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She sensed from the wolf's tone that he'd seen something like this before.
However, Nora shifted her entire focus to River. She laid a hand on his forehead. "River, please. Can you hear me? Calm down, darling. It's just a bad dream. Open your eyes and I'll be right here, waiting for you."
She kissed his cheek and his screaming died down. However, he didn't stop struggling. Everett motioned with his head for Nora to keep talking. So as she continued to stroke his forehead and run fingers through his hair, she did. "River, if you ever want to see me in trousers, you're going to have to wake up, darling." He quieted a bit more. And even though it was embarrassing to be so candid in front of the wolf Dark Lord, Nora didn't care if it meant she could help River. "And there's the claiming to look forward to as well, not to mention our wedding. There are so many good memories waiting for us, River. But I can't make any of them alone. I need you to wake up and stay here with me. Can you do that for me? Please, darling, wake up and come back to me."
Her fae witch settled a bit more.
She leaned to his ear and whispered—hopefully low enough so Everett wouldn't hear. "And we have so many other things to try together. Like we did in the boathouse. Remember? I still need to decide what's better, after all."
River relaxed and groaned. She caressed his cheek. "River? Are you awake now, darling?"
His throat no doubt raw after all the screaming, he croaked, "Nora?"
"Yes, darling. I'm here." She kissed his cheek. "Open your eyes so I can see you and know you're here with me."
It took a few seconds, but River slowly opened his eyes. As soon as his gaze found hers, she sucked in a breath at the pain and desolation there.
Her gut said he'd finally remembered the period of his captivity. She had no idea why now, but she'd worry about that later. All that mattered was getting River through this and helping him anyway she could.
Stroking his cheek, she whispered, "You're with me again, River. Please stay with me."
After a beat he looked away and closed his eyes again.
Everett released him and River didn't move.
Her first instinct was to climb into bed with River and wrap her arms around him. She didn't know exactly what was wrong, but he'd responded to her touch and she'd give him as much as he needed if it meant keeping him here in the present with her and not lost in his memories.
She tried to stroke his arm, but River rolled away. "Not now, Nora. Just leave me alone."
Her eyes heated a second, as if she were about to cry, but then she pushed them away. She wasn't going to give up on River Vale that easily.
She opened her mouth, but Everett beat her to it. "Will you stay awake until we come back, Vale? Or do I need to find someone to watch you?"
River grunted. "I don't want to fucking sleep again if I can help it."
Everett seemed to take that as a yes, he'd stay awake. The wolf gestured for Nora to follow him into the hall, but she shook her head. "I can't leave him."
"Just for a few minutes. I have a few questions and maybe some answers for you."
Something about the wolf's authoritative gaze made her want to obey, even if she wasn't a shifter herself. "Will it help River?"
"Aye, it might."
After biting her lip and staring at River's back, she nodded. "All right. Just for a few minutes." She spoke to River. "I'll be right back, River, I promise."
When River gave no response, her heart squeezed. What had happened to her charming, patient, and affectionate fated lord?
Everett moved into the hall and she finally followed. Once he shut the door, Everett asked, "How did he acquire all those mostly healed scars?"
She blinked. "Pardon?"
"Tell me plainly, Nora. Did he survive a tough battle? Or perhaps a fight? Or was he maybe even tortured?"
Nora didn't want to reveal any of River's secrets, but the wolf-shifter was so close to the truth she had a feeling he might be able to help. "He was held captive for months and tortured, yes, before arriving here."
Everett nodded. "Aye, I thought so. I've seen it before with soldiers of mine. Although theirs never came on quite so suddenly, as if they'd completely forgotten about their ordeal and in the next second, it was back. It must be related to fae witch magic, aye?"
She hugged her upper body, doing her best to try and focus on Everett's words instead of River in the room behind her. "I think so. He said something about self-preservation and his mind locking things away, although I wouldn't know more than that."
