Betrayed by My Best Friend, Claimed by Alpha King

Chapter 4 The Young Alpha Prince

　　Last evening, upper management at Globex Corporation received an unexpected email: their elusive CEO was arriving in the morning. This was highly unusual, as employees had never met him, nor did they know his true identity.

　　Everyone arrived early, anxious and busy preparing the office to perfection. Rumors swirled that the CEO lived in Europe, leading another prosperous enterprise. His sudden decision to visit New York without notice raised many questions, especially since Globex was already thriving.

　　The CEO had always been shrouded in mystery. Just three years ago, he'd founded Globex with an impressive million-dollar capital—quite remarkable for a young entrepreneur. Additional investments soon followed, totaling over ten million dollars, culminating in Globex's current headquarters, now New York City's tallest skyscraper and a testament to their success.

　　Within two years, Globex outpaced competitors, venturing into real estate, finance, cinema, and entertainment. Yet, the man behind this empire remained anonymous, fueling endless speculation.

　　Executives nervously waited in the conference room, whispering excitedly about their mysterious boss's identity. Precisely at ten o'clock, footsteps echoed down the hallway, silencing the chatter. The door opened, revealing a distinguished personal assistant and an exceptionally youthful, commanding presence behind him.

　　The CEO stepped forward confidently, his tailored designer suit emphasizing a tall, athletic frame. His eyes sparkled with subtle authority as he introduced himself.

　　"Good morning, everyone," he said smoothly. "I'm Klaus Von Wald, CEO of Globex Corporation. It's a pleasure to finally meet you all."

　　A stunned pause filled the room, quickly replaced by enthusiastic greetings. None had anticipated such youth and charisma, assuming instead a seasoned, middle-aged businessman. Klaus's unexpected appearance proved a pleasant surprise.

　　The meeting proceeded efficiently, Klaus's calm demeanor easing everyone's nerves. He reassured them he wasn’t there to micromanage, only to understand current progress and strategic plans. In just thirty minutes, executives left feeling both relieved and energized.

　　Mike, the CFO, and Joey, the Marketing Director, lingered in the break room afterward.

　　"Never guessed our boss would have that background," Mike mused, sipping coffee.

　　"What do you mean?" Joey asked, intrigued.

　　Mike smiled knowingly. "Von Wald—rings a bell, doesn't it? He must belong to the Von Wald family."

　　Joey’s eyes widened as realization dawned. The Von Wald family, German nobility turned American aristocrats, were famously private, residing in an Upper East Side mansion echoing their ancestral castle from Germany’s Black Forest. Their vast holdings spanned finance, real estate, and biotech industries.

　　"That explains the company's rapid success," Joey remarked thoughtfully. "But why isn't he running Silverline International, their family conglomerate?"

　　Mike shrugged lightly. "Who knows? Maybe he wants independence. Plus, the family patriarch is reportedly hospitalized, shaking Silverline’s stocks."

　　Joey nodded slowly, setting down his cup. "Family secrets. Best left untouched. Let's get back to work."

　　***

　　As the meeting ended, Klaus remained seated in the conference room. His Beta, Godwin, stood respectfully beside him.

　　"I think you made a great first impression, Alpha," he said. "Even though you have perfectly managed the company while you were abroad, I believe things can only improve now that you are back in New York."

　　Beta Goldwin jolted when he met the harsh look of the Alpha.

　　"My pack and family will not find out about my return," he stated, his voice carrying the unmistakable command of an Alpha. His wolf, Alex, stirred within him, agitated at the mere thought of his family.

　　"Excuse me, Alpha?"

　　"You heard me. I do not want them to know."Klaus growled.

　　"But... I thought that the whole purpose of this trip and visiting the company was because you wanted to settle in New York once and for all. How can that be without telling your family, your Alpha King father at least? Why hide it?"

　　Klaus's jaw clenched as he responded with his irritation: "Believe me, Goldwin, it will bring more harm than good if they were to know. My brothers would be all over my back, you know that. They won't give me a second of peace."

　　The Von Wald family is one of the oldest werewolf clans from Germany's Black Forest. In the mid-19th century, facing Europe's unstable situation, they decided to move to the vast New World. They chose to settle in the wilderness of northern New York State, which not only had similar terrain to their homeland but was also far from human settlements, perfect for a wolf pack's development.

　　At that time, the New World was divided among various wolf clans fighting for territory. The Von Wald family, with their ancient bloodline and great strength, gradually united the werewolf forces in North America. In human society, they built a business empire under the guise of German nobility. This dual system of rule helped the Von Wald family secure their position as North American werewolf royalty.

　　Today, the Von Wald family has ruled the North American werewolf world for over a century. While humans know them as prestigious German nobles, they are the royal family controlling the fate of all North American werewolves.

　　Klaus Von Wald hated to speak about his brothers who he considered to be his worst enemies. Rivalry and competition for the Alpha King position were the only relations they had. One of the reasons Klaus went abroad was his disgust with their pretense,acting like a happy family while secretly at war. All they wanted was to seize the throne and become Alpha King.

　　For the past four years, Klaus has played the role of the playboy of the loyal family.The wild child who spent his days partying hard, getting wasted, and living it up. His brothers bought into this carefully crafted facade, dismissing him as someone who had no interest in claiming the Alpha King throne.

　　Little did they know it was all smoke and mirrors. During his time in Europe, Klaus was pulling strings behind the scenes, directing his trusted Beta, Goldwin, to establish a wolf pack called Nightbloom in North America. This newly formed pack became his ace in the hole, pledging their complete loyalty to him in the family's power game.

　　Beneath his facade of debauchery, Klaus was quietly demonstrating the leadership qualities and decision-making skills of a true Alpha. Working in the shadows, he methodically built his power base piece by piece. While everyone wrote him off as the loyal family disappointment, he was secretly building an empire of his own.

　　"Alpha Prince, your father is sick," Goldwin spoke pleadingly. "At least he should know about your presence. After all, if you want to inherit the throne, it would be wise to maintain a good relationship with the Alpha King. He could pass the crown directly to you. Maybe you can pay him a visit at the hospital, discreetly of course so your brothers won't find out."

　　Klaus frowned, considering his beta's words. Goldwin has a point, but even if my father is willing to pass the crown to me, my brothers won't simply step aside without a fight.

　　Of course, seeing his father again was one of the motivating factors that brought him back but he needed to have a plan before meeting him. As the aging Alpha King's health declined, the battle for succession would only intensify.

　　"I will see what I can do," he said.

　　The beta was about to say something when Klaus received a mind-link from his pack member.

　　"Yes?"

　　"Alpha, we have gathered all the information about the human female from last night."

　　"And what did you find?" Klaus Von Wald felt his wolf perk up with interest, remembering the intoxicating vanilla and rain scent that had clung to the woman even through the drug-induced haze she'd been in when he rescued her.

　　"Her name is Georgina Devins. Her father is a common merchant. But we discovered her mother is Lena van der Woodsen, and she isn't just anybody.We found that Georgina is actually engaged to no other than Austin Miller. All the details of their relationship has been forwarded to you by email. Please have a look and let us know if there is anything else we can do."

　　"Alright. Thank you."

　　Klaus severed the mind-link and a laugh escaped his lips.His Beta watched him curiously but didn't say anything. The young Alpha Prince was completely lost in his thoughts.

　　Klaus knew there was something about that woman. Something told Klaus that she was going to be a valuable asset to him and now; he was certain of it.