Shifting fates

Chapter Nine: Just Hormones

The kitchen feels too quiet, like the silence itself is waiting for something to break it. Lucian moves around, stacking dishes in the sink, humming a little tune that’s annoyingly catchy.

“So,” Lucian says, glancing over his shoulder with a crooked grin, “You’re doing that thing where you don’t say anything and expect me to guess what’s wrong. Spoiler: I’m terrible at mind-reading.”

I shrug, trying to look casual, but my heart is doing that weird flip-flop thing I don’t understand. “I’m fine,” I say, even though the words taste flat.

He steps closer, grabbing a fresh tea bag from the box. “Yeah? You ‘fine’ people are always the ones hiding something. Spill it.”

I roll my eyes, but I can’t stop the tiny smile tugging at my lips. “Fine means fine. Like… not crashing and burning, yet.”

Lucian snorts. “Yet? Oh great, so that’s a countdown to disaster. What’s next? Fireworks? A tornado?”

I snatch the tea bag from his hand before he can tease me more. “I don’t need your optimism right now.”

He laughs and turns the kettle on. The room fills with that warm, comforting sound of boiling water. I watch him, the way his muscles flex under his shirt as he moves around, and suddenly, my chest tightens. Not from stress, but from something else I don’t quite get. My skin prickles where his arm brushes past mine, and I step back, startled by the sudden rush of heat.

Lucian notices. He stops pouring the water and looks at me with a curious tilt of his head.

“You okay?” His voice softens, the teasing gone.

“Yeah,” I lie. “Just… tired.”

He steps closer, and before I can think, his hand finds my arm and squeezes gently. His eyes hold mine longer than usual, searching, like he’s trying to see through whatever walls I’ve built.

The contact sends a confusing jolt through me. My breath catches. I pull my arm back like it’s burned.

“Sorry,” he says immediately, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Did I hurt you?”

“No,” I whisper, even though I want to say yes. It wasn’t pain—it was something else. Something I don’t understand.

Lucian gives me a small, knowing smile. “You’re acting weird. Like you’re trying to fight off some kind of… internal wrestling match.”

I glare, but he’s right. My body feels like it’s caught in a tug-of-war between two parts of me I don’t fully understand.

“You’ve never acted like this before,” he says quietly, still watching me carefully. “You’re… different. And I don’t mean just tired.”

I bite my lip, shaking my head. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“Just talk to me,” he says softly. “You don’t have to pretend here.”

There it is again—the softness in his voice, the way his gaze holds me steady. I want to step away, but my feet feel glued to the floor.

“I… it’s confusing,” I admit, voice barely above a whisper. “I thought... I thought even though I'm Omega I wouldn't react to you, family are immune to Alpha scents. But now…” I trail off, frustrated with myself.

“Now what?” Lucian steps closer, lowering his voice. “Now your body’s acting like I’m not just your brother?”

I shake my head again, this time faster. “It’s like my omega side is waking up for the first time and doesn’t know what to do with you. I don’t understand why my heart races when you touch me, why my skin heats up when you’re near.”

Lucian frowns slightly, his brow creasing. “But you’re telling me you think this is wrong? That I’m—what—family? And you don’t want to feel this way?”

I nod, swallowing hard. “Exactly. It’s like a switch flipped, and I don’t know how to turn it off. I don’t want to feel like this about my brother. I can’t.”

He reaches out again, this time hesitating before brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear. His fingers linger for a moment, gentle but deliberate.

“Raine,” he says quietly, But I had already turned fleeing to my bedroom and locking my door.

I slammed the door behind me and leaned against it, heart pounding so hard it echoed in my ears. What the hell was that? I started pacing, fingers tangling in my hair as I tried to breathe through the sudden rush of confusion swamping me. My skin still burned where Lucian’s fingers had brushed mine.

My arm tingled where he’d held it. And the way he looked at me—like he saw something more—set my whole body on edge. This wasn’t normal. Not for siblings. Alpha hormones didn’t react to family like that. My omega instincts shouldn’t have stirred like they did, shouldn’t have made me want to lean in instead of run. But I had run, because if I hadn’t, I might’ve done something reckless. Something I couldn’t take back. This couldn’t happen. It was just the hormones. Just biology. Just confusion. Nothing more. Right?