Rejected and Claimed by her Alpha Triplets-Chapter 293 the bond

293

~Thorne’s POV

I clenched my fists. "Enough," I muttered under my breath.

But it wasn’t enough. I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

And now she was with them. Damon and his brothers. The same ruthless Alphas who had spilled more blood than any I’d ever known.

I stood up suddenly, knocking the chair backward. "No," I whispered. "They can’t have her."

The decision formed in my chest before I could even think. I was going to end this once and for all. I was going to take her from them, even if I had to burn everything down to do it.

I turned toward the door, already reaching for my cloak, when it opened quietly.

"My Alpha," came a soft, trembling voice.

I turned.

Elara.

She stepped in slowly, dressed in a simple white gown, her hair loose around her face. Her eyes were red; she had been crying.

"Elara," I said, trying to sound calm though I was anything but. "What are you doing here this early?"

She stopped a few steps from me, then, to my surprise, went down on her knees.

"Please, Alpha," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Please don’t go to war."

I frowned. "What?"

She clasped her hands together tightly. "I’m begging you... Please don’t wage war against Damon and his brothers."

I crossed my arms. "You don’t know why I must do that."

Her tears spilled before I could finish. "Because of a woman, Thorne? You want to start a war because of someone you barely know?"

That stung. I clenched my jaw, turning away slightly. "Watch your words, Elara."

She looked down quickly, trembling. "I know my place. I know I’m not your true mate."

My heart froze. Her voice was soft but full of pain.

She continued, still kneeling. "I’ve always known that...."

"Elara...."

"No, please let me finish," she begged, her tears falling freely now. "I stayed because I hoped you’d find peace with me. But I can’t watch you destroy yourself for a stranger. Damon and his brothers are ruthless. If you go to war because of this woman, you might not return alive... and our pack will fall apart."

Her voice cracked on the last word.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside me. "Who told you about this?"

She hesitated, her lips trembling.

"Elara," I said again, my voice colder now. "Who told you?"

She stood slowly, her hands shaking. "Beta Luke did."

My eyes widened slightly. "Luke?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

She nodded quickly. "He told me to stop you. He said if you go through with it, you’ll die. He said the vision was clear."

A low growl rumbled in my throat.

"He what?"

Elara flinched. "Please, Thorne, he only..."

But I didn’t wait. Rage burst through me like lightning.

Luke.

How dare he interfere?

Just then, the door opened again.

"Alpha," Luke said as he walked in, his voice calm as always. "I came to..."

He didn’t finish. I was already across the room.

With speed that even surprised me, my hand shot out and clamped around his neck.

Luke gasped, eyes wide.

"HOW DARE YOU!" I roared, slamming him against the wall. The sound echoed through the room.

"Thorne!" Elara screamed. "Please stop!"

But I didn’t stop. My grip tightened around his throat. His feet barely touched the floor as he struggled to breathe.

"Who gave you the right to keep blabbering about my plans?" I barked. "You dare interfere in my decisions?"

Luke coughed, his hands clawing at my wrist. "Alpha... please... I only wanted to protect you..."

"Protect me?" I spat the words. "You think I need protection from you? From anyone?"

His eyes met mine, steady even as he gasped. "You’re walking into death, Your Majesty."

I growled louder, pressing him harder into the wall. "Don’t you dare speak to me like that."

"Please!" Elara shouted, rushing to my side. She grabbed my arm, tears streaming down her face. "Thorne, you’ll kill him!"

Her voice cracked, desperate. "Please, for me... stop!"

I froze.

For a moment, all I could hear was Luke’s ragged breathing and Elara’s sobs.

Slowly, I loosened my grip. Luke collapsed to the floor, coughing and gasping for air.

Elara knelt beside him immediately, checking his pulse.

I turned away, running a hand through my hair. My chest heaved. I wasn’t just angry, I was lost.

"Why?" I muttered under my breath. "Why is everyone against me on this?"

Elara stood, still crying softly. "Because we love you," she said. "Because we don’t want to lose you."

"Elara," I said quietly, "I can’t sit still knowing she’s out there, maybe hurt, maybe with them."

Her lips trembled. "Then find another way. Don’t start a war."

Luke groaned from the floor, leaning against the wall. "She’s right," he said hoarsely. "Damon and his brother’s side are strong. You’ll lose more than just warriors, you’ll lose your destiny."

The room went quiet.

I turned toward the window. The morning sun was rising slowly, painting the sky gold. My heart felt heavy, too heavy.

Elara walked closer, placing a gentle hand on my arm. "Please," she whispered. "Don’t do this."

Her voice trembled, but her touch was warm, sincere.

I didn’t reply. I just stared at the horizon, torn between duty, rage, and something that felt like sorrow.

For a long time, no one spoke again.

Elara was still standing close to me, her hand on my arm. Luke was sitting against the wall, rubbing his neck and breathing quietly.

I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. My voice came out lower than I intended.

"Elara..."

She looked up, her eyes tired. "Yes, Alpha?"

I sighed, shaking my head. "Stop calling me that right now. Just... call me Thorne."

She hesitated, then whispered, "Thorne."

The sound of my name on her lips hit me harder than I expected.

"I need you to listen carefully," I said, taking a slow breath. "I’ve thought about everything you said, about Lisa, about the war, about me."

She wiped her cheek with the back of her hand. "And?"

I walked closer, stopping in front of her. "You’re right about one thing. I’ve been restless, distracted. But it’s not what you think."

Her brows furrowed slightly. "What do you mean?"

I looked at her, really looked at her, the woman who had stood beside me through blood and fire, through the sleepless nights and endless battles. "The bond I felt with Lisa," I said slowly, "it wasn’t a mate’s bond."

Her lips parted. "What?"

"Yes, Elara. It’s you that I love, Elara. Forget the bond, I love you so much."