The night was thick with tension, heavy in the air as the brothers and Eira stood victorious, their bodies bruised but resolute after the attack. The moon hung high, its light casting eerie shadows across the camp. The fire was nearly out, leaving the flickering embers to crackle as they cooled. The brothers gathered themselves, wiping away the remnants of the battle, and as always, their eyes shifted toward their mother. But there was something else in the air—something more intense, more personal.
Cain stood by Selene, his hand brushing against hers as he checked the sleeping form of his mother. She stirred slightly but remained unconscious, her breath steady. Cain's thoughts, however, were elsewhere. His gaze kept shifting toward Eira, who, for reasons he couldn't fully explain, had been acting... differently. The walls she had built around herself seemed to be coming down, and though he saw the pain in her eyes, Cain couldn't help but feel a strange sense of connection. But none of that mattered now. What mattered was Selene—the woman he loved.
Eira sat at the edge of the campfire, watching the flames flicker, her emotions conflicted. Cain had become her anchor, even if she refused to admit it. She had left him years ago, thinking she could live without him. But seeing him with Selene stirred something inside her—a dangerous, irrational yearning. She hadn't expected it to happen, but the pull was undeniable. And every time she saw them together, every time he held Selene close, a bitter knot twisted in her chest.
Eira wasn't used to feeling weak, vulnerable, or insecure. Her heart was hardened, her emotions buried beneath years of self-preservation. Yet, when she saw Cain's tenderness toward Selene, a sharp jealousy flared up inside her, and her mind became clouded. She wanted him back. She needed him back.
She stood, eyes fixed on Cain and Selene, their hands brushing briefly. The subtle touch, the soft affection—it stung, more than she had imagined.
Eira's steps were quiet, but deliberate. She approached Cain slowly, her body moving like a predator stalking its prey. He didn't notice her coming until she was right in front of him. He turned, his face soft with concern as he saw the expression in her eyes—vulnerable, raw, but also filled with something darker, more desperate.
"What are you doing here, Eira?" Cain's voice was low, the weight of the battle still hanging on his words.
She didn't answer. Instead, she stepped closer to him, her breath shallow, her body trembling with a mix of longing and frustration. Without thinking, without a word, she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him toward her. Her lips crushed against his in a forceful kiss, one full of pent-up emotion and unspoken desire.
Cain froze. His body stiffened, the surprise and shock evident in his eyes. But Eira didn't let go. She deepened the kiss, her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer. She needed to feel him—needed to erase the image of Selene from her mind, to reclaim what she had once had, to remind him of the bond they once shared.
But Cain couldn't respond. His mind screamed no, but his body betrayed him, caught in the heat of the moment, caught in the desperate pull of Eira's kiss. His thoughts were scattered, and for a moment, he lost himself in the intensity of her touch, the raw need in her embrace. He felt the familiar stirrings of desire, the ache of memories long buried—but just as quickly, a voice inside him reminded him of the one who truly had his heart.
And then, in a split second, reality crashed down on him. He pushed Eira away, stumbling backward, his breath ragged, his heart racing.
"What the hell is wrong with you, Eira?!" Cain's voice was filled with confusion, anger, and disbelief. "You can't just do that. You can't—"
But before he could finish, Selene's voice rang out, sharp and cutting.
"What's going on here?" she demanded, her tone cold, her eyes narrowed as they moved between Cain and Eira. The pain in her gaze was unmistakable—hurt, betrayal. But there was something else too: a quiet rage, the kind that comes from the deepest of wounds.
Cain turned to Selene, his heart sinking as he saw the look in her eyes. "Selene, it's not—"
"No!" she snapped, her voice trembling with emotion. "I saw it, Cain. I saw everything."
Eira stood a few feet away, her face flushed with guilt and shame, her eyes flicking back and forth between Cain and Selene. She knew what she had done. She knew it was a mistake—but the words were already out, the damage already done.
Cain reached out for Selene, his hands desperate, but she pulled away, shaking her head. "I can't... I can't do this. I thought I could, but I can't."
"Selene, please, just let me explain—" Cain's voice broke, his hands trembling as he reached out to her.
But Selene stepped back, her chest rising and falling in ragged breaths. "No, Cain. I can't do this anymore. I can't keep fighting for you when you're not even here with me."
Eira's stomach twisted. She had thought she wanted him back, but seeing the pain in Selene's eyes... she didn't want this. She didn't want to be the reason Selene was hurting.
Cain's face softened, and his voice dropped to a whisper. "Selene, I love you. I never stopped."
"I don't know what to believe anymore," Selene whispered, her eyes filling with tears. She wiped them away quickly, but they kept coming, and soon, she was crying freely. "I can't stay here. I can't stay with you... knowing that this is happening."
Without another word, Selene turned on her heel and fled into the night, her figure swallowed by the shadows of the trees.
Cain stood there, motionless, staring into the darkness where Selene had disappeared. His heart pounded in his chest, each beat a painful reminder of what he had almost lost. He had never wanted this. He had never wanted to hurt her.
But it was too late. The damage was done.
Eira stood behind him, her body rigid with tension, her eyes downcast. She hadn't meant for this to happen. Her gaze flicked between Cain and the disappearing form of Selene, her heart sinking. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. She had never intended to tear them apart. She had only wanted... to feel wanted again. To feel important.
But now, there was a rift—a deep one—that might never heal.
"I'm sorry," Eira whispered, her voice barely audible. "I didn't mean to—"
Cain's voice was strained as he cut her off. "You don't get it, do you, Eira? I love her. Only her." His words felt like a punch to her chest, cold and unforgiving.
"I know," Eira whispered, her voice filled with quiet regret. She wanted to explain, to take it all back, but it was too late. Cain had made his choice. Selene was the one he loved.
And in that moment, Eira realized something. No matter how much she had wanted Cain, no matter how much she had tried to reclaim him, she couldn't keep him. He wasn't hers anymore.