Chapter Ten

Brielle's POV

I woke up in a cold sweat, my heart pounding as if I had run a few miles. The nightmare that I had was so vivid, it felt real. I could still feel the rush of wind as I fell off the cliff, the ground rushing up to meet me. It was the same feeling I had experienced when running away from Alpha Chase. The memory still haunted me, leaving me shaken.

Why can’t I just have a bit of rest? Things had finally been going good for me, and now this!

After that night, the nightmares didn't stop. They became more frequent and even more intense. Almost every night, I would wake up gasping for breath, my body trembling with fear. The panic attacks started soon after. I would find myself struggling to breathe, my mind racing with images of falling and dying. The fear and anxiety were overwhelming, and I didn't know how to cope.

Zane noticed the change in me. He saw must have seen how anxious I looked, and the worry was always on my face. Maybe it was the way my hands shook when I thought no one was looking, because I found him watching me, and I instantly felt self conscious.

“Brielle, what's troubling you?”

I forced a smile, not wanting to disturb him with my nightmares.

“It's nothing, Zane. Just a little tired.”

He didn't look convinced but didn't press further.

“If you need to talk, I'm here for you.”

I nodded, appreciating his concern but I still didn’t want to open up. I feared that he might not be able to understand or be able to help me in any way.

And as the days passed, my condition worsened. The nightmares even began to invade my waking hours. I would daydream and hallucinate with my eyes wide open, seeing flashes of the cliff and feeling the terror over and over again.

The first time r he nightmare hit me with full force was this afternoon, and Zane wasn’t in with me.

I saw myself falling, and the ground below suddenly turned into a deep, large mouth, ready to swallow me. I screamed and collapsed, thinking I was falling, and the fear too much for me to bear.

“Brielle!” Zane shouted as he rushed to my side. “What happened?”

I couldn't speak, my body was shaking uncontrollably and I started to cry. He held me close, trying to soothe my panic, but I remained bent on not telling him anything about it.

Of course I couldn't bring myself to tell him about the nightmares. Not when I was afraid of appearing weak or burdening him with my fears.

But still, I knew that I couldn't handle this alone, and so I began to consider seeking help. But who could I trust?

I was like there was a nonstop battle inside me, and I needed to be at peace inside. I needed support, but the fear of looking vulnerable was what was holding me back.

I sat in my quarters, staring at the flickering flames in the fireplace, the same place where I had first felt this whole thing from the start.

They stopped for a while, why did they continue?

“Maybe Zane will understand.” I thought, but doubt quickly crept back in.

What if he saw me differently? What if he couldn't help?

Days turned into nights, and the nightmares continued to torment me. My exhaustion grew, both physically and mentally. I knew I had to do something before it consumed me completely.

One evening, after another intense nightmare, I sat up in bed, breathing heavily. Zane stirred beside me, his hand reaching out to touch my arm.

“Brielle, please talk to me. I can see something's wrong.”

Tears welled up in my eyes. I wanted to tell him everything, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, I shook my head.

He sighed, a look of deep concern in his eyes.

“I can't help if you don't let me in.”

His words echoed in my mind long after he fell back asleep. Maybe it was time to let him in. Maybe it was time to stop pretending I could handle this on my own.

The next day, as the sun rose and cast a warm glow over the pack's territory, I made a decision. I would seek help, but I still wasn't sure from whom. The fear of appearing weak was still there, but the need for support was stronger.

I found him in the training area and went in.

“Zane!” I called out to him.

He turned to face me, a look of surprise on his face.

“Brielle? What is it? Are you okay?”

I took a deep breath, the words heavy on my tongue.

“I need to talk to you. It's about the nightmares.”

His eyes widened with understanding.

“Nightmares? Brielle, why didn't you tell me about them sooner?”

“I was scared.” I admitted, tears welling up in my eyes. “I didn't want to burden you or seem weak.”

Zane stepped closer, wrapping his arms around me.

“You're not a burden, Brielle. And you're certainly not weak. Tell me about them.” He said.

“I don’t know, I keep seeing myself falling down that cliff, over and over again. I can’t stop. It is like it has been engrained into my brain, and I can’t do anything but watch it— not even just watch it, I can feel if happen. It always looks so real.” I said.

“Huh. And this happens all the time?” He asked me.

“Yes, I even get flashbacks and vivid hallucinations when I’m awake. It’s always so terrible, and I didn’t want to disturb you with this.” I cried.

“Yes, well you shouldn’t have.” Zane said angrily, and I looked up to see his face morphing into alpha Chase.

Next thing I knew, I was falling from the cliff again, the air rushing past my face and drowning out my screams.

I sat up in bed, screaming and covered in sweat. Zane got up, pulling me into his arms.

“It’s okay, you’re okay, okay?” He rubbed circles into my back and kissed the side of my head while I couldn’t hold back my sobs.