Page 103 of Mates: Posy

"Father. Father said. Father said I was. Always flaunting what he couldn't have. Father said. Slut. Whore. Bad girl. Father said. Bad girls get punished."

I dropped my hands and gripped onto Mason's shirt although my frantic eyes never left Jayden's. I shook my head quickly, my hair flying everywhere.

"Don't punish me, alpha," I begged. "I didn't mean to! I swear!"

"Shh. You're okay." Mason cradled me closer and stroked my hair. "No one will ever punish you again. You're safe here."

"You are none of the things your father said," Jayden told me with tears in his beautiful eyes. "He was sick in the head, sweetness. You're our innocent girl. Our sweet and pure Posy."

"But Ilooked! Ilookedat Cole's body and ... and then ... and then my shirt ..." I couldn't suck enough air in to talk.

"Baby, you need to calm down and breathe," Mason shushed me and rocked me from side to side. "Can you do that for me? Just breathe. In and out. There. Good job, baby."

Cole got to his knees and crawled over to sit beside me. He laid one calloused hand on my thigh and rubbed soothing circles on my skin.

"You can look at me all you want, honey. You can look at any of us all you want at any time you want. It doesn't make you bad or a tease or a slut or a whore. We're your mates."

"That's right, princess." Ash sat up and peered at me around Mason's shoulder. "We're all yours. Forever and only yours. It's your right to look at and touch us whenever you please."

It took several minutes for me to calm down enough to remember where I was and who I was with. Once I did, shame welled up inside me.

"Hey, now, don't do that." Ash tugged me out of Mason's arms and into his, earning a growl that he ignored. "We love you. We're here to help you and support you and take care of you. There is nothing you can do or say to change how we feel about you."

He dropped feather-soft kisses all over my face, then blew a raspberry in my neck, and I giggled.

"Here, Posy."

Wyatt leaned around Mason to hand me a wad of fabric. Taking it, I found it was a t-shirt rich with the smell of vanilla.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"You're welcome."

Ash took it from me and put it over my head, then pulled it down past my hips. Covered by Wyatt's shirt, I wiggled out of my pajama top and flung it to the floor, then slipped my arms through the t-shirt sleeves.

"Mmm." I pulled the collar up to my nose and inhaled deeply. "Now I'll smell you all night, Wyatt."

"Good."

He laid back down, and his silence was starting to alarm me. My chatty boy was never this quiet. Had I offended him? Disgusted him? Made him mad at me?

I looked at my other mates to see what they made of his behavior. Cole was returning to his spot and Ash was fussing with the hem of my shirt, but Jayden and Mason were staring at Wyatt, who had one arm folded across his chest and the other over his eyes. Jayden and Mason looked at each other for a second, then turned to me.

"Don't worry, little flower. He's okay. I promise," Mason whispered in my ear and kissed my neck, raising goosebumps everywhere. "Good night, Posy."

"Good night, Mason."

I wasn't happy that Wyatt seemed off, but I trusted Mason. He knew him better than I did.

"All right, cupcake. I can't keep my eyes open any longer."

Ash laid down and pulled me with him, then bundled me up on his chest. Surprisingly, it was fairly comfortable once I got used to it.

"Good night," I whispered and kissed his collar bone.

"G'night," he slurred and fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Like a toy that's been switched off, I thought with a smile.

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