Chapter 66: Mother Mina, Part 1

The morning that Mina was to arrive, Carmella woke up screaming. Every night since the wolves had attacked she had been plagued with nightmares that sent her heart racing as predators in various forms tried to harm her, Raj or Bilal. Sometimes these predators were in the form of humans that resembled Ma, Lester or Earl. Sometimes they were wolves and tonight the predator was a large Centaurian with gelatinous black eyes that slithered toward her with the speed of a stallion.

Bilal was already sitting up in bed with several of his tentacles embedded in her. His brow was stitched in concern. It wasn't uncommon for her to wake up with him staring at her, filaments burrowed into some body part. But this time she jerked away from him before she came back to herself.

"It was just a dream, Carmella. You're okay." He said in the same soothing voice that he used for their son. He was stroking her hair and she relaxed and lay back down.