I curled into a ball and then remembered the device. They would use it against me. My hand flew up to where I knew it was implanted and I dug my nails in, trying to dig it out.
“Angel, please stop. You’re bleeding.” Theo pleaded, his coffee scent acidic.
His scent.
Every muscle in my body froze. I took a deep, shaky breath. Bursts of coffee, cinnamon roll, and spiced apple hit me.
My mates.
I whimpered, relief coursing through me like a deluge before a sob tore out of my chest. It had been a dream. My mates were here.
I breathed in again, needing to convince myself this was real. Each inhale convinced me a little bit more.
“I’m going to turn a light on,” Theo murmured.
The glow of the table lamp illuminated the mess around me. The bedding was in a twisted pile on the floor. I realized I was naked, something that had felt fine when I went to bed but now made me want to vomit. I whimpered as I tried to cover myself, curling into a tight ball.
Ben dug through the bedding pile until he found my favorite soft blanket. He slowly moved towards me and laid it over me. I realized he was crying. They all were. I had made my alphas cry. Another sob burst from my chest.
“Can I touch you, baby girl?” Cam asked, his voice hoarse.
I shook my head. I couldn’t handle any hands on me, my skin still crawling from the nightmare.
Theo got up and I whined. “Don’t leave me.”
I knew it was irrational to want them to be near me but not touching me, but the thought of him going anywhere constricted my chest. He crouched down in front of me.
“I’m just going to get the first aid kit from the bathroom,” he said carefully. “I promise I’ll be right back. Is that alright, angel?”
I nodded, tightening the blanket around me. My upper arm felt like it was on fire, and wet drops of blood dripped down my skin. Shakily, I pushed myself into a seated position, using the wall at my back for support. Ben and Cam sat close in front of me. Not touching, not saying anything, just lending me whatever support they could with their presence. There was such sadness in their eyes and their scents were sharp with distress. I wanted to reach out and comfort them, erase the devastation from their faces, but fear kept me frozen.
Theo returned with the first aid box.
“Can I look at your arm, love?” he asked, sitting down at my side. He moved hesitantly as if I was a wounded animal about to bolt. Which, I guess I was. My face heated. God, I was such an inconvenience. Other alphas got fun, perky omegas who slept without waking up screaming and were…normal. My mates were stuck with me.
Defective. Glen’s voice snarled through my mind, making me whimper.
“Baby girl, we’re right here. Nothing’s going to happen to you.” Cam’s voice grounded me enough to peek out from where I’d pressed my face to the blanket.
I took a deep breath, trying to focus on Cam’s words. I realized Theo was waiting for me to give him an answer. “Okay,” I whispered, untangling my wounded arm from the blanket.
I kept my eyes on his face, not wanting to see what I’d done to my arm. Tension filled his gaze as he frowned at the cuts. He caught me looking at him and threw me an apologetic smile.
“Sorry, love. It doesn’t look like it needs stitches. I’d like to clean it up and bandage it if that’s okay with you. I won’t touch you more than I have to.”
Part of me wanted to throw myself at my alphas and demand that they wrap themselves around me. But I wasn’t quite ready yet. I gave Theo a non-verbal assent and continued taking deep breaths, allowing the scents of my mates to pull me further and further away from the dream.
Ben sat close to my other side, his shoulders shaking with silent tears. I wanted to ease his pain, but I didn’t know how. I pushed my left hand out of the blanket and threaded my pinky with his. His teary gaze met mine as he squeezed my little finger.
“I love you,” he mouthed at me.
“Love you,” I mouthed back.
Theo’s hands were achingly gentle as he cleaned my arm—the place where thescarwas, not the device. I took a shuddering breath. It wasn’t in me anymore. The adrenaline of the dream drained from me, leaving me boneless. I rested my head on Ben’s shoulder, unable to remain upright. He shifted slightly so my face rested close to his neck, as if he knew I needed his scent right now.
“All set,” Theo said, causing me to jump a little. I still wasn’t ready to look at my arm, the evidence of what I had done to myself.
“Do you want to go back to bed, sweetheart?” Cam asked, his voice hesitant.
