As they frantically searched through the rooms that they passed, flinging the doors open as they went and finding each room empty, a pained scream that tore at their hearts sounded from behind a door that they had paused in front of.
They both crashed forwards, the doors banging noisily against the walls and bouncing backward as they entered, startling the baby boy that lay in the crib on the far wall as its wails filled the air.
Their eyes soon found the distressed figure of Lexi, tangled amongst the covers of the bed as she thrashed around violently.
After quickly sweeping the room, checking for intruders, and making sure that the baby was safe and not in any immediate danger, they ran the few steps across the room to Lexi's side.
Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed loudly in her sleep, pleading and begging for whoever it was that haunted her dreams to stop whatever it was that they were doing.
Both Allen and Greyson growled furiously as Allen's wolf whined in his head. Seeing her like this broke him in two and he reached for her to try and wake her.
Her skin was unnaturally hot to the touch and a faint sweat beaded around her hairline, the little wisps of her hair sticking to the skin. Greyson pulled the heavy duvet back a little way in an effort to cool her off and they both tried to gently wake her from her nightmare.
After a little while, Lexi's eyes flickered open and as she looked around her in confusion, completely disoriented and bewildered at her surroundings, they did their best to soothe and reassure her.
"It's okay Lexi, you're safe…" Allen said gently as Greyson withdrew slightly and hovered awkwardly at the side of the bed.
"I…I couldn't stop him…" Lexi mumbled in disbelief as she sat up and clutched at her head, curling her knees up protectively towards her body.
"What? Stop who?" Greyson asked with a frown, desperately wanting to rip whatever it was apart that had hurt his mate so badly.
"He killed him…I was only a child...how…why…I don't understand…" Lexi mumbled incoherently as she hugged her knees tighter and buried her head in her arms.
Greyson exchanged a look with Allen and indicated that he was going to try and calm the screaming baby, desperate for any distraction that would remove this murderous urge from inside of him.
Quite honestly, the baby's wails were doing nothing to help calm the situation and he knew that both he and Allen were to blame for its terrified screams and desperate need for reassurance. As soon as he picked the fragile little thing up and hushed it quietly, wrapping him protectively in his arms, the baby's cries tapered off into little grunts and snuffles.
As soon as the heart-rending wails subsided, Allen smiled gratefully at Greyson before he took a seat on the side of the bed next to Lexi.
When he reached for her to lay a reassuring hand on her arm, she flinched away reflexively and her head shot up, looking uncharacteristically fragile at that moment with her tear-streaked, sleepy face and wide eyes.
She looked like a frightened little rabbit caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.
"Lexi, it's me, Allen. Greyson is here too," He said softly, "You're in the pack house of the Crystal Pack. We came to bring Alpha Brad's son to him…"
It took a few seconds until the light of realization dawned in her eyes and he could see that she was beginning to come out of the shocked daze that had taken hold of her.
She began to shiver violently as she turned to look numbly at where Greyson now stood, rocking the baby in his arms gently, and Allen pulled the duvet back up to cover her.
Lexi let out a low shaky breath as she ran her hands through her hair in obvious shock.
"I'm sorry…I had a nightmare." She tried to explain in a tired voice before frowning slightly, "Wait a minute…why are you both in here?"
"We can't really ignore the sound of our mate's scream can we?" Greyson answered dryly as she blinked in surprise.
"Was it really that loud?" she asked sheepishly, a light flush creeping up onto her pale cheeks.
"It was loud enough for us to leave a good bottle of whisky on the table and come running to defend you from whatever it was that was distressing you so much," Allen answered with a small smile, "Honestly, we thought that we might have rip some throats out when we found you…"
"Or tear their still-beating hearts out," Greyson added matter-of-factly.
Lexi's face fell and her head drooped forward a little.
"I'm sorry," she murmured, "I've never had nightmares before…well, that's a lie. I have, but it's been a fucking long time."
"There's no need to be sorry Lexi, we just needed to make sure that you were okay," Greyson grunted quietly.
"Do you need to talk about it?" Allen asked as Lexi shook her head and sighed.
"No…I don't think I'm ready to talk about that just yet."
"Okay," Allen smiled reassuringly as he traced a soothing line backward and forward on her arm with his fingertips, "We can leave you to sleep now if you want and…"
"No! Wait!" Lexi exclaimed suddenly as she reached forward and grabbed hold of Allen's arm tightly, taking him by surprise.
Greyson's stomach fell as he watched them both and felt a faint pang of jealousy at her obvious need for the reassurance that she found in Allen's presence. But as he was about to turn away to save himself the painful sight, Lexi's wide and uncertain eyes turned to him too with the same imploring look.
"Please stay…both of you…" she added softly, staring between them both with wide and uncertain eyes.
If Greyson could have roared the joy that burst from his heart without waking the child that had nestled back to sleep in his arms, then he would have done. Instead, he placed the child gently back in its crib and moved towards her, standing awkwardly at the edge of the bed once more and exchanging a hesitant look with Allen.
"I just want to feel you both near me. I hate asking for shit like this…it makes me feel weak…" Lexi mumbled as Greyson sighed internally.
As much as he didn't want to share his first time laying next to her with Allen, he knew that she needed both of them at that moment. As uncomfortable as it was for him right now, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that if he was going to be as different from his bloodline as he wanted to be, then he would have to put Lexi's needs first, irrespective of what his instincts told him otherwise.
Pushing his irritation and anger away at the possessive jealousy that began to burn in the pit of his stomach, he sat on the edge of the bed and swung his legs up, settling himself into a comfortable position next to her.
Lexi looked down at him with mild surprise, clearly not expecting him to have agreed so easily. Yet there was also relief swimming in the depths of her eyes as she realized that this would not result in another argument between them and it warmed his heart tremendously.
She scooted closer to him to allow Allen room to get under the covers with her on the other side and nudged his arm upwards so that it would drape around her as she nestled into Greyson's chest.
Allen eased himself into the bed, pulling the covers over them all as he turned to his side, draping his arm across her waist as he traced circles on the barely exposed strip of skin on her stomach that peeked out from under her t-shirt.
Instantly, Lexi felt at peace. The anger and fear and grief seemed to disperse instantly as soon as their bodies made contact with each other and she allowed herself to get lost in the moment. Before long, her eyes began to droop and by the sounds of her mates breathing, they too joined her in the comforting embrace of sleep.