Night air fills my lungs in painful gasps as stars wheel overhead. The prickling of grass and the cold of dirt press against my bare legs. I shiver, but the cold goes deeper than my skin.
Wylder's face swims into focus above me, backlit by moonlight behind branches. "Fucking hell, Hallowind.”
Orion’s there too. “Welcome back, Pop-Tart. You're okay. We’ve got you, and you're safe."
Safe?
I try to move but can't. I’m cocooned in vines wrapping me in an unmoving shroud, holding me flat against the earth. My heart is hammering against my ribs, rabbit-fast.
Asher is on his knees next to me, tears streaming from red-rimmed eyes. He looks wrecked, his hands as filthy as his pajama pants and rumpled Mandalorian t-shirt.
"What happened?" My voice cracks as I dart a look between the three of them.
"It looked like you were sleepwalking."
“She was fucking possessed,” Orion snaps.
Wylder's expression remains carefully neutral. "Asher and Orion woke when the dogs heard you go outside. You were walking into the forest."
Ah… the too-many-handed demon was Asher and Orion trying to stop me. A sob catches in my throat. "In my dream… I thought you were attacking me."
I reach for Asher but still can’t move. Wylder reads my intention, and the second the vines disappear, Asher pulls me off the ground and into his arms. Pressed against his bare chest, I feel the racing of his heart.
“I’ve never been so scared in all my life. You couldn’t hear us. You just kept fighting and mumbling about your master.”
I hug him harder, every inch of me shaking. Orion is hovering close, his arms wrapped around himself. I reach toward him, still fully engulfed in Asher’s hug.
Orion accepts the invitation and joins the love-in, wrapping himself around us both.
Clutched in the arms of my two best friends, the warmth of Orion’s shifter side goes a long way in chasing away the chill in my bones.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I didn’t know it was you guys. I thought I was being attacked by demons. I had no idea.”
Tears burn hot against my cheeks, but I can’t rein them in. Everything that felt so real—the terror, the helplessness, the certainty I was under attack—it all crashes over me in aggressive waves.
“Can I get in on this?” Wylder’s voice is as unsteady as I feel. The memory of the magic erupting around me swells in my mind. How did I not recognize his magical signature?
Wylder was trying to restrain me safely.
Asher releases me into Wylder’s arms and turns to Orion. The shift of position has me burying my face against Wylder’s shoulder for a complete fall apart.
“We’ve got you." His voice rumbles through his chest, his heart pounding beneath my ear. His hands stroke down the back of my hair, anchoring me to reality. “Whatever that was, we’ll figure it out and keep it from happening again.”
Minutes pass. Maybe it’s longer. Gradually, my breathing steadies, the shaking eases, and shame creeps in to fill the space terror left behind.
"I’m so sorry," I mumble against Wylder's shoulder.
"Don't be." His arms tighten around me. "Never apologize for things beyond your control."
“She’s shivering.” Asher’s voice is quiet but a little steadier. “Let’s get her into the house.”
Wylder stands, pulls me to my feet, and checks that I am steady. I’m not, but I guess I fake it well enough not to trigger his impulse to carry me.
That would be the ultimate humiliation cherry on this messed-up sundae.
We start back toward the house, walking slowly. Wylder keeps his arm around the back of my hips and guides us toward the back porch, while Asher leads the way and Orion covers our backs.
Movement flickers in my peripheral vision.
