“Rafe,” I said in an urgent whisper. “Wake up.” I settled my hand on his shoulder, but he screeched a louder cry. Bolting upright, he lunged for me. His sweaty hands clamped around my neck, unrelenting in their intent. I wheezed a plea and squinted at the doppelganger strangling me. Rafe wasn’t unleashing an act of sexual perversion—he was a madman lost to the terror of a nightmare.

“Rafe!” I fought for air, but his hands emanated rage. Cleft’s name bled from his lips with a sob.

“It’s me…” I said, barely getting the words out. Entrapped in full panic mode now, I dug my nails into the backs of his immovable hands.

He’s going to kill me.

The shadow of his massive form grew smaller, darker. My heartbeat throbbed in my ears, like a slow and steady bass drum counting down the last seconds of my life. I yanked his hair, scratched his scruffy face…

Blackness.

A loud gasp tore from my lips, and I sucked oxygen into my lungs as if I’d never breathe again. Clutching my throat, I coughed as Rafe’s hunched form at the edge of the bed crystalized. Through my tears, I watched his expression crumble. Tugging the sweat-drenched strands on his head, he shuttered his gaze.

“I-I’m sorry,” he said, huffing rapid breaths.

“What”—I coughed again—“happened?”

He ran a trembling hand down his face then stared at me with tortured green eyes. “I was dreaming…” He exhaled in a rush. “I could’ve fucking killed you.”

I swallowed hard, one hand still massaging my throat, and scooted into a semi-reclined position. Somewhere between passing out and coming to, he’d switched on the light.

“What were you dreaming about?”

That’s when he shut down. We could have been sitting in pitch black, and I still would have sensed him withdrawing.

“Doesn’t matter,” he said, looking somewhere over my shoulder.

“You mentioned Cleft.”

“I don’t remember.” He reached overhead and tugged on the chain to the light, sending the room into darkness again. The mattress shifted under his weight, and his trembling arms enclosed me, urging me to lie back on the bed. Burying his nose in my hair, he settled his body over mine. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“But you did.” I wasn’t talking about the choking or even the anal sex. By the heavy moment of silence that fell upon us, I figured he knew that.

“I don’t deserve you, Alex. I should let you go, but I can’t.”

“I’m not asking you to let me go. I’m just asking you to be honest with me.”

“I’ll end up destroying you.”