Neith

Waking up surrounded by my guys is amazing, and I revel in the feel of having their arms wrapped around me.

Opening my mouth, Griff’s eyes connect with mine, as he says gently, “Don’t you dare apologize for any of that.”

My eyes widen slightly, “How the fuck did you know that I was going to apologize?”

“We’ve all been there,” Doc replies. He leans forward and kisses my head gently. “We get it, we all understand what it’s like, and we’ve all felt the need to apologize.”

I frown, “While I’m glad that you understand, I also hate that you understand.”

After a moment of silence, River asks, “Do you want to talk about it, or pretend it never happened until you’re ready to talk about it?”

I practically melt at the level of understanding that he’s showing me right now, and the fact that none of them are looking at me with any sort of expectation of an explanation. I know that Coen most likely told them not to ask questions, but I still appreciate the fact that they’re listening to Coen’s advice and not asking questions anyway.

Dimitri.

I don’t remember much. It’s like looking back at a dream, or rather, a nightmare, and everything is just hazy, but I do know that nothing can bring me out of a panic attack that bad, apart from Coen and Dimitri singing to me, and I remember him speaking through Coen. I need to talk to Coen about it, because he wasn’t freaked out or pissed and allowed Dimitri to share his headspace. Coen knows how to kick Dimitri out. Dimitri taught both Coen and me how to do it, which is why he’s never been able to get in my head. Coen knows that, and yet, he didn’t kick him out, which tells me that something may have changed.

Hope soars, and I viciously push it back down.

It’s more likely that Coen used some sort of threat, or something, in order to get Dimitri to help me. It’s not likely that he wanted to help me of his own accord. Not that I have any idea how Coen would be able to do that, especially when he’s nowhere near Dimitri.

The problem with that theory is that I’m not likely to get a chance to talk to Coen and find out exactly what happened any time soon, and to be honest my nerves and my emotional wellbeing is currently shot to shit thanks to the humongous panic attack. I feel like I have been through a wrestling match with a fucking t-rex, and a few of his friends, underwater, and somehow on fire too.

I have no idea how that would work, but that’s the most accurate description I have of what I feel like right now.

“Neith?” Reed asks, looking at me in concern.

“Shit sorry, I was in my own world,” I look back at River. “If it’s okay, can we do the second option? The pretend it didn’t happen until I’m ready to talk about it option?”

“Of course,” Doc replies with an understanding smile. He then promptly changes the subject, “Evander, Griff, and Ransom have all gone to get us some breakfast and coffee. We’re hoping that they get back before we’re pulled into a task. We have no idea whose it will be today.”

I nod, my eyebrows draw down slightly as I ask, “Shouldn’t you guys get back to your own rooms. You’re not supposed to be in here.”

“One, you needed us, so we’re here,” Raiden says, his hand squeezing mine. He adds, “And just in case you hadn’t realized, no rule or consequence would ever stop us from being there for you when you need us.”

“He’s right,” Griff replies as he walks back into the room with the others, all three of them carrying trays of food.

“Thank you,” I reply softly, because I have no idea what else to say to that apart from thank you.

“I think that the staff here must somehow just know things, or maybe the castle shares things with them,” Ransom adds, as he places the tray of mugs on the side and immediately hands me one.

“You’re my favorite for today,” I tease with a smile, and his eyes light up as he grins proudly and sticks his middle finger up at the others.

They all promptly tell him to fuck off and then conversation turns back to what he said.

“What do you mean?” River asks, handing me a pastry that has chocolate in it.

I immediately stuff it in my mouth, I’m so fucking hungry. That’s not really surprising though, I always am after I have a panic attack and that was a big fucking panic attack. I practically inhale the first one, and River immediately hands me another one, smiling proudly when I take it and carry on eating.

“Mabel and a couple of the other staff members were waiting outside of the dining hall or whatever it’s called, for us with the trays of food,” Van explains.

“Either they knew, or they watched it too and realized that there was no way that we would leave you all by yourself after that, and decided that we would probably want to eat in here,” Raiden points out.

“Yeah, that’s true. She did say that there was no need for the Draconian team to know where your room was. Which means she knows that we’re in here,” Griff adds.

“How many days have we got left now?” I ask. “So much has happened, and what with getting woken up in the middle of the night for tasks and all of that, I have no idea what day it is or how long we have been here for.”