Alpha's Blood

Chapter 4

"Lill... Lilliarna. Lilliarna wake up!"

Cairon's voice cuts through her mind as she feels her body shaking in the distance of her mind. Eyes fly open, every muscle in her body tense as she comes to, the world around her still foggy as her heart races a mile a minute.

Quick, gasping breaths attempt to fill her lungs as she hyperventilates. The outer edges of her vision are blurry with a black fog that creeps in from all sides. Her mind is in a haze, barely registering Cairons hands on her shoulders.

He helps her sit, arms wrapping around her as soon as she's upright, before a hand gently strokes her back. Quiet shushes come in a hiss as he comforts her, rocking her body like that of a terrified child.

"It's ok Lill I'm here. I've got you"

The tenseness of her body slowly subsides as she takes deep breaths until she's reduced to sobs in the aftermath of her panic. The line of reality and dreams had blurred until it was unrecognizable; her nightmare as tangible as Cairons shirt, now wet with her tears, against her skin.

He continues his words of comfort and steady rocking until she calms; her cries nothing more than a faint sniffle every few moments. Lilliarna blinks hard a few times before drying her eyes with the back of her hand. She pulls away, getting a full view of her friend's worried face.

She weakly smiles at him, trying to be reassuring.

"I'm good now. Thanks Car."

He looks at her sympathetically, eyes wet with concern for his friend's disquiet. It's obvious he wants to know more, but doesn't want to overstep.

"Was it the nightmare again?"

Lilliarna stares at her hands clasped loosely in her lap as she nods her head.

"Yah."

Leaning in, Cairon keeps his voice soft as he questions her.

"You want to talk about it?"

Lilliarna shakes her head at him, her gaze still adverted.

"There's no need. I'm fine."

She looks back up at him trying the false smile once more. His eyes however, stay filled with the same look as before.

"I'm fine. Really Cairon. It was just a silly little nightmare. Im sorry for scaring you-"

He inturrupts her, hands coming to a rest on her shoulders as his eyes fixate on her face. Cairons normal joking demeanor was long gone, replaced now by a stern soberness, laced with deep importance.

"Do not apologize for the things that haunt you at night Lilliarna. You hear me?"

Lilliarna's eyes pool with sadness, her mind nipped with doubt.

"But..."

Her voice catches in her throat, the words trapped behind the invisible dam of her mind, pounding at it's confinement. Suddenly it breaks, the words pouring out from her in long rivers, washing away the broken pieces of the wall she'd so carefully constructed.

"I'm a burden Car. I can't get rid of these aweful night terrors, and because of them, because of me, you're woken up at least once a week. And even then you can't go right back to sleep, you have to help me calm down because I'm too stupid to get over it on my own. I try so hard, I really do, but I just feel so weak. I feel like damaged goods Car."

In mere seconds her body is engulfed by Cairon, his arms wrapping around her, embracing her in a tight comforting hug. She hides her face in his shirt, trying to avoid letting him see her tear up once again. Under her, his chest rises and falls with quick sharp, angry, breaths.