Chapter Four – A Broken Bond
The fire crackled softly as the three of them sat in the quiet of the Thorn twins' private chamber.
Selene's fingers traced the edge of the blanket wrapped around her, her gaze fixed on the flickering flames. The warmth of the room was a sharp contrast to the cold ache still clutching her heart.
After a long pause, her voice came out raw, trembling.
"I was… rejected," she said, barely above a whisper. "By the only mate I ever trusted. By Darius."
Kaien's jaw tightened, fists clenched at his sides. Kairo's eyes darkened, flickering with anger.
"Rejected?" Kairo echoed, his voice low but fierce. "He had no right."
Selene swallowed hard, shame and hurt swirling inside her. "He didn't just reject me—he did it in front of everyone. Called me weak, unworthy. Said I wasn't fit to be his mate."
Kaien's eyes burned with a feral light. "Anyone who hurts our mate will answer to us."
Selene flinched at the possessiveness in his tone, but beneath it, she felt a flicker of safety. For the first time since the rejection, she didn't feel entirely alone.
Kairo reached out, hesitating before gently brushing a strand of damp hair from her face.
"There's more to you than you realize," he said quietly. "The bond we share… it's rare. It's powerful."
Selene looked up, confusion and fear mingling in her eyes.
"What do you mean?"
Kaien exchanged a glance with Kairo. "You're not just bonded to one Alpha. You're bonded to us—both of us."
Selene's breath caught in her throat.
"Twins?" she whispered. "But that's… forbidden."
Kairo nodded slowly. "It's dangerous. It challenges everything the pack has ever known."
"But we don't care about rules when it comes to you," Kaien said fiercely. "You're ours, Selene. We will protect you. Even if it means tearing down the world to do it."
Selene's heart trembled—fear, hope, and something new stirring deep inside her.
The path ahead was uncertain, and the bond she shared with the Thorn twins was fragile and volatile.
But one thing was clear: she was no longer alone.