Page 40 of Pack: Posy 3

Reau, buddy, bring me a pair of your sleep pants for Poppy, please, I linked him.

She's not a fox anymore?he pouted.

She can't stay a fox all the time.I rolled my eyes.Don't you want to meet her?

Is she pretty?

Very.

On my way!

And she's mine, Reau,I growled. When he didn't answer, I repeated,Reau?

"We'll go shopping later. The pack has emergency funds for situations like this," I explained to her.

Then Thoreau was thundering down the basement stairs.

"Here, Poppy! Pants!" Yelling that, he flung them at her in his enthusiasm.

She caught them before they could hit her in the face, and fury almost blinded me when I saw the raw skin of her left hand. Carefully, I caught her arm and held it still so I could examine the injury.

"Did those mutts do this?" I asked through clenched teeth.

"No. It's a long story that I'll have to tell your alphas anyway." She smiled at me. "It'll be back to normal by tomorrow, Leo. I promise."

"I got you my favorite pair, Poppy!" Thoreau interrupted, still yelling. "They're super soft!"

"That's too loud, Reau," I grumbled.

"Sorry," he whispered.

"Thank you." She flashed her strong, white teeth at him in a wide grin. "It's very kind of you to loan me your favorite."

"Can you be the fox sometimes just so I can pet you?" Dismissing her gratitude, he tilted his head and his stone-colored eyes stared at her innocently.

"Sure!"

"Reau, meet us upstairs, okay?" I said. "Poppy needs to get dressed now."

He nodded, then was gone as quickly as he came.

"He's a very sweet boy," she murmured as she stepped into the sleep pants and pulled them up.

"Yeah, he is. He's got some issues—"

"I know, and he has a hole inside him, too. Don't worry. I'm here now to help you both heal."

"Poppy?" I couldn't help but give her one last out. "If you choose to stay, if you accept me as your mate, my life is yours. My love is yours. My loyalty is yours. Until I take my last breath, all that I am and ever hope to be is yours."

I laid my finger over her lips when she opened her mouth to reply.

"But don't stick around and make me believe you'll keep me if you're only going to reject me later. I'm already so broken, I don't even know where all the pieces are, never mind how to put them back together again. Just do it now and get it over with so I don't have to be tortured by false hope, too."

My speech finished, I dropped my hand and waited for her to finish crushing the last bits of me that weren't already shattered. Despite her earlier words, I couldn't believe that she'd choose me. That she would find me worthy enough to be her mate.

"I, Poppy Steep Rock Torres—"

Well, hell. I closed my eyes.Here it comes.

---