Mine

5

Although to most people so many growls coming from different directions might be terrifying the smell that filled Astrid's nose told her not to panic, she knew that these werewolves were apart of his pack - although she wasn't interested in being mates with this man she had to agree he had good timing because who knows what would've happened if he hadn't turned up. Despite the fear filling his eyes, the artist still has a tight grip on Astrid's arms but he was no also using her as a human... werewolf shield.

That was when he appeared, he was a fine specimen of a man but Astrid has to shake the thought out of her head, she couldn't become attached to this man despite Amber pacing around excitedly.

"Whoa man... there is nothing to see here" the artist says puffing his chest out making his scrawny body just a fraction of the size of Astrid's mates.

"Let her go, she clearly doesn't want to be here with you" he growls creating balls with his fist 

"Chill dude, she's my mate" he says throwing his head back letting a laugh escape his lips.

Bad move

"MINE!" Astrid's mate growls, it makes everyone's sensitive ears ring but while Astrid and the artist wince the guys who have now appeared in a circle around them both don't flinch at all.

"I..it was a..  j-joke. I'm s-s-sorry" the artist stutters still gripping Astrid's arm

"Let her go" he says in a scarily calm tone even though his bright red eyes tell a different story

"Look man..." he starts but before anyone knows it Astrid's mate has crossed the distance from where he was stood to where Astrid was being held, a fist went straight past Astrid's head to connect with the artists nose with a sickening crunch as his nose was smashed to pieces. In the process Astrid was pushed away from the fight but with her luck she was thrown into a trailer head first, a metallic smell filled the air as she reaches up wincing as she pressed her hand against a cut on her head - when she pulled her hand away it was covered in blood.

After finally being able to get to her feet in a dizzy haze Astrid could see her mate beating the living day lights out of the singer... she was glad to get away from him but the thought of being with a mate was bad enough but throw in his terrible anger & violence in the mix that was something she did not want to get herself involved in. 

Most of the guys in her mates pack had either moved so they could rejoin the festival or they were in a huddle around the fight cheering on their Alpha so it was easy enough for Astrid to sneak away through the trailors back to the main crowd. Instead of looking for Poppy and the others she headed straight to her tent where she almost instantly fell asleep glad to be able to ignore the throbbing and the spinning for a little while.

"Astrid are you here?" a familiar voice shouted - Poppy

A groan made it's way past her lips to let Poppy know she was in there and a couple of seconds later she forced her way through the door of the room Astrid had fallen asleep in.

"What happened to you, we were so worried" she says, Astrid notices the red rings around her eyes from where she has been crying

"I'm sorry" Astrid says closing her eyes for a minute to help subside the pounding slightly

"Shit... there is blood everywhere - explain now" she demands inspecting the wound on Astrid's head that for some reason hasn't healed yet. Most open wounds heal very quickly unless there is something in the wound but Astrid didn't think there was so it should have healed.

"I found my mate" Astrid starts after preparing herself for the big scre...

"OH MY GOD... You're kidding right? No freaking way!" she exclaims excitedly which hurts Astrid's head even more, she wearily starts to massage her temples with her fingers unable to even open her eyes

"Chill Poppy, it's not like I'm going to get with him - that singer... I can't even remember his name... he tried it on with me and I saw him on stage and he looked really good and smelt really good and... and then we got off stage and he took me somewhere and then he was growling and... and then I was pushed" she tries to explain 

"That made no sense, what happened to your head - I think something is seriously wrong here Astrid" Poppy worries, the boys mustn't be close by otherwise they would've come in now after hearing Poppy to see what was going on

"I saw him... my mate in the crowd that's why I started dancing because I wanted to show that I didn't need or want him but then the singer he thought I was being a tease and wanted me to you know... sleep with him but I said no but he was going to make me... Pops I was so scared" Astrid explains before breaking down into tears

For a couple of seconds Poppy does nothing, she has only ever seen Astrid cry a handful of times over the age of 8 and they were all serious things that she would cry about. Poppy isn't sure whether its the pain, the concussion or serious fear from what has happened that is making her cry but either way she wraps her arms tightly around her best friend and rocks them back and forth until she stops crying.

"What did he do to you? How did you get away? And how did you get these cuts?" Poppy says slowly, she can't take her eyes off of Astrid as she fears that any minute now she could pass out

"He didn't really get a chance to do anything, I had to sneak off when my ma... that guy was beating him up for touching me and I hurt my head because I was pushed and... and I don't really remember after that" Astrid says straining as if trying her best to remember what actually happened. Poppy almost feels like she should prepare herself for the moment Astrid jumps up and goes "Surprise, it was just a joke!" because she is genuinely scared and has never seen her best friend like this but she never does, every moment that passes she is less likely to jump up because she is becoming more floppy and weak.

"Stay with me Ast" she yells slapping her gently on the side of the face to keep her best friend alert

"I'm so tired Poppy" she mutters as her eyes flutter shut, without the blood around them and the blood still pumping out of her head she would look like she was just sleeping - she looked so peaceful and yet she wasn't.

As if answering her prayers the zip to the door of the tent opened but it wasn't anyone she recognized but she knew instantly who it was.

"How could you let this happen?" she demanded, Poppy was small but mighty when it came to the protection of her one and only best friend 

"She left before I could make sure she was okay!" he exclaims holding his hands up in defense 

"You mean you were too busy beating someone up to check... I don't know what is wrong with her - why isn't it healing? There is nothing in there that I can see so I don't understand" Poppy explains lifting her best friends head up off of her lap, that is when Alec (Astrid's mate) could see all of the blood, he had of course smelt it - that's what had lead him here in the first place but he didn't truly understand how bad it was or the pain he would feel in himself at seeing him mate injured.

"Shit, Shit, Double Shit....come on, we need to get her too a doctor" he panic scooping her now seemingly small and limp body up from Poppy's lap before crawling out of the tent where his closest and most trusted friends were waiting. Everyone around them starts to whisper about what could've happened but both Poppy and Alec ignore it as they run out of the festival to find someone to help her.