That's my main intention.

His breathing became deeper and ragged as Luciano rose his body from the sofa. From her perspective, it looked as if he was a feral animal, ready to attack his prey, showing himself off in all his glory.

Before Luciano got to force even a word over his parted lips, Seth jumped on her feet and pointed her finger at the male: “Don't you even think of showing off how upset or hurt you are, Mister! Sit your big ass down and explain everything you wanted to explain before I make you leave this apartment. You are in my home, God damn it, and you will respect the ground rules! Don't like something? There's the door!” Seth pointed at the door, giving the King options to choose from.

She was well aware of his feelings about the situation, but it was too late to change anything. She did what she did, followed her heart, and enjoyed the little freedom she was given at that time.

No matter what others thought or felt, she would never let a man make her feel guilty for things she wanted to do. Especially a man who had done the same thing as she did.

Luciano never spoke about getting together; Seth never even thought of it, so why would any of them have the right to be angered by the outcome?

Luciano shook his head and averted his gaze down to his feet: “You're right, I'm overreacting again. We are not a couple, and I was the one who begged for a chance to explain myself. I will try to keep myself and my beast at the bay.”

Sitting down, Seth crossed her arms in front of her chest and huffed.

She liked Luciano, maybe she even had feelings for him, but that didn't entitle the man to act as if she was a part of his property. Just because she-wolves loved to run around like trophy wives didn’t mean that Seth would enjoy the same.

She wanted to make a choice, one of those men might become her better half, but making a decision while all of them kept messing with her head was quite challenging.

Luciano was Luciano. The strong, dominant, and highly possessive Alpha that had just won the title of a King.
Then came Dominic. Dominant but more laid back, the chill type of a man.
After him, there was Ryder. Someone in between everything. Ryder appeared to be the perfect mix of somewhat dominant and a submissive man. Seth had a feeling that he might be a switch, choosing his role and personality depending on the occasion.
Last but not least was Vlad. Overly sweet, gentle, and caring, but still demanding as any other Alpha.

Put them all together, there was the ultimate man of her dreams. Separately they were as perfect as they could be, but sure enough, something was missing, no matter how hard Seth tried to ignore the feeling.

She didn't notice how she managed to zone out until Luciano cleared his throat and spoke up.

“I guess I will have to start from the very beginning. It goes way back before we met each other. Dominic and I used to be friends, the best of friends actually. Surely, we had our moments when we would try to compete about something, but that was so common for boys to do, our parents didn't even bother to think of how unhealthy the obsession was for our age. My mother was alive, and at one point, she became like a mother figure for Dominic as well. I won't get too deep into the events or depressing details, but my mother was murdered. My father married Dominic's mother's best friend - a woman who was partly to blame for the death of my mother. Since that awful day, we fell out - back then, I was so sure that he had something to do with it, I couldn't believe my own thoughts. It shook me to the bottom of my heart, erasing the brotherly love and replacing it with pure hatred. To twist you into this story - I know this will sound insane, but you remind me of her. You’re just as stubborn, kind and passionate about everything as she used to be. The best of the best.”

A bitter chuckle left Luciano’s lips while Seth held her breath, fearing to miss out on any details he was willing to share.

“Let me tell you a little bit more about the wonderful woman that birthed me, the man you think would be more of a beast than a human. My mother was one-of-a-kind, truly everything a man could dream of, if not more. She was gorgeous, the type of woman who never needed makeup to feel beautiful, and if she ever chose to use any - she would still look like the same woman. My mother was kind, outgoing, and compassionate. There wasn't even one living being she wouldn't feel for or would deem to be unworthy of life. Whenever I try to remember her - the first thought that pops in my mind is those kind and loving golden eyes. That smile of hers lit up a whole room, even if it was forced. And for the most important part- she was honest; even when the promises she gave seemed to be impossible to fulfill, somehow, she made it happen. Before she died, she promised me to send someone meant for only me. That's the reason why I was so drawn to you from the very beginning - as soon as you entered that bar, I couldn't look away. I felt as if this woman had taken my breath away, becoming the center of my universe without saying a word or looking my way. Then came your attempts to reject me. God, if only you would know how hot it was each time when you tried pushing me away, telling me to fuck off, and doing anything to get out of the place. Obviously, I wasn't happy about the latter one, but at some point, it was still sexy as fuck. Your stubbornness, lack of giving in, and not letting me take control… I know it's wrong, but I thought you were the one since that exact moment. That one woman meant only for me. Call me egoistic or a fool; I don't care. She promised me something, and after all those years, she still managed to fulfill the promise. I am not entitled to call you mine, despite how much I want to, but that doesn't mean that a man can't dream. That's why I am here - I have to tell you everything, explain my stupid behavior and attempt to make you like me. I don't know what to do anymore, but at least now, you know a little more about me and my motives.”

His face paled as he spoke, making him look as if he had faced a ghost. It had been years since Luciano shared even a part of his past and pain, but for some reason, it felt like the right thing to do.

He still didn't want to make Seth feel guilty about the things she had no idea about or no control over, but at least she knew.

“What was her name?” Seth struggled to speak, her voice becoming hoarse. A lump in her neck seemed to grow bigger with each breath she took.

“Sapphire, my mother's name was Sapphire,” a weak smile crept on Luciano's lips.

He couldn't remember the last time when he spoke the name out loud, let alone the time when he let himself remember that name.

When Luciano was younger, he decided that his daughter would carry the same name, honoring the late grandmother she had never met. Maybe one day.

“That's a beautiful name, no wonder you speak about her beauty. The name did her justice. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being so mean without knowing even half of the truth. I'm sorry for acting like a bratty toddler most of the time, dismissing your emotions and feelings. By the end of the day, we are all more or less human, right?” Seth tried to sound reasonable, but she was too stunned to even think of the words, leaving her lips.

Would she act or feel any different if she had known even a bit of the things Luciano just shared with her? Would Seth ever consider getting together with the man if she had known?
“Yeah,” Luciano shrugged his shoulders, struggling to remember more.

Now, when he finally opened himself, all he truly wanted was to keep on talking, flaunt more facts about the greatness of his mother.

Suddenly, he remembered part of Seth's past. The lovers had more in common than they thought - aside from everything else, both of them lost their mothers.

The only difference was that Luciano wasn't there when his mother died, but Seth was forced to watch everything happen right in front of her eyes. The King had second thoughts about his moment of honesty, wondering if bringing up his mother was a good idea in the first place.

“Thank you for sharing all of that with me; I really appreciate your honesty. But I still can't understand why you acted the way you acted. You know, the constant attempts to dominate me, keep me around you, and all that. You kind of knew how much I loved my freedom yet kept doing whatever you thought would be better. Why? Why now?” Seth let out a deep breath, patiently waiting for an answer.

“Why what?” For the most part, Luciano understood where Seth was coming from, but the last part hit him off the track.

“Why would you try to fix something now if both of us made too many mistakes? Besides, I did everything to avoid Alphas, yet look at me now, surrounded by four. We could have tried from the very beginning, but even that proved how destructive we can be side by side. Why would we try again if we know that it wouldn't work? You need someone obedient; I need freedom. We are so unfit, it's ridiculous.” Even the laugh that followed her words seemed depressing.

Seth's voice became barely audible, and she couldn't face Luciano anymore. She hoped and feared for one thing, he might leave.

If the King left, Seth wouldn't have to fear looking into his eyes, breaking, and giving in. If he left, she would probably break down and cry herself to sleep. This was the first time in her life when she honestly didn't know what she wanted. And the feeling repeated itself with all men, not Luciano alone.

“Have you ever thought of anything that seems absolutely unfit yet works together perfectly?”

“For example?” Seth's eyes brightened as she looked at the man, who seemed to hold all the answers. No matter what she did or thought of, Luciano always had a comment or opinion on everything.

“For example, the Moon and the Sun. Absolute opposites - one for the night, one for the day. Moon is said to be cold and dark, while the Sun is hot and bright. They shouldn't make the perfect combination, yet they do, all because of the balance. If we manage to find our balance, maybe we could try? I am not forcing anything onto you; let's say that I am questioning myself out loud. Feel free to ignore the statements and questions in general.” The King chuckled, making himself a little more comfortable on the outworn sofa.

Watching the sparks in her eyes and the serious facial expression Seth made whenever she was deep in thoughts amused Luciano as much as it excited him.

“You got a point there, but there always will be a but. Luciano, as I said before, I like you, a lot. But I feel the same about all four men; that's the biggest issue. I am drawn and attracted to four men simultaneously. I don't think that I will ever be able to choose. It is better if we all go our separate ways because I won't involve myself in a relationship with one man, wondering how things would be if I chose another for the rest of my life. It is unfair to you, them, and me. If I ever did that, it would be the most selfish thing one could do. That's not going to work out.”

At times, she was stubborn enough to have her name typed in a dictionary, right next to words stubborn and delusional. Luciano dismissed her words and pretended that he hadn't heard more than he would like to know.

A sly smile appeared on his lips as the King came up with another idea: “You don't need to choose now. I know that I promised not to force myself onto you, and I won't even attempt to do that. But can I stay for the night? Even if it's our last one together. The same as you, I don't want to leave, I keep wondering how things would have ended if I didn't exit the apartment. We can cuddle?”

Seth stood up and walked to Luciano, eyeing the seat right next to him. As she turned around to drop her body near his, he grabbed her hips and pulled her onto his lap, his face buried in her neck, slowly inhaling Seth's scent.

She laughed, relaxing in his arms. “You weirdo, you just told me that you wouldn't try anything.”

“I told you that I wouldn't force myself onto you, not that I wouldn't try anything. Besides, all I'm doing is showing where your seat should be, even if it's for the last time,” as he spoke, Luciano’s breath tickled Seth's skin, making a wave of shivers travel down her spine.

Seth had to fight the urge to moan out loud, slowly bringing her arms up and running her fingers through his hair. Her innocently intimate action made Luciano groan, his lips gently pressing against her skin, testing the waters.

If the King said that he didn't want to drag her to bed, he would be a liar. The only thing Luciano wanted at this point was to spend another night with their bodies tightly pressed together, savoring the intimacy and passion they shared.

Seth closed her eyes and moaned as his lips made their way up to her jaw. No matter what happened, Luciano was the man that held too much power over her, making her melt whenever he held her.

He slid his hand to her back and hooked the other under her knees, slowly getting up from the sofa with Seth in his arms. She giggled, a little surprised by his sudden action. “What are you doing?”

“I'm carrying you to the shower.” Luciano answered in a 'duh' tone as if he was obligated to point out the obvious.

“Do I need to repeat what you said again?” Seth furrowed her brows, uncertain if she had to wrap her arms around his neck and hold on or wait till he would let her go. He couldn't be serious. Could he?

“No need; my memory is quite good.”

“So what are you trying to do now?”

“One, you reek of your best friend; I am not very happy about the fact. So, I will help you to get all clean and shiny and smell of strawberries or whatever shower gel you use. Two, to save energy and water, I will take a shower with you, it's not like we haven't seen each other naked before. Three, since you were kind enough to let me stay for the night, don't expect me to lay on that hard as a stone sofa, I am getting all clean, strawberry-scented, and sleeping next to you.” Luciano stated matter of factly, grinning like a kid in a candy store.

Messing around with Seth was the second best thing he could do. For the first place, he still couldn't decide which would be the winner - their heart-to-heart conversation or all those times when they enjoyed each other's bodies.

“I don't think that seeing each other naked, or sharing a bed, is a good idea. That will trigger the temptation, won't it?” Seth laughed out loud, refusing to believe in his words.

That had to be a joke, he could carry her to the bathroom and leave. Besides, she had never complained about the energy and water bill, so they could take separate showers.

“As long as you don't rub your ass against my crotch, we're good.” Luciano winked, challenging Seth to do the exact thing he said she shouldn't do.

He didn't know if the reverse psychology trick would work on her but trying something was better than giving up from the get-go.

“You are not listening. We will be in the same shower, butt naked, staring at each other like a pair of perverts.” Seth huffed, rolling her eyes in irritation.

“I know, kitten, that's my main intention. To stare.”