Page 128 of Mates: Posy

"As you wish, my lady." His voice dipped low, which gave me tingly shivers. "We're yours to command."

Blushing, I tugged my hand out of his and ran away from his flirty self. Behind me, I heard my boys chuckling as they followed me.

29: Slaughter All

Beta Gisela MacGregor

Watching a friend have a panic attack is both saddening and sobering.

I didn't know what had scared Posy so badly, but it probably wasn't helping her to have all of us stand there gawking. Before I could suggest we move to a different room, however, Alpha Ash swung her up in his arms and carried her away, the other four alphas hot on his heels.

"Oh, my Goddess," Queen Lilah whispered in the ensuing silence.

She put one hand over her mouth as tears sprang to her eyes. A second later, King Julian gathered her up in his arms and pulled her tight against his chest.

"She's with her mates," he murmured with his lips against her forehead. "It's the best place she could be right now."

"I hope we didn't do anything to trigger her." I looked up at my own mate.

"Yeah. Poor little kid."

With a sad half-smile, he opened his arms. I went into them with a sigh and laid my cheek over his heart, inhaling his scent of fresh-cut grass.

"What happened?" Ranger asked in clear confusion. "Why did they leave like that?"

"The little luna was having a panic attack," Luke told him.

"What? Why?" Ranger scanned the room as if looking for threats. "What's to panic about in here?"

"You are so dumb sometimes that I wonder how you graduated high school, let alone college." The king shook his head while glaring at his little brother.

"I am not dumb, your royal douche-ness," Ranger barked back. "I didn't understand something and I asked about it. How is that dumb?"

The queen intervened before they could get any more heated. She stretched up and kissed King Julian's mate mark, and his eyes rolled back.

"Panic and panic attacks are two different things," she told Ranger, then went on to provide more details about panic attacks.

I tuned her out when Luke linked me.

Do these two bicker all the time?he asked.

Yep. Like a pair of hens. It gets pretty funny, to be honest.

Does it ever come to fists flying?

Nah, not that I've seen. Ranger just knows how to get under the king's skin. Every younger brother's talent, I guess.

Hmm. All right. So long as it's safe for Lilah.

I'm sure it is. And besides, Ranger isn't going to be around after this week. The king's going to install him as the new alpha at Tall Pines.

I don't envy him the task of straightening out that mess.Luke slid his big hands around my throat and his thumbs tilted my head up so our eyes could meet.Do you think Ranger is up to it?

The king does.I shrugged. To be honest, I think he's hoping it will help Ranger find a purpose. I've seen for myself how he's steadily growing more and more frustrated with his life.

A mate would be best for that,Luke mused, although I know no one, not even a king, can make that happen before the Goddess is ready.

Ranger said Coal was as excited as Hawk and Onyx when we crossed into this territory. He was either imagining it or else he really is close to finding his mate.

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