Claimed By The King(s) Of Kings

Keali

Keali was sprawled across the couch, his heavy eyelids half-lidded and his gaze completely out of focus. He stared blankly at the ceiling, barely tracking the movement of his brother Theo, who was sitting on the carpet glued to his phone.

Theo was a calmer contrast in terms of looks to his brother.

With thick, black-framed glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, his hair dyed a vibrant, electric red, he looked less like royalty and more like an art-world menace. He was completely shirtless, revealing a broad, muscular torso covered in intricate, dark ink that stretched over his shoulders and down his arms.

While Keali drifted in his own world, Theo kept his eyes glued to his phone, his thumbs flying across the screen with an ease.

The penthouse living room was thick with tension, each brother occupying a pocket of the space. Malric was pacing up and down the length of the room like a caged beast, his jaw locked so tight his teeth gritted audible rhythm. Across from him, Vance slumped in an armchair, holding a heavy block of ice against his forehead where the impact of the mashed-potato-covered plate had left a dark, throbbing bruise.

”We need to tear that little guy apart,” Malric growled, slamming his fist into the open palm of his other hand. ”I’m going to make his life a living hell.”

Vance groaned from beneath his ice pack. ”The little guy’s name is Travis. Travis Whitelock. Son of some Alpha all the way on the other side of the world.” Malric barked out a loud, mocking laugh, tossing his head back. ”Travis Whitelock? Sounds like a nobody. A rat playing in the big leagues.”

Theo finally shifted his gaze away from his phone, peering over the rim of his glasses at the chaotic scene. ”Can someone explain to me what actually happened?” he asked, his tone laced with smooth amusement. ”Why is our dearest elder brother throwing a whole tantrum?”

Vance practically exploded out of his seat, excitement dripping off his body as he discarded the ice block. ”Oh, you are not going to believe this, Theo! Our dearest elder brother was slapped! In front of the entire dining hall! Twice!” Vance exaggerated the motion, slapping the air with a wide grin. ”This Travis guy looked him dead in the eye and told him to his face that he isn’t shit! You should have been there, it was so unbelievably embarrassing!”

Theo’s eyes widened, behind his thick lenses as he turned slowly toward Malric. ”No way, brother... is this true?”

Malric didn’t answer. He just shot Vance glare so murderous it could have melted steel.

Taking the silence as absolute confirmation, Theo threw his head back and burst into a rich laugh, lamenting his absence. ”Damn it! I can’t believe I missed that! I was out reminiscing with old friends—if you know what I mean—and I miss the spectacle of the century!”

”Why are you guys so damn loud?” Keali’s voice cut through the noise, a slow, deep drone from the couch. He groaned loudly, placing a hand over his face.

”Don’t sleep in the living room if you don’t want to hear us, Keali,” Vance snapped back. ”I wasn’t sleeping in the living room,” Keali mumbled into his forearm. ”I was asleep in some room... until I saw the roommate.”

The room went dead silent. All three brothers snapped their heads toward the couch. ”What roommate?” Theo asked, his brow furrowing. ”What are you talking about?”

”Well,” Keali drawled, his voice completely unbothered. ”In that room down the hall... there’s like... some stranger. We have a roommate. I think. I don’t know.”

In an instant, Theo closed the distance, grabbing Keali by the shoulders and shaking him violently. ”Keali! I need you to be sober for five seconds right now and not be as high as a kite! Tell me what you’re talking about in detail! What roommate? We don’t have a roommate, oh my god, are we getting robbed?!”

The reaction was pure instinct. The four royal princes were legendary across Moonside Academy, each carrying a reputation that echoed louder than their titles. Who would dare still from them.

Malric (The Eldest).Famous for his brute strength, absolute failure to obey a single rule, and total lack of respect for any authority or elder. He was striking, dangerously powerful, and entirely unwise in his wrath.

Theo (The Second Eldest). Known for his wild public night endeavors, carefree attitude, and refusal to care about anyone or anything. Theo didn’t form attachments; the only people he genuinely loved in this world were his sister and his brothers. His feelings toward his parents were still up for debate.

Vance (The Third Eldest): Unlike his brothers, Vance’s reputation had nothing to do with solemnity or darkness. He was the ultimate party animal. If a legendary party was happening, Vance either organized it, funded it, or was the guest of honor.

Keali (The Youngest). Possessed the messiest reputation of them all. He was known across campus as a hopeless addict. It hadn’t always been this way, in his early years, Keali was a disciplined, studious boy who loved books and held the sharpest focus of the four. But during their first year at Moonside three years ago, something tore through him. From that day on, his mind checked out, constantly seeking an escape. Out of all the brothers, Keali was the least likely to remember a conversation or take anything personally.

”The Headmaster said Father is punishing us,” Malric spat out, crossing his arms over his chest. ”We’ve been assigned a roommate. We lost our private room privileges.”

A collective, furious groan filled the suite. ”No!” Theo yelled. ”You know how much we love our personal space!”

”This is all your fault!” Vance added as he immediately turned on Malric, pointing a sharp finger at his broad chest. ”If you didn’t do what you did in the temple with Savannah, none of this would have happened!”

”Don’t pin this on me!” Malric snarled back defensively. ”If Theo didn’t do what he did in front of an entire brothel in the capital, we wouldn’t be in hot water!”

”Hey!” Theo held his hands up. ”It’s not my fault! If Vance hadn’t thrown a massive rage party in the middle of the Royal Palace, Father wouldn’t have cared!” Vance threw his arms up in the air. ”Come on, guys, let’s not be ridiculous! We all know who actually pushed him over the edge!”

Slowly, all three of them turned their heads toward the couch, staring down at Keali.

”If Keali didn’t get high enough to jump off Mount Moosa cliff and severely injure his wolf, making him completely incapable of shifting for months, none of this would have happened,” Vance concluded flatly.

In total unison, Malric and Theo nodded. ”Yeah. That’s right. You’re completely right.”

Keali didn’t even bother defending himself. He just lay there on the leather cushions, his eyes closing completely as he drifted back into his own hazy world.

Theo let out a heavy sigh, his wild energy deflating into quiet affection. He stepped closer to the couch, tapping Keali’s shoulder gently. ”Come on. Let’s get you to bed, buddy.”

Vance stepped up to take Keali’s right arm while Theo supported his left, hauling their towering, half-conscious younger brother up off the couch. Together, they navigated the hallway toward his dimly lit bedroom.

Malric walked ahead, reaching out to gently swing the bedroom door open for them.

The princes of Moonside might have been arrogant, reckless, and outright horrible to every single soul on the planet, but they were never horrible to each other. Blood was thicker than water, and the unbreakable bond between the four of them was the one thing their parents had done right raising them.