Page 160 of Mates: Posy

"Shh, baby. Shh. Everything's okay. Shh."

I wasn't good at whispering sweet nothings, and I couldn't sing, so I hummed a mindless little tune while she tucked her face in the crook of my neck and gripped my shirt in tight fistfuls. When her breathing settled down, I figured she was calm enough to ask a few questions.

"Are you okay, honey?"

She nodded.

"Did you think the king was going to hurt the queen because she was disagreeing with him?"

She nodded again.

"It can be scary when people disagree," I said, "especially if they start to raise their voices."

She nodded a third time, and I sighed.

Comfort mate!Topaz growled again.

Iam, dude!I growled back, then linked my boys.Any ideas what I should do?

Just keep doing what you're doing, Jay said.Talk to her. Your voice, your scent, your touch, it's all comforting to her.

I trusted him because he wasn't as much of a Neanderthal as the rest of us. Mase wasn't, either, because he was observant, but Jay was best because heunderstoodthings.

"Your fairy lights are going to come on soon." I brushed her hair out of face. "Won't that be pretty? It makes me very happy that you like it out here. Ash and I tried so hard to make this a place you would love."

"Idolove it." Her lips moved against the skin of my neck, making me shiver. "You did a great job."

"My brothers are worried about you," I whispered in her ear. "Can they join us, or do you want to go back? Mase says the queen feels awful and wants to apologize."

"I don't want to see the king and queen right now. I feel like a fool. This is the second time I've embarrassed myself in front of them."

"You're not a fool, and there's nothing to be embarrassed about." I kissed her temple. "No one is mad at you. You're not in trouble. In fact, the king is grateful that you wanted to protect his mate."

"I'm sorry I'm so much trouble." Her voice caught in her throat. "Cole, tell me the truth. Am I a burden?"

I closed my suddenly stinging eyes for a second, then moved her so that her knees straddled my thighs and we were eye to eye.

"Oh, Posy. Sweet, sweet girl," I murmured. "Of course not. You are neither trouble nor a burden."

"Ifeellike I am. Sometimes, I feel like I'm making you all as weak as I am."

I am way out of my depth here, I frantically told the boys.A little help?

Kiss her,said Ash and Wyatt at the same time.

Tell her what's in your heart,Mase suggested.

What if it's the wrong thing to say?

If it's in your heart, how could it be?Jay asked. Now say it before she misinterprets your silence.

Taking a deep breath, I cupped her face in my hands and kissed the tip of her nose.

"No, Posy, you're not making us weak. Youaremaking us something, though. You know what that is?"

She shook her head, her pretty blue eyes reflecting the fairy lights as they turned on all around us.

"Better men, honey. You're making us better men."

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