Page 56 of Mates: Posy

"Um, Wyatt, you're supposed to alternate peppers, onions, and tomatoes with the meat." I bit my lip, not sure how he'd take criticism.

"But I only want meat on mine."

"You will eat whatever Posy prepares." Mason came over to see our progress. "For the love of the moon, Wyatt, just go back to the grill. We'll do it and bring them out to you."

"Fine!" He stalked away and slammed the kitchen door.

I flinched and curved my shoulders in. I tried to put together another kabob, but my hands shook too hard now.

I made him mad! Oh, no! I made him mad!

I couldn't breathe, and my heart sped up.

"Posy, calm down. He gets mad at me all the time," Mason said.

I shook my head and left him to finish the kabobs so he wouldn't see how I was quaking like a coward. I washed and dried my hands, intent on escaping the kitchen in case Wyatt came back. I wasn't fast enough, though.

The kitchen door banged open, and he stormed in.

"Posy?"

Fear paralyzed me and bile flooded my mouth.

When I didn't answer, he came toward me with his hands raised, and I panicked. Whimpering, I hunched down and threw my arms up to protect my head.

"Please, alpha! I'm sorry! I'll be quiet, I promise. I won't say anything again. I swear I won't!"

Alphas did not like to be told what to do and certainly not by a runt, a worthless girl who should only be seen and not heard. How many times had my father beaten that lesson into me?

And now one of my mates was going to.

Why do I always have to ruin things?

"Posy. Look at me."

I shook my head as fat tears rolled down my cheeks. I didn't want to see the hate in his eyes. That would hurt worse than any beating.

But now I was really going to get it. I'd disobeyed him, and alphas did not tolerate that, either. I'd be lucky to survive this.

I'm so sorry, Lark. I think I just got us killed.

Posy, he no hurt you. For one, Mason here and, two, Granite say—

I didn't hear what Granite said because Wyatt scooped me up in his arms and all my focus shifted to surviving. I closed my eyes tight and waited for the pain to start. Was he going to throw me into the wall? Father had done that a few times...

I could hear a voice crooning to me, but it took several minutes before I could understand the words.

"Please, Posy. You need to breathe. You're safe. Baby, breathe. Can you do that? Can you breathe for me? Here. Feel me breathing. Can you copy that?"

A large hand took mine and held it against a hard chest that went up and down in a steady, slow rhythm. I did what the voice said and copied it until I came back to my senses.

Blinking, I found myself sitting in Wyatt's lap on the kitchen floor.

"Wyatt?" I whispered.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for scaring you," he whispered in my ear. "I was going to hug you, not hit you. I would never hit you. Never, ever."

"But you were mad at me."

---