“It sounded rough,” Harlan adds. “Want to talk about it?”
Surprisingly, Silva shrugs, her arms moving over her body as she mutters, “They tried to force a bond.”
“I beg your pardon?” I growl. “Who?”
“My foster brothers,” she says, pulling the blanket tighter around her since she’s naked.
Harlan is already on the move, pulling off his shirt for her to put on. Taking it, Silva pulls it over her head with a shiver. What was appropriate for her level of comfort when she went to bed, no longer is. I’m wearing a pair of boxers, but grab the long sleeved shirt I left on the nightstand and pull it on.
“Tell us?” Izzy asks, glaring at Harlan and Kyren.
I mean, their track record hasn’t been the greatest so I don’t blame him. Holding up their hands, they stand a couple of paces away from her bed as they gaze at her.
“Brad and Luke liked to test my resolve and loyalty to my sister,” Silva breathes, her eyes unfocused as she reaches for a memory. “Sometimes it was beating me with belts or paddles, other times it was seeing how long I could go without breathing before I passed out. One night they threw a party and tied me to my headboard and left me there while they got drunk downstairs. My foster parents were gone for the weekend, and looked the other way during that time.”
“How long did they leave you tied to your bed?” Harlan asks softly.
Silva gazes at her fingers as she twists them, her eyes moving as a drop of blood from the scratch on my face hits the bedsheet in front of me.
“Fuck,” she whispers.
“I got it,” Harlan says, entering the bathroom to look for something to help me. He comes back with an antiseptic wipe and a small bandaid, which I quickly put to use so I won’t continue to bleed on Silva’s sheets.
“I’m really sorry I scratched you,” she says, biting her lip. She looks so tiny, which is not how I see her at all.
Silva is a force to be reckoned with. This meek omega isn’t who she is.
“This is why I never have people over at night or stay over,” Silva groans.
“People, huh?” I tease her, needing to lighten the mood. “Baby, we aren’t people. We’re yours. Scream the house down, scratch me up, but what you’re not going to do is do it alone.”
My scratch taken care of, I arch my brow at her to show her I mean business. Her lips twitch before she nods slightly.
“What else happened in your nightmare?” I ask her.
“They raped me, but Brad also bit me over and over, trying to force me to take him as my alpha. When it didn’t work, Luke joined in for fun. I had to stay completely covered for several weeks until they fully healed,” she grumbles. “See here? This one scarred.”
Turning she pulls down the blanket to show us a bite scar that’s hidden along the curve of her hip. I can barely see the outline of teeth marks, but Harlan and Kyren growl in anger.
“It was always something with them,” Silva sighs, returning her leg under the sheets. “I always felt off balance in that house, the only time I felt peace has been in this town. Otherwise, I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop, because it always does.”
“You’re not alone anymore if shit pops off,” Harlan says. “I can’t imagine the horrors you faced at your foster brothers’ hands, but this nightmare looked like you were reliving it. How often are you really having them?”
“Sometimes, it’s every night. Other times, I can go a few nights without them. I have no idea what triggers them,” she explains. “They’re awful every time.”
“Do you mind if we sleep on the floor tonight?” Harlan asks. “I don’t think I’ll be able to relax unless I can hear both you and Izzy breathing.”
“Same,” Kyren says. “I’d swear I can still hear you screaming.”
“Ugh, I’m sorry,” Silva groans. “I don’t want to be an issue.”
“You’re not,” Izzy says, wrestling her to lay on the bed so he can spoon her. “I don’t want to hear you be mean to yourself, Silva. Mmm. You smell good.”
Her lips twitch as his nose drags along her throat before he kisses behind her ear.
“I’m going to want to fuck you like a cute little bunny,” he growls.
Silva giggles, and I chuckle as I turn out the light. I have a feeling Izzy is going to have an interesting heat. We may as well all try to sleep before that happens.
