Claimed By Two Alphas

The Thing Between Them

By dawn, the estate already knew. Not the truth. Only pieces of it.

The heir had argued with the Alpha King. Voices had echoed from Cassian's office. Kael had left looking as though someone had died.

Servants whispered in kitchens. Guards exchanged glances during patrol shifts. The tension inside the Thorne estate had become something visible, pressing against every hallway like an approaching storm.

Only three people knew why. And none of them could speak.

"The Alpha King has ordered a full pack assembly this evening."

Lyra looked up from her untouched breakfast. "A gathering?"

The servant nodded. "Every ranked member is required to attend."

Her stomach twisted. She hadn't stepped inside the great hall since the night everything changed. Since her first heat. Since Cassian.

She remembered running through those corridors, terrified and confused. She remembered believing she was going to die. Instead... Something much more dangerous had begun.

~

Kael hadn't slept. Dark circles framed his eyes, and his usually neat uniform hung carelessly beneath an unbuttoned jacket.

Rowan found him standing alone in the training yard. "You look terrible."

"I know."

"Did you confront him?"

Kael didn't answer immediately. "Everything I feared was true."

Rowan's expression changed. "...The Alpha King?"

Kael laughed bitterly. "I spent my entire life wanting to become the kind of Alpha he was." He looked toward the distant manor. "Now I don't know who he is."

Rowan remained silent. "What are you going to do?"

Kael's gaze hardened. "I don't know." His voice dropped. "But I know one thing."

"What?"

"I won't let Lyra carry this alone."

~

Cassian stood before the mirror fastening the cuffs of his black dress coat. His reflection appeared unchanged. Cold. Composed. Untouchable. Only he knew how false that image had become.

A knock interrupted the silence.

"Enter."

His Beta advisor, Elias, stepped inside. "The council has arrived."

Cassian nodded. "Good."

Elias hesitated. "There is... another matter. The rumors."

"What rumors?"

"The pack believes someone has already claimed Lyra Vale. They've noticed the changes in her scent." Elias chose his next words carefully. "Some believe an outside Alpha entered our territory."

"Finish."

"Some believe someone within the estate is responsible."

Cassian's pale eyes darkened. "No names?"

"Not yet."

Cassian looked toward the window. "See that it remains that way."

The great hall looked exactly as it had one week ago. Towering stone pillars. Silver wolf banners. Rows upon rows of ranked wolves.

Yet to Lyra... Nothing felt familiar. Every scent reached her more sharply now. Every Alpha presence brushed against her nerves. She instinctively searched the room.

Not for Kael. For him. She hated herself for it. Then she found him.

Cassian stood upon the raised platform beside the council, speaking quietly with several elders. As though sensing her gaze... He looked directly at her.

The world disappeared. Their eyes met for only a heartbeat. It was enough. The invisible bond tightened.

Heat blossomed beneath Lyra's skin. No. Not here. Please...

She immediately looked away. Her breathing became uneven.

"Lyra?" Kael appeared beside her. "You look pale."

"I'm fine."

He frowned. "No, you're not."

She smiled weakly. "I just need some air."

Before Kael could answer— The gathering began.

Cassian stepped forward. Instant silence filled the hall. "Assemble." His commanding voice echoed through the chamber. Everyone obeyed.

Lyra lowered her head. Focus. Just survive tonight. Nothing else.

Cassian began addressing routine pack matters. Border security. Harvest allocations. Training schedules. His voice remained steady. Measured. Professional.

Until— A faint floral scent drifted through the hall. His heartbeat stuttered. Lyra.

His eyes found her before he consciously searched. She stood near the rear, gripping the back of a chair. Her breathing had become shallow.

No. Not now.

She looked up. Their gazes collided once more. The effect was immediate. Lyra gasped. A soft whimper escaped her lips. Every Alpha in the room stiffened.

"What was that scent?"

"It changed."

"Did you feel that?"

Whispers spread rapidly. Lyra's legs weakened. The pull became unbearable. Every instinct urged her forward. Toward him. Toward safety. Toward the Alpha whose presence silenced the ache inside her.

"No..." She whispered to herself. "Stop."

But her body refused. One step. Then another. The entire hall watched as Lyra unconsciously walked toward the Alpha King. Cassian's expression remained perfectly controlled.

Inside... His wolf roared. Come here. He clenched his fists. Move. Stop her. Don't let them see. Too late. The whispers grew louder.

"She's responding to him."

"That's impossible."

"Is that..."

"No." An elder Alpha stood. "That resembles an Alpha-level claim."

The words detonated across the hall.

Lyra froze. Horror flooded her face. "No!" Her voice cracked. "It's not—"

She couldn't finish. Because another wave struck. Her knees buckled. Before she reached the floor— Strong arms caught her.

Kael. "I've got you." He pulled her close, shielding her from dozens of questioning eyes. His own heart shattered. Because even in his embrace... She wasn't calming down. Her breathing remained frantic. The scent continued intensifying.

Someone spoke from the crowd. "Separate them."

Another Alpha stepped forward. "If she's reacting to a claim, we need confirmation."

Kael's growl shook the room. "No one touches her."

Several Alphas instinctively stepped back. His dominance exploded outward. Protective. Territorial.

"Enough." Cassian's single word silenced the hall. He descended from the platform. Slowly. Every step made Lyra's body react.

Kael felt it. The trembling intensified.

Then— The Alpha King stopped several feet away. Far enough to avoid suspicion. Close enough that the bond responded.

Lyra's breathing steadied almost immediately. Kael noticed. His chest tightened painfully. He knew. He knew exactly why.

An elder frowned. "Alpha King..."

Cassian didn't look away from the crowd. "Miss Vale is recovering from an unusually difficult first heat." His voice carried effortless authority. "Residual instinct is expected."

Another elder frowned. "This appears beyond residual."

"It is not."

"You sound certain."

"I am."

Silence followed. No one challenged him. Because no one challenged Cassian Thorne publicly. Not even the council.

Cassian's gaze shifted briefly toward Kael. "Escort her back to her quarters."

Kael met his father's eyes. The understanding between them was immediate. Protect her. Hide this.

For once... They wanted the same thing.

Kael nodded. Without another word, he guided Lyra toward the exit.

The whispers followed them.

"Did you see that?"

"She walked straight toward the Alpha King."

"I've never witnessed anything like it."

"Who claimed her?"

"Was it really someone inside the estate?"

No answers came. Only growing suspicion. Outside the hall, Lyra finally broke.

"I'm sorry." The apology came between sobs. "I'm so sorry."

Kael gently held her shoulders. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I embarrassed everyone."

"No."

She shook her head desperately. "They saw." Her voice broke. "They all saw."

Kael swallowed the lump in his throat. "They don't know anything."

"They will."

"They won't."

She looked at him. "How can you be so sure?"

Because I know who it is. The words almost escaped. Instead— "Because I'll stand in front of every rumor before it reaches you."

Lyra's tears fell harder. "You shouldn't."

"I know." A sad smile crossed his face. "But I'm going to anyway."

She leaned forward. Wrapping her arms around him.

Kael held her carefully. Closing his eyes. For one brief moment... He allowed himself to pretend she was choosing him.

From the entrance to the great hall... Cassian watched silently. He should have felt relieved. Kael was protecting her. Exactly as he always had.

Instead... A dangerous possessiveness stirred beneath his carefully controlled exterior. His wolf didn't see his son. It only saw another Alpha holding what it had already accepted as its own.

Cassian turned away before instinct could betray him again. But he didn't notice the pair of calculating eyes observing everything from the council seats.

Elder Magnus. The oldest Alpha on the council. He had seen Lyra's reaction. He had seen Cassian's restraint. And after fifty years of serving the Thorne Pack... He recognized the signs of an impossible bond.

For the first time in decades... The Alpha King's greatest secret was no longer known by only three people.

Someone else had begun putting the pieces together. And unlike Kael... Magnus intended to find the truth.