Luca rushed to his mother's side, pushing past one of the nursemaids. The doctor was on the opposite side of the bed, Luca glared at him.
"What's wrong with her? She shouldn't be in labor."
The doctor shook his head.
"She's not in labor. But I don't know why she's in so much pain." The doctor looked away from Luca, fear in his eyes.
Luca wasn't a cruel alpha by any means, but he was an alpha. A powerful alpha, none the less. When he was angry, he was intimidating, especially to those lower ranking than him.
Luca ignored the doctor and looked at his mother. He felt the bond with his pack weaken, and he wasn't sure why. Someone had been hurt, but he was too far for the link to work.
"Got get Cedric, my beta."
Nobody in the room moved until he ordered them again with a louder booming voice. It stilled the air but moved the wolves in the room. He knelt next to his mother and rested his head on her forehead. The doctor had put her on pain medicine and put her to sleep so she could sleep without pain. At least for a moment.
"Alpha!"
Luca stood when Cedric entered the room, hiding any sadness or worry.
"What happened?"
"We were attacked. The Alpha he..." Cedric looked to his Luna and lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Luca. I'm so sorry but Alpha...he's gone."
Luca felt his knees go weak. He leaned onto the dresser next to him and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths and pushing down the pain. He couldn't break down. Not right now. It explained his mother's pain. Her mate died, of course, she'd be in pain. It could kill her and, in turn, kill her unborn child. Luca needed to act, not mourn. He shook his emotions away and met Cedric's gaze.
"I want someone in here with her at all times. A nurse or doctor and someone from the pack. You should go back to the pack, send Alice here instead. She needs to be here. Also, take a carriage and some of the omega's and have them bring dad's body along with Alice. I need to...I need to talk to the king."
Luca let out a growl, not directed at anyone in particular. Just a growl of frustration and helplessness. He bent and kissed his mother's forehead and looked at Cedric once more.
"Before you leave, you need to brief me on everything that happened."
***
The cell was cold, even for a wolf. Nova didn't know how long he was down there and especially lost track when sleep had taken over. He hadn't slept that well in years. It was sad, considering he was in a stone-cold cell. Despite his sleeping conditions, he felt safe within the walls of the kingdom.
He heard the heavy dungeon door open, and a few footsteps headed his way. He sat up and took a deep breath, trying to decipher the scents around him. He recognized the smell of one of the guards who brought him down here. The other scent was new.
The scent was earthy, musky, and masculine in every right. With it came an aura that would have any wolf cowering. Nova would have also given into the pressure, but he was a seeker. He was immune to the overwhelming pressure of an alpha king.
Two figures rounded the dimly lit corner, and Nova gasped at the sight of the king himself. A tall, beautiful man with chiseled features, sharp eyes, and black hair. His grey eyes met Nova's gaze. The man didn't smile. He didn't frown either. He walked toward Nova with no expectations. As if he wasn't sure Nova was who he thought he was. When he came to the cell door, Nova jumped to the bars and dropped to his knees. Though it wasn't necessary, he bowed his head and bared his neck, showing the king he meant no harm.
The king's stoic face slowly melted as his eyes widened, and the corners of his lips turned up slightly. He pushed the guardforward and demanded he let Nova out of the cell. Without a second thought, the guard did as he was told. Nova stood, and when the gate opened, he fell into the King's arms.
"I can't believe it's really you," the king said, exasperated. He held Nova at arm's length and let out a chuckle. "Come. Let's get you some better living quarters." With a kind, protective arm wrapped around Nova's shoulders, the king led the seeker out of the dungeon and through the magnificent castle.
Nova was surprised by the bright multi-colored tapestries, the magnificent windows that allow the bright moonlight in, and the many unique paintings that lined the walls. The king was, clearly, a fan of art of all kinds, as it was littered on every wall, floor, ceiling, and shelf throughout the castle. It didn't look cluttered, but each piece was carefully placed and meant to be appealing to anyone who laid eyes on these halls.
"My name is Leon. You can call me Leo. What's your name, seeker?"
"Nova."
"Nova." The name came off his lips as if it were the most significant thing he'd ever said. "Nova, I'll leave you with some of my omegas. They'll take you to the bathhouse where you can wash up. After they will take you to your accommodations." He stopped in front of a door and faced the seeker. He smiled down at him with great affection despite only just meeting him. The king reached forward and pushed a strand of Nova's hair behind his ear. "I've waited a long time for my kingdom to have a seeker." He sighed as he leaned forward and pressed his lips to Nova's forehead. "We will talk more tomorrow. Unfortunately, the circumstances in which you've arrived aren't ideal. it's still early, to get some sleep, and we can discuss more tomorrow."
The king opened the door, and two omegas on the other side bowed.
"Thank you," Nova managed as he walked in, and the doors shut behind him, separating him from the king. He faced the omegas who motioned for him to follow. As he did, he looked back at the door once more and touched his forehead.
Perhaps he should think the king strange. He was quick to accept him. Quick to show him affection and appreciation despite knowing nothing about him. It didn't feel uncomfortable or odd at all. In fact, it was refreshing. He felt wanted and appreciated, which was a fantastic upgrade from simply being a tool for destruction.
He took a deep breath and shook his head. Nova was aware of the fragile state his mind was in. Of course, any ounce of kindness after what he'd been through would have him giddy. Deciding to do his best not to give in and trust so easily, he followed the omegas to the bathhouse for a much-needed cleaning.
***
After hearing about the night's events from Cedric and sending him back to the pack with a carriage to bring his father's body here, Luca stormed through the castle halls forcing anyone and everyone in his bath to jump out of his way and lower their head.
His anger and need to kill radiated off of him like heat from the sun. A hot heat, that threatened to burn anything in its path. The only thing that stopped him was a large body in front of him that refused to move. He met the grey eyes of his king and clenched his fists before nodding his head and forcing himself to relax a little.
"Where are you off to smelling like death?"
"That prisoner they brought here is responsible for my father's death. Now my mother is on the verge of death along with her unborn child!"
The king's face tensed at the mention of his brother and his brother's mate. He ran a hand down his face, his exhaustion coming up tenfold.
"Luca, I know you're angry," he put a hand on Luca's shoulder. "I'm angry about my brother's death too. But...that prisoner is a seeker. Do you know what that means?"
Luca looked at the king's hand. He shook it off his shoulder and took a step back, suppressing the snarl that threatened to come up.
"You were with him," he all but growled after smelling the sweet scent on Leon's hands.
"Of course. He's resting for the night. I will talk with him in the morning about everything."
"How can you let him in so easily? Just because he's a seeker? He killed your brother! My mom might die! Does that mean nothing to you?"
"Of course, it does, and as long as our doctors are on it, we're not going to let your mother die. I've also sent word to Golden Falls. They have the best healer of all the kingdoms. They're on their way now. With their help, I'm sure we can save your mom. And Luca, don't question my loyalty to my family ever again."
Had anyone else spoken to him that way, the king would have them by the throat exerting dominance in the most primal, physical way possible. But he had a soft spot for his nephew, despite him not being the little kid wreaking havoc everywhere he went. No. He was a grown man now, but why did he still see that little boy?
"It's not fair," Luca stated.
That's why the king thought. It was this vulnerable side of Luca he occasionally saw that reminded him of a child.
"The seekers already caused so much damage, and he'll likely get away with it without any consequence."
Leon sighed and shook his head. He couldn't deny it. He wouldn't punish the seeker. He couldn't.
"I'm sorry you feel that way, Luca. But you know what a seeker means to the kingdom. I can't turn him away. I just can't. Not after all this time." He squeezed Luca's shoulder again, sending that sweet smell into Luca's senses once again. "Please, try to get some sleep. We will all need sleep for whatever tomorrow holds."
The king walked past Luca, not bothering to wait for a reply. If he gave the young alpha an inch, he took a mile.
Luca was left in the hall, his emotions turbulent inside of him. He ended up taking it out on a handmade bust of a horse nearby, shattering it to pieces before returning to his mother's side.