Vera lurched up off the bed, her head barely avoiding smacking into Jaren’s as he darted out of the way.

“Oh, thank the gods. Breathe, Veralie, you’re all right. I got you.” Warm hands cupped her cheeks, pulling her face up to his. His pupils were blown wide, stark in the soft morning light, and his hands shook as he seemed to stare into her very soul, checking it for injury.

“You’re all right,” he repeated, soft and broken, like he was reassuring himself more than her.

She shifted her weight and winced when a throbbing pain worked through her shoulder and up her neck. Something tickled her collar, and she carefully craned her neck down to see blood dripping from a vicious bite mark.

It was deep and the edges messy, like he’d clamped his jaw around her only to rip away in a wild panic.

“I’m sorry,” he said, running his hands down her arms like he couldn’t convince himself to release her. “I didn’t know what to do. You were in pain, and I couldn’t wake you.”

She looked up to see blood smeared over his chin and a flash of terror still lingering in his eyes. She hated it. Hated the fear he couldn’t seem to overcome about losing her. She wanted her gruff, asshole mate back.

“So, to wake me, you decided to cause me more pain?” she asked, arching an eyebrow.

His lips twitched, accepting her distraction. “I figured if anything could wake you up, pissing you off would do it.”

Laughter bubbled up, and she cringed when the act pulled at her shoulder. She shifted, trying to get a better look at it, and phantom pains shot through her foot and thighs.

Clenching her teeth through the pain, she shoved Jaren back, sitting up to look down at her foot, expecting a nasty gash. But nothing but bare skin greeted her.

She twisted it back and forth, perplexed. It definitely hurt, as did her hand and thighs, but not like they had in the cavern. “It wasn’t real,” she whispered.

“Was it the same dream? In the water?” he asked, picking up her foot and digging his thumb in, massaging it in a way that had her eyes nearly rolling to the back of her head.

“Yes and no,” she said, groaning. “It was the same cavern I saw before with the same monstrous lake, but I wasn’t in it this time.”

Closing her eyes, she replayed the dream in her mind, trying to describe it for him as best she could. “It was like the cavern could sense me, like it knew I was there, even though I wasn’t.” Not really. She remembered how her hand had passed straight through the female’s body and shuddered.

“But you’re fine,” he said again, holding her foot tighter. “I don’t know why I couldn’t wake you this time, and I don’t like it at all, but it was just a dream, Veralie. The only thing that actually hurt you was me.”