Page 50 of Luna: Posy 2

I finally got Cove shoved back down and could move my feet. Going over next to Ty, I started to reach for her, but he stuck out his arm to block me.

"Since we don't know what she's dreaming about, we don't want to do anything that could add to the nightmare and prolong it. Best thing to do is keep her from hurting herself and talk to her. If you shake her awake, it'll scare her more and take longer for her to calm down."

I raised my eyebrows at him. How did he know so much about nightmares?

Has his own,Cove said thoughtfully as the kid continued encouraging our luna to wake up.

I knew what his father did to him as a pup, and understood why he'd have nightmares from that. He was so careful to keep his scars covered up, but I'd glimpsed a few here and there. I always wondered why he was so ashamed of them. Did he think we'd be disgusted? Tease him?

Matthew, Cove grunted.

Yeah. Matthew would,I agreed,but he's trying to treat the kid better now. Still, I think I'd have to slaughter him if he ever picks on the kid because of his scars or his father.

Have to beat Alpha Mason to it,Cove snorted, making me smirk internally.

Ty finally managed to wake Luna Posy, and she scrambled up against the headboard, panting and crying and shaking. She held out her hands to ward us off, and I knew she didn't recognize us.

Go fetch her stuffed bunny from her special room, I told the kid, and he took off like a shot.

"Luna, it's Beta Emerson Jones. You're safe. You're in your house. You're not there anymore. Beta Tyler James is here, too. We'll keep you safe."

I had no freaking idea what to do for someone having a nightmare, but I'd been watching and listening to Ty. Since it had worked to wake her up, I kept repeating what he'd said.

"Em— Emerson?" she stammered at last.

"I'm here." I kept my voice soft and low, like Ty had been doing. "Ty went to get your bunny."

"I want my mates!" she sobbed.

"I know, luna. I know you do."

"Can I—" She hiccuped. "Can I have a hug?"

"Of course." I sat on the edge of the bed and held out my arms. "Come here, little luna bunny."

That was all it took for her to snuggle up into my side and clench my shirt in her fists. She held on so tightly, as if she was afraid I'd disappear and she'd be left with no anchor to keep her safe in the storm.

I hesitated for a second, then put my arms around her.

Careful!Cove barked.Luna bunny is FRAGILE! Don't break her!

Yes, Cove.I rolled my eyes at him.

When the alphas first linked us about their special girl, I was skeptical. An abused girl who'd been locked away for six years? How was she going to handle five alphasandtheir wolvesandbe the luna for the second-largest and most powerful pack in the United States?

I wasn't sure what to think when I first saw her. She was tiny, and shy, and so very vulnerable, and my doubts resurfaced. Just one of our alphas was hard to manage, and this little thing was supposed to manageallof them? Then I accidentally scared her while introducing myself, and the stark fear in her big blue eyes made me want to slit my own throat.

In that instant, all of my protective instincts rose up, and not just from the burgeoning luna-beta bond. Everything about her made me want to wrap her up in bubble wrap and keep her safe from anything that could harm her.

And the more I got to know her, the stronger those protective instincts became. Same for my beta brothers.

That day at the pool when she cried because Tyler lived at the orphanage? Yeah, that smashed all our hearts good and proper. We knew she herself hadn't had a birthday cake or presents in years. No one had celebrated her precious self in so long, she'd forgotten she was worthy of being celebrated.

'Ash got me a present this year! A set of hair pins with the prettiest flowers! I didn't evenaskfor them and he got them for me!'

She'd said that with a dimpled smile and shining eyes, too, as if a few hair barrettes was some fabulous prize or rare treasure. And thewayshe'd said it - amazed that she hadn't had to ask for it, shocked that her mate had thought enough of her to give her a gift - had made me blind angry. Her golden heart deserved to be given anything it desired, not debased into thinking she was worthy ofnothing.

She didn't want expensive and extravagant things, though. She delighted in simple pleasures. The tiniest things, like a few flowers and fairy lights on a balcony, made her happy.

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