9 Reasons to Love

Chapter 18

"Whos Robert?" Nathan asked Roses family after he put her to bed after she fell asleep from exhaustion from her panic attack in his lap.

"Her ex," Brandon sighed as he tried not to punch something.

"What do you know about Rose?" Corey asked.

"How do you feel about her?" Ashley just straight out asked.

"Mr. Blackbourne you need to tell them," Kota said as he came back from the front door holding a file. "Here I brought it."

Owen opened the file and dropped it in anger. There were pictures of Rose in the hospital covered in bruises and cuts and files of failed restraining orders and documents of proof of abuse from police and therapists and hospitals.

"How?" Ashley asked. "How did you get these?"

"Now would be the time to tell them," Victor nudged.

"Its true," Owen whispered as he looked at a picture of Rose in the hospital. He glanced up to see they were about to ask, "shes, my mate."

"Its true?" Raven asked and Owen nodded. "But theres more." He took a deep breath and then said, "She is all of our mate."

"All?" Raven asked.

"All nine of us," Kota nodded.

"Shes human," Ashley said softly.

"So?" North growled as if it mattered to him. "Shes our mate. My Rose Baby. The moon goddess made her for us."

"What all has she been through?" Gabriel asked.

"Rose came to use towards the end of high school," Ashley said looking out the bay window. "We could tell instantly that she was different from our hell hole. She was full blown goth and so damn skinny."

"Her parents were drug addicts and never cared for her. Her grandparents in another state were the only ones who showed her love and accepted her for her despite her being so different from them," Axel continued.

"We met her when she was 16 and 95 pounds," Corey said softly. Sean growled at the image in his head and Corey just continued. "We took her into our family and got her to quit the pills and cutting and she started to get healthier."

"It took a while for her to believe that someone other than her grandparents could love her, but she eventually did. We were a great family and then she met Robert," Brandon whispered. "At first he seemed perfect. Another goth like her and pushed her to continue her artwork and just doted on her. You would have thought she hung the moon for him the way he acted around her at first. But he was an excellent actor and he definitely fooled us."

"But then the cracks started to show," Marc glared, "Suggestions of something else to eat, or wait a little bit since they just ate but really hadnt. Or giving criticism or suggestions on how to improve her artwork. Comparing her work to world famous authors."

"Checking out females in front of her then making it seem like she was blowing things out of proportion since shes bisexual," Raven commented, "Making slight comments about her weight or makeup. Then making comments how we were keeping her from him, or our visits were interrupting their time."

"But you come first," Luke whispered, and Ashley shook her head.

"Not to him, he came first," she explained, "Then the first bruise appeared. She tried to say it was a one-time thing and he didnt mean for it to happen."

"He played the part well by apologizing and getting her a present to make up for it and of course she fell for it," Axel said as memories flooded his mind.

"We tried to tell her to get away, but she was loyal to him," Corey sighed. "She thought she loved him, and her love would be enough to change him. Once she gives her heart."

"How did you get her away?" Nathan asked.

"She found him with someone else and tried to leave. He wasnt going to let her leave," Ashley vaguely answered but it was enough. She pulled out the picture of Rose in the hospital covered head to toe in bruises with IVs and tubes all over her. "Broken ribs, concussion, starvation, internal bruising, in a coma for month, and you can read the rest. Once she was better, we helped her pack her stuff, gave her the name Rose Wynter and got her away."

"But the bastard found her," Raven slammed his cup down.

"She is going to be so heartbroken to leave here, its her dream home," Marc whispered.

"The hell she is leaving," North growled, "Shes our mate."

"What are you going to do to protect her then?" Ashley glared. "How are you going to stop the nightmares and PTSD and panic attacks and everything else? How are you going to fight her insecurities and get her to believe you are different then Robert? It took us years to get her where she is with us and we do not have romantic feelings for her. How are you going to control your urges around her? I know how protective alphas are, but you cannot go all controlling on her. Were you even going to show her your wolf? What about the presents? What were you thinking sending her an anonymous present knowing how fragile she is and obviously running from someone or something?"

"How did you know? Hey, how are you not even freaking out about that by the way?" Gabriel asked bewildered.

"When were you going to tell us about her?" Owen shot back. "Weve worked together for YEARS and never knew about her yet you knew we were all searching for our one mate to share between us!"

"I notice everything," Ashley said, "and we didnt say anything about her to protect her. We never thought she would be your mate."

"But she still thinks its just stories?" Silas asked and Axel shook his head.

"Actually, no she knows about us, but it took a few years because we had to break through her walls first and earn her trust and heart," Axel said softly.

"Then why did you act like you didnt know us at first?" Sean asked.

"To protect her of course," Ashley shrugged. "Now what are you going to do?"