They were free.

Surprisingly, after having a shower, Luciano and Seth headed to bed.

The King kept his promise - nothing, besides the shared shower, happened between them.

Luciano held Seth throughout the night, enjoying the non-sexual intimacy and sense of safety.

Whenever they were together, he couldn't stop admiring her body and spirit, yet besides that, he still enjoyed just talking or cuddling. Seth had a specific type of power over him, the one that could make him forget about the primal need to breed someone and just enjoy the moment with the right person.

Waking up felt like heaven, especially when the first thing he saw after opening his eyes was the calm face of the woman he managed to fall in love with. Carefully, Luciano moved a strand of hair from her face and smiled, admiring her delicate features.

How could someone so angelic-looking still be as strong and tough as Seth?

It didn't take too long for her to wake up; she couldn't help it. Seth wasn't used to waking up next to men in her bed, especially if the man of choice kept staring at her intensively.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Luciano chuckled, pressing his lips to her forehead.

Deep down, he knew that he shouldn't build up his hopes - the fairytale might come crashing down within days, if not hours.

Seth stretched and purred, unable to control her inner puma. As soon as she registered what had happened, her eyes grew wider, and her cheeks turned bright red. Slowly, she turned her head to glance at Luciano and catch his reaction, but he seemed as shocked as she was.

Using the moment, Seth jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom, locking the door as soon as she shut it close. Whatever was happening to her was something new - her puma had never purred, especially next to a man.

Slowly, Seth had to face the fact that her seemingly impossible crush on Luciano might be something more than just a little exciting experience.

Both her and Clara grew too attached, perhaps even fell in love.

A loud knock on the bathroom door brought Seth back to her senses. “Kitten, are you okay?” Luciano sounded concerned, impatiently waiting for an answer. His voice changed to a lower tone, one he used whenever he bit onto his lip anxiously.

“I- Yeah, I'm okay. I just need a shower,” Seth blurted out the first thing that came to her mind.

In all honesty, she wanted some time in privacy - staying around Luciano might make her feel even more confused than she was now. Her heart rate went out of control because he wouldn't step away from the door.

Seth knew that he would have more questions; the only thing that worried her was if he would leave answers for those out or not.

“Can I join?” The King chuckled.

Seth could picture the sly smile creeping on his lips, one eyebrow higher than the other and flames dancing in his eyes. Luciano had a way to get whatever he wanted, and damn, did he look ravishing whenever he knew that his plan would work.

Seth knew that any other woman in her place would open the door, grab his collar, and pull him inside the bathroom, enjoying everything he was more than willing to give. The idea was tempting, but she had no intention of misleading him.

Letting Luciano feel as if he had won, as if she was his and his only would be unfair. The King wasn't the only man Seth had developed feelings for, no matter what - she wouldn't lie about those or build false hope.

Letting out a deep, shaky breath, Seth told him that he could use the bathroom in Anton's room since that was empty anyway.

The King didn't try to convince Seth to change her mind - he left the room without putting up a fight. Seth pushed her back against the door and slid down to the floor, sliding fingers through her hair in frustration.

Lately, too many funny things were happening to her, especially whenever one of the Alphas was around. Coming to the conclusion that she had fallen in love was difficult, yet on top of that - she felt the same about all four of them.

Was it possible for one woman to fall in love with four men at the same time? Her heart pounded against her ribcage; the sound of her heartbeat seemed to echo against the bathroom walls, overwhelming Seth's senses.

Closing her eyes, she thought of what her mother would do if she was there. First, obviously, she would smack the back of Seth's neck for being so irresponsible and undecidable.

Then, she would try to calm down her daughter, assuring the young puma that everything would be alright; she just needed some time.

Last but not least - her mother would encourage Seth to follow her heart.

But what if her heart wanted all four of them with no exceptions? Would her mother give her advice to follow or simply give up? After too many what if’s, Seth finally got back to her feet and approached the sink.

Reflection in the mirror seemed to be someone she didn't know - a brand new woman, one Seth had never met. Even though she seemed happy on the outside, inside, there was a storm raging, becoming more powerful within every moment that passed by.

Seth washed her face, hoping that the little bit of water would make her feel refreshed and ready to face Luciano. As she was about to strip down and get into the shower, she overheard a doorbell.

It was around 5 am, a lot earlier than she usually woke up, but the staring contest Luciano started wouldn't let her sleep. She tried to think of who might visit her at such an ungodly hour, but there was not a single soul she could think of.

“Shit, Luciano,” she hissed under her breath, recalling that the King might open the door and check who was trying to see Seth. She unlocked the door and tip-toed to her bedroom door, slightly opening it.

She was right; Luciano stood by the front door and placed a hand on the door handle before she could stop him. She watched how hiss facial expression turned into one of disgust and hatred.

“The fuck are you doing here?” Luciano growled angrily, keeping his voice as low as possible.

Perhaps Seth was wrong about his habits and approach to others. Not that she knew him well enough, but the first impressions often meant more than ones coming after.

The King knew that it was too early for other residents to wake up, so he did his best to be quiet and avoid the possibility of Seth overhearing their conversation. The relationship, if there was one, was rocky enough; they didn't need more misunderstandings or arguments.

“Oh, my King, I wasn't expecting to see you here. It's a pleasure.” Whoever stood on the other side of the door was a man; Seth could hear him loud and clear as if his intention was to make himself known. His voice didn't hold a particular emotion, so she couldn't understand why the male was there.

Besides, she had never heard his voice before, so he was nothing but a stranger, perhaps someone who lost his way and wanted to ask for directions.

“Cut the crap; you knew damn well that I'd be here.” Luciano raised his voice in annoyance.

So, if Seth had never met the stranger, it seemed like the King knew who he was facing. More questions invaded her mind, all of them more or less surrounding both men.

“I didn't, actually. If I recall our last conversation, there shouldn't be a reason for you to be here, in this apartment.” The stranger spoke as if he had known Luciano for a while now.

If they were familiar with each other, why would the man question someone he just addressed as his King?

“Yeah? Why so?” Seth took a deep breath and closed the door a little, making sure that she wouldn't accidentally give herself out. Since Luciano wasn't much of a talker, she had to stay by; at least she would know what was going on behind her back.

“Well, as far as I'm aware, this is an apartment where a woman lives.” The stranger chuckled, pointing out the obvious.

But how could he know that? Seth lived here with Anton, sharing the premises as their home. She returned just hours ago; there was no way anyone knew that yet, the same as her best friend moving out. Anton still covered the rent and essential bills, so technically, he was the only one who lived there - Seth's name didn't pop up for a while.

“Your point?” Peeking out, Seth noticed how Luciano leaned against the door frame, seemingly becoming bored of whatever they were discussing.

“I mean, only the woman is supposed to be here.” The stranger's voice broke mid-sentence.

The weird statement made Seth feel as if his appearance wasn't accidental; there had to be more.

“There's a big difference between supposed to be and is, but that's not important since I'm not here to give you a lesson. Back to the topic - I don't see why I shouldn't be in my woman's apartment. Perhaps you can explain where I was supposed to be; you seem to know everything.” Luciano lowered himself, half of his body disappearing in the hall.

Seth pictured how the massive man leaned closer to the stranger, facing him in anger. Whenever he did that, any other shifter would feel intimidated - there was something about that man that demanded respect and fear at the same time.

If Luciano's intention was to scare the unwelcome guest, he succeeded.

The stranger stuttered like a child: “Y- your woman?”

“Yeah, the puma shifter, Seth, she's my woman.” Maybe this was the reason why Seth fell for him without noticing the feelings. Whenever Luciano spoke of her, he made her sound as if she was a Goddess.

As if no woman could ever stand as high or be as perfect as Seth was. A weak smile appeared on her lips; she couldn't help herself but feel shy, especially when Luciano pointed out such things. It was funny how a woman who never wanted to get tied down, feared serious relationships, felt safe and loved whenever a man pointed out that she was his.

Seth didn't agree to his offers, but that didn't mean that Luciano failed to make her feel special.

“With all due respect, that's impossible.” The stranger gasped, still standing his ground.

Perhaps this particular individual lacked some brain cells - no other man would ever try to argue with Luciano.

“How so?” Seth let out a shaky breath, focusing on how both men showed off their emotions through words. While the stranger seemed terrified, Luciano was amused about the weird situation in general.

“Her mother agreed that I take the girl's hand in marriage. I was coming here to take her to my territory.” Of course, the damned step-mother wouldn't drop the idea.

Seth knew that the woman was bad news from the very beginning, but her father never listened. Did she fear that Seth would come back and take what is hers? Strip that greedy woman of power and throw her out of the family home?

Perhaps it was about the time for her to act just as everyone expected she would. What was the point of being the bad guy in one's thoughts if you won't redeem yourself with actions? Why rumor about being a monster when you can become one?

“You'll be lucky if you will walk that territory or your legs after I'm done with you. Whatever the deal was - it's off. There's no way in hell you're going to marry your future Queen.” A sudden rush of fear struck Seth's body.

Luciano's words made no sense - he was there to talk, to explain himself, and try to fix things, not to make her his Queen. Did he lie from the get-go? No, he wouldn't. Luciano wouldn't make Seth feel sorry for him, just to fool her into becoming whoever he wanted her to be.

“Is she okay with that?” The stranger questioned Luciano.

For some reason, that one sentence made her smile. At least someone cared if she was okay with Luciano's plan, even if that someone initially arrived to take her away from her home. Not that she would give up without a fight, but still.

“Who are you to question me? I am the King, I make the fucking rules - if I said she's going to be my Queen, that's exactly what will happen! The only way she is to leave this place is by my side. Don't think of coming back; I have plenty of guards surrounding this apartment complex. If you're wondering - I let you inside. I was the one who told them that you are allowed to come in. See, I was expecting you. Actually, you woke me up, quite annoying. You won't see my woman, you won't get close to her, but if you ever dare to, I do find pleasure in torturing. As long as I'm here - she's always under the radar of myself or my guards.” Luciano roared in anger.

Perhaps his intentions were to scare off the man, but his words left a more significant effect on Seth than on the stranger. She quietly closed the bedroom door and locked it, running for the bathroom as both men kept yelling at each other.

With her hands shaking, Seth grabbed a pen and piece of paper from the drawer and wrote a note, leaving it by the sink. Seth made sure that both men were too occupied with each other; none would notice what was happening behind the scenes.

She grabbed a bottle of perfume, started the shower, and opened the small window, getting out of it. Seth stood on her balcony, scanning the street. She could see the guards Luciano mentioned; climbing downstairs wouldn't get her out of the situation.

So, Seth decided to climb to the rooftop and see if there was another way out. As soon as she reached the top, she broke off the top lid of the perfume and poured it all over herself, hiding her scent.

Everyone's senses would be overwhelmed by the amount of fragrance she used - that could give her at least an hour of a head start. For the last time, she looked down over the edge, whispering, “I think I'm lost without you, but with you, there's no chance of freedom. I can't spend the rest of my life like a house cat, imprisoned, dependent on someone rather than enjoying my life. I love you. Goodbye, Luciano.” Seth had to say those words to assure herself that she was doing the right thing.

Luciano would find the note, technically - she bid her goodbyes, and maybe he would accept that, but she needed goodbyes of her own. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she ran to the other side of the rooftop, jumping in the air and shifting into her puma.

Clara landed on the roof of the building next to theirs, all four, whimpering as they willingly left the place they once called their home. She skilfully jumped from one to another until they reached private residences and could jump off the building without being noticed.

Then, the puma took off towards the forest, more than ready to face the danger that might await them there, but at least - they were free.