Page 58 of Pack: Posy 3

"She's yourmother!" Alpha Quake growled.

"Shewasmy mother," Kayvon corrected, keeping his voice even and calm, "and a great one. Look at her, Pops, and remember your mate. Does this look like your luna? Does this look like my mom?"

"She's sick! That's what's wrong. She isn't— She isn'tgone!"

"Alpha," Ariel intervened, "we know this isn't what you want to hear, but your denial is only making things worse."

"Could you do it?" Alpha Quake looked at her, then Maria, then me. "Could any of you end your mate?"

The thought of Posy even being sick or hurt speared my heart like an arrow. To think of her dying or needing mercy from one of my brothers or myself? I shook my head. The kind of agony Alpha Quake was in couldn't be imagined, only experienced, and I prayed to the Moon Goddess that I never, ever had to.

"I didn't contact the king because I knew he'd send investigators and that would lead to her death." Alpha Quake glared at his son. "And see? I was right. That is exactly what happened."

I believed the witches when they said the luna was no more, but that wasn't what was going to sell my argument to the alpha. Playing on his heart disgusted me, but if I could avoid a fight or burning a bridge, I would.

"Will you allow me to show mercy to your luna, Alpha Quake?" I asked. "She will feel no pain, I promise you. Only relief from this unending torment."

He dropped his head in his hands and his shoulders shook. Kayvon laid his hand on his father's back and patted it.

How do we do this?I asked the witches as the two men grieved.I mean, I know how to kill her quickly and painlessly, but what about this parasite?

We have a container to trap it in,Maria explained. We'll pull it out and secure it. When we get home, Gelo will kill it.

Do wehaveto transport it?I was worried about it escaping.You two can't kill it? Can I kill it?

It would latch onto you the second you touched it. Can you kill it without touching it?Ariel asked.

No, I admitted begrudgingly.

And we're not strong enough with just the two of us. If we had even one more witch here, sure. Gelo can take care of it with one shot.

Don't worry, alpha,Maria added. Once it's in the container, it can't get out on its own.

All right,I agreed, convinced it was all we could do.

Finally, the father and son raised their heads, and Alpha Quake met my eyes.

"Make it as painless as possible," he requested in an emotion-clogged voice. "Even if she can't feel it."

"I will," I promised, "and with utmost respect."

Moving to stand next to the luna, I slid my hand under her black dreads and gripped the back of her neck. The sharp metal zipper at the top of her dress bit into my palm and I hissed. It was cold enough to send a shiver through me, but it wasn't as cold as her skin.

Like she's already dead,was all I could think.

Poor thing is, boss,Topaz said.

"Wait, alpha!" Maria squealed loudly. "Let us get the parasite out first!"

"Oh." I jerked my hand away.

"That way we can be sure we got it and it doesn't escape its host," Ariel explained.

"Makes sense," I murmured, distracted.

My palm stung. Glancing at it, I saw a tiny dot of blood by my life line.

Why do women wear such things?I grumbled to myself.Regardless of what the industry says, fashion shouldn't be painful.

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