Page 25 of Her Bully Alpha (Honeycomb Valley Alphas #1)

"Are you sure you're okay? We could take you in to see a doctor." I asked Nessa for the twentieth time. Nessa nodded her head with a little laugh.

"I'm fine, Jay. I have these two now. You are free to go."

I glanced at Mike and Kirk. I knew they were both capable of taking care of Nessa. And I did want to get home to see Sam. I missed her and still wanted to talk to her. We'd suddenly been so busy that I didn't get a chance to.

But I couldn't deny that I was worried about Nessa. I wanted to make sure she was okay before I left. This might have been because she's clumsy, but what if there was more to it than what she wasn't telling me?

Nessa reached over and squeezed my arm. "Go back to your wife," Nessa added softly. "I can see it in your eyes. I'm fine. I have these two, like I said. Your wife needs you."

I gave her a half smile in return and hurried out the door. I pulled my jacket on when Nessa added. "You love her, don't you?"

I glanced at her, seeing the smile on her face. I nodded. "I do. I do love her. I love her with all my heart."

Kirk smiled at me. "Damn, it's about time you felt that. Have you told her?"

I glared at him. "No, I was about to when you called frantically freaking out about Nessa."

Nessa started to laugh. "Then you really need to go home. You already lost your chance before, but you can tell her now."

I gave them each a nod before I headed out. I went straight home, trying to think of what I could say. But I knew I just needed to say it. I needed to tell her I loved her and didn't want anything to change. Minus that, I just wanted us to stop splitting upstairs.

I wanted us to live together and share the same bed each night. I wanted us to plan our future out and talk about everything. I wanted a life with her.

"Sam, I'm home. Where are you?"

I tossed my keys onto the side table and headed into the kitchen. But the kitchen, dining room, and living room were quiet. I scowled. "Sam? Are you home? I want to talk about something."

I turned, going back towards the front, and went up the stairs. "Sam? Where are you?"

The entire upstairs was empty, meaning she wasn't there.

I yanked my phone out and called her as I started down the stairs, but it went straight to voicemail.

I hung up, shoved my phone back into my pocket, grabbed my keys off the table, and headed back outside. I hurried to my car and decided to drive over to her work. It was the only other spot I could think that she could be at. As I drove, I noticed a large group of people standing around near where I knew Katie's lab was.

I stopped at a light, taking in the large crowd. I frowned, wondering if maybe Sam had gone to visit Katie. I knew she had done that a handful of times. They were friends now, and I thought it was nice she had someone to hang out with.

My stomach tensed up, worried that Sam was part of whatever commission was going on.

"Of course not," I said, shaking my head and looking at the light as I waited.

But a part of me told me that wasn't all true. If Sam had visited Katie, she could have been a part of whatever was going on.

I tightened my hold on the steering wheel and changed lanes, deciding to take a left turn instead of going straight. I took a deep breath in and glanced back over towards the crowd. It was right in front of the front doors to Katie's building.

I took the turn and pulled into the parking lot. I got out of my car and did a quick glance around the space. People were talking loudly in the crowd near the doors. The voices were muffled together, and I couldn't understand anything that was being said.

I felt a shiver run down my spine and hurried across the parking lot. Even if this had nothing to do with Sam, I should figure out what was going on, and get everyone's attention.

I grew closer to the building and tried to see what was going on. "She's frozen," someone whispered to the right of me. "Like a statue."

I wondered who they were talking about.

"Someone should help her. She looks like she's in pain."

I moved past the crowd, and my entire body froze as I took in Katie and Sam. Sam was frozen just a few feet ahead of me. Her eyes were wide and hazed over. She looked like she was in pain as she stood utterly frozen.

Katie was wincing next to her, holding onto my hand. Her fingers were a deep red, like she had held onto something hot too long. She had tears in her eyes and tried to uncurl her fingers.

"Sam!" I yelled her name and started hurrying to them. "Katie! What's going on?"

I reached for Sam, but Katie yelled, grabbing at my leg, stopping me. "Don't touch her!"

I stopped just in front of Sam and looked at Katie, confused. Katie cradled her hand close to her chest. "She's frozen, and if you touch her, you will get electrocuted."

"What?" How could that even be? That wasn't something we had come across in her magic before.

I shook my head, confused. I didn't understand. How did she even end up here? And what was happening to her?

"Katie, I don't understand! What happened?"

Katie pulled herself up. She tried to curl her fingers and winced. "I don't know. We were talking and just about to head inside when she stopped moving." She tried to extend her fingers and winced in pain. She curled her fingers back. "I said her name a few times, but she never answered, so I reached for her. And a painful shock of electricity went up my arm."

I stared at Sam, taking in her frozen state and the pain on her face. "What's going on?"

"I'm thinking she's stuck in a vision. I've been trying to talk to her, but nothing seems to break her free from it." Katie frowned.

I leaned closer, aching to reach out and cup her face. She looked like she was in so much, and I wanted to fix it. I wanted to take it away. I frowned. "Sam, if you can hear me, you need to pull yourself free. Bring yourself back to us."

Nothing. There was no sign that she even heard me.

I grew nervous and wondered what would happen if we couldn't break her free. What would happen if she couldn't pull herself back to reality?

It seemed off. Sam's visions have never lasted longer than a minute, let alone to physically hurt someone. Something had to be going on. I didn't know what it was, but I knew it was something serious. We were missing something.

"Have you seen this before?" I asked Katie, hoping she knew what to do.

Katie shook her head. "No, this is new to me. I thought I could get her back, but I wasn't able to."

I reached for Sam, and a painful zap stung my skin. I quickly let go, and Katie moved closer to me. "I warn you. I wasn't joking when I said it."

I frowned, curling my hands into fists. I disliked not being able to touch Sam. I'd grown so used to being able to reach for her, being able to hold her. And if I couldn't free her….I could lose all of that.

I didn't want to imagine a life without Sam. I had already spent so much time without her, and I felt I had lost time. I couldn't picture going back to that, not when I knew what it felt like to have her.

"Sam," I bent down, growing closer to her. "Sam, I need you to break free from whatever is holding you like this."

Still nothing. Her eyes remained hazed over, and her body was still frozen.

I felt my heart twist. "Sam, I need you to try. I know this is probably hard, and I can see the pain written on your face, but I need you to do this. I need you to do this for me. I can't lose you."

I loved her so much it hurt. I searched my mind, trying to think if we read anything about this. But nothing came to mind.

I had spent years thinking I was happy, only to find out I was just living. It wasn't until Sam came along that I realized I was missing out on so much. She had brought so much joy into my life, and she didn't even know it. I hadn't told her how I felt. I never got the chance to tell her that I loved her.

"Sam, please….I love you, and I can't lose you. I need you to look at me. Pull yourself back and look at me. Listen to my voice and come back to me. I need you. I can't imagine life without you. I don't want to either."

I had pictured everything. I pictured her getting bigger during this pregnancy. I saw myself at her side during the birth. I pictured us painting the baby's room and finding her sitting with our child in a rocking chair.

I pictured late nights curled up together and early mornings sharing coffee. I pictured other children and a house filled with laughter. I saw us growing old together and watching our kids accomplish so much in life. A daughter who wanted to be an artist. A son who wanted to be a scientist.

It was perfect, and I wanted it so badly. But I wanted it only with her. No other woman would fit. No woman would be worthy to be with me.

"Sam, I love you. I'm so deeply in love with you that it hurts. I can't imagine life with anyone else. So, please, I'm begging you...whatever you are fighting, whatever is holding you away from me, please fight it. I know you're strong enough. You're the strongest person I know."

I leaned closer, wanting to press my forehead against hers. "Please, my love, come back to me."

Nothing happened, and the magic stuck to her like glue, but after a moment, I watched Sam's eyes start to shift. The scent in the air changed, and her eyes began to grow back to their natural color.

I reached for Sam, feeling her sag against my arms as I caught her. "Sam!" I pulled her tightly against my body, and her entire body shook. She was cold as she clung to me.

"I'm here…" she whispered as she clung to me. "I heard you….I'm here."

I felt tears build up as I held her closer to my body. I felt Sam shake under my arms and held her even tighter.

Katie spoke up, scared. "Are you okay? What happened? I've never seen you like that before."

Sam shook her head, looking terrified. She shook her head. "I've never been stuck like that before. I was in the dark....and....there was a man."

A man? More questions filled my head, but I pushed them back as I held her close to me. I could ask those later, right now, I wanted to hold her. I needed to know she was okay.