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My stomach does a somersault as he nuzzles his nose into my shoulder. I realize he’s just breathing me in, and it makes my heart squeeze in my chest.
Have I ever felt as special in my life as this man makes me feel?
“Seven?” I ask.
“Yeah, Gracie?”
“I like this.”
“I do too, baby. More than you know,” he says before kissing the top of my head. “Now, go to sleep. I’ll be here to make sure you’re safe.”
A silly smile comes to my face as I take in his words, closing my eyes and feeling content.
Ettie was right. I need to live in the present and be open. If Seven is my reward for doing that, then I need to listen to her.
23
#7
(STARK)
It takes me a minute to get my bearings as I open my eyes. I’m not in the main room but in my bed. A moan makes me glance over to see my mate as she flails around, tossing the covers about with a strained look on her face. Her nightmare must have woken me up.
“Please stop,” Grace mumbles. “No… No!” she screams, jerking awake. I pull her into my arms. I hold her close, wiping the hair from her face.
“Shh. You’re okay. I got you, baby. I got you,” I whisper, gently rocking her and holding her close. At first, she tries to fight my hold. I watch as she tries to shake the remnants of her nightmare. Slowly, I begin to feel her body relent and relax into my body. “You’re all right, Gracie. You’re okay.”
“Oh, God,” she sighs, wiping a hand over her face, as I continue to try to soothe her. It takes a minute, but she finally calms, and I pull back to look at her.
“Are you okay, baby?”
“It’s just another nightmare,” Grace says tiredly.
Another?
“Do you have these often?” I ask, feeling like an ass for letting her deal with them alone. Then it hits me. “Is it from the wreck? Why didn’t you tell me?”
I still can’t process why she was so afraid of me at the diner and it’s not like I can just ask her. She had such a visceral reaction to me and that was before I even spoke to her telepathically. Looking back now, speaking to her like that was a stupid move. Hell, I just ended up scaring her more.
Fuck, I hate this. I hate that I am forced to lie to my mate. I don’t want lies between us. I love Grace and all I want in the world is a relationship with her—one where there are no lies and no secrets. She looks up at me and smiles, although I can see the hold the fear had on her. I don’t like it.
“I’ve been having them here and there. It’s weird, but I keep seeing monsters everywhere.”
“Monsters?” I frown. If I’m honest, that’s the last thing I want to hear.
“Yeah, it started at the doctor’s office.”
“That’s why you seemed so worn out after your therapy appointment,” I mutter under my breath, finally putting two and two together.
“Yeah, I have no idea why, but I saw a grotesque fanged beast over the doctor’s face. It felt so real, it was like it really happened. I blacked out,” Grace says as her face pinches.
As she describes it to me, my stomach sinks. The terror in her voice physically hurts to hear. She’s still scared and it’s not like her appointment was just yesterday either. She should have had time to recover. Suddenly, all I feel is hopeless.
“I told you it was weird. Monsters aren’t real. It’s just silly,” she says shaking her head, looking slightly embarrassed.
“Yeah…” I know I should say more, but I can’t get any words out.
“I’m okay. I promise. Stop worrying,” she says smiling, reaching up and smoothing out the crease between my brows.
“If you’re sure,” I tell her, putting a smile on my face.
“Yeah. I’ll talk to Dr. Brashear at the next appointment.”
“When is that?”
“The office called yesterday and rescheduled. Something about the doctor needing to go visit his family back east, but that he’ll be back in next week.”
“That doesn’t sound like the way doctors with patients who depend on him should conduct business,” I grumble, frowning.
“That’s how all doctors are. You’re being silly. Anyway, I’m kind of glad because the guy kind of gave me the creeps.”
“How?”
“I can’t really explain it. He’s very nice and calm. There’s just…something about him that puts me on edge.”
“I’m going to have this doctor checked out.”
“Now you’re really being silly,” she says, shaking her head. “I probably just feel that way because he wants to pick apart my brain and I don’t like it.”
I pull her in and gently kiss her. “I’m still going to do it because you’re my mate and I want to protect you.”
“Mate?” she asks, as her nose scrunches up. “Are you like uh Irish or something? Or grew up on a boat?”
