13

D inner was so good, oh my gosh! We went to this little family diner that only had like seven tables, and I had the best shredded Rueben sandwich I've ever tasted.

We're pulling up to the dorms now as my heart starts trying to pound its way out of my chest. I grip my legs so hard that my knuckles turn white. I'm begging the panic to spare me, but it's not. I can feel the wave of anxiety cresting through my body. I already know it's going to drown me.

I have been working so hard to stay strong and show everyone that I can handle this. I want to be strong, but it's so fucking hard. I want to prove to Roman that I am okay. I don't want them to worry about me because that just draws more attention. If I can pretend that I'm strong enough to get through this, no one will give that sad look that makes me feel pathetic. Like the looks I got when Mom and Dad died.

A small, broken sob bubbles out of my throat and before I can process what's happening, I'm being pulled from the car. I start beating my hands on anything I can reach.

Giant arms close around my body and lower me to the ground, and my initial reaction is to keep fighting, keep screaming, anything to get away. I can't let them take me again. I don't want to be drugged again. I'm about to scream when...my body recognizes him before my mind does.

Roman.

I was in the car with Roman.

Roman pulled me out of the car.

Roman is holding me tightly to his body to calm the flood of despair.

Roman let me beat on him without a care.

When my mind finally reaches all the same conclusions as my body, I'm unable to control the way my body trembles, releasing the adrenaline it had prepared to fight my way out. My wolf and I just whimper, which only causes him to hold me even tighter.

“It's okay, my little miracle. It's just me. I've got you. Always. I've got you,” he continues his mantra, while he rocks my body and rubs my back.

I'm thankful it's already dark outside and few people, if any, would have seen my panic attack.

When I've finally calmed enough to stand, he closes the car doors and walks me into my dorm building. All eyes are on me, which means they all know what happened. Or they think they do anyway.

The second I open the door to our room, Zoey comes barreling into me hard enough that I would have fallen to the ground if Roman wasn't supporting us.

I don't even have a moment to say anything before Zoey bursts into tears, and I have no choice but to follow her. Roman shuffles us far enough into the room so that he can close the door, granting us privacy, and just stands guard while we let it all out.

When I've cried all I want, I look from him to Zoey and say, “I think...I think I'm okay from here. Thank you.”

He's definitely not happy about my dismissal, but he nods anyway and lowers himself to kiss the top of my head, holding it for three Mississippi's before he slowly walks out of the room, leaving Zoey and I to have some time to talk about everything that happened.

When the door closes, I rush over to lock it. With Roman gone, it immediately feels colder. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't considering calling him back to come get me. I feel like I left one of my limbs with him. Will it always feel like this when I'm away from him, or is it because of the abduction?

With my wolf growing stronger— that's still so weird to even think about— so is the mate bond between Roman and me. The previously light tugging feeling between us has grown into more of a magnetic-pulling feeling that's becoming increasingly hard to ignore.

I make my way back to Zoey, and we curl up in her bed and talk. I tell her about everything that happened, minus the wolfie stuff, and I must still be in shock because, while my nerves are running high, I'm not a hysterical mess like they are in movies. Is this what disassociating feels like?

I just want to go back to pretending to be a normal college girl, trying to have a normal college girl experience.

We order some comfort donuts to be delivered since I already had a second dinner with Roman.

I only eat one donut, severely overestimating my stomach's capacity for food. We eat in peaceful silence, just cherishing each other's company. When Zoey finishes her donuts, she turns on the live-action Cinderella to watch. Not the Disney one. The one with Brandy and Whitney Houston.

We stay snuggled in her bed until I feel like I can't keep my eyes open any longer. My phone pings across the room, so I pull myself from the warm blankets to check it.

Smiling to myself, I text him back before crawling back into Zoey's bed to sleep near someone. I don’t want to be alone. I finally drift off to sleep with Brandy singing about her own little corner and her own little chair.