Page 79 of Family: Posy 4

I didn't like that and whimpered, wanting all my mates with me.

"Shh, sweetheart," Garnet whispered in my ear as Granite stroked my hair and Quartz lay draped over my back, still panting a little. "They just went to get the bathroom ready. You're going to take a shower with them. They'll get you all cleaned up, sweetheart."

"But we're going to get you dirty again first," Topaz chuckled as he untangled me from three other sets of sweaty limbs and lifted me into his arms.

I hummed as butterflies of anticipation filled my tummy. Laying my head on his chest, I said, "I love you. I love you all."

"We love you, too," they chorused, and I heard Sid call out, "I love you, my darling," from the bathroom.

"Thank you, my loves. Thank you for loving me."

"It's we who should be thanking you, little mate," Quartz murmured as he stood up and cupped my face in his hands. "Thank you for caring about us, for sharing us, for making each one of us feel special and loved. You are our perfect mate and our perfect luna."

"And you my perfect alphas. I the happiest she-wolf in the world."

"Then we're doing our job right." He gave me a happy grin, not one of his sarcastic or dangerous ones, which was a rare gift indeed. "Thank you for trusting us and our boys. We will work hard to keep you happy all of your days."

"Me, too, Daddy." I kissed his nose and he blinked in surprise, which made me giggle. "I work hard to keep you happy, too, my sweet and precious alpha mates."

8: Made for Me

Grace

"You've been skipping lunch?" Landry growled the second he set me on my feet.

I stared up at him with wide, anxious eyes. This was the first time I was encountering his anger, and I was unsure how to handle it, especially since it was directed at me.

He hadn't said a word after leaving the others at the fair. In silence, he carried me to his car, buckled me in, and drove us home. Then he scooped me up in his arms and carried me inside and all the way up the stairs to our bedroom.

He wasn't even breathing hard.

The romantic side of me wondered if he was carrying me so much to prove I wasn't too heavy. The practical side of me, however, reminded me that werewolves were immensely strong, and the higher the rank, the stronger the shifter. Landry was third in command of one of the most powerful packs in the kingdom. Even if I weighed three hundred pounds, he'd still be able to carry me with ease.

Since we met three days ago, I'd discovered a few important things about my mate. One, he was stubborn. Once his mind was set, it was almost impossible to change it. Two, he was incredibly gentle. Not just with how he treated me, but also in his interactions with others, which was rare to find in a shifter of his standing. In my experience, the more powerful the wolf, the more brutal the man. Then again, I was learning fast that my former pack, White Pelt, wasn't anything like my new one.

The third thing I learned was that Landry was a talker. The boy's mouth. Never. Stopped. Moving. Even at night, I heard him murmuring in his sleep as he spooned me. Just this morning, when I woke him up for breakfast, he was mumbling something about gingerbread houses, which made me giggle.

And I loved that about him. After being around people who were too exhausted just surviving in the wilderness to make conversation, he was a breath of fresh air. His deep, velvety voice was a joy to my ears, and I happily listened to my little chatterbox all day long.

That's why his silence tonight was so unnerving. I didn't like it anymore than I liked the anger in his blue-green eyes.

I had far too much experience with angry males who treated females like we were only good for cooking, cleaning, and producing pups. However, while nineteen years' worth of experience made me cautious, I knew Landry would never raise his hand to me or treat me that way. I trusted him completely with my heart, mind, and soul.

Now, if only I could trust him with my body, too,I thought miserably.

So far, we kissed and cuddled and shared the same bed every night in our new house, but only to sleep. I knew most new shifter couples finished up the whole mating process within twenty-four hours, but I asked him to wait a bit so we could get to know each other better first. He innocently agreed, wanting to please me, but never guessed it was an excuse to hide how scared I was.

What would I do if he rejected me after seeing what was under my clothes?

Despite the late July heat, I was careful to keep covered up. Landry, on the other hand, roamed around in his shorts most of the time. He knew what that did to me, and his smug grins when he caught me staring at his honed body brought a heavy blush to my cheeks. That made him chuckle and drop kisses all over my face, but I was still too shy to tease him back.

"Answer me, Grace!" he demanded suddenly, bringing my attention to the here and now.

His voice was a little louder and sharper than normal, and I jumped.

"Aw, baby, I'm so sorry!" He cupped my face in his big palms and kissed my forehead. "I never meant to scare you. I'm just upset and it came out in my tone. Iwouldlike you to answer me, though."

I hesitated. I didn't want him to be mad at me anymore, but I didn't want him to know how ashamed I was of my chubby body, especially when his was so fine. He really was the hottest guy I'd ever laid eyes on, and I wasn't any kind of hot unless it was a hot mess.

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