Chapter 300: Unspoken Magic and Lemon Trees

Vivian’s POV

I did not expect her to call me by my first name so casually. Even though she was technically part of my pack now by some odd, tangled logic, it still threw me off for a moment. Normally, another wolf addressing me that way without using my title would have drawn a sharp reaction from me, but Aurora was not a wolf. Witches clearly did not care for pack titles, and somehow, that reality stripped the potential offense right out of her words.

Still, I could not ignore the subtle, creeping tension that was slowly crawling over my bare skin.

My wolf startled me when she reached forward in my mind to show me what she was seeing, a detail I had not fully picked up on until Aurora reacted for that second time. A thin but pulsing aura connected her directly to Algebra, glowing in a rich, vibrant green that I assumed represented their deep mate bond. But the magical connection was strangely twisted and muddied. A dark, oily presence threaded through the green light unnaturally, refusing to blend smoothly with their bond. It hissed and writhed around her aura like it was a living, breathing thing. It felt sharp-edged, heavy, and angry.

It scared the hell out of me.

If I were the kind of person to openly show fear, I probably would have turned around and walked right out of the cabin right then. But I was not that kind of person. First impressions mattered enormously, especially when dealing with someone as powerful as a witch, and the absolute last thing I wanted to do was rattle her delicate focus or give her the impression that I could not handle what my senses were picking up.

Still... that dark magic swirling inside her body? It was not just dark. It felt fundamentally wrong. It was wrong enough to actively fight for space inside her physical form, and strong enough to cause her to completely disregard a sacred mate bond.

That reality terrified me far more than I was willing to admit out loud.

And yet, looking at her sitting beside me, Aurora did not feel inherently evil. Not exactly. Her overall energy felt deeply conflicted, heavily weighted down by unseen burdens. Unlike Algebra’s constant stream of lighthearted remarks and that casual, Beta-like easiness he wore every day like a second skin, she possessed a quiet, intense gravity. She was kind, yes, but deeply guarded behind her walls. There was a faint glimmer of something mischievous hidden behind her dark eyes, but even that playful spark felt faded and tired.

For a quiet moment, I found myself wondering if Algebra’s carefree charm had always been a part of his personality, or if he had intentionally picked it up over time from her, trying his best to keep alive whatever bright spark she used to bring into his life. Maybe she had been the playful one in their relationship before all of this dark corruption took hold of her magic.

While she spoke to me, I caught Algebra’s intense gaze from the corner of my eye. The way he looked at her from across the room... gods, it held so much emotion. It was packed with deep love, endless patience, and an underlying grief. It hit me far harder than I expected, seeing that quiet, unbreakable kind of devotion between mates.

They had clearly been through so much together. And fate... fate really did not care who it shattered along the way.

Aurora moved her delicate hands around a lot while she spoke. I was not even fully paying attention to her words until one of her large rings caught the incoming light from the window. A brilliant shimmer of gold and polished gemstone flashed in the corner of my vision, drawing my eyes directly to her fingers.

"I really love your rings," I said softly, speaking without really thinking the comment through first. "They are so beautiful."

She stopped her hand movements mid-motion and laid both of her palms completely flat against her knees, allowing me to get a much better look at the intricate jewelry.

Curious, I reached out my hand and lightly touched the large oval gem etched deeply in gold. The invisible barrier between us had completely fallen by then, and my wolf gave a quiet nod of approval in the back of my mind, encouraging the contact.

I did not notice right away that Aurora had gone completely still beside me.

"Berry, could you go get me some fresh lemonade?" Aurora asked suddenly, turning her head toward him. Her voice sounded soft on the surface, but there was a sharp line of tension running directly under her tone.

I blinked up at her in surprise. Lemonade?

"I love lemonade," I murmured, mostly speaking to myself, feeling surprised and weirdly pleased by the sudden idea of a cold drink.

She gave me a small, knowing smile. "I know you do."

She turned her intense gaze back to Algebra, who was still lounging comfortably in his seat across the room.

Wait. What? How on earth did she know that about me?

Did literally everyone in this pack know that I had a massive soft spot for lemonade?

"We don’t have any lemonade in the cabin?" Algebra said, sounding genuinely confused as his dark brows pulled together. He glanced back and forth between the two of us, his voice pitching upward into more of a baffled question than a statement.

I felt a small flicker of disappointment hit my stomach at his words.

"There is a lemon tree sitting right outside," Aurora said briskly, her tone leaving zero room for debate. "Go get some lemons."

Algebra frowned deeply at his mate, visibly puzzled by her command.

"There is?"

"There is now. Go." Her voice sounded clipped and firm.

He looked like he genuinely wanted to argue the point with her, but he simply let out a heavy sigh instead, muttering the word "witches" under his breath as he finally pushed himself up from the chair. He cast a quick, meaningful glance at me before heading toward the front door. I gave him a reassuring nod to let him know I was totally fine staying on the couch.

The heavy wooden door clicked shut firmly behind him as he stepped outside.

Aurora’s dark gaze lingered on the closed door for a brief beat, and then she shifted her full attention right back to me.

There was something intense resting in her brown eyes now. Something sharp, ancient, and deeply knowing. And for the very first time since arriving at this secluded cabin, I realized with absolute clarity that she had not just wanted Algebra to leave the room for a drink she urgently needed to speak to me completely alone.

And I had a heavy feeling that whatever was about to come out of her mouth next... would dig far deeper into things than I was currently ready to handle.

And just like that... cold lemonade really did not seem worth dying for anymore.

My wolf let out a loud, stressed grumble in the back of my mind. Bring the Beta back inside right now. His mate has completely lost her marbles. She is gorgeous, sure, but she is absolutely unhinged.

I hesitated on the cushion, entirely unsure whether I should be offended on her behalf or completely agree with my wolf’s assessment. Aurora’s eyes were locked onto my face like I had suddenly grown a second head, and the sheer intensity of her stare was making my skin crawl. Her focus was definitely not normal. She suddenly reached out with both hands and firmly grabbed mine. I let out a nervous, awkward laugh, already bracing my body for whatever spell or sudden move was coming next.

Damn it, I thought to myself in a panic. I really should have listened to Algebra when he tried to warn me in the car earlier.