The beginning of Gwyn and Azriel

Hold On...I Still Need You

  Azriel's mate had stopped breathing.

  He had never been so afraid in his entire life.

  Even an army of enemies had never left Azriel so weak...so defeated.

  He rushed towards her in an instant, falling down to his knees at the tub.

  Azriel cupped both of her cheeks, which were both trembling.

  He could feel Gwyn's tears running through his fingers.

 "Sweetheart-" he gasped.

  But she just stared out at nothing...completely lost from the world.

 "Gwyn, it is just me," he was trying to turn her head...so she could look at him.

  But she was gone.

  Her lips began to turn blue as they parted in a silent cry...

  Then the body trembles got worse and Azriel wanted to damn every single belt on the planet.

  He was on his feet in an instant, rustling through the pile of towels for the largest one. 

  Then he bent to wrap the towel around Gwyn's shaking body as he lifted her from the tub.

  Azriel held her gently in his arms, kissing her head softly as she fell against his chest. He made his way through the hall, all while trying to warm his mate.

  She felt so light in his arms...so hollow.

  He did not know what to do.

  Again he was in a position where he had absolutely no control.

  Azriel closed her tighter to his chest as he brought Gwyn to her bed. He laid her as gently as possible, making sure to wrap her in more blankets.

  But the shakes were not from the cold...

  They came from a memory of trauma that could never be warmed by any blanket.

  Gwyn moved to lay on her side, cradling herself into a ball as her tears continued to leak onto the mattress.

  Azriel was not sure where to stand...

  He was not sure if he should join her in the bed and hold her until she felt better.

  He decided to bow in front of her flushed face, using his fingers to trace her hair.

 "Gwyn, sweetheart...you tell me if you want me here with you."

  Azriel could not breathe as he waited for her to answer.

  But she gasping again, staring at nothing.

 "Hold on, Gwyn," he connected their foreheads.

 "Hold on, baby."

  He rubbed her shaking arms, trying to give her any bit of strength.

 "I am sorry, Az," she gasped between sobs.

  He brought his lips to her forehead, "Don't you ever apologize about this...ever."

  Then her teeth began to chatter, and Azriel wanted to kill those Hybern soldiers again...torture them even worse.

 "I want to be alone," she barely whispered.

  Azriel could not speak... he could not tell her how much he wanted to comfort her...how much he needed her.

  So, he just nodded and paced towards the door.