Chapter 31

Chapter

Thirty-One

After having Ella eat most of the tiramisumuchto Liam'sdisappointmenttoshare,and taste the other desserts that the chef, head alpha Wolfern, boxed up for us during our hasty departure from the restaurant, Ella fell against me on the couch.

Her eyes fell closed to sleep before popping back open, trying to stay awake even if her body was far past caring after whatever stress she'd been putting on herself today.

Fromthe wayCal was studying her since we got home, it must've been a lot.

Rightnowthough, I only had to worry about taking care of her andmaking sureshe got enough sleep. Along with the rest of them, I had been taking turns with Ella when she wasn't in her nest sleeping.

At first, it was just naps.But quickly, it was the only time I realized I was gettinga goodfullsleep—no matterwhat time of day it was.

Even at nightwhenElla seemed to wake up from her bed or nest or otherwise wherever she was or with whoever and took to wandering the house until she was so exhausted she had tobackto sleepandI'd take her there in my arms. Asilent sort of understanding between the two of us.

But I lived for these nights.

"Bed," I grumbled, sitting up and taking herwith me.

"Not ready."

"Bed," I repeated. Both of us made our way upstairsawayfrom everyone. Gently, I tucked her in.

She sighed when I pulled the sheets over the two of us. "This is nice."

I breathed a small laugh as I let my eyes close next to her.Morethan justnice.

Ella groaned next to me.

"Little omega?" I murmured, sitting up in the dim darkness of the room.

She groaned again, her breath coming out in short bursts as she shook and shivered, letting out a sharp yell before I could reach for her.

The sound of her fear echoed through the room and loud enough I could already hear the rest of the house moving with it.

Liam pushed into the room from next door, reaching to feel her, touch her. She flinched awaylettingout a soft cry as she turned over in her sleep. "Is she in heat?"

I shook my head. No. That wasn't what it was. When we slept together, neither of us had nightmares yet. But this was different.

"Ella," I gaped for air as I watched it happen, taken back to my own terror-filled dreams.

Closing myeyesI took a deep breath before I put my hands on her.

"Ella, wake up, little omega."

Her eyes startled open, pausing before her bodywas wrackedwith heavy sobs.

"Sh. Shh." I whispered. I was never the soft one. I was never the one to talk about feelings when something was wrong. I was the one you called in when action needed tobe takenandI'd do it. I'd do anything for the people I cared for.

And Ella was one of the people I care for now.

"You're alright. Just a dream." Only maybe it wasn't. I couldn't be sure, but I had a hunch. "Right now, I'm here. Take a deep breath and breathe in."

"What happened?" Demetri asked, standing on the edge of the room.

Cal climbed over the mattress.I'd onlyeverseen Cal as another pack matebutover the past few days…

I listenedto the careful wayhe spoke to her as she squeezed her eyes shut. He was the strongest out of all of the entire pack.

All of us look at each other. There was only so much we could do. We didn't know what our omega endured. We didn'tknowjust how deep these nightmares ran and what was still happening long aftershewoke up.

Expressions of broken sadness were writtenon all of our faces.

I held my omega in my arms, not letting her go.

"I think it's time to tell us, little omega." I swallowedbrushingmy hair away from my forehead. "You're ready, aren't you?"

God, I hoped she was.

Luckily, she nodded.