Page 10 of Mates: Posy

"Was it his belt?"

I shook my head.

"A whip?"

I shook my head again. They would understand once they saw it.

Maple Syrup returned. Dabbing gently, he worked his way up my back, and Vanilla began to ease the damp fabric away from my wounds. In no time, my shirt was pulled up to my neck, exposing the deep, bloody cuts.

"A knife?" Campfire rumbled. "He used aknife?"

I nodded.

The aroma of vanilla dipped closer, and something soft brushed my left shoulder. The sparks returned and tickled me, making me squirm a bit.

"This is good to heal now, little wolf," Vanilla murmured.

Lark went to work, and each wound closed with a pinch that made me wince a little.

"Let’s get you a fresh shirt," Roses said. "Take that one off of her."

"No!"

I didn’t want to disobey them, but I didn’t have a bra on. With the state my back had been in, that would have only added to the torture.

"Shh." Pine laid down next to me and stared into my eyes. "We won’t look. You have nothing to be embarrassed or worried about. We only want to take care of you, okay?"

I couldn’t look away from his light green eyes. I got so lost in them that I barely noticed when Vanilla eased my arms out of my sleeves.

"I’m going to move your hair again, honey," Pine whispered, "so we can pull this shirt off."

I nodded, not caring what they were doing so long as I could keep drowning in his eyes.

His big hands did just what he said, and I was embarrassed for him to feel my greasy hair a second time. He didn’t seem to mind, though. Our eye contact was broken for a brief second as Vanilla pulled the shirt over my head, but there he was again, waiting for me when the fabric disappeared.

Suddenly, fingertips skimmed down the knobs of my spine, and I jumped. Not only was I unused to being touched so tenderly, but it also stirred up those delicate sparks again, which tickled.

"Sorry," Vanilla muttered.

Then another bunch of fabric blocked my vision as a different t-shirt slipped over my head. I sank my nose into it and hummed as the lovely fragrance of roses engulfed me. Before I knew it, the boys had my arms through the sleeves and were tugging the back down as far as it would go while it bunched up at my collar bones in the front.

"Lift up for a second, baby," Vanilla said in my ear.

Again not wanting to, I obeyed so I didn't get punished, and he whipped the shirt down my front without letting his fingers stray to my skin.

"Why did he hurt you like that, Posy?" Campfire’s tone was even, but I could hear the underlying anger.

"I was bad." I was ashamed to admit it, but I wouldn’t lie to my mates. "I had to be punished."

"How were you 'bad'?" Roses asked.

I closed my eyes and trembled. They would leave now, once they knew how terrible and unlovable I was.

"I disrespected him," I whispered.

"Can you tell me how? What did disrespect look like to Kendall Briggs?" Pine spat the name.

Tell them, Posy,Lark demanded.Father was bad one, not you.

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