Elowen's POV

As the sun began to rise, the soft light filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room. I lay there, cocooned in the arms of my brothers, the night's events replaying in my mind. Their presence was comforting, yet I couldn't shake the nagging doubts that settled in the pit of my stomach.

Lysander's warm breath brushed against my neck, and I felt safe, yet my mind spiraled with uncertainty. The moments we shared were intoxicating, but were they just fleeting? I had spent the night with all of them, and the thought of what that truly meant gnawed at me.

When I finally managed to slip from their grasp, the silence of the house felt deafening. I wandered into the living room, trying to gather my thoughts. The memories of our passionate encounters lingered, but the nagging feeling of worthlessness resurfaced, the echoes of my stepmother's harsh words haunting me.

"Why would they want me?" I muttered to myself, sinking into the couch. I buried my face in my hands, feeling overwhelmed. The tears that threatened to spill were a mixture of confusion and frustration, and I hated feeling this way. I had been with the brothers, shared something so deep and intimate, yet doubt gnawed at my insides.

I could almost hear my stepmother's voice, cold and cutting, reminding me that I would never be enough. "You're just a burden," she had often said, her disdain palpable. I could hear my stepsister's mocking laughter echoing in my mind, taunting me, reminding me that I was nothing special. "No one could ever want you," she would sneer, making me feel small and insignificant.

In their eyes, I had always been the one who couldn't measure up—always second best, always lacking. The brothers were so vibrant, so full of life, and here I was, a shadow of myself. What if they saw me the way my family did? What if I was just a fling to them? The thought twisted my stomach into knots.

The couch felt like quicksand, pulling me deeper into my insecurities. I wrapped my arms around my knees, staring at the floor, hoping to find some semblance of strength within myself. But all I could think about was their laughter and their warmth, how easily they had welcomed me into their lives. Yet the fear of being cast aside haunted me.

"What if they wake up and realize they don't need me?" The thought was like a cold wave crashing over me, and I shivered. I felt so out of place, as if I didn't belong in this moment of happiness. It was as if the past loomed over me, reminding me of every failure, every moment I was made to feel less than.

I pressed my palms to my cheeks, wishing I could wipe away the insecurities that threatened to drown me. "What do they see in me?" I whispered, but the silence around me only deepened my despair. The nagging voice in my head was relentless, reminding me that my worth had always been conditional.

I wanted to be strong, to be confident, to bask in the affection of the brothers without fear. But every time I thought of them, the memories of my family's cruelty flashed before my eyes. I felt like a fraud, a girl who had somehow slipped through the cracks into a world where she didn't belong.

I was still lost in my thoughts when the brothers finally emerged, their laughter echoing down the hallway. The sound sent a jolt through me, and I quickly wiped my cheeks dry, hoping they wouldn't notice how vulnerable I felt. But as they entered the living room, I could feel the weight of the air shift.

"What's wrong, Elowen?" Lysander asked, his voice filled with concern. But I couldn't meet his eyes; instead, I stared down at my hands, twisting them together nervously.

"Nothing," I muttered, but the lie felt heavy in the air, and I knew they could sense it.

Zephyr stepped forward, a predatory glint in his eyes. "You're not fooling anyone. Tell us what's going on."

It was as if I had opened a floodgate. I felt the words tumbling out before I could stop myself. "Do you... do you see me as just a fling?" I blurted, my voice trembling. "I mean, I don't want to be just another girl to you. I—"

The room went silent. Their expressions changed in an instant, anger flaring in their eyes. Zephyr's face twisted in disbelief. "What the fuck did you just say?" His voice was low and dangerous, sending a shiver down my spine.

I swallowed hard, feeling small under their scrutiny. "I just—"

"Are you serious right now?" Lysander cut me off, stepping closer, his tone sharp. "After everything we've done, you think you're still some cheap thrill?"

"I didn't mean it that way!" I protested, panic rising within me. "I just—"

"Just what?" Zander growled, clenching his fists. "You think you can sit here and think like you're some goddamn fling? We've made it clear what you mean to us!"

"Yeah, right," Zephyr snapped. "It's fucking pathetic that you even question it. Do you think you've wasted your time with us? You think someone else could ever care about you the way we do?"

I shrank back, their anger hitting me like a punch to the gut. "I... I just don't know," I whispered, tears stinging my eyes. "I don't want to be just a fling, but I can't help but think—"

"Then stop thinking like that!" Lysander shouted, his voice rough. "Have you had flings before? Is that why you think we'd treat you like some fucking toy?"

"No! It's not like that!" I cried, feeling utterly exposed. "I've never been in a situation like this!"

The room crackled with tension, their anger palpable. "So you're telling us you've been assuming you can be with other guys? Huh? Is that why you want this to be a fucking fling?" Zander pressed, his voice cold and demanding. "Who? Give us names."

"Why the hell does it matter?" Zephyr barked, his fury simmering just below the surface. "You think any of us would let you go that easily? If someone else has touched you, I swear to God—"

"Shut the fuck up!" Lysander growled, his eyes ablaze. "You think we're okay with the idea of you with someone else? No one else can have you! You belong with us!"

My heart raced, fear taking hold as their words spiraled into something darker. "I didn't mean to—"

"Don't you get it?" Zander snapped, stepping closer, the intensity in his gaze making me feel small. "You're not a fling to us. You're ours. And if you think otherwise, you're dead wrong."

Each of their words felt like a knife twisting deeper into me, slicing through the remnants of my self-worth. I could feel the weight of their anger and frustration—anger that I hadn't understood the depth of their feelings, frustration that I had even thought to question it.

"Why the hell would you think you're just some casual thing?" Zephyr seethed, pacing in front of me. "After the way we've been trying to prove just how much we care about you? Have you ever seen us act that way with anyone else?"

I shook my head, the tears spilling over. "I just... I don't want to be hurt again. I've been told I'm not worth it my whole life. What if you're just—"

"Just what?" Zander shot back, his voice low and menacing. "Trying to play with you? You think we're that shallow? You think we're playing some fucking game? You have no idea how much you mean to us!"

My breath hitched as I felt cornered, their anger wrapping around me like a vice. "But I don't know what this is," I admitted, my voice trembling. "I'm scared that I'll end up alone again. That I'll just be tossed aside like I always have been."

Lysander stepped forward, his fists clenched at his sides. "So you think we'd toss you aside? Like you're nothing? You think we're all just waiting to move on to the next girl?"

"It's pathetic," Zephyr growled, his tone dripping with contempt. "You're not some side piece, Elowen. You're fucking ours, and you need to understand that."

Zander's eyes flared with anger. "If anyone has touched you, I swear I'll make them regret it. You have no idea how far I'd go to protect you."

I winced at the heat of their words, feeling their rage wash over me. "I'm not trying to—"

"You think we don't care about you?" Zephyr interrupted, his voice low and intense. "You think we can just let some other guy get close to you? Touch you? It's fucking kills me to even think about it."

Their anger was overwhelming, and I couldn't help but feel trapped, caught in the middle of their fury. "I never meant to imply that," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "I just wanted to know where I stand."

"Stand?" Zander repeated, his tone mocking, but there was an edge of something deeper beneath it. "You think you're standing on shaky ground with us? You're fucking solid, Elowen. You're ours. You need to accept that."

"I'm scared," I confessed, the words spilling out before I could stop them. "I don't want to get hurt again."

Lysander stepped closer, his gaze piercing into mine. "Then stop doubting us. We've done everything we can to show you that you're not a fling, that you're not going anywhere. You're worth more to us than anyone else ever could be."

The tension in the room hung thick, and I felt as though I was suffocating under their intensity. "You don't understand," I said, my voice shaking. "I've been told my whole life that I'm worthless, that I'll never be enough for anyone."

"Those words mean nothing now," Zephyr snapped, his voice like ice. "Forget them. You're with us now. You're everything."

"No one's going to hurt you again," Zander promised, his voice fierce and unwavering. "We won't let it happen. But you need to trust us, Elowen."

I looked into their eyes, searching for the truth in their words, but the fear still clung to me. "What if I can't?"

"Then you'll have to deal with us being angry about it," Zephyr warned, his tone low and dangerous. "Because you don't get to doubt us. Not when we've fought for you."

Their anger was raw, unfiltered, and I felt the weight of their expectations pressing down on me. "I don't want to fight," I whispered, my heart aching.

"Too fucking bad," Zander growled. "You're worth fighting for, whether you see it or not."

As their words wrapped around me, I realized the depth of their feelings, but the fear of losing it all still gnawed at me. The fight within me crumbled, and I felt lost in the storm of their emotions.

____

they're stupid but they are also men so it makes sense lol