Claimed By Two Alphas

The Unstable Bond

Lyra didn't sleep— she couldn't. She lay awake staring at the folded note resting on her bedside table.

"Be careful, little Omega."

In all the years she had spent in the Thorne Pack, her presence had never left a mark on anyone— aside for Karl. At least except on special occasions when it's more convenient to enslave a poor Omega who would never say no to any request. So, now... who would waste precious time to send a cryptic message for an Omega like her?

Moonlight spilled across her room, illuminating the unfamiliar handwriting. The scent lingering on the paper haunted her even more. It smelled so much like... an Alpha male— unknown. It wasn't Kael. It wasn't Cassian. At least it wasn't anyone she recognized.

That night, every instinct inside her screamed danger. Yet exhaustion eventually dragged her into restless sleep. Unfortunately, sleep offered no mercy.

"Cassian..." The name slipped from her lips before she realized she had spoken. She stood in complete darkness as warmth crawled beneath her skin. Not as violent as her first heat, not consuming, but enough to make her restless— enough to remind her.

A pair of pale gray eyes emerged from the shadows. Steady— staring, carefully watching. "You shouldn't be here," Cassian's voice echoed around her.

The exact same words. The same cold restraint. Yet his hands remembered differently.

"You lied," Lyra whispered. "You said it meant nothing."

His expression didn't change, "It shouldn't. You know it shouldn't." The answer shattered something fragile inside her.

Then— he stepped closer. Close enough for cedar and cold iron to surround her. Close enough that her breathing became difficult, "It changes nothing. That night was a mistake, Lyra Vale."

"But it changed me."

The distance between them disappeared in one swift move. The next thing she felt were large hands settling against her face— careful, possessive. "Look at me," Cassian murmured.

The command wrapped around her spine. Her body obeyed before thought could intervene. Then— everything vanished.

Lyra woke with a gasp. Sweat dampened her skin. Her pulse raced. The room felt unbearably hot.

No. Damn it. Not again...

Her fingers trembled as she pressed them against her neck. The lingering ache beneath her skin intensified. A soft whimper escaped her, "Cassian..." The name came out instinctively. Immediately afterward, guilt crashed into her.

Kael... Kael, who had confessed his love. Kael, who had always chosen her. Kael, who deserved better than this.

Tears blurred her vision. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she stop thinking about HIM? Of all the people, why does it have to be him? Why does it have to be Cassian Thorne? Why does it have to be Kael's father?

~

Across the estate, Cassian Thorne abruptly opened his eyes. The Alpha King had slept for perhaps two hours. He rarely needed more. Years of leadership had conditioned his body to function despite exhaustion. However, that night was different.

Because something had yanked him awake. His wolf surged violently beneath his skin. His awareness sharpened. His instinct roared. Find her.

His jaw tightened, "No," he fought back. However, the word echoed through his dark bedroom once more.

Find her.

Protect her.

Anchor.

Mine.

Cassian sat upright. He breathed in and out slowly. Deliberately.But the sensation refused to disappear. And he was, somehow, tolerating it. He knew there was a pull. Though it was subtle, it remained persistent. As though invisible threads stretched between him and another heartbeat. He recognized it immediately. And hated it. Absolutely hated it— the bond. He had spent days suppressing it. Ignoring it. Denying its existence. Yet now... he could literally feel her distress.

He closed his eyes. Tightly shut. Only to feel her even louder. She was frightened. Uncomfortable. Unstable.

His hands curled into fists. No. He would not go to her. He is Cassian Thorne. He ruled an entire pack through discipline. He should not surrender to instinct.

Minutes passed. Then another. The pull only intensified instead of dissipating. For once, his body's primal need to attend to Lyra Vale's calls pushed him to stand up. As he did, Lyra stumbled into the hallway. She couldn't breathe.

The estate slept around her. Moonlight illuminated endless corridors. But her body felt wrong. No, it was not another heat. At least not entirely— just fragments, residual. Her scent sharpened. The ache beneath her skin deepened. She wrapped her arms around herself.

"Please..." the plea dissolved into silence. She didn't know who she was begging.

Herself.

The Moon Goddess.

Fate.

Anyone.

Then— footsteps. Measured. Unhurried. Her breath caught.

Cassian emerged from the darkness. He stopped immediately. Pale eyes widened slightly. "Lyra." His voice dropped lower.

The scent hit him instantly. Residual heat. His wolf snarled. Anchor her.

She looked up at him. Relief flooded her expression so quickly it physically hurt to witness.

"Cassian." The way she said his name nearly shattered his restraint. She took a step toward him. Then another. "I don't know what's happening." Fear trembled beneath every word. "It hurts."

Cassian inhaled sharply. Her scent wrapped around him. Not overwhelming. But intimate. Familiar.

He should leave. Call Miriam. Maintain distance. Instead— he spoke, "What symptoms?"

She blinked. "What?"

"What hurts?"

"The restlessness." Her voice shook. "I can't sleep. I can't stop thinking." She paused. Then softly— "I keep dreaming about you."

Silence consumed the corridor. Cassian stood motionless. His control cracked. Not because of the confession. Because she sounded ashamed.

"You did nothing wrong." The reassurance escaped before thought.

Lyra stared at him, "You keep protecting me."

"I protect my pack."

"You said that already." Her eyes glistened. "But you also said no one else would've mattered."

Cassian looked away first. A dangerous mistake. Because Lyra closed the distance.

"Cassian." She stopped directly in front of him. Smaller. Fragile. Looking up "What am I supposed to do?"

The question destroyed him. Because he, too, didn't know.

The Alpha King possessed answers for wars.Politics. Territory disputes. He knew how to carry entire packs through disaster. Yet one frightened Omega asking for guidance left him speechless.

His hand lifted. Slowly. Hovering near her cheek. He shouldn't. He knew that.

Lyra leaned into his touch before he made contact. The smallest movement. Instinctive. Trusting.

His fingers brushed her skin. Both froze.

Relief washed through Lyra immediately. The ache receded. Her breathing steadied.

Cassian felt it too. The bond settling. Calming.

His expression darkened. Because denial had become impossible. He affected her. And she affected him.

Neither of them spoke. Until—

"What the hell?" The furious voice shattered the moment.

Lyra jumped.

Cassian's hand immediately dropped.

Kael stood at the opposite end of the corridor. Shock filled his face. Then confusion. Then devastation. Because Lyra looked calmer standing beside his father than she had in days.

And Cassian— Cassian had been touching her.

"Kael..." Lyra's voice broke.

The younger Alpha's gaze moved between them. "What happened?"

Neither answered.

"What happened?" His voice sharpened.

Cassian stepped forward. "Return to your room."

"No." The refusal came instantly.

Kael stared at Lyra. "Were you crying?"

Lyra lowered her eyes. "I..."

"You came to him?" The question sounded wounded.

"I didn't mean to."

"But you still did."

Cassian's expression hardened. "Enough."

Kael ignored him. "Why him?" The pain in his voice cut through Lyra's heart. "I've been here. I've always been here." Brown eyes filled with confusion. "You said you didn't know what you felt."

"I don't." She murmured.

"Then why do you look relieved standing next to my father?"

Silence. The truth sat between them. Ugly. Unfinished.

Lyra's eyes filled with tears. "I don't know." And that honesty hurt the most.

Kael laughed bitterly. "You don't know."

He looked toward Cassian. "You keep telling me nothing happened." The younger Alpha's jaw tightened. "But every single day, she moves closer to you."

Cassian remained unreadable. "You are emotional."

"No." Kael's gaze darkened. "I'm paying attention."

The corridor filled with tension. Alpha against Alpha. Son against father. Neither willing to retreat.

Lyra's pulse accelerated. The lingering discomfort beneath her skin returned. Too many emotions. Too much pressure. Too much guilt. The walls seemed to close in.

"I can't..." She stumbled backward.

Both men moved instantly. "Lyra." The synchronization shocked all three of them.

Kael reached for her.

Cassian caught her first. And the moment his hand settled against her waist— the trembling stopped. Completely.

Silence descended. Kael stared. Lyra stared.

Cassian's expression finally changed. Only slightly. But enough. Because for the first time... Fear flickered in the Alpha King's eyes. Not fear for himself. Fear of what this meant.

Kael took a step back. Color drained from his face. "No." The denial sounded broken. "No..." His voice cracked. Because he'd just witnessed it. The impossible. The Omega he'd loved for years... Settling instinctively beneath another Alpha's touch. His father's touch.

Kael looked at Cassian. Then Lyra. Then turned away. "I need air."

"Kael—"

He stopped her. Without looking back. "Don't." His shoulders shook once. "I just..." His voice fell apart. "...don't follow me right now."

Then he walked away. Leaving devastation in his wake. Lyra watched him disappear. Tears streamed down her face. "I hurt him."

Cassian remained silent. Because she wasn't wrong. The corridor felt unbearably empty.

Finally, Lyra whispered the question both of them feared. "What are we supposed to do?"

Cassian looked down at her. The Omega trembling in his arms. The impossible bond tightening around his ribs. The son he had just wounded. And for the first time in decades... The Alpha King had no answer.

Far above the sleeping estate, thunder rolled across the night sky. And hidden somewhere within the shadows of Thorne territory... A pair of unfamiliar eyes continued to watch. Patient. Interested. Waiting. Because while the Thorne family fractured beneath secrets and forbidden bonds... Someone else had begun noticing the unstable Omega at the center of it all.

And unlike Kael... Unlike Cassian... He had no intention of letting love make him merciful.