Chapter 328 - 328 The Alpha’s Past Affair Came To Haunt Him
Lucien’s thorny words jabbed into the center of Ronan’s heart while the boy put his arms around Ronan and hugged him ecstatically. Judging from his height, he must be around four or five years old.
‘He is not my son!’ Ronan’s eyes widened in terror. ‘Lulu, I swear!!!’
‘...’
In Lucien’s head, Landon roared in fury.
‘I am going to kill him!’ he shouted. ‘Lucien, let me out! Now!’
Lucien furrowed his brows and rubbed at his forehead.
‘Landon, no. Stay put.’
Ronan should be thankful that Lucien was still the master of the body. Otherwise, Landon might just shred him into pieces out of wrath and jealousy.
.....
The mother of the boy quickly rushed over. She was more than apologetic. Peeling her son away from Ronan, she apologized to Ronan before speaking to him sternly, “Nicky, how many times do I need to remind you? Alpha Ronan is not your father!”
Nicky pouted and released Ronan.
“Sorry, Alpha Ronan,” he said.
Ronan patted the boy’s head. “It’s alright.”
Smiling, the woman then extended her hand toward Lucien.
“Hello, Mr. Clearwater. I heard a lot about you. My name is Marie, I am...”
Ronan coughed loudly in the middle of Marie’s introduction.
“... I am an old friend of Alpha Ronan’s.”
Lucien pressed his lips into a thin smile. What old friend? She was obviously an old flame!
He rose to his feet and shook Marie’s hand nonetheless.
“Nice to meet you.”
Ronan looked like someone who was watching his house burn slowly into coal and ashes. He tugged at Lucien’s elbow and gave him a beseeching look.
“Lulu, I can explain.”
“Really. Go ahead and explain then.”
“...”
“Well? I am listening.”
Marie broke into laughter when she saw the exchange between the lovers.
“Alpha Ronan, do you mind accompanying Nicky to play for a while? He misses you so much. Why don’t I take a walk with Mr. Clearwater? Oh, and can I call you Lucien?”
Lucien nodded stiffly.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Ronan said with a grim expression.
“I would love to chat with Marie,” Lucien overrode his mate’s view. “Stay here, Ronan.”
The Alpha had no choice but to watch helplessly as Lucien and Marie left the cake shop. Next to him, little Nicky begged the Alpha to play with him.
Marie took Lucien strolling along the street. In June, the streets were bustling with vendors that sold roses and children’s toys.
Shops put up chairs and tables outside so that their customers did not miss out on an outdoor dining experience. Everyone was glowing with happiness. Everyone but Lucien.
The two people walked side-by-side awkwardly.
Marie turned to look at Lucien and smiled.
“Can I touch your hair?”
“... Uh... Sure, I guess?”
Marie gingerly reached out for a lock of the red-blonde hair. She squinted at it and tossed out a sigh.
“Gosh. What pretty color. I don’t think that anyone could get this color right.”
“... What do you mean?”
Marie giggled. She gestured for them to sit in a nearby bench.
“I believe you have guessed that I am one of the many women that Alpha Ronan frequented in the past.”
“Yes, I have,” Lucien said while he took a seat on the bench.
“Well, I happened to know that he especially favors the redheads. To curry his favor, I bleached my brown hair and dyed it red-blond. It was not bad, but I was never able to hit the right color balance.”
Marie stared into the distance when she recalled the past.
“We met five years ago when I had just given birth to Nicky. Both my husband and I were rogue werewolves. My husband passed soon after Nicky’s birth. It was Alpha Ronan who helped my depressed self get back on my feet. I owe him a lot.”
“He took very good care of both me and Nicky. Thanks to him, I managed to visit a college and graduate with a degree. Otherwise, we would not be able to live well, Nicky and I.”
Lucien’s eyes fluttered slightly. He knew he should not, but his heart was trembling from jealousy.
“How long were you dating?”
Marie blinked at Lucien.
“Excuse me, what?”
“I said, how long were you in a relationship?”
“Oh, no. We never were. We had sex a couple of times a week, but that’s all there was.”
“...”
That did not make Lucien any happier.
“Did he force you?”
“No, of course not. I did it willingly.”
There was pain in Lucien’s eyes when he turned to look at Marie.
Willingly?
“You loved him, didn’t you?”
Marie heaved a sigh and bowed her head for some time. When she lifted her head again, she gave him a firm answer.
“Yes, but he was in love with you.”
Lucien averted his gaze and scoffed.
“Weird way of showing it,” he said.
“Look, it is an embarrassing thing to say, but he really was. When we were in bed, he always did it inside my ass and nowhere else. And then, in throes of passion, the name he called was not mine, but yours.”
“...”
Lucien stared at Marie in bewilderment.
So that was what Ronan meant when he said that he covered all the bases? He never once did it without protection, and when he did, he never came inside any woman’s belly.
Marie gave Lucien a curt smile. She took his hands and squeezed them.
“No matter how many men and women he slept with, he never once thought about them during sex. It has always been you and no one else. Always.”
“You don’t know that,” Lucien scoffed.
“I do!” Marie insisted. “Look, our affair went on for years. I was the longest he had ever been with. Our last sex was a year ago.”
A year ago.
“It was the last time we met. I got a job and moved here with Nicky,” Marie explained. “At that time, he told me that he finally found you again. He wanted to pursue you earnestly, so he didn’t want to fool around with anyone anymore.”
“...”
“I was so happy for him. It might be awkward, but I secretly hoped to be able to see you one day.”
“... Why?”
Marie squeezed Lucien’s hands again. Her eyes welled up with tears.
“I want to tell you that Alpha Ronan loves you deeply. You can rest assured with him by your side. Please don’t begrudge him his past, and cherish him well.”