CHAPTER 12
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Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
The sound of a bedframe hitting a wall echoed through the house and I put my pillow over my head with a groan. How was I supposed to get any sleep if they kept up their activities all night?
With a huff of frustration, I slipped out of bed and crept across the room. My nightgown swished around my ankles as I carefully stepped across the wood floor, avoiding squeaky spots since I wasn’t supposed to be out of bed. I just couldn’t lie still and listen to this anymore, I shouldn’t even know what sex is as a twelve-year-old. But ever since I had perfumed as an omega six months ago, they had been relentless every night. Lissy told me that I should be grateful that it happens every night because it meant that their marriage was strong and blessed by God.
Which I understood, but I was also twelve and needed to sleep.
I tiptoed quietly out into the hallway, past Jamie’s room, and into the kitchen, being careful to keep an ear out for the thump-thump. I didn’t want to get caught and that thump-thump told me that every adult in the house was currently busy.
Filling up a glass with water from the bucket, I sipped on the cool well water and let it soothe me. The squeak of chains joined the thump-thump and I looked out of the kitchen window that overlooked the backyard. In the tree, hung on chains, was a swing that was normally empty. The only one who ever used it was Jamie and ever since he’d turned twelve Father Jordan told him he was too old to play. But the swing wasn’t empty right now. A dark figure was sitting with their back to the house and was swinging back and forth in the dark.
That was strange, everyone in town should have already been asleep for hours. Father Jordan was super strict about curfew and everyone tended to avoid his punishments.
I knew curiosity killed the cat, but I couldn’t help myself. I left the glass on the counter and stepped out onto the rickety old back porch, letting the cool night air surround me as I descended the steps. The grass was primarily made up of weeds, but it was enough to cushion my bare feet as I crossed the grass towards the swing.
“Hello?” My little voice was hesitant and the figure began to swing faster, the swing squeaking back and forth as they pumped their legs harder. In the dark, I could just make out long curly hair and a fuller figure as I drew closer. “Why are you outside so late?” I continued questioning.
Suddenly the figure on the swing came to an abrupt stop, and the silence filled the yard.
...Wait, silence? I’d been so distracted by the swinging figure that I didn’t realize that the thump-thumping from the house had completely stopped.
I turned and began to run back into the house, back to my room, and back to safety, but strong hands gripped my shoulders and a voice barked: “What are you doing outside?” I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came as hands dug into my body.
“Tibby,” A voice yelled as the hands continued to shake me, “Tibby!”
Someone was screaming, and it took me a few scattered seconds of confusion to realize that it was me, I was screaming.
“Tibby, wake up, you’re having a nightmare.” A familiar, gruff voice washed over me and my scream abruptly cut off with a shudder. The room was dark when I opened my eyes, and the only light was streaming in from the open door to the hallway. I hung limp in a pair of strong arms, my body shuddering as I tried to shake off the last wisps of my nightmare. The numbing scent of cool spearmint surrounded me, and I chased it with my nose, sucking it in with my next shaky inhale. I let the minty smell work its way through my quivering limbs until I felt it to the tips of my fingers and toes. By the time I finished calming my breathing, the shudders had all but stopped. I was finally able to look up at the person who held me tightly in their arms.
“Theo?” My voice was hoarse from screaming, and I was sure that I was soaked in sweat.
“Hey Little Bit,” Theo’s face was all planes and shadows in the dim light, but I could see that his eyes were fixed on my face. “Are you alright, you were screaming in your sleep....”
I definitely wasn’t alright, but I nodded anyway, it was my go-to whenever Eloise had shaken me awake when we lived together. Pretend like I was okay...until I wasactuallyokay again. The familiar guilt about waking sleeping people began to seep in. I hated it when people looked at me with sympathy and, while I loved Eloise, I’d always been paranoid about waking her up at night. I had even gone so far as to sleep on the floor so that I didn’t get too comfortable.
Because I could never get comfortable at night. Getting comfortable meant falling into a deep enough sleep that I had nightmares. So, that meant no blankets, no pillows, and, sometimes, no comfy mattress. In my opinion, it was far better to get bad sleep rather than wake up screaming from a nightmare.
As I thought about my lack of blankets and pillows I saw the same thought register on Theo’s face as he turned to look at the folded blankets and piled pillows still in the wicker basket and unused.
“What time is it?” I asked, hoping to distract him.
Unfortunately for me, it seemed that once Theo got his teeth into something, he had a one-track mind. “Just after six in the morning,” He said, answering my question before he asked one of his own: “Tibby, why aren’t you sleeping with any nesting materials?”
I had two options, I could pretend that I had fallen back asleep and ignore his question,orI could be vulnerable and answer. Unfortunately, I was a shitty actress. So vulnerable it was,greaaaat. The door to my room creaked open further, revealing Matteo, Aria, and Jacob. All were dressed in their pajamas and all looked half asleep as they looked in on us.
“Is everything okay?” Aria yawned as she stepped into the room, the motion bringing their scents into the room with her. Pumpkin spice, roses, and the clean scent of eucalyptus filled my nose and I stiffened, ready for them to grate against my skin as most scents did after a nightmare. I could barely be around Eloise’s chocolate scent when she came into my room to check on me after a nightmare, and she was my best friend. So, it stood to reason that the introduction of four scents, which I was still familiarizing myself with, would send me straight into a panic attack.
When they didn’t, I could hardly believe it. I took another sniff and tested how it made me feel to be surrounded by their scents...and I felt fine. Better than fine, even, it usually took me a couple of hours to calm down from my nightmare jitters and most of those were usually spent pacing. But I felt almost totally normal again, aside from being a little shaky and damp from sweating through my flannel pajamas.
“Sorry about waking you up.” I rasped as Aria reached out and stroked my sweaty cheek, her fingers leaving little tingles in their wake.
