His Slave Her Master

Part 33 Suffocating

"Natalie open the door, I won't ask again." Valentino's desperate voice sounded through the bathroom door, the break in his voice breaking my heart.

Looking down at my naked and trembling body, I realised just how ridiculous I looked. I needed to get off of the floor and face him, face my husband and my mate and my lover. But I don't move. I'm unable to move, afraid that if I do, the darkness will snatch me and my baby up.

My baby.

Pressing the palm of my hand to my flat stomach, I question how it could possibly be moving so early on. The thought is scary, however nothing compared to everything else that is going on.

"Natalie!" He yelled now. I could just imagine his bare chest heaving, his mind so full of worry that the only emotion he can show is anger.

"I can't." I choked through a sob. "I can't, Val."

"Just-" he broke off in sorrow. "Just let me hold you."

I pressed my palms into my eyes. "No, no, no, no-"

The sound of the door breaking open had me jumping and sobbing harder. Not even a second later, I was pulled into Valentino's chest as he gently rocked me on the bathroom floor.

I clung onto my mate for dear life, his body feverishly warm against mine. He gripped onto my hair, as if I would vanish if he didn't hold on tight enough. The despair in the room was so thick it was suffocating.

We had been so happy. So willing to bring this child into the world. But we had been stupid in thinking it would be easy. Not only do we have the ancient ones after us, but both mine and the baby's lives are on the line.

"I won't let you down." Valentino said into my hair, and by the wetness on my scalp, I knew he too was crying. "Neither of you."

And so we held onto one another, our tears falling to the floor, as we questioned whether he could keep his word or not.

I must have fallen asleep in his arms as when I woke up, I was in the bed wrapped under the sheet. I felt comforted in knowing that he too had fallen asleep beside me, his body stiff despite dreaming.

My head thrummed from all of the tears, my nose stuffed and running. Feeling grimy, I got up and padded over to the bathroom, my body aching.

When I took in the large bathtub that I had missed from my earlier meltdown, I almost began sobbing again. Turning on the water, I looked in the mirror as I waited for it to fill.

My hair had grown much longer in the time I had been here. Where before it fell just below my shoulders, it now reached the middle of my back. I looked older, I realised. Any of my childlike features having vanished.

When the bath was filled and steaming, I slowly lowered myself inside. It was hot, causing my skin to go red and blotchy, but I welcomed the soothing pain.
Leaning back, I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, the steam helping clear my nose.

"Mind if I join you?"

I opened my eyes startled to find Valentino stood in all of his naked glory in the doorway.

I shifted in the bathtub, saying nothing as I pulled up my legs to give him room. Valentino's golden eyes looked dimmer today, not nearly as bright as they had been the night before.

He was slow in approaching the tub. And when he did, instead of using the space I had given him, he gently pushed me forwards so that he could sit behind me so that I was in between his legs.

"We'll work through it." He said after ten heavy minuets of silence. He wrapped his arms around my waist, his large palm lingering on my stomach. "I promise you."

I shook my head. "Don't make promises you cannot keep. Please."

Valentino turned me around so that I was now facing him, my hands braced on his chest. Using his thumbs, he wiped away my falling tears.

"I love you." He murmured before pressing his lips to mine. "Never forget that."

Leaning down, I rested my head on his chest. "I'm scared, Val."

"I know." He said, soothingly rubbing by back. "I am too."

Lifting my head so that I was looking at him again I said, "What are we going to do about the ancient ones? They'll find us eventually. They might even control you again-"

"Don't." He cut me off. "The ancient ones will find us, yes. But we have nine months until they become a problem."

I bit my bottom lip, debating whether I should tell him or not. Val frowned. "What is it?"

I shook my head. "You'll call me crazy."

Valentino's grip tightened on my body. "Never."

I knew he could hear my heartbeat picking up. "I don't know how much you know about babies and pregnancy, but I only just became pregnant literally last night, the baby...it shouldn't be moving quite the way it has been."

Valentino was quiet.

"Which means," I continued hesitantly, "I don't think we have nine months."

Valentino licked his lips. "It must be because it's not just any ordinary pregnancy, nor baby."

I nodded. "I guess we have less time to prepare."

"Indeed."