Hunted Queen

Chapter Sixty Six • Safe and Alive

Hi friends! 
Are you ready for a feel-good chapter? I think we have all deserved one! 

I am not going to lie, I am beat after work today, so if you find any errors: please comment and I will fix them! I am so grateful! 

-Jade- 

The moment sleep started to slip from her mind, when sounds were no longer blocked from it or kept at bay to let her rest, Jade opened her eyes slowly. During a deep inhale through her nose did she notice that something in her chamber was deviating from what it usually was. 

Slowly exhaling, she noticed that there was a certain smell lingering close by - someone familiar was near. Before she could raise her nose in the air to fill her lungs with the scent once more - to identify its origin - the sound of someone breathing heavily reached her. It came from behind her.

Jade turned completely still and listened intently. Holding her own breath while listening for someone else's. 

Another breath was drawn and she could hear that whoever it belonged to, was deep asleep or very relaxed. Making her sure that it did not belong to someone waiting to kill her, if that was their motive - then she would most likely already be dead. Who would wait for her to wake up? 

The sound of yet another breath reached her. Growing ever more familiar to her mind. For some reason it sounded like safety. It did not take long before she detected that her mattress was weighed down, behind her. From where the breathing was coming from. Someone was lying or sitting behind her. 

From there on, the scent and sounds revived her memory swiftly which then continued to fill in the gaps that her drowsy mind could not piece together on its own. That scent belonged to her husband. The sound, was him sleeping. She was certain of it. Had spent enough nights and evenings awake next to him, or in his arms, to memorize the sound of him being at perfect ease. He was right behind her. 

William. 

Before she could turn around in a haste, a hand gripped her firmly around her upper left arm. Keeping her in place and unable to move. As if he had instantly noticed that she was no longer sleeping. "Careful." A rough sleepy voice warned her, affection hiding behind the tired tone. 

"William." Jade spoke his name quietly, almost asking if his presence was in fact real or a sadistic dream of hers. 

"Yes?" He replied airily, seemingly half way through a yawn.

"You are here." She sighed and tried to turn her heads to catch a glimpse of him, feeling her entire body relax at the mere sound of his voice. 

"Be careful..." He said, reminding her that if she moved too quickly and without care, her body would punish her without remorse or mercy. When he seemed sure that she would not throw herself around, he spoke again. "I am here... Calm down." He instructed her softly - sounding like he had been through this exact scene before. He let a silence emerge between them while his hand squeezed her arm comfortingly - letting her wake up in her own pace while also making sure she did as he asked. 

Jade's memory had finally filled in all the blanks by this moment. It had brought back the hollow and aching sensation she had experienced when she had told William of the baby the night before. That she had not felt it for quite some time now... since she was attacked. That she was not sure it was still alive or not. 

"I want to see you." She whispered, displeased and feeling overwhelmed with the remnants of horrible feelings from last night.

"Do you promise to take it easy?"