Page 59 of The Beta's Heart

“She’s so fucking small, I bet her pussy’s tight as hell,” Bridger smirked.

“Bro, how much grip do you think it has left with five alphas beating it every night?” Elijah snorted. “She’s probably so stretched out, she takes them all at once.”

“Bet someone calls her Luna Whore before the week’s out!”

My heart rate spiked as disgust made my stomach roil, but before I could do anything, River’s anger erupted like a volcano.

To be honest, I was surprised he lasted this long, but that was only because he didn’t understand anything sexual. He recognized the word ‘whore’ as an insult, though, and that was enough to set him off.

Not here, Riv,I tried to soothe him.

Dey bad! Need punish! Say mean tings ’bout luna!

Let me handle it,I said calmly and pushed him back as hard as I could, but he was furious, and the more I denied him delivering their punishment, the hotter his temper flared.

Knowing I had only seconds of control left, I grabbed Elijah’s shoulder and spun him around so I could see both jerks at once, and the looks on their faces would have been funny if I were in a laughing mood.

Unfortunately for them, I wasn’t.

“You don’t talk about your luna like that.” I kept my voice dangerously low as I loomed over them. “Not ever. You hear me? I catch you making lewd comments about her again and—”

River was done waiting. With a roar that rattled my bones, he ascended and lunged for the two boys. Fortunately, Crew had wandered over to see what was up and grabbed him, pulling River back as best he could while my wolf flung my body around.

“What the hell’s going on over here?” Em demanded as he, Tris, and Matthew joined our little drama.

Crew linked them everything while still struggling with River, who wanted to rip Elijah and Bridger to pieces and wasn’t taking no for an answer.

Unfortunately, Emerson’s wolf blew up, too, and Angelo had to wrangle Cove out of the community hall the same as Crew was doing with River, who absolutely refused to yield control and grew even wilder when Tris and Matthew towed Elijah and Bridger out of his sight. Crew managed to drag him out the door as Angelo came out with Cove-in-Emerson’s-body, but I was too busy to pay attention to them as River grew angrier and angrier.

Rough growls rattled out of him as Crew caught him in a full nelson, his fingers locking behind the back of River’s neck. My wolf didn’t like that and half-shifted. Gray fur sprouted up all over him, his face narrowed and sharpened into a wolf’s, he grew three or four inches taller, and my white dress shirt split apart at the seams as his upper body bulked up with both muscles and long fur.

“Calm down, River.” Beta Crew had kept his hold during the half-shift, but now he dangled down River’s back. His voice still lowand soft, he crooned, “Everything’s okay now. Give Ty control back, please. Calm down now. Everything’s okay.”

“Tris and Matthew are dealing with them, River,” I heard Emerson add from my left side, so I knew Cove was already under control again. “Our luna is safe and happy with the alphas.”

“There are pups behind us, wolf, and you’re scaring them,” Angelo barked from my right side, and that got River’s attention like nothing else could.

Swinging to look behind him, he saw Thoreau standing protectively in front of Wesley Barlow, who was holding little Winnie. William was there, too, sitting on Reau’s shoulders and gripping fistfuls of the boy’s thick curls.

In a fraction of a second, River ceded control to me, and I fully shifted back to myself.

“I bet he’s glad his pants didn’t shred,” I heard Wesley snicker, which made his little brothers giggle, but I was ashamed of myself for not being able to control my wolf and couldn’t look at them.

“All good now, kid?” Crew asked in a gentle voice as he released me.

“Yeah. Sorry,” I mumbled, pulling off what was left of my shirt. Bright red stained my cheeks and splotched down my neck as I realized all of my scars were on display for everyone to see.

This is how luna felt at Peri’s pool party,I thought to myself.Exactly like this.

“What the fuck?!” Angelo suddenly shouted, and I knew he was staring at my back. “Who did that to you, boy? And where can I find them?”

“Give him your shirt, Angelo,” Em muttered, probably since we were about the same size, but I held up a hand when Angelo took off his suit coat.

“He’s already dead, and I can get a shirt from the clothing closet.”

“I’ll fetch it for you, Beta Ty,” Wes called out and set Winnie on his feet. “Toro, you can put William down now. I’ll be right back.”

Toro? Is that their nickname for Thoreau?I almost smiled at that.

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