The Claiming

I could feel the weight of their eyes on me, both Cassian's and Viktor's. The tension in the room was suffocating, thick as the air before a storm. My heart raced, unsure of what to do with the conflicting pull that latched itself to my chest like iron chains. Two Alphas. Two mates. And me, caught in the middle of it all.

I had no idea how to process this.

Cassian stood to my left, every muscle in his body taut as a bowstring, his nostrils flaring with each deep breath he took. His sharp gaze never wavered from Viktor, his brother, who stood across from him, the same predatory stance, though his eyes glinted with something darker. There was a strange, invisible tug in my chest, stronger than I had ever felt before, and it seemed to come from both of them. It was agonizing.

"Tell me, Kieran," Viktor's voice was smooth, calm, a contrast to the storm raging in the room. "Why do you resist me? Why fight this connection we share?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but nothing came out. The bond between us… it was like an electric current running under my skin. It buzzed, an undeniable force pulling me toward him, yet I still couldn't fathom it.

Cassian's hand curled into a fist beside me, his chest rising with each breath. "What do you mean, 'share'? Kieran is mine," he snarled, his eyes never leaving Viktor's.

Viktor's lips curled into a tight smile. "Not anymore. The bond was already there when I arrived, wasn't it, Kieran?" His gaze flicked to mine, and I could feel the weight of it. "You feel it too. Don't pretend you don't."

I swallowed hard, the heat in my chest flaring to life as my body betrayed me, yearning for something I didn't understand. The connection to Viktor was so intense, so powerful. It was undeniable.

"I don't—" I began, my voice strained, but the words caught in my throat as my body trembled from the pressure. It was like trying to resist the very air I breathed. Every part of me screamed to embrace it, but I couldn't. Not like this.

Cassian's voice interrupted, harsh and impatient. "You think you can just walk in here and claim what's mine?" He took a step forward, his eyes flashing. "You have no right to him, Viktor. You never have."

The venom in Cassian's voice hit me like a slap, and I flinched, the cold, bitter sting of his words sinking deep. I couldn't help but feel the shift in the air. The tension between the brothers wasn't just palpable—it was explosive. Their rivalry stretched back years, and I could feel the weight of it now, the hostility simmering just beneath the surface.

Viktor's smile never faltered. "Right? Who defines that, Cassian? You?" His voice took on a mocking edge. "Tell me, little brother, how much longer are you going to play at being the dominant Alpha? How long before you realize that Kieran is far more than your mate?"

My head spun, the pull from both men making it hard to think clearly. I could feel my powers thrumming just beneath my skin, each heartbeat thrumming with a force I couldn't control. It was more than the bond. It was something else, something ancient and deep. It was as though the prophecy was awakening inside me, and I had no idea how to stop it.

Cassian took a step toward me, his voice low and dangerous. "You're mine, Kieran. Don't you get it? I'll protect you. I'll fight for you, no matter what. You belong to me. No one else."

Viktor's eyes darkened, but his voice remained calm. "You think you're the only one who can protect him, Cassian?" He stepped closer, his gaze never leaving mine. "You're wrong. There's a power in Kieran that even you can't understand. You think you know everything about him, but you're just scratching the surface."

I flinched at Viktor's words, his voice wrapping around me like a rope, pulling me in. I wanted to ignore it. I wanted to shove it away. But I couldn't. I had never felt something like this before—two Alphas, pulling at me, claiming me in their own ways. It was dizzying, suffocating.

Cassian's eyes flicked toward Viktor, then back to me. His jaw clenched, and his hand shot out to grip my arm, a raw and possessive movement. "You don't get to take him from me, Viktor. He's mine. I've claimed him."

Viktor's expression remained unreadable, but his voice was sharp. "Not yet, Cassian. Not until Kieran chooses."

The words stung more than I thought they would. The weight of the situation was becoming too much for me to bear. I felt like I was drowning in this sea of emotions and conflicting desires. I wanted to tell them both to leave me alone, to give me space to breathe, but I couldn't.

"Choose?" I finally managed to croak, my voice shaky and raw. "I don't even understand what's happening here, Viktor. I don't know who I am anymore, let alone what I'm supposed to choose."

Viktor's gaze softened just slightly, though his voice remained firm. "The prophecy, Kieran. You know it's true. You've felt it, haven't you?"

I wanted to scream, to tell him that I didn't want to be part of some ancient prophecy, that I didn't want to be tied to this power I could barely control. But the truth was, I had always known something was different about me. Something had always been wrong, even as I had tried to ignore it.

I looked at Cassian, feeling the bond between us flare even as my heart broke with the thought of choosing. He was my Alpha. My mate. But Viktor—Viktor felt like something else, something I couldn't define.

"I don't want this," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I don't want to be anyone's mate."

Cassian's grip tightened, and his expression hardened. "You don't get to choose that, Kieran." His voice was a low growl. "You are mine."

Viktor's words cut through the tension like a knife. "Not yet, Cassian. Not while he's still mine."

The words hung in the air, thick with meaning. I could feel the weight of the prophecy bearing down on me, suffocating me in its hold. I had no idea what my future held. I had no idea who I was meant to be. All I knew was that I was caught in a battle for my soul, and I didn't know how to escape.

Cassian's eyes flashed with a possessive fire as he stepped forward, blocking Viktor's path. "You won't take him from me."

Viktor smiled, a cold, calculating smile that sent a shiver down my spine. "We'll see about that."

The air around us crackled with tension, and I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, my powers flaring wildly. It was getting harder to control them.

"Enough," I gasped, trying to steady my breathing. "Please, stop. I can't do this."

But neither man seemed willing to relent. As they locked eyes, I could feel the inevitability of what was coming.

Cassian turned toward me, his expression softened with a trace of fear I hadn't expected. "Kieran…"

And just like that, I realized something: no matter who I chose, it would never be enough to erase the power inside me. The prophecy was alive inside me. It was a part of me now, whether I liked it or not.

"Make a choice, Kieran," Viktor's voice slid through the tension, cold and steady. "You can't run from fate forever."

I closed my eyes, and for the first time, I felt the crushing weight of my destiny.

As the room grows heavy with silence, my power thrums beneath my skin, threatening to break free once again. The brothers stare at each other, and I realize that no matter what I choose, my life will never be the same again.