Everything happened at once.
Lucian didn't charge.
He didn't shout.
He didn't even change expression.
He released something.
A shift in the air—sharp, metallic, cold enough to sting.
A scent spike.
Royal-tier.
Powerful enough that the chamber lights flickered violently.
Cassian buckled to one knee.
Chandler staggered backward.
Rowan slammed his hand over his mouth, tablet nearly slipping.
Aiden—already unstable—arched like someone had driven a spike through his spine.
Horace—
Horace shoved me back into the containment circle with one arm and took the full hit head-on.
His breath punched out of him.
"Horace!" I cried.
He didn't look at me.
He couldn't—
his focus locked entirely on Lucian.
Lucian watched him with calm disappointment.
"You always were slow to react," Lucian murmured.
Horace gritted his teeth, whole body trembling from resisting the dominance blast.
"Lucian—STOP—"
"Why stop?" Lucian asked lightly.
"She needs to see who you really are."
Horace's scent fought back—warm, fierce, steady, protective—
but he was outmatched by bloodline rank alone.
He staggered.
I reached forward instinctively—
"Elleanore, DON'T—!" Rowan shouted.
But I already felt it.
My own scent pushing against the containment barrier—
straining—
trying to reach Horace.
Trying to steady him.
Trying to protect him.
Lucian turned sharply when he felt it.
"Oh?"
His voice sharpened.
"Her scent reacts to yours even under suppression."
Horace's eyes widened.
"Elleanore—stop—if you force it—your threshold—"
But I couldn't stop.
Not when he was shaking under Lucian's pressure.
Not when Aiden was collapsing.
Not when Cassian looked like he was about to faint.
Not when Rowan's tablet alarms were going off.
This wasn't a fight anymore.
This was a collapse.
Lucian stepped closer, voice low:
"Your Omega is trying to shield you. Touching."
Horace snarled,
"She's NOT MY—"
His voice cracked—
not like he changed his mind or hesitated.
Cracked like the truth wrenched itself out of him.
Lucian tilted his head.
"Oh.
Interesting."
Aiden suddenly lunged—
not for me, not for Horace.
For Lucian.
Cassian screamed, "AIDEN—NO—!!"
But instinct had taken over entirely.
Aiden moved like a feral storm, smashing into Lucian with a roar that made the floor vibrate.
Lucian barely flinched.
He caught Aiden by the throat with one hand.
One.
Hand.
Aiden choked violently, claws scratching against Lucian's arm as he fought to break free.
Lucian sighed.
"A little louder, perhaps?
I expected more from a Valehart."
Cassian broke.
"LET HIM GO!" His voice cracked as he stumbled forward. "Please—Lucian, please—he's not—just let him—!"
Lucian didn't look at Cassian.
He slammed Aiden into the wall.
Chandler lunged, but Rowan tackled him back.
"YOU'LL DIE!" Rowan shouted.
Chandler shouted back, "SO WILL HE!"
Lucian pressed harder.
Aiden's legs kicked weakly.
My heart pounded so hard I could barely hear myself think.
"STOP!" I screamed, hands slamming against the containment field.
"STOP HURTING HIM!"
Lucian turned his head slightly—
And I felt it.
Something inside me snapping.
Not breaking.
Not collapsing.
Waking.
The containment field shuddered around me—
lights flickering—
a faint hum becoming a sharp, vibrating whine.
Rowan froze.
His tablet stopped making sense.
"Ho—Horace," Rowan stammered.
"Her scent.
The chamber—
It's not holding—!"
Horace's eyes widened in horror.
"Elleanore—NO!"
But it was too late.
Lucian's dominance spike had pushed my instincts into overload.
My suppressed scent—
the one I'd hidden behind masks and pills and fear—
rose like a tidal wave.
A pressure in my chest.
Heat in my lungs.
A trembling under my skin.
I gasped—
and the containment circle shattered.
Not physically.
Not exploding.
Collapsing inward
like something imploding from the inside.
A burst of scent hit the room.
Warm.
Sharp.
Bright.
Unmistakable.
Everyone reacted.
Cassian cried out and doubled over.
Chandler gagged and grabbed the wall.
Rowan stumbled back, eyes wide with shock.
Aiden's head whipped toward me—
instinct overriding pain.
Lucian's fingers faltered around Aiden's throat—
And Horace—
Horace inhaled sharply
like someone punched the breath back into him.
"Elleanore…" he whispered.
His voice cracked open.
Raw.
Unfiltered.
Lucian's expression changed.
He let go of Aiden, who collapsed on the floor, gasping.
Lucian stared at me through the shimmering remnants of the broken circle.
My scent drifted through the room like a storm front.
Not overwhelming.
Not submissive.
Not weak.
Alive.
Lucian whispered something I almost didn't catch.
"…impossible."
Rowan whispered back, voice trembling,
"That wasn't just a scent spike.
She crossed… the Omega threshold."
Chandler stiffened.
"You mean—"
Rowan swallowed hard.
"She awakened."
Cassian's eyes filled with tears.
"Elliot always said she was strong—he knew—he knew—"
Lucian stepped forward slowly.
"This complicates things."
Horace moved instantly.
He positioned himself directly between Lucian and me, eyes burning, stance low and lethal.
Lucian narrowed his eyes.
"You would challenge me a second time?"
Horace didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
Lucian's scent sharpened.
"Over an Omega?"
Horace's answer came fast, raw, and without hesitation:
"Over MY Omega."
My breath hitched.
Cassian gasped.
Chandler gawked.
Rowan covered his mouth.
Lucian stilled.
Then he smiled—
slow
cold
dangerous.
"Well."
A soft exhale.
"You've made your choice, little brother."
He took one more step forward.
Horace didn't move.
"Now," Lucian murmured,
"you stand against the Crown."
Horace's scent surged—
strong enough to push back at Lucian's dominance.
He whispered, just loud enough for me to hear:
"I don't care."
Lucian's eyes narrowed.
"So be it."
A rustle of movement—
A sound like a weapon being drawn—
A shift in the air—
Rowan screamed,
"HORACE—MOVE!"
Aiden surged up behind Lucian—
Lucian spun—
And everything broke open.
The Scent That Breaks the Crown
Aiden's roar tore through the chamber—
Raw.
Instinctive.
Painful.
Lucian spun toward him, eyes flashing with irritation more than fear. Aiden slammed into him with enough force to crack the wall behind them.
Lucian caught himself on one arm, grip tightening, boots screeching against the polished floor.
Cassian shouted, voice cracking:
"AIDEN—STOP! PLEASE—!!"
But Aiden was gone, buried under instinct and fury, one goal burning through him:
Protect.
Protect from what?
From whom?
Lucian looked up, expression cold and sharp.
"So you're her guard dog?"
Aiden roared in his face.
Lucian moved faster.
He twisted Aiden by the wrist, flipping him over his shoulder.
Aiden hit the ground hard enough that dust shook from the ceiling.
Chandler shouted, "DON'T TOUCH HIM—YOU—!"
Rowan grabbed him by the collar.
"You can't fight a ROYAL, are you—!"
Chandler snapped, "WATCH ME!"
Horace didn't let him.
"STAY BACK!" Horace barked.
"Everyone—BACK!"
Horace stepped forward, placing himself directly between Lucian and Aiden.
Lucian straightened his coat and exhaled, almost bored.
"Aiden Valehart. A poor choice of shield."
Aiden pushed up on trembling arms, snarling, teeth bared.
Cassian sobbed and dropped to his knees beside him.
"Stop… please… you're hurting him…"
Lucian gave Cassian a fleeting glance.
"Ah. The sentimental one."
Cassian flinched like he'd been slapped.
Aiden tried to stand.
Lucian placed a foot on his back and pressed.
Cassian screamed.
Horace moved.
Fast.
So fast Lucian barely had time to shift before Horace grabbed his brother's arm and shoved him away from Aiden.
Lucian stumbled back one step—
more shocked than injured.
The whole room froze.
Cassian covered Aiden's body with his own, crying harder.
Chandler stood in front of Rowan protectively.
I stood in the aftermath of the broken containment field, breath unsteady, scent still pulsing in waves I couldn't control.
Lucian looked at Horace slowly.
Very slowly.
"…You struck me."
Horace didn't flinch.
"I pushed you off him."
Lucian's voice dropped.
"You struck me."
Horace didn't blink.
He took another step forward.
"You hurt a student in MY presence."
Lucian's lip curled.
"You're defending a feral Alpha over your Crown?"
Horace snarled,
"I'm defending an Alpha YOU drove feral."
Lucian tilted his head, amused.
"You think you can intimidate me?"
Horace's eyes darkened.
"No."
He stepped forward again.
"I'm going to stop you."
The air between them cracked.
Aiden groaned on the floor, trying to rise again.
Cassian held him down, sobbing.
"Please… don't move… you're hurt…"
But Aiden's eyes were fixed on one person.
Me.
Lucian saw it.
And smiled wickedly.
"Oh," he murmured, "so even in this state, he knows who his Omega is."
Horace's teeth clenched so hard his jaw muscles trembled.
"She is NOT his Omega."
Lucian's smile widened.
"But she's not yours either."
Horace lunged—
Lucian caught his arm.
The clash echoed like stone cracking.
Both Alphas pushed, scent waves colliding, dominance crashing against dominance.
The ground trembled under their feet.
And then—
something inside me snapped.
A pressure.
A pulse.
An instinct I didn't fully understand.
My scent surged again—
hot, bright, overwhelming.
The chamber lights flickered.
Rowan gasped.
Chandler stumbled.
Cassian froze, eyes red.
Aiden—
Aiden inhaled sharply and collapsed sideways, clutching his chest.
Lucian and Horace both jerked as the pulse hit them.
Lucian hissed, staggering backward.
Horace's breath hitched, knees nearly buckling.
I clutched my chest.
"I—I can't—stop it—"
Rowan shouted,
"Elleanore—your threshold hasn't stabilized—your body is forcing resonance—STOP PRESSURE—STOP PRESSURE—!"
But I couldn't.
It wasn't a choice.
It was instinct.
Lucian's expression morphed from annoyance…
to realization…
to something cold and vicious.
"Oh," he whispered.
"Oh, this is interesting."
He straightened slowly.
"You're not resonating with Horace."
He paused.
"You're resonating around him."
Horace stiffened.
"What—what does that mean—?"
Lucian smiled.
"You're destabilizing the scent hierarchy of the room."
Rowan paled.
"That's… impossible…"
Lucian's eyes gleamed.
"Not impossible.
Rare."
He looked directly at me.
"You're suppressing multiple Alpha instincts at once."
He stepped closer.
"Which means your scent is more compatible—more powerful—than your brother ever was."
Horace growled, stepping between us.
"Stay away from her."
Lucian ignored him.
"Elleanore… do you know what that makes you?"
My pulse pounded.
Lucian smiled like someone revealing a secret written in blood.
"You are a Primordial Omega."
The room went dead silent.
Rowan dropped his tablet.
Cassian stopped crying.
Chandler stared, pale.
Aiden groaned, trembling violently.
Horace—
Horace turned to me so fast it made my breath catch.
"Elleanore—
NO—
he's lying—
he—"
Lucian cut him off sharply.
"I have no reason to lie.
A Primordial Omega can override royal-blooded dominance."
He stepped forward.
"She can break a Crown Heir."
My legs trembled.
"Break…?"
Lucian smiled.
"Yes."
His gaze sharpened into something terrifyingly interested.
"You could destroy me.
You could overthrow me.
You could bend the entire royal line."
Horace stiffened with shock.
Chandler whispered, "Okay—holy—hell—"
Cassian stared at me with wide, terrified eyes.
Aiden managed to whisper,
"Elle…?"
Horace reached for my hand—
But Lucian grabbed his wrist first.
"Now I see why Elliot died," Lucian whispered.
Horace froze.
Lucian leaned in, voice soft and cruel.
"He knew what she was."
My breath punched out of me.
Cassian screamed.
"YOU—YOU—MONSTER!!"
Horace lunged—
Lucian blasted him backward with a dominance surge so strong the walls cracked.
Horace crashed into the floor, gasping.
"HORACE!!"
Lucian stepped toward me.
Slowly.
Purposefully.
"Your brother was trying to hide you.
I only needed one reason to eliminate him."
Tears burned my eyes.
"Elliot died…
because of ME?"
Lucian tilted his head.
"Yes."
My breath shattered.
Horace crawled toward me, vision blurry, voice raw.
"Elleanore—don't—listen—don't—look—"
Lucian reached out—
"COME HERE."
Every instinct in my body screamed.
But not to obey.
To run.
To fight.
To break free.
And then—
A sound ripped through the room.
Not Aiden's roar.
Not Lucian's command.
Not Horace's shout.
My voice.
"STAY—AWAY—FROM—ME!"
The chamber walls shook.
Lucian froze mid-step.
Horace froze mid-reach.
Aiden collapsed to the floor.
Cassian covered his ears.
Chandler fell to one knee.
Rowan gasped,
"Saints—her scent—she's—she's overriding—EVERYTHING—!!"
Lucian actually stumbled backward.
I fell to one knee, chest heaving, breath shaking.
My scent surged—
Then collapsed.
Everything went silent.
Horace reached me first.
"Elleanore—Elleanore—look at me—HEY—stay awake—!"
I blinked weakly, vision swimming.
Lucian staggered—
then steadied himself, panting once, eyes furious.
He wiped a strand of blood from his lip.
"Well," he said, breath ragged.
"Now you've truly done it."
Rowan stared at him.
Lucian lowered his voice into a lethal murmur.
"You've awakened a Primordial Omega in front of the Crown."
He smiled thinly.
"Now it's treason if she dies…
and treason if she lives."
Horace growled, pulling me against his chest.
"You'll never touch her again."
Lucian's eyes narrowed.
"We'll see."
Before anyone could react—
Lucian pressed a device on his wrist.
A shrill alarm split the air.
Rowan screamed,
"NO—THAT'S A ROYAL EMERGENCY SIGNAL—HE'S CALLING A FULL UNIT—!!"
Horace tightened his grip on me, eyes blazing.
"Elleanore…
we have to run."
The chamber filled with red warning lights.
Heavy metal shutters slammed open in the hallway outside.
Royal boots thundered.
Lucian smiled through the chaos.
"Run, little brother.
Run as far as you can."
Horace lifted me in his arms.
And just before we escaped the shattered room, Lucian whispered—
"Elleanore.
I'll be coming for you."