Threats and demands.

Guards stood in rows right next to the mansion entrance, all eyes on the large wooden door.

Servants ran around like bees, eager to get back into their hive. Each of them carried different items. Since the new King wouldn't leave the territory till the next day - the Council had decided to host a feast.

Many important wolves would arrive within a couple of hours; by then, everything had to be ready - standards, as always, perfection.

The door opened, guards straightened their postures. They all knew who was leaving the mansion - their new King possessed an aura of dangerous power even before winning the competition.

If some didn't fear Luciano Vincent before, now, they did.

Watching how the man tore his opponent's hearts out was both a terrifying and weirdly exciting view to see. Some shifters were skeptical about his chance to win, but even that faded as soon as many found out how vicious the Alpha could be. The man didn't tend to stop at any obstacle.

Sooner or later, Luciano would get anything he wanted - the sooner, the better.

“Guards,” Luciano spoke up, standing on top of the small staircase. His eyes scanned the men, stopping right on the one he sought for. “Henry, help me out a little,” a corner of his lip lifted.

The King felt a lot better knowing that he had at least one man he could trust among the Council's guards.

“Of course, my King,” Henry bowed his head and took a step forward, waiting for the command.

It was part of his job's specifics - he couldn't do anything unless someone told him to. Perhaps he and Luciano bonded a little during that last meeting, but that didn’t mean that a man could dream of more.

There was no way both could end up as friends even back then, let alone now. When they first met, Luciano was an Alpha - much higher rank than Henry. Now, the Alpha had managed to take the victory over everyone else, becoming the next King. Such high-ranked shifters as him didn't waste their time by befriending guards.

“Come on, no need to act like that,” Luciano chuckled, slowly walking down the stairs and approaching Henry. “This professional bullshit is no way to greet a friend, is it? Don't be like that, old man, come here and hug me,” he added, stopping right in front of Henry and opening his arms.

The guard already earned his trust and friendship - both men had somewhat similar pasts, and both valued family higher than anything. Well, except for the fact that Luciano couldn't tolerate his stepmother and stepsister - those two were nothing but money sponges.

The guards and servants surrounding them gasped in surprise. No one thought that someone like Luciano Vincent could have heart, let alone friends surrounding him. And a guard?

Was Henry one of those men who worked undercover for someone else?

Shifters in the Council territory used to eye the male in suspicion, and now, they had a reason to keep on doing that even more. Maybe even harass the poor man who tried to do the best job he could.

Getting a better position among the guards was all because of his hard-working nature, but most of his fellow guards will assume that it could have happened because of Vincent's influence.

Despite his doubts, Henry smiled and gladly accepted the hug. No matter what, Luciano wasn't as bad as everyone thought; the main problem was that the male never let anyone get to know him.

The real him - the person under the Alpha rank.
The man, under his rock-hard facial expressions and threatening nature.
The person that hid behind the powerful aura and the look that might kill.

“It's been a while since we last met,” Henry chuckled as both men let go of each other.

This was the first time they hugged, but from the perspective of others - it did seem like they have known each other for most of their lives.

“Funny, isn't it? We are living in the same territory, walking on the same lands, but still won't run into each other. Please don't say anything, and let me guess. The Council noticed that we managed to form a weird type of friendship during the meeting and sent you off for a while, right? I even will be bold enough to assume that they were the ones to demand you to return as soon as I took the title. Otherwise, it might be pretty dangerous to answer the King about one person he could trust.” Luciano chuckled, eyeing the other guards.

Most tried to steal a few glances, but way too many of them shamelessly stared at him, listening to the conversation that was supposed to be private.

He lifted an eyebrow, clearing his throat: “Guards dismissed.”

All of the men turned around and left their previous places in two perfectly formed lines. They didn't act that way if the Alphas and the Council members were in the territory.

Their current behavior was a particular type of training for those times when the King would visit. Higher of the highest men had to see how well trained and behaved the Council guards might be.

The King didn't visit often, but he took some of the guards with him whenever he did. The better they behaved, the bigger the chance that some men would follow Luciano to the castle.

“Come, walk with me, Henry,” Luciano gestured towards the gardens, letting the older guard know that he sought some privacy. Now, as he won - he would lack such an essential thing as some alone time, he had to use every chance he had.

Walking towards the gardens, Luciano inhaled the scent surrounding them. Somehow, he found himself already missing the simple things in life even before starting the new journey in his life.

Now, he started doubting if the title was something he really wanted. Perhaps the only thing he lacked in life was a small cabin in the middle of the forest and the woman he loved by his side.

Henry held his hands behind his back, walking near the King in silence. Everyone knew that Luciano was more than just capable of defending himself, yet the guards' eyes scanned their surroundings, instinctively checking if there was any danger around.

Luciano sighed and stopped in his step, turning his body to face the guard: “Henry, I need you to do something for me.”

“Your wish is my command, my King.” The guard bowed again, showing the utmost respect towards the male in front of him. One couldn't be too careful, especially in privacy with the highest of all shifters.

“Make it two things then. First - it's Luciano. Not King. Okay? We met before I took the title, and technically it isn't mine yet. The coronation didn't happen, so until then - I am the same Alpha Luciano Vincent, the man you met in the meeting. The man that shared some of his past with you, hoping to become friends one day. Are we clear?” Explaining himself wasn't a thing Luciano usually enjoyed.

It was easier if people could put two and two together themselves, but this guard was an exception. The Council members were a pain in Luciano's ass - probably walking around and reminding the staff to address him by the new title.

“Yes, my apologies. I am so used to being just the guard here, I have forgotten how wonderful a friendship with someone might be. So, what is the thing I would do for you?” Henry tried to hide the blush creeping on his cheeks.

The older guard felt uncomfortable, especially spending more time next to someone supposed to rule over everyone he knew. Now, he managed to make a fool out of himself, right in front of Luciano. Talk about the second chance in giving the first impression.

“I need you to tell me where Seth is.” Luciano's voice shifted from friendly to firm and demanding.

He didn't joke around whenever a particular woman was brought up as the conversation topic. If anyone, Henry was one of the few who knew that fun and games ended where Seth-related issues started.

“I don't know.” Henry shrugged his shoulders, holding eye contact with Luciano.

If the guard tried to look elsewhere, the soon-to-be King would assume that he tried to tell lies. In that case, only the Gods knew what would happen to him.

Luciano could easily beat him up or even kill him. Lying to the King was one of the worst crimes to commit, and Henry would rather die of his own hand than lie to Luciano.

“Are you sure?” Luciano raised an eyebrow, searching the guard's eyes.

If Henry did as much as blinked at the wrong time or stuttered - Luciano would know that he tried to mislead him. Then again, he refused to believe that Henry might be a liar.

He had been looking for Seth for a while, and the last time he got closer only because the guard tried to help. There was no reason to mistrust Henry, at least for now.

“Yes. I don't know, but I know someone who might be pretty aware of her whereabouts.” Henry brought his palm closer to his face, placing a finger against his chin.

His body language told it all; the guard was calm, trying to decide if he should or shouldn't share the information. A liar would show off even a little of stress, his heart rate would become faster, but there was nothing.

So, Henry did know, all that was left was to tell Luciano everything.

“Who is it?” Luciano took a step forward, suspecting that Henry didn't want to share the name out loud.

The King knew that there wasn't anyone near them, at least close enough to hear their conversation. But then again, Henry might be right - no matter which rank, a shifter could never be too careful.

On top of that, Luciano would be the next King; he would gain many enemies even before taking the crown.

“Alpha Vlad. I think he is with the Council members right now, discussing some territorial issues. We were told not to disturb them.” Henry whispered, nervously scanning their surroundings over and over again.

“Any idea for how long the meeting will be open?” Luciano smiled to himself, ready to walk into the secret meeting and show them all hell.

Since when did the Council have the right to dismiss the future King from such an important issue as territories?

“Open as in how long it'll last?” Henry chuckled, wondering if he understood Luciano.

“Correct, that's a weird term we use. Get used to that; you will hear more fun ways I address things when we move to the castle.” Luciano lightly bumped the guard's shoulder and motioned towards the mansion, encouraging Henry to follow him back.

“Wait, we are moving to the castle? As in me, following you?” The guard nearly yelled out the question, way too excited.

Luciano wanted to laugh at his friend - such a fantastic warrior but still acted like a child. But then again, who wouldn't? He was obviously missing his wife and children; any decent man would miss their family.

“As in me, moving into the castle since I will become the new King. As in you and your family following along. I won't leave a friend in the pool full of piranhas. Besides, I wouldn't want you to spend more time away from your family. You are a good man, you deserve to be happy, and I am more than willing to help out a little. But that is beside the point - we can discuss that later. So, the meeting?” Luciano quickly explained his idea and threw an arm around Henry's shoulders.

Both men made their way back to the mansion, side by side - reminding an inseparable duo of best friends.

“Oh, yeah, right. Sorry, I got a little excited there. As far as I am aware, they planned to have this meeting for about two more hours. The Council members would leave the library an hour before the official feast begins to get ready.”

If Henry would have more time - he would keep on apologizing and thanking the future King for hours. No other person before had gone out of their way for him or his family.

If the King kept his promise and brought them all to the castle - Henry would gladly give his life for Luciano's safety. That was a favor he would never be able to pay back. Not to mention the break out of the Council territory - one of the most despicable places ever.

“Those are excellent news, thank you, Henry. Feel free to take some time off, give your wife a call and warn her about the upcoming move. Find me during the feast; if you have any questions, I will be out there, trying to avoid doing some stupid shit.” Luciano seemed to be in a great mood.

Too good even. Perhaps to the extent when one might get worried about the male's intentions, the same as Henry did now.

“Like what?”

“Committing a crime. Murder or arson, whichever feels the best at that moment. I should avoid those.” Both men burst out in laughter as soon as the words left Luciano's lips.

There was a certain amount of truth behind everything, but the guard decided to close his eyes on this one. If anything - Henry would stand by his King's side and protect him, not go against him to stab the man in the back later on.

“Well, good luck avoiding the crime then. I'll get going.” The guard chuckled and left Luciano behind.

Luciano stood in front of the entrance, watching how Henry walked away in a visibly cheerful mood. He smiled, shook his head, and headed inside the mansion.

Some servants tried to stop him, asking questions about food or clothing the King would prefer. If this were any other day, Luciano would take his time to answer the questions, but he would be damned if anyone got to warn the Council about his plan.

He had to arrive unannounced, surprising everyone, including Vlad.

Nearing the library door, Luciano overheard an argument, surrounded explicitly around one name. Seth.

Stopping before the door, he decided to listen if anyone would say something useful. Nearly all of the Council members raised their voices at Vlad for keeping secrets about her whereabouts.

So, he did know where Seth was. The only thing that saved him from death was his ability to stay quiet. If the Alpha told the Council where she was - Luciano would gladly skin him alive in front of his friends and family.

When one of the Council members mentioned that they had to get rid of the woman, Luciano's mind clouded; all he could see was red. Kicking the door open, the angered man stomped towards the Council member who suggested killing Seth.

He grabbed the older man by his neck and threw his body against the wall, killing the shifter on the spot.

“Now, is anyone else about to suggest killing my Queen? Go ahead; I don't mind killing off every one of you, bastards.” Luciano roared at the terrified men.

Next time, he would bring the camera to keep photos of the looks on their faces. Priceless.

The library fell silent, men trying to increase the distance between themselves and the flaring King. “Good,” Luciano added, his lips stretching into a sick grin. “Now, you have exactly twelve hours to get her here. And if she's late - I'll kill one of you bitches every ten minutes.”
Between the Four Alphas
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