Chapter 162: The Heart’s Revolt
Josie
Everything inside me was trembling. My chest, my hands, even my voice—nothing felt steady anymore. I was tired, so tired of trying to hold myself together when the people who were supposed to love me only tore me apart.
"I said leave," I whispered first. My voice barely carried, but the silence that followed was thick enough to suffocate me.
Neither of them moved.
Thorne just stood there, broad shoulders tense, his eyes hard like he didn’t even hear me. Varen’s jaw worked, his hands balled into fists at his sides. They looked like statues carved from the same anger I’d been drowning in.
"Did you not hear me?" I asked again, louder this time. "I said leave!"
Still, nothing.
Something inside me snapped. I grabbed the glass by my side and hurled it against the wall. It shattered with a deafening crash, pieces raining down in bright, sharp shards. The sound startled even me.
"Do you see that?" I hissed, my breath shaking. "That’s exactly what I feel like—broken! And you don’t even care."
Varen took a step toward me, hands raised slightly. "Josie, calm down—"
"Don’t tell me to calm down!" My voice cracked. "Do you have any idea what it’s like to be treated like this? To have people claim they love me but only end up making me feel small?"
They were both silent, and it only made me angrier.
"I’ve been begging you," I said, my throat tight. "Begging you to treat me with respect. Just that. But it’s like you’re not even capable of it. You don’t listen. You don’t stop to think about how your actions cut me open every single time."
Thorne’s voice came low and hard. "That’s not true."
"Oh, isn’t it?" I bit back. "You both only know how to hurt me. You think this bond gives you the right to treat me however you want, and I’m supposed to just accept it because we’re mates?"
The tears burned behind my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall. I was done crying for them.
"You’ve turned everything into a competition," I continued, my voice trembling with exhaustion and rage. "Even me. You’ve turned sleeping with me into something to fight over. Something to win. Like I’m a prize you can brag about to each other afterward."
Varen’s expression softened, but I didn’t let him speak.
"I wish," I said bitterly, "I wish just once you’d stop thinking about your damn egos and actually think about what I feel. About how it feels to be in the middle of all this... chaos."
The air in the room felt heavy, thick with unspoken things. My throat ached, and I pressed a hand to my chest just to steady my breathing.
"Josie," Varen started, voice rough, "I didn’t mean—"
"Don’t," I interrupted sharply. "Don’t defend it. You can’t justify hurting me just because you think you love me. It doesn’t work that way."
And that was when the door opened.
Kiel walked in like a cold wind had followed him. His presence always did that—made the room colder, heavier. His gaze swept over the broken glass, my trembling hands, the two Alphas still tense and silent.
"Perfect," he muttered. "Just perfect. Fighting again while the world burns."
"What do you mean?" Thorne demanded immediately, his tone hard.
Kiel’s gaze flicked to me. "The witch. She’s back."
My heart stopped. "What?"
"She’s been sighted near the southern border," he said, his voice clipped. "And if she’s there, it means she’s after you again."
I felt my pulse skyrocket, panic clawing at my throat. The air was suddenly too thick, my mind flashing back to the last time—the fire, the blood, the shadows whispering my name.
"No," I whispered. "No, she can’t—"
I turned to run, but Thorne was faster. He moved in front of me, his hands firm on my shoulders. "Josie, stop. Listen to me. You need to stay calm. We can handle this."
I shoved at his chest, frustration spilling over. "Calm down? You’re telling me to calm down when none of you have your own lives under control? How am I supposed to trust you to protect me when you can’t even stop fighting each other?"
Thorne’s jaw tightened, but before he could respond, Kiel snorted. The sound was sharp and mocking.
"Please," he said, folding his arms. "She’s not panicking because she’s scared. She’s panicking because she can’t get enough of all the attention. She just wants more dick."
The words sliced through me like a blade.
"What did you just say?" I whispered, barely recognizing my own voice.
He shrugged, smirking. "You heard me. You love playing us against each other, don’t you? Acting all innocent while you keep all of us tangled in your mess."
My whole body shook. For a second, I thought I might actually hit him. My hand twitched upward, trembling with anger, but I stopped myself. Barely.
"Go to hell," I said instead, my voice low and shaking. "Every single one of you."
I turned and stormed out before anyone could stop me.
I heard Varen call my name, then the hurried footsteps of the guards.
"Josie, wait! You’re not safe!" one of them shouted.
"I don’t care!" I screamed back, my voice raw.
I didn’t stop running until my lungs burned and my vision blurred. My bare feet pounded against the stone floors, the night air rushing in through the open halls. I didn’t know where I was going—only that I needed to be away from them. Away from their voices, their anger, their cruel words that still echoed in my head.
I didn’t realize where I’d gone until I slammed through a familiar door and stumbled into Marcy’s living room.
Marcy and her husband were sitting by the fire, startled by my sudden entrance. Her husband rose immediately, brows knitting in disapproval.
"What on earth—"
"I’m sorry," I gasped out, holding up my hands. "I didn’t mean to—"
Marcy placed a hand on his arm, her voice calm. "It’s fine, love. Give us a moment."
He hesitated, clearly upset, but eventually nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him.
The moment he was gone, Marcy turned to me with worried eyes. "Josie, sweetheart. What happened?"
I sank into the nearest chair, covering my face with my hands. My breathing came in ragged bursts. "Everything’s falling apart, Marcy. I can’t do this anymore."
She came to sit beside me, her voice soft. "Talk to me. What’s wrong?"
"I told them to leave," I said hoarsely. "I begged them to stop treating me like I’m something to fight over, but they don’t listen. They never listen. All they do is hurt me, then act like it’s my fault for feeling anything at all."
Her hand rubbed slow circles on my back, her silence urging me to go on.
"They’ve turned this into a game," I whispered. "Like I’m just some test of who’s stronger or who’s more Alpha. I can’t even look at them without feeling like I’m losing myself."
Marcy exhaled softly. "And what did you do?"
"I ran," I admitted, voice small. "I ran because Kiel said something—something disgusting—and Thorne and Varen just stood there. They didn’t even stop him."
Marcy frowned. "That’s not right. They should never have let that happen."
I swallowed hard, blinking back tears. "I don’t even know what to feel anymore. One minute I hate them, the next I... I just want them to see me. To actually see me."
Marcy reached up, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "You’re overwhelmed, Josie. Anyone would be. But running away won’t fix it."
"I can’t go back," I whispered.
"Yes, you can," she said gently. "You have to. Those men—whether they’re acting right or not—they’re still your mates. That bond isn’t something you can ignore. And like it or not, you’re the only one who can bring them together."
I lifted my head, frowning through the blur of tears. "Why me? Why do I have to be the one fixing things all the time?"
"Because you’re the heart of it," Marcy said simply. "They may all be your mates, but you’re the one who connects them. The one who can calm the storm."
Her words hit deep. I didn’t respond right away, just sat there, staring at my trembling hands.
After a while, I nodded, slowly. "I’ll try," I murmured.
"That’s all you can do," she said, squeezing my hand.
By the time I stepped out of her home, the night had settled heavy around me. The air was cool, the moon high. Every step back toward the main house felt heavier, but I forced myself to keep going.
When I reached the doors, raised voices drifted toward me—angry, sharp.
I followed the sound until I found myself outside the bar. The moment I stepped in, I saw them.
Kiel and Varen, both furious, standing toe to toe. Bottles scattered across the counter, the scent of alcohol thick in the air.
"You think you’re better than me?" Kiel snarled. "You think she’ll pick you just because you play the calm one?"
"You’re drunk," Varen shot back. "You don’t know what you’re saying."
Kiel laughed harshly. "Oh, I know exactly what I’m saying. You’re pathetic, Varen. You think Josie wants you, but she doesn’t. She feels sorry for you."
Something in me broke all over again.
I marched straight toward them, the sound of my footsteps echoing loud in the tense silence. I slammed my fist down on the table, the impact sending the bottles clattering.
"Enough!" I shouted.
They both froze, turning toward me with wide eyes.
"I’m done fighting," I said, my voice trembling but firm. "I’m done crying, done begging, done being the center of your war."
Neither of them spoke. I could see the guilt in Varen’s eyes, the confusion in Kiel’s. But I didn’t stop.
"I just have one question," I said, staring between them. "Why? Why are you all so desperate to be my first when you could just... be with me?"
Silence.
Their expressions shifted—confusion, shock, something else I couldn’t name.
And just like that, the weight of everything pressed down on me again. The anger, the love, the exhaustion.
I was standing in the middle of a storm I didn’t create but was somehow expected to survive.
I straightened my shoulders, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall. "I’m not your prize. I’m your mate. Start acting like it."
And then... silence. Only the sound of our breathing and the faint crackle of the fire filled the room.
That was where everything stopped.
Where words hung heavy between us, waiting for the next explosion.