**WARNING MAY BE TRIGGERING**
Alice POV
As I begin to sit up to go after Lev, Dem tightens his hold on me, pulling me close.
”You need aftercare, and he needs time,” he whispers, his voice strained with concern.
My eyes fill with tears, and I cling to Dem, burying my face in his chest.
“What can I do?” I ask while trying to hold back a sob.
”Keep loving him, talk to him, and make sure he understands you accept all of who he is,” Dem replies.
I hug him tighter. “How can I do that if he won’t share all of himself with us?” I ask.
Dem’s chest rises and falls as he lets out a deep sigh. He runs his fingers through my hair, then puts his leg over mine, anchoring me.
“When I was 18, just months after taking my oath, I found him on the streets in Russia. His clothes were dirty and tor
