Page 120 of The Beta's Heart

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice rough and broken. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay,” she said, hugging me tightly. “I’m here. You’re safe.”

I clung to her, trying to ground myself in the present. That had been too freaking real. I could still feel the phantom pain of the knife, the terror of being chased, but my mate’s presence and scent was helping to drive it away.

“Do you want to talk about it?” She pulled back slightly, looking into my eyes.

“Not now.” I shook my head, the memories too raw to touch at the moment. “Maybe later.”

“Whenever you’re ready,” she replied. “I’ll listen anytime.”

As we lay back down, I held onto her, letting her warmth comfort me, until I remembered how my nightmare had taken an unexpected shift into a new world of terror.

“Did you have a bad dream, too, Sunshine?” I asked gently, trailing my fingers up and down her spine.

“No. Why?”

“Because mine somehow morphed into someone else’s—” All the air whooshed out of my lungs. “Luna!”

#

Peri

The thud of my body hitting the floor jolted me awake, a sharp pain exploding in my hip from crashing into the bedside table.

“What the hell?!” I winced, the floor cold and unforgiving beneath me.

Then Tyler’s cries tore through the dim room, raw and haunting. His arms whirled around wildly and his legs kicked as if he were running. I could barely make sense of what was happening, only aware that something was terribly wrong.

“Ty!” I called out, my voice thick with panic. “Tyler?”

I scrambled to my feet, my heart pounding furiously as his harsh breaths and desperate shouts sliced through the night, and I finally realized he was lost in a nightmare.

“Wake up!” I begged, my voice breaking as I grabbed his shoulders and shook him a little. “It’s me! It’s Peri! Your sunshine! Wake up!”

He didn’t respond, his eyes still closed, his body still writhing, and I never felt so helpless in my life. Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes, breaking my heart.

I have to do something to wake him up!

With a surge of frustration and determination, I grabbed the glass of water from the nightstand and threw it in his face. It was the only thing I could think of—and it worked.

His eyes snapped open, full of fear and confusion, but he came back to himself.

My poor mate. My poor Ty.

“Peri?” he whispered, his voice hoarse and trembling.

“It’s okay,” I said, my own voice shaking. I climbed back onto the bed, pulling him into my arms. “You’re safe now. It was just a nightmare.”

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Hugging him tightly, I wanted to smother him in my warmth and scent to remind him of where he was and who he belonged to.

“It’s okay,” I murmured. “I’m here. You’re safe.”

He clung to me, his body trembling and his heart pounding as I stroked his hair and kissed his forehead. We stayed like that until he finally relaxed, then I asked him if he wanted to talk about it, but he shook his head, and I respected that.

As we lay there in the darkness, I couldn’t help but feel a fierce protectiveness well up inside me. Ty was my mate, my other half, and I would do whatever it took to help him heal from the scars of his past. For now, all I could do was tighten my arms around him and promise to listen and make sure he knew he wasn’t alone.

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