Page 3 of Mates: Posy

"Where are the waffles?" he shouted. "Can’t you doanythingright, runt?"

I didn’t answer. I’d be punished if I spoke and I’d be punished if I didn’t. Either way, I was done for.

Beta Roy didn’t say anything about waffles. Did he set me up to fail? But why? Especially with guests here?

With one hand still tangled in my hair, Father punched me full-force in the face, and a loudcrack!echoed through the room. Blood and saliva splattered on the floor as I screamed in agony, knowing my jaw was broken.

Suddenly, tell-tale electricity raised the hair on my arms as someone shifted into their wolf, frightening me to death. Had Father finally lost his mind enough to sic Basalt on me?

"What do you think you’re doing?!" roared a stranger’s voice.

"How dare you harm our mate?!" bellowed another.

"Mate?" my father sneered. "This pathetic runt? She’s a worthless whore. A useless slut. Take my advice, boys. Reject her quick and take a chosen mate."

Everything rattled as two thunderous growls shook the room. Alpha power flared in rich waves, stronger than I’d ever felt from anyone, and Father released his hold on my hair. I slumped to the floor and curled into a protective ball, my hands covering my head.

Fierce snarls soon erupted all around me. Beta Roy scooped me up and carried me to the far corner of the kitchen. He set me on the floor, then crouched in front of me in a defensive pose.

"Don’t watch, Posy," he muttered.

I couldn’t have even if I’d wanted to. I was too hurt to keep my eyes open any longer. The vicious sounds of wolves fighting kept me conscious, though, and questions whirled through my mind. Were the guests attacking my father? Was I next? And why was Beta Roy guarding me instead of aiding my father?

It wasn’t a long fight, and it ended with the loudsnap!of a neck breaking. I couldn’t bring myself to care who won. If my father had, nothing would change; if someone else had, everything would. Either way, I would have to deal with the aftermath.

But not right now,I thought weakly.Right now I am going to lie here and melt into the pain, and the world will have to spin on without me for a while.

Loud, upset voices surrounded me, startling me from my daze.

"Are you okay?"

"She’s obviously not, idiot!"

"Why isn’t her wolf healing her?"

"I can’t evenfeelher wolf. Can any of you?"

"What do we do?"

"Let’s get her off the floor to start with. Beta, get the pack doctor."

Hands slid under me and scooped me against a hard chest. The smell of pine engulfed me, and I felt myself being lifted up just as a door slammed open.

"What’s going on here?"

I recognized that voice. It was my oldest brother, James.

"Posy!" And that was my other brother, Aiden.

"Posy? Is that her name?" asked the one holding me.

"What’s it matter to you?" James barked. "Give her here! How dare you touch her!"

"I dare because she’s ours! Our mate!"

"Mate!" James yelped.

Mate?

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