AllFreeNovel
Share Us
low, and as she watched, he started thrashing around under the covers, his breathing heavy.
“Noah?” she said, sitting up as concern filled her.
He didn’t respond to her voice as his thrashing worsened and he kicked his blanket off. He moaned again, the sound full of pain, and she shoved her covers off, shooting to her feet. She knew the look and sound of a nightmare. Hesitating, she pushed her hair back from her face as she stared at him, biting her lip.
What if it wasn’t a nightmare but a shifter related thing instead? Could he be shifting, or dangerous?
He moaned again and she squared her shoulders. Fuck it. He sounded like he was in pain, and wild horses couldn’t stop her from trying to help.
His legs were moving restlessly, his head still rolling on the pillow. As carefully as she could, she said his name again softly as she placed her hand on his warm shoulder.
The second her skin touched his, he calmed. He was still breathing heavily, but he wasn’t moving around, and his wasn’t making anymore noises. But when she lifted her hand away, he immediately started again.
“Shhhh,” she whispered. “I’ve got you.”
His huge body took up most of the space on the queen bed, but she squeezed herself into the free space between him and the bedside table between their beds, careful to touch him in some way the whole time.
Once she was settled next to him, she laid her head on his chest, listening as his racing heart slowly calmed. He didn’t move again for a few more minutes, and then his arm snaked around her, his big hand settling on her hip.
“Lily? Did something happen? What’s wrong?”
His voice was rough from sleep, and it sent a shiver of heat down her spine. Her whole body was waking up in a delicious way, but she did her best to tamp it down so she could focus. It wasn’t the time for those kinds of thoughts.
Lifting her head, she met his heavy-lidded eyes. “You were having a nightmare.”
His eyebrows rose and then furrowed together. “I was? I’ve never had one before. That I remember, anyway, but I’ve never been told I do before, either.”
“You didn’t wake up when I said your name, so I came over and touched your shoulder. You calmed, but when I stopped touching you, you got agitated again. So I just laid down with you.”
Lips lifting slightly in a smile, he squeezed her hip, causing sparks to shoot over her skin. “That sounds about right. If I could get away with you touching me every minute of the day, I’d never let you stop.”
She smiled, leaning down to press a kiss onto one of his pecs, the hard muscle hot against her lips. “Do you remember what you were dreaming about?”
His eyes went distant for a moment as he thought, and then he started to shake his head. Stopping abruptly, he stiffened, and she felt concern well up inside her at the look in his eyes. It was a mixture of relief and horror, and she pulled herself up on an elbow as worry shot through her.
“Noah?”
He glanced over at her, the look slowly fading from his glowing green eyes. “I think it was a memory from my childhood.”
“You think it was a memory? You don’t know? And you looked horrified by something. That was from your childhood?”
He exhaled and started to sit up, and she twisted to turn the lamp on. When she was facing him again, she saw he’d moved over to give her more room and was leaning against the headboard. His chest was bare, and the covers had fallen to his waist. She was tempted to stare, but she forced her gaze to his.
“I was born into a lion pride. When I was around eight, we were attacked. The whole pride was killed. I was the only survivor. No one knows who or why. I don’t have any memories from before the attack, or even right after. I have different impressions, and I know things, like what my parent’s names were. But no solid memories.”
Her hand had covered her mouth as he spoke, and she slowly lowered it, her fingers trembling as her heart ached from his short story. “Oh, God, Noah. I’m so sorry.”
Shrugging, he looked down for a moment and then reached out, covering her hand with his and stopping the tremors. “Like I said, I don’t remember anything. I wish I had my memories, but I don’t remember anyone or anything, so I don’t feel like there’s anything specific to miss, you know? Luke’s parents were the alphas of another pride, and they took me in right after it happened. I don’t remember it, but I guess I was found in the middle of the carnage by someone passing by, and they took me to the Carlisle’s.”
“Luke… that’s Tarun’s husband, right?”
“Yeah. Other than Brandon, Luke’s my closest friend. I mean, the Enforcers are close. More like family, really. But I’ve known him since I was eight. It’s different.”
She watched him closely, sensing there was something else. He raised his hand, rubbing his chest, and she felt it even more strongly.
“There’s something else, though. What is it?”
His eyebrows rose as he looked at her. “I don’t think I’ll ever stop being surprised by how much you notice. Remember how I told you that our animals can kind of speak their thoughts to us? My lion doesn’t. One of the things I just know from that time is that he used to. He was completely normal. That all stopped after the pride was decimated. He’s always agitated, pacing in my chest.” He paused and squeezed her hand. “It’s better when you’re around. He’s not as frantic, but he still never quite settles down.
