Episode 3

Kael clenched his jaw but nodded, though clearly reluctant. Aliya kept her gaze on Aiden, who was now studying her with silent curiosity, as if trying to discover some hidden secret within her.

"So, Aliya," Aiden finally spoke, his tone softer, almost teasing, "you seem to have very... well-formed opinions about who belongs here and who doesn't."

"I just prefer to be where I'm not judged for what I am," she replied, keeping her tone neutral, but knowing her defiant eyes betrayed any attempt at indifference.

"Where do you feel you belong, then?" Aiden asked, and the weight of that question seemed to penetrate deeper than she expected. Kael, who was watching her in silence, leaned forward slightly, as if wanting to hear every word of her answer.

She took a deep breath, maintaining control. "Far from here," she murmured, without breaking eye contact. "Among humans. With them, my position doesn't matter."

Aiden's eyes narrowed for a brief instant, but he quickly resumed his neutral expression. Aliya had the feeling that her words had affected him, even if he tried to hide it. Kael, on the other hand, looked at her with an intensity that bordered on discomfort, as if trying to unravel something beyond her words.

"I see," Aiden murmured, with a subtle touch of sarcasm. "But, perhaps, you need a little more understanding of what it means to be a wolf among your own. There's no point in running to humans, Aliya. Sooner or later, you will always be brought back to your true nature."

Aliya raised her eyebrows, a silent provocation emerging in her smile. "Perhaps I prefer a nature that doesn't limit me."

Kael smiled slightly, as if he liked her answer. "It seems we have a wolf here who doesn't like cages," he commented, in an almost approving tone. "But, Aliya, freedom also comes at a price. And we, as Alphas, understand better than anyone what it means to bear the weight of choices."

Aliya narrowed her eyes, feeling a slight irritation mixed with curiosity. "I don't see how someone who possesses everything could understand what freedom means."

The hall was so quiet that one could hear the bated breath of those observing the scene. Kael and Aiden exchanged silent glances, but there was a clear understanding between them—something deeper and more instinctive than any words they could exchange.

"Maybe one day you'll understand, Aliya," Aiden murmured, his voice low, but laden with meaning. "Or maybe we can show you."

With that, he gave a slight nod, as if ending that confrontation. Kael still looked at her as if he wanted to say something more, but finally restrained himself, following his brother as they both walked away, leaving her there, amidst curious stares and whispers.

Aliya felt strangely relieved when they finally left her field of vision, but she couldn't shake the feeling that something irreversible had begun.

...**...

The event dragged on, and the pressure on the young woman intensified with each passing moment. She was surrounded by familiar faces, but the feeling of not belonging there enveloped her like a heavy cloak. The conversations around her were superficial, and the scornful looks she received from some family members made the situation even more unbearable. After empty interactions and a night of forced smiles, she decided it was time to leave.

Walking towards the exit, Aliya quickly said goodbye to her family, ignoring her stepmother's calculating gaze and her sister's whispered provocations. As soon as she passed through the mansion gates, the cool night breeze enveloped her, and she took a deep breath, feeling freedom lurking.

...**...

In the silent vastness of the Supremes' mansion, the dark wood and polished marble reflected the flickering light of the crackling flames. The atmosphere was cold and impassive, a fortress for those who feared nothing—or at least liked to believe so. Aiden and Kael were seated in sturdy leather armchairs, distant from each other, but with the tension between them tangible, almost palpable.

Aiden held a crystal glass, swirling the amber whiskey that shimmered in the firelight. His steel eyes were fixed on the liquid, but his thoughts wandered far beyond the surface of that drink. His face bore the hardness of someone accustomed to commanding, to never letting his guard down. A born leader, unbreakable, but that night there was something different; an internal turmoil tormented him, a flame difficult to extinguish.

Kael, on the other side, watched his brother in silence, his fingers drumming on the arm of the chair, in a restlessness he tried to camouflage. His eyes were a dangerous darkness, hiding promises of chaos. As he brought the glass to his lips, the whiskey burned his throat, but not enough to dissipate what stirred in his chest.

"She's not like the others, is she?" Kael finally broke the silence, his voice low, a whisper that sounded more like thunder in the empty space.

Aiden looked up, his face impenetrable, but a glint of understanding passed through his eyes. He knew who Kael was referring to, knew he was referring to Aliya, that young omega who, for some reason, managed to unsettle them in an unusual way.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Kael," Aiden replied, his voice calm, but there was a hint of provocation there.

Kael laughed, a muffled, ironic sound. He leaned back, a cynical smile dancing on his lips. "Don't play dumb, brother. I felt her... in a way I've never felt anyone."

Aiden gripped the glass, his jaw tight. "It's not possible. An omega, Kael? Just any woman? We've been waiting for our Luna for centuries, and she's definitely not..."

"Then explain, Aiden, why I smell her in every breath, even from miles away," Kael cut in, his voice laden with frustration and disbelief. "It's there, like a mark, a flame I can't put out. Her scent is... overwhelming."

Aiden opened his mouth to retort, but hesitated. He felt her too. From the moment he looked into her eyes in the hall, Aliya's scent had embedded itself in his mind like an obsession, an invisible mark, that he now couldn't dispel.

"This is ridiculous, Kael. She's just a rebellious and proud omega. Why are we even bothering with this?" Aiden grumbled, trying to rationalize the inexplicable.

Kael frowned, his dark gaze fixed on his brother. "You feel it too, don't you? Don't lie to me, Aiden. Not after four hundred years of waiting." His voice was almost a growl. "The idea of us being bound to the same woman... This is an affront to the gods, a joke."

Aiden swallowed hard, the truth weighing on every fiber of his being. Finally, after a torturous silence, he admitted:

"Yes, I feel her. And not just the scent... her heartbeat. It's like it echoes in my chest, as if it's part of me. And that makes me furious."

Kael closed his eyes for a brief second, his jaw clenched. The realization that they were experiencing the same torment was a blow to both of them.

"This makes no sense," he murmured, his voice hoarse. "We are alphas, supremes. Immortals. We can't... share an omega." The words came out like venom, his gaze filled with anger and a vulnerability he didn't like to admit.

Aiden took a long sip of whiskey, feeling the drink burn his throat. When he spoke again, his voice was tinged with bitter irony:

"I know. The idea of us being bound to her is... unacceptable. How can the gods impose something like this on us? A throuple?" He laughed, but the laughter died quickly on his lips. "It's outrageous. The gods must be amusing themselves with our misfortune."

Kael stood up, his eyes shining with a dark intensity, frustration radiating from every line of his body. "Then let's keep our distance from her, Aiden. We won't give in. I won't bow to this destiny they want to impose. Aliya will not be our luna. She will be nothing to us."

His brother watched him, his words echoing in his mind. He didn't want to give in either, didn't want to admit the strength of that bond. But a doubt gnawed at him, a fear that, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't dispel.

"And if..." Aiden began, hesitantly, but then his voice became firmer, "and if resisting is futile? And if this bond is stronger than we imagine?"

Kael turned his back, clenching his fists, as if the mere idea were an affront. "I'd rather die than surrender to an omega. I'd rather defy fate than accept this connection."

Aiden nodded, but the weight of that resolution hung over both of them. They were the Supremes, invincible warriors, immortals... but, in Aliya's presence, there was something that destabilized them in an inexplicable way.

***This work has been signed with NovelToon, and piracy such as reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited.***

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***