EXTRA

**Trigger Warning: loss, miscarriage.**

“If we fail another time, I don't think that I could try again. I just can't,” Seth pulled her knees to her chest as tears ran down her face.

She hadn't slept for days, trying to avoid the King at all costs. The more time they spent away from each other, the more demanding Luciano became.

Their happily ever after didn't last. Or at least, it didn’t go according to plan. Time and fate were against them all, no matter which turn they took or what they chose. Seth understood that life wasn't unfair only to her; the men she loved suffered just as much.

“You can't hide forever,” Dominic placed a hand on her shoulder as Vlad and Ryder held her.

Seth felt like she didn't have enough place to breathe, but she needed their support more than ever. Those men did everything for her.

Ryder settled the situation with her pack, announced that Anton took over the Alpha's position, and made sure the pumas were happy with the change. In the meantime, Vlad stood near every time Seth had another appointment with the doctor while Dominic distracted Luciano.

The more time Seth spent away from Luciano, the more reckless he became.

The King didn't want to share his Queen anymore. He refused to allow any of the men touch her, at least until he could make sure he was the one who fathered their first child.

However, each time something good happened, a ray of sun that could give them all a little hope - the delusion came crashing down the very moment.

Although Luciano insisted that they would try until their last breaths, after so many miscarriages, Seth didn't want to try anymore. She was tired of the pain and failed attempts.

And even today, she woke up full of hope, aware of the new pregnancy, begging the Gods that this time would be successful, but it ended the same as countless previous ones.

The sharp pain in her abdomen was quickly followed by the bleeding. It started out of nowhere, just as suddenly as the previous times, and by the time Dominic managed to get Seth to the hospital - it was too late.

So, she decided to hide in the closet, thinking that Luciano wouldn't find her. She knew that he would, eventually, as always, but she needed a moment of peace. Yet, even that didn't happen as the rest of the men found Seth sooner than she had expected.

“I will hide forever if that is what it takes. I'm done. I know I said that I couldn't do it again if there were another failure, but this was the last one for me. I'm done with building my hopes up, just to experience more pain, sorrow, and cry until I'm too weak to stand up. We did everything, went to countless doctor appointments, tried so many different things, but each time our happiness was shattered by something no one could explain.” Seth sobbed.

As they began their life together, Seth had no idea about the obstacles they would face, and lately, she caught herself stuck in doubts more often than being sure of her choices.

Was this all worth it? Any woman could envy her for the men surrounding Seth, but she couldn't help but feel sorry for herself. Perhaps she became selfish, or life didn't want to pity her.

“I understand, but he has to know. You can't let him walk around and think that everything is okay when yet another baby has already died. At the end of the day, it was as much Luciano's baby as it was yours. I love you to bits, but he has to know. Please, don't hide it,” Vlad looked away as soon as the words passed his lips.

He had been the biggest rock in Seth's life, so she couldn't understand why he had changed sides all of a sudden.

Seth broke out of the hold of the Alphas and left the closet. She walked down the hall, wiping tears that were streaming down her cheeks as aggressively as ever.

She wanted to hurt herself, to punish herself for another loss. There was no one, but her, to blame, and Seth was sure that Luciano wouldn't try to support her this time.

The King would get rid of her as if she were a defective toy. After all, he needed the heir as soon as possible - the law had changed, and Luciano's son would take over the throne.

Unfortunately, Seth couldn't give him the son the King desperately needed.

There were many things she could do to bend, but if the King decided to bring another woman into his bed - she would leave for good. The mark on her neck wouldn’t matter if Luciano decided to father a child with another woman.

All four men wanted Seth, but she never told anyone that she wanted those men to have other women in their lives. Seth was selfish like that.

She stopped by the office door, took a deep breath and wiped the tears away again. She raised her hand to knock on the door, but before her knuckles collided with the wood, Luciano pulled the door open.

“Kitten,” he sighed as if he was aware of her following words.

Seth took another deep breath, looked into his eyes and whispered. “I lost it; I lost another one. Just an hour or so ago, and they couldn't do anything. I told you I was defective!” At this point, her voice raised, tears blurred her vision, and Seth pounded her fists against Luncano's chest. “I told you we needed more time! I told you I wasn't ready and my body would destroy another innocent life! I told you that I was done and that I couldn't get over the loss of the previous baby! And even after that, you kept pushing me; you kept demanding and repeating how you need a child while I couldn't carry one! I hate you, I fucking hate you, King, or not! And I hate myself! I hate myself so much it hurts!” Seth started screaming at the top of her lungs.

Luciano just stood there, frozen on the spot, taking all the verbal and physical abuse Seth wanted to give him. She was hurting, deeply, so he was willing to take all she had to give.

If he had to leave the situation beaten and bruised, Luciano would take it. For as long as it could make her feel any better, he would let his Queen get rid of the pain and frustration, so he wouldn’t bother to even think of defending himself or holding her down.

Luciano's eyes fell to the floor as Seth kept screaming profanities and cursing him. The King knew that it was his fault; as much as everyone tried to tell him that no one could walk around the ways of nature, he still felt guilty.

The Council's pressure and age played a huge role in the situation. Luciano wanted to see the Kingdom blossom, their people become the happiest they had ever been, but for that, he needed a son.

The next King in line.

He couldn't let any other man step in and take his position; only the Moon Goddess would know what would happen to their Kingdom after that.

As Seth kept screaming and the attack slowly died down, Luciano focused on her.

He managed to catch her right before she collapsed. The King scooped Seth in his arms and carried her inside his office.

Luciano laid her down on the small sofa and called the servants to get some damp towels. He kept pressing his palm against her forehead, once again, realizing she had another fever.

No one could explain what was happening with his Queen. Seth was a cat, they rarely caught illnesses, but lately, she had been having fevers and fatigues far too often. In fact, they were somewhat daily occurrences and became even worse after each baby she lost.

All four of them weren’t fond of the fact, but most of all, Luciano. Mainly because on top of the worries about Seth, he felt responsible for the decline in her health.

While they tried to figure out what was wrong with Seth, the doctors kept repeating that it wasn't a medical issue. Yet, Luciano was sure that there had to be something.

Luciano paced the office until the servants arrived, he then grabbed the towels and sent them away. As soon as they left, he locked the office door to ensure he would have some privacy with his Queen.

The last thing they needed was another interruption from others or Seth's three lovers.
Those guys did everything to get close to her, but Luciano couldn't blame them. The King was just as obsessed with her as the rest of the guys, but he still got the best of all.

Not only did he take the right to become the father of Seth's firstborn, but he also forbade the three men from any intimacy with his Queen to ensure that the child would be his.

At this point, pretending that he didn’t know why the rest of the men started lasing out on him was useless. He knew why they did it the same as he knew he deserved the attitude.

Ever so slowly, Luciano approached Seth and carefully placed the damp towel on her forehead, whispering calming words. He didn't think their life could go downhill like that, let alone so fast.

Obviously, everyone knew that it wouldn't be easy, especially since Seth was alone and four dominant men expected a lot from her. Perhaps she was burning out and reaching rock bottom as she realized that she couldn't meet everyone's needs?

Yet, though the idea seemed reasonable, Luciano couldn't believe that it was the case. There had to be something more, something they had to dig deep for. Seth was stronger than any woman Luciano had met, so her burning out so soon sounded like an unlikely scenario.

The loss they experienced was awful, but Seth was a fighter. She wasn’t someone Luciano knew to give up so easily.

When her breathing became even, Lucaino could breathe - Seth was asleep, she would get the rest she deserved.

It pained Luciano to watch her in such a state - her eyes were red, puffy, and there was little to no flesh left on her. Her curves were gone, along with the bright smile everyone in the Kingdom had grown to love and adore.

These days, Seth looked more like a walking skeleton than a woman they loved. An empty shell of a person. During the last couple of months, she was getting progressively worse.

Just as Luciano stood up, someone knocked on the office door. Whoever stood there probably knew that the Queen might be resting as the knock was barely audible.

Luciano walked to the door, unlocked it and opened it to face the rest of the men. He threw a look over his shoulder and left the office to talk to men in the hall.

“She lost another one, and the fever is back,” Luciano's shoulders fell as he announced the loss of yet another child. The King didn't know that everyone else already knew about the miscarriage; even the servants and workers in the palace spread rumors faster than the speed of light.

But none of the three men said anything - Luciano was supposed to be the first one who found out. Just because Seth’s fear took the best of her didn’t mean the Alphas were eager to throw her under the bus like this.

Dominic pulled Luciano into a hug, and a moment later, Ryder and Vlad joined them. The four men stood united, as close as they hadn't been for months. “It will be okay, trust me, it will,” Dominic whispered.

His words were the last bit Luciano needed to break down. Just like Seth, he couldn't get over one loss after another, but he was supposed to be the man, the King, so he had tried his best to keep his emotions hidden. To pretend his pain didn’t exist.

Tears streamed down Luciano's cheeks as he whispered. “I don't understand what happened, I can't see the end for this, and I can't fix this shit no matter how I try. The problem is that I don't understand what's wrong with her, or maybe it's me. But still - why? We went to so many doctors when we first decided to have a child, and both of us were perfectly fine, healthy, and the doctors said that we would become parents in no time. It has been months; we lost eight healthy pregnancies already. I can't force her to try again. But at the same time, I'm so fucking cornered. If Seth and I don't have a baby, the Council will force me to find a fucking mistress. I couldn't do it to Seth. I can't hurt her like that, for fuck's sake!”

As the words left him in a pained cry, Luciano fell to his knees.

The rest of the men hid him from the eyes of curious servants. No matter their intentions, those who passed by couldn’t see their King in this state. Luciano’s breakdown was his own, a private matter, not something to be shared among those who would use the news against him.

All Alphas had a silent pact. No one but them could see the weaknesses. They would stand by their loved ones even if it cost their lives. As true friends, life partners, they were there to shield Luciano and Seth from the surrounding world.

“Listen, this probably should be something we need to discuss in a more private setting, but there is something we could share now,” Vlad spoke up while the rest of the men looked around to ensure no one was around to listen.

“Coast clear, guys. Not sure for how long so let’s drop the information and get out of here,” Ryder added.

Dominic instantly cleared his throat and spoke up. “We might have an idea what is the cause of the miscarriages. First, get Seth to the bedroom and let her rest. We might need to send some guards to stay at the door and someone to care for her. Someone we all trust. Second, pull yourself together. Take your time; we will stand here for as long as you need us, but we need you sane and calm for this. And third, as soon as the first two are done and dusted, you will have to follow us. It’s something we can show, not explain in words.”