TRIGGER WARNING: pregnancy scare and mentions of abuse

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This wasn't what I signed up for. When this whole situation started, it was simply to assist in discovering how deep Evan was in his mind. Never in a million years would I have thought he was conscious in there. In all my years of dream walking, I've never had to fight for presence as much as I do in this omega's mind.

I recall when Dr. Harper reached out to me. She was rambling over the phone about odd brain patterns in a coma patient of hers. It baffled her that his patterns resembled a simple REM state but he was clearly in a coma. She was hoping I could pop in and check it out once. It wasn't my area of expertise. I'm a dream therapist and use my dream walking abilities in hypnotic sessions. I'd never attempted to enter a coma patient's mind before. But if he were having REM patterns, it would be interesting to witness.

So I agreed. There was a consultation with the family and the omega's mate, Darren. The other alpha was standoffish. He was vocal about my assistance and qualifications. This cop was asking how I could help his comatose mate. It wasn't as though he could help himself. But even with Darren's protests, Dr. Harper convinced the family it was a simple look into what was happened to Evan.

The initial entering of his mind, after confirmation Evan was in REM state, wasn't what I had expected at all. His first dream I witnessed still haunts me. To see such pain and suffering…

Evan was lifeless, huddled in the center of a black void. He rocked himself back and forth as he mumbled about sleeping. I walked over to him slowly. He didn't even register my presence at first. However, I watched him a little longer before reaching out to him. My hand landed on his shoulder and the void erupted into a luminous light.

Evan blinked a few times before looking at me. He didn't ask much of anything, instead making a brief humming sound. It was only a mere few seconds of thought before Evan whispered a quiet 'thank you'. The smile that accompanied it took my literal breath away. The dazzling gleam and spirit he exhibited in that small and brief smile was breathtaking! It was almost as though the sun had burst through the clouds and illuminated everything, every nerve in my body…

I didn't have a chance to respond before being pushed from his mind.

My eyes opened and Dr. Harper was right in my face before a look of confused questioning wore its way there.

She would pull back to explain that she had good news before asking what I'd done. Darren stood a little ways behind Dr. Harper before scoffing.

I told the omega doctor that I disturbed a void and 'woke' him. She took notes and thought it was amazing progress before begging me to continue working with Evan. Darren was one hundred percent against it though, He said he hated the idea of another alpha rooting around his mate's mind. I was tempted to turn down the job because of him. But that smile came to mind and I agreed to help further.

It's been a month and a half of dreams and Evan is still no closer to waking from his coma. It frustrates me beyond belief. How am I failing so miserably at my gift-given talent? To be fair, Evan isn't fully trusting of me yet. Only recently has his mind started to change.

However, I have learned some disturbing things from his mind… My suspicions as to how the omega became comatose are starting to form. And I'm fully under the belief that Darren beat Evan into it. But accusing the cop without proof wouldn't be good.

…

As I walk into the hospital room, I can hear Darren talking loudly and heatedly with Dr. Harper.

"I don't want that alpha near Evan!"

"Ryker? He's working to wake Evan. I thought this would make you happy," she sounded concerned.

I peek around the curtain to see Darren holding Evan's hand.

"It does. But why does it have to be him?"

"Because he's the best. I didn't think you'd have an issue like this. We've made such great progress thanks to Ryker," she said, singing his praise. This only made Darren shoot a side scowl at Evan.

Maybe I shouldn't be eavesdropping, but the other alpha wasn't one to speak to my face. It was clear he'd rather talk behind my back; cowardly really.

But he stopped speaking badly of me as I stepped into sight. His eyes narrowed as Darren turned his attention to me.

"Speak of the devil," he mumbled while moving away from Evan to stand squarely in front of me.

"I'm here to work. I would think someone as respectable as you would want your mate back. Unless there's something else you've neglected to mention?" I know I'm poking the hornet's nest with my words, but I stand my ground with a defiant look. He growls before conceding.

"Nothing else to say. Just fix him quick."

Darren then turns to leave, grabbing his jacket and shooting a cold stare at Dr. Harper. The room feels bearable again only as soon as the other alpha leaves.

"I hate him," I whisper.

"He is Evan's mate. He wants the best for him too." Dr. Harper says while charting Evan's vitals.

"Odd way of showing it," I comment.

* * * * *

The dream feels different today. Entering a dream is always a sacred event. But today it isn't sacred but filled with a deep sense of regret and terror. Was this the first nightmare? The sound of soft sobbing filters through the air and to Ryker's ears. It sounds close but also distressed. He steps over toward a wall, noticing that he appears to be in an apartment. Ryker looks over at the pictures on the wall and can see that this must be their place; Evan and Darren's. The pictures showcase happy moments but with Darren's hand on Evan's shoulder in every picture as if he were asserting dominance at every moment.

His eyes widened at the scene before him as he rounded the wall into the bathroom. Evan sat on the floor with a plastic stick in his hands, bawling his eyes out. It was clear that he was pregnant in this dream by the swell of his stomach. Ryker could feel the pit of his stomach drop at the thought of what this meant.

As Ryker stood there taking everything in, Evan hiccuped and turned his eyes to Ryker. The fear and regret in them broke his heart. The alpha moved into the bathroom and scooped Evan up off the floor. This may be their space but he'd be damned if this turned into a real nightmare.

"Hey, it's okay. Tell me what's wrong," Ryker said softly. His words were barely more than a whisper at this point. He'd never touched Evan the way he was now. He'd made contact with the omega but never carried him bridal style over to a bed in Evan's private space. The thought of being in his apartment should have given Ryker apprehension, but this was just a dream to him. Although, it wouldn't be for Evan.

"I-I-I don't know how this happened… Darren is going to kill me," Evan sobbed, turning his face toward Ryker's chest just as his hands balled into fists in Ryker's shirt. The alpha allowed his hands to wrap around Evan and pat his back as they sat on the edge of the bed.

"Why would you think that?" It was a good question. How could Ryker help if he had no context of the situation? Even if this situation was breaking his heart in all the wrong ways.

"He doesn't want kids. And if he finds out… I can't lose a baby. I can lose everything else, but I couldn't live with myself if I lost a life inside me," his sobs were icicles in Ryker's chest as he tried to envision something to soothe Evan. The alpha had some control of the scene since this was a dream, but he couldn't think of what would be easily conjured within the dream and would calm Evan's panic.

"You won't lose the baby. Please, calm down, okay? I can't help you if you work yourself up." His statement was honest but kind. He wanted to help Evan through this, even if his alpha instincts were going haywire. Ryker knew he had no right to feel this way about the omega, Evan was Darren's mate, not his own. But to think that Evan would be so terrified of what the other alpha would do, made Ryker want to rip him to pieces.

"Wait, how did you get in here? If Darren comes home… oh god, you must leave, Ryker!" Evan's panicked words only made Ryker angrier with the other alpha. Evan was terrified of so much, the regret in the dream leaving a bad taste in his mouth. But Ryker was seeing red as he considered how to handle this situation in the best way possible.

"Shh, Evan. It's okay. Nothing and no one can hurt you in here. It's not real."

But the words left his lips before he could realize what was about to occur. Evan sniffled and looked up at Ryker with a clearly confused expression.

"What do you mean? How can this not be real?" he asked. Evan wasn't in the real world right now, so he checked into the hotel space of his mind. And until Ryker could discover the key to unlocking his confines, he had to play it cool and elusive. Something he was struggling with as of late.

"Evan, I know you've no reason to trust me, but you need to listen to my words. You are okay. You will wake up from this like it's a terrible dream, I promise you," he said while smoothing out Evan's hair and wiping at the tears rolling down his cheeks. The omega sniffled again and tried to even his breathing. It was evident now that Evan was suffering. It was impossible to prove in the real world though. Darren wasn't abusive to Evan while in the hospital. And anything he may bring up would be simply hearsay. Ryker would need to wake Evan quickly to be able to start getting the truth out of him.

Ryker began rocking Evan in his arms and humming quietly. The omega seemed to soothe at the gesture, even tilting his face up toward Ryker's scent gland. He took a sniff of the alpha's scent before nestling his cheek into Ryker's chest. The blush that blazed its way across his cheeks went unnoticed as the room started to fade to black edging shadows. Evan was waking up from the dream inside his coma. This wasn't the time to break the fourth wall of news to him.

* * * * *

However, it was only a moment longer before I'm pulled from the omega's mind, quite literally. Looking around, I first notice Dr. Harper looking away while trying to calm an angry Darren. The other alpha was beyond irate and it was clear that I was the cause.

"How can we know what he's doing in there? This alpha takes forever and we have no way of knowing what's happening in these so-called dreams!" Darren was shouting and when I stood from my seat and garnered Darren's full attention.

"You bastard! How can we know you're not doing invasive or forceful things to my mate? How can I know you're not coercing him into intimate activity?" The words, the accusations coming from Darren made my mouth hang open in dismay. How dare he when Darren was sure to know the cause and reason for Evan even being in the coma in the first place!

"I don't have to take your accusations, Darren. In fact, I have an inkling you'd prefer Evan never wakes up. I've seen stuff in there, and I know things. But as a respectable alpha, I'm not going to throw around accusations without solid proof. So I'd watch your words carefully for once Evan is out of his coma, I'm sure to raise questions about how he got into it in the first place." My words are firm and my gaze is heavy on Darren's face. The other alpha takes a moment to consider his next response carefully.

"I wouldn't make threats without proof," he started to say before I cut him off.

"No, you make false accusations instead. Far worse in my opinion." 

Darren huffed and stormed out of the room with his jaw set to the side. Clearly, I won that argument.