203 The Alpha Refused To Let Go
Agitation was like poison, the healer told Lucien.
“In order to spread quickly into the victim’s body, it drives the victim into a crazed state. After the poison achieves its goal, it slowly unfolds its true effect.
Before the poisoning victim knows it, he is already losing control over his body and becomes a prisoner in his mind.”
Lucien had to agree.
By that definition, he was already submerged into agitation.
“Thankfully, for every poison, there is an antidote.”
The healer gave Lucien some concoction to calm his nerves. He offered to accompany Lucien until Ronan came back, but Lucien dismissed him instead.
Lucien did not know how much time passed. When he was close to falling into a slumber, Ronan came back.
Lucien turned his head toward the Alpha who staggered toward him. Ronan’s face was pale with fright. As soon as he spotted Lucien on the couch, he knelt in front of the couch and pulled Lucien into a messy hug.
.....
“What’s wrong?” Lucien asked, sinking his fingers into Ronan’s hair.
Ronan did not answer. He buried his face in Lucien’s neck instead, taking a lungful of his mate’s calming scent.
He needed it.
He needed Lucien.
He needed Lucien to stay with him, be with him.
He did not want his mate to leave him.
Ronan’s desperation was apparent in the way he wrapped his arms around Lucien, trapping him in a hug he could not escape from.
Even without asking, Lucien could guess what Ronan and Lillian just talked about.
“The baby is yours, right?”
The warm body that pressed against Lucien trembled slightly, but Ronan said nothing.
There was really no need to say it out loud.
Silent tears spilled from Lucien’s eyes.
He did not think that he could survive if he heard Ronan say it out loud.
“Ronan, what do you plan to do now?” Lucien asked.
“Nothing,” Ronan said. “I don’t want anything. I just want you.”
Lucien chuckled. It was ironically funny how things turned out in the end.
How many years had he hoped that Ronan would settle down with some woman and start producing heirs?
Up until two months ago, he believed that Ronan had found his soulmate in Lillian. That Lillian was Ronan’s destined Luna.
Of course Lucien was not happy about it. Who would? He was not a selfless saint and he never claimed to be one.
Despite his unhappiness, he had to admit that they made a great couple.
Ronan and Lillian could be very happy together.
That was what he believed in.
Thanks to his weak resolution, he ended up falling for Ronan again, deeper than before.
He loved the Alpha enough to leave his pack behind.
He loved him enough to brave the upcoming storm together.
If someone had told Lucien that this storm was going to take the form of a pregnant Lillian Woodland, would Lucien still make the choice to be with Ronan?
His tears fell on Ronan’s shoulders.
Maybe not.
And here they were, stuck in a crappy situation. It could not get any worse, really.
“Do you want to end our mating bond?” Lucien asked softly, his tone devoid of emotion.
Ronan shook his head vigorously.
“No,” he begged. “Please don’t. I refuse. I will not accept it.”
The Alpha pulled his mate from the couch so that they were both kneeling on the carpeted floor.
“Lulu, I will never reject you again. And I will not allow you to reject me.”
The concoction worked wonderfully, Lucien thought. Although he was utterly devastated, he was as calm as the ocean.
The raging wolf inside him was transformed into a weak, powerless pup that only knew to cry and whine for affection.
“Ronan, she is not one of those rogue she-wolves that you sleep with for fun,” Lucien reminded him. “She is the daughter of Conrad Woodland, Alpha of the Ironclad Claws Pack.”
Ronan said nothing in return.
Lucien sighed into Ronan’s shoulder.
“I don’t see any other way other than us breaking the bond so that you can be with her.”
“No!!!” Ronan shouted. “No, I don’t want to. Lulu, we are legally bonded to each other. The contract is protected by the Moon Goddess!!!”
And the Moon Goddess was also the one who allowed Lillian to fall pregnant with Ronan’s child.
“Then, will you send Lillian Woodland away?”
“...”
“Together with the child,” Lucien added.
“...”
Again, Lucien thanked the Healer for the powerful medicine that he gave him.
Even though he wanted to push Ronan away and give him some well-deserved punches and kicks, he was powerless.
The adrenaline level in his body was not high enough to engage in a fight.
The way Lucien saw it, Ronan wanted it all.
He wanted to keep Lucien as his mate.
He also wanted to keep Lillian around because Lillian was having his baby.
So what was Lucien supposed to do?
Accept this unnatural arrangement with a smile?
Lucien thought of himself as relatively agreeable, but there was no way he would agree to share his mate with someone else.
Ronan should have known better.
“Let me go,” Lucien said while pushing at Ronan’s shoulders.
“No.”
“Ronan. You cannot hug me forever. Let me go, I can hardly breathe.”
In response, the Alpha bared his teeth and bit into Lucien’s nape instead.
Lucien ripped his eyes open in shock.
“Ronan!” He shouted, struggling to break free to no avail.
Ronan did not care what Lucien thought about it.
It might be a dirty trick.
Infusing Lucien with more of his pheromones just to mess with his hormones.
He did not want Lucien to leave him.
The best way to do that was by making sure that Lucien could not live without him.
Just like Ronan could not live without Lucien.
After the tyrannical Alpha had his fill, Lucien fell limply against his body.
Ronan lifted Lucien to his arms and pressed a kiss against his mate’s lips.
“Five months,” he whispered into Lucien’s ear. “Five months and I will make it all disappear. Lulu, please trust me.”
That was the last thing Lucien heard before he lost consciousness.
.....