Page 137 of Luna: Posy 2

I knew I could catch up with them later, but to satisfy some of my curiosity, I got Tyler alone after he arrived this afternoon and asked a few questions. He had no problem talking about Tall Pines, but he kept his trap shut about Posy, saying it was her story to tell. The only thing hedidshare was what my boys had told all the betas, which was that Alpha Kendall Briggs had not only kept her imprisoned in their house for six years, but also abused her.

I was not prepared to see the evidence of that abuse.

When the heathens tackled her, her flimsy cover-up came untied and slipped off, revealing her modest blue and white bikini, but it wasn't her swimsuit that made us freeze.

No, the obvious signs of starvation and the scars did that.

Her spine, ribs, and hip bones poked out like knobs. Long, thin lines of white ran down her back. Deeper, wider red gouges marred her upper arms and shoulders. A word was branded into her pale skin right above her waist band, and my eyes wouldn't give up trying to read the letters. The first one looked like a K and the last one might have been a B, but I couldn't be sure in the fading light.

"H-here, honey," Julia stammered. "Let us help you up."

As she and Evie put their arms around Posy and lifted her to her feet, more scars were revealed. Her stomach and upper thighs were littered with more white lines and red furrows.

Nathan,Evie whispered through the link.Nathan?

I know, baby. Hold it together for a few more minutes. Don't cry in front of her. Think about what you'll say to the heathens and how we should punish them.

She gave me a short nod, although I saw the tears glittering in her eyes.

I knew how she felt. My heart broke for this dear child. I'd only ever seen something like this once before, and that was when Quartz discovered what Tyler's father was doing to him. My heart broke just as much then, too.

"Winnie! William! Why did you do that?" Evie scolded, and they got to their feet with shamed faces.

"Are you okay, Posy? Are you hurt anywhere?" Julia fussed. "Can I get you anything?"

"I'm fine," she whispered, her eyes wild as they darted around.

Is she looking for the boys?I linked the others.

For her cover up, I think, Evie replied, biting her bottom lip.

She probably feels so exposed,said Royal, of all people.

He hustled over, grabbed the thin fabric robe off the ground, and held it out to Posy. Curling in on herself, she looked at him with so much fear in her eyes that it made my chest ache.

"It's okay," he encouraged her in a gentle voice that I hadn't heard out of him in years. "No one here will hurt you. Please take it."

She began to knot her fingers together, and her breathing fractured into short, sharp pants.

Is she going to have a panic attack?Evie wondered.

I think we should get the b—

A stampede of elephants cut Julia off, and the boys surrounded her in a tight circle, murmuring soothing things. Mase snatched the cover up from Royal's hand with a venomous glare, then turned back to their girl.

I think we should give them some space, I said.

Not like they'd let us help anyway, Julia pointed out.

Retreating back to our table, I made sure to snag my two troublemakers on the way, tossing one over each shoulder.

"Daddy!" they whined, but not too loudly. They knew they'd screwed up.

I sat down, stood them before me, and gave them The Look to make sure they understood that this was serious.

"That was not a nice thing to do," I told them in a stern tone.

"We was just pwaying," Winnie tried, but William elbowed him in the ribs, and he snapped his mouth closed.

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