"How do you plan to help him?" Kieran asked, his brow furrowed in thought. "If we simply hand him money, it might bruise his pride. He has the spirit of a competitor."

"We’ll start by showing up," Leia explained, her eyes brightening with a plan. "We’ll attend the contest and cheer for him. Let’s invite Lucien and Ronan to join us; we’ll make sure he feels the support of a full crowd. But beyond that, we’ll assist his parents quietly. His mother is ill and they need the funds for her care, we can handle the expenses without the boy ever needing to know where the help came from."

"That sounds like a fair compromise," Kieran agreed. "I’ll speak with the head manager of the rink and gather more details about his situation. Once we have everything confirmed, we can move forward."

"Then let’s not waste any time," Leia pronounced. With a graceful flick of her ankles, she swiftly glided across the ice toward the exit of the arena.

Kieran followed her lead. Moments later, they had stepped off the rink, shed their heavy gear, and changed back into their original attire. Kieran sought out the manager and spoke in hushed tones about the young skater.

When he returned to Leia’s side, he checked his watch. "Leia, we’ll have to wait until the evening before we can take the next step."

"Why?" she asked, her expression clouding with confusion.

"Because the staff needs time to discreetly verify the boy’s home address and the state of his mother’s health," Kieran affirmed. "We must ensure our help reaches the right hands."

"Okay. I get it," Leia replied. "I feel hungry now," she added, resting a hand over her stomach to emphasize the point.

"Let’s have lunch then. There are some good restaurants in the vicinity." Kieran reached out, his hand finding hers.

After a short drive to a cozy, nearby bistro, Leia found herself staring at the menu, her eyes darting between the various pastas and seasonal specials.

"Umm... I’m confused about what we should eat," Leia murmured, the number of delicious options making it hard to choose.

"We can have a bit of everything," Kieran suggested with a knowing smile, leaning over to point at a few items. "How about we start with the creamy truffle risotto and perhaps that roasted herb chicken? It’s their specialty."

"Okay," Leia agreed with a soft smile.

Kieran signaled for a waiter, placed their orders, and watched as the man retreated toward the kitchen.

"Kieran, your rut is near, yet you don’t seem aggressive at all," Leia chuckled, tilting her head. "I remember when it was Lucien’s turn; he was so on edge he’d be ready to pick a fight with me over nothing."

"Do you want to see my aggressive self then?" Kieran asked, a playful, slightly dark glint appearing in his eyes.

"No. I like the gentle Kieran," Leia stated firmly. She rested her elbows on the table, cupping her face in her palms as she studied him. "Do you feel any better? You’ve been so burdened with worry for your grandmother these past few days. I know the weight hasn’t fully lifted."

"I do feel better, Leia. Honestly, I haven’t had this much fun in a long time," Kieran admitted. "As for Grandma, the worry is there, but I find comfort knowing she is at peace with my aunt."

Leia lowered her hands. She reached across the table, her fingers brushing against his. "I am sorry, Kieran. I feel like I couldn’t help you. Sometimes I still feel useless as your mate."

"Don’t say that," Kieran insisted, his hand instantly gripping hers with a grounding strength. "We have no control over death, Leia. It is the one thing in this world that none of us can stop, no matter our power."

"That’s true," Leia murmured. Her mind drifted back to her own mother, a woman heralded as the greatest healer of her time. It was a cruel irony that an illness could take someone who lived to cure others. How had it happened?

"Leia, are you thinking about how your mother died?"

Her eyes widened in shock. "How do you know? Can you read my mind?"

"No," he revealed with a gentle tug on her hand. "But your expression turns gloomy every single time she crosses your mind. It wasn’t a hard guess."

The arrival of the waiter with a laden food trolley forced them to break their touch. They sat in silence for a moment as the dishes were arranged. Once the waiter bowed and disappeared, they both started eating.

As Leia reached for her water, she noticed Kieran had barely touched his plate.

"What happened? I thought you liked the food here," she remarked, her brow furrowing.

"I feel strange. My body..." Kieran trailed off, his hand gripping the back of his neck. "I think it’s the beginning of the rut," he muttered.

"What?" Leia left her spoon on the plate and quickly wiped her mouth. "We need to go home. It’s dangerous for you to be out in the open like this. The scents of other wolves will drive you into a frenzy."

"I think so," Kieran said, swallowing hard as a flush crept up his collar.

"Wait for me in the car. I’ll settle the bills," Leia directed. He hummed a low response and moved quickly toward the exit. By the time Leia finished and reached the car, she found him with his shirt half-unbuttoned, the AC blasting cold air.

"Leia, call Lucien. I don’t think I can make it home," Kieran stated, leaning his head back.

She climbed into the driver’s seat and fumbled for her phone. "I could drive us back," she insisted, dialing the number.

"I won’t be able to stay sane for that long." Kieran’s pupils bled into a dark, predatory color as they locked onto hers. "My body... I want to mate. It hurts."

The line clicked open. "I thought you didn’t want me to disturb your date. Are you already missing me?" Lucien’s teasing voice came through.

"Kieran’s rut has started," Leia interrupted, her voice urgent. "Can you come to us? I would drive, but he’s losing control." She reached for Kieran’s hand, intentionally releasing her pheromones. The sweet, floral scent acted as a temporary medicine, though it did nothing to quiet his physical urges.

"Send me the address," Lucien said, all playfulness vanishing.

After sending the location, Leia moved closer to the passenger side. "Lucien will be here in no time," she whispered.

"Don’t, Leia. I—I don’t want to hurt you," Kieran groaned, his knuckles white as he gripped the armrest, fearing his instincts might override his will.

Leia leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "You won’t hurt me. I know you," she whispered against his mouth, her presence the only thing keeping the Alpha’s storm at bay.