The Lycan King's Second Chance Mate: Rise of the Traitor's Daughter Chapter 30: Panic Attack

Natalie~

The soft hum of the night seeped into the guest room as I sat on the edge of the large bed. Zane’s words from earlier echoed in my head, loud and unrelenting, like a storm I couldn’t escape.

"Not everyone in your life is out to hurt you, Natalie, you’re safe as long as you stay here."

Safe. Could I trust him? Could he really protect ? Could he stand up to Alpha Darius? The re thought sent a cold shiver down my spine. Zane didn’t know the depth of Alpha Darius’s cruelty. He didn’t know the lengths that monster would go to ensure I never escaped his grasp entirely. And yet, Zane had spoken with such conviction, such quiet strength, that for a fleeting mont, I’d almost believed him.

But belief was dangerous.

I stood, shaking off the weight of my thoughts, and turned to Alexander, who clung to my waist like a little koala. His small arms wrapped tightly around , his head resting against my hip as though I might disappear if he let go.

"Co on, little one," I said softly, brushing his ssy blonde hair out of his eyes. "Let’s get you to bed."

"No," Alex whined, tightening his hold. "Wanna stay with Mommy Natalie."

My heart clenched at the na. Mommy Natalie. He had called that from the first day I t him in human form, and every ti he said it, it chipped away at the walls I had built around myself. But I couldn’t be his mother. I wasn’t even sure I could be anything at all.

I smiled faintly at him despite the heaviness in my chest. "You need to sleep, Alex," I whispered, picking him up despite his protests. He wrapped his arms around my neck, yawned, and nestled against , his warmth a stark contrast to the cold that seed permanently embedded in my skin.

"Promise you won’t leave?" he murmured sleepily.

I hesitated. How could I make a promise when I didn’t know if I could keep it?

But looking at his innocent face, his deep brown eyes filled with trust, I forced a smile and whispered, "I promise."

I carried him to his room, humming a lullaby under my breath as his breathing slowed. Carefully, I laid him down on the bed and tucked the blanket snugly around him. His eyes fluttered open briefly, and he gave the smallest of smiles.

"I love you, Mummy Natalie," he murmured before drifting off again.

My heart fluttered at his words. How had this little boy word his way into my broken soul?

Quietly, I left his room and returned to mine, shutting the door behind . I looked at the bed in front of and it looked too soft, too foreign. It didn’t belong to . Nothing ever did. So, I grabbed the extra blankets and laid them on the floor like always, creating a makeshift bed. The hard surface was familiar—comforting, even. Though, I didn’t deserve comfort. Comfort was for people who weren’t marked, rejected, and discarded. I wrapped myself in the blankets, curling into a tight ball, trying to convince myself that I was safe.

But my mind refused to rest.

I lay down, staring at the ceiling, trying to will my mind to silence. But the mories from earlier at the event clawed their way back into focus.

It replayed in my head like a broken record. The mont my eyes t Alpha Darius’s. The way Griffin looked at like I was nothing but used gum trapped under his boots. The mory sent a wave of nausea through .

I squeezed my eyes shut, but the darkness offered no solace.

The dreams started soon after I drifted off, though they felt more like mories than anything else.

I was back in the packhouse, standing in the cold, damp basent where they used to lock up when I did sothing they dimd punishable; in this dream, it was for mistakingly breaking the Alpha’s expensive China plates while trying to wash them. The place reeked of mold and blood. My blood. My body ached from the lashes, my skin raw and burning. My knees wobbled as I scrubbed the floor, my fingers bleeding from the harsh bristles of the brush.

"Faster, you wolfless disease," a voice sneered from behind .

I flinched, my hands trembling.

A boot slamd into my ribs, sending sprawling. Pain exploded through my side as my vision blurred.

"I’m sorry," I gasped, curling in on myself.

Laughter echoed around .

"You should be," Alpha Darius’s voice slithered through the darkness. He crouched beside , his fingers gripping my chin with bruising force. His black eyes glead with twisted amusent. "I will make sure you pay for your father’s cris, Natalie. No matter how far you try to run, you will always belong to ."

"No," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

"Yes," he chuckled darkly, dragging his fingers down my neck. "You’re mine to break. Mine to use, " then he bit down on my neck.

I scread.

The sound ripped through my throat as I bolted upright, my body drenched in sweat. My breaths ca in short, ragged gasps. The room spun. My chest tightened.

I couldn’t breathe.

I tried to move, but my limbs refused to obey. My hands trembled violently as I clawed at the blankets, at my own skin, desperate for sothing—anything—to hold .

The walls felt like they were closing in.

I was back there.

I was back in that nightmare.

I didn’t even notice the small warmth beside until a tiny voice broke through my haze.

"Mummy Natalie?"

Alexander.

He must have snuck into my room while I was lost in the nightmare. His tiny hands patted my face, his voice trembling as he called out to .

"Mummy Natalie? Mummy Natalie, wake up!"

I wanted to respond, to reassure him, but I couldn’t. My body wouldn’t obey . The fear had paralyzed completely.

Alexander’s voice rose in panic, his small cries breaking through the haze of terror.

"I’ll get Daddy!" Tears fell steadily down his big brown eyes as he scrambled off the floor and ran out of the room, his tiny feet pounding against the wooden floors.

I wanted to call out to him.

I wanted to tell him I was okay.

But I wasn’t.

I was drowning.

Seconds—or maybe minutes—passed before the door burst open again.

Zane ran into the room, Alexander clutching his hand and sobbing.

"Natalie!" Zane’s voice was sharp, filled with alarm. He dropped to his knees beside , his hands hovering uncertainly over my trembling form.

"What happened?" he asked, though it was clear he wasn’t expecting an answer.

Alexander’s cries grew louder. "Help her, Daddy! Please, help her!"

"I’m here, Alex," Zane said firmly, pulling the boy into a quick hug before turning his full attention to .

"Natalie," he said softly now, his tone a soothing balm against my raw nerves. "Shh, hey, it’s okay," Zane whispered. "You’re safe, Natalie. You’re safe."

I wasn’t.

I couldn’t be.

But his hands didn’t let go. They held steady as I trembled, as I gasped for air that refused to co.

"Look at ," Zane urged, cupping my face. His touch was warm, solid—nothing like Darius’s. "Breathe with , Natalie. Follow my voice."

His deep, soothing voice held . He took a slow breath, exaggerated it, and then exhaled.

"Do it with ," he coaxed.

I tried.

I tried so hard, but my body was still locked in terror.

His thumb brushed against my cheek, wiping away tears I hadn’t even realized were falling.

"You’re safe," he repeated. "No one can hurt you here. Not Darius. No one."

The na sent another wave of panic through , but Zane didn’t let fall. He pulled into his arms, pressing against his broad chest. His scent—cedarwood and a hint of leather—wrapped around like a shield.

I clung to him, my fingers digging into his shirt as the sobs finally broke free.

In the background, I could hear Alex’s sniffles. I wanted to comfort him, to tell him I was okay, but I wasn’t sure if I could.

Zane held tighter. "I’ve got you," he murmured.

Slowly, agonizingly, the tightness in my chest began to ease. The room ca back into focus, the shadows retreating.

"There you go," Zane said, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he kept wiping the tears from my face. "That’s it. Just keep breathing."

Alexander threw himself onto , wrapping his little arms around my neck. "Don’t scare like that again, Mummy Natalie!"

I held him tightly, my body still trembling but my heart was full of gratitude.

Zane reached out, his hand resting lightly on my shoulder. His touch was warm and reassuring.

"You don’t have to fight this alone," he said quietly. "Not anymore."

His words settled over , a fragile promise I wanted so much to believe in.