Page 29 of Puck Your Neighbor

Jenson puts his hand on my lower back as we head out to the parking lot. "Did you like it?"

I nod and sign, "Very much. You're all very good."

"We'll take you to a real game soon," Maverick promises.

I smile. "I'd like that."

They take me back to my apartment, and we cuddle in my nest. It feels like home. It feels safe.

Safe.My inner omega agrees.

"We'll always keep you safe, sweetheart," Leo says, as if reading my mind. His hand runs soothingly up and down my arm.

I snuggle closer to him. I hope he's right. I don't think I could take heartbreak again. Especially not now, when things are finally starting to look up. As I drift off to sleep, curled up with my alphas, I can only hope that this newfound happiness will last. That they'll keep their promise. That I'm safe. That I'm loved. That they're the ones. My alphas. My pack. My family.

I'm in love and I don't want to be let down, again.

Chapter 14

The softest whimpers I have ever heard break the silence of the night, and it takes a moment for my sleep-fogged brain to realize it's coming from Anya. She's curled up between Leo and me in her nest. Jenson, who's on Leo's other side, stirs as well. This nest of hers is huge, taking up most of the space in her bedroom, but I don't mind. We all fit on it pretty comfortably, and it's become a nightly routine for us to all pile in here, surrounding her with our presence.

"Nightmare," Leo mumbles, his voice thick with sleep, already reaching for her.

He's right. Her whimpers turn into soft cries, and her body starts to thrash. My inner alpha whines, wanting to soothe her, to protect her from whatever demons are haunting her sleep.

Ours. Must protect. Keep safe.

"Anya, sweetheart, wake up." I gently shake her shoulder.

Her eyes fly open, wide and panicked, and she scrambles backward, away from us, until she hits the wall at the head of the bed. Her chest heaves, and she gasps for breath, her eyes darting around the room as if she doesn't recognize where she is.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," Jenson says, his voice calm and reassuring, shifting to try and get closer without crowding her. He scoots over as much as he can on Leo's far side. "You're safe. It was just a dream."

Leo and I sit up, careful not to crowd her. We move slowly, giving her space, letting her realize where she is and who she's with.

Safe with us, my inner alpha insists.

"You're with us, Anya. You're safe," I repeat, keeping my voice low, trying to project calm, to be the anchor she needs right now.

It takes a few minutes, but eventually, her breathing starts to even out, and the fear in her eyes recedes. She looks at us, really looks at us, and recognition dawns. The tension slowly starts to leave her small frame.

She buries her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. My heart aches for her. I want to pull her into my arms, to hold her close and never let go, but I know better. We have to go at her pace. This isn't the first time she's had a nightmare, but it never gets easier to see her like this.

Leo scoots closer, and reaches out a hand, hovering it near her shoulder. She doesn't flinch away, so he rests his hand on her, a silent offer of comfort. His touch seems to ground her.

After a few more minutes, she lowers her hands, her eyes red and swollen. She looks so lost, so vulnerable, that it takes all my willpower not to scoop her up and carry her away from whatever is causing her so much pain.

She reaches for her phone on the nightstand, her hand trembling. She types something, then turns the phone to us. The text-to-speech app, a robotic female voice, fills the quiet room.

"It was a nightmare. About them. The alpha pack that did this to me." She motions to her neck.

My gut clenches. We know, generally, what happened to her. But we don't know the details. And we haven't pushed her to talk about it. It's her story to tell, when and if she's ready.

Leo's hand tightens on her shoulder, his voice soft yet firm. "Do you want to talk about it, sweetheart?"

She hesitates and types again, her fingers flying across the screen, fast and urgent, as if the words can't come fast enough.

"They said they wanted to court me. To bond with me, properly. I was so alone then. Foster care was...hard. My parents died when I was young, in a car accident. My grandparents were too old to take care of me. The alphas promised they would be my family, that they would take care of me, no matter what. They said it didn't matter that we weren't compatible. They seemed so nice, at first."

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