The grey light of the morning crawled through the tower window.
Alaric felt his eyes snap open instantly.
He was a Mafia man, trained to wake up at the slightest sound.
His hand immediately twitched toward the dagger under his pillow.
His muscles were tensing for a fight that had not come yet.
He looked down at the man beside him.
Sila was finally awake.
His eyes were watching Alaric with a deep, hidden fire.
The silence between them was heavy and thick.
They both knew that the world outside this room had changed forever.
The moment Alaric stood against the King, the old life died.
You said you wanted to talk to me, Alaric said.
His voice was rough and low, carrying the weight of the night.
Last night, before the chaos started, you had something important to say.
I want to hear it now while the house is still quiet.
Sila sat up slowly, the sheets sliding off his shoulders.
He did not look afraid of the war that was coming for them.
He looked like a man who was ready to start a fire.
Alaric, Sila began, his voice steady.
You are a Prince. You are a powerful Alpha.
You were trained as a Mafia weapon from the day you could walk.
Your father made you into a person of blood and iron.
He used you to build his empire.
He expects you to die for it without asking why.
Sila reached out and touched Alaric's hand.
His skin was soft, but his grip was firm and commanding.
But in this Mafia world, being a weapon is not enough.
A weapon is always held by someone else.
You are being used by your father.
As long as he sits on that throne, we will never be free.
Alaric's eyes darkened because the truth cut through him.
I did what I had to do to protect you, Sila.
I chose you over the King.
I defied my father in front of his own army for you.
I know you did, Sila whispered.
He moved closer, his warmth pressing against Alaric's side.
But that choice makes us targets.
My family is a powerful Mafia family.
They will want me back or they will want me dead.
Your father is a King who feeds on venom and fear.
He will never forgive you for this.
We cannot just run away. We cannot hide forever.
Alaric frowned at the intense fire in Sila's voice.
What do you want to do?
I will fight for you until my last breath. You know that.
I want to work with you, Alaric, Sila said.
The words hit Alaric like a physical blow.
He did not want Sila to touch the darkness of this life.
Work with me? Sila, this life is a nightmare.
It is full of shadows, blood, and death.
You should stay away from the filth of the throne.
I know exactly what it is, Sila replied.
His eyes were flashing with a cold, wicked light.
But I want revenge.
I want to take revenge on my family for selling me.
And I want to take revenge on the King for making us live like animals.
I am not soft, Alaric. I am just waiting to strike.
Sila leaned in even closer.
The air between them felt electric.
I want us to be together forever.
I want our bond to be something that no King can ever break.
I want a Forever Bond, Alaric.
I want a life where we are the ones who give the orders.
Alaric felt the heat of Sila's ambition.
It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
A Forever Bond carries a very great price, Sila.
What do we have to do to make it last forever?
Sila looked straight into Alaric's eyes.
He looked like the most powerful person in the room.
You must take over the Kingdom, Alaric.
You must take the Throne from your father.
I don't want you to be a Prince who runs away.
I want you to be the King of this Mafia empire.
I want you to wear the crown your father uses to hurt people.
Alaric went silent under the heavy weight of the idea.
If you are the King, Sila continued.
Then I can be your partner. We will rule together.
No more hiding. No more fear. No more father.
Just us and the power we build from the ground up.
Alaric felt the weakness in his heart fade away.
He reached out and grabbed Sila in a possessive embrace.
The bond was tightening like a chain of gold and steel.
It was a pact of blood and power.
If that is what it takes to keep you, Alaric growled.
Then I will burn my father's world to the ground.
I will take the Throne. I will be the King.
But I will not be like my father, Alaric added.
I will take this kingdom to protect the innocent.
I will use this power to shield the poor of the land.
My father rules for himself, but I will rule for the people.
Sila smiled against Alaric's chest.
The Mafia Prince was becoming something dangerous.
The morning sun finally hit the tower.
But the light did not matter.
The two men were already planning a winter for their enemies.
Tell me everything, Alaric said.
Tell me how we kill a King and build a Throne.
Sila began to speak, his voice low and musical.
Alaric realized his lover was a brilliant architect of destruction.
The Mafia world was about to break.
And they were the ones holding the hammer.
The war had truly begun.