Torn Bonds

The forest was eerily silent as they made their way back toward the cabin. Leah walked between Kai and Claire, her mind spinning with everything she'd heard. The soft crunch of leaves beneath their feet seemed deafening in the quiet, but it couldn't drown out Damon's words.

"You were taken from us, ripped away before we could claim you."

Her heart felt heavy in her chest, the weight of his confession pressing down on her. How could any of this be real? Reincarnation, mates, bonds—it sounded like something out of a storybook. But the way Damon had looked at her, the raw pain in his eyes, made it impossible to dismiss.

And then there was Kai.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He walked close to her, his posture tense, his sharp gaze scanning the shadows for any sign of danger. There was something comforting about his presence, something solid and grounding.

But Damon's presence lingered in her mind like a ghost.

She couldn't deny the pull she felt toward him, the strange familiarity that made her chest ache.

And yet, with Kai, it was different. The connection between them was fiery and intense, like a spark ready to ignite. With Damon, it was quieter but no less consuming—a deep, unshakable longing that seemed to reach into her very soul.

How could she possibly choose between them?

---

Kai's POV

Kai kept his focus on the path ahead, though his ears were tuned to every sound Leah made. He could hear her uneven breathing, the way her heart skipped when she looked at him—or when she thought about Damon.

That thought made his jaw clench.

He had known Damon for centuries, had fought alongside him, bled beside him. But the bond they once shared as brothers had been fractured the moment Leah entered their lives.

Kai loved her. He had loved her in their past life, and he loved her now. But Damon loved her too.

And the bond didn't care about fairness or reason. It tied them all together in an endless loop of love and pain.

Kai glanced at Leah, his chest tightening at the sight of her. She looked so fragile, her face pale and her shoulders hunched as if the weight of the world rested on her.

She's mine, he thought fiercely, his wolf growling in agreement.

But then Damon's voice echoed in his mind. "Our mate."

Kai shook his head, his fists tightening at his sides. He wouldn't let Damon take her from him. Not this time.

---

Damon's POV

Damon watched them from the shadows, his crimson eyes following every movement Leah made. He shouldn't have stayed, but he couldn't bring himself to leave.

She was everything he had ever wanted, everything he had fought for, and yet she was slipping through his fingers.

The bond was supposed to unite them, to give them peace and purpose. But all it had done was bring pain.

Damon leaned against a tree, his chest heaving as he fought to keep his emotions in check. The centuries of loneliness, of searching for her, were crashing down on him like a tidal wave.

He remembered the way she used to look at him, the way her laughter had filled the halls of their kingdom. She had been his light, his salvation. And now, here she was, alive but unreachable.

Damon closed his eyes, his hands curling into fists. He didn't blame her for seeking comfort in Kai. The bond was stronger with him, more immediate. But it didn't make it hurt any less.

"I should let her go," he muttered, his voice breaking. "I should let her choose."

But the thought of Leah choosing Kai, of spending her life with him, made Damon's chest ache with a pain so sharp it felt like a physical wound.

I can't lose her again.

---

When they reached the cabin, Leah helped Claire inside, her hands trembling as she guided her friend to the couch.

Claire looked up at her, her blue eyes filled with concern. "Leah, are you okay?"

Leah forced a smile, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm fine. You're the one who was kidnapped, remember?"

Claire managed a weak laugh, but her expression quickly turned serious. "I don't know what's going on, Leah, but…be careful, okay? There's something about them—Kai and Damon. They're dangerous."

Leah nodded, though she didn't respond. She knew Claire was right, but it didn't change the way she felt.

As Claire drifted off to sleep, exhaustion finally taking over, Leah stepped outside. The cool night air was a welcome relief, but it did little to quiet her racing thoughts.

She didn't hear Kai approach until he was right beside her.

"You shouldn't be out here alone," he said, his voice low.

Leah turned to him, her arms crossed over her chest. "I just needed some air."

Kai nodded, his golden eyes studying her face. "Are you okay?"

Leah hesitated before answering. "I don't know. I don't even know what's real anymore."

Kai reached out, his hand brushing against hers. The simple touch sent a jolt of warmth through her, and she looked up at him in surprise.

"It's real," he said firmly. "What you're feeling—it's real."

Leah's heart ached at the sincerity in his voice, but before she could respond, a shadow moved at the edge of the forest.

Damon stepped into the light, his crimson eyes glowing softly.

"Do you always have to ruin the moment?" Kai growled, stepping in front of Leah protectively.

Damon ignored him, his gaze fixed on Leah. "I needed to see you," he said simply.

Leah stepped around Kai, her brow furrowing. "Why? To confuse me even more?"

"No," Damon replied, his voice laced with pain. "To tell you the truth."

Kai let out a frustrated sigh. "We don't have time for this. She's been through enough tonight."

But Leah held up a hand, silencing him. "I want to hear what he has to say."

Damon's gaze softened, and for a moment, the pain in his eyes was almost too much to bear. "I've loved you for lifetimes, Leah," he said, his voice trembling. "And I would endure every moment of pain, every heartbreak, just to have you look at me the way you used to."

Leah's chest tightened, tears welling in her eyes. She didn't know what to say, didn't know how to process the overwhelming emotions coursing through her.

Kai's jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides. "That's enough," he said, his voice low and dangerous.

But Damon didn't back down. "I won't give up on her, Kai. Not this time."

Leah stood between them, her heart breaking under the weight of their words. She didn't know how to choose, didn't know if she even could.

All she knew was that her life would never be the same.

The tension in the air was so thick Leah could feel it pressing down on her chest like a physical weight. She didn't know what to do, who to turn to, or even what to say to calm the storm brewing between Kai and Damon.

"Alright," she finally said, her voice shaky but firm. "This isn't helping anyone. Both of you need to stop fighting, or I'm walking back into that cabin and locking the door."

Kai scoffed but stepped back, his sharp golden eyes glaring at Damon. Damon, for his part, took a slow step back as well, though his gaze remained fixed on her, a mixture of longing and pain etched into his expression.

Leah exhaled, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "Good. Now, if you both love me as much as you claim, can we at least try to spend a few moments without tearing each other apart?"

---

Kai's POV:

Kai's glare softened as he watched the defiance in Leah's eyes. She didn't back down from him—not now, not ever. It was one of the things he loved most about her.

A flicker of a memory surfaced, pulling at the corners of his mouth until a small, reluctant smile formed.

"Do you remember the night we snuck into the lake?" he asked, his voice softer now.

Leah blinked, caught off guard by the question. "What are you talking about?"

Kai chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "I guess you wouldn't remember. But in our past life, you convinced me to sneak out of the palace and go swimming in the middle of the night. You said the moonlight made the water sparkle like diamonds, and you had to see it for yourself."

Leah tilted her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips despite herself. "What happened?"

"You dragged me into the water, fully clothed," Kai said, his golden eyes twinkling with amusement. "And then you tried to teach me how to float—except you were terrible at it yourself. You kept sinking, and I had to keep pulling you up."

Leah let out a small laugh, the sound warming Kai's chest.

"I told you I'd never forgive you for nearly drowning me," Kai continued, his smile growing. "But you just laughed and said it was the most fun you'd ever had."

For a moment, the three of them stood there in the stillness of the night, the tension easing as Leah's laughter filled the air.

---

Damon's POV:

Damon closed his eyes, his chest tightening at the sound of her laughter. It was a sound he hadn't heard in centuries, a sound that had once been his entire world.

"You always did have a way of dragging us into trouble," Damon said quietly, his voice laced with bittersweet fondness.

Leah turned to him, her brow furrowing. "What do you mean?"

Damon hesitated, his crimson eyes softening as he looked at her. "There was this one time…you wanted to bake something for the village children. You said they deserved a taste of something sweet after everything they'd been through."

Leah's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of recognition dancing in her gaze.

"You made me grind flour for hours," Damon continued, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "And when the dough wouldn't rise, you blamed me for 'doing it wrong.'"

Leah laughed again, the sound so pure and familiar that it sent a pang through Damon's chest.

"You were terrible at it," he admitted, his voice softening further. "But when the children tried what you made, they smiled like it was the best thing they'd ever tasted. And you…you looked so happy. Like you'd just saved the world."

Leah bit her lip, her eyes glistening as she looked between them.

"I don't remember any of this," she whispered, her voice trembling. "But it feels…real. Like I can almost see it."

---

Kai crossed his arms, his golden eyes flicking to Damon. "I don't know what's worse—the fact that you were baking or the fact that you apparently let her boss you around."

Damon raised an eyebrow, his lips curving into a smirk. "And you didn't?"

Kai opened his mouth to retort but stopped himself, realizing that Damon had a point.

Leah let out a soft snort, covering her mouth with her hand. "Wow, so you're both pushovers. Good to know."

Kai shot her a playful glare, his wolf huffing in mock offense. "Pushover? I'd like to see you try to boss me around now."

Leah arched an eyebrow, a mischievous smile spreading across her face. "Oh, I'm sure I could manage."

Damon chuckled, the sound low and warm. "You always did have a way of getting what you wanted."

For the first time in what felt like forever, the tension between them seemed to ease, replaced by something softer—something almost like hope.

---

As the night deepened, the three of them sat together under the stars, the soft glow of the moon illuminating their faces. Leah leaned back against a tree, her gaze drifting upward as she tried to make sense of everything.

She could feel the bond pulling at her, tugging her heart in two directions. It wasn't fair—to her, to Kai, to Damon.

But as she looked at them, their faces bathed in moonlight, she realized something that made her heart ache and swell all at once.

They loved her.

Truly, deeply, unconditionally.

And despite the pain and confusion, despite the impossibility of their situation, that love was something beautiful. Something worth holding on to.

"I don't know what's going to happen," Leah said softly, breaking the silence. "But I promise you both this—I won't run away. Not from you, not from this."

Kai and Damon exchanged a glance, their expressions a mixture of relief and sadness.

"Good," Kai said, his voice steady. "Because we're not letting you go."

Damon nodded, his crimson eyes glinting with determination. "Not this time."

Leah smiled, though her heart still ached with uncertainty. For now, it was enough to know that she wasn't alone.

And as the night stretched on, filled with laughter, memories, and quiet promises, the three of them began to find solace in the fragile, complicated bond they shared.