Page 68 of Shifter Situations

I was gasping for air when Novak’s eyes snapped to mine. The tense set of his jaw told me that he didn’t like it any more than I did, but the furrowing of his brows told me that he had heard my thoughts.

He’d probably seen some of my flashbacks too.

I should have talked this out sooner.

I couldn’t let this make me a weak link in the group. If something like this could cause me to freak out so badly, then what would happen—

“Hey.” Sloane pushed me through the door and shut it behind her. “York, stop. Don’t think like that. We’re getting out of here, okay? Come on.”

She grabbed my hand and pulled me through the Void. I didn’t ask what we were doing, where we were going, or what she had planned… All of my trust was in her grasp as she led me away from the place that was so similar to my nightmares.

We landed on a flat ridge at the top of a mountain. The view was lit by the rising sun, and dense wilderness surrounded us. I looked up, closing my eyes as I took a deep breath of fresh air.

Her raspy voice filled every crevice of my mind, soothing me as I fought to truly control myself.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Sloane’s thin fingers wrapped around my wrist before sliding down to my hand. She intertwined them with mine. The strength in that motion grounded me more than anything else.

I glanced down at her, and she lifted her left hand to show me a small speaker and my cell phone. She gave me a moment to compose myself, flipping through my playlist until she found what she was looking for.

Sway by Michael Bublé played quietly in the background as she turned me to face her. She took my hand again, placing it on her waist, guiding me through the motions without missing a beat.

She didn’t speak, waiting for me to sort all my thoughts out. But she counted, “One, two, three,” over and over, and it was the only thing I could focus on. She led until I could get my feet to work properly.

By the fourth repeat of the song, my inner struggle had settled enough for me to take over.

We danced across the flat ridge at the top of the mountain, and I lost myself between her, the morning sun, and the music. The control she was giving me back, just by dancing with me, was giving me life right now. And I couldn't thank her enough for it.

I was grateful that she knew me so well.

That she could somehow give me both space and comfort.

After the twelfth repeat of the song, I was as ready to talk about it as I’d ever been.

I sighed, and she gave me a small smile.

“You don’t have to talk about it, York. If you need to, then I’m here. If you don’t want to…” she trailed off, shrugging. “I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I know,” I admitted, releasing her as I took a seat on the edge of the ridge and let my feet dangle over the side. “I want to show you something.”

She sat beside me, her brows drawn together in concern. I closed my eyes and tugged her into a memory from one month ago.

The last power drain.

Not the worst.

* * *

I rested my back against the wall, wrinkling my nose at the moldy air. Water dripped from the ceiling of the cell, cascading down the eroded stone in a constant, monotonous rhythm that made me tired.

But I couldn’t close my eyes.

There was only one thing I wanted more than a breath of fresh air, a solid night of sleep, or a full meal.

If I fell asleep, then I might dream of her, and Kelvin would see too much. I couldn’t do that. I clenched my jaw as I yawned, begging the universe to keep me awake for another day.