Leia returned home with her father. The living room was quiet, bathed in soft evening light filtering through the curtains.

"You should go to your room. I’ll see you later," Leia said gently.

Grayson nodded, a faint smile on his lips. Just as she turned to leave, he called her back.

"Leia..." His tone was hesitant. "I know you’re an adult, but as your father I have to ask, are you truly happy with having three mates? I can’t shake the thought of why you were brought here."

"Yes, I am happy," Leia replied. "Don’t worry." Without further explanation, she ascended the stairs, leaving him to watch her retreating figure. With a sigh, he headed to his own room.

When Grayson stepped inside, he found Renzo sprawled comfortably on the bed, eyes fixed on the television.

"You do realize you’re in your late forties," Grayson remarked dryly.

Renzo smirked and touched his face. "Yes, I know. But I don’t look that old... or do I?"

"Act your age. We’re guests in someone else’s home," Grayson said pointedly.

Renzo tilted his head, unfazed. "Well, it’s Leia’s house too," he countered. Then his expression sharpened. "So... how was your meeting with the witch? Did you find out anything useful?"

"As I suspected, Delia was being manipulated by her grandmother. My wife was a victim of that woman. She was given something poisonous; it weakened her day by day," Grayson said with a heavy voice and heart.

"Then we should kill her," Renzo snarled, rage flaring across his face.

"The old woman is already dead," Grayson replied. "As for who hid Ashina’s mark from me, that hasn’t been confirmed. But I believe it was Delia’s grandmother."

Renzo let out a hard breath. "How did Leia take it?"

"She was broken," Grayson admitted softly. "Delia grew up with her, so their bond was precious, until the old woman used it for revenge over her daughter’s death. Delia regrets betraying Leia. During our walk, Leia opened up to me... about many things." His lips curved into a faint smile.

Renzo studied him for a moment. "So the relationship between you two is improving."

"You could say that," Grayson replied. "But I still have a long way to go." His expression hardened with determination. "I was thinking... Maybe we should become part of this pack. Settle here. Buy a house of our own and take Leia there." His eyes glimmered with hope as he spoke.

"You think we can actually do that?" Renzo asked, his tone firm. "Don’t forget—we’re supposed to be dead in the eyes of most people. And we still have strong suspicions about the Alpha King’s role in destroying our flourishing pack. If we move out with Leia and live separately, rumors will spread. If our identities are exposed, this pack might pay the price. We can’t risk dragging them into our mess."

Grayson’s brows furrowed, a deep frown carving into his face. After a pause, he gave a reluctant nod. "You’re right. We can’t bring danger to this pack," he murmured.

"For now, let’s not make any sudden moves," Renzo advised. "We just got Leia back. We should focus on enjoying this time with her." He leaned back against the headboard, then added, "By the way, the Calendrino brothers’ grandmother is gravely ill. It’s a cancer. I overheard the servants say Kieran is under a lot of stress because of it. Do you think there’s any hope of curing her? The doctors and healers have already refused."

"I’m no healer," Grayson admitted, his tone somber. "It’s difficult to say whether she can be saved."

Renzo’s eyes lit with a spark of determination. "Ashina had incredible healing powers. I’d wager Leia has inherited them."

"But it’s not necessary," Grayson said quietly.

Renzo’s voice softened as it tinged with concern. "Also, Leia isn’t physically strong. Ashina kept her away from the werewolf world. She grew up pretending to be human, never using any of her abilities."

Grayson’s gaze darkened. "Because Ashina feared Leia being discovered. I wish I had been a better husband to her. I promised her the world... But I couldn’t give her anything."

Renzo looked at his brother with quiet understanding, noting the sorrow that always seemed to shadow Grayson when he spoke of Ashina.

~~~~

Leia stared at the photo of her mother, her fingers tracing its frame gently. "I found Dad," she murmured to herself. "You always told me not to speak of him. Now I understand why... You feared that in searching for him, I’d grow curious about my own kind."

Her hand lingered over the photo, as if drawing comfort from it. A sudden knock at the door broke the silence, pulling her attention away.

"Can I come in?" came Kieran’s voice from outside.

"Yes," Leia replied softly, setting the photo back on the table.

Kieran gently pushed the door open and found Leia resting on the bed, her gaze lost in thought. In his hands, he carried a tray with a steaming mug.

"What have you brought?" Leia asked softly, curiosity in her voice.

"I thought I’d make you something warm," Kieran replied, lowering the tray beside her. "Hot chocolate."

Leia took the mug, her fingers curling around its warmth. "Thank you," she murmured. Kieran quietly stepped away to put the tray down.

She glanced at the melting marshmallows floating atop the chocolate, a faint smile forming on her lips. Gently blowing over it, she took a slow sip, savoring the sweetness.

Kieran’s gaze drifted to her feet, noticing they looked swollen. "Did you walk a lot?" he asked gently.

Leia lowered her mug, slightly puzzled by the question. "Ah... yes," she admitted softly. "I walked quite a bit. My mind had too many things going on. Of course, my father was with me. But they don’t ache, so don’t worry."

She took a few slow sips of her hot chocolate before continuing. "Sorry for leaving the room last night."

Kieran offered her a small, understanding smile. "It’s fine. I know you have a lot on your mind. And being with Ronan would have given you a little peace, I suppose."

"It did," Leia admitted softly, her gaze fixed on him. "But that doesn’t mean I don’t find peace with you. You’re the first man I’ve ever felt truly comfortable with. You’ll always have a special place right here." She placed her finger gently over her chest.

Kieran chuckled softly, catching her smile.

"Did you forgive them?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," Leia replied after a pause. "But I’ll make them pamper me. They suffered greatly at the hands of unknown enemies. But if anyone truly fell victim to all of this, it was my mother." Her voice dropped to a whisper, tinged with sorrow. "Everyone lost their lives... my father had five brothers. All perished except for two of them. I always cursed him for leaving my mother, but in truth... things were different."

"Yeah. They were. Finish your hot chocolate. Then you should rest. I’ll massage your head," Kieran said softly.

"What?" Leia smiled, tilting her head slightly. "What’s with this special treatment?"

"I’ve always wanted to do it... but never got the chance," he admitted.

"It’s already evening. If I fall asleep now, I won’t be able to sleep tonight," Leia replied with a small sigh.

"You’re right," Kieran murmured, nodding slightly.

"Where are Lucien and Ronan?" she asked, curiosity softening her tone.

"Lucien is interrogating Aaron. Ronan has gone there too," he replied calmly.

"I see." Leia took another slow sip of her hot chocolate.

"Your uncle... he’s intimidating," Kieran said, almost thoughtfully.

"What?" she asked, raising her brows in surprise.

"Yeah," he replied. "Earlier, he threatened Ronan and me to never make you cry. He said one punch from him would be enough to take us both down. He clearly cares deeply about you. As for your father... I think he was always soft-spoken. But the world painted him as something he wasn’t."

"I also think the same. While talking to him, I found out a lot of things. You know our clan bred the strongest wolves, and our blood was considered to be magical. That’s why witches kept attacking our kind for their evil rituals. Of course, not all witches are bad, but some were. That’s how they lost their lives whenever captured by my pack," Leia explained.

"Yes, your uncle told us," Kieran asserted. "Your pack was indeed different from the others."

"Only I turned out to be so weak from my pack," Leia mumbled.

"That’s because you never trained as a wolf," Kieran stated. "Your body lived more as a human. You’ll have to train hard to achieve that. However, I suggest you to rest for a while. You’ve been taking a lot of stress for the past few days."

Hearing such caring words from Kieran made Leia smile.

"Don’t spoil me with your love. Ask me to train hard and uncover the truth about my true abilities," she pronounced.

"Well, I will always encourage you, Leia. It’s just I don’t want to see you getting hurt."