My world tilted as the name echoed in the room.
“Aries?” I repeated, my voice shaking. I needed to hear her confirm it.
“Yes, Aries. What’s wrong?”
“I need every detail,” Ronan said as he moved closer to her, eyes wild. “Weneed every detail.”
But I couldn’t move. I could barely think.
Aries.
Did that mean she was truly alive?
Chapter
Twelve
Aries
The night breeze blew past me as I ran along the main road in Widow’s Peak. It wasn’t unusual to see a few people on the streets at this time of day. The bakery and a small coffee shop were already buzzing with life. Though, most people were still tucked into their beds.
Yet here I was, running like if I went fast enough, I could leave all those awful memories and nightmares behind.
I had another last night. This time it was Nikolai in Gideon’s place. Now that my brain dredged up old memories it was morphing them into something awful and twisted.
I rounded the curving road, grateful that as our town grew, I also had more space to run. I was so lost in my own thoughts that I almost didn’t see the figure slumped on the side of the road until I was almost right on them.
My steps came to a stop so fast I nearly tumbled forward, my shoes catching on a few pieces of loose gravel.
The body was almost hidden among the trees. He was hunched over, hands covering his head.
My first instinct probably should not have been to approach a random person, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself as I approached with careful steps.
It wasn’t until I saw the shaggy hair poking out around his hands that I realized who this was.
“Leon,” I called out gently as I crouched down in front of him. The worry only amped up when he didn’t react to my voice. Now that I was in front of him I could hear the ragged bursts of breath he was taking.
Shit, he was in a panic attack.
“Leon,” I called again, my voice sharp this time to cut through whatever nightmare he was locked in.
His eyes were glossy and slightly unfocused as he looked up, like he couldn’t quite get his wits about him enough to realize where he was.
“No. I won’t go back there,” he cried out, focused on something that I couldn’t see.
“Leon, you never have to go back there again,” I said firmly. “You are safe here. With me.”
My chest ached at the thought of him being out here in the dark for who knew how long. I reached out my hands, stopping just before touching him. The last thing I wanted was to startle him more and throw him into a more intense version of the panic attack that already had hold of him.
“Leon.”
This time the forceful word almost mimicked an alpha bark.
“I need you to take a breath. Now.”
I put every bit of command I could into my words. I could see him trying to fight his way out as he blinked his eyes.
“That’s it,” I urged as he breathed again, this one shaky and jagged, but an inhale nonetheless.
