Not Mine but His Mate (Completed)

*Chapter 24: Temptations 🐾*

NOTE THE MATURE WARNING IN THE TITLE. MATURE CONTENT IN THIS CHAPTER, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.

~Hazel's POV~

"What do you mean by that?" I said aloud trying to suppress my bubbling anxiety.

"I won't hurt you, minou, I'm not saying you should be afraid that I will harm you. But in all honesty, I don't have full control over myself," he confessed.

Aloud I replied, "What do you mean by that?"

In my head he explained, "As you already know, while underneath the curse, the longer I stayed under, the more I lost myself--the human side of me. It's a slow process and agonizing. Can you imagine being tortured not only physically but mentally by your separate entity?"

I but my lip and shook my head no.

He continued, "Although my feelings for you are my own, The savage Lion in me still controls me--controls most of me."

I could see in his eyes and hear how defeated he was. I understood how helpless he felt, I too felt the same in my ex-marriage but it was a different degree of helplessness. I could empathize enough and I think that's what he wanted.

I began to rub his beautiful fur with such delicacy, "You have me to help you, Dom. I won't let your Lion be your demise. You and I both know he won't hurt me, so we will get through this. He is strong, but you are stronger, Dom."

The Lion's big a** tongue licked my cheek. I tried not to cringe but I instead gave a nervous laugh.

"Sorry, couldn't help ourselves," Dom said in my head.

I kissed his wet nose again, "Well maybe when we go back to Anipadra, we can go to Eila and start working on you gaining control again."

"Wait, so that means you're coming back home with me?"

You could hear the excitement in his voice....well in my head.

"Of course," I said aloud. "But first, I have to handle some business here."

"I understand, minou," he replied.

"Hey," I started aloud, "What does min-"

"Food is here," Leo interrupted. My stomach responded, growing loudly as if I haven't eaten in eight-hundred years.

I looked back at Dom's Lion and kissed it on the nose again before I went inside for the food. I guess I'll ask that question another time. But in the meanwhile, the next thing I knew I sat with my food, in between the two Lienthíans that both have interest in me.

The atmosphere wasn't awkward for them as it was for me since they grew up together since they were cubs, so they were having a full on conversation amongst themselves. Meanwhile, I sat in between them wondering about them both.....wondering how the heck was I going to proceed forward with these two constantly around.

I mean, Dom is my mate and I do care for him quite a bit. Not as much as he cares for me, but I do care about him. He's an amazing friend but an even better lover. There's not many negatives when it came to him, if there is any, I just don't one-hundred percent sure I want to accept a life long commitment yet.

On the other hand, Leo came out of nowhere and snuck up on me like a storm--a hurricane that's sole purpose was to swift me off my feet and ruin anyone else in the process. I couldn't understand why every time I'm around him, even in his Lion form I'm underneath some kind of trance. I'm underneath a spell I can't break and I'm attracted to him like a bee to nectar.