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We all got a chuckle at that.
“Good. Now, someone get us a dessert menu.”
Chapter Fifteen
Sloan
His cries pierced the peaceful night. He hadn’t had a night terror since Livvy came, and even for a couple of weeks before that, but he was sure having one now. I jerked a T-shirt over my head and stumbled down the hall, heart breaking at hearing his cries. I met Justice in the hallway, and he looked just as shaken up as I felt.
“I hoped we were past this,” he murmured as we continued toward Koby’s door.
“Me, too.” Every night after his mom died, he’d woken like this, and for months, we’d taken turns bringing him into our rooms so we would be right there to soothe him. But finally he’d seemed to settle down. Until now. “Koby, buddy, we’re here.”
Justice followed me into the room, where we found our little boy sitting up in bed, still weeping. His cheeks were flushed and tear-stained. Dang. “It’s okay, Koby, we’re here.”
We bundled him in his blankets and sat on his bed, cuddling him and trying to calm him. Usually, we’d been able to manage it after ten or fifteen minutes. But tonight, nothing seemed to work, and just as I was about to suggest we call the healer, Livvy turned up. She wore skimpy pajamas that covered the bare minimum.
“What’s going on? What’s wrong with Koby?” She darted in and dropped to her knees beside where we sat. “Is he sick? Feverish?” She felt his forehead. “No, not that. Koby,” she said, stroking his cheek, “we’re all here with you.”
He flung himself at her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “No no, Mama.”
He was trembling, and I itched to grab him up and make everything better. But I didn’t. And neither did Justice. We’d spent so many nights calming him, but if Livvy was going to be here taking care of him, we needed to see how it went.
But while she spoke to him in a low voice, while his trembling slowed and eventually stopped, I was far too aware of the fact that she was wearing a tank top and tiny shorts that showed far more of her sweet curves than her usual attire. My panda was also ultra-aware of her, something that had been growing since her arrival.
Mate.
Mate in name only,I reminded him.
Mate.
I sank into a chair across from the bed and let Livvy do her magic.
“It’s me, Livvy,” she coaxed. “Remember?”
He sniffled. “Want Mama!”
“I know you do, baby, but your daddies are right here and Livvy is here, too.”
“Dream Mama, but when I waked up she’s gone.”
And wasn’t that more than I’d ever heard before. We’d tried to get him to tell us why he was screaming, but assumed it was something like a monster chasing him. How had we underestimated his grief?
“Ohhh.” Livvy gave him a big hug. “Your mama is visiting you in your dreams. That’s so wonderful. She wants you to know she always loves you and is always there keeping watch over her cub. You have the best mama ever!”
He narrowed his eyes at her, drawing a shuddering breath. “Mama gone.”
“Doesn’t sound like it to me.” She settled against the headboard, bringing him with her. “She can’t be here with us in the usual way because she’s gone to the other side, but sometimes people who have gone there can come to our dreams to say hello. But I hear it’s super hard and only happens when they love someone enough to break all the barriers to get here.”
“Mama wuves me.” He sounded more sure. “She break everything to be with me.”
“She sure has.” She kissed his forehead again. “Now, tell me all about your mama because the only way I can know her is through her favorite person in the whole world.”
My throat was swollen with grief at the memory of our lost mate, my eyes swimming with tears, and I stepped into the hallway so my emotional reaction wouldn’t hurt the magic happening in Koby’s room. I leaned against the wall, trying to regain control so I could be of use to my child.
“She sent her to Koby.” Justice had followed me out. “She may come to him in his dreams, but she can’t be here when he’s awake, so she took another route.”
I wiped at my eyes. “Do you really think that? Is it possible?”
