THE END

A day after Seth had the honor to meet Anastasia, she was discharged from the hospital. She finally felt somewhat free and happy, eager to get outside and get a gust of wind straight to her face. However, the joy came at a cost; she couldn't get rid of the feeling of missing someone important - the Alphas.

Slowly walking down the hall, she could feel so many mixed emotions battling for dominance within herself. A part of her kept screaming that it was her time to shine, her time to enjoy the little things life gave her. The other part would keep on nagging her, constantly reminding her how she wouldn't reach true happiness unless the men suddenly arrived.

Deep down, Seth hoped that it might happen - all of the Alphas had a weird habit of appearing out of nowhere when she expected the least. However, today wasn't the day when such a thing would happen; Seth could feel it.

By the main entrance of the hospital stood Anastasia, nervously waiting for Seth to arrive. The older lady had heard so many things about the puma shifter from her grandson, and the first impression Seth gave her did peek more interest in Anastasia.

All she could focus on was the need to get to know Seth better. The grandmother knew that her grandson was no fool; Luciano wouldn't settle for any other ordinary woman. His woman had to be unique, one of a kind - a woman both from his wildest dreams and worst nightmares.

The more she thought of Luciano, the more she accepted that her grandson was quite a difficult person and needed someone to ground him or defy him at times. If Seth didn't have a backbone, the Alpha wouldn't even glance at her.

Most of the time, when someone questioned Luciano about his family - he told everyone that his closest ones were dead. Of course, that was a partial truth since his parents did die a while ago. However, his brothers, stepmother, and stepsister still were as alive as one could be.

Unfortunately, their relationship wasn't quite as a family was supposed to be; therefore, he kept avoiding unnecessary questions. A slow motion caught Anastasia's attention, pulling her out of her thoughts as Seth slowly appeared into her view.

“Good morning, sleepyhead. How are you feeling today?” Anastasia didn't waste time on small talk, jumping right to the point as soon as Seth closed the door behind her.

“Good morning; I'm feeling fine, thank you. How about you? Any news from the Alphas?” Seth didn't intend to sound like a self-centered person who cared only about her needs, but the wait was killing her, driving Seth close to the border of insanity.

An uneasy thought popped in her mind - would they talk about all men if Anastasia gladly involved herself in a discussion about them? What would the woman think of Seth if she would find out that Seth refused to let go of any of them?

Yes, her actions could seem selfish and unfair for many, but Seth didn't view her decision as one. All of those men went for her, not the other way around, and all of them managed to prove that they were perfect candidates for her life partner in one way or another.

She couldn't choose even if she wanted to, so as soon as the men came back, Seth would announce her decision. Either all of them live together as one happy family, or neither of them would get her close to their bed.

Seth was determined to take it all, even if she had to take a risk and put everything she loved on the line. All four of them were worth every second she took to develop a plan - all or nothing.

“Sorry, darling, I haven't heard anything yet. But I'm sure they will manage. I trust Dominic with my heart and his friends too. I've had time to get to know those wonderful young men and let me tell you, if only I was a little younger, a couple of decades, I'd gladly dry hump them all myself. Please, don't tell my grandson that I mentioned this; he's the last person who should know such details about his granny.” Anastasia laughed, offering her hand to Seth.

Seth gladly placed her hand in Anastasia's, and both women slowly walked down the stairs in front of the hospital building. The older woman chuckled to herself - Seth managed to follow her pace perfectly; perhaps her recent state was the main reason for that.

At first, she didn't have a plan on her mind, but as the light breeze tickled their skin, Anastasia decided that it was about time to bring Seth to the gardens. The flowers bloomed in beautiful colors and shapes, making the area look like a place from a true fairytale.

Besides, the mix of scents was so unique, Anastasia was sure that Seth would appreciate not only everything her eyes could see but also what her senses could grab on. Also, since Seth had been asleep for quite a while, it was better to bring her out in the world and show her what she had missed. Maybe it was Anastasia's fear, but she was ready to do anything to prove to Seth that there was so much more to live for.

As they silently walked closer towards the gardens, Seth kept eyeing guards and servants who kept bowing in front of her. There were too many things that confused her, but the older lady was right next to her, ready to explain more than Seth could take in.

They soon reached the garden, and Anastasia guided Seth towards a set of chairs, encouraging her to sit down. Next to each of them was a tiny coffee table, a cup of steaming tea right on top of it.

Anastasia sighed and smiled at Seth, trying to think of the right words to use. Silently, the woman hoped that the puma would ask her own questions to avoid the uncomfortable silence, but that never happened.

Taking another deep breath for courage, Anastasia spoke up: “I saw you back there. Forget about carrying your heart on your sleeve; trust me, that won't bring you any good. I understand how confusing everything feels now, but don't let them see how you feel now. Don't let them think that you are weak. Get used to bowing and eyes on you; while you were asleep, Luciano announced that you are his Queen. He even left a mark on your shoulder, didn't you notice?” The older woman raised an eyebrow, curiously watching Seth.

It had been a while since she had seen someone who didn't shy away from their emotions, showing them off so vividly. It was refreshing to meet a shifter who wasn't stuck into the elite lifestyle and showed off happiness over the most minor things.

Just like now, Seth kept grinning as she observed the rows of flowers and occasionally inhaled the scent.

Seth's hand flew to the crook of her neck, her slender fingers traced over the delicate scars left by the King. Her eyes widened in pure shock as she gasped out: “Oh, my God.”

Her face paled, making Anastasia worry that she had given out too much information and it was too early for Seth to find out. Only now did the woman realize that Seth had just woken up, and it would take quite a while for her to take in everything that had happened over months.

“What? Darling, are you unhappy? I thought you would feel at least a little happy. I know the mark was supposed to be something he has to earn and ask your consent for, but he had no choice at that point. The King is obligated to find a life partner, and he refused to take anyone but you. Besides, his mark was one of the main reasons why you healed so quickly. Please, don't be angry; let him explain. My grandson is a difficult man, I know, but you have to trust me - he's not the bad guy. If anything, he's just an overgrown teddy bear with some serious anger issues. But even with those, Luciano would never hurt you in a way. I know he would do anything for you; that boy would cross oceans if you asked him to, and..” the woman tried to explain more, but Seth quickly interrupted her, trying to ease the tension between them.

“No, it's not that I'm unhappy or angry,” Seth shook her head, looking down at her feet.

For some reason, Seth felt ashamed of herself. Would Anastasia think poorly of her if she found out the thoughts that kept running through Set's mind? Would she change her attitude as soon as Seth came clean to her doubts, hopes, dreams, and fears?

“What is it then?” The older woman moved way too fast to be called a grandmother and stood by Seth's side, placing a hand over her shoulder. Sometimes it was good to support someone with a mere action, letting them know that they weren't alone.

Seth sat in silence for a while, debating if bringing the topic up would help her or send her straight to hell. After a while, her collected demeanor dropped, and she quickly answered: “The mark. Now he owns me like a piece of property while I didn't want to be marked in the first place. Anastasia, I know that this sounds bad, but I love all of them; I really do. I can't choose only one man over the rest. I can't,” Seth quickly hid her face behind her palms, sniffling as she quietly cried.

She felt as if her world fell apart right before her eyes, just mere hours after she finally decided what the right thing to do was. Fate seemed cruel.

Anastasia chuckled, doing her best to avoid laughing at the crying woman. To put Seth at ease, instead of handing out explanations, she asked another question: “Ha, is that all?”

“Yes, I'll understand if you will think that I'm just another easy woman,” Seth nodded, still hiding her face from the view.

No matter how kind the older woman appeared, Seth still thought she couldn't let Anastasia see how broken she was. Just like mentioned before, she avoided showing off weakness.

“As if. See, if you listened to what I tried to explain a bit earlier, you would find out that there is more to the picture than meets the eye. Luciano marked you first, placing the primary claim on you as his Queen. If he was to be any other Alpha, he wouldn't have to take the first hand, but as a King, he has to. Then, Dominic placed a claim over it, making himself as your second. After Dominic was Ryder and then Vlad. Darling, all four asshats marked you; there's no way to get away from them now,” Anastasia finally couldn't take anymore and started laughing.

She approached the chair she sat on earlier and lowered her body to get some rest. She knew how inconsiderate she might appear, but it didn't seem to matter now - Seth would understand. Besides, laughter was the best way to get rid of the tension.

Seth tilted her head to look at Luciano's grandmother, as puzzled as never. “Wait, aren't you angry at me? Won't you scold me?”

“For what? For being a beautiful, talented, and kind-hearted young woman? Yeah, that's not something I would do. Oh, don't forget about the tea; I made it myself. It's an old family recipe which I could share if you'd ask nicely,” Anastasia added, winking at Seth as if the recipe was her biggest secret.

Her action amused Seth, making her feel safe and welcomed once again.

“I'm not talking about that. I mean me and the four Alphas?” Seth shook her head, chuckling at the silly attitude the older woman kept showing off.

It was hilarious how Seth was so worried about Anastasia's reaction, yet the only one who seemed to be bothered by her relationship with four men was herself.

“Darling, if I was your age with that face and body, I would build myself a full harem with at least twenty men. Times change, and so do people. I don't see any harm in living your best life, especially if those men finally managed to agree on something. Most of the time, they kept annoying me and arguing, but that came to an end whenever they brought up your name. It feels as if there is at least one thing they agree on; it's love and care for you. It's up to you to decide how to build your personal life, with whom you will sleep or have kids, but never let the opinions of strangers hurt you. Opinions are like onions - many have them, but only those with brain cells understand that you can't rub them in others' eyes. Your life is yours; enjoy it while it lasts, darling. If anything, I'm here whenever you need me, you know - to make sure that you don't miss out on the best things and don't end up alone with memories of nothing but regrets. However, there is one tiny thing..” Anastasia intentionally stopped herself mid-sentence, raising her hand to her face and tapping her finger against her chin as if the woman was deep in thought.

Seth could see the mischievous grin appearing on her lips but chose to act as if she knew nothing. “What is it?” She asked, eager to end the conversation that felt a little too awkward to be real.

“I want grand-grandchildren before I die.” Anastasia nearly jumped to her feet, unable to contain the excitement she felt.

The older woman had many grandchildren, and even though Luciano was said to be the most difficult one, he was her favorite. She didn't believe that there was such a thing as broken people or someone who couldn't be saved. Of course, she didn't deny that many things hurt many shifters, but deep down, she knew that it took one special person to mend a heart. And for her grandson, it was Seth.

“Well, it doesn't seem like you're planning to leave us anytime soon. Look at yourself - you're at your prime, living your best life. I won't even mention the great sense of fashion and how you look as if you were only a bit over thirty. But we do have a deal; I wouldn't mind having kids myself. Thank you for the support and understanding; that really means the world to me.” Seth grabbed Anastasia's hand, trying to contain the smile that fought its way to her lips.

The thought of having kids didn't seem important before, but now, she knew that life was unpredictable and dangerous - becoming a mother became a priority.

Seth didn't want to waste her best years on constant drinking and sleeping around anymore. She wanted a real family, with all four of them, giving her children the family they deserve, one she didn't have after her mother's death.

The older woman noticed how the slight smile turned into a frown within seconds. “And why are you sad again? Did I upset you with the whole children thing? I can wait; there's no need to rush.”

“No, no, not that. I'm just thinking how ironic it is to have someone to care for me so deeply after barely meeting me once. No one has ever cared for me as much before. Well, my mother did, but that's a different type of love. I could mention Alphas, but again, that's different. You feel like a family - one I didn't quite get or deserve.” Seth let a lone tear roll down her cheek as her eyes focused on something in the distance.

This time, Anastasia decided to stay quiet until Seth would be ready to speak. Her family didn't seem to be a joyful thing for her to discuss, and sometimes it was better to leave some details out.

Sipping on her tea, Anastasia tried to connect some dots and come to her own conclusions.

Luciano had mentioned her father once, but the man seemed to be unworthy to be her father, so Anastasia wouldn't bother to bring him up. As Seth kept staring in the distance, the older woman noticed movement around the forest line.

Panic rose within her, fearing that rogues had managed to get past their defenses. Quickly, she jumped to her feet, ready to yell out for the guards to gather and protect their Queen, but something felt a little off.

She squinted her eyes in an attempt to see who the figure was, and soon she understood that there were three men instead of one. A sharp gasp left her lips before she nudged Seth: “The boys, they are back!” She shouted in excitement, helping Seth up and rushing towards the men.

Anastasia was sure that both of them looked like two desperate snails racing to the farmer's garden, but she didn't care. “Boys, she's here!” Anastasia yelled at the top of her lungs, grinning as all three of them ran towards Seth.

The more Anastasia observed their reactions and attitude, the happier she became about Seth's final decision. Marked or not, she still had the right to reject them all or choose only one, but here she was, ready to take them all.

When the men got closer, Anastasia nudged Seth to go and meet them, staying behind. Once she noticed that her grandson didn't return, her hope died on the spot, and Seth couldn't see her breaking down.

All of them had to be strong, and a crying old lady would make others cry just as fast. Falling to her knees, Anastasia observed how the three Alphas pulled Seth into a collective hug, kissing her face and laughing in happiness.

In the meantime, Anastasia’s face fell, eyes drifted to the ground as tears streamed down her cheeks. Even though the hope within her died, she still wouldn't accept the loss of her grandson. Luciano was way too strong to leave her that easily, especially now, when he had a reason to live for.

Someone ran to Anastasia's side and tried to help her up, but she struggled against the hold. “No, leave me here; I won't move a muscle until he's back home,” she cried out in desperation. Since Anastasia kept her distance, she didn't hear everything that the Alphas told Seth just moments ago.

“He's alive, granny; stop fussing like a child. He could get back home within a few days, but he has to stay in the hospital for now. Faes are taking care of Luciano; you know that it would be a pain in the ass to kill that asshole,” Dominic chuckled as he forced her back on her feet.

As soon as she took in what he had said, Anastasia threw her arms around his neck, sobbing against his chest. Seth, Ryder, and Anton approached them, wrapping their arms around the two, all of them doing their best to support each other.

It took nearly two hours for everyone to calm down and enjoy the silence surrounding them. The evening air became chilly, and Vlad instantly offered to walk Anastasia back to her room.

Seth urged that all three of them should return to the castle: “No matter how much I want to go back and hide in the comforts of sheets, I feel like I have to stay here for a bit more. Alone. Let me take everything in; let me be with myself for a while. And don't start on privacy since I got none in the hospital. There are always eyes on me. Go back, make sure everything is okay, and I will join you soon enough,” she explained.

Seth didn't lie; for some reason, she felt she needed to stay there and let her thoughts run wild. Besides, since the men marked her, they would feel it if she felt even a little fear or if her life was in danger. There was nothing to worry about.

Before everyone left the small clearing, Anastasia hugged Seth, thanked her for the amazing day, and announced that she would call it a day. As she explained - older people went to bed earlier and woke up before sunrise.

Seth gladly returned the hug and made Anastasia promise that they would spend more time together, now that they have met - she couldn't even think of letting her go.

Dominic, Ryder, and Vlad took turns to press their lips to Set's forehead, each of them questioning her if she was sure that everything would be alright. All she could do was nod and smile at each of them.

“Those Alphas and their clingy nature, geez,” Seth thought to herself, chuckling as she watched all of them leaving.

When she couldn't see Anastasia or any of the Alphas in her view, she turned her attention towards the forest line, hugging herself as a gust of wind broke through her top. An unexpected giggle left her slightly parted lips. She tried to force herself to stay calm, but the excitement she felt kept breaking through. Luciano was alive.

He was to come home, and she would see him again. Within a couple of minutes, Seth was full-on, laughing and crying tears of happiness at the same time. Her heart pounded against her ribcage, Luciano wasn't there, but she already felt anxious to meet him.

Her laughter died as the next wind breeze tickled her skin. This time, it was more than just the chilly feeling; it brought a scent she had missed for what seemed to be centuries.

Her eyes focused on the forest, trying to understand where the scent came, but she couldn't notice anything. That was when she ran - ignoring everything and anything someone could have said before.

Seth didn't care about her safety, didn’t care about the state of her body, she needed to get closer to the intoxicating scent.

Then, when she noticed a slight movement to her right, instantly changing the direction she ran to and bolted towards the trees. Her eyes filled with tears, it was way too fast for her body to take more than walking, so she felt how her muscles ached in pain, but once again, she ignored the feeling.

Before Seth could reach the forest line, she noticed the large frame, leaning against a huge tree, a hand over the right side. Seth pushed her body to limits, nearly colliding with the body.

“Luciano!” She cried out; her hand was shaking as she extended it to touch him and make sure if the man in front of her was real. Seth knew that he was alive, but he was supposed to arrive in a couple days, and the Alphas returned just to check on her, unaware of her current health.

The green eyes stared down at her, a spark of mischief dancing in them as he grabbed her wrist and brought her palm to his groin, grinning like an idiot. The action alone proved that it was Luciano, standing in front of her, smiling as if he was ready to jump on top of her.

“Kitten,” he growled out, sending all too familiar shivers of pleasure down her spine. Seth's cheeks burned red as her eyes finally traveled down to her hand, instantly pulling it away. A loud chuckle left his lips, gaining Seth's attention.

“Why are you here?” She gasped, finally getting out of the dazed state.

“I am not allowed to come to my territory, my damn castle, and see my beautiful Queen? Damn, all this time, I thought that I was the King, but some little kitten seems to have decided to change some rules. Sorry not sorry, but daddy's home - it's my rule now, kitten.” Luciano spoke sternly yet didn't bother to hide the amusement hidden in his eyes.

“N- no,” Seth struggled, still shocked to see him again, especially this fast. “What I meant was that you were supposed to stay in the hospital, weren't you?” She explained herself, crossing her arms in front of her chest and tapping her foot against the ground.

“Well, the others came back home to see you, and I believe that I have as many rights to be here as they do. I mean, I'm still the King and everything, but when it comes to you - we're equal, so it's unfair of them to come back and leave me behind. I miss you, damn it, it's unfair that they had more time with you,” Luciano whined, trying to gain her sympathy.

Seth could only smile and shake her head a little, letting her gaze fall to the ground. She took in a shaky breath as soon as his hand took a gentle hold of her chin and forced her face up to meet his eyes.

“Kitten, why are you crying?” Luciano asked, concern written all over his face. He was injured, holding his side in pain, yet his main worries were shown only after he had noticed the tears.

Seth gulped loudly, trying her best to be strong. She had to be for him, for all of them. But as soon as the words escaped her lips, she broke down: “I- I thought that I lost you. They told me you died.”

His arms wrapped around her tiny waist protectively, bringing her incredibly close. Luciano buried his face in the crook of her neck and inhaled her scent, his body instantly shivering in delight. He kept repeating the same action for a little while until he gently pressed his lips against her mark and whispered: “Kitten, for as long as I have you, waiting for me to get back home - there is no grave that could hold my body down.”

**THE END**