Marked By Destiny: Claimed By Three Alpha Brothers

Chapter 161: The most addictive way

Leia jolted awake, her body burned with sweat while her breath was ragged as though she had been running for her life."What was that?" She murmured hoarsely, her brows knitting together in confusion and dread.

Fragments of the nightmare still clung to her mind, fire roaring in the darkness, the screams of unseen people, and, most haunting of all, the image of her mother’s face, covered in fear. Her heart was beating strangely against her chest, making her press her hand on it to calm her racing heart.

For a long moment, she sat still. Then, with effort, she forced herself to take in her surroundings.

It was late evening, the room cloaked in shadows. Only a faint glow from the lamp at the top of the window let the room lit dimly. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and reached for the light switch. The room brightened abruptly.

She lowered herself into the recliner by the corner.

"I’ve never had a nightmare like that before," Leia murmured to herself again, feeling scared for some reason.

A soft knock broke through the stillness. She lifted her head, startled, to see Lucien standing in the doorway. His sharp gaze immediately caught the worry etched on her face.

"What happened?" he asked. "Is your wound hurting?"

Leia shook her head and slowly pushed herself to her feet. "No... it’s not that."

, and took out a towel.

Lucien turned back and found Leia already seated on the rug, her back resting against the tub. "Do it then, okay? And... be gentle," she murmured.

He noticed she had already removed her loose top, leaving only a thin tank top clinging to her.

Slowly, he knelt in front of her, carefully cupping her neck to guide her closer. With gentle hands, he draped a towel around her shoulders and let her hair fall loosely over the edge of the bathtub.

’His pheromones are always so hard to resist,’ Leia thought.

Once she was settled, he shifted to the shelf, picking up the shampoo with care.