Between Two Alphas

(Seraphina’s POV) I shouldn’t have come this close to theborder. Even as I stood there, hidden just behind the trees, I knew it. But my body hadn’t listened. It never did… not when that feeling returned. That pull. Faint. Persistent. Wrong. My fingers pressed lightly against my chest as I tried to steady my breathing. Why do I still feel him? It didn’t make sense. Kael had rejected me. He broke the bond. He made it clear I meant nothing to him. So why did my heart still react like this? Why did a part of me still… answer? Frustration tightened my chest. “I hate this,” I whispered under my breath. Hate him. Hate the feeling. Hate the way I couldn’t completely let go. A sudden shift in the air made my breath catch. Then— I felt it. Not faint this time. Not distant. Strong. Close. Too close. My heart slammed violently against my ribs. He’s here. The realization hit before I even saw him. And somehow… that made it worse. Because it meant— A part of me recognized him before my eyes did. Before my mind could fight it. Before I could stop it. I stepped forward slightly, unable to resist. And then— I saw him. Kael Draven. Standing just beyond the border line. Tall. Unmoving. Watching. My breath caught. Everything inside me froze. He looked the same. Cold. Powerful. Untouchable. But something about him felt… different. His eyes. They weren’t empty anymore. They were searching. Hungry. Locked on me. Like I was the only thing that mattered. My chest tightened painfully. This was the man who rejected me. The same man who looked at me like I was nothing. So why— Why was he looking at me like that now? “Seraphina.” My name left his lips low and steady. Familiar. Dangerous. It sent a shiver through me. I hated that. I hated that my body still reacted. I took a step back instinctively. “No,” I whispered. Not again. I wouldn’t fall into that again. His gaze darkened immediately. “You shouldn’t be here,” he said. The words sounded like concern. But the tone— Possession. Control. Like he still had the right. Anger flared instantly. “You don’t get to tell me what I should or shouldn’t do,” I said, my voice shaking slightly—but firm. Something dangerous flickered in his eyes. “You’re coming back with me.” My breath caught. The way he said it— Not a request. A decision. Like nothing had changed. Like my choice didn’t matter. Like I didn’t matter. Pain twisted into anger. “I’m not going anywhere with you.” Silence fell. Heavy. Tense. His jaw tightened. “You don’t understand what’s happening,” he said, his voice lowering. “I understand perfectly,” I shot back. “You rejected me. You made your choice.” “And you think that ends it?” he asked. There it was. That edge. That dangerous shift. “You don’t walk away from me like that.” My heart pounded. Fear. Anger. Something deeper I refused to name. “I already did.” The words came out stronger this time. More certain. For a moment… neither of us moved. Then— A presence stepped beside me. Warm. Steady. Grounding. Rowan. I didn’t look at him immediately. But I felt him. The difference. Where Kael was overwhelming— Rowan was… stabilizing. “You’re far from your territory,” Rowan said calmly. My eyes flickered toward him. His voice was controlled. But beneath it— Something sharp. Protective. Kael’s gaze shifted to him. Cold. Assessing. Hostile. “So it’s you,” Kael said. The tension between them snapped into place instantly. Heavy. Dangerous. Real. Rowan didn’t respond to the tone. He simply stepped slightly closer to me. Not touching. Not claiming. But there. Present. A choice. Kael noticed. Of course he did. And something in his expression darkened further. “You’re standing behind him now?” Kael asked, his eyes cutting back to me. The words hit harder than they should have. Because they forced the truth in front of me. I wasn’t behind Rowan. But I wasn’t standing with Kael either. I was… stuck. Between them. Between what I lost… And what I was starting to feel. My chest tightened painfully. “I’m not yours anymore,” I said quietly. That did it. Something in Kael snapped. The air around him shifted—heavier, sharper. Dangerous. “You were always mine.” The words were low. Possessive. Unyielding. A chill ran through me. And for the first time— I realized something truly terrifying. Kael wasn’t here to ask. He was here to take.