“Westin,” I said, raising my voice. “Wake up.”
Her eyes jerked open, and her expression transformed to one of panic as she pushed against my arm with a cry.
My heart broke as she curled into herself, her face white.
“You’re okay. You’re safe,” I said, my voice low. “It was a bad dream.”
Her eyes were glazed and I wasn’t sure she was hearing me. My heart pounded as helplessness seized me. My alpha instincts pushed me to soothe my omega, and a soft purr started in my chest. Westin’s body slowly unfurled as the purr reached underneath her layers of panic.
“Liam?” she whispered hoarsely.
“I’m here.” I reached out to her but then hesitated. “Can I touch you?”
She nodded, the move looking like it caused her pain. I laid down beside her, pressing her head to my chest so she could get more of my scent and feel the vibrations in my chest.
I tried to take deep breaths to calm myself. I couldn’t remember ever feeling as unsettled as Westin’s agonized cries had made me.
“What was the nightmare about?” I asked. Somehow it felt like if I knew, I could stop them from happening again.
There was a long silence. I was sure she would refuse me when she spoke. “It was about the attack.”
My hands tightened around her. Gray had told us about the alpha who attacked Westin in the alley by the bakery. I hadn’t asked her about it because I didn’t want to upset her, but I desperately wanted to take away her pain. I hated that I hadn’t been there.
“I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” I said, wishing I had the right words. A horrible thought crossed my mind. “Have you had a lot of nightmares?”
Her shrug told me everything I needed to know, and my throat tightened.
“It’s stupid,” she said, wiping her tears. “It’s not like anything really happened. I need to get over it, but I keep dreaming about it.”
I furrowed my brow as I brushed my thumb along her cheek. “What are you talking about? You were attacked. He tried to—” I cut myself off, unable to say the words. “Of courseit’s a big fucking deal.”
She just pressed her face to my neck. “Sorry for waking you.”
“Don’t say that.” My voice was soft, but a current of steel ran through it. “I want to be here for you.”
She squirmed as if trying to retreat into herself. An uncomfortable feeling rose in my chest. Part of me said I should follow her lead and drop this, but I couldn’t let her carry this alone. “Sometimes it helps to talk about it,” I murmured, hoping I wasn’t pushing my luck.
“I’m not really good at that.”
I dragged my hand up her back, settling it around her neck and squeezing slightly.
The smallest whimper escaped her and I immediately let go, horrified. “Did I hurt you?”
“No. Well… not really. My neck and head are just hurting,” she whispered.
I wondered how much it cost her to admit it.
“Does ice help? Or heat? Can I get you pain meds?” If she was having a migraine, she needed more specialized prescription medication.
“Will you just keep holding me?” Her voice cracked and I felt a tear drip onto my bare chest.
“I’ll hold you forever if you want me to.”
We were quiet for so long I thought she might have fallen asleep.
“I don’t even know how to talk about it. I’m so used to pushing everything down,” she said softly.
“Sometimes things lose their power over us if we say them out loud,” I said softly.
