I sat up in bed with a loud scream bursting through my tight lips, opening my eyes and clutching my blanket tighter to my chest. My heart pounded hard and fast in my chest, and I looked around my room with a blurry and hazy vision, not knowing what was going on or why my heart was beating so fast that it felt like a runaway train.

What was happening to me..?

"Caroline!" someone exclaimed from somewhere to my right, and I instantly looked that way to see Fernos, coming toward me with furrowed brows and a grave and worried look on his face. "You're safe. You're ok."

I stopped screaming when Fernos came closer to me and basically lurched into his arms, even though I knew that he hated being touched and hugged him tight, but I couldn't care less because I needed his comfort.

Fernos grew tense before he hugged me back, sitting on the bed and pulling me closer to his side. "You're safe," he soothed and rubbed my back. "You're safe."

I didn't say a word and cried in his arms, grabbing him tighter and moving as close to him as I could. I set my jaw, trying to stop it from quivering, and squeezed my eyes shut while I waited for this panic attack to pass, my mouth and throat going dry.

"Fernos?" someone asked from the opening of the tent, and I grew tense while my heart skipped a beat before it started to pound harder and faster in my chest because I could tell that it was Cooper.

Shit...

"What is it?" he asked coldly. "What happened?" He gestured to me, and Fernos grew tense while he pulled me closer to him and away from Cooper. "What's wrong with her?"

I closed my eyes and pressed my lips into a thin line. My heart skipped another beat before it started to pound harder and faster in my chest, not liking the fact that he was in my tent, especially since he was the one that had choked me.

But it wasn't him...

He didn't do this to me...

Fernos set his jaw and pulled me closer to him and further away from Cooper. His whole body was tense, and I had a feeling that he did not like the fact that I had grown tense in front of Cooper.

"Fernos," Cooper snapped, and I flinched and closed my eyes while I set my jaw, my jaw quivering while I tried to gain my composure, even though it didn't work, and I continued to cry in the arms of Fernos. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Fernos said coldly while he pressed his lips into a thin line. "I have not been able to talk to her when she woke up." He paused and cleared his throat while he shifted in the bed, and I had a feeling that he looked at Tabitha, who was still in the tent with us, before he looked at Cooper again. "I am trying to get her to stop crying first before I ask her what happened and why she is crying."

"And why is she crying?" Cooper asked, and I had a feeling that he raised an eyebrow in question. "This is unlike her."

"Yes, I know, Cooper," Fernos replied coldly with a small nod, and I had a feeling that he set his jaw and narrowed his eyes. "Can you do me a favor and leave so that I can calm her down, please?"

Cooper growled and took a step toward us threateningly, and I couldn't help but flinch and move further away from him, not able to meet his gaze at all. "What did you say?" he asked, baring his teeth in a threatening manner. "What did you ask me to do?"

"I asked you to leave," Fernos said coldly, "so please, leave, or else I will take her out of the tent against your orders so that I will be able to calm her down and see what has happened to her."

Cooper growled again. "Tabitha," he said and looked at Tabitha, and the Witch Queen hesitated before she shook her head, not looking at him. "And what is that supposed to mean?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "Why did you shake your head?"

"I'm not going to do anything to them, Cooper," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She cleared her throat and shifted on her feet. "Please, Cooper, leave so that we can calm her down. We'll tell you what happened to her later, but for now, it seems like you are the reason that is causing her to panic and not be so strong."

Cooper growled threateningly and set his jaw, his jaw shaking from rage and anger. "And what do you mean by that, Tabitha?" he asked coldly, and I had a feeling that he narrowed his eyes and scowled, even though I didn't look at him because I was too scared to do so.

"I mean, that you are scaring her, Cooper, more than she should be scared of you. Please, don't fight us on this. It's not the time nor is it the place to do so."

Cooper growled before he looked at me and then at Fernos, his eyes turning darker color while he stared at him. "I want to know when and what you find out about what happened to her. Is that understood?" he asked, taking another threatening step toward us. He bared his teeth

Fernos shifted me closer to his side and moved me slightly behind him, away from Cooper. He didn't say a word while he stared at the "Alpha" we were supposed to follow and respect.

"Well?" Cooper asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "What do you have to say, Fernos? Will you tell me what she tells you about why she is acting like this?" He gestured to me up and down, and I couldn't help but flinch and close my eyes tighter while I moved further away from me.

"I will see what I can do," Fernos said, keeping his comment vague while he looked at me before he looked at Cooper, setting his jaw tighter. "Now, please, leave and let me get her calmed down so that I will be able to see what she has to say."

"Fine, just know that I do not like it."

And with that and one final look toward me, he left without saying another word.

Thank Goddess...

***

I slowly started to relax against Fernos when Cooper left, and Fernos started to relax as well because I was slowly starting to calm down. I didn't say a word while I took deep breaths and released them with a small whoosh, trying to control my breathing and my beating heart.

My whole body was still tense and shaking, but it wasn't as bad as it had been because I was slowly starting to calm down and not panic as much as I was.

Fernos grabbed me tighter and closer to him and slowly started to rub circles across my back. He started to mutter sweet nothings in my ear, stuff that I didn't actually hear, but it was something that helped me calm down some more.

In...

Out...

In...

Out...

I sniffled one last time before I cleared my throat and pulled away from him, and Fernos let me go hesitantly, pressing his lips into a thin line. "Um... sorry, sorry," I said before I cleared my throat again and shifted in my seat, not looking at him. "Forgive me."

"For what, Dear?" Tabitha asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She hesitated and walked over to me, and I looked at her with wide eyes, not knowing what she wanted to do with me.

She furrowed her brows and cocked her head while she knelt by my side and took my hands in hers, rubbing her thumbs across the back of my hands, and my heart skipped a beat before it pounded hard and fast in my chest. "Why are you sorry, Sweetheart?"

"For being weak," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I shrugged and grimaced before I cleared my throat and shifted in my bed, my cheeks turning red. "I am sorry for being weak and not knowing how to do stuff..."

Tabitha chuckled sadly and shook her head before she tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and tapped my cheek. "You aren't weak, Sweetheart," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why do you say that you are weak?"

I pressed my lips into a thin line and shrugged, grimacing some more. I didn't say a word while I looked at my hands and hers, not able to say anything. My mouth was dry, and I couldn't help but wonder how she knew that I wasn't weak.

Tabitha cleared her throat and squeezed my hands tighter, growing serious while she shifted from one side to the other. "Now, what happened?" she asked and rubbed the back of my hands again. "Why are you so nervous around Cooper now?" She furrowed her brows and cocked her head while she studied me. "What happened?"

I hesitated before I shook my head and pulled my hands from hers, and I couldn't help but breathe a small sigh of relief when Tabitha let me.

Tabitha placed her hands on her side and pressed her lips into a thin line. She didn't say a word while she looked at me and then at Fernos before she looked at me again, waiting for me to say something to him.

Thank Goddess...

"I'm fine," I said and offered her a tight smile, and Tabitha frowned and slowly blinked while she looked at me, knowing full well that I was lying. "Nothing is going on with me and Cooper. I am ok. I promise. There's no need to talk about this, and all I want to do is get some more sleep and forget about this for a little while..."