Page 58 of Their Scarred Mate
“I think I need to sleep it off.Please, let me be.”
“We’ll always be here, little one.”
“You’re the better part of us, angel.”
“Your better part is broken and fed up with life.”
“Don’t do anything stupid, angel.Not again.”There was a growl in Ciaran’s voice and startled, Freya realized that Ciaran’s wolf was speaking with her through its human.The voice she was hearing was both, a combination of man and wolf.
Her eyes filled with tears as she murmured in a defeated tone, “I just wanted to forget ...to sleep and wake in a different reality, where none of this had happened and I could be free and normal...”
Both the twins growled at her words, but she just shook her head, sadly.
“We can help you sleep,” said Declan, after a while.There was the barest smile in his voice when he said, “We’ve done it before.”
She seemed confused and Ciaran added, “The mate bond works differently in everyone.You’re human, so your perception is different than that of a she-wolf, for instance.And given all that happened, your body fought for as long as it could.But near us, you rest better, your sleep is deeper; your body knows we’ll protect it in sleep as much as we do when you’re awake.”
“Will ...will you try anything?”
“Did we ever?”
Truth be told ...no.They could push her in one direction or pull her in another, but never to harm her: quite the opposite.In their arms, she had become independent, almost joyful ...she had even learned to express her desires aloud.She was starting to feel ...normal with them.
“Words, angel,” said Ciaran, with the slightest smile in his voice.
“We’re not inside your head, little one,” echoed Declan, and she almost smiled.Almost.
“I’m so tired...”she whispered.
“Can we help you sleep?”Ciaran asked in a low, almost hypnotic voice.They moved again, and suddenly, she could see indistinct shapes in the darkness.She bit her lip and Ciaran added, in an almost playful smile.“I believe I’ve said this before, but ...words, angel.”
She sighed.Tiredness and frustration mingled in her voice until she said, in a low voice, “Yes, you may enter...”
In the blink of an eye, they were in front of her, and she blinked again, suddenly unsure.They were the same ...but they weren’t.They had heavy bags under their eyes and seemed to have a general air of tiredness surrounding them.It seemed she wasn’t the only one who was not sleeping.
“Come, little one.”
Declan took charge.Of course he did,she thought warily.She allowed him to lead her back to the sofa, but halfway there, he seemed to change his mind and led her to the bedroom.His eyes had fallen to the bloodstain on the carpet that Tanya hadn’t been able to properly remove.
Ciaran pulled the duvet off the bed, fluffing the pillows.Declan guided her by the shoulders, as if she were a child, and laid her down.He sensed her hesitation before grasping his wrist and whispering, “Will you stay with me?”
“For as long as you allow us to, little one.”
She lay down, their hands covering her and gently cradling her.Then they lay down beside her, careful not to overwhelm her with their presence or physical touch.Ciaran began to hum a small sound, intended to soothe her.After a few moments, her eyes closed, and she had finally fallen asleep.
