Chapter 23: Lucas P.O.V

She was so fucking tempting. It felt like every part of her was meant to destroy my self-control. Even in her damaged self-esteem and weakened body, the only thing I wanted to do was mark her as my mate. I wanted to know what it felt like to have her body writhing under my own while she screamed my name and moaned sweet nothing's in my ear. I couldn't stand the way Levi held onto her body the entire way out to the forest and I resented the way she clung onto him even more. My whole power, if you really want to call it that. It's more of a curse is I can read into her mind. I can read every single thought that she is having about being mated to the three of us.

"Sweetheart, come here?" I barked out, trying to sound some form of sweet and concerning. The truth is, I fucking needed to feel her warmth. I needed to feel her skin against mine before I lost control, and I was only seconds away. My wolf's jealousy has been growing with each second that she hasn't offered or begged to be within my reach. I thought, at least part of me did, that if we did share a mate that we would all be reasonable, that each of us could control the part of our Alpha wolf nature to be possessive, but the way my wolf was practically growling at me had me questioning everything.

"Go on." Levi whispered, giving her the go ahead to run into my arms, the way I needed her too.

Her scent is mouth watering. It smells like spring and strawberries mixed together and making me beg to smell her at every hour of the day. I could feel the worried thoughts taking over her brain about something being wrong while she took my hand and climbed onto my lap. I could feel the way her anxieties were getting the best of her and calming her at the same time. Her juicy, thick thighs covered my own while I used my goal to keep her steady. Every part of her felt so warm and luxurious, her chests bouncing up and down while she took in fast-paced breaths. Focus, Lucas.

"Sweetheart, we brought you out here so we could talk." I sighed, trying to get the words out in a calm way. Her abuse is terrifying. The things that she has gone through I'm not sure if I will ever be able to forget, at least the surface level memories that peaked through when she first woke up from fainting. Her darker thoughts raced forward from the short sentence that I had given her.

Tears soaked her beautiful face while she tried her hardest to reign in her emotions. To make them more manageable, more controllable, "Did I do something wrong, earlier?" She whispered, her adorable high-pitched angelic voice quivered while she tried to stop the silent sobs. I could feel the way Liam was barely hanging on before she broke. His wolf fell into complete control, and he was on his knees in front of our woman. His hands cupping her tear-stained cheeks while he mumbled sweet, soothing words into her beautiful ears.

"Lucas, I need her. I-I can't control my wolf. Please," Levi whispered, pleading with me to move her. I could read his thoughts, I could feel the torture that his wolf was going through from seeing who broken she was. Liam let go of her face while I moved her between the three of us. Liam scooted over a little bit so he could be in front of her while Levi was to her right, and I was to her left.

"We have to tell you some stuff that nobody else in the pack knows." Liam whispered, trying to find a way to break the news slowly. What is even the right way to try and tell our mate that one of us can control demons, one of us can read her mind and the other can read her heart? That no matter what, even if she tried to lie to even one of us the other would be able to pick up on anything she ever did and said. That her own mind and heart would never really belong to her again as long as she chose us, and she couldn't just choose one of us. I watched the way she took a deep breath and nodded her head yes. She does that a lot, when she doesn't want to verbally communicate something. Most of the time it's because she can't. I have been in her head for a while now and most fo the time when she chooses not to be verbal, it's because she is on the edge between a smile and tears.

Liam was trying to find a soft way to do this, but there wasn't one. There is not one soft way to put out that we can change her will if we choose. Honestly, it is one of our bigger fears. She seems to be stuck on this ridiculous thought that we don't want to mark her, that we don't want her to be our mate, but the honest truth is she may not want to be ours.

" We wanted you out here for two reasons. We can't mark you for royal customs, but no matter what, you will be marked soon. We think not marking you is hurting your wolf. The second thing can wait." Levi whispered, trying his best to sound official. We waited for her to reply, for her to give us some idea that she still wanted this, but all she did was nod in agreement. It was killing me.

"Aurora, Do you still want to be mated with your Alpha mates after learning the truth?" Levi asked in a serious tone. He always does something like that. When there is something he has to do that is a little too close to his heart, he detaches.

"It hurts that you have enough self-control to not mark me and my wolf is getting weaker with every second." Aurora whimpers and grabs her chest.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused. Everything that I have been able to feel from her is a wave of calmness.

"I think... I think I might lose her." Aurora whispers.

"Let me talk to her." I growled, clenching my jaw.

"How do I do that?" She asked, her eyes full of tears, again. Fuck, I hate making her cry like this.

"Im sorry, sweetheart. Just close your eyes and imagine giving her control and she should come forward." I smiled, trying to give her the reassurance that they clearly needed.