Cam
“Stop hovering,” Ben hissed, bumping me as he headed to the kitchen to make yet another thing Josie would refuse to eat.
“I’m not,” I responded, my jaw clenched. Ben just shot me a look.
I was totally fucking hovering.
I stared into the study from my spot in the hall, my eyes drawn to where Josie was curled up in a leather chair with a book and untouched hot chocolate. Theo was in the chair next to her, pretending to read. Every few minutes, his eyes flickered towards her, tension lining his body. I could feel his and Ben’s agony through the bond, joining my own. We had known Josie suffered at the Academy, but nothing could have prepared me for the horror of it. Seeing Josie experience such terror, for her to be so lost in her dream, she flinched away from me… it had completely broken my heart. Her cries from last night echoed in my head, serving as a reminder of how I’d failed to protect her, just as I’d failed Ellie.
She’d been subdued when she woke, slipping out of bed to take a long shower alone. Since then, she hadn’t spoken much. Whenever I caught her eye, she looked away quickly, biting her lip as if embarrassed, her scent taking on a bitterness I couldn’t quite place. I wanted to punch something, needed to work out the helplessness blanketing my body. But I didn’t want to leave Josie. Being by her side was a compulsion.
I strode into the study and knelt by her chair. She was looking out the window, her eyes distant.
“Baby girl?”
She jumped with a whimper, and I quickly snagged the hot chocolate from her hands before it spilled.
“Cam,” she said, glancing around the room. “Sorry, I didn’t notice you.”
A wave of her bitter vanilla scent washed over me, and I finally realized what I was scenting: it was shame. A loud growl snarled from my chest before I realized what I was doing, causing Josie to shrink deeper into the leather chair with a whine.
“What the fuck, Cam,” Theo bit out, his voice cold.
“Sorry, sweetheart. I’m so sorry,” I said, stopping my growl and kissing the tops of her thighs.
Josie ran a cold, shaky hand through my hair. I had forgotten to put it up in a bun this morning and now, feeling her fingers running through it, I was fucking grateful. I purred, hoping the sound would relax her, and rested my head in her lap.
“You have nothing to be ashamed about,” I murmured.
Her fingers paused their movements, and I wanted to beg for her to continue. Her touch was the only thing anchoring me, the only thing stopping me from hunting down Glen Jacoby and fucking ending him.
I glanced up and saw silent tears running down Josie’s face. I moved instinctually, picking her up and walking towards the den where we would have more fucking space to cuddle. I jerked my head at Theo, signaling that he should follow. He looked even more out of it than Josie right now.
I settled Josie on my lap on our large sectional. Ben walked into the room holding a tray of sandwiches, immediately setting them down on the coffee table and joining us on the couch. We wrapped our arms around our omega, touching her as much as we possibly could, and purred. It wasn’t long before Josie’s tears subsided and she fell asleep.
* * *
We must have all fallen asleep because hours later, I was woken by Josie stretching on my lap like a kitten. Theo and Ben were sprawled on the sectional, their limbs entwined in mine. I sleepily pulled Josie onto me, kissing her on the forehead.
“Hi,” she said, smiling up at me.
“Hi, baby girl. How’re you feeling?”
“Better,” she responded, rubbing her face against my chest and reaching out to hold Theo’s arm. “Sorry about this morning. I just… last night was a lot to process.”
I didn’t like how small her voice sounded.
“You have nothing to be sorry about. And certainly nothing to feel ashamed about.” I gripped her chin gently, forcing her to meet my gaze. She exhaled slowly and nodded.
“Damn, that was a good nap,” Ben said, his eyes still closed. He stretched out his arm, reaching it across Josie and settling it on her breast.
“Ben, you’re grabbing my boob,” Josie said, her nose scrunching. But she didn’t shift away or tell him to stop, so I didn’t interfere.
“Am I?” he responded innocently.
“Yes,” she said, an edge of laughter in her voice.
“Any complaints?” Ben asked, cracking his eyes open.
