Little Dahlia

Ch. 15 - Fear

She steps out to Harleys side, and she's instantly paralyzed with fear.

In front of her stands three males, all in their early to mid twenties between 6'8 and 6'6. She's aware that Harley is seven feet tall and twenty-five, but for some reason, he isn't intimidating to her, so she isn't scared of him. She could be intimidated by a 5'5 guy that's the same age as her, so these three males are absolutely terrifying.

She can tell when Harley starts talking, but she can't hear him clearly. The sound of her heartbeat, blood rushing through her head, and her heavy breathing make outside noises sound garbled.

One of the guys suddenly move his hand, making her flinch, even though it was just a waving motions since Harley had just introduced him. Her mate tries to reach out for her, but all she sees in a movement in the corner of her eye, so she jumps back.

She can see his lips moving as he looks at her, but she can't make out what he's saying. He tries to walk closer, but it only makes her back up even more. She yelps when she sees one of the other guys move, and she trips, falling backwards.

Her lip trembles, and tears start to escape her eyes, blurring her vision. She realizes she's screaming, but she can't hear what she's saying. She doesn't know what she's saying. She yelps again when she feels her back hit a wall. She realizes she's cornered and closes her eyes tightly, wrapping herself in a ball to try and protect herself. Her screaming dulls down to mumbling.

After a few moments, she can hear again.

"It's okay, Rayna. You're okay. I got you. You're safe," Harley whispers on repeat into her hair. She can feel herself engulfed in his warm touch and snuggles deeper into him, tears still streaming down her face. She wishes she could drown in the tingles.

She slowly opens her eyes to see herself wrapped in Harley's arms. He's seated on the kitchen floor, his back against the cupboards, with her in his lap. The three guys have already left, leaving them alone.

"I- I'm sorry," Rayna mumbles with a sniffle, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. He kisses the top of her forehead, rubbing her arm.

"What happened, baby?" he asks, genuinely concerned.

"I- I don't know. I- I got r- really sc- sc- scared," she explains, still sniffling and wiping her red eyes.

"What got you so scared?" he questions.

"Th- Those guys . . ."

Harley is silent for a minute.

"Why don't we get you back in bed, hm? We can eat there together, and you can rest more. Today has been really exhausting for you, hasn't it?"

Yawning, Rayna nods. She wraps her arms around Harley's neck, pulling herself closer to him, and buries her face in his chest. She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," he whispers to her.

"It's okay," she whispers back, subconsciously kissing his chest through his shirt. He instantly heats up, his neck going pink.

He swallows his urges and places Rayna in a way that he can carry her. He stands up, holding her bridle style, and carries her upstairs to their room. She's basically asleep again when he places her in bed, but she growls softly and refuses to let go of him when he tries to walk away.