Pursuing My Rejected Alpha
Chapter 19

"What was that for?" Lucien asked once they broke the kiss.

Ronan smiled indulgently at the man whose cheeks turned slightly pink from the unexpected kiss.

"I just want you to know how much I love you."

Lucien gave Ronan's chest a gentle push. "Ronan, I..."

He was silenced by a single finger that pressed against his lips.

"You are not obligated to respond to each of my love declarations. I already said that I want to hear no rejection."

Lucien smirked. "What if rejection is all I have for you?"

Ronan smirked in return. "Then you will have me at your neck for the rest of your life."

"

.....

Ronan's smirk was soon wiped off his face when the room service came to knock at the door.

"What the hell is this?" Ronan complained when the food and drink were served before him. He did not even wait until the poor server left the suite, which he did in a hurried manner. Who would want to stay when the guests were unhappy? If they could not unload their displeasure on each other, he, the innocent party, might just get the unjustified blame.

There were two plates of macaroni and cheese and two glasses of milk on the table.

Ronan looked up at Lucien in disbelief. There was not even a strip of garnish on the macaroni! Lucien looked down at Ronan and crosses his arms before his chest like an arrogant lord. "What is it? Dissatisfied?"

What Ronan wanted to say was: "Every single dish that I listed out in my room service call was at least ten times more delectable than what sad dinner you just put on the table."

And yet he swallowed his bitterness and forced himself to smile.

"Oh, no no. It is very charming," he said, displaying two rows of sharp teeth.

So charming that Ronan was determined to murder every single piece of macaroni on his plate with the fork before he devoured his meal.

The next morning, Lucien exited his bedroom with his tiny luggage ready for check out. Ronan was slurping his morning coffee in the living room, shirtless with only a towel draped around his waist. His powerful upper body was in full display, the muscles on his upper arms rippled beautifully as he moved his arm up and down to sip from the coffee cup now and then. The man looked like he was ready for a p**n shooting.

No, Lucien quickly corrected himself with gritted teeth. The man looked like he was already starring in some p**n movie.

"I am leaving," Lucien said in a huff and went out of the door without waiting for Ronan's reply.

He was headed toward the reception desk to check out, but then he remembered that he did not check in at all. The room was booked by Ronan, using both of their names. Ronan was still living the best time of his life in the presidential suite.

For a split second, Lucien was filled with dread. He ran into Kinnon Youngshaper last night. Kinnon most likely spent the night in the same hotel. What if they ran into each other again and Landon ran berserk?

No, he told himself. You must be strong for yourself, Lucien. You cannot depend on Ronan for the rest of your life. Landon is your responsibility. If he manages to overpower you, then it is your fault and no one else's. "Good morning, Lucien."

Lucien turned around and found a smiling Jake behind him.

"Hey, Jake."

He suddenly remembered something from the time he was cocooned in the hospital when he saw Jake's beaming face.

"I heard you became a father. Congratulations." Lucien extended his hand and Jake took it happily.

"Thanks. Did Ronan tell you?"

"Yeah. He showed me the baby picture too. An adorable princess you have there."

"Hahaha yeah. I must say that it is quite a challenge to be new parents. She is very energetic and loud, but that is good. Yeah."

Lucien patted Jake on the back.

"So what brings you here? Did Ronan ask you to put a collar around my neck to prevent me from ripping people apart?"

Jake broke into laughter.

"

"No, no. Nothing of that sort. Did Ronan not tell you? The Werewolf Council sent an invitation to all packs and demanded the presence of the Alphas and Betas for this hearing."

Was that not too much? Was it a hearing or a trial?

"Good morning to the both of you," Ronan's voice rang out from behind.

The Alpha approached Lucien and Jake with a smug look on his face. He looked especially dashing in his bespoke suit. It highlighted his body contour perfectly. "Alpha, good morning," Jake greeted his boss.

Lucien walked away without a single word and headed outside to hail a cab.

A platinum Maserati stopped just in front of the lobby but the passenger seats were empty. Ronan's driver stepped out and opened the door for Lucien.

"Lulu, stop being stubborn. Let's go," Ronan said, pulling at Lucien's elbow.

As 10 AM slowly drew near, Lucien's cold hard front melted in face of the hearing. He meekly went into Ronan's car. Ronan followed soon after, and Jake sat next to Noah. "To the Werewolf Council Headquarters," Ronan ordered.

The car rolled smoothly away from the hotel. The trepidation within Lucien's heart grew more and more as they approached the headquarters.

Once the headquarters were in sight, they could see many luxury cars that were already parked in the reserved parking area.

It was an amazing sight indeed. So many Alphas and Betas from all packs all over the continent gathered within the area. It almost felt like the Moon Banquet all over again.

When Lucien stepped out of the car, the first thing he saw was the gigantic Moon Goddess statue that towered over them. The last time he came to visit, he was holding Kinnon's hand. They came to inform the council about their decision to get married. Who could have known that this day would come?

Lucien clenched both his hands into fists.

Ronan pried Lucien's right fist open and held his hand within his own.

Lucien turned his head to look at Ronan, who smiled wistfully at him.

"Don't be scared, Lulu. I am here for you."

Lucien felt as if he carried a mark on his face.

As soon as the two she-wolves at the reception desk saw them, they did not bother to ask about their intention.

"Alpha Ronan and Beta Jake, you are cordially invited to go to the Crescent Hall."

"Mr. Lucien Clearwater, please follow us."

Lucien and Ronan exchanged one last look.

"Bye," Lucien said softly.

Ronan nodded. He and Jake left for the hall. Lucien on the other side was led to a small room. Inside this room, a group of people were seated.

Dane Silverback as the council chairman, Elder Rick to represent the Silent Walkers Pack, Elder Jonas to represent the Night Prowler Pack, and of course Kinnon Youngshaper.

The latter's eyes were pinned on Lucien the moment he appeared at the door. Lucien refused to look back, for fear of instigating Landon.

.....

"Good morning, Lucien," Dane Silverback greeted him with an official smile. "Long time no see."

Lucien nodded at Ronan's father. "Nice to see you again, Mr. Silverback."

The small group exchanged their greetings, and then they started to talk about the issue at hand.

"It has come to our attention that the feud between the Silent Walkers Pack and the Night Prowler Pack has yet to be solved properly.

Consent was given for the two packs to engage in a war. Said war took place between the two packs a few months ago, with Night Prowler Pack emerging as the winner. The Alpha of the Silent Walkers Pack, Deacon Clearwater, was killed during the confrontation, and the Silent Walkers Pack has been without an Alpha ever since then.

Is that correct?" Dane Silverback asked to the other four attendees after reading from the case record in front of him.

"Yes," they all answered one by one.

"Alpha Kinnon Youngshaper made a proposal to settle the aftermath of the war by asking Lucien Clearwater to be his Luna and in turn sheltering the Silent Walkers Pack as a subsidiary of Night Prowler Pack," Dane Silverback continued.

At this point he turned to Lucien and spoke to him directly, "Lucien Clearwater accepted the proposal. Is this true?"

"Yes," Lucien confirmed.

"After that, both parties reported their intention to enter into a marriage to the council. The council recorded this, and then for a while, nothing happened."

"You missed a little detail, Mr. Silverback," Elder Jonas interceded. "There was a little incident at the East Temple City which resulted in Alpha Kinnon being injured by three rogue werewolves. Annalynne Clearwater was in suspicion." "Was"," Kinnon Youngshaper followed up. "She and the whole Silent Walkers Pack are cleared from suspicion."

Lucien was endlessly grateful. Elder Jonas on the other side assumed a sour expression upon Kinnon's interruption.

Dane Silverback's eyes moved from Lucien to Elder Jonas and finally settled on Kinnon, whose gaze was unwavering. "Alright," Dane Silverback continued.

"And then we come to the night of the Moon Goddess celebration."

Upon hearing this sentence, the elders shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

"Lucien Clearwater who claimed to lost his wolf at the age of eighteen suddenly regained his wolf and proceeded to attack Alpha Kinnon."

"Objection, Mr. Silverback," Elder Rick had been waiting to speak up for a while now. "The wolf attacked Alpha Kinnon. Lucien did not mean for it to happen."

"I don't know about that," Elder Jonas said. "How often did it happen that a wolf possesses a werewolf completely and runs rampage like that?"

"It has never happened," Elder Rick claimed.

Just as Elder Jonas wanted to make it his point of argument, Elder Rick quickly followed up with, "It does not mean that it is impossible."

"Lucien," Elder Rick's tone grew soft when he turned to Lucien. He had seen Lucien grow up. Although Lucien was no longer that sweet toddler from the past, Elder Rick refused to believe that Lucien meant for it to happen. The elder man grabbed Lucien's hand.

"That night, were you truthfully ready to consummate the relationship with Alpha Kinnon? Or..."

The last word spoke volumes. Elder Jonas rose to his feet right away. "What exactly are you insinuating? Kinnon Youngshaper did not do anything against Lucien Clearwater's wish!"

And just to make sure he was not wrong, Elder Jonas turned to Kinnon to ask for support. Unfortunately, Kinnon had no interest in saying anything. His gaze was directed at Lucien instead.

Lucien swallowed hard. He shut his eyes for a moment before he looked up at the other people at the table.

"Kinnon did not force me. I willingly agreed to it because I thought I was ready."

Turned out he was not. He never was.

When Kinnon was about to enter him, all Lucien felt was utter devastation. Hugs and kisses were trivial things that he shared with his family regularly. S*x, on the other side...

Lucien sighed.

"It was my fault," he murmured.

"No, it was not!" Elder Rick howled. "It was an accident!"

It was indeed an accident but it was also his fault. If only he stayed true to his feelings for Ronan. If only he did not make promises that he could not keep. If only he gave himself more time... There were so many if only's. And yet regret brought him no absolution. "Or it might be deliberate," Elder Jonas refused to back down. "There was no proof that Lucien's wolf did not return earlier."

Again, Kinnon came to Lucien's rescue.

"I can testify that Lucien was still without wolf when we started making love. His wolf only appeared shortly before the actual intercourse."

Elder Jonas looked as if he was about to throw a tantrum soon. His biggest enemy in this room was neither Lucien nor Elder Rick. It was the very person whose interest he was representing!

Elder Jonas sat back down with a huff. He crossed his arms before his chest and shot daggers at everyone.

"Then do we agree to blame Landon instead of Lucien?" Dane Silverback queried.

"If we do, the next step is clear. Landon shall be eliminated forever, and Lucien Clearwater will be cleared of all offenses."

"No," Lucien said right away.

Dane Silverback, the two elders, and Kinnon Youngshaper all directed their eyes at Lucien, who for the first time in the course of the hearing strongly spoke for something.

Elder Rick forced himself to smile as he put a hand on Lucien's shoulder.

"Lucien, don't be too quick to say no. I know that Landon is a part of yourself, but he left once. You were doing so well without him. With his awful temper, are you not better off without him?" Lucien gave Elder Rick a sharp glare instead.

"Landon and I are inseparable. I am responsible for Landon's every mistake. It was my weakness that allowed Landon to lose his temper and attack Kinnon."

Even Elder Jonas started to feel sorry for Lucien when the latter insisted to be punished the same way.

"Mr. Clearwater, please rethink your decision. If you are willing to sacrifice your wolf, further discussion with the Night Prowler Pack will be a lot smoother." Elder Jonas turned to look at Kinnon.

.....

"What does Alpha Kinnon think about it?"

Kinnon solemnly said, "I am willing to forget and forgive the past incidents if Lucien is still willing to be my Luna."

If Lucien was still willing.

The problem was that Landon was not willing and to be honest Lucien was not ready. While Lucien might get over Ronan one day, Landon would never do. Unless Lucien agreed to part with Landon, he could say goodbye to marrying Kinnon. Lucien insisted to stick with Landon no matter what. He owed it to his wolf who he had driven through rounds of sufferings and pain in the past.

The man shook his head in regret.

"I am sorry, Kinnon," he said. "I have to break my promise to you. I can no longer serve as your Luna."

Pain was seen flashing within Kinnon's eyes.

Of course, he thought bitterly. Someone like Lucien would never choose to kill Landon just so he could be with Kinnon. In the first place, Lucien did not agree to Kinnon's proposal out of love. It was to save his pack. Lucien's heart had been stolen by Ronan years ago and it was not coming back.

Kinnon knew it every time he saw Lucien and Ronan together. No matter what scowling faces or what harsh words were exchanged between the two werewolves, Kinnon could see the love between them.

He hated it.

He wanted to destroy their love.

"Yes, now I have to take it back."

"You already agreed to my proposal," Kinnon reminded.

Kinnon clawed into the edges of the table.

"Do you know what it means?" Dane Silverback asked, watching Lucien over his steepled hands.

Lucien nodded.

"I know."

Kinnon almost lost it.

"And are you prepared for whatever comes next?"

"I am."

The elders sucked in deep breaths.

This was it.

The hearing was to be concluded soon.

"And are you not going to regret it?" Dane Silverback offered Lucien a way out one last time.

Before Lucien answered, he had Elder Rick grabbing his shoulder.

"Lucien, please," he begged. "It doesn't have to be this way. Please take your time to think." Lucien gave him a sad look.

Time to think?

Think about what?

About whether he would want to sacrifice Landon instead?

Why would Lucien need even a second longer to reject that offer?

"I am sorry, Elder Rick," Lucien was more than determined. "I will not go back on my decision. Not this time. I am willing to share the blame and take responsibility for Landon. It is my duty as his human." The two elders heaved heavy sighs. Lucien, the stubborn fool, they thought.

"Alright then," Dane Silverback said. He took a quill, dipped it in an ink case, and started to write on the parchment in front of him.

"Lucien Clearwater pleads guilty on the charge of a third-degree murder attempt on Alpha Kinnon Youngshaper from the Night Prowler Pack. Is that correct?"

"Yes," Lucien confirmed.

"In that case please add your thumbprint down here."

Dane Silverback pushed an ink pad toward Lucien.

Lucien pressed his right thumb into the ink pad.

It was then that Landon spoke up.

'Wait. Lucien, don't do this.

'Don't worry, Landon. We will go through it together!

'I don't want us to do that. I don't want you to suffer because of my action.

Lucien pressed his thumb into the parchment.

...

'Lucien, you...

Lucien calmly wiped the ink off his thumb with a napkin.

'I already said it many times, Landon. We are teammates. I will never leave you behind.

"Alpha Kinnon, please add your signature here."

"The two elders, please add your signatures here."

And lastly, Dane Silverback as the presiding judge signed the document and stamped it with the Werewolf Council's official seal.

"We shall proceed with the trial, then."

Landon howled in Lucien's head. He was not one to openly express his emotions, but the howl carried a myriad of feelings. Pain, fear, and regret.

Two attendants came into the room upon Dane Silverback's summon. They brought hand shackles that they put around Lucien's wrist.

One by one, the other four people left for Crescent Hall. Kinnon and Lucien were the last two to leave.

When Kinnon was about to leave, Lucien called out to him.

"Kinnon."

Kinnon turned around to look at Lucien.

"I am deeply sorry," Lucien said.

He did not mean for any of these to happen. He had truly wanted to fulfill his promise. On the other side, he would never be able to live with himself if he had to sacrifice Landon on the way.

Kinnon gave him a curt nod.

"I know."

The wait until Lucien too was led to the Crescent Hall was agonizing. It was only a few minutes, but it felt like hours.

After emerging from the small room and entering the huge Crescent Hall, Lucien had to lift his arms to shield his eyes from the bright light.

He was not sure which one stung his eyes more. The light within the hall or the judgmental looks that the Alphas and Betas showered him with.

There were almost a hundred werewolves inside the Crescent Hall - thirty-five Werewolf Council members to represent each pack and thirty Alphas and thirty Betas who came to represent their packs, not counting Kinnon Youngshaper and Bjorn, the plaintiffs. The other packs were either destroyed or on the brink of destruction. Such as the Silent Walkers Pack for example.

Lucien was led to the middle of the hall. There was a chair with chains at the armrests and on the ground. The man with red golden hair breathed out a sigh of relief when the attendants did not chain him up and just asked him to take a seat.

It was degrading enough to sit there with shackled hands.

Lucien looked up and saw the many people in the hall who craned their necks to take a better look at him. They were seated in circular rows that were gradually elevated from the front to the back side of the hall.

Lucien could barely make out Ronan's face in the middle of the crowd, but they all could see him. Almost a hundred pairs of eyes were directed at Lucien, judging him amidst faint murmurs.

The murmurs stopped abruptly when Dane Silverback took his stand next to Lucien.

He read from the parchment to brief everyone about what happened between the Silent Walker Pack and the Night Prowler Pack.

This was an official announcement, as opposed to the circulating rumors in the werewolf community. Some of them knew about the matter from trustable sources while others heard the exaggerated version. "Lucien Clearwater had already pleaded guilty for the attack on Alpha Kinnon Youngshaper from the Night Prowler Pack," Dane Silverback announced in the end.

.....

The hall broke in an uproar. A confession toward a murder attempt on an Alpha was a serious offense!

Lucien Clearwater was done for, and so was the Silent Walkers Pack!

"SILENCE!" Dane Silverback roared, slamming a hand against the podium table. Everyone stopped talking all at once.

"We are here to decide the right punishment for the Silent Walkers Pack," Dane Silverback continued.

Lucien widened his eyes upon hearing Dane Silverback's words. "Wait, Mr. Silverback," he quickly interrupted the elder man. "Please do not drag the Silent Walkers Pack into this matter. I am solely responsible for the attack on Alpha Kinnon." Dane Silverback narrowed his eyes at Lucien. "Unfortunately, it is not up to you to decide in this fashion. Did you not accept the proposal made by Kinnon Youngshaper in the name of the Silent Walkers Pack?"

"Yes, but..."

"Then your failure in committing to the proposal will naturally reflect on the whole Silent Walkers Pack," Dane Silverback informed him. "There is no other way."

It was worse than what Lucien had expected. He was ready to die with Landon should the council demand that, but he never thought that he would implicate his whole pack! His mother, his father, his sister! Everyone in the Silent Walkers Pack! Lucien curled his fingers into fists. It was no longer about his life. It was about the survival of his whole pack. He must fight until the bitterest end.

Dane Silverback walked off the podium with languid steps and addressed everyone inside the hall.

"According to the council regulation, a pack who commits atrocities against another pack shall be dealt with by using one of two methods. The first one would be the Judgment by the Moon Goddess. The second one would be the Judgment by the Collective Community!"

Dane Silverback turned on his heel to face Lucien again.

"Which one do you choose?"

It was not a difficult question.

The Judgment by the Moon Goddess effectively meant throwing the individuals in question into a deep pit and letting them be for three days and three nights without food and water. Only those whom the Moon Goddess granted mercy would be able to survive. Those who survived the ordeal would be cleansed from all their sins and were accepted back into the community without any condition.

The problem was that despite werewolves' naturally stronger bodies and higher endurance, not many of them could endure the trial. Non-alpha werewolves would die for sure. Alpha females and children would usually also succumb to death before the 72 hours were over. Those who managed to survive had to watch as their friends, brothers, sisters, parents, spouses, and even children died one by one. It was torture that was crueler than death itself.

When faced with the two choices, any werewolf would go for the second option.

"I would like to go with the Judgment by the Collective Community."

Even though the second option was not less brutal, it at least granted quicker death and less suffering than the first one.

The Judgment by the Collective Community demanded all the present pack representatives to take a stand and choose who to side with, in this case, either the Silent Walkers Pack or the Night Prowler Pack. Once all packs had chosen who to side with, they must send ten warriors from each pack to participate in the upcoming war between the Silent Walkers Pack and the Night Prowler Pack.

Unfortunately, the Silent Walkers Pack was at a huge disadvantage. Deacon Clearwater, their last Alpha, was not good at forming ties with her packs. Not that it would help much, because who would not prefer to side with the stronger pack? Which was naturally, in this case the Night Prowler Pack.

One by one, the Alphas announced who they would like to side with.

"I choose the Night Prowler Pack."

"The Night Prowler Pack for me."

"Me too, the Night Prowler Pack."

Lucien saw a council attendant drawing a line for every pack who chose to side with the Night Prowler Pack. The situation was not looking good. If all thirty packs decided to go against the Silent Walkers Pack, the latter would be decimated within a minute. Just as the situation was looking gloomier with each passing minute, an Alpha decided to side with the Silent Walkers Pack.

"I side with the Silent Walkers Pack."

All eyes flew toward the speaker, a handsome Alpha with hair that was as dark as the night and a pair of greenish-blue eyes that threatened to drown anyone who looked at them for a second too long.

Lucien was pale with fright, but Dane Silverback looked as if Ronan had just slapped him twice, once on every cheek. Either Ronan was extremely dumb or so love-stricken that he was willing to die with Lucien Clearwater. Dane Silverback would never have chosen Ronan as his heir if the latter was brainless.

Or maybe he would because dumb people at least feared death.

The lovesick idiots, on the other side, were too busy impressing their lovers to fear death!

Dane Silverback was trembling all over from anger. He contemplated dragging Ronan outside of the hall that very instant to smack some sense into his son's head. But no, that was not the right thing to do because he still had to preserve Ronan's dignity as the current reigning Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack! Just what would the other packs think when they saw Dane dragging Ronan out by his ear???

Dane's burning gaze drifted to Jake who was sitting next to Ronan.

"Alpha Ronan had made an unexpected choice," Dane gritted his teeth. "Does Beta Jake share the same opinion?"

It was unprecedented because Dane did not ask for other Betas' opinions. His asking about Jake's opinion put Jake in an extremely uncomfortable position. If he agreed with Ronan, he would earn Dane Silverback's wrath and effectively contribute to the decline of the Infinite Eclipse Pack. If he disagreed with Ronan, he would discredit his own Alpha and would earn Ronan's wrath instead.

.....

Swallowing hard, Jake knew that he had no way out of this dilemma. He had to smash against either a car or a truck.

"I agree with my Alpha."

Dane Silverback looked as if Jake just shoved mud into his throat. Fuming, he glared at the rest. "Let's continue then!"

"Wait."

Dane Silverback stared at Ronan, who looked as if he was not done causing misfortune for the day.

Ronan casually leaned forward and observed the Alphas and Betas around him.

"Please remember that if you side with the Night Prowler Pack, you will be going against the Infinite Eclipse Pack."

A wicked smile laced Ronan's lips when he saw what impact his words had on the remaining packs. It was no longer the weak Silent Walkers Pack versus the strong Night Prowler Pack. It was now Infinite Eclipse Pack versus Night Prowler Pack. The two strongest packs in the continent, who had until then remained amicable at the surface, were finally going to go into a war!

Kinnon's eyes flashed dangerously as he and Ronan gave each other scorching glares.

After Ronan made his statement, the packs no longer sided with just the Night Prowler Pack only. Those who were close and or relied on the Infinite Eclipse Pack had no other option but to side with the latter one. After all Alphas made their decisions, altogether 14 packs sided with the Silent Walkers Pack and 16 packs sided with the Night Prowler Pack.

"Very well," Dane Silverback said. Although he was displeased with Ronan siding with the weaker pack just to protect Lucien, at least Ronan managed to drag 13 other packs to help him out. It was better than nothing. "The war shall take place at 10 AM of the 12th October, one week from now. Rules and restrictions for common wars apply here. The war ends automatically when either Lucien Clearwater or Kinnon Youngshaper dies."

The trial ended, and Dane Silverback dismissed the crowd. One by one, the Alphas and Betas poured out of the hall. The last remaining council members stole surreptitious glances at the pair of father and son. They quickly walked away to avoid unwanted troubles. Ronan, Jake, Dane, and Lucien were the last to leave. When Ronan walked to the middle of the hall to get Lucien, his father stopped him in the middle and grabbed his arm hard. Burying his fingernails into his son's biceps, the elder man then pulled Ronan close to him until their faces were only centimeters apart from each other.

"I hope you know what you are doing," Dane Silverback hissed into Ronan's face. "How dare you make such a decision!"

Ronan freed himself from his father's grip and regarded him with a cold look.

"How dare I? Mr. Dane Silverback, please watch your tone. I am currently the Alpha of the Infinite Eclipse Pack, not you."

"You...!"

Mr. Silverback Sr. wanted to shower his insolent son with ancient curses, but he swallowed all of those and gave Ronan a scary smile instead. "Let's see how you manage this. Ronan, I already paved the path to success in front of you. All you have to do is walk on it and you are not even capable of doing so! Hmph!!!"

Dane Silverback left angrily, not without giving Jake a hard bump to express his displeasure toward the younger man. Jake sighed in his heart. He had nothing to say to Dane Silverback, so he just rubbed his shoulder wordlessly.

Lucien, the criminal, remained standing in the middle of the hall. His gaze was fixated on the stupid Alpha who just declared war against his biggest rival pack. All just to protect him and his pack.

Said Alpha came over with a smile.

"Let's go back," Ronan said as he took Lucien's hand and pulled him gently toward the exit.

But Lucien did not move from the spot. He instead pulled back at Ronan's hand and gave Jake a look.

"Sorry, Jake. Can you give us a minute?"

Jake cleared his throat. "I, uh, I will get the car."

As soon as Jake left, Lucien spoke to Ronan in an urgent tone.

"Ronan, you don't have to do this. I mean, you MUST NOT do this."

It was not too late for Ronan to change his mind. He could still back off. His siding with the Silent Walkers Pack was already a handicap. How could he hope to win against Kinnon Youngshaper?

Ronan Silverback on the other side did not look worried at all. He raised a hand and caressed Lucien's cheek lovingly.

"I want to," he whispered.

"I will protect you."