Brken

Chapter 114: PTSD

Drystan’s POV

In the end, Astrid managed to convince Nova and me to bring her back to the Pack in exchange for a promise that she would visit here every week for her routine checks.

Astrid really didn’t want to stay here any longer. Ever since she found out that her father was actually the Alpha of this Pack, she couldn’t wait to leave.

Asha, on the other hand, hadn’t seen Asha since she found out that Astrid was her half–sister. She had

never shown herself to us ever since

When we arrived at the Shadowfang Pack, we brought nothing with us except ourselves.

It was an unplanned trip. Thankfully, the Shadowfang Pack provided us with clothes so we could change.

Now that we are returning to our pack, we changed the clothes that we wore at Killian’s engagement party since it was the only one we owned.

“Are you really sure that you’d come with us?” I asked Astrid for the umpteenth time already.

Astrid nodded her head, not getting tired of giving me the same response.

“Even if you ask me for a million times, Drystan. I will never change my mind,” she replied while looking at me in the eye.

“Are we not going to tell Alpha Theron that we are teaving?” Nova asked after she was done–cleaning the room where we stayed so it would look the same as it was before we stayed there.

Since Astrid is coming with me, there’s no need for Nova to stay behind.

Astrid averted her gaze when she heard Nova’s question.

“Don’t worry, I’ll talk to Alpha Theron. No one has to come with me. You can wait for me here,” I answered Nova’s question, directing my words to her!

“Then, Nova and I will go out first. Let’s just meet outside,” Astrid spoke confidently.

Nova and Astrid left first, leaving me behind. I gave one last look around the room just to make sure

that we did not forget anything.

“Astrid! Astrid!” Nova’s panicking voice entered my ears.

I hurriedly left the room and ran across the hallways until I reached them, standing near the staircase.

“Drystan!” Nova looked at me in panic when she saw me come out of the room.

My gaze fell on Astrid, who was lying on the ground, unmoving, with tears welling in her eyes.

“I don’t know what happened. She just froze up and fell,” Nova explained frantically as she was

overwhelmed with worry.

“Astrid, Astrid breathed,” I spoke firmly as I crouched beside Astrid and placed a hand below her back

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to support her. “Just breathe, Astrid!” I repeated, commanding her to breathe.

+15 BONUS

Astrid looked at me, her eyes red with tears and her arms trembling like she was having a seizure.

She wasn’t having a seizure. She was having a panic attack. It was fear that was consuming her, constricting her chest, her muscles tightening, making her unable to breathe.

Something had triggered her, making her body react like this. I looked around, wondering what could have possibly triggered her when my gaze drifted to the staircase and the looming height near us.

It’s PTSD. Astrid has suffered from post–traumatic stress disorder, which she wasn’t aware of.

Because of what happened to her recently, she had developed a fear of heights that was so severe that her body would turn paralyzed because of it.

“Astrid look at m,e. Look at me,” I commanded her as I carried her bridal style to take her away from what was causing her trauma.

I laid her back to her bed and held her close.

“Nova, called the doctors,” I commanded her.

She nodded her head and ran outside in a hurry.

“You’re safe now Astrid. Just breathe! I’m here, I’m not going to let anything happen to you,” I spoke in a soothing, gentle tone.

“Take deep breaths,” I whispered as I took deep breaths myself so he could match me.

Astrid rested her head on my shoulders, matching the rising and falling of my chest. Soon enough, Astrid finally calmed down.

I looked down on her. The first thing I noticed was how her gaze finally cleared up.

Unbidden, flashes of her accident must have replayed in her mind while she was fighting for her life.

It has been a week since the accident, but the memory of that terrifying fall is still seared into her

mind.

Now, every time she’d get near a looming height, her body would betray her, seized by a visceral, all- consuming fear.

When Astrid could finally move, she wrapped her arms around my neck and cried like a baby.

My heart shattered as I listened to her cries. Unbridled fury wrapped my heart as I witnessed how Killian and Giselle still continued to torment her even when they weren’t allowed.

Those monsters! They don’t deserve to be forgiven.

As Astrid and I fell deep in our embrace, Nova and the doctor that she called finally arrived.

“Is she alright?” I asked the doctor after she had made a thorough check on Astrid.

“She’s alright,” The Doctor answered; even though her answer was good, she didn’t look happy. “Ms. Astrid is fine,” the doctor continued. “But she needed to visit a therapist,”

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+15 BONUS

My eyes fell on Astrid, who was looking at the wall across her empty. She already knew that’s what the doctor is going to tell her.

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