The Hatchling

Spare Time

***Beck***

Her body racked with terrible sobs as she clutched the pillow, sheets, mattress, and any other part of the bed her fingers could find.

I was unsure what I was supposed to do at first. I actually wanted to go find Malachai and slam his skull into the pavement, but Emira needed me.

I hesitated when I began to reach out to her. What if she pushed me away? What if she was mad at me too?

Pushing those thoughts from my head, I pulled her from the pillow and into my lap. Her face rested on my chest as she cried, her bawls ragged and pained like every breath hurt her.

Her nails dug into my back and I ended up leaning back against the backboard to support her pushing into me. She just simply leaned on me, crying and not saying a single word.

She had to of believed some of what he said. Emira was believing some man who didn't even know her over me, and that didn't offend me so much as it wounded me.

I'd make her believe. That I swore.

I woke in the middle of the night, and Emira was clutching me like an infant, curled up half on top of me. Her eyes were swollen and her cheeks looked raw and red still.

Brushing her hair from her face, I pulled her tight to my side and enjoyed the sensation of her next to me. She smelt like soap. Clean and crisp almost. It was a delightful scent that danced around my nose even in the wee hours of the morning.

Her leg was intertwined with mine like a vine, and her arm had me in a vice grip almost, but I didn't mind one bit. I felt like she needed and wanted me, and that was all that mattered.

Waking up again, I expected her to be right where she had been, but she wasn't. I glanced to the other side of the bed, and again she wasn't there.

The bathroom light was glowing though, so I stood and went there.

Empty.

The steam from a shower barely hung in the air. It had been an hour, perhaps, since she'd been there.

My mind began to panic.

Oh no. She had left. She's gone. She had ran away.

Sprinting for the door, I threw it open and rushed to the guards at my door.

"Where'd she go?" I asked quickly, the fear rising in my voice.

One pointed to the dining hall, and I ran there. Some squads had filtered in, including the red head girl's group. When I bolted to her, she looked at me with fright.

"Have you seen Emira?" I wheezed.

Her eyes grew with terror. "No. I haven't seen her in over a week. Where is she? Is she okay?"

I didn't have time to answer her questions, so I just darted away and went to the airfield.

Her scent was strong there. It was sticking to the grass well.

I followed the trail to the elevated doors on the right, and I went up into them. The smell got stronger and stronger the further down the hall I went until I reached the weight room.

Heaving the door open, I found her bench pressing with sweat pouring down her body. She heard the door hit the wall and perked her head up from what she was doing.

Emira set the weighs down and got off the bench. "Hey, why are you still in sweatpants with no shirt? And why the lack of shoes?" She asked gently.

Panting, I leaned on the doorframe. "I should be asking the questions. Why didn't you tell me where you were exactly?"

My whole body relaxed with relief at the sight of her. She had her uniform only on her legs with the sleeves tied around her waist and a sports bra serving as a top. How many other guys had seen her like this?