reached out to slide her fingers into his golden-brown hair. He went still when she touched him, before he let out a choked sob. His arms banded around her, hauling her closer to him as if trying to get her all the way inside.
“Hey,” she murmured, her hands sliding gently over the tense muscles in his back. “I’m here. Where did you go?”
He drew in a shuddering breath as he buried his face in her hair. “Doesn’t matter,” he rasped hoarsely. “Just keep talking to me, Shel, please. Chase away the demons.”
“Okay.” She shifted as much as she was able with his fierce grip on her. Moving in, she wrapped her arms as tight around his torso as she could get them. “You’re shaking, Daniel,” she whispered, dropping her chin on his chest. “Everything’s alright–everything’s okay. We’re safe. Luca’s still here, and nothing happened. We’re safe.”
* * * *
Daniel closed his eyes and dropped his head against hers as he continued to take in huge gulps of air. He couldn’t get his body to stop trembling. Worse, he couldn’t get himself to let her go.
Nothing he’d ever done scared him like coming back to reality and finding himself strangling the life out of Shelby. “You shouldn’t be touching me.”
To her credit, she didn’t even blink at the harshness of his voice. She lifted her hands to his face, holding it gently, her gaze locked on his. “You didn’t hurt me.”
The pad of his thumb traced a drop of blood down the side of her throat where his talon had bit into her. “Bullshit.”
Instead of responding, she searched his eyes for answers he would not give her. “Where did you go?” she asked again quietly.
“I don’t know,” he lied. She didn’t need to know what he dreamed about when he slept. He forced himself to let go of her and put as much distance between them as he could make himself. He would not think about her taking care of him. “Did I say anything?”
“Yeah.” Her voice wobbled slightly as she stepped back until she was leaning against the wall. “At first, all I heard was this low tortured growling. I thought you were hurt, but you were still sleeping.” Her gaze scanned his face as she took in a deep breath. “You said a name. Leanora.”
He methodically started closing down his emotions. He would not allow her to follow him into his nightmares. “We should call Seren, have her check out your throat.”
“I’m fine.” Her expression determined, she crossed arms over her chest. “Who’s Leanora, Daniel?”
“No one.”
When she inhaled slowly, he had the distinct feeling his little warrior was preparing herself for battle. “Daniel, you were trying to kill her in your sleep.”
“We’re not talking about this, princess,” he ground out. “Just forget it.”
“No.” He turned his back on her and headed toward the main area of the house.
“I’m your mate.”
He stopped dead in his tracks as his head started to ache. “No, princess.” He stalked back to her and bent forward, sticking his face in hers as he bared his teeth. “You don’t get to play that card whenever you don’t get your way.”
She went up on her toes and pointed her finger in his face. “Too bad, because it’s exactly what I’m doing. Who’s Leanora, and what did she do to you?”
Confusion rippled through Daniel as he straightened, trying to figure out what game she was playing. She wasn’t screaming because he’d hurt her, or throwing a tantrum about how dangerous he was. Fucking hell. The one thing he didn’t know how to build defenses against was how much she seemed to care about him .
She quirked a brow at him. “I’m waiting.”
He sighed. “It’s a long story, Shelby, and it has no place in your perfect little life.”
“So.” The temper in her eyes faded slightly as she offered him a hesitant smile. “We’ve got time, right?”
He pointed at her. “Fine, but I want you to eat while I tell you.”
“You’re hoping I
“Hey,” she murmured, her hands sliding gently over the tense muscles in his back. “I’m here. Where did you go?”
He drew in a shuddering breath as he buried his face in her hair. “Doesn’t matter,” he rasped hoarsely. “Just keep talking to me, Shel, please. Chase away the demons.”
“Okay.” She shifted as much as she was able with his fierce grip on her. Moving in, she wrapped her arms as tight around his torso as she could get them. “You’re shaking, Daniel,” she whispered, dropping her chin on his chest. “Everything’s alright–everything’s okay. We’re safe. Luca’s still here, and nothing happened. We’re safe.”
* * * *
Daniel closed his eyes and dropped his head against hers as he continued to take in huge gulps of air. He couldn’t get his body to stop trembling. Worse, he couldn’t get himself to let her go.
Nothing he’d ever done scared him like coming back to reality and finding himself strangling the life out of Shelby. “You shouldn’t be touching me.”
To her credit, she didn’t even blink at the harshness of his voice. She lifted her hands to his face, holding it gently, her gaze locked on his. “You didn’t hurt me.”
The pad of his thumb traced a drop of blood down the side of her throat where his talon had bit into her. “Bullshit.”
Instead of responding, she searched his eyes for answers he would not give her. “Where did you go?” she asked again quietly.
“I don’t know,” he lied. She didn’t need to know what he dreamed about when he slept. He forced himself to let go of her and put as much distance between them as he could make himself. He would not think about her taking care of him. “Did I say anything?”
“Yeah.” Her voice wobbled slightly as she stepped back until she was leaning against the wall. “At first, all I heard was this low tortured growling. I thought you were hurt, but you were still sleeping.” Her gaze scanned his face as she took in a deep breath. “You said a name. Leanora.”
He methodically started closing down his emotions. He would not allow her to follow him into his nightmares. “We should call Seren, have her check out your throat.”
“I’m fine.” Her expression determined, she crossed arms over her chest. “Who’s Leanora, Daniel?”
“No one.”
When she inhaled slowly, he had the distinct feeling his little warrior was preparing herself for battle. “Daniel, you were trying to kill her in your sleep.”
“We’re not talking about this, princess,” he ground out. “Just forget it.”
“No.” He turned his back on her and headed toward the main area of the house.
“I’m your mate.”
He stopped dead in his tracks as his head started to ache. “No, princess.” He stalked back to her and bent forward, sticking his face in hers as he bared his teeth. “You don’t get to play that card whenever you don’t get your way.”
She went up on her toes and pointed her finger in his face. “Too bad, because it’s exactly what I’m doing. Who’s Leanora, and what did she do to you?”
Confusion rippled through Daniel as he straightened, trying to figure out what game she was playing. She wasn’t screaming because he’d hurt her, or throwing a tantrum about how dangerous he was. Fucking hell. The one thing he didn’t know how to build defenses against was how much she seemed to care about him .
She quirked a brow at him. “I’m waiting.”
He sighed. “It’s a long story, Shelby, and it has no place in your perfect little life.”
“So.” The temper in her eyes faded slightly as she offered him a hesitant smile. “We’ve got time, right?”
He pointed at her. “Fine, but I want you to eat while I tell you.”
“You’re hoping I
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