I had never felt this overwhelmed in my life. The tension was thick, like a storm hanging just above my head, ready to break. I was stuck in the middle of a battle between two powerful men, two Alphas who both claimed a piece of me. But I couldn't give them both what they wanted. I couldn't even decide what I wanted for myself.
Cassian stood before me, his fists clenched, his eyes filled with a desperation I hadn't seen before. His anger, his hurt—it all mixed together into something raw. Viktor, on the other hand, was calm, too calm, as if he had already planned his next move. And I was the pawn caught between them.
"You have to choose, Kieran," Cassian's voice was rough, pleading. "You can't keep running from this. You belong with me. You know it. I know it. We're stronger together. I'll protect you from everything. From Viktor, from the prophecy. You're mine. I don't care about the damn prophecy—I care about you."
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I wanted to believe him. I wanted to trust him, to fall into his arms and forget about everything that had been weighing on me. But there was too much at stake. Too many lives, too many futures on the line.
"I don't know what to do, Cassian," I whispered, my voice barely audible, the weight of it all crushing me. "How can I choose when everything is falling apart?"
Cassian stepped closer, his eyes never leaving mine. "Because you don't have to do it alone. I'll be there with you. Always."
Viktor's voice sliced through the moment, cold and calculating. "You're both fools if you think this is about just the two of you. Kieran's power is something far beyond either of you. He is the key, not only to our packs, but to the future of the supernatural world. He should be ruling, not hiding away in some pack, protected and weak."
His words made something inside me stir. Something dark, something powerful. But I shoved it down, forcing myself to focus. The prophecy, the power, the future—it all felt like it was suffocating me.
"I don't want to be the key to anything," I said, my voice breaking. "I never asked for any of this. I didn't ask to be some... some weapon."
"Then let me help you," Viktor pressed, stepping forward, his gaze intense. "You can have everything you've ever dreamed of. Together, we can reshape the world, Kieran. You don't have to be anyone's pawn. You can be the ruler you were always meant to be."
I closed my eyes, the words echoing in my head. I wanted to believe him, I did. But something inside me recoiled. I couldn't betray Cassian, not like that. Not after everything we'd been through, the bond we'd shared. No matter how tempting Viktor's offer was, I couldn't turn my back on the one person who had stood by me when I had nothing.
"I'm not a king, Viktor," I said, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. "I'm just trying to survive. And I don't know how to do that with either of you."
Viktor's eyes flashed with irritation, but he didn't press further. Instead, his gaze shifted to Cassian, the simmering tension between them now palpable. I could see the rivalry between them—a rivalry that had started long before I ever entered the picture, but had now grown more intense because of me.
"You're weak, Cassian," Viktor sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. "You don't even see it. You can't protect him from what's coming. You're too blinded by your feelings for him to make the hard decisions."
Cassian's face twisted with fury, his body tensing, and before I could react, he was stepping toward Viktor. "You don't get to talk about me like that. You don't know anything about me, or what I'm capable of."
Viktor's lips curled into a mocking smile. "I know enough."
And then it happened. In the blink of an eye, the two Alphas collided, their strength crashing together like a storm. Cassian's fist met Viktor's jaw with a sickening thud, and Viktor retaliated, his claws slashing across Cassian's arm. The room seemed to explode in chaos as they fought, each blow a testament to the raw power they possessed.
"Stop!" I shouted, but they didn't hear me. I could barely hear myself over the sounds of their struggle.
I lunged between them, my body trembling with the effort to separate them. "Stop it! You're going to kill each other!"
But neither of them seemed to care. They were locked in a battle of wills, neither willing to back down. And as I stood there, caught in the middle, I could feel it—the power inside me, the one I had tried so hard to suppress, rising to the surface.
A sudden wave of energy crashed through me, so intense and uncontrollable that I couldn't contain it. My body convulsed, and I felt the storm within me ignite, a violent force that surged outward, pushing the two Alphas apart with a crackling wave of power.
The room was filled with blinding light, a force so strong that it sent both Cassian and Viktor stumbling back, their bodies colliding with the walls as they struggled to regain their footing. The sheer intensity of the energy made the air feel thick, as if the very fabric of reality was stretching and warping under the weight of it.
"Enough!" I screamed, my voice hoarse as I fought to control the surge of power within me. But it was too much. It was like trying to hold back a tidal wave with my bare hands.
Cassian's eyes widened in shock, and I saw the fear in his gaze as he realized the true extent of my power. Viktor, too, seemed stunned, his usual calm demeanor shattered in the face of the raw energy I was unleashing.
But I couldn't stop it. I couldn't hold it back anymore. The power surged again, and this time, it felt like it would tear me apart.
The world tilted, and for a moment, everything went dark.
******
I woke with a start, my head throbbing and my body aching from the strain. I tried to move, but my limbs felt heavy, unresponsive. And then I heard it—the sound of chaos.
The door to the room burst open, and several figures entered, their faces shadowed and unfamiliar. A dark figure stepped forward, eyes glowing with malicious intent.
"You've made your choice, Kieran," the voice said, cold and calculating. "And now, the real battle begins."
Before I could react, the figures lunged forward, and everything went black once more.