“You’re doing okay,” he said. “You’re safe. You’re here. No one’s going to hurt you.”
The words didn’t land all the way, but they didn’t bounce off either. They settled somewhere in the space between panic and belief.
I clutched the stuffed animal tight; fingers curled around its faded seams. It helped me. Not enough to make the fear go away, but enough to keep me from slipping under again.
It’d be so easy, too. To slip away and let the darkness take over. To let the emptiness take hold. It was right there within reach. But something kept me grounded in the present.
Maybe it was this confusing Alpha who was too kind. Maybe it was the mixture of the pills running through my system. Or maybe it was something I just couldn’t name.
The Alpha didn’t reach for me. He didn’t ask questions, as if he knew I wasn’t capable of forming many thoughts.
“You’re breathing better now. That’s good.” He paused, debating with himself before he finally reached out and brushed hair off my forehead. It didn’t do any good, but his touch was nice. Warm.
My eyes closed against my will.
“Just rest, sweetheart. That’s all I want from you right now. Rest. The medicine I gave you will likely make you fallasleep for a little longer, and that’s okay. Let it do its job to keep you from panicking.”
“Kay.” I’m not sure if the word actually got spoken or not, but it didn’t matter. Not as my body melted into the mattress like it was going to save me from whatever would happen next.
Chapter 14
Evander
The soup simmered low on the stove, filling the kitchen with a soft, warm scent. Something that wouldn’t overwhelm the sweet Omega when he woke up.
I kept stirring even after it didn’t need it, more out of nerves than necessity. The house felt too still, like it was holding its breath with me.
Kasey had been asleep for hours. The medication had hit him hard and after the panic he’d gone through, he needed the rest. Not to mention the way his body had been strung tight with abuse for who knows how long.
I’d check on him twice, just long enough to make sure he was breathing evenly, but not long enough to startle him.
Neither time, he hadn’t moved a single inch. He fell asleep on his side; the stuffed fox tucked into his chest, fast asleep. He was adorable, letting the weight off his shoulders while he rested.
In the moment, he reminded me so much of the little boy that looked up to me. Soft and calm without a care in the world. It was a total one eighty to the boy that I found.
I wanted to hold him, to carry that weight for him, and just get him to understand that he was safe now and would be for the rest of his life. I wanted to show him the world; to show him how sorry I was for not being there when he needed me the most.
That fear when I found out he had gone missing still clung to me in ways that I’d never be able to escape. That feeling of despair when his parents searched. Heck, everyone at the camp sites, had looked for the lost Omega. But when night fell andthere had been no sign of him; his parents had to make that dreaded call for help.
Of course, what had we expected? What had I expected to happen other than the boy showing up out of a tent like he had taken a nap?
Instead, it had been hours of searching, Hours of questions. Hours of repeated questions.
Hours turned into days. Days turned into weeks. Weeks into months.
With each passing month, the likelihood of finding Kasey alive dimmed.
After a year of no sighting, no clues, his parents decided to call off the search. They called off the help. Claiming it had to be a mountain lion that took the little boy, and most likely killing him instantly.
But me…I didn’t want to give up hope. Because hope was a precious thing, as was Kasey.
Lost in thought, I didn’t notice him there, hoovering on the edge of the kitchen and hallway. The smallest of creaks on the floor caused me to turn.
“Geeze,” I huffed, placing a hand on my racing heart. “Hey Kasey. You scared me.” I quickly schooled my features, hoping my startled words didn’t scare him. “How are you?”
One side of his lips twitched, like he wanted to smile at the fact that he was able to frighten me. But then, just as quickly, he looked down at the floor and wrapped his arms around his waist like he was afraid he was taking up too much space.
He looked smaller than he had earlier, which I wasn’t sure how it was possible. His blond hair was mussed from sleep, sticking up in random spots. His eyes were wide, startled, like he’d walked into a room he wasn’t supposed to be in.
