Those In The Forest

Part 77: Reagan

Loud. Everything was so fucking loud. But one of the noises out of the dozen I heard that I didn't mind was a rhythmic beating.

          Slowly opening my eyes, I found Bryce next to me, cradling me in her arms. She was fast asleep, but her grip around my waist was tight.

          Looking around the room, I quickly noticed I was not in the place I blacked out in. and that was when the panic set in. Faster than I have ever moved before, I jammed myself into the headboard, breaking it into tiny shards of wood. My body was more alert about my surroundings.

            The smells, the sounds, even the way the sheets below my bare legs felt.

           "What the fuck?" I gasped. My body shaking with fear.

          Bryce stirred awake, and she quickly saw how frazzled I was.

          "Hey, Reagan! You're awake." she smiled at me.

          She was so loud, so fucking loud, why did it sound like she was screaming?

          I hadn't even noticed I was digging my nails into the sheets until she gently pulled them free. Frowning at her, I realized who was in my room, my mate's room, and our home—a place she wasn't supposed to know about.

          "What are you doing here?" I shook my head, teasers pulling down my face in fear. This was all wrong.

           I was chained away, far from anyone who cared. I was... beaten. How did I get back here?

           Flashes of previous events moved around in my head. Blood. There was so much blood. I'm unsure whether it was mine or not, though.

          Bryce gripped my trembling hands. "Your mates came to me. I sort of helped them find you," Bryce said softly.

         Wait? Why did she know about mates? I shook my head, even more confused. No. This isn't right.

          My ears perked up when I heard muffled noises from downstairs. In an instant, the bedroom door opened, and Lennox and Avah rushed in, worried looks on their faces.

           "Reagan." Avah sounded so relieved when she saw me.

           I couldn't stop shaking.

           Gritting my teeth, I snatched my hands from Bryce and placed them over my ears. "Where are they? Why are they not here?" Panicked, I was starting to settle in even more.

           Lennox and Avah walked over to the bed. Even with my ears plugged, I could hear each step so vividly that it was as if I had my ears right next to them.

          They sat on the bed next to me. Lennox ran her hand over my hair. It was in a comforting manner. I knew that, but the reason I knew that had nothing to do with the touch but the smell. She smelled like she was trying to comfort me. It was coming in harsh waves.

          What the fuck is happening?!

          "Karina and Celia forbade them from seeing you. That is until you are ready," Avah explained, almost in a whisper. It was as if she knew my ears were sensitive.

          Slowly, I pulled my hands from my ears. "Why?"

          "To ensure your safety," Bryce answered. Now, she was a bit quieter, like she picked up on a silent hint from Avah.

           "My safety?" I repeated, confused.

           "They did something dumb to make sure you came back to us," Lennox said, content to shoot out those comforting smells. "Do you not remember what happened?"