Page 58 of Mate Night Snack
"Liar." She reached up to trace the dark circles under his eyes with gentle fingers. "When's the last time you got more than two hours of sleep?"
His jaw tightened. "Sleep's not exactly a priority right now."
"It should be. You can't protect anyone if you collapse from exhaustion."
"I'm not going to collapse."
"Everyone has limits, Emmett. Even you." She leaned against the window frame beside him, studying his profile. The stubborn set of his jaw, the way tension corded the muscles in his neck, the slight tremor in his hands that he probably thought she hadn't noticed. "Talk to me. What's really going on?"
He was quiet for so long she thought he wouldn't answer. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper.
"The dreams. I can feel them happening to you. Through the bond." He turned to look at her, his eyes dark with guilt. "I know you're trying to hide how bad they are, but I feel every nightmare, every moment of terror. And I can't stop them."
Her heart clenched at the pain in his voice. "That's not your job."
"Isn't it? I'm supposed to protect you. That's what mates do. But I can't fight something that attacks you in your sleep."
"So you've stopped sleeping entirely?"
"I stay awake to watch over you. To pull you out if the dreams get too bad."
She'd been so focused on her own fear, her own determination to stay and fight, that she hadn't fully considered what this was costing him. The man who'd already carried too much guilt was now torturing himself because he couldn't shield her from nightmares.
"Emmett." She reached for his hands, lacing their fingers together. "You're not responsible for my dreams. And you're definitely not responsible for Ashwin's ability to twist them into weapons."
"Then who is?"
"Ashwin. Only Ashwin. But if you run yourself into the ground trying to be my one-man security detail, you won't be able to help when I really need you."
Something in his expression shifted, the desperate edge softening into something more like resignation. "You're not going to change your mind about leaving."
"Not a chance."
"And you're not going to let me wrap you in cotton and hide you somewhere safe."
"Also not happening."
He sighed, a sound that seemed to come from somewhere deep in his chest. "Then we do this together. But I have conditions."
"Such as?"
"Such as you don't go anywhere alone. Ever. And you tell me immediately if the dreams get worse."
"Deal. But I have a condition too."
"What?"
"You get some actual sleep. Starting tonight." She stepped closer, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from his skin. "I mean it, Emmett. Real sleep. In a real bed. With me."
"The nightmares..."
"Will be easier to handle if you're not dead on your feet when they happen." She rose up on her toes to press a soft kiss to his lips. "Trust me on this. Please."
For a moment she thought he might argue further. Then his arms came around her, pulling her against his chest in a embrace that felt like relief and desperation tangled together.
"All right," he murmured into her hair. "We'll try it your way."
"Good. Now come on. Miriam's making lunch, and you need food almost as much as you need sleep."
