Leland thought about Sophie's request. Surely, it was a good thing that his mate liked listening to his voice talking. Since she had made the decision and chose him, he should show his appreciation by at least trying to make her happy.
"Okay," he said. His brows furrowed, trying to find something to talk about.
For a moment, there was no sound.
Finally, Sophie decided to do an interview since it seemed easier to get Leland to speak some words if she asked him questions.
"You stayed with my family for a long time," she said. "I think we had a good life together. What made you leave? My mother was upset for weeks. Now that I know the little wolf was actually you, I sometimes think my mother loved you more than she loved me."
She said her last sentence jokingly, but Leland thought she was serious.
"No, of course, not. She loved you the most. I saw how much she adored you," Leland hurriedly said.
"Really?" Sophie's eyes widen. She loved hearing about her parents and it looked like Leland would finally share his memories about them. She looked at him with a hopeful gaze. "Tell me."
Leland's gaze became distant. He buried the memories he had with Jack and Anne because remembering their deaths always made his heart filled with anger. It would take some effort to relive those memories in his mind.
"She sang for you every day," Leland finally said. His voice was deep and calm, making Sophie feel mesmerized. "Even when you were still in her womb. Her voice is... very similar to yours."
Sophie didn't realize how much this conversation would mean to her. She knew she missed her parents so much and wished she could know more about them. However, when Leland finally started sharing what he remembered, tears slowly dripped down her cheeks.
The man slowly recounted how Anne sang for little Sophie every day, and she once killed a bear with her bare hands when the animal was trying to attack Sophie who was naughty and ran away from home because Anne scolded her.
"You were so naughty back then. You brought this little bag with you and filled it with bread and water, and you went to the woods," Leland said.
He smiled faintly, remembering the incident. His gaze was distant. The man looked as if he was staring outside their open window. He didn't see Sophie was wiping tears from her eyes with her sleeves.
"I don't remember that..." she chuckled between her tears. "How old was I?"
"I think you were... five." Leland shook his head and clicked his tongue. "I don't remember what you did exactly... It's been a really long time. But I will always remember how frantic Anne became. She immediately looked for you and got there right on time when a bear almost got you."
"Gosh...." Sophie pressed her lips. "I think I know where Luciel got his personality."
Out of their twin boys, Luciel was the more outgoing, extrovert, playful, and risk-taker compared to Jan. Initially, she thought the boy took after Nicholas. However, now that she thought about it again, she realized the boy might have actually taken after her.
She used to be that adventurous, independent, playful, and outgoing girl. Now, she was calmer and content, also maybe more mature, and thought more before she did something.
"You and Anne both," Leland confirmed. "Jan takes after Jack more. Your father was a calm, quiet, and studious man. Whenever I see Jan, I remember your father, Jack Hansley."
Sophie's tears welled up again. She missed her father so badly. The man was her first love and her hero. He taught her fishing, tending their garden, also reading and writing a little bit before he suddenly passed away.
It made her heart flutter to know that both her sons inherited some of her parents' personality traits. They both looked a lot like Nicholas, but their characters and personalities took after the two people she deeply loved and missed.
Leland finally turned to see Sophie when he heard her soft sobs. He was surprised to see her tears. "Does this make you sad? I think we should stop."
"NO," Sophie exclaimed. "I'm just... feeling nostalgic. Please go on."
She quickly added, "These are tears of happiness. Really."
After she put on her sweetest smile, Leland finally believed her. "Okay."
"You haven't answered my first question. Why did you leave? Did my family do something that made you feel offended? I now realized my mother must be so upset because you left without saying goodbye. She must think they had wronged you... or something bad happened to you."
Leland was silent for a while. This question would require him to revisit bad memories, ones that he hated and wished to forget.
"If I answer this question, would you sleep?" he asked her finally.
Sophie bobbed her head. "Yes."
Leland grabbed her waist gently and moved her to lie down on the bed. Then he followed, pulling her into his embrace. "Very well."
Sophie touched his broad chest with one hand and tilted her head to see him while he spoke. She loved that he was understanding of her desire to know more about her family and himself. So, she thought of showing him how much she appreciated it.
He seemed to enjoy her attention and his face beamed as he finally replied to her question. "I had to leave because my parents needed me. My younger brother got a mysterious illness and finally died. I had to take over the pack from my father."
Sophie remembered this. "Lowell, right? Your brother's name."
Leland nodded.
"Were you close with him?"
"No."
"Hm... why didn't you say goodbye to my parents?"
"My parents wouldn't let me," Leland said. "I also thought it was best to leave abruptly. Anne would have fought my father and maybe even kill my mother if she knew they forced me to go home."
"Oh..." Sophie knew her mother was the late lycan king's daughter, but she didn't know if her mother was really that close to Leland's parents. "I remember your mother hated my mother because my mother betrayed the pack."
"Isolde actually hated your mother because my father loved Anne."
Leland's explanation surprised Sophie. She didn't know this. The pack members were too respectful toward Leland and didn't dare to gossip about his late father's relationship with Anne.
"Oh..." Sophie was glad they had this conversation. She finally got to know so much about her origins, her parents, and her past in a single night. She said in a low voice, "My mother fell in love with my father and left the pack for him. It must have hurt your father a lot."
"That is not wrong," Leland replied. "However, he never hated her. He actually protected Anne and Jack by proxy. No one dared bother your little family in Blackwoods after my father became the Alpha."
"Oh..." Sophie's respect grew for the late Alpha Leon, Leland's father. She never knew the dynamics between their parents in the past. "That was nice of him."
"Unfortunately, he didn't live long," Leland said.
"What was he like?" Sophie asked. "I saw your mother. You take after her in appearance. So, I guess, your father didn't look like you?"
"He was a big man. He was my size. I used to think he was a giant, a scary one - because you would never know what was on his mind. He had brown hair, slanted blue eyes, and a very calm demeanor. I think he was considered handsome."
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