“It’s okay, I’m okay, we’re okay.” I just keep whispering the mantra into his neck until he finally wraps his arms around my waist and hugs me back. I have no idea how long we sat like that. Both of us just let the last couple of minutes set in and process.
“That was so f*cking scary, Bitty. I have never felt anything like that before.” He’s talking into my hair and it’s so low, it’s less than a whisper, but the silence of the room lets me know others are listening in. His arms tighten around me.
“How did you get to me so fast? How did you find me? I haven’t even been up here that long.” I ask, not moving my face from his neck.
“We were actually looking for you, when you never came back from the bathroom and I got this sharp pain in my chest. It hurt so much I almost
collapsed.
Then my wolf shouted your name and basically took over my body and brought me up here. Your lips were blue when I got to you, I panicked and
didn’t know what else to do. I’m sorry.”
He took another deep breath, his nose buried in my hair. His body is calming down, but his mind and his emotions are still holding tension I don’t
understand. He felt my pain.
How could he feel my pain? It was the pain of a memory, nothing real. And how did his wolf know where to find me? Too many questions for my brain
right now.
“That was scary for more than just the two of you.” I notice a voice very close to my back. “What happened?” Cam’s deep voice rumbles as he wraps
an arm around my waist and tries to pull me into his lap, Oliver loosens his grip, but doesn’t let me go right away, a small whimper escaping his lips.
“I squeezed his hand. “I’m okay, not going far.” I slide back into Cam’s lap, but keep my legs across Oliver’s and he instinctively wraps his hand
around my ankle, like it will keep me from disappearing. The rumbling in Cam’s chest calms down a little as I get closer to him. That’s where the
growling sound has been coming from. But, why? Why would he be mad at Oliver for saving me? It’s a question for another time. So many questions
for later.
“Mom, what happened?” Kota asks as calmly as he possibly can. I can feel the fear radiating off of him too. He comes to sit in front of Cam on the
floor. I reach out to play with his hair, knowing he needs contact just like Oliver and Cam.
She relayed what she was telling me, this obviously wasn’t new news to any of the guys and Sierra. They had all been up when everything started to
go crazy.
She looked in my direction every few seconds like she was waiting for another episode. When she got to the part about the silver, which was news to
the guys, I scrambled back into Oliver’s lap, like he was the only one who could battle that demon with me. My arms locked around him and my face
buried in his neck again, his scent seems to be the only thing that is helping me battle the torment of what happened to another wolf and the fact that
it might have something to do with me. He just gently rubs my back, not saying anything, conveying everything in his light touches.
“What’s the plan, mom? You and Luna Anne can’t just stay holed up forever. And it doesn’t seem like we’ve made much progress with finding the
asshole who did this.” Kota asks, I don’t look up from Oliver’s shoulder, I’m really tired all of a sudden.
“I think Lucas and Reggie have what they need for now. Patrols will be increased and a higher security protocol will be in place. Now, please
remember, none of the details I have given you have been told to pack members. We have more questions than
answers and don’t want to incite panic. If you have thoughts about the situation or want to discuss it further, this is the only safe space in the
packhouse.”
“But, not even our…” Kota starts.
“No, not even your floor can be considered safe yet, and based on Oliver’s instincts last night and today the target of the threat is still unclear, and we
have to assume all ranked members and future leaders are in danger. Trust his Gamma instincts, they are designed to keep the Luna safe. Just as
the Beta’s instincts are to keep the Alpha Safe. Brett was a little crazy last night too, he didn’t leave my side until I came up here with a full guard.
Stick together and none of you are to go anywhere alone. Not even the bathroom at school. Now we are stuck here until Lucas and Reggie return,
which will be later this evening. I’m going to bring Xander up and we can all get something to eat, then I imagine all of you could use a nap.”
