Kai – After the Storm
The house was quiet again.
Too quiet.
Kai sat on the edge of the bed, a warm blanket wrapped around his shoulders. His hands still trembled a little. The magic had stopped glowing, but he could still feel it. Humming under his skin. Waiting.
Lucien stood nearby, watching him.
Neither of them had spoken much since the strangers left.
Kai broke the silence first. His voice was low. "What's happening to me?"
Lucien walked over slowly and sat across from him, close, but not too close.
"You're awakening," he said softly.
"To what?"
Lucien tilted his head, his voice calm but serious. "You're not just an omega, Kai. You're something... more. Something rare."
Kai's brow creased. "What do you mean?"
Lucien hesitated for a second, like he wasn't sure how much to say. "There are omegas born with power inside them. Stronger than normal. It sleeps until something—someone—triggers it. Usually during heat. Or bonding."
Kai looked down at his hands. They looked normal. But he remembered the light. The way the floor had glowed. The crackle in the air.
"That was me," he whispered. "Not you."
Lucien nodded. "You drew the magic. I felt it. It came from you."
Kai's throat tightened. "So what now? I'm just supposed to… be some kind of magical omega?"
Lucien's voice softened. "Not just magical. Gifted. Maybe even cursed, depending who you ask."
Kai looked up sharply. "Cursed?"
Lucien sighed. "There's an old story. About omegas born with a bond that's too powerful. Too wild. Their heat doesn't just call to one alpha—it pulls many. Drives them mad. Makes them fight for control. Some kingdoms used to lock those omegas away. Others used them as weapons."
Kai's stomach twisted. "You think I'm one of those?"
"I think," Lucien said, leaning in a little, "that you were never told the truth. About your blood. Your parents. Maybe even yourself."
Kai clenched the blanket tighter. "They always said I was too sensitive. Too emotional. Too much. They told me I had to stay quiet, stay still, or people would get hurt."
Lucien's gaze softened. "They were afraid of what they didn't understand."
Kai looked away. "So was I."
There was silence for a moment.
Then Kai whispered, "When you said I was yours… was that part of the bond? Or did you mean it?"
Lucien didn't answer right away.
When he did, his voice was low. "I said it because I meant it. The bond may have started it, but… I'm not going to lie to you, Kai. I feel something. Real. Even if I don't know what it is yet."
Kai looked up slowly. "I'm still scared."
"I know," Lucien said. "So am I."
Those words—so am I—hit harder than any promise. Hearing them from an alpha like Lucien made something inside Kai soften.
He let out a shaky breath. "So what happens now?"
Lucien's lips curved slightly. "We learn. Together."
"You're going to teach me?"
Lucien stood up and offered his hand. "If you'll let me."
Kai looked at it.
For a moment, he hesitated.
Then he placed his hand in Lucien's.
Another soft spark passed between them. Warm. Not frightening. Like a quiet fire that would never burn him.
Lucien helped him stand. "First thing: you need to learn how to feel your power without letting it control you."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Is that what you do?"
Lucien smirked. "Sometimes. Other times I throw furniture."
That made Kai laugh, a little too loud.
It felt good.
Lucien smiled. "There it is."
Kai's smile faded slowly, his eyes turning thoughtful. "Do you really think there'll be more alphas? Coming for me?"
Lucien's face turned serious again. "Yes. Especially now. You lit a beacon last night. They'll feel it. Want it. Some will try to use you. Others will try to destroy you."
Kai's hands tightened at his sides. "And you?"
Lucien looked at him — really looked.
"I'll protect you," he said. "But more than that… I want you to learn to protect yourself."
Kai blinked.
No one had ever said that to him before.
Most people just wanted to hide him. Keep him quiet. Lock him up and call it safety.
But Lucien wanted him strong.
Wanted him seen.
A slow warmth bloomed in his chest. Fear still lingered, but something stronger was growing underneath it.
A flicker of hope.
The First Spark
Lucien led Kai out to the quiet garden behind the estate.
The morning sun warmed the stone path, and birds chirped in the trees. It didn't feel like a place for danger. But Kai's stomach still fluttered with nerves.
He stood in the center of the garden, surrounded by soft grass and low flowers. Lucien stood a few feet away, arms crossed, watching him closely.
"You don't need to do anything big," Lucien said. "We're just going to feel. Sense. That's it."
Kai nodded slowly. "Okay. I can do that."
"Close your eyes," Lucien said gently. "Take a breath."
Kai did.
The wind brushed his skin. He felt the heat of the sun on his face. And something… else. A pressure. A buzzing just under his skin.
"Focus on the center of your chest," Lucien's voice came soft. "That's where your bond lies. Where your magic breathes."
Kai searched for it. His heart beat faster. The buzzing grew louder.
"I feel something," he whispered.
"Good," Lucien said. "Don't fight it. Let it rise. But don't push."
It felt like a spark inside him. Like a fire barely lit. But as Kai focused, it swelled.
Too fast.
Too hot.
Suddenly, his hands pulsed with gold light. The ground under his feet shook slightly.
Lucien straightened. "Kai—slow down. You're pushing."
"I'm not trying to!" Kai gasped. His chest tightened. The light grew brighter, too bright. His body shook. "I can't stop it—!"
The flowers around him trembled. Magic snapped in the air like lightning.
Lucien moved fast, stepping in front of him. "Look at me."
Kai's eyes opened, wild with fear. "I'm going to lose it—!"
Lucien grabbed his hands.
The moment their skin touched, a strong wave of heat rushed between them.
But it wasn't painful. It was grounding.
Lucien's voice dropped, calm and low. "Breathe. With me. In… and out."
Kai's chest rose and fell, trying to match him.
The light around his hands flickered, still glowing, but weaker now.
Lucien moved closer, pressing Kai's hands against his chest. "Feel my heartbeat. Match it. You're not alone."
Kai stared at their joined hands. The thumping under Lucien's skin. Steady. Real.
He closed his eyes again.
In.
Out.
Slowly, the crackling in the air began to fade. The golden glow dimmed to a soft shimmer.
The tension eased.
When Kai opened his eyes, the magic was still there—but quiet. Tamed. Like it had found a place to rest.
He looked up at Lucien.
Lucien gave a small, proud smile. "You did it."
Kai shook his head. "You did it."
"No," Lucien said gently. "You just needed someone to catch you."
Kai's throat tightened.
He realized then—this power inside him wasn't evil. It wasn't broken. It was just new. Like a storm that hadn't learned how to rain yet.
Lucien stepped back slowly, letting go of his hands.
"You're strong, Kai," he said. "But strength without trust? That's when it turns dangerous."
Kai nodded, still breathing a little fast. "I want to learn. I want to trust."
Lucien's gaze softened. "Then I'll teach you."
They stood in the quiet garden, sunlight shining between them, magic warm in the air.
And for the first time, Kai didn't feel like a threat.
He felt like a beginning.