Hers
chest as she felt hands come and rest on her shoulders. Sammy felt her
mind shut down, and she shrank back terrified. She couldn’t do this again. What
had she been thinking? She wasn’t strong enough.
    “We will if you don’t take your hands off our mate,
Steven.” Brock’s voice snapped her back to the here-and-now as the hands were
removed, and Brock lifted the shifter and turned him so he was face to face.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Steven? Sammy is terrified. You don’t
treat women that way.”
    Mr. Brown Hair now had a name: Steven. “All I did
was put my hands on her shoulder.”
    Steven pushed at Brock, and Slater came up behind
Steven as Brock dropped him. “That doesn’t explain why she was terrified. She
clearly didn’t want you to touch her. Surely you could smell that just as you
can smell the lust and connection pouring off my sister and her mates.”
    Steven straightened his suit and glared at Brock.
“Your little mate that you haven’t claimed came into a conversation that had
nothing to do with her.”
    Getting her confidence back, knowing that Brock and Slater
wouldn’t let anything happen to her, Sammy squared her shoulders and shot an
annoyed look at Gwen, who’d stood there the whole time not saying anything. “I
came to help stop a fight. I also didn’t like the way you shook Gwen.”
    Steven turned and came face
to furious face with Slater. He pushed at him. “I wouldn’t ever hurt Gwen. I’m
just wanted to understand why she didn’t tell me she had mates. Why she didn’t
tell me so I didn’t introduce myself as her fiancé when I clearly am not.”
    Gwen sighed and came forward to stand next to Sammy.
“Steven, you know my mother. You know how she’ll feel when she learns I have
two humans for mates, especially after what I did with Matty’s father.”
    Steven glanced around them like he was checking to
see who was watching and listening. “Your mother is a bitch.” Steven ran his
fingers through his hair. “We have been friends for years, Gwen. All you had to
do was tell me. I’ll help in whatever way you need. I’ll play this game, but
eventually you’re going to have to tell Adele, because I’ll be your fiancé for
however long you need me, but I will not say ‘I do’ now I know you have true
mates.”
    Gwen smiled and came forward and pushed Slater out
of the way to hug Steven. “Thanks.”
    Steven kissed Gwen’s forehead. “I’m going to go home
now. Tell your parents I had an emergency at work. Call me if you need me.”
    Gwen nodded, and Steven turned to Brock and Slater.
“You need to claim your mate. She’s vulnerable as a human.” Steven turned to
Sammy. “I’m sorry I scared you. I would never have hurt you. I’m glad Gwen has
a friend like you willing to stick up for her if anything did go wrong.” He
then turned to Philip and John, who stood to the side of Gwen. “Be patient with
Gwen and stay clear of Adele, because she will kill you.” And with that he
walked away and out of the functions hall.
    Sammy felt like she was about to collapse. All her
bravado left her. Slater must have sensed it because his arms came around her
waist, and he held her up.
    “You did good, beautiful, but don’t do anything so
stupid again. Gwen is a shifter. She can look after herself. Steven’s a shifter,
and you have to be more careful. Come on. Let’s go back inside before someone
misses us all.”
    Slater practically carried her back to the function
room.   Sammy stayed quiet, too mentally
exhausted to tell Slater off for speaking to her like he did, or for telling
her what to do. Sammy was proud of herself that she stood up for her friend and
that she had the strength to accomplish it. She’d been just like her old self
when she had gone after Sandy’s brothers and stood in front of Gwen. It wasn’t
until Steven made her realize he was bigger and stronger than she was that
she’d gotten scared.
    Sammy sat at the bridal table the rest

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