A Second Mate?

I blinked rapidly, my head spinning as I tried to process everything happening. The assassin had left, but his cryptic words echoed in my ears— They will come for you? What did that mean? Who was he, and why was he calling me King? Was this some kind of twisted joke?

I shook my head, trying to clear the fog. My heartbeat was still pounding in my chest, and the residual heat from the power that had surged through me—no omega should feel that way—hadn't fully subsided. That power was mine, yet it didn't belong to me at the same time. It was a part of me, but it was also something alien and dangerous.

Before I could collect my thoughts, the door to the infirmary flew open with a bang. I stiffened, bracing for whatever new chaos was about to be unleashed. Cassian strode in, his eyes flashing gold, his body radiating fury. He was a storm, and I was standing right in its path.

"Who the hell was that?" His voice was cold, dangerous. He crossed the room in a few long strides and stood over me, looking like he was ready to tear me apart if I didn't answer him. "What did he want with you?"

I tried to sit up, but the chains around my wrists and ankles kept me tethered to the bed. Frustration bubbled inside me, mixing with the unease I couldn't shake. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. What could I say? I barely knew anything myself. I didn't have the answers he wanted. Hell, I didn't even understand what was happening to me, much less explain the assassin's cryptic message.

"I don't know who he was," I finally managed, my voice rough and quiet, but steady. "I don't know what he wanted."

Cassian's gaze didn't soften. If anything, it grew sharper, more suspicious. His jaw clenched as he stood over me, arms crossed tightly over his chest. He was trying to gauge me, I could see it in his eyes—assessing, calculating, maybe even trying to figure out if I was lying. 

"I don't believe you," Cassian snarled. His fangs glinted as he gritted his teeth. "You've been hiding things from me since the moment you arrived. And now this? You're telling me you don't know who that was?"

I flinched at the bite in his words. "I'm not lying," I said through clenched teeth, fighting to keep my voice steady. "I swear, I don't know anything about that man or why he came here. He just—showed up. I have no idea what he wanted."

Cassian's eyes narrowed, his golden gaze scrutinizing me. He didn't believe me. I could see it in every tense muscle in his face. But what could I say? I had no explanation for what had happened. I didn't know who that assassin was or why he'd come for me.

"I'm not buying it," Cassian muttered, more to himself than to me. "You've been a ghost for years, Kieran. And now, out of nowhere, you're here, and this assassin is coming after you? No. Something's not adding up."

I met his gaze, not flinching this time. "It's not my fault," I spat, heat rising in my chest. "I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be dragged into your world or—" I stopped, feeling the mate bond pulling at me again, a strange tug that only seemed to grow stronger with every word we exchanged.

Cassian looked down at me, and for a moment, his expression softened, just slightly. But the next second, his anger returned, fiercer than before. "You're not telling me everything," he growled. "But I'll find out."

He turned on his heel, the weight of his presence heavy as he left the room without another word, slamming the door behind him. The moment it clicked shut, I let out a shaky breath. The bond between us—the one that was still simmering under the surface—reminded me of its existence, tugging at my thoughts.

I tried to ignore it. I wasn't ready for this. I wasn't ready for him.

But the moment I thought the tension in the room would settle, I caught a scent—different from Cassian, yet familiar in its own way. Another Alpha.

My heart stuttered in my chest, and I froze. The scent was rich, overpowering, and filled the room like smoke. It was stronger than Cassian's—darker, more dangerous. It hit me like a punch to the gut, and before I could process the overwhelming sensation, the door swung open again.

I was unprepared for the man who walked through it.

His presence flooded the room, and my breath caught in my throat. He was tall, muscular—his dark hair hanging loose around his sharp features. But it wasn't his appearance that made me feel like the ground had shifted beneath me. No, it was the bond. The bond that snapped into place with a force so overwhelming, I felt it down to my very core.

The man's eyes locked onto mine, and everything inside me trembled. I wanted to look away, but I couldn't. The connection was too strong, too real. Too powerful.

He stood there for a moment, as if just as stunned as I was. Then his lips curled into something that looked like a smile—or maybe a smirk. 

"It's you," he said softly, almost to himself. His voice was deep, smooth, and entirely too familiar. "I've found you."

I couldn't speak. I didn't know how to respond. The bond between us was too strong, too instantaneous. It wasn't like the bond with Cassian. No, this one was different, rawer, deeper. It was almost... uncontrollable. 

Suddenly, everything clicked. Another mate?

No. No, this couldn't be happening. How could this be happening? The bond between me and Cassian was supposed to be enough—wasn't it? 

"Cassian," I whispered, barely able to form the words. But I could feel him—Cassian—entering the room behind the new Alpha, his presence heavy and predatory.

"Brother?" Cassian's voice cracked, disbelief coating every word. 

My head spun as the reality hit me like a freight train. The man in front of me wasn't just any Alpha. He was Cassian's brother.

The bond between us pulsed again, a reminder of its weight, of its inevitability. I didn't understand any of this. Was I supposed to choose between them? How could fate be this cruel?

Cassian's voice trembled with emotion. "You're really here." His eyes flickered to me, a flash of something dark and dangerous in his gaze. "What does this mean?"

I couldn't answer. I didn't know.

The new Alpha, the one who shared Cassian's blood, looked at me again—his gaze never wavering. "It's time," he said simply. "Time for you to take your rightful place."

My mind reeled. What was he talking about? What was he going to do to me? To Cassian?

As the tension in the room thickened, I felt the weight of their eyes on me, their futures intertwined with mine in ways I couldn't begin to understand. The path ahead felt darker than ever, and all I could do was stand there, trapped in the web of their bond.