Chapter 21: Aurora P.O.V

I wanted my brother, Oli, there. I even wanted my sister, Emmy, to be there with me. For some reason not a single bone in my body felt excited, it felt more like my wolf was being crushed from the inside out. I remember just a few hours previously there would have been no way in hell that I would have left my siblings behind, it didn't matter who my mate or mates were. In this moment, though, all I wanted is to be alone with them, for them to talk to me and tell me the truth about why they weren't marking me. I could hear and feel the painful and sad ways that my wolf whimpered and howled in pain in our minds while I looked at the three of them. None of this is how it should have been.

I should have been in my bedroom today after the massive beating that our parents gave... our parents. If I had just let them beat me down like they usually do they might be alive right now instead of bleeding out on our kitchen floor, rotting. They were never fantastic parents, but they were there, they never showed up for us or loved us but at least I knew where we came from. I knew that our position in the pack was secure, that they could find a marriage alliance for me and my sister.

"At what cost though? Is your life not worth living? Is the position of being a Beta's daughter more important than even the possibility of not having an anxiety attack every time you wake up?" Athena ranted, going on an on.

"I just wanted them safe.. I wanted Emmy to grow up without knowing the torture of being beaten the way we were." I whispered to my wolf. Waiting for my wolf to understand, for her to see that in my human brain I did make the best outcome. In my very human body I tried everything possible to make sure that we all stayed alive.

"Aurora, we are important too and I had to come early by the mood goddess to preserve your life. Do you even know what means? It means you were given such limited options and choices that we were going to die before we ever met." Athena huffed, making me roll my eyes. When did my wolf get so fucking dramatic with my choices?

"Your being so dramatic. " I whispered, clenching my teeth together.

"Athena, why am I getting sick?" I whispered, feeling another wave of nausea roll through me while Levi rubbed my back and Lucas touched my leg. I watched her clench her canines together in our shared mind space.

"It's not every day that you find who your mates are only for them to reject you." Athena whimpered in pain.

"They aren't rejecting us." I whispered, hoping and praying that it was the truth. Every fiber in my body disagreed though. Every part of my body felt like they were preparing to reject me. It felt like they were trying to logically explain to their wolves why they needed to find a more appropriate aged woman, a more confident queen, because I wasn't her. I wasn't the prettiest, I wasn't the smartest, I wasn't even the fastest, so what did I truly have to offer them? In so many ways, I would be out of depth in this new role. In so many ways, I would need proper training, I would need doctor's care and probably a therapist. Why would anybody, including my mates, go out of their way to take care of somebody like me? A nobody. The unwanted beta daughter. The problem.

"They'll reject us because of you." Athena growled, making me cower in the corner of my mind.

"No, they love us. They understand that we have problems." I tried to level out the negative thoughts circling through our brain.

I shook my head and tried to shove her constant negative thoughts aside while I focused on what my mates were trying to talk us about. I shook off the thoughts while I looked at Liam, he always seemed so neutral, so focused. Did he even care if we didn't feel well? If he did, why wasn't he over here trying to give me his support? Why wasn't he somewhere next to me and Levi? He was across the room, deep in thought while I felt like I was going to hurl or black out in his brother's arms. I grabbed onto Levi's arm, "Levi, I- I can't breathe." I whispered, my lips quivering while my words came out rambled together. Tears fell down my cheek while Levi lifted me off the couch, " I have an idea." He whispered, kissing my cheek.

I nodded my head and let him lead while Lucas followed closely behind. When I opened my eyes again, we were in the forest behind my house, the smell of the fresh pine and wet leaves soaked into every sense in my body, finally some sense of relief. I sighed while I took in my surroundings in his arms, "better?" he whispered, smiling brightly while I gained some of my color. I nodded my head yes, "Just slightly. There's this unwavering amount of nausea and dizziness surrounding me like a dark cloud or a blanket but right now it's do-able." I sighed, trying to figure out what the hell is actually wrong with me.

"Come here, sweetheart." Lcuas whispered while he sat on the edge of the log. Levi set me down on the cold floor, "Go on." he cooed, making the edge of fear I felt about falling go away almost instantly. The constant pressure on my chest disappeared only for a minute, "Levi, what did you just do?" I whispered, nervous that he had made some secret witchy spell on my mind or wolf.

"It's called reassurance princess." he smirked, his lips touched my head before he went and sat on the log too. Now, I did feel nervous. What did the two of them want to talk about?

In seconds, I could hear the crunching of leaves, sending my wolf into panic before we heard his voice, "It's just me." Liam whispered, trying his bets to calm down my very alert wolf. I nodded my head and gulped, "Yes, Liam." I whispered. Seconds later, the three beautiful Alphas I had just given part of my soul to were sitting on the log with guilt and pain written all over their faces.

"Rory, they are leaving us..." Athena whimpered, trying her hardest to put on a grave face.

"Are you rejecting me?" I whispered, trying to swallow back the wave of tears pouring down my face. I couldn't stop it. The one time I actually needed to be in control of my own emotions and I couldn't get the tears to stop.

"AURORA!" They screamed and everything went black before I felt my body hit something cold.