"Woah. They really came," Constantine exclaimed while watching the new arrivals enter the ballroom. It was the first time he had seen this many werewolves since there wasn't any pack residing near where their pride was. On the other hand, what he had spouted came as a blur to King. The latter's eyes caught sight of an individual who, despite his mask and heavy aristocratic suit, King recognized immediately. He remembered the man, all clear and too well. He swallowed, his throat suddenly arid for some reason. 

Bloody damn, King thought. The gentleman looked extremely fine again— 

Someone suddenly blocked his view. The unexpected fluttering in King's stomach drooped and was replaced by a curving frown on his forehead. After a few more seconds, his admiration turned into irritation. He tapped his shoe on the floor, silently grumbling and annoyed at the man who kept obstructing the view.

How dare he impede his perception on such work of art?! 

As King continued to look at the individual, who he was quietly seasoning with blasphemies, an odd sense of familiarity suddenly trudged on the back of his head. Even if the man was wearing a mask, he felt familiar to King. Ponytailed raven hair. A charming smile. Bemedalled suit— wait, wasn't that one of the clothes Alexandros showed them?

King's frown unfolded, and his brows stretched up. No wonder the person felt oddly familiar. The man was none other than that saint-faced demon alpha they met in the town! Yusef— 

"Hey!"

King abruptly felt pressure on his cheeks and a sudden load on his shoulders. He whipped his head to the side, and his gaze landed on Constantine, who leaned an arm on his shoulder.

Constantine squeezed King's face. "Have you gone deaf?" he asked.

King knitted his brows. Fish-lipped, he said, "Whut?"

"What do you mean 'whut'?" Constantine huffed, pumping King's cheeks. "I've been calling you."

Looking like a gasping fish, King's brows snapped together. He glared at Constantine and pried the other lad's hold off him. "I was looking at them," he said.

Constantine's gaze followed the new guests, and after watching them for a bit, his eyes narrowed. A lot of the werewolves looked intimidating. Some had even visibly large scars. He forced a chuckle, "A lovely bunch, aren't they?"

"I heard you guys had already encountered them," Viviana cut in. She rested a hand on her waist.

"Right. We did," Pandora replied.

"So it's true," Viviana's eyebrows rose. "We heard they even went beyond our territory. What exactly happened between you and them?"

King blew air out his nose. Despite being the main witness, he actually also didn't know. Everything went on so fast. A vampire attacked them, then next that happened, the bloody pooches came next. "It's a long," he sarcastically dragged out, "story."

Viviana chuckled. "I am willing to invest my time on hearing—"

Viviana's voice was blurred out to King when he saw Marius and his men in the distance. They walked into the scene, greeting the recent visitors. His eldest son, Bogdan, was with them as well. Marius had a splendid smile plastered on his face as he offered out his hand to the guests.

"Look at them," Constantine huffed, his earlier jester expression now of distaste. They watched the authorities of both the Leones and the Lykaois pack trade words and chuckles. They're probably just trading rubbish compliments to each other, King thought. He snorted.

"Haven't King Marius spoken about them?" Pandora collectedly asked.

"No," Viviana replied, crossing her arms and showing great displeasure. "King Marius hadn't mentioned anything about his interactions with the werewolves. If he isn't up to something, then why hide?"

A treaty with a werewolf pack was not precisely taboo for the werecats. It was just highly unusual. It's not like they harbor personal grudges against the werewolves; they just have an innate dislike for each other. Maybe it was nature and instinct. Now Marius might just be breaking barriers, but King relatively knew Marius. He wouldn't do something like that. It was so out of his character. And to add on, this was the Lykaios pack they were dealing with — the pack of the werewolves who had rattled them just recently.

Coincidence?

"If only they weren't a long-dragged companion of our pride, King Leon would have probably broken the union by now," Viviana huffed.

King scowled when he heard his father's name. Theatrical. For some hard-boiled, old bastard, he sure is a damn pushover, he thought, pushing air out his nose. 

King's gaze wandered again. He crossed his arms, and his gaze crept back at the Lykaois. King knew of Yusef and the other one, who he had yet to know the name. But the third, he hadn't met yet. Or he just wasn't aware that maybe he did already. King looked at him. Black-haired as well. He wore a flashy outfit donned with fur. The previous two alphas seemed more sleek and refined, but this one looked more laidback and daring. He was standing casually, hands in his slacks' pockets and lips shut and silent. An apathetic air was coming out of him, and King could feel the same boredom he was feeling emitting out of the man. King felt weirdly pleased, knowing that someone from the other party seemed to be having the same opinion as him.

After a few more glances, King amassed the resemblances between the three. There was no doubt that they were the three alphas of the Lykaois that they had recently heard about. 

Viviana tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, then slightly tilted her head. She was looking at the werewolves as well. "Taking Marius aside," she said, "I now see why the Lykaois alphas are quite infamous," she hummed.

As if on cue, King and Constantine both shot her a dirty look. 

"Don't drool," Constantine said, fake wiping a thumb on her lower lip. Viviana didn't mind him, looking only as though she was bewitched. A look of admiration betrayed their initial notion. She heard a scoff and looked back.

"What?" Viviana asked.

"You traitor," Constantine said, though obviously jesting.

She smiled. "I'm just admiring them," Viviana replied, crossing her arms. "It's just unbelievable to think that they were the Du Marais slaves before."

King looked at her. "... Could you tell me more about them?"