¡± Jake answered with a smile.


    Lucien¡¯s eyes drifted from one person to another. Again,plete eptance. Not a single rejection, not a single sentence that started with a ¡°But¡±.


    No one even mentioned anything about Lillian Woond.


    And the baby.


    The scene was almost surreal.


    Back in Ronan¡¯s office, Lucien was given a cup of hot cocoa with some marshmallows.


    ¡°Shocked?¡± Ronan asked with a chuckle while he traced Lucien¡¯s spine with his fingers.


    Lucien red at him.


    ¡°You set me up,¡± he used his mate while sipping from the luxurious thick liquid.


    Ronan pretended to be astounded.


    ¡°Me? How could I? It was a coincidence!¡±


    Coincidence your ass, Lucien cursed in his head.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you n to officially introduce me to every single leader of your pack?¡±


    Ronan leaned against the couchzily.


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want you to be all nervous and jittery.¡±


    ¡°So, you thought that giving me a heart attack was a much better option?¡±


    ¡°Our Head Healer is here. She can tend to you when you do suffer from a heart attack,¡± Ronan innocently imed.


    Lucien scoffed. He drank another sip from his cup instead of continuing to argue with Ronan.


    The Alpha squeezed his mate¡¯s hand, prompting Lucien to look at him.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Lulu, it is time for us to n for our wedding, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Wedding?


    In the middle of all this mess?


    Lucien shrank back. He didn¡¯t think so.


    ¡°Ronan, we should wait,¡± he said, putting his cup back on the tea table.


    Ronan shook his head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to wait anymore. Let¡¯s make it official. I want you to be my Luna not only in practice but also in name.¡±


    ¡°I thought you asked me to give you five months,¡± Lucien pointed out.


    ¡°Nearly four months left now,¡± Ronan corrected him. ¡°And that was to fix the issue with Lillian Woond. I never nned to dy our wedding n because of her.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s eyshes fluttered lightly when he heard the determination in Ronan¡¯s voice. A slight blush appeared on his cheeks, but his lips were pressed together in reluctance.


    Ronan chuckled. He raised both hands to Lucien¡¯s face and caressed his adorable, pink cheeks.


    ¡°Sometimes, I do wish that you were a woman,¡± he whispered. ¡°With my son growing inside your belly, you would not be hesitant to marry me.¡±


    Lucien smiled in response.


    He then took one of Ronan¡¯s hands and pressed it against the lower part of his stomach.


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you keep trying, Alpha?¡± He asked seductively.


    The corners of Ronan¡¯s lips ticked up in delight.


    When he went back to the pack house that night, he did what Lucien challenged him to do. Again and again, the Alpha deposited his seed deep into his Luna¡¯s body, hoping to conceive a son.


    Eventually, sore and battered from the intense lovemaking, Lucien called it quits.


    ¡°You are going to kill me if you don¡¯t stop now,¡± he chastised the Alpha.


    Leaning against a pillow with his arm supporting his head, said Alpha traced Lucien¡¯s frame with a finger. Thetter¡¯s body was full of bite and kiss marks that extended from his slender neck to his shapely legs.


    So beautiful.


    ¡°I thought you wanted me to try harder,¡± he crooned. ¡°Now you want me to stop. I am so conflicted, Lulu.¡±


    The Alpha leaned closer to kiss his mate but Lucien pushed his face away.


    ¡°Stop that,¡± he said. ¡°No more kisses for you.¡±


    Lucien climbed off the bed and looked around.


    ¡°What are you looking for...?¡± Ronan furrowed his brows at Lucien.


    ¡°My phone. I promised Quinn to keep it with me all the time. Otherwise, she is going to stick me with an assistant.¡±


    Ronan rolled on the bed and groaned.


    ¡°For Goddess¡¯ sake, just ask Quinn to buy you a new phone.¡±


    ¡°You are not listening,¡± Lucien said while crouching on the floor to look under the bed. ¡°It is not missing. It is just neglected. Oh, there it is!¡±


    Ronan opened his eyes slightly. Lucien found his phone but he was noting back to bed.


    The man crept toward the edge and hoisted Lucien back to the bed.


    Thetter was so engrossed in his phone that he did not pay Ronan any attention. Dissatisfied with Lucien¡¯s response, Ronan bit into his shoulder out of spite.


    ¡°Ouch! Ronan!¡±


    ¡°What are you looking at? Is your phone more interesting than me?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just unusual. Lily Brenston called about ten times yesterday.¡±

 Chapter 225

    225 A Shameless Request


    ¡°Who is Lily Brenston?¡±


    ¡°One of the interns at the art gallery,¡± Lucien replied. ¡°I met them during the five days when I helped out with the set modification.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s expression darkened within an instant. So it was one of the shameless bunch that made use of Lucien¡¯s kindness and then trampled on him thanklessly. Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s phone and took it away from him.


    ¡°Ronan, what are you doing? Give me back my phone.¡±


    Ronan held Lucien¡¯s phone out of his reach.


    ¡°No,¡± he said while circling an arm around his mate¡¯s waist. ¡°When you are with me, you are not allowed to touch your phone.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be childish,¡± Lucien tackled Ronan to the bed and climbed over his body. ¡°It might be important.¡±


    ¡°Not more than us,¡± Ronan quipped.


    He dropped Lucien¡¯s phone to the floor and then flipped their positions on the bed. Lucien was sprawled on all limbs and pinned by his wrists on the bed.


    .....


    ¡°What are you... Ah!¡±


    Something hard and hot pressed into Lucien¡¯s stomach, not unlike a smoldering rod of steel.


    ¡°You are hard again,¡± Lucien said with a sliver of amazement.


    ¡°Hm, shouldn¡¯t you do something about that?¡± Ronan asked, peppering the man under him with tiny kisses.


    Lucien sighed in exasperation.


    ¡°You are a sex fiend,¡± he said before kissing the horny Alpha on top of him.


    Ronan¡¯s lips curled up in a roguish smile. He grasped Lucien¡¯s jaw and plundered the inside of his mate¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Lucien hooked his arms around Ronan¡¯s neck and wrapped his legs around the man¡¯s back. Both of them sighed from pleasure when Ronan slipped inside his lover.


    While the two werewolves feasted on each other on the bed, Lucien¡¯s neglected phone started vibrating again. It was another call from Lily Brenston.


    After rolling on the bed for hours, they both fell into a deep slumber. The next morning, Ronan was the first to wake up. As soon as he opened his eyes, he remembered what he needed to do. The Alpha slipped out of bed and bent down to pick up Lucien¡¯s discarded phone from the floor. He looked at the disy with disdain.


    Altogether fourteen missed calls from Lily Brenston. What a zealous woman, he thought.


    The Alpha tossed the phone in his hand into the air a few times while he pondered what to do. Should he just take out the phone card and toss it to the dumpster before asking Quinn to get Lucien a new number?


    It did not make sense to just take out the phone card, though.


    Or should he get rid of the phone altogether?


    Then again, Lucien was not dumb.


    He would know that Ronan was the one who did it.


    The Alpha rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Maybe he should get someone to do it for him so that he could be free of suspicion.


    Yes, that¡¯s the way to do it.


    He could give the phone to someone in the pack to get rid of.


    Before Ronan walked another step with Lucien¡¯s phone, the owner woke up with a start.


    ¡°Ronan, get me my phone,¡± Lucien mumbled from the bed.


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan cursed under his breath. Did he not fuck Lucien hard enough? Looks like Lucien¡¯s endurance improved a lot since the first time they slept with each other.


    ¡°Ronan,e on.¡±


    Lucien gestured for Ronan to hand him his phone.


    ¡°The more you want to get rid of my phone, the more I want to know what¡¯s going on. What are you hiding from me?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Ronan said.


    Nothing that you need to know, at least.


    Lucien propped himself up to a sitting position with a groan.


    ¡°Phone.¡±


    Ronan marched back to the bed with a cloudy expression.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± he said, thrusting the phone in his hand unhappily toward Lucien.


    ¡°Why, thank you, Alpha Ronan.¡±


    Lucien flipped the phone in his hand and made a call. His mate climbed back into the bed andy his head on Lucien¡¯sp.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien stared down at Ronan, who did not look like he nned to grant Lucien some privacy.


    Lucien sighed in his heart. Never mind, he had nothing to hide from Ronan anyway.


    The same thing could not be said about the Alpha, who bit his lower lip anxiously.


    The phone rang twice before a frantic voice was heard from the other end.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater??? Oh my God, oh my God! Thank you for calling back!!!¡±


    ¡°Lily? What is wrong? Calm down,¡± Lucien said.


    On hisp, Ronan pulled an annoyed face.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater, I... We need your help. Please get Neena and Helene out of the prison.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien furrowed his brows. His gaze slowly wandered to the Alpha on hisp.


    ¡®Ronan, what did you do?¡¯ he asked via Mind Link.


    ¡®Meh.¡¯


    Ronan buried his face into Lucien¡¯s stomach. Why would he bother telling Lucien about his mentees¡¯ betrayal? If one of them was shameless enough to call Lucien, then she should have thick enough skin to speak about their ungrateful deed.


    Lucien flicked at Ronan¡¯s temple and then shook his head in disbelief.


    ¡°Lily, I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. Why are they in prison? Do you need money to bail them out or something?¡±


    Lily was silent for a while before she started sobbing.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater, don¡¯t you know?¡± her voice trembled in distress. ¡°Neena and Helene are being detained because they sprayed that... that graffiti in the art gallery.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien rubbed at his forehead, loosening the crease between his brows. Pain shed through his eyes.


    Neena and Helene were the ones who sprayed the hateful word across the ss door.


    The word ¡°HOMEWRECKER¡± in red was carved in Lucien¡¯s brain, as vivid as the one he saw with his own eyes back at the art gallery.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater...?¡±


    Lily¡¯s trembling voice was hearding from the speaker. ¡°I am so sorry. There is no one else I can ask for help.¡±


    Lucien exhaled.


    ¡°I get it,¡± he said. ¡°Where do you need me to go?¡±

 Chapter 226

    226 I Don¡¯t Need Your Approval


    The young woman sat alone in a cafe, just a hundred meters away from the city jail. She ordered a cup of coffeette that had long turned cold from a long time of waiting. Other people took off their jackets as soon as they entered the cafe, but not Lily Brenston.


    It was not because she was cold. It was because she could not wait to leave.


    The young woman kept stealing nces outside of the window, her eyes searching for a familiar figure that had yet to make his appearance.


    In her heart, she kept praying for Lucien to arrive soon. Hopefully, the man did not lie to her. Hopefully, he woulde just like he promised.


    When a ck Porsche stopped in front of the cafe, everyone in the cafe made big eyes, their jaws dropping open in awe.


    Out stepped a man with red-blonde hair and another with dark hair before the car drove off right after. As soon as they showed up, Lily stood up from her table and rushed to the cafe entrance to greet them.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater!¡± She shouted ecstatically. When she looked at hispanion, though, her smile faded away within an instant.


    Ronan Silverback took off his sunsses and looked Lily up and down haughtily. Lucien gave him an earful in the morning. When Ronan insisted toe along, Lucien told him not to talk unnecessarily.


    The Alpha had to be satisfied with shooting daggers at Lily. It was enough to make the young woman shiver, so Ronan was quite happy about it.


    .....


    ¡°We contacted ourwyer and asked for the case to be dismissed. You can pick up Neena and Helene now,¡± Lucien said without preamble.


    Lily gave a small shriek.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she cried. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Clearwater. Um, would you... Would youe with me?¡±


    ¡°Only until theye out of their cell,¡± Lucien said.


    He was not in the mood to exchange words with the two other young women whatsoever.


    Ronan scoffed at Lily¡¯s shamelessness. Lucien grabbed him by the elbow and whispered, ¡°Come, don¡¯t make a fuss.¡±


    A stroll across the road was all it took to reach the building. The surrounding fence was made of doubleyered bricks with pointy spikes on top. The building itself was made of concrete. Thick walls separated one cell from another and guaranteed maximum protection.


    Even the entrance looked grim with the first door made of ck iron bars and the second door made of impact-resistant ss.


    Lily led their little group at first, but the closer she got, the slower she became. Eventually, she ended up standing behind Lucien and Ronan at the jail entrance.


    Their presence was already expected.


    ¡°My name is Lucien Clearwater,¡± Lucien identified himself.


    ¡°You are here to release the two prisoners,¡± the warden in charge said right away after reading from a note.


    ¡°Correct,¡± Lucien confirmed.


    ¡°Bring out Neena Evans and Helene Bradford,¡± the warden shouted at a guard. The burly man nodded and disappeared to the backside.


    Not long after, Neena and Helene were released and ushered to the prison entrance.


    The three young women used to be bright and bubbly, alwaysughing and chatting happily together at work and outside of work. Who would have thought that two of them would look so miserable in their orange prison attires while the other one had ck circles all around their eyes out of concern for the first two?


    ¡°Neena! Helene!!!¡±


    Lilyunched herself at her two friends. The three young women hugged each other, bawling into each other¡¯s shoulders loudly.


    Although it nagged at Lucien¡¯s heart to see Neena and Helene, he felt somewhat at peace. He was done. The man thus tugged at his mate¡¯s sleeves. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said softly.


    Ronan nodded with a little smile. ¡°Ok.¡±


    The three young women looked up and saw the two men retreating together without a word of farewell.


    Neena opened her mouth to say something, but Helene pulled at her elbow and shook her head vehemently.


    ¡°I asked Mr. Clearwater for help,¡± Lily confessed.


    ¡°Why would you do that?¡± Helene hissed. ¡°Look at him, not a single shred of remorse after he stole another woman¡¯s husband!¡±


    Lily sighed. ¡°Helene, maybe it¡¯s the other way around,¡± she said.


    ¡°What do you mean, the other way around??¡± Helene snapped.


    ¡°Yesterday, the Silverback Corporation announced that Mr. Ronan Silverback and Mr. Lucien Clearwater were engaged to be married more than a month ago. Way before Miss Lillian Woond came forward with her pregnancy.¡±


    Helene scoffed.


    ¡°So what. The baby is still a result of sexual intercourse between Mr. Ronan Silverback and Miss Woond. Just because they did not know about the baby, it doesn¡¯t mean that they can act as if the baby doesn¡¯t exist.¡±


    Lily¡¯s face was crumpled from frustration.


    ¡°Then what about Mr. Clearwater? Should he just back off because his fianc¨¦ impregnated another woman before they got together?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yes?¡± Helene raised an eyebrow. ¡°Otherwise, what should Miss Woond do?¡±


    The sound of a man clearing his throat almost made their hearts jump out of their ribcages.


    The three young women whipped around in fear and found Lucien behind them, his gaze icy cold.


    Helene mped up immediately while Lily shouted in fear, ¡°Mr. Clearwater!!!¡±


    Lucien wordlessly handed over a release statement that was signed by him and Ronan while his gaze drifted between Neena and Helene.


    ¡°Keep this document. In the future, I do hope that you won¡¯t do anything else tond yourself in jail.¡±


    Lily extended her hand to take the document from Lucien¡¯s hand but Helene grabbed her wrist to stop her.


    ¡°Wait a second,¡± she said with a stern tone. ¡°Mr. Clearwater, if you think that you can win my sympathy just by giving me this release statement, you are sorely mistaken. I will never approve of your and Ronan Silverback¡¯s rtionship.¡±


    Lucien narrowed his eyes at Helene. The young woman red at him with judgmental eyes. Clearly, she believed that she did not do anything wrong.


    Lucien stuffed the document into Lily¡¯s hand nheless, but this time he did not n to just leave.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± the man said with an unhurried tone. ¡°What makes you think that I need your approval to be with anyone?¡±

 Chapter 227

    227 The Alpha Was So Proud Of His Mate


    All three of them gaped at Lucien in shock. During the short time they knew Lucien, the man had only shown his gentle and amicable side. They never thought that there would be a day when they experienced his harsh side.


    ¡°I...¡±


    Helene wanted to say something in return, but she did not know what. Blood shot to her pale cheeks, coloring them red from embarrassment.


    Lucien regarded her with a cold look while cocking his head to the side.


    ¡°I hate nosy people,¡± he said coldly. ¡°I especially despise nosy people with too many unsolicited opinions.¡±


    Helen¡¯s lips trembled from a mix of shock and disbelief.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can fling your belief at my face just because you think it is right and also have me agree with you thoughtlessly. Feel free to continue hating me, but forgive me if I one day refuse to tolerate you any longer.¡±


    Lucien scoffed and turned to leave.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater, WAIT!¡± Helene cried. ¡°It¡¯s not like I want to hate you. Tell me the truth, don¡¯t you feel the least bit guilty about being so selfish? A child is going to grow up without a father while you pursue your happiness!!!¡±


    .....


    Lucien turned his head a few degrees to the side and said, ¡°I am not obliged to tell you anything. It is none of your business, kindly keep your nose out of it.¡±


    Lucien then walked away atst, leaving the three young women with their thoughts. Outside of the door, leaning against the wall, was his mate.


    Ronan smiled at Lucien when thetter walked out of the building.


    ¡°You heard?¡± Lucien asked.


    Ronan was heading toward the car when Lucien went back inside to give the three young women the release statement.


    The Alpha nodded, a proud smileced his lips.


    He pulled Lucien into his arms and pressed a kiss on his lips.


    ¡°I thought that you needed me to defend you in there. Looks like I was wrong.¡±


    Lucien scoffed.


    ¡°Pfft, who do you think I am?¡±


    Ronanughed.


    He took Lucien¡¯s hand and dragged him toward the car. ¡°Yes, yes, I underestimated you. I should have known better.¡±


    ¡°You should,¡± Lucien grumbled.


    Halfway toward the car, he yanked at Ronan¡¯s hand and looked up at him, his eyes slightly ssy.


    ¡°Thank you for wanting to go in there to save me,¡± he mumbled. ¡°Thank you for being my strength.¡±


    Ronan bumped their foreheads together lovingly.


    ¡°Thank you for allowing me to be your strength.¡±


    The announcement that the Silverback Corporation made regarding Lucien¡¯s status as Ronan¡¯s fianc¨¦ spread like wildfire.


    Mara Keenthorne did a good job by not only making the announcement but also sharing tidbits of the couple¡¯s past romance to win the public over.


    She even managed to dig out some cute pictures from the Alpha Camp without revealing any information about the werewolfmunity.


    Soon, public opinions were split into mainly two groups.


    The first one still believed that Ronan should have stuck with Lillian because Lillian was carrying his baby.


    The second one agreed that Ronan should stay with his true love Lucien while also providing for Lillian and the baby financially. It was not a problem at all, because the Silverback family was filthy rich.


    Heck, even if Ronan decided to be aplete arse and turned his back on Lillian and the baby, Lillian Woond was more than capable to raise her baby alone.


    The Woond Enterprise was also he rich!


    The two groups argued a lot in forums, attacking each other fiercely.


    They were not at all baffled at the fact that neither Ronan, Lucien, nor Lillian bothered attacking each other.


    Ronan and Lucien were barely active on social media. Ronan¡¯s ount was managed by Milroy who only posted business-rted posts while Lucien stopped posting after he came to live with Ronan in his pack house. In fact, he deleted the application from his phone once he was spammed with a lot of unkindments.


    Lillian was the only one who was active on social media. Every day, she posted about her daily life. Often, she posted an update about her pregnancy.


    In order to put up a show, Ronan tasked Milroy to buy Lillian a gift whenever she posted something about the baby.


    He himself never even once checked Lillian¡¯s social media posts.


    On a Sunday, Lillian gave Ronan a call.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, you are being awfully passive,¡± sheined.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°At least get your assistant to like andment on my posts when he¡¯s at it.¡±


    Ronan snickered.


    ¡°Fine, I will tell Milroy to be more engaged. Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Almost.¡±


    Lillian Woond heaved a deep sigh at the other end of the line.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, pleasee with me to my Ob-Gyn tomorrow.¡±


    Ronan raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Why should I?¡±


    ¡°Because we are ying a happy couple and we are interested to find out the gender of the baby?¡±


    Ronan sighed.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said in exasperation. ¡°I will apany you.¡±


    Ronan ended the call and tossed his phone to Milroy who quickly escaped the Alpha¡¯s office. It was too awkward to stay too long inside the Alpha¡¯s office when Lucien was around. Especially when thetter was making sketches of the Alpha with his naked upper half.


    ¡°It was Lillian,¡± Ronan walked toward Lucien and kissed his forehead. ¡°She wants me toe with her tomorrow to find out the gender of the baby.¡±


    ¡°Mm. You should go,¡± Lucien said nonchntly. He was busy finishing the sketch that he just made of Ronan.


    The Alpha grabbed Lucien¡¯s jaw and tilted his head up.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Lucien nodded.


    ¡°No need to worry about me. I am not that delicate.¡±


    Ronan sighed in his heart. He pulled Lucien to his feet and wrapped his arms around the man intimately.


    Lucien acted tough, but he had a soft heart and a sensible personality. Ronan wanted to wrap his mate in a bunch of fleeceyers and tuck him in a safe ce. Far from everyone else but him.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he whispered. ¡°so, so much.¡±


    Lucien smiled gently and kissed Ronan¡¯s cheek. ¡°I know. I love you too.¡±

 Chapter 228

    228 Putting Up A Show For The Public


    Despite his great reluctance, Ronan still dragged his feet to Lillian Woond¡¯s apartment the next morning to take her to her Ob-Gyn.


    During pregnancy, a she-wolf was not allowed to transform. A transformation changed the physique of the expecting mother and might just harm the baby.


    Inside its mother¡¯s belly, a werewolf pup behaved precisely like a normal human baby, so pregnant she-wolves typically visit a regr human Ob-Gyn instead of making the long trip to St. rence hospital.


    From the moment Lillian Woond stepped into Ronan¡¯s car, Ronan could sense hidden movements around him. Infuriated, he wanted to catch some of the paparazzis to beat them up, but Lillian stopped him.


    ¡°We need them to take some pictures and make some news,¡± Lillian reminded him. ¡°For the show, remember?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan thus gritted his teeth and endured the conspicuous camera shes.


    Once they were inside the car, Lillian said, ¡°I need to talk to you. Take the longest detour you can.¡±


    ¡°I thought you had an appointment with your Ob-Gyn?¡±


    .....


    ¡°I do, but she is quite flexible. That¡¯s why I chose her.¡±


    Ronan scoffed. That was a rich people¡¯s keyword for ¡°I paid her a lot¡±.


    Nevertheless, Ronan did what Lillian asked for. He drove extra slow on the most crowded street. The luxurious car was trapped in a traffic jam along with many others.


    The other car passengers thought that Ronan Silverback was a foolish one, but the man in question simply leaned back and looked at Lillian full of expectations.


    ¡°Speak. What news do you have for me?¡±


    ¡°Our nemesis is pushing for things to progress between us.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s fingers curled up into fists on the steering wheel.


    ¡°Have I not done enough?¡± He asked through gritted teeth. ¡°I yed along as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°You are giving me flowers for every candy I throw out there. Candies and flowers no longer suffice. We need something more. Something bigger.¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    Lillian bit into her lower lip.


    ¡°Can you get your assistant to make a post about the baby?¡±


    Ronan rolled with his eyes.


    ¡°My ount is reserved for business dealing. I do not post private pictures there. I did not even post about Lucien there!¡±


    ¡°You posted about your uing wedding in the official ount of Silverback Corporation,¡± Lillian pointed out.


    ¡°Which I did because your crazy fans harmed my mate! Otherwise, I too do not wish to put him out there!¡±


    Lillian swallowed. She was aching to tell Ronan that it was not her ¡°crazy fans¡± who did it, but her crazy grandmother. Unfortunately, she could not. Not now.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she sighed. ¡°I will post. Ask Milroy to contact me to decide what gift you send me next.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    While Lillian was busy with her baby, Ronan had his own n.


    He was going to take Lucien to the Werewolf Council to finalize their wedding n.


    In four months, he was going to hold the grandest wedding ceremony in the Holy Temple of Moon Goddess and make Lucien his Luna atst.


    Their conversation was over before the traffic jam cleared.


    Lillian absent-mindedly stroked her pregnant belly while gazing into the distance.


    ¡°Who was it?¡± Ronan could not help but be curious.


    ¡°Who was who?¡± Lillian asked. This Alpha Ronan must be dumb if he thought that Lillian was going to reveal who the perpetrator was.


    ¡°The father of your child?¡±


    Oh.


    Lillian¡¯s face turned ashen.


    ¡°I do not wish to tell.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Does he know about the baby?¡±


    Lillian chuckled.


    ¡°He does, but he doesn¡¯t know that he¡¯s the father.¡±


    Ronan raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Do you not intend to tell him anything?¡±


    ¡°Do you think that is my priority right now? I need to keep myself and my baby alive for now. Everything else can be discussedter.¡±


    Lillian remembered the time when she came across her lover. The man was shocked at seeing her pregnant belly. Lillian was unable to decipher his gaze. She had to lie, anyway. She could never tell him the truth. Secrets were only safe with those who were buried six feet under ground.


    Lucrethia Woond had a lot of expectations for this baby.


    ¡°It better be a boy,¡± she told Lillian thest time they met. ¡°The Infinite Eclipse Pack is a conventional one. They will not allow she-wolves to rule. Our blood must rule the pack through your son.¡±


    Lillian beamed in agreement on the outside, but she was seething on the inside.


    ¡°I hope it¡¯s a girl,¡± she blurted out in the car.


    Not that it was important for Ronan, but it still caused the Alpha to wrinkle his forehead. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because then the expectation will be less,¡± Lillian exined. ¡°She-wolves don¡¯t get to rule your pack, do they?¡±


    ¡°Well... It¡¯s not that she-wolves are off-limit to the Alpha position in general. She-wolves are just generally not that ambitious.¡±


    ¡°Oh. So if you have a baby girl, will you consider passing the Alpha throne to her?¡±


    Ronanughed.


    ¡°If Lucien gives birth to a baby girl, I would. Then again, it alles down to the pup. Unlike you women, we men don¡¯t have a choice. When our fathers pass us the Alpha position, it is not our ce to reject it. Women can choose between an Alpha and a Luna position.¡±


    Lillian was not so sure about that.


    ¡°Why would a woman choose to be a Luna if she can be an Alpha?¡±


    ¡°That is an odd question. Is it not what most women want?¡±


    Lillian had no answer for that. She only knew that their nemesis, Lucrethia Woond, wanted to be an Alpha more than anything. After she failed to be one, she ambitiously tried to rule through her hand-picked descendants.


    Lillian wanted to put a stop to Lucrethia¡¯s scheming, and smother her zing ambition once and for all.


    ¡°We are here.¡±


    Lillian looked up and saw a bunch of people in front of the hospital building. As expected from a rich celebrity such as herself, Lillian did not go to just any Ob-Gyn but the best one in the most expensive hospital in Pine Groove City, the seat of the Irond ws Pack.


    Her fans were waving at her frantically behind a few barricades. Mixed among them were paparazzis who were taking pictures like possessed.


    ¡°Show time,¡± Lillian said with a smile. ¡°Put on your best mask and let¡¯s give them what they want.¡±

 Chapter 229

    229 It¡¯s A Boy


    Ronan climbed out of the driver¡¯s seat, looking as handsome as a god. He shed the hysterical crowd a dazzling smile before he went around to help Lillian.


    Clutching her pregnant belly with one hand, Lillian took Ronan¡¯s outstretched hand with the other and got out of the car gracefully.


    The beautiful couple smiled and waved at the ecstatic crowd all the way from the car to the hospital building.


    Inside the hospital, they still had to y a happy couple, whispering sweet nothings to each other to mimic every other expecting couple in the hospital. Nurses, doctors, and visitors alike threw them envious nces. Just what they expected to see after putting up a convincing performance.


    When the two werewolves finally reached the VIP examination room that was reserved only for rich mothers, they were beyond exhausted.


    ¡°I never knew that smiling could be so tiring,¡± Ronanined while rubbing at his jaw. ¡°I think I dislocated my jaw from grinning too much.¡±


    Next to him, Lillian clicked with her tongue.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you Alphas are unfriendly by nature,¡± Lillian quipped. ¡°Imagine having to drag ten kilograms of weight through all of that every single day. Then pleasee and tell me again about how exhausted you are.¡±


    Ronan rolled with his eyes.


    .....


    ¡°Where did the temptress from a few months ago go? When did you turn into such a...?¡±


    Lillian put both hands at her waist, cocked her head to the side, and sneered, ¡°A what? A bitch?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s lips were pulled into a self-sufficient smile.


    ¡°I wanted to say an infuriating banshee, but I guess that one also fits the bill.¡±


    Cracking her fingers menacingly in Ronan¡¯s direction, Lillian red at Ronan.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, are you looking for a fight?¡±


    Ronan chuckled.


    ¡°No, of course not. When is your flexible Ob-Gyning, by the way?¡±


    Just as Ronan finished popping his question, the door swung open and an attractive middle-aged woman with ayered bob hairstyle walked in.


    ¡°Well, well, well,¡± she said while pushing her sses up her nose.


    The woman looked Ronan up and down, her gaze full of prejudice. ¡°You finally deigned to show up, father of the baby.¡±


    Ronan forced himself to smile.


    He extended a hand toward the woman in front of him. ¡± Nice to finally meet you, Dr... Uh...¡±


    ¡°Collins,¡± she snapped, only touching Ronan¡¯s hand briefly in passing.


    If Ronan did not know better, he would think that Lillian hired one of her fans to be her Ob-Gyn.


    ¡°I encourage couples toe together to examinations, but since things are the way they are,¡± Dr. Collins made superfluous hand gestures in order to not have to finish what she wanted to say.


    ¡°Okay, are we ready to find out the gender of the baby?¡±


    Dr. Collins fixed Ronan with a sharp gaze.


    ¡°Miss Woond did not want it to be revealed unless you were here to experience it with her.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Oh, really?


    Lillian blinked at Ronan coquettishly, a shy smile spreading across her beautiful face.


    ¡°I am sorry for the inconvenience,¡± Ronan said with a scary smile. ¡°Thank you for waiting until I can make it, Lillian.¡±


    ¡°Anytime for our baby, Ronan,¡± Lillian said with a wink.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s proceed with the examination. Miss Woond, go lie on the bed for me.¡±


    Dr. Collins helped Lillian to her feet and guided her to the bed. Her bulging belly was then exposed to the air and a glob of cold gel was rubbed all over it.


    Dr. Collins then pressed the ultrasound device on Lillian¡¯s belly. Both women directed their gazes at the ultrasound machine screen.


    On the ck-and-white screen, the fetus could be seen.


    ¡°It is twenty weeks old now, about the size of a banana. Very healthy, no abnormalities at all.¡±


    Dr. Collins turned to look at Lillian.


    ¡°Have you experienced anything unnatural in the past week?¡±


    ¡°None,¡± Lillian said, her eyes were still glued to the screen. ¡°He is very active, kicked me a lot in the past few days.¡±


    ¡°Mhm, and the heartbeat is very strong too. Aaaaand...¡±


    Dr. Collins squinted at the screen for a while before she announced dramatically, ¡°It¡¯s a boy.¡±


    Lillian turned pale right away. Her lips started to tremble and she broke into tears.


    ¡°Oh, my!¡± Dr. Collins shouted. ¡°Miss Woond, Mr. Silverback, congrattions! You two are having a precious little prince!¡±


    Ronan pursed his lips.


    Dr. Collins was so used to seeing pregnant women shed tears of happiness. It did not even cross her mind that Lillian might be sad because she was having a boy and not a girl.


    ¡°Dr. Collins, can you excuse us for a moment?¡± Ronan asked.


    ¡°What? Oh, of course!¡±


    Dr. Collins left hurriedly with a huge smile on her face. On the bed, Lillian covered her face with both hands and sobbed pitifully.


    ¡°It will be fine,¡± Ronan tried tofort her. ¡°Why does it matter, boy or girl? It is all going to be over in four months, right?¡±


    Lillian lifted her head and huped.


    That was what she said, but no one could predict the future.


    ¡°I am scared,¡± she confessed.


    ¡°I act strong and brave, but I am so scared. For myself and my baby. All I want to do is give birth safely but even that is too much asked.¡±


    Ronan approached the bed and took Lillian¡¯s hand into his.


    ¡°You will give birth safely. And then you will be together with the father of your baby. It is what you want, right?¡±


    Unexpectedly, Lillian broke into a burst of mockingughter.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that I will have that kind of fairytale ending.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you love that man?¡± Ronan furrowed his brows. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to tell him that you two have a baby together?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± Lillian whispered.


    She rubbed her belly thoughtfully. ¡°If I don¡¯t love him, why would I want to carry his baby?¡±


    ¡°Then...¡±


    ¡°But we can never be together,¡± she sobbed, tears streaming down her pearly cheeks. ¡°He hates me.¡±


    Ronan sighed. He reached out and patted Lillian¡¯s head while thetter cried her eyes out.

 Chapter 230

    230 The Alpha¡¯s Sister-inw Was Making A Scene


    In the afternoon, Ronan Silverback got a call from his future sister-inw, the newly-anointed Alpha Annalynne Clearwater.


    She did not sound too happy.


    In fact, she was furious.


    ¡°What the hell do you think you are doing, Ronan Silverback???¡± she snapped at Ronan. ¡°Do you take my brother as a joke? How can you let that woman dangle from your arm during the day and still have the face to sleep in the same bed with my brother at night?¡±


    Ronan did not need to ask to know what made Annalynne so angry.


    On top of Lillian writing a post to announce that ¡°they¡± were having a baby boy, some paparazzi posted pictures and videos of them walking together in and out of the hospital.


    Once these pictures and videos circted, they caused a huge uproar.


    Why?


    Because, ever since Lillian¡¯s pregnancy was announced, this was the first time she was seen together with Ronan, the alleged father of her baby.


    .....


    Fans who supported Ronan and Lillian praised the closeness between the future parents and reveled in the sweet moments that they shared during the hospital visit.


    Those who supported Ronan and Lucien were happy to see Ronan being involved in his child¡¯s development prior to birth. They also admired Lucien for his strength and willingness to share Ronan¡¯s love with the unborn child.


    Other than these two groups, there were also people who were infuriated by this news.


    Such as, for example, the new Alpha of Silent Walkers Pack, Annalynne Clearwater.


    Truth be told, this was not the first time someone criticized Ronan on Lucien¡¯s behalf.


    The other person was Kinnon Youngshaper, who cornered him a day after Lillian posted the image with the red roses.


    The Alpha of the Night Prowler Pack told him openly that if he didn¡¯t know how to treat Lucien the right way, he should send Lucien to East Temple City.


    He would be d to show Ronan how.


    Ronan had gritted his teeth and shoved Kinnon away without responding.


    ¡°I am dealing with it,¡± Ronan told Annalynne.


    He was sick of not being able to tell the truth. Sick of being at the receiving end of critics. And most of all, sick of hurting his mate.


    ¡°If by ¡®dealing with it¡¯ you mean letting my brother suffer, I am going to personally make you pay for it!¡±


    Ronan was not in the mood to fight with Annalynne. He ended the call right away and threw his phone away.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lucien looked up from the book that he was reading.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Ronan answered in exasperation before he punched the wall next to him.


    Lucien sighed into his book. It did not look like nothing at all.


    ¡°Who did you talk to just now?¡±


    He rose from his seat and approached his mate.


    ¡°Just some business partners.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, Ronan Silverback. I can hear the agitation in your voice.¡±


    ¡°... Your sister.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Lucien tilted his head to the side and observed Ronan¡¯s face. He had his eyshes lowered, unable to even look at Lucien. Was it guilt?


    ¡°Did you do anything to warrant her anger?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Ronan denied it right away, but when he recalled the photos and videos, he was not so sure.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± he said helplessly.


    But what else could he do? There was no love between him and Lillian, but there was a secret arrangement. One that he could share with no one unless he wanted them to end up like his mother.


    Lucien put his book away and touched Ronan¡¯s cheeks. His hands traveled down to his neck, then settled on his chest.


    ¡°Did you sleep with her again?¡±


    Eyes big from disbelief, Ronan¡¯s jaw dropped open.


    ¡°NO!¡±


    Ronan grabbed Lucien by his wrists.


    ¡°You would have known if I did! You would be able to smell her scent on me! Lulu, I swear, I did not!¡±


    Lucien sneered.


    ¡°I know you didn¡¯t. Also... Honestly, that would be quite disgusting.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What did you do then?¡± Lucien asked in an unhurried tone, but his gaze was as sharp as a de.


    Ronan groaned in exasperation. He did not want to describe it, so he took out his phone and showed Lucien the pictures and videos that Mara Keenthorne sent him.


    ¡°Just these.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    Lucien gazed at the screen and scrolled up and down for a long time.


    ¡°I hate to say it, but you two do make a beautiful couple.¡±


    ¡°She and I are NOT a couple!¡± Ronan shouted, shocked by the mere statement.


    He grabbed Lucien by his waist and pressed a kiss on his lips.


    The kiss was a rough one.


    ¡°Mnhh...¡± Lucien furrowed his brows when Ronan pried his lips open and thrust his tongue inside Lucien¡¯s mouth like a savage beast.


    His lips were sucked and bitten until they were swollen.


    Even after Ronan was done ravishing his mate¡¯s oral cavity, his indignation failed to ebb.


    ¡°Lulu, WE, you and I, are a couple. Don¡¯t ever think otherwise!¡±


    Lucien wiped saliva off his lips and chuckled.


    ¡°I know. It¡¯s too bad that...¡±


    Lucien did not end his sentence. He looked down at his t stomach and rubbed it instead. It was very brief, but the gesture broke Ronan¡¯s heart.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need it,¡± Ronan said with a hoarse voice. ¡°Unless it¡¯s ours, I don¡¯t need a child. I don¡¯t need any heir.¡±


    A thin smile graced Lucien¡¯s beautiful face.


    ¡°Fatherhood is an amazing experience,¡± he told his mate. ¡°Although I am unhappy about Lillian¡¯s pregnancy, I am d that you get to be a father.¡±


    But it isn¡¯t even my baby, Lulu...!!!


    Ronan was about to go crazy.


    ¡°I will talk to Anna,¡± Lucien promised while patting Ronan¡¯s chest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am neither angry nor upset.¡±


    ¡°Lulu...¡±


    Ronan leaned closer to kiss Lucien again, but then his phone started to ring.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Pick up, it might be important.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ronan picked his mate up into his arms instead. ¡°You are more important.¡±


    Lucien chuckled.


    ¡°Are you still trying to get me pregnant?¡±


    ¡°I never said that I would stop,¡± Ronan quipped.


    Before Lucien found the time to talk to Annalynne in peace, the unhappy sister showed up the next day at the Infinite Eclipse Pack¡¯s pack house.

 Chapter 231

    231 Annalynne¡¯s Scar Removal


    ¡°Reporting to the Luna, the Alpha of the Silent Walkers Pack requested an audience.¡±


    Lucien choked on his coffee. He then coughed violently under the worried gaze of the guard.


    The guard might think it was because Annalynne dropped by so suddenly, but actually, it was because Lucien was still not used to being addressed as a Luna.


    Even before Lucien was introduced to them as the future Luna, the whole pack more or less already knew about Ronan¡¯s intention. They just did not dare to refer to him as the Luna directly for fear of overstepping their boundaries.


    After Ronan officially announced Lucien¡¯s status to the whole pack, it became much easier. Instead of choosing between the address ¡°Lucien¡± or ¡°Mr. Clearwater¡±, they could just call him ¡°Luna¡± directly.


    Red from the coughing fit, Lucien replied with ragged breathing, ¡°Cough... I aming soon. Please let her in.¡±


    Lucien barely stepped into the audience hall before Annalynne threw herself at her brother woefully.


    ¡°Lulu...!!!¡±


    Lucienughed while he pulled his sister into an embrace.


    .....


    ¡°And I was just thinking about visiting you and Mom at Blue Hill City. Anna, what brings you here?¡±


    Her happiness at seeing Lucien quickly faded, leaving a sullen expression on her face.


    ¡°I am here to take you home.¡±


    ¡°... Umm...¡±


    Annalynne squeezed her brother¡¯s hands and stared at him intently.


    ¡°Lulu, you still belong to the Clearwater family. It is not yet toote to break off everything with the two-timing bastard. I know that Kinnon is going to ask for your hand in marriage as soon as you get Ronan Silverback out of your life!¡±


    Lucien¡¯s eyes wandered to the two guards who stood by the door. He almost apuded them for keeping their poker faces despite hearing Annalynne¡¯s words loud and clear.


    Lucien sighed.


    ¡°Anna,e with me,¡± he hissed while dragging his sister with him to Ronan¡¯s apartment. Thankfully, Ronan already went off to work early in the morning.


    ¡°Anna, you need to mind your position,¡± he chastised his sister as soon as they were alone. ¡°You are an Alpha now. You can¡¯t just roll into another pack¡¯s pack house and badmouth the other Alpha in front of his pack members!¡±


    Annalynne pursed her lips in displeasure.


    ¡°Maybe I do want them to know what kind of an unfaithful person their Alpha is! Like father, like son! Hmph!!!¡±


    Lucien sighed again.


    ¡°Anyway, I can¡¯t leave. If that¡¯s all youe here for, I am sorry to disappoint you.¡±


    Annalynne groaned and wed into the air.


    ¡°Lulu! Arghhhhh!!!¡±


    Seeing that his brother was not willing to go back to the Silent Walkers Pack with her, Annalynne deployed her n B.


    ¡°In that case, I want you toe with me to my scar removal appointment.¡±


    Lucien raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°Today. In three hours at St. rence.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you will still be my twin brother no matter what??? Are you not willing to apany your twin sister on this traumatic event?¡±


    What traumatic event?


    The traumatic event was the one that caused the scar, and it was over months ago. If anything, this was a joyous event.


    ¡°I thought that you didn¡¯t want to get rid of the scars,¡± Lucien pointed out.


    ¡°Well, now I do.¡±


    ¡°Because of Lowell?¡±


    Blood shot to Annalynne¡¯s cheeks in an instant.


    ¡°NO!¡± She blurted out. ¡°I mean yes, he is part of the reason, but I mainly just want to be pretty again!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my baby sister,¡± Lucien chuckled. ¡°You have always been pretty.¡±


    Annalynne¡¯s n B worked wonders. Lucien called Ronan to inform him that he would be away to apany Annalynne, but thetter was in a meeting.


    ¡°Would you like to leave a message, Luna?¡± Milroy asked on the other end of the line.


    ¡°Yeah, just tell Ronan that I will be at St. rence to apany my sister.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Luna.¡±


    By the time Lucien ended the phone call, Annalynne already grabbed Lucien¡¯s coat and pushed him out of the door.


    ¡°Go, go, go!¡± She shouted excitedly.


    For some reason, Lucien felt as if he was being kidnapped. Annalynne was just not being too obvious about it.


    During the ride to St. rence, Annalynne could not stop chattering about Ronan Silverback¡¯s despicable character.


    ¡°And you know what, Lulu? He hung up on me! That bastard hung up on me!¡±


    Lucien could barely suppress his smile. Look at how energetic Annalynne was. If she had time to worry about Lucien¡¯s love life, then she must have had no problem while settling into the Alpha seat. That was a relief.


    ¡°Why are you smiling?? What is so funny??¡± Annalynne demanded as they walked toward the cosmetic surgery department¡¯s waiting room.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Lucien replied while patting his sister¡¯s head fondly. ¡°So how is it going with Lowell?¡±


    Annalynne turned pink again in an instant.


    ¡°Ohhhh what was that? It¡¯s my turn. Bye Lulu! Please wait until I am done!¡±


    She bolted away just like that. Chuckling to himself, Lucien shook his head at his sister¡¯s retreating figure.


    The man leaned back into his seat and stared at the hospital ceiling. It should not take too long now. He wondered whether Ronan already got out of his meeting or not. If he did, did Milroy share his message already?


    Was Ronan going to be upset because he went away without any bodyguards?


    He would surely scold himter when he got back home...


    ¡°AHHHHH!!!¡±


    Lucien ripped his eyes open and turned his head toward the source of the noise.


    An elderly woman sat on the floor in a pitiful manner. A wooden cane with a pointy endy one meter away from her.


    ¡°Madam, are you alright???¡±


    Lucien quickly rushed toward the elderly woman to help her back on her feet.


    ¡°My... My cane,¡± she said with a hoarse voice, tapping blindly in the direction of her cane.


    Lucien picked up the cane from the floor and handed it over to the elderly woman.


    Heaving a sigh of relief, she looked up at Lucien, her eyes a beautiful color of greenish-blue.


    ¡°Thank you, child,¡± she beamed at Lucien while squeezing thetter¡¯s arm.

 Chapter 232

    232 Lucrethia Took Matter Into Her Own Hands


    It was almost as if he were gazing into Ronan¡¯s eyes, or better said Lady Adele Fangde¡¯s eyes. Lucien was so stunned that he could not help but stare at the familiar pair of eyes for a long time.


    ¡°Child? Is there something on my face?¡± the elderly woman asked Lucien after a while of awkward silence.


    ¡°No, not at all,¡± Lucien quickly snapped from his daydreams. ¡°Madam, you resemble an acquaintance of mine very much. To be exact, your eyes remind me of her.¡±


    Lucrethia Woond smiled sweetly at Lucien.


    ¡°I hope she is a good person.¡±


    ¡°She was. She was an amazing person.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± the elderly woman pressed a hand against her lips in realization. ¡°I am so sorry for your loss.¡±


    Lucien shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    .....


    Lucrethia Woond buried her fingers into Lucien¡¯s arms like a predator clutching its prey. The gesture stood in contrast with the beseeching look that she threw Lucien right after.


    ¡°Child, I believe I fainted from low blood sugar. Do you mind taking me to the canteen for some brunch?¡±


    Lucien hesitated for a while. He nced back at the surgery room door that separated him and Annalynne.


    It would take a while for the doctors to work on Annalynne¡¯s scars. Surely there was enough time to apany the elderly woman and go back to the waiting room. Annalynne wouldn¡¯t even know that he was gone.


    Besides, the elderly woman looked so pitiful and lonely.


    ¡°Sure, Madam,¡± Lucien responded atst.


    ¡°Thank you, my child.¡±


    Lucien thus took the elderly woman to the hospital canteen. She picked the farthest seat from the counter, iming that she wanted to bask in the morning sunlight.


    As a result, Lucien had to go back and forth between the canteen counter and the table to bring Lucrethia her food and drink. Surprisingly, the elderly woman had a massive appetite. She ordered two big cheese and ham sandwiches, a te of deviled eggs, a bowl of clear chicken soup, and also a te of candied plums as dessert.


    ¡°Please have some,¡± she pushed the te of deviled eggs in Lucien¡¯s direction once Lucien was done acting as food courier.


    ¡°No, thank you. Madam, you should eat more,¡± Lucien rejected her politely, pushing the te of candied plums back in Lucrethia¡¯s direction.


    The elderly woman pursed her lips in a slight pout


    ¡°How can I finish all of these alone? You have to help me!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien smiled graciously.


    ¡°Then maybe just a candied plum,¡± he said.


    Lucrethia¡¯s lips curled up into a smile. ¡°The candied plums here are the best. I like them a lot. Eat more, eat more.¡±


    While they shared the te of candied plums, Lucrethia eyed Lucien full of curiosity.


    ¡°Young man, were you waiting for your girlfriend back there?¡±


    Lucien smiled and shook his head.


    ¡°No, I was waiting for my sister.¡±


    ¡°Ah. What a doting brother.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, it is my responsibility as a big brother.¡±


    ¡°You seem to be a very caring man. You must dote even more on your wife,¡± Lucrethia praised her youngerpanion.


    Lucien cleared his throat.


    He did not wish toment on that, so he said nothing.


    Lucrethia switched the topic from spouse to offspring.


    ¡°Have you had any pups, my dear?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no.¡±


    ¡°No? At your age? My son sired a pup when he was only twenty-two years old.¡±


    ¡°I am not thinking of having children,¡± Lucien said hurriedly.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Lucrethia narrowed her eyes at Lucien. Thetter had his eyshes lowered; otherwise, he would see the peculiar hunger in Lucrethia¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°What does your girlfriend say about it?¡±


    ¡°My partner is a man.¡±


    ¡°Oh. What a pity.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s lips parted slightly in surprise when he nced up at Lucrethia.


    ¡°Why is it a pity?¡±


    ¡°Because, every man wants to be a father.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Lucien denied.


    ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t, but your partner dreams of having little feet running through the house.¡±


    Lucien furrowed his brows.


    For some reason, he felt ufortable.


    He could not pinpoint where exactly the uneasy feeling came from, but it existed. And it was gradually growing stronger.


    ¡°He does not,¡± Lucien mumbled while rubbing the spot between his brows.


    ¡°What makes you so sure?¡±


    ¡°He said, he didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°He said that because that is what you want to hear,¡± Lucrethia said. ¡°If anyone else asked him, he would say that he wanted some children. He just did not want to offend you.¡±


    Lucien held a hand before his mouth and shut his eyes tightly.


    It was dizziness...


    No, nausea...


    Lucien did not know what was happening. He could not put a finger on what he was feeling. He just felt extremely ufortable.


    Lucrethia extended her hand and squeezed Lucien¡¯s shoulder. It was very gentle, but Lucien unwittingly shuddered.


    ¡°If you think that he will make a good father, you should allow him to be one. Otherwise, it is rather selfish, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Lucien wanted to pull away from Lucrethia¡¯s grip, but for some reason, he was unable to.


    ¡°Right?¡± Lucrethia pressed on.


    Lucien¡¯s headache intensified. It hurt so much. He wanted it to stop. He needed it to stop.


    ¡°Right,¡± he helplessly said.


    Lucrethia retracted her hand and asked with a voice full of concern, ¡°Young man, are you alright? You look so pale.¡±


    ¡°I...¡±


    Before Lucien finished what he wanted to say, his phone started to ring.


    It was Annalynne.


    ¡°Lulu!¡± She snapped. ¡°Where did you run off to???¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Anna, I...¡±


    His head still throbbing painfully, Lucien nced up at the elderly woman.


    ¡°Sorry, Madam, I need to go.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you for keeping mepany. My son wille to pick me up in a bit. Go to your sister.¡±


    Lucien nodded. He rose to his feet and left without saying goodbye.


    Lucrethia stayed behind. She watched the back of Lucien¡¯s head until he disappeared around the corner.


    ¡°What a delicious young man,¡± she thought to herself. ¡°A heavenly, sweet orange scent.¡±


    Her wrinkly hand reached toward the te and took another candied plum.


    Biting into it, she thought further, ¡°So delicious that one just has to take a bite.¡±


    .....

 Chapter 233

    233 The Summon and Lucien¡¯s Sickness


    ¡°Uhh...!¡±


    Heads turned in Ronan¡¯s direction when they heard thetter groan.


    The Alpha pressed a hand against his chest,rge sweat beads built on his forehead.


    ¡°Alpha, is everything alright?¡± Jake leaned closer to his superior.


    ¡°Mnh.¡±


    The sharp pain in his chest disappeared as quickly as it appeared, leaving not a single trace. That was disconcerting.


    ¡°Are we done here?¡± Ronan asked impatiently.


    The meeting had been going on for two hours, and they were through with the major issues.


    Seeing that the Alpha¡¯s mood was rather foul, naturally no one dared to prolong the meeting.


    .....


    ¡°Yes,¡± Jake answered.


    He gestured for everyone to leave. ¡°Meeting is over for now.¡±


    The Alpha was bathed in a cold sweat. Jake had never seen him in this state, so he was quite concerned.


    ¡°Alpha, is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ronan said. ¡°Maybe I just need more sleep. Or water.¡±


    Before Jake thought about anything useful to say, Milroy rushed into the meeting room.


    ¡°Reporting to Alpha, the Luna called and left a message.¡±


    Ronan furrowed his brows.


    ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°The Luna is going to St. rence today with Alpha Annalynne from the Silent Walkers Pack.¡±


    Considering that Annalynne yelled at Ronan the previous day about his involvement with Lillian, Ronan was not too happy about the two siblings spending their time together.


    ¡°Get me my phone,¡± Ronan said curtly while wiping the cold sweat off his forehead.


    Milroy dutifully handed Ronan his phone before he continued, ¡°Also, there is a summon from the Werewolf Council for tomorrow morning.¡±


    Ronan stopped in the middle of calling Lucien and turned to look at Milroy with furrowed brows. Jake too was stunned.


    ¡°The Werewolf Council? What do they say?¡±


    Milroy clutched his notebook like a shield before his chest and answered, ¡°It was initiated by Conrad Woond.¡±


    Conrad Woond, Lillian¡¯s father.


    Ronan rubbed at his chin. He pretty much knew what the man wanted to say.


    ¡°Never mind. I am going to bring Lucien with me. We might as well inform the whole council of our n to get married.¡±


    ¡°Umm, the Luna has also received the summon,¡± Milroy¡¯s voice trembled slightly when he said it out loud.


    ¡°...¡±


    What did Conrad Woond want to do with Lucien?


    ¡°I want to read the summon notice myself,¡± Ronan demanded while walking to his own office.


    Jake and Milroy dutifully followed behind him.


    Once Ronan got to read it with his own eyes, he saw that Milroy was not mistaken.


    The Werewolf Council demanded not only his but also Lucien¡¯s presence at the Werewolf Council Headquarters.


    ¡°Alright, leave me,¡± Ronan said, waving his hand to dismiss both his assistant and his Beta.


    He threw the notice onto his desk and shifted his attention to his phone.


    Lucien did not pick up.


    Impatient, the Alpha called again and again.


    After the fifth call, the connection finally went through.


    The one who answered the call was not Lucien but Annalynne.


    ¡°Could you please shut it for an hour or so???¡± Annalynne roared into the phone. ¡°We are busy here! We don¡¯t have time to cater to your phone call!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan checked the number that he dialed.


    It was Lucien¡¯s.


    ¡°Where is Lulu?¡± Ronan asked, ignoring Annalynne¡¯s angry speech.


    ¡°In St. rence, where else???¡±


    Ronan¡¯s expression turned icy. ¡°So happy that your scars are gone, Alpha Annalynne. Hand the phone to Lucien, I need to talk to him.¡±


    From the other end of the line, the sound of someone throwing up was heard.


    ¡°... Who was that?¡± Ronan asked.


    ¡°Lulu? Lulu, oh Goddess...¡±


    Beep.


    And the call ended just like that.


    Ronan drove by himself to St. rence.


    As soon as he arrived, he demanded to see a certain Lucien Clearwater.


    ¡°There is no patient by that name,¡± the elder nurse told the Alpha once she finished checking on herputer.


    ¡°How can there not be? You made a mistake, check again,¡± Ronan growled impatiently.


    The nurse narrowed her eyes at Ronan and pursed her lips.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, your mate is not here. Maybe he already went back.¡±


    Ronan did not even bother asking how she knew that Lucien was his mate.


    ¡°He is here! I know it!¡±


    ¡°He is not!¡±


    Ronan gritted his teeth. He was just nning to check room after room in search of Lucien when thetter¡¯s weak, trembling voice was heard behind him.


    ¡°Ronan, I am here.¡±


    Ronan turned around and was shocked to see Lucien¡¯s pale face. He had one arm around Annalynne, who wobbled slightly in an attempt to keep Lucien in a standing position.


    ¡°Lulu, my love, what happened?¡±


    Ronan rushed to Lucien¡¯s side. He wrapped an arm around Lucien¡¯s waist and let him lean on his chest.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel too good,¡± Lucien mumbled. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the weather.¡±


    Ronan gave Annalynne a piercing stare, to which the woman immediately responded, ¡°I did nothing to Lulu! I was in surgery!¡±


    She pointed at the thick bandages on her cheek.


    ¡°When he came back, he was so pale. And then he threw up in the bathroom...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal,¡± Lucien muttered. ¡°Maybe some food poisoning.¡±


    ¡°Did you eat something weird, Lulu???¡± Annalynne was aghast.


    ¡°Just... Candied plums from the canteen.¡±


    Ronan and Annalynne exchanged nces before they both turned to look at the elder nurse at the reception desk.


    She was leaning forward and staring at Lucien.


    ¡°Our canteen does serve candied plums for dessert today, but no one else got sick from it.¡±


    ¡°I want a doctor to take a look at him,¡± Ronan insisted.


    ¡°That already happened. There is nothing wrong with me,¡± Lucien replied.


    ¡°What do you mean with nothing wrong? Look at you! You are so pale and weak! Where is this so-called doctor? I want to speak to him!¡±


    Lucien shot Ronan a re.


    .....


    ¡°Ronan, don¡¯t make a fuss. I just need to take some rest.¡±


    The Alpha heaved a sigh.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Ronan growled. ¡°Then let¡¯s go home. Alpha Annalynne, allow me to take my mate home.¡±


    Lucien gave his sister a weak smile. He patted Annalynne¡¯s bandaged cheek.


    ¡°I am so d that you did it. Tell me what it looks liketer.¡±


    Annalynne nodded. She watched as her brother and Ronan departed from the hospital. An uneasy feeling spread in her heart. What happened to Lucien?

 Chapter 234

    234 Was Lucien Being Selfish?


    ¡°Lucien, how are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Mmm. Alright.¡±


    Ronan stole a nce at his mate.


    Lucien had his eyes shut tightly as he leaned his head against the headrest. The passenger seat was tilted a few degrees to the back to grant him somefort.


    ¡°There is a summon by the Werewolf Council for tomorrow morning. Both you and I are required to attend.¡±


    Lucien opened his eyes and turned to look at Ronan.


    ¡°What is it about?¡±


    Ronan pursed his lips.


    ¡°Apparently, Conrad Woond initiated it.¡±


    .....


    Lucien furrowed his brows and groaned slightly.


    ¡°If you are not feeling better, we should not go,¡± Ronan said. ¡°I will inform the council as soon as we get home.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly,¡± Lucien sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s get it over with. I want to hear what he has to say.¡±


    ¡°... Fine.¡±


    Ronan wanted to carry Lucien in his arms on the way to their apartment, but thetter refused to be treated like an invalid.


    ¡°I can still walk, Ronan Silverback,¡± he said with a frown.


    ¡°I know, I just want to carry you,¡± Ronan said hastily while chasing after Lucien who walked so fast ahead of him.


    ¡°No need. Carry me another time.¡±


    Lucien had a thin face. He might be the Luna, but he refused to act spoiled and depend on Ronan. Not in the public at least. Once they got into their apartment, he was a lot more agreeable.


    Ronan helped Lucien into the bed andy next to him.


    They cuddled and Ronan rubbed Lucien¡¯s back affectionately.


    ¡°Lulu, do you want to eat something?¡±


    ¡°No...¡±


    ¡°Do you want to drink something?¡±


    ¡°No...¡±


    Lucien raised his head and gave Ronan a pitiful look.


    ¡°Can you stay with me until I fall asleep?¡±


    Ronan smiled.


    ¡°Of course, my baby.¡±


    Lucien closed his eyes.


    He fell asleep eventually, but his sleep was restless. In his dream, Lillian gave birth to a healthy baby boy and Ronan cried with joy. Just like Lucrethia said, he was so happy to be a father. The beautiful couple shared a beautiful family moment while Lucien stood at the side like an unnecessary ornament.


    He tried to say something, but his throat was tied.


    Even the Mind Link did not work.


    Lucien kept calling for his mate. Unfortunately, Ronan only had eyes for Lillian and the baby.


    He neither answered nor gave Lucien any sign that he heard him.


    An unknown force pulled Lucien away from the perfect scene before him. He extended his hand and tried to fight the unknown force, but he ultimately lost.


    A string of words echoed in Lucien¡¯s head.


    ¡°If you think that he will make a good father, you should allow him to be one. Otherwise, it is rather selfish, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Selfish...


    Selfish...


    ¡°No!!!¡± Lucien shouted in his sleep.


    Ronan woke up with a start.


    ¡°Lulu? Honey? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Lucien breathed heavily while staring at the ceiling.


    What was that?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡±


    Ronan pulled Lucien into his arms and showered him with kisses.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a nightmare. My love, don¡¯t be scared. I am here for you.¡±


    Lucien was close to crying.


    It was not a nightmare.


    It was a dream about the future.


    Was he being selfish by demanding Ronan to stay faithful to him?


    Was Lillian suffering?


    Did he deny the little pup his father?


    But he too wanted to be happy.


    Why could he not be happy?


    Why must he give away the one person that he was ever in love with?


    Inadvertently, tears started building in his eyes and he started sobbing.


    ¡°Lucien...?¡±


    Ronan tilted his mate¡¯s chin.


    Lucien was crying.


    ¡°Lulu, what¡¯s wrong...?¡±


    The man refused to say anything. He kept shaking his head fervently.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Baby, if you don¡¯t want to say it now, you don¡¯t have to. Just know that I am here for you, alright?¡±


    There was nothing else that Ronan could do other than let his mate cry to his heart¡¯s content.


    He cursed himself for his helplessness. He wished that he could just take away Lucien¡¯s sadness and throw it far, far away.


    Unfortunately, he could not.


    Not as long as Lucien did not open up to him.


    This was something that Lucien must do on his own. If Ronan forced him, he was only going to get hurt.


    Hopefully, the warmth of his embrace could sneak into Lucien¡¯s heart and tickle him toe out of his shell.


    While Ronan soothed his mate with soft words, his eyes shone fiercely in the darkness.


    Annalynne, just what did you say to Lucien to make him cry like this???


    There was nothing Ronan wanted to do more than call up Annalynne to question her, but it was alreadyte at night. Judging from Annalynne¡¯s personality, she might just whine at Lucien right after,ining about being bullied.


    Arggghhhhh... Women!!!


    Ovee with exhaustion, the Alpha eventually fell asleep.


    When he woke up the next morning, Lucien was not on the bed.


    Ronan found him in the kitchen, making coffee.


    ¡°Lulu? Good morning, are you alright?¡±


    Lucien turned to look at his mate, his neutral expression betrayed nothing.


    ¡°Of course. Get ready, Ronan. We need to leave soon.¡±


    Lucien walked past Ronan to get into the bathroom, but Ronan pulled at his wrist and stopped him.


    ¡°Lulu, do you not need to talk to me about something?¡±


    .....


    Lucien wiped at his face, covering the upper half of his face with his palm.


    What was he supposed to say? That an elderlydy with stunningly simr eyes to Ronan¡¯s mother told Lucien that thetter was being selfish?


    He couldn¡¯t say that out loud, could he?


    In fact, if it were any other randomdy, Lucien might just tell her that it was none of her business.


    Unfortunately, thedy looked so much like thete Lady Adele Fangde.


    Lady Fangde supported the rtionship between Ronan and Lucien, but what would she say if she knew that Lucien secretly hated the fact that Ronan was having a baby with someone else?


    Would Lady Fangde too think that Lucien was selfish?


    Lucien was afraid to know the answer.

 Chapter 235

    235 Speaking About Lillian¡¯s Status


    Ronan was not surprised to see Dane Silverback present during the meeting. In fact, if he were not around, Ronan would be amazed.


    The Alpha had not yet forgotten how Dane Silverback treated his mother¡¯s corpse. He did not think that he could ever forgive his disgusting action.


    Dane Silverback, on the other side, was clearly still angry about the mating bond between Ronan and Lucien.


    What gave him the right to be angry, that was what Ronan wanted to know the most.


    Nevertheless, today¡¯s meeting was not to solve the problem between the father and son.


    It was, of course, to talk about Lillian Woond.


    The pregnantdy came together with her father, Alpha Conrad Woond of the Irond ws Pack.


    Both Ronan and Lucien looked grim. Lucien was somewhat pale.


    Lillian¡¯s gaze shifted to Dane Silverback and the few elders that represented each of the three packs; Elder Rick for the Silent Walkers Pack, Elder Aaron for the Infinite Eclipse Pack, and Elder Kragen for the Irond ws Pack.


    .....


    Conrad Woond was the senior Alpha in the room, but his presence was far beneath Ronan Silverback who was tens of years his junior. Even lower than Dane Silverback who already stepped down from the Alpha position.


    Sweating profusely, Conrad Woond stuttered out the reason he called for this meeting.


    ¡°I would like to know Alpha Ronan¡¯s n regarding my daughter and uh, the boy that she is carrying.¡±


    Dane Silverback narrowed his eyes at Conrad Woond.


    ¡°What is your expectation?¡± he asked, quite nonchnt for someone who once spoke highly about matchmaking Lillian to Ronan.


    The muscle at Conrad¡¯s cheek twitched in distress.


    ¡°That... I would like for my daughter to have a status in Alpha Ronan¡¯s household.¡±


    A status.


    What status could there be?


    Ronan reached out to touch Lucien¡¯s hand and squeezed it.


    ¡°I have already formed a mating bond with Lucien Clearwater. This bond is holy and protected by the Moon Goddess. Surely Alpha Conrad knows that.¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± Conrad snapped. ¡°So what do you suggest, Alpha Ronan? Don¡¯t tell me that you n to not take any responsibility for my daughter!¡±


    Elder Kragen cracked a nervous smile. He grabbed Conrad¡¯s shoulder and gestured for him to calm down.


    ¡°Alpha Conrad is merely concerned about Lillian¡¯s future. No one is requiring Alpha Ronan to break the existing mating bond with Lucien Clearwater. That would be a sinful act, even,¡± Elder Kragen said with a broad, cating smile on his face.


    Ronan took a deep breath.


    Lucien lowered his gaze.


    ¡°In that case, what kind of status does Alpha Conrad seek to obtain for his daughter?¡±


    Everyone knew the delicate situation they were in when they started the discussion. No one dared to make a suggestion. They merely shoved the question to each other¡¯sp, hoping that someone coulde up with something that did not offend the other parties.


    It made Lucien sick. Whatever status Lillian got in the Infinite Eclipse Pack, Lucien was not going to be happy anyway.


    He wanted to tell everyone that he did not care.


    He just wanted to leave.


    But he could not do that, could he?


    Lucien squeezed Ronan¡¯s hand.


    Thetter took it to his lips and gave it a reverent kiss.


    ¡°The child is mine. He shall be recognized as my heir when the timees. Unfortunately, I cannot and will not marry Lillian. It won¡¯t be fair for my mate,¡± Ronan pointed out.


    ¡°Then what will happen to my daughter?¡± Conrad red at Ronan. ¡°She is going to be damaged goods in the eyes of others! Mind you, my daughter used to be the most popr bachelorette out there! She gave her heart and body to you and now you are throwing her away after she gives birth to your heir? Alpha Ronan, are you not too selfish???¡±


    Selfish.


    That¡¯s the word again.


    Lucien wed into Ronan¡¯s hand.


    He could feel his breakfasting up his throat.


    ¡°It is my fault,¡± Ronan said through gritted teeth. ¡°I am willing topensate Lillian for everything that she has to go through. I just don¡¯t know how. As you see, I am a mated man. My mate should not have to suffer from this issue.¡±


    Conrad broke intoughter.


    ¡°¡®Issue¡¯, huh? I guess when you did it with my daughter, you did not think that this ¡®issue¡¯ wille up.¡±


    Lillian wrinkled her forehead.


    ¡°Daddy, stop it,¡± she murmured.


    It¡¯s not as if Conrad was highly against her sleeping with Ronan Silverback and getting pregnant before they even sealed a mating bond. That was actually the original n.


    They wanted to force Ronan Silverback into epting Lillian by making use of the child.


    They just did not expect Lillian toe home with another man¡¯s seed in her belly.


    On the other side, Ronan heaved a sigh as heavy as the whole universe.


    To be very honest, his not sleeping with Lillian was a stroke of luck. Or maybe it wasn¡¯t. It was purely Lillian¡¯s achievement. Ronan should thank her for her kick that night.


    If she had endured Ronan and gone through it, the baby would truly be his.


    Conrad was not wrong to be angry.


    Had that been the case, though, Ronan would have taken responsibility before he started courting Lucien.


    He would have met up with Lillian and talked about things. It was not his style to leave a woman after he took advantage of her. Especially not if it meant that a child might have been born from a one-time union.


    It was because Ronan knew for sure that they did not end up sleeping together that he dared pursue Lucien freely, without any trace of guilt.


    Otherwise, he would have told Lucien about that night. He would have prepared Lucien in the event that Lillian really became pregnant from that one night.


    Next to Ronan, Lucien pressed a hand against his lips. His white face had meanwhile turned blueish.


    Ronan¡¯s eyes widened in terror.


    ¡°Lulu...!¡±

 Chapter 236

    236 Mother Of The Heir


    ¡°I beg for your mercy!¡± Elder Rick spoke up. He grabbed both of Lucien¡¯s shoulders before thetter toppled toward the table.


    Ronan protectively pulled Lucien to his chest and let thetter lean against his chest.


    Heat emanated from Lucien¡¯s body. He was running a fever.


    ¡°All of this talk has caused Lucien extreme mental anguish. He had done nothing wrong. He should not have to put up with this mess!¡±


    ¡°I am okay,¡± Lucien said in denial, his head dizzy from fever. ¡°I just feel under the weather, that¡¯s it.¡±


    He refused to be seen as weak in front of all these people.


    He too was an alpha werewolf, damn it!


    If they started treating him like some weak she-wolf, he was going to go berserk.


    Conrad Woond pinned Lucien with a sympathetic gaze.


    .....


    ¡°I know that Mr. Clearwater is a victim in this situation, but so is my daughter. At least Mr. Clearwater has a ce as the pack¡¯s future Luna. What about Lillian? She is having Ronan Silverback¡¯s baby boy. The heir to the Silverback family. Is her contribution in producing the heir to the Alpha line inconsequential?¡±


    Conrad turned to look at Dane Silverback.


    ¡°Mr. Silverback, what do you have to say?¡±


    For the first time since they arrived at the meeting, father and son exchanged nces briefly. Both of them averted their eyes at the same time.


    ¡°This is Alpha Ronan¡¯s personal matter,¡± Dane Silverback said coldly. ¡°I expect him to handle it properly.¡±


    Ronan lifted his gaze and shot his father a re. Dane narrowed his eyes at his son and met his eyes again without hesitation, as if challenging him to speak up.


    The onlookers in the room could sense the building heat between the father and son.


    The silence was deafening.


    ¡°A son cannot survive without his mother,¡± Lucien spoke up in the end, drawing everyone¡¯s attention at once.


    ¡°Lillian Woond should join the Infinite Eclipse Pack as the mother of the heir.¡±


    Ronan widened his eyes at the person in his embrace.


    After saying what he had to say, Lucien kept his head lowered. He refused to look into his mate¡¯s eyes.


    Funny how Ronan said that this issue would be settled in five months but they had not even talked about how it should happen.


    The boy must stay because he was Ronan¡¯s son.


    What about the mother?


    She, of course, must also stay.


    Because otherwise, that boy was not going to have a father and a mother at the same time.


    Ronan already had a bad rtionship with his father.


    His son must grow up in a better circumstance.


    Lucien just needed to focus on that.


    ¡°Well, that is a start for sure,¡± Conrad said, his tone a lot meeker after Lucien provided a solution to his problem. ¡°The Infinite Eclipse Pack is lucky to have such an understanding Luna as Lucien Clearwater.¡±


    Lucien felt numb inside.


    The critics from outside were like merciless knives that stabbed into his heart, but praises did nothing to alleviate the pain.


    Because in order to get the praises, Lucien had to hurt himself again and again.


    He was so tired.


    He was so sick of the circus.


    Ronan Silverback could barely believe his ears.


    Of course he did not n for Lillian and the baby because, heck, he was not supposed to take care of them at all!


    Theoretically, yes, he could make a fake promise to give Lillian the Luna position even, but he could not do that in front of Lucien. It would break Lucien¡¯s heart.


    Ronan had been trying to y a political tug-of-war. Dy any decision, and keep feeding the Irond ws Pack candies until the five months were up.


    He did not consider Lucien¡¯s mental state during this so-called tug-of-war.


    For once, Ronan saw Lucien¡¯s true state of mind.


    His mate was exhausted mentally and physically.


    He had been hurt so many times because he did not know anything about the deal between Ronan and Lillian.


    For once, Ronan doubted his decision.


    Was it right to keep Lucien in the dark? Should he not tell his mate what was going on?


    ¡®I told you,¡¯ Beowulf growled in Ronan¡¯s head. ¡®I told you to tell Lucien what is going on. It is all your fault, Ronan. You are the one who hurt Lucien. Not Lillian, not the baby. You did.¡¯


    Ronan squeezed Lucien¡¯s upper arm.


    ¡®Lulu...¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®Lulu, talk to me ¡®


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®Lulu, there is something that I have not told you before.¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®The baby is not mine. I have struck a deal with Lillian to uncover the truth about my mother¡¯s death.¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®Lulu...?¡¯


    Ronan swallowed hard.


    Why did Lucien say nothing in return?


    Was he too upset by Ronan¡¯s passiveness that he did not care for Ronan¡¯s reasons anymore?


    ¡°Alpha Ronan? I think that what the Luna said just now made sense. Do you agree?¡± Elder Aaron asked.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Ronan snapped in displeasure.


    ¡°Alpha Conrad? Miss Woond? Is this good enough?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Conrad answered hurriedly. ¡°I believe it is sufficient for now. Lillian darling, is there anything that you want to add?¡±


    Lillian¡¯s gaze drifted from Ronan to Lucien who was still tightly pressed against the Alpha¡¯s chest.


    ¡°None,¡± she said in return.


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Dane Silverback looked at everyone around the table. ¡°Case is dismissed.¡±


    After they reached a good conclusion, the tension of the meeting was relieved.


    The elders left one by one, followed by Conrad Woond. Dane Silverback eyed Ronan and Lucien, but he left without a word.


    Inside the room, only Ronan and Lucien were left.


    ¡°We should go,¡± Lucien sighed. ¡°Sorry for the abrupt suggestion, but I saw no room for discussion. You can decide on your own what to doter on.¡±


    Lucien rose to his feet. Ronan grabbed his wrist, prompting Lucien to look back.


    ¡°Lulu, why did you not answer?¡± the Alpha asked.


    Lucien furrowed his brows.


    ¡°Answer what?¡± he asked, not understanding what Ronan meant.


    ¡°My calls...?¡±


    ¡®Using Mind Link? Lulu?¡¯


    ¡°This is the only time you call for me.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s heart went cold.


    Lucien could not hear him.


    The Mind Link between him and Lucien was broken.


    .....

 Chapter 237

    237 The Alpha Was Not In The Mood


    Ronan hoped that it was only a glitch in the system, but it was not.


    Ronan tried speaking to Lucien via the Mind Link again and again, but the result remained the same.


    Their Mind Link already ceased to exist.


    But why?


    On top of being fated mates, they were bound to each other. It should have strengthened the connection between them, shouldn¡¯t it?


    How did it break so easily?


    What did it mean?


    Ronan wanted them to bite each other again during sex. That was hisst resort in order to restore their Mind Link. Unfortunately, Lucien¡¯s fever refused to go away.


    After they came back from North Ridge Forest, Lucien remained sick for days.


    .....


    It was so serious that Healers poured in and out of the Alpha¡¯s dwelling just to attend to Lucien day and night.


    And because the Luna was down with a fever, sex was prohibited. Even sleeping together also fell off the table.


    ¡°Why?¡± Ronan furrowed his brows in confusion. ¡°I can keep him warm at night.¡±


    The Healer, an elder one, coughed into his fist and answered in a t tone, ¡°We are not sure yet what kind of disease the Luna caught. Until we find out, we beg the Alpha to please stay safe. Besides, it would give the Luna some rest.¡±


    ¡°Lucien can rest with me by his side,¡± Ronan pointed out.


    The Healer gave him knowing, suspicious looks.


    ¡°We do not think that the Alpha can suppress his desire for the Luna. The Luna would recover faster if he does not engage in any sexual activities.¡±


    Ronan was stunned to hear the Healer¡¯s honest words. Was he that scious in the Healers¡¯ eyes?


    He had never once forced himself on anyone, let alone a sick person!


    How did he earn himself such a terrible reputation?


    Were his walls not sound-proof???


    Since the huge apartment only had one king-sized bed, the Alpha ended up sleeping on the living room¡¯s couch for the time being.


    In the middle of one night, Ronan suddenly woke up. He felt that something was amiss, so he went to check up on Lucien.


    His mate was wide awake.


    ¡°Ronan?¡± Lucien coughed a few times when he saw the Alpha in the dimmed bedroom. ¡°I kept calling for you... Why didn¡¯t youe earlier...?¡±


    Ronan swallowed hard.


    Lucien didn¡¯t know that their Mind Link was broken.


    Ronan gathered his mate into his arms and pressed a kiss on thetter¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he mumbled. ¡°I was asleep.¡±


    ¡°Mmh... I see.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s hands traveled along the ridges on Ronan¡¯s back and sank into thetter¡¯s hair. His hot and irregr breath blew at Ronan¡¯s chest.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Lucien apologized. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong. I want to get better soon...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry,¡± Ronan said.


    He was the one who was deeply sorry. Thanks to him and his poor decision, Lucien had to suffer.


    Again and again.


    Maybe it was because he was sick, but Lucien¡¯s body felt so small, so weak. Lucien used to be strong physically as well as mentally. Seeing his mate in such a weakened state hurt Ronan¡¯s heart immensely.


    ¡°Do you feel ufortable?¡± the Alpha asked.


    ¡°I am okay,¡± Lucien caressed Ronan¡¯s upper arm. ¡°Stay with me, please.¡±


    Ronan knew that the Healers would scold him in the morning, but he still climbed into the bed and held Lucien tight.


    Lucien¡¯s hand went to grasp Ronan¡¯s jaw. He then craned his neck in order to kiss the Alpha.


    When their lips were but millimeters apart from each other, Ronan averted his face. If he kissed Lucien now, he would ask for more.


    Lucien¡¯s lips parted in surprise. A glint of disappointment and hurt shed across his caramel-colored eyes. There had never been one time when Ronan refused his kiss.


    ¡°Why?¡± Lucien asked. ¡°Do you not want me anymore?¡±


    ¡°I do!¡± Ronan pulled at Lucien¡¯s waist and pinned his mate under his body on the bed. ¡°I love you, Lulu. Of course I want you.¡±


    ¡°Then sleep with me,¡± Lucien narrowed his eyes at Ronan, demanding the Alpha to act on his words.


    Ronan swallowed hard. Any other day, he would jump Lucien¡¯s bones. Just not now.


    ¡°... We can¡¯t. Lulu, you are still sick.¡±


    Lucien chuckled. What kind of ridiculous excuse was that?


    ¡°You wanted to fuck me when I was in the hospital back then.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Of course Ronan did. He would have done Lucien right then and there if Lucien had agreed to it.


    ¡°So why not now?¡±


    Ronan raked through his dark hair and groaned in his head.


    Because I feel guilty.


    Because I am the one who made you sick.


    Ronan buried his face in Lucien¡¯s chest and let out a frustrated roar.


    Lucien sighed.


    ¡°Forget it,¡± he said in a resentful tone before he proceeded to push Ronan away.


    ¡°Go away. I don¡¯t want to do it anymore. Leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°Lulu, don¡¯t be angry...¡±


    ¡°I am not.¡±


    Lucien fought away the tears.


    ¡°I hate this!¡± he shouted.


    He hated the fever.


    He hated the nausea.


    He hated the dizziness.


    He hated himself.


    He hated everything.


    ¡°My love, it¡¯s alright. Ssshh...¡± Ronan buried his fingers into Lucien¡¯s hair and gently massaged his scalp. Instead of being grateful, Lucien red at Ronan and pushed him away again.


    ¡°I said, go away.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Ronan refused to leave. Instead, he peppered Lucien¡¯s back and neck with kisses while coaxing him with soft words.


    Tired of shooing Ronan away, Lucien eventually stopped resisting. His eyes fluttered shut and the tension in his body melted away. Atst, he fell asleep.


    Early in the morning, Ronan got dressed and left.


    Lucien opened his eyes when he heard the apartment door closed behind Ronan.


    ¡®Lucien, what¡¯s going on?¡¯ Landon demanded.


    ¡®What do you think is going on? He doesn¡¯t find me attractive anymore.¡¯


    Yes, that was the problem.


    It had been days since they were intimate with each other. Ronan must be so tired of having to deal with a sick mate.


    ¡®I want to get better soon... cough... cough... Otherwise, I am going to lose him...¡¯


    ¡®You should give Ronan some credit,¡¯ the wolf disagreed. ¡®His love for you won¡¯t disappear just like that.¡¯


    Lucien smiled to himself.


    .....


    Deep inside Ronan¡¯s heart, did he not also think that Lucien was a selfish person...?

 Chapter 238

    238 The Alpha Could Not Believe That This Was Happening


    If Lady Adele Fangde were still around, Ronan would have stormed into the St. rence hospital and asked for his mother¡¯s counsel. Unfortunately, she was not.


    Asking his father was not an option. Ronan also did not want to ask any elder because he did not want his pack to have a lesser impression of his mate. They were mated just a few months ago and suddenly their Mind Link did not work anymore. That was never good news.


    Although pack members were supposed to not side with the Alpha, they always did. This was what Ronan personally witnessed when the marriage between his parents fell apart.


    Out of other options, Ronan went to the Silent Walkers Pack instead.


    Alpha Annalynne was stunned to see Ronan in her pack house in the morning. The only times Ronan cared toe and visit was when Lucien was still living there. After that, he never came. Heck, he did not even send Christmas cards and New Year¡¯s greetings!


    ¡°I need to speak to your mother,¡± Ronan said. Annalynne could hear some distress in his tone.


    ¡°...¡±


    It must be said that it was very rare for an Alpha to seek an audience with another pack¡¯s average member. If Alice were not the mother of Ronan¡¯s mate, Annalynne¡¯s firm answer would be no.


    If Ronan wanted to talk to Alice, the topic could only be one, namely Lucien.


    .....


    If Lucien is the topic of the conversation, it is no longer a regr audience but a family matter.


    Annalynne thus invited Ronan to the apartment that she shared with her mother.


    Alice Clearwater was surprised to see Ronan there.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, what an unexpected visit,¡± she said in amazement.


    ¡°Yes, sorry to disturb your peace. Mother, I need to ask something.¡±


    Before Ronan popped his question, he looked sideways at Annalynne. The woman was leaning against the wall behind him.


    ¡°Sorry, Alpha Annalynne, do you mind leaving us alone?¡±


    Annalynne rolled with her eyes. Never mind that she was the Alpha of the pack, this was also her apartment! What made Ronan think that he could throw Annalynne out like that?


    ¡°Anna, go and make some tea,¡± Alice said while she gestured for Ronan to take a seat.


    ¡°Mom!!!¡± Annalynne protested right away.


    ¡°Get me some cinnamon and ginger cookies from Mrs. Bailey¡¯s shop as well.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Mrs. Bailey¡¯s shop was in Blue Hill City.


    By the time Annalynne got back, Ronan would most likely be gone already. Alice Clearwater literally asked her daughter to get lost in the nicest way.


    Annalynne stomped off the room unhappily.


    After her daughter left, Alice directed her gaze at Ronan.


    ¡°What happened to my son?¡±


    ¡°Our Mind Link is broken,¡± Ronan said helplessly. ¡°I want to know in what circumstances it happens and how I can fix it.¡±


    Alice¡¯s jaw nearly fell to the ground.


    These two men sealed the mating bond only a few months ago! How did their Mind Link fail so quickly?


    But then again...


    A series of images and videos from the inte shed through Alice¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Mind Link between mated werewolves is established not because of the mating bond but because of their shared affection and feelings for each other. Alpha Ronan, could it be that your feelings toward my son wavered?¡±


    Alice had good reasons to ask this question.


    Ronan shook his head vehemently.


    ¡°No! My love for Lucien has only grown stronger from day to day.¡±


    Alice raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°Does your love also grow stronger for Lillian Woond?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Ronan denied.


    ¡°Please, Mother. You have to believe me. I do not love her. I only love your son. Lucien is my one and only.¡±


    Alice heaved a deep sigh.


    ¡°I trust you,¡± she said, earning herself a relieved sigh from the Alpha.


    If Ronan¡¯s love for Lucien dwindled, he would note to the Silent Walkers Pack to speak about Lucien at all.


    ¡°But then it only means that Lucien¡¯s feelings for you have changed.¡±


    Ronan steepled his hands above his knees and pressed his forehead against his hands in frustration.


    He had guessed that much. If the Mind Link was not broken by him, then surely by Lucien.


    ¡°How can I fix it?¡± Ronan still asked.


    What could he do to restore Lucien¡¯s feelings for him?


    Alice sighed.


    ¡°The dynamic between a couple is unique on its own. Alpha Ronan, you and Lucien have gone through a lot of adversities. See this as another one. You will face a lot more in the future. You two have to learn to deal with each other. This is only a minor setback.¡±


    Ronan lifted his head and gazed at Alice in anguish.


    ¡°Sorry to ask, Mother, but how many times does your Mind Link with your husband fail during your marriage?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Good question.


    Alice pursed her lips.


    ¡°Never.¡±


    ¡°Did you never fight?¡±


    ¡°All couples fight.¡±


    Their biggest fight was when Lucien had to sacrifice himself for Gordon¡¯s sake. Even then, their Mind Link remained intact.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, when did youst use your Mind Link? Do you know the exact time it broke?¡±


    Ronan shook his head. ¡°I only noticed a few days ago, but it could have been broken for a longer time.¡±


    Ronan groaned into his hands.


    He did not even know when it happened.


    He was so pathetic.


    Lucien was bleeding from his heart in front of him but he did not notice.


    His mate managed to fool him with a lot of smiles and ¡°I am fine¡±s. The truth was that he was not fine at all. And that was why his love for Ronan gradually disappeared.


    ¡°Goddess, I can¡¯t believe this. I can¡¯t believe that Lucien¡¯s feelings for me would disappear this quickly.¡±


    Ronan barely ended his sentence when he heard the sharp sound of someone snapping after air.


    When he turned around, Annalynne was already standing behind him. The woman¡¯s eyes were a pair of burning, fiery balls.


    ¡°How dare you,¡± she hissed. ¡°How dare you use my brother!¡±

 Chapter 239

    239 Annalynne Lost Her Patience


    In the next second, before Alice could do anything to stop her, Annalynne already pounced at Ronan andnded a p across the Alpha¡¯s face.


    A crisp sound tore through the air. Ronan¡¯s head was forcefully turned to the side following the direction of the p.


    Anger quickly rose within Ronan¡¯s heart.


    The Alpha turned to re at the junior who dared to hit him, but the fierce expression on his face quickly disappeared when he saw Annalynne¡¯s tear-streaked face.


    Healed from the ugly scars that marred her appearance, her crying face was remarkably simr to Lucien¡¯s.


    His anger melted away, reced by a feeling of helplessness.


    ¡°How dare you,¡± Annalynne repeated, her lips shaking from both fury and sadness.


    ¡°I told Lulu to leave you, but he kept defending you. He kept telling me to be more understanding. That you, being the Alpha that you are, deserve to have an heir. That we should allow you the joy of fatherhood. He kept telling me not to make a fuss. And here you are, standing shamelessly in my pack house to badmouth my brother in front of his mother!¡±


    Ronan¡¯s mouth dropped open.


    .....


    It was as if he were seeing Lucien in front of him, telling him openly about his pain and sorrow.


    Images of Lucien lying on the bed weakly crossed his mind.


    He rarely initiated sex.


    It was always Ronan who seduced him night after night and plundered his body until he could not take it anymore.


    What was it that Lucien wanted to tell himst night?


    ¡°I love you,¡± he could almost hear Lucien say, tears streaming down his face like two rivulets. ¡°Stay with me. Be with me. Don¡¯t leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Goddess...¡± A whisper escaped the Alpha. He could not believe what a fool he was.


    How could he even begin to think that Lucien stopped loving him?


    Whatever the reason for the disappearance of the Mind Link, it was not Lucien!


    Everything that Lucien did was for the sake of their rtionship!


    Lucien had been protecting him all these times!


    In front of Ronan, Annalynne bawled her eyes out.


    ¡°My poor, precious brother... Return him to me if you don¡¯t know how to take care of him! I will go and pick him up now...!¡±


    The rest of Annalynne¡¯s words were stuck in her throat. She gave a light gasp when she was pulled into a hug.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Ronan whispered in a hoarse voice.


    ¡°I am sorry that I hurt you. I am sorry that I hurt him. Lucien is forever the sun and moon of my life. I am not going to let him go. Not as long as I still have a breath to draw.¡±


    Annalynne sniffled into Ronan¡¯s shoulder. She knew ages ago that Ronan Silverback, this bastard, was never going to leave Lucien alone. To Annalynne¡¯s greatest dismay, Lucien too did not want Ronan to leave him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare hurt my brother again,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare doubt my brother¡¯s sincerity again.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Ronan promised. ¡°I have to go now. Lucien needs me.¡±


    Ronan left just like that without saying his goodbyes. He was in such a rush.


    Annalynne wiped her tears and pursed her lips.


    Alice stared at her.


    ¡°What is it, Mom?¡± she asked, confused by her mother¡¯s weird gaze.


    ¡°Where are the cinnamon and ginger cookies that I asked you to buy?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    A few hourster, Ronan arrived at the Infinite Eclipse Pack House. The ride back and forth between Great Lake City and Blue Hill City was beyond exhausting, but he could not wait to throw himself in Lucien¡¯s arms again.


    Impatient to wait for the elevator toe down, he scaled two steps at once and climbed the staircase all the way to his apartment.


    ¡°Lucien!!!¡±


    The Alpha was stunned when he saw that the bedroom was empty. He expected his mate to be in the bedroom still, maybe enjoying breakfast in bed.


    But Lucien was not there.


    The bed was made, and the pillows were stacked beautifully at the head. There was no trace of Lucien.


    ¡°Lulu...???¡±


    Ronan went from room to room, but he was unable to find Lucien. His heart was filled with trepidation. Did Lucien leave again? Where did he go? Did anyone see him?


    Just as Ronan ran out of his apartment, he came across a Healer. One of those who tended to Lucien in the past days.


    ¡°You!¡± He snapped, grabbing the poor man on the shoulders. ¡°Did you see the Luna? Where did he go???¡±


    Instead of stuttering an ¡°I don¡¯t know, Alpha¡± that Ronan was so used to hearing, the Healer blinked at him and answered, ¡°Reporting to the Alpha, the Luna is in the audience hall addressing a few issues.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    What the hell?


    He was gone for a few hours and Lucien, this hardworking employee, got to work right away???


    What issue could be so urgent that he could not ask others to handle it for him?


    Ronan rushed to the audience hall. When he finally arrived, he pushed the door open forcefully.


    ¡°Lulu!¡±


    Inside the hall, there were more people than he thought. All of them fell silent when they saw the fuming Alpha at the door.


    At the farthest end of the room, Lucien sat in the Luna¡¯s seat. He used one arm to support the weight of his upper body. The other hung lifelessly at his side.


    On his right side was Cassie who had her arms crossed in front of her chest.


    On his left side was Quinn, who held a bunch of documents that she was showing Lucien.


    Lastly, in front of these three people, also sitting on a chair, was Lillian Woond.


    Ronan¡¯s mouth went dry.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± He asked Lillian.


    The pregnant woman stared at him.


    ¡°Has Alpha Ronan gone senile at such a young age?¡± was what she really wanted to say, but she changed it to an ¡°I am here to move into your pack¡± apanied with a graceful smile instead.


    ¡°Oh, fuck,¡± Ronan cursed under his breath.

 Chapter 240

    240 The Alpha¡¯s Mate Held A Grudge


    There was nothing Ronan would love to do more than sweep his mate into his arms and pamper him just like what he demanded the previous night.


    Unfortunately, Lillian¡¯s arrival turned everything into naught.


    ¡°Ronan,¡± Lucien called.


    Gazing at his mate with an unreadable expression on his face, he tapped at the seat next to him. The seat of the Alpha.


    ¡°Come here and sit.¡±


    Ronan closed the distance between them in long strides.


    Once he arrived in front of Lucien, he tilted thetter¡¯s chin and sucked on his lips gently.


    Although Cassie and Quinn were both married and used to physical intimacy, they still blushed at the sight of the two men kissing.


    Lillian averted her gaze in order to not roll with her eyes. If she were really carrying Ronan¡¯s child, she would be quite pissed to see them openly disy their affection like that.


    .....


    ¡°You still have some fever,¡± Ronan whispered with a displeased frown.


    ¡°Only a little more left,¡± Lucien replied.


    The ends of his eyes were a little red. He looked aggrieved.


    ¡°Go back to sleep,¡± Ronan insisted. ¡°I will handle it here.¡±


    ¡°No. I am to be the Luna. I need to be here,¡± Lucien would not budge from his seat.


    Ronan pressed a kiss on Lucien¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°You are the Luna,¡± Ronan whispered into Lucien¡¯s ear.


    ¡°That position is yours, Lucien. It will never be anyone else¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Mnh...¡±


    Watching the soap theater in front of her, Lillian would love to scream out the fact that she neither wished to be the Infinite Eclipse Pack¡¯s Luna, nor wanted to join the pack.


    Cassie bent her knees in front of Ronan curtly before she spoke up, ¡°Reporting to the Alpha, we are discussing where Miss Woond shall stay upon her entry to the pack.¡±


    ¡°Anywhere would do,¡± Ronan replied rashly.


    She was not to stay longer than at most three more months, anyway.


    This discussion waspletely unnecessary, even more so when Lucien was down with a fever.


    This was naturally a fact that was only privy to Ronan and Lillian.


    The others did not expect to hear these words.


    Cassie¡¯s mouth dropped open.


    Lucien raised an eyebrow.


    Quinn¡¯s grip on her documents tightened.


    ¡°As the mother of your son, logically she should stay where you are,¡± Lucien pointed out. ¡°Is that what you want?¡±


    There was a hint of admonishment in his words, simr to a de that could cut into a block of ice.


    ¡°What??? No!¡± Ronan blurted out without thinking. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant when I said anywhere!¡±


    Be it a fake rtionship or not, Ronan did not want Lillian to be the third wheel in his rtionship with Lucien. He was treading on a precarious, narrow path himself.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lillian wanted to bury her face into her palms so badly. What a disaster.


    Lucien coughed into his fist.


    ¡°I do not have any experience in this matter. How is it settled usually?¡±


    Cassie and Quinn exchanged looks.


    There had only been one special case in the Infinite Eclipse Pack where the Alpha had children outside of the mating bond. They were of course thinking about Dane Silverback. Other Alphas, to the best of their knowledge, had been properly adhering to the unwritten rules of werewolf society.


    First the wedding, then the mating, then the children.


    Who dared to open their mouths to badmouth the previous Alpha, though?


    Of course none of them.


    The two women were thus more than happy when Ronan decided to take the lead and answer the sensitive question.


    ¡°Based on a precedent, the mating bond is above everything else, including the existence of children out of mating bonds.¡±


    Which was to say that Ronan did not want Lillian and the baby to intrude on his rtionship with Lucien.


    Then again, Lillian Woond was not some insignificant rogue she-wolf of low birth. Her statusmanded respect.


    The baby in her belly was also the only heir that Ronan Silverback would ever have.


    That should mean something, right?


    Lucien¡¯s gaze drifted to Ronan. He already stepped over Ronan¡¯s authority when he suggested letting Lillian join the Infinite Eclipse Pack. Now that Ronan was personally there in the audience hall, he could decide things. Lucien was only there to acknowledge his decision, whatever it was.


    ¡°Please give your direction, Alpha,¡± Lucien said.


    Ronan¡¯s eyes moved from the mate next to him to Lillian Woond.


    ¡°A nice residence of her choice shall be provided for Miss Woond along with maids to take care of her needs.¡±


    The fact that she was not to stay with Ronan and Lucien was implied.


    Ronan pinned Lillian with a stare.


    ¡°Do you have any objection?¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Lillian beamed with a smile. ¡°I am now part of the Infinite Eclipse Pack. The Alpha¡¯s will is my will.¡±


    Cassie and Quinn continued their discussion with Lillian in the audience hall.


    Ronan pulled Lucien from his seat and out of the hall. Once they were within the privacy of their four walls, Lucien pulled his wrist out of Ronan¡¯s grip.


    ¡°I am not an invalid, Ronan,¡± Lucien said with a frown. ¡°Stop babysitting me.¡±


    ¡°No. If I do that, you will go and attend to some Luna responsibilities again.¡±


    Lucien chuckled.


    ¡°Is that not what a Luna is supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°Yes, after the wedding. Before the wedding, all you need to think about is our uing wedding.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan put his arms around Lucien from behind.


    ¡°Lulu...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien freed himself from Ronan¡¯s embrace and looked away from him.


    ¡°Sorry forst night,¡± he said. ¡°It was the fever. And constant nausea. I was being unnecessarily difficult.¡±


    Ronan sighed in his heart.


    ¡°Lulu, it is fine to be upset.¡±


    ¡°I am NOT upset!¡±


    Lucien whipped his head toward Ronan and red at him.


    ¡°Stop putting me in the same box with all of your whores!¡±


    Ronan rubbed at his forehead.


    ¡°Baby, we talked about this, do you remember?¡±


    Lucien narrowed his eyes at him.


    ¡°What am I supposed to remember?¡±


    ¡°You promised to share your burden with me.¡±


    Lucien sucked in a deep breath sharply.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I?¡± he said, casting a cold re in Ronan¡¯s direction. ¡°You rejected me and left.¡±


    .....

 Chapter 241

    241 The Alpha Loved Everything About His Mate (NSFW)


    Lucien knew that he spouted nonsense as soon as he said it.


    He didn¡¯t share his burden.


    All he did was ask for sex and then pout when he did not get any.


    Good Goddess.


    How embarrassing.


    He said that he did not want to bepared with any of Ronan¡¯s previous exploits, but there he was, begging to be fucked like some desperate housewife.


    Lucien wanted to bang his head a few times against the house pir.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± he said, his cheeks assuming a deeper shade of red from realizing his horrible behavior.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t...¡±


    .....


    A pair of strong and muscr armstched themselves around Lucien again. Ronan¡¯s warm breath blew against Lucien¡¯s ears, causing him to unwittingly shudder.


    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault,¡± the Alpha said. ¡°Lulu, please forgive me, alright? Don¡¯t be mad anymore.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien pressed his lips together into a thin line. Why was Ronan, this fool, even apologizing? If it was some act of charity, Lucien didn¡¯t want it.


    But how to get out of the Alpha¡¯s strong grip, coupled with his addictive pheromones?


    Although Lucien was headstrong, he eventually had to give in. Melt in Ronan¡¯s arms and let thetter strip him bare and mold him to his liking.


    The breeding season for wolves already arrived. While the cold wind of winter had yet to subside, werewolves locked themselves in their homes and gave in to their natural instincts to pass their genes to the next generation.


    The apartment was very quiet.


    The only sounds came from the bedroom, wet moans apanied by the squelching sound of two bodies bing one.


    Sweaty and sore, Lucien¡¯s legs were spread open while Ronan pumped inside viciously.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t...¡± Lucien whimpered.


    ¡°Don¡¯t what?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t go further. You are already too deep inside... Ahhh...!!!¡±


    Lucien shook his head and bit into his lip.


    Ronan was never good at hearing instructions. The more Lucien begged for him to slow down, the faster the man pumped inside him.


    They had slept with each other countless times. Lucien thought that he would one day get used to having a massive tool prate him and stir his insides. That one day never came.


    Again and again, with every lovemaking session, the Alpha managed to evoke the thunderous sensation within him. Make his heart burst from too much pleasure. Make stars appear before Lucien¡¯s eyes as his peak came like a torrential flood, sweeping everything back into the wide ocean.


    The two men on the bed moaned in unison when they reached climax at the same time. Lucien winced from pain when Ronan pushed deep inside him onest time and locked their bodies together in love.


    ¡°I love you,¡± the Alpha whispered into Lucien¡¯s ear before he bit into his mate¡¯s nape.


    Lucien opened his mouth in a silent scream. He then also returned the favor and bit Ronan in a simr way, injecting more of his pheromone into Ronan¡¯s system.


    After they were done, theyy in each other¡¯s arms. Their limbs were messily entangled on the bed.


    Ronan and Lucien gazed into each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°You are still so tight after these months,¡± Ronan teased while tracing the contour of Lucien¡¯s body with his finger. ¡°Every time I go inside, your body clung to me tightly.¡±


    What an obscene thing to say.


    Embarrassed, Lucien pushed at Ronan¡¯s chest. Unfortunately, he was unable to move away from his mate. Ronan was not done ejacting inside him.


    Instead, the Alpha pulled him closer into his arms.


    ¡°Don¡¯t pull away from me,¡± the Alpha said with his deep, maic voice. ¡°Be a gentleman and cuddle after you are done.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Why was Ronan acting like a clingy woman who was taken advantage of?


    ¡°Now you want to cuddle,¡± Lucien sneered at his mate. ¡°I thought that you were sick of me.¡±


    Ronan chuckled at his ridiculous mate.


    ¡°Lucien, I will never get sick of you.¡±


    He grabbed Lucien¡¯s jaw and gave him a passionate kiss.


    ¡°I love your stubbornness, your indomitable pride, your brutal sarcasm.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Sounded a lot like a string of insults.


    ¡°I love your soft heart, your powerful empathy, your boundless forgiveness.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Okay, that sounded a little better.


    Ronan groped Lucien¡¯s butt and continued, ¡°I love your squishy butts, your narrow waist, your stiff and sensitive nipples.¡±


    ¡°Ah...!¡±


    Lucien tilted his head backward when Ronan started sucking on one of his nipples.


    ¡°Ronan, ahhn... Stop, stop...!¡±


    The Alpha released the swollen, blooming bud and licked his lipssciviously.


    ¡°I want to be inside you forever. I want to carve a deep mark inside you. Everyone should know that you belong to me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien pulled at Ronan¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Ow.¡±


    ¡°Even if I want to get away from you, I can¡¯t. You ruined me for other men.¡±


    Ronan raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°And women?¡±


    ¡°And women,¡± Lucien confirmed.


    Smiling victoriously, Ronan pinched Lucien¡¯s jaw and showered his beautiful mate with tiny kisses.


    Lucien sighed contentedly and hooked his arms around his mate¡¯s neck. More kisses were exchanged while waiting for the knot to dete.


    Now that the mood was pretty good, Ronan thought that it was a good time to talk.


    ¡°Lulu, do you have anything to say to me?¡±


    ¡°Like what?¡±


    ¡°Like... Is there anything that troubles your mindtely?¡±


    Lucien was full of lies, but his body was always honest.


    ¡°Baby?¡±


    Ronan cupped Lucien¡¯s face and forced him to look into his eyes. ¡°Talk to me. Don¡¯t leave me out.¡±


    Lucien bit into his lip.


    He didn¡¯t want to talk about gloomy topics after making love. Besides, it was not like Ronan did anything wrong. He was just being too sensitive because he was sick. That¡¯s all. It was a trivial matter, no need to exaggerate it.


    ¡°I was not myself,¡± Lucien murmured. ¡°Nothing happened. I am fine.¡±


    ¡°... Alright, my love.¡±


    Ronan did not think that Lucien was speaking the truth, but there was no use pushing the man. He instead cuddled his mate and closed his eyes to sleep.


    A question kept echoing in Ronan¡¯s mind.


    If nothing happened, why did their Mind Link disappear...?

 Chapter 242

    242 Lucrethia¡¯s Horrible Deed


    The news that Lillian was pregnant with a boy was received well by everyone in the Irond ws Pack, particrly the matriarch Lucrethia Woond.


    The peace that followed was short-lived because Lucrethia then started asking what Ronan Silverback nned to do with this great news.


    Conrad Woond, sweating from nervosity, told his mother that, ¡°Ronan was a mated werewolf. He, if not his whole pack, might need a few days to properly chewed the news and decide what to do next.¡±


    Lucrethia tilted her head up and pinned her son with a stare along the bridge of her nose.


    ¡°Are you not a father with an unwed daughter who is pregnant with another Alpha¡¯s son? Should you not do something to push Alpha Ronan?¡±


    In the end, Conrad Woond caved and did what his mother wanted him to do. He submitted a plea to the Werewolf Council to mediate between all the relevant parties: Conrad, his daughter Lillian, Alpha Ronan, and also Alpha Ronan¡¯s mate, Lucien Clearwater.


    When they went home with the wonderful conclusion of having Lillian move to the Infinite Eclipse Pack, Conrad thought that they could wait until the baby was born.


    Lillian thought that they had a month.


    Lucrethia did not wish to wait. She arranged for people to pack up Lillian¡¯s basic necessities into five huge boxes and sent them to the Infinite Eclipse Pack, together with Lillian.


    .....


    At first, Lillian was filled with dread.


    If she was removed from the Irond ws Pack House, she would miss out on important information to unearth Lucrethia¡¯s criminal activities. She managed to gather some intellectual information, but she had yet to get her ws on the incriminating pieces of evidence.


    How was she supposed to do that when she was stuffed far, far away in the Infinite Eclipse Pack House?


    Blood frozen with anxiety, Lillian guessed that her and Ronan¡¯s performances were not up to the mark. Lucrethia might know what they were nning. That was why she wanted to get rid of Lillian as soon as possible.


    While Lillian was at the end of her wits and was brainstorming for excuses to creep back into the Irond ws Pack House, her dear old grandmother summoned her for brunch.


    It was a goddesssent invitation. How could Lillian refuse it?


    The pregnant she-wolf left the Infinite Eclipse Pack that very evening and spent the night in Pine Groove City to be in time for brunch at her grandmother¡¯s residence the next day.


    Instead of asking about Alpha Ronan, this time Lucrethia asked about the soon-to-be Luna, Lucien Clearwater.


    ¡°How did he take the news?¡±


    Lillian was baffled.


    ¡°He was the one who pitched the suggestion in the first ce, Mom,¡± Conrad answered hastily, unwilling to displease the elderly woman.


    ¡°I know, but... How is he doing now?¡±


    That question was too suspicious. When Conrad Woond heard it, his face slowly lost color.


    ¡°He is doing fine,¡± Lillian answered.


    That was a lie.


    Lucien was not doing fine at all, but that had nothing to do with Lillian¡¯s entry into the pack.


    Lillian knew for a fact that Lucien¡¯s health had been poor before she even set a foot in Great Lake City. So that was not her fault, right?


    Lucrethia raised an eyebrow and scoffed.


    Tapping her wooden cane against the floor a few times, she said in a low voice, ¡°I guess he should have eaten more.¡±


    By the end of his mother¡¯s words, Conrad was as white as the marble stone beneath his feet.


    ¡°Mother, don¡¯t tell me that... Did you...?¡±


    Lillian widened her eyes in horror when she realized what Lucrethia and Conrad were talking about.


    His grandmother had taken action on her own against Lucien!


    ¡°Grandmother, did you do anything to Lucien?¡±


    Lucrethia let out a series of cackledughter like a hyena.


    ¡°Just a little serving of potion, nothing more.¡±


    ¡°What potion?¡± Lillian demanded to know.


    Lucrethia pinned her granddaughter with a sharp look.


    ¡°And if you know, then what? Are you going to run off to Ronan Silverback and tell him that I have poisoned his mate?¡±


    Poison.


    It was poison.


    Lucien Clearwater had been poisoned!


    Lillian¡¯s blood ran cold.


    What was she supposed to do? She could not tell Ronan. It would not make sense. If she were truly on Lucrethia¡¯s side, harming Lucien should even be part of her agenda!


    Smiling sweetly, Lillian rubbed her hand against her grandmother¡¯s wrinkly arm. ¡°Of course not. I am just curious.¡±


    ¡°I am not going to tell you,¡± Lucrethia returned Lillian¡¯s smile. ¡°In fact, you don¡¯t need to know at all. All I need you to do now is grasp the chance and take that Luna position away from the sick Lucien.¡±


    ¡°... How?¡±


    Lucrethia gazed at Lillian full of contempt.


    ¡°Do you need me to teach you how to ensnare a man and pull him to your bed chamber?¡±


    Lillian put her hands around her belly protectively and returned her grandmother¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°Grandmother, I am currently unsuitable for any sexual activities.¡±


    She was nearing her seventh month of pregnancy. Her Ob-Gyn, Dr. Collins, had warned her from engaging in the acts of intercourse.


    ¡°Not that I use you of wanting to do it, but that ignorant father of your baby might be interested in it. Some men had a sick fetish. They find sexual gratification from pounding into a woman when she¡¯s heavy with a child,¡± Dr. Collins told her with a scowl on her face.


    Lucrethia clicked her tongue in disappointment.


    ¡°Bummer,¡± she crowed. ¡°I should have fed the young man the poison sooner.¡±


    Lillian clenched her jaw. That was all she could do to hide her disgust.


    ¡°Speaking about your pregnancy, isn¡¯t it time for you to start nning a baby shower?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    What? A baby shower?


    ¡°You need to keep reminding Alpha Ronan that you are carrying his son under your heart. That cannot be too difficult to aplish, can it?¡±


    Lucrethia grabbed Lillian¡¯s chin and gave it a squeeze.


    ¡°Don¡¯t disappoint me, granddaughter.¡±

 Chapter 243

    243 Only Two More Weeks


    ¡°Of course not, Grandmother,¡± Lillian grinned from ear to ear.


    Conrad Woond looked at his mother and his daughter. The sight of the two women exchanging smiles over the poisoning of Lucien Clearwater made him sick.


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± the Alpha said before he hurried away, leaving more than half of his breakfast behind.


    Lucrethia humphed with disdain as she watched her son¡¯s figure retreating from the dining table.


    ¡°He has always been a weakling, your father,¡± Lucrethiamented, not even restraining herself from badmouthing her son in front of her granddaughter.


    ¡°I think he got his genes from his weakling father. d that you have none of those. You are strong, just like me.¡±


    Lillian beamed at Lucrethia, but she was seething inside.


    Just who wanted to be as evil and cruel as Lucrethia?


    Conrad Woond hobbled down the path that led him as far away from his own mother as possible. Beads of cold sweat formed on his head as he asked himself again and again what would happen if his mother¡¯s evil deeds were found out.


    .....


    What would happen to her?


    What would happen to him and his family?


    What would happen to the Irond ws Pack?


    They had stirred up trouble against the Infinite Eclipse Pack and the Night Prowler Pack! Those were the two strongest packs across the continent!


    They were doomed!


    The whole pack was doomed!!!


    Conrad Woond screamed in his head.


    There was no way out of this mess.


    He was so immersed in his own thoughts that he did not hear the voice that called for him several times already.


    ¡°Papa!¡±


    Conrad Woond finally turned his head to look at his daughter. Having left the breakfast behind as well, Lillian Woond marched toward her father with a crease between her brows.


    ¡°Oh, Lillian, my baby girl. What is it?¡± he asked, wiping cold sweat off his face with his sleeve.


    Impatiently, Lillian took out her own handkerchief and handed it to her father.


    While Conrad was dabbing his forehead with the square piece of cloth, Lillian proceeded to question her father.


    ¡°Papa, you know what kind of poison it was, right? Tell me about it.¡±


    Conrad stopped his hand right away. He raised his wary eyes at his daughter.


    ¡°Why do you need to know?¡± he asked in suspicion.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I? I don¡¯t want to be med if Lucien suddenly dies when I am around.¡±


    That was of course not why Lillian even bothered to ask. She nned to secretly feed Lucien the cure, making sure to revert the poison effect and return Lucien to the peak of his health.


    ¡°There is no need for you to know,¡± Conrad snapped. ¡°Anyway, he is already sick. His sickness will not be tied to you. It will not make sense at all.¡±


    Lillian cursed in her heart. Her father was usually rather open, always ready to share information about his own mother¡¯s evil ns and schemes. This time he was so secretive. Lillian did not like it even one bit.


    ¡°Then what about the cure?¡± She dug further. ¡°Where can I find it?¡±


    Conrad shook his head.


    ¡°There is no cure.¡±


    ¡°Every poison has a cure,¡± Lillian insisted. ¡°Papa, tell me the truth.¡±


    Conrad took his daughter¡¯s hands and squeezed them.


    ¡°This poison specifically attacks the fated connection between two fated mates.¡±


    He then tapped on his left chest.


    ¡°It attacks the heart. The more often the poison gets triggered, the closer the person is to death.¡±


    Lillian¡¯s jaw dropped open. She stared at her father in disbelief.


    ¡°Lucien... is going to die?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Conrad snapped when he saw weakness in his daughter¡¯s eyes. ¡°If he stays alive, will you ever be the Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack?¡±


    ¡°I am trying!¡± Lillian insisted, shaking her fists frantically. ¡°Why do you have to poison him? It is a crime!¡±


    Conrad growled at his daughter. ¡°Do you think that I want this to happen? Do you think that I want to stain my hands with blood? Huhh??¡±


    The elder man grabbed both of Lillian¡¯s shoulders and shook them.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want it anymore, you go back to your grandmother now and tell her that you no longer want to be part of her ambition! Let¡¯s see what she will say to you!¡±


    Lillian shut up in an instant.


    Her hands wandered to her protruding belly again.


    She could not do that. Otherwise, her son would die.


    Lucrethia did not stop at verbal abuse. She would lock Lillian up again and beat her up. Until she and her unborn son perished.


    Anyway, Lucien was already poisoned. Even if Lillian got herself and her son killed, it would not save Lucien at all.


    ¡°Papa, it is not yet toote,¡± she coaxed her father with a soft voice. ¡°Deceiving Alpha Ronan is one thing, but murdering his mate is on apletely different level of crime. I know that it has a cure. You just don¡¯t want to tell me.¡±


    Conrad heaved a sigh.


    He rubbed at his nose and then pinned his daughter with a re.


    ¡°It really has no cure. Not now, at least. Even if society works hard to find a cure, there are simply not enough fated mates to test it on. Stalling death is possible, but Lucien Clearwater will die for sure. If not in a week, then a month.¡±


    Lillian still refused to give up.


    ¡°Does it mean that it is also possible that the poison effect stalls over the period of ten years or so?¡±


    Conrad scoffed.


    ¡°Baby girl, stop dreaming. The reason why your grandmother picked this poison is her certainty that Lucien Clearwater is not going to survive for a long time. Only a stone statue does not take any harm from the affair between you and Alpha Ronan.¡±


    Oh, Goddess.


    Lillian¡¯s mouth dropped open.


    This was why Lucien got sick in the first ce.


    After he got poisoned, the poison attacked him a few times. It was already toote to stall.


    Conrad lifted two fingers.


    ¡°Depending on his physical endurance, he is going to die sooner orter. I do not think he will go past two more weeks.¡±

 Chapter 244

    244 Bad Tension In The Air


    When morning came, the Alpha and Beta left the pack house to attend to their role in society, mingling among human beings and hiding their identity as werewolves.


    During the day, they were normally not involved in the pack matters. Everything was handled by the Luna, the Beta mate, and the Gamma, who stayed behind to take care of the pack.


    The days in the Infinite Eclipse Pack used to pass rather peacefully.


    The pack was prosperous, the members were well taken care of. Women helped each other to raise pups. Werewolf pups grew up and adapted well to their surroundings.


    Now, there was a certain tension in the air.


    This tension cast a darker shade upon the Infinite Eclipse Pack.


    Unattended, the tension grew higher with the passing days.


    It naturally had to do with having Lillian Woond in the pack.


    The pack members were somewhat lost. If Lucien Clearwater was the Luna, then what was Lillian Woond?


    .....


    How were they supposed to refer to a high-born Alpha¡¯s daughter who was carrying their Alpha¡¯s pup but was not conferred the title of Luna?


    Dane Silverback at least managed to keep his dirtyundry and the consequences out of the pack.


    Up to the moment of their separation, the pack members never had to serve two women.


    What about this time?


    How were they supposed to treat Lillian Woond?


    The pack members understood how sensitive this matter was. They also knew that Lucien¡¯s health was not at its peak. That¡¯s why these questions were directed to Cassandra as the Beta¡¯s mate instead.


    ¡°I wish I had a dime every time they asked me,¡± Cassie said with a shrug.


    ¡°If you were the Luna, what would your answer be?¡± Quinn asked her while pouring them both cups of tea.


    ¡°Honestly?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    Cassie leaned closer to Quinn. ¡°If it were me, I would not even need to answer. I would murder my mate and then myself.¡±


    She then proceeded to drink her cup of tea.


    Quinn¡¯s jaw dropped open.


    Before she had the chance to give a response, a cold male voice went ahead of her.


    ¡°Is this a counsel given by the Beta¡¯s mate?¡±


    Cassie whipped her head so fast that her neck cracked.


    ¡°Lu... Luna!!!¡±


    Cassie choked on her tea right afterward.


    Blood drained from Quinn¡¯s face.


    ¡°Luna, are you feeling well? I... We thought...¡±


    Lucien heaved a sigh.


    He suffered from a bout of nausea and now everyone treated him like a dying person.


    ¡°I am fine,¡± he said. ¡°Is there any urgent matter to attend to?¡±


    ¡°None!¡± both of them answered in unison.


    Goddess knew that anything urgent must be handled by them, and if they could not do it, Ronan would do it.


    The Alpha had specifically given the order to not burden the Luna with anything, lest his illness became worse.


    He himself kept a tight schedule at work, finishing everything as soon as possible toe home and apany his mate.


    In fact, Ronan would rather stay at home to keep Lucienpany day in and day out. Unfortunately, the conscientious Luna refused to let him ck off and shove his tasks and responsibilities under Jake¡¯s nose.


    Lucien made sure to kick Ronan out of their shared apartment every morning and only wee him back past working hours.


    Jake was very grateful for that.


    Ronan, not at all.


    Although Cassie and Quinn insisted that there was nothing for Lucien to do, thetter was not blind and deaf. He could sense the restlessness within the pack. As a Luna, it was his job to put an end to this abnormal condition.


    ¡°I wish to visit Lillian Woond,¡± he announced. ¡°Where does she live at present?¡±


    Quinn¡¯s jaw dropped open again.


    In an attempt to redeem herself, Cassie hurriedly answered, ¡°Reporting to the Luna, she chose to live in the ground floor apartment at the southeast apartment...¡±


    ¡°Mm, okay, take me there.¡±


    Lucien turned on his heels to leave, but Cassie stopped him.


    ¡°Lu-Luna! Why not ask her toe here? You are the Luna! You should not have to visit an average pack member!¡±


    Upon referring to Lillian Woond as an ¡°average pack member¡±, Cassie bit into her lower lip in self-reproach. Did it make her seem cold and unfeeling toward the woman who was pregnant with the Alpha¡¯s heir?


    Not to mention that Lucien overheard her saying one or two things about her murder-suicide n.


    ¡°She is pregnant,¡± Lucien said with a sigh. ¡°It is inconvenient for her to move.¡±


    The red-blonde man moved past a stunned Cassie.


    Inconvenient?


    Cassie pulled her lips into a thin line.


    Lillian Woond was convenient enough with five maids attending to her every need! Heck, she even turned them into her personal social media team. Cassie almost vomited blood when she saw them running around to take Lillian¡¯s pictures and videos.


    Lucien left the center building, heading for Lillian¡¯s current dwelling despite Cassie¡¯s incessant protests.


    ¡°Luna, I assure you that she is not that...¡±


    Cassie¡¯s words were cut when a red Lamborghini stopped in front of them. The person that they had been talking about stepped out of the luxurious car¡¯s driver seat while holding onto her pregnant belly.


    Stylishly dressed in a baby-blue maternity gown with white stripes under a dark blue coat and a pair of white high heels, she looked as stunning as ever.


    Cassie could not believe her eyes. When she was pregnant, she refused to wear shoes. It was either slippers or barefoot. Where did this pregnant goddesse from???


    Lillian Woond took off her tinted sses and exchanged nces with Lucien. She had an unreadable expression on her pale face.


    She did not look smug.


    But she also did not look humble.


    In Quinn¡¯s opinion, she looked like someone who was served bile and prepared to eat it.


    ¡°Hello, Luna,¡± she greeted Lucien. ¡°May I request an audience?¡±


    Lucien fixed her with a stare.


    ¡°What a coincidence,¡± he said with an unhurried tone. ¡°I was just about toe and find you.¡±


    Lillian widened her eyes in surprise. She stared back at Lucien for a while before she snapped back into reality.


    ¡°Ah, yes,¡± she said. ¡°I am d that our minds are connected somehow.¡±

 Chapter 245

    245 The Poison Attack


    ¡°Leave us,¡± Lucien said when all four of them arrived at the audience hall. Cassie and Quinn exchanged worried nces.


    ¡°Maybe we should stay,¡± Cassie offered.


    ¡°No,¡± Lucien replied curtly. ¡°I wish to be alone with Miss Woond.¡±


    The Beta¡¯s mate and the Gamma thus left, not without throwing nces at the remaining two repeatedly, as if worried that they might w at each other when left alone.


    ¡°What is this about?¡± Lucien asked without preambles.


    Lillian gave him a polite smile.


    ¡°I beg the Luna to speak about his demand first.¡±


    ¡°Ladies first.¡±


    ¡°No, the Luna first.¡±


    .....


    Lucien heaved a sigh.


    ¡°There is, as you might notice, some tension within the pack. I guess people are confused about the rtionship between you, Ronan, and me.¡±


    ¡°Seeing that you are pregnant with my mate¡¯s child and we are both now part of the same pack, we will have to see each other a lot in the future. It is best to talk about what to do and what not to do. We don¡¯t need to offend each other in the future, do we?¡±


    Lillian swallowed.


    It was very considerate,ing from someone in his position. Under normal circumstances, Lillian too would love to talk more about how to carefully walk around each other in the future.


    Unfortunately, now, she had no time to waste ying house with Lucien.


    When Lillian looked at Lucien¡¯s pale face, all she could think about was the poison that was coursing inside the man¡¯s blood.


    Two weeks.


    Only two weeks.


    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± she heard herself say.


    ¡°Is there anything that you require from me in order for this arrangement to go smoothly?¡±


    A magnificent idea popped up in Lillian¡¯s head.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she quickly answered. ¡°I need you to help me with my baby shower.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien was stunned when he heard what Lillian had to say.


    ¡°You want me to do what, again...?¡±


    ¡°I want you to help me arrange for a baby shower,¡± Lillian repeated, no matter how absurd it sounded.


    Lucien stared at Lillian.


    ¡°I will get Cassie and Quinn to help you,¡± he then said. ¡°By asking about your requirement, what I mean is in the long run...¡±


    Unexpectedly, Lillian approached Lucien¡¯s chair and grabbed his right hand.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°No. It has to be you. Please.¡±


    Lucien narrowed his eyes at Lillian.


    ¡°Miss Woond, I am a man,¡± he pointed out. ¡°I know nothing about baby showers.¡±


    ¡°I am pregnant with your mate¡¯s child,¡± Lillian insisted. ¡°Please. This will relieve the tension within the pack. Don¡¯t you want that?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Of course he did, but it did not necessarily mean that he wanted to engage in such events.


    ¡°Just, apany me. Stay with me. I will handle everything,¡± Lillian demanded.


    ¡°If you can handle everything on your own, what do you need me for...?¡±


    ¡°I feel lonely,¡± Lillian quickly said. ¡°It¡¯s scary to be a mother. This is my first time.¡±


    ¡°Your mother can apany you.¡±


    ¡°No! Please! It has to be you! Take Cassie and Quinn with you, but you must be present!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien was baffled by Lillian¡¯s stubborn demand.


    Either way, Lillian did make sense. The baby was Ronan¡¯s son. So to say Lucien¡¯s stepson in the future. It made sense for Lucien to host a baby shower for Lillian, right?


    ¡°Fine,¡± he gave in atst.


    Lillian heaved a deep sigh out of relief.


    When Ronan came back in the afternoon and heard about the news, he was not too happy.


    ¡°What the hell were you thinking?¡± He snapped at Lillian. ¡°Lulu is unwell! He has to rest! Are you trying to work him to death?¡±


    ¡°Watch your mouth,¡± Lillian hissed.


    Thankfully, she already prepared herself to answer Ronan¡¯s outburst. Otherwise, she would be really pissed off by the Alpha.


    ¡°Until now he has been the victim of social media. He has been harassed and bullied because the public sees him in a bad light.¡±


    Ronan stared at Lillian, up and down while crossing his arms before his chest.


    ¡°Is that not your fault?¡±


    Lillian prayed in her heart for utmost patience andpassion.


    ¡°Yes. It is. So I am trying to make a change. If Lucien sees what I do day in and day out, he will know that your affection for me and my son is nothing but a farce. It will clear up a lot of misunderstandings, right?¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    Ronan hated to say it, but Lillian had a point.


    Who knew? Maybe it would take the heavy stones off Lucien¡¯s heart and fix their Mind Link. Biting each other during intercourse, unfortunately, failed to do the magic.


    And thus the preparation for the baby shower began. Just like Lillian said to both Lucien and Ronan, she merely needed Lucien to be present and watching. He was not required to lift even one finger. Naturally, neither was Lillian. Lillian¡¯s five maids and Cassie and Quinn were the ones who ran around to make things happen.


    Lillian had more pressing matters to attend to.


    One, prevent Lucien from standing up and helping.


    Two, keep him busy without draining his energy.


    Third, maintain his health.


    The first was easy enough. The second too was manageable. The third though, was out of Lillian¡¯s control. She had to watch helplessly every time Lucien excused himself to go to the bathroom.


    He locked himself inside for a long time, throwing up the content of his stomach into the sink, be it food or water.


    Whenever he came back, he looked paler than before.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± She asked, full of concern, after Lucien threw up for the third time in the day.


    ¡°Nothing to worry about,¡± he said dismissively.


    Lillian did not understand. If nothing triggered the poison, then it should not cause further attacks, right?


    Lucien could see with his own eyes that every image, every video that Lillian posted on social media about Ronan showering her with love and affection was nothing but tant lies.


    That being said, he should not have gotten hurt.


    In fact, he looked bored by the hype.


    So why was he still throwing up so violently day by day?

 Chapter 246

    246 Runch Of ¡°Hidden Treasures Under The Sea¡±


    Every day, Lillian posted something on her social media ount.


    When she mentioned the baby shower, her fans screeched with delight.


    When she said that Lucien was going to help her with the preparation, most became skeptical. A lot of people could not hold their mouths and express their skepticism in words.


    ¡°Watch out, Lillian, he is going to ruin your shower!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust that husband stealer!¡±


    Although thements were not directed at her, Lillian could not help but feel bad for Lucien. Her main goal was to promote her pregnancy and good rtionship with Ronan. She never nned to drag Lucien down at the same time.


    Ironically, she who harbored no ill intentions toward Lucien was the one who stabbed him again and again. Lucrethia Woond, the real perpetrator, hid behind a thick curtain and pulled strings from the darkness.


    Betterte than never.


    Lillian ignored all the hatements and kept posting updates about her uing baby shower. Thankfully, most of her fans were fickle.


    .....


    As pictures and videos of the baby shower preparation circted, they started to change their opinions of Lucien. Lucien¡¯s participation in nning the baby shower was seen as a sign of goodwill.


    It was all also thanks to Lillian who praised Lucien to the moon and back for being so kind and understanding and helpful throughout the process.


    The truth didn¡¯t matter.


    When attacks on Lucien subsided, the Clearwater Contemporary Art Gallery tried to revive the ¡°Hidden Treasures Under The Sea¡±. From the beginning, the program had nothing to do with promoting Lucien¡¯s works. It was geared to help unknown artists rise to the surface.


    After Lucien¡¯s name was cleared, people started to be more open-minded. The talks to restart the program received positive feedback from the art society, particrly from the creators that would benefit from the free disy.


    Once everything was set, Lucien received a call from Mr. Enoch Boyd, the art gallery curator.


    He extended him another invitation to the art gallery.


    ¡°There will be no unveiling. That one was done. This time there will just be a garden party to kickstart the program.¡±


    ¡°I am happy to hear that,¡± Lucien said.


    That was all. The rejection was implied. Considering what happened thest time, Mr. Boyd, of course, did not expect Lucien to agree right away. That did not mean that he gave up.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater, let bygones be bygones. Let¡¯s start a new page together,¡± Mr. Boyd told Lucien. ¡°You were instrumental in the conception and execution of this program. It does not feel right to celebrate without you.¡±


    ¡°I will consider it. Thank you for inviting me, Mr. Boyd.¡±


    Lucien heaved a sigh after he ended the call.


    It was nighttime on Sunday. Ronan was there to hear the whole thing.


    He wrapped his arms around Lucien from behind and kissed his nape.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Mm, the art gallery is inviting me toe down there.¡±


    Lucien turned around and pressed a kiss against his mate¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Are you not going?¡±


    Lucien raised an eyebrow. ¡°I thought you would be against it.¡±


    The Alpha chuckled.


    He circled Lucien¡¯s waist with his arms and pulled him close.


    ¡°I want you to be safe. I do not mean to lock you up in the pack house. You should go and have fun.¡±


    That was not the only reason why Ronan wanted Lucien to go.


    Weeks of nausea took a toll on Lucien¡¯s body.


    By then, he had lost a lot of weight. Ronan summoned various Healers to check up on Lucien. Kinnon Youngshaper too personally sent his Healer over to take a look at Lucien.


    Despite their extensive efforts, they could note up with any cause.


    In the end, they all said that it was all due to extensive stress.


    It was a known fact that Lucien had been suffering a lot ever since Lillian showed up with her swollen belly. Or maybe even before that.


    No matter how strong he was, he was not carved out of stone. Even if he were, stones too caved in when they were at the receiving end of incessant attacks.


    Lucien pushed Ronan away and coughed into his fist.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really care for it.¡±


    Ronan sighed.


    ¡°You are such a liar. You worked so hard to make it happen. How could you not care for it?¡±


    Lucien chuckled.


    ¡°I always work hard in whatever I do.¡±


    That he did, to Ronan¡¯s greatest dismay. Lucien literally had to be strapped to the bed to prevent him from running around.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I take a day off on that day to apany you?¡± Ronan offered while sliding his hand into Lucien¡¯s hair. ¡°We haven¡¯t gone on a date for a long time.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What an honor. I am rid of the bodyguards but now the Alpha is going to watch me personally.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. You can thank meter,¡± Ronan crooned.


    ¡°Pffft, shameless,¡± Lucien scoffed.


    The two men fell into a passionate kiss.


    While Ronan plundered Lucien¡¯s lips, his fingers wandered along Lucien¡¯s bony back. His lover had a slender build, but he had never been this thin.


    Lucien ate all his meals properly, but he threw up most of them within an hour or two. After that, he refused to take another bite until the next feeding time arrived. He only drank water to keep himself hydrated, but sometimes he threw up water as well.


    Lacking better options, the Healer attached an IV needle to the back of Lucien¡¯s hand and feed him among others necessary nutrients and medicine a couple of times a day as they saw fit. At least then Lucien could not throw up anymore.


    Ronan¡¯s heart ached terribly whenever he saw Lucien sitting on a chair with his head leaning against the couch rest while he waited for the IV fluid to enter his system.


    How Ronan wished that Lucien¡¯s illness could be alleviated with pills.


    He tried to get Lucien to pour his heart out many times, but he kept failing.


    Lucien hid behind thick walls that he erected around his heart, refusing anyone entry and denying himself relief.

 Chapter 247

    247 Reaching The Limit


    On that Monday morning, the Alpha took his mate to South Bedford City to visit the art gallery.


    It might really be Lucien¡¯s psyche, because he had not thrown up the whole morning. Ronan was incredibly pleased.


    He was not the only one, the Healers were also very pleased. They made sure to note down what Lucien had for breakfast, just in case those were the only things that his body was willing to ept for the time being.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± Ronan asked for the third time that morning.


    Lucien shot him a re instead.


    ¡°How many more times do you want to ask?¡±


    ¡°I am just making sure,¡± Ronan said. ¡°You are not the type to tell when you feel ufortable.¡±


    ¡°I feel ufortable,¡± Lucien said with a t tone.


    Ronan immediately pulled the brake.


    .....


    ¡°We are going back now,¡± he decided.


    When he was about to make a U-turn, Lucien wed into his wrist.


    ¡°I feel ufortable with your repeating questions! Quit it and drive already!¡±


    ¡°... Yes, Luna.¡±


    Lucien shook his head in disbelief. Ronan was speechless.


    Lucien might be sick, but his temper did not necessarily improve.


    His mood did improve after a while, though.


    It had been some time since they drove together anywhere for fun. Lucien inhaled a lungful of fresh air and smiled at his mate.


    ¡°Thank you for apanying me today.¡±


    Ronan took his hand and kissed the knuckles devotedly.


    ¡°Anytime, my love.¡±


    As soon as the car pulled into the parking area, Mr. Boyd and Alistair Green hurried to greet them.


    Both of them were shocked to see Lucien¡¯s appearance, but they kept their mouth shut. Ronan had emphasized to them that Lucien wasing to improve his mood. He should not be reminded of his current health. It was going to get better soon anyway.


    ¡°Champagne, Sirs?¡± A waiter offered when the four of them arrived at the foyer.


    ¡°One ss of water, please,¡± Alistair quickly said while he passed Ronan a ss of champagne.


    Ronan pressed a kiss on Lucien¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go over there to take a look?¡±


    The two men led Lucien and Ronan to the revamped corner of the art gallery, where the three selected artworks stood proudly for disy. This time, the theme was ¡°Spring Banquet¡±. All of them were sculptures. There was one that was particrly eye-catching. It was a three-dimensional painting of a spring banquet with every object sculpted out of woods. There were children ying tag in the yard, men who were sitting together while enjoying their drinks, and also women who were getting the outdoor dining tables ready. The details were amazing. The creator had even sculpted butterflies and birds. They hung from thin but strong fishing rods.


    Because they were very light, they swayed here and there when a gust of wind blew.


    Very enchanting to the eyes.


    Even Ronan who knew nothing about art had to praise it.


    ¡°Amazing,¡± he said. ¡°This one is very talented.¡±


    Lucien smiled in agreement.


    ¡°This is a coborative work of a group of young artists,¡± Alistair told them.


    ¡°Did the creatorse?¡± Lucien asked.


    ¡°Yes, but they are too shy toe forward. Contact numbers are provided for those who request them. Is Mr. Clearwater interested?¡±


    Lucien shook his head.


    He did not know what would happen in the future. Best not to disrupt these young people¡¯s lives.


    Just then, the little color on Lucien¡¯s face drained abruptly. He pressed a hand against his lips and mumbled, ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    Wordlessly, Ronan took Lucien into the building.


    Lucien¡¯s private studio was on the fourth floor, only essible to those who had ess cards.


    As soon as they got there, they went into the bathroom.


    Lucien only had a ss of water, and his body was unable to tolerate it at all.


    He threw it all up. The only saving grace was that he was able to retain his breakfast for the first time since days.


    Lucien¡¯s back moved up and down as he bent over the sink counter with his eyes half-shut. Breathing haggardly, he glowered at his reflection in the mirror.


    Ronan grabbed a paper towel and dabbed it at the sides of Lucien¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Are you alright, Lulu?¡±


    ¡°Mmm. Sorry for the buzz kill.¡±


    Ronan shook his head.


    ¡°You know that I am art-blind. I am here for you, not for the pretty sculptures.¡±


    Lucien chuckled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let the gallery visitors hear you. Yourpany funded this art gallery after all.¡±


    Ronan did not think that the situation was funny at all.


    ¡°Should we go back?¡±


    Lucien shook his head.


    ¡°I thought we were on a date.¡±


    ¡°You are not feeling well,¡± Ronan pointed out.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t been feeling well for weeks, Ronan Silverback.¡±


    Ronan curled his fingers into fists. He knew that. Of course he did.


    Lucien pressed a wet paper towel against his face.


    ¡°I am starving. Can we go and eat lunch somewhere?¡±


    The knot in Ronan¡¯s heart loosened slightly.


    Eating was a good thing. Lucien needed to eat more. Ronan exhaled and smiled.


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go out.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    Ronan walked out of the bathroom.


    Lucien followed behind him, but after only three steps his sight turned blurry. A wave of dizziness engulfed him. His body felt heavy. So heavy.


    Lucien leaned against the nearest wall and slowly slid down.


    Something warm ran down his nose.


    Lucien swiped below his nose and held his palm before his eyes.


    Blood.


    There was blood on his fingers. Cherry-red blood, shining beautifully under the bright bathroom lighting.


    The blood kept flowing.


    More and more.


    Until Lucien lost consciousness and fell to the floor.


    ¡°Lucien?¡±


    Ronan furrowed his brows when he realized that Lucien was not behind him.


    A loud thumping sound was hearding from inside the bathroom, as loud as the sound of Ronan¡¯s own heartbeat when he rushed inside.


    Lucieny on the floor motionlessly. A small pool of blood formed under him, feeding from the trail of blood that slowly dripped down his nose.

 Chapter 248

    248 A Death Sentence


    Lucien woke up to Ronan¡¯s screaming voice.


    ¡°WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU DON¡¯T KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING???¡±


    What followed was the sound of someone crashing against the wall.


    ¡°WHAT KIND OF STRESS CAUSES SEVERE NOSEBLEED LIKE THIS???¡±


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, please calm down!!!¡±


    ¡°I AM GOING TO KILL YOU IF LUCIEN DIES!!!¡±


    ¡°Just let us work on Mr. Clearwater first!¡±


    ¡°Lucien!! LUCIEN!!!¡±


    Lucien slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to the side.


    .....


    Ronan was screaming like a madman. He extended his hand in Lucien¡¯s direction, but Lucien was unable to move his body.


    Thest thing he saw before he closed his eyes again was a group of nurses pushing the Alpha out of the room.


    ¡®Ronan...¡¯


    Either Ronan failed to answer or Lucien lost consciousness before he heard his mate¡¯s answer.


    Lucien didn¡¯t know.


    Some timeter, he woke up again and heard voices at his bedside.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater, can you hear us? Can you open your eyes?¡±


    I can¡¯t, Lucien thought to himself. I am so tired. I want to sleep.


    He then fell asleep again.


    Lucien¡¯s sleep was intermittent. He slipped in and out of nightmares. When he woke up again the next time, the nurses were gone. Ronan was holding his hands, showering them with kisses while crying bitterly.


    The sight shocked Lucien immensely. He saw Ronan¡¯s tears before, but never when hepletely lost hisposure like this.


    He was even more shocked to hear his mate¡¯s harsh tone once he saw that Lucien was awake.


    ¡°Are you happy now, Lucien?¡±


    ¡°Happy... What?¡± Lucien asked in confusion.


    ¡°Do you want to leave me that much? Is this your n all along?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Because if that is really your n, you made it, alright? Congrattions! You will be rid of me sooner than you thought!¡±


    ¡°Ronan, speak clearly,¡± Lucien furrowed his brows at his mate. The pounding in his head had yet to cease, and now his mate was going crazy.


    ¡°I am not going to let you go,¡± Ronan growled. ¡°In life and death, I am not going to let you leave me. Do you hear that, Lucien Clearwater? Huh??¡±


    When he was feeling pain, Lucien¡¯s patience was particrly short with people.


    His rage gave him a burst of energy, enough to unleash on his mate.


    A crisp p resounded in the room.


    Lucien¡¯s hand moved so fast that Ronan did not have the time to react.


    The Alpha¡¯s lips parted in a mix of shock and disbelief.


    ¡°I said, speak clearly, you idiot,¡± Lucien snapped. ¡°Stop throwing words at my head when I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan threw himself at Lucien and wrapped him in a tight embrace.


    ¡°Lulu...¡± He sobbed tearfully. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me...¡±


    ¡°I am not going to leave you,¡± Lucien sighed.


    He sank one hand into Ronan¡¯s thick dark hair and gently patted his head.


    The Alpha¡¯s shoulders were trembling from grief but he said nothing else.


    Eventually, Lucien understood what was happening. He did not want to believe it, but he had to ask.


    ¡°Am I dying?¡±


    Ronan loosened his embrace and looked into Lucien¡¯s astounded face.


    ¡°The doctor said that your body is failing... You don¡¯t have much time left.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s words knocked the air out of Lucien¡¯s lungs.


    ¡°Impossible,¡± he said. ¡°Why?¡±


    A sorrowfulugh escaped Ronan.


    ¡°Should you not know? This is because you are holding it all inside again. Refusing to tell me what¡¯s happening. It¡¯s eating you from the inside. Lucien, you...¡±


    Ronan shook his head and sighed.


    Lucien grabbed his cor with one swift movement and brought their faces within ten centimeters from each other.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± he hissed. ¡°I should know. I went through this before. I survived it for seven years. This is not because I am holding it all inside or anything!¡±


    Ronan¡¯s lips quivered.


    ¡°The doctor said...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit what the doctor said!¡± Lucien snapped. ¡°I didn¡¯t do this!¡±


    But what did it matter? Even if the doctor was unable to find out the reason for Lucien¡¯s mysterious illness, the fact that Lucien¡¯s body was failing did not change.


    Lucien let himself fall on the bed with a groan.


    The little movements drained his energy.


    ¡°Lulu, please. Are you sure that nothing is burdening you...?¡±


    Lucien turned to look at Ronan and sighed.


    ¡°Even if there is something, it has nothing to do with this nausea and headache and nosebleed. That I can assure you.¡±


    Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s hands.


    ¡°So you do,¡± he said with an usatory tone. ¡°What is it? Why can¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°It is something from the past,¡± Lucien said, his voice trembling from emotion. ¡°I do not wish to talk about it.¡±


    ¡°Lulu, please. Our Mind Link no longer exists. Now your condition is... Lulu, I beg you.¡±


    Ronan buried his face into Lucien¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make it even worse. Please. Just tell me. What is it? What are you hiding from me?¡±


    ¡°... Am I really dying?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s howl was muffled. He no longer bothered to confirm. He merelyy there crying like a child, all of his pride as Alpha forgotten and left behind.


    ¡°How many days do I have left...?¡± he asked.


    Ronan refused to answer.


    ¡°Ronan, tell me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Ronan. I need to know.¡±


    The Alpha wiped at his face and muttered, ¡°Latest would be a week.¡±


    Who knew what the earliest was?


    Lucien stared at the ceiling in disbelief.


    Was it a punishment?


    Had the Moon Goddess seen it fit to take Lucien away from Ronan, now that Lillian was there to take his ce in Ronan¡¯s life?


    Tears slowly rolled down the end of Lucien¡¯s eyes.


    Maybe that was for the best.


    .....


    The Goddess gave, and the Goddess took.


    ¡°Lucien...¡±


    Ronan tugged at Lucien¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Just tell me, alright? Don¡¯t dwell on it anymore. If there is anything that I did wrong, I will change. I promise you, I...¡±


    ¡°You did nothing wrong,¡± Lucien cut him mid-speech. ¡°It was I who wronged you.¡±


    Ronan widened his eyes in disbelief.

 Chapter 249

    249 shback To The Past (1) (TRIGGER WARNING)


    TRIGGER WARNING : SUICIDE


    Eight years ago, Alpha Camp


    The end of the summer holiday was nearing. The alpha children who were obliged to attend Alpha Camp were crying from delight in anticipation. The weeks in the training ground had been torturous.


    Most of them were d to finally be done with the rigorous training at the Alpha Camp and be able to get back home to their families.


    Still, some were reluctant to leave.


    Not because they loved the Alpha Camp so much, no.


    They were typically tangled in a summer romance. Among the couples that were formed during these weeks were Ronan Silverback from the Infinite Eclipse Pack and Lucien Clearwater from the Silent Walkers Pack.


    These two alpha boys were in line to be their pack¡¯s next Alphas. Although their rtionship could be considered adorable, some camp instructors hated to see them focus more on romance than on summer camp activities.


    ¡°Love is the begin of cmities,¡± so Instructor Lucas said while shaking his head.


    .....


    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Instructor na said, giggling. ¡°Lucas, don¡¯t you think you are too cruel to them? They are fated mates. Fated mates! That alone is already rare enough.¡±


    ¡°Pah! Fated mates are nothing but fairytales! Ronan Silverback believes himself to be in love because Lucien Clearwater is a prettyd, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Instructor na giggled.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he? He is prettier than his twin sister. If one is to believe the circting rumor, Lucien manages to captivate other prominent pups too.¡±


    Instructor Lucas pulled a disgusted face.


    ¡°I hope those are girls!¡±


    ¡°No, those are boys,¡± his colleague said, dashing his hopes with one single statement. ¡°Kinnon Youngshaper, can you believe it?¡±


    Instructor Lucas was shaken.


    ¡°Kinnon Youngshaper?? That¡¯s only Ronan Silverback¡¯s future rival! How could he allow himself to fall for Lucien Clearwater??? What is wrong with these children? Don¡¯t they know what Alpha roles entail???¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lucas, you are so ancient-minded,¡± Instructor na waved at his concerns dismissively. She spied out of the window and saw the two alpha pups in question right away.


    ¡°Oh, there they are. Ronan and Lucien.¡±


    Some distance away, Ronan was busy putting together a crown of flowers. Next to him, Lucien was drawing something in his sketchbook.


    ¡°Good God, what future Alpha engages in such womanly handiwork?¡± Instructor Lucas snapped after the air. ¡°The ancestors of the Silverback family shall turn in their graves.¡±


    ¡°A future Alpha in love,¡± Instructor na giggled. ¡°I bet that Lucien is going to toss away that flower crown.¡±


    If there was anything that Instructor Lucas loved more than arguing, then it was gambling.


    ¡°Twenty dors that he will keep it. I think Lucien is the less manly one between those two.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    Instructor na directed her gaze at the couple that they were betting on. There was a smug smilecing her lips. Whether Lucien was the less manly one between them, she did not know about. What she knew was that Lucien was not that easily appeased.


    When Ronan was done with his creation, he put the crown on top of Lucien¡¯s head.


    Lucien shed him a beautiful smile for exactly three seconds before he took off the flower crown and hurled it at his boyfriend¡¯s chest.


    ¡°I am not a girl,¡± he snapped. ¡°Stop treating me like one! Go find other girls to wear that crown!¡±


    Lucien stalked away in the middle of the conversation, leaving Ronan behind. Thetter had to chase after him and beg for his forgiveness.


    ¡°Sorry! Sorry! Lulu, don¡¯t be mad...! Boys can wear flower crowns too!¡±


    Lucien turned his head and red at Ronan.


    ¡°Name me one male person whom you know that wears a flower crown on his head.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan wanted to say, ¡°You¡± but then Lucien was going to beat him up for sure.


    Huffing angrily, Lucien stalked away from their spot, leaving Ronan to chase after him.


    Back inside the building, Instructor na held her hand out to Instructor Lucas.


    ¡°Twenty dors.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Instructor Lucas cursed under his breath as he rummaged inside his pocket for his wallet.


    ¡°You are just lucky,¡± he grumbled.


    ¡°Or not,¡± Instructor na replied with a wink.


    Both instructors continued arguing about how heirs of the Alpha position must behave while they enjoyed the rxing Sunday.


    Good times neversted for long. Head Instructor Jeriston came into the room not long after, his face ashen.


    ¡°You two,¡± he said as soon as he saw two of his instructors ogling at him. ¡°Find me Lucien and Annalynne Clearwater, now.¡±


    ¡°The boy was just here,¡± Instructor na said, peeking through the window.


    ¡°I think they went in that direction,¡± she pointed into the woods.


    ¡°Get them here. I will be waiting.¡±


    Head Instructor Jeriston took a seat and crossed his arms before his chest.


    Instructor Lucas tugged at Instructor na¡¯s sleeve, wordlessly telling her to follow him. Instructor na was a curious one, though. What happened on this beautiful Sunday that caused clouds to gather over Head Instructor Jeriston¡¯s head?


    ¡°Head Instructor, is something wrong?¡±


    Instructor Lucas almost pped his thigh in regret, but now that his colleague already popped up the question, naturally it would be a waste if he did not stay to hear the answer.


    Head Instructor Jeriston was usually not a chatty one, but the news was probably too heavy to bear alone.


    With a heavy sigh slipping from his lips, he took off his sses and rubbed the ce where his sses just hung at his nose.


    ¡°The Alpha of the Silent Walkers Pack, Gordon Clearwater,mitted suicide. He is now in the Intensive Care Unit at St. rence. It is unclear whether or not he will make it.¡±


    Instructor Lucas¡¯ jaw dropped to the ground. Instructor na widened her eyes in shock. Both of them were frozen on spot for a few minutes, unable to utter a single word.


    Then, Instructor na grabbed her colleague¡¯s arm and pulled him toward the door.


    ¡°Excuse us, Head Instructor. We will find Lucien and Annalynne Clearwater now.¡±


    Gordon Clearwater was Lucien and Annalynne Clearwater¡¯s father.

 Chapter 250

    250 shback To The Past (2) (TRIGGER WARNING)


    TRIGGER WARNING : SUICIDE


    How did one exin to eighteen-year-old children why his fathermitted suicide?


    Instructor na stole a nce at Lucien Clearwater. She did not know what to say.


    The youth kept his head lowered as he followed Head Instructor Jeriston out of the camp. His demeanor was calm and collected, theplete opposite of his twin sister, who could not stop sobbing while holding onto her brother¡¯s arm.


    Ever since Lucien was young, his pack had high expectations of him. He and Annalynne might be born within seconds apart from each other, but it was clear that the weight of the burdens on their shoulders differed by mountains.


    Despite knowing that, Lucien was able to lead a happy childhood. He had a cute twin sister, affectionate parents, and also a supportive pack around him.


    It all came crashing down when they heard the news.


    How was a teenager supposed to digest the news? He was old enough to understand what suicide and death meant, but he was not old enough to understand why.


    Why?


    .....


    Why did his father try to kill himself?


    Weren¡¯t they happy?


    Was he not... happy?


    When Lucien was feeling overwhelmed by his burden, he did not cry. He did not shout. He merely stayed silent, as if trying not to alert any predator. That was his coping mechanism.


    Beta Dn, then Alpha Gordon¡¯s Beta, was waiting outside to pick the children up. The ends of his eyes were tinged red. As soon as he saw the two alpha children, he gathered them into his arms.


    ¡°Uncle Dn,¡± Annalynne sobbed. ¡°My Dad... My Dad, how is he?¡±


    Beta Dn cleared his throat.


    Although the instructors were unlikely to b, it was still unwise to speak about the pack¡¯s internal business in front of them.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said to the three instructors in front of them. ¡°I will... I will bring them back tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Take time,¡± Head Instructor Jeriston said. ¡°Only one week is left anyway. It is fine to note back at all.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Beta Dn shook his head. ¡°The children should keep busy. The Alpha would have wanted that.¡±


    Lucien threw onest look at the Alpha Camp.


    He did not even get to say goodbye to Ronan. Instructor na told him what happened when Ronan was off to get them something to eat from the kitchen.


    When he got back, he would tell Ronan everything.


    With thatst thought in his mind, Lucien stepped into the car and drove off to St. rence hospital.


    Beta Dn rushed the children along the hospital corridor toward the ICU hall. By the time they arrived there, Gordon Clearwater had been moved to a special ward.


    Inside the ward, the Alphay motionlessly with a bunch of life-saving equipment attached to his body.


    Alice Clearwater pulled her children into a tight embrace as soon as she saw them.


    ¡°Oh, my babies,¡± shemented.


    ¡°Thank you, Dn.¡±


    Beta Dn gave the Luna a stiff nod.


    ¡°How is the Alpha doing?¡±


    Alice Clearwater wiped at her eyes.


    ¡°The surgery was a sess. Thankfully, the stab wound missed the vital organs. He will be fine.¡±


    Tears dripped from Alice¡¯s eyes. Gordon would be fine physically ¡ª for now, but what about his psychological state? Would he try to kill himself again?


    Alice sent Dn back to Blue Hill City to tend to the pack, while she waited by Gordon¡¯s bedside with her two children.


    None of them said anything. They just huddled together in silence, waiting for the father to open his eyes and tell them why he did what he did.


    After what seemed like hours, Gordon opened his eyes.


    The first thing he did was wail sorrowfully.


    Not because he was saved.


    It was because he was still alive.


    He med everyone for saving him, saying that he was better off dead.


    Lucien and Annalynne were frozen from shock. They had never seen their father in this state. Gordon Clearwater had always been the pir of the pack. He was strong and brave. He always knew what to do. Right?


    It was then that Lucien realized something that he failed to see all these years.


    The Alpha, his father, in the end, was still a mere mortal. He just carried a heavier burden on his back.


    After gathering bits and pieces of information, they finally understood what happened.


    Just like every other pack, the Silent Walkers Pack had a pack business. It was the Clearwater Finance.


    As soon as they entered the society, all pack members would start contributing to this pack business. Some stayed from start to end, some decided to venture out and start their own business or work somewhere else.


    Most of the pack members though, depended on this one pack business to feed their mouths.


    As the Alpha of the pack, the CEO position of Clearwater Finance automatically fell to Gordon¡¯sp. Their core business was to invest in worthy projects and draw their profit monthly from establishedpanies; sometimes in form of loan interest, sometimes in form of stocks.


    A few months ago, Gordon Clearwater spoke about a very interesting project.


    A group of young, bright, and talented people approached the investmentpany CEO with an amazing proposal. The Alpha did not disclose the details of the project. He merely shared his excitement about being able to invest in such a promisingpany.


    Needless to say, the project failed.


    All the invested money was gone with no chance of payback. Clearwater Finance was on the brink of bankruptcy.


    Unable to take the heavy blow, Gordon Clearwater decided to kill himself to rid his family and also his pack of the insurmountable debt.


    At that time, the sum was massive. Although werewolf packs stayed together, only a few packs had enough capital to help Clearwater Finance survive the ordeal.


    Even if they did, they might not be willing to help. It was simply too risky. No pack knew when they might fall into such a predicament and must haul themselves out of the mud pit.


    The Silent Walkers Pack was left to their vices.


    Gordon¡¯s only son, Lucien and Beta Dn took the initiative to approach the big packs one by one. After suffering from one rejection after another, they finally decided to approach the one with the biggest financial capital of them all: the Infinite Eclipse Pack with their Silverback Corporation.

 Chapter 251

    251 shback To The Past (3)


    There was a reason why, despite their strong finance, the Infinite Eclipse Pack was thest pack they approached.


    It was because Lucien had a feeling that Dane Silverback might be against his rtionship with Ronan.


    If possible, Lucien did not want to mix business with personal matters. Otherwise, a sacrifice would be made. One that would leave a bad taste in their mouths.


    Dane Silverback must have expected their arrival. As soon as Lucien and Beta Dn spoke their names at the reception desk, the kinddies directed him and the Beta to the CEO¡¯s office. They did not even ask for the CEO¡¯s permission.


    At that time, Lucien knew that something was up. And he was helpless against it.


    Dane Silverback, the current Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack and at the same time the CEO of the Silverback Corporation, was a stunning individual.


    Most Alphas enjoyed what their ancestors built from scratch and handed over to them for free. Not so with Dane Silverback.


    During his reign, both the Infinite Eclipse Pack and the Silverback Corporation enjoyed a golden age of prosperity.


    His sharp intuition and business acumen along with more than sufficient luck propelled his status far ahead of all of the other Alphas.


    .....


    The werewolf society both feared and admired him.


    This was Ronan Silverback¡¯s father.


    Sporting a head full of light brown hair and a pair of deep-set hooded hunter eyes just like Ronan¡¯s ¡ª but with the color dark brown ¨C, Dane Silverback trained his eyes on his son¡¯s fated mate, his son¡¯s boyfriend.


    Lucien was the only person he was interested in. Beta Dn was quickly asked to wait in another room while Gordon Clearwater¡¯s son stood alone before the powerful Alpha to beg for his help.


    Just like all the other packs, Dane Silverback¡¯s initial answer was no.


    He let the paper slide through his fingers as he spoke haughtily, ¡°I will never be able to get my money back by helping Clearwater Finance. This is not a business proposal. This is a beggar¡¯s proposition.¡±


    Lucien understood as much.


    He did not begrudge Dane for his harsh words. He was only speaking the truth.


    ¡°I understand. Sorry for wasting your time,¡± Lucien said while collecting the documents from Dane Silverback¡¯s desk.


    The Alpha narrowed his eyes at this young man who was clearly asking for help but refusing to bend his back.


    ¡°I will consider it if you offer me something else,¡± Dane pointed out.


    The words ¡°something else¡± did not spark joy in Lucien¡¯s heart.


    ¡°What does Mr. Silverback refer to?¡± Lucien still asked, even if he knew all along what the older man was talking about.


    Dane Silverback too knew that Lucien was not that stupid. This was a conversation that they had to make in order topromise.


    ¡°You have been getting quite close to my son at the Alpha Camp,¡± Dane said. ¡°I trust that it is more than mere friendship between two Alphas-to-be.¡±


    Lucien lifted his head and met Dane¡¯s eyes bravely.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡±


    ¡°It is in my, and also your interests, to stop this... foolish rtionship.¡±


    Lucien clenched his jaw.


    ¡°You two are to be Alphas in the future. Siring children is part of your responsibilities. How should that work with the two of you being males?¡±


    Of course it could not work.


    Not unless Lucien magically obtained the ability to give birth to their children.


    Dane Silverback leaned forward on his desk and fixed Lucien with a piercing stare.


    ¡°My son is willful. He will not listen to me. If you break up with Ronan, I will consider the proposal.¡±


    Lucien gritted his teeth.


    ¡°We are fated mates,¡± he said as if Dane Silverback would reconsider his proposition if that was the case.


    ¡°So?¡± he asked with a smile. ¡°What is so special about being fated mates?¡±


    Clearly nothing.


    Lucien sat straight in his seat, unable to make a decision.


    Was it worth it?


    If he broke up with Ronan, he would save his father. His family. His pack. By sacrificing this short-lived romance, he would be able to help so many people.


    Ronan Silverback was destined for greatness. In the future, he would not have fewer suitors, men and women, chasing him for his favor.


    Lucien only had to agree.


    He wanted to agree, but his body refused to cooperate.


    Landon wed inside him, screaming at him.


    ¡®Don¡¯t!¡¯ the wolf said. ¡®Don¡¯t do that. Do not agree! Lucien, I warn you! I refuse to ept it!¡¯


    Lucien was so conflicted. Just as he wanted to say no, Dane Silverback came up with a better offer.


    Everything had a price.


    Lucien¡¯s feelings for his fated mate were no different.


    ¡°Other than buying 65% of Clearwater Finance¡¯s shares, I will also pay for all the remaining debts. Additionally, I will provide the capital for your pack to start a new venture.¡±


    Dane Silverback cocked his head to the side.


    ¡°How is it? Good enough?¡±


    Lucien was close to tears.


    How could his happinesspare with the happiness and lives of the whole Silent Walkers Pack?


    How could he be so selfish to not ept?


    It was more than a generous offer.


    With the capital, the pack could do a lot.


    They would get a restart.


    Dane Silverback¡¯s fund injection would eliminate all the problems that his pack was currently facing. His father¡¯s suicide... His father...


    Against his wolf¡¯s protests, encouraged by the hope that Dane awakened in his heart, Lucien finally agreed.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°As you wish, I will break up with your son.¡±


    What happened afterward was history.


    Back in the present time, Lucien was done retelling the story.


    Once he was done, a deafening silence fell in the ward.


    Lucien and Ronan looked into each other¡¯s eyes. The look on Ronan¡¯s face was indiscernible.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you should not me your father for our breakup,¡± Lucien slowly said. ¡°He did not force me at all. I selfishly made the decision to break up with you to save my father, my family, and my pack.¡±

 Chapter 252

    252 Who Is The Selfish One?


    That was it.


    Lucien¡¯s biggest secret.


    The one he beat himself up with for eight years and counting.


    When Ronan asked Milroy to investigate the matter from eight years ago, Milroy did find out that Gordon Clearwatermitted suicide.


    The assistant also found out that Gordon Clearwater made a wrong decision that led to Clearwater Finance¡¯s bankruptcy.


    But back then, Ronan thought that those were all part of his father¡¯s scheme.


    He had always seen his father as this great viin who ruined his family, his rtionship, and his life.


    It was so easy to hate, to me Dane Silverback.


    It turned out that at least regarding his rtionship with Lucien, this assumption was inurate.


    .....


    Just like the elder man said back then, buying more than half of Clearwater Finance¡¯s shares was only one of the many acquisitions that the Silverback Corporation did in the past.


    Dane Silverback did not force Lucien at all. He merely made the young man who almost lost his father by a hair width and had to shoulder the massive financial burden by himself a more than generous offer.


    Or better said, a huge favor.


    It was more than what Lucien could hope for.


    How could he say no?


    Lucien closed his eyes and tears started to fall across his pale cheeks.


    ¡°I am sorry that I hurt you, but I will still do it when I am again faced with the choice.¡±


    He had to do it.


    He lost both Ronan and Landon. He suffered from the rejection bacsh for years.


    The pain was indescribable, but in the end, no matter how despicable it sounded, it was all worth it.


    In the end, his father recovered. His family and pack were saved. His mother and sister were smiling again.


    ¡°I fully understand if you can¡¯t forgive me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lulu.¡±


    Lucien widened his eyes in surprise when Ronan pulled him into a hug.


    ¡°Ronan, no...¡±


    Lucien tried to shove Ronan away, but the Alpha was too strong.


    ¡°You are not selfish. You did it for your family.¡±


    Lucien started to sob.


    ¡°I picked my family over you. You should hate me.¡±


    Ronan gritted his teeth.


    To tell the truth, he was no better.


    In order to find out the truth about his mother¡¯s death and the orchestrated attack on Kinnon Youngshaper¡¯s pup, Ronan did not pay any heed to his mate¡¯s suffering.


    He watched as Lucien got hurt again and again, as he faked one smile after another, and told him that he was doing fine.


    What Ronan did was crueler than what Lucien did. And then, even after everything that happened, he was still unwilling to let him go.


    Between the two of them, who was the selfish one?


    Not Lucien.


    ¡°My sweet Lucien, my baby, listen to me,¡± Ronan said, cupping Lucien¡¯s face with both hands.


    ¡°That baby isn¡¯t mine.¡±


    ¡°... What?¡±


    Ronan continued exining in a low voice, ¡°My mother was murdered by the same person who fanned the mes between my pack and Kinnon¡¯s pack. I have a deal with Lillian Woond. As long as I do not reveal that the baby is not mine, she will help me drag the culprit to the arms of justice.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s lips parted in surprise. He gaped at his mate in confusion.


    ¡°Why... Why didn¡¯t you tell me sooner...?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry!¡± Ronan bowed his head in regret. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to put your life in danger. She only needed five months! I thought we would do just fine, I...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Thinking back, before speaking to Lillian, Ronan was very confident that he was not the father of her baby.


    Lucien should have known something was up.


    If he were not blinded by emotion... If he used his brain to think... If he trusted Ronan a little more... Asked him a few more questions...


    Suddenly, Lucien felt so tired. It was as if every bit of energy left his body.


    ¡°Baby, I am so sorry,¡± Ronan whispered. ¡°I am the selfish one between the two of us. But please, I beg you, don¡¯t hate me.¡±


    Lucien sighed. He put his arms around Ronan and kissed the side of his neck.


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate you,¡± he said. ¡°I just wish I knew sooner.¡±


    ¡°Lulu...¡±


    Ronan climbed into the bed and wrapped his arms around his mate¡¯s body. They pressed their lips together, devouring each other hungrily.


    ¡°It feels so stupid now,¡± Lucien whispered. ¡°So many misunderstandings...¡±


    ¡°We should have told each other everything from the beginning,¡± Ronan ended his mate¡¯s sentence.


    The two men exchanged ironic smiles.


    ¡°I was so scared to hear the word ¡®selfish¡¯ing out of your mouth,¡± Lucien said. ¡°I can¡¯t take it. I will die on spot.¡±


    ¡°Stupid. I could never.¡±


    Lucien snuggled against Ronan¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Do you think that your mother would me me?¡±


    ¡°For picking your family over me? I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean...¡±


    Lucien bit into his lower lip.


    ¡°If that baby were really yours... And I am unhappy about it, do you think your mother will call me selfish?¡±


    Ronan chuckled.


    ¡°Lulu, my mom was very unhappy about the children that my father had before his marriage. I don¡¯t think that she will judge you.¡±


    ¡°Mm...¡±


    Ronan ran his hands up and down Lucien¡¯s thin frame.


    ¡°What is in your mind?¡±


    ¡°There was this... elderdy in St. rence who I met while Anna was still in surgery. We talked, and... she said that I was selfish.¡±


    ¡°Oh, love...¡±


    Ronan pressed a kiss on Lucien¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Why must you care about other people¡¯s opinions?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just anyone,¡± Lucien argued. ¡°She was so simr to your mother.¡±


    The Alpha raised his eyebrow and gave his mate a quizzical look.


    ¡°Really? How simr?¡±


    ¡°Well, she has the same eyes.¡±


    Lucien cupped Ronan¡¯s face and brushed against Ronan¡¯s cheeks with his thumbs.


    ¡°The same beautiful eyes as yours.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I wonder who.¡±


    Lucien cocked his head to the side.


    ¡°Can you not tell? I thought maybe someone from the Fangde family?¡±


    .....


    Ronan shook his head.


    ¡°The Fangde family already ceased to exist. Its descendants were spread all over the werewolf packs by marriage, though.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then maybe a distant rtive.¡±


    Lucien furrowed his brows. His eyelids kept fluttering shut.


    ¡°I am so sleepy.¡±


    Ronan rubbed his mate¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Go to sleep,¡± he said. ¡°I will be here next to you.¡±


    Lucien looked up at Ronan and smiled.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he said.


    ¡°I love you,¡± Ronan said, gazing at his lover.


    That was thest thing they said to each other before Lucien fell into a deep slumber.

 Chapter 253

    253 The Alpha Was Mourning


    It felt like one of the nights where theyy together, limbs entangled and in love.


    Only that this time, they were inside a hospital ward and Lucien was dying.


    After the Alpha and his mate told each other the remaining secrets, Ronan secretly harbored some hope.


    He hoped that by the grace of the Moon Goddess, Lucien would suddenly start to recover.


    After all, they were fated mates.


    They already became one.


    They already marked each other.


    Surely that meant something, so Ronan thought.


    Were fated mates not supposed to be very happy together?


    .....


    They were. Ronan remembered it distinctly. That was what the elders told him.


    Fated mates were couples that were personally blessed and brought together by the Moon Goddess herself.


    Therefore, Ronan felt entitled to demand a miracle. He did not even ask for much. All that he wanted was for Lucien to be alive and healthy.


    If the Moon Goddess was willing to save Lucien this one time, Ronan was willing to do anything.


    Anything.


    Anything just so that his beautiful mate could live on.


    Unfortunately, the Moon Goddess did not work that way. She also did not intend to make an exception.


    Ronan Silverback had to learn this the hard way the following morning.


    No matter how many times Ronan called for his mate, thetter refused to open his eyes and answer him.


    The agitated Alpha roared for the hospital staff toe and attend to Lucien.


    They tried to rouse the man on the bed, but all their efforts proved futile.


    ¡°I am sorry, Alpha,¡± the doctor said with a trembling voice. ¡°We have done our best.¡±


    ¡°The best?¡±


    Ronan took Lucien into his arms and then raised his darkened face to look at the terrified doctor.


    ¡°Is this what you call the best?¡±


    ¡°Ah... Umm...¡±


    Under the sharp gaze of the Alpha, the doctor was unable to say anything. Not that he had anything useful to tell Ronan.


    Truth be told, the deterioration of Lucien¡¯s condition did not surprise him at all.


    He already told Ronan the previous day that Lucien¡¯s body was failing. Lucien¡¯s loss of consciousness was merely thest stage before death came to im him and take him back to the Moon Goddess.


    What else could the doctor say?


    Tears welled in Ronan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Leave,¡± he hissed.


    The doctor nodded his head many times before he escaped from the ward.


    Holding onto his mate¡¯s body, the Alpha felt numb all over. He barely registered anything other than Lucien¡¯s shallow breath against his neck, his weak heartbeat against his chest, and his pale face.


    In his deep sleep, despite his sicklyplexion, Lucien was beautiful as Ronan remembered.


    The dying man radiated a peaceful aura. His lips were even slightly pulled into a smile.


    Ronan lowered his head and kissed Lucien¡¯s warm lips.


    ¡®My love, how are you feeling?¡¯ he asked while caressing Lucien¡¯s pale cheek.


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®Are you feeling any pain?¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®You no longer throw up, and you also no longer feel dizzy. Are you... Are youfortable?¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    When he heard no answer, Ronan broke into a series of choked sobs.


    Of course Lucien wouldn¡¯t answer.


    Lucien already went to a far, far away ce where Ronan¡¯s voice could not reach him.


    ¡°AAARGHHHHHHHHHH!!!¡± The Alpha wailed in distress. His broken voice echoed along the corridor outside of the ward.


    In his life, there were only two people who he ever cared for.


    The first one was his beloved mother. The woman who gave birth to and raised him. The second one was Lucien, his fated mate. His one and only, the only person he had ever loved. The only person who stood by him in his darkest moments. His mate. His Luna.


    He failed to protect both of them. They both had to die because Ronan was not smart enough, not careful enough, and not capable enough.


    ¡°Lulu, wake up,¡± Ronan begged.


    ¡°Lulu, please. Don¡¯t leave me. Don¡¯t leave me, alright? You promised that you would marry me. You wouldn¡¯t break your promise, right?¡±


    ¡°Lulu, talk to me... Please...¡±


    Ronan gently shook Lucien¡¯s body but he still received no answer. Lifeless, Lucieny like a doll in Ronan¡¯s arms.


    Trembling from grief, Ronan called for his wolf.


    ¡®B...¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    Usually, whenever Ronan made a mistake or otherwise messed up, Beowulf would start scolding him. This time, the wolf was unusually quiet.


    ¡®B, say something,¡¯ Ronan urged.


    The wolf sighed.


    ¡®Ronan, what do you want me to say?¡¯


    He too was mourning. He too felt pain.


    ¡®Anything,¡¯ came the hollow answer.


    ¡®Scold me. Tell me that I am stupid. That it is all my fault.¡¯


    Beowulf heaved another sigh. Bashing Ronan verbally was not going to bring Lucien and Landon back, so what was the use? The wolf let out a long, sorrowful howl before he shut off his consciousness. He was unable tofort Ronan. Not when he himself needed time to mourn for Landon.


    Death came for everyone without fail. Some people were unlucky and had to leave too early. Some people got to live until old age and then sumbed to the sweet embrace of death willingly.


    Nevertheless, it had never been easy for those who were left behind.


    St. rence hospital was used to dealing with mourning family members. Just like human beings, werewolves too had difficulties processing the loss of a beloved person.


    The difference was that human beings were physically restricted whenever they allowed their sorrow to take over their consciousness, and werewolves were not.


    Devoid ofmon sense, they were capable of doing anything.


    Especially the alpha werewolves.


    After suffering from a lot of material losses due to several incidents, the St. rence hospital thus implemented a new policy.


    The grieving werewolves should just be left alone to mourn their loved ones, unless they were actively destroying the hospital.


    The problemy with those who, in their ignorance, refused to cooperate.


    Such as, for example, Beta Jake from Infinite Eclipse Pack who came over as soon as he found out where Ronan and Lucien were.

 Chapter 254

    254 A Ray Of Hope


    Beta Jake from the Infinite Eclipse Pack showed up at noon, and he was frantic.


    ¡°I demand to see Alpha Ronan Silverback,¡± he said.


    The elder nurse at the reception desk pushed her sses up and looked at the Beta up and down.


    ¡°There is no patient by that name here,¡± she said.


    Jake almost went crazy.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant! I mean, I am here for Lucien Clearwater!¡±


    The nurse clicked her tongue in displeasure. Clearly, Jake was the one who did not even remember the name of the patient, so why was she being screamed at?


    Shezily looked into the register, ignoring the Beta¡¯s plea for her to hurry.


    Jake¡¯s hope was dashed when he heard what the nurse had to say.


    .....


    ¡°The patient is not epting visitors.¡±


    ¡°... Why not?¡±


    ¡°He just isn¡¯t,¡± the nurse snapped impatiently. ¡°Now, if you have nothing else to do, please step aside.¡±


    ¡°Wait! I need to see him! Them! This is urgent!¡±


    ¡°And I am urgently demanding you to leave. Go now before you disturb the other patients!¡±


    Jake was speechless.


    He contemted running blindly to the upper floors and checked the wards one by one.


    He had to see Ronan.


    He must!


    Lucky for him, the doctor that was in charge of Lucien was just passing by. He had a tall mug of hot coffee with him.


    ¡°Did I hear that you want to visit Lucien Clearwater?¡± he gaped at Jake.


    ¡°Yes! Doctor! I need to see him!¡±


    The doctor shook his head in regret.


    ¡°You can¡¯t. He is no longer conscious. Hasn¡¯t woken up sincest night.¡±


    Jake shook at the doctor¡¯s shoulder. It was even more so the reason to let him into Lucien¡¯s ward!


    ¡°Please, I don¡¯t care. I need to see him!¡±


    ¡°Young man,¡± the doctor heaved a sigh. ¡°His mate is with him. He was not in a very stable mood. I suggest you go back home.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t! I need to see him! Urgently!¡±


    ¡°I already said that you cannot. Our hospital policy prohibits us from disturbing mourning family members. You are not rted to Lucien Clearwater, are you?¡±


    Jake¡¯s jaw dropped open.


    ¡°He is the Luna of my pack!¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t fall under familial rtionship, sorry.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± A cold voice was hearding behind Jake.


    The doctor ripped his eyes open in fright.


    Jake turned around and saw Dane Silverback standing behind him.


    The man gazed at the doctor, the elder nurse, and then at Jake.


    ¡°Lucien Clearwater is mated to my son. Does that fall under familial rtionships or not?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Truth be told, even if Dane Silverback had absolutely no rtion to Lucien Clearwater, they would still allow him to pass. Who dared to defy the previous Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack?


    ¡°Wait here, Jake,¡± Dane turned his head slightly, only enough to catch the Beta in his peripheral vision.


    ¡°B-But, Mr. Silverback Sr...¡±


    Jake¡¯s hesitationpletely made sense. Had Dane forgotten everything that he had done to Ronan? To be more specific, what he had done to Lady Adele Fangde?


    Considering Lucien¡¯s current condition, Ronan¡¯s mood was surely vtile.


    It was not a good idea to confront him now. Or any time.


    ¡°I said, wait here.¡±


    Dane Silverback did not wait for Jake¡¯s answer. He went straight to the elevator and headed to Lucien¡¯s floor.


    Once the elevator door opened, the first thing that Dane heard was Ronan¡¯s distressed howl. The elder man gritted his teeth. He did not even need to ask for directions. He only needed to head to the source of the voice.


    When the ward door opened and revealed Dane at the door frame, Ronan stopped crying at once. The sadness in his heart was quickly burned away by immense rage.


    ¡°You!¡± He shouted. ¡°GET OUT! GET OUT OF HERE!¡±


    Dane cocked his head to the side.


    ¡°Look at you,¡± he said. ¡°How pathetic.¡±


    ¡°If you are here to cremate Lucien, you must go through my corpse first!¡± Ronan howled. ¡°I am not going to let you do it again. Lucien is my mate! MY mate!!!¡±


    The Alpha lunged at his father.


    Dane Silverback might be getting on in age, but his skills were not to be underestimated. He met Ronan¡¯s attack heads on, w against w.


    Under normal circumstances, Ronan would win easily without a doubt.


    But when he was not in full control of himself, he became an easy target for Dane.


    Dane kneed into Ronan¡¯s stomach and brought him to his knees. Then he twisted his son¡¯s arm and pinned it behind his back.


    Ronan screamed furiously.


    ¡°I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!!¡± he shouted.


    Dane scoffed. ¡°You can¡¯t even kill a puppy in this state.¡±


    He flung Ronan across the room. Ronan mmed against the wall and slid down the floor with a groan.


    When he lifted his head again, what he saw caused the blood inside his veins freeze in an instant.


    Dane was putting two fingers below Lucien¡¯s nose, apparently checking whether he was still alive or not.


    ¡°LEAVE HIM ALONE!¡±


    Dane turned to look at Ronan. He expected to find Ronan a few meters away from him, probably just about to run toward him.


    Unexpectedly, Ronan was right in front of him.


    The Alpha grabbed his father by his cor and gave him a punch across his face before shoving him away. The impact of Ronan¡¯s push made him slid backwards a few meters.


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    Dane wiped at the bloody corner of his broken lip.


    ¡°Good, very good. You dare to raise a hand against your father.¡±


    Ronan pulled Lucien into his arms and inspected him for any sign of harm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go and say that I didn¡¯t warn you,¡± the Alpha scowled. ¡°To get to Lucien, you must climb over my corpse first.¡±


    Dane took out his handkerchief and dabbed at his mouth.


    ¡°He is still alive,¡± Danemented. ¡°Ronan, take him ande with me.¡±


    ¡°Why should I?¡± Ronan furrowed his brows. Had this so-called father of his gone nuts?


    The elder man straightened his clothes and pinned his son with a cold re.


    ¡°There is a summon from the Holy Temple Of The Moon Goddess. The Holy Seer has agreed to meet with you.¡±

 Chapter 255

    255 The Alpha Found Out The Truth


    The Holy Temple of the Moon Goddess was a ce of worship for all werewolves.


    While there was a nearby shrine for visitors to pray and make their offerings, the temple itself did not usually open its gate to civilians.


    It only opened its gates a few times a year to celebrate the Moon Goddess and Alpha weddings. Otherwise, the temple inhabitants kept to themselves. Silent solitude helped them to focus more on worshipping the Goddess and abandoning worldly affairs.


    Needless to say, getting into the Holy Temple of Moon Goddess was already difficult enough, let alone being allowed to meet the High Seer herself.


    It was a one-in-a-million chance.


    When asked what one would want if they got to meet the High Seer, most of them most likely said divinations.


    The High Seer was rarely wrong with her prediction.


    After Deacon Clearwater paid a high price for not heeding the High Seer¡¯s warning, all other werewolves learned to appreciate the High Seer even more.


    Not that the High Seer tossed divinations left and right as she pleased. She reserved the right to share or not to share. The impact could namely change the course of things rapidly.


    .....


    As for Ronan Silverback, he cared for no divination. He was there for one and only purpose.


    By the time the four of them arrived at the temple gate, a priest and a priestess already stood solemnly to receive them.


    Ronan with Lucien in his arms was admitted into the temple, but Dane and Jake were not allowed to enter. They had to stay behind.


    ¡°You requested entry for only two people,¡± the shrouded priestess reminded Dane.


    ¡°But...¡± Jake protested, but Dane held him back.


    ¡°Go,¡± he told his son. ¡°Don¡¯t leave with regret.¡±


    Ronan gazed at his father. He gave him a stiff nod before the priest and priestess followed him into the temple and closed the gate behind them.


    At night, they had to rely on a pair ofnterns to show the path. The priest and priestess held onentern each. They marched slowly into the temple and moved past the big hall where the yearly Moon Banquet was held. Ronan never visited the temple past this point.


    After going through a few corridors that were sparsely lighted by a few torches on the wall, they ended up outside again.


    Or better said, an inner garden with an open roof. At the center of the garden was the biggest tree that Ronan had ever seen. It was not too tall, but its trunk was the size of a truck. The base of the tree was submerged inside a pond, with its protruding roots peeking out of the surface and climbing over each other to form an eerie hollow frame.


    Ronan was unable to rip his gaze from the tree. It looked so magnificent. So grand. So majestic.


    And then, a voice rang out from another side of the inner garden and drew his attention.


    ¡°Have you heard of ¡®The Tree Of Life¡¯, Alpha Ronan?¡±


    The High Seer stepped into the garden. She wore a simple white robe, her long silver hair was tied into a braid that hung down her back. She directed her unseeing eyes at the tree and took a deep breath.


    ¡°Back in the days, the Moon Goddess left the Tree Of Life behind to take care of her children. Our history books tell us that the tree is able to do a lot of miraculous things. Do you believe that, Alpha Ronan?¡± She asked again. This time, she opened her eyes and stared at Ronan with her turquoise, unfocused eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t, but I want to believe,¡± Ronan said truthfully.


    They all worshipped the Moon Goddess and they were taught to believe, but who could testify that the Tree Of Life in the books was real? No one had ever seen it before.


    Even if this gigantic tree in front of Ronan was indeed the Tree Of Life, the Alpha would not automatically believe in its ability to call forth miracles. Not unless it was proven.


    Was it an insolent answer from a non-believer?


    Ronan tightened his grip around Lucien¡¯s body anxiously.


    The elderly with a youthful appearance broke into a smile.


    ¡°The Moon Goddess values honesty,¡± she said as if she just read what was in Ronan¡¯s mind.


    The High Seer slowly walked toward Ronan and Lucien. Once she stood before them, Ronan could smell the scent of wind and grass on her.


    She extended a hand and caressed Lucien¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Your mate has been poisoned, Alpha Ronan,¡± she dered right away.


    ¡°After another full day, he is going to leave this world and return to the Moon Goddess.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s face turned ashen.


    He had heard the ominous prediction of Lucien¡¯s death so many times that his heart had gone numb from grief. Instead, he tried to focus on what the High Seer said in the first sentence.


    Did he hear correctly?


    Poison?


    ¡°Howe it¡¯s poison?¡± He heard himself asking. ¡°Isn¡¯t this condition a resulting bacsh from our broken connection?¡±


    The High Seer looked into Ronan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°As someone who suffered said bacsh before, your mate should know what it feels like.¡±


    ¡°But... The broken Mind Link! Constant nausea and dizziness! The nosebleed...!¡±


    The more Ronan listed out, the more he realized that none of those happened to Lucien during the seven years that they were apart.


    Their Mind Link was intact back then, albeit unused. It was there before they even marked each other. Lucien suffered from physical pain for years, but he was not dying. This time he was. It was not a bacsh. It was something else.


    He was poisoned by someone.


    ¡°The Moon Goddess does not thrive on making her children suffer,¡± the High Seer pointed out. ¡°A punishment is not a death sentence.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± the Alpha fell to his knees. ¡°Please, High Seer. Save my mate.¡±


    A smile spread on the High Seer¡¯s face.


    ¡°You ask for me to save him, but the truth is that only you can save him.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Ronan asked. ¡°What do I have to do?¡±

 Chapter 256

    256 The Alpha Had A n


    The wait outside the temple was torturous, no matter how long or short it was. Since it was in the middle of the night, a lot of mosquitos were out to feast themselves on hot-blooded living beings. Including the alpha werewolves who were not able to gain the amount of respect they deserved from said mosquitos.


    ¡°Mr. Dane, why don¡¯t you sit in the car?¡± Jake asked the elder man after he killed the tenth mosquito in a row.


    Dane shook his head gently. ¡°No need. If you don¡¯t want to get bitten anymore, you can go sit in the car.¡±


    Jake too shook his head.


    ¡°I want to wait here.¡±


    Even if Dane Silverback personally stuffed him inside the car, he still would not let his elder stand outside alone and be bitten by a bunch of hungry mosquitos.


    Other than this short strip of conversation, the previous Alpha and the current Beta had nothing to talk about. The rotten rtionship between Ronan and Dane certainly contributed to the awkwardness between Jake and Dane.


    How many times must Jake stand between Ronan and Dane and be forced to pick one side while earning the wrath of the other side?


    More than he cared to count.


    .....


    For once, Jake felt grateful that Dane dragged Ronan and Lucien out of St. rence hospital. Otherwise, Ronan might go crazy from sorrow.


    The reigning Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack was known for his debauched adventure from one bed to another, but Jake had never seen him fall in love before.


    Lucien was his first, and probably also hisst love in this life.


    That was both good news and bad news.


    The good news was that Ronan finally stopped hopping from one bed partner to another and ruining his and with that his pack¡¯s reputation.


    The bad news was that he was unable to extricate himself from grief when something happened to Lucien.


    Lucien better survived. Jake did not dare to think about what would happen if he did not.


    After waiting for almost an hour, the temple gates opened again.


    The creaking sound caused both Jake and Dane to look up at the same time. Their expressions carried a mix of anxiety and terror.


    From beyond the heavy rocky gates, Ronan Silverback stepped out.


    Jake sucked in a deep breath.


    He was alone. Lucien was not with him.


    The temple gates shut behind Ronan with a loud thud.


    ¡°A-Alpha, what happened to the Luna?¡± Jake asked right away.


    Ronan did not immediately answer. He lifted his head and looked at Jake for some time, puzzling his Beta. His gaze then drifted to his father, who was staring at him continuously.


    Ronan then broke into a smile.


    ¡°Lulu is doing well. The High Seer has agreed to heal him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Goddess! What wonderful news!¡± Jake cried in delight.


    Dane narrowed his eyes at Ronan but he said nothing in reply.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Ronan said, beaming with a smile. To his father, he had something else to add, ¡°Father, thank you for the help.¡±


    Dane merely humphed in response.


    Ronan was not stupid.


    Not everyone could be granted an audience with the High Seer. Dane Silverback must have used every connection that he had, every bit of good reputation in werewolf society that was connected to his name to get Ronan this chance.


    For the first time in years, Ronan was truly grateful to his father. He was still embittered about how Dane treated his mother, but the fact that he gave Ronan onest strand of hope to save Lucien meant a lot. Especially because Dane was known to be against the rtionship between Ronan and Lucien since the beginning.


    ¡°We should not keep the good news to ourselves,¡± Ronan said to Jake, tapping his shoulder lightly. ¡°We should hold a ceremony to thank the Moon Goddess for the abundant blessings that She bestowed over our pack.¡±


    Jake¡¯s smile was frozen on his face. He did not expect to hear that from Ronan at all.


    ¡°Uh, why?¡± The Beta asked dumbly.


    Ronan gave Jake a quizzical look. ¡°Why not? Are you against it?¡±


    ¡°What? No! It¡¯s just that... Should we not wait until Lucien recovers before we uh, move on with the ceremony?¡±


    For such pack events, naturally both the Alpha and the Luna must be present.


    ¡°In contrary. We need to hold the ceremony to show the Moon Goddess our appreciation. Only then can Luciene back to us.¡±


    Jake did not quite understand, but he did not wish to defy Ronan. As long as Ronan was not overwhelmed by grief, it was already very good. One or two ceremonies did not matter. They could hold them just fine.


    ¡°Father, will you also attend the ceremony?¡± Ronan asked. ¡°I would love to have you back at our Infinite Eclipse Pack House at least for one night.¡±


    Dane Silverback raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°And when is this ceremony supposed to take ce?¡±


    ¡°Three days from now, during the full moon,¡± Ronan said. ¡°As long as the ceremony is done to the Moon Goddess¡¯ pleasure, Lucien will be revived.¡±


    Jake swallowed hard.


    Did it mean that Lucien¡¯s life depended on this impromptu ceremony?


    ¡°I-I will arrange for it right away,¡± Jake stammered.


    After Ronan was done sharing the good news, they stepped into the car. Jake rode the car to the Werewolf Council first to drop Dane Silverback off.


    The elder man did not immediately go inside the Werewolf Council Headquarters. He instead watched as the car that carried Jake and Ronan slowly disappear into the distance.


    For someone who was so grief-stricken, so desperate for his mate¡¯s life, Ronan did not at all look pleased with the prospect of having his mate back in his life.


    Other than the fake smiles that he disyed when he informed Jake and Dane of Lucien¡¯s supposed recovery, he had been maintaining the grim look inside the car.


    One thing was for sure, Ronan was up to something. The determination in his eyes spoke volumes.

 Chapter 257

    257 Lillian¡¯s Baby Shower


    Lucrethia Woond had always known that Lillian¡¯s pretentious front hid a weak-willed, indecisive little girl. Which was no wonder if one considered her weak sire. An apple supposedly fell not far from the tree.


    Of all her children, only Katreena inherited her strong personality.


    Silly Lillian might think that her grandmother was easy to fool with the useless social media campaigns that she used to gain supporters and unt her good rtionship with Ronan to her grandmother¡¯s face.


    Lucrethia scoffed at all the meaningless glitters.


    Her granddaughter did not understand Lucrethia at all.


    The real support that Lucrethia wished to gain was the werewolf society¡¯s. Who cared about all the negligible human beings?


    Poisoning Lucien Clearwater was Lucrethia¡¯s goal all along. Forget about using the baby as leverage. Lucrethia knew that it would not work. As long as Lucien Clearwater was still alive, Ronan Silverback would never give Lillian even a side nce.


    Why?


    Because he was mated with Lucien. The mating bond was sacred and protected by the Moon Goddess. As long as it still existed, Ronan¡¯s heart was tied to Lucien¡¯s.


    .....


    It existed only when both parties were alive.


    Lucien had to die.


    After Lucien¡¯s demise, Ronan was free to mate with another.


    And who would it be if not the woman who was carrying his baby? Even if Ronan did not want to, he would be forced by society to do it.


    Lucrethia¡¯s n was perfect.


    The day of Lillian¡¯s baby shower finally arrived.


    It had been a long time since the Infinite Eclipse Pack opened its gates for a visit from other packs.


    Almost all Alphas and Lunas came by to offer their congrattions.


    Pale-faced Conrad stood around clumsily and harvested the result of Lucrethia¡¯s hard work, thanking guests left and right for their attendance and well wishes.


    Almost everyone showered Lillian with praises about her glowing look, how motherhood suit her, and so on.


    Although both men and women attended the baby shower, the men knew that it was mainly an event for mothers or future mothers.


    While the women thus gathered around Lillian for some baby talk, the men spread around the hall and chatted with each other. All but of course Ronan Silverback, the father of the baby.


    It delighted the women to have Ronan at the focal point of the baby shower. The dashingly handsome Alpha sat next to Lillian, exchanging loving looks with thetter, and entertained the guest with charming smiles and witty jokes.


    Lucrethia could almostugh out loud. The fated mate connection was a scam. A big lie.


    Look at what happened as soon as Ronan was free from it.


    He was a lot happier.


    It turned out that he preferred Lillian over Lucien after all.


    In the end, he might understand that he was better off with a woman than a man.


    Lillian was apparently not as useless as Lucrethia thought.


    ¡°Oh, by the way, Alpha Ronan, where is your mate, Lucien Clearwater?¡± nosy Aunt Barbara Woond asked Ronan.


    She pretended to look left and right for the red-blonde man¡¯s shadow and genuinely looked as if she missed him a lot.


    Lucrethia Woond narrowed her eyes at Ronan, trying to pick up on any involuntary reaction that this question might invoke in the Alpha.


    Ronan looked perplexed by the question for a split second, but then his face melted into a gentle smile.


    ¡°My mate is not feeling too well. Unfortunately, despite his effort to n this baby shower, he is unable to attend.¡±


    Ronan then reached out and caressed Lillian¡¯s belly. ¡°Nevertheless, we are all praying for the safe delivery of the baby.¡±


    All the women went ¡°A¡± in unison.


    Lillian put her hand on top of Ronan¡¯s andced their fingers together.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to hold our baby in my arms,¡± she cooed.


    ¡°So sweet,¡± Aunt Vera said while wiping the ends of her eyes. ¡°We were so worried that Lillian would not find a ce in the Infinite Eclipse Pack, what with the unideal circumstances...¡±


    Ronan shook his head and smiled.


    ¡°Of course not. Lucien is very understanding. How can we not ept Lillian? She is after all giving birth to my son.¡±


    Lucrethia smiled along with the other women.


    Understanding?


    Dying men were often understanding, yes. Lucrethia knew that for sure.


    ¡°We sure hope for a speedy recovery!¡± Aunt Barbara chirped. ¡°Poor man. How is he doing?¡±


    ¡°He is receiving treatment at the Holy Temple of Moon Goddess. The temple priests and priestesses are doing their best to help him recover.¡±


    Ha.


    Lucrethia was barely able to conceal a sneer from spreading across her face.


    Lucien Clearwater was going to die soon enough. The fools at the temple could not do anything. They were not even healers! Thanks to the rarity of fated mates, this was one potent poison that had not been researched enough. Not many people knew about it, except for a select few who had been looking for it specifically.


    Someone like for example Lucrethia Woond.


    ¡°The Infinite Eclipse Pack is going to hold a ceremony tomorrow to pray for Lucien¡¯s recovery,¡± Ronan announced to the round ofdies. ¡°We hope to appeal to the Moon Goddess¡¯ mercy.¡±


    ¡°Oh? It is quite unusual. I never thought that Alpha Ronan is such a devout believer.¡±


    ¡°I am but a sinner. I am lucky enough to receive counsel from the High Seer that says that if the ceremony is a sess, then Lucien will be saved.¡±


    An ¡°oooooh¡± went through thedies.


    ¡°Is that so? Well, that surely makes sense. Best of luck, Alpha Ronan. When is this ceremony supposed to take ce?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, during the full moon.¡±


    Lucrethia sipped on her cup of tea.


    Fools. Why would the Moon Goddess care about someone insignificant as Lucien Clearwater? Even if she did care, what¡¯s with this ¡°coaxing ceremony¡± that they needed to hold? Ridiculous!!!


    On the other side, this sounded like a great opportunity to finish the job.


    Busy with her own thoughts, Lucrethia failed to notice the briefest nce that Ronan threw her.


    ¡°There was this... elderdy in St. rence who I met while Anna was still in surgery. We talked, and... she said that I was selfish.¡±


    Ronan balled his hands into fists.


    ¡°She has the same eyes. The same beautiful eyes as yours.¡±


    For a split second, a murderous glint passed across Ronan¡¯s eyes. It went away as fast as it came, masked perfectly by the good-mooded and light conversation about the uing birth of the baby.

 Chapter 258

    258 The Alpha Stopped Caring, Allegedly


    Having achieved what he meant to do, Ronan Silverback excused himself from the round ofdies. He went into the bathroom and sshed a handful of water on his face.


    That was all he could do in order to not jump across the tea table and attack Lucrethia Woond in front of so many people.


    How he would love to snap the elderly¡¯s neck on spot for all the suffering that she caused his mate.


    But no, not like that.


    Death was too merciful.


    It was not even a punishment. Not for someone who was already that old, anyway.


    ¡°What the fuck do you think you are doing, Ronan Silverback?¡±


    Ronan lifted his head and gazed at the mirror in front of him.


    Kinnon Youngshaper stood behind him, his face grotesque from burning rage.


    .....


    Ronan wiped at his face using a moist towelette before throwing it into the waste bin.


    ¡°Alpha Kinnon Youngshaper. Long time no see.¡±


    Kinnon pulled at Ronan¡¯s shoulder to turn him around. He then grabbed Ronan¡¯s cor and pulled him close.


    ¡°Seriously? What kind of show are you pulling out there?¡±


    Ronan freed himself and pinned Kinnon with a re.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about. What show?¡±


    ¡°Ronan Silverback, you!¡±


    In the next second, Kinnon already punched Ronan¡¯s face. Thetter was thrown to the bathroom floor.


    Ronan chuckled.


    He wiped the trace of blood from his lips and rose to his feet.


    ¡°If you are referring to Lillian, what exactly did I do wrong? Was I not devoted enough?¡±


    Kinnon¡¯s mouth dropped open. A vein popped up at his temple and started twitching.


    ¡°Ronan, what the hell? What the fuck? Is this what you are supposed to do when your mate is sick? Hanging around Lillian Woond, carefreely celebrating the birth of your baby???¡±


    Ronan averted his eyes and clicked his tongue.


    ¡°Lucien is not going to make it. We both know about that. He gave me the blessing to be with Lillian.¡±


    ¡°RONAN, YOU!!!¡±


    Kinnon lunged at Ronan.


    Ronan gritted his teeth. He pulled his fist back and thennded a strong punch into his rival¡¯s stomach. Dissatisfied that his rival was still standing, Ronan kicked him hard in the same spot.


    Roaring in fury, Kinnon swiftly reached for Ronan¡¯s neck and mmed his head against the wall several times.


    ¡°You asshole!¡± He spat at Ronan when he was done. ¡°You do not deserve Lucien! If I knew that this would happen... I would have taken Lucien for myself!¡±


    Pressed against the bathroom wall, Ronan hissed, ¡°Lucien loves me. You have no chance!¡±


    Kinnon flung Ronan against the sink counter. The Alpha gave a loud yelp when his hips mmed against the rocky surface.


    Blinded by the pain, he slid to the floor while holding his left waist.


    ¡°Lillian and the baby are all I have now,¡± Ronan said, the tails of his eyes red from sorrow. ¡°Leave me alone, Alpha Kinnon.¡±


    ¡°Like hell, I will!!!¡±


    Kinnon threw himself at Ronan, but then someone pushed him to the floor. And then another. And then another.


    ¡°Help!!!¡± One of them shouted.


    ¡°Help! Alpha Kinnon Youngshaper is attacking Alpha Ronan Silverback in the bathroom!¡±


    ¡°Good Goddess!¡± Conrad Woond shouted when he arrived at the grisly scene.


    He immediately rushed to Ronan¡¯s side and checked thetter¡¯s wounds.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, are you alright? Can you stand???¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Ronan answered nonchntly.


    ¡°Sorry to disappoint you, Alpha Kinnon.¡±


    Kinnon Youngshaper hurled a bunch of curses at Ronan as he was being dragged outside.


    Conrad Woond shook his head in disbelief.


    ¡°Such violence. My, my. Apparently, the rumor about Alpha Kinnon being in love with Mr. Lucien Clearwater is not wrong...¡±


    ¡°Well, he has always been,¡± Ronan said. ¡°After all, he tried to take Lucien away from me.¡±


    Conrad lowered his voice and whispered with a conspiratorial tone, ¡°The attack just now practically happened in public. Alpha Ronan, this is a good time to bring down the Night Prowler Pack. If you need the Irond ws Pack to help...¡±


    ¡°I will consider that,¡± Ronan said. ¡°Please go back, Alpha Conrad. Today is Lillian¡¯s day. We should not ruin it by talking about war and other... gloomy topics.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan gave Conrad a pat on the shoulder before he straightened his clothes and walked out.


    Conrad Woond was amazed.


    Did he mishear?


    How could Ronan Silverback be so uncaring about his dying mate? It was as if he no longer cared about his mate. One would think that Kinnon Youngshaper instead of Ronan Silverback was Lucien¡¯s mate.


    Where did the loving, possessive Alpha Ronan go?


    The Alpha swallowed hard.


    That was one effective poison, he thought.


    It could break the fated mate connection and eliminate the affection between two people just like that.


    Ronan excused himself to change his clothes and treat his wounds.


    ¡°I am going to send a Healer to your room,¡± Quinn said after checking Ronan¡¯s wounds. She was about to yell for a Healer toe, but Ronan stopped her.


    ¡°No need,¡± the Alpha replied. ¡°I will take care of it myself.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Alpha.¡±


    On his way to his apartment, one of his lead warriors ensured him that Kinnon Youngshaper had been thrown out of the pack house.


    ¡°Good job,¡± Ronan said with a smile. Once he got inside his apartment, the battered Kinnon Youngshaper already waited inside.


    ¡°Damn it, Ronan. Must you kick me so hard?¡± Kinnon growled.


    Ronan raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I can say the same. I almost fainted then and there when you mmed my head to the wall.¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    Kinnon lowered his voice. ¡°Did they buy it?¡±


    ¡°I sure hope so,¡± Ronan whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t know what else to do.¡±


    Kinnon sighed.


    ¡°I can hardly believe this is all happening. Lucien...¡±


    Ronan gazed at the dispirited Kinnon. He then patted his back and said, ¡°Right now, there are only a few people I can trust to help me. If someone tells me months ago that one of them is you, I would have sent that person to St. rence¡¯s psychiatric section.¡±


    Kinnon scoffed.


    ¡°Technically, I am doing this for Lucien, not you.¡±


    ¡°Same thing,¡± Ronan said with a smile. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s take care of our wounds.¡±


    The stage had been set. The only remaining thing to do was wait until the yers came to y.

 Chapter 259

    259 Lucrethia¡¯s Final Scheme


    Truthfully, Lucrethia did not take Ronan¡¯s words seriously when he said that Lucien was being treated at the Holy Temple of The Moon Goddess.


    She was thus rather surprised when it turned out to be true.


    Sitting on the patio while watching the setting sun, Lucrethia leaned against her cushioned seat while she conversed in a low voice with a hooded figure who was hiding behind the bushes.


    ¡°It¡¯s true, Madam Woond. I saw him myself,¡± so her informant told her.


    Lucrethia hummed while rubbing against her lips.


    ¡°And where is he, exactly?¡±


    ¡°He is lying inside the Cleansing Pond, Madam,¡± came the answer in a hurry.


    ¡°Cleansing Pond?¡±


    ¡°ording to widespread rumors, the Cleansing Pond¡¯s water is brimming with pure lunar energy. It absorbs the moonlight night after night, year after year, until it turns into a fountain of healing.¡±


    .....


    A fountain of healing?


    Lucrethia¡¯s face darkened. She did not like the sound of it at all.


    ¡°So that with the ceremony to beg the Moon Goddess to heal Lucien is not a hoax?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Madam. I just know that the Cleansing Pond is very powerful and Lucien Clearwater has been lying inside for a day and a night!¡±


    A day and a night inside a so-called Cleansing Pond with miraculous healing properties?


    Lucien might just make it.


    Lucrethia snapped a twig furiously.


    No way.


    After everything that she had done, she could no longer go back. She refused to admit defeat. Lucien Clearwater must die, if that was thest thing she got to do in this life!


    She had to hurry.


    If she did not know better, she would sneak into the temple and finish Lucien herself.


    No.


    No.


    She needed to be patient.


    She needed to stick to her initial n.


    With or without a magical pond, Lucien was close to death. He would not be revived within one or two days. Otherwise, why bother holding the ritualistic ceremony to beg for the Moon Goddess¡¯ mercy?


    It all sounded like a huge excuse.


    What was the use of reviving Lucien now that Ronan no longer felt anything for him?


    Maybe he was just trying to preserve his reputation.


    Yes.


    Think about it, Lucrethia told herself.


    It was Ronan Silverback who she was thinking about. The spawn of Dane Silverback who cheated on his mate and almost drove Adele Fangde to lunacy.


    Of course he would not be better than his father.


    The Silverbacks were unable to fall in love. They would only end up hurting their mates. Previously it was Adele Fangde, and this time it was Lucien Clearwater.


    Heh.


    In that case, finishing Lucien was practically the best gift she could give to the expecting couple.


    Wouldn¡¯t it be great?


    The heir of the Silverback family would be born far from this mess.


    Lillian, no matter how undeserving she was, would be the Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack as nned.


    ¡°I have onest task for you,¡± Lucrethia said with a wicked grin across her face.


    ¡°Y-yes, Madam?¡±


    ¡°I want you to finish Lucien Clearwater for me.¡±


    The informant gasped.


    ¡°B-But, Madam, I... I am a servant of the temple!¡±


    Lucrethia stared at the trembling man through the bushes.


    ¡°You are my servant. Unless you want your son to die miserably like your wife.¡±


    A painful whimper escaped the man behind the bushes.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t,¡± he begged. ¡°Madam, I have been getting you a lot of information throughout the months... Please... Please release my son. My son is innocent!¡±


    ¡°If you really care about your son, you will fulfill thisst task with perfection. Then I will release you and even give you enough money to escape to Europe with your son in tow.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes. Alright, alright. I... I will do it.¡±


    Lucrethia humphed in satisfaction.


    ¡°H-How does the Madam want him to die?¡±


    ¡°Hmmmmm...¡±


    ¡°You need to kill him tomorrow night, when the full moon is shining above.¡±


    ¡°O-Okay. W-With a knife?¡±


    Lucrethia gasped dramatically.


    ¡°Good grief, no.¡±


    A knife would raise a question. If it was not necessary to act stealthily, she might have stabbed Lucien himself when they met at St. rence. Instead, she painstakinglyced the candied plums with poison before coaxing Lucien to eat them.


    But of course, this foolish priest knew nothing about Lucrethia¡¯s efforts.


    The elderly unscrewed the pointy end of her wooden cane and took a tiny vial out. Inside was a translucent, red, and thick liquid with tiny golden crystals swimming at the surface.


    Lucrethia held the vial between her thumb and her index finger.


    ¡°This, is the ancient poison called ¡®A Thousand Flowers Of Separation¡¯. It is extracted from the blood of a poor she-wolf who was betrayed by her fated mate.¡±


    The elderly¡¯s lips were curled into a cruel smile.


    ¡°It is said that the woman went insane from the torment. This poison essentially carried the woman¡¯s curse. A very strong one, indeed.¡±


    The priest in hiding swallowed hard when he saw the vial in Lucrethia¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Madam... You wish for me to poison Lucien Clearwater...?¡±


    ¡°Why, yes. But first, you need to take him out of the Cleansing Pond. Then, you feed him the poison and wait until he stops breathing. Once the job is done, you can dump his dead body back into the pond.¡±


    The priest shivered.


    ¡°B-But... But...¡±


    Killing a person was already bad enough, but besmirching the Cleansing Pond with a corpse?


    As if guessing his train of thought, Lucrethia chuckled.


    ¡°What, are you afraid of the Moon Goddess¡¯ punishment?¡±


    The man nodded fervently.


    Lucrethia scoffed.


    ¡°The Moon Goddess expects us to take what we want with our own hands. That is what I am doing. Trust me, She won¡¯t mind. I know women.¡±


    Lucrethia leaned closer with the cursed poison in her hand.


    ¡°No one is going to know,¡± she whispered, her tone dripping with poison and sending chills down the man¡¯s spine. ¡°It is not going to take long. Last time I only used three drops. This time, give him the whole vial. He is going to stop breathing within minutes.¡±

 Chapter 260

    260 An Attack At The Holy Temple


    The Holy Temple of The Moon Goddess kept the same amount of priests and priestesses in the temple for decades. Forty-seven priests and fifty-two priestesses, never a number more and never a number less.


    The priests and priestesses came from various backgrounds. A lot of them were rogue werewolves and she-wolves who were kicked out from their packs due to one or other things, but never because theymitted unforgivable crimes.


    Most of them were rogue werewolves by birth.


    Children of rogue she-wolves who gave birth without any pack¡¯s assistance.


    As they were innocent, they had the chance to rejoin the werewolfmunity by applying to any pack. Many times though, they were rejected because of their low birth.


    Hoping to reset their poor background, a lot of them decided to join the temple to cleanse their original sins. A few years of service at the temple sufficed to achieve this goal.


    No packs would reject a devout werewolf into their midst. It was almost as good as receiving a letter of rmendation from the High Seer herself.


    Elijah had served in the temple for four and a half years when tragedy struck his wife and his then ten-year-old son. His wife died tragically in a car ident that was caused by a young, drunk human being whose father just bought him a new car.


    Elijah¡¯s son escaped the same fate by a hairsbreadth, having been pushed to safety by his mother.


    .....


    When faced with such a tragedy, one had two options: one, to ept the death of one beloved person and focus on the living ones; or two, to pursue the call for justice and demand blood for blood.


    As a servant of the Moon Goddess, Elijah was expected to pick the first option. Unfortunately, he was unable to. His eyes were blinded by blood and his mind was poisoned with the lust for vengeance.


    What followed could be referred to as either bad luck or fate.


    Elijah crossed paths with Lucrethia Woond, who had both the power and the cunning mind to exact revenge without drawing attention or further consequences.


    The drunkd who drove the car died in another car ident, orchestrated by the matriarch of the Woond family.


    Elijah received a photo of thed¡¯s wrecked body as a gift.


    After that, as thanks, Lucrethia demanded a little service from Elijah. Bits and pieces of information. Cookie crumbs, really.


    Before he knew it, his master was no longer the Moon Goddess but Madam Lucrethia Woond from the Irond ws Pack.


    At first, Elijah didn¡¯t mind much. Until what Lucrethia asked of him bore a more and more sinister nature. Once he refused, and he was told that his son had entered the Woond family as a servant.


    The Irond ws pack had epted Elijah¡¯s son as part of the pack. He had returned to the werewolf society, the very thing that Elijah had wanted for him.


    The problem was that the son was tightly clutched within Lucrethia¡¯s ws with no possibility of escape.


    Elijah did not have any other choice.


    This time, the Madam gave him onest job. He was to conclude his service by shedding Lucien Clearwater¡¯s blood in return for the vengeance that she took for Elijah.


    In his whole life, Elijah had never stained his hands with blood. This time, although Lucien¡¯s blood was not going to stick to him, Elijah knew that at the end of the night, he would have taken an innocent life from the face of the earth.


    Not unlike the irresponsible drunk driver who murdered his wife.


    No, even worse.


    At least that drunk driver didn¡¯t mean to kill his wife.


    That night, Elijah crept toward the Cleansing Pond.


    Lucien Clearwater was lying inside the cradle beneath the Tree Of Life. His lower body was submerged inside the pond while his upper body remained above the water¡¯s surface.


    His lips were white, his skin blueish. Only the shallow breathing sound that came from the man testified that he was indeed still alive.


    Despite the deathly appearance, the man looked as beautiful as a fallen angel.


    Elijah swallowed hard.


    Curling his fingers into fists, he told himself to take action.


    Lucrethia¡¯s words kept reverberating in his head.


    ¡°If you really care about your son, you will fulfill thisst task with perfection. Then I will release you and even give you enough money to escape to Europe with your son in tow.¡±


    Elijah stepped into the Cleansing Pond as quietly as possible and lifted Lucien out of the pond. For a split second, a chill ran down Elijah¡¯s spine. Someone was staring at him.


    He thought that Lucien had woken up, but the man¡¯s eyes were still tightly shut.


    It was all his imagination.


    Elijah theny the man on the grass in the darkest corner. After wiping beads of cold sweat from his forehead, he took the tiny poison vial out from the folds of his robe.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± he whispered sorrowfully before he unscrewed the poison vial and pried Lucien¡¯s lips open with his fingers.


    Just as he was about to pour the whole content of the vial into Lucien¡¯s mouth, a big brown wolf jumped at him.


    ¡°AHHHHHHH!!!¡±


    Elijah barely managed to escape the four sets of ws by rolling to the side. He then quickly staggered to his feet and tried to run away. In his trepidation, he blindly ran into a direction and ended up bumping into a sturdy man instead.


    When he saw who it was, he almost fainted from fright.


    Kinnon Youngshaper wrenched the poison vial from Elijah¡¯s hand. Before thetter tried to escape, the big brown wolf pounced at him again and pinned him down to the ground.


    ¡°Good stuff,¡± Kinnonmented when he looked at the poison inside the vial. ¡°I hate to say it, Alpha Ronan, but it looks like you are right.¡±


    ¡°A stroke of luck and a whole load of the Moon Goddess¡¯ blessings,¡± Alpha Ronan said as he stepped into the light.


    ¡°Thank you for the help, Kinnon and Jake.¡±

 Chapter 261

    261 The Time Has Come


    ¡°WAIT!¡± Elijah cried. ¡°I... I didn¡¯t mean to do anything bad!!!¡±


    Ronan gritted his teeth. He grabbed Elijah by his cor and lifted him a few centimeters off the ground. The poor priest cried with fright as he iled around in a futile attempt to free himself.


    ¡°Trying to murder my Luna is one thing, but denying the deed when you are caught red-handed is utterly shameless!¡±


    Ronan threw Elijah easily to the ground like a ragged doll. Jake who had transformed back into his human form quickly seized him. Elijah¡¯s hands were twisted together behind his back.


    ¡°You caught me red-handed trying to feed Lucien Clearwater something, but do you even know what it is? It is a cure! Yes, a cure!!!¡± Elijah sputtered, cold sweat running down his face.


    ¡°Ooh?¡± Kinnon raised an eyebrow, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent.


    Ronan walked over to Lucien. He lifted his mate off the ground and carried him back to the Cleansing Pond.


    ¡°It is the truth!¡± Elijah cried. ¡°It is not harmful at all! If... If you don¡¯t believe me, I can drink it! You will see that nothing will happen to me!¡±


    The poison only worked for fated mates. It did not work for normal werewolves with no fated mate connection.


    .....


    Even if he failed to kill Lucien, at least he could save his own life. Surely Madam Woond would not begrudge him for his failure? He tried! He did not expect the two Alphas to sneak into the temple in the middle of the night!


    ¡°Pray tell, who has given you this miracle cure?¡± Ronan asked, his distorted visage hidden by the gigantic tree¡¯s shadow.


    ¡°The... The... The High Seer did!¡±


    If Elijah had known what came next, he would have kept his mouth shut and his head bowed.


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    An unhurried voice rang out from the other side of the clearing, followed by the sound of a robe dragging across the grassy surface.


    ¡°After two hundred years, I guess I still cannot escape the curse of aging. Please remind me, Child, what kind of cure did I supposedly give you?¡±


    Elijah¡¯s mouth dropped open.


    ¡°High Seer...¡±


    The High Seer wore an expressionless face as she gazed down at her subject.


    ¡°It pained me to experience this tant betrayal of my own, Alpha Ronan,¡± she said. ¡°Even though I saw iting.¡±


    Elijah struggled against Jake¡¯s grip.


    ¡°High Seer, please,¡± he begged. ¡°I have been your servant for over ten years. I admit my oversight. Please help me.¡±


    The High Seer closed her eyes for a few seconds. When she opened them again, her eyes were zing with cold res.


    ¡°Attempting to murder a Luna is a heavy crime that is punishable by death. How do you presume to ask for mercy?¡±


    ¡°But...¡± Elijah shook visibly. ¡°He is not even a Luna yet. He and Alpha Ronan have not even registered their wedding at the Werewolf Council, let alone set a date for the wedding ceremony in the Holy Temple!¡±


    The High Seer heaved a deep breath and shook her head at her folly subject.


    ¡°As someone who has been serving the Moon Goddess for over ten years, you should have remembered that we are not average human beings but werewolves.


    ording to the rules that had been set hundreds of years ago, a Luna is an Alpha¡¯s mate, not an Alpha¡¯s wife. By ourw, Lucien Clearwater has be the Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack months ago.¡±


    The convicted priest froze on spot for a while before the knowledge set in. Once he realized that he was done for without a way out, he started tough frantically.


    Once he was convicted of a crime, he automatically lost the protection of the Holy Temple.


    Without a pack to back him up ¡ª no even if the Irond ws Pack was willing to support him ¡ª there was no way he could go against the Infinite Eclipse Pack.


    He was doomed!


    Doomed!


    ¡°HAHAHAAHAHHA!!! HAHAHAHAHAH!!!¡±


    Elijah¡¯s maniacalughter rang through the temple until he was dragged out of the clearing by Jake and Kinnon.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, it is time,¡± the High Seer softly reminded him.


    Above them, the full moon was shining brightly. Its soft light fell through the dense expanse of leaves, shining directly on Lucien.


    The High Seer held a palm upward and a de with a silver handle materialized from thin air.


    She then pinched the tip of the de and handed it over to Ronan.


    Ronan took the de from the High Seer and stepped into the Cleansing Pond.


    Once he held his mate in his arms, a strong wave of sorrow and regret washed over Ronan again. One that he repressed for days. Adding to that was the numbing fear.


    The High Seerced her fingers together and watched Ronan.


    ¡°Is he going to be in a lot of pain?¡± The Alpha asked, his thumb brushing against his mate¡¯s ice-cold cheek.


    ¡°Yes, but it will be thest time,¡± the High Seer confirmed. ¡°What doesn¡¯t kill you will make you stronger. You have to take the leap of faith in your mate¡¯s stead, Alpha Ronan.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Ronan gave her a stiff answer.


    He did not have any other option. It was clear to him three nights ago as it was tonight.


    Ronan held his beloved mate with one hand and the de with the other hand, its pointy end hovering over Lucien¡¯s beating heart.


    With one swift movement, the knife dove into Lucien¡¯s chest. It sunk deep, sending Lucien¡¯s blood sttering everywhere.


    Lucien¡¯s eyes opened instantly. His mouth opening from shock, he wed at Ronan¡¯s arms desperately. Lucien¡¯s body started spasming from the immense pain. Disbelief and pain were reflected in his beautiful eyes when he looked at Ronan.


    Tears welled up in Ronan¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I love you,¡± the Alpha sobbed. ¡°Lulu, I have to do this. I am so sorry.¡±


    Lucien closed his eyes. A single tear escaped his eye as he sighed out his mate¡¯s name, ¡°Ronan...¡±


    Then, his hands slid down Ronan¡¯s arms and the remaining bit of life left his body.

 Chapter 262

    262 ying The Shadow Within


    Three nights ago, Lucien in his dying state wasid underneath the Tree of Life. His lower half was immersed inside the Cleansing Pond to draw benefits from the pond water.


    The purification effect of the pond put the poison in Lucien¡¯s body to sleep. It halted the deterioration of his body and stopped the passage of time for him. Topletely eliminate the poison and save Lucien¡¯s life, Ronan needed something a lot stronger.


    He did not want any divination, he had said. All he wanted was to save his mate.


    No matter how small the possibility was, or how arduous the task was, Ronan was willing to do it.


    ¡°Anything,¡± he begged. ¡°Anything to revive Lucien.¡±


    The High Seer had only one solution for Ronan Silverback.


    ¡°Three nights from now, when the full moon is shining high up in the sky, I will give you a special de, made from the essence of the moonlight during the full moon. This de carries the power of the Moon Goddess at its peak,¡± the High Seer exined.


    ¡°You can use this de to cut the poison inside your mate¡¯s heart, or to cut his lifeline and sever the connection between the two of you.¡±


    ¡°I want to cut the poison,¡± Ronan had said right away while squeezing Lucien¡¯s hand. ¡°How do I do that?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Pray. Use these three days and nights to think about the love and connection that you share with your mate and with all your heart, make the decision to eliminate the poison inside your mate¡¯s heart.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need three days or three nights,¡± Ronan said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can love Lulu more than I already do. If he can¡¯t make it, I too won¡¯tst for long.¡±


    A thin smile spread on the High Seer¡¯s lips. ¡°That is the curse of the fated mate connection. Thankfully, this de could also sever the rtion between fated mates.¡±


    ¡°Should you fail and end up killing your mate instead, you will at the same time end the fated mate connection between the two of you and you will be free from the curse.¡±


    Ronan shook his head.


    ¡°If Lucien dies, I will follow him into the grave. With or without the curse.¡±


    The High Seer gave a little nod.


    ¡°If you are determined, you have nothing to lose. Be here three nights from now.¡±


    ¡°High Seer, can I ask for a favor?¡± Ronan quickly asked before he was dismissed.


    ¡°Do what you need to do,¡± the High Seer said. ¡°I allow it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± the Alpha said in response.


    Of course the High Seer knew what Ronan wanted to ask.


    She also knew what would happen. Her silence neither discouraged nor encouraged Ronan. Even if Ronan did not know whether his n would work out or not, it was something that Ronan had to do.


    He should have done it months ago instead of listening to Lillian Woond.


    Should Lucien end up leaving this mortal world, Ronan would make sure that he did not go alone.


    Ronan would not rest until he sent all those who hurt Lucien to hell. Only then would he dare to follow Lucien in the afterlife.


    In the present time, after everything had happened, the Alpha had exhausted all of his confidence.


    Without caring the least for his pride, Ronan sobbed uncontrobly with his hand still sped around the silver hilt of the de.


    ¡°Lulu... No, why is there so much blood...¡±


    Ronan wanted to staunch the flow of blood from Lucien¡¯s left chest, but the High Seer grabbed his wrist.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± she said. ¡°Have faith, Alpha Ronan.¡±


    Ronan scoffed to himself.


    ¡°Right now, I trust everyone more than myself.¡±


    He messed up so many things that he was not sure that he could do anything right anymore.


    ¡°Have faith in the Moon Goddess,¡± the High Seer corrected him. ¡°Let go.¡±


    Despite her old age, the High Seer had a strong grip. She pulled Ronan to his feet. Lucien¡¯s body slipped from Ronan¡¯s embrace and sank to the bottom of the pond. The knife was still embedded in his chest.


    Soon, his blood bathed the entire pond in red color.


    Ronan was no longer able to see his mate.


    Panic rising in his heart like a tsunami, Ronan turned to the High Seer and asked, ¡°Did I make it?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see,¡± she answered.


    Ronan obliged and waited by the pond side.


    The redder the color of the pond water became, the more discouraged the Alpha became.


    He would never be able to forgive himself if he failed this task. He did not even know how to apologize to his mate when they met in the afterlife.


    Just then, a wisp of dark smoke rose from the surface of the pond.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan!¡± The High Seer suddenly shouted. ¡°Scatter it with your ws!¡±


    The initially thin smoke became denser and formed a skull. It let out an ear-splitting cry. Ronan shed through it with his ws, ripping the unknown entity into pieces. It dissipated into the air.


    The High Seer smiled.


    ¡°Congrattions, Alpha Ronan.¡±


    At the end of her words, the Cleansing Pond was engulfed in a blinding golden light. Ronan had to cover his eyes and squinted through his fingers to see what was happening.


    The red color slowly disappeared. The blood was gone, the clear pond water was restored, and Lucieny still at the bottom of the pond.


    The knife in his chest had disappeared, and so did the stab wound.


    Ecstatic, Ronan rushed to the edge of the pond, intent on stepping inside and dragging Lucien out.


    ¡°High Seer, can I...?¡±


    Ronan was unable to bring his question to the end. His mouth dropped open in amazement when he saw what was happening.


    A sudden breeze blew through the clearing, whipping leaves off the tree and made them swirl above their heads. The mes inside thenterns shook erratically, trying their best to survive despite the strong gust of wind.


    The wind came from all directions and started to dance around the High Seer. It lifted her bangs and exposed her forehead. The intricate symbol on it lit up and her turquoise eyes began to glow.

 Chapter 263

    263 Prediction Of The Future


    After a while, themotion died down.


    The strong gusts of wind unraveled and dissipated into thin air. The swirling leaves lost their vigor and dropped to the ground one by one. A deafening silence sank around them once again.


    Thenterns that hung at the wall and from some branches of the tree swayed lightly back and forth, but the mes within were back in a peaceful state. None of them were extinguished by the wind.


    The symbol on the High Seer¡¯s forehead stopped glowing. Her long bangs covered it perfectly, hiding it away from curious eyes. Her eyes assumed its usual bright turquoise color.


    ¡°High Seer? Is everything alright?¡± Ronan asked, breaking the silence.


    The leader of the temple did not immediately answer. She stood in a daze for a while before she snapped back into reality. Once she did, she broke into a smile.


    ¡°Yes. Alpha Ronan, do take your mate out of the pond.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    Distracted by the mysterious phenomena just now, he almost forgot about Lucien.


    .....


    The Alpha quickly climbed into the pond, waddled through the icy water, and dragged his mate to the surface.


    Once they were out of the pond, Ronany Lucien on the grass and wiped at his face with his sleeves.


    ¡°Baby? Lulu, can you hear me?¡±


    Ronan tapped at Lucien¡¯s cheek impatiently. There was no answer, but it was expected. Usually, Ronan would be distraught but he could sense that Lucien was no longer at death¡¯s door. Cold as ice and pale as death he might be, but he was breathing. His heart was also beating.


    His mate looked like he just fell asleep inside a pool of cold water.


    ¡°He is alive!¡± Ronan announced gleefully. ¡°His breathing is stronger. I mean regr. And his heartbeat... It is also stronger!¡±


    Ronan was out of vocabry to express how extraordinarily normal Lucien¡¯s condition was.


    Lucien made it.


    He was going to recover!


    A thousand words of gratitude could not perfectlymunicate the overflowing emotions in Ronan¡¯s heart. He wanted to weep andugh at the same time.


    ¡°Thank you, High Seer,¡± Ronan turned to the High Seer finally with Lucien in his arms.


    The High Seer stared at him and gave him a cryptic smile.


    ¡°Thank the Moon Goddess. I am also very thankful for tonight. Your children are going to achieve great things.¡±


    Ronan was prepared to answer the first sentence, but not thest. The words that he wanted to say all disappeared when he heard the words ¡°your children¡±.


    What children?


    ¡°My children? What?¡± he repeated dumbfoundedly.


    He would never sire any children in this life.


    ¡°The children of the both of you,¡± the High Seer corrected Ronan again. ¡°They will achieve great things.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan stood there with his mate in his arms, unable to say anything.


    She said, the children were his and Lucien¡¯s. Lucien¡¯s and his.


    A lot of questions went through his mind, but he could not say them in a straightforward manner.


    Not to the High Seer.


    It would be extremely impolite.


    But just how the hell were he and Lucien supposed to produce said children? They were both males!


    Unless...


    Unless the Cleansing Pond and the silver knife changed Lucien¡¯s physique and allowed him to give birth to children?


    Preposterous.


    No.


    It could not be.


    Ronan¡¯s cheeks reddened from imagining Lucien with a pregnant belly. Well, he was going to be a very good mother, that was for sure.


    The High Seer snorted and broke intoughter.


    ¡°Oh, children,¡± she then said while wiping the ends of her eyes. ¡°What imagination they can generate. Though I do notpletely rule out the possibility, it is not what you are thinking at all.¡±


    It was then that Ronan realized something else.


    ¡°High Seer, you... You can read minds???¡± he asked with a certain degree of horror.


    The High Seer smiled.


    ¡°It is a crude expression. Minds are not books that one can open and read. But yes, I can trante the intricatebyrinth of thoughts and put them into words.¡±


    Ronan mmed up right away. He was pretty sure that no one was aware of this particr gift that the High Seer possessed.


    Goddess.


    What shameful, embarrassing thoughts had she intercepted during the yearly celebration of the Moon Goddess? What about the time when she officiated the weddings of Alphas and Lunas?


    There must be a lot of dirtyundries that the werewolf pack leaders unknowingly exposed to the High Seer just by thinking about it.


    The High Seer shed Ronan a charming smile.


    ¡°You are not going to tell everyone, are you?¡±


    Ronan shook his head fervently.


    ¡°What? Me? No! Of course not!¡±


    ¡°Thank you for keeping it a secret, then.¡±


    Ronan nodded stiffly.


    He would not dare to do otherwise.


    From within the building, a priest and a priestess emerged. They bowed deeply toward the High Seer who summoned them through Mind Link. She then gave them an instruction, ¡°Alpha Ronan and his Luna are taking their leaves. Please escort them outside of the temple.¡±


    ¡°Yes, High Seer,¡± they answered in unison before they walked toward Ronan and positioned themselves left and right of the Alpha.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, allow us to be of service.¡±


    Ronan threw onest look at the High Seer.


    ¡°Thank you for everything, High Seer,¡± he said sincerely. No amount of thanks could ever be enough to repay the blessings that they got tonight.


    ¡°I am a mere servant of the Moon Goddess,¡± the High Seer replied smoothly.


    ¡°Goodbye, Alpha Ronan. Take good care of your mate. Do not waste this third chance of happiness.¡±


    The High Seer was spot on.


    The first time was when they fell in love and started dating at the Alpha Camp.


    The second time was when they rekindled their romance after the war.


    The third time was after Lucien went through a life-and-death battle against the poison.


    Ronan pressed a chaste kiss on Lucien¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°I will not,¡± he said. ¡°I will not repeat the foolish mistakes that I did. I will never doubt Lucien again in my whole life. I will love and cherish him even beyond death.¡±

 Chapter 264

    264 Clearing The Traces


    When Lucrethia Woond received neither the news of Lucien Clearwater¡¯s passing nor a report from Elijah two hours past midnight, she knew that her ns had been foiled.


    Just like what she did when Gavin Ashmore was caught, she went to clear the traces that might point out her involvement in the crime.


    In this case, it meant Elijah¡¯s son, the eighteen-year-old Erick Summertide.


    When a woman wanted to have things done quickly, she did it herself. This was something that Lucrethia knew from her years of experience.


    She rose from her bed in the wee hours and crept into the servants¡¯ quarter. In anticipation of Elijah¡¯s failure, she had arranged for the young man to be ced within her vicinity. Finishing him was not going to be difficult at all. These young werewolves croaked so easily, with no single strand of resistance in their feeble bodies.


    The matriarch of the Woond family thus did not at all expect the bed to be empty. In fact, the bed was made. The young man did not sleep in his bed at all.


    Fuming, Lucrethia summoned her head servant instead.


    ¡°Jonas, where did that youngling ¡ª Erick Summertide ¡ª go???¡±


    Roused from his bed so early in the morning, Jonas Wickham did not expect this question at all. Why would the most important person in the Woond family look for an insignificant young male servant who hailed from an unknown origin?


    .....


    And in the middle of the sleeping hours too?


    ¡°I... I will find out, Madam,¡± Jonas stuttered in confusion.


    ¡°Find him right away and bring him to me,¡± Lucrethia hissed angrily.


    Jonas had never experienced her this way. Erick Summertide must have done something unspeakable. If he could not find the young man in time, he himself would be at the receiving end of Lucrethia Woond¡¯s wrath.


    He never expected said youth to be miles away from Pine Groove City, in the safe protection of the Silent Walkers Pack.


    ¡°I want to see him,¡± Annalynne Clearwater demanded when Ronan called her to tell her and Alice that Lucien was doing fine.


    ¡°He is still unconscious,¡± Ronan reasoned.


    ¡°I want to visit him,¡± Annalynne insisted. ¡°I wille to the Infinite Eclipse Pack House at night. No one will know about my involvement, not even that bitch Lillian Woond.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t,¡± Ronan said. ¡°Lucien is not going to be there. I am hiding him far, far away.¡±


    Annalynne furrowed her brows in disbelief.


    ¡°You are lying. You never wanted Lucien to be away from you, not even for a second.¡±


    ¡°That is in the past. Lulu¡¯s life is more important than my wish to be with him. We need to both stick with our roles in order to bring Lucrethia Woond down.¡±


    ¡°That old hag,¡± Annalynne cursed. ¡°That witch!¡±


    ¡°Keep that young man alive. That is all I ask of you,¡± Ronan said. ¡°Bye, Anna.¡±


    ¡°Wait...!!!¡±


    Ronan ended the call despite Annalynne¡¯s protest. Sitting in a car with Lucien on hisp, Ronan could still barely believe what happened in the past few days.


    He almost lost his mate.


    If they could pass this ordeal safely, he promised to be an avid supporter of the Holy Temple.


    After Ronan took Lucien out of the temple, he and Kinnon took the man to the Seaside View Hotel in Hapsborough City.


    They purposefully booked a normal room in Noah¡¯s name instead of a suite in order to not attract any attention.


    While Ronan bathed Lucien in warm water, Kinnon went shopping and bought Lucien a dry new set of clothes.


    After being bathed and dried, color slowly returned to Lucien¡¯s body. His cheeks turned rosy and his lips red.


    Ronan had kissed those lips many times in an attempt to wake his mate, but so far he had not seeded.


    The High Seer had not told him when Lucien would open his eyes again.


    Ronan just hoped that it would be soon.


    From the hotel, they split and each drove a car. Noah drove alone back to the Infinite Eclipse Pack, while Ronan and Lucien went elsewhere.


    Ronan pressed another kiss on top of Lucien¡¯s head before he started attacking his mate with an avnche of words.


    ¡®My baby, we have to stay apart for a while. But no worries, I wille to get you back as soon as I am done with Lucrethia Woond. I will not let her run free, I promise.¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®I love you, I love you very much. Don¡¯t miss me too much.¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®Baby, please wake up soon. I want to see your beautiful eyes, hear your beautiful voice. I don¡¯t think I can stand another day being apart from you.¡¯


    Lucien sighed in his heart.


    Ronan was so contradictory. Who was going to miss whom the most? Didn¡¯t he just proim valiantly to Annalynne that Lucien¡¯s life was more important than his desire? What¡¯s with this ¡°I can¡¯t stand another day being apart from you¡±???


    ¡®Baby, can you hear me? Our Mind Link should have been fixed. Please, say something.¡¯


    If Lucien could, he would have rolled with his eyes. In the end, he gave in to Ronan¡¯s incessant pestering.


    ¡®Ronan, you are so noisy. You can wake even a dead man.¡¯


    Ronan sucked in a deep breath.


    He showered his mate with kisses.


    ¡®Oh, Goddess. Baby, you are awake. You are awake!¡¯


    Lucien scoffed softly in his heart.


    ¡®Yes, but I can¡¯t open my eyes and move even a finger. My body feels so heavy.¡¯


    ¡®You have been sleeping inside the Cleansing Pond for three days and three nights. We need to work on your blood cirction and nutrition and...¡¯


    ¡®Ronan.¡¯


    ¡®Yes?¡¯


    ¡®Be careful, please. I don¡¯t want you to carelessly walk into danger.¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry, I will be careful. I still need to marry you and take you back home to be my Luna.¡¯


    ¡®Heh, you still remember that.¡¯


    ¡®How can I forget?¡¯


    ¡®By the way, where are you taking me?¡¯


    ¡®To the ce that Lucrethia Woond expects you the least.¡¯


    ¡°Alpha, we are here,¡± Milroy announced from the driver¡¯s seat.


    Ronan looked up and saw the unfamiliar gates of the Night Prowler Pack House.

 Chapter 265

    265 Hiding In The Alleged Enemy¡¯s Lair


    Hundreds of pairs of eyes were directed at the Alpha of the rival pack as he made his way in the direction of the Night Prowler Pack House, a huge mansion that could easily be mistaken as a five-star hotel.


    Behind him, Milroy kept throwing nces left and right, fearing for his life.


    The two packs had after all engaged in an intense war that killed altogether twenty-five werewolves from both sides.


    When the survivors from the Night Prowler Pack saw Ronan Silverback, all they remembered was the fierce battle between him and their own Alpha, Kinnon Youngshaper. And then, the catastrophic mudslide that buried the unfortunate ones underneath.


    On top of the white stone staircase that led to the foyer, Bjorn was already waiting for them.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, wee to our pack house,¡± he greeted Ronan with a bow.


    ¡°Thank you for the hospitality, Beta Bjorn.¡±


    ¡°Let me take you to Lucien¡¯s room. Our best Healers are already waiting. We will make his stay here asfortable as possible. He will want for nothing.¡±


    Ronan nodded in assent.


    .....


    ¡°Please follow me, Alpha Ronan.¡±


    Something tugged at Bjorn¡¯s heartstrings when he saw the unconscious man that was pressed to Ronan¡¯s chest.


    Once, Kinnon had gathered all of them and introduced Lucien as their new Luna. At that time, Bjorn had thought that Lucien would be very happy together with Kinnon. They got along so well. Even little Ralph adored him.


    Who would have known that once Lucien left for the Moon Banquet with Kinnon, he was never toe back?


    Not as their Luna, anyway.


    Ronan shared the same sentiment.


    ¡®How ironic,¡¯ Ronan said to Lucien. ¡®I worked so hard to get you out of here, only to take you back here.¡¯


    Ronan¡¯s tone was dripping with jealousy and displeasure. It was uncalled for, but Lucien found it funny.


    ¡®Are you leaving your Luna in your rival¡¯s hands? Alpha Ronan, I have never seen this generous side of yours.¡¯


    Ronan¡¯s lips inadvertently curled into a smile. He pressed a kiss on Lucien¡¯s forehead. If his mate was able to spit sarcasm, then he was doing just fine.


    ¡®I don¡¯t expect you to be as generous, but please tell Landon not to kill anyone here.¡¯


    Goddess forbade they started another war.


    Lucien chuckled in response.


    ¡®Landon is being a good boy right now. He will not ruin your n.¡¯


    In fact, Landon was still in a stupor from the death sentence and then the unexpected recovery. The wolf only wanted to sleep for a long time, not caring about what was happening outside.


    Ronany his mate on the bed, after which the Healers started to get busy with him.


    ¡°Undernourished and dehydrated,¡± was the diagnosis, to Ronan¡¯s greatest relief. They wanted to stick him with an IV drip, but Lucien objected as soon as he heard them.


    ¡®Please no,¡¯ he begged Ronan, the only one who could hear him. ¡®I don¡¯t want to be treated like a sick person anymore. Please don¡¯t. I will wake up soon.¡¯


    Lucien had been stuck with an IV drip for a long time after the poison kicked in.


    It was traumatic.


    It awakened the painful memories from the days he was resigned to death.


    Neither Ronan nor Lucien liked to be reminded of those days.


    When a Healer approached the bed with an IV drip, Ronan stopped him.


    ¡°He will wake up soon, there is no need for any IV drip.¡±


    The Healer disagreed.


    ¡°But Alpha Ronan, he needs water and nutrition! We don¡¯t know when he will wake up!¡±


    They had a point. Ronan could not begrudge the Healers for wanting to do their job.


    ¡°What do you want to give him?¡± he asked.


    The Healer stared at him.


    ¡°A bowl of concoction and two sses of water will do for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Then, please prepare them for him.¡±


    The Healers looked at Ronan as if he had gone crazy. Seeing that Ronan did not get the message, they turned to look at Bjorn instead.


    ¡°Do as Alpha Ronan asks,¡± he said.


    The Healers thus left to brew the concoction, not without leaving a jug of water and a ss for Ronan.


    ¡°Excuse us, Bjorn,¡± Ronan said.


    Bjorn understood what Ronan nned to do. He nodded and left the room to grant the couple some privacy.


    Ronan climbed into the bed and held his mate in his arms. Lucien¡¯s lips parted slightly when his head was tilted backward. After taking a sip of water, Ronan pried Lucien¡¯s mouth open. Sip by sip, he patiently gave Lucien the water his body needed through kisses.


    Even after the two sses of water were gone, the Alpha continued kissing Lucien.


    Until a Healer cleared his throat loudly and almost made Ronan¡¯s heart jump out of his ribcage.


    The taller man broke the kiss right away. One thing was being interrupted by your own subjects in your own pack house. Another thing was to be interrupted by the subjects of your mate¡¯s ex-lover in his pack house.


    Ronan could tell which one was a lot more ufortable.


    The Healer brought a bowl of steaming medicine. As he put the bowl on the night table, he threw Alpha Ronan a lot of judgmental looks. The kind that he never would dare to throw at his own Alpha no matter what he might do.


    Ronan took a sip from the bowl and wrinkled his brows.


    ¡®Heck, this one¡¯s bitter.¡¯


    ¡®... Get it away from me,¡¯ Lucien said without skipping a beat.


    Sadly, the Alpha refused to cooperate.


    ¡®No, you need nourishment.¡¯


    ¡®... Nourishment does not have to be bitter.¡¯


    ¡®You have no choice, Baby. Suck it up.¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    Ronan chuckled.


    It was good that Lucien was unable to control his body, otherwise he would spit everything out.


    He just finished feeding Lucien the bitter medicine when Kinnon¡¯s weary voice was heard from the door.


    ¡°Well, well,¡± he said. ¡°Ronan, can you stop eating Lucien¡¯s face for now? We have a lot to talk about.¡±

 Chapter 266

    266 Lucien¡¯s Bravest Knight


    Ronan lifted the empty bowl.


    ¡°I was just giving him medicine.¡±


    Clearly not believing him, Kinnon squinted his eyes at the Alpha of his rival pack.


    ¡°Aha.¡±


    He then discreetly closed the door behind him and entered the room.


    ¡°What do you need me to do next?¡± he asked in a low voice while drawing a chair close to the bed and taking a seat.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Ronan said in response. ¡°Lay low. Focus on keeping Lucien safe. I am going to startunching an attack on old Madam Woond.¡±


    It was the morning after the fake ceremony in the Infinite Eclipse Pack House was held. Around this time, Lucrethia Woond must have found out that she failed. The old woman must be livid with anger.


    Elijah¡¯s son was in danger, and so was Lucien.


    .....


    Thankfully, both had been moved to safe locations.


    Annalynne had promised to shelter Erick Summertide for as long as it took to bring Lucrethia down.


    On the other side, no one would have thought that Ronan, who fought in public with Kinnon, opted to hide Lucien in the Night Prowler Pack House. They after all had a falling out. There was no better hiding ce for Lucien right now.


    ¡°Kinnon, I can¡¯t afford any blunder from your side,¡± Ronan emphasized. ¡°I am entrusting the love of my life to you. Please take good care of him.¡±


    Kinnon scoffed.


    ¡°You know, he is the love of my life too. I will take good care of him whether you ask me or not.¡±


    Ronan pursed his lips.


    Kinnon scoffed.


    ¡°Besides, my whole pack treated him like the Luna while he stayed here. You have nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°That was before the war,¡± he pointed out. ¡°I don¡¯t want any of your pack members to develop some funny ideas.¡±


    Ronan was quite sick with how things developed over the past few months. Too many irrelevant people cared about the personal business between him and Lucien. They drew false conclusions and were adamant about defending their faulty point of view.


    They even went as far as attacking Lucien physically. His poor mate had to deal with a lot of things.


    Human beings were folly, but who to say that some of the werewolves were not? Foolish werewolves were even more dangerous than average human beings. They had their in-built weapons and they did not hesitate to use them whenever necessary.


    ¡°They won¡¯t. Everyone knows that the Silverback family has been framed during the war. Casualties on both sides are to be reckoned with when two parties fight in a war. No one is as delusional to think that everyone will survive and live happily ever after.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d that we are on the same page,¡± Ronan said.


    ¡°Bjorn even asked me why I fought with you in the bathroom. He did not want you toin to the Werewolf Council about me snatching your Luna away.¡±


    Ronan smiled.


    ¡°Bjorn is a great guy. How do your pack members feel about Lucien right now?¡±


    Kinnon pulled his lips into a thin line.


    ¡°They don¡¯t hate him, if that¡¯s what you are asking. During his short stay in the pack house, the pack members got to know and appreciate him. s, he is not fated to be our Luna.¡±


    Ronan took a deep breath.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Ronan wanted to continue speaking, but he mped up immediately when he heard the pata-pata sounding from the corridor outside.


    Kinnon too gestured for him to cut their conversation.


    What followed was the childish whining voice of Ralph, ¡°Mommy! Mommy Mommy Mommy!¡±


    Kinnon got up from his chair and opened the door for his son.


    The little blonde boy immediately rushed to Lucien¡¯s side, ignoring both his father and Ronan.


    ¡°Mommy!¡± he shouted while he tried to climb the bed.


    Ralph had grown taller since Ronanst saw him, but he was still unable to climb into an adult bed on his own.


    His father gave him a lift by pushing him up.


    Ralph cupped Lucien¡¯s cheeks with both hands.


    ¡°Mommy? Are you sleeping?¡±


    Kinnon hooked an arm around his son. ¡°Ralphy, your mommy just recovers from a severe sickness. You must give him plenty of rest. Other than Daddy, no one is allowed to get close to Mommy, do you understand?¡±


    As a response, the little werewolf pup turned to Ronan with a re and a growl.


    ¡°...¡±


    What a big, scary wolf, Ronan thought.


    To not break inughter, Kinnon cleared his throat.


    ¡°And Uncle Ronan, too,¡± the little wolf¡¯s father added with a smug grin. ¡°You see, Ronan? Lucien even has a personal bodyguard to look after him day and night. Ralphy, you are going to protect your mommy, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    The little boy nodded so persistently that his little head threatened to fall off.


    ¡°I am Mommy¡¯s bravest knight!¡± He announced proudly. ¡°I will vanquish evil and protect Mommy from danger!¡±


    Ronan scoffed. He messed up Ralph¡¯s hair, causing thetter to cry,¡± Hey!!!¡±


    ¡°Then, I should get going. I will leave your mommy in your good hands, o brave knight.¡±


    Ralph turned pink at the address.


    Ronan went back to Lucien to give him onest kiss on his lips before he left.


    ¡®Take care, my love.¡¯


    ¡®Ronan, be careful. Don¡¯t be rash,¡¯ Lucien again reminded him.


    If he was notpletely useless at the moment, Lucien would want to follow Ronan back to the Infinite Eclipse Pack to help him.


    Ronan brushed against Lucien¡¯s cheeks with his thumbs.


    ¡®Darling, this is something that I have to do on my own. If you want to help, then stay here to recuperate. I will finish this as soon as possible, I promise.¡¯


    ¡®I love you,¡¯ Lucien said.


    ¡®I love you, my baby Lulu...¡¯


    Ronan looked back to see Kinnon and Ralph sitting by Lucien¡¯s bedside, speaking to each other in a low voice while Lucieny on the bed.


    That could be them, he thought. He and Lucien with their child... Or children...


    ¡°Alpha, are you alright?¡± Milroy asked as soon as his Alpha went back to the foyer. For some reason, he was all red in the face.


    ¡°I am fine,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the pack house.¡±


    While they were in the car, Ronan pondered to himself for a long time. After hesitating for a long time, he decided to make a call.


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Gordon Clearwater.¡±

 Chapter 267

    267 The Downfall Of The Woond Family


    News about the vicious attack on Lucien had already spread throughout the werewolfmunity by the time the morning sun broke through the horizon.


    It was like the key puzzle piece that served tobine all the other puzzle pieces to form a whole picture.


    The mysterious illness that the Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack suddenly contracted.


    The abhorrent attack on the Holy Temple¡¯s ground.


    Someone wanted Lucien dead.


    It did not take a genius for everyone to quickly guess the person who would benefit the most from his death.


    Lillian Woond, because she was currently pregnant with Ronan¡¯s child.


    Then again, the werewolf society knew Lillian. She alone would not be able to pull this kind of stunt. People doubted that she had the heart to carry out such evil schemes.


    Who was the force behind her? Who masterminded these scrupulous actions?


    .....


    The Woond family, of course, with Conrad Woond as the Alpha of the Irond ws Pack.


    Within one night, the Irond ws pack in general and the Woond family in particr became the center of attention.


    Led by Dane Silverback, the warriors from Werewolf Council gave chase to the seat of the Irond ws pack in Pine Groove City.


    Conrad Woond did not see iting at all. He knew that his mother did a lot of questionable things behind his back, but so far they left not a single trace.


    Everything was carried out smoothly and swiftly.


    This time, his mother¡¯s blunder brought tens of Werewolf Council warriors to the gate of his pack house.


    The Alpha broke into a cold sweat.


    The panicked voices of his subordinates were suppressed by the sound of his own pounding heart.


    ¡°Alpha, Mr. Dane Silverback is here with the warriors from the Werewolf Council.¡±


    ¡°Alpha, what do we need to do?¡±


    ¡°Alpha...¡±


    Conrad Woond tossed out an anguished cry.


    ¡°Stop calling me!!! Don¡¯t ask me!!! Don¡¯te closer!!!¡±


    The Beta of the pack, Kieran Locksworth, gritted his teeth. He grabbed Conrad Woond by his cor and pulled the cowering man to his feet.


    ¡°Alpha! You are the Alpha of this pack! Please conduct yourself ordingly.¡±


    ¡°I NEVER WANTED TO BE THE ALPHA!!!¡± Conrad shouted. ¡°IT WAS MY FATHER! HE FORCED ME! I DID NOT WANT TO! GO TELL KATREENA TO BE THE ALPHA! OR VERA!¡±


    Vera Woond, the youngest daughter of Lucrethia and Lionel Woond, shook her head in fear.


    ¡°No way I am taking over the Alpha position in this mess,¡± she said, her voice trembling with fear. ¡°I don¡¯t want to. Whoever wants it can take it.¡±


    Kieran was burning with rage.


    ¡°You two are part of the Woond family!¡± He hollered. ¡°The Alpha position has been in your family for generations! How can you throw away everything, knowing that you bear the responsibility???¡±


    Conrad wailed.


    Vera kept her head down.


    Fuming, the Beta dropped the sobbing Conrad to the ground.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said, his voice dripping with contempt. ¡°I will take over the Alpha position because no one wants it!¡±


    The man marched out of the room, then out of the pack house. Outside, a woman threw herself at him.


    ¡°Kieran, are you nuts???¡± She shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t go over there! Did you not hear what happened to Lucien Clearwater??? This is the wrongdoing of the Woond family! Their ambition is finally catching up to them! It has nothing to do with our Locksworth family!¡±


    Kieran clenched his jaw.


    The Woond family, unfortunately, was the Alpha¡¯s family. The Alpha represented the pack. If the Alpha did anything wrong, the whole pack must bear the burden as well.


    When he took the Beta position, he swore his loyalty to the Alpha, to the pack.


    ¡°Mom, I am the Beta of our pack. Our Alpha already relinquished his position and no one else wants to be the Alpha. If no one steps forward to meet the people from Werewolf Council, the whole pack will have to answer for more.¡±


    More sooner thanter.


    Kieran gave his mother onest hug before he disentangled himself from her clutches and went to meet the people at the gate.


    From inside the pack house, everyone but those from the Woond family came out to see what it was about.


    Kieran Locksworth swallowed hard when the gate fence swung open and he came face-to-face with Dane Silverback.


    Tilting his chin upward arrogantly, Dane Silverback looked like a pompous king. Even among his generation, his name induced fear andmanded respect. His contemptuous gaze swept over this man who dared to stand before him. He was so insignificant that Dane did not even remember his name. He only knew that he was the current Beta of Conrad Woond. The son of his previous Beta.


    Ironically, this man was the one who came forward to meet him.


    ¡°Where is your Alpha, young man?¡± Dane asked with a thunderous voice.


    Kieran was by no means a young man, but it was not exactly the focal point here.


    ¡°My Alpha has retreated and relinquished his position to me. Mr. Dane Silverback, how can I be of help?¡±


    A few pack members gasped audibly.


    A few people shrieked. ¡°Kieran! No!¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t!!!¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Dane said with anguid tone, ignoring the pleas of the Irond ws pack members. ¡°You know that bing an Alpha at this time means that you will bear all the responsibilities for the crime that has been done by the previous Alpha?¡±


    Kieran¡¯s eyshes fluttered for a split second.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said.


    ¡°Seize him,¡± Dane Silverback said. ¡°And every Woond that you can find in the pack house.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Kieran said. ¡°I am not resisting arrest, but may I know on what ground?¡±


    ¡°On the ground of perpetrating the murder attempt on Lucien Clearwater, the Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack,¡± Dane answered smoothly.


    ¡°With all due respect, Mr. Dane Silverback, it is nothing but spection. Surely you must have a witness or at least a piece of evidence in order toe here and detain us?¡±


    In his heart, Kieran knew for sure that the Woond family was guilty. Else why would Conrad Woond act that way? Then again, he was not going to let Dane Silverback trample on his pack without a good reason.


    ¡°Indeed, how very impolite of me,¡± Dane Silverback said with a touch of mockery. ¡°We have adequate witness and evidence to support this im.¡±

 Chapter 268

    268 Lucrethia¡¯s n To Escape


    Dane¡¯s bold statement was nothing but a tant lie.


    Elijah Summertide was a tough nut to crack.


    Once he was dragged to the Werewolf Council and locked up in its dungeon, he refused to divulge any information to anyone.


    Whether or not this was something that Elijah and Lucrethia Woond agreed on in case he got caught was unclear. Dane only knew that it gave Lucrethia some time to move freely.


    What would the old madam do in the middle of this chaos?


    Escape, of course.


    He was thus not at all surprised when the warriors returned with a screaming Conrad Woond and a silently crying Vera Woond, but no Lucrethia Woond.


    ¡°Reporting to Mr. Dane, we have rounded up all the remaining Woond family members, but we fail to locate Madam Lucrethia Woond.¡±


    Dane scoffed.


    .....


    Snakes slithered away quickly in the face of problems.


    ¡°What is your name, young man?¡± Dane asked haughtily, referring to the new Alpha of the pack.


    ¡°My name is Kieran Locksworth,¡± the man in shackles said, his gaze unyielding against Dane¡¯s piercing stare.


    Dane then turned to speak to Conrad Woond.


    ¡°Alpha Conrad, is it true that you have passed your Alpha position to this young man?¡±


    The elder man gave him a frantic reply.


    ¡°TAKE IT! JUST TAKE IT! I DON¡¯T CARE ANYMORE! JUST LET ME GO! I DID NOT DO ANYTHING! AAARRHHHHHH!!!¡±


    That settled it.


    Dane Silverbackzily shifted his gaze to Kieran, a cynical smile ying on his lips.


    ¡°Congrattions, Alpha Kieran. Now, if you can tell me the whereabouts of Madam Lucrethia Woond, I will be very grateful.¡±


    ¡°The old madam stopped minding pack-rted affairs years ago,¡± Kieran said, shooting res at Dane Silverback. ¡°She is now just enjoying her retirement years.¡±


    Dane scoffed full of contempt.


    Yeah, right.


    As if the whole werewolf society did not know that Lucrethia Woond had the Alpha of the pack in her palms at all times.


    If anything, it was Conrad Woond who enjoyed his retirement years as soon as he became the Alpha.


    ¡°Whether or not Madam Lucrethia Woond is just enjoying her retirement years or is rted to this crime will be decided by the Werewolf Council after a series of thorough investigations,¡± Dane pointed out.


    Kieran gritted his teeth in defiance.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the murderer already spat out the name of the mastermind? Why are you rounding up all of us if that¡¯s the case?¡±


    Smart mouth. At least he was not Conrad Woond who freaked out at every turn of events.


    ¡°It is standard procedure to gather everyone around the suspect for interrogation purposes.¡±


    Kieran swallowed.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said in desperation. ¡°I will tell you where Lucrethia Woond is, but for that I want you to spare someone else.¡±


    Dane smiled at Kieran.


    ¡°And who is the person I am supposed to spare?¡±


    ¡°Lillian Woond,¡± Kieran said with a pleading tone. ¡°She is reaching thest stage of her pregnancy. Please don¡¯t put her in an unnecessary, stressful situation.¡±


    ¡°Touching,¡± Danemented. ¡°I will consider it. So, where is Lucrethia Woond?¡±


    Kieran turned his head and shot Conrad Woond onest look. Thetter was cowering on the ground. He had nothing to say at all.


    ¡°Madam Lucrethia Woond booked a flight to Europe early this morning. She ns to enjoy a few weeks of holiday, touring various countries.¡±


    Over at the nearest international airport, Lucrethia Woond was waiting for her flight at the boarding gate.


    Only thirty minutes were left before the boarding call began.


    The Werewolf Council might already arrive at the Irond ws Pack House by now. Conrad must be having a mental breakdown at the very moment. Katreena was thankfully far away in an unrted pack. Vera had been living her whole life in luxury. A little bit of thrill would make her life more colorful.


    Lucrethia heaved a sigh and pondered about her own situation.


    Once she got off the ne, she would go off the radar. No one would be able to reach her.


    From her hiding ce, she nned to carefully assess her situation and see what she could do next.


    A masculine voice rang out behind Lucrethia, startling her from a daze.


    ¡°Is the seat next to you upied, Madam Woond?¡±


    Lucrethia turned her head and came face-to-face with a tall, handsome, dark-haired man. He wore a pair of sunsses on top of the ck coat that extended to his knees.


    When Ronan Silverback took off his sunsses, the two pairs of greenish-blue eyes stared into each other.


    Lucrethia scoffed.


    ¡°I have to say, youpletely fooled me.¡±


    ¡°Did I?¡± Ronan took a seat next to the elderly. ¡°I was just ying along.¡±


    ¡°How do you enjoy the game so far?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I enjoy it a lot. As you can see, I am winning theter rounds.¡±


    A smirk hushed across Lucrethia¡¯s wrinkled face.


    ¡°You have yet to win,¡± she pointed out. ¡°Don¡¯t be so arrogant in front of your elder.¡±


    Ronan tilted his head to the side and shed Lucrethia his most charming smile as a response.


    ¡°I respected you until I cannot do it anymore.¡±


    That was when he found out that she was the one behind his mother¡¯s death.


    When he found out that she attacked his mate again and again.


    Lucrethia Woond hailed from the Fangde family. She was Lady Adele Fangde¡¯s biological aunt.


    If Lucien did not give him any hints about her, Ronan would never have once believed that Lucrethia was the person whose shadow he had been chasing for months.


    ¡°So what are you nning to do now?¡± Lucrethia asked sweetly.


    ¡°Now, I am just here to stop you from boarding the ne. The warriors from the Werewolf Council are on their way to seize you.¡±


    ¡°My ne is boarding soon,¡± Lucrethia reminded him with a sneer. ¡°So sorry but I have no time to entertain you any longer, Alpha Ronan.¡±


    Lucrethia rose to her feet just as the announcement was heard across the boarding hall.


    ¡°Apologies to all passengers, all flights are dyed for at least six hours. You will all bepensated at the ticketing counter. I repeat...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    One by one, the disgruntled and confused passengers poured out of the boarding area. The loud murmur was reduced to utter silence when only Ronan and Lucrethia stayed behind.


    Ronan too rose to his feet and pinned Lucrethia¡¯s back with a scorching re.


    ¡°The airport is on lockdown. Sorry to ruin your holiday n, Madam.¡±

 Chapter 269

    269 You Knew But You Didn¡¯t Tell Me


    Ten minutester, Dane Silverback arrived with another group of warriors from the Werewolf Council.


    The sight of twenty-something men marching into the airport halls was eye-catching enough, but what made them so memorable were the printed T-shirts and jeans that they wore so proudly. The flip-flops that peeked from under their jeans contributed further to the deterioration of their image.


    Mr. Dane Silverback, who led the group, wore one with a huge cartoon image on the front side. It depicted a duck with a suit and sunsses. It was smoking some rolled-up weed with a look full of satisfaction.


    Those who saw them could not help giggling. Meanwhile, the poor men tried their best to keep straight faces.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know which is worse,¡± Lucrethia quipped as her captors drew nearer. ¡°Being dragged away by men who wear such ridiculous clothes or continuing to chat with you, Alpha Ronan.¡±


    Ronan sneered.


    ¡°Happy to serve, Madam.¡±


    Lucrethia turned to give onest toxic look at Ronan before she was shackled and taken away.


    ¡°This is not over, young man.¡±


    .....


    Leaning against the wall, Ronan cut her a haughty smile. ¡°I sure hope not.¡±


    After the men left with Lucrethia in tow, Dane Silverback approached his son.


    ¡°Good job,¡± he praised.


    ¡°You too, Dad,¡± Ronan said in return.


    Dane¡¯s eyes wandered around the dark circles around Ronan¡¯s eyes that made him look like a reversed panda.


    ¡°You look awful. Go back and rest.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Dane Silverback never handed out praise without following up with insult. It was a die-hard habit.


    Ronan rubbed at the aching spot between his brows.


    He barely slept during the past few days. The emotional rollercoaster with Lucien¡¯s close call with death and the plotting against Lucrethia Woond exhausted him both physically and mentally.


    Capturing Elijah and cing Lucrethia under arrest were two big moves in his n to get justice for his mother and Lucien, but he could not rest yet.


    Not until Lucrethia Woond rotted behind bars.


    Not until Lucien was back in his arms.


    ¡°What is going to happen next?¡± he asked his father, ignoring his advicepletely.


    Dane heaved a sigh. He gave his obstinate son an exasperated look.


    ¡°We need Elijah¡¯s confession before the trial. The trial is scheduled in three days.¡±


    Ronan scoffed. He staggered away from the wall and muttered, ¡°I am going to beat the truth out of that bastard.¡±


    Dane grabbed Ronan¡¯s shoulder from behind and squeezed it.


    ¡°You are tired, and you are irritable. You neither are in a state to force a confession out of the defendant, nor have the right to. Leave it to me.¡±


    Dane Silverback as part of the Werewolf Council certainly could do that, as opposed to Ronan.


    Ronan looked up at his father.


    He still hated Dane for what thetter did to his mother, but Dane had done a lot to help him and Lucien.


    Should he say something to try to mend the bridge between the father and son?


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lacking ideas for better things to say, Ronan looked his father up and down instead andmented, ¡°You look hideous.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan naturally referred to the T-shirt and jeans that did not suit Dane at all. He looked like an old man who tried too hard to fit in with the youngsters.


    The elder man looked down at himself.


    ¡°If I had better options, I would have gotten myself a fine three-piece suit and a pair of leather shoes.¡±


    ¡°Where did you leave your clothes, anyway?¡±


    ¡°Pine Groove City? We ran all the way here, you know. I did not want Lucrethia Woond to beat you up in a fistfight.¡±


    ¡°... I am not that weak.¡±


    That was what he said, but Ronan knew there was some truth to it. In his current state, it might only take a hard kick in his stomach and a few punches across his face to make him sleep for a few hours.


    ¡°Go home,¡± Dane repeated.


    Ronan nodded stiffly.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    Outside of the airport, Noah was waiting for his Alpha. Ronan looked like he could topple sideways anytime soon, but there was no mistaking the victorious smile on his face.


    In his imagination, Noah punched into the air and shouted excitedly like a lunatic.


    ¡°Noah, back to the pack house.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha!!!¡±


    The ride back to the Infinite Eclipse pack house took almost four hours, but it felt like a blink of an eye.


    Ronan literally passed out from fatigue as soon as he hit the fluffy seat. He only opened his eyes when they arrived at the pack house, with Noah calling after him repeatedly.


    ¡°Alpha? Alpha, we are here.¡±


    Ronan rubbed at his eyes.


    As soon as he got out of the car, he saw Lillian Woond rushing toward him.


    ¡°You acted on your own,¡± she chastised him. ¡°You were supposed to tell me! We are partners!¡±


    Ronan shut the car door and then calmly turned his head to look at Lillian.


    ¡°Our so-called partnership ended when your grandmother attacked Lucien. Was that not clear to you?¡±


    Ronan walked past a dazed Lillian. She then turned around and grabbed Ronan¡¯s sleeves.


    ¡°Every poison has an antidote! You were overreacting!¡±


    If Ronan was not that tired, his temper might just get a hold of his body.


    ¡°Overreacting?¡± he repeated in disbelief. ¡°Lulu almost died!¡±


    Lillian clutched her dress and pursed her lips.


    ¡°You said that he was being treated at the Holy Temple. You said that all you needed to do was a ceremony to pray for his recovery...¡±


    Ronan tossed out a burst of boomingughter.


    ¡°Seriously? It was nothing but a trap. I knew that your grandmother would be impatient enough to end Lucien once and for all.¡±


    The Alpha sneered. ¡°I was right.¡±


    Lillian stomped on the ground angrily. ¡°It is too rushed! I told you that we should wait until the baby is born!¡±


    She wanted to say more, but Ronan threw her a gaze that was so cold that her blood froze in her veins.


    ¡°Do you know what the most horrible thing is?¡±


    ¡°... No?¡±


    ¡°The fact that you know she poisoned Lucien, but you did not bother to tell me about it.¡±

 Chapter 270

    270 Lillian¡¯s Greatest Concern


    Lillian gave Ronan an exasperated look.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± she said. ¡°When I found out, it was already toote. He already got poisoned. I did my best to help. I was also searching for an antidote...¡±


    ¡°Spare me,¡± Ronan interrupted her briskly, holding a hand up to stop her frompleting a speech in her defense. ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it. You were so quick to act on your interest, but you never bothered to tell me any of your ns. I was stupid enough to dance ording to your tune.¡±


    ¡°Ronan, I was not... You were not dancing to my tune at all,¡± Lillian tried to cate Ronan, but it was futile.


    Lillian was not the one who almost lost her mate.


    Lillian was not the one who almost died.


    Whatever Lillian said at this point did not matter to Ronan.


    The Alpha rubbed at his temples and sigh. When he removed his hand, Lillian saw the hunger for vengeance gleaming in his eyes.


    ¡°From now on, it¡¯s my way or no way. You either join me or you don¡¯t. I no longer need your help.¡±


    .....


    Lillian looked like she was close to tears.


    ¡°Then, are you going to throw me out of the pack house, just like that?¡±


    Ronan almost burst intoughter. Despite the scolding that he gave her, in the end, Lillian was still mostly concerned about herself and her baby¡¯s wellbeing.


    ¡°I am not a monster,¡± he pointed out. ¡°Stay until the baby is born. After that, you can decide what you want to do.¡±


    As Ronan walked away and headed to his apartment, he could hear Lillian¡¯s pitiful sobs.


    Usually, when simr things happened in the past, Ronan¡¯s heart would soften and then he would try tofort the crying woman. Seeing women cry made him feel ufortable because it reminded him of his mother.


    Lady Adele Fangde was a tough and brave woman, but she too was made of flesh and blood. She too shed tears when the heartache was too much for her.


    This time, it was different.


    When Ronan saw Lillian cry, all he could see were the tears that Lucien did not shed or shed behind his back.


    Lucien suffered so much in these few months.


    It was supposed to be the happiest time of their life. They were supposed to spend their time rolling between sheets night after night while whispering about their passion and love to each other.


    If Lillian didn¡¯t show up in December, Ronan and Lucien would have been happily married by now.


    Look at what happened instead.


    Ronan was busy tying a noose around Lucrethia, while Lucien was still recovering far, far away from Ronan.


    For once, Ronan wanted to be selfish.


    He wanted to sleep.


    He wanted to eat and drink.


    He wanted to think only about himself and Lucien, and no one else.


    Ronan thought that his harsh words would keep Lillian away for a while. That would be best, because Ronan did not have the patience to deal with her. Not right now.


    Unexpectedly, the beautiful woman showed up again in the evening and asked to meet with Ronan.


    Said Alpha had just woken up after sleeping for six hours straight. He was in the middle of eating his dinner when Milroy came to disturb his peace.


    ¡°Reporting to the Alpha, uh, Miss Woond requests an audience.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ronan answered nonchntly while biting into a piece of beef steak.


    Milroy did not move. He twiddled his thumbs nervously.


    ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Ronan barked at his assistant.


    Milroy gave him a beseeching gaze.


    ¡°Alpha, Miss Woond refuses to go unless she gets to meet you today. It seems to be very important.¡±


    Ronan rolled with his eyes but said nothing in return.


    ¡°Alpha, please think of the heir inside Miss Woond¡¯s belly...¡±


    Ronan mmed the wine ss hard against the dining table, causing the ss to crack.


    ring at Milroy, Ronan was about to blurt out the words, ¡°That baby is not the heir¡±. But then he realized that he should not carelessly announce such things. There was a suitable time for every kind of announcement.


    ¡°Alright, ask her to meet me at the audience hall.¡±


    Milroy bowed in gratitude.


    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡±


    When Ronan arrived at the audience hall, Lillian was already sitting on a chair, waiting for him.


    The woman did not bother beating around the bush.


    ¡°I heard some news,¡± she said. ¡°My father has abandoned his position as an Alpha. My entire family is being imprisoned in the Werewolf Council¡¯s dungeon. Is that right?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Ronan confirmed.


    ¡°The new Alpha is also being detained. Why?¡±


    Ronan squinted at Lillian.


    ¡°He decided to take the Alpha position despite the incriminating circumstances. He did that voluntarily without the slightest bit of coercion. I would say that he knew what he was in for.¡±


    Lillian took a deep breath.


    ¡°Listen to me,¡± she said. ¡°We both know that my grandmother is the perpetrator. Fine if you want to detain my whole family out of suspicion, but Kieran Locksworth is innocent. Please let him go.¡±


    Ronan scoffed. He leaned to one side of his seat while tapping his fingers on the armrest on the other side.


    ¡°You do know that the Alpha is never entirely innocent when a pack membermits a crime. If the crime is done within the pack, the Alpha has the privilege to punish as he wants. If the crime is done to another pack, the Alpha has to bear responsibilities for his pack members¡¯ crime.¡±


    Lillian nodded fervently.


    ¡°I know,¡± she said. ¡°But we both know that he is innocent. He knows nothing about the Woond family¡¯s schemes. He didn¡¯t even serve my grandmother! He served my father!¡±


    Ronan narrowed his eyes at the pregnant woman in front of him.


    ¡°Do you know what I find very interesting?¡±


    ¡°... What?¡±


    Ronan slumped forward, supporting his weight on two elbows that pressed against his legs.


    ¡°Your whole family is behind bars. Your grandmother, your father, your aunts... Even your extended rtives, all those who are unlucky enough to bear the surname Woond in their names. But you, you are here to plead for Kieran Locksworth.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s him, right?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lillian asked, trying her best to maintain herposure.


    ¡°He is the father of your baby, am I right?¡±


    Lillian¡¯s lips trembled violently before tears started falling from her eyes.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she sobbed. ¡°He is.¡±

 Chapter 271

    271 Lillian¡¯s Irrational Demand


    Ronan could hardly believe his ears. He had just randomly tossed out a dart, never expecting it to hit a target.


    ¡°The father of your baby is the Beta who used to serve your father,¡± Ronan reiterated, just so that he did not misunderstand anything.


    Lillian kept her head bowed while sobbing.


    ¡°And I thought it was some random man, a married Alpha from another pack...¡±


    Lillian lifted her head and shot Ronan daggers.


    ¡°Do you think that I am that cheap of a woman???¡±


    Ronan stared at her.


    ¡°You are not exactly doing better with this... Kieran Locksworth, are you? What is this? The great conspiracy that your pack concocted to stake a im at the Alpha position in my pack?¡±


    Blood climbed up Lillian¡¯s cheeks due to a mix of embarrassment and fury.


    .....


    ¡°Kieran is innocent!¡± She repeated. ¡°He did not mean to... He...¡±


    Ronan squinted at the woman opposite him.


    ¡°So he did not mean to sleep with you and produce a child. Such idents happen all the time, I am sure...¡±


    ¡°Come down from your high horse, Ronan Silverback. You of all people should not judge him.¡±


    Ronan cleared his throat and tugged his cor loose.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said while rising to his feet. ¡°I am equally irresponsible, but at least I would have taken the responsibility for both the woman and the baby if the woman falls pregnant with my child.¡±


    Lillian stared at Ronan. Her gaze was full of mistrust.


    ¡°So you are saying that you would have stopped pursuing Lucien if this baby were yours?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. What I said was that I would take responsibility. Whether or not Lucien epts me afterward is none of your business.¡±


    Lillian humphed.


    ¡°Does he know that this baby is not mine?¡± Ronan asked.


    ¡°Yes. Other than Dad and Grandma, only Kieran knows.¡±


    Ronan scoffed full of contempt.


    ¡°And this asshole willingly sent you and his baby to my pack without remorse? Wow.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t know that the baby is his,¡± Lillian added. ¡°I never told him.¡±


    Ronan walked around Lillian in a circle while musing about the situation.


    ¡°Just how many men did you sleep with after you left me that morning?¡±


    ¡°Only one.¡±


    ¡°.... So...¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t know that. I lied to him and said that it was someone else.¡±


    ¡°Arghhh.¡±


    Ronan pinched the spot between his brows.


    ¡°Lillian Woond, are you insane? Didn¡¯t you love the man? Why don¡¯t you just tell him that it was his baby?¡±


    ¡°Do you think Grandma and Dad would let him live if he admitted to sleeping with me and impregnating me???¡± Lillian snapped. ¡°I did it for him!¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    Ronan pulled at a bell that hung from a rope just near his seat.


    A momentter, a guard came in.


    ¡°Yes, Alpha?¡±


    ¡°I need brandy, extra strong.¡±


    He then turned to Lillian and asked, ¡°Do you also want something?¡±


    ¡°Fruit tea, thanks,¡± she snapped at the poor guard. Sensing the dangerous sparks between his Alpha and Lillian, the guard quickly exited the room after he noted the orders.


    ¡°Let me get this straight,¡± Ronan slowly said.


    ¡°After you left me that morning, you had sex with Kieran Locksworth and then you became pregnant. When your grandmother and father found out, you told them it was not my child, and that it was the result of a passionate encounter with a non-existent person that was not Kieran Locksworth.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You lied about the father because you wanted to protect Kieran. Then you lied about having sex with me because you want to protect your baby.¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    Ronan mmed a fist against the table, causing Lillian to jolt from fright.


    ¡°Wow. Just wow.¡±


    Lillian swallowed.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s beside the point, alright? He is innocent, please let him go.¡±


    ¡°Innocent? I don¡¯t think so,¡± Ronan said, his tone dripping with malice. ¡°He willingly became part of this great lie that your grandmother and father devised! How is that innocent???¡±


    ¡°He had no choice. He was the Beta! Do you expect him to betray his Alpha?¡±


    A sneer spread across Ronan¡¯s face.


    ¡°And do you expect me to save him because he did not betray his Alpha?¡±


    Lillian bit her lower lip. Ronan was burning with a vengeful spirit. He would not listen to anyone, he was not willing to forgive anyone. If he could scoop up all the rats and roaches in the Woond family¡¯s residence, he would lock them all up too for being essories to the crime.


    ¡°If you are so adamant about punishing him, why don¡¯t you do the same to me?¡± Lillian asked while hugging herself.


    Ronan pinned her with a cold stare.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I am the one who spoke the lie. You should punish me before you punish all those who participate in this lie.¡±


    Ronan scoffed.


    ¡°Watch your tongue, Lillian. Do you think that I do not dare to do it? Do you think that you can manipte me to do what you want?¡±


    Tears came streaming down Lillian¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°Manipte you? How? I have nothing else in my hands! I have lost everything except for the baby! I just want to save one person and all I can do is beg you!¡±


    Ronan took a deep breath. Pregnant women were emotional and vulnerable. He should not further agitate Lillian. She could not do him and Lucien any more harm, anyway.


    ¡°Look, calm down.¡±


    Ronan himself poured Lillian a cup of tea after an attendant came by to bring them their drinks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get upset. You are heavily pregnant. Think about your child.¡±


    ¡°Am I not?¡± Lillian snapped. ¡°These few months, have I spent a day not thinking about my child? I also have to think about my father and Kieran! I am so exhausted! I am tired! I don¡¯t want to do this anymore but I can¡¯t even stop!¡±


    Lillian grabbed Ronan by the cor. The sudden jerking movement almost caused him to drop the cup along with its content.


    ¡°Do you think you are the only one suffering, huh??? Do you even know how all of these started??? What do you know about my family? About me???¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°If you are not willing to release him, then let me go to prison. At least we will be together...¡±

 Chapter 272

    272 The Alpha Made A Deal


    Dane Silverback had a lot of prisoners to supervise, but there was only one who he could interrogate freely. Thankfully, Elijah Summertide was also the one who could testify against Lucrethia Woond.


    There was only one problem.


    The criminal in question refused to y along.


    He confessed to the murder attempt of the Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack, Lucien Clearwater, but he denied any other person¡¯s involvement in this matter.


    To stimte his willingness to speak up, Dane Silverback told him that his son, Erick Summertide, had been removed from the Irond ws pack house and hidden far away.


    He was safe and sound.


    When he heard the news, Elijah¡¯s eyes lit up for a split second before they turned dull again. That was the only reaction that Dane could get out of the man.


    Elijah maintained his obstinate attitude, refusing to point out any aplice or perpetrator.


    ¡°I did it of my own volition. No one helped me and no one asked me to do it.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Why?¡± Dane Silverback demanded. ¡°You were a priest of the Holy Temple of The Moon Goddess. What grudge do you hold toward Lucien Clearwater? Or is it toward the Infinite Eclipse Pack?¡±


    Chained at both arms and legs, Elijah sat on the cold prison ground. He lifted his head and looked into Dane Silverback¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I already confessed my crime, Mr. Dane Silverback. I am not obliged to share any reason that I might have. If there is any, then I shall carry it to my grave.¡±


    Dane gritted his teeth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that you will have that much of an honor.¡±


    Very calmly, Elijah smiled at the angry man who was trying his best to get an answer out of him.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I was born a rogue werewolf. I don¡¯t mind dying a rogue werewolf.¡±


    ¡°What about your son?¡± Dane refused to give up. ¡°Do you want him to lose a father? Do you want him to live a life simr to yours?¡±


    Elijah almost burst intoughter.


    Dane Silverback spoke as if he personally had an experience living as a rogue werewolf. Just what could a high-born alpha werewolf such as himself know about the life that Elijah had epted to be his fate, his destiny?


    ¡°My son is a grown-up man,¡± Elijah stated. He did not bother making anyment about the sorrowful nature of a rogue werewolf¡¯s life. ¡°Sooner orter, he must live without me.¡±


    At the end of his words, Elijah¡¯s voice shook slightly.


    It was not as if he had not nned for a better life for Erick. Goddess knew that he had tried returning his son to the werewolf society.


    When that original n was ruined, Elijah quickly switched to the alternative n.


    All he wanted to do was take Erick away and live together in Europe, just as Lucrethia promised.


    Unfortunately, his failure in carrying out thisst mission turned the alternative n into an impossible dream.


    A nightmare, even.


    ¡°I find it rather interesting that you continue to protect that old woman so persistently. Do you think she is going to save you?¡±


    Elijah scoffed.


    Save him?


    No, of course not.


    The only reason why he shut up about Lucrethia was that he knew the old woman. He did not trust the Werewolf Council. Who knew just how many spies and helpers Lucrethia Woond had within the council?


    It did not matter whether or not Elijah testified against her. She could slip away from the supposedly sharp ws of justice easily.


    And when she did, she would go for those who tried to make her pay for her sins. And their family members.


    By keeping his mouth shut, Elijah safeguarded his son¡¯s life.


    His life was about to end, but at least his son would live on.


    He could only pray for his son¡¯s happiness, until he breathed hisst and left this cruel world.


    Dane Silverback returned to his office, huffing and puffing in displeasure.


    He had barely taken a seat and sipped from his extra strong coffee when his personal attendant came in and informed him that, ¡°Alpha Ronan and Miss Lillian Woond havee for a visit.¡±


    Dane almost choked on his drink.


    Did he not make it clear to Ronan that he should stay put until the trial invitations were sent out? And why would he even bring the woman with him?


    The elder man did not have the patience to wait until the two people arrived at his office. He rushed out to meet them himself.


    ¡°Miss Woond,¡± he said with a grim voice and scary smile before he grabbed his son and dragged him to a deserted chamber.


    mming the door behind him, he gave his son a look full of bewilderment.


    ¡°Ronan, what is wrong with you? Why are you still hanging out with that woman? Did she threaten you with the baby? Don¡¯t tell me that you n to be merciful toward Lucrethia Woond.¡±


    Ronan chuckled.


    ¡°Dad, if the Werewolf Council allows me to be the executioner, I would be happy to decide Lucrethia Woond¡¯s manner of death.¡±


    Dane heaved a sigh of relief. Good, his son had not been bewitched by that woman.


    ¡°Maybe it is a good thing that you bring her here. We should talk about her involvement in this whole crime. Naturally, the baby must not be affected...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not mine,¡± Ronan blurted out in the middle of his father¡¯s speech.


    Astonished, Dane¡¯s mouth dropped open as he stared at his son.


    ¡°Why, of course. I would be enraged if the baby were yours.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Spoken by the man who had numerous extramarital children, some of which he sired before he took a wife. If he were not his father, Ronan would be tempted to describe Dane with Lucien¡¯s favorite word, ¡°shameless¡±.


    ¡°So why are you bringing her here?¡±


    ¡°To surrender her of course. She is still a Woond by birth,¡± Ronan pointed out the obvious.


    ¡°... Ronan, she is a pregnant woman.¡±


    ¡°She wanted it,¡± Ronan quipped. ¡°I think it would be great to put her and Kieran Locksworth close to each other.¡±


    ¡°... Ronan, what do you have in mind?¡±


    The Alpha answered with a light shrug.


    ¡°If everything goes well, we will have all the facts together by tomorrow evening.¡±


    Just in time for the trial.

 Chapter 273

    273 Protecting Each Other Secretly


    Other than Lucrethia Woond who was ced in a special cell with maximum protection, all the others from the Woond family had to share neighboring cells.


    Why? Because the Werewolf Council never had to detain so many people at once.


    Kieran Locksworth was alone in his cell when a guard came in with Lillian Woond in a tow. When he saw the woman through the barred window, his eyes grew round.


    ¡°Lillian!¡±


    Lillian Woond broke into tears when she saw Kieran.


    ¡°Kieran...!!! Oh Goddess, are you alright?!¡±


    When the guard let Lillian in, locked the door right up, and left, Kieran almost lost it.


    ¡°HEY!¡± He shouted. ¡°ARE YOU INSANE??? WHY ARE YOU PUTTING A PREGNANT WOMAN IN PRISON???¡±


    ¡°Kieran, shhh... I asked for it,¡± Lillian put a hand across Kieran¡¯s lips.


    .....


    The man groaned.


    ¡°Why are you so stupid? Don¡¯t tell me that... Did you tell Ronan Silverback that it is not his baby?¡±


    Lillian chuckled.


    ¡°Come on. Do you think he will never find out?¡±


    Kieran pulled at Lillian¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stand. Come and sit. You need to pay attention to your body right now. You are in a delicate condition.¡±


    Lillian pressed a hand against her belly as she took a seat next to Kieran on the bed. The mattress was as hard as a wooden board and the cell smelled like piss and blood.


    Lillian wrinkled her nose in disgust.


    ¡°How can they keep people in this kind of ce? How degrading.¡±


    ¡°Well, this is why they call it a prison cell and not a hotel suite, Princess.¡±


    Kieran¡¯s eyes were drawn to Lillian¡¯s belly.


    ¡°Thest time I saw you, your belly was barely showing,¡± he remarked. ¡°He is growing fast and strong.¡±


    ¡°Mm...¡±


    Lillian pressed her lips together. She looked restless.


    ¡°I asked Dane Silverback to spare you,¡± Kieran said. ¡°Who knew that the Silverback family is so ruthless? In the end, the Irond ws pack members have to help each other. Lillian, listen to me.¡±


    Kieran grabbed Lillian¡¯s hands.


    ¡°You have to get out of here. Find the father of your baby and stay with him. You kept telling me that you didn¡¯t know who it was, but I know you. You are just trying to protect him, for whatever reason. Now that your family is in dire straits, he should really...¡±


    ¡°Kieran, you are the father,¡± Lillian blurted out.


    ¡°...help you out, what irresponsible man... Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°You are the father of my baby,¡± Lillian repeated.


    ¡°...¡±


    For some time, they only stared at each other in silence. Kieran opened and shut his mouth a few times, not knowing how to say what he wanted to say.


    In the end, he only managed to stutter out some unintelligible phrases, ¡°But you said... Another man after me... You met him a few more times... You said that he was the love of your life...¡±


    Lillian grabbed Kieran¡¯s face and cupped it with his hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s you. You are the love of my life. It had never been anyone else. You were the only person I slept with. There was no one else!¡±


    A wheezing sound escaped Kieran¡¯s lips. His legs gave out under him and he slumped to the ground.


    Only after his knees hit the concrete floor did he snap back due to the pain.


    ¡°Hsss!¡±


    ¡°Kieran! Are you alright???¡±


    Kieran held a hand up.


    ¡°No. I mean, yes. I am fine. Lillian, you...¡±


    Trembling from anxiety, Kieran reached out and put both hands on Lillian¡¯s belly.


    ¡°Am I really? Are you ying with my feelings? Is this really...?¡±


    Lillian was a bundle of tears by then. She nodded fervently while putting her hands on top of Kieran¡¯s.


    ¡°I swear by the Moon Goddess. The baby is yours and no one else¡¯s.¡±


    Kieran looked as if he was about to cry andugh at the same time. He was going to be a father, but this news came out in the most terrible circumstances!


    The new Alpha of the Irond ws pack then withdrew his hands and pressed them against his head.


    ¡°Oh, Goddess. How terrible. I can¡¯t believe what I have done.¡±


    Pain shed across Lillian¡¯s eyes. She retreated a few steps while inhaling a deep breath.


    ¡°Do you regret it?¡± She asked. Her heart wasid bare in front of Kieran¡¯s eyes. There was no pretense. Only loveced with pain.


    ¡°Do you not want the baby?¡±


    Opposite her, the man¡¯s mouth dropped open.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant! Lillian, of course I want the baby! No, I don¡¯t regret having sex with you that day! What I regret is...¡±


    Kieran sighed. He rose to his feet and pulled Lillian into his arms, careful not to press against her belly.


    ¡°I was the one who suggested that Madam Lucrethia Woond send you over to the Infinite Eclipse Pack under the pretense that you are carrying Alpha Ronan¡¯s child.¡±


    Lillian widened her eyes in shock. She shoved Kieran away from her and asked, ¡°Wh... Why?¡±


    Kieran lowered his eyes in regret.


    ¡°Your grandmother nned to torture you until either you or the baby died. If I had note up with the idea, either you die or you will forever be scarred.¡±


    Kieran grabbed Lillian¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°I did it for your sake. If I had known that it was my baby, I... I would have taken you and run away together with you and our baby!¡±


    Lillian shook her head.


    ¡°Grandmother would find us. We would not be able to escape...¡±


    ¡°I am so sorry for everything, Lil... I neglected you and our child. It was all my fault.¡±


    ¡°No. No, don¡¯t say that. You wanted to protect me. And I... I wanted to protect you. That¡¯s why I lied to you. I didn¡¯t want Grandmother to throw you into the torture chamber as well. I won¡¯t be able to take it...¡±


    ¡°Oh, sweetheart...¡±


    Kieran bumped their foreheads together.


    ¡°I feel so stupid now...¡±


    ¡°Me too...¡±


    Their breaths mingled with each other, and they slowly drew closer.


    ¡°I love you,¡± Kieran whispered.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± Lillian sobbed.


    After being separated for months, the two lovers finally found each other again. As their lips met, so did their hearts.

 Chapter 274

    274 The Alpha Got Into A Fight


    Just like every other Alpha¡¯s daughter in rtively wealthy packs, Lillian Woond was born and raised with a silver spoon in her mouth.


    In her life, there never was a doll, a dress, a pair of shoes, or a bag that was too expensive or too difficult to get.


    Whatever she wanted, she got when she wanted it.


    The life of a werewolf princess was indeed vastly different from that of a normal pack member.


    While Kierany on the hard bed with Lillian in his arms, all he could think about was how ufortable the woman must be.


    ¡°You should go,¡± he softly whispered. ¡°This is not a ce for someone like you. Especially not in your condition.¡±


    Lillian shook her head.


    ¡°There is no other ce in this whole wide world I want to be in.¡±


    She raised a hand and caressed Kieran¡¯s jawline.


    .....


    ¡°I want to stay with you.¡±


    ¡°This cell is too cold,¡± Kieran reasoned. ¡°They don¡¯t even bother to give us any nkets...¡±


    The prison cell opened on cue and a guard came in with two heavy, fluffy nkets and tworge pillows.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Courtesy of Alpha Ronan Silverback,¡± he quipped before putting the items on the bed and leaving.


    ¡°... He sure is considerate,¡± Kieran said with slight amazement.


    Lillian scoffed.


    ¡°It is a reminder,¡± she said.


    ¡°... Reminder?¡±


    The woman patted her lover on the cheek.


    ¡°It has been a long day,¡± she said. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just rest for now?¡±


    Kieran pulled Lillian into his arms and kissed her.


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said while rubbing Lillian¡¯s belly affectionately.


    Kieran fell asleep soon while Lillian remained awake for almost an hour. In the darkness, she rehearsed what she wanted to say again and again in her mind, hoping that Kieran would cooperate.


    When morning came, Kieran woke up to Lillian who sat on the bed while gazing at him with sad, empty eyes.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± the man asked, furrowing his brows in confusion. ¡°Lil?¡±


    Lillian swallowed hard.


    ¡°Kieran, I need to talk to you about something...¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Lillian pressed her lips together while holding onto her belly. Looking as pitiful as a discarded cat in a downpour, she started to describe her terrible situation, ¡°When Ronan Silverback found out that this baby wasn¡¯t his, he was livid. He threw me out of the pack. I had nowhere else to go, so I asked toe here. He ns to drag me to trial for deception...¡±


    The woman purposefully left her sentence hanging in the air when she broke into a series of heartbreaking sobs.


    Blood rushed to Kieran¡¯s face when he heard what Lillian had to say.


    A whileter, the prison inhabitants were woken up by a loud banging sound from Kieran¡¯s cell. Thetter was hollering and mming his hand against the metallic cell door repeatedly.


    ¡°MR. DANE SILVERBACK!!!¡± He shouted. ¡°I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!¡±


    He was so loud that he woke the guard in charge from a beautiful dream. Unhappy about the sudden ruckus in the morning, the burly guard rushed into Kieran¡¯s cell to give him some beating.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing, causing unrest like that so early in the morning??¡±


    ¡°I DEMAND TO BE RELEASED!!!¡±


    ¡°Do you think that this prison is a cheap hotel that you can check out from at will???¡± The guard shouted furiously.


    What came next was a punch across Kieran¡¯s cheek, followed by Lillian¡¯s frightened scream.


    ¡°STOP! I BEG YOU, PLEASE STOP!!!¡±


    Kieran fell to the ground, but he then kicked hard at the guard¡¯s shin. Thetter howled in pain and instinctively pulled his leg up to rub his shin.


    Kieran used the chance to rise to his feet and punch the guard in the gut, sending him crashing against the stony floor.


    ¡°YOU!!!!¡± The guard roared angrily like a wounded animal.


    The two men exchanged a few more punches before a few more guards came in to separate them.


    Kieran was then dragged out of his cell.


    ¡°Out, out, lover boy! You are going to meet with Mr. Dane Silverback just as you wanted.¡±


    A guard gave Lillian a sharp look.


    ¡°You too, Miss.¡±


    Lillian stumbled on shaky feet and followed the guards out of the cell.


    The two prisoners were led along the corridors until they reached an interrogation room. Inside, Dane Silverback sat before a long desk. His hands were steepled in front of him, resting below his chin.


    He was not alone.


    His son, the Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack, Ronan Silverback, was also there. He sat opposite his father while scrolling through his phone.


    When Kieran saw Dane, he opened his mouth toin about Ronan¡¯s cruel action toward Lillian. When he saw Ronan, theints disappeared and his rage bled through instead.


    ¡°YOU ASSHOLE!!!!¡± Kieran shouted at the top of his lungs, pouncing at the dark-haired man.


    In a split second, Ronan rose to his feet. He stepped to the side just in time to dodge Kieran¡¯s attack.


    In return, he caught thetter¡¯s arm and mmed the man to the ground.


    Before Kieran had the chance to get up, Ronan pinned him to the ground and immobilized him.


    Casually, he spoke to Kieran as if they were old friends who were about to have breakfast together.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Alpha Kieran. Or should I say Beta Kieran? You have yet to have a crowning ceremony.¡±


    Kieran had other pressing matters to think about rather than having a crowning ceremony. Struggling against Ronan¡¯s grip, he turned his head to the side to catch a glimpse of his opponent.


    ¡°How could you!¡± He shouted. ¡°Lillian is pregnant! How could you have the heart to drag her to a trial???¡±


    Ronan raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Oh? How is that wrong?¡±


    ¡°How is that not wrong??? You are a heartless piece of shit!!!¡±


    ¡°Let me see, you were the one who put the baby in her belly, but she showed up at my departed mother¡¯s memorial service and announced that it was my baby. She caused me and my mate unnecessary stress for months. Now tell me again how am I a heartless piece of shit?¡±

 Chapter 275

    275 Kieran Fell Into A Trap


    Kieran gritted his teeth.


    ¡°The person who suggested to deceive you was me, not Lillian. Let her go.¡±


    Ronan raised an eyebrow. He scoffed while looking at Lillian, who was shivering from head to toe.


    ¡°Why, you two are really a match made in heaven,¡± he mocked. ¡°Why don¡¯t I just drag you to the trial instead?¡±


    ¡°dly,¡± Kieran said in response while Lillian cried ¡°NO!¡± at the same time.


    The woman lunged forward and shoved at Ronan¡¯s chest. When Ronan did not move even a millimeter away from his spot, Lillian grew desperate.


    ¡°This was not what we agreed on! Get away from Kieran, don¡¯t hurt him!¡±


    ¡°That was before I knew that he was the bastard who was responsible for this fraudulent act!¡± Ronan grabbed Lillian¡¯s wrists and hissed at her.


    ¡°Who is the heartless piece of shit now, hm?¡±


    .....


    ¡°I am sorry!¡± Lillian wailed. ¡°I am sorry that Lucien had to suffer. I am sorry that you had to suffer!¡±


    ¡°Sorry is not going to cut it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Lucien almost died because of you. All of you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    And him too.


    Ronan closed his eyes as his heart was slowly steeped into the acidic pool called guilt.


    Lucien...


    He could still remember what it felt like when he had to stab the silver knife into Lucien¡¯s heart. How thetter looked at him back then. Aghast from his betrayal.


    Ronan might as well stab himself. It would have hurt less.


    ¡°Ronan.¡±


    Dane, who remained quiet for a long time and watched the fight unfold, rose from his seat and walked around the table.


    He pulled Ronan to his feet. The painful squeeze in his upper arm pulled Ronan out of his painful daydreams.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your emotions get the best of you. We don¡¯t have much time. Let¡¯s talk business.¡±


    On the other side, Lillian helped Kieran up and clung to his arm like a scared little kitten.


    ¡°What business?¡± Kieran asked.


    After being pummeled by guards and brutalized by Ronan, the man could barely stand straight anymore. That did not prevent him from ring at both Ronan and Dane, though.


    ¡°Take a seat, Mr. Locksworth,¡± Dane said.


    ¡°No need,¡± Kieran mouthed stubbornly.


    Ronan rolled with his eyes. He wordlessly grabbed Kieran from Lillian¡¯s arms and pushed him into a chair.


    ¡°You too, Lillian, take a seat,¡± Ronan said.


    Lillianplied without needing any sort of coercion.


    Dane returned to his seat. He cocked his head at Kieran and mused, ¡°You have confessed to a deception. This is a huge crime, considering that you try to install your son as the next Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the Alpha position. I did it to keep both of them alive.¡±


    It did nothing to reduce the severity of his crime, but it was in line with what both Dane and Ronan expected to hear.


    The father and son exchanged brief nces when they heard Kieran¡¯s answer.


    ¡°How so?¡± Dane asked casually, his tone light and rxed.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t do it, then Lillian...¡±


    Color drained from Kieran¡¯s face. He stopped abruptly when he realized where he was and who he was talking to.


    ¡°Wait,¡± he furrowed his brows. ¡°You can¡¯t interrogate me without Elder Kragen. This is against thew.¡±


    Dane squared his shoulders and leaned back in his seat. He looked around the room with an astonished expression.


    Ronan rubbed at his lips to conceal the smirk on his face.


    ¡°That is a surprising allegation, Mr. Locksworth. Now, please remind me of something: did I summon you for interrogation?¡±


    ¡°... No.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you here, Kieran Locksworth?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan chuckled. He shook his head at the man who sat there, scowling at himself. The Alpha crossed his arms and went to stand next to his father.


    ¡°Can you remember how you came in here?¡±


    Of course he could. He was not an Alzheimer¡¯s patient. He asked to meet Dane Silverback himself because he wanted the elder man to get Lillian out of prison and free her from any uing trial.


    ¡°I...¡±


    ¡°You are free to go, you know,¡± Ronan taunted him. ¡°Take Lillian with you. We will see each other at the trial.¡±


    Kieran growled in frustration.


    The bitter taste of defeat made him feel as if he just ate a bowl of bile. He heaved a sigh and shook his head many times.


    Between defending Lucrethia Woond and saving Lillian Woond, which one was more important?


    To Kieran¡¯s greatest dismay, the answer was pretty clear.


    The man lifted his eyes, his gaze drifting between Dane and Ronan.


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°I want you to testify against Lucrethia Woond,¡± Dane Silverback stated without much fuss.


    Kieran narrowed his eyes at Dane.


    ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t you say that you have adequate witness and evidence?¡±


    Dane merely smiled in response.


    Kieran scoffed. Crossing his arms before his chest, he shook his head in disbelief.


    ¡°Wow. This is the first time I meet a Werewolf Council member who can lie without batting an eyelid,¡± he remarked cynically. ¡°I wonder what the other council members think about it.¡±


    Dane¡¯s smile turned into a sneer.


    ¡°This is also the first time I meet with a Beta who dares toy a hand on his Alpha¡¯s daughter. I wonder what your pack members think about it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, enough!¡± Kieran snapped although he was the one who tantalized Dane first. ¡°What kind of testimony do you need?¡±


    Dane reached into his coat and took out a folded paper from his chest pocket.


    He spread the paper for Kieran and Lillian to see.


    ¡°This is a list of allegations that we prepared against Lucrethia Woond. Take a look and tell us where you can be of help.¡±


    Kieran gave Dane and Ronan onest scowl before he ttened the paper in front of him and read from top to bottom.


    ¡°Well,¡± he said after a while. ¡°I know where to find this girl.¡±


    He tapped a finger against a particr name.


    Sha inheart.


    ¡°What about this man?¡±


    Dane took out Elijah Summertide¡¯s picture.


    ¡°Have you seen him before?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kieran confirmed. ¡°He came by our pack house a few times.¡±

 Chapter 276

    276 A Message For Lucien


    Kieran Locksworth¡¯s unofficial interrogation endedte in the afternoon.


    Before he and Lillian were taken back to their prison cell, the new Alpha imed that the two Silverbacks were no different than two vampires that squeezed thest drop of blood from their victims.


    It was maybe the worst insult that he could say out loud, because werewolves and vampires were mortal enemies.


    Neither Dane nor Ronan took offense. They got what they wanted. All that they needed to do was to make sure that the trial went smoothly.


    It was the night before the trial was set to begin.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay with me for the night?¡± Dane offered rather clumsily.


    Considering that their rtionship had been broken for many years, Dane Silverback did not expect his son to agree.


    Indeed, Ronan did not agree. But not because he was still holding a grudge.


    He gave his father half a hug while muttering, ¡°I still have something to do.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Sote?¡± Dane inquired.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ronan had picked thest day before the trial began to do what he had to do.


    The Alpha got into his ck Porsche and drove the car to Hapsborough City.


    Instead of stopping at Carlton Bay Hotel to spend the night, Ronan went to another hotel instead. In this hotel, at the presidential suite, he and Lucien left beautiful memories behind.


    These beautiful memories were dotted with fear of an uing hearing and then the war. But, when Ronan looked back, he could only remember the sweet parts.


    Such as the time when Lucien locked himself up in his bedroom like a pouty child.


    Such as the time when Lucien ordered them the awful macaroni and cheese for dinner.


    Such as the time when they were intimately entangled on the bed and in the bathroom.


    Ronan smiled to himself.


    His train of thought was disturbed by the knocking sound at the door.


    It was Milroy.


    ¡°A-Alpha? There is a package for you. Do you know this sender?¡± the young man stuttered while holding the package under Ronan¡¯s nose.


    Ronan looked down at thebeled box. The sender did not bother being discreet at all. The words ¡°West Coast Center For Reproductive Medicine and Fertility¡± stood tall and proud on top of the box.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the taller man confirmed with a nk expression.


    His assistant turned a shade redder.


    Ronan took the box and said, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Uh, ummm...¡±


    ¡°Come back in an hour.¡±


    ¡°...!!!¡±


    Milroy looked like he would rather jump out of the building, but he obediently followed the Alpha¡¯s order.


    Inside the suite, Ronan tore up the box and found a ratherrge egg inside. It came with an instruction manual.


    ¡°Hello, Future Dad!¡± It said.


    Ronan wiped at his face in embarrassment.


    ¡°Please peel this egg and use it to store your sperm. As soon as you finish, seal the opening with the included cap and send it to us within 24 hours! For detailed instructions on how to use the egg, please check the next section!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan went into the bathroom and unzipped his pants. Inside the ¡°egg¡± was a cream-colored, squishy, and stic thing. At one end there was a small hole. When Ronan thought back about what Lucien¡¯s rear hole looked like before and after they were done fooling around, he became hard in an instant.


    While imagining himself making love to Lucien, Ronan pushed his engorged organ into the hole and watched as it slowly engulfed the swollen head and then the majority of the shaft.


    ¡°Mmmh...¡±


    Ronan closed his eyes and arched his back.


    ¡°Lulu...¡± he whispered with a throaty voice. ¡°My love...¡±


    He thought back to the many times he fucked Lucien, how the man looked like every time he went deep. The red-blonde man always had his mouth wide open in a silent scream as he endured Ronan¡¯s savage onught. His eyes would be shut tightly and he would mp hard around Ronan, his fingernails drawing long lines down Ronan¡¯s back...


    ¡°... Ugh!¡±


    The egg was not as good as Lucien¡¯s love tunnel, but it did the job. After a while, Ronan knotted into the egg and slowly poured out his thick and potent seed into it.


    After he was done, he sealed it with the aforementioned cap and put it aside.


    Ronan then took a shower to clean himself from both his sample-collecting activity as well as the dirty thoughts in his mind.


    If Lucien were there, it would not have ended with only one round. He would take his mate again in the shower. And then the bed.


    Ronan would make love to Lucien again and again, bing a ve to his carnal desires until their hearts beat as one and their bodies were locked together in hot, passionate love.


    There was no sweeter endeavor than to climb the heights of pleasure with his beloved Lucien, only to fall together with the man into the sea of bliss.


    In retrospect, maybe the Moon Goddess did not make a mistake when she made Lucien to be a man. Otherwise, he would give birth every year. Ronan did not think that Lucien would like it very much.


    After the deed was done, Ronan packed the egg into a reserved stic bag. When he wanted to put it into the box, he saw a card at the bottom of the box along with another instruction sheet. It read as followed:


    ¡°Esteemed Mr. Silverback, we are currently in the middle of making final preparation before the artificial womb undergoesmissioning. This card along with the same sample collection package will be sent out to your partner as soon as possible.


    Please kindly fill in your partner¡¯s name and contact information.


    Feel free to leave a heartfelt message at the back side!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan grabbed a pen and scribbled down Lucien¡¯s information on the front page of the card.


    While the front side was rtively ssy with mainly ck and white color, the back side was colored pink and framed with a lot of tiny hearts.


    Ronan cleared his throat.


    He then started writing, ¡°My beloved Lucien...¡±

 Chapter 277

    277 The Day Of The Trial (1)


    In the werewolf society, werewolf packs constituted political entities that answered directly to the Werewolf Council.


    Disputes within a pack were solved independently by the governing body within the said pack, which meant that the Alpha held an uncontested right to decide the fate of his pack members.


    Disputes between packs were resolved in two stages. The preliminary stage, a private hearing or discussion, was conducted between a judge, the disputing packs, and the elders who represented each pack.


    Depending on the result of said hearing or discussion, said dispute might be carried to a court trial before the entire Werewolf Council members and representatives of each pack.


    Having no pack to support him, Elijah Summertide¡¯s case was brought directly to trial.


    The presiding judge could not be anyone who hailed from any of the disputing packs, so Dane Silverback had to give up the judge seat to another council member, Gregor Gravecrown.


    Ronan and Jake took seats in the front circr row, where the intiff side usually sat.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± Jake greeted Ronan. Unlike Ronan who spent a night at Hapsborough City, Jake departed early morning from the Infinite Eclipse Pack House.


    ¡°How is everything?¡± Ronan asked casually.


    .....


    ¡°Everything is fine. I have prepared everything.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. This will end today.¡±


    Jake nodded.


    ¡°Everyone misses the Luna dearly.¡±


    Ronan smiled.


    No one missed Lucien more than he did, but he was happy that his pack members epted Lucien with open arms.


    Ronan leaned forward and peeked at the man who sat a few rows back at the opposite of the hall. Kinnon Youngshaper lifted his head and happened to meet Ronan¡¯s eyes. He gave his rival a thin smile before quickly looking away.


    Ronan closed his eyes and rubbed at his temples.


    A little bit more, Lucien...


    I am going toe and get you as soon as this trial ends.


    Please be patient, my love...


    On the other side, also sitting at the front circr row were the Woond family members who just recently not only lost the Alpha position but also fell from grace. As the new Alpha of the Irond ws, Kieran Locksworth sat with them. Obscured from sight by the railing that separated the trial attendants from the center area, he held Lillian Woond¡¯s hand tightly.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± Gregor Gravecrown¡¯s booming sound rang across the hall. ¡°Please settle down. We are here to try Elijah Summertide, a former priest at the Holy Temple of The Moon Goddess for a crime against the Infinite Eclipse Pack.¡±


    As the news had made its round for a few days, no one was surprised to hear it anymore.


    Elijah Summertide was brought to the center of the Crescent Hall, his hands and feet were shackled up together.


    ¡°Please take a seat, Elijah,¡± Gregor gestured to the chair at the center of the hall.


    Elijah took a seat, and then he was chained to the chair. The man seemed to be resigned about his fate. He showed neither resistance nor fear.


    ¡°You have been caught red-handed on the night of 17th February in an attempt to murder Lucien Clearwater, the Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack. Is this correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Gravecrown,¡± Elijah answered curtly.


    Gregor turned to an attendant who promptly stepped up to offer him the same poison vial that Kinnon wrenched out of Elijah¡¯s grip that night.


    ¡°And you wanted to do it by means of poisoning?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Gravecrown.¡±


    ¡°Did anyone ask you tomit the crime?¡±


    ¡°No, Mr. Gravecrown.¡±


    ¡°Did you do it of your own volition?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Gravecrown.¡±


    ¡°Do you plead guilty?¡±


    ¡°I do, Mr. Gravecrown.¡±


    Half of the Crescent Hall directed their eyes at Ronan Silverback while the other half had their eyes on the Woonds.


    Gregor looked around the hall.


    ¡°The defendant pleaded guilty. In that case, we shall proceed to decide the just punishment for Elijah Summertide.¡±


    ¡°One moment, Mr. Gravecrown, I have a question for Elijah Summertide.¡±


    All heads turned to Ronan Silverback who just spoke up.


    ¡°Please speak, Alpha Ronan.¡±


    Ronan narrowed his eyes at the shackled man at the center of the room.


    ¡°What kind of poison did you try to use on my mate?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The poison vial immediately became the center of attention.


    ¡°It is an ancient poison called ¡®A Thousand Flowers Of Separation¡¯,¡± Elijah answered a whileter after he dug out the name from his blurred memory.


    ¡°Where did you get the poison from?¡±


    Elijah chuckled.


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t remember. It was within my collection.¡±


    Ronan smirked.


    ¡°Really, and you used your precious collection on my mate. I should feel honored, should I not?¡±


    Upon hearing Elijah¡¯s answer, more than one elder stood up at once.


    ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Gravecrown, his answer doesn¡¯t make sense,¡± Elder Rick remarked.


    ¡°How so?¡± Gregor asked.


    ¡°That poison is very rare. It was harvested from the blood of a she-wolf who suffered betrayal from her fated mate. To my knowledge, the amount is very limited. It is not only rare, but it is also very expensive.¡±


    Gregor hummed.


    ¡°Mr. Gravecrown, this poison is not easily detectable. It is only lethal for fated mates. To protect fated mates from the poison, the poison had been strictly protected by the Fangde family,¡± Elder Aaron added.


    ¡°The Fangde family had transferred the remaining poison to the rence family for safekeeping more than thirty years ago,¡± Elder Devin who hailed from the Fangde family spoke up.


    ¡°The rence family is politically neutral.¡±


    All thements only strengthened the fact that this was not an everyday poison that a rogue werewolf like Elijah could collect.


    Gregor furrowed his brows at Elijah.


    ¡°Did you steal the poison from the rence family?¡±


    Desperate, Elijah quickly agreed, ¡°Yes. I did.¡±


    ¡°That is a lie,¡± all elders spoke in unison.


    ¡°Ever since they received the poison from the Fangde family, not a drop has been lost.¡±


    ¡°They are wrong,¡± Elijah snapped. ¡°I stole it. I really did.¡±


    ¡°Then, can you describe what the secret poison storage looks like?¡± Ronan sneered. ¡°We can check with the rence family right away.¡±


    ¡°I...¡±


    Elijah gritted his teeth. ¡°I forgot. It has been too long.¡±


    ¡°Well, I have a theory,¡± Ronan said. ¡°Maybe the poison was stolen while it was being safeguarded by the Fangde family.¡±

 Chapter 278

    278 The Day Of The Trial (2)


    Upon hearing Ronan¡¯s words, Elder Devin, who mmed his hand against the table in front of him, shouted, ¡°Alpha Ronan! You are speaking about the birth family of yourte mother! Do watch your tongue!¡±


    Ronan turned to look at Elder Devin. The pair of eyes typical of the Fangde bloodline looked extra fierce when coupled with Dane Silverback¡¯s signature cold gaze.


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle. I am aware of what I just said.¡±


    Elder Devin turned beet red. He looked like he wanted to curse Ronan out for being disrespectful, but in the end, he decided to swallow the indignation instead.


    Elder Devin did not continue defending the Fangde family against Ronan, but everyone felt ufortable badmouthing an ancient bloodline that had unfortunately been discontinued.


    ¡°We should rule out this possibility, Alpha Ronan,¡± Gregor said. ¡°Unless you think that Elijah Summertide stole the poison when he was but a youngling of ten years old or less.¡±


    Ronan broke into a smile.


    ¡°I trust that the talented Mr. Summertide is not that proficient that he could steal from the Fangde family when he¡¯s just an immatured.¡±


    The Alpha cocked his head in the Woond family¡¯s direction.


    .....


    ¡°But someone else could. Someone who was old enough and had ess to the poison.¡±


    It was clear who he was referring to.


    Someone who also hailed from the Fangde family and was old enough to steal it more than thirty years ago just happened to sit in the row where the Woond family members sat at.


    Even Lillian¡¯s younger siblings and cousins knew who Ronan was referring to.


    ¡°G-grandmother?¡± One of them whispered in disbelief.


    The matriarch of the Woond family, Lucrethia Woond, gave Ronan a sneer in response.


    She then shot Elder Kragen a sharp look. Shocked by Ronan¡¯s bold usation, the elder even forgot to defend the pack that he was representing.


    ¡°That is nothing more than spection, Mr. Gravecrown!¡± Elder Kragen shouted. ¡°Do you have any evidence for using Madam Lucrethia Woond? Back when she allegedly stole the ancient poison, you haven¡¯t even been born to the world!¡±


    ¡°Of course, it is a spection. Don¡¯t you think that it is a bit too much of a coincidence, though?¡± Ronan asked. ¡°Elijah went after my mate for no apparent reason. The Woond family just happens to draw benefit should he seed.¡±


    ¡°Reason has yet to be divulged,¡± Gregor pointed out. ¡°Not that it is necessary once the defendant pleads guilty. For the sake of justice, Elijah Summertide, why did you want to take Lucien Clearwater¡¯s life?¡±


    ¡°I held a grudge against him.¡±


    ¡°What grudge?¡±


    ¡°He... He hurt me a long time ago.¡±


    Ronan rolled with his eyes.


    ¡°When? What did he do?¡±


    ¡°It was about two years ago during the Moon Banquet.¡±


    From one of the rows at the backside, Annalynne stood up abruptly and shouted, ¡°LIAR!!!!¡±


    Elijah gritted his teeth.


    ¡°My brother did not return to the pack untilst year! He skipped a lot of Moon Banquets! And don¡¯t tell me that you met him somewhere outside of the temple!¡±


    ¡°Alpha Annalynne, please control your temper,¡± Gregor growled. ¡°Otherwise I will hold you in contempt of the court.¡±


    Annalynne plopped back on her seat unhappily. Next to her, Kendra squeezed her arm while throwing furious looks at Elijah.


    ¡°Mr. Summertide? If you do not tell the truth, I will be forced to consider that Alpha Ronan¡¯s spection carries some truth.¡±


    Elijah swallowed hard.


    He never thought that this matter would take such aplicated turn even after he pleaded guilty. The man wanted to sneak a nce at Lucrethia Woond to get some clues, but one look sufficed to establish a connection between them.


    Elijah held his head down.


    From this point on, whatever he said would only make things worse. Might as well shut up. If he did not want to talk, who could make him talk?


    Gregor scoffed.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, obviously you don¡¯t have any lead that can point out the connection between Elijah Summertide and Madam Lucrethia Woond. I am sorry but we cannot do any trial based on mere spection.¡±


    ¡°What if I have a witness who can testify that the two people are indeed rted?¡± Ronan asked calmly.


    The question was very simple, but it caused the whole hall to break into an uproar.


    ¡°No way!¡± one person eximed.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, you are being delusional!¡±


    ¡°Madam Lucrethia Woond is an esteemed elder! Why would she have anything to do with this... this rogue werewolf!¡±


    Elijah gritted his teeth and clenched his fists when he heard the two words that never failed to remind him of his humble origin.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, you need to stop now before you go too far and offend the Woonds!¡±


    Sitting among his family members, Conrad Woond whined and held both hands against his ears.


    ¡°Nooo,¡± he begged. ¡°Please stop...¡±


    ¡°QUIETTTTTT!!!¡±


    Dane Silverback hollered at the crowd. The entire hall fell into a deathly silence in an instant.


    Gregor cleared his throat.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Dane Silverback. Please let me handle it.¡±


    Dane gave Gregor a stiff nod. That was all he could do to preserve his colleague¡¯s dignity. They both knew that the crowd would not listen to Gregor the way they listened to Dane. This was the main reason why Dane was asked to serve as a judge for the worst court cases that the Werewolf Council had to deal with.


    ¡°So, Alpha Ronan, where is this witness that can prove that the unlikely connection exists?¡±


    Ronan shifted his gaze to Kieran Locksworth, who was squeezing Lillian¡¯s hand so hard that thetter began to wince.


    ¡°I would like to have Kieran Locksworth as my witness in this regard.¡±


    It had to be noted that Kieran was sitting together with the Woond family members during the trial. More than ten pairs of eyes followed his every movement as the man let go of Lillian¡¯s hand, stepped out of the circr row, and walked to the center of the hall.


    ¡°Traitor,¡± one of them whispered.

 Chapter 279

    279 The Day Of The Trial (3)


    Kieran Locksworth stood at the podium, looking back at the hundreds of eyes that were looking down at him.


    While some of them harbored mixed reactions, the majority had nothing but contempt for a former Beta who decided to speak against the Alpha that he used to serve.


    ¡°Quiet, everyone!¡± Gregor shouted when a round of murmur grew louder and louder.


    ¡°Beta... No, Alpha Kieran... Do you agree to serve as a witness for Alpha Ronan?¡±


    Staring at the Alpha who sat some distance away, Kieran nodded stiffly.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    In return for his testimony, Ronan agreed to drag neither Lillian nor Kieran to court. The paternity of the baby would also not be put into question. The matter was to be resolved privately between the three of them.


    That was the best scenario that Kieran could hope for.


    For the sake of Lillian and their son.


    .....


    For their little family.


    ¡°Then, please tell the court what you know about the rtionship between Madam Lucrethia Woond and Elijah Summertide.¡±


    Chained up in his chair, Elijah widened his eyes at Kieran.


    ¡°About three years ago, when I just took over the Beta position from my father, I caught an intruder in our Irond ws Pack House,¡± Kieran said. ¡°At that time he refused to tell me who he was. When I brought him to my Alpha, the man was released immediately. After that, I was told by my Alpha that this man was a servant of Madam Lucrethia Woond.¡±


    ¡°Are you referring to Elijah Summertide?¡±


    Kieran nodded.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°You are wrong, Beta Kieran!!!¡± Elijah howled. ¡°I have never seen you in my life!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Gregor hollered at Elijah.


    ¡°I saw him a few more times after that,¡± Kieran confessed. ¡°Thest time I saw him was about a week ago.¡±


    Elijah turned pale from fright.


    It was when Lucrethia gave him the poison vial with the order to end Lucien¡¯s life.


    ¡°Is it good enough?¡± Ronan asked Gregor.


    Before the judge opened his mouth to answer, Lucrethia spoke up.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± the elderlydy said. She did not look at all affected by Kieran¡¯s testimony. Those who attended the trial soon found out why.


    ¡°Kieran Locksworth stole the Alpha position from the Woond family,¡± she pointed out. ¡°He is trying to destroy the reputation of the Woond family to secure that no one from our family dares to reim the Alpha throne ever again.¡±


    All of a sudden, Kieran the witness became Kieran the usurper.


    ¡°That is not true!¡± Kieran shouted. ¡°Conrad Woond openly said that he no longer wanted to be the Alpha. No one else from the Woond family wanted the Alpha seat! Not even his sister, Ms. Vera Woond!¡±


    Conrad rocked back and forth in his seat while murmuring unintelligible words and mping his hands tightly on his ears. Vera Woond was pale with fright.


    ¡°Vera, is that true?¡± Lucrethia smiled at her youngest daughter. ¡°Did the two of you drop the Alpha position on the ground for every vulture to peck on?¡±


    Vera raised her eyes to meet her mother¡¯s. Once she caught sight of the cold wrath within, she quickly averted her eyes.


    She might be the less talented daughter that her mother was never too fond of, and also never put a lot of hope on, but she knew very well of her mother¡¯s ambition.


    Lucrethia Woond had always wanted to be an Alpha.


    Conrad was out of his mind due to umting stress, leaving only Vera to take charge. Lucrethia would have wanted Vera to im the Alpha position, especially during these difficult times when no one wanted it.


    But who in their sane minds would do that???


    Vera might not be talented, but she was not dumb!


    ¡°N-no,¡± the elder woman denied.


    ¡°No, what?¡± Gregor dug further. ¡°Ms. Vera Woond, can you borate?¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, but I don¡¯t remember much of it. By the time I snapped back from my daze, I already stood outside of my pack house and Kieran already named himself the new Alpha.¡±


    s, no one else but Conrad, Vera, and Kieran himself were present when Conrad relinquished the Alpha position. Kieran had no one to back him up, although everyone knew that he did not lie.


    The Alpha position of the Irond ws pack, now and then, was still a hot potato that no one wanted to hold onto.


    ¡°See?¡±


    Lucrethia had a bright smile on her face.


    ¡°So sorry, Alpha Ronan. Unless you can bring another witness to the stand, your theory remains a theory.¡±


    Ronan sneered.


    ¡°This won¡¯t do, Mr. Gravecrown,¡± he said. ¡°I can bring a second, a third witness to the stand, but if Madam Lucrethia Woond continues saying that all testimonies are done to destroy her or her family¡¯s reputation, we will never get to the bottom of this matter.¡±


    Gregor hummed.


    ¡°In that case, what do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°Give Kieran Locksworth the benefit of the doubt. The court must not automatically side with Madam Lucrethia Woond. With all due respect,¡± Ronan added while nodding toward the elderly.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± she scoffed.


    ¡°Very well. Does Alpha Kieran have more to say to his testimony?¡±


    After he was put in a difficult position, Kieran was burning with rage. Thest pint of his patience already evaporated into the air seconds ago. He was going to talk even if the whole court told him to shut up.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Gravecrown, indeed I have. During my tenure as Beta, I get to know about one more major crime that the matriarch of the Woond family personally masterminded.¡±


    The hall was deafeningly silent. Everyone held their breath, waiting for Kieran to drop the bomb.


    It was indeed a bomb.


    ¡°Madam Lucrethia Woond triggered at least two incidents to sow discord and drive a wedge between the two biggest packs, the Infinite Eclipse Pack and the Night Prowler Pack.


    The first one was the attack on Alpha Kinnon in the presence of Annalynne Clearwater, then not yet serving as the Alpha of the Silent Walkers Pack.


    The second one was the attack on Alpha Kinnon¡¯s son by hiring an outcast who hailed from the Infinite Eclipse Pack.¡±

 Chapter 280

    280 The Day Of The Trial (4)


    The usation was ridiculously heavy, it was worth two death sentences at least! Half of the trial attendants were swayed to believe Kieran Locksworth¡¯s statement because which fool used a high-rankdy of such atrocities unless they were all true?


    Alpha Kinnon Youngshaper from the Night Prowler Pack rose to his feet and roared from where he sat at.


    ¡°Mr. Gregor Gravecrown, the attacks were done to harm my heir and me. My son Ralph was barely four years old at the time of the attack. I demand justice!¡±


    Emboldened by Kinnon¡¯s action, Alpha Annalynne from the Silent Walkers Pack too rose again from her seat and shouted, ¡°I was also attacked at the same time Alpha Kinnon was attacked! Mr. Gravecrown, I demand a full exnation from Lucrethia Woond!¡±


    By this time, Gregor was having a huge headache.


    At first, he thought that he was only trying an ex-priest who confessed his crime on all ounts. It was supposed to be an easy one.


    Enter Ronan Silverback who came with a bunch of questions and a theory that involved Lucrethia Woond. He even managed to get the current Alpha of the Irond ws Pack to side with him.


    Kieran Locksworth¡¯s testimony dragged two more packs into the trial, adding more mess to the already very messy affair.


    Dane Silverback stood up, straightened his coat, and approached his distressed colleague.


    .....


    They exchanged a few words, then Gregor Gravecrown grabbed a gavel and hit the sound block a few times to call for attention.


    ¡°Alpha Kieran Locksworth¡¯s testimony has changed the nature of the trial. The trial is thus adjourned until the next morning. All relevant pack Alphas, Betas, and Elders,e with me for a private hearing.¡±


    Elijah Summertide cast a helpless look at Lucrethia Woond atst before he was taken back to his cell. The elderly shot Kieran Locksworth a poisonous look. If she did not know better, she might be tempted to try and rip the former Beta¡¯s head off his shoulders.


    The hearing chamber had never been so cramped before. Inside were the four pack leaders, their representative elders, the suspect Lucrethia Woond, and the two council members Gregor Gravecrown and Dane Silverback.


    ¡°Honestly, in my many years of being in the council, I have never experienced a messier circumstance than this one,¡± Gregor said with a certain degree of exasperation. ¡°Alpha Kieran Locksworth, are you aware that you practically act as an essory to the crime if you know what¡¯s going on but did not bother to report it to the council???¡±


    ¡°That is not a fair reproach, Mr. Gravecrown,¡± Kieran growled in defiance. ¡°Which Beta goes around to air out the pack¡¯s dirtyundry??? That is an absolute betrayal!¡±


    Lucrethia sneered.


    ¡°I assume that you consider yourself to be a righteous person right now, ¡®Alpha¡¯ Kieran. I never knew how hypocrisy smells like until youe along.¡±


    Kieran¡¯s face darkened visibly.


    ¡°Quit the verbal jabs, both of you,¡± Gregor barked. ¡°Elder Kragen, do you have nothing to say?¡±


    Said elder threw Gregor a helpless look. What was he supposed to say? The new Alpha of the pack testified against the mother of the previous Alpha who abandoned his position. Elder Kragen did not know what to say let alone what to do.


    ¡°Honestly, Mr. Gravecrown, I am conflicted. Elders are supposed to meddle in disputes between packs, not within packs.¡±


    Gregor threw his hands in the air.


    ¡°You know what? Maybe the Irond ws Pack needs to sort out its internal affair first before we even conduct this hearing.¡±


    ¡°Good idea, but I do not want to be lynched by the entire Woond family members just because I stepped up to be the Alpha when no one else wanted to,¡± Kieran snapped.


    Lucrethia cackled at Kieran¡¯s temper. Conrad had no backbone and Vera was a coward, but she did not think that Kieran had what it took to be a good Alpha either.


    ¡°You already have the Alpha position. Feel free to keep it.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful, then Alpha Kieran remains the Alpha. What do you have to say about the matter concerning your pack member, Madam Lucrethia Woond?¡±


    ¡°Oho!¡± Lucrethia eximed in amusement. ¡°Yes, ¡®Alpha¡¯ Kieran, what do you have to say about me, a mere pack member?¡±


    Lucrethia¡¯s verbal jabs did not make Kieran more talkative. On the contrary, he mmed up immediately.


    ¡°You were saying about the two attacks at my pack house,¡± Kinnon helped to bring Kieran back on track.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kieran said, visibly distracted.


    ¡°I, uh...¡±


    He stole a nce at Ronan, who raised an eyebrow at him.


    ¡°Alpha Kieran, do you have any evidence that can support your im?¡± Gregor asked.


    ¡°That... Yes, yes, I do. Um...¡± Kieran took a deep breath. ¡°Is the council acquainted with a person named Ss Goldfinger?¡±


    Other than Annalynne and Kendra who had not been in position for a long time, everyone reacted to the name with various degrees of displeasure mixed with annoyance.


    Ss Goldfinger was a rogue werewolf who recruited fellow rogue werewolves and offered them to packs to do some frence jobs. The nature of these frence jobs was mostly illegal. A lot of the desperate, poor rogue werewolves were asked to do jobs that no proper werewolf wanted to be caught dead at.


    ¡°What about him?¡± Dane asked.


    ¡°A young woman came by our pack house once, and she demanded to meet with the Madam. She refused to tell her name and also her origin. Naturally, the guards kicked her out and barred her entry. At that time, so they reported, the young woman said that she was sent by a certain Ss Goldfinger.¡±


    ¡°That was how I found out that Madam engaged in Ss Goldfinger¡¯s service from time to time.¡±


    ¡°One day, this young woman was received by the Alpha and suddenly she became something like an on-and-off servant to the Woond household.¡±


    ¡°Iter found out that her name was Sha inheart. Allegedly, she was punished for stealing, but I know for sure that the Madam killed her in an outburst of rage.¡±

 Chapter 281

    281 The Day Of The Trial (5)


    Sha inheart and Gavin Ashmore grew up as blood-unrted siblings. Since they were close in age and came under Quinn¡¯s patronage at almost the same time, they quickly became good friends.


    It was unclear when it started, but as they grew up, things started to change. Sha¡¯s feelings shifted from familial ones to romantic ones.


    Unfortunately, Gavin did not share the same sentiment. He instead fell for the timid Maya Greenwood, who Sha always considered a goody two shoes.


    When Gavin was found guilty of harassing Maya, it was Sha who helped him to escape from the pack house.


    s, he was captured fairly quickly. When he was then kicked out of the Infinite Eclipse Pack, Sha was heartbroken.


    In Sha¡¯s opinion, it was Maya who acted coy around Gavin. Maya misled Gavinpletely, and Gavin fell for her charm.


    Sha then begged Quinn to put a good word for Gavin in front of the Alpha, but Quinn refused to.


    Quinn pointed out to Sha that Gavin knew that what he did was wrong and did it anyway. This was not something that neither Quinn nor Ronan could tolerate.


    If the pack forgave Gavin, it would be taken as a sign that it was not a serious offense and any infatuated young man could do the same thing.


    .....


    In the end, Quinn delivered Gavin to ck Reef Ind. Needless to say, Gavin was miserable there. Sha came to visit him as often as she could, but it did not make Gavin feel any better because he knew that his ce in the werewolf society was forever gone.


    One day, Ss Goldfinger came to the prison in search of someone who might just be willing to do a small job in exchange for freedom and possible entry into another pack.


    A lot of the prisoners were interested, including Gavin. When Gavin told Ss that he hailed from the Infinite Eclipse Pack, Ss knew that he was the right person for the job.


    His client was a very important person with a high rank in the werewolfmunity, so Ss told Gavin. It was inconvenient for her toe down to ck Reef Ind to talk terms with Gavin. So if Gavin had someone who often came to visit him, it would be great if this person could serve as the middle man or woman to bridge themunication between the client and Gavin.


    The next time Sha came to visit, Gavin told her everything. Sha quickly agreed. In her naivety, she went straight to the Irond ws Pack House without any n. Although she remembered not to reveal her own name or Gavin¡¯s, she ended up blurting Ss Goldfinger¡¯s name instead.


    This one slip of the tongue was what drew Kieran Locksworth¡¯s attention to the young woman from the very beginning.


    It was not a coincidence that Ralph was attacked mere days before the war between the Silent Walkers Pack and the Night Prowler Pack began. Lucrethia had nned for Ronan Silverback to kill Kinnon Youngshaper.


    Burning with rage from the battleground choice and consumed by vengeance over his darling little boy, Kinnon Youngshaper was supposed to lose against Ronan Silverback. Possibly killed, if Lucrethia¡¯s calction was correct.


    This was in line with her n to make Lillian the Luna of the strongest pack on the continent.


    The order that she gave Gavin was not to kill Ralph but injure him severely. Severe enough to incapacitate the boy, if possible. After all, she needed Kinnon to go rampant during the war.


    Gavin¡¯s death was part of the n.


    After all, it would not make sense if he escaped scot-free from the Night Prowler Pack House so easily.


    For Sha, Lucrethia had another n.


    Lucrethia had nned to reward Sha with a lot of gold and send her away as a reward while keeping Gavin¡¯s death a secret from Sha.


    One way or another, Sha eventually found out. She went back onest time to meet with Lucrethia and kicked a huge fuss.


    This was not what she wanted, she said.


    She wanted to give Gavin a second chance, allowing him to be part of a werewolf pack again.


    The young woman said that Lucrethia deceived her. She threatened to tell Quinn and Ronan Silverback about the entire scheme.


    Naturally, Lucrethia did not want to let the cat out of the bag that soon.


    Only dead people did not talk.


    Lucrethia squeezed the life out of Sha and murdered her in cold blood. Her son, Conrad Woond was also there when it happened.


    He was a total wuss.


    His knees went weak and he fell to the ground in fright.


    Beta Kieran just happened to enter the room at the inopportune moment. He widened his eyes when he looked at the young woman¡¯s corpse.


    ¡°Beta Kieran, get rid of this woman for me,¡± so Lucrethia ordered. ¡°The maid stole from me and I punished her for it.¡±


    Within a pack, the Alpha was the rule. Since Conrad Woond was there to witness the punishment and no objection slipped from his mouth, Kieran had no reason to find it absurd or uwful.


    After all, the young woman was, he thought at that time, a mere rogue werewolf without any connection.


    Their lives were practically worthless.


    They were the pest of the werewolf society, the unwanted werewolves who contaminated the wholemunity.


    ¡°I only found out the truth about Sha inheart recently,¡± Kieran said.


    By recently, he meant his unofficial interrogation with Lillian, Ronan, and Dane.


    Lillian and Ronan both contributed some pieces of the puzzle, making it possible for them to put together the entire story and establish a connection between Gavin Ashmore and Lucrethia Woond.


    ¡°I buried her in an empty spot in a human graveyard at a small town west of Pine Groove City.¡±


    ¡°This is very magnificently told, Alpha Kieran, but this does not help at all with uncovering Madam Woond¡¯s role as the mastermind,¡± Gregor remarked.


    ¡°I am not done yet,¡± Kieran said in response. ¡°When I buried her, I saw it. Sha inheart had some skin and blood under her fingernails. She scratched Madam Lucrethia Woond when the Madam was choking her.¡±

 Chapter 282

    282 The Day Of The Trial (6)


    ¡°Heh,¡± Lucrethia Woond chuckled.


    She raised her eyes to meet Ronan¡¯s.


    ¡°Congrattions, Alpha Ronan. You have truly worked hard to make me out to be the viin.¡±


    ¡°Madam Lucrethia Woond, what do you say about Alpha Kieran¡¯s testimony just now?¡±


    The elderlyughed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know that girl by name, let alone that she was part of another pack. All I knew was that she found a job in my household. We were very generous to her, but she had the audacity to steal a precious belonging of mine.


    When confronted, she tried to kill me. Naturally, I had no other choice but to kill her in self-defense. Now do tell me, Mr. Gravecrown, is that wrong?¡±


    Gregor parted his lips in amazement.


    ¡°No, of course not...¡±


    .....


    ¡°Pray tell, what is this precious belonging of yours that Sha stole?¡± Elder Aaron asked.


    Lucrethia turned to look at him and shed him the sweetest smile.


    ¡°A belt with an emblem that is engraved with the sigil of the Silverback family.¡±


    Both Ronan¡¯s and Kinnon¡¯s faces darkened in an instant.


    Lucrethia had twisted the story so much that she now became a robbery victim instead, pushing the me onto Sha and Gavin entirely.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be,¡± Elder Jonas gasped. ¡°That belt was found within Gavin Ashmore¡¯s belongings. He carried it with him when he attacked little Ralph.¡±


    ¡°There you go,¡± Lucrethia said victoriously. ¡°Just what I said just now.¡±


    Amused, Dane Silverback smiled at Lucrethia.


    ¡°Madam, do you know something that never ceases to amaze me?


    People, who spoke in this case, have had ring loopholes or their testimonies carried an ulterior motive. What about you?¡±


    ¡°What ring loopholes and or ulterior motives can you detect from my so-called story, Dane Silverback?¡± Lucrethia returned the smile. ¡°I would love to hear them.


    ¡°Well, for example, the fact that a young woman from another pack could easily be one of your maids and she just had to steal something with a Silverback sigil on it instead.¡±


    Lucrethia shrugged.


    ¡°I reckon that she nned to avenge his lover all along by adding oil to the fire. Young people tend to be hot-headed and rash enough to do that.¡±


    ¡°I see, I see. It still doesn¡¯t exin how she found employment at your estate so easily.¡±


    ¡°What can I tell you, Dane Silverback? Why don¡¯t you ask our then Beta Kieran here? Or our Gamma? They are responsible to keep outsiders out and do any background screening to prevent intruders froming in. Or am I supposed to do that myself?¡±


    Kieran gritted his teeth in fury.


    ¡°I already said that she was received by the Alpha.¡±


    Lucrethia gave Kieran a puzzled look. ¡°Interesting, so just because Conrad was foolish enough to pick a stray kitten from the street, you then thought that you didn¡¯t need to do any background check?¡±


    The new Alpha swallowed hard. The jut at his throat bobbed up and down nervously as he received the harsh scolding.


    ¡°I...¡±


    A smirk spread across the elderly¡¯s face. She cocked her head to the side and spoke in a tone that dripped with poison, ¡°Not very confident anymore, are you ¡®Alpha¡¯ Kieran?¡±


    ¡°I...¡±


    Dane Silverback scoffed.


    ¡°Can you describe this precious belonging of yours, Madam? How does it look like?¡±


    ¡°It is made of buffalo hide, ck in color. The emblem with the sigil serves as the buckle.¡±


    ¡°And it has been in your possession for quite some time already, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes. Yourte grandmother gave it to me as a token of affection.¡±


    ¡°Mhm. Oh, the bad habit that old people used to have, distributing pack items with emblems to people who they like without much afterthought.¡±


    The corners of Lucrethia¡¯s lips were pulled into a sneer.


    ¡°Why, one might mistake you for criticizing your ancestors, Dane. That is unbing of someone in your position.¡±


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that utterly reckless, though? I mean, it is exactly this kind of gift that maynd the generous packs in trouble. A very special gift that ends up being a knife in the back. It can be ¡®stolen¡¯ so easily and used to frame the original pack.¡±


    At the end of Dane¡¯s sentence, Elder Aaron had to interject.


    ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Dane, but what you said was inurate.¡±


    His response drew a quizzical expression on Dane¡¯s face.


    ¡°Oh? How is it inurate?¡±


    ¡°Just like every other ancient werewolf family in themunity, the elder generations of the Silverback family believed in the notion of ¡®Heartmates¡¯, denoting people who do not share the same bloodline but are so close and dear that they might as well be family.


    They gave these ¡®Heartmates¡¯ a gift to consider them a part of their family. These gifts were not handed over casually. They were typically locked inside a special enchanted box that the High Seer personally designed.¡±


    ¡°Heartmates¡± was an outdated expression that was no longer used among the werewolves.


    As the number of items that bore family sigils became less and less with the passing time, such traditional gifts too were no longer exchanged between packs.


    It thus did not surprise anyone that the newer generation had no idea about this special enchanted box that Elder Aaron was talking about.


    ¡°What special enchanted box?¡± Annalynne asked dumbly.


    Elder Aaron continued with his exnation.


    ¡°Commonly known as ¡®Trust Box¡¯, each box is hand-made for every asion and is debossed with the sigil of the family that requests it.


    After the box is finished, the High Seer will personally put her spell on it, thus the enchantment.


    A Trust Box is meant to be locked forever after a select gift isid inside.


    This symbolizes the sincere wish of the person that bestows the gift to maintain an affectionate rtionship with the person who receives the gift.


    For as long as the good rtionshipsts, the gift will stay with the family of the werewolf who received it and then be passed to the next generations.


    The box will only be opened when the involved werewolves or their descendants wish to end the good rtionship.


    It will only open once to the corresponding family sigil.


    The family will take the gift back, and the locking mechanism box is then destroyed forever, just like the ties between the two parties.¡±

 Chapter 283

    283 The Day Of The Trial (7)


    ¡°In this case, only an item that carries the Silverback sigil can open the Trust Box that contains a gift that hails from the Silverback family,¡± Elder Aaron pointed out.


    ¡°Oh, I see. Now that sounds ratherplicated. Can we assume that Sha inheart just grabbed this box and gave it to her lover?¡± Dane popped the question without skipping a beat.


    Lucrethia said nothing in reply.


    Elder Aaron answered again. ¡°That would be rather inconvenient. The box is not small in size. Not for a belt.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she smashed the box and stole the content, then. The belt is found without any box by the Night Prowler Pack, is that not right?¡± Dane asked Elder Jonas.


    ¡°Correct,¡± the elder confirmed. ¡°Only the belt was found.¡±


    ¡°You cannot smash the box open,¡± Elder Aaron insisted. ¡°It must be opened with something that bears the Silverback sigil.¡±


    ¡°Not even by force?¡±


    All elders shook their heads in unison.


    .....


    ¡°Not even by force.¡±


    ¡°Madam, you became eerily quiet,¡± Dane remarked. ¡°This is one question that you surely know the answer to. Did the maid steal the box or did she steal the belt?¡±


    ¡°... The belt,¡± Lucrethia said in reply.


    ¡°So the broken box is still in your possession?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Elder Kragen spoke up after being silent for a long time. He seemed d to have found something to say atst.


    Now that the focus of the hearing shifted from Kieran Locksworth to Sha inheart, Elder Kragen was too happy to defend Lucrethia.


    ¡°Sha inheart hailed from the Silverback family. She must have stolen something from the pack before she goes to steal the belt from Madam Lucrethia,¡± he decided.


    ¡°Once she got it in her hands, she just went to unlock the Trust Box and ran away with the belt.¡±


    Kinnon crossed his arms before his chest and cleared his throat.


    ¡°You know that that doesn¡¯t make sense, right, Elder Kragen?¡± the Alpha of the Night Prowler Pack disagreed.


    ¡°If this young woman had an item to frame the Silverback family all along, why bother stealing one from the Woond family? How did Sha inheart even know that Madam Lucrethia kept a gift from the Silverback family?¡±


    ¡°Well, uh... Madam Woond said that she worked as her maid. She might have had her eyes on the Trust Box for a long time before she decided to steal it.¡±


    ¡°Aha.¡±


    ¡°Do you disy your precious belongings in the living room, Madam?¡± Ronan asked pointedly. ¡°Or maybe put it in a ce that is easily essible to maids?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± the elderly replied.


    ¡°Then how did Sha inheart even know about the belt in Madam Lucrethia Woond¡¯s possession?¡± Kinnon repeated his question.


    ¡°...¡±


    Seeing that no one had the slightest idea, Dane burst intoughter.


    ¡°Hahahaha! Another loophole in the case,¡± he said with a touch of mockery.


    Lucrethia humphed and shot him an icy look.


    ¡°I fear that you need to dig out Sha inheart and ask her all these prating questions if you truly wish to uncover all loopholes, Dane Silverback,¡± Lucrethia snapped. ¡°Do not think that I received the gift of divination from the Moon Goddess. I cannot answer your every question.¡±


    ¡°Indeed you can¡¯t,¡± Danemented.


    And neither could Sha inheart at this point, unless they hired a soul summoner and perform a soul-summoning ritual.


    Dane Silverback leaned closer to the elderly who sat across him and pinned her with a bone-chilling stare.


    ¡°Sha inheart might just grab any item with the Silverback family emblem from Ronan¡¯s residence and use it to unlock that precious Trust Box of yours. Amazing thief, this young woman is. Pity that she had to die so miserably.¡±


    ¡°I share the same opinion. A highly talented thief indeed.¡±


    ¡°Has anyone ever tried to steal the belt before?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure, Madam?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°It has always been inside the Trust Box until Sha inheart came to steal it. Is this what you want to say?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± By then, Lucrethia sounded very agitated. ¡°How many times do you want me to repeat it? I never thought that a man your age would have such severe hearing problems.¡±


    Dane Silverback leaned back in his seat and gave Lucrethia an amused look.


    ¡°In that case, I would like to add two more items to the list of allegations that Madam Lucrethia Woond already has.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It was Gregor Gravecrown who reacted to Dane Silverback¡¯s unreasonable demand first.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this, Dane? You are a member of the Werewolf Council. Even though this matter pertains to the Infinite Eclipse Pack, you can¡¯t just take your son¡¯s side,¡± Gregor hissed in a low voice to his colleague.


    Dane casually remarked, ¡°I am well versed in the rules and regtions of the council. Thank you nevertheless for reminding me, Gregor.¡±


    Gregor Gravecrown¡¯s lips parted in disbelief.


    ¡°Then...¡±


    ¡°I am making use of my right as part of the werewolfmunity and demand justice for my wife.¡±


    Everyone in the room was so astounded that their mouths dropped open in unison.


    When did Dane Silverback get married and who was it exactly that he married?


    ¡°Who... Who are you talking about, Dane? Who is this uh, this enchanting, fortunatedy that reserved the honor to be yourdy wife?¡± Gregor asked the man the question on everyone¡¯s mind.


    ¡°I have only married one wife in my entire life,¡± he quipped.


    Ronan widened his eyes in disbelief.


    ¡°The two additional items to the allegations are one, the audacity to lie in front of the Werewolf Council and two, the murder attempt on my wife, Lady Adele Fangde.¡±


    Lucrethia scoffed.


    ¡°Wow. The usations are bing more and more ridiculous. What¡¯s next, Dane Silverback???¡±


    ¡°Next, I am going to prove it of course.¡±


    Dane¡¯s confident words did not scare Lucrethia at all.


    ¡°Unless you can revive the dead, Dane, I think that is quite impossible.¡±


    A mysterious smile appeared on Dane¡¯s face. He stood from his chair and marched toward the door.


    Behind the door was Dane¡¯s personal attendant. The young man was holding the hand of someone who had left the world a long time ago...

 Chapter 284

    284 The Day Of The Trial (8)


    Aided by Dane¡¯s personal attendant, the elder woman stepped into the hearing chamber. She had lost a lot of weight from thest time Ronan saw her. The shrunken cheeks and paleplexion added even more to her ghastly appearance, but the bright pair of greenish-blue eyes exuded an aura that brimmed with life.


    Those inside the chamber were all shocked to death, except of course Dane Silverback.


    Ronan could not rip his eyes from this mysterious person who looked so much like his mother. But it could not be, could it?


    His mother died.


    His father literally cremated her on spot.


    Ronan only got to scatter her ash together with Lucien at the Eternal Sleep Lake...


    ¡°Mom...?¡± the Alpha whispered in a low voice. So low that only he could hear it.


    Lady Adele Fangde scanned the room, her eyes flew from one frightened face to another until she found her son.


    ¡°Ronan...¡± she quickly welled with tears.


    .....


    ¡°My baby... I missed you so much...¡±


    ¡°MOM!!!¡±


    Ronan lunged at his mother and pulled her into his arms.


    ¡°Mom... Mom... I missed you so much... Mom, am I dreaming...?¡± the Alpha broke into tears. He did not give a crap about the people who were gaping at him. He did not give a crap about maintaining appearance.


    His mother was back.


    His mother did not die.


    Ronan did not care about anything anymore.


    Lady Fangde sobbed into her son¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°No... Ronan, Mom is truly here. Don¡¯t cry...¡±


    ¡°I am not crying,¡± Ronan sobbed. ¡°I am not...¡±


    Next to them, Dane Silverback suppressed his smile with a scowl. He tipped at Ronan¡¯s shoulder, prompting thetter to look up at him.


    Dane was stunned for a split second.


    He believed to look into little Ronan¡¯s eyes again, back when the little boy still adored him. When he had not hated him yet.


    The elder man cleared his throat.


    ¡°We are in the middle of a hearing.¡±


    Ronan was reminded of Lucrethia and her evil deeds right away.


    The Alpha turned to look at Lucrethia, his mother safely tucked behind him.


    The elderly stared at Lady Fangde like thetter were a ghost that came to seek vengeance.


    ¡°You...¡±


    Lady Fangde pushed her son aside.


    ¡°Aunt,¡± she greeted her aunt who shared the same Fangde blood with her. ¡°The Moon Goddess denied me entry to the afterlife, so here I am again.¡±


    ¡°Oh goodness,¡± Elder Aaron whispered. ¡°Lady Adele. So happy to see you again. We thought... I mean... But then...¡±


    The elder was entirely disoriented, and he was not the only one.


    Did Dane Silverback not say that he used Lucrethia Woond of a murder attempt toward his wife, the Lady Adele Fangde?


    ¡°Good Lord,¡± Elder Rick whispered. ¡°Madam Lucrethia, was Lady Adele not your niece?¡±


    Lucrethia threw him a sharp look filled with hatred. The elder yelped from fright.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to,¡± she growled. ¡°Don¡¯t take it personally, Adele.¡±


    Standing some distance away from Lucrethia, Ronan¡¯s mother wed into his upper arm.


    ¡°Not take it personally? How else am I supposed to take it? Aunt, you tried to kill me! No... You did kill me,¡± Lady Adele¡¯s voice trembled from anger.


    ¡°You immobilized me and then you injected a huge volume of air into my IV drip.¡±


    Ronan widened his eyes in shock.


    The evil woman meant to induce air embolism, which then could fatally lead to a heart attack.


    The Alpha knew a long time ago that Lucrethia did something to end his mother¡¯s life, but he did not know any details.


    Hearing about it made Ronan¡¯s blood boil inside his veins. Before he knew it, he was already pouncing at the elderly. Elder Rick, Elder Aaron, and Elder Jonas threw themselves at him and dragged him away from Lucrethia.


    Elder Kragen stood in front of Lucrethia with extended hands.


    ¡°I WILL KILL YOU!¡± he shouted while struggling against the three elders around him.


    ¡°I WILL KILL YOU!!!¡±


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, please!!!¡±


    ¡°Please calm down!!!¡±


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, you are at the Werewolf Council Headquarters in an official hearing!!!¡±


    Despite knowing where he was and what he was doing there, Ronan still tried to break free. The fire in his heart burned away every bit of rationality within him. All he wanted to do was see Lucrethia hurt.


    He wanted to sink his ws into this vile woman and tear her apart limb by limb.


    ¡°Ronan.¡±


    Dane¡¯s voice quickly sobered Ronan up. The elder man grabbed his son¡¯s upper arm and squeezed it hard.


    ¡°Control yourself,¡± he said through gritted teeth. ¡°Keep calm. Your mother is still here. She is not going anywhere.¡±


    Lady Adele Fangde grabbed her son¡¯s other arm and pulled him down for a kiss on his cheek.


    ¡°Darling, I am here to testify. Let Mom talk, alright?¡±


    Ronan gave his parents a stiff nod. Unable to rip Lucrethia into pieces, he had to be satisfied with cursing Lucrethia silently in his head and showering her with sharp, icy looks.


    Dane took Lady Fangde by her elbow and led her to a chair.


    Gregor Gravecrown cleared his throat.


    ¡°Lady Fangde, please speak. We are listening.¡±


    The elder woman raised her eyes and gazed at the many faces who were holding their breaths in anticipation.


    ¡°Some time after the war was over, my son came and showed me a few pictures of the belt that implied the Silverback family¡¯s involvement in the horrible attack on Ralph Youngshaper, the young heir of the Night Prowler Pack.¡±


    ¡°When I saw pictures of the belt, I felt a little strange. It seemed familiar and not familiar at the same time, but I didn¡¯t know why.


    I thought for a long time before I came to remember the particr belt.


    Back then after I left my husband and just entered St. rence due to my worsening health, my aunt ¡ª Madam Lucrethia Woond ¡ª came to visit me.¡±


    ¡°I was at the lowest point of my life. I could not be happier to meet with someone who came from the Fangde family. I told her everything ¡ª my pain, my disappointment, my sorrow. She cried and cursed the Silverback family together with me.¡±


    ¡°And then she told me that she did not want to have a further rtionship with such a chauvinistic family and pack, no matter how ancient or how noble.


    The next time she came, she came with a Trust Box.¡±

 Chapter 285

    285 The Day Of The Trial (9)


    ¡°She wanted to have the box opened because she wanted to return the gift to the Silverback family.


    At that time I was just too happy to have the Silverback family lose yet another friend. And to keep the Fangde family descendants safe from bad friends.¡±


    Lady Fangde took a deep breath before she continued.


    ¡°I agreed to unlock the Trust Box using the medallion from the Silverback family that I still carried around back then.


    When the Trust Box was broken, I saw the content. Rolled inside meticulously was a belt. The same belt that I saw through pictures more than ten yearster.¡±


    ¡°My aunt took the belt away, and I never once asked her what happened to the belt.


    Did she really return it to the Silverback family?


    Did she have a change of heart?¡±


    Lady Adele Fangde¡¯s lips trembled when she continued her story.


    .....


    ¡°I am not nning to excuse what I did, but I truly did not know the sinister events that might unfold due to my careless and thoughtless action.


    Once I remembered, I contacted my aunt and asked about the belt. I wanted to know who she gave the belt to, because that person might have framed my son.¡±


    ¡°She came to visit me the very next day with a very simr belt. I too thought that it was the same until I got to run my fingers over the sigil. How can I not recognize a genuine Silverback family sigil? I had to learn how to draw and carve it when I first entered the family! The depth of the lines, the intricate pattern of the wolf and the moon... They were all wrong!


    It was a fake.


    It was not the same belt.


    This was what I told her as well. I thought that someone switched the belts. Someone must have stolen from her, I said.


    We argued, and then she... she...¡±


    Lady Adele Fangde¡¯s entire body shook in distress when she recalled what happened that day.


    It was a family meeting, so Lady Fangde sent Edith away on some errands.


    Never in a million nightmares would Lady Fangde ever believe that her aunt was the one behind the evil machinations.


    The elderly woman looked frail, but she was stronger than her younger counterpart. She easily overpowered her niece and knocked her out. After strapping Lady Fangde to the bed, Lucrethia took out a syringe and tampered with the IV drip that connected to the former¡¯s hand.


    Then, the elderly sat by her niece¡¯s bedside. She watched in leisure as the huge volume of air slowly disappeared into Lady Fangde¡¯s body and traveled into her blood cirction system.


    When her prey was slowly getting a heart attack, Lucrethia Woond slipped out of the ward, leaving no trace behind.


    No one saw hering and no one saw her leaving.


    It was a perfect crime.


    ¡°And then, what happened?¡± Gregor could not help but ask.


    Dane put a hand on Lady Fangde¡¯s shoulder. Thetter looked up and gave him a warm smile.


    ¡°A bunch of nurses rushed to my ward although I did not call for them. They resuscitated me, and I was saved. Once I was awake, I was terrified. I knew that I was in danger. The kind aunt that I used to know had shed her mask and she was not going to let me live with the knowledge.


    A whileter, Dane came by in a rush.


    He found out what happened, and he came up with a n.


    I was smuggled out of the hospital and taken to the Werewolf Council Headquarters.


    He bought an unimed human corpse from a random hospital and went with it to the mortuary.


    To prevent Ronan from finding out, he did everything swiftly.


    While the body was being burned, he returned to the Werewolf Council Headquarters to be with me.


    I have been staying with him for the past months.¡±


    Ronan was dumbfounded.


    Lady Fangde patted Ronan¡¯s cheek affectionately.


    ¡°I am sorry to keep it a secret from you, my son. Were you very sad?¡±


    ¡°Mom, I...¡±


    Ronan squeezed his mother¡¯s hand, but then he rose to his feet and gave his father a hug. Judging from the elder man¡¯s stunned expression, it would not be too surprising if he suffered from a heart attack then and there.


    ¡°Thank you, Dad,¡± Ronan said. ¡°I am sorry for everything.¡±


    It had been a while since Ronan properly talked to his father, let alone hug him. After years of dissonance, a pat on the back or shoulder was already more than what Dane could hope for.


    ¡°You... Save it forter,¡± Dane said with a hoarse voice. He patted Ronan on the back and thetter quickly released him.


    ¡°A touching family reunion indeed,¡± Lucrethia¡¯s mocking voice rang out from behind Ronan. The Alpha turned around and faced the elderly. She leaned back in her seat, with both hands resting on herp.


    ¡°Does the council need more evidence or witness?¡± Dane asked. ¡°I have the CCTV recording of the visit as well as a bunch of nurses and doctors from St. rence that I can drag down here to testify.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Gregor decided.


    He turned to Lucrethia and gave her a severe, prating look.


    ¡°Madam Woond, I beg you to stop wasting our time any longer. It will only prolong the process for a few more hours. The blood on your hands is evident.¡±


    Lucrethia chuckled.


    ¡°Why, for once, I agree with the men of the Werewolf Council. It is indeed time to get this over with.¡±


    Once Lucrethia finished what she had to say, she pressed on a secret device that she hid inside her right sleeve.


    By the time the gathered people realized what she did, it was already toote.


    A loud rumbling sound was heard and the entire building began to shake.


    And then, chaos ensued...


    Miles away in the seat of the Night Prowler Pack, Lucien Clearwater dropped a pot of flower, sending y shards flying in all directions.

 Chapter 286

    286 News From The Other Side


    ¡°Mommy!¡±


    Ralph Youngshaper rushed on his little feet toward Lucien, who was bending down to pick up the pot shards.


    ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t touch them! Let the big sisters help with that!¡± the little blond boy pushed Lucien¡¯s hands away from the sharp edges.


    Lucien patted Ralph¡¯s head affectionately. ¡°How can we let girls get wounded? Men must never put women in danger, do you understand, Ralph?¡±


    Near them, the maids swooned in delight. Apparently, there was one more gentleman left on earth. Chivalry had yet to go extinct!


    Ralph tilted his head in confusion. He thought for a while, and then he pointed at the nearby guards.


    ¡°Then let the big brothers take care of it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The maids suppressed their giggles so hard that their stomachs started to hurt.


    .....


    Either the little Alpha heir did not get what Lucien was trying to teach him, or he was that proficient in avoiding work.


    Before Lucien could stop Ralph, he ran toward the poker-faced guards and pulled at their hands.


    ¡°Come,e,e and help my Mommy.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The guardsplied without a question. It made Lucien feel even worse.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± he sincerely apologized when they came over.


    Wordlessly, the guards bowed their heads in respect and started to pick the shards off the ground one by one while Ralph dragged at Lucien¡¯s hand, urging him to go back.


    ¡°Mommy, sit down. Sit down, you must be tired.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Ralphy.¡±


    Lucien returned to the garden bench to enjoy a little more of the morning sun.


    After being sick for some time and then lying inside cold pond water for three days and three nights, Lucien¡¯s body became rather stiff. In order to return his agility and strength to The Healer thus ordered him to partake in a strict training regime and proper, nutritious diet.


    In the morning, Lucien had to walk around the pack house for an hour before sitting down to take in some sunlight for twenty minutes. In the afternoon it would be some training with the pack¡¯s warriors.


    His meals were always packed with nutrients.


    Having swallowed almost nothing during the time that he was under the influence of the ancient poison, Lucien¡¯s body was not used to taking in a huge amount of food.


    He still tried his best to eat as much as possible to rebuild his body.


    Otherwise, he was going to be useless forever.


    Thankfully, Ralph was more than happy to apany Lucien every day, walking with him, eating with him, and cheering him like a cute fairy from the side of the training arena.


    After Lucien sat back down, the little boy climbed onto hisp and put his little arms around Lucien¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± he cooed after sniffing at Lucien. ¡°Mommy smells good again.¡±


    Lucien unwittingly felt around his nape. The scar from the mating night remained, but being away from Ronan did dilute thetter¡¯s scent on him a lot.


    Ronan...


    Lucien cuddled the little boy in his arms.


    He missed his mate terribly.


    After Ronan left him in the Night Prowler Pack House, he neither contacted him nor visited him. Not even once.


    Lucien too was unable to contact Ronan. He did not know where his phone was, and no one in the pack house allowed him to make a call.


    A lot of things happened out there while Lucien was locked up inside the Night Prowler Pack House.


    Day by day, Kinnon and Bjorn came back from outside and gave him some updates.


    Thest thing that Lucien remembered before he lost consciousness was the honest conversation that he had with Ronan.


    Ronan told him that the baby in Lillian¡¯s belly was not his. And that he and Lillian were working together to uncover a certain viin¡¯s misdeeds.


    Being at death¡¯s door, at that time Lucien only had enough time to care about the first part of the revtion.


    Once he recovered, he started to care about the second part.


    Who was this person who actively worked to bring chaos within the werewolfmunity? He was even bold enough to trigger a war between the two strongest werewolf packs on the continent.


    Once Kinnon put a name to the unknown figure, Lucien was stunned. He had expected to hear from an embittered person who had maybe been shunned from society for a long time.


    It was almost surreal, because who would have guessed that the perpetrator was a frail, olddy?


    It was Lucrethia Woond, Lillian Woond¡¯s grandmother.


    After seeing Lucrethia Woond¡¯s photograph once, Lucien was able to connect the dots. She was the woman he met at the St. rence hospital back then. Sheced the candied plums with poison, and ate them together with him.


    Her n seeded because the poison only worked for him, not for her.


    How wicked, and at the same time brilliant.


    Once Lucien heard that Lucrethia Woond had been detained along with the entire Woond family members, he demanded to attend the trial.


    Naturally, both Kinnon and Bjorn were heavily against it.


    ¡°Your mate entrusted you to our pack for safekeeping,¡± Kinnon had told him while grabbing him by the shoulders. ¡°Please don¡¯t be rash. Don¡¯t go anywhere. I don¡¯t know what to do if something happens to you.¡±


    ¡°I am not an object that you need to keep safe,¡± Lucien pointed out. ¡°I am more than capable to protect myself.¡±


    ¡°No one said that you can¡¯t. Just humor me, alright? Stay here with Ralph.¡±


    Initially, Lucien thought that Kinnon wanted him to stay with Ralph because he was worried for Ralph¡¯s safety. Considering how far Lucrethia Woond¡¯s ws might reach, it would not be paranoid to believe that she might still want to try to kill Ralph. For the little boy¡¯s sake, Lucien thus quickly agreed.


    His resolution turned into amazement the next morning when he saw Bjorn during breakfast. The Beta was also ordered to stay at the pack house to protect not only Ralph but also Lucien.


    ¡°Is everything alright, Lucien?¡±


    Lucien looked up and saw Bjorn¡¯s smiling face as he approached his bench.


    ¡°Yes, everything is wonderful. Any news about the trial?¡±


    ¡°I am expecting to hear some news soon. In fact...¡±


    His words were cut by the ringing sound of his phone.


    ¡°Yes, Rickard, is it over?¡±


    The person at the other end of the line screamed so loudly that even Lucien could hear him.


    ¡°BETA!!! THE WEREWOLF COUNCIL HEADQUARTERS HAD COLLAPSED!!!¡±

 Chapter 287

    287 Lucien Did Not Want To Be Coddled


    Oh, no.


    Lucien rose to his feet. He put Ralph down and stumbled away from the garden bench.


    ¡°LUCIEN!¡±


    Bjorn grabbed Lucien¡¯s shoulders hard and stopped him in his track.


    Lucien raised his head and gave the bigger man a bewildered look.


    ¡°I have to go,¡± he said. ¡°Ronan needs me. He...¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± Bjorn insisted. ¡°I will go. I promise you that he will be just fine. You wait here and...¡±


    ¡°NO!¡±


    Lucien pushed hard at Bjorn¡¯s shoulders.


    .....


    ¡°Stop coddling me!¡± he shouted angrily.


    Not wanting to waste any more words with Bjorn, Lucien transformed into his wolf form in an instant and ran past Bjorn, ignoring thetter¡¯s calls.


    The sudden appearance of a giant wolf with a brown-red coat from within the Night Prowler Pack House¡¯s periphery was so unexpected that the guards were not sure what to do at first.


    Lucien had never shown his wolf form within the pack house boundaries, and not many people could quickly connect the wolf form to the human form.


    In the end, it took a while for the guards to chase after Lucien, who had by then disappeared into the woods, leaving not even a cloud of dust behind.


    The giant wolf ran in the direction of Hapsborough City, taking every shortcut he could get while enduring the natural barriers that kept impending his journey.


    A thousand leaves and branches smacked his face and huge protruding roots kept trying to trip him, but Lucien did not slow down even for a second.


    After running non-stop for almost two hours, he finally arrived at North Ridge Forest. It looked exactly the same, save for one important detail.


    Lucien¡¯s heart lurched to the bottom of his stomach when he saw that the gigantic Moon Goddess statue was no longer there.


    It was almost as if it was swallowed whole by the earth. In its ce was a huge cloud of dust that extended at least ten meters above the ground.


    Lucien howled into the sky once before he dashed in the direction of the Werewolf Council Headquarters, or where it was before it waspletely destroyed.


    The scene that greeted him wasplete chaos.


    The ancient building that used to house representatives of each pack and serve as the pivotal core of the werewolfmunity had been reduced to a tragic heap of stones. It was buried under the broken fragments of the Moon Goddess Statue.


    The Moon Goddess¡¯ heady sideways on the ground, having been separated from her stone body.


    Close up, her expression looked grim and cold.


    Scattered around the area were at least two hundred werewolves in various circumstances.


    Some were in their human forms, some in their wolf forms. Almost all of them were wounded to various degrees. The thick smell of blood and gunpowder pervaded the air, the fine dust irritated Lucien¡¯s eyes even from a distance.


    Lucien howled into the sky again before he dashed among the wounded werewolves in search of someone he knew. Anyone.


    He passed by a lot of wolves, some he had to take a better look at, and some looked up at him with empty, haunting gazes.


    ¡®Lulu!!!¡¯


    Lucien halted in his track right away as soon as he heard someone calling his name via Mind Link. Some distance away to his left side, another wolf in a simr coat ran in his direction.


    It was Annalynne.


    ¡®Anna!¡¯ Lucien barked at his sister.


    ¡®Lulu!!!¡¯


    The siblings rubbed against each other as a form of greeting while inhaling each other¡¯s scent.


    Lucien smelled blood on Annalynne.


    ¡®Where are you hurt?¡¯ he demanded to know.


    Annalynne shook her head, there were tears in her eyes. ¡®I am not. Kendra is.¡¯


    ¡®How is she?¡¯


    ¡®She got hurt when she escaped... Lulu, why are you here alone? What happened? Ronan said that...¡¯


    Lucien ignored Annalynne¡¯s incessant questions and focused on the person whose name Annalynne just mentioned.


    ¡®Where is Ronan? What happened???¡¯


    Annalynne¡¯s voice shook from distress when she recounted what happened that morning.


    ¡®The... The trial of Elijah Summertide was put on hold as Kieran Locksworth, the new Alpha of the Irond ws pack used Lucrethia Woond of some unspeakable crimes...


    And then because Lucrethia is, well, a member of a pack, all of the relevant parties were gathered in the hearing chamber to conduct the hearing.


    It turned out that she really is guilty.


    And then, just when Mr. Gregor Gravecrown told her that she could no longer pretend that she was not guilty, she... she...¡¯


    ¡®What is it, Anna?¡¯ Lucien asked impatiently.


    ¡®That... That hateful witch apparently nted a few explosives in the headquarters. After detonating the first ones, she transformed and slipped away in the middle of chaos. We all had to transform and ran away before the whole building came crashing on us. Oh, Lulu...¡¯


    Annalynne whined.


    ¡®I saw Ronan going in that direction,¡¯ Annalynne nodded toward the woods. ¡®He was chasing after the hag, I think...¡¯


    Lucien nuzzled against his sister¡¯s cheek.


    ¡®You stay here with others and take care of Kendra. Help is going to arrive real soon. I am going to go after Ronan.¡¯


    ¡®Lulu, don¡¯t go...!!!¡¯


    Lucien ran toward the woods, leaving Annalynne behind. His sister¡¯s calls diminished into nothing as the distance between them grew. A faint salty sandalwood scent in the air told Lucien that Ronan did go in the direction that Annalynne showed him.


    Unfortunately, that was not all.


    It also guided him to a bunch of other wolves. These unimed wolves were lurking between the trees like ghosts. Their malicious aura bled through, reflected in the pairs of gleaming eyes that were overflowing with murderous intent.


    Six giant wolves ended up surrounding Lucien, baring their fangs at him in a threatening manner. More of them hid some distance away, ready to offer their support whenever needed.


    ¡®These pathetic bunch of wolves,¡¯ Landon growled.


    ¡®Can I go crazy now, Lucien?¡¯


    ¡®You know what? Go ahead. And make it fast,¡¯ Lucien added before handing over control to Landon.


    ¡®Yes, Sir.¡¯

 Chapter 288

    288 Lucrethia Woond¡¯s Death


    Landon happily took over and pounced at the first wolf as fast as lightning. When the other five wolves recovered from shock andunched themselves at Landon, thetter flung the first wolf against them.


    They might all be alpha wolves, but Landon was the fiercest of them all. He tossed his enemies around, treating them like used rag dolls. After getting smashed around mercilessly, eventually those who could still walk limped away as fast as possible.


    The lurking wolves in the distance had all run away upon seeing the way Landon manhandled their unfortunaterades.


    ¡®That¡¯s it?¡¯ Landon clicked his tongue in displeasure when the fun ended after a short time.


    His spirit quickly plummeted to the ground.


    ¡®And I thought that Lucrethia would have prepared a squad of fine fighters to entertain us.¡¯


    ¡®They are clearly rogue werewolves who belong to no pack. I doubt that Lucrethia bothered to train them before sending them off to missions,¡¯ Lucien exined to him.


    Landon scoffed.


    ¡®Basically, she is just using them. These wolves are nothing but consumables for her.¡¯


    .....


    ¡®Sadly, yes.¡¯


    Landon sniffed the air for Ronan¡¯s scent.


    ¡®Ronan is further ahead. Let¡¯s go.¡¯


    ¡®Ok.¡¯


    With Landon¡¯s speed, it did not take long before they arrived at their destination.


    One look at the fallen trees sufficed to tell Lucien that a fierce battle had taken ce in the area. There were blood traces on the ground and on the fallen trunks.


    And yet, neither Ronan nor Lucrethia was visible.


    Lucien bent his head and sniffed at the blood.


    Some of it was Ronan¡¯s, but most of it wasn¡¯t.


    ¡®That old hag is hurt quite badly,¡¯ Landon remarked.


    ¡®I cannot hear any sound. It must have ended.¡¯


    Lucien swallowed hard.


    ¡®But how did it end? Why are they not here?¡¯


    ¡®Let¡¯s walk a little more,¡¯ Landon suggested.


    Lucien trotted further into the woods. After walking for a while, he arrived at Eternal Sleep Lake.


    Near theke, a giant ck wolf towered majestically. Ronan¡¯s eyes were trained on a bleeding heap on the grass field. The shallow rise and fall of her back was the only proof that the other wolf was still alive.


    ¡®Ronan!!!¡¯


    Ronan turned his head to the side.


    ¡®Lulu...¡¯


    Lucien ran toward his mate, who quickly put himself between Lucrethia and Lucien while growling menacingly at their enemy.


    Lucrethia raised her eyes to look at Ronan and Lucien. She then transformed into her human form.


    Minus the fur coat that camouged her wounds, her appearance was extremely unsightly. Thest fight with Ronan had caused her flesh to be torn in a few spots. Her body was maimed in a grotesque way, some bones were broken and some joints dislocated.


    Judging from the blood that coated Ronan¡¯s muzzle and neck, it was easy to guess who inflicted all those wounds on Lucrethia.


    ¡°Heh. Heh, heh, heh...¡± Lucrethia cackled.


    ¡°I am already like this, Alpha Ronan. Do you really think I have the... the energy to attack your mate onest time?¡±


    The elderly struggled to breathe.


    Ronan growled, not letting Lucrethia out of his sight at all.


    The two pairs of greenish-blue eyes looked into each other. The man¡¯s gaze was full of disdain and lust for vengeance.


    Lucrethia scoffed.


    ¡°You remind me so much of that man,¡± she said.


    ¡°Men who think that women are less worthy... less capable.¡±


    Lucrethia coughed and choked out a mouthful of blood. She made a crackling, wet noise whenever she took a breath.


    ¡°Katreena, she... She could do... so... so much more...¡±


    Lucrethia closed her eyes andy her head on the ground.


    ¡°My daughter... She promised. She promised that Katreena will... But no... The Silverback family... And I was... Already humbled myself so much...¡±


    Close to her death, Lucrethia was forced to remember the man she hated so much.


    Lionel Woond.


    It was bad enough that Lionelpletely disregarded her wish to establish Katreena¡¯s im to the Alpha throne, but must he ruin Katreena¡¯s future?


    Lucrethia had worked really hard to establish a good rtionship with the Silverback family.


    She had done everything she could to get on the then Alpha¡¯s and Luna¡¯s good sides. She had even received the belt from the Luna!


    Katreena was supposed to marry into the Silverback family and be the Luna of the mighty Infinite Eclipse Pack.


    Lucrethia did not even mind that Dane Silverback was a debauched man who had already sired pups outside of his pack.


    All that Lucrethia wanted was for Katreena to marry into a strong pack.


    Lionel Woond, the bitter man, had ensured that Lucrethia¡¯s ns for Katreena literally crashed and burned.


    He sent her so far, so far away...


    In the end, Dane Silverback was betrothed to Adele Fangde, her niece.


    Lucrethia hated Lionel Woond.


    She hated Dane Silverback¡¯s parents.


    She hated how Dane¡¯s mother had grabbed her hand and told her how sorry she was that Katreena could not marry into the Silverback family.


    What ¡°Heartmates¡±?


    It was all a lie.


    A lie!


    And then Lillian... Lillian had chased Ronan for months. And what happened in the end? Ronan abandoned her for a man.


    Heh.


    Life was so funny.


    The Moon Goddess was so funny.


    Lucrethia sneered to herself.


    ¡°You could have been my grandson,¡± she whispered in a low voice. ¡°Or my grandson-inw...¡±


    ¡°If only...¡±


    ¡°I...¡±


    ¡°Kat...ree...na...¡±


    Even up until thest moments of her life, Lucrethia was unable to let go of her ambitions.


    After breathingboriously a few more times, the elderly breathed out herst. The light in her eyes slowly went away, reced by cold and eternal darkness.


    Ronan took a deep breath.


    She had passed.


    Their greatest nemesis, the person who caused them all grief for months had finally died.


    Overwhelmed by both relief and immeasurable exhaustion, energy drained from Ronan¡¯s body and he slumped against Lucien.


    ¡®Ronan!!!¡¯


    Ronan wanted to tell Lucien that he was alright, but he lost consciousness before he could say it out loud or via Mind Link.

 Chapter 289

    289 Another Busy Day in St. rence


    In the afternoon, dark clouds gathered above their heads and sent heavy rain to the earth.


    It was almost as if the Moon Goddess was mourning yet another horrid incident that resulted in inevitably massive casualties.


    The St. rence hospital again became busy that week, with prominently Alphas and Betas of a lot of packs rolling into the wards.


    When a wounded werewolf arrived at the hospital, at least one angry and inconsble family member was expected to show up at the reception table, demanding to see the said patient.


    While the ground floor was ruled by chaos with hospital staff running here and there to appease both the distressed family members and the patients, the patient wards were rtively calm.


    Lucien Clearwater sat by Ronan¡¯s bedside while thetter was lying on the bed with his eyes tightly shut.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan has some minor injuries, but none of them were life-threatening. The bite- and w wounds will disappear by tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Thank you, Doctor,¡± Lucien replied.


    After the doctor excused himself, Lucien tucked Ronan properly under the nket. He pressed a kiss on Ronan¡¯s forehead before he went out and knocked at the adjacent ward¡¯s door.


    .....


    ¡°Come in,¡± Lady Adele Fangde¡¯s voice was heard.


    She turned her head to look at the person who just came in. When she saw that it was Lucien, she immediately melted into a pool of tears.


    ¡°Lucien.¡±


    ¡°Lady Fangde.¡±


    Lucien pulled the elder woman into a hug.


    ¡°I am so happy to see you again.¡±


    Lady Fangde cupped Lucien¡¯s face in her hands after thetter loosened his embrace.


    ¡°Hi,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°I am so sorry for causing unnecessary grief to the both of you.¡±


    From the bed, a scoffing sound was heard.


    Dane Silverback was lying on his stomach and ring at the two people who acted as if he weren¡¯t there.


    ¡°What do you mean, unnecessary? If it weren¡¯t for me, that hag would have gotten away with it!¡±


    Lady Fangde heaved a sigh.


    ¡°The doctor told you to stay put. You are an old man already, so stop acting like you are still the young man from thirty years ago.¡±


    Dane Silverback¡¯s mouth dropped open in disbelief.


    ¡°Just who do you think I hurt my back for? Ouch! Ouch!!!¡±


    Lady Fangde ignored Dane and turned to talk to Lucien as if Dane were not scowling and growling furiously behind her.


    ¡°Is my son alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He is just sleeping now. He will wake up soon.¡±


    Lady Fangde sighed out of relief.


    ¡°A lot of things had happened. We all need to heal.¡±


    Lucien agreed.


    ¡°Then, I will go now. Take care Lady Fangde, Mr. Dane.¡±


    Lady Fangde gave Lucien a kiss on the cheek while Dane scoffed at him.


    Lucien could hear the couple arguing before he even closed the door behind him. Although he did not know how the husband and wife used to get along with each other, he had a feeling that the atmosphere between them was rather amicable.


    Lucien walked down a few flights of stairs and turned into a corridor that led to Kendra¡¯s ward.


    ¡°Kendra,¡± he called as he went inside without knocking.


    That was an eye-opening experience that taught Lucien the importance of knocking on doors.


    Inside the ward, Kendra was lying unconscious on the bed. Sitting by her bedside, Lowell and Annalynne were eating each other¡¯s faces. Or that was what it looked like from Lucien¡¯s perspective.


    His older brother instinct kicked in right away and he hollered at the insolent man who dared to sully his sister¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Get away from her, you beast!!!¡±


    The lovebirds quickly broke apart in fright.


    ¡°Mi... Mr. Clearwater, I...¡± Lowell stammered nervously.


    ¡°Lulu!!!¡±


    Annalynne¡¯s face glowed bright red.


    ¡°OUT!¡± Lucien hissed at the man.


    Lowell quickly left the ward before Lucien tore him into shreds.


    ¡°This is a hospital,¡± he red at his sister. ¡°Not a ce for romantic affairs!¡±


    Not to mention that they were kissing in Kendra¡¯s presence. Shameless!


    Annalynne pursed her lips.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she said.


    Lucien took a seat next to Annalynne and felt her forehead.


    ¡°How are you?¡±


    ¡°I am good.¡±


    Annalynne pointed at her right elbow.


    ¡°I only scraped my elbow on my way out. Otherwise, I am fine.¡±


    Lucien pulled Annalynne into his arms and pressed a kiss on top of her head.


    ¡°It must be scary,¡± he softly whispered. ¡°I am sorry that you had to go through that.¡±


    Annalynne nodded and returned Lucien¡¯s hug.


    ¡°What¡¯s scarier was hearing what happened to you. Lulu, I never knew that someone could be so evil. If she had seeded, I... I don¡¯t know what I would have done.¡±


    Annalynne¡¯s fingers clutched at Lucien¡¯s back.


    ¡°Lulu, I... If you died back then, I will never be happy again.¡±


    ¡°Silly girl,¡± Lucien said with a chuckle. ¡°You have a bright future ahead of you. You still have Mom, Dad, and Lowell.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the same,¡± Annalynne insisted. ¡°I will survive, but I can¡¯t be happy if you are not around. If... If that hag had targeted me instead, what would you have done?¡±


    That was a good question. The answer was quite simple, though.


    If Lucrethia had done to Annalynne what she did to him, Lucien might have ripped her into pieces so that she did not even end up with an intact corpse.


    ¡°No one is touching you as long as I am alive,¡± Lucien said with determination. ¡°This I swear to the Moon Goddess.¡±


    The corners of Annalynne¡¯s lips ticked up in a smile. She rubbed her nose against Lucien¡¯s and kissed him on the cheek.


    From the bed, Kendra piped up.


    ¡°You know what? I thought that hearing Annalynne and Lowell kiss while they are waiting on me was agonizing enough. But you two make me cringe from the sweetness overload. Get a room, you two.¡±


    ¡°Kendra!!¡± Annalynne shouted, her face turning a deeper shade of pink. ¡°You are awake!¡±


    Kendra groaned.


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep forever, Alpha. By the way, what happened to the witch?¡±


    Lucien opened his mouth to answer, but then a voice resonated in his heart, loud and clear.


    ¡®Lulu?¡¯


    Lucien closed his mouth and smiled.


    ¡°You have to get your answer from Anna. Sorry, you two. I have to go.¡±

 Chapter 290

    290 What Happened In The Eternal Sleep Lake?


    They lost their Mind Link once, so Ronan became a little paranoid. If calling Lucien once did not make him suddenly appear in front of him, then he called again. And again. And again.


    ¡®Lucien.¡¯


    ¡®Luciennnnnnnnnnnnnnn...¡¯


    ¡®LULU....!!!!!¡¯


    ¡°For Goddess¡¯ sake, I aming!!!¡± Lucien eximed, pushing the door open and scowling at the mischievous werewolf on the bed.


    Ronan grinned at him. He extended both hands at his mate. ¡°Come here, my baby.¡±


    Lucien heaved a deep sigh, but his face was full of smiles.


    ¡°Hey, Alpha,¡± he said while climbing into the bed and nestling in Ronan¡¯s safe embrace.


    ¡°Hey, Luna,¡± Ronan said in response. He kissed Lucien on the forehead. ¡°I have missed you.¡±


    .....


    Lucien hooked his arms around Ronan¡¯s neck and whispered in a seductive tone, ¡± Oh really, how much?¡±


    Ronan circled Lucien¡¯s waist with one arm and pushed him onto the bed.


    ¡°Enough to make love to you here and now.¡±


    Lucien broke intoughter and smacked at Ronan¡¯s shoulder, lest he really nned to strip and bully him all night long.


    ¡°Lulu...¡±


    Ronan looked down at the man beneath him, his thumb gently caressing thetter¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°I love you so much,¡± he said. No matter how many times he said it, he never felt that it was enough. He had the urge to keep telling Lucien and remind him again and again.


    Lucien chuckled.


    ¡°Shut up and kiss me,¡± he ordered.


    Ronan grinned.


    ¡°Right away, Luna.¡±


    Intimate kisses were exchanged between the two werewolves, who were reunited once again. Ronan vowed to himself that he would not let anything or anyonee between him and Lucien, ever again.


    All that he wanted to do at the moment was drag Lucien to the Holy Temple of Moon Goddess to marry him.


    And then, to make love to him day and night.


    As the thought crossed the Alpha¡¯s mind, he quickly put it into action. A pair of naughty hands fondled Lucien¡¯s butt and hooked into his pants to pull them off.


    Lucien¡¯s eyes flew open when he realized what Ronan was trying to do.


    ¡°Ronan, wait, we can¡¯t,¡± he hastily said while pushing Ronan¡¯s hands away.


    The Alpha pursed his lips in displeasure.


    ¡°Why not?¡± he demanded.


    A soft pink color crept to Lucien¡¯s cheeks. He looked so adorable that Ronan could not help but take a bite.


    ¡°Your mother is next door!¡± Lucien said urgently. ¡°And your father too!¡±


    Ronan¡¯s face darkened in an instant.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Your father hurt his back when he escaped with your mother.¡±


    ¡°I know, but why are they together next door?¡±


    Lucien gave Ronan an incredulous look.


    ¡°... Do you want to go over and ask?¡±


    The Alpha groaned and let himself fall on the bed.


    ¡°Forget it,¡± he said, his words muffled against a pillow.


    Shaking his head at the big, pouting wolf, Lucien ran his hand across Ronan¡¯s back and earned himself a big smile.


    Sex was out of the question, but they could still snuggle.


    Unfortunately, Lucien was a lot more interested in knowing what happened between Ronan and Lucrethia after thetter destroyed the Werewolf Council Headquarters.


    Ronan scoffed.


    ¡°She was a sly one,¡± he growled at the sheer reminder. ¡°She let the building crumble on top of us, uncaring about the life and death of so many people inside just so she could run away. When I saw her transforming and running away, I too transformed and chased after her. I was not going to let her escape without any consequences.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s hand moved from Ronan¡¯s back to his chest, and then settled on the side of Ronan¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Did she intentionally run toward the Eternal Sleep Lake? Or did your fight carry the both of you in that direction by coincidence?¡±


    Ronan hummed.


    ¡°I believe that she did want to go to theke. Every time I brought her down and she got back on her feet, she rushed in the same direction over and over again.¡±


    ¡°Did she not try to resist anymore?¡±


    Ronan shook his head.


    ¡°She knew that she was not going to win against me. Why bother?¡±


    ¡°So she was not trying to survive. Did she maybe n to drown herself in theke?¡±


    Ronan pulled his lips into a thin line.


    ¡°Maybe? She knew that after her evil deeds are known to the whole society, she will be an outcast. She will never get her own funeral and go back to the Moon Goddess the way everyone else does.¡±


    As he listened to Ronan¡¯s words, Lucien was deep in thought.


    The life of a werewolf was packed with challenges and adversities, but in the end, every werewolf wanted to be reborn as another werewolf.


    That¡¯s why they all wanted to return to the Moon Goddess and beg her for another chance at life.


    ¡°Do you think she should get a second chance as a werewolf?¡± Lucien asked his mate.


    Ronan wrinkled his brows in displeasure.


    ¡°No,¡± he said while kneading at Lucien¡¯s waist.


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Ronan prodded his mate. ¡°Do you think she deserves a second chance?¡±


    ¡°She is somewhat pitiful,¡± Lucien admitted. ¡°I feel sorry for her.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Ronan said. ¡°She will not feel sorry for you if you died from the poison.¡±


    Lucien smiled at his mate.


    ¡°I have you. She is all alone. It must be so lonely to live that way, scheming day after day and failing in the end.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lulu.¡±


    Ronan lowered his head and bit into Lucien¡¯s nape.


    ¡°Ah...!¡±


    Lucien furrowed his brows from the pain. An indescribable sensation ran through his body when Ronan¡¯s pheromones entered his system again.


    ¡°You are too nice,¡± Ronan remarked once he had his fill.


    Lucien chuckled. He spread his legs and wrapped them around Ronan¡¯s waist, eliciting a hungry growl from the Alpha.


    Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s waist and rubbed their bodies together while plundering thetter¡¯s mouth like a maniac.


    Limbs entangled intimately, the two men gave into their desire and drowned in the sweet ecstasy of their passionate love for each other.


    Their heavy making-out session was only interrupted by the sound of muffled moans that came from the adjacent ward.

 Chapter 291

    291 The Alpha Was Relieved


    ¡°Oh, Goddess, noooo...!!!¡±


    Ronan broke their kiss and wailed into Lucien¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°What the fuck is that old man trying to do? This is the hospital!¡± he shouted angrily.


    Ronan climbed off the bed, intent on barging into the next ward to straighten thewless behavior of his divorced parents.


    Lucien pulled Ronan at his waist and dragged him back to bed.


    ¡°Ronan, what the hell do you think you are doing? Those are your parents!¡± he hissed at his mate.


    ¡°Exactly because they are my parents that I must say something! I can¡¯t tolerate this lecherous attitude! How old do they think they are???¡± Ronan roared like a wounded beast.


    ¡°It is not your freaking ce to tell them not to have sex with each other!¡±


    Ronan wailed again when he heard the cursed wordsing out of Lucien¡¯s mouth. Lucien took the chance to drag Ronan back to bed. As soon as the taller man hit the mattress, he curled up in a fetal position and buried his face into the nearest pillow.


    .....


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that,¡± hemented. ¡°Don¡¯t say that they are doing ¡®that¡¯. Goddess, noooooo...!!!¡±


    ¡°Doing what? Having sex?¡± Lucien repeated just to tease the poor man mercilessly.


    ¡°Arrrgggggghhhhhhhhh!!!¡±


    Ronan howled in genuine pain. He stuffed his ears with pillows, determined not to hear another wording out of Lucien¡¯s mouth, or the ungodly sounds from the adjacent ward.


    Looking at how distressed his mate was at the prospect of his parents hooking up, Lucien could barely suppress hisughter.


    Needless to say, Dane Silverback sessfully took the wind off Ronan¡¯s sail that night. While Ronan held Lucien in his arms and drifted into sleep, he was haunted by the suspicion that he might never be able to get an erection ever again. Not as long as his parents were engaged in depraved activities with each other.


    When morning came, Ronan was in a hurry to go back to the Infinite Eclipse Pack. He did not want to see his mother at all. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± he said with a broken voice. ¡°Lulu, please just tell Mom that I am feeling sick. I don¡¯t want to see any of them.¡±


    ¡°... Sooner orter, you have to. They are your parents,¡± Lucien pointed out.


    Ronan wed into the mattress and howled.


    ¡°Lulu, please, just...¡±


    Lucien giggled.


    He ced a kiss on the back of Ronan¡¯s neck to cate him.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he said. ¡°I am going next door to tell your parents that we are leaving. You can go ahead to the car if you want.¡±


    ¡°That is a marvelous idea,¡± Ronan praised. He quickly got dressed and got out of the ward. Looking at how fast he walked, Lucien could tell that Ronan was all healed up. Physically, at least. He had a feeling that Ronan would never recover from what he heard the previous night.


    The Alpha thought that he was safe.


    He dly marched toward the hospital foyer, where Milroy was already waiting for him.


    As luck would have it, Lady Adele Fangde was right there in front of him, chatting amicably with Milroy. When she saw her son, she smiled and waved at him.


    Ronan¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down in anguish. The torment was more than what he was able to bear.


    This was his mother.


    His mother!


    The person who gave birth to him!


    To think that she would do ¡°that¡± with a man, his unrepentant father to boot... No, the mere thought that she would do it with anyone was beyond nerve-wracking.


    No, he could not take it.


    Just like a beast who was cornered in an unpleasant situation, the Alpha looked around for an escape route. He was just contemting the possibility to run past his mother and maybeter make an excuse that he did not see her... Whether or not it made sense did not matter right now.


    He had to leave.


    Right away.


    ¡°Ronan?¡±


    While Ronan was busy with his frantic thoughts, his mother already came over. Milroy excused himself to take care of Ronan¡¯s check-out procedures.


    Lady Adele Fangde extended her arms and hugged her son, who was as stiff as one of the trees in the North Ridge Forest.


    ¡°Darling, are you alright? You look so pale.¡±


    ¡°I... I... Mom...!!!¡±


    Ronan hugged his mom and howled.


    ¡°Why... Why...?¡±


    ¡°Why what?¡± Thedy was utterly confused.


    ¡°Why did you...? I mean... Why...??? With him???¡±


    Ronan looked so miserable as a dog that was trapped in a downpour.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t make me say it,¡± he begged. ¡°Otherwise I am going to die from a heart attack.¡±


    The look on Ronan¡¯s face was too funny. Lady Adele Fangde could not help but burst intoughter.


    ¡°Mom, I am serious!¡± Ronan growled in unconcealed sorrow.


    ¡°Oh, darling, what were you thinking?¡±


    The elderdy patted her son¡¯s cheek affectionately.


    ¡°Your father hurt his back. All I did was help him to sit so he could eat his dinner.¡±


    Relief washed over Ronan.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really.¡±


    ¡°And you really didn¡¯t...?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Lady Fangde confirmed.


    ¡°Oh, thank Goddess,¡± Ronan blurted out. He could not imagine looking into his mother¡¯s eyes ever again if they had... No. They had not. That was the most important thing.


    ¡°My poor son,¡± Lady Fangde teased. ¡°You have dark circles all around your eyes. Don¡¯t tell me that you couldn¡¯t sleep all night because of that?¡±


    Ronan cleared his throat.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. The past few days had been quite overwhelming. I need some time to readjust.¡±


    ¡°Ah. I see, I see. By the way, Ronan, can I move back into the pack house?¡±


    Ronan was stunned by the sudden request, but he agreed right away.


    ¡°Of course!¡± he shouted in delight. ¡°Mom, you are wee to move back anytime!¡±


    ¡°I am so d,¡± the elderdyughed. ¡°If you said no, I would have to go into a home for elder rogue she-wolves.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Ronan snapped. ¡°Mom, you must never refer to yourself as a rogue she-wolf!¡±


    She was after all the mother of the Alpha. Ronan was going to establish her rightful status in the Infinite Eclipse Pack no matter what.

 Chapter 292

    292 The Blissful Period (NSFW)


    It took a whole day for the Werewolf Council to announce the number of casualties that resulted from Lucrethia¡¯sst act of defiance.


    Other than Lucrethia herself, two werewolves died on the spot because they failed to escape the crumbling building.


    The first one was Conrad Woond who did not at all transform because he was not in the right state of mind. The second one was Elijah Summertide who could not escape because he was chained in his cell prison.


    The others thankfully got away with their lives, although some were quite badly wounded that they had to stay in St. rence hospital for weeks.


    Kieran Locksworth, for example, barely made it because he had to search for Lillian before rushing outside.


    Due to her pregnancy, Lillian was unable to transform. If Kieran had not saved her, she would surely be buried under the wreckage and perish on spot.


    Both mother and child were safe, but the hospital decided to keep Lillian at the hospital for the time being until she gave birth.


    This was a wee arrangement for both of them, as they had a lot to talk about; such as their decision to stay together, what to do with the Irond ws, and the poor legacy that Lucrethia Woond left behind.


    As soon as Ronan and Lucien returned to their shared apartment, Ronan threw away his phone, shut off his Mind Link, and proceeded to drag his mate to the bedroom.


    .....


    For once, Lucien did not resist Ronan¡¯s advances. It had been a while since they were entangled intimately with each other.


    Encouraged by Lucien¡¯sck of usual protests, Ronan did not bother holding back. He literally soiled Lucien in every way possible.


    He took Lucien on the bed, in the shower room, in the bathtub, on the prized carpet, on the couch, and even pinned him against the window wall.


    By the end of it, Lucien regretted it a little. Sore and full of Ronan¡¯s essence, the Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack thought that he saw light at the end of the tunnel. It turned out to be the morning sun that peeked from behind the curtains.


    They literally fucked all night.


    Lucien assumed that he passed out in the middle of it, maybe an hour ago or a few hours ago.


    The sunlight stung his eyes, but not as bad as the spot between his buttcheeks.


    Lucien pressed a hand against his lower stomach. He suspected that Ronan ruptured one or more of his organs. He should go back to St. rence hospital to check for any internal bleeding.


    The man suppressed a groan when he pushed himself off the bed to a sitting position.


    His entire body was sticky with theirbined body fluids, and Ronan¡¯s arms and legs were wrapped tightly around his frame like a four-legged octopus.


    A slight movement was all it took to wake Ronan up. The Alpha dragged Lucien back into the bed when thetter tried to go into the bathroom to clean up.


    ¡°No,¡± Ronan breathed against Lucien¡¯s forehead. ¡°We are not going out today.¡±


    Lucien patted Ronan¡¯s cheek fondly. ¡°Even if we are not going out, we still have to clean up.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Ronan stuck out his tongue and licked Lucien¡¯s lips in response.


    ¡°If you need to clean up, why don¡¯t I clean you up right now.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Apparently, the Alpha took his silence as ¡°yes¡± because he then started licking Lucien all over.


    ¡°Ronan! It tickles!!!¡± Lucienughed when Ronan¡¯s tongue danced around the side of his neck.


    As a response, Ronan groped Lucien¡¯s waist and butt. One of his fingers slyly made its way inside the man¡¯s soft entrance while his mouth closed around one of Lucien¡¯s swollen nipples.


    ¡°Hss...¡±


    Lucien arched his back and winced from the pain. His fingers wed into Ronan¡¯s shoulders, adding more fingernail marks to the ones from the previous night.


    Ronan lifted their bodies into a sitting position and pulled Lucien to hisp. As he sealed his mate¡¯s lips with a passionate kiss, he pushed his erect shaft inside Lucien again.


    ¡°Mmm!!!¡±


    Lucien widened his eyes in surprise. He broke their kiss and cried like a tormented prisoner.


    ¡°Ronan... Ahh... Stop... Aaahhh I can¡¯t take it...!!!¡±


    Ronan chuckled.


    Of course he could. He did many, many times before.


    Having slept with him countless times, who knew better than Ronan what Lucien could and could not take inside his mesmerizing body?


    ¡°I love you,¡± the Alpha whispered before he grabbed the back of Lucien¡¯s neck and locked their lips together again.


    Lucien¡¯s protests were drowned by Ronan¡¯s domineering kiss, his resistance morphing into acquiescence when Ronan plunged into his deepest recess again and again.


    The long and thick rod kept grazing the pleasure spot inside his body. Shuddering from the iparable sensation, Lucien subconsciously tried to get away. Unfortunately, it only made the Alpha tighten his grip around him.


    Ronan held on to Lucien¡¯s waist and drove in and out of him with unrivaled vivacity.


    Even an ice statue had to melt whening face-to-face with Ronan¡¯s scorching heat. Including Lucien.


    The red-blonde man spasmed violently when he gave in to his lust. His sight went dark for a split second before stars burst into his sight and made him forget everything else, including his name.


    A hoarse moan escaped Lucien¡¯s lips when the wave of pleasure washed over him. Guided by his instinct, he bared his fangs and bit into Ronan¡¯s nape, iming the Alpha as his own.


    Ronan was more than happy toply.


    His lips curling up into a devious smile, he pumped hard into his mate a few more times before he too reached his climax and marked his mate. In his arms, Lucien trembled from being pumped by both his seeds and pheromones.


    ¡°Ah... Ahh...¡±


    Tears trickled down the tail of Lucien¡¯s eyes. Ronan released Lucien¡¯s nape and kissed them away.


    ¡°Sssh... Baby, it¡¯s alright...¡±


    Lucien opened his eyes and gave Ronan an aggrieved look. The ends of his eyes were reddened. Ronan peppered tiny kisses on Lucien¡¯s face.


    ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡±


    Lucien red at him.


    ¡°When does it not?¡± he asked with a scowl.

 Chapter 293

    293 The Alpha¡¯s Nightmare


    The huge grin on Ronan¡¯s face showed that he was not the slightest bit remorseful. On the contrary, he was even a little proud of his achievement.


    ¡°Get off me.¡±


    Infuriated by Ronan¡¯s shamelessness, Lucien pushed at Ronan¡¯s chest.


    The Alpha threw himself at Lucien instead, pinning him to the bed.


    ¡°Lulu, I am still inside you,¡± he reminded his blushing mate. ¡°Be nice to me,¡± he added with an aggrieved voice.


    ¡°...¡±


    Was he not nice enough?


    He let the big bad wolf bully him for a whole night and then more!


    Ronan was truly the type of person who demanded two kidneys when he was given one.


    .....


    Luckily, they were still tied together so Lucien decided to cooperate.


    The two men reveled in the afterglow of their lovemaking session while waiting for Ronan¡¯s knot to dete.


    ¡°My Lulu, when are you finally going to marry me?¡± Ronan asked, making puppy eyes at his mate.


    Lucien pursed his lips and squeezed Ronan¡¯s jaw.


    ¡°... The Werewolf Council Headquarters waspletely destroyed. Where else do you want to register our marriage?¡±


    Ronan groaned when he recalled the heap of ruins that the ancient building turned into.


    ¡°For Goddess¡¯ sake,¡± he cursed.


    The Alpha burrowed his head into Lucien¡¯s chest full of indignation.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t the old hag pick another ce to destroy???¡±


    Lucien chuckled. He slipped a hand into Ronan¡¯s thick dark hair and massaged his scalp. ¡°There is no rush, is there?¡±


    ¡°Of course, there is,¡± Ronan disagreed.


    Speaking about being in a rush, the Alpha suddenly recalled something else.


    He pulled out of Lucien¡¯s body, making thetter groan onest time. Without any plug hindering their flow, globs of cum rolled out of Lucien¡¯s gaping hole. They dripped onto the messy bedsheet, forming a tiny pool of semen beneath Lucien¡¯s body.


    Ronan had to wipe his saliva away from his lips. It took him every bit of self-restraint to not push back into Lucien¡¯s body and keep his seeds where they belonged ¡ª inside Lucien¡¯s belly.


    ¡°I need to do something,¡± the Alpha said mysteriously. After he carelessly wrapped a bathrobe around his naked body, he quickly disappeared into the living room.


    That was wonderful, because then Lucien could finally clean himself up. He walked to the bathroom and stood in front of a tall mirror. There was a slight bulge around his otherwise t abdomen. When he pressed on it, more of Ronan¡¯s cum trickled down his legs.


    Lucien shook his head in disbelief.


    That man literally gave him a belly full of cum.


    ¡°Lulu, open up,¡± Ronan¡¯s voice was heard along with the knocks at the bathroom door.


    Lucien opened the door to let Ronan in. The Alpha was slightly red in the face.


    Lucien furrowed his brows at him.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Nothing!¡± Ronan said with an unusually high-pitched voice. ¡°Everything is fine! Wonderful! By the way, my mom is back in the pack house!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. We shoulde and visit to see whether she needs something,¡± Lucien said with a smile.


    Lady Adele Fangde had never stepped a foot into the pack house ever since she divorced Dane Silverback. Although no one would dare to treat her poorly, she must feel rather awkward by herself. A visit from family members was what she needed right now, and Lucien knew just the right son to pay her a visit.


    The Luna grabbed the Alpha¡¯s elbow and pulled him inside the bathing area. ¡°Come, let¡¯s clean up.¡±


    Ronan swallowed hard when he watched Lucien¡¯s enchanting backside. The powerful lines of his shoulder des, the slender waist, the two ripe fruits that hung beneath...


    His eyes darted toward the marks that he left on Lucien¡¯s body when he kneaded at thetter¡¯s flesh. He could almost hear Lucien¡¯s ragged moans, his sweet whimpers whenever Ronan squeezed his body and stuffed him full with his cock...


    Hypnotized by his mate¡¯s beauty, Ronan followed Lucien into the shower room and kissed his shoulders.


    ¡°Mm, Lulu...¡±


    His mate smelled so nice after sex. Ronan put his arms around Lucien¡¯s sexy body, his hardened manhood pressing into Lucien¡¯s rear side. When the Alpha was about to suck on his mate¡¯s neck, he got a face full of icy cold water. Speechless, he gave Lucien a look full of confusion.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± Lucien said heartlessly before giving Ronan another spray of cold water on the face. ¡°If you don¡¯t give me some rest, my hole is never going to close up.¡±


    In fact, that had always been Lucien¡¯s biggest worry. What if one day his anal sphincter became so loose from continuous fucking?


    Incontinence at an early age was not exactly what he signed up for in a rtionship!


    After a cold shower with his lover who refused to grant him another kiss, eventually Ronan overcame his horniness and obediently went with Lucien to visit his mother.


    Back when she left the pack house, she was staying at the Alpha¡¯s residence. Now that her son and his mate upied said residence, the elderdy was given the second-best apartment just one floor underneath.


    Following Lucien¡¯s advice, Ronan brought his mother a bouquet of yellow roses.


    The two men knocked at thedy¡¯s door and rang the doorbell for a long time, but they received no answer.


    ¡°Did something happen to my mother?¡± Ronan thought out loud. ¡°Let¡¯s break the door.¡±


    Lucien nodded and stepped back to give Ronan some space.


    Just as Ronan was about to kick the door open, he heard the lock turning. The door opened slowly, but the person who came out to greet them was not Lady Adele Fangde at all.


    It was, unexpectedly, Dane Silverback.


    And he was wearing a bathrobe of exuberant maroon color. One look sufficed to see that it was not his size at all.


    The elder man was stunned to see Ronan standing there, looking as if he had personally seen a ghost. His eyes then drifted to Lucien, who was only slightly less shocked than his mate.


    ¡°So it¡¯s the two of you,¡± Dane growled.

 Chapter 294

    294 The Alpha¡¯s Mother Lied


    Lady Adele Fangde was supposedly ¡°still in bed¡± and was unable to meet Ronan and Lucien.


    While Ronan was still hesitating between throwing up all over Dane or giving the man a punch across the face, the diplomatic Lucien ripped the yellow rose bouquet from Ronan¡¯s clenched fists and handed it over to Dane.


    ¡°We wille againter,¡± he said with a curt smile before dragging Ronan back to their apartment.


    The Alpha seemed to have been frozen into a huge chunk of ice.


    ¡°Ronan?¡±


    Lucien tried his best tomiserate with his mate, but he really couldn¡¯t. He and Annalynne came from a functional family with parents who loved each other. Although both of them were grossed out by the thought that their parents were still sexually active, they were not exactly allergic to the idea.


    Ronan was entirely different.


    He grew up with parents who supposedly hated each other. Ronan was used to seeing his father as this huge viin who bedded women left and right and sired children thoughtlessly.


    And his mother? His mother was a defenseless, innocent victim who was unable to escape her tragic fate of being married to Dane Silverback.


    .....


    Keeping his mother safe from his father had been Ronan¡¯s lifelong mission.


    Up to a few weeks ago, Ronan was still hating Dane Silverback with passion. It was easy because Dane¡¯s image in Ronan¡¯s mind had only grown worse and worse with the passing time.


    And then a string of unexpected events happened. Dane helped to save Lucien¡¯s life, save and hide Lady Fangde away, and in the end also worked with Ronan to convict Lucrethia Woond.


    After years of shouldering the reputation as a belligerent scumbag, Dane Silverback turned out to be less of an asshole than Ronan thought he was.


    Ronan was still trying toe to terms with the unexpected development.


    He was just thinking about seeing Dane as his father again.


    As if that was not difficult enough, must Dane go and seduce his ex-wife?


    ¡°Oh, Goddess,¡± Ronan whispered in horror. wing into his own cheeks, he asked the question that he had been dreading to ask.


    ¡°Lulu, they are doing it, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Lucien pulled his lips into a thin line. He patted Ronan¡¯s back and nodded.


    ¡°... Yep...¡±


    It was safe to say that they were not just having an innocent pajama party.


    ¡°Oh, nooo...¡±


    Ronan dropped on the nearest couch like a sack of sand and buried his face into his hands.


    ¡°My mom lied,¡± was the first thing that came to his mind. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. She lied to me. She said that she didn¡¯t sleep with him. Oh, Goddess...¡±


    ¡°Well...¡±


    Lucien pulled a grimace. Was this even something that a mother must tell her son? Besides, it was not as if Ronan could take it.


    Look at him now.


    He sat next to Ronan and caressed the man¡¯s broad shoulders.


    ¡°Ronan, listen to me. They stayed together for months. What your mother meant was that they didn¡¯t do it that night. As for the other nights...¡±


    Ronan whipped his head around and looked at Lucien with a horrified expression.


    ¡°What other nights??? Are you telling me that they have been doing it night after night...? Oh, Goddess! No!!! I refuse to believe it!!!¡±


    Lucien bit into his lip to prevent himself fromughing out loud.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad, Ronan.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you are right. It can be worse. He might get her pregnant. Holy Goddess! I hope they are being responsible adults!!!¡±


    Ronan howled at the horrific thought that his brain conjured. For Ronan¡¯s sake, Lucien did hope that his parents were just reminiscing about the time when they were happily married.


    However short the period must be.


    ¡°Wait here,¡± Lucien said after patting Ronan¡¯s back.


    He went to the kitchen to pour the suffering man a ss of water. When he got back, said man was curled up on the couch like a wounded wild animal. He sounded like one, too.


    ¡°I need something strong,¡± Ronan demanded, but he epted the ss of water anyway.


    ¡°It¡¯s not good to drink alcohol so early in the morning,¡± Lucien pointed out.


    ¡°Can I get a can of soda then?¡±


    Lucien narrowed his eyes at his mate.


    ¡°That one is equally worse. I told you to never drink soda in the morning before breakfast.¡±


    Ronan howled.


    He pulled at Lucien¡¯s waist and pressed his face into thetter¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°Then what can I get???¡±


    Lucien sighed. How did the Alpha turn into a child?


    ¡°I am going to make you some breakfast.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s head whipped up in rm.


    ¡°What are you nning to make?¡±


    ¡°Waffles with honey and fresh strawberries.¡±


    A perfectly normal breakfast for all human beings out there. Unfortunately, the posh Alpha did not share the same opinion.


    Ronan¡¯s face darkened.


    ¡°We should check your blood glucose level,¡± he murmured unhappily. ¡°Get your coat, we will go to have breakfast in a nearby farmer¡¯s market.¡±


    Lucien giggled. He hugged Ronan from behind. A delighted hum escaped his lips when his hands traveled around Ronan¡¯s toned chest and abdomen.


    ¡°Do you like what you touch?¡± Ronan teased Lucien, temporarily distracted by his mate¡¯s adventurous hands.


    Lucien looked up at him with an evil smirk on his face.


    ¡°Do you want to invite your parents for breakfast?¡± he teased back in response.


    The Alpha groaned from immense pain.


    ¡°Goddess, no! Lulu, I forbid you from mentioning it, ever again!¡±


    That was how Ronan ended up not being able to visit his mother for the time being.


    He simply could not stomach the fact that his mother was sexually involved with Dane Silverback. If it were another elder gentleman, Ronan might just find an excuse to challenge him to a duel.


    Three dayster, though, Ronan had to swallow all his grievances and meet up with his mother and father. Thankfully, he had Lucien to act as a buffer. Otherwise, the atmosphere would be dreadful.


    Two unlikely guests had seen it fit to pay them all a visit.

 Chapter 295

    295 A Favor To Ask


    The two guests were none other than Lucrethia Woond¡¯s surviving children, Katreena Swifttalon and Vera Woond.


    A Luna of a werewolf pack far in the south, Katreena had note back to North America for more than twenty years. Pine Groove City felt like a long-lost friend that she used to know but did not bother to keep in touch with.


    At a first nce, Katreena with her ck hair and a pair of greenish-blue eyes resembled Ronan greatly. She had the fortune to inherit the good looks of the Fangde family members. Her children did not have the same luck. Neither were her blood-rted siblings.


    At a second nce, though, people would notice tiny details that revealed that the two people were not closely rted. For example, the form of their eyes, or the shape of their noses.


    Katreena and Vera were led to the audience hall. They asked to meet with Ronan, Lucien, Lady Fangde, and Dane Silverback. Once they were all present in the huge hall, though, no words came out.


    It was a difficult topic to breach, particrly because Lucrethia Woond had done Infinite Eclipse Pack so much harm. Both Katreena and Vera sat in silence for a long time before Katreena found her words.


    ¡°My name is Katreena, and this is my youngest sister, Vera,¡± Katreena said, introducing herself and her sister.


    ¡°We have been going from one pack to another to visit the casualties and offer our greatest support whenever possible.¡±


    Lady Fangde lowered her eyshes but said nothing.


    .....


    Dane Silverback tightened his fists over his knees.


    Ronan shifted his gaze from the two women to the scenery outside the window.


    Lucien was the only one who was willing to look at them directly, but he too did not know what to say other than an empty ¡°I see¡±.


    ¡°We are not here to make an excuse for what my mother has done. Her actions caused harm to a lot of packs. We are not going to try to defend her terrible choices.¡±


    ¡°Then what are you here for, if I may ask?¡± Ronan asked with a cold tone.


    He went to stand behind Lucien¡¯s couch and draped his arms protectively around his mate.


    Katreena gave him a curt smile.


    ¡°We are here to ask for a favor.¡±


    ¡°What favor?¡± Dane asked with an equally cold tone, if not more.


    ¡°My mother¡¯s corpse is being detained by the Werewolf Council and ced in St. rence hospital¡¯s mortuary. We are not allowed to im the body. As someone who has sinned against practically the whole werewolfmunity, my mother has been unanimously denounced by the Werewolf Council.¡±


    Katreena¡¯s voice trembled from sorrow as she forced herself to continue.


    ¡°All we want is permission to hold a proper funeral for our mother. She is, after all, our mother.¡±


    ¡°There is no ce for her in the werewolfmunity,¡± Ronan dered. ¡°You cannot expect her actions to go unpunished.¡±


    ¡°We know,¡± Vera spoke up. ¡°We are not demanding to hold a funeral for her at the Eternal Sleep Lake. But please, please just allow us to im her body.¡±


    Ronan jeered.


    ¡°And what do you n to do once you have the body?¡±


    ¡°I will take her to the south, to my pack house, and hold a funeral procession ording to our custom in the southern area,¡± Katreena retorted. ¡°No one will ever hear from her again. Or from us.¡±


    Katreena squeezed her sister¡¯s hand. Vera looked up at her sister with ssy eyes and quivering lips.


    ¡°I will take Vera with me as well. The Woonds will no longer set a foot in this continent.¡±


    ¡°What about Lillian and her siblings?¡± Lucien asked.


    Katreena gave Lucien a tender smile.


    ¡°Lillian is going to marry Kieran and be the Irond ws Pack¡¯s Luna. She and Kieran are going to rule over the pack together. As for Lillian¡¯s siblings... My niece and nephew, I will of course take them with me as well.¡±


    Deep in thought, Lucien lowered his head. So Lillian was going to be thest Woond in the Irond ws Pack. Her children were going to take their father¡¯s surname, Locksworth.


    It was rather ironic.


    Lucrethia Woond not only failed to sneak her descendant into the Infinite Eclipse Pack, but also lost the Alpha position in the Irond ws Pack for all eternity.


    The Woond family was henceforth no more.


    ¡°Please,¡± Katreena begged. ¡°We have asked many packs. To date, no one is willing to release my mother¡¯s body. Consent from the Silverback family means a lot.¡±


    Of course it meant a lot. After all, the Silverback family sustained the greatest damage, even more than the Night Prowler Pack and the Silent Walkers Pack.


    ¡®Ronan...¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t.¡¯


    Ronan took a deep breath and squeezed Lucien¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡®I told you that she did not give a crap about your life. For her, all of us are nothing but a bunch of ants that she can trample on at will. Let¡¯s be merciless this one time, it will be a lesson for the future generations.¡¯


    Lucien disagreed.


    ¡®Ronan, she is dead. What happens to her corpse doesn¡¯t concern her anymore. She won¡¯t know about it. By taking revenge on a dead body, you are not hurting Lucrethia but her daughters.¡¯


    Lucien tilted his head slightly to look at Ronan.


    ¡®Think about the time when we thought that your father cremated your mother without even waiting for you toe and say goodbye. These two women are going through the same thing. Have somepassion.¡¯


    Ronan hung his head and sighed heavily.


    ¡®I understand.¡¯


    ¡°Ronan? You are the Alpha,¡± Lady Fangde reminded her son.


    ¡°What is your decision?¡±


    Ronan took Lucien¡¯s hand and pressed a kiss on his fingers reverently.


    ¡°My Luna gave me a wise counsel. As the current head of the Silverback family and the Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack, I agree to release Lucrethia Woond¡¯s corpse to her two daughters.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Goddess...¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much.¡±


    Katreena fought back the tears that gathered in her eyes. She then approached Lucien and squeezed his hands in gratitude.


    ¡°Thank you, Lucien Clearwater. We will never forget your kindness.¡±


    Lucien squeezed back at Katreena¡¯s hands. His gaze wandered between the two women in front of him.


    ¡°Farewell, Madam Katreena Swifttalon and Miss Vera Woond.¡±

 Chapter 296

    296 The Alpha Was Keeping One Last Secret


    Once the Infinite Eclipse Pack gave its consent, Katreena Swifttalon used it to persuade all other packs into giving their consent.


    Naturally, none of them believed that Ronan Silverback was very keen on forgiving Lucrethia Woond. That¡¯s why one phone call after another came flooding, all of them were asking basically the same thing: ¡°Did Alpha Ronan really agree to release Lucrethia Woond¡¯s body to her daughters?¡±


    Of all the Alphas, Kinnon was the only one who correctly guessed that Lucien was the one who coaxed his mate into the generous act of mercy.


    ¡°Lucien is too kind for his own good,¡± Kinnon said.


    Ronan had to agree. He told Lucien about it, but Lucien merely shook his head with a smile.


    ¡°There is no need to hold a grudge against a dead person.¡±


    Annalynne, on the other side, felt that it was necessary to hold a grudge. She made a call to her brother first thing in the morning after she gave her consent.


    ¡°Lucien, you are too kind,¡± the twin sister criticized. ¡°If I were you, I would suggest cutting her into pieces and feeding them to wild dogs.¡±


    Lucien shook his head in reproach.


    .....


    ¡°Anna, such words are unbefitting of an Alpha.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Annalynne had aeback response.


    ¡°Are you telling your Alpha how to talk now?¡±


    Lucien narrowed his eyes at theptop screen in front of him.


    ¡°... Really, Anna? Are you pulling ranks on me now?¡±


    The woman on the other end of the line broke into a giggle.


    ¡°No, of course not! But Lulu, didn¡¯t I sound cool??? I am starting to love the Alpha lingo! As the first and only female Alpha currently, I need to assert myself! Be my own woman! Confidence is the key to sess!¡±


    Lucien rubbed at his forehead and sighed. What was his silly sister spouting so early in the morning?


    ¡°Anna, have you been listening to motivational podcasts or reading uplifting motivational quotes?¡±


    Annalynne cleared her throat.


    ¡°Ahem. Yes?¡±


    ¡°... Go read from ¡®Virtues Of An Alpha¡¯ and ¡®How To Rule A Pack Wisely¡¯ when you have so much time in your hand.¡±


    ¡°But... But...¡±


    ¡°No buts. I am sending you a copy of each right now.¡±


    Lucien finished his purchase before ordering those two books for his sister. Once he was done, he stepped into the bedroom to take a look at Ronan.


    Just what was taking him so long to get ready?


    Ronan was on the phone, fully invested in what sounded like a business call.


    ¡°How much longer do I have to wait?¡±


    ¡°Has all the preparation been done?¡±


    ¡°Wonderful, when can I go down to take a look?¡±


    ¡°No, no, that is not necessary, not for now.¡±


    Lucien knocked slightly at the door to make his presence known.


    Ronan turned around and smiled at him.


    ¡®Come here,¡¯ he said through Mind Link, gesturing for Lucien toe nearer.


    The red-blonde man looked handsome in his three-piece suit. It perfectly highlighted Lucien¡¯s provocative contours and slender legs. The man emanated an undefinable aura of authority. Ronan wanted to kiss the sole of Lucien¡¯s feet and worship him. At the same time, Ronan also reveled in wild fantasy, in which he got to rip the formal clothes off Lucien and make him moansciviously as he took Ronan¡¯s cock inside.


    ¡°That¡¯s all,¡± Ronan ended the call, his mouth dry from longing and desire.


    His focus scattered into thin air as soon as he caught sight of Lucien anyway.


    Ronan slipped a naughty hand into Lucien¡¯s shirt. He hummed in delight when he ran his fingers across Lucien¡¯s beautiful muscles.


    ¡°Stop that,¡± Lucien smacked his mate¡¯s hand. ¡°We have to go now, otherwise we will never go.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Lulu...¡±


    Ronan¡¯s voice was husky from intense lust.


    ¡°I would love to make love to you right now. You look so good.¡±


    The Alpha grabbed his mate by the back of his neck and buried his nose into his corbone.


    ¡°And you smell so heavenly.¡±


    Ronan sighed.


    Lucien gave him another smack.


    ¡°Stop that right now. Your parents are waiting for us to have breakfast together.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The words ¡°your parents¡± or ¡°your mother and father¡± had been extraordinarily effective in killing Ronan¡¯s erection these days.


    By the look of it, Lucien made use of this newly gained power too freely. Almost as if he enjoyed it.


    ¡°Come now,¡± Lucien whispered with an alluring voice as he leaned against Ronan¡¯s chest and shed the man his most seductive smile.


    ¡°When we get back, you can do anything that you want to me.¡±


    Ronan swallowed hard.


    ¡°Anything?¡±


    ¡°Anything,¡± Lucien winked at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t eat your wordster,¡± Ronan crooned.


    The Alpha lowered his head and captured his Luna¡¯s lips in one fell swoop.


    ¡°Mmm...¡±


    Ronan tilted Lucien¡¯s head backward, exposing his fair neck to the former¡¯s hungry eyes. As he peppered Lucien¡¯s neck with kiss marks, his other hand wandered from Lucien¡¯s chest down to his waist and settled on the fleshy mound that he so loved to squeeze.


    ¡°Mmm... Ahh...¡±


    Lucien closed his eyes and moaned from pleasure.


    Ronan¡¯s touch was scorchingly hot. Lucien got goosebumps when he felt the man¡¯s adventurous hand around his body, separated only by a fewyers of clothing.


    ¡°We should go,¡± Ronan cleared his throat. ¡°Otherwise, we have to cancel. I don¡¯t think that I can control myself any longer.¡±


    Lucienughed.


    ¡°Are you not tired of it already?¡±


    ¡°Tired? Never.¡±


    Ronan gave Lucien a peck on the lips.


    ¡°I will never stop wanting to sleep with you.¡±


    Lucien shook his head at the hopeless Alpha.


    ¡°In a way, I guess it is a blessing that we don¡¯t have children. Otherwise, it will be difficult to exin their father¡¯s lustful behavior.¡±


    Speaking about children...


    Ronan¡¯s face turned red in an instant.


    He was itching to tell Lucien, but he also wanted it to be a surprise.


    The Alpha bit into his lip full of indignation.


    No, he should not spoil it.


    Ronan put an arm around his mate¡¯s waist and smiled.


    ¡°Shall we?¡±


    ¡°We shall,¡± Lucien nodded.


    After dying their marriage for what felt like eons of time, they were finally going to report their marriage intention to the Werewolf Council.


    This time, no one and nothing was going to stop them.

 Chapter 297

    297 The End And The Beginning


    The reconstruction of the entire Werewolf Council Headquarters was expected to take at least five months, not including the gigantic Moon Goddess statue.


    The gigantic statue was, ording to the legend, not built by men.


    A long, long time ago, the Moon Goddess lived in the North Ridge Forest with her werewolf children. It was a peaceful period when she got to spend every single day with children who adored and worshipped her.


    Unfortunately, the Moon Goddess did not belong to the earth.


    One day, she found that she had stayed for way too long. The time hade for her to leave.


    When she told her children that she had to go back to heaven, all the werewolves cried bitterly. They begged her not to leave them behind; take them to heaven if need be.


    That was one thing that the Moon Goddess could not do. It was not yet time for them toe and live with her in heaven, she said.


    To provide sce for the werewolves, the Moon Goddess left an imprint behind. This imprint was the gigantic statue that henceforth watched over the children that the Moon Goddess left behind.


    Having sustained a great material loss among others, the Werewolf Council was not particrly satisfied with how things ended.


    .....


    First, the Moon Goddess statue crumbled into a heap of ruins.


    Second, the headquarters too was utterly destroyed.


    Third, the perpetrator got to escape trial by dying quickly.


    The elderly left the world with a huge bang, but her descendants and pack members had to suffer from the consequences.


    In order to not implicate the other Irond ws pack members in Lucrethia¡¯s sins and give other packs reason to initiate wars, Alpha Kieran Locksworth denounced Lucrethia Woond the same day she died.


    Had she survived, she would be tried as a rogue she-wolf.


    In death, neither status nor title mattered. All the werewolf society remembered about Lucrethia was the great extent of the harm that she had caused, particrly to the Infinite Eclipse Pack and the Night Prowler Pack. Her name was tarnished forever in the werewolf society for generations toe.


    After both Conrad and Lucrethia Woond had passed away, Vera Woond no longer felt at home in the Irond ws Pack.


    With Kieran¡¯s blessings, she opted to take Conrad¡¯s remaining children and followed Katreena Swifttalon.


    Only Lillian and her mother remained in the Irond ws Pack. They would be thest Woonds to stay in the pack.


    Looking back, it was a wise decision for the Woonds to leave with Katreena.


    In the southern continent, the werewolf packs were scattered without a central government body. Without strict rules and regtions to live by, the werewolves lived freely without many restrictions. They did not bother integrating with human civilization and chose instead to live as close as possible to the werewolves of the past.


    Though Lucrethia certainly condemned Katreena¡¯s marriage to a faraway pack back then, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. She had found her ce there, and gained respect from both her mate and her pack.


    In the pack she married into, Alpha and Luna reigned together. They had equal standing, both were highly respected by their pack members.


    In a way, she had be a leader of the pack. Was that not what Lucrethia wanted for Katreena all along?


    And now, Vera too might find a home in the farawaynd. Lillian¡¯s younger siblings, too.


    Maybe, just maybe, so Elder Kragen mused that day, Lionel Woond did not hate Katreena at all. He saw Katreena¡¯s potential, and he did not want her to be crushed by the patriarchal society.


    She might be far away, but she would be safe and happy.


    If only Lucrethia had seen it through Lionel¡¯s eyes. Thedy had automatically assumed that Katreena was doomed. That her future was ruined.


    It turned out that among all three of Lucrethia¡¯s children, Katreena was the one who gained the most.


    The Woonds left with Katreena Swifttalon on the same day they reimed Lucrethia Woond¡¯s body.


    Their departure marked the end of the Woond family bloodline in the North American continent, but also the start of happier times.


    Spring began in March, but the season culminated in April. Despite losing the ancient building that served as its headquarters for hundreds of years, the Werewolf Council could not just cease its operation.


    A smaller building was built post haste near the huge construction site where the new headquarters were supposed to stand, and the council reopened its doors to those who needed its service.


    On the very first day, Alpha Ronan Silverback and his future Luna, Lucien Clearwater showed up close before noon. Their fingers were intimately intertwined as they walked toward the temporary council headquarters.


    ¡°Wee, Alpha Ronan and Lucien Clearwater,¡± the two youngdies at the reception counter beamed at them.


    ¡°Are you here to register your marriage?¡±


    Ronan and Lucien exchanged smiles before they answered in unison, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then please head to the third chamber from left,¡± one of them instructed.


    Inside the chamber, three people were already waiting for them.


    The first one was a High Priest who was in charge of epting the marriage registration. The second one was Elder Rick, and the third one was Elder Aaron.


    ¡°Wee, Alpha Ronan and Lucien Clearwater. Please join us,¡± the High Priest greeted them with a smile.


    Once the couple took their seats, they were questioned by their elders about their intentions.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, is it your intention to take Lucien Clearwater as your Luna in a sacred wedding that is blessed by the Moon Goddess?¡± Elder Rick queried on Lucien¡¯s behalf.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ronan answered.


    On the Infinite Eclipse Pack¡¯s behalf, Elder Aaron turned to Lucien and asked, ¡°Lucien Clearwater, is it your intention to ept Alpha Ronan as your mate and serve the Infinite Eclipse Pack as its Luna with all your heart?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lucien answered.


    Both elders nodded at the High Priest, who then unrolled a parchment andid it before Ronan and Lucien.


    ¡°In that case, please add your thumbprints here and here to express your agreement to marry each other.¡±


    Lucien moved to dip his thumb into the ink pad, but Ronan grabbed his wrist and stopped him.


    ¡°Lulu, wait.¡±

 Chapter 298

    298 One Week To Twenty Years


    Lucien blinked at Ronan in confusion.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    The Alpha took Lucien¡¯s hands by the wrists and pressed a chaste kiss on his knuckles.


    ¡°My love, it has been a struggle to arrive to this day.


    Ever since I met you years ago, even throughout our break-up and separation, there had never been a day when I did not think about you.


    Your presence in my life makes it worth living.


    Your kisses are what I need to start every morning.


    Your love is the sweetest nectar that I ever taste.


    Lucien, I love you with every drop of blood I have in my body.


    .....


    Forever and always, my feelings for you will only grow stronger.¡±


    Drunk with love for his mate, the Alpha forgot that other people were present in the room. The two elders literally held their breaths for fear of ruining the tender, romantic ambiance.


    Although Lucien was often at the receiving end of Ronan¡¯s powerful promations of love, he still could not help but blush profusely.


    When he averted his eyes from embarrassment, Ronan pulled him into a hug with one hand and grasped his chin with another hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look away from me, baby...¡± Ronan whispered. ¡°I love you...¡±


    Oblivious about his mate¡¯s inner turmoil, Ronan lowered his head and kissed Lucien¡¯s soft, quivering lips. His kisses were overflowing with possessive but also gentle love for his mate.


    The Alpha held his Luna close to his heart while baring his fangs and ws at anyone who dared toe close and try to snatch his lover away.


    For once, Lucien did not try to break free from Ronan¡¯s overbearing impulses. He hooked his arms around Ronan¡¯s neck instead and pulled him into a deeper kiss. Who cared about the others? Let them watch if they wanted to. Lucien could not be bothered to care for the time being.


    The so-called other people showed mixed reactions.


    The elders were still holding their breaths, their faces meanwhile were slightly tinted blue.


    The High Priest maintained the professional smile on his lips. He most likely had witnessed more fiery disy of love. Werewolves were not known to be submissive, especially not the alpha males.


    When the couple broke their kiss and opened their eyes to look at each other, everyone could see the scorching, all-consuming love that they shared. It did not matter whether people approved or disapproved of their rtionship.


    In this life, they chose to stay together. In good times or bad times, in sickness or health, in breezy or stormy weather.


    ¡°Ahem.¡±


    The two elders finally got sick of holding their breaths.


    Truly, these younger people knew no such thing as self-restraint!


    Could they not keep their hands to themselves until after they were alone??? Good Goddess!!!


    ¡°Please add your thumbprints so we canplete the registration,¡± Elder Aaron reminded the two men.


    Lucien and Ronan smiled at each other before they added their thumbprints onto the parchment. Once it was done, they both heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Very well,¡± the High Priest remarked.


    Elder Rick rolled the parchment together and added the wax seal of the Werewolf Council on top of it. It was then handed over to the High Priest.


    ¡°Now that the registration has beenpleted, please go to the shrine to offer a prayer to the Moon Goddess.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ronan and Lucien said.


    They rose to their feet and walked out of the temporary headquarters.


    The aforementioned shrine was located close to the Holy Temple of The Moon Goddess. It was essible through a stony path that was nked by long and tall hedges on both sides.


    Ronan expected to meet another priest or priestess there for further direction, but the shrine was empty. Only a statue of Moon Goddess sat in her throne at the front side of the shrine, her merciful gaze directed at the children who came to speak to her.


    Even after Ronan obediently knelt and prayed with Lucien, no one else showed up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Lucien tipped on Ronan¡¯s shoulder once they were done. ¡°What are you looking around for?¡±


    ¡°Erm, Lulu, when are we going to get married?¡±


    Lucien pinched Ronan¡¯s cheek affectionately.


    ¡°The High Seer will decide within a week.¡±


    Ronan breathed out of relief.


    ¡°So, next month?¡± he asked, full of hope.


    ¡°Well... It will be between one week and twenty years.¡±


    ¡°Oh, one week and twenty years... Yes that sounds reasonable. WAIT WHAT??? TWENTY YEARS???¡±


    Lucien red at Ronan. ¡°Keep your voice down, you are in a shrine!¡±


    Impatiently, the Alpha dragged his mate out so he did not have to lower his voice.


    ¡°Lulu, why? Why twenty years??? Why does it take so long???¡±


    The red-blonde man neither looked surprised nor bothered by the fact.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± he asked as if twenty years was no different from a blink of eye.


    ¡°Lulu, twenty years!¡± Ronan hissed. ¡°By then, you and I would be SO old!¡±


    Lucien squinted at the unhappy man in front of him.


    ¡°Does this mean that you don¡¯t want me anymore twenty years from now?¡±


    Ronan quickly grabbed Lucien¡¯s hands and professed his undying love to him, ¡°Lulu, I will still want you fifty or a hundred years from now.¡±


    ¡°Then what does it matter?¡± Lucien asked while squeezing Ronan¡¯s face.


    ¡°We are bonded mates. We live together. What else do you want? A wedding is just there to make it official.¡±


    Heck, the whole pack already referred to him as the Luna with or without the wedding ceremony. His ce in Ronan¡¯s pack was undisputed. So why the rush to hold the wedding ceremony?


    ¡°I want to make it official,¡± Ronan grumbled unhappily. ¡°I want everyone to know that you are mine.¡±


    Lucien shook his head with a smile.


    ¡°Ronan, do you know why Alpha couples are required to register their marriage before the wedding ceremony happens?¡±


    ¡°No. Why?¡±


    ¡°Because the burden of leading a pack is a massive one. Alphas and Lunas must rely on each other and support each other. The time between the registration and the actual wedding serves as the time to reflect on the rtionship once both sides agreed on locking each other down in a marriage.


    Whether the wedding date is set in one week or twenty years, itrgely depends on the affinity of each couple.¡±


    While Ronan thought about Lucien¡¯s words, an interesting question popped up in his head.


    ¡°By the way, Lulu, didn¡¯t you register your marriage with Kinnon before?¡±


    Lucien turned to look at his mate with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    Sour feelings rose in Ronan¡¯s heart, but his curiosity was even stronger. He simply had to know.


    ¡°Did you get a wedding date?¡±

 Chapter 299

    299 Ronan Had A Little Problem


    ¡°Yes, we did.¡±


    Before Ronan asked further, Lucien told him what he wanted to know. ¡°It was supposed to be five years from the day we came to register the marriage.¡±


    A smug grin spread across Ronan¡¯s face.


    Pfffft.


    Five years?


    The connection between Lucien and Kinnon was apparently that shallow, almost meaningless!


    Ronan was about tough out loud.


    Deep inside, Ronan had always wondered why Kinnon did not take Lucien to bed earlier.


    Kinnon could pretend to be a gentleman all he wanted, but Ronan knew his rival pretty well.


    .....


    The Alpha of the Night Prowler Pack was a man with a burning desire for Lucien, one that did not differ much from his own.


    If it were Ronan, he would marry Lucien post haste. One day after registering their marriage, if possible.


    He would then seduce Lucien night after night, until thetter agreed to open his legs and let him in. They would mark each other again and again while Lucien sumbed to pleasure in Ronan¡¯s arms, trembling and crying from powerful release.


    They would embrace each other day and night, until Lucien was soaked in his scent, and Ronan in his.


    The Alpha cleared his throat to banish the dirty images from his brain.


    It didn¡¯t work out for Kinnon because the High Seer had a hand in this matter.


    Heh.


    Hahahahaha.


    Why, the High Seer was extremely helpful. Before she helped to save Lucien¡¯s life, she helped to keep Lucien safe from Kinnon¡¯s greedy and lustful paws!


    The High Seer was practically Ronan¡¯s best friend!


    The Alpha secretly vowed to make a huge donation to the Holy Temple whenever possible.


    Maybe he should do it soon.


    It might inspire the High Seer to marry him and Lucien sooner than nned.


    Grinning from ear to ear, Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s arm and pulled him into his arms. He rubbed their cheeks together and squeezed his mate to his chest.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lucien asked in a t tone.


    ¡°Baby, you and I, we will get married in a week!¡± the Alpha announced as if he just looked into the future.


    Lucien chuckled.


    ¡°So confident?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We should have sex more to further convince the High Seer.¡±


    That was the way to go. Nothing beat a mating bond and healthy sexual rtions.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien was speechless. There was no helping the horny Alpha. All he thought about was sex, day in and day out.


    The red-blonde man opened his mouth to scold his mate, but then they heard the sound of some people approaching.


    For some reason, both of them felt the need to hide. Ronan and Lucien unanimously sneaked behind the tall hedges and peeked at the two people who were walking along the stony path, clearly heading toward the small shrine.


    Lucien widened his eyes in surprise when he saw who they were. Next to him, Ronan was frozen on spot.


    Lady Adele Fangde was walking down the path with Dane Silverback by her side!


    They went into the shrine without exchanging any words. Around ten minutester, they re-emerged and this time they had something to say to each other.


    ¡°I still think that it is unnecessary,¡± Lady Fangde remarked.


    ¡°It IS necessary,¡± Dane disagreed. ¡°We marked each other. It is just right to get re-married.¡±


    Behind the hedges, Ronan looked as if he was about to suffer from a heart attack.


    Did he hear correctly? His mother and... And Dane Silverback? She marked him? He marked her?


    ¡®Oh Moon Goddess in heaven,¡¯ Ronan whispered via Mind Link.


    ¡®Oh, no, no, no...¡¯


    ¡®Ssssssh shut up, Ronan...¡¯


    ¡°It was an ident,¡± Lady Fangde pointed out. ¡°I was in heat and you were having your rut. We were just helping each other to relieve the tension.¡±


    That was more than what Ronan ever wanted to know about his parents.


    He wanted to scream.


    He wished to bump his head against the earth until he passed out.


    Thankfully, his mate prevented him from harming himself by locking his arms and dragging him further away from the hedges.


    ¡°Adele.¡±


    Dane wrapped his arms around Lady Fangde¡¯s form. His hand settled on the woman¡¯s lower stomach.


    ¡°What if you get pregnant?¡±


    Lady Fangde pursed her lips and gave Dane a look.


    ¡°Dane, I am old. Did you mistake me for your younger lovers?¡±


    The man heaved a sigh.


    ¡°There is no one else. I told you that again and again, but you wouldn¡¯t listen.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s parents went away, back in the direction of the Werewolf Council¡¯s temporary headquarters.


    Ronan and Lucien were still squatting behind the tall hedges with Lucien¡¯s arms wrapped around Ronan¡¯s.


    They had the good sense to wait for almost an hour before they stumbled back to their car and drive away.


    Ronan was pale with fright.


    He was silent during the whole trip.


    Shaken by what he heard and witnessed, Ronan went to sleep as soon as they reached the apartment.


    For the first time ever, he and Lucien slept next to each other without him trying to seduce Lucien even once.


    At first, Lucien thought that it was not necessarily a bad thing. Engaging in intimate rtions night after night was bound to be harmful for Ronan¡¯s kidneys.


    He started to get worried when Ronan disappeared first thing in the morning while he was still asleep.


    The Alpha only left a message, saying that he had to ¡°take care of things¡±.


    Lucien called Milroy after breakfast and questioned him about Ronan¡¯s whereabouts.


    The young man sounded so anxious and nervous.


    If Lucien did not know better, he would think that Ronan was cheating on him.


    ¡°Milroy, where is he?¡± Lucien asked again. ¡°Tell me the truth.¡±


    At the other end of the phone line, Milroy slumped his shoulders and wiped beads of cold sweat off his forehead.


    ¡°Reporting to the Luna, Alpha Ronan is currently in the fertility center.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s jaw dropped open. He almost dropped his phone from astonishment.


    Did the unspeakable affair between his parents cause Ronan to have erectile dysfunction or something?

 Chapter 300

    300 The Unusually Quiet Nights


    Ronan came back that night with a grim expression. He tackled Lucien into bed and rubbed their bodies together in a heavy make-out session, but then he did not proceed with sex.


    Lucien was concerned, but he did not want to push Ronan.


    While Lucien was also a man at his prime age with a healthy sexual appetite, he knew that he could maintain a rtionship with moderate physical intimacy. Once or twice a week would be perfect for him.


    Unlike Ronan, who wanted to ravish him every night if possible, and often more than twice a night.


    For Ronan¡¯s sake, Lucien hoped that he got over it soon.


    It¡¯s not like his parents never had sex before. Otherwise, how did his mother conceive him? Ronan just needed to get over it.


    The next morning, Ronan went to work as usual and came home as usual, but again he was not in the mood for intimacies.


    Their bed had never been so quiet at night.


    On the third night, Lucien decided to seduce Ronan. He came up to him in a thin silky bathrobe, with nothing underneath. The thin fabric slid down his shoulders when he straddled Ronan, showcasing his porcin skin and the twin tantalizing red buds on his chest.


    .....


    Ronan grabbed Lucien by his waist and proceeded to suck and bite on thetter¡¯s nipples. When Lucien was getting warmed up for more, the wind died down all of a sudden.


    Ronan froze up and was unable to continue.


    Red with embarrassment, he murmured his apology and went to sleep right away.


    Lucien could not take it anymore. After Ronan left for work the next morning, the Luna went to talk to a senior healer in the pack. The visit could not be more awkward and the conversation was even more embarrassing.


    ¡°Let me understand this correctly, Luna...¡± the healer put his fingers together in front of his chest and stared at Lucien.


    ¡°You happened to witness one or several distressing exchanges, and from then on, you, ahem, can never maintain your erection anymore. Is that correct?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lucien tried his best to lie as convincingly as he could. Ronan was the one with the medical condition, but Lucien couldn¡¯t go around and spread the news, right?


    The healer hummed and nodded a few times.


    ¡°I see. If the reason is purely psychological, then the Luna hase to the right ce. We can start by talking about it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    What? Talk about it?


    ¡°So, can you tell me further about this... appalling incident that you happened to gain knowledge of?¡±


    The healer gave Lucien an encouraging gaze.


    ¡°No need to rush. Take your time to put your thoughts into words. We have all the time in the world.¡±


    Lucien swallowed hard.


    What was he supposed to say? That his married parents were still having sex and he found out about it? It sounded stupid no matter how he expressed the thought.


    Should he talk about Dane Silverback and Lady Fangde? No, he could not. The topic was off-limits.


    So what kind of ¡°psychological root cause¡± tale was he supposed to spin out for the healer to hear?


    Seeing Lucien sit there with horror burdening his mind, even the healer felt sorry for him. The Luna had gone through a lot recently, he thought. He had yet to heal, so naturally, that exined hiscking performance in bed.


    ¡°If you do not feelfortable talking about it, you do not have to. We can do some breathing exercises for a start.¡±


    That was an excellent idea.


    ¡°Great, how does it work?¡± Lucien quickly jumped to the second-best solution.


    The healer thus taught Lucien how to do a few breathing and rxation exercises.


    ¡°The most important thing to do is to calm your mind,¡± the healer reminded him. ¡°Additionally, let me prescribe you some natural remedies to help with achieving an erection.¡±


    Whatever it was, Lucien was going to give it to Ronan.


    Not before having a heart-to-heart talk with his mate, no matter how ufortable it would be.


    Alice Clearwater had one rule in the Clearwater household that she adhered to religiously. Difficult conversations must be done in apaniment of food.


    And that was how Lucien ended up ving around in the kitchen all afternoon to deck the dining table with dishes that his mother would usually make.


    He even specifically called and asked his mother for suggestions.


    Lucien was done with his cooking spree just in time for dinner.


    In the middle of the dining table stood a huge bowl of mushroom and potato creme soup that sent wisps of steam into the air. It was surrounded by a te of stir-fried chicken filet and broli in oyster sauce, a basket of garlic butter bread slices, a te of watermelon and pineapple slices, and beefsagna with four kinds of cheese.


    These were home-cooked dishes, the kind of food that Lucien was usually toozy to make.


    He tasted each of them, making sure that they were not too salty or anything.


    Ronan should be able to eat them.


    No, he should like them.


    Otherwise, how did Lucien get him to open up?


    He snapped his finger once he recalled what he forgot.


    Wine.


    Lucien went down to the pack¡¯s wine storage to grab two bottles of Cabe Sauvignon from the year 2001, which a wine connoisseur once rmended to him.


    When Lucien got back, Ronan had yet to return.


    The man waited and waited, but Ronan did note back at all. He checked his phone, and there was a message from Ronan.


    ¡°Baby, I can¡¯t make it home tonight. You will hear from me tomorrow afternoon.¡±


    Dejected, Lucien ate dinner alone and packed the rest of the food into the refrigerator.


    Maybe he went too far the previous night. He had wounded Ronan¡¯s self-esteem by ripping his wound open right in front of his eyes.


    Nevertheless, they had to talk. Otherwise, how were they supposed to get through it?


    When morning came, Lucien opened his door for Milroy, who handed him a package from ¡°West Coast Center For Reproductive Medicine And Fertility¡±.

 Chapter 301

    301 The Alpha¡¯s Farewell Letter


    At first, Lucien thought that the package was for Ronan. And then he saw his name as the recipient¡¯s name. It was for Lucien Clearwater, written clearly on top of the box.


    ¡°What is this?¡± he asked with a frown.


    Instead of answering Lucien¡¯s question, Milroy turned bright red and stuttered.


    ¡°Umm, Luna, you need to... I mean, you must give it back to me as soon as you are done. I will submit the s-sample right away.¡±


    The young man then averted his eyes and hung his head as low as possible.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien did not understand what Milroy was saying at all. Since the package was addressed to him, he might as well open it and see what was inside.


    He asked Milroy to wait in the living room while he took the package to Ronan¡¯s study and opened it.


    Inside the package was a rose-colored box. There were a few items inside. The first one was a smaller box with arge egg inside. The instruction manual that came with it read as followed:


    .....


    ¡°Hello, Future Dad!¡±


    ¡°Please peel this egg and use it to store your sperm. As soon as you finish, seal the opening with the included cap and send it to us within 24 hours! For detailed instructions on how to use the egg, please check the next section!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    And then, there was another box next to it. The second box contained one stic bottle and a few stic bags.


    ¡°Please provide samples of your saliva, hair, and nail and put them in the respective containers!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien blinked at the two boxes. Just as he was about to pack them back into the package and shove it into Milroy¡¯s hand with a scolding, he caught sight of a card and a folded letter inside the rose-colored box.


    The card was half the size of a postcard. The front side contained his personal information. One nce at the handwriting sufficed to tell Lucien that it was Ronan¡¯s.


    At the back side was presumably a short message that Ronan left for Lucien, only that beneath the ¡°Dear Lucien¡± the Alpha had written a lot of words only to cross them out one by one.


    ¡°...¡±


    A tiny scribble in an empty space said, ¡°Please see the letter instead¡±.


    Lucien grabbed the folded letter and spread it on the desk.


    The letter was written on a hotel notepad. The name of the hotel stood ringly on the header, making it look like a message left by the hotel instead.


    Lucien took a seat behind the desk and started reading Ronan¡¯s message for him.


    ¡°Dear Lucien...


    When you are reading this, I am most likely no longer among the living.


    This letter is written in Hapsborough City on thest night before the trial.


    I pray for a smooth process and a chance to get back to you, but IF I can¡¯t make it, I need you to know that I love you until I breathe out myst.


    I love you, Lulu. You are my first and you are myst love. There has never been and there will never be anyone else in my heart.


    Please don¡¯t despair upon my death. I have lived a wonderful life. Our time together was so short, but I am happy that you are in my life. You are the most beautiful and amazing soul in the whole wide world.


    I will thank the Moon Goddess forever for allowing me to get to know you.¡±


    ¡°You must be wondering what this is all about.


    Let me exin a few things. Do you remember the project that drove your father to ruin a few years back?


    The project aimed to allow same-sex partners to conceive children by converting one partner¡¯s egg to sperm and vice versa. The resulting embryos will be injected into ab-grown uterus that carries the mother¡¯s DNA and grow there until it is time for them to be born.¡±


    ¡°I have invested in this project for quite some time ever since I found out what it was. asionally I would dream that it will one day be a sess, that you and I can somehow have our own children.


    Well, to this date the technology has yet to mature. I have sent my sperm sample to the fertility center for safe keeping until the technology is ready.


    As you are reading my letter now, I guess that the project finally concludes and the fertility center is now ready.¡±


    ¡°My beloved Lulu, will you please do me the honor and be the mother of my children?


    Or you can be the father. Whichever, really. We don¡¯t know which sperm will sessfully be converted into egg cells, yours or mine.


    Either way, if there is one thing I want to leave behind in this world, then it would be our children. I want them only if I can have them with you.


    The sad thing is that although I worked so hard to make this happen, I won¡¯t be able to raise them with you.


    But still, please, please, give us a chance.


    Please let the children be born.


    They will be thest thing I can give you.


    I hope that you are willing to do us this favor.


    When the children grow up, please tell them that I love them with all my heart, just like I love you.


    Even though I don¡¯t have the chance to see them or hold them in my arms.


    I know that they are going to be as beautiful and amazing as you are.


    Farewell, my Lulu...


    I love you, forever and always. From the moment Iid my eyes on you until I close my eyes for good.


    Your mate, Ronan Silverback.¡±


    Outside, in the living room, Milroy jolted in his seat when he heard the sound of something being smashed to the floor.


    ¡°L-Luna?¡± Ronan¡¯s assistant rose to his feet and approached the study anxiously. He extended a trembling hand toward the doorknob, but he was too afraid to open it...

 Chapter 302

    302 The Luna Was Furious


    Ronan¡¯s heart was pounding hard with excitement. Yesterday night, the fertility center called to inform him that the project had sessfully ended. The fertility center was ready to start its operation. As agreed a long time ago, Ronan as the main investor reserved the right to be its first customer.


    All Ronan wanted to do the moment he heard the good news was finish the day¡¯s work as soon as possible, clear his agenda for two or three days, and take his mate to the fertility center.


    He was going to properly exin everything to Lucien, and then get his sperm sample so the fertility center could get to work.


    Naturally, only if Lucien consented.


    This was Ronan¡¯s greatest worry at the time.


    Thinking back, they talked about having children pretty often.


    They often said that it would be so great if Lucien could bear Ronan¡¯s children so that they no longer had to hear about how the venerated bloodline of both the Fangde and the Silverback family was going to end in Ronan¡¯s generation.


    What a great waste that would be, and so on.


    This was mainly why impregnating Lucien became a recurring fetish for the both of them whenever they had sex.


    .....


    One should note that a fetish was not necessarily a wish.


    What would Lucien think about the prospect of having children with Ronan, if that was possible?


    Would he be happy?


    Would he be reluctant?


    Or would he freak out?


    After all, two men were not supposed to have biological offspring together. Not in a conventional way, so to say.


    Up until two months ago, the thought of having children together was nothing more than a fantasy for Ronan.


    Until the High Seer told Ronan about his and Lucien¡¯s children.


    From then on, Ronan started to hope.


    The hope turned into action.


    And then here they were.


    The Alpha heaved a long sigh and buried his face inside his palms.


    If, if the High Seer¡¯s prediction did not change, then... Then he and Lucien were going to have children.


    The fertility center would give birth to them. That was the only other way, unless Lucien magically obtained the ability to get pregnant and birth their children.


    Thest time he checked, his mate¡¯s belly was still as t as always.


    Raaaahh...!!!


    Ronan went around his office in circles. Hepletely ignored Jake, who stared at him for thest fifteen minutes with an expressionless face.


    ¡°Alpha, why don¡¯t you just go back to the pack house for today?¡± the very helpful Beta offered.


    Ronan¡¯s head snapped in Jake¡¯s direction, his eyes gleaming full of interest.


    ¡°Really?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Yes, really,¡± Jake said with a smile. ¡°You have worked hard these past months. It¡¯s fine to rely on me when you really have to be somewhere else.¡±


    Because honestly, a distracted Alpha did not make Jake¡¯s work any easier. In fact, Jake had had to tell Ronan everything at least twice because he went into a daze so often the entire day.


    He might as well go back and apany Lucien.


    ¡°Oh, Jake, you are a life savior,¡± Ronan grabbed his coat from the coat hanger right away.


    He was in such a hurry that he left without saying goodbye.


    Jake shook his head at the Alpha. He didn¡¯t want to say it out loud to preserve the man¡¯s dignity, but Ronan was putty in Lucien¡¯s hand. Just as Jake was in Cassie¡¯s hand.


    Oh, the fate of married men, hemented. Always controlled by the wives.


    As soon as Ronan reached the ground floor, he called Noah to pick him up.


    When he ended his call, his phone rang again. It was Milroy, his assistant.


    ¡°Yes, Milroy? What is it?¡± Ronan answered absent-mindedly. He craned his neck left and right to see whether Noah had arrived or not.


    ¡°That... Um, reporting to the Alpha, uh...¡±


    Ronan furrowed his brows.


    ¡°Speak clearly. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Milroy lowered his voice down to a whisper.


    ¡°Alpha, the Luna and I are at the airport. We are boarding a flight to the West Coast City in about thirty minutes!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What the hell???¡± Ronan snapped in outrage. ¡°Why? How???¡±


    Milroy sounded like he was close to tears.


    ¡°I am sorry, Alpha, I can¡¯t help it. The Luna insisted... He didn¡¯t want to give his sample otherwise, I...¡±


    Ronan turned pale within an instant.


    ¡°What sample are you talking about???¡±


    ¡°Th.. the package...¡±


    Oh, good Goddess. The fools at the fertility center sent Lucien the sample collection package. And that although Ronan specifically told them that he was taking his mate to West Coast City to visit the fertility center!


    Before Milroy finished what he wanted to say, Lucien¡¯s cold voice was heard behind him.


    ¡°Milroy, who are you calling?¡±


    Shrieking like a frightened mouse, Milroy ended the call right away.


    Ronan leaned against the nearest wall, closed his eyes, and rubbed between his brows. He muttered a curse in low voice.


    Great.


    Lucien must be confused. No, to be exact, he was furious.


    A tinum Maserati pulled in front of the Silverback Corporation¡¯s head office and Ronan climbed right in.


    ¡°To the airport,¡± he told Noah while he dialed Lucien¡¯s phone number.


    The Alpha bumped the back of his head against the head rest several times while waiting for his mate to pick up his call.


    Come on, Lulu, answer...


    Please...


    The phone rang for a long time before Lucien deigned to answer.


    ¡°What?¡± he snapped at his mate.


    ¡°Baby, I can exin,¡± Ronan hastily said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need any exnation,¡± Lucien interjected him.


    ¡°Baby, are you angry?¡±


    Lucien scoffed.


    ¡°Am I not allowed to???¡±


    Ronan was at the end of his wits. Who would know that Lucien would get so angry over the prospect of having children with him?


    It broke the Alpha¡¯s heart, but he tried his best to understand. Lucien must have his own reasons. Maybe Ronan offended him somehow.


    ¡°You are,¡± Ronan said helplessly. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to have children with me, you don¡¯t have to. Lulu, I...¡±


    Unexpectedly, his words made Lucien even angrier.


    ¡°Ronan Silverback, you are the worst!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    And then the call ended.

 Chapter 303 - 303 The Alpha Was Panicked

    303 The Alpha Was Panicked


    Ronan Silverback rushed to the ticket counter as soon as hended at the airport.


    ¡°One ticket to West Coast City,¡± he said.


    Thedy at the ticket counter went into a daze when she caught sight of this handsome specimen of the male species.


    ¡°Y-your identification card, Sir?¡±


    Impatiently, Ronan pushed his human ID card across the counter.


    Thedy muttered a silent prayer in her heart as her eyes flew to the marital status.


    Single.


    Yes!!!


    Thedy thanked God in heaven for allowing her to meet a dashing, single man in an extravagant suit. He might as well hail from one of those CEO novels that she read every night.


    .....


    ¡°Ahm... The next flight avable for economy ss is tomorrow, Sir...¡±


    Thedy bit into her lower lip full of expectation.


    Just like she expected from a ridiculously rich person, Ronan answered pompously, ¡°I only travel first ss or at the very least business ss.¡±


    Kyaaaaaaa...!!!


    So handsome!


    So rich!


    So cool!


    ¡°Can it go faster?¡± Ronan asked impatiently, pulling the ticket counterdy from her euphoria.


    ¡°Y-yes. The first-ss ticket is still avable. The flight is in an hour. Is there anything you want during your flight?¡±


    For example, a beautiful woman to apany you and take to wife?


    Ronan furrowed his brows.


    ¡°I want a box of the best chocte you can find and a bouquet of white roses... Oh never mind, I will take care of those myself.¡±


    Milroy knew the kind of chocte and rose that Lucien liked.


    Ronan left in a hurry, taking his ID card and boarding ticket with him.


    While he rushed to the boarding gate, he made a call to Milroy, who of course could not answer him because he was on the flight.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± the Alpha cursed.


    At the ticket counter, thedy slumped forward in dejection.


    ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± her colleague came over with a mug of iced coffee.


    ¡°The most gorgeous man was just here, but he has a girlfriend,¡± shemented.


    ¡°Which man?¡±


    The firstdy clicked on herputer screen to show her friend Ronan¡¯s information.


    The seconddy widened her eyes in disbelief.


    ¡°THAT GUY was just here???¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡±


    ¡°Well, not sure if it will make you feel better or not, but Ronan Silverback doesn¡¯t have a girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°... He doesn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°He is engaged to another man. Have you not seen the news???¡±


    ¡°No way!¡±


    ¡°And he has a baby on the way, by Lillian Woond. You know her right? The model celebrity.¡±


    ¡°Oh God no! No way! I don¡¯t believe you. Which man???¡±


    When the firstdy took a look at intimate pictures of Ronan and Lucien together, her mouth became dry. Oh God, a gorgeous CEO with a handsome fianc¨¦ in one arm and a gorgeous, sexy heiress in the other arm!


    She then looked up, her lips parting from surprise. Could she be in one of those CEO novels???


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C


    Ronan pressed a hand against his face and sighed once he boarded the ne and took a seat in the first-ss area.


    ¡°Mr. Silverback, wine?¡±


    ¡°Whiskey,¡± Ronan answered without paying attention to the steward. ¡°I want a strong one.¡±


    ¡°... Alright, Sir.¡±


    The flight took almost four hours. By the time Ronannded, there were maybe around twenty missed calls from Milroy.


    ¡°Alpha!¡± Milroy¡¯s exasperated voice rang out from the phone. ¡°We already arrived. The Luna is taking his round in the fertility center. He doesn¡¯t want me to apany him. He only allows Mr. Gordon Clearwater toe with him.¡±


    Ronan closed his eyes and rubbed between his brows.


    Lucien, the lone wolf. At least he didn¡¯t push his own father away.


    ¡°Alright. Thanks, Milroy. I am on my way.¡±


    That was what he said, but as soon as he ended the call he realized that he had no cash.


    Just how was he supposed to go to the fertility center? Was he supposed to transform and jump from building to building or what?


    As if on cue, a voice was hearding from Ronan¡¯s left side.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, wee to the West Coast City.¡±


    An unknown man bowed at him. He was a werewolf.


    ¡°My name is Elias, I am a guard from the Silent Walkers Pack. Mr. Gordon Clearwater has sent me over to pick you up.¡±


    Well, his father-inw was thankfully very amodating.


    Ronan gave him a stiff nod.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry, then.¡±


    Once he sat in the passenger seat, Ronan was again deeply upied by the present issue. He bit into his fist in resentment as he mulled about a few questions.


    Why was Lucien so angry?


    Just what did he do wrong this time?


    Why would Lucien not want to have his children?


    It did not take a lot of effort from his side at all. He only needed to give a sample of his semen and then the fertility center would do the rest.


    Honestly, it could not be more convenient.


    ...


    ...


    ...


    Wait, Lucien knew that, right?


    Or did he think that Ronan wanted to force him to get pregnant and give birth to their children?


    The Alpha was horrified.


    Lucien most likely didn¡¯t know that he did not have to carry the children in his belly!


    Forcing him to go against nature would be nothing short of humiliation, especially for a proud alpha male like Lucien!


    Of course, he would be angry!


    This was why he rushed to West Coast City as soon as he found out. He nned to destroy everything that Ronan worked so hard for!


    Ronan screamed in his head from the horror.


    He had to stop Lucien before it was toote.


    Please hang on, Mr. Clearwater, Ronan pleaded in his heart. I aming soon. Please don¡¯t allow Lucien to break anything. Please don¡¯t go to the critical areas.


    Oh, the stupid fertility center staff... Just why, why did they send out the package???


    As soon as the car stopped, Ronan rushed out of the car and into the building. His arrival was expected, but it still made the people in the reception area jolt from surprise.


    .....


    ¡°Where is he???¡± he barked at Milroy who was standing near the reception table.


    The poor young man quickly stuttered, ¡°He... He... He¡¯s at the Mother and Child Center.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s heart almost stopped beating at once.


    It was the room to grow an artificial uterus for the fetus to develop!

 Chapter 304 - 304 Lucien’s Scar From The Past

    304 Lucien¡¯s Scar From The Past


    The West Coast City Fertility Center used to be a small clinic that ceased its operations years ago.


    Ronan bought it a year ago. He destroyed the old clinic, and reced it with an impressive two-story building.


    The building¡¯s renovation took a long time and proceeded at a slow pace. Until a few months ago when the Alpha ordered for it to be concluded. The new clinic was to serve as a fertility clinic.


    A group of scientists moved in and started working earnestly to get everything ready.


    When Lucien came to visit, only the smell of fresh paint revealed that the building was fairly new. Otherwise, people would assume that it had been in operation for at least two years.


    Milroy had warned the fertility center staff regarding Lucien¡¯s visit, but the scientists were still very nervous about Ronan¡¯s mate. They were thus more than grateful when Gordon Clearwater offered to take his son around instead.


    Lucien did not expect to meet his father at the fertility center at all. Likewise, Gordon was also stunned to see Lucien show up in person.


    Nevertheless, he was d to see his son again.


    The elder man gathered his son into a hug.


    .....


    ¡°Lulu, how is your health?¡±


    ¡°I am fine. Dad, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Well, I am in charge of this fertility center.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien thought that he must have somehownded in an alternate universe where his father earned a doctorate in reproductive technology.


    ¡°I am in charge of the management and not the operation of this institute,¡± Gordon exined as they toured the floor. ¡°Lulu, why are you here in person? Did you bring the package with you?¡±


    Ronan mentioned that Gordon was involved, but Lucien still could hardly believe it.


    ¡°Dad, you knew?¡± he asked, his voice trembling with emotion. ¡°Did you know?¡±


    Lucien shook the crumpled letter open and held it up for his father to read.


    Gordon scanned the content line after line. He then took the letter from Lucien¡¯s hand and folded it neatly.


    ¡°Son, what is the problem?¡± he asked carefully.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. Isn¡¯t it too cruel???¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    Lucien was shaken by the fact that his father did not know what he was talking about.


    ¡°He thought about leaving me alone,¡± Lucien broke into sobs. ¡°He nned to die at the council headquarters and leave me alone!¡±


    Gordon¡¯s lips parted in surprise.


    ¡°Lulu, that¡¯s not...¡±


    ¡°Of course it is!¡± Lucien shouted. ¡°How could he? And you knew about it, Dad! Why didn¡¯t you tell me??? I would have gone to him! I would have been there to support him!¡±


    ¡°Lulu...¡±


    Gordon hugged his son and sighed.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± he said while Lucien sobbed against his shoulder.


    ¡°I hate it!¡± Lucien smacked his hand against his father¡¯s shoulder, startling thetter.


    ¡°Why? Why??? Why did you leave us? Why does he want to leave me? Why does everyone want to leave me??? What did I do wrong???¡±


    Gordon was momentarily stunned, but then it dawned on him. He finally understood what Lucien meant.


    Years had passed and his son had grown up, but he still carried the scar from Gordon¡¯s suicide.


    He did not want to worry his mother and his sister, so Lucien acted strong on the outside. Inside, though, he had always asked himself the question. Why did his father decide to kill himself on a whim, without even shedding a single thought about the family he was about to leave behind?


    The answer was clear to Gordon and probably everyone else, but not to Lucien: Gordon was not strong enough to rise above the crisis.


    No, maybe Lucien too knew the answer but he refused to believe it.


    He loved his father dearly.


    He did not want to think badly of his father so he med himself.


    To make it worse, Ronan just had to write that farewell letter and awakened the awful memory from Lucien¡¯s past.


    ¡°Lulu, listen to me. It was Dad¡¯s fault. I should not have left you, your sister, and your mother behind. I should have tried to make it work somehow.¡±


    ¡°I am sorry, my son. It is not your fault. It was mine. You have done way more than what you were supposed to handle at your age.¡±


    Lucien sniffled.


    ¡°You were so cruel,¡± he said. ¡°Selfish. Inconsiderate.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I was. I was not a good father.¡±


    Gordon patted Lucien¡¯s head and kissed him on the cheek.


    ¡°Lucien, forgive your father, alright? Let go of the past, don¡¯t think about it anymore. Focus on the future.¡±


    Lucien did not answer.


    He wanted the tears to stop, but they kepting. Those were the tears he was unable to shed eight years ago, when the world he knew came crumbling down upon him.


    Although he was overwhelmed by pain and sorrow, he forced himself to be strong, be brave. He was the only other man in the family. He was supposed to be the next Alpha of the pack.


    The eighteen-year-old Lucien cut himself no ck.


    He took the burden upon his lone shoulders, sheltering his whole family and then his pack.


    He swallowed his tears, and gritted his teeth at the cruel fate that awaited him.


    ¡°Oh, Lucien...¡±


    Gordon ran his hands around Lucien¡¯s shoulder and back over and over again tofort the younger man in his arms.


    ¡°Lulu, it¡¯s all good now...¡±


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater,¡± a voice rang out ahead of them.


    Gordon looked up and saw Ronan. He was panting slightly from running.


    ¡°Father,¡± he corrected himself. ¡°Let me take Lucien.¡±


    ¡°Alpha Ronan...¡±


    Ronan did not wait for Gordon to answer. He came over and peeled Lucien off his father¡¯s embrace.


    ¡°Lulu... Lulu, what¡¯s wrong? Talk to me, baby.¡±


    Tear-streaked, Lucien gave his mate a sharp re instead.


    He shoved hard at Ronan¡¯s chest, making him retreat a few steps backward.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± Lucien hissed angrily.


    ¡°You are a bad mate,¡± he choked out further. ¡°You are so selfish, Ronan Silverback. You don¡¯t love me. You only love yourself.¡±

 Chapter 305 - 305 The Somber Talk About Life And Death

    305 The Somber Talk About Life And Death


    Gordon cleared his throat.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk here,¡± he said, putting one hand on Ronan¡¯s and Lucien¡¯s shoulder each. ¡°Alpha Ronan, Lucien, let¡¯s go to my private space instead.¡±


    ¡°Lucien...¡±


    Ronan reached out to touch Lucien, but his hand was smacked away again.


    ¡°I said, don¡¯t touch me,¡± Lucien snapped at him.


    He stalked away without even granting Ronan a single nce.


    ¡°...¡±


    Gordon took Ronan and Lucien to his office.


    It was maybe around half of Ronan¡¯s office with sparse furniture. The most interesting feature was probably the half dome made of ss that covered half of the office.


    .....


    Beneath the dome was a bunch of fluffy lounge sofas, probably serving as a sunbathing area for Gordon. A few potted trees loomed above the chairs, acting as natural shades.


    ¡°Talk it among yourselves, children,¡± Gordon tapped on the couple¡¯s backs. ¡°Take your time.¡±


    Gordon left to give them some space. The door closed with a soft click.


    Swallowing hard, Ronan tried calling Lucien again.


    ¡°Lulu.¡±


    Lucien looked away from Ronan and gave no response. He was busy wiping his face.


    The endless tears were so embarrassing, so humiliating. Lucien did not want Ronan to look at him when he was in such a pathetic state.


    ¡°Lulu!¡±


    Impatient, Ronan threw himself around Lucien from behind and locked thetter¡¯s upper half with his arms.


    ¡°Ronan, let me go,¡± Lucien snapped. ¡°Let go!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Ronan roared.


    ¡°Lulu, don¡¯t be like this. Please just let me exin, okay? I am not trying to force you to give birth. I would never. Please don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    Lucien broke into cheerlessughter. Shaking his head repeatedly, he said, ¡°Ronan, you are so foolish. Do you think that I care about that? If I could give birth to your child, I would have done so a long time ago. Didn¡¯t I tell you that in the past?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan let out a low, frustrated roar.


    He rubbed his forehead against Lucien¡¯s back like a spoiled pup, trying hard to curry favor with his Luna.


    ¡°Then why are you so angry? I don¡¯t understand. Lulu, please tell me. If I did anything wrong, I will change. I never want to make you angry or sad.¡±


    ¡°Let me go first,¡± Lucien said. ¡°I can barely move with you locking my arms like this.¡±


    ¡°... Oh.¡±


    Ronan loosened his grip.


    Lucien walked toward a couch and let himself fall on top of it.


    ¡°Baby?¡±


    Ronan came over and sat next to Lucien. He put an arm around Lucien¡¯s shoulder and squeezed it.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Lucien turned to look at the Alpha.


    The pair of caramel-brown eyes gazed into the pair of greenish-blue eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s this,¡± Lucien said curtly, holding Ronan¡¯s farewell letter between his two fingers.


    Ronan stared at the folded piece of paper. He did not even recognize it.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien unfolded it and held the piece of paper up in front of Ronan.


    Ronan gaped at the content. Hepletely forgot about it.


    ¡°Oh, Goddess,¡± he rolled with his eyes and groaned. ¡°Oh no. Did they send it with the package???¡±


    ¡°... You think?¡±


    Ronan sighed.


    ¡°It is embarrassing, but I still don¡¯t understand why you are angry. I wrote it in the event of...¡±


    ¡°Of your demise,¡± Lucien ended the sentence for his mate. ¡°Right?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Ronan confirmed. ¡°I have to leave something, right? I can¡¯t just...¡±


    The Alpha made a huge gesture with his hand clumsily. ¡°I can¡¯t just let them send you the package without any personal message from me. That would be too crude.¡±


    Lucien stared at Ronan, his gaze as cold as ice and as sharp as a dagger.


    ¡°... So um, why are you upset?¡±


    Lucien rose to his feet and grabbed Ronan by his cor.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, let me tell you why I am upset. You left me at the Night Prowler Pack House alone,¡± he squinted at his foolish mate. ¡°When I opened my eyes, you were not there. You did not even write a message, let alone call! I had to depend on Bjorn and Kinnon to give me some news!!!


    Day after day, I worried about you and whatever was going on out there. Meanwhile, you went and wrote this farewell letter for me. Exactly what did you take me for???¡±


    The Alpha stared at his mate, his lips parting from awe.


    ¡°I never wanted to be your bitch, your weaker partner. I am also an alpha werewolf, damn it! If you were so worried about dying, why didn¡¯t you call me? I would have been there for you! I wanted to be there for you!!!¡±


    ¡°Lulu...¡±


    ¡°Instead, you decided to die alone and you still had the gall to leave me this message? Ronan Silverback, don¡¯t you think that you were too arrogant??? Too selfish???¡±


    ¡°Lulu...¡±


    Ronan pulled at Lucien¡¯s arms and forced him into a hug.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± Lucien shouted. ¡°Ronan Silverback, let me go!¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ronan sighed. ¡°Lulu, you don¡¯t understand... I killed you with my own hands once. I can¡¯t bear to lose you again.¡±


    The Alpha buried his nose into the crook at Lucien¡¯s neck. The bursting me in Lucien¡¯s heart was extinguished right away when he heard Ronan¡¯s words.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t die,¡± he said, wing into his mate¡¯s back resentfully. ¡°Ronan, I am still alive.¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    Ronan chuckled.


    ¡°When I close my eyes at night, sometimes I still dream about it. You, bathed in blood with a silver de embedded in your chest. In those dreams, you don¡¯t get to wake up.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Lulu, at that time I realized something. If I had to choose between losing you to another man or death, I will choose the former.¡±


    ¡°Pffft. Then you will evene to congratte me on my wedding with another or what?¡±


    Ronan pinched Lucien¡¯s chin and shut him up with a kiss.


    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯d rather die than watch you marry someone else.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t live without you, Lulu. Don¡¯t you understand?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s passionate love deration earned him another re and two sets of ws on his back.


    ¡°And don¡¯t you understand that I am the same??? Maybe I also want to follow you into the grave!¡±

 Chapter 306 - 306 Are You Willing To Have A Child With Me?

    306 Are You Willing To Have A Child With Me?


    ¡°Oh, you stupid, stupid Lulu.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s eyes were as round as the moon.


    ¡°How dare you call me stupid, you... mmmpphhh!!!¡±


    Ronan pulled Lucien for another kiss and pinned him against the coach.


    ¡°Mmm!!! Mmm!!!¡±


    Ronan ignored Lucien¡¯s protests and continued sucking on thetter¡¯s lips, prying his mouth open and invading the inner part.


    When Ronan¡¯s kiss moved downward to Lucien¡¯s neck and corbone, Lucien¡¯s protests already turned into stifled moans.


    ¡°You lecherous Alpha,¡± he scolded Ronan once he remembered what they were arguing about just then. ¡°You are the stupid one, not me.¡±


    Ronanughed. He pulled Lucien to sit on hisp with one swift movement.


    .....


    ¡°Fine, I am the stupid one,¡± Ronan agreed.


    ¡°You are also selfish,¡± Lucien added.


    ¡°I am, I am. The most selfish one.¡±


    ¡°And arrogant as hell.¡±


    ¡°I am anything you say I am,¡± Ronan threw his mate a dreamy gaze. ¡°My Lulu knows me best.¡±


    Lucien wrinkled his nose at Ronan¡¯s icing-zed words.


    ¡°Ronan, I am serious,¡± he said. ¡°If you die, I will arrange for your funeral and then jump into the Eternal Sleep Lake.¡±


    ¡°... That is a crude way of killing yourself.¡±


    ¡°Fast and clean,¡± Lucien disagreed. ¡°At least then my family doesn¡¯t have to take care of my deformed corpse.¡±


    Ronan raised his eyebrow at Lucien.


    ¡°You have a family who will miss you so much. Don¡¯t you feel reluctant to leave them behind?¡±


    Lucien shook his head.


    ¡°I have done a lot for them. Dad is back at the Silent Walkers Pack. He, Mom, and Anna are all living happily together. Anna has be the Alpha of the pack. She is in love with Lowell and will marry him anytime soon.


    See, Ronan? My heavy burden has been taken off my shoulder. I am free to leave anytime I wish to.¡±


    Ronan sighed. He pressed his forehead against Lucien¡¯s. Why was Lucien talking as if he was ready to die anytime?


    Ronan did not like it one bit.


    Even if his family was going to survive after Lucien¡¯s demise, it didn¡¯t mean that they didn¡¯t need Lucien.


    The living would always miss the dead.


    It was not the same with Ronan.


    Back then, Ronan believed that his mother was gone. He had an estranged rtionship with his father. Naturally, no one would suffer from his early death. Especially not his father who had maybe ten illegitimate children out there.


    Besides, if Lucien truly died, Annalynne would probably wreak havoc in the werewolf society.


    He never told Lucien, but his twin sister had a serious brotherplex at an advanced stage.


    Lucien should think about that, at least...


    ¡°But then in your letter, you told me to raise your children. Damn it, Ronan. How dare you give me a reason to live after your passing?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    That had to be the most ridiculous thing that Lucien ever said, or at least one of the prominent ones. He knew it too.


    Ronan grinned.


    So that was it.


    ¡°So you are mad because you can¡¯t follow me into death?¡±


    Lucien narrowed his eyes at the man in front of him. He squished Ronan¡¯s face between his hands out of spite.


    ¡°Technically, I can send over my sperm andmit suicide. But then who will raise the child?¡±


    Lucien pinched Ronan¡¯s cheeks and red at him.


    ¡°Who is going to tell the child about the stupid, stupid father who left me all alone to raise the child?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Hmmm??¡±


    Ronan grinned. He bit into a stiff peak on Lucien¡¯s chest and drew a pained cry from thetter.


    ¡°Stop that!¡± he smacked Ronan¡¯s shoulder.


    Ronan hugged Lucien¡¯s slender waist and rubbed his face at Lucien¡¯s chest.


    ¡°My cute baby,¡± he crooned. ¡°My most awesome, most beautiful, most amazing Luna. I love, love you so much.¡±


    Lucien scoffed.


    He put his arms around Ronan¡¯s neck and slipped his hands into Ronan¡¯s thick, dark hair.


    ¡°You are going to be an amazing father,¡± Ronan whispered. ¡°I know that. You will pamper our child so much, for my part as well.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s face darkened.


    ¡°Are we done talking about what will happen if you die?¡± he snapped.


    ¡°Of course! As you see, I am still alive!¡±


    ¡°Pfft. I can¡¯t believe it!¡±


    Lucien climbed off Ronan¡¯sp and walked a few steps away.


    ¡°You cannot believe what?¡±


    Ronan asked. He went after Lucien and hugged him from behind.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Lucien gave him a side-eye.


    ¡°I thought that you went to a fertility clinic because you could not get it up anymore.¡±


    ¡°... Excuse me...?¡±


    Lucien squinted.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t had sex since we came back from registering our marriage. I thought you developed erectile dysfunction from watching your parents walk into the Moon Goddess Shrine.¡±


    Ronan let out a disgusted sound when he recalled what he witnessed a few days ago.


    ¡°That was unbearable to watch, but erectile dysfunction? Me?¡±


    Lucien shrugged.


    ¡°You seemed so traumatized. It can happen, you know?¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    Ronan took one of Lucien¡¯s hands and pressed it against the bulge between his legs.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What do you think? Hard enough for you?¡± the Alpha shamelessly asked.


    As a response, Lucien squeezed at Ronan¡¯s manhood through his pants.


    ¡°Mmf...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so cocky. I have yet to see how you perform.¡±


    Ronan pulled his lips into a sneer.


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. I will give you an amazing performanceter.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    Ronan kissed the side of Lucien¡¯s neck, his warm breath lingered at his earlobe and made his heart beat faster.


    .....


    ¡°Lulu?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°After everything that happened, I still need to ask you one thing. Are you willing to have a child with me?¡±


    Lucien¡¯s tender eyshes fluttered in embarrassment. Soft pink color crept up his cheeks and his lips started to quiver.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Baby? Please say yes.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Lulu, I want us to have a baby together. Please say yes.¡±


    Lucien was getting dizzy from all the blood that shot up his head. Before he got a nosebleed from mortification, he decided to shut Ronan up with a kiss.


    Once they broke the kiss, Lucien looked into Ronan¡¯s eyes and whispered, ¡°Yes.¡±

 Chapter 307 - 307 The Alpha Was Extremely Helpful

    307 The Alpha Was Extremely Helpful


    Lucien did not know which was worse: telling his father that he needed a room to ¡°collect¡± his sperm or having his father lead him to a small chamber in front of so many blushing staff members.


    ¡°Um, Mr. Clearwater?¡±


    A red-faced Lucien turned to look at a shydy behind him. She was blushing profusely when she handed him a basket that was covered by a red-and-white checkered handkerchief. It looked a lot like a pic basket.


    ¡°...¡±


    Desperate to escape the curious eyes, Lucien did not bother to ask why he was given a basket full of snacks. He took it from thedy¡¯s hands, mumbled a hoarse thanks, and shut the door behind him.


    Good Goddess.


    Lucien slid down the door into a squatting position.


    That was embarrassing.


    This must be the lowest point of his life.


    .....


    At this moment, Lucien started to regret his poor choices.


    Maybe he should learn to contain his rage.


    Maybe he should have done it at home before he jumped into the ne to West Coast City.


    Maybe then he could just go back home with Ronan and forget about everything.


    Aaaaarghhhhh!!!


    Lucien rubbed at his face. He slowly walked into the room.


    It was dimly lit by a few wall- and deskmps. There was only a small bed and a small round table next to it.


    Lucien put the pic basket on top of the table and went to sit at the edge of the bed.


    Well, look at that.


    Embarrassment did make one hungry. The pic basket was there at the right ce and right time. Lucien took off the checkered handkerchief. Instead of maybe some sandwiches or filled buns, he ended up staring at a bunch of brand-new toys.


    Not the kind of toys that children yed with.


    These were sex toys.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien used every ounce of self-restraint in his body to not pelt the wall with every each of the shameless items.


    No, he was supposed to use them, right?


    Otherwise, how was he supposed to procure a semen sample?


    Just then, there was a knock on the door.


    ¡°...¡±


    Good Lord, who could that be?


    Lucien opened the door and came face-to-face with Milroy. The young man was literally crimson in the face.


    He had with him the sample collection package.


    ¡°Lu-Lu-Lu-Luna, th-this is...¡±


    Lucien decided to spare both of them the degrading conversation. He took the package from Milroy¡¯s hands and gave him a forced smile.


    ¡°Thanks, Milroy.¡±


    Back inside the room, Lucien screamed in his head.


    The package was ced next to the sex toy basket.


    The man in question walked in circles, panicked. In his hand was the big egg that he was supposed to peel and wear like an eerie hat over his manhood.


    No, this was too weird, wasn¡¯t it?


    He couldn¡¯t do it.


    Couldn¡¯t he just masturbate into a stic cup?


    And how did it happen, again?


    ¡°Aaarghhh,¡± Lucien growled.


    He had gotten used to sleeping with Ronan that he forgot how to ¡°take care¡± of himself.


    So he had to touch himself, right?


    He had to use one of these toys to...


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien inspected the toys inside the basket.


    There was a butt plug with a wolf tail, a realistic replica of a penis, a selection of lubricants, and many other stuff which functions remained a mystery for Lucien no matter how long he stared at them.


    The red-blonde man sighed and tilted his head backward.


    He couldn¡¯t believe it.


    Well.


    It was only this one time.


    Best to get on with it. Embarrassment was not going to help him finish the task at hand.


    Lucien unzipped his pants and slowly scraped them off his slender legs. His underpants too came undone.


    He didn¡¯t know why, but he ended up folding them neatly to the side.


    Maybe because he needed to do something to calm his mind and ovee the difort in his heart.


    He spread the selection of lubricants on a small table and took a look at every single one.


    Hmm.


    Mint.


    Lavender.


    Fruit-vored ones, such as strawberry, orange, grape...


    Lucien buried his face into his arms.


    Good Goddess.


    He would never again in life be able to eat strawberries, oranges, or grapes without thinking back to this moment.


    Lucien closed his eyes and picked one vor that he could live without for the rest of his life. Butter and rum. That¡¯s the one.


    And now for the penis...


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien¡¯s face felt so hot, not unlike an erupting volcano.


    None of them were as long or as thick as Ronan¡¯s shaft. That was not necessarily a bad thing. It would just feel a little unusual and foreign.


    Another series of knocking at the door almost made Lucien¡¯s heart jump out of his ribcage.


    This time the person behind the door did not bother waiting until Lucien opened the door.


    Ronan walked in with a mischievous grin across his handsome face.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Lucien asked, dumbfounded.


    ¡°I thought that maybe you can use some help,¡± the Alpha said graciously.


    Lucien stared at him.


    ¡°I can do this myself.¡±


    Ronan went behind Lucien and put his hands on Lucien¡¯s naked waist.


    ¡°Mhm, I have no doubt about that,¡± he kissed the side of Lucien¡¯s neck lovingly.


    ¡°On the other side, I thought that this might be a good chance to check my... performance down there, as you so elegantly put it.¡±


    .....


    A shiver ran down Lucien¡¯s spine.


    ¡°Ronan, don¡¯t mess around,¡± he snapped. ¡°This is a clinic, not a brothel house. I don¡¯t think that the room is soundproofed!¡±


    The Alpha chuckled at his mate.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Of course it is.¡±


    He took a leather band from inside the basket, ripped the stic cover off, and grabbed both of Lucien¡¯s wrists.


    After putting Lucien¡¯s wrists together, Ronan smoothly tied them with the leather band.


    ¡°Ronan!¡± Lucien hissed. ¡°What the hell are you trying to do?¡±


    Ronan leaned closer to Lucien and breathed into thetter¡¯s ear.


    ¡°I am trying to make a baby with my Luna,¡± he whispered, his maic voice causing Lucien¡¯s heart to flutter.

 Chapter 308 - 308 The Day You And I Make Our Baby (NSFW)

    308 The Day You And I Make Our Baby (NSFW)


    ¡°You really don¡¯t need to tie me up,¡± Lucien furrowed his brows. ¡°It¡¯s not like I will resist.¡±


    Ronanughed.


    ¡°This is your punishment for doubting me.¡±


    Ronan kissed Lucien¡¯s cheek. ¡°Allow me to serve you, Luna.¡±


    ¡°... Ronan, you... Hey, what are you doing???¡±


    Lucien yelped when Ronan covered his eyes with something silky and cool. It had to be his tie.


    ¡°Rx, my love. It¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t done this before.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Lucien pressed his lips together in a desperate attempt to not voice out his arousal.


    .....


    Without his sight, his senses of smell and hearing were amplified tenfold.


    He could hear the rustling sound when Ronan took off his belt and unzipped his pants.


    He could hear the sound of their clothes hitting the floor one by one.


    When Lucien took a deep breath, the concentrated smell of Ronan¡¯s prating pheromones engulfed his head.


    There was something possessive, something tyrannical about it. Much like Ronan, who never liked sharing with anyone.


    Once they were both naked, the sensation of their two bodies rubbing against each other gave Lucien goosebumps. Ronan¡¯s hands wandered up and down Lucien¡¯s body. Touching, rubbing, kneading, and pinching every spot of his body, delicate or not.


    ¡°Lulu...¡±


    A pair of warm lips pressed against Lucien¡¯s nape. Ronan¡¯s teeth scraped dangerously past Lucien¡¯s skin, leaving a trail of fire that was extinguished only by his wet tongue.


    The Alpha circled an arm around Lucien¡¯s stomach while the other one grabbed Lucien¡¯s penis and slowly stroked it.


    ¡°Ronan, don¡¯t...¡±


    As always, Ronan responded badly to the word ¡°no¡± and ¡°don¡¯t¡±.


    ¡°Well, I can tell that you are not having any problem down here,¡± he chuckled.


    He held Lucien¡¯s hardened penis inside his warm palm and slowly pumped it within his fist.


    Lucien bit into his lower lip. That was all he could do to note on the spot.


    ¡°Ronan, don¡¯t... I am almost...¡±


    This time, Ronan heeded Lucien¡¯s warning. His hands left Lucien¡¯s manhood abruptly.


    Lucien breathed heavily. He slumped over at the table, supporting himself only with his two elbows in order to noty down t on the surface.


    There was a cracking sound, followed by the sound of something being scraped off a surface. Like a sticbel off a newly-purchased item.


    Ronan expertly peeled the egg.


    He then pointed Lucien¡¯s penis at the entrance and slowly rolled it down Lucien¡¯s erect penis.


    ¡°Oh... No, what is that? Ronan...¡±


    ¡°Sssh... Rx, my love.¡±


    He then grabbed Lucien¡¯s chin and joined their lips in the most passionate kisses.


    The egg stretched along Lucien¡¯s shaft, engulfing it perfectly to store his essence.


    The inside was very soft.


    And warm.


    Ronan squeezed along Lucien¡¯s shaft. Beneath his blindfold, Lucien¡¯s eyes flew open.


    Lucien struggled hard to free his hands to no avail. s, the more he resisted, the tighter the leather band seemed to be.


    He heaved a relieved sigh when Ronan¡¯s naughty hands stopped milking his penis. The relief didn¡¯tst long, because Ronan then started pinching at Lucien¡¯s delicious cherry buds.


    ¡°Mmf!! Mmfff!!¡±


    Lucien struggled and arched his back, trying his best to get away from Ronan¡¯s adventurous hands.


    A momentter, Ronan broke their kiss and spun Lucien around.


    Lucien gave a surprised cry when he felt his feet leaving the ground.


    Ronan lifted him to the table and wrapped Lucien¡¯s legs around his own waist.


    And then, his warm and wet mouth closed over one of Lucien¡¯s nipples. Lucien threw his head backward when Ronan started to attack his sensitive points mercilessly.


    The Alpha kissed, sucked, and rolled it between his teeth yfully.


    ¡°Aaahhhh... Ahhhhh... Ronan, no... Stop, please...¡±


    Lucien was unable to see Ronan¡¯s facial expression, but he could imagine thetter¡¯s smug smile as he ravaged him further.


    Aggrieved, Lucien lifted a leg and attempted to kick Ronan away. His legs were captured skillfully and lifted on top of Ronan¡¯s powerful shoulders.


    ¡°Bad Lulu,¡± Ronan whispered, his voice dripping with suppressed lust. ¡°I have to teach you a lesson.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s mouth opened in surprise.


    ¡°What lesson? You... Ahhh!!!¡±


    Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s butt and pushed him to lie t on top of the table. And then he took Lucien¡¯s bound wrists and ced them behind his neck.


    ¡°Ronan! This table is not going to hold it!¡± Lucien shouted in terror. He quickly recalled the time when they broke a bed in St. rence during a heavy make-out.


    ¡°It has to,¡± Ronan said without a care. ¡°If it breaks, I will pay for a new one.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    That was not even the main issue here! There were so many people working outside! They could hear what was happening inside!


    His mate¡¯s shamelessness was boundless!!!


    Lucien kicked at Ronan¡¯s back with his heels in resentment.


    Chuckling more to himself than to his mate, Ronan sank one of his fingers into Lucien¡¯s rear hole. The finger pushed relentlessly inside Lucien¡¯s depth, coating his tunnel with a rich, slippery substance.


    Lucien¡¯s body grew tense, his muscles contracted and squeezed around Ronan¡¯s finger.


    ¡°Fuck, so tight,¡± Ronan¡¯s delighted voice was heard. He finger-fucked Lucien for a while before he inserted another finger in and started to expand Lucien¡¯s inside.


    ¡°N-No, ahhhh... Ahhhhh...!!!¡±


    Lucien wed into Ronan¡¯s back like a scared kitten. The two fingers inside him thrust in and out vigorously, stabbing into his soft insides without restraint.


    The beast on top of him was threatening to tear him open so that he could devour him whole.


    ¡°Aahhh... Ahhh...¡±


    Lucien knitted his brows and winced from the pain. He did not realize that he was crying until Ronan wiped the tears away from his cheeks. The Alpha withdrew his fingers and cuddled his mate lovingly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, my Lulu. It is a beautiful day. The day you and I make our baby.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s mouth was open in a silent scream when he felt something huge pushing inside his body. He arched his back and tensed up so much that his mate only managed to get half inside.


    ¡°Lulu... Let me in, my love...¡±


    ¡°Mmmf...!!!¡±


    Ronan pinned Lucien down with a kiss. Disgruntled, thetter ended up biting into the Alpha¡¯s lips.


    Ronan could not care less. He kept pounding into Lucien¡¯s body, until Lucien eventually gave in and let him push his entire penis inside him.

 Chapter 309 - 309 The Alpha Was Checking His Performance (NSFW)

    309 The Alpha Was Checking His Performance (NSFW)


    The room had no windows, and the air conditioning system did not seem to be functioning.


    The air was hot and sticky, permeated with the thick scents of their mixed pheromones.


    Lucien thought that he must have fainted as soon as Ronan entered him. Or maybe he just went into a daze.


    All he could register when he came back to his senses was the scorching flesh rod that rearranged his internal organs to make space for itself. It was still at first, but then it started moving.


    ¡°Ahhh...¡±


    Lucien moaned.


    He was burning down there.


    It was too hot.


    Maybe he chose the wrong lubricant.


    .....


    Or was it just Ronan?


    Lucien didn¡¯t know.


    He sank his fingers inside Ronan¡¯s hair, hugging the man¡¯s neck while the man plundered his body and left kiss marks all over his neck and chest.


    Lucien closed his eyes and listened to Ronan¡¯s beating heart. Inside his belly, Ronan¡¯s engorged organ was also beating furiously.


    Every time the terrifying weapon pushed in, it scraped against all the pleasure points in Lucien¡¯s love tunnel.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    It felt so good.


    But it also felt so wrong.


    Lucien just didn¡¯t know why.


    Where were they and what time was it?


    He couldn¡¯t remember at all...


    ¡°How is it, Lulu?¡± Ronan¡¯s deep, alluring voice was heard asking. ¡°Do you still want me to stop?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Lucien struggled to free himself from the leather band again.


    ¡°Yes, he then said helplessly.


    Ronan chuckled.


    ¡°Which one now? You are so contradictory.¡±


    ¡°Shut up and kiss me,¡± Lucien hissed.


    Of course the Alphaplied.


    He then railed Lucien so hard that Lucien barely remembered his own name. Endless moans spilled from his lips, in rhythm with the wet squelching sounds of two bodies mming into each other.


    Ronan¡¯s favorite musical instrument was Lucien. Every sound that the man produced was heavenly music in his ears.


    Every lovemaking session was no different from an exhrating and marvelous concert.


    Just when Ronan thought that Lucien could not make him happier, he did.


    ¡°I love you,¡± Lucien whispered. ¡°I love you, Ronan.¡±


    Astounded, the Alpha ceased his onught and gaped at his mate.


    Lucieny on the table, his chest rising and falling with haggard breathing. Bite- and kiss marks covered his sweaty body like red flower petals.


    He was so beautiful.


    Ronan knew that Lucien loved him, of course, but Lucien rarely said it out loud. Especially during sex. His Luna¡¯s facial skin was too thin.


    Grinning with delight, Ronan kissed Lucien¡¯s trembling lips.


    ¡°I love you more,¡± he said.


    He then wrapped his arms around Lucien¡¯s waist and butt.


    ¡°Hold on tight,¡± he said.


    ¡°What... what...?¡±


    Lucien did not catch it at all.


    He gasped from shock when Ronan lifted him from the table. Lucien wrapped his legs hurriedly around Ronan in order to not fall down.


    Meanwhile, Ronan almost chuckled when he saw theirbined body fluids drenching the surface. Lucien was going to flip out for sure if he caught sight of it.


    Lucien Clearwater, the man that Ronan Silverback loved, had the habit of putting pleasure aside to care about trivial things. Anything to distract him from their sensuous lovemaking.


    He cared too much about people who might hear them.


    Or furniture that would be ruined from their wild coupling.


    Or that the sun had not set yet.


    This was the main reason why Ronan covered Lucien¡¯s eyes. He was not going to let Lucian fuss about those inconsequential matters this time around.


    All Lucien had to focus on was how much they loved each other.


    Ronan pressed his mate against the wall and took his hands away from under Lucien¡¯s buttcheeks. Prompted by gravity, Lucien¡¯s body inadvertently slid downward.


    ¡°Arghhhh!!! Ahhh...!!!!¡±


    Lucien screamed from mixed pain and pleasure when Ronan thrust upward rapidly, impaling his mate on his shaft.


    The vicious Alpha kept drilling his penis in the same direction over and over again.


    ¡°No, too deep... Ronan, it hurts...¡±


    It hurt, but at the same time, it also lighted a fire inside Lucien¡¯s belly. The me ran amok within him, begging for a release.


    Ronan was not in a better situation.


    He pushed one, two, three times inside Lucien before he buried himself deep into his mate¡¯s spasming body.


    ¡°Give yourself to me, Lulu,¡± he whispered. ¡°Give me a baby.¡±


    ¡°Ah... Ahh...¡±


    Lucien arched his back and cried. His orgasm came like a hurricane, lifting everything off the ground and sending them swirling in the sky.


    At the same time he poured his seeds into the sperm container that was attached to his penis, he had to amodate Ronan, who knotted deep inside him. The Alpha made his mate take his entire length and then shot his scalding essence into Lucien¡¯s deepest recess.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, very good, my Lulu,¡± Ronan crooned.


    Lucien felt so hot and dizzy. He barely registered the kisses that Ronan peppered him with before his eyes fluttered shut and he passed out from the intense lovemaking.


    Ronan caught him just in time before he fell to the ground.


    Grinning like a little boy on Christmas morning, Ronan carefully moved his mate to the bed. Hey Lucien on his right side while he himselfy on his left side. They still had to wait for their knots to dete.


    Ronan took off Lucien¡¯s blindfold and released his wrists. He then pressed a kiss on Lucien¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°You are so beautiful, my Lulu,¡± Ronan whispered although Lucien was out cold and could not hear him.


    ¡°My perfect Luna. What would I do without you?¡±


    The dark-haired man supported his upper body with one arm while the other kept running up and down Lucien¡¯s body, tracing every up and down, every nook and cranny that made up his beloved mate.


    A few minutester, thetter¡¯s eyes quivered open.


    ¡°Mmm...¡±


    Lucien gazed into Ronan¡¯s handsome face, with the unbearable shameless grin on it.


    ¡°Soooo, Luna,¡± he drawled, rubbing Lucien¡¯s lower stomachsciviously, ¡°are you satisfied with my performance? Or should I go and consult a doctor for my erectile dysfunction problem?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien wanted to smack Ronan¡¯s face real hard and wipe the smug grin off itpletely.

 Chapter 310 - 310 The Alpha’s Sexy Little Wolf (NSFW)

    310 The Alpha¡¯s Sexy Little Wolf (NSFW)


    ¡°Look at what you have done,¡± Lucien snapped angrily.


    Ronan cocked his head to the side and gave him an innocent answer.


    ¡°Just what did I do?¡±


    ¡°You...¡±


    Lucien grabbed a pillow and smacked Ronan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Whoa! Careful there! Baby, don¡¯t move too much else you will spill your sperm.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s lips trembled from embarrassment.


    How could Ronan talk about it as if it were nothing???


    Despite the shame, Lucienplied and behaved himself while waiting for the end of his ejaction.


    .....


    ¡°Why did you attempt to revive this project?¡± he asked Ronan, his eyes lowered in mortification. ¡°This was the project that drove my family to ruin. You might not see your money ever again.¡±


    ¡°Sssh...¡±


    Ronan brushed against Lucien¡¯s swollen lips with his thumb.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see the money. I want to see our babies.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s face felt so hot. His eyes drifted toward the vent and the air conditioning system that were not doing their jobs properly.


    ¡°That is a yet-to-be-proven theory,¡± Lucien argued. ¡°In practice, sperm cells don¡¯t get converted into egg cells that easily.¡±


    He knew that even without holding a degree in medicine. Otherwise, same-sex rtionships might gain more eptance.


    ¡°I know. But we have to try. I have the feeling that it might just work.¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    Lucien narrowed his eyes at Ronan.


    There seemed to be something fishy.


    ¡°Is this a desperate attempt to have offspring or does something else lie behind it?¡±


    Ronan gulped.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Lucien scoffed.


    ¡°One thing I know is that the Silverback Corporation did not grow so big because of hunches and trials and errors. What are you hiding from me, Ronan Silverback?¡±


    The Alpha let himself fall on the bed with a groan.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to tell you at first because I too am unsure and I don¡¯t want you to be disappointed when it doesn¡¯t work,¡± he said.


    ¡°Spit it out. I can swallow a disappointment or two,¡± Lucien raised an eyebrow at his mate, demanding him to speak up.


    Ronan turned his head to look at Lucien.


    ¡°Well, the truth is, the High Seer said that we were going to have children.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The red-blonde man moved his hand and touched Ronan¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°No fever. Ronan, did you bump your head a lot during the fight with Lucrethia?¡±


    ¡°... No.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe when you escaped from the crashing council headquarters? I will get healers to give you a full brain check-up.¡±


    Pursing his lips with displeasure, Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s wrists and pinned him down on the bed.


    ¡°I am not crazy,¡± he hissed. ¡°The High Seer really did say that.¡±


    ¡°Ronan, you are nuts,¡± Lucien pointed out. ¡°Do you think the High Seer has nothing else to do? Why would she go and tell you about this trivial matter that has nothing to do with the entire werewolfmunity? You heard wrong.¡±


    Ronan hung his head and sighed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± he insisted.


    ¡°Well, to be precise, she said that our children would achieve great things.¡±


    Children, not child.


    Lucien stared at Ronan.


    ¡°You are so convincing that I am about to go out there and ask them to check if I have grown a uterus inside my body or not.¡±


    Ronan shook his head.


    ¡°No need, the High Seer confirmed that that¡¯s not the case.¡±


    ¡°... Ronan, you... Did you really talk to the High Seer about me getting pregnant?¡±


    The bigger man cleared his throat, a soft shade of pink crept into his face.


    He didn¡¯t, but he could not tell Lucien that the High Seer read his mind, right? He could not risk angering the representative of the Moon Goddess.


    ¡°Ahem. Sort of. Anyway, she said no.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s jaw dropped open. He rolled to the side and covered his face with both hands.


    ¡°Oh, Goddess. I don¡¯t think I will have the face to see her again. We should postpone the wedding.¡±


    Ronan pulled Lucien¡¯s hands away from his face.


    ¡°Lulu, don¡¯t be silly, it was fine. Anyway, that brought me to this idea.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien howled.


    ¡°Oh, Goddess. No, I can¡¯t believe it. What an embarrassing thing to even talk about!¡±


    ¡°So yes, anyway, this is our best shot for now. Let¡¯s give it a try.¡±


    Lucien buried his face into a pillow and howled.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± hemented.


    ¡°Baby, are you done?¡± Ronan asked.


    He of course referred to Lucien¡¯s ejaction.


    ¡°... Yes, get it off me.¡±


    Chuckling at his mate, Ronan peeled the egg off Lucien¡¯s manhood and sealed it.


    ¡°Done,¡± he said.


    He was about to pull out from Lucien¡¯s body when thetter grabbed his arm.


    ¡°Wait!!!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! You can¡¯t pull out! I will be leaking all the way out! Ronan Silverback, you better think about a way out of this mess!¡±


    A smirk hushed over Ronan¡¯s face.


    Why, he would love to have Lucien dripping all over the fertility center. He might just end up tackling him to the ground and taking him again.


    Lucien did not have to be a genius to guess Ronan¡¯s train of thought. He smacked the Alpha hard and scowled, ¡°Stop that dirty thought right away! Ronan Silverback, what should we do? Go get me a bunch of tissues, I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°I have a better idea,¡± Ronan said, his eyes sparkling with joy.


    Lucien furrowed his brows. Whatever it was, he did not think that he would like it.


    Ronan reached to the table and picked up the butt plug with wolf tail. He jiggled it before Lucien¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°How is it? It will keep everything inside you perfectly.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The moment when Ronan pulled out and stuffed the butt plug to prevent his semen from leaking out of Lucien¡¯s body was one of the most embarrassing moments in Lucien¡¯s life. And one of the most arousing moments in Ronan¡¯s life.


    Lucien was on all fours, his butt sticking out into the air and the wolf tail hung from his rear end. Unable to stop himself, Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s waist and peppered kisses on his squishy buttcheeks.


    ¡°My sexy little wolf,¡± hemented with a snicker.


    .....


    Lucien rolled with his eyes.


    He was not sure if he should smack Ronan or smack himself unconscious in order to not have to walk out there and look at people in their faces with the tail snugly hidden inside his pants.

 Chapter 311 - 311 The Wedding Date Announcement

    311 The Wedding Date Announcement


    Time passed by quickly.


    Before long, good news was heard from the Irond ws Pack. Lillian Woond, now Locksworth, had safely given birth to a baby boy.


    She announced the paternity of the boy on her social media, along with the deepest, most sincere apology to Lucien and Ronan for everything that she had or had not intentionally caused.


    The news naturally caused an uproar among the human beings. A lot of people ended up cursing Lillian for her ruthless lies and sympathizing with Lucien.


    They all forgot that they were the ones who opened their mouths and swung their fists to attack Lucien in the first ce.


    After making the announcement, Lillian disappeared from social media like a wisp of smoke.


    Ronan and Lucien, on the other side, could not be bothered to care about what was happening online. It was up for Mara Keenthorne to speak on their behalf.


    When the news came, the lovebirds were busy taking a few days off at West Coast City.


    During the day, Ronan was busy filling Lucien¡¯s stomach with nutritious food to fatten him up. During the night, he was busy filling his mate¡¯s belly with his essence, just to prove to his mate that he did not have erectile dysfunction.


    .....


    After three nights of sweet, passionate, and yet torturous lovemaking, Lucien called it quits and banned Ronan from his bed.


    Thetter ended up whining at his bedside like a discarded puppy.


    ¡°Lulu, how could you be so cruel,¡± Ronan howled. ¡°Weren¡¯t you worried about my medical condition??¡±


    Lucien whipped his head around in fury.


    ¡°What medical condition??? The only problem that you have, Ronan Silverback, is not between your legs but inside your brain!!!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Ronan took Lucien¡¯s hand and kissed it. ¡°I am sick. I am helplessly in love with you. I just want to make love to you all day. Please heal me, Lulu~¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The shamelessness was unbearable to hear. The fact that Ronan was unable to keep it in his pants was known all over the werewolfmunity. How dare he me it on Lucien???


    Nevertheless, Lucien could not endure Ronan¡¯s constant begging and whining.


    The Luna thus begrudgingly allowed the bigger man back to the bed. The Alpha was obliged to cover himself up properly from neck to toe, though.


    It was good enough.


    It almost reminded him of the time years ago when he just started dating Lucien and had yet to consummate their rtionship.


    At that time, young Ronan was quite happy when he got to spoon young Lucien from behind and inhaled thetter¡¯s heavenly scent every night.


    Meanwhile, Ronan¡¯s hard work with the fertility center started to show some results.


    During the few days of their stay, they received the good news that Lucien¡¯s sperm cells were sessfully converted into egg cells. Thank the Moon Goddess, because the same thing failed to happen with Ronan¡¯s.


    ¡°I told you,¡± the Alpha bragged as if he were the one who caused the miracle to happen.


    Lucien scoffed. He grabbed Ronan¡¯s jaw and squeezed it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too cocky,¡± he chastised his mate. ¡°Otherwise you won¡¯t get to hold a baby in your arms.¡±


    ¡°You are right,¡± Ronan agreed. They were still far from sess.


    Because Lucien was going to be the ¡°mother¡± of any children they might have, naturally theb-grown uterus must carry his DNA.


    Lucien went again to the fertility center to donate some blood and tissues. Afterward, the fertility center dered that he and Ronan were free to go back and wait for the results.


    By the time the couple got back to the Infinite Eclipse House, a message from the Holy Temple of The Moon Goddess already waited for them.


    Ronan held his breath while Lucien ripped the envelope open and took the scribbled piece of parchment out.


    It was the 7th of July. Less than two months. In the same year, not five or twenty years.


    Ronan heaved a deep sigh. He wrapped his arms around Lucien from behind and buried his face into Lucien¡¯s nape.


    ¡°Heh. I thought you were confident. Looks like you are all talk. Ouch!!!¡±


    Ronan bit into Lucien¡¯s nape in response to Lucien¡¯s mockery.


    ¡°Hmm, are you not happy that we are getting married soon?¡±


    The Alpha slipped a hand into Lucien¡¯s pants, causing thetter to gasp.


    ¡°Ronan!¡±


    Lucien grabbed Ronan¡¯s wrist and tried to get his hand out of his pants, but his other hand went in and squeezed his manhood instead.


    ¡°Let go, you lecherous Alpha!¡± Lucien shouted, iling to no avail. An amused twinkle passed through Ronan¡¯s eyes. He took his hands out of Lucien¡¯s pants afterward. Just as Lucien was about to breathe out of relief, his mate grabbed him by the waist and slung him over his shoulder.


    ¡°Ronan!!!¡±


    ¡°Luna, you have been disobedient,¡± Ronan clicked with his tongue. ¡°You need to be reminded of the Alpha that you serve. I will punish you properly.¡±


    ¡°Punish me, your foot! I am still sore down there, Ronan! Don¡¯t you dare!¡±


    Ronan let out a series of hollowughter.


    Lucien smacked at Ronan¡¯s back repeatedly. Unfortunately, just as always, it yielded no effect. Just when Lucien thought that he was going to be fucked until death, Ronan put him down.


    A little too abruptly, too.


    Confused with the Alpha¡¯s sudden change of behavior, Lucien looked up at his mate. Ronan was staring straight ahead, the muscle on his cheek twitching visibly.


    Lucien turned around. Once he saw the two people who were walking in their direction, he understood immediately.


    ¡°Ronan, we need to talk,¡± Lady Adele Fangde said with a smile, as opposed to the expressionless Dane behind her.


    She nodded at Lucien.


    ¡°Lucien is now part of the family. If you don¡¯t mind, why don¡¯t you join our conversation?¡±


    Lucien¡¯s lips parted open in surprise.


    He was pretty sure what it was about. He was also pretty sure that Ronan did not want to hear it.


    ¡®Ronan? Should I pretend to have a stomachache?¡¯


    Technically, that was not even a lie.


    ¡®No,¡¯ Ronan replied. ¡®Lulu, stay with me please.¡¯


    Ronan¡¯s hand reached out to grab Lucien¡¯s. Lucien squeezed back and said, ¡®Of course. I will stay with you, then.¡¯

 Chapter 312 - 312 The Difficult Talk

    312 The Difficult Talk


    ¡°Well, this is awkward as it is,¡± Lady Fangde curled her lips into an eerie smile once they had all taken their seats at the Alpha¡¯s apartment.


    Ronan tilted his head backward and closed his eyes. He seemed to be murmuring a silent prayer. The content of the prayer was either ¡°Please make this end¡± or ¡°Please just kill me¡±.


    ¡°Ronan.¡±


    Ronan gave his mother a beseeching look.


    ¡°Mom.¡±


    ¡°There is no easy way to say this, so I will just say it out loud. We want your blessings to get re-married.¡±


    ¡°Argggggghhhh...!!!¡±


    Ronan grabbed Lucien and howled into his shoulder.


    ¡®Lulu, make her stop. Make her stoppp!!!¡¯


    .....


    Lucien cleared his throat. How did he get caught in the Silverback family drama again?


    ¡°Ahem. Lady Fangde, what wonderful news. All wonderful news takes time to digest, why don¡¯t we meet again tomorrow and...¡±


    That was not what Ronan wanted at all.


    He wanted to end it, not prolong or postpone it.


    The Alpha whipped around and growled at Dane, who was standing behind Lady Fangde¡¯s couch.


    ¡°How dare you,¡± he hissed. ¡°My mother is forgiving, but I will never forget the years of humiliation that you put her in! She already rejected you. The bond between you two was broken ages ago. You two already divorced!!!¡±


    Dane¡¯s gaze drifted to his ex-wife instead.


    ¡°Care to exin now, Adele? He won¡¯t believe any word out of my mouth.¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes at his parents. ¡°What is there to exin? Mother???¡±


    When Ronan looked at his mother, what he saw was the crying woman who was shunned by the whole pack. Ronan was only a little boy then. He did not know how tofort his mother. His hugs and kisses and words offort did nothing to stop the tears that flowed incessantly across his mother¡¯s beautiful face.


    ¡°Mom, tell me the truth,¡± he said, his voice broken from pain. ¡°What is happening?¡±


    He wanted to add a question, ¡°Did he force you?¡± but he did not want to embarrass his mother.


    The affair between Lady Fangde and Dane Silverback had been going on for a while, but Ronan had to find out by witnessing it, not by hearing the words from his mother¡¯s mouth.


    It was hurtful, considering that Ronan had been his mother¡¯s greatest ally throughout the divorce.


    The whole pack sided with Dane, only Ronan stood in front of his mother to defend her.


    So why did his mother not think about telling Ronan what it was all about?


    Lady Fangde sighed.


    ¡°Ronan, we never truly spoke about what happened years ago. It is time to straighten a few facts.¡±


    Ronan gazed at his mother, waiting for thetter to speak up.


    ¡°Do you remember the day when your father¡¯s mistresses came to the pack house to demand their rightful position in the pack?¡± she asked while Dane assumed a grim expression behind her.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ronan did not think that he could ever forget. It was originally a bright and clear day. When the two irritating women came with their spawns, they also carried dark clouds with them. The visitors left, but the dark clouds remained in Ronan¡¯s and Lady Fangde¡¯s hearts ever since.


    ¡°The truth is that I was pregnant with your baby brother at that time, and I miscarried from being pushed by one of the women.¡±


    Ronan gaped at his mother. He didn¡¯t even know that there was a baby brother!


    ¡°Oh, Mom...¡±


    The Alpha went to hug his mother.


    Lady Fangde welled up with tears.


    ¡°This is embarrassing to admit, but pregnancies did note easy for me. The healers told me that the miscarriage scarred me badly. It would be next to impossible for me to ever have another child.¡±


    ¡°I was mad. So mad. Dane had two women before marriage who gave him sons and daughters. I only got one precious child after trying so hard. So I med it all on Dane.¡±


    Ronan shook his head.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s normal to be upset. It¡¯s all Dad¡¯s fault,¡± the Alpha conveniently said, ignoring his father¡¯s presencepletely.


    Lucien had to cringe on the inside.


    Lady Fangde broke into ironicughter.


    ¡°Dad did sleep with the two witches after he married you, right? Otherwise, where did the younger childrene from? I saw them that day.¡±


    ¡°Well yes, one time. He met up with them because they begged him toe. He ended up drinking a tea with strong aphrodisiac and going into a rut. Then they took turns with him, using him like a male prostitute.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Dane wrinkled his nose in disgust.


    ¡°Can you not put it that way, Adele? It sounds horrible.¡±


    Tear-streaked, Lady Fangde gave Dane azy look.


    ¡°Do you prefer the child-friendly version that I told Ronan back then? That you willingly went with them?¡±


    ¡°Technically, that is the opposite of the truth.¡±


    ¡°The opposite will be you not sleeping with them at all, Dane Silverback.¡±


    Lady Fangde and Dane Silverback exchanged res, but Ronan could see that the enmity between them was entirely gone. It was nothing but a petty squabble between a couple.


    Ronan swallowed hard.


    ¡°Then, what happened?¡±


    ¡°The rest of the story was just as you knew it. I rejected your father, divorced him, and left the pack house. At first, I went to live somewhere close to your school so I could still see you every day. After that...¡±


    Lady Fangde cupped his son¡¯s face in her hands, ¡°my health started deteriorating. I felt so miserable day by day. I ended up moving into St. rence and never left.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s his fault, right?¡± Ronan insisted. He was so used to seeing Dane as a viin that if thetter stopped being one, Ronan might just lose the ground beneath his feet.


    Lady Fangde shook her head.


    ¡°Not everything is your father¡¯s fault.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is,¡± Ronan argued. ¡°Rejection does nothing. If one is sleeping with others, the mate will still suffer from a bacsh.¡±


    ¡°No, Ronan. A rejection does end all the connections between two mated werewolves. Don¡¯tpare your parents with you and Lucien. You two are fated mates, and clearly, a rejection did nothing to sever the connection between the two of you. It did for me and Dane.¡±


    ¡°But then why were you sick all the time?¡±


    Lady Fangde gave a long, sorrowful sigh.


    ¡°What can I say? Old disgruntled women like me held a lot of grudges and it started to eat me from the inside.¡±


    ¡°Mom, that¡¯s not true. I saw it. Dad had another son after you left! It was his personal attendant at the council!¡±

 Chapter 313 - 313 Better Late Than Never

    313 Better Late Than Never


    Ronan¡¯s sudden allegation made both of his parents furrow their brows.


    ¡°My personal attendant? Are you referring to Nathan?¡± Dane asked.


    Ronan scoffed. ¡°Whatever his name is. He was the one who took Mom out during Lucrethia Woond¡¯s hearing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that was Nathan.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Lady Fangde started to giggle.


    ¡°Oh, Ronan, you silly boy. That was your cousin Nathan! He is the youngest son of your uncle Kragen.¡±


    ¡°Impossible!¡± Ronan snapped. ¡°Uncle Kragen¡¯s and Aunt Helene¡¯s families are still living within the pack house! I can summon them now if need be!¡±


    Lady Fangde grinned at her son.


    ¡°Youngest illegitimate son,¡± she added the teeny-tiny detail.


    .....


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Dane cleared his throat.


    Lucien stared at the two Silverback men in the family. Apparently, Dane was not the only yer in the house. So was his younger brother!


    ¡°That is another story, but Nathan really isn¡¯t Dane¡¯s son.¡±


    Ronan wobbled back to Lucien¡¯s couch. His head was hurting so much that he might just copse on spot. What¡¯s with thisplicated family drama?


    Lady Fangde smiled at Lucien, who did not dare to say a word from the start to the end.


    ¡°Sorry that you have to hear this, Lucien,¡± she said. ¡°Our family is a mess, huh?¡±


    Well, that was an understatement. Ronan¡¯s family was akin to a luxurious ship that ran into an iceberg one day. The ship cracked and revealed all the invisible secrets underneath, shocking not only those aboard the ship but also the innocent observers.


    ¡°It¡¯s eptable,¡± Lucien lied through his teeth.


    He rubbed his poor mate¡¯s back while thetter was slumped forward with his head resting against his arms on top of his legs.


    ¡°Ronan, do you want something to drink?¡± Lucien asked nicely. His mate was like a fragile ss sculpture at the moment. One careless word might just send him shattering on the ground.


    ¡°No, thank you.¡±


    The Alpha was not as kind to himself. Determined to end the conversation once and for all, he lifted his head and red at his parents.


    ¡°And what¡¯s with this marriage story?¡±


    Lady Fangde and Dane exchanged nces.


    ¡°Are you nning to step up anytime soon, Dane? Or do you want me to do the whole work for you?¡± Lady Fangde asked Dane pointedly.


    ¡°Cough. No need.¡±


    Dane and Ronan stared into each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just bepletely honest with you, Son. Your mother and I rekindled our affection and thus we hope to spend the rest of our lives together.¡±


    Lucien bit into his lower lip.


    Well, that sounded a lot better than ¡°Your mother and I have been sleeping with each other a lot. It makes sense to get married at this point¡±.


    Just like Lucien, Ronan was prepared to hear the worst. He was thus relieved to hear the child-friendly version of whatever was going on between his parents.


    ¡°Technically, you don¡¯t need my permission to get married,¡± Ronan sighed. ¡°Mom, you left the pack a long time ago. Dad already left after bing a council member.¡±


    Lady Fangdeughed.


    ¡°I said, we want your blessings, not permission. My baby Ronan...¡±


    The elder woman rose to her feet and walked toward her son. Then she sat next to Ronan, took his hands in hers, and squeezed them lovingly.


    ¡°You and I have been the best of friends from the moment I held you in my arms. I will always love you first and foremost. Your blessings mean a lot to me.¡±


    Ronan gave his mother a piteous look. He almost looked like the little boy from the past, who gave his mother the same puppy eyes to ask for more time to y before bedtime.


    ¡°Ronan, you have grown up so big,¡± she said. Tousling her son¡¯s hair affectionately, she continued, ¡°but you will always be my little boy. I want you to be happy always.¡±


    Ronan bowed his head and sighed.


    ¡°Mom, do you love him?¡±


    In the past, the word ¡°love¡± had never been mentioned in connection to their rtionship. Lady Fangde and Dane Silverback were matched by their parents. They had not interacted much with each other before their marriage.


    Funny how the wheel of fate turned and brought them back together. By then, without the both of them realizing it, thecency of their marriage that turned into anger-filled hatred already morphed further into a semnce of love.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lady Fangde said with a bright smile. ¡°I love him.¡±


    Behind her, Dane Silverback looked as if he was struck by thunder.


    For the first time ever, Ronan saw a side of his father that he had never before seen.


    The elder man was taken aback by his ex-wife¡¯s words, but then his shocked expression melted into a picture of eternal tranquility, his eyes were filled with tenderness for the woman in front of him.


    He kept curling his fingers restlessly. If Ronan and Lucien were not there, he might be tempted to close the distance between them and kiss the air out of Lady Fangde¡¯s lungs.


    Seeing his parents in a light that he had never before seen, how could Ronan deny them this little speck of happiness?


    The Alpha¡¯s heart softened. He turned to his mother and said, ¡°I give both of you my blessings, Mom.¡±


    He then rose to his feet and walked toward his father.


    ¡°If you ever hurt my Mom again, I will beat you up. I don¡¯t care if you are my father or not.¡±


    Dane scoffed. He shot his son a sharp re.


    ¡°Insolent child. How dare you threaten me. I...¡±


    The rest of Dane¡¯s words were stuck in his throat when he was pulled into a hug by his adult son. He was so shocked by this sudden gesture of familial warmth that he practically turned into a concrete block.


    ¡°Thanks for saving Mom,¡± he mumbled. ¡°And thank you for saving Lucien.¡±


    Petrified, Dane didn¡¯t know what to do other than clumsily patting Ronan on the back.


    Behind them, Lucien could not help but smile.


    In the end, albeit a littlete, Ronan¡¯s family was whole again.

 Chapter 314 - 314 The Best Man And The Man Of Honor

    314 The Best Man And The Man Of Honor


    A weekter, a grand wedding was held in Carlton Bay Hotel at Great Lake City.


    It was probably the most expensive wedding that the city had ever seen, but also the most abrupt one.


    The preparation started only a week before. The poor event organizers barely slept during the week. There was not a second to waste while they ran around the city to get the flowers, music, and food ready for the special day.


    Typical of rich people, the bride and groom simply could not agree on the number of people that they wished to invite.


    At first, they said that it was supposed to be a small, simple wedding to rekindle their feelings for each other.


    Maximum 50 guests, no more.


    But then more rtives came to mind.


    Maybe 100 then, no more.


    What about friends? And the family of friends? And friends of friends? And the business partners? And the family of the business partners?


    .....


    The many questions almost drove the event organizer team insane.


    In the end, they updated the guest list to include 1000 guests.


    After a lot of sleepless nights, the day finally arrived.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this,¡± Ronan groaned.


    ¡°Does this count as a shotgun wedding?¡± he turned to ask his mate.


    Grinning from ear to ear, Lucien straightened the ck bow tie around Ronan¡¯s cor.


    ¡°If you n to hold your father at gunpoint during the ceremony, I think we can ignore the fact that your mother isn¡¯t pregnant and he willingly marries her.¡±


    Ronan rolled with his eyes.


    ¡°I gave them my blessings, but why do I still feel ufortable about their rtionship?¡±


    Lucien¡¯s grin grew wider.


    ¡°Maybe because you found out that they had been sleeping together behind your back.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Goddess!!!¡±


    A series of curses escaped Ronan while he wriggled in pain like a worm that was grilled over fire.


    Laughing, Lucien put his arms around Ronan so thetter did not go and bump his head against one of the pirs.


    Ronan sighed.


    ¡°On top of it, I can¡¯t believe that they n to wed earlier than us. The audacity!!¡±


    Lucien covered his mouth with his hand in order to prevent himself fromughing out loud.


    ¡°Really, Ronan? Competing against your parents? If we married first, they would have to find a man of honor and a best man. Imagine how hectic it would be.¡±


    A smirk hushed over Ronan¡¯s face.


    He put both arms around Lucien¡¯s waist and pulled at one of his thighs. Smiling, Lucien hooked his arms behind Ronan¡¯s neck and pulled him in for a wet kiss.


    Ronan pressed their bodies together intimately while Lucien leaned backward for the kiss.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Ronan winked at his mate once he was done sucking and biting at Lucien¡¯s lips. ¡°You are the most attractive man in honor that I have ever seen. Can I take you out for dinner?¡±


    A naughty smile appeared on Lucien¡¯s face.


    ¡°Hmmmmm, I don¡¯t know about that,¡± he dragged out. ¡°My mate might get upset.¡±


    Ronan clicked his tongue in disappointment.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be so boring. I bet your mate is having fun out there on his own.¡±


    Lucien raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°You are right. The men in his family indeed have a penchant for cheating.¡±


    Ronan growled in response. He leaned in and kissed the breath out of Lucien. The mood was so good and Lucien looked too breathtakingly handsome.


    Against better judgment, Ronan¡¯s hands started to wander inside Lucien¡¯s shirt.


    ¡°Ronan, we can¡¯t,¡± Lucien whispered between kisses. ¡°The wedding is about to start.¡±


    ¡°I can do it for five minutes,¡± Ronan whispered back.


    ¡°Stupid. What about the rest of the time??? Are you going to pitch a tent during the ceremony?¡±


    ¡°Mmm, I can hide it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°AHEM!!!!¡±


    The lovebirds separated in an instant.


    An ashen-faced Annalynne in a beautiful white dress gave them icy stares.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, will you stop fooling around with my brother? Go to the groom¡¯s side, please.¡±


    Ronan gave his giggling mate a peck on the lips.


    ¡°We are not done,¡± he left with a wink.


    ¡°Seriously!¡± Annalynne huffed in anger. ¡°Isn¡¯t it taboo for the best man to meet the man or maid of honor before the wedding?¡±


    Lucien crossed his arms before his chest and stared at his sister.


    ¡°No, Anna. It is taboo for the groom and the bride.¡±


    ¡°Same thing,¡± Annalynne snorted. And then she broke into a squeal.


    ¡°Lulu, you look so handsome in white! Oh gosh, I can¡¯t believe that we finally get to dress alike again. Aaaaaahhhh!!!¡±


    Annalynne threw herself into her brother¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Let me take a look at you,¡± Lucien said.


    He took his sister by her hand and thetter twirled around coquettishly in front of her brother. The circle skirt came alive and danced around her slender body, making her look like a princess that jumped out of a fairytale collection.


    ¡°You are the most beautiful girl here, Anna,¡± Lucien praised.


    ¡°And you are the most handsome boy in here,¡± Anna tittered.


    A despondent sigh was heard behind them, causing both Lucien and Annalynne to look up.


    ¡°Am I not supposed to be the fairest person in this wedding???¡± Lady Fangdeined as she entered the room.


    Dressed in a strapless, white gown with a thousand tiny diamonds sewn into the dress, Lady Fangde looked magnificent. The make-up was done perfectly, hiding all traces of her age and making her look almost twenty years younger.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Annalynne mouthed. ¡°Lady Fangde, you look... Amazing.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Lucien agreed. ¡°I have never seen a more beautiful bride.¡±


    The bride tilted her head to the side and smiled yfully. ¡°Okay, stop with the emptypliments. I cannotpare with the Clearwater twins that are way younger than me!¡±


    ¡°Noooo,¡± Annalynne wailed. ¡°That¡¯s not true!!!¡±


    Three knocks sounded at the door, and Nathan¡¯s voice was hearding from outside.


    ¡°Excuse me, it¡¯s time for the bride to enter the wedding hall.¡±


    Lucien offered his arm to Lady Fangde.


    ¡°Shall we?¡±


    ¡°We shall,¡± the bride responded, looping her arm around Lucien¡¯s.

 Chapter 315 - 315 Happy Ending For The Alpha’s Parents

    315 Happy Ending For The Alpha¡¯s Parents


    At present time, Dane Silverback was no longer an Alpha. That meant that the remarriage, however sincere, was not to be performed at the Holy Temple of the Moon Goddess. That did not stop the entire werewolf packs froming down to Great Lake City to offer their most sincere congrattions to the happy couple.


    In fact, the wedding felt like a more intimate affair. The guests attended because they wanted to share the joy and happiness of the wedding couple, not because they were forced to pay homage to a certain pack.


    The wedding day was thankfully sunny, with not a single grey cloud hanging in the sky. The soft spring sunlight fell upon the chattering guests, and the fragrant smell of flowers filled the air.


    Werewolf pups ran around in the garden, shrieking with delight and ying with each other without caring about the politics and rivalry between packs. Shortly before the ceremony started, their poor parents had to go around to catch their children before they wrecked anything and ruined the otherwise beautiful wedding.


    Once the clock hit 10 AM, all the guests ¡ª with their children ¡ª took their seats. At an elevated stage, a beautiful songstress sang an equally beautiful love song in apaniment of soft piano and violin music.


    Heads turned toward the garden entrance as Lucien and Lady Fangde entered the wedding hall. Behind them, Annalynne and a bunch of other girls walked with buckets of red roses in their hands.


    Lady Fangde had always been an attractive woman, but she looked exceedingly beautiful on this day. So beautiful that Dane Silverback held his breath while watching his bride walk toward him.


    Behind him, Ronan stood with a gentle smile hanging on his lips. His mother looked like a goddess-incarnate, but the handsome man next to her was endlessly mesmerizing.


    The beautiful pair of caramel brown eyes, his shiny red-golden hair, the sensuous pair of red lips that asked to be kissed the whole time, and the sturdy frame that was quick to melt beneath Ronan, epting the Alpha¡¯s love unconditionally and willingly.


    .....


    ¡®I love you,¡¯ Ronan whispered via Mind Link.


    Lucien looked up at him and smiled.


    ¡®I love you too.¡¯


    While the Alpha and his Luna exchanged sweet nces behind the bride and groom, the wedding proceeded without dy.


    Little Ralph Youngshaper had been recruited as the ring bearer. In his haste to reach his mommy, he kept wanting to run. Kinnon had to remind him to walk again and again. The cute little boy invited giggles and smiles from the enchanted guests.


    When he reached the end of the hall, he lifted the red velvety pillow with the two rings on top of it like some kind of sacrificial item.


    ¡°Thanks, Little Youngshaper,¡± Ronan said with a wink.


    Ralph meanwhile hade to understand that Ronan was the awful thief who stole his mommy away, so he was not too fond of the Alpha.


    He stuck out his tongue at Ronan in response.


    ¡°Bleehhhh,¡± he said while pulling an eyelid down.


    The crowd broke intoughter.


    Ralph then ran in Lucien¡¯s direction and went to hug his leg.


    Trying hard to suppress hisughter, Lucien lifted Ralph into his arms and cuddled him.


    Ronan gave the little boy a stink-eye. He then stood aside with the rings in his hand.


    The ceremony was officiated by the High Priest from the Holy Temple of the Moon Goddess.


    ¡°Esteemeddies and honorable gentlemen, wee to this wedding ceremony,¡± he spoke to the crowd.


    ¡°The Moon Goddess has seen fit to bring the bride and groom together in this beautiful ce, to unite them as man and wife.¡±


    ¡°Bride and groom, please wash and dry your hands now.¡±


    Two attendants came up, each of them brought a basin of clear water for the wedding couple to wash their hands in.


    Once they were done, they dried their hands on white towels.


    Afterward, Lady Fangde and Dane Silverbackced their hands together. The High Priest tied their hands together with a thick, golden rope and put both of his hands on top of their united hands.


    ¡°Adele Fangde,¡± he spoke to the bride first. ¡°Are you willing to take Dane Silverback as your husband, love and cherish him, in happiness and sorrow, in sunny and rainy days, in sickness and health, from today on until the Moon Goddess separates you?¡±


    Ovee with emotions, Lady Fangde was speechless.


    She nodded fervently before tears came falling across her cheeks and she said, ¡°I am willing.¡±


    ¡°Dane Silverback,¡± the High Priest turned to the groom next. ¡°Are you willing to take Adele Fangde as your wife, love and protect her, in happiness and sorrow, in sunny and rainy days, in sickness and health, from today on until the Moon Goddess separates you?¡±


    Dane¡¯s voice was hoarse when he replied with ¡°I am willing.¡±


    He did not shed any tears, but his eyes were ssy and he had to press his lips together to keep them from trembling.


    ¡°Bride and groom, please put the rings on your partners.¡±


    That was the cue for Ronan to step forward. He turned to his parents and offered them a pair of sparkling golden rings.


    ¡°With this ring, I, Dane Silverback, take you, Adele Fangde, as my wife,¡± Dane said while he slipped the smaller ring on Lady Fangde¡¯s finger.


    ¡°With this ring, I, Adele Fangde, take you, Dane Silverback, as my husband,¡± Lady Fangde said afterward when she replied the favor.


    ¡°The wedding has concluded,¡± the High Priest announced with a broad smile. ¡°I dere the bride and groom to be man and wife.¡±


    Dane pulled his wife closer and gave her a deep kiss. A loud cheer went through the crowd. Lucien had tough when he saw the conflicted expression on Ronan¡¯s face. All red in the face, the Alpha averted his eyes in shame.


    The bride and groom eventually broke their kiss. After the golden rope around their wrists was taken off, the bride received a wedding bouquet of pink roses from Annalynne.


    The unmarried girls quickly hurried to the front to catch the bouquet as per the tradition glorified by human beings.


    Lady Fangde¡¯s gaze drifted over the sea of eager faces. After some deliberation, she cracked an apologetic smile to the girls and turned to Lucien who stood behind her instead.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to hear you call me mother,¡± she said while passing Lucien the bouquet.

 Chapter 316 - 316 The Alpha Liked To Flirt

    316 The Alpha Liked To Flirt


    It was not an exaggeration to say that the married couple were poor hosts.


    As soon as the wedding ceremony ended, Dane Silverback and Lady Adele Fangde made the decision to skip the banquet and proceed to their secret honeymoon spot on some remote tropical ind.


    They did not bother sneaking out, either. After they announced their intention, they waved goodbye to the guests cheerfully before climbing into a limousine that was already waiting for them outside of the hotel.


    The wedding couple left, but the banquet must go on.


    As a result, the Alpha and Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack had to stay behind to entertain the guests and keep the banquet going.


    The guests were led to the banquet venue, where the atmosphere was a lot livelier.


    The ethereal wedding music that yed during the wedding was reced with songs from the younger generations.


    The songstress was still the same, but she was now apanied by a band.


    The fast beat and catchy tunes drove the younger people to the dance floor, while the elder couples sat at their tables to cool themselves off with some drinks and probably some finger food.


    .....


    The joyful mood coupled with the abundance of drinks with various alcohol content made people forget their limits.


    Soon, some of those who drank too much for their own good started to pass out or cause some uproars at the tables.


    Jake and Quinn rushed to the rescue, but they alone were not able to subdue themotion.


    In the end, Lucien stepped in to help them.


    Once the three werewolves finished dragging the drunkards outside to sober up, they returned to their families to enjoy the banquet.


    Unable to find his parents and sister, Lucien went to sit at the bar.


    ¡°One cherry cocktail, please,¡± he told the bartender.


    ¡°Right away, Luna!¡± the man responded cheerfully.


    Lucien spun around on his seat and turned his back to the bar to overlook the merriment.


    From afar, he saw Annalynne on the dance floor with Lowell.


    Lucien frowned slightly upon seeing Lowell¡¯s asional improper hand cement around his twin sister¡¯s body.


    He was just making a mental note to chastise the man when he saw his parents next to Annalynne and Lowell.


    They were dancing to upbeat music like two teenagers in a dancepetition.


    ¡°...¡±


    Never mind.


    Lucien sipped on his cocktail and almost spat it out right after.


    ¡°Everything alright, Luna?¡± the bartender asked out of concern.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just... very strong,¡± Lucien remarked while wiping his lips.


    ¡°Should I water it down for you?¡± the bartender came up with a helpful suggestion, which Lucien did not take.


    ¡°No need, thanks.¡±


    A hand reach out from Lucien¡¯s left side and took the ss from him.


    ¡°Hey, handsome. Are you alone?¡± he asked while downing Lucien¡¯s drink with one gulp.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien shot Ronan a cold stare. The Alpha was conveniently out of sight when he, Jake, and Quinn were busy dealing with the drunkards. Now that everything had settled, he deigned to show up.


    ¡°No, I am with my irresponsible mate here,¡± Lucien answered.


    ¡°Ah, I see.¡±


    Ronan leaned against the bar and gave Lucien a shifty smile.


    ¡°If I were him, I would never leave you out of sight.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    There was only one word in Lucien¡¯s mind. Shameless!


    Lucien narrowed his eyes at Ronan. His mate seemed to be into roleying. He might as well y along.


    ¡°What about you? Are you here alone?¡±


    ¡°Me? No, I am also with my mate here,¡± he answered cheerfully.


    ¡°Then why are you leaving your mate out of sight?¡±


    Lucien raised his eyebrow at the roleying Alpha.


    ¡°I am not,¡± Ronan smiled. ¡°I keep watching him from afar, admiring him in his white suit, imagining myself stripping theyers of clothes off his sexy body, and having my way with him.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s lips were curled up in amusement. He leaned closer to Ronan and whispered, ¡°Like what?¡±


    The Alpha grinned. ¡°I am going to lick him from head to bottom and make him wet for me. And then, I will taste his sweet body to satiate my hunger. After that...¡±


    Ronan reached out to caress Lucien¡¯s cheek and whispered into his ear, ¡°I am going to fuck him again and again, until he runs dry.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It was the drink.


    The cherry cocktail made him slightly tipsy.


    He should have ordered a fruit punch instead.


    Lucien rubbed at his reddened face.


    ¡°What do you think? Is it a good n?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lucien said. ¡°You need to ask your mate.¡±


    Ronan chuckled.


    ¡°You are right. I will ask him.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan gave him a naughty wink and then turned around and left.


    Lucien watched his retreating back in disbelief.


    Just what was Ronan, this mad werewolf, nning?


    ¡°I want another drink,¡± he told the bartender. ¡°Something light, please.¡±


    The bartender gave him a confused look. ¡°How light, Luna?¡±


    ¡°Light as in zero alcohol content.¡±


    ¡°... What about a ss of drinking water?¡±


    ¡°That will do, thanks.¡±


    The bartender was puzzled. The Luna had to be the first andst person toe to a bar and demand water.


    While Lucien pondered the merit of chasing after Ronan, his phone gave a familiar notification sound.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien pulled out his phone and saw that it was a text message from the very person.


    ¡°Dearest recipient, the Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack is dying to lick and suck every inch of your body. Kindly make yourself avable at the VIP suite.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    What was with asking him what he thought about it???


    And what was with this atrocious, lewd demand?


    Clearly, Ronan needed to be taught a lesson or two.


    Huffing and puffing, Lucien walked away from the bar. He made his way through the crowd to head to the elevators.


    ¡°Lulu!¡±


    Unexpectedly, he was caught and yanked backward by Annalynne, who stopped dancing after two songs and spotted him. ¡°I need to talk to you!¡±


    ¡°Oh, what about?¡±


    Annalynne narrowed her eyes at Lucien, then she cast a suspicious look around. ¡°How rare that Alpha Ronan is not here to snatch you away. Wonderful!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    .....


    Lucien cleared his throat.


    Alpha Ronan had changed his modus operandi and was now expecting Lucien toe to him after one text message.


    Maybe waiting would be a good therapy to treat his abnormal sexual drive.


    ¡°What is it, Anna?¡±

 Chapter 317 - 317 You Want What???

    317 You Want What???


    Said Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack heaved a lot of sighs while he was waiting for his mate toe up.


    Lucien did understand what Ronan wanted to do, right?


    Because most men would usuallye running after reading such a sext message. Okay, not most men. Maybe just those who shared the same mentality as Ronan.


    And most men did.


    Ronan rolled with his eyes.


    Maybe he overestimated Lucien.


    He had not been with other men other than Ronan, so maybe he was not used to some kinky roley. And no, Ronan refused to believe that Lucien did anything with Kinnon.


    Even if he did, he was forced to.


    Yes.


    .....


    Because Lucien loved him and him alone.


    Infuriated by Lucien¡¯ste arrival, Ronan grabbed himself aplimentary water bottle from the hotel and downed the entire content in a gulp.


    A soft clicking sound told him that someone just entered the suite.


    ¡°Ronan...?¡±


    Excitement spread through Ronan¡¯s body like fire as soon as he heard Lucien¡¯s sweet voiceing from outside.


    The Alpha tossed the water bottle away in a hurry. He then threw his bathrobe to the floor and threw himself on thevish king-sized bed.


    Clumsily, he tried to strike a sexy pose. He wanted to look delicious for Lucien when he came in.


    Lucien was going to regret that he camete...


    Lucien was going to beg him for sex...


    ...


    Okay, never mind. That was too much to ask.


    The bedroom door opened and the mate that Ronan had been longing for appeared.


    He was unfortunately not alone.


    There was someone with him, someone with long and thick red-golden hair...


    Ronan widened his eyes in shock when he saw the other person¡¯s darkened silhouette.


    A split secondter, the sound of someone screaming at the top of her lungs rang through the bedroom.


    Her.


    As in a female.


    Ronan went pale.


    ¡°AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!! HOW PERVERTED! MY EYES! MY EYESSSSSS!!!¡±


    Annalynne covered her eyes and wailed like she just saw the tragic aftermath of a car ident.


    Lucien¡¯s face darkened. He picked up Ronan¡¯s bathrobe from the floor and threw it at Ronan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Cover yourself,¡± he said coldly while he took his screeching twin sister outside.


    ¡°I THINK I AM GOING TO BE BLIND. NO, MAYBE I AM ALREADY BLIND. LULU, HELP ME CHECK. AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!¡±


    ¡®LULU! Goddess! How could you bring her with you???¡¯ Ronan roared via Mind Link while he wrapped the bathrobe around his frame.


    Why was Annalynne even acting like she just saw a ghost? If anything, Ronan was the one who was vited here!!! He wanted to demand some reimbursement from the Alpha of the Silent Walkers Pack for psychological damage.


    ¡®Seriously, Ronan? How am I supposed to know that you would be waiting for me on the bed, NAKED as hell???¡¯


    Ronan sucked in a deep breath. He almost bumped his head against the wall.


    So Lucien did not understand the sext message at all, did he???


    ¡°Calm down, Anna. You didn¡¯t see anything, did you?¡± Lucien proceeded to cate Annalynne by rubbing her back up and down.


    The woman in turn rubbed at her eyes repeatedly.


    ¡°Oh Goddess,¡± shemented. ¡°Lulu, my eyes have been tainted. I can¡¯t believe that I just saw a naked man. Urghhhh!!!¡±


    Annalynne shuddered.


    ¡°He looked awful,¡± she told her brother, greatly concerned for her brother¡¯s choice of partner.


    Lucien stared at Annalynne.


    ¡°Anna, you have seen me naked a lot. Ever since we were children.¡±


    ¡°WHAT???¡±


    Wrapped tightly inside the bathrobe, Ronan burst into the living room. He was livid with rage.


    ¡°She saw you naked??? A lot???¡±


    Lucien pursed his lips. He gestured toward his scowling sister and said, ¡°Let me introduce my twin sister to you, Alpha Ronan. Of course, she saw me naked a lot. I also saw...¡±


    Ronan howled. He grabbed his mate and put his hands across thetter¡¯s mouth to prevent him from saying anything ungodly.


    ¡°I knew it,¡± he hissed at Annalynne. ¡°You two don¡¯t have a normal brother-and-sister rtionship.¡±


    Annalynne let out a loud gasp. Putting both hands at her waist, she glowered at the man who was holding her brother like he would a hostage.


    ¡°Says a man who has never in his life had any siblings!¡± she shouted. ¡°What do you know about siblings¡¯ love and closeness???¡±


    ¡°Technically, I have half-siblings,¡± the Alpha refused to admit defeat.


    Annalynne scowled. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and asked, ¡°And what are their names? How old are they? When are their birthdays???¡±


    Ronan scoffed and barked back.


    ¡°A to Z, 0 to 50, between 1st January and 31st December!¡±


    Lucien could not take the childish squabble anymore.


    ¡°Ronan,¡± he spoke with a stern tone to his mate. ¡°Go get dressed properly. We need to talk.¡±


    Ronan gave his mate a pitiful look. ¡°Lulu, can it not wait?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien grabbed the man by his cor.


    ¡°Alpha, you literally just shed me and my sister. I am not in the mood for any intimacy right now.¡±


    ...


    Good point.


    Ronan raked through his hair with his fingers and exhaled sorrowfully.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he said before dragging his feet to the bedroom to get dressed.


    When he returned to the living room again, the two siblings were sitting opposite each other.


    Lucien patted the seat next to him when he saw the sulking Alpha approaching.


    ¡°Come and sit here, Ronan.¡±


    Just to piss Annalynne off, Ronan gave Lucien a peck on the lips before he took his seat next to Lucien.


    ¡°Hah!¡±


    Annalynne scoffed and rolled with his eyes. Crossing her arms again, she opened her mouth to say something but Lucien stopped her.


    ¡°Anna, just... Okay? Focus.¡±


    Lucien turned to Ronan and squeezed his hand.


    ¡°Ronan, we are getting married in a little over a month.¡±


    ¡°Yes, so?¡±


    ¡°Next week is my and Anna¡¯s birthday. It will be ourst birthday before I officially leave the Silent Walkers Pack. We are hoping to go somewhere to celebrate, just the two of us. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡±

 Chapter 318 - 318 The Clearwater Twins’ Birthday Trip

    318 The Clearwater Twins¡¯ Birthday Trip


    ¡°I do mind!¡± Ronan shouted in extreme displeasure.


    He squeezed back at Lucien¡¯s hand and gave him a pitiful look.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien felt like looking at a drenched little puppy.


    ¡°Lulu, we promised to spend every birthday together. You can¡¯t do this to me.¡±


    Opposite them, Annalynne sucked a deep breath audibly.


    If Ronan thought that he owned Lucien, he was sorely mistaken. Annalynne was nning to open the Alpha¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, just so you know, Lulu is technically still part of my pack. I don¡¯t care whether you are fated mates or bonded mates. I can get him to go back to my pack anytime I want!¡±


    Ronan turned his head in a menacing way toward his mate¡¯s twin sister.


    .....


    ¡°Do that and I promise you that you will never see your brother again.¡±


    Annalynne¡¯s jaw dropped in horror. She was quick toin to her brother.


    ¡°Lulu! Are you going to let him talk to me like that???¡±


    Rubbing his temple due to his growing headache, Lucien red at both his sister and his mate.


    ¡°Can you both stop arguing like little children? And stop treating me like an inanimate object! I can go anywhere I want to!¡±


    ¡°Then tell us now who you want to spend your birthday with,¡± Ronan decided.


    Annalynne narrowed her eyes at her brother.


    Ronan pursed his lips at the man next to him.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien cleared his throat.


    It was about sleeping together in a tent at Shadow Mist Creek all over again. Lucien¡¯s choice was pretty clear. He did not want to choose between his sister and his mate.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together,¡± he suggested.


    ¡°No!¡± both Ronan and Annalynne shouted in unison.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want her to squeeze herself between us all the time!¡± Ronan pointed at Annalynne.


    ¡°I also don¡¯t want to travel with this pants-chasing lecher! My eyes have been tainted enough!!!¡± Annalynne proimed.


    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±


    Lucien leaned back and directed his sharp gaze at both Ronan and Annalynne. ¡°Either we go together or we don¡¯t go at all. I offer to have lunch with Anna and dinner with Ronan. Will that be better?¡±


    Lucien¡¯s suggestion made her two beloved people slump dispiritedly.


    What kind of a birthday celebration was that?


    That was nothing but dining appointments.


    Although they could not tolerate each other, both Annalynne and Ronan were dying to go on a birthday trip.


    ¡°Fine, what if I take Lowell with us?¡± Annalynne came up with a suggestion to make the trip happen.


    ¡°Wonderful idea!¡± Ronan praised. For once, Alpha Annalynne proved that she had a working brain! Alpha Ronan was extremely delighted.


    Next to him, Lucien heavily disagreed.


    ¡°No!¡± he shouted. ¡°You are not allowed to stay overnight with Lowell!¡±


    A wicked smile spread on the woman¡¯s face. She reached out to squeeze her brother¡¯s free hand and gave him a coquettish gaze.


    ¡°Then Lulu can sleep with me and Ronan can sleep with Lowell. Is that good enough...?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Deal,¡± Lucien agreed.


    Annalynne gave Ronan a victorious smirk shamelessly.


    Ronan almost spat out blood from fury.


    Alpha Ronan sustained a huge loss that day.


    He not only lost the opportunity to enjoy a hot, intimate skin-to-skin rtion with his mate, but also had to tolerate the presence of his future sister-inw and her boyfriend in his amazing birthday surprise n for Lucien.


    To top it off, Lucien insisted that Ronan came back down with him to oversee the banquet until the night was over.


    Alpha Ronan stuck to the bar like a sulking little boy and terrorized the poor bartender.


    While he wasmenting his poor luck, a handsome man came to hit on him.


    ¡°Hey, handsome, are you alone?¡±


    Ronan turned around and came face-to-face with Lucien, who was clearly trying hard to suppress hisughter.


    ¡°... I feel alone,¡± Ronan quipped dejectedly.


    Lucien burst intoughter.


    He put his hands around Ronan¡¯s cor and straightened it for him.


    ¡°Upset?¡±


    ¡°Devastated,¡± Ronan said dramatically. Upset was not the right word to express his dejection, his infuriation, his disappointment.


    Lucien chuckled.


    He put his arms around Ronan¡¯s neck and leaned at him.


    The knot at Ronan¡¯s throat bobbed up and down nervously.


    He was clearly still angry at Lucien, but why must he be such a tempter???


    Lucien took the Alpha¡¯s hands, pressed a chaste kiss on the knuckles, and put them around his slender waist. He knew that Ronan could not resist him.


    He desired his mate too much.


    Ronan¡¯s brain was deactivated as soon as he gazed into Lucien¡¯s alluring eyes, heard his seductive voice, smelled his sweet scent, and ran his hands across the man¡¯s lean but strong body.


    He did not need any aphrodisiac or alcohol to amplify his desire for his mate.


    Ronan pulled Lucien close and pressed their lips together. Burning from desire, he poured all his love into the lustful kisses that he imparted to his mate.


    ¡°Dance with me,¡± Lucien whispered in a sultry voice.


    He took Ronan¡¯s hand and led him toward the dance floor.


    Ronan followed him willingly. If Lucien had taken him to the depths of hell, he might still say that it was the most beautiful ce in the world.


    Lucien was all he needed to be happy.


    To facilitate the romantic mood, the lighting on the dance floor was dimmed.


    Couples swayed slowly from side to side, holding each other close while listening to the tasteful jazz music that yed in the background.


    Lucien grabbed the back of Ronan¡¯s neck and kissed him.


    It was breathtaking.


    It was wild.


    Ronan did not care anymore about their surrounding.


    For him, at the moment, only he and Lucien existed.


    They were together, and everything was great.


    Meanwhile, Lucien med his brazen attitude on the cherry cocktail. The alcohol went to his head and brought his wanton side to the surface.


    For once, he wanted to let go of all restraint and just give in to his own ravenous desires for his mate.


    Once the dance was over, Lucien thus dragged the Alpha to the male restroom and demanded that he fulfill his promises.

 Chapter 319 - 319 The Alpha Served His Luna Well (NSFW)

    319 The Alpha Served His Luna Well (NSFW)


    There was an indescribable thrill about engaging in indecent activities in a public ce.


    It gave the pleasure-seekers the feeling that they were doing something sinful. Something forbidden that society frowned upon.


    Forbidden fruits were known to be extra delicious and juicy. This was what the Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack perceived to be true.


    Or maybe it was extra delicious because the man he was tasting was no other than his beloved mate.


    Leaning against the cubicle wall with his pants pulled down to his ankles, Lucien Clearwater breathed heavily.


    Between his fair and slender legs, the esteemed Alpha that stood tall amongst all the other Alphas was working hard to please him.


    He expertly took Lucien¡¯s delicate shaft in his hand, massaged it using just the right pressure, and peppered it with little kisses. His warm mouth and wicked tongue made the red-blonde man relish in the kind of pleasure that he had yet to experience.


    When Ronan first suckled on Lucien¡¯s swollen ns, thetter reflexively tried to move away. Almost chuckling from Lucien¡¯s reaction, the Alpha literally had to hold his mate in ce while he sucked along the erect organ¡¯s length.


    While kneading Lucien¡¯s waist and fleshy buttocks, he swallowed and spat out the flesh rod rhythmically.


    .....


    His beloved mate was so sweet.


    He even tasted sweet down there.


    The Alpha looked up and watched Lucien¡¯s expression as he slowly took the man step by step to the highestyer of heaven.


    Throwing his head backward with his mouth open out of decadent pleasure, Lucien trembled all over.


    It felt so good.


    Too good.


    Every time he hit the back of Ronan¡¯s throat, a surge of emotion red up within his heart.


    His body was tense, but his heart was filled with tender feelings for the man who was kneeling between his legs.


    Lucien bit into his lower lip to stifle the moans that threatened to escape him. He buried a hand into Ronan¡¯s thick, jet-ck hair while he pistoned in and out of the Alpha¡¯s mouth.


    His movements were gentle.


    He did not want to make it difficult for Ronan.


    On the other side, the Alpha was never one to revel in slow and gentle lovemaking sessions. For him, it had to be rough and deep. He aimed to carve the insides of his mate with his penis and leave his traces everywhere inside his mate¡¯s belly.


    The kind of intercourse didn¡¯t matter.


    The Alpha stuck Lucien¡¯s entire length into his mouth, deep-throating it.


    It felt so good that Lucien almost came then and there.


    ¡°Mmmph...!!! Mmm...!!!¡±


    Lucien pressed a hand against his mouth and furrowed his brows.


    ¡°Ronan, you can stop,¡± he said while grabbing a handful of his mate¡¯s hair.


    Instead of stopping, Ronan continued. Harder and faster.


    ¡°Ooh...!!!¡± Lucien shut his eyes tightly while an ecstatic groan escaped his lips.


    He quickly shut up when he heard someone entering the bathroom.


    ¡®Ronan, wait, stop for a bit.¡¯


    To save his mate some face, Ronanplied. Then again, even without moving up and down Lucien¡¯s length, he was still able to stimte the man.


    His naughty tonguepped around the penis inside his mouth, treating it like the most delicious lollipop candy in the world. Like he could not get enough of it.


    That was sheer unbelievable, because Ronan disliked sweet treats and candies alike.


    He only liked the sweetness that came from Lucien¡¯s body.


    Lucien fought valiantly to prevent himself from letting out a single sound. Unfortunately, he was unable to fully control his body. His sweet scent leaked out and filled the air within an instant.


    In the next cubicle, they could hear the other man sniffing around.


    ¡°Orange?¡± he mumbled in confusion. ¡°Weird. Did the cleaningdy juste in?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien pressed his both hands against his mouth desperately.


    No, the cleaningdy didn¡¯te. But he might soon.


    Once the man left and the bathroom door shut with an audible click, Lucien took his hands off his mouth.


    He grabbed Ronan¡¯s face and made him look up at him.


    ¡°Ronan, let go. Otherwise, I will end up knotting in your mouth... Ronan...¡±


    Despite Lucien¡¯s warning, Ronan did not stop. He pulled the red-blonde man closer and took him deep. His onught became more and more brazen. Lucien was floating between heaven and hell alternately. He tried hard to get away from Ronan, but thetter held him close.


    A string of moans left Lucien¡¯s lips. He merely prayed with every cell of his body that no one else wasing in.


    He was not going to be able to stop himself from making a sound. They were going to be found out.


    Unable to hold it in any longer, Lucien¡¯s body spasmed violently. His orgasm came down like a storm, annihting everything on the ground.


    His cock erged and formed a knot, locking itself inside Ronan¡¯s mouth before it started pouring out its essence.


    Lucien was aghast, but Ronan closed his eyes and enjoyed his mate¡¯s thick and creamy essence. It came in spurts, and all of them were swallowed perfectly by the Alpha.


    ¡®Ronan?¡¯


    ¡®Hmm?¡¯


    ¡®Are you alright...?¡¯


    ¡®Mhm. I never had a better dessert.¡¯


    Lucien blushed profusely. He reached out to rub Ronan¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡®Doesn¡¯t it hurt?¡¯


    Ronan gave Lucien¡¯s penis a teasing suck.


    ¡®No. I like it.¡¯


    Just to prove his point, Ronan let his tongue dance around the swollen part that kept Lucien attached to him.


    ¡°Ngh...¡±


    Lucien wed into Ronan¡¯s scalp. Sweat ran down his reddened face, making him look like he just came out of a hot shower.


    ¡°Stop it,¡± he said while giving Ronan¡¯s hair a slight tug.


    It would have made Ronan chuckle if not for the swollen organ in his mouth.


    ¡®Oh? Why? Afraid that you won¡¯t stop cumming?¡¯ Ronan teased yfully.


    Lucien cracked a shy smile and said, ¡°Because I want you to be inside me right now.¡±


    The Alpha perked up upon hearing his mate¡¯s lewd words.


    ¡®Oooh,¡¯ he crooned. ¡®Your wish is mymand, Luna.¡¯

 Chapter 320 - 320 The Alpha Reaped His Reward (NSFW)

    320 The Alpha Reaped His Reward (NSFW)


    A blow job in the male restroom was one thing, but Ronan refused to fuck Lucien in the cubicle.


    He insisted on taking their business to their VIP suite.


    While they were heading upstairs, though, the Alpha was not behaving himself properly.


    A quick nce made people think that the Alpha was so affectionate that he could not take his hand off Lucien¡¯s waist, not even a second.


    Both uses spoke the truth, and yet the causal rtion waspletely the other way around.


    Because Alpha Ronan was so affectionate, he was unable to take his hand off Lucien. And not off his waist, too.


    Ronan had two fingers buried into Lucien¡¯s love hole, softening it up for Ronan¡¯s entry as soon as they reached their suite.


    The Alpha looked like a prim and proper gentleman that left people with no doubt.


    His mate, on the other side, changed color every two seconds. White to pink, pink to red, red back to pink, etc...


    .....


    ¡°Ronan,¡± he hissed once they got into the elevator. ¡°Take your fingers out, now.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Ronan pouted. ¡°They are stuck.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Stuck, his ass! How could they be stuck if they were stabbing his insides viciously since five minutes ago?


    ¡°Ronan, argh...¡±


    Lucien pressed his forehead against an elevator panel.


    Ronan draped his free arm around Lucien¡¯s waist and continued thrusting his fingers up Lucien¡¯s butt.


    ¡°It¡¯s still soft,¡± he said before kissing and sucking along Lucien¡¯s neck. The kiss marks from their previous lovemaking sessions were still there, blossoming beautifully against his fair skin.


    ¡°Mmh... We have been doing it a lot, recently,¡± Lucien sighed. ¡°Of course, it is still soft.¡±


    In fact, it was already a miracle that Lucien¡¯s hole was able to go back to its initial state after it was stretched, again and again, night after night.


    Ronan was simply insatiable.


    If not to cheer him up for having to put up with Annalynne and Lowell on the birthday trip, he might want to swear off sex for a while.


    The couple rushed into their suite as soon as the elevator arrived at the highest floor.


    Once the door shut behind them, Ronan unzipped his pants and took out his swollen organ. He spat into his palm and then rubbed it all over the massive tool.


    Lucien unwittingly held his breath when he saw the angry dragon head that was about to pierce him.


    Eyes ssy from unvented lust, Ronan approached Lucien like a predator approaching its prey.


    He ripped Lucien¡¯s pants off him and pressed him against the wall from behind. With their fingers tightly intertwined, he then rammed himself hard into Lucien¡¯s softened hole.


    ¡°Ahhh...!!!¡±


    Lucien widened his eyes in shock and shouted when Ronan buried himself to the hilt with one thrust. The throbbing cock inside his body felt like a gigantic nail that pinned him against the wall, not allowing him to move at all.


    ¡°Ronan... Ah...¡±


    Ronan lowered his head and kissed the scar on Lucien¡¯s nape.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said. ¡°Let me stay like this for a while. Baby, you feel so good. I want to be inside you forever.¡±


    His right hand wandered to Lucien¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°Can you feel it? I am inside youpletely. You are biting me so hard, my Baby...¡±


    Lucien could not stand the dirty talk.


    It was too much.


    He grabbed Ronan¡¯s jaw with his free hand and locked their lips in a kiss.


    Grinning at Lucien¡¯s extremely thin facial skin, the Alpha then started moving.


    He spread Lucien¡¯s buttcheeks and rammed inside thetter again and again while he rested his forehead against the wall.


    Having been stimted at the front side and then at the back side, Lucien was easily excitable. His limp penis stood to attention again. It responded well to Ronan¡¯s thrusts.


    As the massive tool went in and out vigorously, Lucien¡¯s organ grew harder and harder.


    ¡°Ronan... Ahhhh... Ronan...¡±


    Lucien didn¡¯t know why he kept calling Ronan¡¯s name. Presumably to ask for mercy.


    Something like, ¡°Stop stabbing me so hard, I am still made of flesh and blood.¡±


    Which didn¡¯t make sense, because he would not feel so good if he were made of iron and wire.


    Ronan¡¯s endurance was remarkable.


    Lucien came a second time while he was pinned against the wall, but the Alpha kept pushing inside him relentlessly without any signs of stopping.


    While Lucien was still ejacting, the delinquent Alpha lifted him into his arms and carried him to the mini bar counter.


    He subsequently bent his mate over the counter, grabbed thetter¡¯s waist, and pushed inside him.


    ¡°Ugh...¡±


    The gigantic cock went in, scraping Lucien¡¯s walls with its protruding veins again and again.


    ¡°Fuck, it¡¯s so good inside you, Lulu.¡±


    Pushed roughly over and over again across the counter during ejaction, Lucien almost passed out on spot.


    ¡°Ronan, not so rough...! It hurts, ah...!!!¡±


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Ronan groaned. ¡°I can¡¯t... Sorry, Lulu, please bear with it. I love you so much...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    And because Lucien was in pain, he tightened around Ronan¡¯s penis, making it difficult for him to either go in or get out.


    Ronan pushed hard into Lucien¡¯s tight hole a few times before he sheathed himself inside Lucien, once and for all.


    Lacing their fingers together, he knotted inside his mate and bit into his nape.


    ¡°Ah...¡±


    Tears rolled down the ends of Lucien¡¯s eyes. Ronan¡¯s scalding hot semen shot inside his body at the same time his pheromones came to invade his senses.


    He barely managed to scold Ronan.


    ¡°You sex maniac.¡±


    Chuckling, Ronan released Lucien¡¯s nape and kissed the bite wound lovingly.


    ¡°Only for you,¡± he whispered.


    Infuriated, Lucien turned his head to face Ronan and hurl a few curses at his head.


    Before he caught sight of the Alpha, his jaw was grasped and his lips met with Ronan¡¯s in a heart-throbbing kiss.


    ¡°I love you,¡± Ronan said after the kiss, his eyes brimming with devotion and passion. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can love anyone as much as I love you.¡±


    Lucien pursed his lips full of indignation as his face turned a shade redder.


    He turned around so that he did not have to suffer from a nosebleed.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± he grumbled before he bumped his head against his folded arms.


    Damn it. It did not look like he could escape another sex marathon that night.

 Chapter 321 - 321 The Start Of The Cruise Vacation

    321 The Start Of The Cruise Vacation


    On the second week of June, the Abermagne Port at the farthest end of the continent was full with people who dressed like they just came straight from the ongoing Summer Dream Fashion Week.


    Strutting around like proud peacocks, men and women held each other¡¯s hands, or draped their arms around each other¡¯s bodies.


    Those who maintained low profiles were often found in not-so-private corners, enraptured by hot kisses and embraces.


    All of them were waiting for the luxurious cruise ship by the name ¡°Seven Layers Of Heaven¡± to be open for boarding.


    The massive vessel, with a gross tonage of almost 300,000, boasted almost 3000 cabins to provide amodation for almost 7500 people. The passengers had thirty different choices of cabins to pick from, with prices ranging from lowest to highest depending on the cabin view, the cabin location, and also the extra amenities and services.


    Whichever cabin the passengers picked, they were still going on the same romantic cruise. It was all they needed to take their breaths away, to transport them into a parallel universe where all their problems were momentarily forgotten and they just had to enjoy the uing trip.


    Not that these people struggled a lot in their lives.


    They were all filthy rich.


    Or at least half of them were.


    .....


    Some children looked as if they had golden towels to wipe their butt since infancy.


    A red-blonde woman with her hair tied up into a bun and a pair of blue-tinted sunsses sat at a small white table. She was protected from the sun by a huge maroon-colored umbre that was attached to the table.


    The red tank top and a pair of beige pants entuated her slim body. Her fair and shapely legs stood naked to the eyes, and her feet were wrapped in a pair of white strap sandals.


    She looked lovely and enchanting.


    But there was something about her that made prospective lovers decide not to approach her.


    It was possibly the blinding confidence that she exuded.


    Or maybe it was her arrogant posture, with one gorgeous leg draped over another.


    Or maybe it was the mask of fury that she wore across her face.


    Annalynne Clearwater was very unhappy.


    In five minutes, they were going to be able to board but her brother was still not in sight.


    ¡°Anna, here¡¯s your drink,¡± Lowell came back with two tall cups of iced carameltte.


    Annalynne slurped loudly while she cast a menacing look at the crowd.


    Her mood worsened visibly when the time arrived and everyone started boarding the ship.


    ¡°Where is Lulu???¡± she asked loudly. ¡°If that perverted Alpha thinks that I will board the ship without Lulu, he is sorely mistaken!¡±


    Lowell¡¯s lips parted in disappointment.


    This was the first birthday that they spent together. Did Annalynne like her brother more than her boyfriend?


    He didn¡¯t want to say it out loud, but maybe, just maybe, Annalynne was a little too obsessed with her twin brother.


    ¡°Yo.¡±


    Both Annalynne and Lowell turned around when they heard the familiar voice.


    Ronan and Lucien stood behind them, Ronan scowling and Lucien smiling.


    ¡°Hi Lowell,¡± he greeted Annalynne¡¯s boyfriend.


    The man quickly blushed when he saw Lucien. He stammered a ¡°H-Hello.¡±


    In his whole life, Lowell had always been attracted to women. But whenever he caught sight of Lucien, he understood why some men, just like the Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack, preferred him over the most beautiful Alpha¡¯s daughters.


    Ronan Silverback pursed his lips in jealousy.


    He hated it when men and women fawned over Lucien. Did they not know that Lucien was his mate? They should refrain from looking at him.


    Particrly Lucien¡¯s twin sister!


    Annalynne bounced off her feet and ran toward Lucien happily.


    She put her arms around Lucien¡¯s neck and pulled him into a hug.


    Laughing, Lucien hugged her back and spun her around.


    They looked like a couple in love.


    Lowell stood there with an uneasy smile.


    Ronan¡¯s face was as dark as the pot bottom.


    His mood worsened even more when the woman wrinkled her nose after sniffing Lucien¡¯s scent.


    ¡°Bleah,¡± she said, sticking her tongue out and making a disgusted face. ¡°Lulu, your scent has deteriorated. You used to smell so good.¡±


    Ronan rolled with his eyes.


    Opposite Lucien, Annalynne sure had a thick face. And she always knew what to say to aggravate Ronan.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s board the ship!¡± she shouted cheerfully.


    Thankfully, this time she grabbed Lowell and dragged him instead of her brother toward the ship.


    ¡°Ronan, don¡¯t be mad,¡± Lucien said once his sister was out of earshot.


    He reached out to caress Ronan¡¯s cheek. ¡°Anna is still a child.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Ronan took Lucien¡¯s hand and kissed the middle of his palm.


    His words carried a hidden message. If Ronan fought with his sister, then Ronan was also a child.


    Wordlessly, Ronan put an arm around Lucien¡¯s waist and led him into the ship. All of their luggage were already taken care of by a bunch of cabin attendants.


    The four werewolves went into the most luxurious suite on board. Located at the highest deck in the middle of the cruise ship with a whopping area of almost 3000 square feet and a balcony that overlooked the ocean, it was practically a penthouse.


    As soon as they entered the penthouse, a butler approached them with a tray of drinks.


    ¡°Champagne, Sirs and Madam?¡±


    ¡°Oooh,¡± Annalynne quickly grabbed herself a ss. ¡°Fancy!¡±


    ¡°No, thanks,¡± Lucien refused with a smile. ¡°I am no good with alcohol.¡±


    ¡°What about a hibiscus tea? Maybe with warm milk and honey to enrich the vor? The milk was stocked this morning from a nearby town and the honey was harvested from the cruise line¡¯s private, sustainable forest.¡±


    ¡°That sounds lovely, I would like that.¡±


    ¡°Right away, Sir.¡±


    The luxurious dwelling had a master bedroom and two smaller bedrooms for children. Eager to grab the biggest room for himself and Lucien, Ronan personally dragged his and Lucien¡¯s luggage into the master bedroom.


    As soon as he got in, he jumped on the queen-sized bed.


    With a victorious smile hanging on his lips, hey on the bed like a male model in a porn magazine.


    The smile quickly disappeared when Lucien came in and proceeded to take his luggage out.

 Chapter 322 - 322 Jealousy Did Not Go Well With Neglect

    322 Jealousy Did Not Go Well With Neglect


    ¡°No!¡± Ronan shouted, aghast.


    Heunched himself from the bed and grabbed Lucien¡¯s wrist to stop him.


    ¡°What are you doing, Lulu???¡±


    Lucien raised an eyebrow and gave him a look.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree that I stay with Anna for the duration of the trip?¡±


    They did, and Ronan did not forget, but he was too unwilling. That¡¯s why he made sure that they had one master bedroom and two smaller children¡¯s bedrooms.


    The Alpha peeled his mate¡¯s fingers off the luggage handle and hug him from behind like an overgrown bear.


    ¡°Lulu~... I don¡¯t feel so good. I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night. Stay with me, I need you to rub my back to sleep.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    .....


    And why exactly didn¡¯t he sleep well the previous night? Maybe because he fooled around with Lucien too much???


    And then he had the face toin to Lucien?


    Disgruntled, the Luna squeezed the Alpha¡¯s face in response.


    ¡°Shameless!¡± he hissed.


    Ronan was still not willing to let his Luna go to Annalynne. He could not believe that he won against Kinnon but had to lose against Annalynne.


    What¡¯s with these Alphas and their vexation on his fated mate???


    ¡°Lulu~¡±


    Ronan pressed a kiss along Lucien¡¯s jawline.


    ¡°If you are worried about Anna and Lowell, you can rest your mind. Look, I arranged for two smaller bedrooms. Anna and Lowell did not have to sleep together.¡±


    Implied was ¡°So you and I can sleep together in the big master bedroom.¡±


    Lucien rolled with his eyes.


    The Alpha was cunning, but he overlooked something.


    ¡°I already promised Anna to stay with her,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the bed is big enough for us two to squeeze together...¡±


    ¡°OVER MY DEAD BODY!¡± Ronan howled.


    He cursed his ingenuity. Or better said his stupidity.


    How could he forget his mate¡¯s righteous behavior? Since he already promised to stay with his sister, he would keep the promise even if they only had a broom chamber to sleep in!


    Ronan sighed heavily.


    He slumped against Lucien¡¯s body and with the smallest voice said, ¡°You can take the master bedroom. I will take the small bedroom.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien¡¯s lips curled up into a smile.


    So Ronan preferred to sleep in a small bed than having Lucien share a small bed with Annalynne?


    The man wanted tough, but Ronan looked so sorrowful.


    ¡°Alright,¡± he patted the side of the sullen man¡¯s head. ¡°I will tell Anna the good news then.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Good news for Annalynne indeed.


    She did not even spare Ronan a nce when she dragged her luggage into the master bedroom, shutting the door at the poor Alpha¡¯s face.


    Ronan was so dismayed in his smaller bedroom that he started to concoct evil ns in his mind. Something that involved leaving Annalynne and Lowell alone in the next port, for example...


    The ship started sailing one hour after all passengers went into their cabins. Annalynne dragged everyone to go out to theirvish, private deck to enjoy the fresh air outside.


    There was a swimming pool outside with six lounge chairs, three on one side and three on the other side.


    While serving a round of fruit punch to refresh everyone, the butler informed them that ¡°Massage therapy is part of the package.¡±


    Four women were thus called to undo every knot in their tense muscles and help ease the blood cirction in their bodies.


    For once, Annalynne did not kick a fuss when Ronan wanted to lie next to Lucien during the massage.


    Dripping with cold sweat thanks to the Alpha¡¯s sharp res, the masseuse who massaged Lucien could barely do her work.


    She did not need to ask to know that they were a couple.


    Every slight moan and every hum that escaped Lucien was reason enough for Ronan to boil with jealousy.


    ¡°Does it feel good, Lulu?¡± he asked through gritted teeth. His smile was so terrifying that the masseuse started to tremble violently.


    She only dared to touch Lucien¡¯s shoulders and arms. Anything lower and she might lose her hands.


    Lucien opened his eyes and turned his head to the side to look at his ridiculously possessive mate.


    ¡°Mhm. Why? Do you not feel good?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s face crumpled like one of the waste paper balls in the trash can.


    ¡°No,¡± he replied angrily.


    ¡°You can stop,¡± he barked at his own masseuse. The elder woman was perplexed. In her long years of working as a masseuse, she rarely met such a picky client.


    What a pity because he was such a handsome man with powerful upper half and impressively muscr lower half, too.


    Ronan put his bathrobe on and walked back into the suite without looking back.


    Lucien chuckled at his mate¡¯s childish attitude.


    Then again, looking at Ronan¡¯s frame from behind, he really looked too good.


    Their nightly exercise might contribute to the Alpha¡¯s sexy body.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lucien told her masseuse, who was just thanking the gods for Ronan¡¯s departure. ¡°I don¡¯t need more massage. On the other side, can I get a bottle of massage oil?¡±


    The two masseuses exchanged confused nces. The butler was the one who answered Lucien, ¡°I will handle it, Mr. Clearwater. What kind of massage oil do you want?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, what do you rmend?¡±


    ¡°I will bring you a list to pick from. Each massage oil has its own healing properties.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Ronan sulked in his room for the entire day. He even refused to join the other three for lunch. He asked to have his lunch brought into his bedroom instead, citing the necessity to do some work on his notebook.


    The truth was that he was not working at all.


    He kept ncing at the clock and counted the minutes until Lucien came into his bedroom to apany him.


    Minutes turned into an hour.


    An hour turned into a few hours.


    The sun was setting outside, and Lucien still did note!


    Angrily, the Alpha shut his notebook with a loud ck and marched outside to find Lucien.


    To his greatest dismay, the living room was empty.


    Even the butler was gone!!!


    Ronan stared at the empty room in shock.


    How could they leave him alone like that???

 Chapter 323 - 323 The Candlelight Dinner

    323 The Candlelight Dinner


    Ronan did not know if he should cry orugh at the situation.


    He was the one who paid for the whole trip but everyone was having fun without him. Never in his life had he encountered such tant betrayal.


    Whether it was by fellow pack members or by his peers or other werewolves, he had always been treated with the utmost respect.


    And now this new Alpha who was still green behind the ears dared to ruin things for him! And why, why must Lucien go with them???


    Did he not care for Ronan anymore???


    Was Annalynne going to take the first ce in Lucien¡¯s heart forever???


    Arrrrghhghhhhh!!!


    The Alpha wanted to do something drastic such as jumping into the ocean and scaring fishes away or something.


    But no, that was not a good idea.


    .....


    He needed to vent his frustration in a different way.


    Ronan took off his bathrobe. He decided to walk outside to cool his head inside the swimming pool.


    The orange color of the setting sun was reflected in the gently rippling water surface. It almost looked like it was on fire.


    When Ronan looked further, he could see the vast ocean that the cruise ship was sailing across.


    Its wavy surface also reflected the same color.


    The night air was indescribably fresh and it carried a salty scent.


    Ronan sucked in a lungful of fresh air.


    His sour mood was soothed by the serene surroundings. A swim would indeed be great.


    Once Ronan approached the pool, he noticed that some things had changed.


    There were a few scented candles on the deck floor with rose petals scattered around them.


    The scented candles led him to a decked table for two, located just next to the balcony with the amazing ocean view in thete afternoon.


    Two tall candles were lit in the middle of two big tesplete with cutleries next to them.


    ¡°...¡±


    What was this?


    A candlelight dinner setup?


    Ronan¡¯s throat went dry.


    ¡°You are out.¡±


    Startled by the sudden voice behind him, Ronan almost cracked his neck when he turned around.


    His mate stood at the opposite side of the pool with a bright smilecing his lips. He already changed into a simple T-shirt and a pair of short jeans for the evening.


    ¡°Are you done with your work?¡±


    Ronan did not know what to respond with.


    What work?


    All he did inside was y online games while waiting for Lucien toe and coax him!


    When Lucien didn¡¯te soon enough, he was busy googling for ways to get rid of Annalynne and Lowell during the trip.


    ¡°Ahem. Yes,¡± the Alpha shamelessly lied.


    Lucien chuckled.


    The Alpha was only wearing tight pants that underlined his shapely butts and thighs. His torso was engraved with mermaid lines. The muscles in his stomach formed a six-pack that invited Lucien toe and feel it. The two deep trenches that extended from his waist and disappeared into his pants made Lucien swallow hard.


    He closed the distance between them and put his hands along Ronan¡¯s toned, sexy body. The man was radiating the kind of warmth that threatened to melt everyone who dared toe close and have a taste.


    Lucien had fallen victim so many times, but he always came back for more.


    And his scent...


    Lucien¡¯s hands slid to Ronan¡¯s back. He leaned against his mate¡¯s shoulder and closed his eyes while taking a deep breath.


    He smelled so good.


    Ronan enjoyed the attention immensely. He ran his hands around Lucien¡¯s body before locking him in a tight embrace. The Alpha then tilted his head to the side and kissed his mate on the lips.


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    ¡°I thought you left me alone,¡± Ronan said in a childish protest.


    He should have known better. His Lulu loved him the most. He would never pick Annalynne over him. Right? Right???


    Lucien broke into a smile.


    He hooked his arms around Ronan¡¯s neck and pulled him in for another kiss.


    ¡°Shut up and kiss me, Alpha,¡± hemanded.


    ¡°Yes, Luna.¡±


    They fell into another round of kissing.


    Ronan was an only child. He was easy to handle.


    He didn¡¯t know what sibling rivalry looked like.


    Lucien and Annalynne had always been close, but that didn¡¯t mean that they willingly and openly shared everything.


    Since they were children, Annalynne had always been selfish. Maybe because she was the girl, so she thought that she must get all the attention.


    Or maybe because as they grew up, people often paid more attention to Lucien. Lucien was the next Alpha, Lucien was the precious heir, h h h.


    Annalynne did love her brother, but she hated having to stand in the background while Lucien received all the praises and headpats that she too longed to have.


    When Lucien took the role to be the elder brother among them and coddled Annalynne more than everyone else, it naturally made the twin sister very happy.


    The whole world could love Lucien, but Lucien loved her and her alone. That was an idea that Annalynne could live with.


    And that was why she disliked Ronan.


    Ronan was a nuisance.


    Besides, Ronan hurt Lucien so many times.


    By right, Lucien should leave Ronan.


    What Annalynne didn¡¯t think of was that even if it weren¡¯t Ronan, there would be someone else.


    She herself finally found love, so why couldn¡¯t Lucien do the same?


    Lucien promised to always be her big brother, but he also wanted to fulfill other roles. Such as bing Ronan¡¯s mate and the Luna of his pack among others.


    This was something that Annalynne had toe to terms with.


    After all, Lucien was going to leave the Silent Walkers Pack soon. Their interactions would diminish further. One was a Luna and the other was an Alpha.


    ¡°So, where are they?¡± Ronan asked, pulling Lucien out of his deep thoughts.


    He naturally referred to the two people that had been intruding into their romantic vacation.


    ¡°I sent them away to have dinner in the fancy restaurant.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Then this setup...¡±


    The Alpha dumbly pointed at the decked table. He knew the answer to his iplete question, but he was too insecure to assume that it was true.


    Lucien squeezed Ronan¡¯s jaw lovingly.


    ¡°I am inviting you to dinner, Alpha.¡±

 Chapter 324 - 324 The Luna Deserved The World

    324 The Luna Deserved The World


    The night descended around them quickly.


    Ronan sat obediently opposite Lucien, admiring his mate¡¯s beautiful features.


    Between them, the candle mes cast a soft light over their faces, bathing everything in a soothing golden color.


    The Alpha lifted his empty ss, a gesture that did not escape the butler¡¯s keen observation.


    He quickly approached the table with a bottle of chilled red wine.


    ¡°Should we toast?¡± A corner of Lucien¡¯s lips was tugged up in a smile.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    Ronan nodded at the butler, who then poured wine into their sses.


    ¡°To my beautiful Lulu,¡± Ronan said while raising his ss.


    .....


    ¡°To our marriage,¡± Lucien said with a chuckle.


    The sses made a beautiful clinking sound when they met.


    Ronan held his ss to his nose and took a deep breath.


    It had a pleasant and fruity aroma. Sweet but strong.


    Ronan slid a hand across the table and put it on top of Lucien¡¯s.


    Lucien squeezed Ronan¡¯s hand gently.


    ¡°One more month until we are officially married,¡± he said. ¡°Time sure flies fast.¡±


    ¡°Not fast enough,¡± Ronan disagreed.


    Fast would be eight years ago, about a week after they left the Alpha Camp.


    Ronan tilted his head while looking at his mate with a dreamy smilecing his lips.


    ¡°Where did you spend your birthdayst year?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm...¡±


    Lucien leaned back in his seat and stared off into the distance in an effort to remember.


    ¡°Ah, yes. Anna and I went to climb a mountain and then spent a week at a rented cottage in the middle of a forest.¡±


    ¡°... Okay?¡±


    ¡°Our birthday falls when summer arrives, so we do summer activities every year.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Swimming, fishing, cooking in the wild.¡±


    The word ¡°cooking¡± reminded Ronan of the Sundays he spent with Lucien at the Alpha Camp.


    ¡°So why did you suck so much in gutting fishes and roasting them on fire?¡±


    Chuckling, Lucien took another sip from his ss.


    ¡°Hey, speak for yourself. I didn¡¯t remember that you were such an expert yourself.¡±


    ¡°I, of course, was not an expert. I never handled a raw fish in my life.¡±


    Or raw chicken.


    Or raw beef.


    Or raw anything, really.


    ¡°By the time something arrives in front of me, it is already cooked to perfection and garnished properly.¡±


    Lucien shook his head and then scowled while taking another sip from his wine ss.


    ¡°You pampered brat.¡±


    That was not all.


    As a child, Ronan might not even be required to cut his own fish. Maybe a servant always stood aside to help him cut and debone his fish, lest the tender, young alpha choke on fish bones.


    Ronan sneered at his mate.


    ¡°And yet, you are in love with me.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    Ronan leaned closer and rubbed at Lucien¡¯s jaw.


    ¡°Come and kiss me, you flirt.¡±


    Lucien giggled. He acquiesced and leaned forward to share a kiss with his pampered Alpha.


    Once they finished kissing, the butler reappeared from inside the suite and announced, ¡°The appetizer is ready.¡±


    He then ced a tray full of baked mini pastries on the table between Ronan and Lucien.


    ¡°Brie pastries with creme mushroom and asparagus filling, a special appetizer tomemorate a special asion, courtesy of ¡®Seven Layers Of Heaven¡¯.¡±


    Lucien scooped one pastry and held it against Ronan¡¯s lips.


    Thetter opened up right away to take the pastry, scraping Lucien¡¯s fingers with his tongue in the process.


    ¡°Delicious,¡± hemented before grabbing Lucien¡¯s wrist and biting his fingers for fun.


    ¡°What is delicious, the pastry or my hand?¡± Lucien teased.


    ¡°Nothing is more delicious than my Lulu.¡±


    Ronan picked up a pastry and held it in front of Lucien. ¡°But do taste it, it tastes quite heavenly.¡±


    Lucien chuckled.


    ¡°I must thank Alpha Ronan for his kind rmendation.¡±


    They continued feeding each other the appetizers while chatting.


    After the appetizer, came the seafood soup with coriander bits sprinkled on top of each bowl. The wisps of fragrant smoke that rose from the soup were enticing to the nose, but the rich vor of the clear broth made them both sigh in satisfaction.


    As soon as the bowls were empty, they were reced with two tes of sirloin steak, with tiny baked potatoes and fresh sd at the side.


    Next to each te stood a silver gravy boat containing mild spicy barbeque sauce.


    ¡°It is really good,¡± the Alpha praised after he took a bite.


    ¡°I am d to hear that.¡±


    Ronan could not help but let a smirk hush across his handsome features when he nced at his mate.


    ¡°My Luna has learned to serve me something better than macaroni and cheese. I am eternally grateful,¡± he teased.


    Lucien raised an eyebrow.


    He knew that Ronan still held a grudge over the many times he was forced to eat food below his standard, thanks to Lucien¡¯s allegedly poor taste.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like sweet meals but you also don¡¯t like macaroni and cheese. Alpha Ronan, you are so difficult to please.¡±


    Ronanughed.


    ¡°Alright, alright. I promise to eat everything from your hand if you feed me personally.¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    While they were dining in peace, Lucien suddenly realized something else.


    He lowered his steak knife and mused, ¡°I just realized that the five months were over a while ago.¡±


    Slightly stunned, Ronan too lowered his steak knife and fork.


    ¡°To be precise, it was over three weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°Mhm... it felt like forever, and then it passed just like that.¡±


    Together, they had gone through so many harrowing episodes. Ronan could still feel the physical pain stabbing his chest whenever the painful images shes through his brain.


    ¡°I still get nightmares from that night in the Holy Temple,¡± the Alpha confessed.


    ¡°Even now?¡±


    ¡°Even now,¡± Ronan confirmed. ¡°I still cannot believe that we made it. A part of me refuses to believe that we are that blessed. This is more than what I deserve.¡±


    Lucien leaned forward and cupped Ronan¡¯s face with both hands.


    .....


    ¡°And what about me? Don¡¯t I deserve it?¡±


    Ronan chuckled.


    ¡°My dear Lulu, you deserve the whole world,¡± he whispered before giving his mate another kiss on the lips.

 Chapter 325 - 325 The Alpha Made A Sin Confession

    325 The Alpha Made A Sin Confession


    At the end of the morous candlelight dinner, the butler brought them two servings of blueberry cheesecake with a scoop of blueberry and vani ice cream swirl each,plete with sprinkled nut topping.


    The cheeseyer was so tender that it practically melted in the mouth.


    Thebined vor of blueberry and vani ice cream was so sweet, but it did not stick to the throat. It was like eating a scoop of cloud.


    The entire dinner was so fulfilling that for once Ronan did not utter a single word ofint.


    Good-mooded and a little tipsy from the wine, he decided to talk about some stuff in the past.


    ¡°Say, Lulu,¡± Ronan spoke to his mate. ¡°Did you really think that Lillian¡¯s baby was mine?¡±


    Lucien hummed.


    ¡°Well, judging from the rate of how you went from bed to bed, it was not unlikely, was it?¡±


    Ronan cleared his throat.


    .....


    An inexplicable chill suddenly crept up his spine. The same kind of chill one experienced when danger was imminent. It was his fight-or-flight response.


    ¡®You idiot,¡¯ Beowulf suddenly spoke up in his head. ¡®Ronan, you are digging your own grave.¡¯


    The wolf could not believe how stupid Ronan could be sometimes.


    ¡®...¡¯


    Beowulf turned out to be right.


    It seemed that Lucien had been brooding over this topic for a while. Since Ronan so freely walked into his arms of judgment, he happily wrapped his ws around him and refused to let go.


    ¡°Sooo, tell me. How many men and women were there after we broke up back then?¡± Lucien asked while he leaned back against his cushioned chair.


    His lips were pulled into a smile, but his eyes were not smiling at all.


    When Ronan sat there in silence with dread written all over his face, Lucien chuckled and added, ¡°Tell me, I won¡¯t get mad.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    There was no use avoiding it. Sooner orter, Lucien was going to ask the same thing again. When he found outter, his reactions might be worse.


    Ronan coughed into his fist. The knot at his throat rolled up and down nervously.


    ¡°Not... Not many.¡±


    ¡°How much is not many?¡±


    Ronan rubbed at his face and cursed at himself. He could not regret breaching the topic more. By then, the wine effect was gone, reced by cold and judicial sobriety.


    ¡°Maybe two or three...¡±


    Lucien was about to open his mouth and say, ¡°Liar¡± when he heard thest word that Ronan said with the lowest voice ever.


    ¡°...hundred.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s dessert fork dropped on the table.


    Two or three hundred?


    He stared at his mate in disbelief.


    ¡°More like two hundred, really,¡± Ronan said in a hurry. ¡°I had orgies some nights...¡±


    Orgies, huh?


    Lucien knew that Ronan had an awful reputation as a womanizer, but after knowing the truth, he felt that the word ¡°womanizer¡± was insufficient to describe Ronan¡¯s decadence.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Lucien mumbled. ¡°You are way worse than your father.¡±


    Ronan was deeply ashamed of his past adventures, but in his defense, he did not know better. What else could he do back then? He had tasted heaven in Alpha Camp a few times but then he was ruthlessly tossed to hell right after.


    The only thing that Ronan never ceased to regret was the fact that Lucien got tortured by the rejection bacsh every time Ronan indulged himself with various men and women.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Ronan sped his hands in front of his face and bowed his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you would get hurt because I slept around.¡±


    Lucien scoffed.


    He beckoned the butler to approach for more wine.


    ¡°Wow,¡± he repeated. ¡°Just wow.¡±


    Ronan felt like a sinner on the way to the execution tform, but he still had to plead for mercy.


    ¡°Lulu, are you upset? I am so sorry.¡±


    Lucien took another sip of wine after the butler refilled their sses.


    ¡®Two to three hundred eh? Wow. I knew it was bad but not this bad,¡¯ Landonmented.


    ¡®Mmh.¡¯


    ¡®Should we castrate him?¡¯


    ¡®Maybe next time if he cheats on us again.¡¯


    Landon giggled viciously.


    Lucien finished his wine and then pinned Ronan with a cold stare.


    He was the one who asked the question. Ronan gave him an open and honest answer, so Lucien had no reason to get mad.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We were broken up back then. I just didn¡¯t know that you were such a slut.¡±


    ¡°I am your slut now,¡± Ronan made pretty eyes at Lucien shamelessly. ¡°I belong to you and no one else.¡±


    ¡°You better be. If you cheat on me, Landon is going to castrate you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Beowulf whimpered in Ronan¡¯s head.


    ¡®I am NOT going to cheat!¡¯ Ronan growled. ¡®Have a little trust in me, B!¡¯


    ¡°And by the way, how did you manage to not get a single one of them pregnant?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Another ufortable question.


    Ronan coughed into his fist again. ¡°I was very careful.¡±


    His Luna squinted at him, his eyes full of suspicion.


    ¡°No one can be that careful,¡± he said. ¡°Maybe you do have some illegitimate children running around.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°How are you so sure?¡±


    ¡°I am absolutely sure. I covered all the bases.¡±


    Ronan rose to his feet and walked leisurely around the table toward Lucien.


    He then pulled his mate to his arms and rubbed thetter¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°My babies will be born through you, my Luna.¡±


    Lucien turned red.


    It was the wine, he told himself.


    The red-blonde man looked away in embarrassment.


    ¡°Technically, they will be born through theb-grown womb.¡±


    ¡°It still is your womb, sharing your flesh and blood.¡±


    ¡°Mmh.¡±


    Ronan ran his hands down and squeezed Lucien¡¯s squishy rear ends.


    ¡°I love you so much, my Luna.¡±


    ¡°I love you too, my debauched Alpha.¡±


    Ronan scoffed.


    Lucien chuckled, and then he gave his mate a deep kiss on the lips.


    Filled with good food and good wine, with his beautiful and forgiving mate to apany him, the Alpha was so happy that nothing could ruin the night for him.


    Not even Annalynne and Lowell, who came back a whileter.


    .....


    Lucien was quickly dragged away by Annalynne to sit together on the pool lounges, while Ronan and Lowell were left to breathe in some fresh air on the balcony.


    Lowell was extremely nervous in Ronan¡¯s presence.


    The first reason was their obvious status difference.


    The second reason was Ronan¡¯s sharp instincts.


    ¡°So,¡± Ronan cocked his head at the man. ¡°When did you start sleeping with Anna?¡±

 Chapter 326 - 326 The Alpha Was Getting Pampered

    326 The Alpha Was Getting Pampered


    Ronan¡¯s question was like a dagger that hit right in the middle of the target board.


    Lowell¡¯s facial color changed from red to purple then white in quick session.


    If the man did not know better, he would think that Ronan¡¯s Alpha Voice worked on him.


    ¡°Four months ago on Valentine¡¯s day,¡± Annalynne¡¯s boyfriend finally confessed. ¡°We have been very careful about making sure that our scents don¡¯t stick.¡±


    Ronan scoffed.


    Being a man who had his fair share of adventures, he knew that Lowell bedded Annalynne months ago.


    Besides, with Annalynne¡¯s personality, why would she disallow herself the joy of pairing?


    ¡°And what is your intention toward Anna?¡± Ronan asked while pinning the man with a re.


    Lowell turned beet-red.


    .....


    ¡°I... I wish to marry her.¡±


    ¡°Really? When?¡±


    ¡°... I... We don¡¯t know yet.¡±


    Ronan put down his wine ss and crossed his arms before his chest.


    ¡°Either you propose or you don¡¯t. I don¡¯t want Lucien to be worried sick about his sister, should you get her pregnant with your pup.¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t!¡± Lowell hastily said.


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    Ronan gave the man in front of him a sneer. ¡°So you had a pregnancy scare.¡±


    Lowell closed his eyes and sighed heavily before he further confessed, ¡°... The condom broke. But now she¡¯s on pills.¡±


    Wow.


    So much for Lucien¡¯s innocent twin sister.


    If Lucien knew, what exactly would he do?


    Because he loved his sister so much, he would refuse any suggestion that Annalynne willingly slept with Lowell.


    Maybe it was not Ronan but Lowell who was about to get castrated soon.


    Ronan had to look away to prevent Lowell from seeing the schadenfreude on his face.


    Annalynne, oh, Annalynne...


    A wicked n manifested itself in Ronan¡¯s mind. Maybe it was not a bad idea at all to let Annalynne and Lowelle with them to the romantic cruise vacation.


    ¡°Look, you and I are with our beautiful lovers on a luxurious cruise ship,¡± Ronan pointed out. ¡°Their birthday night is in three nights. I would love to make love to my Luna all night. Undisturbed.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lowell was speechless due to Ronan¡¯s brutal honesty.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want the same?¡±


    Lowell cleared his throat.


    Of course, he did.


    ¡°Yes, but Anna is very adamant about spending the night with her brother. I can do nothing to persuade her.¡±


    Ronan cocked his head to the side.


    ¡°You will think of something, won¡¯t you? It might be good to tell Lucien that he no longer has to safeguard his sister¡¯s virginity. It was lost months ago.¡±


    Lowell swallowed hard.


    He knew what Ronan was trying to say. Either Annalynne confessed that she slept with Lowell months ago, or Ronan would rat them out.


    That was not very gentlemanly of him at all.


    ¡°I... I will talk to Anna,¡± Lowell said while curling his fingers into fists.


    Ronan smiled.


    ¡°Do that.¡±


    ¡°If there is nothing else, I will take my leave.¡±


    Lowell turned on his heels to walk away from Ronan. He needed to think about the best way to tell Annalynne the bad news.


    He stopped in his track when he heard Ronan¡¯s smooth voice calling after him again.


    ¡°Oh, and Lowell?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes?¡±


    Lowell turned his head to face Ronan.


    Leaning against the balcony railing in a rxed pose with the brightmps from the lower decks as his backdrop, the Alpha looked especially terrifying.


    ¡°You have taken my sister-inw¡¯s chastity. I expect you to do the right thing and propose to her as soon as we get off this ship. The Holy Temple of The Moon Goddess shall decide when you two shall be wed.¡±


    ¡°I-I understand.¡±


    Ronan chuckled when Lowell escaped from the balcony without wasting any more seconds of his life.


    Annalynne monopolized Lucien for the rest of the night.


    For once since they embarked on the cruise, Ronan did not mind. He even passed Annalynne smiles on a few asions, giving the woman goosebumps.


    She knew that something was up, but she didn¡¯t know what.


    Lowell sat on the living room couch, pale with fright.


    When the clock hit 11 PM, they decided that they should go to sleep.


    The ship was going to dock at a port tomorrow, and passengers were allowed to visit the town for a few hours.


    Annalynne and Lucien went to their master bedroom. Ronan and Lowell exchanged nods before they each went to the smaller bedrooms.


    Despite thefortable bed, the fresh and cool air, and the lulling sound of the ocean waves, the Alpha was unable to fall asleep.


    He tossed and turned on the bed in irritation.


    For months now, he slept with his arms wrapped around his mate.


    It felt unusual to sleep alone.


    He needed Lucien.


    He needed his soft and warm body.


    He wanted to smell his orange and honey scent.


    Ronan groaned and rubbed at his temples.


    This addiction was torturous.


    Ronan red at the fluorescent clock that hung in his bedroom.


    2 AM.


    Really?


    He had been rolling around for three hours and he did not even get a wink of sleep!


    Just as Ronan was hurling curses at Annalynne in his head for upying the bed that was reserved for him, he heard the sound of his bedroom door opening.


    Ronan craned his head toward the entrance and saw someone standing at the door.


    It was Lucien.


    ¡°Lulu?¡±


    ¡°You are still awake, I see,¡± Lucien chuckled.


    He then approached the bed and sat at the edge.


    Ronan swiftly pulled Lucien into his arms and buried his nose into the man¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Ahhh,¡± he moaned when Lucien¡¯s scent entered his lungs. ¡°I need you to fall asleep, Lulu...¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Lucien said. ¡°I had to wait until Anna fall asleep. Here, I brought you something.¡±


    The man shook a small bottle in front of Ronan¡¯s face.


    .....


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    Ronan turned on the nightmp and narrowed his eyes at the bottle in Lucien¡¯s hand.


    ¡°It isvender oil. It can help with sleep.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    Lucien rolled the sleeves of his pajamas up.


    ¡°Take off your shirt and lie on your stomach. I will give you a massage.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Ronan did not need to be asked twice. He took off his shirt and obedientlyy on his stomach.


    His eyes sparkled with expectation when Lucien climbed on his back and sat on his firm ass.

 Chapter 327 - 327 The Alpha Woke Up From A Nice Dream

    327 The Alpha Woke Up From A Nice Dream


    ¡°Ooooh...¡±


    ¡°Mmmm... So good...¡±


    ¡°Lulu, you are so good with this...¡±


    ¡°Oooohh...¡±


    Ronan¡¯s muffled sound was hearding incessantly from the pillow while his mate kneaded his neck, shoulder, back, and waist expertly. The pressure that he applied was not too much and also not too less. It was just right.


    Through Lucien¡¯s hands, the knots in Ronan¡¯s body loosened immediately.


    At the same time, he began to feel drowsy.


    Against his wish, his eyes started to flutter shut.


    He was so, so, so tired.


    .....


    The Alpha soon drifted into the dream world. In his dream, he was swimming in a sea of oranges, bobbing up and down together with the fruits. Above him, the sky was the most beautiful color of blue. The air was permeated with avender smell.


    The waves brought him and the many oranges to a remote ind where Lucien was waiting for him.


    Dressed in a simple white shirt and short pants, his mate looked as beautiful as always.


    ¡°Ronan,¡± he whispered while smiling and extending his hand toward him.


    Ronan rose to his feet and closed the distance between them in long strides.


    Unfortunately, before he could take Lucien¡¯s hand, he woke up with a start.


    Ronan blinked at the white ceiling. The sound of ocean breeze could be hearding from outside.


    Ah, yes. He was on the cruise ship, and he had to sleep alone for the entire week.


    The Alpha let out a groan, then he rolled into a ball inside his nket, intent to go back to sleep so that he could take Lucien¡¯s hand and kiss the man until he melted in his arms.


    s, the dream was already over.


    Ronan pushed himself up to a sitting position and inhaled a lungful of fresh air.


    His body smelled likevender thanks to Lucien¡¯s massage, but there was another scent that stuck to him and lingered in his bed. It was Lucien¡¯s.


    And it was not a dream. Lucien slept in his arms for the whole night. He only left not long ago, probably to sneak back into the master bedroom.


    The dark-haired man snickered in delight. His dearest Luna was still too soft-hearted after all. He could not bear to leave Ronan alone. He loved him too much.


    In an excellent mood, the Alpha took a quick shower before heading out of the bedroom. The other three people already started eating breakfast by the balcony.


    A huge charcuterie board upied the center of the table, next to a basket of fresh and warm bread of various kinds. It was filled with cured meats, several kinds of cheese, boiled eggs, fresh strawberries and grapes, avocado slices, donuts, pancakes, waffles, and a few jars of condiments.


    The butler stood next to a trolley with milk, coffee, and a selection of tea and fruit juices. When Ronan arrived, he was just passing Lucien a ss of apple juice.


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Silverback. What do you wish to have? Coffee? Tea?¡± the butler asked.


    ¡°Coffee, please. ck, no sugar.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Ronan,¡± Lucien greeted his mate with a smile.


    He patted the empty spot next to him. ¡°Come and have some breakfast.¡±


    As a response, Ronan pulled Lucien to his feet and gave him a huge smooch on the lips.


    ¡°Good morning, baby.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm...¡±


    At the table, Annalynne made a gagging gesture.


    Lowell gave Ronan empty stares. When thetter looked at him, he quickly averted his eyes.


    Ronan grinned.


    So Lowell had not told Annalynne anything? Well, he sure was taking his sweet time.


    Ronan grabbed an Emmentaler cheese cube from the charcuterie board in front of Lowell, startling the poor man.


    ¡°Time passes quickly,¡± he reminded the man subtly while popping the cheese cube into his mouth.


    ¡°Y-yes,¡± Lowell agreed. He then proceeded to make himself and Annalynne a sandwich.


    ¡°Esteemeddy and gentlemen, the ship is due to arrive at Florentine soon. The town is famous for its fruit orchard in the southern area, and also for the bongerie and confectionery along the Trianon River.


    Are you interested to take a walk for a few hours?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Ronan said while shing his mate a bright smile. ¡°They have a great number of cake selections in the town. Let¡¯s go and take a look.¡±


    Being a fan of fancy cakes and sweets in general, this was an invitation that Lucien could hardly say no to. He happily nodded in assent.


    Lowell cleared his throat and turned to Annalynne, ¡°Anna, I don¡¯t feel too well. Can we please just stay aboard and talk?¡±


    Annalynne blinked at her boyfriend dumbfoundedly. It¡¯s not like they went on cruises every year. Why would he waste the opportunity by staying behind on the cruise ship?


    A knowing smileced Ronan¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Let the butler bring you some medication. There is plenty of time to visit the town. We will go ahead first, you two cer.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you, Alpha Ronan,¡± Lowell said in a hurry.


    And so after breakfast, the two couples parted ways.


    Ronan was more than ecstatic to have Lucien for himself again. As soon as they left the ship, he draped his arm around his mate and took him to a famous bakery in town.


    ¡°The pies and pastries here are world-ss,¡± he spoke as if he himself was a big fan.


    Fortunately, he was not wrong.


    Lucien sucked in a deep breath when he put a spoonful of rhubarb and ckcurrant pie into his mouth.


    ¡°Wow, it is good,¡± he mumbled. ¡°No, correction, it is heavenly.¡±


    Ronan grinned at Lucien. He only took the edges and leave the sweetest parts for his mate.


    ¡°Like it?¡±


    ¡°Love it.¡±


    ¡°Which one do you love more, the cake or me?¡±


    ¡°Hm, I need to think about it. Why don¡¯t you kiss me so I know which one of you tastes sweeter?¡±


    Ronanughed. He leaned forward and captured his mate¡¯s lips in a sweet kiss.


    They broke their kiss when they heard someone¡¯s voice nearby.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan?¡±


    The one who spoke was a tall and beautiful blond woman who stood by a cake counter. Next to her was a boy with dark brown hair. He lit up as soon as he saw Ronan.


    ¡°Papa!!!¡± he shouted while running into Ronan¡¯s arms.

 Chapter 328 - 328 The Alpha’s Past Affair Came To Haunt Him

    328 The Alpha¡¯s Past Affair Came To Haunt Him


    ¡®Papa, eh?¡¯


    Lucien¡¯s thorny words jabbed into the center of Ronan¡¯s heart while the boy put his arms around Ronan and hugged him ecstatically. Judging from his height, he must be around four or five years old.


    ¡®He is not my son!¡¯ Ronan¡¯s eyes widened in terror. ¡®Lulu, I swear!!!¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    In Lucien¡¯s head, Landon roared in fury.


    ¡®I am going to kill him!¡¯ he shouted. ¡®Lucien, let me out! Now!¡¯


    Lucien furrowed his brows and rubbed at his forehead.


    ¡®Landon, no. Stay put.¡¯


    Ronan should be thankful that Lucien was still the master of the body. Otherwise, Landon might just shred him into pieces out of wrath and jealousy.


    .....


    The mother of the boy quickly rushed over. She was more than apologetic. Peeling her son away from Ronan, she apologized to Ronan before speaking to him sternly, ¡°Nicky, how many times do I need to remind you? Alpha Ronan is not your father!¡±


    Nicky pouted and released Ronan.


    ¡°Sorry, Alpha Ronan,¡± he said.


    Ronan patted the boy¡¯s head. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±


    Smiling, the woman then extended her hand toward Lucien.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Clearwater. I heard a lot about you. My name is Marie, I am...¡±


    Ronan coughed loudly in the middle of Marie¡¯s introduction.


    ¡°... I am an old friend of Alpha Ronan¡¯s.¡±


    Lucien pressed his lips into a thin smile. What old friend? She was obviously an old me!


    He rose to his feet and shook Marie¡¯s hand nheless.


    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    Ronan looked like someone who was watching his house burn slowly into coal and ashes. He tugged at Lucien¡¯s elbow and gave him a beseeching look.


    ¡°Lulu, I can exin.¡±


    ¡°Really. Go ahead and exin then.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Well? I am listening.¡±


    Marie broke intoughter when she saw the exchange between the lovers.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, do you mind apanying Nicky to y for a while? He misses you so much. Why don¡¯t I take a walk with Mr. Clearwater? Oh, and can I call you Lucien?¡±


    Lucien nodded stiffly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea,¡± Ronan said with a grim expression.


    ¡°I would love to chat with Marie,¡± Lucien overrode his mate¡¯s view. ¡°Stay here, Ronan.¡±


    The Alpha had no choice but to watch helplessly as Lucien and Marie left the cake shop. Next to him, little Nicky begged the Alpha to y with him.


    Marie took Lucien strolling along the street. In June, the streets were bustling with vendors that sold roses and children¡¯s toys.


    Shops put up chairs and tables outside so that their customers did not miss out on an outdoor dining experience. Everyone was glowing with happiness. Everyone but Lucien.


    The two people walked side-by-side awkwardly.


    Marie turned to look at Lucien and smiled.


    ¡°Can I touch your hair?¡±


    ¡°... Uh... Sure, I guess?¡±


    Marie gingerly reached out for a lock of the red-blonde hair. She squinted at it and tossed out a sigh.


    ¡°Gosh. What pretty color. I don¡¯t think that anyone could get this color right.¡±


    ¡°... What do you mean?¡±


    Marie giggled. She gestured for them to sit in a nearby bench.


    ¡°I believe you have guessed that I am one of the many women that Alpha Ronan frequented in the past.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have,¡± Lucien said while he took a seat on the bench.


    ¡°Well, I happened to know that he especially favors the redheads. To curry his favor, I bleached my brown hair and dyed it red-blond. It was not bad, but I was never able to hit the right color bnce.¡±


    Marie stared into the distance when she recalled the past.


    ¡°We met five years ago when I had just given birth to Nicky. Both my husband and I were rogue werewolves. My husband passed soon after Nicky¡¯s birth. It was Alpha Ronan who helped my depressed self get back on my feet. I owe him a lot.¡±


    ¡°He took very good care of both me and Nicky. Thanks to him, I managed to visit a college and graduate with a degree. Otherwise, we would not be able to live well, Nicky and I.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s eyes fluttered slightly. He knew he should not, but his heart was trembling from jealousy.


    ¡°How long were you dating?¡±


    Marie blinked at Lucien.


    ¡°Excuse me, what?¡±


    ¡°I said, how long were you in a rtionship?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no. We never were. We had sex a couple of times a week, but that¡¯s all there was.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    That did not make Lucien any happier.


    ¡°Did he force you?¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. I did it willingly.¡±


    There was pain in Lucien¡¯s eyes when he turned to look at Marie.


    Willingly?


    ¡°You loved him, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Marie heaved a sigh and bowed her head for some time. When she lifted her head again, she gave him a firm answer.


    ¡°Yes, but he was in love with you.¡±


    Lucien averted his gaze and scoffed.


    ¡°Weird way of showing it,¡± he said.


    ¡°Look, it is an embarrassing thing to say, but he really was. When we were in bed, he always did it inside my ass and nowhere else. And then, in throes of passion, the name he called was not mine, but yours.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien stared at Marie in bewilderment.


    So that was what Ronan meant when he said that he covered all the bases? He never once did it without protection, and when he did, he never came inside any woman¡¯s belly.


    Marie gave Lucien a curt smile. She took his hands and squeezed them.


    ¡°No matter how many men and women he slept with, he never once thought about them during sex. It has always been you and no one else. Always.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know that,¡± Lucien scoffed.


    ¡°I do!¡± Marie insisted. ¡°Look, our affair went on for years. I was the longest he had ever been with. Ourst sex was a year ago.¡±


    A year ago.


    ¡°It was thest time we met. I got a job and moved here with Nicky,¡± Marie exined. ¡°At that time, he told me that he finally found you again. He wanted to pursue you earnestly, so he didn¡¯t want to fool around with anyone anymore.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I was so happy for him. It might be awkward, but I secretly hoped to be able to see you one day.¡±


    ¡°... Why?¡±


    Marie squeezed Lucien¡¯s hands again. Her eyes welled up with tears.


    ¡°I want to tell you that Alpha Ronan loves you deeply. You can rest assured with him by your side. Please don¡¯t begrudge him his past, and cherish him well.¡±

 Chapter 329 - 329 A Rendezvous In Florentine

    329 A Rendezvous In Florentine


    Nicky did not remember his biological father. The man who he saw again and again as he grew up was Ronan, who came by often to help out with their little family.


    In Nicky¡¯s mind, Ronan was his ¡°Papa¡±.


    He would always be his ¡°Papa¡± although Marie exined to him many times that he was not.


    When Marie took Nicky to move away from Great Lake City to the small Florentine town, Nicky was initially very unhappy.


    The school was new, the friends were new, the neighbors were new, and even the sweet vendors were new!


    And ¡°Papa¡± also didn¡¯te to visit anymore.


    A year passed, and they happened to meet again.


    ¡°Papa¡± had changed a lot.


    He looked dispirited. The adult man sat at the wooden table with two cups of coffee and the half-eaten rhubarb and ckcurrant pie in front of him. He was lost in his own thoughts.


    .....


    ¡°Papa, I want ice cream,¡± the little boy demanded.


    ¡°Mm... Okay, let¡¯s get some ice cream.¡±


    Ronan rose to his feet to go, but a shop attendant stopped him.


    ¡°Sir, you haven¡¯t paid.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan pulled out a ck credit card from inside his jacket.


    ¡°How much?¡±


    The shop attendant¡¯s eyes widened in delight when sheid eyes on the distinct trim and style of the credit card. Oveid with tasteful mix of pattern in gold and silver on top of a pitch-ck surface, it was the kind of credit card that the Silverback Capital Bank only issued to their richest investors. When she saw the name that was printed neatly across the card, she almost fainted from excessive excitement. A rich customer!!!


    ¡°Do you also want to pay for this little gentleman¡¯s mother¡¯s order??? She ordered this one and this one...¡±


    ¡°Sure, pack them up.¡±


    Ronan rubbed at his chin thoughtfully. He could pay for the cake, but he didn¡¯t have any cash to pay for the ice cream. This had been a recurring issue for some time. Maybe he should start carrying cash.


    After he was done paying for the cakes on his and Marie¡¯s behalf, Ronan took Nicky by his little hand outside.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find your mother first, alright?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± the little boy cocked his head to the side in confusion.


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t have the money to pay for ice cream,¡± Ronanughed.


    The street was straightforward, leading from the port to the fruit orchard at the south. Ronan and Nicky walked southward, and eventually bumped into Marie who waved at them, smiling.


    ¡°Thanks for taking care of my boy, Alpha Ronan.¡±


    ¡°He wanted ice cream. So sorry that I don¡¯t have the cash to buy him any.¡±


    Marie broke intoughter.


    ¡°Oh, you. After so many years, you haven¡¯t changed.¡±


    ¡°Where is Lulu? I mean, my Lucien.¡±


    ¡°Your Lulu is waiting by the bridge,¡± Marie added with a wink. ¡°Oh, and...¡±


    The beautiful woman took out her wallet and took out some banknotes. She pressed them into Ronan¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, at the bridge they sell locks that you can attach to its railing. ording to legend, couples who ce their locks there and throw the keys into the Trianon River will be eternally locked with each other.¡±


    Ronan smiled.


    ¡°Thanks, Marie.¡±


    He held the cakebox up. ¡°I have your cake order right here.¡±


    The woman blinked at him in confusion.


    ¡°What cake? I didn¡¯t order anything yet. Oh, those naughty shop attendants!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Never mind, thank you, Alpha. Why don¡¯t Ipensate you additionally for the cakes?¡±


    Ronan held up his hand.


    ¡°No need. Just take them. I hope that you at least like the cakes that they picked out.¡±


    Marie giggled.


    ¡°Women always like cakes, Alpha Ronan.¡±


    She held her hand out for Nicky, who was still hugging Ronan¡¯s hand and refusing to let go.


    ¡°Baby Nicky, let¡¯s go home, alright? Mama will buy you ice cream on the way home. What vor do you want?¡±


    ¡°I want cookies and cream!¡±


    The boy was quickly persuaded toe to his mother¡¯s side.


    ¡°He is so lovely. Lucien, I mean,¡± Marie said while she patted the side of her son¡¯s head.


    ¡°I read in an online post that you two are to be married soon. I wish you both eternal happiness.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Marie. Are you doing well here? Feel free to reach out whenever you need anything. We are friends, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    Marie smiled, but there were some tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Yes, we are. And no, I don¡¯t need anything right now. I have Nicky, and life is good to me. Florentine is an amazing town. The decision to move here was the best that I could make in this lifetime.¡±


    Ronan pulled Marie into a hug, causing the tears to spill from her eyes.


    ¡°d to hear that,¡± he whispered. ¡°Goodbye, Marie.¡±


    ¡°Farewell, Alpha Ronan.¡±


    The mother and son hiked up the street and left the tourist zone. Nicky kept turning his little head around and waved at Ronan, who waved back until they disappeared from sight.


    Sighing, the dark-haired man tucked the money into his pocket and made his way southward, heading to the bridge where Lucien was waiting for him.


    There were mostly couples on the bridge, huddling together intimately while they whispered sweet words to each other.


    Among them, a red-blonde man stood out. He was leaning against the bridge railing, looking out to the Trianon River.


    He had his hands sped together on the railing, and there were tears dripping down his cheeks.


    ¡°My baby.¡±


    Ronan rushed to his Luna¡¯s side. He grabbed Lucien¡¯s arm and pulled him into a hug.


    ¡°Why are you crying? I am so sorry. Please don¡¯t cry. I did have a long-term affair with her, but it was all in the past,¡± the Alpha rambled.


    Lucien wed into his mate¡¯s back and sobbed.


    ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°I know.¡±


    Lucien loosened his hug and tilted his head up. Ronan dly lowered his head and locked their lips together.


    ¡°I love you,¡± Lucien sighed. ¡°I love you, my Alpha.¡±


    Ronan brushed against Lucien¡¯s cheeks and wiped the tears away.


    ¡°I love you too, forever and always. Ever since we met, you have bewitched me, body and soul. My heart belonged to you from day one. There is no one I love more than you, my Luna.¡±


    On top of the bridge, just by the railing, they exchanged kisses again and again, confirming and reconfirming their feelings for each other.

 Chapter 330 - 330 Locking The Love Together

    330 Locking The Love Together


    Padlocks and keys were avable for sale along the bridge. Vendors could be found every 50 meters, sitting happily in the middle of the bridge with a bag full of goods.


    In entire Florentine, there was no better ce to sell padlocks, so an old vendor told them.


    The bridge that stretched across the Trianon River was eight hundred meters long.


    No one knew when the legend started.


    It probably started with a romantic couple who sought to seal their love at the bridge. Other couples might end up thinking that it was such an excellent idea. In the end, the railings at both sides of the bridge were full with padlocks.


    One would think that that was the end, but tourists were very resourceful. They ended up attaching their locks to other locks just so they could get a ce at the famous bridge.


    The poor bridge eventually copsed the previous year, prompting the town council to remove the railings and the padlocks every month for recycling purposes.


    Not only that, the many keys that couples threw into the river ended up polluting the river, so that was anotherborious work that the town council had to do every month.


    After hearing the story, Ronan and Lucien bought two padlocks but they decided to not hang their padlocks to the bridge railings.


    .....


    ¡°There has to be something else we can do,¡± Ronan grumbled.


    ¡°Well, I have an idea,¡± Lucien piped up.


    ¡°Oh? What is it?¡± Ronan perked up immediately.


    Lucien dragged Ronan into a souvenir shop and came back with two boxes.


    He locked the two padlocks together and put them in one box. The keys were linked to each other andid in another box.


    Lucien handed one box to Ronan and said, ¡°You can go and hide this box anywhere you want in Florentine. I will do the same with mine. If we want to split up one day, we have toe back and retrieve each other¡¯s lock.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s lips curled up in amusement.


    ¡°Alright, baby. Meet up in thirty minutes here?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Lucien agreed.


    He gave Ronan a peck on the lips before he took off to hide his box away.


    Ronan, the one who held the box with the padlocks inside, went to a cksmith.


    His instruction was quite simple.


    Melt the padlocks together into another padlock with no keyhole.


    In return, he was willing to give the cksmith all the money that he got from Marie. Thetter¡¯s eyes turned round in amazement. The sum wasrger than what the job merited.


    ¡°I cannot ept that much money!¡± he eximed. ¡°A tenth would be enough for this order.¡±


    A strange order, he mentally noted.


    ¡°You can have it all, but I have another request.¡±


    ¡°... What is it?¡±


    Ronan showed the cksmith the empty box.


    ¡°When the new padlock is done, you can put it inside this box, and help me bury it somewhere.¡±


    The cksmith roared inughter.


    ¡°Alright, I will do that. Mister, don¡¯t regret your decision because you are going to be with your lover forever!¡±


    Ronan¡¯s lips curled up in a smile.


    ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t.¡±


    Even if Lucien one day regretted his decision and wanted to break up with Ronan, he wouldn¡¯t be able to separate his lock from Ronan¡¯s.


    Ronan then went back to the bridge to wait for his mate. The red-blonde man came back a littleter than the agreed time.


    ¡°You were fast,¡± he observed.


    Ronan pressed a kiss on Lucien¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Mhm, just a little earlier than you. Shall we?¡±


    Ronan and Lucien gave the bridge onest look before they made their way to the renowned fruit orchard.


    In summer, the fruit orchard was full of fresh cherries, all kinds of berries, apricots, grapes, and nectarines.


    Visitors were allowed to eat as many fruits that they could pick from the trees and vines on spot against a small entrance fee.


    Another option was to harvest the fruits to take home, but then the visitors had to pay for them by weight.


    Lucien and Ronan took turns feeding each other fruits.


    Ronan was usually very picky when it came to food, including fruits. Then again, it depended on the person who fed him. Since it was Lucien, Ronan had nothing toin about.


    He would naturally eat anything that his mate served him.


    After spending almost an hour in the orchard, Lucien started to look around. He craned his neck in search of the two people who were supposed to catch up with them but were yet to be seen.


    ¡°Where are Anna and Lowell?¡± he asked with a frown.


    Ronan hid his smug grin beneath the hand that he used to rub his lower face. If Lowell picked this time to talk to Anna, both were surely not in the mood to do anything romantic at the moment.


    They might be in the middle of a mental preparation to confess the truth to Lucien.


    Ronan would hate to be in their position right now.


    Pfft.


    Smiling, the Alpha pulled his Luna into a hug.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them. They are adults. Come, let¡¯s go over there. They have their own small winery. The wine that they produced here has a different aroma than the one that we drink regrly at home...¡±


    The visit to Florentinested for half a day before they returned to the ship. By then, it was already quitete in the afternoon. A lot of passengers returned around the same time they did.


    When they reached their suite, Annalynne and Lowell were not around.


    ¡°Where are they?¡± Lucien asked in exasperation.


    ¡°The other two esteemed guests left about an hour after the two of you left,¡± the butler informed him. ¡°They had note back yet.¡±


    Lucien took out his phone and dialed Annalynne¡¯s phone number.


    The call went unanswered.


    He called Lowell, but the man also did not answer his phone.


    ¡°Ronan, I am worried about Anna and Lowell. Let me go back to Florentine to search for them.¡±


    Before he took off from the suite, Ronan circled an arm around his waist and pulled him back to his arms.


    He shook his phone in front of Lucien to show him his chat message with Milroy.


    ¡°No need. I just received news that they are on their way back to the ship.¡±

 Chapter 331 - 331 Trouble In Paradise

    331 Trouble In Paradise


    Lucien rolled with his eyes.


    The ship was set to depart in fifteen minutes. Just what were they doing sote in Florentine???


    ¡°And why are you making Milroy work during our vacation?¡± Lucien furrowed his brows in confusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s our vacation, not his,¡± Ronan answered lightly with a shrug.


    ¡°...¡±


    Poor Milroy.


    Annalynne and Lowell made it three minutes before the ship closed its gate and sailed off. They bought a lot of things from the town. Mainly cakes and choctes and all sorts of candies.


    Her cheeks glowing red from running all the way back to the ship, Annalynne panted heavily when she arrived at the suite.


    As soon as she got back, she grabbed her brother.


    .....


    ¡°Lulu... Huff, huff... We need to talk. Huff, huff... I need to talk... I mean...¡±


    ¡°I get it, take a breath first,¡± Lucien pulled Anna to the living room couch.


    Annalynne shot Ronan a poisonous look.


    ¡°Please grant us some privacy, Alpha Ronan.¡±


    Ronan could barely conceal his smug grin at this point. Lucien furrowed his brows in confusion. He knew that Ronan and Annalynne were not the best of friends, but what was with this inexplicable smugness?


    The Alpha bent down to give Lucien a kiss on the cheek.


    ¡°I will be at the pool until dinner time,¡± he said with a wink.


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    Annalynne shut the ss door behind Ronan. She then took a seat on the couch, next to Lucien. Opposite them, Lowell could not look more nervous.


    ¡°Lulu, are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°... No?¡±


    He ate a lot in Florentine. In fact, he would be fine without dinner.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Come on, I brought you a lot of food.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    His twin sister literally raided a few shops straight. She even brought back some fruits from the orchard.


    That was when Lucien realized that something was wrong. His mind immediately flew to the worst case possible.


    ¡°Anna, are you pregnant...?¡± he asked through gritted teeth while giving Lowell a sharp re.


    The poor man shook his head vehemently before Annalynne even answered.


    The woman herself widened her eyes, her face turning red upon hearing Lucien¡¯s question.


    ¡°What??? No!!!¡±


    Lucien heaved a sigh.


    ¡°Then what?¡±


    ¡°I, ahem, we, I mean...¡±


    What Annalynne wanted to say was technically between her brother¡¯s expectation and nightmare. She was sexually active, she had just not gotten pregnant from the act.


    Seeing that Annalynne could not say it out loud, Lucien shifted his gaze to Lowell instead.


    ¡°When did you start sleeping with my sister?¡±


    Lowell swallowed hard.


    How was it that Lucien asked him the exact same question that his mate did?


    No, even worse. Lucien¡¯s re indicated that he was about to tear Lowell in pieces, should Lowell¡¯s answer fail to please him.


    Large beads of cold sweat built on Lowell¡¯s forehead. They slowly ran down his face, drenching his shirt further.


    To lie or not to lie?


    Lying was not even an option here.


    Bravely, Lowell thus gave Annalynne¡¯s brother the honest answer.


    Outside, Ronan was swimmingps back and forth.


    When he heard the shrill screaming from the living room, he knew that Lucien already found out the truth.


    Let¡¯s just hope that Landon did not castrate Lowell.


    Ronan got out of the swimming pool, dried his hair with a towel, and wrapped his bathrobe around his muscr body before he re-entered the living room.


    Just in time to see Lucien towering over Lowell.


    His mate had a leg next to Lowell¡¯s waist. He grabbed the other man by his cor and hissed at him angrily.


    ¡°You better confess what you have done to my parents and propose to my sister as soon as we got off the ship!¡±


    Lowell nodded fervently. Who told him the same thing previously? Ah yes, Alpha Ronan.


    ¡°Lulu, it was consensual!¡± Annalynne insisted.


    As a response, Lucien shot her a menacing re.


    ¡°And you! You better get married right away. I don¡¯t want to hear about a second pregnancy scare!¡±


    Lucien marched away to a bedroom, but not the master bedroom. Ronan¡¯s.


    The Alpha worked so hard to suppress hisughter that his stomach started to hurt.


    Annalynne shot him a furious re.


    ¡°Are you happy now, Alpha Ronan? Is this what you want? Are you done ruining our birthday???¡±


    Ronan shook his head.


    He sat opposite the ring woman and spoke softly to her, ¡°Exactly because this is yourst birthday together before he marries into my pack that I want it to be wless. No secrets or anything.¡±


    Ronan tapped at Annalynne¡¯s cheek afterward, prompting her to shout, ¡°Hey!!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for infuriating my mate,¡± he said with a wink. ¡°That was a lot less than the p that you gave me back then.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Alpha Ronan never let any debt be left unpaid, did he?


    Annalynne screeched into a couch pillow while Ronan went into his bedroom.


    Lucien was there, sitting on his bed in a lotus pose while hugging a pillow. His brows were pulled together and he was ring at the innocent sky outside.


    ¡°Lulu? Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I am. I just lost my temper there.¡±


    Ronan hugged his mate from behind and pressed a kiss on thetter¡¯s nape. Just on top of their mating bond scar.


    ¡°You knew, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    Lucien heaved a sigh.


    ¡°Ronan, do you think that Lowell is the right person for Anna?¡±


    Ronan crawled in front of Lucien, took the pillow away, andid his head on Lucien¡¯sp.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lucien lowered his eyes. ¡°If he isn¡¯t, it will be wrong to force them to marry. But what if Anna misses out on the right person just because she could not restrain herself?¡±


    Ronan hummed.


    ¡°I think that the right man for her will not care whether or not she is still a virgin.¡±


    Lucien looked down at the Alpha on hisp, his eyes full of doubt.


    ¡°So if I had done it with someone other than you, would you still marry me?¡±

 Chapter 332 - 332 When The Sister-in-law Rained On The Alpha’s Parade

    332 When The Sister-inw Rained On The Alpha¡¯s Parade


    With one swift movement, Ronan reversed their position. Lucien was pinned on the bed and his mate loomed over him with a scary glint in his eyes. One of Lucien¡¯s legs was hanging from the bigger man¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I would do,¡± Ronan whispered.


    He ran his hands down from Lucien¡¯s blushing cheeks to his t stomach and supple waist.


    ¡°Maybe I will fuck you again and again, until your body forgets how the other man feels like and sumbs to mepletely.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter whether Lucien had been tainted by someone else before him.


    Ronan was going to eliminate the traces of the other man from Lucien¡¯s body. Mold him to his liking. His Luna was going to moan to his touches, lose his mind from his thrusts, and reach the climax when Ronan knotted inside him and shot his seed deep inside his body.


    In the end, Lucien¡¯s bones should carry the Alpha¡¯s curse, his blood should course with the Alpha¡¯s desire. When Ronan¡¯s pheromones were thoroughly carved into Lucien¡¯s body, Lucien would not even remember anyone else but his Alpha.


    Even if he could not be Lucien¡¯s first, he was going to be Lucien¡¯sst.


    The man on the bed chuckled.


    .....


    He yfully hooked his legs around the Alpha¡¯s waist.


    ¡°How? Why don¡¯t you show me exactly what you would do, Alpha?¡±


    Ronan lowered his head and sucked on Lucien¡¯s lips ravenously. He did not bother to hide his hunger for intimacy.


    ¡°Be careful what you wish for, Luna,¡± he whispered with a deep, maic voice. ¡°I am not afraid to demonstrate.¡±


    Lucien hooked his arms behind Ronan¡¯s back and captured the man¡¯s lips on his own ord.


    ¡°Kindly borate, Alpha.¡±


    Ronan smirked.


    He was never able to defend himself against Lucien¡¯s charm. Today was no different.


    ¡°This Alpha is happy to serve his Luna,¡± Ronan winked at Lucien yfully.


    He then pushed himself into a sitting position and pulled Lucien onto hisp.


    The Alpha let his mate straddle the bulge between his legs while they kissed, proof that he was more than ready to put his words into action. A grin passed through Lucien¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Look at that,¡± he remarked after they broke their kiss. ¡°Isn¡¯t my mate so eager?¡±


    Of course, he was eager.


    He was more than eager.


    It had been more than a day since theyst made love to each other. Ronan was no different from a wandering traveler in the desert, dying for a drop of water which was Lucien¡¯s sweet nectar.


    ¡°Stay here tonight,¡± Ronan breathed into Lucien¡¯s neck while he showered the fair, unblemished skin with kisses and love bites.


    Ronan¡¯s hands sneaked into Lucien¡¯s shirt and crawled upward to knead his back and shoulders.


    ¡°Mmnh...¡±


    Lucien closed his eyes and moaned from the Alpha¡¯s touch.


    That was a huge mistake, because the single moan was like a spark of fire that fell on a pool of oil.


    Lucien gasped when he felt the flesh rod beneath him grow as hard as a rock. Ronan held Lucien¡¯s waist in ce while he thrust upward rhythmically.


    ¡°Mmh... Ahhh... Ronan, we can¡¯t.¡±


    As a response, Ronan spread Lucien¡¯s legs wider so that his erectionfortably nestled between Lucien¡¯s buttcheeks, just separated by theiryers of clothing.


    ¡°I want to be inside you so bad... My Lulu, my beautiful Lucien...¡±


    Lucien arched his back while he held on to Ronan¡¯s shoulders. Although they were separated byyers of fabric, he could feel the heat emanating from Ronan¡¯s lower half.


    It threatened to burn him, to engulf him in a sea of fire.


    ¡°Ronan... Ah... Ahh... Ahh...!!!¡±


    Lucien¡¯s body was Ronan¡¯s favorite musical instrument, his melodious moans nothing short of a masterpiece.


    Pressed between their bodies, Lucien¡¯s manhood also became hard from Ronan¡¯s stimtion.


    ¡°Lulu... That¡¯s it, give yourself to me,¡± the Alpha¡¯s raspy voice tugged at Lucien¡¯s heartstrings.


    Just as Ronan thought about ripping Lucien¡¯s pants off and pushing deep inside his body, someone had to knock at the door and ruin their heavy making-out session.


    ¡°... Lulu...?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Annalynne¡¯s voice pulled Lucien out of his lustful trance. He quickly released Ronan and climbed off hisp.


    ck-jawed, Ronan was left hanging on the bed. The shock quickly turned into a burning rage when he realized what just happened.


    There was nothing that the Alpha would love to do more than curse loudly at his insensible sister-inw.


    When one heard sweet moansing from someone¡¯s bedroom, one simply stuck to basic etiquette and did not knock at the door!


    Unless of course, the ship was burning!


    Even then, they could still wait until the fire reached the uppermost deck!


    Was this notmon sense???


    Just what did Annalynne learn growing up???


    Meanwhile, Lucien stopped in his track when he walked by the full-body mirror at the front side of the wardrobe.


    What he saw in the mirror made him rake his fingers through his hair and sigh with exasperation.


    How could he be so easily consumed by desire?


    How could he not remember that his sister and her boyfriend were outside?


    Even if Lucien wanted to deny whatever happened in the bedroom just now, his appearance said it all.


    His lips were red and swollen from the Alpha¡¯s kisses.


    His eyes were ssy and reddened from suppressed lust.


    Not to mention the adorable blush on his cheeks.


    Lucien wiped at his face a few times in hope of eliminating a few signs. When that didn¡¯t work, he had no other option but to be a man and face his sister heads on.


    ¡°Lulu, listen, I... Eww,¡± Annalynne¡¯s practiced apology quickly turned into disgust when she saw the marks that Ronan left on Lucien. She wrinkled her face with unconcealed contempt.


    On the bed, Ronan pursed his lips in displeasure.


    Once Lucien was yanked out of the room and the door closed behind him, Ronan strongly hoped that Lucien would whoop Annalynne¡¯s ass real good for her irresponsible behavior.


    Until then, he had to go and relieve himself under a cold shower.

 Chapter 333 - 333 To Propose Or Not To Propose

    333 To Propose Or Not To Propose


    Anna took Lucien to the balcony and spoke to him for a long time, but Lucien was not ready for the conversation.


    He kept telling his twin sister that he needed time to process everything. They had to postpone the talk until the next day at least. He needed time to think.


    Needless to say, Annalynne was utterly dejected.


    The following dinner was more solemn than a funeral.


    Lucien refused to say anything beyond hums, asional ¡°Yes¡±ses and ¡°No¡±s. Annalynne was busy bribing her brother with food, which Lucien eventually left uneaten once he was full.


    The suite was full with cakes and candies and fruits that eventuallynded in the refrigerator.


    When Lucien refused to share the bed with her that night, Ronan was overjoyed but Annalynne burst into tears immediately.


    ¡°Lulu, you promised,¡± she begged while hugging her brother from behind. ¡°Don¡¯t be like this, please. You can¡¯t be mad at me. I know I was wrong.¡±


    Lucien sighed.


    .....


    ¡°I am not mad,¡± he said finally. ¡°I just need to sleep on it. We will talk tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you!¡± Annalynne insisted. ¡°I will not make a sound! You can take your time to think!!!¡±


    Lucien sighed.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    Lucien kept his promise, but he could not be colder in demeanor.


    Whenever they spent the night together, Lucien always let Annalynne sleep in his arms while soothing her with a soft voice.


    Annalynne was so used to her brother¡¯s gentle treatment that she took it for granted.


    Tonight, for the first time in her life, her brother turned his back toward her and refused to even give her a goodnight kiss.


    Annalynne was beyond miserable.


    She could not sleep untilte at night.


    When she woke up the next morning, Lucien already left the master bedroom.


    Annalynne jumped out of the bed in search of her brother. Lucien told her that he only needed a night to digest the news. They should be able to talk now, right? Right???


    Lucien sat by the pool outside with a book in his hands. It was clear that he was not reading at all. His gaze was directed at the endless ocean that extended ahead of him.


    ¡°Lulu? Elder brother...¡±


    Annalynne pressed her lips together and approached Lucien carefully.


    ¡°Can we talk now?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    Lucien gestured for Annalynne to sit down.


    ¡°I am not angry,¡± Lucien repeated what he told his sister the previous night. ¡°Anna, you are an adult. I told you months ago that I trust your judgment. I just didn¡¯t expect that you would take the next step so quickly.¡±


    Lucien closed the book in his hands with a sigh.


    ¡°The past few months had been nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster for me. I am sorry if you did it because I was not there for you.¡±


    Annalynne shook her head fervently.


    ¡°Lulu, that is not it,¡± she insisted. ¡°He didn¡¯t force me. It was maybe a spur-of-the-moment decision, but it was purely consensual. And I... I didn¡¯t regret it.¡±


    Lucien raised a hand and caressed Annalynne¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°Then, in that case, why didn¡¯t you two register your marriage? Don¡¯t tell me that he refused to.¡±


    Lucien furrowed his brows. ¡°I am going to teach him a lesson if that¡¯s the case.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Annalynne eximed.


    ¡°Lulu, I do want to marry him, but I don¡¯t want to marry him because all of you force him to marry me!¡±


    ¡°... Anna...¡±


    ¡°I just... I want him to propose because he wants to. Not because we had sex. Or because he felt that he had to. Even if he doesn¡¯t want to marry me, I... I will bear the responsibility on my own.¡±


    Lucien cracked his fingers.


    What?


    As Annalynne¡¯s big brother, he could not just stand to the side and watch his sister be humiliated. Of course, he had to do something. Having anticipated Lucien¡¯s reaction, Annalynne quickly dragged her brother to sit on the lounge chair when he rose to his feet to beat the proposal out of Lowell.


    ¡°Lulu, please,¡± she begged. ¡°Give him time, alright? Don¡¯t force him!¡±


    ¡°Arghhhhh...!!!¡±


    Lucien roared in frustration.


    ¡°If... If the worst case happens, you will still stand by me, won¡¯t you, Lulu?¡± Annalynne asked with a trembling voice. ¡°You will still be my big brother, won¡¯t you?¡±


    Tears built up in Annalynne¡¯s eyes. She looked so pitiful.


    Lucien heaved a sigh. He pulled his sister into a hug and kissed her on the forehead.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he mumbled. ¡°But if he ever hurts you, I am going to break his arms and legs.¡±


    Annalynne chuckled.


    ¡°I thought I should reserve the right to do that.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Okay, you can do that. I will massage your hands after you are done.¡±


    The siblings giggled together.


    Ronan and Lowell emerged from their bedrooms in time for breakfast. There was relief on Lowell¡¯s face when he saw Lucien and Annalynne smiling at each other.


    Ronan slid the ss door open and stepped into the deck.


    ¡°Good morning, my love,¡± he greeted Lucien.


    ¡°Mmm, good morning.¡±


    Lucien walked toward Ronan and hugged him.


    Ronan gave Annalynne a meaningful look before he buried his nose into Lucien¡¯s hair and kissed the side of his head.


    Annalynne pursed her lips in disapproval, but she went back into the living room to join Lowell after closing the ss door behind her.


    ¡®Are you alright, Baby?¡¯


    ¡®I am okay. We are good.¡¯


    ¡®So we don¡¯t need to string Lowell up and make him choke out a wedding proposal?¡¯


    Lucien looked up and smiled at his mate.


    ¡®No. Anna wants him to propose on his own. Let¡¯s just hope that Lowell doesn¡¯t let us all down.¡¯


    He stood on tiptoes and leaned against the Alpha to kiss him on the lips.


    ¡®I love you, Alpha. Thank you for marrying me.¡¯


    Ronan chuckled.


    ¡®I proposed to you twice before you said yes, Lucien Clearwater. I would have proposed a thousand times if need be. I should be the one to say thank you for marrying me.¡¯


    The two men fell into another round of kissing again.


    From inside the living room, Annalynne and Lowell could only see Ronan¡¯s back and Lucien¡¯s arms around his mate¡¯s neck.


    It still made them blush and avert their eyes.


    ¡°Anna, I think we should talk,¡± Lowell said after a while.

 Chapter 334 - 334 Pursuing Alpha Annalynne

    334 Pursuing Alpha Annalynne


    Annalynne gave Lowell a look.


    ¡°Lowell, we talked yesterday. I told you that I would handle my brother. You don¡¯t have to worry about him. Or about Alpha Ronan,¡± she added.


    Lowell shook his head. He took Annalynne by her hand and squeezed it lovingly.


    ¡°Anna, I am not worried about them. I respect them, of course, but most of all, I respect you. Honestly, I should have done this when we thought that you were pregnant. Anna, will you...¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Annalynne snapped when she realized what Lowell was trying to do.


    Pulling her hand away from Lowell¡¯s grip, Annalynne rose to her feet in an instant. She gave her boyfriend a piercing re.


    ¡°You are just proposing because you think you have to.¡±


    Lowell hastily corrected his lover, ¡°Anna, you are mistaken, I...¡±


    Unfortunately, Alpha Annalynne was not in the mood to listen. She shut Lowell up by resting her fingers against thetter¡¯s lips.


    .....


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about it anymore. Right now, all I want is some breakfast. I am famished.¡±


    Without waiting for Lowell¡¯s reply, Annalynne stalked out to the pool area to join Lucien and Ronan, who were enjoying the fresh morning air at the moment.


    ¡°...¡±


    Left alone in the living room, Lowell was visibly confused.


    He could not just pretend that nothing happened, could he?


    Why did Annalynne brush him away like that?


    Lowell inhaled and exhaled a few times.


    It was alright.


    They were alright.


    Annalynne must still be a little shaken from having their secret found out and having to reveal it to Lucien.


    He needed to give Annalynne some time to get over the entire thing.


    Yes.


    That was what Annalynne needed. Time.


    Lowell naively thought that he could give Annalynne some space. He never thought that Annalynne would actively avoid him the whole day.


    For breakfast that morning, they decided to have brunch at the ship¡¯s five-star restaurant. Located at the center of the cruise ship, it upied a huge area of almost 20,000 square feet and offered a sumptuous buffet that consisted of breakfast options from all over the world.


    The dishes were charmingly arranged ording to their original countries in the form of a world map. Each continent was upied with a buffet bar and a specially designed dining area.


    They were separated from each other by bridges over arge but shallow fish pond, making the guests feel as if they were literally walking from continent to continent to enjoy the specialty dishes.


    One guest delightedly remarked as he walked past the four werewolves, ¡°I just tasted coffee from different continents within half an hour! I mean, WOW!!!¡±


    Ronan pulled at Lucien¡¯s elbow to lead him to the Asia continent, but the man slipped from his hand and was dragged toward the African continent instead.


    ¡°Lulu, let¡¯s go over there! I have never been to Africa! I heard that the dishes are MARVELOUS!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan red at Annalynne¡¯s back. He was about to spit blood from boiling rage. When he saw Lowell heading to the South American continent, he followed the man right away.


    ¡°What is going on with the two of you, again?¡± Ronan asked in exasperation while they were picking their breakfast from the buffet table.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lowell answered helplessly.


    ¡°Look, I want to propose. I tried this morning, but she rejected me before I even popped the question.¡±


    Ronan scoffed.


    ¡°What, one rejection and you gave up? Are you not an alpha werewolf? Grab her, throw her over your shoulder, and drag her to the Holy Temple, for Goddess¡¯ sake!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lowell squinted at the Alpha who talked as if he had personally done that to win his Luna¡¯s hand in marriage.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Ronan grumbled. ¡°Maybe not like that. Do you even want to marry Anna? Or is she just a passing fancy for you?¡±


    Before Lowell had the chance to answer, Annalynne already marched toward them. Standing in front of Ronan with her hands against her waists, she demanded through gritted teeth, ¡°Alpha Ronan, a word?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan thus was dragged aside to receive a round of scolding from Annalynne.


    Afterward, Ronan did not go back to sit together with Lowell. Apparently, Annalynne decided that she would rather endure her brother¡¯s mate than have him threaten Lowell with marriage.


    For once, Lowell thanked the Goddess when Lucien and Ronan went off to spend time with each other after breakfast. Lacking apanion, Annalynne had no choice but to put up with Lowell.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to a yoga ss,¡± she decided single-handedly without asking for Lowell¡¯s opinion. Of course, it would be the one activity where she did not have to talk to Lowell.


    To add salt to the wound, she also did not want to be close to Lowell during the ss. It was almost as if she was afraid of him.


    But why?


    Why was she so afraid of him?


    Did she not want to marry him that much?


    If so, then why did she agree to date him?


    He might not appear intimidating when Ronan was around, but Lowell too was an alpha werewolf.


    His patience had a limit.


    The fire in his heart burned brighter and brighter when he saw Annalynne flexing her body during the yoga ss.


    He would love to put his hand around her lithe waist, caress the soft curves on her body, and worship his enchanting Alpha with his tongue and lips.


    Unfortunately, said goddess did not even bother to look in his direction.


    That did not make Lowell any happier.


    After enduring thirty minutes of yoga ss, the alpha had enough of Annalynne¡¯s cold treatment. Lowell squared his shoulder and marched toward his lover in order to capture her before she escaped.


    Sweaty and exhausted from the ss, Annalynne was a little disoriented. She gaped at Lowell in confusion when thetter grabbed her by the waist and looked deep into her eyes.


    They were so close that Lowell could see his reflection in Annalynne¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Anna, I love you,¡± he dered in front of every single person who attended the yoga ss. ¡°I will marry you, whether you want it or not.¡±

 Chapter 335 - 335 The Alpha Felt Hot And Sweaty (NSFW)

    335 The Alpha Felt Hot And Sweaty (NSFW)


    On the fourth morning of their cruise trip, the ship docked at a resort ind for three days and two nights. The ind, known as Amaranthus Haven to the world, was a famous tourist attraction that was only essible through the sea.


    Visitors were wee to enjoy the blue sky and white sands at the bountiful beaches during the day and eat at seaside restaurants that offered grilled seafood at night.


    Various tour packages were offered for the adventurous souls who wanted to roam the tropical ind.


    More often than not, tourists got to go home with hidden, precious treasures.


    Once the guests had their fill of both adventures and culinary experience, they were wee to rx their bodies at one of the many hotels that were scattered all over the ind.


    All suite passengers that upied the upper decks of ¡°Seven Layers Of Heaven¡± were given free lodging for one night in the high-end, luxurious Amaranthus Dream Resort in the most beautiful lot of the ind.


    After coaxing his Luna for a long time, the Alpha finally managed to convince him to trade their huge family suite for two smaller, albeit separate suites.


    Resourceful as he was, he made sure that the suites were separated as far from each other as possible.


    To be exact, they were located at opposite ends of the ground floor.


    .....


    Their suites could literally not be further apart from each other.


    ¡°There are no other suites avable,¡± Ronan insisted in his defense when Lucien threw him a bunch of judgmental looks. ¡°The trade is done at thest minute! Lulu, you have to believe me!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Although Lucien was not that stupid, he knew that he had no way to reverse Ronan¡¯s booking.


    The Luna thus went with the flow and cooperated with his selfish Alpha for once.


    And because said Alpha had not had any chance to vent his desire, of course the first thing that he demanded from his mate was some skin-to-skin contact.


    ¡°No sex,¡± was the first thing that Lucien told Ronan as soon as thetter wrapped his arms around him and ced kisses along his jawline and neck. ¡°We n to visit the ind after lunch. I don¡¯t want to walk around with a sore waist.¡±


    ¡°What? No, of course not,¡± Ronan agreed a hundred percent.


    ¡°We are not going to have sex. Let¡¯s just take a rxing bubble bath together, shall we?¡±


    The Alpha took his mate by his hand and led him past a sliding door at the backside of their suite. There in the middle of a lush garden was an outdoor jacuzzi made of blue stone. It was built underground with several stepping stones to enable people to climb inside.


    The tub was big enough for six people.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Okay?¡± Ronan coaxed his mate with a soft voice. ¡°I feel so hot and sweaty. I want to take a bath.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    How was he hot and sweaty, again? Their suite was fully air-conditioned!


    Clearly, Ronan was up for no good.


    Lucien could smell the beastly desire overflowing from Ronan¡¯s heart. Then again, this was also something that he could understand.


    Ronan had nned an amazing trip to celebrate his birthday, but he had to put up with Annalynne and Lowell.


    The Alpha had been very obedient these days, so the Luna decided to reward him for his generosity.


    Besides, it would be good to relieve some of the pent-up tension.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Leaning against the tub wall inside hot bubbling water, Ronan sat at the bottom of the tub with Lucien straddling his legs.


    It was practically the continuation of theirst making-out session on the ship, only that this time they were fully naked.


    Lucien blushed profusely when he felt Ronan¡¯s scalding hot flesh beneath his body.


    He tried to shift his weight around in order to maintain propriety, but it was difficult to do when the other party had exactly the opposite n in mind.


    The Alpha was too sly.


    Hended one kiss after another on Lucien¡¯s body, lulling him into safety so that he peeked out of his shell and left it behind.


    Before Lucien knew it, Ronan was already rubbing the shaft between Lucien¡¯s legs.


    ¡°Ronan, ahh... Ahhh... I said no sex...¡± he protested while biting back the cry that threatened to spill from his lips.


    ¡°I am not going in,¡± Ronan whispered between kisses. ¡°Just settling between your legs.¡±


    That was what he said, but the more he rocked against his Luna¡¯s body, the harder he got.


    The sly head eventually started poking at Lucien¡¯s entrance.


    Furrowing his brows in displeasure, Lucien pinched at Ronan¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°I said, no sex,¡± he repeated.


    ¡°Just the tip, I promise.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien stared at Ronan in disbelief.


    Before he could decide whether ¡°only the tip¡± counted as having sex or not, Ronan already took his silence as agreement.


    Grinning shamelessly, Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s neck and locked their lips together in hot, wet kisses.


    ¡°Mmm... Mmmh...¡±


    Lucien¡¯s protests effectively died out when Ronan started plundering inside his mouth. If he sucked harder, he might end up sucking out Lucien¡¯s soul instead.


    The tension in Lucien¡¯s body slowly melt away when Ronan did not make further moves. He leaned against his mate and gently bit into Ronan¡¯s lower lip.


    They rocked against each other rhythmically, exploring each other¡¯s naked form with their hands.


    Other than the sound of the bubbling water, there was only the sound of lips smacking against each other and the wet kisses that passed between the lovebirds.


    To give the Alpha the benefit of the doubt, maybe he did initially n to just poke against Lucien¡¯s hole and not slip his entire length in.


    But he was so used to ying with his mate without any restraint that he did not know where and how to stop.


    Clouded by lust and the steam that slowly rose from the bath, Ronan forgot all about his promise.


    Eventually, the shallow nudges morphed into something more.


    Lucien opened his mouth in a silent scream when Ronan pushed into him hard and sheathed himself inside his matepletely.

 Chapter 336 - 336 The Alpha Was A Perverted Liar (NSFW)

    336 The Alpha Was A Perverted Liar (NSFW)


    Lucien did not even have the chance to climb off Ronan¡¯sp because thetter locked him in ce by the neck and the waist.


    Infuriated, he could only smack against Ronan¡¯s shoulders and back in a little act of rebellion while thetter thrust in and out of his body without a shred of guilt.


    ¡°Liar! You are such a liar! Ah... Ah... Ahhh...!!!¡±


    The Alpha¡¯s lips were curled up in a wicked smile. In an attempt to cate the trembling man who was struggling to free himself, Ronan hugged him tight and whispered to him in a soft voice.


    ¡°Shhh... Baby, it¡¯s alright... Don¡¯t resist too much...¡±


    ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t go in...!!!¡±


    ¡°I know, I can¡¯t help it,¡± the man replied with a chuckle. ¡°I am sorry. Just one time, alright? Come on, baby~¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien growled.


    .....


    ¡°You can¡¯t knot inside me,¡± he insisted. ¡°We are going to bete for lunch!¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± Ronan answered cheerfully.


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien knew that Ronan lied as soon as the words left his lips. How infuriating!!!


    But what else could he do other than enduring Ronan¡¯s onught?


    Seeing that Lucien was no longer trying to escape, Ronan eased his grip around his mate and ran his hands all over thetter¡¯s beautiful body.


    ¡°So beautiful,¡± he praised while flicking Lucien¡¯s nipples.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t touch there,¡± Lucien pushed Ronan away in embarrassment.


    ¡°I want to taste it,¡± Ronan said. He lowered his head and sampled the sweet flower bud that bloomed on Lucien¡¯s chest.


    ¡°No, ahhh...!!!¡±


    Lucien slid his fingers into Ronan¡¯s hair in defiance.


    ¡°Don¡¯t, stop sucking there. Ahh, I am going to... Going to...¡±


    Under the Alpha¡¯s relentless attack, Lucien¡¯sints soon turned into a series of broken moans.


    He tried hard to w his way out of the predicament, but in the end, he had no other choice than to let himself be dragged down into the sea of bliss by his unrepentant mate.


    The air was soon filled with the sweet scent of theirbined pheromones and the sound of their muffled moans and groans as they chased the peak of pleasure.


    After almost an hour of enduring the wild coupling, the fire that burned at the bottom of Lucien¡¯s stomach soared high. A shudder went through his body and propelled him over the top of the mountain.


    The surge of oxytocin in his body caused him to ejacte. Ronan kept kissing Lucien while thetter sttered his semen between their bodies.


    ¡°Sssh,¡± he whispered while holding his trembling mate in his arms. ¡°Baby, it¡¯s all good. Come for me.¡±


    Breathingboriously, Lucien then grabbed Ronan¡¯s neck.


    He bared his fangs and bit into Ronan¡¯s nape.


    The abrupt injection of pheromones propelled Ronan to his own release as well.


    Grunting between gritted teeth, the Alpha drove hard into his Luna and came violently inside him.


    Lucien bit harder into Ronan¡¯s flesh when he felt the massive tool in his body pump hot, scalding liquid against his sensitive walls.


    ¡°You are such a liar,¡± he said while burying his fingernails into his lover¡¯s back.


    Chuckling, Ronan bit into Lucien¡¯s nape and sent a rush of his pheromones into thetter¡¯s system.


    Once they both came down from the heights of ecstasy, Ronan carried his mate to the bed and curled up with him under the nket.


    To make up for his evil deed, the Alpha even started massaging his mate¡¯s sore waist.


    Lucien pulled his lips into a thin line.


    ¡°Thanks to you, we missed lunch.¡±


    Ronan gave him a peck on the lips and said seductively in response, ¡°Do you still need me to feed you?¡±


    ¡°Not down there!¡±


    Disgruntled, Lucien lifted both legs and ced them against Ronan¡¯s chest.


    Ronan merely grabbed the slender legs and feasted his eyes on the beautiful scene underneath. Himself buried to the hilt inside Lucien while slowly pouring his seed inside the Luna¡¯s belly.


    It was so exciting.


    Ronan ran his hands along Lucien¡¯s slender legs and pressed a reverent kiss on his inner thigh affectionately.


    ¡°Careful,¡± he said with a hint of warning. ¡°I can still go a second, a third time.¡±


    In return, he got a face full of pillow.


    Ronan roared inughter.


    Lucien was still Lucien after all.


    ¡°I love you so much, my fierce mate,¡± he threw himself at Lucien shamelessly.


    ¡°Get away from me,¡± Lucien eximed. ¡°I know that you have been abstinent for a few days but must you eat like you have never eaten for years???¡±


    ¡°Ahhh, Lulu...¡±


    Ronan spooned him from behind and peppered his neck with kisses.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know? I am addicted to your body. I want to fuck you from morning to midnight. Otherwise, I will start having withdrawal symptoms.¡±


    ¡°Pffft. At the rate you are going, I am going to die from too much intercourse!¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha, that will never happen. We are blessed by the Moon Goddess.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    What kind of blessing was that and when did they even receive it???


    With or without blessing, Lucien was determined to not let Ronan have his way again.


    As soon as they came apart, he quickly climbed off the bed and rushed toward the bathroom to take a shower.


    The only saving grace was that his legs did not give out as soon as he ced his weight on top of them. At the very least, he could still walk.


    Ronan had assumed that they could shower together to save time, but Lucien was not going to let himself be fooled twice.


    ¡°You are a perverted liar,¡± he said coldly before throwing his mate out of the shower room unceremoniously.


    The poor man was instead given the task to tidy up a little bit. Lucien didn¡¯t want the cleaning service to clean after their mess.


    Thank God that Lucien thought about that, because the one who was tasked to clean their soiled room was a young man who did not seem to be older than twenty years old.


    Or at least that was what Ronan thought he came for, until he started taking off his clothes with trembling hands.

 Chapter 337 - 337 The Crime Against The Entire Werewolf Community

    337 The Crime Against The Entire Werewolf Community


    When Lucien came out of the bathroom, he couldn¡¯t help but raise his eyebrow at the young man who was stripping for Ronan, and the man himself who was literally throwing his jacket around him.


    Both of them stared at Lucien in horror.


    ¡°Ahhh!!!¡± the young man shouted when he saw Luciene out of the bathroom with only his white shorts on.


    ¡°Lulu, don¡¯t misunderstand!!!¡± Ronan shouted in terror.


    Lucien narrowed his eyes at the two people in front of them. To Ronan¡¯s greatest delight, the red-blonde man walked over and yanked Ronan to his side possessively.


    The Alpha¡¯s eyes practically lit up with joy until he heard what Lucien had to say.


    ¡°Seriously, Ronan? Must you cheat on me before we are officially wedded?¡±


    Ronan¡¯s face darkened within an instant. Lucien had tough when he saw the drastic change in the Alpha¡¯s facial expression.


    ¡°I am kidding,¡± he grinned while pinching the Alpha¡¯s cheek yfully.


    .....


    He then turned his attention to the other person inside the suite.


    ¡°Can someone tell me what is happening here?¡±


    The young man in front of them was so shaken that he started to stutter, ¡°I... I was told that Alpha Ronan is staying overnight here, so I... I wanted to offer myself for his pleasure...¡±


    Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s shoulders hard.


    ¡®Before you ask whether I usually give in to this kind of advance, my answer is no. I usually give them money and then kick them out of my room,¡¯ Ronan told Lucien via Mind Link post haste.


    ¡®Let me handle this. You won¡¯t see him again.¡¯


    ¡®I know. But...¡¯


    Lucien gave the trembling young man a pensive look.


    He was so young. And so thin.


    No human being would ever suspect that this young man was a werewolf, albeit an exiled one.


    There were so many rogue werewolves in the world who were unable to sessfully integrate into the human world.


    Not that they wanted to.


    They were still beasts at heart.


    No decent werewolf, rogue or not, would ever want to stand on the same ground as a human being.


    It was a matter of pride.


    While Lucien was pondering about rogue werewolves in general, the young man in front of him became more and more anxious.


    He quickly mistook Lucien¡¯s silence as a sign of brooding anger, so he apologized on the spot.


    ¡°I am sorry!¡± he said while dropping to his knees and bowing his head deeply.


    He bumped his head so hard against the parquet floor that Lucien¡¯s lips parted from surprise.


    ¡°I did not mean any harm. I was just trying to ingratiate myself with an Alpha!¡±


    Ronan sighed.


    ¡°What do you need?¡± he asked, rubbing his aching temple in irritation. ¡°Money, or a favor?¡±


    He hoped that it was the first one.


    ¡°A favor¡± was a lot moreplicated than ¡°money¡±.


    Typically, rogue werewolves request to enter a pack, or to be epted to work in a pack-ownedpany.


    Whichever it was, the end goal was to be epted back into the werewolfmunity.


    And yet, some rogue werewolves had other more pressing matters. Such as, for example, life and death.


    The young man kept his head bowed the whole time.


    ¡°M-money. My... My mother is terribly sick...¡±


    So it was money.


    A lot easier to solve.


    Ronan was willing to pay a godly sum to get this young man out of their suite, but Lucien did not share the same notion.


    Instead, he knelt in front of the young man and tipped his chin up. Thetter was so frightened that he almost passed out on spot.


    ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°S... Sean.¡±


    ¡°Where do you live, Sean?¡±


    ¡°I... I am born and raised on this ind...¡±


    Sighing, Ronan went to sit on the bed and crossed one of his legs over the other. He pinned the young man on the floor with a sharp gaze.


    ¡°How many werewolves are within your family? How many generations has your family been rogue werewolves?¡±


    Trembling, the young man mumbled, ¡°I... It started with my mother. She fell in love with a human being and...¡±


    Both Lucien and Ronan widened their eyes in surprise.


    Although the young man in front of them had the scent of a werewolf, he turned out to be a half-werewolf.


    Ronan rose to his feet and pulled Lucien behind him.


    ¡°Interesting, he said. You are an alpha half-werewolf. I didn¡¯t expect that at all.¡±


    Half-werewolves were rare enough, and almost no half-werewolves were born as alphas. Most of them did not even meet their wolves on their eighteenth birthday.


    The only traits that differed them from regr human beings were their beastly instincts and their super strength.


    Alpha half-werewolves were slightly worse than alpha pure-blood werewolves, but they were a lot better than regr werewolves.


    If Sean had not confessed that he was a half-werewolf, it would take a lot more observation and investigation to pick him out from the crowd.


    One might think that being an alpha made a half-werewolf more precious to the werewolfmunity.


    Sadly, that was inurate.


    Rogue werewolves, no matter how deste and how helpless their circumstances were, still could find a way to go back to werewolf society.


    Half-werewolves on the other side did not count as full werewolves.


    Their existence was seen as an atrocity.


    Why? Because by coupling with a human being, a werewolf knowingly exposed the werewolfmunity to average human beings.


    It was a tant betrayal toward the werewolf society.


    The unspokenw among the packs was quite clear about this matter.


    Should any pure-blood werewolf meet with a half-werewolf, the half-werewolf must be killed. The werewolf parent of the half-werewolf must also be killed for dishonoring the secrecy of the werewolfmunity.


    It should also be the most important piece of information that a parent werewolf shared with their mixed-blood offspring.


    Never, ever, get yourself tangled with a pure-blood werewolf.


    So why was this young man offering himself so brazenly and yet so foolishly to a werewolf? To an Alpha, to boot!


    It was almost as if he was impatient to lose his life.


    ¡°Do you know what we do to half-werewolves?¡± Ronan asked pointedly.


    He leaned forward, looming over the poor half-werewolf who had the audacity to sneak out of his hiding ce and creep within his line of sight.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Sean answered with a trembling voice.


    His eyes were full of debilitating trepidation.


    ¡°Pure-blood werewolves kill half-werewolves.¡±

 Chapter 338 - 338 The Half-Werewolf’s Predicament

    338 The Half-Werewolf¡¯s Predicament


    Ronan rose to his feet. He approached Sean in a menacing manner. His fingers were spread like ws, ready to tear the young man into shreds.


    Then, a slender arm blocked his advances.


    Lucien put himself between Sean and Ronan.


    ¡°Ronan, wait.¡±


    ¡°Lulu, he knows what he¡¯s in for,¡± Ronan growled.


    The Alpha grabbed his mate¡¯s shoulders and frowned at him. ¡°You should not even try to protect him.¡±


    His mate heavily disagreed.


    ¡°There is no rule in the Blood Oath that demands you to y a half-werewolf when you see one,¡± Lucien demanded.


    ¡°There isn¡¯t, but traitors have to be eliminated.¡±


    .....


    ¡°Ronan.¡±


    Lucien wed into Ronan¡¯s arms and gave him a piercing re. Ronan narrowed his eyes at the man that he loved.


    ¡°Are you going to spill blood in front of my eyes the day before my birthday?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan¡¯s lips parted from surprise.


    Of course not, was what he wanted to say. It was supposed to be a blessed week full of intimate encounters between the couple in love. It was not supposed to be tainted by the blood of sinners.


    ¡°Are you?¡±


    Lucien gave Ronan¡¯s bathrobe a tug, challenging him to say yes.


    ¡°Lulu, this is an entirely different matter,¡± Ronan replied helplessly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Lucien snapped. ¡°I have been an outcast too, Ronan Silverback. Sorry if I don¡¯t share the feelings of the high-born werewolves who never once had to wander alone out there without any pack.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The Alpha heaved a sigh. He cupped his mate¡¯s face and whispered to him lovingly.


    ¡°Baby, it¡¯s not the same.¡±


    ¡°It is not that different,¡± Lucien whispered back. ¡°I was once less than the pure-blood werewolf that I was born as.¡±


    When Landon left Lucien, thetter felt so out of ce that he ended up leaving the Silent Walkers Pack behind.


    He did not have the face to refer to himself as a werewolf.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Ronan sighed in exasperation.


    He threw his arms into the air for a second before he wrapped them around his Luna¡¯s half-naked form and cuddled him against his chest.


    ¡°Alright, Luna. Do what you think is right.¡±


    Lucien caressed Ronan¡¯s cheek and pulled him close for a peck.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Meanwhile, the only other person in the suite watched the exchange between the two werewolves with a pounding heart.


    Once Sean realized that he was not going to die in Ronan¡¯s hand that day, he was filled with extreme relief.


    Once the stress and tension drained away, fatigue set in.


    Sean¡¯s eyes fluttered shut and he toppled forward.


    The loud thumping sound that he made when he hit the floor caused both werewolves to look at him at the same time. The young many motionless on the parquet floor with his eyes shut tightly.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°He must be so scared, poor thing.¡±


    Lucien flipped the young man to his back. When he wanted to hoist Sean off the floor, Ronan came and offered to do it instead.


    ¡°Let me,¡± he said gruffly.


    The Alpha dragged the young man by his arms across the floor and then dropped him unto one of the couches.


    ¡°Go get dressed,¡± he then told his mate with a disapproving frown. ¡°How long do you n to walk around without wearing any shirt?¡±


    A naughty sneer spread on Lucien¡¯s face. He couldn¡¯t help but tease his adorable mate.


    ¡°Why, Alpha. This is the first time you ask me to wear something. I thought you liked it when I was naked.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I do,¡± Ronan crooned. He took Lucien in his arms and gazed into thetter¡¯s beautiful, bright pair of eyes. They shone with golden color thanks to the sun rays that came through the windows.


    The Alpha could see the mischievous twinkle in Lucien¡¯s eyes.


    If he didn¡¯t know better, he might be tempted to punish Lucien with a second and a third round of lovemaking.


    ¡°Just not when other people get to see you naked as well,¡± the Alpha ended his sentence while running his fingers down Lucien¡¯s soft curls.


    Lucien chuckled.


    ¡°Oh, Ronan. You are so cute sometimes.¡±


    Ronan pursed his lips.


    ¡°Only sometimes?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. Fine, always.¡±


    They leaned close to each other and shared a kiss, which was interrupted by Sean¡¯s incoherent mumbles.


    ¡°I am going to take a shower,¡± Ronan announced. ¡°Lulu, go ahead and call the room service to clean the suite. The bed is so dirty.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    And whose fault was that exactly, again???


    Lucien exhaled.


    Anyway, they really needed someone toe and clean. When he finished calling the reception table, he heard a groaning sound that came from the couch.


    Sean tossed and turned restlessly in his sleep. He repeated the same word over and over.


    ¡°Mom...¡± the young man said in his sleep. ¡°Mom...¡±


    Tears trickled down the young man¡¯s eyes.


    He looked miserable even in his sleep.


    Lucien grabbed a spare nket that he found in one of the bedroom cupboards and tucked Sean inside.


    He then sought his phone and gave Milroy a phone call.


    Used to being summoned anytime, day and night, Milroy answered within three seconds.


    ¡°Yes, Luna?¡± he said as soon as he epted the call.


    ¡°Hi, Milroy. I need a healer. Can you send one over?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Milroy was silent for a while.


    A healer?


    In Amaranthus Haven? It was not exactly one of the areas that were popted by werewolves! And why did Lucien want a healer, again???


    ¡°Lu-Lu-Lu-Luna, shall we go to St. rence directly?¡± Milroy tried to be helpful. ¡°I can get a ship back to the nearest city.¡±


    ¡°No need, it¡¯s...¡±


    Lucien threw the young man on the couch a nce.


    He could not just announce Sean¡¯s identity, could he?


    ¡°I am feeling under the weather. Just get me a healer.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Under the weather?


    How?


    But then Milroy recalled what happened back at the West Coast Center For Reproductive Medicine And Fertility.


    .....


    Unbeknownst to the Alpha and Luna couple, the small chamber where Lucien ¡°submitted¡± his semen sample was not soundproofed at all.


    In fact, Milroy along with the hospital staff outside the chamber had to listen to their wild and intense coupling that took ce inside.

 Chapter 339 - 339 The Alpha Was Too Scary

    339 The Alpha Was Too Scary


    The gentlemen were as red as steamed lobsters while thedies were whispering to each other in excitement.


    When the couple finally came out, Lucien looked as grim as someone who had just been taken disadvantage of.


    Ronan, on the other side, glowed like the sun itself.


    He casually dumped the package with Lucien¡¯s sample into Milroy¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Done,¡± he had said with a smug, shameless smile.


    ¡°...¡±


    Milroy was speechless.


    The men were clearing their throats and the women were giggling.


    When Gordon Clearwater came down and took a look at his son, he frowned and asked, ¡°Lulu, everything alright?¡±


    .....


    The Luna gave his mate a sharp nce before he replied with, ¡°I am just feeling under the weather.¡±


    From then on, ¡°under the weather¡± carried apletely different meaning for Milroy.


    At present time, he did not wish to ask Lucien how exactly he was feeling under the weather.


    The Luna asked for a healer, so the Luna should get a healer.


    Having worked for months for an extremely selfish boss who did not know the pain of his direct subordinates, Milroy proved to be exceedingly efficient and resourceful.


    He especially shone in dire straits.


    Lucien had no idea how, but the younger man managed to drag a poor healer out of her vacation and ask her to tend to the Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack.


    It just so happened that the healer hailed from the Silent Walkers Pack.


    And she was an elderdy who knew Lucien from birth.


    Lucien could barely conceal his surprise when said healer knocked at his suite door and offered her service.


    ¡°Mr. Clearwater, so nice to meet you again,¡± the healer gave him a warm smile. ¡°How can I help you?¡±


    ¡°Healer Patricia.¡±


    Instead of stepping back and letting the elder healer in, Lucien put both hands against the door frame and blocked her entry.


    ¡°Healer, I need you to be discreet,¡± he said.


    Healer Patricia nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Always. We healers swore an oath to heal patients and not make any personal judgment.¡±


    ¡°Alright, pleasee in,¡± Lucien said.


    He rubbed his chin nervously when the healer stepped into the living room and approached the couch.


    Unlike Lucien and Ronan, Healer Patricia quickly saw through the unconscious young man.


    ¡°Ah. A half-werewolf. And an alpha too. What a rare find, Mr. Clearwater.¡±


    That was all she had to say. Without betraying her personal feelings regarding half-werewolves, Healer Patricia sat in front of the couch and checked Sean¡¯s vital.


    ¡°Fatigue and malnourishment. Nothing serious,¡± she concluded her diagnosis after a while. ¡°What is your instruction?¡±


    ¡°Please wake him up,¡± Lucien said.


    Healer Patricia had a bag of herbs and potions with her. She opened a pocket and took out a ss jar of smelling salt. A whiff was all it took to rouse Sean from his restless sleep.


    The young man wrinkled his nose, sneezed a few times, and then gaped at the healer through teary eyes.


    Thinking that the unknown she-wolf meant to poison him, Sean shouted at the top of his lungs and leaped to the side with amazing agility.


    ¡°AHHHHHHHHH!!!¡±


    Ronan, who just stepped out of the bathroom with wet, dripping hair, whistled in amazement.


    ¡°Now, that was a leap that every werewolf would have been proud of.¡±


    Sean shrieked in terror when he realized that he was still inside Ronan¡¯s suite.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t be afraid,¡± Lucien said gently. ¡°We are not trying to harm you. Look, this is Healer Patricia. Healers can treat werewolves better than any human doctor. Why don¡¯t you let her take a look at your mother?¡±


    Sean shook his head rapidly.


    ¡°N-no need! I just need the money!¡±


    Lucien was stunned.


    He stared at the young man in front of him whose eyes darted around the room in search of an escape route.


    ¡°You can go if you want to,¡± Lucien told him in a cating tone. ¡°We are not going to lock you up.¡±


    Sean swallowed hard.


    ¡°We just want to help,¡± Lucien spoke again while slowly inching toward the frightened young man. ¡°Don¡¯t you want the best for your mother?¡±


    Sean retreated slowly backward. Once he bumped against the wall, he burst into tears.


    ¡°You are going to kill her,¡± he mumbled. ¡°You just want me to lead you to her.¡±


    ¡°No, we are not.¡±


    Sean lifted his eyes and cast surreptitious nces at Ronan.


    Lucien understood what Sean meant.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan will note with us,¡± he decided. ¡°It will just be you, me, and Healer Patricia. How does it sound?¡±


    Lucien¡¯s mate, the Alpha, crossed his arms before his chest and raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Ronan, you are scaring the boy,¡± Lucien reasoned. ¡°I will be back as soon as possible. You can go ahead and have some lunch with Anna and Lowell.¡±


    Ronan rolled with his eyes.


    He hugged his mate from behind possessively and hissed at him, ¡°I am not going to let you go with him without me. Sorry for pulling ranks, Lucien, but you gave me no choice.


    You are my Luna. You have to listen to me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien shot Ronan a re.


    ¡°Alright?¡± Ronan softened his tone, but he made his position clear.


    Lucien held on to the strong arms that were wrapped around him.


    ¡°... Mmm.¡±


    Relieved that Lucien did not defy him further, Ronan lifted his gaze and directed it toward Sean.


    ¡°I already promised my Luna not to spill any blood in front of him. Don¡¯t worry, you and your mother are not going to die in my hands.¡±


    He emphasized the word ¡°my¡±, making Sean shake like a leaf. They could escape death this one time, but what about the other times?


    What if they ran into another group of pure-blood werewolves?


    They might not be lucky enough to run into a second Lucien another time.


    ¡°You are scaring him again, Ronan,¡± Lucienined with a sigh. ¡°Stop that. Just help him, alright?¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Ronan conceded. ¡°Lad, lead us to your ailing mother.¡±

 Chapter 340 - 340 The Half-Werewolf’s Mother Was Embittered

    340 The Half-Werewolf¡¯s Mother Was Embittered


    Sean led the Alpha, the Luna, and Healer Patricia away from the rich neighborhood that was reserved for tourists only.


    As there were two sides to every coin, Amaranthus Haven was unable to get rid of the poorer residentspletely.


    These people lived in narrow alleys where old, dpidated buildings stood side-by-side. Sean lived in one of these buildings with his mother.


    Ronan wrinkled his nose in disgust while he followed the others up a narrow staircase, heading to the third floor.


    The staircase creaked dangerously under their weight. He would not at all be surprised when it suddenly crashed.


    Once they arrived in front of a white, moldy door, Sean opened the door and let his guests inside.


    ¡°Mom!¡± he shouted while rushing into one of the rooms.


    The other three followed him. They soon found themselves in the biggest room of the house, which, ording to Ronan, was not even half of his toilet back in the Infinite Eclipse Pack House.


    A wooden bed stood in the corner by the window. On top of it was an elderdy with a book in her hands.


    .....


    ¡°Sean, where did you go?¡± she furrowed her brows. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you toe home directly from the market?¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes widened in alertness when she saw tall shadows following her son into her bedroom.


    ¡°Who???¡± she snapped.


    A few things happened quickly in session. The elder woman leaped from the bed and pulled Sean toward herself.


    Lucien stepped before Healer Patricia with outstretched arms, and Ronan pushed the both of them behind him. Both the Alpha and Sean¡¯s mother assumed a fighting stance and exchanged sharp res at each other.


    The bedroom was quite small so there was not much space between them. They could hear the elder woman¡¯sbored breathing. Despite her indisposed condition, she was still determined to protect her young.


    ¡°Leave now if you do not wish to get hurt,¡± she hissed at Ronan.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s fine,¡± Sean said hastily. ¡°They are here to help. I asked them toe.¡±


    The elder woman slowly turned her head and gave her son a cold stare.


    ¡°Sean, are you stupid???¡± she shouted in anger. ¡°How many times did I warn you against... Cough...! Cough...!!!¡±


    The woman bent herself due to a violent coughing fit.


    ¡°Mom!¡±


    Sean dragged his mother into his arms and then to the bed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need help,¡± the elder woman shed the uninvited guests vicious res. ¡°Leave me be. At least let me die in peace... Cough...! Cough...!!!¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, your son risked his life toe and get help. At least don¡¯t let his efforts go in vain,¡± Lucien exined.


    The elder woman scoffed.


    ¡°Pfffft. All that the werewolf folks had ever given me was nothing but sorrow. What kind of help can you give me now?¡±


    Seeing that the patient had more or less agreed to be treated, Healer Patricia approached the bed and took a look at the weak, feeble woman who still managed to give her distrustful gazes.


    ¡°Madam, how long have you been sick?¡±


    ¡°What does it matter? Just tell me when I will die.¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡± Sean cried in anguish. ¡°Please don¡¯t say that!¡±


    ¡°... Two years.¡±


    ¡°What are your symptoms?¡±


    ¡°Just incessant coughing and extreme exhaustion.¡±


    ¡°Can you inhale for me?¡±


    The elder woman did what Healer Patricia asked her to do. When she took a deep breath, a wheezing, broken sound escaped from her throat.


    After a while, the healer turned to look at Lucien and said, ¡°Severe malnutrition andmon lung problems. Unfortunately, I do not have the proper equipment to diagnose her condition. It is best to take her to St. rence for treatment.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have the money to go to St. rence,¡± the woman retorted. ¡°Besides, why would a posh hospital full of full-blood werewolves agree to treat me?¡±


    Unfortunately, she was right.


    Rogue werewolves were not even allowed treatment in St. rence, let alone the half-werewolves and the werewolf parent who betrayed themunity.


    ¡°Thanks for gracing my humble abode with your presence,¡± the elder woman continued sarcastically. ¡°As you see, my stupid son exaggerated. I am not dying anytime soon, so why don¡¯t you all just go???¡±


    In her ce, Sean looked extremely apologetic.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± he said when he led the three werewolves out of their tiny apartment. ¡°Mom¡¯s temper has been quite bad ever since my father died. Thank you for checking up on her. I will take her to a normal hospital. And...¡±


    Sean looked up at Ronan, Lucien, and Healer Patricia with a beseeching gaze.


    ¡°Please, please, don¡¯t tell any other werewolf about me and Mom.¡±


    Lucien shook his head.


    ¡°Of course not.¡±


    He grabbed a roll of money from his pocket and pressed it into Sean¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Take this money and take your mother to the doctor. Also...¡±


    Lucien took out a pen and wrote his phone number on the young man¡¯s palm.


    ¡°This is my phone number. If anything happens and you need help, do not hesitate to call me.¡±


    Sean¡¯s mouth dropped open in amazement.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he sobbed. ¡°Thank you...¡±


    He could not stop bowing at the three werewolves as they made their way out.


    Once Healer Patricia excused herself to go back to her well-deserved vacation, Lucien heaved a long, deep sigh.


    Ronan pulled him into a hug and rubbed his head affectionately.


    ¡°What is it? You helped him. You should be proud of yourself. I am.¡±


    Lucien put his arms around Ronan and hummed.


    ¡°I fed a pup once. Tomorrow, it will go hungry again. It is no help, Ronan Silverback, it is a one-time charity.¡±


    Ronan lifted Lucien¡¯s chin and gazed into his bright pair of eyes.


    ¡°You can¡¯t help every stray pup in this world.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I just wish I could.¡±


    He was but one person. It would take more than one voice to change the perception of the werewolfmunity toward their exiled brothers and sisters.


    By the time Ronan and Lucien returned to Amaranthus Dream Resort, lunchtime was over a long time ago.


    They were weed by an infuriated Annalynne instead.

 Chapter 341 - 341 Lucien’s Birthday Present

    341 Lucien¡¯s Birthday Present


    ¡°You animal!¡± Annalynne roared in Ronan¡¯s direction.


    She grabbed his brother away from Ronan as if thetter had done a major, unheard-of crime.


    ¡°Lulu, are you alright?¡±


    Annalynne cupped Lucien¡¯s face in her palms. ¡°Why are you so pale? Did that perverted Alpha bully you again? Tell me, I am going to teach him a lesson.¡±


    Said perverted Alpha shot Annalynne a dirty look.


    Lucien was barely able to suppress a chuckle. Did Annalynne forget that that perverted Alpha happened to be his mate? But yes, he did bully Lucien in the jacuzzi. Not that Annalynne needed to know about that.


    ¡°Anna, are you hungry?¡± Lucien pulled at Annalynne¡¯s elbow in an attempt to distract his sister. ¡°I am famished. Why don¡¯t we get something to eat?¡±


    Delighted at the prospect of spending some alone time with Lucien, Annalynne stuck her tongue out at Ronan out of schadenfreude.


    ¡°Take that, Alpha Ronan! Don¡¯t disturb my brother anymore! He¡¯s with me now!¡±


    .....


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan put both hands against his waist and red at Annalynne, who looped her arm around Lucien¡¯s and dragged him away.


    The Alpha pondered whether he should attempt to kidnap Lucien and make a run for it.


    Despite having taken advantage of Lucien once in the morning, his thirst was far from being quenched.


    It was of course entirely Lucien¡¯s fault.


    Why must his Luna look so good in that shirt and pants?


    He looked as gentle as a fairy and as innocent as an angel, but Ronan knew what kind of seductive and tantalizing body hid underneath.


    The Alpha cleared his throat and averted his eyes from Lucien¡¯s mesmerizing figure.


    ¡®Lulu, I love you,¡¯ he called after his mate via Mind Link. He had to remind Lucien just in case his Luna forgot.


    Lucien turned around and shot Ronan an indulgent smile.


    ¡®I love you too, Ronan. I¡¯ll be back.¡¯


    Ronan and Lowell stayed behind at thevish resort entrance, looking at the siblings¡¯ retreating figures.


    ¡°Well, that leaves you and me,¡± the Alpha nodded at Lowell after the objects of their desire had gone out of sight. ¡°Why don¡¯t we take care of the birthday dinner then?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Alpha Ronan.¡±


    The Clearwater siblings went to take a walk along the beautiful beach. In summer afternoons, it was bustling with tourists.


    Some were sprawled across their sunbathing sheets or chairs and fell asleep under the sun.


    Some were either swimming near the beach or ying volleyball on a nearby volleyball court.


    Some others sat under huge umbres and were immersed in a good book, good music, or an animated chat with each other.


    Lucien and Anna headed directly to the food stalls.


    The siblings shared amon interest in unhealthy junk food, which Annalynne got to enjoy a lot more than Lucien on daily basis.


    Ronan had been very strict with Lucien¡¯s diet. Thetter could not remember when hest enjoyed fried chicken or a burger or a pizza from a fast food restaurant.


    Today, he especially needed somefort food to fill the gaping hole in his heart.


    Annalynne could not help but stare when she saw the tray full of food that Lucien ced between them. It was enough for at least four people.


    ¡°What¡¯s up? Eat,¡± Lucien said while grabbing three french fries at once.


    ¡°Wow. Lulu, are you so hungry?¡± Annalynne asked after a gulp.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lucien answered nonchntly.


    He chewed on his burger full of indignation. Still gued by the poor destiny that Sean and his mother suffered from, Lucien ended up asking Annalynne for her opinion.


    Of course he could not tell Annalynne outright about Seam¡¯s identity. Although he knew that Annalynne could keep a secret, he already promised Sean not to tell anyone.


    ¡°Say, Anna... What would you do if you are forced to be part of a belief system that no longer makes sense to you?¡±


    Annalynne blinked in confusion.


    ¡°Sorry, what?¡±


    ¡°... To put it in simpler terms, what if you are forced against your will to do something?¡±


    Annalynne¡¯s mouth dropped open.


    ¡°Uh, I guess I will fight it. I don¡¯t want to just resign myself to my fate.¡±


    Lucien gave his sister a thoughtful look.


    ¡°What if you can¡¯t fight it?¡±


    ¡°If you really want something to happen, you will find a way. Otherwise, you will find an excuse.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Maybe his sister was right. Self-admonishment was not going to help the Moon Goddess¡¯ banished children. He needed to do something big. Something meaningful. Something that would change the mindset of the entire werewolfmunity.


    Lucien smiled at his sister and ruffled her hair affectionately.


    ¡°You are so smart, Anna. I love you.¡±


    Annalynne¡¯s cheeks turned pink from her brother¡¯s praise.


    ¡°Ehehehe... Do you really think so?¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Lucien nodded. ¡°My Anna is the smartest.¡±


    Having been praised by her brother, Annalynne smiled all the way until they each returned to their own suites.


    ¡°Aaaaah,¡± she said, the broad grin was still stered across her face. ¡°Lowell, do you know that I have the absolute bestest brother in the world? Lulu is so amazing~¡±


    ¡°I know. Oh, speaking about your brother... You left your phone in the suite. Your father called about an hour ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡±


    Lying across the bed with her feet swinging up and down leisurely, Annalynne picked up her phone and made a call to her father.


    ¡°Hi, Dad. What¡¯s up?¡± she said when the call finally connected.


    Gordon Clearwater¡¯s voice rang out from the other end of the line.


    ¡°Anna? Dad needs to talk to you. Make sure Lulu isn¡¯t listening.¡±


    ¡°Okay...¡±


    Annalynne pulled herself into a sitting position right away with furrowed brows.


    ¡°Dad, we booked two different suites. He is not here. What happened?¡±


    ¡°Oh, alright. It¡¯s nothing bad. I have a birthday gift for Lucien. Since I can¡¯t be there to give it to him, can you help me out, Anna?¡±


    ¡°Okay...? What is it?¡±


    ¡°I sent a package to Amaranthus Dream Resort a few days ago, addressed to you. I just got a notification that it is now at the reception desk. Please pick it up and give it to Lucien tomorrow, will you?¡±

 Chapter 342 - 342 Annalynne Opened Lucien’s Birthday Gift

    342 Annalynne Opened Lucien¡¯s Birthday Gift


    Annalynne loved her brother, Lucien, beyond doubt.


    She would die a thousand deaths for her brother¡¯s sake.


    On the other side, Annalynne was also a petty twin sister.


    When she heard that Gordon Clearwater had taken the effort to send a birthday gift for Lucien, she only had one question in her mind: ¡°Where is my gift, Dad???¡±


    Pride prevented her from asking the question straightforwardly.


    Argh.


    The curse of an Alpha. She hated that she had to restrict her speech and actions to conform to an Alpha¡¯s supposed refinement and wisdom.


    In the end, she didn¡¯t ask her father the question, but it took root in her mind.


    The Alpha kept brooding over the question all the way to the reception table, but no answers came to her mind.


    .....


    ¡°Excuse me, I am here to pick up a package,¡± she said, leaning against the reception counter.


    ¡°Name, please?¡± the receptiondy asked with a smile.


    ¡°Annalynne Clearwater.¡±


    ¡°One second, please.¡±


    Thedy rose to her feet and rummaged inside a huge box for a while before she pulled out a thin, creme-colored, ten-by-twelve-by-two-centimeter package.


    ¡°Okay?¡± was Annalynne¡¯s only response.


    She initially thought that it was the wrong one, but her name was written clearly across the package surface.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Have a nice day, Miss!¡± thedy chirped at the confused guest as s


    Annalynne walked away from the table.


    ¡°Uh, you too.¡±


    Annalynne weighed the small package in her hand. It was heavy for it¡¯s size. Maybe an ounce? Two? Just what was inside?


    Annalynne wanted to know.


    She wanted to know so bad.


    Just what did Gordon Clearwater want to give Lucien for his birthday?


    Her fingers started to feel around the package. She sessfully located the seam. She ran her fingers around the seam and swallowed hard.


    No, she shouldn¡¯t.


    She shouldn¡¯t, should she?


    On the other side, she couldn¡¯t just hand the package over to Lucien like this, it was not ssy at all...


    Thebel with her name still stood there.


    Of course.


    Duh, Annalynne was so dumb. She smacked a hand against her forehead.


    Gordon would want Annalynne to open it and wrap it with beautiful gift paper. And pretty ribbons. Yes.


    Convinced, Annalynne went out to buy pretty packaging materials.


    The wrapping paper that she picked was white in color with intricate silver pattern. She also procured a huge orange-colored bow and a roll of golden ribbon to decorate the gift box with.


    And then, she sneaked back into the suite and locked herself up in the bathroom.


    ¡°Anna? Is everything alright?¡± Lowell came knocking not long afterward.


    ¡°I am fine!¡± Annalynne shouted frantically. ¡°I wille out soon!¡±


    ¡°... Um, alright. We are having dinner with your brother and Alpha Ronan soon, so...¡±


    ¡°I said, I wille out soon!!!¡± Annalynne shouted again in irritation.


    ¡°...¡±


    Outside, Lowell shrugged. Sometimes, women threw a tantrum for no reason. He should just go and do something useful.


    Once Lowell¡¯s retreating footsteps were heard, the only sound that invaded Annalynne¡¯s mind was that of her loud pounding heart.


    She rubbed her fingers against the seam of the package again.


    Here¡¯s to now or never!


    Annalynne carefully unwrapped the small package.


    It turned out to be smaller than it actually was. Gordon Clearwater had packed it insideyers of bubble wraps.


    The more bubble wraps that Annalynne had to go through, the more impatient she became.


    Atst, she arrived at thestyer.


    Her fingers trembled when she ripped it off and unveiled the item underneath.


    A loud gasp resonated within the bathroom. Annalynne widened her eyes in disbelief.


    It was a framed ck-and-white sonogram.


    In the picture, there were but two tiny dots that were floating inside the womb.


    They were so tiny.


    So small.


    Just two little bubbles that were happily awaiting the time of their birth.


    At the top left corner, the name of the mother was printed clearly.


    Lucien Clearwater.


    Another gasp escaped Annalynne, followed by two streams endless tears.


    ¡°Oh, Goddess,¡± she whispered to herself amidst the waterfall of tears.


    Lucien was pregnant!


    She was going to be an aunt!!!


    Annalynne cried and cried.


    When her tears dripped unto the framed picture, she hastily wiped them away. Her fingers wandered through the ss surface and hovered over the two tiny dots in the picture.


    In her mind, she kept repeating two sentences again and again.


    Lucien was going to be a mother.


    And she was going to be an aunt.


    Were they going to be boys? Girls? Maybe a boy and a girl?


    Whatever the gender was, Annalynne promised her unborn nieces and nephews that she would love them with all her heart and dote on them excessively.


    Wow.


    Annalynne broke into a chuckle.


    She knew that Ronan invested in a fertility center and her father personally oversaw its operation, but she never thought that...


    Lucien was a man after all.


    Men didn¡¯t get pregnant.


    Ronan actually managed to get her brother pregnant...


    That¡¯s why her brother ate so much just now. Of course, he had two tiny babies inside his body. He had to feed them.


    ¡°...¡±


    Feeding them...


    Oh, no.


    Lucien¡¯s words during theirte lunch more than an hour ago echoed in Annalynne¡¯s mind.


    ¡°What if you are forced against your will to do something?¡±


    Do what, exactly? Get pregnant???


    .....


    What was her answer again?


    ¡°Uh, I guess I will fight it. I don¡¯t want to just resign myself to my fate.¡±


    ¡°What if you can¡¯t fight it?¡± Lucien had continued asking.


    ¡°If you really want something to happen, you will find a way. Otherwise, you will find an excuse.¡±


    Annalynne¡¯s eyes turned round in horror.


    What the fuck?


    What kind of ideas did she nt into her brother¡¯s mind???


    And he even ruffled her hair and called her smart!


    No! She was not smart!


    She was dumb!


    Very dumb!


    Annalynne stared at the two tiny bubbles inside the picture.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, little babies. Aunt will go now and have a proper talk with your mother! If he really doesn¡¯t want you two, we will find a way to bring you safely to the world! I will raise you as my children, I swear this by my ancestors!¡±

 Chapter 343 - 343 A Sense Of Belonging

    343 A Sense Of Belonging


    Lucien just got back to the suite, having picked up his sister¡¯s birthday gift from the reception counter.


    Alice Clearwater told him that it was a limited-edition dress that Annalynne had fawned upon for months.


    The packaging was nice enough. Lucien peeled off thebel with his name and pondered whether he needed to buy gift packaging material to make it more appealing to the eyes.


    ¡°Hmmm...¡±


    Ronan had note back yet, and Lucien had nothing else to do.


    He thus went downstairs to get some gift packaging material from a nearby DIY shop.


    It was a small shop among many others that were cramped together in a humble shopping district. The letters DIY at the disy window were made from colorful paper pieces that were pasted together to form an unlikely and yet working pattern.


    When Lucien went inside, he was baffled to see a familiar face.


    It was none other than Sean¡¯s mother, the exiled werewolf who married a human being.


    .....


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Yes, young man? Are you looking for something specific?¡±


    ¡°... Madam, aren¡¯t you supposed to be staying at home?¡±


    Sean¡¯s mother chuckled.


    ¡°And who will feed us? The ind?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I can only rest when I am not working. Today I have the afternoon shift, so I get to serve the wonderful customers thate to visit.¡±


    Lucien rubbed at his forehead.


    He knew that Sean¡¯s mother harbored deep hatred toward fellow werewolves because these fellow werewolves banished her and her son.


    At this point, there was nothing else he could do but stay away to avoid aggravating the elder woman even more.


    ¡°I will just take a look,¡± he said. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Lucien walked into a corridor between the tall shelves and disappeared from her sight.


    The elder woman bit into her lower lip in resentment. She tapped her foot against the ceramic tile impatiently for some time before she walked away from the cashier counter and went to find Lucien.


    ¡°Hey.¡±


    Lucien was in the middle of picking out ribbons. He looked up at the sour-faced woman in confusion.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Pick the wrapping paper first, then the ribbon,¡± she pointed out with raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Oh. Alright, thanks.¡±


    ¡°The wrapping paper section is this way,¡± she said when Lucien moved in the opposite direction.


    ¡°Alright, thanks.¡±


    Lucien thought that Sean¡¯s mother would leave him alone once she pointed him in the right direction, but she followed him to the wrapping paper section instead.


    ¡°I asked around about you,¡± she said. ¡°You are quite famous.¡±


    A chuckle escaped the man as he looked through the selection of wrapping paper that hung gracefully from the shelves.


    ¡°I am not a celebrity. I am not interested to know about what people think about me.¡±


    Even after his reputation had been cleared, Lucien refused to re-open his social media ount. He had no aspiration other than spend the rest of his life next to his mate, so he did not care about what the rest of the world thought about him.


    ¡°I think that you are great. You went through a lot and practically became the enemy of all women for a period, but you rose above it.¡±


    Was that a praise?


    Lucien gave Sean¡¯s mother a weak smile.


    ¡°Thank you. I had a lot of help.¡±


    Lucien moved to another shelf, and the elder woman followed him.


    ¡°Look, I am sorry for my harsh words this afternoon. I was just so worried for my son. I never thought that he woulde and seek full-blood werewolves of his own volition. That was the stupidest thing that he could have done.¡±


    The elder woman heaved a long sigh.


    ¡°Mothers will forever worry about their children. Before I got married, I only cared about my life and my husband¡¯s life. After Sean was born, I worry about him day and night.¡±


    She nced at Lucien, who was still picking wrapping paper in silence.


    ¡°You won¡¯t understand,¡± she decided. ¡°You are mated to Alpha Ronan. Children are the least of your concern.¡±


    Children.


    Lucien lifted his eyes and looked at Sean¡¯s mother atst.


    ¡°If the Moon Goddess allow me and Ronan to have our own children, I don¡¯t mind worrying about them day and night.¡±


    A red shade hushed over the elder woman¡¯s face.


    ¡°You mistook me. I am notining.¡±


    ¡°And I am not condemning you. Madam, your son loves you. You should not make things difficult for him because he sought us out.¡±


    ¡°... I know that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great then.¡±


    Lucien pulled out a dark green, glittery wrapping paper and rolled it together.


    He then went back to the ribbon section to select something thatplimented the paper that he just picked out.


    Sean¡¯s mother followed him again. She cleared her throat awkwardly before she mumbled, ¡°By the way, thanks for the money. We knew what medicine to buy for my condition, but the cost was astronomical.¡±


    ¡°d that I can help,¡± Lucien replied. ¡°I hope that you are feeling better now.¡±


    ¡°The cough attacks are less severe. The medicine is very good.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Get the gold ribbon,¡± the woman suddenly said. ¡°It will look perfect against the dark green color that you just picked out.¡±


    Lucien took the rmended gold ribbon and held it against the rolled wrapping paper in his hand.


    ¡°You are right. It is perfect.¡±


    The woman smacked her lips impatiently. ¡°Of course. I work here for fifteen years. If I don¡¯t know the best colorbination here, who does?¡±


    They went to the cashier counter afterward.


    Lucien took out some bank notes from his pocket and handed them to Sean¡¯s mother, who stared at him instead.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You are very kind,¡± she said. ¡°I wish more werewolves were as kind as you.¡±


    For a while, all they heard was the sound of the printing machine printing out the receipt.


    Sean¡¯s mother ripped it out and handed it together with the purchase bag to Lucien.


    ¡°Money is important, but for werewolves, the sense of belonging is even more important. You know that, right?¡± she asked with a broken voice.


    ¡°I know,¡± Lucien answered.


    Of course, he knew.

 Chapter 344 - 344 Aunt Anna To The Rescue

    344 Aunt Anna To The Rescue


    As soon as Ronan got back to their suite, he heard the sound of someone throwing up in the bathroom. The reminder of what used to happen in the past made his heart skip a beat and lurch to the bottom of his stomach.


    The Alpha hammered on the door like a lunatic, determined to see his mate.


    ¡°Lulu??? Open the door!!!¡±


    When he did not hear an answer right away, he mmed his hand on the door so hard that it might fall off the hinges.


    ¡°LULU!!!¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment,¡± came the answer from behind the door atst.


    A whileter, the door unlocked with a click, and Ronan rushed in.


    Lucien sat next to the toilet, its bowl was full of vomit.


    ¡°Baby?¡±


    .....


    Ronan took a seat next to Lucien and pulled him into his arms, his voice trembling from fear. ¡°What happened? Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Mmm...¡±


    Lucien wiped his lips with some paper towel and leaned into his Alpha¡¯s chest.


    ¡°I ate too much this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°... Why did you eat so much?¡±


    ¡°... Because I wanted to.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan grabbed Lucien¡¯s chin and tilted it in his direction.


    ¡°Are you really just vomiting because you ate a lot? Did you meet someone? Did you eat or drink anything with someone?¡±


    He did meet with Sean¡¯s mother, but Lucien didn¡¯t want Ronan to go rampant for no reason.


    ¡°I only ate and drank with Anna. Unless you think that she poisoned me?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan looked so serious that Lucien had to squeeze his face for fun.


    ¡°Haha, look at your face, you look so tense.¡±


    Ronan took a deep breath.


    ¡°Lucien, don¡¯t joke around. It¡¯s not funny. If you throw up again, I am going to drag you to St. rence. We will celebrate your birthday there.¡±


    Lucien cracked a smile.


    ¡°I thought you said that they were ipetent,¡± he teased.


    ¡°They were,¡± Ronan agreed. ¡°But they are more than willing to learn. The rence family has agreed to use half of the ¡®A Thousand Flowers Of Separation¡¯ poison for clinical studies. In the future, this poison will not go unnoticed anymore. A cure will be found soon enough.¡±


    The Alpha and Luna exchanged smiles.


    ¡°A Thousand Flowers Of Separation¡± was not going to harm any fated mates, ever again.


    Ronan leaned over to kiss his mate, but thetter pressed a hand against his lips.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± he said. ¡°I just vomited.¡±


    ¡°Then I will just taste what you had for lunch.¡±


    ¡°E!!!¡±


    Lucien pushed hisughing mate away and jumped to his feet.


    ¡°Get away from me!¡±


    Ronan wrapped his arms around Lucien¡¯s torso and kissed his beloved mate on the nape instead. The Alpha¡¯s teeth lightly grazed the mating bond scar, sending chills down Lucien¡¯s spine.


    When his hand started to wander to Lucien¡¯s chest and squeeze a nipple through the fabric, he got a ruthless smack from Lucien.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fool around,¡± Lucien turned around and chastised his mate. ¡°Anna and Lowell are waiting for us.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I have dessert before dinner?¡± Ronan still refused to give up. He rubbed his nose against Lucien¡¯s neck and gently swayed left and right with the man in his arms.


    ¡°Come on, Lulu.¡±


    If Lucien had not been yed with this morning in the jacuzzi, he might just let the Alpha have a taste. Unfortunately, the stinging sensation in his rear end had yet to subside. It served as a constant reminder.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t behave, you will not eat dessert for a whole week.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Full of indignation, Ronan gave in to his childish impulse and bit Lucien in the nape.


    ¡°Argghhhhh!!! Ronan!!!¡±


    Lucien struggled to free himself, but the arms that held him tight were as strong as iron mps.


    Following Lucien¡¯s scream, another person hollered outside the suite bathroom as if her life depended on it.


    ¡°ALPHA RONAN! RELEASE MY BROTHER RIGHT NOW!!!¡±


    ¡°... How did she get in the suite?¡± Ronan just had to ask.


    ¡°I gave her a spare ess card,¡± Lucien readily answered before he turned in the direction of the bathroom door and hollered an answer to his sister, ¡°One moment, Anna.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    What¡¯s this? Was Annalynne going to run over whenever they did something improper?


    ¡°Tch.¡±


    Ronan clicked with his tongue unhappily. And he thought that Lowell could keep Annalynne busy! Who would have known that she picked her brother over her boyfriend?


    ¡°Go and keep your nosy sisterpany,¡± Ronan said gruffly before he released Lucien.


    Lucien snickered. He pulled Ronan down for a kiss on the cheek.


    ¡°Be good, Alpha.¡±


    Lucien turned to open the door for his hysterical sister outside, but Ronan yanked at his wrist and reeled him in for a kiss.


    The Alpha¡¯s tongue barely intruded past his lover¡¯s lips before he crumpled his face in disgust and broke the kiss.


    ¡°Blearghhh!!!¡±


    ¡°Serves you right,¡± Lucien sneered. ¡°Do you still want dessert, Alpha?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ronan quickly said.


    Sour dessert was still dessert. Plus there was ample amount of mouthwash to gurgle with.


    ¡°... Get away from me,¡± Lucien pushed Ronan away from him when he understood that the Alpha was hopelessly unrepentant.


    He then opened the door for Annalynne, who looked like she just ran all the way across the corridor to reach their suite.


    ¡°Lulu!¡± she eximed while examining her brother. ¡°Are you alright??? Did he do anything to you???¡±


    By this time, Ronan was out of patience. He pulled Lucien into his arms and pursed his lips at Annalynne.


    ¡°Alpha Annalynne, I tolerated you enough. Don¡¯t think that just because he is your brother you own him. If anything, I own him! He is my Luna!¡±


    Lucien¡¯s ¡°Technically, I am my own person,¡± was drowned when Annalynne dragged him away from Ronan and screamed at Ronan, ¡°You IDIOT! Lucien is in a...¡± and then she lowered her voice, ¡°delicate situation right now.¡±


    Right afterward, she started shouting at Ronan again, ¡°So stop with whatever perversion that you have in mind!!! Leave my brother be for the time being!!!¡±


    Huffing angrily, Annalynne dragged a confused Lucien away.


    Left behind, the Alpha gaped at the Clearwater twins¡¯ retreating figures and said to himself, ¡°What the hell? What delicate situation?¡±

 Chapter 345 - 345 Don’t Abort The Babies!

    345 Don¡¯t Abort The Babies!


    ¡°Anna, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Lucien gave his sister¡¯s hand a tug when they arrived at the outdoor restaurant that they booked for the night.


    It was fairly early, so customers had yet toe pouring down and fill the seats.


    Thankfully, they already booked the table weeks ago, so it did not matter whether they arrivedte or not.


    ¡°I need to talk to you,¡± Annalynne said in a discreet voice.


    ¡°Okay?¡±


    They took a seat on the couch and Lucien gave his sister a quizzical look.


    ¡°What is it, Anna?¡±


    Annalynne took her brother¡¯s hands and swallowed hard.


    ¡°Lulu, I found out about what you were talking about during lunch yesterday.¡±


    .....


    Lucien raised an eyebrow at his sister.


    Did Annalynne find out about Sean and his mother? That was quick.


    ¡°How did you...?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how. I just found out, okay. And I don¡¯t think you should go through with what you are nning.¡±


    Lucien rubbed at his lips thoughtfully. ¡°What exactly do you think I am nning?¡±


    Annalynne shook her head fervently. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to talk about it! It brings bad luck!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Bad luck? How?


    All he wanted to do was to fight for the right of the rogue werewolves and half-werewolves who were tossed away by the werewolfmunity ruthlessly. How was it bad luck, again?


    ¡°Anna, I don¡¯t think that I follow,¡± Lucien said. ¡°Speak clearly.¡±


    Annalynne swallowed again. She couldn¡¯t tell Lucien that she found out about his pregnancy because then it meant that she peeked at his gift. She could only speak in riddles, hoping that Lucien understood what she was trying to say.


    ¡°Lulu, look. Some things are meant to be. You should not fight it.¡±


    Annalynne¡¯s words astounded her brother. He almost could not believe his ears. Was it really his sister who spoke just now?


    ¡°Anna, that is a very selfish thing to say,¡± Lucien remarked, unable to contain the bubbling rage in his heart. ¡°You can say that because it is not happening to you.¡±


    Annalynne gave her brother a beseeching look.


    ¡°If it happens to me, I will still go with the flow. Besides, you said you would be there for me, right?¡±


    Lucien gaped at his sister.


    ¡°But that¡¯s the point! I want everyone to be there for each other!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s perfect! I agree!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    By then, they understood that they had been talking about two different topics altogether.


    ¡°Out with it. What the hell are you talking about?¡± Lucien stared at his sister while crossing his arms before his chest.


    As a response, Annalynne went to touch Lucien¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°It¡¯s only two weeks old, but they are inside. Lulu, please don¡¯t... Don¡¯t abort them, alright?¡±


    Lucien¡¯s mouth dropped open.


    He must have fainted in a sitting position because he cked out for a full minute before he snapped back to reality.


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about, Anna? I am not pregnant!¡±


    ¡°Of course you are!¡± Annalynne insisted. ¡°That¡¯s why you ate for three people at lunch!¡±


    Lucien red at his sister.


    Good Goddess!


    He just ate too much one time in his life and everyone was making a fuss about it!


    ¡°I. Am. Not. Pregnant!¡± Lucien emphasized every word in anger.


    ¡°I am a man, Anna!!!¡± he added, just in case his sister forgot his gender.


    Once Lowell and Ronan arrived, the angry man went to sit next to Ronan. Whenever their eyes met, he shoot icy res at his sister.


    ¡°...¡±


    Annalynne was baffled. Lucien¡¯s anger was real.


    So, was she mistaken?


    No way.


    The name in the sonogram was clearly Lucien¡¯s.


    Gordon Clearwater did not make this kind of joke. Or was it something else?


    After that, Annalynne did not dare to mention the pregnancy again. In fact, she was terrified about it. The way Lucien reacted strengthened her belief that he would definitely abort the babies if he ever found out about it.


    Lucien could not find out.


    Annalynne had to destroy the sonogram before Lucien even got to see it.


    But arghhh... It was the first picture of the babies in the womb!!!


    Annalynne bit into her napkin in resentment. She couldn¡¯t destroy it. She wanted to supersize it and hang it in her bedroom at the Silent Walkers Pack House.


    Then, what to do?


    Eventually, the babies would grow.


    Lucien would notice for sure.


    When Lucien found out, he was going to throw a tantrum.


    He was going to abort the babies behind Ronan¡¯s back!


    Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!


    The poor babies!


    A waiter went around and poured everyone a ss of wine.


    ¡°Cheers to my beautiful mate and his insufferable sister!¡± Ronan said with a smile while raising his ss.


    Annalynne watched with horror as Lucien lifted his ss and then tilted the ss to drink the wine.


    ¡°NO!!!¡±


    Annalynne threw herself across the table and grabbed Lucien¡¯s wrist to stop him from drinking. In doing so, she soiled her yellow dress with wine and hummus sd.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°... Anna?¡± Lowell grabbed Annalynne¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Honey, is everything alright?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Annalynne broke into tears.


    ¡°Lulu, why? Why don¡¯t you want them??? Why are you trying to harm them???¡±


    Lucien put down his ss of wine and heaved a long sigh.


    ¡°Baby, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Ronan furrowed his brows. ¡°What are you fighting with Annalynne about?¡±


    ¡°We are not fighting,¡± Lucien corrected him. ¡°Annalynne seems to believe that I am...¡±


    Lucien made a subtle hand gesture to point at his own stomach. Unfortunately, except for Annalynne, neither Ronan nor Lowell understood what he meant.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Ronan repeated the gesture and frowned at his mate.


    Lucien pursed his lips in annoyance.


    ¡°She believes that I am... You know...?¡±


    ¡°... No, I don¡¯t,¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes at the red-blond man, who looked more and more aggrieved with every passing minute.


    ¡°She believes that I am pregnant,¡± Lucien gave up and said it out loud.


    ¡°...¡±


    .....


    ¡°...¡±


    Silence fell on the table, disrupted only by the chattering voices and clinking sounds that came from all the other tables around them.


    ¡°So, are you?¡± Ronan just had to ask.


    Lucien squinted at him. ¡°No. Goddess, please don¡¯t make me say it again and again. I. Am. Not. Pregnant.¡±


    He reached toward the ss of wine again. Heck, he needed a bottle to forget this disgraceful conversation.


    Annalynne yelped a second time and grabbed Lucien¡¯s wrist again to stop him from drinking.


    ¡°Help!¡± she pleaded with Ronan. ¡°He is going to abort your babies!¡±


    Lucien scoffed. He turned to Ronan and said, ¡°Ronan, surely you won¡¯t be so dumb to believe that...¡±


    Ronan took the wine ss from Lucien¡¯s hand and drank the whole content.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± he asked while setting the empty wine ss on the table. ¡°Are you trying to abort my babies?¡±

 Chapter 346 - 346 Teach Only The Good Things

    346 Teach Only The Good Things


    Everyone at the table except for Lowell had gone insane. Lucien¡¯s res spoke volumes. He wanted to give both Annalynne and Ronan a thorough smack on the head.


    Before that, he decided to give them both a piece of his mind.


    ¡°Listen, you two...¡±


    Before Lucien managed to vent his frustration, his stomach rebelled against him and prompted him to throw up again.


    ¡°Mmmph...¡±


    Frowning, Lucien pressed a hand against his lips to stop himself from vomiting on spot.


    He then rose to his feet and hurried toward the restroom.


    ¡°Lulu!!!¡±


    Annalynne wanted to chase after her brother, but Ronan pushed her back to her seat and went after Lucien.


    .....


    When Annalynne tried to go after them, Lowell yanked at her wrist and pulled her back to her seat again.


    ¡°It¡¯s better to leave them be.¡±


    ¡°I need to talk to Lulu!¡± Annalynne insisted. ¡°He has to listen to me!¡±


    ¡°Um, talk to him after hees out of the restroom,¡± Lowell said after clearing his throat.


    ¡°...¡±


    When Lowell was right, he was right.


    The two men went into the male restroom. Annalynne did not want to be that crazydy who campaigned against abortion outside of the restroom.


    ¡°Do you want to go and change your dress?¡± Lowell asked.


    ¡°...¡±


    upied with the babies and Lucien¡¯s abortion ns, Annalynne had forgotten all about her soiled dress.


    ¡°Oh eww. I have hummus and wine all over me! I am going back to our suite to change clothes!¡± Annalynne shouted before she hasted away, leaving her boyfriend behind.


    Being the only one who was left at the table, Lowell decided to make himself useful.


    ¡°Waiter? Can we please get the table tidied up...?¡±


    By the time his three dinnerpanions came back, they could reset the entire dinner.


    Meanwhile, inside the male restroom, Lucien finally got the remaining junk food out of his system.


    Never again, he promised himself.


    If he wanted to binge eat, maybe he should do that with something that was not too oily.


    Fruits would be good to binge on. Or vegetables. Why couldn¡¯t he binge on fresh carrots instead?


    Lucien cursed his bad decision inside his heart many, many times.


    The sink counter was equipped with a shelf full of toiletries at the restaurant guests¡¯ disposal.


    Lucien picked a bottle of mouthwash and started gurgling to get rid of the sour, burning sensation in his oral cavity.


    Once he was done, he wiped his lips with a moist towelette.


    Behind him, his mate rubbed his back patiently from top to bottom.


    ¡°Baby, are you feeling better?¡±


    Lucien nodded.


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    Ronan looked at Lucien¡¯s reflection in the mirror. Maybe it was because he just threw up, but hisplexion did not look good. Not at all.


    ¡°Lulu, I am serious. Let¡¯s be safe and go to St. rence, alright?¡± Ronan coaxed him with soft words. ¡°Milroy can get us a helicopter.¡±


    Lucien pursed his lips from irritation. He whipped his head around and regarded his mate with bewildered looks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to spend the night going back and forth between Amaranthus Haven and St. rence!¡±


    ¡°Just to be safe,¡± Ronan said. ¡°It won¡¯t take the whole night.¡±


    Six hours tops. A little more than a blink of an eye, for sure.


    ¡°Ronan, I am neither pregnant nor poisoned. I really just ate too much this afternoon. Stop pestering me.¡±


    The Alpha chuckled. He ruffled Lucien¡¯s hair and rubbed their noses together.


    ¡°I know that you aren¡¯t pregnant. Honestly, I don¡¯t know what drug Annalynne is high on, but I am more than happy to y along.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan then gave Lucien a stomach rub. His face glowed from delight, while Lucien¡¯s darkened visibly.


    Emboldened by Lucien¡¯s silence, Ronan went on his knees and kissed Lucien¡¯s stomach again and again. Wrapping his hands around Lucien¡¯s waist, he then spoke to his ¡°unborn child¡±.


    ¡°Is the baby being naughty? Naughty, naughty baby. Be nice to your mother, my child.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    In response, Lucien pulled at Ronan¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°He is as naughty as his father.¡±


    Ronan grinned.


    So Lucien wanted a son?


    That was also fine by him.


    ¡°Then he is my son, alright.¡±


    Ronan rose to his feet and lifted Lucien off the ground at the same time.


    ¡°Hey...!!!¡±


    Losing the ground beneath his feet, Lucien scrambled for any kind of support. It was not necessary at all, because Ronan¡¯s grip around his body was firm and strong. He was not going to let his mate fall. Especially not when he was in ¡°a delicate situation¡±, as Anna put it.


    ¡°I love you, my Lulu,¡± Ronan whispered while pressing butterfly kisses on Lucien¡¯s stomach. ¡°Please give birth safely to our child, alright?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Alright?¡± Ronan repeated. ¡°If you don¡¯t say yes, I will not put you down.¡±


    Lucien sneered at his mate, his fingernails burying themselves into Ronan¡¯s shoulders like two sets of wolf ws.


    ¡°... Let¡¯s see how long you can hold me.¡±


    ¡°Even if I am not holding you, I can still make sure that your feet never touch the ground again.¡±


    There was something about the way Ronan said it that made Lucien believe his every word. Shuddering from his imagination, Lucien iled in panic.


    ¡°Let me go, you perverted, lecherous, lewd Alpha!¡±


    Ronan clicked with his tongue. He adjusted the wriggling man in his arms so that he nowy in Ronan¡¯s arms in a princess carry.


    ¡°Ck ck ck ck ck... Lulu, don¡¯t say all of those things in front of our child. What if he learns bad words before hees to the world?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just teach him the good things instead. For example, how to kiss.¡±


    To demonstrate it to his ¡°unborn son¡±, Ronan proceeded to shower Lucien¡¯s face with tiny kisses.


    Lucien held his arms up to protect himself from Ronan¡¯s overbearing attack, but it was all to no avail. The Alpha was very resilient. In the end, Lucien just rolled with his eyes and let his mate kiss him as much as he wanted to.


    ¡°Stupid Ronan,¡± Lucien whispered when Ronan finally put him down on the sink counter.


    The Alpha did not bother to answer. He was too busy iming his mate¡¯s lips as his own.

 Chapter 347 - 347 The Endless Joyrides (NSFW)

    347 The Endless Joyrides (NSFW)


    When all three of them returned, the atmosphere between the birthday boy and girl was extremely awkward.


    To prevent Annalynne fromunching into another ¡°don¡¯t kill the baby¡± meltdown, Lucien opted to drink fruit punch instead.


    Cold drinks were supposedly not good for him, so not a single ice cube was put inside the ss.


    Whenever Lucien took a sip from his child-friendly drink, he could not help but pin his sister with a scorching re.


    Annalynne did feel apologetic, but not enough to grant Lucien a drink.


    Or the smoked salmon in the smoked salmon pasta with cream cheese that came during the main course.


    Or the coffee in the delectable milk coffee pudding with vani sauce that came as dessert.


    In the end, Lucien had to be content with eating a bowl of fish congee and vegetable and chicken soup to amodate his delicate digestive system.


    For some reason, Annalynne¡¯s love for her brother had shifted to her dearest nieces and nephews in supposedly Lucien¡¯s belly.


    .....


    Aunt Annalynne was so obsessed with the ¡°unborn babies¡±. She kept staring at Lucien¡¯s stomach, as if expecting the babies to magically appear any time soon.


    Lucien did not know whether he shouldugh or cry.


    On one hand, he was happy that Annalynne was this supportive of his ¡°pregnancy¡±.


    On the other hand, he was ufortable with Annalynne¡¯s overbearing care.


    To add fuel to the fire, Ronan Silverback, his own mate, decided to y the best aplice.


    He followed Annalynne¡¯s example and took all the good food away before Lucien even sank a fork into the te.


    Lucien went amok and cursed at his mate via Mind Link, but Ronan did not even bother to respond. He was too immersed in his role as a concerned father-to-be.


    For once, Annalynne approved of Ronan¡¯s existence in Lucien¡¯s life.


    For once, Lucien disapproved of their cooperative behavior.


    Thanks to Ronan¡¯s good performance, he managed to convince Annalynne that he was not going to engage in any heavy exercise that might endanger the babies.


    The two couples parted ways some distance away from the restaurant.


    ¡°Take care of my brother and your children, Alpha Ronan,¡± Annalynne spoke to Ronan solemnly before she left, as if Ronan and Lucien were about to embark on a dangerous adventure.


    Lucien almost flipped out.


    Ronan literally turned blue from suppressing hisughter.


    As soon as Annalynne and Lowell disappeared around the corner, Ronan roared withughter.


    mming his hand against a huge rock outside the restaurant, the Alpha amused himself immensely at Lucien¡¯s expense.


    ¡°You asshole,¡± Lucien smacked Ronan¡¯s arm in fury. ¡°Are you having enough fun, Alpha Ronan? Do you need more entertainment for the night?¡± he asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Ronan said.


    He grabbed his mate and pinned him against the huge rock before he proceeded to kiss the breath out of his mate.


    Soft moans escaped Lucien¡¯s lips between kisses. Ronan¡¯s fingers moved into Lucien¡¯s hair, carding down the soft red-golden curls before his hands slid down and started kneading down his mate¡¯s body.


    ¡°Ah... Ronan... Ahh...¡±


    Ronan sucked at Lucien¡¯s lips hungrily before he whispered into thetter¡¯s ear with a seductive, maic voice, ¡°Does the Luna wish to entertain me further?¡±


    His words reverberated in Lucien¡¯s heart and his hunting breath blew against Lucien¡¯s earlobe. The Alpha¡¯s aggressive love lit a fire in Lucien¡¯s belly, burning him from the inside.


    When Lucien¡¯s legs gave out under his weight, Ronan swooped Lucien up in his arms with a chuckle.


    ¡°Sorry, Lulu. I don¡¯t think that you will get to sleep tonight.¡±


    Before Lucien could say anything to ruin the mood, Ronan sealed his lips with a kiss and carried him back to their shared suite.


    The Alpha always kept his promises especially when it came down to promiscuous activities.


    As soon as they got inside their suite, alone atst, Ronan put Lucien down and started stripping him of his shirt and pants.


    Without a single thread covering his body, Lucien stood naked in front of his mate. The fair skin carried red and purple blemishes, the result of Ronan¡¯s aggressive lovemaking in the morning.


    He was so beautiful.


    Ronan tugged at his tie nervously, trying hard to suppress the carnal desire that threatened to engulf his senses.


    Luckily for Ronan, he was not the only one in this predicament.


    Lucien too was unable to contain his unbridled lust.


    He stepped out of the pool of clothes at his feet and brushed against Ronan¡¯s shoulder and chest with his hands.


    While their noses and lips brushed against each other, Lucien proceeded to take Ronan¡¯s clothes off.


    Only without the same degree of courtesy.


    Instead of unbuttoning Ronan¡¯s shirt one by one, Lucien ripped the shirt off Ronan¡¯s body with both hands and exposed the sexy ripples on thetter¡¯s torso to the cold air.


    He then proceeded to kiss along Ronan¡¯s corbone, down to the deep lines along his chest that led to the bulge in his pants.


    Ronan was positively shocked at the wonderful development.


    If the fish congee and vegetable chicken soup turned Lucien into a sex maniac, maybe Ronan was interested to hire the chef to cook personally for him and Lucien at the Infinite Alpha Pack House.


    ¡°Looks like my Luna is rather impatient,¡± Ronan remarked with a suggestive smile


    Lucien ignored the other man¡¯sment. Kneeling in front of Ronan, he put his hands at the man¡¯s pants and gave them a light tug.


    ¡°Are you taking these off or should I?¡±


    Ronan giggled.


    As an answer, he ripped his pants into two himself. Once he was free from his clothing, he tackled Lucien against the wall from behind.


    ¡°Spread your legs for me, you sexy Luna,¡± Ronan whispered.


    Lucien spread his legs to grant Ronan entry. When the hot flesh rod pressed against his buttcheeks, he suddenly remembered something else.


    ¡°Ronan, the lubricant... Arghhh!!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that,¡± Ronan whispered as he pushed deep into Lucien¡¯s body.


    Thetter¡¯s hole was still soft from their lovemaking in the morning. Ronan could go in easily just by using his saliva.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Ronan sighed from bliss when his erect organ was enveloped in Lucien¡¯s sweet, velvety folds.


    ¡°You look so good tonight. I can¡¯t take it anymore.¡±

 Chapter 348 - 348 You Are Going To Regret It (NSFW)

    348 You Are Going To Regret It (NSFW)


    Pressed against the wall, Lucien received a round of rough pounding before Ronan took him to bed to continue.


    At night time, the entire suite was deadly quiet except for the wet, intimate sounds that emanated from the bedroom.


    Like two beasts in heat, they carved marks into each other¡¯s bodies with their teeth and fingernails while theirbined bodies gently rocked against each other.


    The air was saturated with the mix of their pheromones, intoxicating them further as they drowned in waves of amorous kisses and embrace.


    Lucien lost count of his orgasms.


    All he knew was that as soon as he climbed down from the peak of pleasure, Ronan was there to take him to another joyride.


    And the joyrides were endless.


    Ronan pumped his mate full of his cum the first time. But then he continued pushing inside him again and again, causing the turbid liquid to be sheared thin by his incessant thrusts.


    Once the clock hit twelve o¡¯clock at midnight, it marked the shift into a new day.


    .....


    ¡°Happy Birthday, Lulu,¡± Ronan said lovingly before he sank his teeth into Lucien¡¯s nape and injected his bloodstream full of his pheromones. At the same time, he sent a torrent of hot semen against Lucien¡¯s sore and sensitive walls and forced him to erupt into another turbulent orgasm.


    ¡°Ahhhh...!!!¡± Lucien shouted as his body grew taut in Ronan¡¯s embrace and stars exploded before his eyes.


    Guided only by primeval instinct, he open his mouth and searched for Ronan¡¯s nape. Thetter let out a guttural sound when Lucien¡¯s pheromones too flowed into his body.


    Once they were done, theyy in each other¡¯s arms and gazed at each other.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Ronan whispered while running his hand along Lucien¡¯s sweaty body.


    ¡°Hey you back,¡± Lucien said while giving Ronan¡¯s chest a little kiss.


    ¡°I love you so much, my Luna.¡±


    Lucien reached out and ran his fingers along Ronan¡¯s chiseled jawline.


    ¡°I love you too, my Alpha.¡±


    Overwhelmed by the rush of pheromones and extreme exhaustion, the couple soon fell into a deep sleep.


    When morning came, Lucien¡¯s neglected phone in the living room started to ring.


    Inside the bedroom, Lucien and Ronan were still sleeping in each other¡¯s arms.


    The bedroom was generally dark, only a fraction of sun rays fell through the gap between two window curtains.


    Lucien managed to open his eyes slightly, but he quickly closed them again with a groan.


    He did not want to wake up.


    He was so tired.


    ¡°Argh.¡±


    Next to Lucien, Ronan shuffled in bed and pulled Lucien closer to his chest.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± he whispered in a husky voice. ¡°Let¡¯s sleep a little longer.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    Lucien furrowed his brows and hooked his arms around Ronan¡¯s neck.


    They quickly fell asleep again.


    For maybe an hour, before someone pounded against the suite door frantically.


    ¡°LULU! COME OUT! I HAVE A PRESENT FOR YOU!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan rolled to his back with a sigh. Just what was wrong with Annalynne? Did she and Lowell not spend an intimate night together? Was their suite notfortable enough???


    ¡°Mmm...¡±


    Lucien rolled to the other side and buried himself under the nket.


    ¡°I am tired,¡± heined.


    Ronan crept under the nket and pulled Lucien into a hug.


    He lodged his chin on top of Lucien¡¯s shoulder and kissed his mate on the cheek.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s not do anything today. Let¡¯s just stay here, alright?¡±


    They still had one more night in Amaranthus Haven anyway.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Lucien hummed in agreement.


    Unfortunately, the red-blonde woman outside did not get the message. The longer she had to shout, the more embarrassing her words became.


    ¡°RONAN SILVERBACK! I TOLD YOU NOT TO HARM THE BABIES!¡±


    ¡°GET OUT NOW BEFORE I BREAK THE DOOR!¡±


    Both Ronan and Lucien climbed off the bed at the same time.


    When Ronan looked around for something to wear, Lucien pushed him in the direction of the bathroom instead.


    ¡°Go and take a bath. I will handle my sister.¡±


    If Ronan showed up, Annalynne was going berserk for sure.


    Lucien grabbed a bathrobe and wrapped it around his body before he went out. The door opened and revealed a furious Annalynne and a deeply apologetic Lowell.


    Annalynne¡¯s eyes widened in terror when she saw the red marks on Lucien¡¯s neck and smelled the thick sandalwood scent that stuck to him.


    She wed at her face and howled sorrowfully.


    ¡°Whyyyyyy, Lulu!!! How could you two do that!!! We have to go to St. rence right away to examine the babies!!!¡±


    Annalynne was about to spill her tears.


    It was all her fault, Annalynne knew that. How could she leave Lucien in the debauched Alpha¡¯s hands? She should have known what would happen as soon as they retreated into their suite!


    ¡°Anna, calm down,¡± Lucien sighed. ¡°Come in first. You are embarrassing me.¡±


    ¡°EMBARRASSING YOU???¡± Annalynne¡¯s scream went up one pitch. ¡°Is that all you care about, Lucien Clearwater???¡±


    Lucien clicked with his tongue. By then, curious heads were peeking out from behind the other doors along the corridor.


    Thin-skinned Lucien yanked at Annalynne¡¯s arm and pulled sister her into the suite impatiently. Lowell followed suit before Lucien had to drag him inside as well.


    As soon as the door shut click behind them, Lucien started to scold his sister.


    ¡°Look, Anna, I told you again and again. I am NOT pregnant! How many times do I have to repeat myself?? I cannot even fathom where you got this crazy idea from. Do you sentence every person who eats a lot with pregnancy???¡±


    Annalynne grabbed Lucien¡¯s bathrobe cor and hissed at his face.


    ¡°Lulu, I am NOT that stupid! I have a strong reason to believe that! If only you trust me just a little bit! You are so going to regret your carelessness!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien was speechless.


    When did Annalynne be an expert in pregnancy matters?


    Annalynne reached into her bag and took out a gift that was beautifully wrapped in silver paper and golden ribbon.


    ¡°See for yourself,¡± she said while thrusting the gift under Lucien¡¯s nose. ¡°Don¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t warn you.¡±


    Lucien took the gift and carefully unwrapped it. The silver gift paper and ribbon fell to the ground, revealing the thoughtfully framed sonogram underneath.

 Chapter 349 - 349 The Tiny Bubbles Of Hope

    349 The Tiny Bubbles Of Hope


    Lucien froze on the spot while staring at the ck-and-white picture in his hands.


    It was a sonogram, he knew that much.


    But whose...?


    His eyes slowly traveled to the tiny printed words in white at the top.


    In the left corner, the mother¡¯s name could not be more clear.


    Lucien Clearwater.


    Lucien¡¯s eyes drifted back to the picture again, searching for something in the darkness at the center of the picture.


    Anything.


    There was something.


    .....


    Lucien¡¯s fingers slowly wandered to the two tiny dots that were somewhat floating close to the walls.


    Could it be?


    Dumbfounded, he almost wanted to rub his own abdomen to locate the tiny sparks of life within. And then he recalled that he never had an ultrasound examination before.


    And yet, the babies were there.


    His children.


    His and Ronan¡¯s.


    Their children.


    Lucien felt light-headed all of a sudden. The ceiling above him started to spin and his world was turned upside down.


    ¡°Lulu.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s voice was loud and clear in his ear. It was almost like a wake-up call.


    Lucien blinked a few times. When he fully regained consciousness, he was hanging from Ronan¡¯s arms like a boneless ragged doll.


    The Alpha pulled his mate to his feet and circled Lucien¡¯s waist with both arms.


    ¡°Lulu, is everything alright?¡±


    Worried that Lucien would drop the picture in a moment¡¯s weakness, Annalynne quickly reached out to grab it, but it was not necessary at all.


    Two rivulets of tears flowed down his cheeks as Lucien held the first sonogram of his babies close to his heart and refused to let go.


    Ronan hugged Lucien from behind and gave him kisses against the back of his head.


    ¡°Baby? Lulu, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Lucien did not answer.


    Nothing was wrong.


    The tears simply would not stop, that was all.


    Wordless, Lucien showed Ronan the sonogram in his hand.


    Ronan stared at the framed picture in stupefaction. He took it from Lucien¡¯s hand and let his eyes dart up and down many, many times.


    Once the knowledge set in, innumerable warm and tender feelings burst forth in his heart. They spread slowly to his entire body, filling even the tips of his fingers and toes with an indescribable fuzzy sensation.


    Ronan grabbed the back of Lucien¡¯s neck and locked their lips together in a deep, consuming kiss.


    His voice hoarse from the violence of his suppressed emotions, he barely managed to prevent himself from breaking down in tears.


    ¡°Lulu, it¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, I will be here for you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien took the sonogram back from Ronan and hugged it like he would their babies.


    Ronan kept rubbing Lucien¡¯s back gently while whispering soothing words to his teary mate.


    Annalynne was pale with fright when she witnessed the exchange.


    It was clear that Ronan wanted the babies.


    What about Lucien?


    Was Lucien happy or distraught about this unexpected revtion?


    Or was he maybe sad because he thought that he lost them?


    ¡°Lulu, I am exaggerating,¡± Annalynne tugged at her brother¡¯s arm.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to have sex during the early stage of pregnancy, you just need to be careful. I didn¡¯t mean it when I said that you would regret it. Don¡¯t be sad, let¡¯s go to an obstetrician first.¡±


    Ronan cleared his throat.


    Lucien gave his sister a confused look.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk while standing around,¡± Ronan decided.


    Overwhelmed by the amount of drama so early in the morning, Lowell quickly agreed.


    ¡°Right. Why don¡¯t we all just go and sit on the couch? Anna?¡±


    Lowell tugged at Annalynne¡¯s elbow. Dumbfounded, thetter did not resist when she was led toward one of the couches.


    Lucien himself was led by Ronan to sit on the opposite couch, just next to the Alpha.


    Tightly clutching the framed sonogram in his arms, Lucien went into a dazepletely and stopped paying attention to his surroundings.


    His gaze was unfocused and his lips were shut in utter silence.


    Ronan then proceeded to exin to Annalynne and Lowell about the new technology that the fertility center in West Coast City developed to enable him and Lucien to have children.


    He did not go into details, but he mentioned that although Lucien was the mother, he did not have the babies inside his belly.


    Once Annalynne understood the whole picture, her cheeks were burning with extreme embarrassment. She never thought that the babies that she worried so much about were miles away, safe inside ab-grown womb, and properly taken care of by experts.


    ¡°Sorry, Lulu,¡± she said helplessly. ¡°I was mistaken.¡±


    Annalynne knelt on the carpet in front of Lucien and grabbed his hands.


    ¡°You must be shocked. I am so, so, sorry...¡±


    Lucien lifted his head and looked at his sister.


    ¡°No,¡± Lucien choked out while pulling his sister into a hug. ¡°Thank you, Anna.¡±


    Annalynne turned red in an instant.


    ¡°No,¡± she stammered. ¡°It was not like I helped or anything. I was so stupid and...¡±


    Lucien shook his head.


    He did not care about the misunderstanding.


    Annalynne¡¯s unreasonable tantrums, the length she went to keep the babies safe, going as far as infuriating her brother, all of it made sense now.


    The fact that Annalynne cared so much meant the world to him.


    ¡°You are going to be a great mother,¡± Annalynne whispered to Lucien, tears trickling down her eyes again.


    This time they were happy tears.


    ¡°And you are going to be an amazing aunt,¡± Lucien whispered back.


    His words made Annalynne float to the seventh heaven.


    ¡°I am!¡± she eximed. ¡°I am going to be the best aunt in the world for them! I will always love them no matter what.¡±


    Just like she loved her twin brother.


    Once Lucien let go of Annalynne, he was wrapped in his mate¡¯s tight embrace.


    Ronan buried his face into Lucien¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Ronan, we are going to have children,¡± Lucien said in a trembling voice.


    After fantasizing about it for months, they were truly going to be parents.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ronan confirmed.


    .....


    He put his hands on top of Lucien¡¯s, hoping that time passed quickly so that they could meet the babies soon.

 Chapter 350 - 350 The Alpha Did Not Forgive Easily

    350 The Alpha Did Not Forgive Easily


    Amaranthus Haven was a piece of heaven that was surrounded by arge body of water.


    While there were a few beach spots that were open for tourists, there were also a few private beaches that were rented only to the premium customers who dared to pay an exorbitant sum of money for an outdoor but private experience.


    After a hearty birthday brunch, Ronan whisked Lucien away to one of these private beaches.


    A cream-colored tent stood tall by the beach, its curtains pping gently with the soft breeze that blew through the beach.


    The inside of the tent was upied by a cozy, legless circr bed. A few round and fluffy pillows wereid across the bed to give guests morefort.


    Wearing a pair of tinted sunsses that settled on his high and straight nose bridge, Ronany on the bed with an arm supporting his upper body.


    His shirt was unbuttoned, exposing a huge expanse of his chest to those who were lucky enough to catch a glimpse.


    Leaning against a pillow at Ronan¡¯sp was Lucien, who was curled up to his side in a fetal position. Ronan was gazing at his mate¡¯s beautiful features, but the other man was not looking at him at all.


    He was busy looking at the framed sonogram.


    .....


    In fact, ever since Lucien unwrapped the gift from his father, he refused to let it go.


    The only time that his hands left the frame was when he was eating brunch. Even then, his eyes kept drifting back to the picture. It was possibly the most fascinating piece of art that he had ever seen in his life.


    ¡°How are you still not bored with it? I can ask the fertility center to send you loads of pictures.¡± Ronanmented while carding Lucien¡¯s soft curls with his fingers.


    ¡°No,¡± Lucien answered. ¡°This one is perfect.¡±


    ¡°Just like you,¡± Ronan flirted.


    Lucien smiled.


    ¡°They are beautiful, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    Ronan raised an eyebrow.


    Even among other alpha werewolves, both of them stood out in terms of their beauty and attractiveness. That being said, of course, their children were going to be beautiful. There was no doubt about that.


    It¡¯s just that the two tiny bubbles had yet to evolve into pups that exhibited any facial features, so it was rather difficult to tell whether they were beautiful or not.


    The Alpha cleared his throat in response and said, ¡°They should be.¡±


    ¡°They are,¡± Lucien insisted. ¡°I know that they are.¡±


    Ronan chuckled.


    He caressed the side of Lucien¡¯s head lovingly and squeezed thetter¡¯s chin.


    ¡°What if they are not? Are you going to love them less?¡±


    Lucien shot icy res at Ronan and replied without skipping a beat, ¡°Ronan Silverback, they are beautiful no matter what. Don¡¯t you dare im that they are not.¡±


    ¡°... Pffft. Of course. Our children are the most beautiful pups in the world,¡± Ronanughed while pulling his ridiculous mate into his embrace.


    Smothered against Ronan¡¯s warm chest, Lucien¡¯s lips curled up into a smile.


    ¡°I am happy,¡± he mumbled with a soft sigh. ¡°So happy. This is the best birthday present that I have ever received in my entire life.¡±


    Ronan ran his hands up and down Lucien¡¯s shapely back. Cocking his head to the side with a smile, hemented, ¡°You were not too excited when you first found out about the fertility center. Honestly, I thought that you would be rather indifferent once the insemination proves sessful.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien pushed at Ronan¡¯s shoulder and made him lie on his back. He then climbed on top of the taller man¡¯s body and sat on him.


    The red-blond man ced his weight left and right of Ronan¡¯s hips and leaned forward to cup Ronan¡¯s face in his palms.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be offended, Alpha, but when I first found out that you funded an entire fertility center to try and generate babies out of our semen samples, I thought that you had gone nuts.¡±


    ¡°.....¡±


    An apologetic grin spread across Lucien¡¯s beautiful face.


    ¡°So sorry but I never bought your story about the High Seer. Either you drank too much that night or you bumped your head a little too hard when you escaped from the crumbling council headquarters.¡±


    Ronan was so offended.


    ¡°¡­... Seriously, Lulu? I have done so much for us and all this time, you thought that I was insane?¡±


    Ronan propped himself into a sitting position and held Lucien by his waist to prevent thetter from toppling backward.


    ¡°That is mean,¡± the Alpha pouted.


    He had been terribly wronged.


    He worked so hard but Lucien didn¡¯t even appreciate his efforts!


    Lucien was so inconsiderate!


    ¡°I am so, so, so, sorry,¡± Lucien repeated while bumping their foreheads together. ¡°Will you forgive me, Alpha?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Ronan drawled in response.


    He took the framed sonogram off Lucien¡¯s hand and set it aside.


    ¡°Do you think that a simple apology is enough to ount for your wrongdoing?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    Lucien rubbed against Ronan¡¯s cheeks with his thumbs and gave him a seductive smile. ¡°In that case, what do I have to do to earn the Alpha¡¯s forgiveness?¡±


    Ronan shrugged.


    ¡°Maybe you should express your sincerity in actions rather than words.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What kind of actions?¡±


    Lucien¡¯s hands wandered down and rubbed against the bulge between Ronan¡¯s legs.


    When he gave it a light squeeze, he managed to extract a delicious moan from Ronan¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Like this?¡±


    ¡°It is a start,¡± Ronan agreed.


    He grabbed the back of Lucien¡¯s neck and pulled him close until their lips were only millimeters apart. The desire in their hunting breaths and the lust in their gleaming eyes were quite apparent.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you do your job as a Luna and serve your Alpha? Maybe I will forgive you then.¡±


    A soft blush appeared on Lucien¡¯s cheeks, making him look adorable.


    ¡°Not here,¡± he whispered. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the suite.¡±


    Unfortunately, the Alpha disagreed.


    ¡°Why the suite?¡± he asked with a wink. ¡°Here is just fine.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan pulled at the curtain ropes that hung at each side of the tent.


    The thick curtains fell around the couple, hiding them from curious eyes.

 Chapter 351 - 351 The Luna Made A Tempting Promise (NSFW)

    351 The Luna Made A Tempting Promise (NSFW)


    Although the curtains were heavy and thick, they still fluttered slightly when a strong wind blew from the vast ocean.


    When they did, the silhouette of a handsome man on top of another could be seen clearly.


    The red-blond man arched his back and threw his head backward in painful pleasure while the dark-haired man beneath him locked his waist in ce and fed him with the purplish, engorged shaft.


    The terrifying weapon slipped in and out of Lucien¡¯s pink and swollen entrance obscenely, plundering his insides like a grave robber who was intent to take away every single valuable item.


    In this case, it was the delicious, satiny sounds that spilled from Lucien¡¯s lips whenever Ronan grazed against his sensitive spots.


    ¡°Ronan, I can¡¯t... Not so fast... Slow, slow...¡± Lucien begged the other man, who did not know what it meant to slow down.


    Ronan let out a guttural moan whenever Lucien¡¯s inner muscles mped down on his cock and prevented him from moving about.


    The Luna bit him so hard down there that the Alpha suspected that their flesh had somehow melted into one.


    With a roar, Ronan flipped their position and pinned Lucien on the bed.


    .....


    Tears spilled from the tails of Lucien¡¯s eyes as he endured the rough fucking again and again. After being pounded into for roughly an hour, Lucien¡¯s obstinacy morphed into eptance.


    His tunnel became soft and tender, its flesh sucking on Ronan¡¯s cock lovingly whenever it retreated.


    Ronan licked his lipssciviously.


    He grabbed Lucien¡¯s waist with both hands and mmed hard into his mate again and again.


    By then, Lucien did not bother keeping his voice down anymore.


    A series of cries and moans were hearding from the tent, bearing testament to the wild coupling that was happening inside.


    Ronan knotted deep inside Lucien and creamed the man¡¯s insides with his thick semen. Lucien himself ejacted at the same time, sending spurts of whitish liquid flying between their bodies.


    ¡°Ronan...¡±


    Lucien pressed a hand against Ronan¡¯s cheek. Still reveling in the heights of pleasure, the Alpha breathed heavily. He opened his eyes and smiled at his mate.


    ¡°Yes, Lulu?¡±


    ¡°One year from now, we will hold the babies in our arms.¡±


    The corners of Ronan¡¯s lips ticked up in delight.


    ¡°Yes. This is thest birthday you will ever spend without a child.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s entire body was glowing red from the intensity of Ronan¡¯s lovemaking, but his face assumed a deeper shade of red when he heard Ronan¡¯s words.


    With a sneer hanging on his lips, the Alpha pushed his knot a little deeper into Lucien¡¯s belly.


    ¡°I want you to give birth to my child every year,¡± he said. ¡°I am going to fill you up again and again, until the Moon Goddess allows you to grow round with my child.¡±


    Lucien chuckled.


    ¡°Work hard, Alpha.¡±


    He squeezed at his lower stomach, outlining the man¡¯s cock that was still embedded inside his body.


    ¡°I promise to give birth to every child that you nted inside me.¡±


    What came afterward was another round of lovemaking. And another.


    Driven by Lucien¡¯s grand promise, Ronan earnestly tried to put at least a baby inside his mate.


    By the time Ronan was done trying, the sun almost set.


    When he withdrew from Lucien¡¯s body, the body liquid that was trapped between them made a lewd sucking and popping sound.


    Lucien rolled to his side and curled up into a fetal position. After being invaded within an inch of his life, only the shallow breathing and the rise and fall of his bruised body served as signs that he was still alive.


    As hey in the position, his rear hole was exposed to the Alpha¡¯s hungry eyes. Lucien¡¯s love tunnel was a gaping, raw hole that had been molded to amodate Ronan¡¯s massive tool.


    The Alpha¡¯s seed trickled slowly out, but the majority was stored inside Lucien¡¯s belly.


    Ronan grabbed a pillow and shoved it under Lucien¡¯s butt to retain his seed inside his lover for as long as possible.


    Ronan did not understand art, but ording to his opinion, the sight of his own cum dribbling out of Lucien¡¯s swollen hole down to his thighs and legs was the most fascinating picture ever.


    The red fingermarks around Lucien¡¯s buttcheeks turned it into a masterpiece.


    As soon as themotion inside the tent died down, footsteps were heard outside.


    Ronan wiped traces of theirbined body liquid away with a cloth. He then put on his shirt and pants and took a look at what was happening outside.


    Three young women were outside, each of them carried a basket that contained a few items such as coal, a lighter, and some oil.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ronan queried.


    They flinched when the Alpha suddenly made his appearance. The startlement was quickly reced by embarrassment when they saw the man.


    They did not need to take a look at the bed inside the tent to know what the two men had been doing for hours.


    It was already miraculous enough that the tent was able to withstand their ferocious and passionate lovemaking.


    Thankfully, Ronan did not care whether anyone heard the sound of their intense lovemaking or not.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ronan queried.


    ¡°Oh, we... We just want to light some fire. For... For lighting,¡± one of them stammered.


    Ronan looked at the four fire torches that stood tall at each corner of the tent. He tapped at his chin thoughtfully and hummed in deliberation.


    ¡°Hmm, do you have bigger fire pits?¡±


    ¡°Uhm... Yes, we do.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Ronan said. ¡°Get me one of those, several trouts, mushrooms, and also a pack of marshmallows.¡±


    ¡°R-right away.¡±


    Ronan turned to go back to the tent, but then he remembered something else.


    ¡°Oh, and prepare a bathtub with hot water and some towels.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡±


    Customers were kings.


    The three women quickly attended to their task. Afterward, they bowed their heads and scurried away before Ronan came up with weirder requests.

 Chapter 352 - 352 The Choice To Love

    352 The Choice To Love


    When Lucien opened his eyes again, he was steeping inside a wooden bathtub full of warm bathwater. His mate, the sex maniac Ronan Silverback, was conscientiously cleaning him from head to toe.


    ¡°Good morning, sleepyhead,¡± Ronan greeted his mate with a kiss.


    ¡°...¡±


    Morning?


    What morning?


    Lucien looked up in confusion.


    Above his head, the sky was colored with red, orange, and golden streaks as the sun slowly disappeared beneath the horizon.


    It was clearly in the evening!


    Lucien winced from pain when he shifted his weight around.


    .....


    ¡°Don¡¯t move too much,¡± Ronan pulled him back to his original position on his legs.


    ¡°Ronan, you beast,¡± Lucien scolded his mate fiercely. ¡°Look at what you did to me!¡±


    While hey on his back and endured Ronan¡¯s relentless attack, his lower half went numb.


    Lucien thought that he was going to die today.


    On his birthday, to boot!


    Ronan gave his Luna a roguish smile without a shred of guilt.


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it. But Lulu, you were also at fault. Why must you talk about getting pregnant? You deliberately turn me on.¡±


    Ronan leaned in for a kiss, but Lucien sshed his face full of water instead.


    ¡°Get away from me,¡± Lucien grumbled. ¡°Our wedding is in three weeks! If you keep fucking me night after night, I won¡¯t have the face to wear white at the Holy Temple of The Moon Goddess!¡±


    Disappointment spread on Ronan¡¯s face.


    ¡°But Lulu, what about me? I can¡¯t survive three weeks without sex!¡±


    ¡°You better do,¡± Lucien said. ¡°Otherwise it will be three months without!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    And because Lucien was angry, Ronan¡¯s first course of action was to coax him with food.


    Refreshed from the bath and the generally cool air in the evening, Lucien dly joined Ronan at the fire pit in front of the tent.


    The three young women had prepared all the ingredients that Ronan asked for, and more. A wonderful testament to an extraordinary service beyond customer requirements.


    There were all kinds of fresh fish inside the water bucket, along with various vegetables and mushrooms that were often cooked over fire.


    A pack of marshmallows was also avable, along with a pack of graham crackers and a huge pack of choctes.


    Ronan who hated sweets only knew to skewer marshmallows and grill them, but Lucien knew how to enjoy campfire s¡¯mores.


    The item that attracted Ronan¡¯s attention the most was the two bottles of cooled wine inside an ice bucket and the two sses next to it.


    The dinner looked promising.


    Ronan took a wine bottle from the bucket and waved it in front of Lucien.


    ¡°Wine?¡±


    Lucien eyed the bottle that Ronan waved in front of him.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    They filled their sses and Ronan proposed a toast.


    ¡°To our children.¡±


    ¡°To our babies.¡±


    Lucien sipped at the wine and wrinkled his forehead almost immediately.


    It was too strong for his taste.


    Laughing, Ronan took the ss from his mate¡¯s hand.


    ¡°We should not get drunk before eating something. Should we start cooking?¡±


    Lucien tilted his head to the side and squinted at Ronan.


    ¡°Have you learned how to cook?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± the Alpha replied cheerfully. ¡°But I am at your disposal, Chef Lucien.¡±


    Lucien rolled with his eyes. If he were a chef, he would choose to hire an experienced kitchen helper and not a pampered Alpha from the Infinite Eclipse Pack.


    Intent on punishing the Alpha, Lucien grabbed a cutting board and a knife, which he then handed over to Ronan with a smile.


    ¡°Get rid of the scales and gut the trouts for me, then.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s face crumpled in distress.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to. They are disgusting!¡± he wailed in a childish voice.


    Lucien broke intoughter.


    ¡°This reminds me of the Alpha Camp.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s lips were pulled into a naughty grin.


    ¡°What a coincidence. Today is Sunday.¡±


    Ah.


    Lucien¡¯s gaze softened.


    Sunday.


    The day when they sneaked around the woods and went on secret dates. In the end, it was not that secret anymore. Even the instructors knew that they were in a rtionship.


    In the end, Lucien agreed to work together with Ronan.


    In his words, he only agreed to help because Ronan¡¯s handiwork was horrible and Lucien was in the mood to eat some grilled trout.


    ¡°Say, Ronan,¡± Lucien spoke up while they were grilling the fishes over the fire. ¡°Do you think that we will end up together if we were not fated mates?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Ronan answered right away.


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Lucien bit into his lower lip.


    Yeah, of course they would not end up together.


    They would each go their separate ways, and if they were lucky, they might just greet each other as fellow Alphas, nothing more.


    Ronan watched how Lucien¡¯s face gradually grew darker and darker with much delight. He then put his arms around Lucien from behind and bit into thetter¡¯s neck yfully.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I am forever grateful to the Moon Goddess for establishing the fated mate connection between us. Otherwise, I would have missed out on my lovely Lulu.¡±


    Lucien looked away, but the tip of his ears already turned red, resembling the petals of a blooming pink rose.


    ¡°Lulu, I love you,¡± Ronan whispered. ¡°What should I do so that you never doubt the sincerity of my feelings toward you?¡±


    Lucien turned his head to look at the man who professed his love again and again without any kind of prohibition.


    ¡°If we were not fated mates, maybe you won¡¯t even love me,¡± he pointed out.


    A chuckle escaped Ronan¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Oh, Lulu...¡±


    The Alpha dragged Lucien into his arms and tilted his chin up so that they were looking deep into each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°I am attracted to you because we are fated to be together. I am in love with you despite it.¡±


    The Moon Goddess bestowed her blessings on select werewolves, allowing them to meet their fated person.


    In the end, the fated mates did not necessarily end up together.


    The love between fated mates did not hail from the Moon Goddess. It was a conscious decision to cherish and respect each other deeply, to stay together no matter what, to link their hands and stand against the blistering sandstorms and stormy hurricanes that came one by one to rip them apart.


    Ronan and Lucien exchanged smiles.


    They went through a lot, but as long as life persisted, there would be more challenges waiting ahead of them.


    One thing for sure was that whatevery ahead, they would face the obstacles together, as bonded mates, as the Alpha and the Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack.


    .....


    After that night, Lucien never questioned Ronan¡¯s love for him anymore.

 Chapter 353 - 353 All Work And No Play

    353 All Work And No y


    The cruise ship left Amaranthus Haven the next morning and headed back to Abermagne Port.


    The bad times never passed quickly enough while the good times neversted long enough.


    After sailing with the ship for a week, the birthday cruise vacation was slowlying to an end.


    Just before the four werewolves parted and went back to their own pack houses, Lucien and Ronan had something to say to both Annalynne and Lowell.


    ¡°We hope that you can treat the matter with the babies a secret for now,¡± Ronan told them, his eyes drifting between his sister-inw and her boyfriend.


    ¡°Huh, why?¡± Annalynne was confused by the request. She had initially nned to supersize the first sonogram and hung it in her bedroom.


    Heck, she even thought about holding a party at the Silent Walkers Pack House to celebrate the babies!


    ¡°The fetuses are only two weeks old,¡± Lucien exined.


    ¡°During this time, too many things can happen. We don¡¯t want to draw unnecessary attention to the fertility center.¡±


    .....


    By saying that, he hinted that there might just be a second Lucrethia lurking around. They never knew. The fetuses were weak and defenseless. It was better to keep their existence a secret. At least for now.


    Once it clicked in her head, Annalynne¡¯s lips formed a huge O. Of course she would never do anything to harm the babies!


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Annalynne then swore by her ancestors ¡ª who were ironically also Lucien¡¯s ancestors ¡ª that she and Lowell would not breathe out the news about the unborn heirs of the Infinite Eclipse Pack.


    Having harvested the promise from Annalynne¡¯s lips, Ronan and Lucien were able to breathe out of relief for a while.


    As soon as the couple got off the ship, they left their luggage with Milroy and took a flight to West Coast City right away.


    The fertility center pretty much expected their visit.


    Gordon Clearwater was even there to wee his son and his son-inw when the two werewolves arrived.


    ¡°Lulu, happy birthday,¡± the elder man said while hugging his son. ¡°And congrattions to both of you for the sessful insemination.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Dad,¡± Lucien hugged his father in return.


    ¡°Thank you, Father.¡±


    ¡°Well then, I suggest you want to take a look with your own eyes before you are able to believe it.¡±


    Both men nodded.


    ¡°Come with me, then.¡±


    The fertility center director personally led them to the Mother And Child Center, which was located at the core of the facility.


    The vast room had changed a lotpared to the first time Lucien came to visit.


    At the center of the room was a tall ss column that was full to the brim with bright red, translucent liquid. Inside, the tiny flesh-colored artificial womb was suspended in the middle by a lot of cables and tubes.


    Gordon gestured toward the ss column and exined, ¡°This ss column acts as a recement for the human body. It simtes the environment in which a human being¡¯s organ can survive. All the important parameters such as temperature, pressure, pH, oxygen level, and also nutrients were strictly controlled, day and night.¡±


    Lucien too put his hands against the ss column and stared at the artificial womb.


    Amazing, he thought.


    Attached to its walls from inside were the two tiny bubbles that he saw in the sonogram.


    Lucien could hardly believe that it was true.


    But his father wouldn¡¯t lie about this kind of thing, would he?


    ¡°Lulu?¡±


    Ronan put his hands on top of Lucien¡¯s.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What?¡±


    Apparently, Gordon had continued to speak but Lucien went into a daze so he didn¡¯t hear a single word.


    ¡°Sorry, Dad. Did you say something?¡±


    Gordon cleared his throat and repeated, ¡°Their development is as normal as it could be. If everything goes well, the babies will be born in about 37 more weeks.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s father went between the couple and put his arms around their shoulders.


    He then lowered his voice and spoke discreetly, ¡°Everyone is very excited about the sessful insemination and wants the babies to be born safely. So now that you have seen it, please leave.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The smile on Gordon¡¯s face did not at all match his harsh words.


    ¡°Your presence here adds unnecessarily additional tension to this facility and makes the already hardworking team even more nervous. For the sake of my grandchildren, please don¡¯te back until you receive a personal invitation to return.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Just like that, the future parents were kicked out and banned from the fertility center until they received further notice.


    By then, there were only two more weeks before their wedding day arrived.


    Ronan¡¯s and Lucien¡¯s return to the Infinite Eclipse Pack House was met with enthusiasm.


    Ronan was quickly dragged by Jake to tend to a few urgent matters regarding the Silverback Corporation and the pack.


    Lucien had a few Luna responsibilities to attend to. At the same time, there were a few e-mails from the art gallery with a request for him toe and pay a visit.


    Even Clearwater Finance required some attention. Dedicated to overseeing the growth of his grandchildren in the fertility center, Gordon Clearwater passed the director position of Clearwater Finance to Annalynne with Lucien¡¯s blessing.


    The problem was that Annalynne was aplete novice. She was even a novice as an Alpha! The woman was quickly overwhelmed by jargon that she did not understand, projects that she was unable to fathom, and numbers that appeared out of nowhere.


    Lucien thus agreed to personally teach his sister how it all worked when they met up at Blue Hill City.


    Ronan was unable toe back at night because he had to travel overseas for some business events. He barely had the time to kiss Lucien before he was dragged away by an overloaded Jake.


    Left alone for the night, Lucien thought that he would finally get a moment of peace.


    Before he decided whether he should light some scented candles and take a long, rxing bubble bath before ending the night with a good book, another person came by and demanded his attention.

 Chapter 354 - 354 Lucien Became A Celebrity

    354 Lucien Became A Celebrity


    Mara Keenthorne, the Silverback Corporation¡¯s PR Head looked as if she just ran all the way from her house to the audience hall in the middle of the night.


    That might just be the case, because she was panting slightly while waiting for Lucien to arrive.


    ¡°Mara, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Lucien asked while marching to the end of the hall to take his seat on the Luna throne.


    ¡°Reporting to the Luna, Ie with a very particr request. I hope that the Luna might agree.¡±


    ¡°And the request is...?¡±


    ¡°To grant me ess to your deactivated social media ount.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Let me exin from the beginning,¡± Mara hastily spoke.


    As the reigning PR Head of the Silverback Corporation, it was Mara¡¯s job to not only manage the official social media ount of thepany that she represented, but also pay close attention to the social media activity.


    .....


    Around two weeks ago, Mara Keenthorne published a post to announce Ronan¡¯s uing wedding to Lucien.


    It was done ording to Ronan¡¯s wish, who insisted that their rtionship be made public to prevent unwanted scandals in the future.


    Their wedding was to take ce in the Holy Temple of The Moon Goddess, so naturally, there would be no celebration in human society.


    The post thus dubbed the wedding as a ¡°private affair that was only attended by a handful of people¡±.


    Nevertheless, the post took the onlinemunity by storm.


    Ever since then, posts by the official ount of Silverback Corporation had been flooded by a lot of visitors.


    The good news was that the ount along with the posts gained poprity in social media.


    The bad news was that they ended up as discussion tforms for people who wanted to know more about the continuation of Ronan¡¯s and Lucien¡¯s romance.


    ¡°It is highly unprofessional to mixpany business with private business,¡± Mara concluded.


    ¡°How did this happen?¡± Lucien asked in confusion. ¡°I deactivated my ount months ago.¡±


    ¡°The Luna has not done anything wrong,¡± Mara replied. ¡°If my deduction is not too inurate, I believe this all starts with Miss Lillian Woond¡¯sst post before she disappeared from public eyes.¡±


    When Lillian published thatst post, Lucien was busy with Ronan at the fertility center.


    Even if they weren¡¯t busy, none of them was interested to read the post.


    The same thing could not be said about the onlinemunity.


    As Lillian¡¯s online reputation crumbled into a pile of rubbles, Lucien¡¯s soared high into the sky.


    Mara Keenthorne believed that a lot of Lillian¡¯s fans felt guilty for condemning Lucien and causing him tremendous stress and grief.


    They were thus more than willing to jump ship and started to follow Lucien¡¯s online presence, however insignificant.


    ¡°We need to separate professionalpany ounts from private individual ounts,¡± Mara exined. ¡°We don¡¯t want that the official social media ount of Silverback Corporation turns into a gossip column for the CEO¡¯s romance.¡±


    Lucien had to agree. It was simply ridiculous. The Silverback Corporation was after all a serious business.


    ¡°What do you n to do with my ount, Mara?¡±


    ¡°I will publish posts in your name to feed the fans with tidbits about your daily life and uing wedding. I promise not to go over the top. I will run every post by you before posting.¡±


    Lucien shook his head.


    ¡°I trust you. But do try to let the hype die down.¡±


    Lucien had no interest in bing a second Lillian.


    His biggest priority right now was the two growing fetuses inside the fertility center.


    With or without the ban that Gordon Clearwater put on him, he could not risk having the onlinemunity find out about the babies.


    He had experienced their ferocity personally.


    Among those who paid attention to his movement, there had to be a few who were still very loyal to Lillian.


    Just what would they do to the fertility center if they knew about it?


    The mere thought caused Lucien to shudder with fear.


    The consequences were unimaginable.


    ¡°I understand,¡± Mara nodded fervently. ¡°I will of course be discreet about personal details.¡±


    ¡°Do that,¡± Lucien said.


    Diverting the fans¡¯ attention from Silverback Corporation¡¯s official ount to Lucien Clearwater¡¯s private ount turned out to be rather easy.


    As soon as Lucien¡¯s private ount was reactivated and Mara started posting random pictures from Lucien¡¯s life, fans came flocking around.


    The difficult part was to suppress the public interest in Lucien as a person.


    Soon, the man was unable to move about without generating a group of people who came to follow him around and start to write posts about him.


    Truly, sometimes celebrities were but normal human beings who were put on pedestals.


    Lucien was not doing anything special, but whatever it was he did became viral.


    The book he read became famous.


    The clothes he wore became the fashion trend of the week.


    The restaurants and shops that he went to flourish in their business.


    The fact that the man himself was exceedingly good-looking did not help his case at all.


    The red-blond curls shone like pure gold under the sun.


    The caramel-golden eyes were a limpid pool of desire that could drown those who looked at them for a second too long.


    His slim stature, his long and slender legs, his supple waist, and his bewitching rear ends made the onlookers swallow their saliva unconsciously.


    And when the man smiled, he melted the hearts of men and women alike.


    The man was too delicious.


    And too seductive.


    No wonder Ronan Silverback was so crazy about him!


    Of course, when someone became that popr, advertisement and modeling offers started rolling in.


    All of them were rejected automatically by the Silverback Corporation with the same message: ¡°Mr. Lucien Clearwater is busy preparing for his wedding. He has no time to engage inmercial activities.¡±


    When asked further when said man would be avable for the so-calledmercial activities, the huge corporation refused to provide more details.


    Soon afterward, a new rumor spread online.


    Ronan Silverback, the CEO of the Silverback Corporation, was a domineering husband who locked his fianc¨¦ up in hisvish dwelling and refused to grant him a breathe of fresh air!

 Chapter 355 - 355 The Alpha Was Utterly Disappointed

    355 The Alpha Was Utterly Disappointed


    Ronan did not mind being seen as a tyrannical lover who locked Lucien up in a sex dungeon, as some of Lucien¡¯s more avid fans exaggerated to add more oil to the fire.


    It was not too far from the truth, really.


    Their bedroom was practically a sex dungeon.


    It almost inspired him to do what he was used of.


    Because he was helplessly addicted to Lucien¡¯s alluring, sexy body.


    Every curve, every dent in his body served as deadly weapons to lure Ronan in.


    Once he wrapped his slender limbs around Ronan, the Alpha was basically drowning in the deep pool of hot, scorching love for his mate.


    He did not mind drowning again and again.


    As long as he could pierce Lucien repeatedly with his solidified love, mold thetter¡¯s inside with his sinful desire, and coat the tender walls with his potent seeds.


    .....


    The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.


    And that was why Ronan deliberately came home early that night to bully his mate.


    Now, as the elders used to say: the werewolves could make ns but the Moon Goddess was the one to decide.


    The Alpha¡¯s spirit plummeted to the ground when he came into their shared bedroom to find an open suitcase on the floor. It was half filled with Lucien¡¯s clothes and daily necessities.


    ¡°Lulu, what¡¯s going on?¡± Ronan asked incredulously.


    Lucien poked his head from their walk-in closet and beamed at his mate.


    ¡°You are back. Wee home.¡±


    Lucien put his arms around Ronan and buried his nose into thetter¡¯s corbone. A calming sandalwood underlined with sea salt scent entered his lungs when he took a deep breath.


    ¡°Baby, where are you going??? Why are you leaving me???¡± Ronan demanded to know.


    Lucien knocked at his silly mate¡¯s forehead lightly.


    ¡°I need to leave for the Silent Walkers Pack House tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°What the hell? Why???¡±


    Lucien loosened his hug and pinned Ronan with a stare. ¡°Don¡¯t you know? I need to stay at my birth pack in thest week before the wedding takes ce. It is the custom.¡±


    ¡°Screw the custom,¡± Ronan growled. ¡°You are not allowed to leave.¡±


    He bent down to put Lucien¡¯s suitcase away, but Lucien dragged him to sit on the bed instead.


    ¡°Why are you so agitated?¡± he asked while giving Ronan a little peck on the lips.


    Since when was a little peck enough to cate him?


    Greedily, Ronan grabbed the back of Lucien¡¯s neck and forced him to ept his deep kiss.


    Lucien was being unusually obedient, so Ronan knew that he was still nning to leave.


    ¡°You are the Luna of this pack,¡± Ronan reminded the man in his arms. ¡°You cannot just leave like that.¡±


    Shaking his head with a smile, Lucien pushed himself off Ronan¡¯s embrace. He then straddled the stunned Alpha¡¯sp and hooked his arms behind the dark-haired man¡¯s neck.


    Ronan made an appreciative hum as he kneaded at Lucien¡¯s fleshy, round butt halves.


    ¡°If you are trying to coax me, you are taking thepletely opposite route, Luna.¡±


    Ronan opened his mouth and started biting into a flower bud that bloomed on Lucien¡¯s chest through his shirt.


    ¡°Ooh... Mmn...¡±


    Lucien bit into his lower lip and furrowed his brows.


    ¡°Ronan, don¡¯t. Stop it.¡±


    ¡°Give me one good reason to stop,¡± Ronan kneaded Lucien¡¯s waist and moved to taste the next one.


    Unfortunately for the Alpha, Lucien had an extremely good one.


    ¡°We have to purify ourselves in the Moonlight Spring three days before the wedding. Do you want them to look at the bruises on my body when I take a bath? Hmm?¡±


    Ronan was never able to make love to him without leaving his marks behind. Lucien¡¯s entire body was always full with a lot of bite- and kiss marks in red, blue, and purple colors.


    It was enough formon human beings to assume that he had been a victim of domestic violence.


    ¡°... They are not allowed to look at your body at all!¡± Ronan snapped.


    Who did these priests and priestesses think they were?


    To dare toy their eyes on his mate!


    These men and women were courting death!


    ¡°Tell that to the High Seer,¡± Lucien replied smoothly.


    He then grabbed Ronan¡¯s chin and tilted it up.


    With his lips pulled into a victorious smile, he then leaned closer and asked with a seductive voice, ¡°Was that a good enough reason, Alpha?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Defeated through and through, Ronan had to be contented with only hugging his mate to sleep that night.


    It was not until Lucien left that Ronan realized that he was suffering from serious withdrawal.


    Like a teenager who was going through his first romantic rtionship, he kept waiting for a call from his beloved.


    Or a message.


    A ¡°hi¡± would be enough to lift his spirit.


    He tried his best to distract himself with work, but he failed miserably.


    In the end, he stopped attending to his work just to look at Lucien¡¯s photo collection in hisptop.


    Jake, his poor Beta, decided to be more efficient and just do everything himself. He could not trust the lovesick fool with anything at this point.


    To Ronan¡¯s greatest heartbreak, Lucien did not seem to be exhibiting simr symptoms.


    He did not call.


    He did not send any messages.


    Poor Milroy was asked to check Ronan¡¯s inte connection again and again.


    Convinced that his phone was broken, Ronan asked his assistant to buy a new phone.


    Even after he reced his phone, no news came from the Silent Walkers Pack.


    Ronan¡¯s face darkened with every passing hour.


    ¡°Go check whether Lucien has arrived or not,¡± the Alpha ordered gruffly.


    The hardworking assistant hadpleted the task before the Alpha even thought about it. Proudly, he reported the result of his industriousness.


    ¡°Reporting to the Alpha, the Luna arrived three hours ago.¡±


    ¡°... Oh.¡±


    Inside his heart, Ronan abandoned his pride and wailed like a three-year-old child.


    Whyyyyy, Lulu???? Why don¡¯t you love me anymore????

 Chapter 356 - 356 The Alpha Had An Interview

    356 The Alpha Had An Interview


    Milroy was able to easily detect the turmoil in his pack leader¡¯s heart.


    To be very honest, the younger man thought that Ronan was a little dumb.


    Instead of taking the initiative to make a call or send Lucien a text message, he waited and waited like a desperate teenage girl.


    Milroy¡¯s fingers itched terribly.


    He would love to call the Luna himself and tell him that the Alpha was suffering from a mysterious affliction that made him unable to think about anything else but his beloved mate.


    A soft ding announced a text message from Jake to Milroy.


    ¡°How is the Alpha?¡± the Beta asked.


    ¡°Reporting to the Beta: still downtrodden,¡± Milroy typed freely.


    He could almost hear the Beta sigh a few floors away.


    .....


    Twenty-four hours had passed since Lucien left the pack house, and Ronan emerged at thepany headquarters with dark shadows under his eyes. He looked scary and miserable at the same time.


    The Beta arrived not ten minutester, looking pallid and weak.


    To make it even more convincing, he broke into a fit of throaty cough some distance away from Ronan¡¯s desk.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Jake?¡± Ronan asked with a frown.


    ¡°Alpha, it seems that I have caught a cold. I wish to go back home to recuperate.¡±


    To be fair, Jake did ve around for Ronan while the Alpha and his Luna enjoyed avish cruise vacation.


    He deserved a break.


    ¡°You may go. Get well soon, Jake,¡± Ronan dismissed him with a wave of his hand.


    Jake lit up upon hearing that he could go.


    ¡°Thank you, Alpha.¡±


    When he left, he did not at all look like someone who had an ailing sickness.


    He was in such a hurry that he almost bumped into Mara Keenthorne on her way to meet with Ronan.


    ¡°Yes, Mara? What¡¯s up?¡± Ronan asked when Mara slipped through the door.


    The PR Head shed the Alpha a brilliant smile.


    ¡°Alpha, I am here to remind you that an interview with mvision is scheduled for this evening. Milroy will prepare the entire interview script for you.¡±


    mvision?


    Ronan furrowed his brows.


    ¡°What reminder? This is the first time I hear about it.¡±


    Mara looked mildly surprised. ¡°Really? But I told the Beta about this interview yesterday night.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Well, said Beta had conveniently escaped his responsibilities and went back to the pack house.


    With or without previous notice, Ronan was averse to partake in the interview.


    ¡°Why do I have to grant that magazine an interview? It is not even a business magazine.¡±


    ¡°mvision is a renowned magazine and we have refused them a lot in the past,¡± Mara tried to exin. ¡°Last time we managed to dissuade them due to the sensitive nature of the rtionship between you, the Luna, and Miss Lillian Woond.


    This time they just want to hear from you this close to your wedding. It is one of the regr PR stunts that we do regrly to maintain thepany reputation.¡±


    Ronan scoffed.


    ¡°Then keep doing a good job and have them interview Jake and his little family. Why me?¡±


    ¡°Jake has featured a lot as the second-inmand at Silverback Corporation. This time, it¡¯s either you or the Luna, or, the both of you.¡±


    Ronan leaned back in his seat and yed with the thought of having Milroy call Lucien to get him to attend the interview with him.


    They were not forbidden from seeing each other, so it was a good opportunity to get to see Lucien again.


    On the other side...


    Arghhhh.


    Ronan¡¯s haughty and masculine pride prevented him from making the first move.


    Every time Lucien left him, Ronan had been the one to give chase and beg the former toe back to him.


    This time, only once, once in his life, Ronan wanted Lucien to contact him first.


    After that, so Ronan swore, for the rest of his life, he would worship the ground Lucien walked on and chase after his shadow day by day.


    ¡°Shall I give the Luna a call, Alpha?¡± Milroy asked full of hope. He was getting tired of this cat-and-mouse game.


    ¡°No,¡± Ronan answered decisively. ¡°I will attend the interview alone.¡±


    Milroy ved around for two hours to get the interview script ready. Ronanzily flew over the few pages while waiting for the team from mvision to arrive.


    Next to him, Mara Keenthorne kept repeating her instructions like a mantra.


    ¡°Alpha, please make sure to highlight only the harmonious and beautiful moments that you share with the Luna.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Implied was the message to not even talk about Lillian Woond or the baby or the fact that she practically disappeared from public eyes after she gave birth.


    ¡°Alpha, please don¡¯t reveal too much about the wedding details. You know that we need to prevent the public from finding out about the werewolfmunity.¡±


    Ronan lifted his eyes and shot Mara with sharp res.


    ¡°Mara, I have done countless interviews with other magazines. I know very well how to be discreet about the werewolves.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Mara hurriedly said while biting her lips.


    The problem was that mvision was unlike other magazines that Ronan ever had interviews with.


    Officially, the lifestyle magazine was geared toward sharing tidbits about the life of trending celebrities and famous people.


    Unofficially, it was a high-tier gossip magazine that tried to spark sensational news through various resources.


    The mvision readers thrived when they got to read about the rivalry and enmity behind the scene, the passionate love, the scandalous affairs, and the inconceivable betrayals.


    Mara knew that mvision tried to get another interview from Lillian Woond for weeks to no avail.


    Thedy had conveniently gone into seclusion at the Irond ws Pack House.


    Although Ronan and Lucien had sailed through numerous kinds of stormy weather together, one could never be too prepared.


    Otherwise, one would be caught by surprise.


    The woman from mvision who came to interview Ronan was a seasoned journalist who specialized in collecting delicious crumbs from the private dining tables of rich tycoons with massive influence.


    Like a poisonous viper that bared its fangs at its victim, Miss Baker casually leaned in and asked Ronan with a wink, ¡°Mr. Ronan Silverback, what do you think about the close rtionship between your fianc¨¦e, Mr. Lucien Clearwater, and your business archrival, Mr. Kinnon Youngshaper?¡±


    Behind Ronan, Milroy almost turned blue from holding his breath.


    Mara Keenthorne barely managed to stop herself from gasping out loud.

 Chapter 357 - 369 Chs

    369 Chs


    ADD


    357 Annalynne¡¯s Inferiority Complex


    Lucien did not purposefully neglect to contact Ronan upon his arrival at the Silent Walkers Pack House.


    Whenever he remembered to send a short message or give a call to Ronan, he got distracted by his mother or his sister.


    At first, it was his mother, Alice Clearwater, who heard about the fetuses at the fertility center and demanded to see the sonogram that Lucien carried around like a treasure.


    Annalynne swore again and again that she did not say a word to their mother about the precious babies.


    In other words, Alice managed to pry the information out of Gordon, but not the picture itself.


    When the soon-to-be grandmother saw the sonogram, she broke into tears right away.


    ¡°Oh, Goddess, they are so beautiful!¡± she eximed.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they???¡± Annalynne gushed in a simr manner. ¡°They look like Lucien!¡±


    ¡°They also inherited a few traits from Ronan,¡± Alice added.


    .....


    ¡°...¡±


    Lucien did not know what to say. He looked at the picture maybe hundreds of times already, but he could not see any features that he could allocate to his or Ronan¡¯s genes.


    And then, while Alice gushed over the sonogram that she temporarily confiscated after promising Lucien that she was not going to show it to anyone, Annalynne harvested the promise that Lucien made to teach her how to take care of Clearwater Finance.


    More and more Silent Walkers Pack members had started to work in thepany.


    It was going to once again serve as the pack business to support the many pack members.


    Teaching Annalynne immediately took the highest priority on Lucien¡¯s to-do list.


    Lucien did not waste any time and dragged Annalynne to thepany headquarters in Blue Hill City to teach her everything he knew.


    Just like that, he forgot all about his n to contact his mate.


    When Lucien and Annalynne were going through a few projects, Lucien found that some projects were stuck in the middle with no exnation whatsoever. He thus took upmunication with rted parties to settle them one by one.


    Among these projects on inexplicable hiatus was one in which Clearwater Finance worked together with the Youngshaper Corporation to build a housingplex in one of the more prominent areas in East Temple City.


    When Lucien made a call to Kinnon¡¯spany, he asked to speak to their project manager.


    It was soon apparent that the man had only been in position for two months and had no idea about the project on hiatus.


    Nevertheless, he was interested to talk about the continuation of the project.


    They arranged to have a brunch meeting the next day to go over all of the files one more time.


    Unexpectedly, the one who showed up for the meeting was none other than Kinnon Youngshaper himself.


    Granted, the Clearwater twins were stunned.


    ¡°Surprised?¡± Kinnon could barely suppress his smile when he saw the frozen expression on Annalynne¡¯s and Lucien¡¯s faces.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have toe yourself,¡± Lucien said, his face melting into a smile. ¡°You must be busy. Why not send your manager to discuss this with us?¡±


    Kinnon returned Lucien¡¯s smile with another.


    ¡°I think it is a good opportunity to catch up. We haven¡¯t talked to each other for a long time.¡±


    The Alpha did not only refer to Lucien but also to Annalynne.


    In fact, after he and Annalynne parted on bad terms post-war, they barely exchanged greetings whenever they met.


    Lucien¡¯s eyes drifted to his sister, who looked as if she would rather drink molten lead than talk to Kinnon.


    The elder brother heaved a sigh.


    They were both serving as Alphas. Leaders of their respective packs.


    Annalynne had not been an Alpha for a long time, and she was also the only woman in power. Although Ronan naturally would support her because of Lucien, there was no harm in bing allies with more packs.


    Especially one as influential as the Night Prowler Pack.


    Lucien grabbed Annalynne¡¯s hand, prompting thetter to look at him.


    ¡°Anna, you know the status of this project. Why don¡¯t you talk about things with Kinnon? Professionally,¡± he emphasized.


    Annalynne¡¯s facial expression turned sour upon hearing Lucien¡¯s words, but she too knew that Lucien had a point.


    She could not ask for Lucien¡¯s help forever.


    Lucien was after all going to leave the Silent Walkers Pack and marry Ronan in a few days.


    When they met again in the future, it would be a meeting between the Alpha of the Silent Walkers Pack and the Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she agreed atst.


    ¡°Then, why don¡¯t I go and order us something to eat?¡± Lucien hopped down from his seat.


    ¡°What do you two want to eat?¡±


    Annalynne looked like she wanted to puke.


    Kinnon casually took out his tinum card and handed it to Lucien.


    ¡°Order everything on the menu. My treat.¡±


    Lucien pushed the card back in Kinnon¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Clearwater Finance extended the lunch invitation today. Naturally, we shall pay. Keep your money, Kinnon. I will order everything as you want.¡±


    After Lucien left, Kinnon put his fingers together in front of his chin and stared at Annalynne.


    ¡°Anna, can we still be friends?¡± he asked openly.


    Kinnon¡¯s question made perfect sense, but it was like a thorn that stabbed into Annalynne¡¯s heart.


    Annalynne had seen the way Kinnon treated Lucien back in the Night Prowler Pack House.


    He was a lot gentler, a lot more patient, and amodating.


    It was a stark contrast to the way Kinnon spoke to Annalynne and treated her.


    Sure, they were friends, but there was a time when Annalynne desperately wanted to be more than friends with him and Kinnon denied her that wish.


    Why?


    ¡°Kinnon, make no mistake, I am no longer into you or anything,¡± Annalynne swallowed hard.


    She curled her fingers into fists on herp.


    Maybe she should not mention it, but she just had to know.


    ¡°But I have always wondered. In what way am I inferior to Lulu? Why can¡¯t you just fall in love with me?¡±

 Chapter 358 - 358 The Ideal Man For Annalynne

    358 The Ideal Man For Annalynne


    Kinnon heaved a long sigh.


    He sped his hands together on the table and looked straight into Annalynne¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Anna, you are a beautiful and smart woman. Any man would be lucky to have you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, I know that. Stop beating around the bush and tell me the truth.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Kinnon leaned backward and put an arm around the long sofa that he was sitting on.


    The pair of caramel-golden eyes that greatly resembled Lucien¡¯s shone with determination.


    But that was not all there was.


    Judging from the slightly trembling hands that the owner pressed against the table, this conversation must be a difficult one for her.


    .....


    And yet, if it could grant her some sense of closure, then Kinnon did not mind ripping the bandaid and exposing the wound, once and for all.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that you are inferior to Lucien in any way.¡±


    That was one thing that Kinnon should have rified a long time ago, but did not.


    ¡°I have loved him from the moment Iid my eyes on him at the Alpha Camp. It does not matter whether he looks my way or not. He will always have a ce in my heart and no one can take it away from him.¡±


    Annalynne¡¯s eyshes fluttered in distress.


    She knew that, but it still hurt to know that she never had a chance to win against Lucien at all.


    It was as if Lucien was in apletely different league.


    And that although they were born only seconds apart from each other.


    ¡°Is it because he is so good-looking?¡± Annalynne heard herself asking.


    She knew that Lucien was more attractive than she was. It was a fact. A lot of people said that.


    Kinnon smiled.


    ¡°... Or maybe because he is so capable and dependable...?


    Annalynne felt stupid for asking.


    Between them, of course she was the inferior twin.


    Lucien was more beautiful.


    Annalynne wasrgely dependent on her brother.


    When a problem arose, the first person that Annalynne called was Lucien.


    It was because she knew for sure that Lucien could solve her every problem.


    ¡°No, Anna,¡± Kinnon softly replied. ¡°You are you and Lucien is Lucien. There is no need topare the two of you at all. All I can say is that I love him.¡±


    He ced his hands on top of Annalynne¡¯s cold ones.


    ¡°I am sorry but I do not love you. Not the way a man is supposed to love you.¡±


    Annalynne took a deep breath. Tears glistened in her eyes, but for some reason, she was relieved. Kinnon¡¯s words were like a thunderstorm that washed over her.


    It destroyed every bit of hope and love that she harbored for the man, but at the same time, it also extinguished the painful anguish in her heart.


    ¡°Lulu is a lucky man,¡± she muttered. ¡°The two strongest Alphas in the continent vied for his hand.¡±


    Kinnon¡¯s lips curled up into a smile.


    Lucien might be a lucky man indeed, but in the end, the one he chose was luckier.


    In this case, it was Ronan Silverback.


    If there was anything that Kinnon disliked about Lucien, then it was the strong love that he had for Ronan.


    Kinnon knew that just like Annalynne was unable to rece Lucien in his heart, Kinnon too was unable to rece Ronan in Lucien¡¯s heart.


    Lucien fell in love one time, and his feelings never wavered.


    Kinnon rose to his feet and leaned over the table to give Annalynne a gentle kiss on her forehead.


    ¡°I am lucky to be at the receiving end of your affection for so long. Unfortunately, I am not lucky enough to have you.¡±


    Annalynne scoffed.


    ¡°You are right. You do not deserve me at all.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Kinnon agreed. ¡°But someone does, correct?¡±


    Annalynne pressed her lips together.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said shyly.


    Annalynne had always thought that Kinnon was his type.


    Strong, mature, and handsome.


    Kinnon was the most popr alpha at the Alpha Camp.


    Even more than that annoying guy, Ronan Silverback.


    Annalynne used to think that Lucien was stupid for rejecting Kinnon. On the other hand, she was also grateful for it.


    Even after Kinnon tantly rejected her, Annalynne did not stop looking for Kinnon¡¯s shadow in other men around her.


    Until Lowell came around.


    Lowell was a magnificent man. He too was strong, mature, and handsome, but he was different from Kinnon.


    Lowell had a gentler and more agreeable temperament. He always put up with Annalynne¡¯s childish temper. He was there for her when she needed him the most.


    He cherished and respected her.


    After months of dating, Annalynne¡¯s idea of a perfect partner had miraculously shifted from Kinnon to Lowell.


    At the current time, Annalynne did not think that she could live without Lowell anymore.


    She loved Lowell dearly.


    And Lowell loved her in her ugliest state, in the most deprecating circumstances.


    Unwittingly, a beautiful smileced Annalynne¡¯s lips, making her glow.


    Lowell¡¯s love made her more beautiful than ever.


    ¡°I am d that the scar heals up well,¡± Kinnon remarked.


    Annalynne pressed a hand against her cheek in response.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said.


    Anyway, she did not undergo stic surgery because Lowell asked her to. She just wanted to look pretty again for her boyfriend.


    Lucien came back half an hourter with a huge trolley full of food.


    The restaurant was so impressed by this massive order that the owner itself came personally to greet Lucien, the big spender.


    In the end, most of it was packed neatly and taken back to the Silent Walkers Pack House to distribute to the pack members.


    ¡°d that we settled the issue,¡± Lucien said.


    He extended his hand toward Kinnon.


    ¡°See you again, Alpha Kinnon.¡±


    Kinnon took Lucien¡¯s hand, but he did not let go.


    ¡°Lucien, can we talk?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Just the two of us.¡±


    Lucien nodded.


    He turned to his sister and ced a hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°Anna, go back without me first. I wille home a littleter.¡±

 Chapter 359 - 359 [Bonus chapter]A Long Overdue Goodbye

    359 [Bonus chapter]A Long Overdue Goodbye


    Once, they had given each other the promise to marry each other.


    Once, Kinnon thought that Lucien was going to be his forever.


    The short period in which Lucien lived in his pack house and became both his lover and Ralph¡¯s mother was the most beautiful time in his life.


    It was amazing how well Lucien fit in.


    It¡¯s not because Kinnon forced his pack members to ept Lucien.


    Lucien did it all himself with his amazing personality and character.


    He gained eptance not only from Kinnon and Bjorn but from everyone within the pack. Even the most critical elders came to see him as a wonderful prospective Luna.


    A perfect addition toplete the little Alpha family.


    To the Night Prowler Pack¡¯s greatest sorrow, the beautiful dream ended too soon.


    .....


    The rtionship that Kinnon worked so hard and hoped for was destroyed within one night.


    It was a lie if Kinnon said that he did not wish to separate Landon from Lucien forever.


    Kinnon would love Lucien with or without his wolf.


    But of course, which werewolves readily parted with their other halves?


    Lucien was Landon and Landon was Lucien.


    Lucien might be unwilling to admit it, but his and Landon¡¯s heart had long since belonged to Ronan and Beowulf.


    After months of struggles over life and death, they had finallye to this point.


    The man he desired since youth was going to be married to someone else.


    ¡°I received the wedding invitation,¡± Kinnon said in a cool tone. ¡°I believe congrattions are in order.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    An eerie silence fell on the table.


    The muscles on Kinnon¡¯s cheeks twitched visibly.


    It was almost funny how they spoke just fine to each other when Lucien was hidden at the Night Prowler Pack House recently.


    Ah yes.


    Of course, it was fine.


    It was because they were not talking about their broken rtionship.


    Kinnon cleared his throat and sipped on his strong cappino.


    Lucien kept his gaze trained on his own cup. He did not know what to say.


    Just like how he did not know how to reject Kinnon outright when they were young.


    ¡°Are you happy, Lucien?¡± Kinnon popped the burning question in his heart.


    Upon hearing Kinnon¡¯s question, Lucien lifted his eyes to meet the man¡¯s.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Do you love him?¡±


    Back then, Kinnon would have given the world to hear an ¡°I love you¡±ing from Lucien¡¯s mouth. It never came.


    How ironic.


    Annalynne was just here to ask in what way she was inferior to Lucien. Kinnon would love to ask the same thing inparison to Ronan, but the words would not leave his lips.


    It was because he already knew the answer.


    It was not because he was inferior to Ronan. To


    It was because Lucien loved Ronan and not him.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lucien confirmed.


    Kinnon broke into a chuckle.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. Excuse me, I have to go now.¡±


    Kinnon rose to his feet and turned around to leave.


    He could not take it anymore.


    The anger, the jealousy over Lucien¡¯s preference for Ronan.


    The stupid fated mate connection ruined it all.


    If Kinnon did not go now, he might do something to ruin Lucien¡¯s wedding.


    ¡°Kinnon.¡±


    Lucien climbed off his chair and pulled at Kinnon¡¯s shoulder to stop him from leaving.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    The man with dark brown hair refused to look at Lucien. He did not have the confidence to maintain hisposure.


    Even the shoulder under Lucien¡¯s hand was slightly quivering with boiling emotions.


    ¡°Spare me, Lucien. I don¡¯t need you tofort me.¡±


    That was thest thing he needed from Lucien.


    He did not want to hear about him deserving someone better than Lucien or that there would be someone in the future who deserved his love more.


    ¡°I am not nning tofort you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I am sorry for how it turned out,¡± Lucien said. ¡°For all it matters, I wish things had been different.¡±


    Because Lucien meant it when he agreed to marry Kinnon. That was why he gave his all to fit in with the Night Prowler Pack.


    He had already given up every hope, every chance to be with Ronan.


    Kinnon tilted his head backward and sighed. When he closed his eyes, he was brought back to the night when Landon came back.


    If Landon had note back, they would have marked each other that night.


    Mating bonds were protected by the Holy Temple of The Moon Goddess.


    It was only reversible through a rejection, but a man of integrity like Lucien would never do that.


    Kinnon knew that.


    If only they became mates that night.


    Maybe then, five years from then, Lucien would truly be his.


    In body, heart, and soul.


    If only.


    If only!


    ¡°I am sorry too,¡± Kinnon said with a hoarse voice. ¡°But I can¡¯t help it.¡±


    Lucien widened his eyes in surprise.


    Before he could react, he was already pulled into Kinnon¡¯s tight embrace.


    ¡°Kinnon...¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Kinnon said while pressing a kiss on top of Lucien¡¯s head. ¡°Just onest hug. You will grant me that much, will you, Lucien?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Just a hug.


    Onest time.


    Wordlessly, Lucien put his arms around Kinnon and caressed his back.


    The two men held each other for the longest time.


    Kinnon took a deep breath and inhaled Lucien¡¯s sweet orange scent.


    The love in his heart burst forth like water breaking through a dam.


    .....


    ¡°I love you,¡± the Alpha whispered in the lowest voice he could muster. ¡°I love you so much...¡±


    He used to expect Lucien to respond with the same sentence. Now he no longer did.


    Lucien¡¯s ¡°I love you¡±s were reserved for Ronan and no one else.


    They loosened their embrace and Lucien cupped Kinnon¡¯s face with both hands.


    ¡°Thank you for loving me. I am not lucky enough to love you back.¡±


    Kinnon shook his head and smiled.


    ¡°You look down at me, Lucien Clearwater. I don¡¯t need you to love me back.¡±


    He brought Lucien¡¯s hands to his lips and pressed a kiss on the knuckles.


    ¡°I will continue loving you, even if you are in love with Ronan.¡±


    ¡°... Kinnon.¡±


    Kinnon grabbed the back of Lucien¡¯s neck and said in a low voice, ¡°Tell that to Alpha Ronan.¡±

 Chapter 360 - 360 The Alpha Was Very Unhappy

    360 The Alpha Was Very Unhappy


    Ronan did not immediately answer. He merely pinned Miss Baker with a prating stare.


    The seasoned journalist shed him a sweet smile and then continued, ¡°I am just asking because of some pictures that I found online this afternoon. Would Mr. Silverback like to have a peek?¡±


    What pictures?


    Of Lucien and Kinnon together?


    The Alpha¡¯s face darkened at the very thought.


    Before Ronan answered with a yes or no, Miss Baker already whipped out her phone and showed Ronan the pictures that she was referring to.


    Those who were present during the interview could see the ripples in Ronan Silverback¡¯s gaze when he feasted upon the ungodly images.


    The mvision team probably expected him to lose hisposure and go rampant right then and there.


    Scandalous news coverage about the angry CEO was something worth dying for.


    .....


    To Ronan¡¯s credit, he regained hisposure after only a moment of perturbation. He straightened his coat and then leaned back in his seat with his fingers neatly intertwined in each other before him.


    ¡°Kinnon, Lucien, and I are childhood friends. I see no problem with them hanging out without me. Do you?¡±


    Miss Baker was slightly surprised at the sharp retort.


    ¡°No, of course not,¡± she said with a nervous smile.


    The woman then tucked away her phone and continued with the scripted interview questions.


    Although the storm passed safely, Mara Keenthorne who watched from the side was seething with rage.


    She couldn¡¯t believe it.


    Sure, Ronan Silverback had suffered from worse attacks during his other interviews, but all of them were business-rted. Ronan practically aced all the interviews! This was the first time he had to answer this kind of private question!


    Having dealt with Ronan and Lucien a lot back when the news about Lillian Woond came to the surface, Mara knew how strongly they felt for each other.


    And also how many times their rtionship had had to suffer time and time again.


    The mvision team was too ruthless!!!


    This was the first andst interview with Ronan Silverback that Mara granted mvision, EVER!


    On top of it, what pictures did she show Ronan, exactly?


    And how did these pictures even exist beyond Mara¡¯s knowledge???


    The PR Head was about to go insane.


    The interview ended in a little over an hour, after which Miss Baker and her team from mvision left the corporate headquarters.


    It was already quitete by then, so Ronan grabbed his briefcase and left with Milroy in tow.


    Mara did not go back to the pack house immediately. Instead, she returned to her office and started to search frantically online for the supposedly scandalous pictures.


    Whatever they were, the woman secretly hoped that the pictures were doctored.


    Unfortunately, as she soon found out, the pictures were real.


    Mara did not even need to search deep inside the sea of information.


    Entering the keyword ¡°Lucien Clearwater¡± was enough to conjure pictures of the man¡¯s activities throughout the day.


    There were a few snapshots of Lucien and Kinnon in each other¡¯s arms. And Kinnon gently pressing a kiss on top of Lucien¡¯s head.


    Oh, no.


    Judging from the amateur quality and also the angle of the pictures, it was clear that they were taken secretly without Lucien¡¯s or Kinnon¡¯s knowledge.


    It must be Lucien¡¯s fans or anti-fans who stalked him, took the pictures discreetly, and then posted them online.


    Being another handsome and rich business tycoon, Kinnon had his own fans. Some of them must have seen them together before, probably in an intimate setting.


    Mara¡¯s fingers flew over the keyboard like a proficient dancer.


    And yes, look at that, she could find pictures of them from around a year ago, going on outings as a family with little Ralph Youngshaper. They looked so sweet andpatible as a couple.


    Although Kinnon never announced their n to get married outside of the werewolfmunity, the loving gazes that the two men shared unmistakably spoke for a deeper rtionship.


    Mara rolled with her eyes.


    The pictures invited a lot of reactions from the public.


    The first group maintained a very positive view of Lucien and said that the man was just reminiscing about the past with Kinnon.


    The second group was blessed with a dramatic personality and said that Lucien was starting to doubt his decision to marry Ronan.


    After all, Ronan was implicated in so many scandals in the past. What if he was unable to treat Lucien right after they got married?


    The third group condemned Lucien for cheating right away.


    They were unmistakably Ronan¡¯s fans.


    Sigh.


    It did not matter whether Kinnon was a better partner than Ronan or not.


    Or whether Lucien wanted to keep a friendship with Kinnon or not.


    The fact was that Lucien was about to get married to Ronan, so Lucien should have known better than to meet Kinnon alone.


    And now they had this huge mess.


    In the end, Mara closed herptop and groaned into her palms.


    Oh, why? Why?


    Just why must the Luna meet up with Alpha Kinnon?


    Did he not know the rivalry between the two packs? And how these two Alphas saw each other?


    Heck, they almost killed each other during the war!


    Sure, the pictures only showed the two men harmlessly hugging each other, but what would people think about it??? And the pack members from both sides???


    Worst of all, what would Ronan think about it???


    Mara facepalmed and groaned from heartaches.


    The next morning, Ronan went to work as usual.


    There was a look of destion in the Alpha¡¯s eyes, one that could be interpreted as disappointment, sadness, and resignation all in one.


    Milroy was shaken with fright.


    He had never seen his boss look this way.


    The man barely set his briefcase on his desk before he gave Milroy an instruction early in the morning.


    ¡°There is a meeting at Ravenfall City that I must attend today at 2 PM. Book me the flight as soon as possible.¡±


    When Milroy heard it, he almost gasped audibly.


    The purification ceremony at North Ridge Forest was to take ce in two days!


    Swallowing his saliva nervously, the younger assistant then asked hopefully, ¡°A-Alpha, shall I book the return flight back to Hapsborough City at night? Or maybe the following night?¡±

 Chapter 361 - 361 The Alpha Blamed The Luna

    361 The Alpha med The Luna


    ¡°No,¡± Ronan decided. ¡°I will handle that on my own.¡±


    Milroy swallowed hard.


    He got Ronan the earliest flight to Ravenfall City.


    Before the Alpha left with Noah and headed toward the airport, he told Milroy to take the rest of the day off if he wished so.


    Milroy thought that either the Alpha had gone crazy or his ears were problematic.


    Ever a loyal subject, he went to a healer and had his ears checked instead.


    Meanwhile, Ronan closed his eyes as he leaned against thefortable seat in his first-ss cabin.


    The man used to enjoy the quiet privacy, but this time around, quietude quickly became his worst enemy.


    A wave of unpleasant thoughts invaded his brain.


    .....


    Even though he tried hard to drive them away from his brain, they came again and again like a bunch of hungry vultures.


    ¡®You are restless,¡¯ Beowulf mused. ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯


    Ronan sighed but gave his wolf no answer.


    ¡®Ronan, Lucien loves you. Why are you still hesitating at this time? Go get him.¡¯


    ¡®No,¡¯ Ronan insisted. ¡®I want him toe to me. I want him to leave Kinnon ande to me.¡¯


    If Beowulf could roll with his eyes, he would have done so. What was with human beings and their unwritten rules in courting?


    ¡®Ronan, you are being dumb again. Don¡¯t you have the least confidence in winning against Kinnon Youngshaper?¡¯


    But that¡¯s the biggest problem.


    He did not win against Kinnon.


    He could not win against Kinnon.


    Ronan did not get to marry Lucien because he was a better man than Kinnon. It was because Landon came back and interfered.


    Lucien decided to preserve his wolf, and so he started dating Ronan out of convenience.


    Ronan used to think that it was wonderful. Until he saw the pictures of Lucien and Kinnon hugging out there.


    Landon¡¯s and Ronan¡¯s selfishness might have robbed Lucien of the happiness that he could have been part of.


    Who could im that Lucien would be happier with Ronan and not Kinnon?


    Didn¡¯t he do so well at the Night Prowler Pack?


    Ronan did not have the confidence to offer Lucien a better life than he had with Kinnon.


    The sheer realization was a huge hit, and it greatly affected him.


    Alpha werewolves strived to be the best among the werewolves, even among the alphas.


    Since prehistoric times, the life of alpha werewolves was imbued with the endless struggle for dominance. Fighting with fellow wolves for the most fertile females was just a part of it.


    Ronan could not help it.


    The werewolves¡¯ way of living had improved drastically from the past, but their inner traits remained the same.


    The Alpha wanted to win so desperately.


    Even if the victory was as petty as having Lucien pick him over Kinnon.


    Ronan bumped the back of his head against his headrest.


    So pathetic.


    He was so pathetic.


    He did not deserve someone as wonderful as Lucien.


    The meeting at noon went well.


    Once it was over, Ronan nced at his phone and there was still no single message from Lucien.


    The Alpha was tempted to search for some news regarding his mate online.


    He pulled up the search engine a few times before putting his phone away repeatedly.


    No, he thought.


    He shouldn¡¯t torture himself with the annoying images.


    But how else could he find out where Lucien was and what he was doing when Ronan was not around?


    ¡®For Goddess¡¯ sake, if you must know what Lucien is doing, call and ask him,¡¯ Beowulf chastised when Ronan went to sit at the bar and started to drink one ss after another.


    ¡®Quiet, Beowulf,¡¯ Ronan replied in annoyance. ¡®I will handle Lucien the way I see fit.¡¯


    ¡®Oh? By getting drunk on your own, you mean?¡¯


    The wolf quickly cursed himself when Ronan caught sight of a voluptuous redhead who sat next to him at the bar counter. She made pretty eyes at him and curled her full lips into a kissy gesture.


    ¡°Hey, handsome, are you alone?¡±


    Ronan downed another ss and turned his head to look at the woman. Instead of responding to the open flirt, he heaved a long sigh and continued drinking.


    The woman was stunned by this ice-cold reaction.


    Just what was wrong with this handsome yet stupid man? He was supposed to flirt back so they could take their business upstairs!


    Then again, her experience taught her that the best lovers did not pick just anyone. She simply had to convince this man that she was worth the risk.


    She casually reached out to touch Ronan¡¯s shoulder, but the man grabbed her wrist mid-air.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± he said, his greenish-blue eyes shining dangerously from beneath the thick dark hair.


    Damn, so handsome!


    The woman¡¯s heart was pounding hard as she gazed into his exquisite face.


    ¡°Why not?¡± she coaxed him. ¡°Do you have someone waiting for you upstairs?¡±


    Ronan scoffed.


    Waiting for him? Who? The cold bed?


    Ronan¡¯s sour emotion rose up his throat like acid.


    Having decided that he had drunk enough for the night, he threw his coat over his shoulder and left the bar without a word of farewell.


    ¡°Crazy guy,¡± the woman muttered under her breath unhappily before she went to search for another partner.


    Meanwhile, as soon as Ronan arrived in his suite room, he took out his phone and dialed Lucien¡¯s number.


    His mate answered after only three rings.


    ¡°Ronan, where are you?¡± he asked as if he had not been ignoring Ronan for three days straight.


    ¡°Where am I???¡± Ronan¡¯s voice was a pitch higher from aggravation. ¡°Lulu, you have neglected me for days! Because you are not here, some random woman threw herself at me!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan slid down the nearest wall and rubbed at his face.


    ¡°Lulu, it¡¯s all your fault,¡± he said, despite being well aware of his unreasonable words.


    Being drunk had its merit. Pride literally ceased to exist when the blood contained enough alcohol.


    To his greatest surprise, the suite¡¯s bedroom door swung open and revealed a red-blond man with his phone in his hand.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± the man asked coldly with a raised eyebrow.


    Tucking his phone casually into his pocket, Lucien sauntered like a majestic king toward the Alpha who sat on the floor with sprawled legs.


    ¡°Which woman threw herself at you?¡±

 Chapter 362 - 362 The Alpha Was Being Punished (NSFW)

    362 The Alpha Was Being Punished (NSFW)


    Ronan¡¯s jaw dropped open as he watched his mate slowly approach him.


    Was he dreaming?


    Heavy consumption of alcohol was known to lead to hallucinations. Although Ronan was yet to experience the said phenomenon in his years of drinking, there was a first time to everything.


    He could see his mate¡¯s beautiful face.


    And hear his melodious but cold voice.


    And smell his delicious and sweet scent.


    This was one hell of a hallucination!


    What did he drink at the bar, again?


    Ronan made a mental note to check the hotel invoice the next morning, knowing very well that he would forget anyway.


    .....


    Ronan extended his hands, trying to touch this realistic hallucinated version of Lucien.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± the red-blond man said. ¡°You drank too much, Alpha.¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± Ronan said dumbly as he admired the result of his deep longing.


    ¡°Lulu, I love you... I miss you so much...¡±


    And this hallucination was as fierce as the real one!


    Lucien grabbed Ronan by his cor and dragged him up to his feet.


    ¡°And because you miss me so much, you went to have fun with women, hmm? How unconventional.¡±


    ¡°What women?¡± Ronan mumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡±


    Lucien scoffed.


    He put one of Ronan¡¯s arms around his shoulder and dragged him toward the bedroom.


    ¡°Seriously,¡± he said after he dumped the drunk man on the bed.


    Lucien leaned closer to Ronan and squeezed his chin so hard that Ronan had to furrow his brows.


    ¡°Look at what you do while I am away. Just what am I supposed to do with you, Alpha?¡±


    Ronan whimpered.


    He really drank too much. Even a figment of his imagination started to abuse him.


    ¡°Just love me,¡± he begged while grabbing Lucien¡¯s sleeves. ¡°Stay with me, don¡¯t leave me...¡±


    Lucien scoffed. He pushed Ronan until the many t on the bed and whispered darkly.


    ¡°You would like that, wouldn¡¯t you? Unfortunately, I do not reward disobedient alphas.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s lips parted from surprise when Lucien grabbed his wrists and put them together above his head.


    A momentter, a clinking sound of something being locked together was heard.


    Ronan tried to put his hands down, but he was unable to.


    His hands were shackled to the bed headboard.


    ¡°...¡±


    With a soft sigh, Lucien climbed on top of Ronan¡¯s body and slowly undressed.


    The Alpha was so mesmerized that he did not even dare blink. If he did, this amazing mirage was going to fade away and he would be all alone in the cold suite. Ronan knew that very well.


    One by one,yers of clothing slid down from the man¡¯s body and unveiled the beauty beneath.


    Ronan held his breath in amazement. He desperately tried to free his hands to no avail.


    ¡°Lulu, I want to touch you,¡± he begged. ¡°Please let me go.¡±


    Lucien smirked.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then it will not be a punishment at all, will it?¡±


    Oh, the torture.


    To see Lucien take off his pants in slow motion, stripping one piece after another before he sat naked on top of Ronan.


    ¡°Lulu, I can¡¯t,¡± Ronan mumbled. ¡°I am in pain... Lulu... Release me...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that,¡± Lucien smiled. ¡°I might be merciful if you are being a good boy tonight.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s hands moved toward Ronan¡¯s shirt.


    He slowly unbuttoned the man¡¯s shirt, spread it open, and exposed the toned chest and abdomen that rose and fell rapidly with his heavy breathing.


    The Alpha¡¯s pheromones spilled out like a fountain.


    Lucien ran his hands down the tantalizing curves of his mate¡¯s body while humming in delight.


    His hands soon reached Ronan¡¯s breeches.


    As soon as Lucien pulled down Ronan¡¯s zipper, thetter¡¯s erection stood to attention, demanding some love.


    Lucien squeezed it, making Ronan moan from suppressed desire.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± he teased.


    ¡°Mmm... Yes. I do. I do...¡±


    Ronan struggled against the shackles again.


    ¡°I want to hold you, Lulu... Please...¡±


    ¡°What right do you have to hold me?¡± Lucien snapped. ¡°You haven¡¯t undergone your punishment yet.¡±


    ¡°Please, my love... I am sorry for everything. Please forgive me...¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t think that you mean it. You apologize a lot, Alpha Ronan. You should focus on making no mistakes instead.¡±


    ¡°I know, please... Give me another chance... Ahhhh!!!¡±


    Ronan thrashed around in an attempt to free himself. His legs had unfortunately been captured, while his hardened shaft was slowly being licked and sucked by his mate.


    Lucien¡¯s warm tongue moistened Ronan¡¯s penis as it danced up and down its length. When he took Ronan¡¯s family jewels into his mouth and carefully sucked on them, Ronan almost died from a heart attack.


    His mind was wiped clean, leaving nothing but the beastly, primal desire to copte with his mate.


    Just before Ronan came into Lucien¡¯s mouth, thetter released him.


    The penis made a popping sound when it left Lucien¡¯s mouth.


    The Alpha had not even heaved a sigh of relief when Lucien straddled hisp and pushed his engorged organ into his own body.


    Ronan¡¯s eyes widened from both shock and ecstasy.


    ¡°Nggh.¡±


    Lucien furrowed his brows from pain while Ronan moaned from uninhibited lust.


    The Luna took in the Alpha¡¯s steel-hard shaft inside him. It was but a delicious and yet torturous pleasure that Ronan had yet to experience in his whole debauched life.


    He was used to ramming his whole length inside his bed partners because he was too impatient.


    And because he had never been the submissive one during sex, he got what he wanted every time.


    It was different tonight.


    Lucien had the upper hand, so Ronan had to y ording to Lucien¡¯s rules.


    Sex was sex, but what a torturous episode this one was.


    During the first thrusts, Lucien only allowed him to enter half-wise.


    And then, slowly, he went deeper and deeper.


    Every inch deeper was like a rollercoaster ride to both heaven and hell.


    Under Lucien¡¯s steely grip, Ronan was unable to move. He had to submit to Lucien¡¯s willpletely.


    Thankfully, the Luna was merciful.


    Eventually, Ronan¡¯s entire penis was lodged inside Lucien¡¯s sweet body.

 Chapter 363 - 363 The Luna Gave The Alpha Relief (NSFW)

    363 The Luna Gave The Alpha Relief (NSFW)


    And it was one hell of a ride.


    Ronan believed that he stopped breathing a few times while he gazed at the amazing man on top of him.


    Towering above him like a tenacious conqueror, Lucien rammed their bodies together and drove them both along the peak of pleasure ever so slowly.


    Slow and torturous.


    Lucien was so beautiful.


    Ronan had always acknowledged that, but he never realized how much more beautiful Lucien could be.


    As he spat out and swallowed Ronan¡¯s massive organ, glistening sweat started to build on his forehead.


    The tiny droplets gradually merged intorge beads that ran down the defined lines on his chest and abdomen and sshed against Ronan¡¯s body.


    Lucien¡¯s mouth was slightly open, his eyes tightly shut as he arched his back and impaled himself on Ronan¡¯s cock again and again.


    .....


    A shiver ran through his tensed body when he came atst. He spasmed violently, squeezing the beating flesh rod inside his deepest recess while shooting ropes and ropes of cum at Ronan¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Ugh...!¡±


    Ronan could not take it anymore. He struggled against the headboard again, determined to break the entire bed if need be.


    Just where did Lucien buy the shackles from???


    What were they made of, diamond???


    The Alpha gritted his teeth in fury.


    It turned out that when he really wanted something done, he could make it.


    He yanked once, twice, and finally broke the chains at his third attempt.


    The cracking sound was so loud that Lucien was pulled out of his orgasm.


    The man widened his eyes in surprise. His orgasm was yet to subside when Ronan grabbed his waist and reversed their position.


    ¡°That was enough punishment for now,¡± Ronan whispered into Lucien¡¯s ear.


    ¡°Allow me to serve you, Luna,¡± he added before he started pumping inside his mate wildly.


    ¡°Nnn... Ahh...!!! Ahhh...!!!¡±


    Prompted by Ronan¡¯s wild thrusts, Lucien was unable to suppress his moans.


    Sweet music filled Ronan¡¯s ears as he plundered his mate¡¯s insides with abandon. Thetter had no other choice but to cater to Ronan¡¯s attack. He wrapped his limbs around the Alpha and met Ronan thrust after thrust.


    After being pounded into for a long time, Lucien¡¯s insides became pliant and lovable. A smirk hushed across Ronan¡¯s features as he continued to drill into his mate, grazing the sensitive spot inside Lucien and making thetter sing from extreme pleasure.


    Having been teased for a long time during the so-called punishment, the Alpha was unable tost for a long time. He bared his teeth and bit into Lucien¡¯s nape hard before pushing deep into the man under him onest time and exploding in a burst of bright color.


    ¡®Lulu... Oh, Lulu... My love, my sexy mate...¡¯


    Lucien too was pulled into his mate¡¯s strong, overwhelming release. Despite being unprepared, he came a second time. As Ronan¡¯s pheromones entered his body like a cloud of poison, Lucien wed into his mate¡¯s body and returned the favor.


    The two men rested for a while before they continued fucking each other until midnight.


    Eventually, so Ronan thought, they stopped when he passed out.


    Given his drunk state, it was already quite a miracle that he managed tost that long.


    When the Alpha opened his eyes the next morning, his bed was empty.


    Lucien, or his mirage, already left, leaving only his warmth, scent, and semen traces on the bedsheet.


    Ronan stared at the ceiling in a daze.


    Dumbfounded, he blinked a few times and tried to piece together his memories fromst night.


    Lucien was really there, wasn¡¯t he?


    Otherwise, how could a hallucination leave traces behind?


    Ronan buried his nose into the bedsheet and took a deep whiff.


    Mmm.


    It was Lucien, alright.


    There was no mistaking this sweet scent that was uniquely his and his alone.


    The Alpha dragged himself from the bed and wrapped the nket around his naked form.


    There was no one in the suite.


    Lucien left as fast as he came. He did not even leave a thank you note behind.


    Ronan chuckled.


    That was cold, Lucien. Really cold.


    Good-mooded and invigorated, the Alpha booked a flight to Hapsborough City that afternoon.


    He half-expected Lucien to appear at Carlton Bay Hotel again, but he did not.


    ording to Milroy, the Luna was for some reason ¡°beyond exhausted¡±. He chose to rest at the Silent Walkers Pack House for the night and head to North Ridge Forest early morning instead.


    A sly smileced Ronan¡¯s lips when he heard the news.


    Now, that was the kind of news he liked to hear.


    His Luna, exhausted after a night of deep passion.


    ¡°Please send a bouquet of a thousand white roses to my beautiful Luna,¡± he told his assistant. ¡°Also add a box of the finest pralin¨¦s from Europe.¡±


    The Alpha was in the middle of enjoying his dinner before a video call invitation from Lucien arrived.


    Ronan epted the call.


    He inadvertently grinned when he gazed at Lucien¡¯s gentle features through the phone screen.


    He decided on the spot that he needed a bigger screen for a video call with Lucien to fully appreciate the man¡¯s beauty.


    ¡°Hello, my love,¡± he greeted the man.


    Lucien looked somewhat drowsy. He seemed to have just woken up from a long nap.


    ¡°Hi,¡± he mumbled while rubbing his eyes and gazing at his lover with a dreamy look.


    ¡°Thanks for the flower and chocte.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure. Too bad that I cannot find anything as sweet asst night,¡± Ronan said while winking at his lovely mate.


    ¡°I have no idea what you are talking about,¡± Lucien replied, but he was unable to prevent his blushing cheeks from betraying him.


    ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t,¡± Ronanughed.


    Lucien took a deep breath.


    ¡°I love you, Ronan,¡± he said, the simple words made Ronan¡¯s heart skip a beat. ¡°I just want you to know that.¡±


    Ronan was able to hear the hidden message in Lucien¡¯s words.


    ¡°I love you, so I chose you. It has nothing to do with you being better or worse than anyone.¡±


    ¡°I love you too,¡± came the reply. ¡°I wish there is a stronger, more powerful word to express my feelings for you.¡±


    Lucien smiled.


    ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°See you tomorrow, my beloved Lulu.¡±

 Chapter 364 - 364 The Purification Ceremony

    364 The Purification Ceremony


    The purification ceremony took ce in the Moonlight Spring at North Ridge Forest, just a few hundred meters away from the Holy Temple Of The Moon Goddess.


    The spring was split into two equal halves by a two-meter wall made of rocks, but it shared water from the same source. Different colors of algae at the bottom of the spring granted the two halves different colors.


    One side was bright green while the other was bright blue.


    Ronan and Lucien were required to enter the spring from opposite directions. Ronan went into the bright blue side and Lucien into the bright green side.


    Since both parties were men, only priests from the Holy Temple were present to help with the ceremony.


    When they disrobed both alpha werewolves though, they had to suck in their breath from shock.


    Apart from the scratch marks and bruises that spread all over their bodies, the ring mark on their napes spoke volumes about what the couple had been doing in the days that led to their wedding.


    As understanding as the High Priest must be after years of handling Alpha weddings, he gave them ruthless instructions.


    Ronan and Lucien were told to waddle through the cold water back and forth three times before they were allowed to get out at the other end.


    .....


    If personal shame was not enough to keep their hands away from each other, hopefully the cold water was.


    Aware of their insolent behavior, both menplied without uttering even a word of objection.


    That didn¡¯t mean that they did not talk to each other at all. Or better said, Ronan did not try to talk to Lucien at all.


    ¡®Lucien...¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®Luciennnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn...¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®LULU!!!¡¯


    ¡®WHAT!!!¡¯


    ¡®Oh, I thought that you fell asleep.¡¯


    Ronan¡¯s giggling sound via Mind Link made Lucien want to jump over the wall and pounce at him.


    ¡®For Goddess¡¯ sake, Ronan, reflect on your impure behavior and purify your mind!¡¯ Lucien snapped at his mate.


    ¡®My mind has been purified by my love and adoration for you,¡¯ the unrepentant Alpha said in response.


    ¡®...¡¯


    What a bunch of nonsense!


    If anything, the so-called love and adoration only prompted Ronan to be more sex-crazed than ever.


    ¡®Lulu, the water is so cold... Brrrrr...!!!¡¯


    Lucien rolled with his eyes.


    Good. Cold water was what Ronan needed to ovee his horniness.


    ¡®Hey, Lulu.¡¯


    ¡®Hmm?¡¯


    ¡®I love you so much.¡¯


    ¡®Then drink less,¡¯ Lucien chastised him. ¡®I can¡¯t believe that you went out on a drinking spree while I was not around.¡¯


    ¡®Hehehe...¡¯


    They were only silent for five minutes before Ronan called again.


    ¡®Hey, Lulu...¡¯


    Lucien sighed.


    ¡®Ronan, quit beating around the bush. What do you want to say?¡¯


    On his side of the spring, Ronan stooped lower and submerged half of his face inside the water.


    ¡®Um...¡¯


    ¡®You want to talk about Kinnon, don¡¯t you?¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    Ronan¡¯s silence was practically a confirmation.


    He hoped that Lucien would read his mind and give him the answer to his questions.


    Whether Lucien was able to read his mind or not was subject to debate, but he also did not mind relieving the Alpha of his mental anguish.


    Atst, Ronan¡¯s curiosity won over his pride and he said something.


    ¡®Do you mind if I ask what... I mean... Never mind...¡¯


    Ronan chickened out in the middle, proverbially running away with his tail between his legs.


    Lucien rolled with his eyes.


    A sigh escaped his lips before he decided to stop torturing Ronan further.


    ¡®I said my goodbye to Kinnon. I thought it was proper before I officially marry into your pack.¡¯


    ¡®... Oh.¡¯


    ¡®What were you thinking? That I nned to run away with him after I agree to marry you?¡¯


    A sshing sound from Ronan¡¯s side of the spring revealed that the Alpha dove into the cold water despiteining about being cold.


    ¡®Were you jealous?¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    Ronan hoped that Lucien would drop the question, but thetter held on to it like an eagle who just buried its ws into its defenseless prey.


    ¡®Ronan, are you nning to drown yourself?¡¯


    ¡®... No.¡¯


    Another sshing sound was heard and the Alpha burst through the surface.


    ¡®Lulu, I can¡¯t help it. I will always be jealous whenever you spend time with anyone.¡¯


    Lucien chuckled.


    ¡®Really?¡¯


    ¡®Yeah. Even more so with Kinnon, who you once nned to marry.¡¯


    ¡®Heh, I can say the same about Lillian Woond.¡¯


    ¡®Lulu, I never loved her and I never nned to marry her.¡¯


    ¡®Oh really. Then what about that night during the Moon Banquet when you kissed her in front of everyone to see and your father announced your impending marriage?¡¯


    Ronan gulped.


    Apparently, once they decided to go through the skeletons in their closet, there were a lot of inexplicable bones that Ronan had to ount for.


    ¡®Lulu, he did it without my permission. I would never...!!!¡¯


    Lucien scoffed.


    ¡®Were you jealous?¡¯


    The petty Alpha grabbed onto Lucien¡¯s jealousy like a drowning wolf on a protruding root by the edge of the river.


    ording to Ronan¡¯s logic, if Lucien was jealous of the other people that Ronan spent time with, then Ronan had the right to be jealous of the other people that Lucien spent time with.


    Fair was fair, right?


    Unfortunately, his Luna was a lot more reasonable than he was.


    ¡®I guess I was upset. Then again I had no reason to forbid you from having rtions with other people. We were not together, after all.¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    ¡®...¡¯


    The Alpha roared in his heart.


    Ovee with frustration, he ended up blurting it out loud for all the priests and the High Priest to hear.


    ¡°No, Lulu, please!!! Please just be jealous!!! I need you to be jealous! Being jealous is fine! I am jealous too!!!¡±


    .....


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°You idiot,¡± Lucien said in a low voice.


    As a punishment, both men were told to go back and forth three more times.


    This time, they decided to shut up and just go through it with full focus.


    By the end of it, their bodies werepletely numb from the cold.


    Three days passed quickly.


    Atst, their wedding day arrived.

 Chapter 365 - 365 The Wedding Ceremony

    365 The Wedding Ceremony


    On the day that Alpha Ronan married Lucien Clearwater, the sun shone brightly in a cloudless blue sky.


    An hour before the ceremony started, a light drizzle started pouring from the sky.


    Rain and sun. The two elements that nature gave to make the earth bloom with life.


    The auspicious weather called all werewolves all over the ce to step outside and enjoy the sweet blessings from the Moon Goddess.


    Over at the Holy Temple of The Moon Goddess, a grand wedding was about to take ce.


    The wedding hall that had served as a silent witness to countless Alpha weddings was now bustling with guests from all around the continent.


    Those who were required to attend were the Alphas and Betas of all packs, because this wedding ceremony installed someone new to the Luna position.


    It was the second most important position in a werewolf pack.


    As they said, all good Alphas had supportive Lunas at their back.


    .....


    While the guests were chattering in a cheerful mood in anticipation of the uing ceremony, the wedding parties were able to enjoy neither the magnificent weather nor the celebration.


    At least not yet.


    They were busy running around to prepare both the Alpha and his Luna for their wedding ceremony.


    The Alpha¡¯s side did not require much preparation.


    The handsome man only needed to don his ceremonial white robe and he was ready.


    Lucien¡¯s side was a different story.


    Having had to cope with a lot of fussy prospective Lunas in the years of their flourishing career, the make-up artists were rather frustrated with their client this time around.


    Why?


    Because they were unable to make Lucien more beautiful than he already was.


    With his brilliant pair of caramel-golden eyes, his defined but delicate jawline, and the shimmering red-golden hair that framed his face, he looked as handsome as any man could be.


    No powder could make his fair skin glow more.


    No lip coloring could make the twin flower petals that made up his lips more captivating.


    In the end, they had to be satisfied with just working on Lucien¡¯s wedding robe.


    Male Lunas were rare, so the female wedding robes with the intricate design that all Lunas wore during their wedding ceremonies had to be altered to fit him.


    The feminine frills were cut off and reced with elegant embroideries that were made using golden and silver threads.


    Long sleeves were added to the sleeveless design, and the long skirt was reced with a pair of white pants.


    The end result was breathtaking.


    The white robe perfectly entuated his slender body and highlighted the man¡¯s beautiful curves.


    It was unclear whether the robe was that nicely altered or that Lucien simply looked good in anything.


    If people asked Alpha Annalynne from the Silent Walkers Pack, she would say that it was definitely the second one.


    As soon as she saw her brother in his wedding robe, she could not stop gushing about her brother¡¯s beauty.


    ¡°Oh Goddess,¡± she broke into tears and started sobbing now and then. ¡°Lulu, you are the MOST BEAUTIFUL Luna I have EVER seen!¡±


    Lucien chuckled.


    ¡°And you will make the most beautiful Alpha on your wedding day, more beautiful than anyone that ever walked down the aisle.¡±


    Annalynne blushed profusely.


    ¡°Never! I will never look as good as you!¡±


    ¡°Silly, you already look as good as me. We are twins, remember?¡±


    While the siblings praised each other to the moon and back, Alice Clearwater narrowed her eyes at her children from the other side of the room.


    The elder woman cleared her throat and asked her daughter in a stern voice, ¡°Anna, what are you doing here? Your ce is in the ceremony hall with other Alphas and Betas.¡±


    ¡°But Mom, look at Lulu! He¡¯s so pretty! I cannot just wait there if I can take a look at him!¡±


    Alice sighed.


    ¡°You need to learn from Kendra. Look, she is obediently waiting in the...¡±


    Before the elder woman ended her sentence, Kendra came rushing in with a bouquet of fresh white lilies.


    ¡°Lucien! Here is your bouquet! I had the flowers re-cut and re-arranged. d that I made it!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Oh, Mrs. Clearwater, hi...¡±


    Alice retracted her statement immediately.


    She glowered at both Annalynne and Kendra in bewilderment.


    ¡°Out, out, the two of you! Behave like proper Alpha and Beta! Go wait with the others in the hall!¡±


    ¡°Aaaaaaaw...¡± they groaned in unison.


    Annalynne¡¯s and Kendra¡¯s faces were crumpled in dissatisfaction.


    Nevertheless, they obediently headed to the hall, where everyone waited to witness the grand wedding of Alpha Ronan Silverback, who, after years of maintaining the irredeemable phnderer reputation, was finally going to take a wife.


    The hall had walls made of thousands of colorful stones. The middle part of the dome-like ceiling was reced with an array of stained ss. The bright sunlight that fell upon it bathed those underneath in a multitude of colors.


    In this case, it was Ronan Silverback. The colorful light that fell on him hid the true color of his face.


    That was good, because the Alpha was quite nervous.


    The years of longing, the months of anticipation, and the days of nning had finally led to this one day, this one morning.


    He and Lucien were about to get married.


    Standing alone at the center of the elevated tform, he could not wait for the ceremony to begin.


    He kept looking at the hall entrance, hoping that Lucien would appear soon to relieve his anxiety.


    After waiting for what felt like an eternity, soft piano music in apaniment of violin started to y from the back of the room.


    Ronan and the guests held their breath when the Luna in question finally made his appearance.


    When Lucien emerged from the shadowed entrance of the hall, Ronan¡¯s heart almost stopped beating.


    The red-blond man solemnly entered the hall with a bouquet of white lilies sped in his hands.


    The tail of his robe dragged elegantly behind him as he moved at a steady pace toward his future husband.


    As he passed through the rows and rows of guests, he kept his head lowered demurely. Once he reached the center of the hall, he lifted his eyes and looked at the Alpha.


    ¡®You are finally here.¡¯


    ¡®I am.¡¯

 Chapter 366 - 366 The Promise Of Happiness

    366 The Promise Of Happiness


    Ronan extended a hand to help Lucien climb the elevated stage and Lucien took his hand gracefully.


    The bouquet was handed to a priestess shortly after.


    The music stopped ying and the room went quiet.


    The High Seer ascended the stage from another entrance of the room.


    A bright smileced her lips as she directed her unseeing eyes at the pair of Alpha and Luna in front of her.


    ¡°It is a beautiful day blessed by the Moon Goddess,¡± she said to start the ceremony.


    ¡°It grants us a privilege to witness another union that shall strengthen the Infinite Eclipse Pack in specific and also the werewolfmunity in general.¡±


    ¡°Alpha Ronan Silverback from the Infinite Eclipse Pack, please step forward.¡±


    Ronan gave Lucien¡¯s hand another squeeze before he let go and stepped before the High Seer.


    .....


    ¡°Do you presume to take Lucien Clearwater from the Silent Walkers Pack as your Luna?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Ronan answered.


    ¡°Alpha Annalynne Clearwater from the Silent Walkers Pack, please step forward,¡± the High Seer turned in Annalynne¡¯s direction.


    Thetter stepped out of the first row and walked toward her brother.


    She smiled at Lucien when she took him by his elbow and led him in front of the High Seer.


    ¡°Do you agree to hand over one of your pack members to Alpha Ronan Silverback in marriage?¡±


    Annalynne¡¯s smile turned into a cold re when her gazended on Ronan.


    She was so tempted to say no.


    Because in her eyes, Ronan had not fully earned the right to marry Lucien. But her brother did not think that way. They loved each other, and Annalynne could testify to that. For the sake of Lucien¡¯s happiness, Annalynne reluctantly answered with a ¡°Yes¡±.


    ¡°Very well. Then, we shall proceed with the vows.¡±


    With parting tears in her eyes, Annalynne handed Lucien over to his waiting mate.


    ¡°Love him well,¡± she said with choked sobs.


    ¡°I will,¡± Ronan promised. ¡°Thank you, Alpha Annalynne.¡±


    Ronan and Lucien gazed into each other¡¯s eyes while they held hands in front of the High Seer, the representatives of all packs, the entire werewolf council members, all priests and priestesses under the Holy Temple, and also their families and friends.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan Silverback,¡± the High Seer spoke to Ronan first.


    ¡°Have you decided to take Lucien Clearwater as your Luna and thus grant him the power to rule over the Infinite Eclipse Pack by your side?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ronan answered.


    ¡°Will you honor the mating bond between the two of you and stay faithful to your mate until death separates the two of you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Will you love and cherish your mate dearly, and also love and protect any children that will be born from your union?¡±


    A lot of Alphas and Betas furrowed their brows when they heard the High Seer¡¯s words.


    Some thought that she was senile.


    Some believed that she was just using a standard speech for all wedding ceremonies.


    Because how could two men bring forth children to the world?


    They did not notice the grin thatced Ronan¡¯s lips for a split second or the slight blush that appeared on Lucien¡¯s cheeks at all.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The High Seer turned to Lucien subsequently and asked the questions that were reserved for him.


    ¡°Lucien Clearwater from Silent Walkers Pack, have you decided to leave your birth pack and ept Ronan Silverback as your Alpha and your mate?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Are you willing to rule alongside Alpha Ronan as his Luna and devote yourself to your new pack, the Infinite Eclipse Pack?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Will you honor the mating bond between the two of you and stay faithful to your mate until death separates the two of you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Will you love and cherish your mate dearly, and also love and protect any children that will be born from your union?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ronan unconsciously held his breath during Lucien¡¯s turn. Only after Lucien said thest ¡°Yes¡± that the Alpha exhaled out of relief.


    He looked at the High Seer full of expectation.


    The youthful leader of the Holy Temple did not disappoint.


    Her turquoise eyes fluttered lightly as she announced, ¡°The ceremony has concluded. Congrattions, Alpha Ronan and Luna Lucien.¡±


    Ronan tugged at their joined hands and pulled his mate into his arms.


    Lucien closed his eyes while he breathed in Ronan¡¯s calming scent, just before their lips were pressed together in a loving kiss.


    All around them, the hall was drowned in a cacophony of cheering and pping sounds.


    The werewolfmunity weed the new Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack among themselves.


    ¡°Finally,¡± Ronan whispered as they held each other close and bumped their foreheads together.


    Lucien cupped Ronan¡¯s face in both hands and beamed at the man he just married.


    ¡°Please take good care of me, Alpha.¡±


    Ronan nted a kiss on Lucien¡¯s wrist before he captured his Luna¡¯s lips in another kiss.


    ¡°I am forever in your good hands, my Luna...¡±


    In Ronan¡¯s twenty-six years on earth so far, he had experienced countless beautiful moments with his fated mate.


    If anyone bothered to ask him which one the dearest to him was, he would have to say that all of them were equally precious at the corresponding time, ce, and asion.


    And yet, at this very moment, Ronan was pretty sure that he had never been happier and felt luckier in his whole life.


    A wedding was but the beginning of a long and arduous journey as a couple.


    Granted, governing a pack was not an easy task.


    One thing that they were sure of was that they could ovee anything together, whatever awaited them in the future.


    ording to the legend, the Moon Goddess promised eternal bliss to pairs of fated mates who found their ways to each other.


    She never mentioned that it would be easy.


    Looking back, the path that led to said eternal bliss was full of roadblocks, thorny vines, and sharp rocks.


    Ronan and Lucien survived to tell the story.


    It was a bittersweet journey, but it was worth it every second of the way.

 Chapter 367 - 367 When The News Leak Out

    367 When The News Leak Out


    Ronan and Lucien had been very secretive about what was going on in the fertility clinic, but news eventually leaked out.


    Not to the nosy fans that were still chasing after Lucien¡¯s shadows incessantly, but to Dane and Adele Silverback who were very unhappy to be thest people to know about the babies.


    ¡°Technically, Mom, you are not thest people to find out,¡± Ronan tried to cate his mother, and it only served to infuriate her further.


    ¡°Ronan, I am your mother!¡± she insisted. ¡°And I live one floor under you! Why does the entire Clearwater family know about Lucien¡¯s pregnancy, but not me???¡±


    When the words ¡°Lucien¡¯s pregnancy¡± was mentioned, Lucien feltpelled to correct his mother-inw.


    ¡°Mother, technically, I am not pregnant.¡±


    Adele Silverback waved her hand at Lucien impatiently.


    ¡°Yes, yes. Same thing.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    .....


    ¡°It is my right to know about my future grandchildren!!!¡±


    Dane Silverback was not as excited as his wife. He was even rather skeptical about this supposedly wonderful and yet unproved technology.


    Nevertheless, this concerned the continuation of the Silverback name and whether or not they could keep the Alpha position in the family.


    For that purpose, whatever method Ronan employed to gain heirs was approved instantly by his father.


    ¡°I demand to see them with my own eyes,¡± Dane said. ¡°We need to ensure that they are well taken care of.¡±


    Adele clicked with her tongue in displeasure.


    ¡°Dane, how crude. Do you suggest we cut Lucien open so you can take a look at the fetuses¡¯ development???¡±


    Lucien cleared his throat.


    ¡°Mother, technically, they are not inside me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Same thing.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Apparently, Adele Silverback thought that the new technology was tooplicated. It was easier to say that Lucien was pregnant. Whether the womb was inside or outside his body was another story.


    Meanwhile, three months had passed and the fetuses grew stronger and stronger with each passing day.


    And so did Lucien¡¯s number of fans.


    Thanks to that, he was still unable to set foot at the fertility center. And neither could Ronan, because they were a couple. Whatever Ronan did or wherever Ronan went was often linked to Lucien and vice versa.


    In the end, they had to rely on their parents to watch over the fetuses¡¯ development.


    Initially, Gordon Clearwater was the only one who had the privilege to watch over the fetuses day after day.


    And then came Adele and Dane Silverback.


    Once they came, of course Alice Clearwater also demanded toe and visit.


    The two couples kepting and going again and again, seemingly in apetition that they did not bother to announce.


    Eventually, the news leaked out.


    It started as a silly theory among the fans. Some of them hyped it up. It ended up being published on some paparazzi¡¯s social media ount.


    Shamelessly, the fans even tagged Lucien and Ronan in thement section.


    When Mara Keenthorne read it in the morning, she almost sprayed her coffee all over her table.


    The post went like this: ¡°Because Lucien Clearwater and Ronan Silverback were unable to have their own children, Ronan¡¯s parents had been trying to conceive. The child would be handed over to Ronan and Lucien for adoption.¡±


    Lucien thought that it was a good story to mask the truth.


    Ronan was disgusted.


    One day, a very smug Adele Silverback went to visit her son and son-inw on weekend.


    She had a colored ultrasound image of the two babies at five months with her.


    The future parents werepletely in awe when they looked at the image.


    ¡°They kinda look like me,¡± both Lucien and Ronan said at the same time.


    And then, they furrowed their brows and looked at each other.


    ¡°I believe they look a lot like ME,¡± Adele Silverbackmented with full confidence. ¡°The Fangde blood lives on in them.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    There was no use arguing with Adele.


    She was in euphoria for the grandchildren, so why not grant her the delusion?


    ¡°Okay, thanks for dropping by with the image, Mom, I...¡±


    Before Ronan ended his words, the sonogram was ripped out of his hands swiftly.


    ¡°Now that you have looked at it long enough, I will excuse myself.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s jaw dropped open.


    So did Ronan¡¯s.


    ¡°Mom, wait!!!¡±


    ¡°Mother, the image!!!¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Adele said. ¡°You two kept the news from me for so long. This is your punishment, ept it.¡±


    ¡°Mom, wait, what about a trade???¡± Ronan begged. ¡°Lucien will give you the precious two-week sonogram and you will...¡±


    Lucien smacked Ronan hard.


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°But Lulu, this one is colored and the babies have grown so big and...¡±


    ¡°I said no!¡± Lucien growled unhappily at his partner.


    Ronan basically asked him to hand over the first picture of their babies! How insensible!


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan was speechless.


    Despite incessant pleas by the Alpha and the Luna, the Alpha¡¯s mother refused to hand over the colored ultrasound image.


    Three dayster, a supersized version of it hung proudly in the Silverback couple¡¯s living room. The smaller version was framed and put on Adele¡¯s nightstand so she could look at it anytime.


    Dissatisfied about the oue, Ronan gave Gordon Clearwater a call the next day.


    Apparently, Gordon Clearwater proved to be a lot less than generous.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want too many images to be circted prior to the birth of the babies, Alpha Ronan,¡± he chastised the Alpha instead. ¡°Only twenty more weeks to go now. Please be patient.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    As a result, Ronan and Lucien bothered Adele and Dane every night for the next ten weeks, just to look at the supersized ultrasound image.


    Until Gordon Clearwater deigned to send them another image.


    Coming with the image was a recording of the babies¡¯ heartbeat.


    When Ronan heard it for the first time, he broke into tears immediately. He was more than touched. Their children were alive, their hearts beating decisively as they grew stronger with the passing days.


    One week before the babies¡¯ birth, the Alpha and Luna took their leave to West Coast City in the most discreet manner possible.

 Chapter 368 - 368 Hello, Babies

    368 Hello, Babies


    Traditionally, pups were born in an intimate circle consisting of only core family members. They were then left alone for one whole month to recuperate and get to know the new members of the family.


    In Ronan¡¯s and Lucien¡¯s case, the birth of their children wasparable to theunch of the first rocket to the moon.


    There were so many people ¡ª mainly the fertility center staff ¡ª that attended the birthing event that the Mother and Child Center looked almost like a performance venue.


    Gordon Clearwater reserved the privilege to be there, as opposed to his own wife, Adele, and Dane Silverback.


    Not that the three people did not try to smuggle themselves in.


    Even Alpha Annalynne was ready to abandon what dignity she had and begged her father to let her in.


    Acting as the fertility center director, Gordon Clearwater was quite ruthless. He threw away all unrted people, with or without the Clearwater and Silverback surnames.


    Before the babies were born, a lot of preparation had to be done. Seeing people running around in theirb coats and shouting instructions at each other was enough to make Lucien even more nervous.


    He gripped the iron bar handle of the balcony that oversaw the entire Mother and Child Center hard. That was all he could do to alleviate his anxiety.


    .....


    ¡°Lulu.¡±


    A pair of arms wrapped themselves around him. Lucien sucked in a lungful of air mixed with Ronan¡¯s calming sandalwood scent.


    The Alpha¡¯s warm chest pressed against his back, providing him endless and ultimatefort.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Lucien cracked his mate a nervous smile.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Ronan pressed a kiss against Lucien¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I am here.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    Tranquility was like having a bunch of butterflies settling down in one¡¯s stomach. They were unexpectedly quick to scatter as soon as one of the fertility center staff shouted, ¡°We are ready!¡±


    Lucien felt as if his pair of legs turn into two useless wooden logs all of a sudden.


    He had to rely on Ronan to drag him toward the huge ss column that housed the meanwhile bloated artificial womb.


    Inside, the babies asionally pushed against the wall so they were able to see various imprints. Sometimes a hand, a foot, sometimes even a face.


    They were very active.


    And healthy.


    Lucien could not stop staring at the flesh-colored organ that floated peacefully inside the ss column.


    ¡°Lulu, Alpha Ronan, are you two ready?¡±


    Gordon Clearwater pressed a hand on his son¡¯s and son-inw¡¯s shoulder.


    Ronan and Lucien answered ¡°Yes¡± at almost the same time.


    The ss column was slowly drained, and the suspended artificial womb slowly descended to the bottom.


    ¡°Do you want to cut it open yourself?¡± Gordon asked Lucien.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t,¡± Lucien quickly answered. ¡°What if I hurt them???¡±


    He would never forgive himself if something happened to the babies because of them.


    ¡°I will do that,¡± Ronan offered. ¡°I want to do it.¡±


    ¡°But Ronan...!¡±


    The Alpha gave his mate¡¯s hand a squeeze and a kiss on the knuckles.


    ¡°My Luna, you have worked hard to give us these babies. Let me wee them to the world with my own hands.¡±


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s do it together,¡± Lucien decided. They wanted children, and now the children were there. It made sense to take responsibility and bring them to the world together.


    The fertility center staff and Gordon broke into a smile.


    The corners of Ronan¡¯s lips too were tugged up in a grateful smile.


    ¡°Alright, my love.¡±


    The process was rather grotesque, but when Lucien and Ronan first held a baby each in their arms, tears quickly welled up in their eyes.


    They were so tiny.


    And so precious.


    Shocked by the sudden change of environment, they cried out loud while inhaling a lungful of air for the first time.


    The hardest thing to do in the end for the fertility center staff was to extricate the babies from the new parents.


    All parents hated to part from the babies in their arms, even more so werewolves.


    ¡°Just to examine them,¡± the staff pleaded. ¡°We will clean them up and return them to you.¡±


    After much persuasion, Ronan and Lucien agreed to hand over the babies. They insisted on standing around and watching while the babies get cleaned and examined.


    Ten fingers and ten toes.


    Separated from the warm embrace of their parents, they kept wriggling around restlessly. When the cold instruments touched them, they whimpered pitifully.


    Ronan and Lucien had to restrain each other to not rush to their side and interrupt the fertility center staff while they did their job.


    ¡°One boy and one girl,¡± an elder woman announced.


    ¡°The boy is an alpha.¡±


    The same woman avoided looking into Alpha Ronan¡¯s eyes when she continued, ¡°The girl is not.¡±


    Both Ronan¡¯s and Lucien¡¯s lips parted from surprise.


    They had no experience holding newborns, so they could not easily find out whether the babies were alphas or not.


    Alpha babies had bigger bone structures than non-alpha babies. The little boy was indeed heavier than the little girl, but boys were usually bigger than girls, right?


    It turned out that their little girl was not an alpha werewolf.


    Lucien looked up at Ronan.


    ¡°My daughter is perfect the way she is, whether she is an alpha or not,¡± he dered.


    Ronan chuckled.


    ¡°I was about to say the same. Those who dare to tell me that my daughter is anything but wless will regret being born into the world.¡±


    The Alpha and Luna exchanged warm smiles.


    These were their children.


    They were a little family of four.


    Soon, the vast apartment that the Alpha shared with his Luna would no longer maintain its peaceful state.


    It will be filled with the sound of crying babies, the tapping of little feet when they learned to walk, and also the babbling of little mouths when they learned to walk.


    The children would grow up stronger and stronger day by day.


    Ronan and Lucien would be there to oversee their development, and love them every step of the way.

 Chapter 369 - 369 The Alpha Boy And The Non-Alpha Girl

    369 The Alpha Boy And The Non-Alpha Girl


    News regarding the birth of the Alpha heirs of the Infinite Eclipse Pack was received with mixed reactions by the werewolfmunity.


    After returning from West Coast City, Ronan and Lucien locked themselves up inside their apartment and entertained no guest, as the tradition required.


    The problem was that these were two men with no experience in child rearing, so it was natural when everyone in the pack was worried about them.


    Adele Silverback was anxious to hear the babies¡¯ cry every day.


    ¡°As long as they still cry, then they are still alive,¡± she imed.


    Apparently, she did not dare to expect too much from her son and son-inw. As long as they did not end up killing the babies, it was already good enough.


    Days passed by quickly, and before long, the four weeks were over. The minute the Alpha ended their seclusion, guests came rushing like a wave of tsunami.


    To Ronan¡¯s greatest dismay, the frequently asked questions were :


    ¡°Are the babies still alive?¡±


    .....


    ¡°Do you remember to feed them?¡±


    ¡°Do we need to call a healer???¡±


    To thatst question, Ronan had a perfect answer, ¡°Sure. You will need a healer soon if you don¡¯t stop asking stupid questions!¡±


    In the end, Ronan Silverback kicked all of them out for being noisy and made a list of approved visitations for a week.


    Even that was not an easy task because everyone was dying to meet the babies. Particrly the Alpha¡¯s parents and the Luna¡¯s parents and sister, of course.


    Unable to make a sound decision regarding which side of the family got to visit first, and also because there was some revtion to be done regarding the babies, all of them were invited toe at the same time.


    And all of them did. They waited outside the Alpha¡¯s apartment way before the allocated time arrived.


    When Ronan opened the door, the Alpha had to prevent the anxious family members from rushing in.


    ¡°Slowly!¡± He shouted. ¡°Mom, please!!!¡±


    Once they got past Ronan, they all ran as silently as they could inside the apartment.


    In the living room, Lucien was entertaining the two precious heirs inside a basket.


    ¡°Ooooooohhhhh,¡± the women immediately squealed from delight.


    Adele picked up the little boy and Alice picked up the little girl.


    ¡°Oh my Goddess, look at how beautiful he is,¡± Adele cooed. ¡°He looks just like Ronan when he was little!¡±


    The little boy broke into an adorable giggle when he came face-to-face with friendly strangers.


    ¡°Baby, I am your grandmother,¡± Adele said while peppering kisses all over the baby boy. ¡°You precious, precious child.¡±


    That reaction was expected from the alpha baby boy.


    The problem was the baby girl, who was not an alpha.


    As soon as Alice lifted the small baby in her arms, she knew.


    Her eyebrows were pulled up from surprise, but she said nothing.


    Instead, she held the very quiet girl close to her heart and cuddled her like she was the biggest treasure she had evere across.


    The little girl extended her small hands and pressed them against Alice¡¯s cheeks. Alice did not want to cry, but she ended up spilling tears upon meeting her granddaughter.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she mumbled.


    Annalynne ended up passing her some tissues and at the same time steal the baby from her arms.


    Gordon was there when the babies were born, so he naturally knew that the baby girl was not an alpha.


    Annalynne had no idea at all. She was just happy to wee a beautiful baby girl among them.


    ¡°Oh, Goddess!¡± she squealed from delight.


    ¡°Look, Mom! She looks like a mini-me!¡±


    Alice smiled.


    ¡°Technically, she looks like Lucien.¡±


    Although both babies inherited Ronan¡¯s dark hair and greenish-blue eyes, the boy looked a lot like Ronan and the girl looked a lot like Lucien.


    That being said, the girl was very beautiful. And she was also very quiet.


    Lucien opened his mouth a few times to tell both sides of the grandparents and also Annalynne that the girl was not an alpha pup, but he was unable to find the right moment.


    It was not until they swapped babies that Adele and Dane were ovee with surprise.


    ¡°Oh, she is...¡± Adele gasped.


    Dane did not say anything, but everyone could see the surprise in his eyes.


    Protectively, Lucien took the baby girl back into his arms.


    ¡°Sorry to disappoint,¡± he said with an icy tone. ¡°Our precious daughter is not an alpha.¡±


    ¡°Nevertheless, she is our daughter and we love her very much. We hope that all of you cane to terms with this surprising news,¡± Ronan continued while he put his arms around Lucien and their daughter.


    For a while, no one said anything.


    And then, Annalynne put her hands against her waist and eximed loudly, ¡°What the hell? Does anyone have any problem with my awesome, most beautiful niece???¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Adele said with a shrug. She took the baby back from Lucien, having not cuddled her long enough before she was taken away by the protective parent.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care whether she is an alpha or not. My granddaughter is so beautiful. A perfect mix of Ronan and Lucien. She is going to grow up to be the prettiest girl in the whole werewolfmunity!¡±


    ¡°I obviously don¡¯t care,¡± Alice too said. ¡°I fall in love with her at the first sight. Anyone who has anything bad to say about her will have me as their opponent.¡±


    Gordon pulled Lucien and Ronan into a hug.


    ¡°Congrattions for the adorable children, you two. Alpha or not, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    Annalynne, Adele, Alice, and Gordon all said their piece of approval.


    Only one person had yet to voice his opinion.


    Unwittingly, eyes were directed to Dane Silverback, who did not look like he nned to say anything.


    His lips were pulled into a thin line and the severe lines that were etched on his face seemed to be even deeper than before.


    To the greatest disappointment of everyone in the living room, he cleared his throat and then with a hoarse voice, said, ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s father left without looking back.

 Chapter 370 - 370 Pain Of Rejection

    370 Pain Of Rejection


    ¡°Oh, that big fool,¡± Adele cursed under her breath.


    She gave Ronan, Lucien, and the two babies each a kiss before she excused herself.


    ¡°Lucien, don¡¯t worry,¡± she said while grabbing her son-inw¡¯s hand. ¡°I am going to smack that alpha superiority idea out of his head. There is nothing wrong with our little girl. I cannot be a happier grandmother.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s mother then stomped off in search of her ridiculous husband.


    Annalynne huffed angrily.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± sheined loudly.


    As expected, she just had to vent her displeasure at the remaining Silverback in the room.


    ring at Ronan, Annalynne said what she needed to say.


    ¡°Alpha Ronan, if your pack does not acknowledge non-alpha heirs, then give her to me. The Silent Walkers Pack is more than happy to raise this little bundle of blessing! We are not that arrogant to think that only alphas are worth anything!¡±


    .....


    Ronan crossed his arms in front of his chest and growled at his sister-inw.


    ¡°I will fight you if you dare to take my daughter away from me, Alpha Annalynne. I don¡¯t give a crap about what others say about my daughter. For all I care, I will make her the heir to the Alpha position if need be!¡±


    Hearing the harsh exchange between the adults, the babies abruptly began to cry.


    ¡°Oh no, don¡¯t cry,¡± Annalynne hastily said. She wanted to take the baby girl, but Lucien stopped her.


    ¡°Let me,¡± he said in a protective tone that no one in their sane minds would dare to defy.


    Lucien lifted his baby girl into his arms. As soon as the little girl was pressed against Lucien¡¯s chest, she stopped crying right away.


    ¡°Sssh, my love,¡± Lucien cated the little girl in his arms with soft kisses. ¡°Everything will be alright.¡±


    Annalynne did not have simr luck with the baby boy. He screamed and trampled around wildly, overwhelming his auntpletely.


    ¡°Give him to me,¡± Ronan said.


    In his father¡¯s arms, probably suppressed by the Alpha¡¯s aura, the baby calmed down right away. Held against his father¡¯s shoulder, he blinked cutely at the people in the room.


    The babies were happy and contented, but their parents were not.


    Lucien looked extremely displeased with the way things turned out.


    And all because one baby was not an alpha pup.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± he said in an aggrieved tone. ¡°The babies need to rest.¡±


    That was the cue for the visitors to leave.


    Alice gave her grandchildren a kiss each before she left with Gordon.


    Annalynne could not bear to leave her brother behind.


    ¡°Lulu...?¡±


    Lucien turned to look at his twin sister, who tugged at his arm in a spoiled manner.


    ¡°Lulu, I am here for you. Call me whenever you need me, okay? I will always be your sister. No matter what.¡±


    Lucien smiled.


    ¡°Mm. Thanks, Anna.¡±


    After Annalynne left, a deafening silence filled the apartment, only breached asionally by the sounds that the babies made.


    Lucien was awfully quiet, and Ronan did not like it even one bit.


    The Alpha put his son inside the basket, then he hugged Lucien from behind and pressed a kiss on thetter¡¯s nape.


    ¡°Baby, are you alright?¡±


    In response, Lucien cuddled the little girl closer to his heart.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he said truthfully.


    He was not okay, and he did not want to lie about it. Maybe he was too exhausted to lie.


    Alpha families were used to weing only alpha pups in their midst.


    If Lucien were not an alpha, the fact that one of their children was not an alpha might be more eptable. They were both alpha werewolves, but the girl was not an alpha.


    Born perfect the way she was ording to her parents, but she was nevertheless of lesser birth in the eyes of the entire werewolfmunity.


    ¡°Baby, let¡¯s talk. I know that you are upset.¡±


    Ronan would rather have Lucien go crazy, and vent his anger at his father, than have him go quiet and keep it all to himself.


    ¡°We expected this,¡± Lucien answered, trying his best to maintain hisposure.


    They knew that if anyone was going to be repelled by the news, it would be none other than Dane Silverback.


    ¡°We can¡¯t change your father¡¯s opinion.¡±


    Or anyone else¡¯s for that matter.


    Ronan sighed. He tightened his embrace around Lucien¡¯s slender frame and whispered, ¡°I am serious, Lulu. I willy down the Alpha position at her feet if need be.¡±


    If that was all it took for the pack to acknowledge the child, Ronan would go against the tradition. Their daughter was going to be the first Alpha without actually being an alpha werewolf.


    Screw all those who dared to go against his decision.


    Lucien scoffed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± he said. ¡°You are not going to take away Rayden¡¯s birthright and hand it over to Aria.¡±


    Ronan¡¯s lips curled up into a smile when he heard the baby names that they had discussed among themselves in the past week.


    ¡°Have you decided to give them these names, then?¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    Lucien handed their baby girl to Ronan while he picked up their baby boy from the basket.


    ¡°Rayden and Aria Silverback. How do you like your names, little sweethearts?¡±


    The babies broke into a round of giggles in unison.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s a yes,¡± Ronan said.


    He pinched Lucien¡¯s chin and pressed a loving kiss on his Luna¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Let¡¯s announce their names tomorrow, then.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°For now, they need to take their naps.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    From today on, two babysitters woulde to help the Alpha and Luna with their children. Ronan and Lucien could finally start sleeping at night. They both could use some. Taking care of two babies without help was surprisingly exhausting.


    Maya Greenwood had offered her service as babysitter enthusiastically, but Lucien reminded her that she was a budding young artist with a lot of prospects. She had better things to do than say, take care of their babies.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    ¡°It¡¯s them,¡± Lucien said. ¡°Ronan, open the door, will you?¡±


    ¡°At your service, Luna,¡± Ronan chuckled as he marched toward the door.


    Ronan expected the babysitters to be standing outside, waiting to tend to the babies.


    When he opened the door, the person he came face-to-face with was not a babysitter but his father, Dane Silverback.

 Chapter 371 - 371 Father And Son

    371 Father And Son


    ¡®Lucien, I am out for a while.¡¯


    What followed was the sound of the door closing.


    Lucien turned his head toward the door when he heard Ronan¡¯s voice via Mind Link.


    ¡°Ronan?¡± he called, but his mate gave no answer.


    There was no one at the door. When Lucien opened the door and peeked outside, the corridor was empty.


    Lucien did not have time to wonder where Ronan went off to, because the babies had started to cry again. In the past four weeks, they were used to seeing either Ronan or Lucien around, so when none of them was visible, they quickly became distressed. ¡°I aming,¡± Lucien shouted before he closed the door. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, my little sweethearts...¡±


    Ronan and Dane walked side-by-side in silence. They exited the building and walked in the direction of the thick forest that surrounded the pack house.


    Once they were far enough and pretty sure that no one was listening in on their conversation, they stopped walking and faced each other.


    ¡°If you have anything to say about my daughter, say it now and be done with it,¡± Ronan narrowed his eyes at his father. ¡°I don¡¯t want Lucien or my precious daughter to hear the slightest critic from your mouth.¡±


    .....


    Even if Aria was clearly too young to understand.


    She did not deserve any form of unkindness. Especially not from those who were supposed to love her unconditionally.


    Right now, Dane was not one of those people.


    Dane Silverback, on the other side, stared at his son.


    Who knew that the beloved little boy that he once held in his arms would grow up to be such a fierce father? The former Alpha wondered if he would have acted the same had Ronan turned out to be less than an alpha pup.


    ¡°It is shocking,¡± he said. ¡°Throughout the past five generations of the Silverback family, only alpha pups had been born.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°This child is going to have a difficult life.¡±


    Dane was by no means a seer, but his words sounded like a bad prophecy.


    Ronan gritted his teeth and scowled at his father, ¡°I will ensure that she will have a smooth and uneventful life. I swear that by my own life.¡±


    Dane shook his head at his son¡¯s ignorance. He jabbed a finger into Ronan¡¯s chest.


    ¡°What do you know about being and growing up as a regr werewolf? Do you even know what it means? Your little princess will never have a chance to be a Luna. An Alpha¡¯s daughter she might be, but she will lead the life ofmon she-wolves.¡±


    ¡°It is unavoidable,¡± Ronan said. ¡°Still, she has me and Lucien. We will always stand behind her no matter what.¡±


    But would that be enough?


    Was there going to be a day when Aria came to her father, tearful, and asked why she was not an alpha she-wolf? What answer could Ronan give her?


    ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± Dane continued. ¡°Alphas don¡¯t have experience in raising non-alphas. Babies have yet to exhibit any differences, but you will see it as she grows up. She will be weaker. Prone to injuries. She will be an outcast in her own family.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ronan raked his fingers through his dark hair.


    ¡°Are you done?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Dane replied calmly.


    ¡°Ronan, the life of a werewolf is a journey, be it for an alpha or a non-alpha werewolf.¡±


    Dane took out a tattered booklet from the folds of his suit and pushed it against Ronan¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Your job is to ensure that she maximizes her potential, whatever it is.¡±


    Ronan lowered his head and looked at the booklet that Dane just gave him.


    It seemed to be a record.


    When he pored through the yellowed pages, he saw that it was a personal record written by a non-alpha werewolf, a female who married into the Silverback family a long time ago.


    The werewolf she married was the werewolf who then brought the Alpha position to the Silverback family for the first time.


    She was the first non-alpha she-wolf who rose to the position of a Luna.


    ¡°I hope it helps you and your Luna with your twin babies,¡± Dane said gruffly. He started to walk away, leaving his son with the record that he painstakingly dug out of the Silverback family archives.


    His son was hot-headed. He was careless, and he did not think things through.


    But one thing Dane knew for sure was that he was going to be a good father.


    Besides, he had Lucien Clearwater by his side. As much as Dane disapproved of their rtionship when they first started dating, he acknowledged the merit of having Lucien by Ronan¡¯s side.


    Lucien¡¯s personality was the exact opposite of Ronan¡¯s. He was a careful and sensible alpha. Above all, he was both reasonable and endlesslypassionate.


    If Ronan was the fire that engulfed everything, Lucien was like summer rain that extinguished the fire and granted the survivors relief.


    Now that Dane already stepped away from the ranks of power within the pack, he had no say in the important pack decisions.


    But he knew that he left the pack in good hands.


    With Ronan as the Alpha and Lucien as the Luna, everything would be just fine.


    ¡°Dad, wait.¡±


    Immersed in his deep thoughts, Dane did not realize that Ronan already caught up to him.


    ¡°Aria,¡± the Alpha said.


    ¡°... Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Her name is Aria,¡± Ronan repeated.


    ¡°...¡±


    Dane gaped at his son.


    ¡°It is?¡± he asked dumbly.


    Ronan nodded.


    ¡°We name the boy Rayden. I want you to be the first person to know.¡±


    Aria... and Rayden.


    ¡°Aria and Rayden Silverback,¡± Ronan repeated with boundless pride in his eyes.


    His grandchildren.


    ¡°Can I...¡± his voice was hoarse from emotion so he cleared his throat a few times, but it stuck to him stubbornly as he continued speaking up, ¡°Can Ie again to hold them in my arms?¡±


    Today, Adele monopolized the babies and did not let Dane hold even a baby.


    A bright smile spread on Ronan¡¯s ted face.


    ¡°Of course. Come and visit as often as you can. Lucien and I will be waiting for you.¡±

 Chapter 372 - 372 Mommy Is No Longer Mommy

    372 Mommy Is No Longer Mommy


    Kinnon Youngshaper received a call from Lucien Clearwater a day after his babies were born.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you and Ralph to find out from other people,¡± Lucien had said. ¡°The Moon Goddess has blessed Ronan and me with a pair of pups.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    If Kinnon did not know better, he would think that Lucien had gone nuts. Since when was an alpha male able to conceive?


    But it was Lucien who told him this news in such a serious manner, so it had to be the truth.


    ¡°Congrattions,¡± the Alpha said.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lucien said. ¡°Then, I will hang up first.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Kinnon bumped the back of his head against the headrest a few times after the call ended.


    .....


    He quickly arranged for his scouts to find out about the birth of the Alpha heirs of the rival pack.


    Unexpectedly, his scouts already knew about it. They just did not tell Kinnon to spare his feelings, and it did not make Kinnon any happier.


    A scout gave his Alpha amiserating look when he showed him a rare photograph that one of Lucien¡¯s fans snapped when he came out of the fertility clinic with a baby in his arms. The other baby was snugly cuddled against Ronan¡¯s chest.


    Kinnon stared at the photograph for a long time.


    Lucien held the baby like a precious treasure. His lips were slightly parted, and his eyshes were lowered. He smiled at the baby in his arms the way he smiled at Ralph.


    It was the gentle motherly smile, the loving gaze that Ralph greatly cherished.


    From now on, all of those would be taken from Ralph and given to the babies instead.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Kinnon muttered under his breath.


    Lucien, aren¡¯t you being too ruthless?


    How am I supposed to tell Ralph that his Mommy is no longer his?


    And because Kinnon did not know how, he did not tell Ralph at all. Thankfully, his whole pack knew how to keep their mouths shut.


    Until a month passed and Lucien made another phone call.


    For the first time ever, Kinnon loathed to hear news from Lucien¡¯s side. Nevertheless, he still had to maintain an amicable rtionship between the two packs, so he picked up the call.


    ¡°Kinnon, can you bring Ralph over?¡± Lucien asked. ¡°I want to introduce him to Aria and Rayden.¡±


    Aria and Rayden Silverback, the twins that were born miraculously to the Alpha and Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack.


    Kinnon cleared his throat to expel the sour feeling in his heart.


    ¡°Lucien, that is not a good idea. In fact, you should...¡±


    ¡°I want to see him,¡± Lucien interrupted Kinnon mid-sentence. ¡°Unless he doesn¡¯t want to see me anymore.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    And so, Kinnon summoned his son that night after dinner.


    Ralph was five years old now. He had grown considerably taller in the past year. No matter how big he became, he still missed his Mommy terribly.


    ¡°Ralphy, your Mommy wants to meet you,¡± Kinnon said. ¡°Do you want to go?¡±


    Ralph¡¯s eyes turned round from excitement.


    ¡°Yes!¡± he eximed in delight. ¡°Yes, Daddy! When???¡±


    The five-year-old boy jumped around like a rabbit.


    Oh, Goddess.


    Kinnon¡¯s face turned ashen.


    ¡°Tomorrow. Before we go, Daddy needs to tell you something...¡±


    Ralph stopped jumping around and looked at his father with big eyes.


    ¡°What is it, Daddy?¡±


    A sour smile crept toward Kinnon¡¯s lips.


    This was his fault, really.


    He should have predicted that Ronan would not just stay put when his fated mate was betrothed to someone else.


    He should have stopped Ralph from falling for Lucien the way he did.


    Both of them fell for Lucien, and were fated to have their hearts broken by the man they could not get.


    ¡°Ralphy...¡±


    Kinnon patted the seat next to him. ¡°Come here.¡±


    Ralph obediently sat next to Kinnon. Before the Alpha knew it, his son was able to climb onto the couch without his help anymore. He merely hoped that his son was ready for a heartbreak so early in his young age.


    ¡°You know that your Mommy is married to Alpha Ronan, right?¡±


    Upon hearing the two words ¡°Alpha Ronan¡±, Ralph¡¯s face darkened.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Well. When two people marry, they have children. Your Mommy had twin babies.¡±


    Ralph¡¯s mouth dropped open in amazement.


    ¡°Did Mommy give birth?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    The talk of a new, breakthrough technology in reproductive medicine was too advanced for Ralph, so Kinnon settled with the easy answer.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°... Oh.¡±


    ¡°Mommy invites you toe and take a look at the babies. Do you still want to go?¡±


    This time, Ralph¡¯s answer was less enthusiastic. He sounded a little confused.


    Kinnon knew that in Ralph¡¯s little brain, he must have realized that something had changed. The loving rtionship that he shared with the Luna of the rival pack had ended.


    ¡°Ralphy...¡±


    Kinnon patted his son¡¯s head lovingly, prompting the little boy to look up at him.


    ¡°Ralphy, you know that Lucien is not your Mommy... Right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ralph¡¯s lips quivered from heartbreak.


    ¡°Lucien has his own children now. Besides, he did not marry your Daddy after all.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Silent, beautiful tears slowly fell across the tender cheeks.


    Kinnon reached out to wipe them off.


    He knew that his son was hurting, but he still had to say it.


    ¡°You need to stop calling him ¡®Mommy¡¯. You understand why, don¡¯t you Ralph?¡±


    ¡°... Yes, Daddy.¡±


    Kinnon heaved a sigh.


    ¡°You are a good boy,¡± he praised his son. ¡°Are we still going to visit Lucien tomorrow?¡±


    Ralph did not immediately answer. He looked down at his tiny feet for a long time before he slowly came up with a ¡°Yes¡±.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Kinnon took a deep breath. ¡°Let¡¯s go and visit Lucien tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Mmm.¡±


    Kinnon pulled his son into an embrace and cuddled him to his chest.


    ¡°I am so sorry, my son.¡±


    Tomorrow, he and Ralph both must cut off their lingering attachment to Lucien.


    Lucien was already married to Ronan, and now he was busy with their children.


    .....


    There was no ce in Lucien¡¯s heart for anyone else. Not even for Ralph.

 Chapter 373 - 373 Lucien’s Many Children

    373 Lucien¡¯s Many Children


    ¡°Oh, there you are, Little Youngshaper,¡± Ronan greeted Ralph when he and Kinnon showed up the next day. ¡°Lucien is waiting for you on the balcony.¡±


    Ralph said nothing. He merely gave a little nod before he stepped into Ronan¡¯s and Lucien¡¯s living space.


    When Kinnon followed after his son, Ronan grabbed his arm and dragged him outside.


    ¡°What are you doing, Alpha Ronan?¡± Kinnon demanded to know.


    ¡°You and I have business matters to settle. Lucien wishes to meet with your son alone.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Ralph¡¯s mind was akin to a wastnd at the moment. He understood what his father told himst night, but he was unable to ept it.


    Why must he?


    Why couldn¡¯t Lucien remain his Mommy?


    .....


    He loved this Mommy dearly.


    Did Mommy not love him anymore?


    Did Mommy only love his own children now?


    Then, what about Ralph?


    Who was going to love Ralph?


    The more the little boy thought about it, the more miserable he became.


    Then again, he had no more tears to shed. He cried the whole night until his eyes became puffy.


    Although Mommy was not Mommy anymore, Ralph still wanted to meet him. Love, as it turned out, did not go away that easily.


    ¡°Ralphy.¡±


    The little boy looked up when his name was called.


    There stood Lucien, beaming at him with a smile as bright as the sun itself. It was the smile that Ralph had be ustomed to. It was as if nothing had changed.


    But everything had changed.


    Ralph could no longer run to his arms and hug him.


    ¡°I... Um...¡±


    Ralph fought hard against the tears that he thought would nevere.


    ¡°Lu... Luna, hello.¡±


    Lucien¡¯s smile faded visibly.


    He knelt on the floor and beckoned for the little boy toe closer.


    Ralph approached Lucien carefully. He took off his bunny hat and held it in front of his chest like some sort of a shield.


    A shield to protect his fragile little heart from Lucien¡¯s cruel kindness.


    ¡°Oh, Ralphy...¡±


    Lucien pulled Ralph into his arms and hugged him.


    Ralph started to sob.


    He knew that he did not deserve this hug.


    This hug belonged to the newborn babies. They were Lucien¡¯s biological children, so they should be the ones to receive Lucien¡¯s love and attention.


    But at the same time, the little boy was also greedy. He was unwilling to let go of the Mommy that he hade to love.


    Lucien pressed a kiss against the side of Ralph¡¯s head.


    ¡°Ralphy, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you crying?¡±


    The little boy cried louder when Lucien popped the question. Should Lucien not know why Ralph cried? He was the person who made Ralph cry!


    ¡°Waaaaaaaahhhhhh...!!! Waaaaaahhhhh...!!!¡±


    And because Ralph cried, the babies inside the huge basket on the balcony also started to cry. Soon, Lucien was left with one crying little boy and two crying babies.


    A babysitter quickly emerged from the kitchen and took the babies away from the balcony.


    Lucien could not be more thankful.


    He redirected his focus back to Ralph, who cried as if he would never be happy again.


    ¡°Ralph... Ssssh... Sshhhh... Don¡¯t cry. Tell Mommy what¡¯s wrong, alright?¡±


    When he heard Lucien refer to himself as ¡°Mommy¡±, Ralph¡¯s cries grew louder.


    ¡°My baby,¡± Lucien cradled the cheerless boy in his arms. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? If you don¡¯t tell me, how can I help you?¡±


    ¡°You are not my Mommy!¡± Ralph shouted in-between sobs while pushing at Lucien¡¯s chest. ¡°You are not my Mommy anymore, waaaaaahhhhhhh...!!!¡±


    Pain shed through Lucien¡¯s eyes when he heard Ralph¡¯s words.


    ¡°Do you hate me, Ralph?¡± he asked with a genuinely hurt expression. ¡°Do you not want me to be your Mommy anymore...?¡±


    ¡°I do!¡± Ralph blubbered. ¡°B-but... Daddy said that you now have your own children. I should... I should not call you ¡®Mommy¡¯ anymore, waaaaaaaahhhhhh...!!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Ralph...¡±


    Lucien pulled Ralph into a hug again. ¡°I will be your Mommy for as long as you want me.¡±


    ¡°B-but...¡±


    Ralph was confused.


    Wait, did Lucien just say that Ralph could still call him ¡°Mommy¡±?


    ¡°But what about the babies?¡± he asked in confusion.


    Did his Mommy not want the babies anymore?


    Lucien wiped the tears away from Ralph¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°Well, they will be your little brother and sister, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Huh? What?


    Ralph¡¯s little mouth dropped open in awe.


    What little brother and sister?


    ¡°You silly boy,¡± Lucien chastised him. ¡°You are my child, so if I have more children, of course they will be your little siblings. Right...?¡±


    Ralph was stupefied.


    He came into the Infinite Eclipse Pack House to say goodbye to his Mommy. For some reason, he not only did not lose his Mommy, he even gained new siblings!


    The confused little boy was all numb when he sat on Lucien¡¯sp and watched the babysitter return with the big basket that contained the twin babies.


    They were so tiny.


    When Lucien extended his hand to rub at their tummies, they wriggled cutely in the basket.


    ¡°This is Rayden, your little brother,¡± Lucien introduced the little boy to Ralph.


    ¡°And this is Aria, your little sister.¡±


    Ralph¡¯s eyes turned as round as the moon.


    Little brother and little sister.


    Ralph gingerly extended his little hands at the babies to touch them.


    Little Rayden blinked at him and grabbed one of his fingers, making Ralph yelp from surprise.


    When Ralph tried to pull his finger away, Rayden started to whimper.


    Lucien snickered.


    The little boy was as spoiled as his father. Once he had his hands around something, he refused to let go.


    In this sense, Aria was a lot more agreeable.


    And so, Ralph sat on Lucien¡¯sp with one of his fingers trapped by Rayden, who then started to nibble on it.


    ¡°Aahhhhhhh! He is eating me!¡± Ralph shrieked.


    .....


    Laughing, Lucien pulled Ralph¡¯s finger free and gave Rayden a pat on his head.


    Holding his finger against his chest and watching Lucien calm down the little baby boy, Ralph fell into a daze.


    He had a little brother and a little sister.


    Ralph looked up and stared at Lucien¡¯s smiling face.


    He still could not believe it.


    ¡°Mommy?¡± he mumbled full of hesitation.


    ¡°Yes, Ralph?¡±


    ¡°Mommy...¡±


    Ralph hugged Lucien tight.


    He called his Mommy over and over again, and Lucien answered him every time.

 Chapter 374 - 374 Stop Putting Nonsense Into Ralph’s Head!

    374 Stop Putting Nonsense Into Ralph¡¯s Head!


    When Kinnon Youngshaper returned with Ronan Silverback to the apartment, his son had, for some inconceivable reason, be extremely attached to the babies.


    Laughing happily, he spoke and yed with them while Lucien and the babysitter watched by their side.


    Lucien¡¯s smile disappeared as soon as he caught sight of Kinnon.


    The sudden change was rather bone-chilling,ing from Lucien.


    The man bent forward to give Ralph a kiss on the cheek. He whispered something to the little boy, who then nodded fervently and even waved at his father cheerfully, unaware that said father was about to face his Mommy¡¯s wrath.


    As soon as Lucien closed the balcony door behind him, he scowled at Kinnon.


    ¡°Alpha Kinnon Youngshaper, kindly exin why you must put that kind of nonsense into your son¡¯s head.¡±


    Ronan smirked.


    Although he would love to watch Kinnon being butchered by Lucien, his Luna did not grant him this pleasure.


    .....


    ¡°Ronan, leave us please,¡± Lucien said, ending the show prematurely for Ronan.


    The Alpha knew that if he wished to sleep on the bed tonight, he better not go against his Luna. Ronan thus walked over, gave Lucien a loving kiss on the lips, and then walked into the kitchen to get himself something to eat.


    ¡°Good luck,¡± he whispered to Kinnon when he walked past his former rival in love.


    Kinnon took a deep breath and tried to exin.


    ¡°Look, Lucien. Isn¡¯t it quite obvious? Ralphy is my son. You are not my Luna, so he should not think of you as his mother. It¡¯s just wrong. Besides...¡±


    Kinnon heaved a sigh before he continued.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have your own children? What do you want Ralph for?¡±


    Lucien crossed his arms in front of his chest and shot icy daggers at Kinnon.


    ¡°What exactly did I want Ralph for, then?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Did I need him to do anything for me?¡±


    ¡°... I didn¡¯t say that.¡±


    Lucien inched forward and shoved at Kinnon¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Do you think that I dote on him only because he is your son?¡±


    ¡°Of course! What other exnation can there be???¡±


    Kinnon grabbed Lucien¡¯s wrists and held them up between them.


    ¡°Lucien, I understand fully that Ralph was part of your responsibility as my future Luna. But now that it is no longer the case, you have to stop pretending.¡±


    A crisp p resounded through the room.


    Shocked by the sudden p, Kinnon momentarily went into a daze.


    ¡°I think it is ironic,¡± Lucien slowly said. ¡°I only recently be a parent, so I have yet to understand the full magnitude of raising and nurturing little pups, but there is one thing I can tell you. I will never be able to see my children as something less than they are ¡ª two precious pearls that I would give my life for.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, all you see in Ralph is nothing more than just a responsibility. Kinnon Youngshaper, you disappoint me.¡±


    Kinnon gritted his teeth.


    ¡°What do you know,¡± he said. ¡°What do you know about the hardship of being a single parent??? Do you think that I am not suffering??? Do you think that I want to be like this???¡±


    Lucien grabbed Kinnon¡¯s cor and hissed at him.


    ¡°Then if I were you, I would be grateful to have some help. Didn¡¯t I say yes when you asked me to help you raise your son?¡±


    Kinnon¡¯s lips parted from surprise when he heard Lucien¡¯s words.


    It had been such a long time ago that he forgot.


    Indeed, he did plead for Lucien¡¯s help to raise Ralph together to be the next Alpha of the Night Prowler Pack.


    It turned out that Lucien never forgot.


    Kinnon closed his eyes in an attempt to suppress the turmoil in his heart.


    ¡°Listen to me, Kinnon Youngshaper. I was not the one who gave birth to him and I missed out on the first three years of his life, but I do want to be part of his life for the next thirty or sixty years of his life.¡±


    He grabbed Kinnon¡¯s shoulders and gave them a little shake.


    ¡°I love him like he¡¯s my own son. Don¡¯t take him away from me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Did you hear what I just said, Alpha Kinnon...?¡±


    Loud and clear.


    Kinnon Youngshaper gave an imperceptible nod, but a nod it was.


    Lucien straightened the Alpha¡¯s cor afterward.


    ¡°My current position prevents me toe and visit your pack without my mate by my side. I hope that you will allow me to take care of Ralph whenever he wants toe here and visit.¡±


    A weak smile appeared on Kinnon¡¯s face.


    ¡°How does it look like if my heir keepsing to the rival pack to y?¡±


    Lucien raised an eyebrow at the foolish man in front of him. Disapproval was written clearly across his face.


    ¡°You are the Alpha. You tell me.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    With that onest sentence leaving his lips, Lucien turned around and headed to the balcony.


    Kinnon let himself fall on one of the couches and rubbed at his forehead. The heartache that gued him for a month was gone, reced by a terrible headache.


    Ronan came in with baby Rayden in his arms.


    He chuckled when he saw the sorry state that Kinnon was in.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t my Luna fierce?¡± he asked his former rival in love. ¡°I think that his motherly instincts kick in as soon as the babies are born. Naturally, he also wants to im the missing son.¡±


    Kinnon pursed his lips.


    ¡°My son, Alpha Ronan,¡± Kinnon felt the need to correct the other Alpha. ¡°Ralph is my son.¡±


    ¡°Well, not entirely yours anymore. Hey, it¡¯s not as if I want another Alpha¡¯s son lounging by my Luna¡¯s side day in and day out. Unfortunately, Lucien will loop my head off if I ever say that out loud.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm.¡±


    Kinnon leaned in and observed the little baby in Ronan¡¯s arms.


    ¡°He is surprisingly good-looking, being your son.¡±


    ¡°He is also Lucien¡¯s son.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm.¡±


    Little Rayden did look like a carbon copy of Ronan. Kinnon looked up at Ronan and shot him a mischievous grin.


    ¡°What will it take for me to get some of Lucien¡¯s seed?¡±

 Chapter 375 - 375 The End

    375 The End


    With Rayden in his arms, Ronan could not punch the light out of Kinnon.


    ¡°Careful there, Alpha Kinnon,¡± Ronan said, shing the man a scary smile instead. ¡°I cannot throw your son out, but I very well can throw you out of my pack house.¡±


    Having angered Ronan, Kinnon burst into a chuckle.


    He patted Ronan¡¯s shoulder a couple of times to lighten the mood.


    ¡°I am kidding. Don¡¯t tell that to Lucien. I don¡¯t want him to kill me in front of my son.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if you die, I am willing to adopt Ralph into the family.¡±


    Kinnon scoffed.


    ¡°How kind. If you die, I am more than willing to adopt your whole family.¡±


    The babysitter watched the two Alpha chatting with each other from a distance when she went to grab some milk for Aria.


    .....


    They looked like the best of friends, so why was it that she felt some chilling, murderous aura emanating from the both of them?


    Kinnon and Ralph left an hourter. Ralph was hardly separable from his newly gained siblings. He made Lucien promise to allow him toe to visit every weekend.


    Lucien peppered the little boy with kisses. To Ralph¡¯s greatest joy, his Mommy told him that he was wee anytime.


    After putting Rayden and Aria in their crib at night, Lucien went to the balcony for some fresh night air.


    The recent days added a lot of strain to their life as new parents.


    One by one, though, they managed to loosen all the knots in their hearts.


    Lucien inhaled and exhaled a few times.


    From the balcony, he was able to see the entire pack house. At the ground level, illuminated by several gardenmps that were scattered neatly across the residential area, a few pack members sat together and watched their pups ying around happily.


    The enchanting sight was enough to conjure a smile upon Lucien¡¯s lips.


    This was his life now.


    As the Luna of the Infinite Eclipse Pack, it was his job to take care of the pack and ensure that they get to lead a peaceful life in the safe embrace of their family with the full support of the entire pack.


    ¡°Hello, Luna.¡±


    Lucien turned around and leaned against the balcony railing with a smile.


    His mate approached him with two sses of cocktail in his hands.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Lucien asked when he took one ss from Ronan.


    Chunks of ice swam freely inside the brown, translucent mix of liqueur.


    ¡°Honey and pineapple juice mixed into sherry. Give it a taste.¡±


    Lucien took a sip and hummed in delight.


    ¡°What¡¯s the asion?¡±


    Ronan put an arm around his Luna and tasted the drink from thetter¡¯s luscious lips.


    ¡°This is to celebrate the rest of our life together, with Aria and Rayden by our sides.¡±


    ¡°Ah. To our family, then.¡±


    ¡°To our little family,¡± Ronan said with a smile.


    Lucien raised his ss in Ronan¡¯s direction.


    The sses made a light clinking sound when they met in the air.


    The two men looked deep into each other¡¯s eyes as they took another sip from their sses.


    Ronan¡¯s scorching gaze seemed to drill holes in Lucien¡¯s body, causing the fine hairs on his neck to rise.


    ¡°I know what you want to do,¡± Lucien said. ¡°It¡¯s still too early for that.¡±


    Ronan chuckled.


    He slid a hand into Lucien¡¯s shirt and squeezed his waist.


    ¡°It has been a month.¡±


    ¡°It has only been a month,¡± Lucien corrected him.


    The Alpha lowered his head and kissed down Lucien¡¯s slender neck and beautiful corbone.


    ¡°It has been a month,¡± he insisted.


    When the Alpha wanted to im his Luna¡¯s lips, thetter clicked with his tongue and pressed three fingers against his mate¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Lulu...¡±


    Ronan took the fingers and worshipped them with his lips and tongue.


    ¡°The children will hear us,¡± Lucien pointed out.


    And so would the babysitters who slept in the adjacent room.


    ¡°We will be quiet,¡± Ronan reasoned.


    ¡°...¡±


    Easy for him to say, he¡¯s not the one who had to endure a huge cock pistoning in and out of his depth.


    ¡°Ronan, you are a father now. You should be more restrained.¡±


    ¡°... My children will learn to tolerate me.¡±


    Lucien broke intoughter while Ronan burrowed his head into Lucien¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Look at you,¡± Lucien yed with Ronan¡¯s dark strands of hair with his hands. ¡°You are the one who want them so badly, and now youin about them. Hss...¡±


    Lucien tilted his head backward, his eyes closed and his mouth opened slightly. The Alpha had started to suck and bite at his nipple through his shirt.


    ¡°I won¡¯tin much if my Luna cooperates.¡±


    ¡°Ah... And... What kind of cooperation are you expecting?¡±


    Ronan shot Lucien a mischievous smile.


    He lifted Lucien up, and thetter wrapped his legs around the Alpha¡¯s waist automatically.


    ¡°I want to make love to you all night, and I want you to be a willing and eager participant.¡±


    Lucien giggled. He hooked his arms around Ronan and pressed their foreheads together.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t I always been a willing and eager participant?¡± he asked in a seductive whisper that Ronan could never resist.


    Without wasting any more time for flirtatious talk, he carried his Luna to their bedroom.


    Ronan fervently prayed in his heart that he could make it this one time.


    His heart pounded hard against his ribcage as he carried Lucien past the baby room. They did not even make a sound, but a baby began to cry.


    Lucien knew right away which baby it was.


    It was always Aria.


    A secondter, Rayden joined his sister.


    Ronan looked as if his kids had personally kicked him between the legs.


    ¡°Put me down,¡± Lucien told the unhappy Alpha and he did as per the former¡¯s bidding.


    Lucien squeezed at Ronan¡¯s chin and grinned.


    ¡°No rush, Alpha. We have a lot of time to catch up.¡±


    Lucien then took Ronan¡¯s hand and pulled the disgruntled Alpha toward the baby room to inquire about the babies.


    Whether it was today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, or the next century, they would always stay together.


    So really, no rush.


    Nevertheless, Ronan had one urgent request to their sweet, adorable babies: please, please, please stop interrupting Daddy when he was trying to make love to Mommy!


    ???????????????T.H.E ~~~ E.N.D???????????????


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