Lucien arrived at the car, his knuckles rapping sharply against the window. Leia jumped, quickly putting distance between herself and Kieran before throwing the door open.

"Kieran is inside," she said breathlessly, stepping out.

Lucien moved to the other side and opened the passenger door. He reached in to help Kieran out, noting that the boy was already baring his fangs, his eyes clouded with a primal haze.

Leia worked fast, slamming the car doors shut and clicking the locks. Once they were clear, Lucien grasped her hand, and he teleported them all back to the safety of the mansion.

Inside, Lucien guided Kieran onto the couch, keeping a firm grip on his shoulder to steady him. Leia stood back, her gaze fixed on Kieran’s erratic movements.

"That’s how ruts are," Lucien said, his voice calm but firm. "I’ll be taking him to the cottage."

"I want Leia to be with me. Her pheromones make me calm," Kieran rasped, his eyes fixed on her with an intensity that bordered on desperation.

"Sure. I’ll come with you," Leia agreed immediately. She reached out to take his hand, and Kieran gripped it possessively, pulling her closer to inhale her scent. In the heat of a rut, an Alpha’s mind narrowed until the drive to mate became their only reality.

Lucien watched them, knowing the isolation of the cottage was the only way to manage the volatile energy radiating from Kieran. He prepared to move them again, sensing that Kieran’s self-control was rapidly thinning.

"Leia, you can’t go with him when he’s in a rut," her uncle, Renzo, interjected, his hand clamping firmly on her arm as he pulled her back.

"Uncle!" Leia exclaimed, stumbling in confusion.

"Take your brother away," Renzo commanded Lucien. Without a word, Lucien obeyed, disappearing instantly with a snarling Kieran.

"Uncle, what is wrong with you?" Leia snapped, wrenching her arm from his grip. "Why did you intervene?"

"Are you an idiot? Staying close to an Alpha during their rut is dangerous, especially when you’re an Omega," Renzo stated, his voice hard.

"I am his mate. I have every right to be with him," Leia argued, her eyes flashing.

"What if he gets you pregnant? You’re still young!" Renzo countered.

"Uncle, this has nothing to do with you. And I’m not a child. I am a twenty-four-year-old adult," Leia pronounced, standing her ground. "I know what is best for me. You can’t say such things to me or my mates. Kieran is the most gentle and thoughtful man I’ve ever encountered. Whether or not I carry his pup will be my decision, not yours."

"What’s going on here? What’s the commotion?" Grayson asked, stepping into the living room with Ronan trailing behind him.

"Nothing," Leia replied shortly, turning away.

Renzo hissed in frustration. "She decided to stay with Kieran in a cottage during his rut. I prevented her from going because he could get her pregnant."

"Seriously, Uncle? How could you even say that?" Leia’s temper finally boiled over. "Why do you even care? All these years you were never present in my life, and suddenly you want to act like family!?"

"Calm down," Ronan whispered, appearing instantly by her side to offer a steadying presence.

"How can I calm down? Uncle is speaking like... like I’m some child," Leia said, her voice trembling as tears began to brim in her eyes.

"Renzo, let her do what she wants," Grayson interjected firmly. "And apologize to her. She is an adult. She lived all these years on her own without our presence."

Renzo’s lips twitched in frustration, but seeing the steel in Grayson’s gaze, he eventually looked at his niece. "I’m sorry," he muttered.

Leia wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I forgive you." She turned immediately to Ronan, her focus shifting back to the man who needed her. "Take me to Kieran. He’s at the cottage."

"Hmm," Ronan hummed in agreement. The two of them walked out, leaving the living room behind, while Renzo watched her go with lingering worry.

"You can’t treat her like that, brother," Grayson said once they were alone.

"She’s still a kid in my eyes," Renzo muttered, pacing the floor. "I still can’t accept the fact that she’s going to have all three of them as her mates. One was enough, why three?"

"That is the wish of the Moon Goddess," Grayson reminded him calmly. "And Leia wants it. If she doesn’t have a problem with it, we shouldn’t either."

Renzo crossed his arms and huffed, clearly unconvinced.

"You need to find evidence that Alpha King Francis was involved in the murder of Lucien’s parents," Grayson said.

"Huh? What? How am I supposed to do that?" Renzo threw his hands out in frustration. "You’re asking me to find proof against the King himself?"

"Why? Didn’t you confidently tell Lucien and his brothers that Francis is not someone he portrays himself to be?" Grayson challenged, his eyes narrowing. "You’ve spied on him before. Lucien is right. A solid evidence is the only way to move against a King. Without it, we aren’t seeking justice; we’re just committing treason."

Renzo furrowed his brows, his jaw tightening at the memory of the past. "Francis finished our clan too," he growled, the pain of that loss still fresh despite the years.

"Exactly," Grayson pushed, his voice dropping to a serious whisper. "But we can’t do anything without proof. No one will believe us, and moving blindly will only put a target on Leia’s back. Francis already knows she exists; he’s likely watching every move revolving Lucien."

Renzo took a deep breath, the weight of the mission settling on his shoulders. He looked at his brother and nodded slowly. "Alright. I’ll see what I can do," he stated, signaling that he would begin the dangerous task of infiltrating the King’s secrets.

"Also, you need to be careful, Renzo. Leia’s and her mates’ lives will be associated with our every move. You also know how dangerous Francis can be," Grayson warned him while contemplating the consequences if they were failed.