Page 124 of Mates: Posy

She wasn't responding to any of us, and I wondered if we were overwhelming her. Worried at how rigid her shaking body had become, I scooped her up in my arms.

Where should I—

Her room,Jay said immediately.The balcony garden. It should soothe her when she comes out of it.

Nodding curtly, I listened to my brother and hoped he was right.

#

Posy

The first thing I noticed when the others walked into the living room was the mate mark on Lilah's neck. Turning to Gisela, I saw she had one as well. Both of them looked radiant and happy, and it was clear as day that they'd finished the mating process last night.

King Julian and Luke looked happy, too, in that smug guy way, and couldn't keep their hands off their ladies.

They'd known each other less than twenty-four hours. I met the boys nearly a week ago.

No compare with others,Lark tried to tell me.Gisela say go at own pace. Let things happen by nature.

My mates deserve to be that happy, but I'm a coward. A baby. They're going to get sick of waiting.

I began to shake. Was I hurting my mates? Was I disappointing them?

What if they resent me? What if they don't think I'm worth the trouble and send me back to my brothers?

Just the thought of being separated from them sent my lungs and heart into overdrive.

"Posy?"

I heard the voice dimly, but was too deep in my mind to respond.

What if they find someone else? A girl who isn't scared to give herself to them? What if they already have? What if they're seeing someone on the side? Is that why they aren't pressuring me to mate? They already have that need taken care of?

I heard my mates' voices all around me, but I couldn't get any air in at all now and was getting dizzy. The thought of my mates with another female destroyed me.

Arms lifted me and I didn't bother to struggle. Whatever they wanted to do to me, it couldn't hurt more than what was happening in my heart.

I don't know how much time passed before I came back to senses, but I eventually found myself cradled in Ash's lap. He rocked us gently on the wicker chair out on my garden balcony as my other mates stood or crouched around us, anxiety etched on all of their faces.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Don't send me away," I begged like the pathetic creature I was.

"You are never leaving us," Cole assured me, his green eyes fixed on my face. "This is for forever, Posy.Weare for forever."

"But we should have completed the mating process by now!" I wailed. "You'll get tired of waiting and replace me with another girl!"

"No, we won't." Wyatt shook his head fiercely. "We were yours and yours alone from the second we found you, and you bound us to you forever with your mark. We wouldn't have it any other way."

"Whether you're ever able to complete the mating process or not, I will never leave your side," Jay vowed.

"Nor will I."

"Nor I."

"Nor I."

"Nor I."

Mason leaned down and wiped my tears away with his thumbs.

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