Leia had sensed something deeper in Kieran ever since she was brought to the mansion, something beyond just words. He kept her close, as if her presence alone reassured him that he wasn't alone.
Earlier that day, when they went out together, time slipped past them unnoticed. It was just a simple car ride followed by a visit to a bakery, where Leia bought some muffins. She could hardly remember the last time she had them, maybe when her parents were still alive.
But when she mentioned that she would go check on Ronan, Kieran suddenly caught her wrist and pulled her closer.
"Don't go near him," Kieran said, locking eyes with her. "You're supposed to stay away from him."
He looked as if he wanted to ask her to stay with him until dinner, but something held him back. Leia could see he was trying to be gentle, not wanting her to look at him with suspicion.
"If you're worried Ronan might pounce on me, rest assured," she said calmly. "You said Lucien already punished him. I don't want him to feel like he doesn't belong here."
Kieran didn't seem convinced. "Then Ronan will have no excuse left but to take you to bed," he said, clearly concerned. "I'll give him the muffins. Stay here until I return."
He took the plate from her and walked out.
Curiosity tugged at her. She knew she probably shouldn't, but she followed him. When Kieran reached Ronan's room and knocked, he didn't wait for a response but just walked right in. Leia stepped in after him and looked around, surprised to find the room empty.
"Has he gone out?" she asked from behind.
Kieran turned around instantly. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to see what Ronan's room looked like. It's quite different from yours and Lucien's," she said, letting her gaze wander. "The room feels... emptier," she murmured.
"Leia, you shouldn't be here," Kieran said in a low voice. "If Lucien finds out, he'll be angry with you." He reached for her arm, clearly intending to escort her out.
"Let her be here," came Ronan's voice, laced with anger. "She came to me willingly."
Both Kieran and Leia turned to look at Ronan. Leia's eyes widened in shock. He was half-naked as he just came out of the shower. However, what truly shocked her was that his entire chest was covered in multiple scars, some big, some small.
"Kieran, leave," Ronan said as he walked toward Leia.
"I won't leave," Kieran refused to move from his place.
Leia wanted to see what kind of equation these two had.
"Leia and I bought some muffins from the market. She wanted to give them to everyone, that's why she came here," Kieran explained to him. However, Leia noticed that Ronan didn't seem pleased by the explanation.
"I hate muffins," Ronan said, turning his back toward them while putting on a shirt. Leia couldn't see his full back as Kieran stepped before her.
"Let's go."
And before she knew it, she was out of Ronan's room. She wanted to create a stir, but Ronan didn't act recklessly this time. He simply asked them to leave.
'So, Ronan doesn't defy Lucien, no matter what,' Leia thought.
As they exited Ronan's room, Kieran said, "You were lucky, else he would have been furious."
"Maybe you're wrong about Ronan," Leia said.
"Wrong about him?" Kieran chuckled. "Don't forget we are brothers. We know each other well," he told her. They crossed through the living room, and Leia lifted her head to look upstairs.
'Lucien is the only one who distrusts me. Getting through him is going to be difficult,' she thought.
~~~~
Kieran had only one desire, he wanted Leia's eyes on him, only him. He didn't want her to care about his brothers or be drawn to them in any way. From the moment she arrived, he was ready to become the kind of man she could rely on completely, someone who would give her everything without hesitation.
And yet, deep down, he knew she didn't feel the same spark he did. She even tried to run away. For Kieran, it truly was love at first sight. Leia was the kind of woman he would love to have in his life. And since she was the only she-wolf, he longed for their wolves to grow closer too.
But so far, her wolf hadn't even spoken to his. He couldn't catch her pheromones either. He often wondered what they would be like.
Perhaps just like Leia herself, sweet and warm, or maybe like the first breeze of summer.
"Kieran!"
Leia's voice interrupted his thoughts, and he looked at her.
"Where are you lost?" she asked.
'In you,' he thought, but he couldn't bring those words to his mouth.
"We need to finish these muffins by ourselves. Lucien refused to eat too. I think I won't buy anything for them next time. Though it was your money, but still I hoped to establish good communication between us," Leia said, pouting her lips.
"They don't care for other people's feelings. Don't hurt yourself. I loved these muffins," Kieran said. His hand instinctively moved to her head, caressing it while looking into her sparkling eyes.
"Kieran, I think we are going to be good friends," Leia told him.
"But I want us to be more than that," he confessed.
"Huh?" She stopped blinking.
"As you know the purpose for which you are here. However, Leia, I don't believe in having kids without getting connected to you. I want to be your lover. I love the simplicity you hold. So far, that's all I've seen in you," he said, keeping his eyes glued to hers.
He tucked the loose hair strands behind her ear as he took a step closer to her. "Leia, you don't know, but with your arrival, I feel I'm not alone in this house," he whispered, his lips hovering just above hers. But it wasn't the right time to kiss her, not until she felt the same for him.
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