3
1012 Words
Selene's POV
The Weston estate was exactly what I imagined the home of the territory's most powerful family would look like.
Ancient.Imposing.Untouchable.
Towering stone walls rose behind heavy iron gates, while centuries-old oak trees surrounded the property like silent guards. Even the air felt different here. It's heavier somehow, carrying the scent of cedar, rain, and old magic.
No wonder everyone spoke about the Westons with equal parts admiration and fear.
The closer we drove to the estate, the quieter Zane became. At first, I thought he was simply tired.
Then I noticed the way his fingers tightened around the steering wheel.
The easy smile he'd worn since the ball was gone.
He glanced at me several times, as if he wanted to say something, but each time he seemed to change his mind.
"You're nervous," I said.
He forced a smile."A little."
"About introducing me to your brother?"
His grip tightened."About everything."
That answer didn't make me feel better. The car rolled to a stop in front of the massive entrance.
Before either of us could get out, the front door opened. A middle-aged man dressed in a black suit stepped outside.
"Welcome home, Alpha Zane."
He inclined his head respectfully before turning to me.
"Miss Voss."
I blinked.
"You know who I am?"
"Master Zane informed the household you would be arriving."
I looked at Zane."You planned this?"
"I hoped you'd say yes."
I wasn't sure how I felt about that. The servant led us inside. The entrance hall was breathtaking.
Dark timber beams stretched across the high ceiling, while polished stone floors reflected the warm glow of crystal chandeliers.
Portraits of past Weston Alphas lined the walls, their painted eyes seeming to follow us as we walked.
It felt less like entering a home and more like stepping into history.
"Alpha Cain is in the study," the servant informed us.
Zane nodded."Thank you."
As we continued down the hallway, he leaned closer.
"Stay close to me."
I raised an eyebrow."Why?"
Before he could answer, a deep voice echoed through the corridor.
"Zane."
The single word stopped us both. Something strange stirred inside me.
A sharp pull. It was Faint. Barely there.But enough to make my heartbeat quicken.
A man stepped out of the study.Tall.Broad-shouldered.Dressed in a charcoal shirt with the sleeves rolled to his forearms.
His dark hair was slightly messy, as though he'd been working for hours, and his sharp features carried the kind of authority that couldn't be learned.
He looked at Zane first. Then his gaze shifted to me. Time stopped. The world blurred around me.
No...It couldn't be. I knew that face.
Five years had passed, but I'd never forgotten it.
Cain Weston.
Top graduate of Crescent Academy.
The man who had taken the leadership position I'd spent years fighting for.
The man I'd blamed for destroying my future.
My chest tightened.
"You."
The word left my mouth before I could stop it.
His brows drew together. Recognition flashed across his face.
"You."
There wasn't an ounce of warmth in his voice. Only surprise.Then indifference.
Behind me, Zane looked between us.
"You know each other."
Neither of us answered. Silence settled over the hallway. My pulse hammered in my ears. Out of every man in the territory...Why him?
Why now?
Cain took one slow step forward. His eyes never left mine. Then it happened. The bond exploded.
It wasn't like the gentle warmth I'd felt with Zane.
This was violent. It was Wild.
It tore through me so fiercely that I stumbled backward.
Mate.
The word echoed inside my mind.
No......No.....No.
I already had a mate.
I couldn't—
My breath caught.
Cain froze.
For the first time since he'd appeared, emotion cracked through his calm expression. He looked Shocked
His jaw clenched.
His hands curled into fists. Then, just as quickly, every trace of emotion disappeared behind a wall of perfect control.
If I hadn't seen it myself, I would have thought I'd imagined it.
Zane exhaled quietly."So..."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"I guess we have our answer."
Cain ignored him completely."What is she doing here?"
I stared at him. Seriously?
"That's your first question?"
"What else should I ask?"
"Oh, I don't know."I laughed bitterly.
"Maybe 'How have you been?'"
His eyes narrowed."You disappeared after graduation."
I blinked."What?"
"You left without telling anyone."
Anger surged through me."I left because you stole everything I'd worked for."
His expression hardened."I earned that position."
"You were handed it."
"That's not true."
I folded my arms."The council was never going to choose anyone but a Weston."
His gaze sharpened."You believe that?"
"I know it."
His jaw flexed."You have no idea what I sacrificed for that title."
"And you have no idea what losing it cost me."
The bond pulsed painfully between us. Every angry word seemed to tighten it. As though fate didn't care whether we loved or hated each other.
It simply wanted us together. I hated that thought. I hated him even more for making me feel it.
Cain looked away first. Only for a second. But I noticed.
"So..." he said quietly, turning toward Zane.
"You brought her here without warning me."
"I had to be sure."
Cain let out a humourless laugh."You slept with her first."
Heat rushed to my face.
Zane sighed."That wasn't exactly planned."
"But it happened."
Neither brother spoke after that. The silence felt heavier than any argument. Cain looked back at me. The bond pulled again.
Harder this time.
It felt like an invisible force trying to drag us toward each other. His expression darkened.
He felt it too. And judging by the look in his eyes...He hated it every bit as much as I did.
Finally, he spoke.
"You should leave."
Zane frowned.
"Cain—"
"I'm serious."
His voice remained calm, but beneath that calm was something dangerously close to breaking.
"This situation is already complicated enough."
I crossed my arms."You think I wanted this?"
His eyes locked onto mine.
"No."
His answer came quietly.
"I think that's exactly why we're all in trouble."
- Writer
