Leland leaned his back on the headboard and closed his eyes. Before he took a rest and tried to heal his wounds, he must make sure the boys didn't say anything to Sophie. He didn't want her to worry.
When they heard the Alpha's command, Max and Duncan immediately nodded and left the room.
It turned out that what Leland thought about Luciel and Jan going to tell Sophie about his injuries was true.
When they saw that Leland came home severely injured, the two children panicked and immediately ran to tell the mother about their father's condition.
"Goshh… what happened? Did he fight the Alpha we saw in the meadow? So, there is a dangerous enemy lurking around us now?"
"Mommy must know!"
When they arrived at the door of the mother's room, Luciel immediately knocked on the door with his front paw. However, before the door was opened, Max and Duncan came and picked them up. They took the pups to where Leland was being cared for, just as the Alpha ordered.
"Alpha said you must not disturb Luna," Duncan said to Luciel and Jan. "He wants to talk to you both."
Luciel and Jan exchanged glances. They turned their heads to see Sophie's room and nodded obediently.
After a quick walk through the manor, Duncan and Max finally arrived at the room where Leland was currently being treated. They put the boys down and they immediately shift to their human forms. Luciel and Jan now sat in front of their father. The faces of the two children showed that they were very worried.
"F-Father, are you alright?" asked Luciel.
When he heard Luciel's question, Leland smiled faintly, then nodded slowly.
"It's nothing. Real men don't complain about a small wound. I want you to remember this, the day we were born as a man was on the same day we were destined to be protectors. I want you to always be able to protect your family and protect your mother from any harm and from all things that will make her sad. Currently, your mother is not well, we must not make her worry. So you must not tell her about this, do you understand?"
"Um." Luciel and Jan nodded in unison.
"Smart boys," said Leland. His smile widened as he touched Jan and Luciel's heads in turn. "Now, you should go back to sleep. It's very late. If your mother saw you both tomorrow with panda eyes, she would be upset."
Luciel and Jan gave Leland one last look, trying to be brave seeing his wounds and the blood, and then nodded.
"Um." They both replied obediently.
"Okay. Good night." Leland rubbed their heads and then turned to his men. After he told them what he wanted to say, Leland asked Max and Duncan to take Luciel and Jan to their room to sleep. "After they sleep. You must check the security around this manor's perimeter. I met a group of Royal Lycan Hunters earlier. We have to make sure they don't suspect this place."
"Understood, Alpha."
Just like before, the two big men carried Luciel and Jan again. But this time, their destination was different. Now, they were heading toward the boys' room.
***
Not long after Luciel and Jan left the room, the healer had finished tending and treating the Alpha's wounds. Leland thus ordered everyone to leave the room.
Actually, Lucas wanted to stay in the room and ask Leland what really happened, but he canceled his intention when he realized that at this time, the Alpha didn't want to be disturbed. Lucas left the room, following the two people who had left first.
It was almost morning. The world outside was so quiet. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of insects in the trees as well as in the grass.
After being silent for a while and thinking everyone in the manor was asleep, Leland got up from the bed and walked slowly towards his and Sophie's room to see how his wife was doing.
When he opened the door, Leland saw Sophie was still asleep. He really wanted to lie down and continue sleeping with her, but then he canceled his intention after he felt the long scar on his face. She must not see him this way.
Leland walked inside and touched Sophie's hair dotingly, as he looked at her sleeping face. She looked so beautiful and at peace.
The healer gave her medicine so she could rest. Leland was no longer worried about her health after the healer told him that Sophie was pregnant and was just feeling tired.
She was now pregnant with his child. Leland was over the moon today after he found out. It was a silver lining amidst the clouds that were hanging over his sky. The man closed the door again and decided to go to the rooftop.
At least he had seen that Sophie was okay. He should let her rest and try to think about what he should do now, away from her. He didn't want her to see his injuries.
***
Leland's pair of blue eyes stared at a star in the twinkling sky. There was only one after the rest were covered by clouds. He was now lying on the roof, planning to spend the rest of the night there contemplating what had just happened.
He again felt the wound on his face and remembered when the gray wolf suddenly swung its claws at him. The gray wolf was Nicholas Hanenbergh, the king of the Riga Kingdom. He was also Sophie's first husband and the biological father of Luciel and Jan.
Nicholas' strength in fighting was beyond Leland's expectations. Although it was very difficult to accept this, Leland had to admit that Nicholas was a formidable lycan. It's just that he still lacked experience in fighting, something that Leland had in abundance.
Leland could deduce that from remembering Nicholas' movements which were stiff and seemed often hesitating in his attacks. Leland couldn't take his opponent lightly.
Now Leland wondered if one day he and Nicholas had to duel to get Sophie then which one of them will win?
Leland's eyes narrowed. A light mist of sadness crossed the pair of blue-green eyes as he pictured Sophie's face in the sky.
"Sophia... if he and I were hurt in front of you, who would you help first? Or if he and I were dying in front of you who would you save first?" he muttered. Leland closed his eyes for a moment then looked back at a small star that was there.
The star was alone in the dark sky, there were no other stars around. If Sophie decided to return to Nicholas Hanenbergh then Leland will suffer the same fate as that star.
He would be alone and the world around him would be as gloomy as the darkness of the night sky. Although people below admired him for his shining light, his life would still be as gloomy and lonely as it had been before, when he had not been able to find Sophie.
"Nicholas Hanenbergh ... why did you have to come back?" He muttered again.
Nicholas was still alive but why didn't he come back to Sophie? What stopped him from looking for his wife?
Did the man actually not love Sophie and was just toying with her feelings? He married Sophie and then dumped her because Sophie didn't come from a noble family.
Was that why?
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