Page 82 of Mates: Posy

So I went into a stall, left the door open to accommodate Kestrel's size, and started to strip down. As I did, I linked with Beta Crew and let him know our plan. He didn't like it, but I don't think he would have likedanyplan we came up with.

Peri's keeping everyone in the loop, so just focus on staying alive,he told me.You don't know everything that happened this morning.

What happened, beta?

You'll find out. You need to stay alive for all our sakes.

What do you mean?I asked with a frown.

I have to concentrate now. Don't die, no matter what, or all of us will.

He closed the link before I could ask anything more, and I didn't want to distract him while he was most likely fighting, so I saved the mystery for later.

I shifted into Kestrel's buff and white form, then walked out of the stall. The girls gaped at me, and I shrugged.

I'd never understood it, either. Most she-wolves were smaller than the males by about a third, and roughly half compared to alphas. Since a wolf's size was in correlation to power, it didn't make sense for me to be so large. I wasn't any more powerful than other she-wolves.

I went to Posy and nudged her cheek with my nose to get her attention. She jumped a little, then swallowed hard before she reached out a quaking hand to pet my ears.

"Up you go, luna."

After Callie and Keeley boosted her onto my back, she laid down like Luke did on his sport bike and fisted her small hands into my ruff. I could feel the tremors ripping through her whole body. The poor little thing was scared to death, and I wondered how miserable her life had been - and for how long - before the five alphas rescued her.

I'm scared, too,I thought to myself,but I have to get her to safety. I have to ignore the fear so I can fight. Fight till I can't anymore.

"We all know what to do, right?" Peri asked.

"Right!" the twins chorused.

I felt Posy nod her head, and I dipped mine, too.

Peri cracked the door open and peeked out, then glanced at us over her shoulder.

"Let's go."

#

I thought we were going to make it.

I really did.

The trees were so close, and I could taste the water from the stream that separated the woods from the field.

Then a dark brown wolf hit me in the side like a bullet, right in my already broken ribs. Posy flew off my back with a scream, and I rolled three or four times before coming to a stop.

The wolf who tackled me slunk closer. I snarled at him as I stood, wobbling on my paws. Twice, he lunged and retreated quickly, and it was only when I felt fangs sink into my leg that I realized he was the distraction.

A gray and white wolf clamped his jaws fast on my right front forearm. I tried to tear out of his hold, but he twisted my leg, spraining my wrist, and I yowled in pain as the world spun.

Tucking my hurt limb under me, I snapped and snarled at them as they came at me again and again, all of us pulling out tufts of hair and patches of skin. I was getting the worst of it since I was going against two of them, but I fought on until my broken, exhausted body finally gave out and crashed to the ground.

Once I was down, they sank their fangs into my ruff and dragged me along. The unbearable torture of my broken ribs bumping the ground threatened to knock me out, but I forced myself to stay conscious and watch for an opportunity.

It's not over until you're underground, I repeated.

We were halfway back to the diner when snarls and growls filled the air. More wolves raced into the field from both sides. The two Tall Pines wolves released me as a roiling mass of hairy bodies flowed over and around us and carried my attackers away with them.

I was left alone in the tall grass to pant and bleed and try to stay awake.

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