The First Thread
Still Bound
Chapter 1 — The First Thread
Pond's POV
The city was still quiet when I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of my office.
It was barely six in the morning.
Most of the buildings around me were still dark, their windows reflecting only the faint grey light of dawn. Far below, cars moved along the roads like tiny shadows, while the city slowly prepared itself for another day.
I had been awake for hours.
Sleep had never been something I needed much of.
My eyes remained fixed on the streets below as I held a glass of water in one hand. The reflection staring back at me from the window looked exactly as it always did—calm, controlled, and completely unreadable.
That was how people knew me.
Pond Naravit.
Twenty-five.
Alpha.
The heir to one of the most powerful families in the city.
People had many things to say about me.
Fearless.
Cold.
Ruthless.
Merciless.
I never bothered correcting them.
A reputation was useful.
Especially when you lived in a world where people were constantly looking for weaknesses.
A knock came from behind me.
I didn't turn around.
Pond:
“Come in.”
The door opened.
Aou walked inside, holding a tablet in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other. He looked annoyingly awake for someone who had probably slept even less than I had.
He placed the coffee on my desk before looking at me.
Aou:
“You haven't slept again.”
I took a sip of water.
Pond:
“You haven't either.”
Aou:
“I'm your secretary. I'm allowed to lose sleep because of you.”
I glanced at him.
Pond:
“That's unfortunate.”
Aou laughed under his breath and sat down on the sofa.
He had been part of my family for as long as I could remember.
My parents had adopted him when he was young. Somewhere along the way, he had stopped feeling like someone my parents had brought into the house and started feeling like my brother.
He was older than me by two years.
He was also one of the very few people who could speak to me without worrying about how I'd react.
Which was occasionally irritating.
Aou unlocked his tablet.
Aou:
“You have three meetings today. Your father moved the first one to nine-thirty, your mother wants you home for dinner, and there's another meeting with the board at four.”
I looked at him.
Pond:
“Cancel dinner.”
Aou immediately shook his head.
Aou:
“No.”
Pond:
“I wasn't asking.”
Aou:
“And I wasn't agreeing.”
I stared at him.
He simply smiled.
Aou:
“Your mother said she'll come here herself if you don't show up.”
I sighed.
Pond:
“She wouldn't.”
Aou:
“She absolutely would.”
I looked back toward the window.
My mother had always been one of the few people in my life who could ignore my reputation completely.
To her, I was still the same son who had once complained about eating vegetables.
Unfortunately, she also had a habit of involving herself in every part of my life.
Especially lately.
Marriage.
The word itself was enough to irritate me.
Aou seemed to notice my expression.
Aou:
“She mentioned marriage again, didn't she?”
I looked at him.
Pond:
“Don't start.”
Aou:
“I didn't say anything.”
Pond:
“You were about to.”
Aou:
“Fine. I was.”
He placed the tablet down.
Aou:
“You know they're not completely wrong.”
I gave him a look.
Pond:
“About what?”
Aou:
“You can't avoid the subject forever.”
Pond:
“Watch me.”
Aou shook his head.
Aou:
“You're twenty-five, Pond. Your responsibilities are increasing. Your family is constantly being watched. You have enemies who would love to find a weakness in you.”
Pond:
“And a marriage is supposed to fix that?”
Aou:
“Not fix it. Strengthen the family's alliances.”
I didn't answer.
He wasn't entirely wrong.
In our world, marriage wasn't always about love.
Sometimes it was business.
Sometimes it was protection.
Sometimes it was power.
And sometimes it was all three.
Aou picked up his tablet again.
Aou:
“There is something else.”
My attention shifted toward him.
His expression had become serious.
Pond:
“What?”
Aou turned the tablet toward me.
Aou:
“Someone has been asking questions about the Vachirawit family.”
I took the tablet.
The first page showed a photograph of a man in his twenties.
Boom Vachirawit.
Twenty-four.
His younger brother's photograph was underneath.
Phuwin Vachirawit.
Twenty-three.
I frowned.
I knew the surname.
The Vachirawits were powerful, but they rarely appeared in public. Their business was mostly kept away from unnecessary attention, and after the death of their parents, the two brothers had become even more private.
I scrolled through the information.
There wasn't much.
Almost too little.
Pond:
“Why are people interested in them?”
Aou:
“We don't know yet.”
Pond:
“Then find out.”
Aou:
“I already started.”
I stopped scrolling when I reached Phuwin's photograph.
He wasn't smiling.
He wasn't trying to look intimidating either.
He simply looked at the camera with an expression that was almost impossible to read.
Calm.
Cold.
Detached.
Something about him felt different.
I couldn't explain what.
Pond:
“What's his position in the family?”
Aou:
“Boom handles most of their public affairs. Phuwin stays away from the public side.”
Pond:
“Why?”
Aou:
“That's the interesting part. Nobody seems to know.”
I looked at the photograph again.
There was something about the way Phuwin looked into the camera.
He didn't look afraid of being watched.
He looked like he simply didn't care.
I handed the tablet back.
Pond:
“Keep an eye on them.”
Aou:
“Already doing that.”
He stood up.
Then he paused.
Aou:
“You're interested.”
I frowned.
Pond:
“I'm not.”
Aou smiled.
Aou:
“Sure.”
He walked toward the door.
Pond:
“Aou.”
He turned.
Pond:
“Find out who's asking about them.”
His smile disappeared.
Aou:
“I will.”
The door closed.
I looked toward the window again.
For some reason, the photograph of that Omega remained in my mind.
Phuwin Vachirawit.
I didn't know him.
I'd never spoken to him.
And I certainly didn't have any reason to think about him.
Yet somehow, I had a feeling that wouldn't remain true for long.
---
Phuwin's POV
Sunlight hit my face.
I immediately pulled the blanket over my head.
Phuwin:
“Five more minutes.”
The bedroom door opened.
I didn't bother looking.
I already knew who it was.
Boom:
“You said that twenty minutes ago.”
I groaned.
Phuwin:
“Then give me another five.”
Boom walked toward the window and pulled the curtains open.
Bright sunlight filled the room.
I immediately sat up.
Phuwin:
“Boom!”
He laughed.
Boom:
“Good morning.”
Phuwin:
“Close the curtains.”
Boom:
“No.”
Phuwin:
“Please.”
Boom:
“Get up.”
I stared at him.
He stared back.
Neither of us moved.
Finally, I sighed and pushed the blanket away.
Phuwin:
“You're annoying.”
Boom smiled.
Boom:
“And you're late for breakfast.”
I ran a hand through my messy hair.
Phuwin:
“I'm not hungry.”
His smile disappeared.
Boom:
“You said that yesterday.”
Phuwin:
“And I'm still alive.”
Boom:
“That's not the point.”
He sat on the edge of my bed.
His expression softened.
Boom:
“Phuwin.”
I looked at him.
Boom:
“Eat something.”
There was something about the way he said it that made it difficult to argue.
I nodded.
Phuwin:
“Fine.”
He smiled again.
Boom:
“Good.”
I got out of bed and followed him downstairs.
Our house was large, but it had never felt empty to me.
It had only ever been the two of us.
After our parents died, Boom had become my family in every sense of the word.
My brother.
My protector.
My home.
And I would do anything to keep him safe.
Anything.
We entered the dining room.
Breakfast was already waiting.
I sat beside Boom and picked up a piece of toast.
He watched me.
Boom:
“Eat properly.”
Phuwin:
“I am.”
Boom:
“You're holding the toast.”
I looked down.
He was right.
I sighed and finally took a bite.
Boom laughed.
Phuwin:
“Don't laugh.”
Boom:
“I'm not.”
Phuwin:
“You are.”
Boom:
“Maybe a little.”
I rolled my eyes.
For a moment, everything felt normal.
Then Boom's phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His expression changed.
I noticed immediately.
He answered.
Boom:
“Hello?”
He listened.
His eyes moved toward the windows.
Boom:
“What?”
Silence.
His voice became quieter.
Boom:
“Are you sure?”
Another pause.
Boom:
“Don't let anyone near the property. I'll handle it.”
He ended the call.
I put my toast down.
Phuwin:
“What happened?”
Boom looked at me.
Boom:
“Nothing.”
I frowned.
Phuwin:
“Boom.”
Boom:
“It's being handled.”
Phuwin:
“That's not an answer.”
He hesitated.
I waited.
Finally, he sat down again.
Boom:
“Someone was seen near the outer gate last night.”
My expression remained calm.
Phuwin:
“Who?”
Boom:
“We don't know.”
Phuwin:
“Did they enter?”
Boom:
“No.”
I relaxed slightly.
Then Boom continued.
Boom:
“But they weren't watching the house.”
I looked at him.
Phuwin:
“Then what were they watching?”
Boom didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
I already understood.
Me.
I leaned back in my chair.
Phuwin:
“Do you know who?”
Boom:
“Not yet.”
Phuwin:
“How many?”
Boom:
“One confirmed.”
I nodded slowly.
Boom reached across the table.
Boom:
“Don't worry.”
I looked at his hand.
Then at him.
Phuwin:
“I'm not worried about myself.”
His expression changed.
He knew exactly what I meant.
I wasn't afraid of people coming after me.
I had survived enough to know how to protect myself.
But Boom?
He was different.
He was the one thing I couldn't afford to lose.
Boom:
“I know.”
He squeezed my hand.
Boom:
“And that's exactly why you need to be careful.”
I looked away.
There was something neither of us said aloud.
Something we'd spent years keeping hidden.
My identity.
The truth about what I was.
Most people saw me as nothing more than an Omega.
They didn't know how rare I actually was.
They didn't know what I could do.
And they absolutely couldn't know.
Because the moment the wrong person learned the truth, I wouldn't just become a target.
Boom would too.
I looked back at my brother.
Phuwin:
“Did you tell security to increase the guards?”
Boom:
“Yes.”
Phuwin:
“Good.”
Boom:
“And you're not going anywhere alone.”
I raised an eyebrow.
Phuwin:
“You're giving me orders now?”
Boom:
“Yes.”
Phuwin:
“Since when?”
Boom:
“Since you were born.”
I couldn't stop the small smile that appeared on my face.
Phuwin:
“That's unfair.”
Boom:
“Life is unfair.”
I shook my head.
For now, at least, we were safe.
Or so we thought.
---
Pond's POV
That evening, I walked into my parents' house already knowing something was wrong.
Both of them were sitting in the living room.
Together.
Waiting.
I stopped at the doorway.
Pond:
“No.”
My mother blinked.
Mother:
“You don't even know what we're going to say.”
Pond:
“I know enough.”
My father lowered the file in his hands.
Father:
“Sit down.”
I sighed and walked over.
Pond:
“What is it?”
My mother smiled.
Mother:
“We want you to meet someone.”
I immediately looked at Aou.
He had warned me.
Pond:
“Aou betrayed me.”
Aou, who was standing near the doorway, laughed.
Aou:
“I told you this was coming.”
I ignored him.
My father placed a file on the table.
I looked down.
The same surname.
Vachirawit.
My eyes narrowed.
Pond:
“The Vachirawits?”
My mother nodded.
Mother:
“Yes.”
Pond:
“Why?”
My father leaned back.
Father:
“Because their family and ours have interests that could benefit each other.”
I opened the file.
Boom's photograph.
Then Phuwin's.
My eyes stopped there again.
I stared at the photograph for a moment.
My mother noticed.
Mother:
“Have you heard of Phuwin?”
Pond:
“No.”
Mother:
“He's very private.”
Pond:
“I noticed.”
My father folded his hands.
Father:
“We want you to meet them tomorrow.”
I closed the file.
Pond:
“And if I don't want to?”
My father didn't argue.
Father:
“Then you don't.”
That surprised me.
My mother smiled.
Mother:
“We aren't asking you to marry him tomorrow, Pond.”
I looked at her.
Mother:
“Just meet him.”
I stood.
Pond:
“Fine.”
Aou looked surprised.
Aou:
“That easy?”
I looked at him.
Pond:
“I said I'd meet him. I didn't say I'd agree to anything.”
My mother smiled.
Mother:
“That's enough for now.”
I picked up the file.
As I walked toward the door, I glanced once more at Phuwin's photograph.
That same unreadable expression.
That same calmness.
I still didn't know why he had caught my attention.
But tomorrow, I would finally meet the man behind the photograph.
And neither of us knew that one meeting would eventually change the course of both our lives.
Not because either of us wanted it to.
But because some bonds begin long before we realize we've created them.
