Without considering the danger, Aimee went inside to check on him.
He whirled on her so fast, she couldn't even protect herself. He pinned her to the wall, his hand on her throat as if he would kill her right where she stood.
But the moment he touched her, his gaze cleared and he focused on her face. "What are you doing here?"
"I saw your light and I was worried about you."
Fang pulled back, his features tormented as he raked one hand through his dark hair. "I can't breathe, Aimee. I can't relax. I'm terrified of going to sleep. What if I don't wake up again?"
The fact that he confided that to her told her exactly how upset he was. "You're all right. You're back and you're safe."
"Am I? I couldn't wake up earlier."
She pulled him into her arms and held him close. "It's over, Fang."
Fang wanted to believe that, but how could he? "No, it's not. I can still feel them clawing at me. I can hear the flapping of the Reapers' wings and see the Harvesters looking for victims. They're coming for me. I know it."
She pulled his face into her hands and made him look at her. "I will stay with you and make sure no one takes you back."
He scoffed.
"Listen to me," she said firmly. "You don't seriously think that I went through months of hell, stalking Daimons and descending into Kalosis to let them have you again, do you?"
Well, when she put it that way. "No."
"Then trust me. I'm not going to let them come for you. If there's one thing a bear can do, it's fight."
Fang nodded. He returned to bed. Aimee pulled the blanket up over him and sat down on the edge.
He took her hand into his and held it close to where Thorn had branded him. But she couldn't see the mark through his T-shirt. He wanted to tell her about the bargain he'd made.
If only he could. The truth was, he was ashamed that he'd been unable to protect her without it.
Most of all he was scared the demon inside him would manifest and hurt her.
"If I do anything strange, you leave me immediately. You understand?"
Aimee furrowed her brow in suspicion. "Strange how?"
"I don't know. Try to eat you?"
She arched her brows at that. "Ooo-kay. You do that sort of thing a lot?"
"Not really, but who knows after all this. I might even sprout horns and turn into Simi when you're not looking."
"Well, I promise if you come at me with bad juju, I will tear out your guts. And if you transform into a teenaged female Goth demon, I'm going to laugh my butt off."
"Good."
She laughed. "You're the only one I know who could find that threat a relief."
Fang tried to smile, but his exhaustion was overtaking him. There was something about Aimee that made him feel safe. Before he knew it, he was finally asleep.
Aimee sat there for an hour, watching Fang sleep. It was so strange to see him like that. He reminded her of her nephew who didn't like the dark.
Only Micah was four.
What horrors had Fang been through down there that he was still so haunted by them?