"Sometimeswhat you feel is actually whatIfeel. Anger, hunger cues, insomnia and—" He shuffles and casts me a worried glance. "I haven't told the guys yet, but I think the nightmare you're having is actually mine, baby."
"What?!" she gasps and sits up. Her small flinch at the tug on her new scratches makes me wince.
Riot nods guiltily, and I don't like that he feels that way. "When I was fourteen in foster care, I woke up in the middle of the night to an older boy strangling me in my sleep."
A high-pitched whimper comes from Vivian. I help her when she moves to climb into her alpha's lap. They both need the comfort.
"I relive it in a nightmare almost every night," Riot whispers. He holds her so gently as if she's the most precious thing to him in the world. "How long have you been having those nightmares? Or waking up gasping for breath?"
I answer immediately. "First nightmare was with me during a nap. She was gasping and scratching at her throat like she was trying to pry the fingers off. That was a week or so before she found you."
Riot sighs and presses his forehead to hers. "I'm so sorry, baby. Sorry your connection to me has been causing you turmoil since before we even met. I'm sorr?—"
Vivian silences him with a sweet kiss on the lips. She pulls away pretty fast and immediately shakes her head at him. I knew she wouldn't blame him.
I chuckle at the clear love in his eyes and take over the initial conversation. "Butterfly," I murmur to get her attention. When I have it, I continue, "We think once Riot is bonded into the packfully, your omega will be able to form a healthy attachment. Because Riot's right. The depth of your connection with him was formed out of necessity for survival."
"I trusted him to guide me," Vivie whimpers, clinging to her new alpha.
Riot begins to purr, and I shuffle forward to hold her cheeks in my hands. "And he did so well. You were right to trust him, Omega. Now, you're not in danger. You can eat when you want,sleep as much as you like without fear of someone hurting you, and you can have yourownfeelings. You're safe to be you."
She took his guidance to a whole new level. One I'll research later because the way her body and mind formed to match his is something I didn't think was possible. But I can't judge that. I'll never know what they truly went through together. Vivian survived and so did Riot. They leaned on each other in their own ways. My omega has never done anything half assed either, so I shouldn't be surprised her stomach learned to convince itself that it ran off Riot's hunger cues.
It's wild and different, but that's okay. "We have a solution to try. I think I speak for everyone when I say we're all willing and excited to bond our mate to us."
Tears fill both of their eyes, so I do the only thing I can think of to punctuate my statement. Wrapping one hand around Riot's neck and the other around the back of Vivie's head, I pull our mouths into a three-way kiss that heats my blood and fills my heart.
They're mine.
Twenty-Five
Kade
It's the day after the intense episode in the garden, and I'm losing my mind. Two days,two fucking days, since she overheard the conversation I started with Jarek and Silas.
It's twisting me up inside that I haven't apologized yet. How do I explain to her that I was just worried? Surely, she'll understand that I was out of options. I haven't been able to get her to eat anything substantial, and she doesn't sleep in my arms anymore.
I didn't know what to do...For a pack alpha to say that to his omega, well, it's the same as admitting I've failed her.
We promised Vivie a long time ago that we would never treat her like her parents did. They were quick to put a word to what was wrong rather than talking to her about it first.
Sitting here now, studying the way she avoids looking me in the eye, I'm wondering if I even asked her what she was feeling. Was I too scared to hear her answer?
On the other hand, if I did ask, I didn't push hard enough.
Glancing at Riot, I see him watching me. He's waiting to hear what I have to say. There's a challenge in his eyes and his body is angled toward Vivian, telling me he's feeling protective.
Riot told me he gave Vivian the basics last night of our theory. I'm glad it was him, actually. He seems to know how to talk to her when the rest of us don't.
The more I see them with each other, the more I notice how he pushes her. He's different for her. We've known Vivie for eight years—we know how to communicate with her when she's mute. There's no need to nudge her harder like Riot does.
Now I'm wondering if, without Riot, we've been at a slight disadvantage. Silas, Jarek, and I are comfortable with her silence. We've built our pack around comfort and safety. Vivie feels safest in the quiet. As her pack, we're hardwired to provide that for her.
Riot, on the other hand, is different too. He's lived a hard life, one with death andnolove. The fact that he never thought he'd have a pack provides Vivian with a new approach.
It may scare me shitless, but after my major fuck up, I'm thinking Riot's onto something. Viviancanbe challenged. She can handle fuckinganything.
"I'm so sorry, little Omega," I begin, voice tense with the need to say so much more. "I was scared and didn't know what to do."
