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The sheet covering my body had fallen to my lap, and his gaze lowered to the blood trickling from the carving on my stomach.
Oh, God. I was naked.
I grabbed the sheet and pulled it up to cover my chest.
“And your stomach? What did that?”
“Okeus.” My voice hitched.
His body tensed, and he looked out the window before turning back to me. “I’m going to get something to clean you up.” He got off the bed, and my chest exploded with panic at the thought of being alone.
“Don’t leave me!Please.” I started crying again and grabbed his arm. “Please don’t leave me.” I knew I was irrational, but nothing about what had just happened was rational.
He pulled me into his arms. “I won’t, Ellie. I promise I won’t leave you.”
I clung to his neck, terrified. I knew I was safe at the moment, but my hysteria still refused to believe it.
He tugged the top sheet off the bed and wrapped it around my back. “Let’s go into the bathroom.”
I hiccuped a breath, gaining control of my tears. “Okay.” I slid off the bed with his help. My legs shook and began to buckle, but he slid an arm around my back, supporting my weight.
David guided me through the bathroom door, moving sideways, and helped me sit on the closed toilet lid. The brightness of the room helped soothe my frazzled nerves, and I looked up into his worried face. Blood covered his T-shirt where I’d grabbed him. He lifted my arm, his brow wrinkling with concern. “How the bloody hell did this happen?”
“I don’t know. Wapi was outside my window when I fell asleep.”
“What about your dream catcher?”
I took a deep breath. “I had it.”
He dug a first-aid kit out from under the sink and opened up several alcohol pads. “Why didn’t it work?” He sounded angry, but his touch was gentle as he dabbed at the wounds. “And even if you had dreams, they shouldn’t have manifested themselves this way.”
I flinched as the alcohol burned my gashes. “I don’t know what happened.” My voice broke.
He dropped to his knees in front of me. “Ellie, I’m sorry. I’m not mad at you. I’m just frustrated. I thought I had figured out a way to protect you while you were asleep and it failed.” His mouth turned down. “I failed you.”
“No. You saved me. If you hadn’t called my name, I don’t think I would have woken up and Okeus…” I started crying again, helplessness washing over me. I’d given myself the illusion of being in control, but I wasn’t in control of anything.
David grabbed my shoulders. “You’re here now.”
I nodded, forcing myself to calm down. I took a deep breath and held it for several seconds.
“These wounds are deep. I think you should go to the hospital to get stitches.”
“No. They’ll ask questions and Tom will find out that I saw Ukinim. He already thinks they’re stalking me. I can’t deal with the questions.”
He took my hand and squeezed it. “Okay. We’ll get you some butterfly bandages in the morning.”
“Thank you.”
He kissed my forehead and then continued to clean the wounds. He found bandages in the first-aid kit and wrapped my arm with gauze. His gaze fell to the bloody sheet that I was clutching to my breasts. “I need to look at your stomach.”
“Oh.”
He pointed his thumb toward the door. “I’ll step out and let you get things…situated, and then I’ll be back.”
“Where are my pajamas?”
“I don’t know. You were naked when I found you. I figured that’s why you locked your door, which seemed odd. You never even close the door all the way in your apartment.”
