Fight for Me

Nick’s POV

I’m sitting in my office, lost in thought once again.

Layla…..

I’m so restless and frustrated. I barely slept last night. How could I, after that weird dream I had of Layla?

I dreamt that she was holding her hand out to me, looking at me with those helpless blue eyes. But before I could even do anything, she pulled it back, and looked away from me.

I tried to go to her when I realized she was crying. I didn’t like seeing her cry. But I couldn’t move at all. I tried calling her, but I couldn’t even hear my own voice. I didn’t understand what was happening, even the growing black smoke behind her didn’t make sense.

But I got pissed when I saw it getting closer to her. I don’t know why, but it almost seemed like there was a person in the smoke, or the smoke was a person, - I don’t know. The smoke went around her, like arms holding her from behind.

All I knew is that I tried to scream her name, to get her to look at me. Buts she just closed her eyes, like someone ready to accept their fate.

I tried to tell the creepy fucker to let her go. But nothing. My voice didn’t make a sound. I got so pissed, I could feel my muscles bulge and I could hear my heart beat racing. I hated what was going on. No matter how much I tried, I was so helpless, so useless. And every second that went by, the smoke was slowly swallowing her up.

I knew I was losing her, and it felt so real. I thought it was. But I didn’t want it to be real. I didn’t want to lose her. I refused to accept what was happening.

I’d rather die than see this.

Without a second’s thought, I plunged my hand into my chest and grabbed my heart. I felt pain, but it also felt numb.

I tried screaming her name again. I wanted to look into her blue eyes one last time. But this time, I could hear an echo of a whisper, - of my voice calling her name. I tried calling her name again, and focused on that echo going slightly louder, - but I heard it again ……in my head.

The bond. It’s the bond.

I squeezed my heart a little tighter, and grunted from the pain. My heart is the closest thing I have to the bond, - my link to her. I tried to scream her name again, - through the bond.

Layla!!

I could hear the desperation in my own voice that echoed around us. I knew it was too late. The shadow had already almost completely swallowed her up, with just her face barely open.

But I stopped breathing the moment I saw her eyes slowly opening and looking straight at me, right before the shadow completely covered her face.

NO-O-O-O-O!!!!

The next thing I knew, everything went dark and I was breathing like someone trying to catch their breath. It took me a few seconds to realize that I was in my bed.

It was a dream? It was all a dream.

I covered my eyes with my hand, trying to help me calm down.

But that’s when I felt it, - tears.

I was crying?

I haven’t cried since,………………….since my mother’s death.

I didn’t sleep the rest of the night.

How could I? With a dream like that? What could it mean? Did it mean anything?

All these thoughts were going through my head.

But having had all night and morning to think about it, I now know, I don’t want her to leave. I never understood what this lump in my chest was, why it was growing, or tightening or doing other weird things. But I know it only happens when I’m around her, - Layla.

It’s her. She’s making me……….feel again. It has been so long, I actually forgot what it felt like. Not that I really ever understood emotions as well as others do.

But what now? I can’t ask her to stay. She already made up her mind, that she wants to leave. She already has someone she wants to be with. And as much as my brothers believe my father would be supportive of any mate bond, - they’re wrong.

That man values power more than anything, more than his so-called devotion to family.

But with this tightening lump in my chest, I now know that it's because I want to see her again. At least one more time before she decides to just leave.

Why? I don't know. I don't know how seeing her will make this lump feel less suffocating, but it's worth a try.

When I see her again, should I ask her when she’ll be leaving? For all I know, it could be today, tomorrow, or the day after.

“Layla.” I whisper to myself.

Why is she even making me have all these thoughts? We both already rejected each other.

But why did the dream make it seem like the bond is still there? It should be completely broken by now.

Knock, knock, knock.