The Elemental Wars: Jasper's Desire

Thirteen...

I wake up the next morning in Belle's bed. The two of us stay snuggled together in the tight, uncomfortable twin sized bed, using each other's bodies for warmth.

The temperature got deep into the negatives last night, one of the coldest nights I've ever experienced. With not much blankets or a fireplace to keep us warm, she and I relied on each other for warmth. It is not unusual for us to cuddle anyways, but it is much harder than it used to be with much smaller bed space.

"I don't want to get up..." I whine. "It's too cold."

"We got to try get to work today, right?" Belle questions. "You said so yourself. Then, we have to get up eventually and bundle up with our coats. Hopefully someone would be willing to let us out for some time today."

"Yeah..." I respond, yawning as I slowly get out of the bed. I am struck with a sudden wave of cold air and I hurry to make sure I bundle up to protect myself. "It's horrible... I hope that if we are freed for a bit that there's a fire somewhere."

"There probably will be," Belle responds. "There's no way anyone can function properly in this weather."

"Yeah..." I say with a nod. "I walk over towards the barred door of the prison room and look out, seeing if anyone is guarding us. I spot Tinley standing outside.

She hasn't guarded for us yet at all. Maybe they're trying to test her skills now. She's known to be a bit troublesome and mischievous sometimes, so I know they probably were hesitant to have her do it.

"Hey," I say to Tinley, noticing that the young woman is covered in coats and other warm clothing and is still shivering. "Can you let us out for a bit? Then you can get a chance to warm up and send someone else to stick with us."

"Oh, sure!" Tinley responds, seemingly without hesitation. "I asked my mama what to do if you asked, and she said it's fine for the both of you to be out for a little bit today since it's so cold! There's a fire going in the longue today if you want to go there and warm up!" I watch happily as Tinley unlocks then opens the door to the prisoner room. I turn to Belle and gesture over to her. She gets up, immediately shocked by the cold air. Belle quickly bundles up with a few coats and then follows me out.

"Thank you, we really appreciate it," I tell Tinley.

"Don't think I'm going to show you this much pity all the time!" Tinley responds. I laugh nervously.

"Of course," I respond. "Now, come along Belle," I grab my girlfriend's hand before heading down the stairs. Shivering from the cold, I hold Belle close until we reach the lounge. When we arrive, we notice it is quite busy. There is a large fire going in the fireplace. Suddenly, I feel to arms hug me from behind. I jump a little in surprise, but look behind me to spot Maya.

"Good morning," I say, smiling a little. "How are you doing?"

"Good morning. You two must be so cold! I'm pushing through, I guess," Maya says as she lets go of me, her eyes glistening with worry. "Come move closer to the fireplace," she says as she leads the both of us towards the fireplace, where some people are gathered, chatting away.

"There's blankets as well if you want those too," she informs us. "This is the coldest night I've felt in a long time! I sure hope no one gets sick."

"I hope not," I respond.

"Yeah..." she sighs. "Take care of yourselves now, okay? Let me know if you need anything," Maya says as she gives me another quick hug before heading off in the other direction. There I spot Reece, who was just standing there watching us. I can feel his gaze locked on me, his eyes cold and sinister. It sends a shiver down my spine.

I sit down on a couch near the fireplace and Belle sits down next to me, leaning against me and resting her head on my shoulder.

"Babe," Belle murmurs.

"Yes, honey?" I respond, looking down at her, noticing her eyes are closed.

"I think I might be pregnant."