Chapter 5: Chapter 5

JASMINE

Sebastian, ever the gentleman, pulled out a chair for me. I took a seat, and he gently nudged me closer to the table. His fingers grazed a sliver of exposed skin from my robe, sending a shockwave of electricity through me.

My breath hitched, my heart pounded, and a wave of heat surged low in my belly, so intense I had to shift in my seat, a soft sigh betraying my composure. I couldn’t help but be turned on. I felt a rush of excitement building between my legs, and when I looked up, I found Sebastian watching me, his lips slightly parted.

I tried to make sense of it all, but all I saw were his bright eyes, his wolf close to the surface. He flared his nostrils, taking in my scent, my excitement. I could feel him struggling to maintain control.

But it wasn’t just him. I could feel Erik and Aaron reacting too, squirming, trying to keep themselves in check. This wasn’t right. This wasn’t how the night after finding your mate was supposed to go.

It was supposed to be a night of pure passion and love. Not a night of restraint, of avoiding touch, of meetings and bureaucracy. Frustration overwhelmed me, and two tears slipped down my cheeks.

I heard Aaron growl. The usually rational Aaron, letting his wolf growl. It wasn’t like him. He seemed to be losing control.

I looked into his eyes and saw his confusion, his struggle. It was almost tangible. His brown eyes locked with mine, but they were filled with his own despair. Another tear slipped down my cheek.

“Just stop crying,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper, as if it pained him to say it.

“I just, no…,” I tried to explain, but before I could finish, Aaron knelt beside me. He took my hands in his, resting his forehead on our joined hands.

For a moment, he wasn’t the calm, rational alpha. His wolf was barely contained, a whirlwind of emotions just beneath his controlled exterior.

“It just hurts, physically, to see you crying,” he confessed, his voice a whisper laced with a pain that seemed to weigh more than the words themselves. “We’ll work this out, I promise you.” His last words held the weight of a promise.

“It’s always been the four of us, Jazzy, and we’ll face this together,” Sebastian said, placing a hand on my shoulder, prompting me to look up at him.

I looked at Erik, who gave a small nod, confirming their words. Despite the difficulty of the situation, I had them. I didn’t fully understand how it would work, but they were my safe haven.

They sat around me, Sebastian and Aaron on my left, Erik on my right.

“Together? There is no such thing as together; there is only one rational solution to this…” Theodore’s words hung in the air, and I felt the world stop.

Aaron had inherited many of his traits, so while he was familiar to me, he was a point of uncertainty. If I thought Aaron was rational, Theodore was on another level.

“Which one?” Philip asked, genuinely clueless.

I knew. Deep down, I knew what he was going to suggest.

“Jasmine chooses who she wants to be with and rejects the other two.”

A sarcastic laugh escaped my lips. But it was a nervous laugh, a reaction to their absurd suggestion.

“You can’t be serious.” My words came out more mocking than I intended.

Theodore leaned back in his chair, his cold gaze assessing me as if I were a problem he could solve with a few words. “Do you see another alternative, Miss Aurum?” His voice was as sharp as a knife’s edge. “Because I don’t see the point in you having three mates—much less three alphas.”

My heart pounded, but I refused to back down. “It’s not supposed to make sense, Theodore. That’s the Moon’s will.” My voice trembled with indignation. “And I’m surprised you, of all people, would suggest rejection.”

I spoke defiantly, not realizing the weight of my words until they were out. I felt Aaron’s apprehension through our mate bond.

Theodore’s eyes were like lasers, burning into me. I didn’t flinch, didn’t look away—not even for a moment.

“What are you getting at, Jasmine?” His question echoed in the silent room, the tension so thick it was almost suffocating.

“I’m talking about your father, Theodore. How he ordered you to reject your mate because she was just the cook’s daughter, not smart enough to be a Scire. But you defied him, ran away, and married her anyway. She’s your luna now, your wife, and the mother of your son,” I said.

I could feel Theodore’s anger rising, but instead of lashing out at me, he turned his fury on Aaron.

“Did you tell her?” he roared, his temper flaring.

Theodore’s father had tried to bury this family secret, and I had just broadcast it to every alpha in the room. But I didn’t care, and I knew Aaron didn’t either.

My nerves were on high alert, expecting Aaron to react to his father’s outburst. But he remained calm and composed, not uttering a word. He just waited for me to continue, knowing through our bond that I had more to say.

I knew it was my turn to speak. I was the one feeling all this, the wolf who found herself with three mates.

“You all have mates; you understand what I’m saying,” I started, my gaze sweeping the room. I looked at my father, then Philip, Ragnar, and finally back to Theodore.

“It’s a love so intense that if it were even a millimeter stronger, it would be unbearable. It’s almost suffocating. It’s a sense of belonging, of protection, knowing you can’t live without the other person. Your entire world is in them. It’s a love so strong you’d give your life for them without a second thought. That’s how I feel about all three of them,” I confessed.

Their stares were so intense I had to force myself to meet their eyes. First Erik, then Sebastian, and finally Aaron.

“I feel the same way about all three of them. It’s impossible to choose. Even thinking about it for a second feels like it’s going to kill me. To choose…to even try…would be to rip myself apart. I can’t. I won’t. I’d rather die than make that choice.”