***
Sophie and Leland were drinking and conversing over wine and, in the Alpha's heart, it almost felt like the entire world was just the two of them in this room. He couldn't care about anything else.
The only thing that mattered to Leland right now was the fact that the woman in front of him was smiling so beautifully. The chandelier above them could only enhance her beauty with its lights.
Sophie was blushing as they talked about idle topics as she gathered the strength to confess. In Leland's imagination, he was filled with the urge to ravish his wife and bring her joy.
"Did you hear that?" Sophie glanced out of the door and thought she heard something light hit the walls, but then thought maybe she was just nervous.
"No." Duke Romanov smiled at her as he took a sip of his wine. "I think I'm only interested in what… what you have to say to me. You didn't invite me just for social reasons, right?"
Sophie flushed underneath the man's gaze and her heart pounded. "No. You are as perceptive as ever, my lord."
"Please do not call me by that title any longer," Leland said. "We are husband and wife now, Sophia."
"As you wish." Sophie ducked her head and then smiled sheepishly at him. "I… I only chose to call you by that title because I do not know what to call you. I have a feeling that you are not Duke Romanov."
"Yes, you are right. That is not my real name." Leland nodded his head and felt his heart pound. Maybe it was really time to come clean and tell her everything.... everything about who he actually was?
She didn't look repulsed when he told her that he was actually a lycan and the Alpha of this pack. That means, human society didn't manage to brainwash her to hate werewolves even after eight years.
She could accept Nicholas being a lycan and she loved her children unconditionally when she found out they were born lycans as well. Sophie was surprised when she saw she gave birth to lycan pups, that was true, but she had shown great love for Luciel and Jan from the first moment she laid her eyes on them.
And she also had asked Leland to help her make her sons understand their origins and love themselves for who they were.
So, Leland being a lycan was not a problem to Sophie.
However... what would she react if she knew that Leland was actually... Lee?
Would she think he deceived her by covering the truth from the beginning?
The Alpha's mind went back to the night when they consummate their marriage. He only did what was necessary, to establish a mate bond between him and Sophie. He could explain to her the reason why he did that.
It was to protect her.
Why?
Well... because...
Because he was in love with her.
He wanted her to be safe. He didn't even mind if he could only protect her in secret and she would never know that he did. He would keep the secret to his grave if necessary, and never tell her the truth about his feelings.
However... now that she started falling for him, could he actually take this chance to open up and tell her all the secrets he had been keeping?
Could he tell her? What would Sophie feel once she knew what he was here for? He took a deep breath.
The Alpha's tongue felt loose, he was relaxed and at peace. His wife's presence brought him that. He realized that he did the right thing when he only did what was necessary when establishing the mate bond.
Sophie would understand that he didn't take advantage of the opportunity just to have sex with her. She would be able to appreciate his decision. So... Leland had no guilt about it when he confess to her who he really was.
He was her Lee from her childhood.
Sophie's expression brightened up. "Ah, so I was right! You are not really Duke Ariam Romanov."
Her voice was sweet and her heart was filled with brimming affection. She was happy to hear the confession from the Alpha that she was right about him using a fake identity.
So, did this mean... he would finally open up to her and tell her who he really was?
Sophie looked at the man with her round eyes and a beaming face. When Leland looked deep into her eyes, he could see love in them.
The Alpha still couldn't believe the fact that she loved him.
A part of Leland had always been prepared to have one-sided love, similar to both his father and mother. However, the fact that Sophie found it within her to share some of that love for him?
He was ecstatic.
***
Before Nicholas could do anything though to see the master's bedroom, he was suddenly attracted by the sound of howling coming from another portion in the walls.
It sounded like wolf puppies. The crown prince was shocked to hear such a thing and came closer to the source of the sound.
Why were there wolf sounds? Nicholas' heart thundered. That was wolves' howling right?
He wasn't really sure since the sounds were quite small and childish. It was not scary like what wolves should be.
Could it be that… this castle had wolves in it?
Wait… that was possible.
Nicholas remembered a little the gossip he heard about Duke Ariam Romanov from Frisia. He was rumored to have some dealings with the underworld and he hunted and sold lycans for noblemen's entertainment.
They could keep the lycans as pets or torture them for personal pleasure. That was how he got his dark reputation.
So… did Duke Romanov keep lycan pups here in his castle?
Thinking about it made Nicholas scrunch his nose in disgust. Even though his family declared war on the werewolves clan, he didn't condone any human trafficking.
Since werewolves were partly… err, humans, selling them for entertainment was similar to selling humans. To him, it was unacceptable.
Nicholas believed in the death penalty for the royal enemies, but he wouldn't torture them for entertainment. That was a vile thing to do.
This made him think that the duke was someone who was no different than a monster. So…. which woman would marry such a monster?
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