Enchanted by the Hellhound

~with such fierce and savage concern~

six

It was the harsh, drowning quiet and sharp, bone aching chill that woke her, alone and tangled in her bed sheets. Within seconds, her throat began to close up. Bella began to dig her nails into her neck, clawing into her skin the panic began to overwhelm her.

This was so much more worse than when 'he' had left.

Just as the younger Swan could swear she was about to tear out her own throat, she instead fought with herself to get out of bed and onto the floor. Which she landed on with a pathetic whimper. The brunette, with her chocolate eyes beginning to water, scrambled to her feet as she tried to stumble across the slightly messy room, desperately needing the walls to support her, to keep her from falling to the ground once more, but this time with the despair and misery that was threatening to consume her. And this time, for good.

Bella couldn't help but think, with absolute terror rushing through her veins, that suffocation was imminent. But then after what seemed like years, the girl finally reached the bathroom before turning on the shower handle full ball. The brunette then practically collapsed in the tub, curling up into a small ball as body shaking sobs escaped her mouth, not even noticing the freezing temperature of the ice cold water leaving her completely drenched.

The Swan closed her eyes as her unsteady breath slowed and started to even out, tiredly running her unsteady fingers through her matted hair to attempt at calming her erratic heart when once again, the horrid and nightmarish thoughts of her just coming up with the imaginative idea of her hellhound, her Stranger, her Rykar, her... someone who had become so incredibly important to in such a short time, immediately began to pick away at her already fragile sanity and dig her deeper into the dark hole of her depression.

It was getting harder and harder to breathe, but sitting under the gushing showerhead had nothing to do with it. Her muddled up mind was starting to push the fingers tearing at her throat up her arms. All the noise in her head distracted her from the sound of the heavy footsteps slowly ascending the stairs towards her room.

There was a soft knock on her bathroom door and all Bella could manage was a hoarse mumble, "Come in."

The old door squeaked open and honestly, the small brunette expected her father, until large calloused hands, almost as warm as hot as fire, gathered her up in thick, muscled arms, pulled her close to a hard, broad chest and out from under the water. The younger Swan's chocolate coloured eyes snapped open, hearing murmurs of comfort, mumbled questions and more importantly, an intense heartbeat in her ear.

Bella took a deep breath in, before her eyes suddenly grew damp, knowing that scent of burning embers, the wild woodlands and thick masculine musk could belong to only one man... to one Stranger...

Her blushing, awestruck gaze shot up to see an intense pair of cerulean blue orbs staring down at her with such fierce and savage concern. A look she had never seen before.

"What is wrong, my Bella?" the hellhound whispered, taking in her aroma with a frown, before he rubbed his cheek over hers, "Your heart is beating out of your chest."

Silent tears slowly began to trickle down her flushed face and Rykar couldn't stop the whine of distress escape his throat, tightening his hold on his soulmate, never wanting to let anything hurt her like this again. She continued to stare, not willing to lose sight of him, fearing he'd disappear once more. Her bottom lip quivered and despite it all... she managed to turn the shower tap off.