Marked By Destiny: Claimed By Three Alpha Brothers-Chapter 178: Don’t show mercy to him

"Your wound is completely healed, Leia. You can return to work without any problem," Jennifer said as she slipped off her gloves and placed them into her kit. When she lifted her gaze, her eyes caught the faint shimmer on Leia’s neck of the mark.

Her brows arched. "Did Lucien mark you?"

Leia’s hand instinctively brushed over the spot. "Yes."

Jennifer’s lips pressed together in mild surprise. "I thought you wouldn’t accept his mark until you proved yourself worthy of being his Luna."

Leia exhaled softly. "I couldn’t refuse him. And I don’t want him to feel guilty or blame himself if something were to happen to me. That’s why I allowed it."

Jennifer studied her intently, a thoughtful crease forming on her forehead. "That’s exactly what makes you worthy, Leia. Can’t you see? Lucien loves you madly. But..." she paused for a second, "why do I get the sense that you don’t return that love with the same intensity?" She closed the briefcase with a snap, her eyes never leaving Leia’s face.

"That’s not true. And, Jennifer, you don’t understand the kind of bond Lucien and I share. So, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t make assumptions about it." She drew a clear line, so that Jennifer wouldn’t make wrong remarks.

"I’m not making any assumptions. It’s written all over your face," Jennifer countered. "If you truly cared for him, you wouldn’t have left Lucien behind to chase after your dead father, putting his life in danger."

Leia froze, confusion flickering across her eyes. ’How could Jennifer possibly know that?’

As if reading her thoughts, Jennifer explained, "Grandma told me earlier. I visited her before coming here." Her voice softened only slightly, but the harshness in them didn’t lower. "You’ve been placing your burdens on their shoulders, Leia. Can’t you see? The pack is already carrying enough. And since you’re destined to lead this pack, you should be finding ways to ease their struggles, not add to them. Most of all, you should be protecting your mates... especially Lucien."

Jennifer finally stood but there was a trace of sadness in her eyes. "Leia, I hope the next time we meet, it won’t be because you’ve gotten yourself hurt again. Grandma’s health is already fragile. Think about her before throwing yourself into danger so recklessly."

Without waiting for a reply, she turned and left the room, her footsteps fading into silence.

Leia sat frozen, words stuck in her throat. Jennifer’s blunt words cut deep, leaving her shaken.

’Don’t mind her,’ Zei’s voice echoed in the back of her mind, steady and grounding.

’But some of her words weren’t wrong,’ Leia admitted inwardly.

Getting down from the bed, Leia reached for her phone and dialed Rhea’s number.

"Leia! You finally called me after so many days!" Rhea’s cheerful voice came through the line. She picked up her coffee from the counter and stepped out of the café. "Though I can’t blame you, I’ve been buried in work myself. By the way, how are you?"

"I’m good," Leia replied softly. "Can we meet tonight?"

"Of course. I’ll come to—"

"No," Leia cut in gently. "I’ll come to your house, if that’s alright with you... and your parents."

"There’s no problem with you coming to my place," Rhea assured her as she walked to her car. She unlocked it, slipped inside, and leaned back with her coffee in hand. "Besides, my parents aren’t even in the pack these days. But..." her tone shifted with curiosity, "will Lucien let you go?"

"Of course! We already talked about this. Lucien won’t object," Leia assured her.

"Then you should definitely come. Lucien only worries about your safety, you know the hunter’s attack on you wasn’t something anyone expected." Rhea’s tone softened before brightening again. "But don’t stress. Just come to my house. We’ll talk, have fun... in fact, it would be even better if you stayed with me for a few days," she suggested with a smile.

"I’ll see if everyone agrees to that," Leia replied.

"Sure. See you later, Leia," Rhea said, then hung up the call.

Leia lowered the phone from her ear just as the door creaked open. Ronan and Kieran stepped inside.

"What did Jennifer say?" Ronan asked.

"That I’m fine," Leia replied, setting the phone aside. She hesitated only for a moment before adding, "When will Lucien be back? I won’t be here tonight, I’m going to Rhea’s place."

"Lucien is back," Kieran informed her. "He’s in his room."

Ronan’s brows knitted together. "Did Jennifer not say something more?"

"No. Why?" Leia asked, blinking at him in confusion.

"She has a habit of making blunt remarks," Ronan explained with concern.

Leia shook her head. "No, she didn’t say anything blunt," she insisted, brushing off the tension shadowing his expression. "I’ll resume work from tomorrow. This time, I won’t bring any more troubles. And I’ll restart my training too. The competition is only a few days away as I don’t want to lose."

"You can’t put too much stress on your body," Kieran cautioned.

"But if I don’t push myself, I’ll remain weak," Leia countered firmly, her determination flickering in her eyes.

"I’ll make sure your training gets completed and that you take part in the competition too," Ronan stated firmly. Just then, the phone in his pocket buzzed. He glanced at the screen, noting the number flashing there. "You two continue. I have to take this call," he said before stepping out.

"Kieran, I’ve got something for you." Leia walked over to the cupboard and pulled out a book.

"You’re gifting me a book!?" He chuckled in amusement.

"It’s a book on herbology," Leia explained, holding it out to him. "I think you should read it once. Maybe you’ll find something in here that could help your grandmother. You were always good at studies, so... give it a try. It’s actually pretty famous among humans."

"You think Grandma’s cure could be inside this?" Kieran asked, his hopeful gaze softening his usually composed face.

"Yes. But I’m not certain," Leia admitted gently. "Herbal medicines are tough to find sometimes... but at least we can try, right?"

"Of course!" Kieran agreed without hesitation, clutching the book like it already carried a promise.

He then hugged her suddenly, his hand pressing tightly against her back. "Thank you," he murmured.

Taking a step back, he added, "I’ll go to my room."

Leia hummed softly and waved at him. Once he left, she made her way to Lucien’s room. She found him on the phone, giving instructions to someone. But the moment his eyes fell on her, he cut the call short.

"You didn’t have to end your conversation because of me," Leia remarked.

"No, it wasn’t important," Lucien dismissed calmly. "I heard Jennifer came. Did she check your wound? It looks healed now, though a scar remains."

"Yeah. She said I’m fine now," Leia replied. Then, after a pause, she added, "I’m going to Rhea’s place tonight. I hope you won’t stop me."

"I won’t. But why this sudden plan?" Lucien asked, his brows drawing together.

"Because the last time it got ruined," Leia answered. But deep down, she knew it was a lie.

"I’ll drop you then," Lucien said, shrugging off his long coat. As his fingers reached for the buttons of his shirt, Leia’s voice stopped him.

"Don’t bother yourself. Just send your beta with me. You’re already working so hard these days," Leia replied softly.

Lucien unfastened a few buttons, his tone turning serious. "By the way, Ronan confirmed that Aaron Rudwig is the hunters’ leader." He rolled his sleeves up, pouring a glass of water for himself.

"That means... Delia didn’t lie this time," Leia whispered, her expression clouding. "She asked me to give her a chance. She was crying and... I didn’t trust her. I told her your decision would decide her future. Did I do the right thing, Lucien?"

"Yes. You trusted the Alpha of this pack," Lucien replied firmly.

"But my father must be punished for his crimes," Leia continued, her voice trembling. "I told Kieran the same earlier. If we find him, don’t show mercy to him either."

Lucien set his glass down on the table and crossed the room to her. Gently holding her shoulders, he spoke softly, "Leia, I told you not to doubt your father’s intentions until you’ve heard the story from his side too. Don’t let others’ judgment cloud your thoughts. Who knows, your father may have been as kind as you. Who knows if his name was tarnished for no reason. So, don’t decide anything until we hear the truth from him."

"You know in this world if something is more dangerous than it’s keeping hope," Leia replied.

"Exactly. But that doesn’t mean you should stop keeping a hope. The answers to many questions will only be cleared with the appearance of your father. Don’t let others views to trouble you," Lucien said. He then brought his hands to her cheeks and lightly patted them. "Pack your stuff for tonight. I’ll drop you myself to Rhea’s house. I don’t want any argument on this."