A Strength to Admire #4
Yoga was a bit more difficult while pregnant, but she did her best with the poses she knew she could do with her belly.
She meditated, did her breathing exercises, she explored the room.
She was trapped inside, but her captors didn’t seem to care what she did so long as she stayed away from the windows.
She was losing her mind, but she was somehow maintaining a little bit of control.
How long would this go on? Most, if not all, of the other captives had been traded to the hostage negotiators she knew were camped out in front of the building.
If everyone was gone, then they were out of time.
She knew their captors wanted a helicopter to escape in, but once they got it, Holly and Romival would be dead.
The hours were blending together, but knowing the end was so near made each minute stretch into an eternity wherein each second brought her closer to breaking.
Shattering. Like glass.
So close. So real. It was like she could hear it happening.
She could hear it happening.
Holly blinked, coming back into reality, mind so exhausted from poor sleep and terror, for a moment she was convinced she was hallucinating.
Because there was a demon in the middle of the room.
He had a tail. He had long hair and long claws and long fangs.
Bright red eyes checked on her before leaping forward just as the door burst open.
Her captors had been standing outside. They could hear her moving. They knew she wasn’t going to risk her baby’s life. And sitting there, motionless, for hours on end as she tried to meditate away her fear creeped them out for some reason.
But of course, they were there. Always ready for the moment she did move.
Or for when a demon came crashing through the window before ripping out their throats in a shower of blood that should have disgusted her.
But then he turned back, and her mind had finally come back to reality.
“Holly!” Atem rushed for her, reaching for her with bloody claws.
She burst into tears as he enfolded her into his arms. He wasn’t her mate, but he was kin.
Some part of her, deep in her instincts, both old and new, recognized his scent.
Knew he was her guardian, her brother, even if he had given her protection over to her mate.
It wasn’t the same as having Romival, but it was just enough comfort for her to finally lose the battle against the consuming anxiety.
“Come with me,” Atem said, holding her face close to his chest, offering what little comfort his familial scent could give, as he guided her to the window he had shattered when he leapt inside.
She figured out where he came from when he leaned out so he could lift her onto the roof where Peony and Alanna were waiting to help pull her up.
Seeing them, haggard and tired, but okay, made the tears fall faster.
Their arms came around her, whispering comforting words she could barely understand as they tried to stop the breakdown she could no longer control.
Like a shattered damn, the floodwaters were released, and she was unable to put them back.
The next thing she knew, a familiar scent finally hit her. Like a drug, it burned through her system even as it brought her to life.
She turned, sightlessly seeking what she knew was there. She was sobbing too hard to hear, to see, but she didn’t have to search.
Romival was there, scooping her into his arms, guiding her tear-soaked face into his neck, offering his scent to her desperately gasping lungs.
It was a painful relief. The ache of a cramp finally relieved. The exhaustion of a flu finally passed. It hurt, but it was the best kind of agony.
Everything, everyone, faded away. She was aware the others were talking, that they were moving, but nothing mattered but Romival. She held onto him, clinging like a koala, as he started walking.
They were free. She was back in her mate’s arms.
It was finally over.
Romival
Back on the Jutiron Stor, safely enclosed in their den, Romival laid on his side beside his sleeping mate, head balanced on his hand, and watched her sleep.
Everyone was back. They were going to be flying back to Turv soon. Holly had barely emerged from their den since the two of them returned. She hadn’t had much nesting anxiety before, but it was hitting her hard now. She also couldn’t stand to be apart from him at all.
And to be honest, neither could he. Being forcibly separated from his pregnant mate for so many days on end had been worse than the lack of sleep, constant threat of death, harm from the hands of his captors, and being unable to eat because they wouldn’t accommodate his diet.
It was over, but Romival and Holly were both left scarred by the incident.
But his Holly, his warrior, had come through it all by herself. She was stronger than he could imagine. Greater than he deserved. She had held herself together under such horrific circumstances.
He was honored by her ability to fight. And he was so unspeakably proud of her.
Yet still so terrified she might be taken from him again.
As if she could feel the intensity of his gaze, Holly’s eyes opened. There was no soft sleepiness about her anymore. She came awake immediately, her entire body tensing, as if she expected to be back in that office.
“You’re safe,” Romival promised immediately, rubbing her belly, down to her hip, then back up again. Stroking her until she relaxed.
“Hey,” she whispered. “What time is it?”
“Early. You can go back to sleep.”
“Why are you up?”
He didn’t answer, but he didn’t really need to. She smiled sadly in understanding as she turned into him, putting her arm around his waist.
“I’m okay,” she promised.
“I know,” he kissed the top of her head. He had demanded she be scanned three separate times since they got back. Just to make sure that the prolonged lack of blood and constant stress hadn’t done any damage to Holly or their daughter.
“I love you,” Holly said. Reminding him again, as she had multiple times a day since they were reunited.
“As I love you,” he returned, tightening his arm around her. Around them both. “Don’t leave my side ever again, vi Vakara. Vi adassi.”
“Never again,” she promised, kissing his shoulder. “Romi?”
“Yes?”
“Will you make love to me?”
He lifted his head, looking down at her. He had abstained since they returned, not wanting to pressure her for anything, or make demands of her body. And she hadn’t offered, spending most of her time sleeping or cuddling against him. Just needing his closeness.
But now, she was finally looking at him with a familiar fire in her eyes. His little fighter, knocked down, but always getting back up to be ready to fight again.
He eagerly leaned over, kissing her deeply. Gratefully.
And he showed his appreciation until late in the morning, worshipping her body, bringing them both to ecstasy so hot, so bright, it burned away all terrible memories that might think to linger in their minds.
Truly, he was luckiest of males to have such a strong mate.