Chapter 7

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Emory

I'd done it again. I couldn't stop messing up these days. You'd think I'd have learned by now, but nope.

I knew I didn't have time to set the table before pulling the roast out of the oven, but Alpha Dustin insisted and the roast burned. It was completely ruined and now there was nothing for the pack to eat for dinner.

"Look at this mess!" Alpha shouted in my face.

"I'm sorry."

I kept my eyes down as I knelt down in front of Alpha. He was already angry and I didn't want him to think I was challenging him.

"Sorry doesn't fix this charred up mess!"

It was true. I'd really done it this time. The whole dinner was ruined and it was all my fault. I deserved the punishment I would get, but that didn't make me any less scared.

"What do you think a proper punishment would be?" Alpha Dustin asked Tony.

Tony gave a sickening grin before answering. "She burned the roast, let's see how fast she burns."

The pair of wolves laughed as Alpha dragged me to the stove. I was surprised he knew how to work it.

I squirmed in Tony's arms as Alpha pressed my arm down to the flame.

A scream tore out of me as my flesh burned away.

"Please!" I begged them. "Please stop!"

Alpha and Tony laughed and threw me to the floor where I spent the rest of the night cradling my arm.



I jolted awake from my nightmare and wrapped my arms around myself.

"Emory?"

I gasped at the sound of my mate's voice and scurried back into the corner of the room. I knew he'd be mad at me for it, but I couldn't help it.

My heart beat faster as footsteps approached my little corner. Please go back to bed, please.

He didn't.

Brenden knelt down in front of me and I shook as he reached a hand out to me.

"You're ok," he said as he cupped my cheek. "It was just a dream. It's not real, you are safe."

I didn't trust his words, but the sparks erupting through me at Brenden's touch started calming me down.

He didn't move any closer, but also didn't move his hand away until I calmed down. Slowly, my heart rate went back to normal and the shaking subsided.

It was just a dream. Alpha Dustin and Tony aren't here.

Now I just had to make sure I never left because if they found me, I'd be dead meat.

"Why were you on the floor?"

Crap.

He was going to be mad. Mates are supposed to sleep in bed together and I'd been sleeping on the floor instead. Shoot, shoot, shoot.

I didn't know how to respond to Brenden so I shrugged and hoped he'd leave it at that. Of course though, he didn't.

"Have you been sleeping on the floor every night?"

I nodded as my body began to shake again. There was no point in hiding the truth now. Lying would only make my situation worse.

"Why?"

Another shrug.

I could tell Brenden was getting frustrated and my hands started to tremble. He was getting angry. And although he said he'd never hit me, that didn't mean he wouldn't.

"Come on. You can sleep in bed, I promise it's ok. I would never try anything," Brenden promised.

I wasn't so sure, but he seemed to have calmed down so I climbed into bed.

Brenden gave me plenty of room so I wouldn't feel uncomfortable and I appreciated that. Maybe I could trust him.

No.

That was my heart speaking. I'd learned better than to listen to my heart. My brain would tell me what's right and it was telling me not to let my guard down for even a second.

___________________________________

Brenden

I didn't go back to sleep after Emory's nightmare. I had too much going on in my brain to even begin to settle down.

Why had she been sleeping on the floor? She couldn't possibly have thought I would try anything without her permission. Right?

Nothing was making sense with my mate. She didn't act like a normal girl. She was tense and skittish and she avoided every type of physical contact.

Something must've happened in her past to make her not trust people. But I'm her mate. I was made specifically for her. Surely she knew I would never harm her.

"Are you awake?"

I mindlinked Max.

"I am now."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. What's up?"

I didn't think I could spill all of this to Max in the middle of the night. There was too much to go through and he needed sleep. Max worked harder than anyone I'd ever met and he deserved his rest. I shouldn't have bothered him so late.

"It's my mate. Can we talk tomorrow?"

"Sure thing."

Max found my mate for me without even knowing it, I knew he could be trusted to help me with this.

All I wanted was for Emory to be safe and happy. I'd do anything to make that happen.

Anything.

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