I am nothing but a fake King.

The Alpha stood by the office window, watching the night sky, waiting for his allies to arrive.

The meeting had been called fours ago, yet both males were too busy, dealing with trackers and warriors. It had been more than a month since the King disappeared, yet no one could trace him down.

Dominic refused to believe that his friend had died. He was sure that if Luciano lost his life, he would feel it - after all, both men had a somewhat strong bond between them.

It was hard to explain how he felt; the one person he had looked up to, believed to be closer than a brother, was gone, lost without a trace. Dominic feared Seth's reaction to the news if they didn't get a hold of Luciano before she woke up.

Funny enough, the Council gladly pronounced the King dead barely two weeks after his disappearance. All three of the Alphas were sure that something was happening behind their backs, and they united their forces to find the answers.

Besides, the Council members were stupid enough to offer Dominic to take the throne, and he gladly did, sending all of them to the cells. He didn't need a backstabbing Council, not after he had to watch over how the elders rejoiced over getting rid of Luciano.

“I am nothing but a fake King, wait for me, brother, I will find you!” He whispered

A persistent knock on the door brought Dominic out of his thoughts. Clearing his throat, he granted entrance for whoever decided to join him: “The door is unlocked, come in,” his voice was stern but calm.

When he started spending more time in the office, he noticed an odd phenomenon in the room. It looked the same as any other, regular office, but after sitting there for an hour, his senses died down. He couldn't scent who was by the door nor hear the footsteps approaching.

Later on, Dominic found a hidden loot - a mix of a variety of dried herbs. One of them was wolfsbane - since they were hidden, no one knew about it, but thankfully Dominic found it sooner than later.

Luciano was busy most of the time; he didn't have a chance to find that before it was too late. Dominic was sure that this mysterious mix might have helped the old King kiss his life goodbye before it was his time to leave.

Vlad and Ryder stomped into the office, closing the door behind them and locking it. Both men, as usual, first scanned the room, walking around and making sure that nothing was out of its place.

They didn't trust anyone, besides each other, in the castle. They tried to sit next to Seth in shifts most of the time, but soon enough, they understood that their system was failing them.

Then, all Alphas brought in medics from their previous packs to assist Seth. Perhaps the doctors and nurses in the castle didn't have any foul intentions, but they wouldn't take any risks. Not anymore.

“Do you have any news for me? For the sake of the Moon Goddess, please tell me that you found something,” Dominic groaned, feeling somewhat desperate.

It had been so long since they had found a clue to lead them closer to the mysterious disappearance, and many of their men started losing any hope. They needed something good to keep others believing that a better day might come sooner than they expect.

“No, we didn't find anything. The trackers thought that something came up, even we felt somewhat excited to get closer, but the trace faded as unexpectedly as it appeared before. The warriors are still going through the third round of training, and most of them seem to be fit to pass. I'm not sure about the younger ones, but we're still aiming to make sure that they will protect themselves and their families when the time comes. Yesterday we welcomed a couple of families; they didn't bring even one pup; they said that some mysterious illness is killing their children in the North. We sent some of ours to check the places.” Vlad stood still as a statue, eyeing Dominic.

They were used to his lack of emotions, yet it was easier to notice how he felt or what he thought, judging by his body language. Both Alphas learned to read Dominic like an open book.

“Anything else?” Dominic sat down, grabbing the sides of his head.

Up to now, he thought that becoming the King was something he wanted. However, as soon as he sat on the throne, he understood why Luciano used to act like a lunatic. The stress and pressure were unbearable; all those shifters trusted him, believing that their King could help them out of misery.

The worst part was that Dominic had no idea how he could help everyone that arrived at the castle, seeking shelter and asking for help. King or not, he still was just a shifter, the same as all of them.

Ryder nervously shifted his weight from one leg to another. Deep down, he knew that he was the one who had to break the news, but seeing how close his friend was to a mental breakdown, the Alpha wasn't sure if he should say more.

Besides, the information might break their alliance apart, shifting whatever they tried to do. Despite the risks and possibilities, he sighed, looked at his feet, and spoke up: “She woke up. Before you freak out, no, we didn't go there yet. No one is allowed near her, not now, not until she gets back to her senses and feels better. The doctors caught us on our way here; they didn't mind-link anyone because they suspect that there might be a mole in the castle.” Ryder felt uneasy, but it didn't take him too long to gather courage and try to face Dominic.

All of them had lived in fear, both for Luciano and Seth. No matter what everyone around them tried to say, somehow, they grew together as one family.

“Please, keep going,” Dominic whispered, focusing on the paperwork in front of him.

Many thought that the Alphas would freak out and run straight to Seth as soon as she woke up if she did. But, the men had a different plan - they had to give her some freedom and time to adjust. Throwing the news on her might end worse than they suspected; going to her hospital room without Luciano with them could raise suspicion.

“When she woke up, she didn't freak out or anything, so it started well. Seth asked the nurse many questions and told weird things. She claimed that she was in a coma for seven months, and questioned the nurse about a child that she supposedly lost. And then came the worst part - Seth brought up the topic of Luciano. We have no idea how, but it's like she knows everything that has been happening around here while she slept. The only idea the doctors had was that someone discussed all of those things near her and her mind took it in, shifting some facts here and there,” Ryder struggled to keep himself calm as he spoke.

Even though he was an Alpha, he still had feelings and emotions. Some of those things that the medical staff mentioned nearly broke him, and now, facing the confrontation - he wanted nothing but to cry.

All of those things were more than just heartbreaking. Some people would never understand what he felt, but the Alpha couldn't explain it himself. It was as if someone forced an army truck down his throat and destroyed him from the inside, slowly, painfully as if torturing his body and soul.

“You're not telling me everything; I can sense how hard you're trying to hold back. Tell me,” Dominic observed Ryder's body language.

It was odd to see him so out of character. Both Alphas never attempted to hide anything, the biggest value in their life had always been honesty, yet now he struggled to stay calm. What could have possibly happened for him to act this way?

“I can't.” Ryder forced words through gritted teeth.

Despite the weird anger he suddenly felt, the Alpha spoke with so much honesty, his words convinced Dominic. Now, seeing his friend's struggle, he didn't doubt anything that Ryder said before or would say later on.

“Alright, sit down then,” Dominic stood up and invited Ryder to take his place. “Don't try to refuse the offer; I can see that you need to calm down more than I do. Please sit down, and I will discuss the matter with Vlad while you rest. Should I open the window for you? I've heard that fresh air helps at times.”

For the outsiders, all three men were nothing but monstrous beings. None of them would ever try to prove otherwise - it wasn't like their lives had to be changed for others to accept them faster. The emotions, care, and understanding was strictly an inside business.

No outsider would ever get the same treatment as all men gave each other. They were a family, patiently waiting for their beloved woman and silently fighting to find their lost brother.

Ryder nodded his head and gladly took the seat, letting out a deep breath. The Alphas found out about his heart condition two weeks ago, and since then - they had done everything to help him.

Dominic slightly opened the window and handed Ryder the blanket he kept in the office.

Sometimes, he would sleep there, too exhausted to get back to his bedroom, so a set of blankets and pillows always sat somewhere near. Eyeing the pale Alpha, Dominic took a glass and filled it with water, handing it to Ryder: “Here. I'm not sure if this is what you need now, but it might be good enough for now. If you start feeling weird or something hurts, let us know. The medical staff will come here unnoticed; nobody has to know about your struggle,” Dominic placed a hand over his shoulder, slightly squeezing it in reassurement.

“Thank you,” Ryder couldn't find words to explain how truly lucky he felt to become as close to the two men.

Before Luciano disappeared, he treated them all the same as Dominic did now, even without knowing about the secret that came out without his knowledge. Ryder silently chuckled to himself, recalling how he always thought that life was nothing but a pile of junk, but now, he had his people to stand by his side, even when everything went down.

“Vlad, could you please explain to me what Ryder couldn't? Listen, I know that it might be a lot to take in, but I still need to know. Don't hold secrets from me, especially if the information you hold back is about Seth. I wouldn't ask this; you know that, but I wasn't there. No medic came here to announce the news or explain what has been happening behind our backs. Please, don't force me into the dark.” Dominic sat on the edge of the enormous desk, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

He didn't intend to intimidate any of his friends, but sometimes it happened naturally, the same as it was with Luciano being around. Men with a more dominant aura would always make others feel at least a little scared.

“I can, but understand that what I am about to say won't be anything easy to take in. Like Ryder just mentioned, Seth woke up, and then something happened. We, too, think that she could have heard the doctors and us talking near her, hence the odd questions. The medics told us that some of them had guessed that she would wake up only after seven months, so her mind might have played some dirty tricks on her, making her dream about the day. The pregnancy was a discussion of two nurses about a patient next door, so even that is explainable. However, no one ever mentioned Luciano near her, but it was as if she knew it all. The nurse had to tell her, and after that, Seth went into shock. Her organs were failing and this didn’t help. Plus, the puma hasn't reached back to her in a while, so she's healing like any ordinary human.” Vlad sighed, avoiding meeting Dominic's eyes.

All of them truly loved Seth, perhaps each had their unique way to show their feelings, but that didn't change the fact that they were in love. No matter what would happen, no matter what her decision might be - by the end of the day, all Alphas wanted to stay around her.

“What now? Life support? I swear to the Moon Goddess herself if I lose another important person, I'm about to go berserk on everyone. I wouldn't give two shits about families; I'll burn the fucking world down,” Dominic growled out.

Even though he sounded somewhat calm, the venom dripped from his words, meaning only one thing- he meant what he said. From the bottom of his heart.

Dominic forced his plans out without fear of judgment or someone trying to stop him. He had lost a brother, which he still refused to believe to be dead. There was no way in hell Dominic would let go of Seth.

He planned for their future to be different - he would find Luciano, bring him home, and Seth would wait for them. In the meantime, Ryder and Vlad would be responsible for her safety and needs.

They were meant for each other, all of them, and Dominic refused to think any different. Luciano, Seth, he, Ryder, and Vlad deserved their happily ever after even if there were so many obstacles to their happiness.

“The medics told us that they were losing her, but she's stable now. Since she keeps stirring in her sleep, they are sure that she's fully awake now. Seth won't sleep on that hospital bed for longer than needed before she leaves that place. They told us that it might take a week before she can leave the hospital. These are happy news, but understand, explaining everything we were told is difficult.” Vlad sighed in relief.

Thinking of the moment when they met the doctor was devastating. For a moment there, the men felt as if they had lost Seth for good. All Vlad could think of was the happiness he felt for her getting better and the wonderful future they could spend together.

The thoughts of Luciano's disappearance didn't leave his mind, the same as Dominic; the Alpha struggled to accept it as a fact. Matter of fact - all of them were sure that they would find the true King. None of them was ready to break or give up.

The three men spent hours in silence, thinking about the wild journey they called life. The changes and challenges that came with Seth were the most fantastic thing each of them had felt.

As dinner time neared, Dominic jumped to his feet, gasping in shock. “I think I know where to find him!”