Fractured Bonds

The air in the room felt thick—charged, heavy, like it was on the verge of breaking. I could feel the tension between Cassian and Viktor, their presence like two opposing storms clashing, and I was caught right in the middle. I had never felt so trapped in my life. 

Viktor stood with his arms crossed, his eyes steady, a cold smile playing on his lips. "You're still resisting," he said, his voice smooth, calculated. "But you can't keep running from this. You don't even understand what you're capable of, Kieran. You think this is just some mistake, some twist of fate, but this power inside you? It's ancient. It belongs to you, and only you. It could tip the balance of power in the world. My world."

Cassian's jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides. He glared at Viktor, his body vibrating with tension. "And you think you can just walk in here, talk to him like that? He's mine. He's my mate, Viktor. Not yours."

Viktor's gaze flickered to Cassian, and for a split second, I saw something cold and dangerous behind those eyes. But then he turned back to me, his focus entirely on me now. "I don't care about your bond. Not when it could lead to the downfall of everything. I'm offering Kieran the truth—the power he has, the legacy he carries. You don't even know what it means to have him by your side."

I felt a knot tighten in my stomach. The tension between them was suffocating, but worse, I felt the pull—the undeniable pull of both of them. Each one claimed me in a different way, but both were equally suffocating. The thought of choosing either of them made my head spin. 

"Stop," I muttered, my voice barely a whisper, but loud enough to make them both freeze. "I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be part of your power struggles."

Cassian's eyes darkened, his breath coming fast. "You don't get to stay neutral in this, Kieran," he snapped. "You can't just keep avoiding it. You are the one at the center of this mess. Your bloodline—your power—it's not something you can just ignore."

Viktor stepped closer, his voice lower now, almost coaxing. "You can be more than just his mate, Kieran. You have a legacy—a destiny that has nothing to do with Cassian's world. You can help me reshape this world. With your bloodline, we could change everything."

I shook my head, the weight of their words pressing on me. It felt like they were both pulling at me in opposite directions. I wanted to scream, to run, to escape it all, but there was nowhere to hide. No matter how far I ran, they would find me. And now, with the bond growing between Cassian and me, it was becoming harder to resist.

"I'm not yours," I spat at Viktor, my words sharp. "I'm not anyone's. Not Cassian's. Not yours. I don't want to play your games, Viktor. I don't want any of this power you're talking about. I just want to be left alone."

Viktor's smile faltered for a moment, the façade slipping, but then he regained control. "You'll see soon enough. You'll understand what I mean." His gaze flicked to Cassian, and his voice was colder. "And Cassian… You'd do well to remember who you're dealing with."

Cassian's eyes flashed, and before I could react, he took a step forward, his anger palpable. "You're pushing too hard, Viktor. Stay the hell away from him. Kieran has already chosen me, whether he realizes it or not."

The words stung, sharper than I expected, and something inside me twisted. The pull between us—between me and Cassian—was stronger now, undeniable. I could feel the bond vibrating through me, tugging at every fiber of my being. But as much as I hated it, I couldn't ignore the growing sense of responsibility. Cassian had claimed me, yes. But did I claim him in return?

Viktor's eyes narrowed, but he stepped back, sensing Cassian's rising aggression. "You think you have control over him?" He let out a low laugh. "This isn't about you, Cassian. It never was. This is about Kieran. The omega with the power to destroy everything—or save it all."

Cassian looked at me then, his expression softening for a moment, and I saw something I hadn't expected: fear. Fear not of losing a battle, but of losing me. 

"Kieran," he said, his voice quieter now, his guard dropping just a little. "I won't force you into this, but I won't let you turn away from what's ours. I don't want to lose you—not just as my mate, but as part of my pack. You're… you're everything."

I didn't know what to say. The raw emotion in his voice—his vulnerability—it made my chest ache. Cassian wasn't just an Alpha. He wasn't just my mate. He was a part of me now, and that was something I couldn't ignore, no matter how hard I tried.

But Viktor was still here, his presence like a constant reminder of what I was supposed to be. What I was destined to be.

"I don't need your help," I said, the words coming out more forcefully than I intended. "I don't need either of you. I never asked for any of this."

But as I spoke those words, something within me stirred—something dark and powerful. The bond between me and Cassian, and now Viktor's constant presence, was like gasoline on a fire, pushing me closer and closer to something I couldn't control.

"I'm not going to choose," I said, my voice trembling slightly. "I won't. I won't pick sides. I can't."

Viktor's smile faded entirely. "Then we'll see how long you can stay neutral, Kieran," he warned, his tone low and dangerous. "Time is running out."

Just as Viktor made to leave, the air in the room seemed to shift, the temperature rising, and a sharp surge of energy rippled through me. My skin prickled, and I could feel it—a force inside me, raw and untamed. It was the power I had never understood, the power Viktor had mentioned, awakening.

I gasped, my body convulsing with the intensity of it, and before I knew what was happening, I felt the bond stretch, pulling tighter between Cassian and me. The room seemed to tremble as if the force of the power was going to tear it apart.

Cassian and Viktor both stepped back instinctively, their eyes widening in disbelief.

"Kieran…" Cassian's voice was strained, almost a whisper. "What the hell is happening?"

I could barely answer. The power inside me was overwhelming, like a dam that had just broken open, and I could feel it surging through my veins, filling me with a terrifying strength.

And then, before either of them could react, the surge of energy erupted.

It was like a tidal wave crashing through the room—crushing, raw, unstoppable. I didn't even understand what I was doing. All I knew was that the force was too much, too overwhelming to control. 

Both Cassian and Viktor were thrown back by the blast, crashing into the walls with enough force to shake the entire building. The room went silent for a moment, the weight of what had just happened settling in.

I stood there, trembling, unsure of what I had just done—or who I was becoming.

This was only the beginning. And I wasn't sure I could stop it.