I’m curled up in a big fluffy blanket, sipping a cup of tea in front of the fire.
“I’m good. Sleepy.”
“Then why don’t you get some sleep? We’ve got this.”
“Can’t shut my brain off long enough to sleep,” I sigh, leaning against him as he pulls me to his side.
“What’s going on in this pretty little brain of yours?" He kisses the side of my head.
I chew on my lower lip, wondering if I should be talking about it right now. My past was always something I meant to share with them. I don’t want to get serious with them without them knowing everything.
It’s just not something that’s easy to talk about.
But he’s my Alpha and I need to get this off my mind. “I’m having big feelings right now.”
“Wanna talk about it?” he asks softly, not pressing.
“Yeah. Kind of. Just... promise you won’t see me any differently?” I peek up at him.
“I’d never,” he promises.
Bringing my attention back to the fire, I sigh. “You know how Silva and I were in a foster home, right?”
“Yes.”
“It was hell. We were only there a few years, but in those few years, it changed us for the worse."
His body goes rigid. I can feel the tension rolling off him in waves. He doesn’t say anything, letting me continue.
“We had foster brothers, Luke and Brad. They were older than us. From the moment we got to that house, they had their sights set on us. Anytime I worried about it, Silva would tell me everything was going to be okay and that no one was going to hurt me. And I believed her. She loved me and protected me when I was too weak to protect myself. For the longest time, things were okay. There were leering looks, but nothing more. They never touched me.” My eyes well with tears, nausea churning in my stomach.
“What do you meanfor the longest time?” Sloane’s voice is deadly, his body vibrating.
“The morning I presented, Luke was passing by my room. So much was going on with my body. I was confused, scared. Because of all the hormone changes, my sheets were soaked with slick, a lot of it. Luke was an Alpha and he smelled me from the hallway,” I choke out, the memory of that monster's hands forever haunting me. “He came into my room, locked the door behind him, and...”
“Shhh.” Sloane pulls me into his lap. “Shhh. Baby, I got you.” I can tell he wants to lose his mind. His body is shaking as he rocks me back and forth while I fall apart, gasping sobs wracking me, the sound smothered by his chest. “I’m so sorry, baby. I'm so sorry,” he repeats over and over again.
I can’t bring myself to tell him the rest. If I do, I’ll break, and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to put the pieces back together.
But he gets where I was going, and could guess what I would have said next.
He holds me tight, his chest vibrating as he starts to purr, hand rubbing up and down my back.
When I’m calm again, I stay in his arms, resting my tear-streaked cheek against his chest. “It was only once,” I whisper, eyes fixated on the flickering flames of the fire. “But that's all it took to destroy me. He was going to try again, but that's whenSilva walked in. She stopped it. And later that night, we ran. She doesn’t know what Luke did to me the first time, and I never plan on telling her. It would kill her, destroy her if she knew.”
“Fuck,” Sloane rasps. “Iwant to kill him. Please, baby, let me kill him.”
“Maybe one day,” I murmur. “He doesn’t deserve to live.”
“No, he fucking doesn’t,” he growls.
“Can you do me a favor?” I ask, my eyes starting to drift closed.
“Anything, Kitten.”
“Can you tell Aiden what I told you? I don’t think I can repeat it again.”
“Of course, baby.” He kisses the top of my head. “Go to sleep, you’re safe. I got you. Nothing will ever hurt you again.”
