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Amelia looked around The room was empty except for theher ears did nothing to alleviate the noise Darian was at her side before she realized she was falling He held her up, and she started shaking her head

"Make it stop!" she yelled trying to be heard over the cacophony of endless shrieks

Darian, looking terrified, held her face between his hands "Make what stop?"

"The screa!" She wept as waves of helplessness, hopelessness, and fear swept her away

"No one is screa, my love" Darian smoothed a hand over her hair He turned to Aiden "Help me!"

The men looked at each other helplessly "Move her to the couch," Gavriel suggested

Darian picked her up and started to carry her toward the couch The screaot louder "Stop!" she sobbed She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed He took another step forward and she screamed as her head exploded in pain

"For Gods’ sake stop! She’s bleeding!" Meryn cried

In the background, she could hear the sound of a terrified child crying

Darian took a step backward, then another The screams were there, but less intense Slowly, one step at a tiot more andShe opened her eyes When she looked around, she realized Darian had carried her out into the foyer Colton was on the floor holding a frightened Penny against his chest rocking her back and forth

"It got better when I left the room didn’t it?" Darian asked

Amelia nodded "What in the hell is in that roo with Aiden at her side "I’

"You started to bleed fro okay!" Meryn yelled

Amelia blinked in astonishment "Really?" She touched her hand to her face and it came away bloody "That’s new"

"I called the clinic, Rheia is on her way She’ll want to exaave her quite a fright" Beth looked pale Gavriel had an arm wrapped around her

Keelan walked over to Colton and started to make Penny’s dolls dance Penny had wiped her eyes, but her head never left Colton’s chest She watched the dolls perforainst Darian’s broad chest She felt like a wet noodle "I’ you, Penny, it wasn’t intentional" She motioned for Darian to set her down He did, but stayed close

Amelia knelt on the floor where Colton sat with Penny in his lap "You kno you’re a shifter?" Penny nodded