At one point, she curled into my side, which caused a purr to ignite in my chest.
A purr I couldn’t quite quell.
After ninety minutes of trying, I finally forced myself to leave the bed and go take a long shower. But Ashlyn remained in that tiny ball the entire time I was gone, her head on the pillow I vacated.
I run my fingers through my damp hair, the droplets falling onto my bare shoulders. I’m not in the mood to wear a shirt, the fabric feeling a little too tight for some reason today.
So I settled on a pair of gray sweatpants instead.
If the shirtless thing bothers Ashlyn, I’ll find something else to wear. But I suspect she won’t care. She’s a shifter, after all. Nudity is pretty common for our kind.
Yet I can’t help but admire the sliver of skin peeking out from the part in her robe. The curve of one breast is visible, the skin appearing creamy and soft.
If she were truly mine, I would trace that exposed part of her with my tongue.
Alas, we’ve barely even touched.
Outside of sleep, anyway, I think.
My leg still burns from where her thigh rested over mine. It took considerable effort not to move toward her, to seek out the heat radiating from her core.
Clenching my jaw, I push away from the door and force myself to go grab a water from the fridge. The contents are half gone when I hear a soft whimper come from the bedroom.
Brow furrowing, I set the bottle down.Am I?—
A sharp cry radiates through the lair, sending me racing toward Ashlyn. She’s no longer curled into a ball, but writhing in the sheets like she’s trying to fight someone off.
Her arms swing and she growls, thrashing violently against the pillows.
Then just as abruptly, she curls into herself and whispers, “No. No, please. Please don’t. I… I don’t want…” Another scream rips from her lungs, the sound piercing my chest like a fucking bullet.
“Ashlyn.” I start toward her, only for her screams to turn to sobs. “Fuck.”
“Grey…”
“I’m here,” I tell her, rushing to her side.
But she’s not awake, her eyes are still closed as tears stream down her face. “It’s worth it,” she says.
“What is?” I ask, utterly confused by this conversation and what’s happening right now.
“Fate… is worth… the pain.” She curls even more tightly into the fetal position, her head tucked against her knees as she begins to violently shake.
“Fuck this,” I breathe, my purr igniting as I slide into bed with her and pull her into my arms. “Wake up.” It’s obviousshe’s having some sort of nightmare. A vision, maybe. But I don’t fucking care. She needs to… “Wake up.” A growl underscores those two words, my animaldemandingshe obey.
Our Omega comes alive on a gasp, her body going rigid, then falling into a fit of trembles once more. I hold her tight, my purr louder than it’s ever been.
“You’re safe,” I tell her. “I’m here.”
And Ashlyn practically melts into me. “A dream,” she mumbles against me. “A dream.”
“That didn’t seem like a dream, Ash,” I mutter, the nickname seeming to roll right off my tongue. “That seemed like a nightmare.”
She stills, then pulls back a little to look up at me. “Wait… I’m… I’m awake?” Her voice sounds a bit hoarse, probably from the screaming seconds ago.
“Yeah, little riddler. You’re awake. And you’re safe.” I keep purring for her, my hand automatically rubbing her back—a gesture that seems to cause her to curl into me even more.
I accept it.
