Page 72 of Pack: Posy 3

"Don't cry, luna." Tyler knelt next to me and petted my ears. "We're going to figure this out. What happened with Alpha Cole wasn't real. I don't know what's going on, but I know for a fact that all five alphas love you with their whole hearts."

I didn't believe him, but nodded anyway.

I'll shift if you don't mind putting my stuff behind a tree.

"Of course not, luna." Crew grabbed it all before anyone else could and led the way to a giant oak. Laying my gear on the ground, he let out a heavy sigh and stroked Lark's head a couple times, then left.

After I shifted and dressed, I went back to the betas, dropped to the ground, and curled into a tight ball. They scooted as close to me as they could get.

"Alpha Mason is worried about you," Emerson said quietly. "If you don't talk to him soon, Garnet's going to take control, and he's one angry wolf right now. Considering he's driving at the moment, shifting wouldn't be a great idea, would it?"

Before I could answer, the betas froze and their eyes fogged over.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Alpha Cole is linking us," Tyler told me.

"Go," I whispered. "All of you should go. Just go."

"We aren't going to leave you, luna," Tristan said. "We're your guard, and the privilege to serve you takes precedence over all else."

"That's right. Not even all the alphas together could make us abandon you," Emerson added.

"You have new mates," I said.

"We've been linking them," Matthew told me. "In fact, all the witches fully support you, luna."

"Peri, too." Tyler rubbed the back of his neck. "She said she and her parents and Alpha Mason's parents have been trying to link you. None of them know what's going on, but Mom's ready to storm the alpha house to find out why you're so upset."

"Tell her not to do that," I said. "I don't want to cause a rift between her and Cole."

"You don't understand." Crew shook his head. "When the luna's not happy, no one in the pack's happy."

"I don't deserve happiness. It's the way I was born. It's why my step-father hated me. Why my brothers abandoned me. Why my mates are rejecting me. There's something about me that makes me unlovable."

The clearing filled with whines.

"That's not true," Matthew argued. "Never say or think that again!"

"It's only because I'm your luna." I shook my head and pressed my lips together to stop them from quivering. "The bond makes you feel this way. And I'm sorry for it. You shouldn't be tied to a weak, pathetic runt like me."

"We would kill for you!" Emerson growled. "We would die for you! You have our loyalty until we take our last breath!"

Tyler crouched in front of me and cupped my face in his palms.

"You will always be our luna. You want to leave the pack today? Then let's go, because we're coming with you. We're your betas until the end, and our wolves wouldn't have it any other way."

Trembling hard, I launched myself forward. He caught me, and I buried my face in his chest and sobbed.

"We're going to figure this out and fix it," he murmured as he held me, one hand holding the back of my head and the other hugging my waist. "Everything's going to be okay."

I hope he right,Lark fretted from the back of my mind.

Don't hope too much.

"Luna," Crew spoke up, "I know you're scared and upset and hurt, but please talk with Alpha Mason. Leo's linking us and... Well, it's not good. Alpha's going to burn the world down if he doesn't hear from you soon."

I bit my lip, but nodded. Still snuggled in Tyler's arms, I opened the mate link - and nearly collapsed under the weight of emotion on the other end.

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