Page 28 of Family: Posy 4

Don't do it,Quartz warned me. He needs to grow up, and cosseting him won't help that happen.

It's not cosseting,I argued.It's compromising, something that would benefit you to learn. He explained and apologized, and now he's willing to give up something that was important to him to make it up to us. What more do you want?

Quartz snorted and rolled his eyes, but stayed silent.

"You can't re-do a first time," I told Wyatt. "Come on. We can all eat together."

"Thank you, Jayden, for being patient and kind," Posy whispered in my ear, her small hands sliding up and down my back. "I missed you, my dragon."

"I missed you, too, sweetness."

Two days without her was two days too long.

Next time we do this,I linked Wyatt,we need to put a free day or group date in between or something. It's torture to be separated from her for so long like this. I pity Cole for having to wait two more days before he sees her again.

Agreed.He nodded.Jay, really, man, I am sorry we were late. I should have waited to play with Lark until later—

No, dude, I disagreed,she needed that.

Yeah, but I should have planned it better so it didn't lap into your time.

You told her everything?I changed the topic.

Everything.

The way he said it made me give him a sharp look as we walked into the restaurant.

What are you hiding, Wy?I asked gently.

I'm working up the courage to tell you, so don't pressure me. I'll tell you soon. I promised Posy I would.

Alarm widened my eyes.

I remembered the first time he went wolfy. It scared all of us to look into his eyes and see nothing ofhimin them. Several times before he came back, Granite almost got them killed - and realizing that Wyattwantedhim to broke my heart.

So, yeah, Ididcosset him after that. No one else I loved was going to die. Not on my watch, and certainly not by his own hand - which is why it panicked me to learn he had a secret so big, he was nervous about sharing it with us.

You'resafe, right?I demanded now.You're not doing anything dangerous or harming yourself, are you?

He smiled and met my eyes as our waitress led us to a table.

It's all good, Jay, I swear. Thanks for worrying about me, though.

His gratitude was new and mature, but didn't convince me, and I linked my other brothers to see who could keep an eye on him the rest of the day.

Mase went with Papa, Dad, and some of the pack warriors to track that dire wolf lair,Cole answered,and Mom and Mama wanted to go shopping for the new pup. Since the paperwork's caught up and the calendar's clear, I volunteered to watch Wesley and the heathens.Might as well send him my way. I'malmostsure I can handle babysitting him and the little dudes.

I snorted in amusement, making Posy and Wyatt look at me questioningly.

"Cole's stuck babysitting Wesley and the heathens and is being overwhelmed," I lied without blinking an eye. "Wyatt, you can lend a hand after lunch, can't you?"

"Sure, but where's Peri or Wayne and Arch? Why can't any of them babysit?"

"Peri and Ty are back-to-school shopping in the city. As for Arch and Wayne, who knows? Like Posy said, Mom and Dad kind of let them do their own thing most of the time."

"They're with Reau," Posy chimed in. "They were going to work on the secret fort today. He was really excited about it."

"Secret fort?" I smiled. "It's a walled garden."

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