Mutual Understanding

Elsabet eventually fell asleep.

Sebatian was wide awake behind Elsabet. Careful not to bump her wounded back. He suspected that, like him, if she were able to change shape she could go far in the way of healing.

But she can’t.

Her body wouldn’t let shift while there was an infant in her womb.

He stroked her hair.

She made small sounds of distress that told him she was either having a nightmare or suffering the throes of her fever.

“It’s okay, sweetheart.”

“Why weren’t you there?” She whimpered again.

She doesn’t believe I was.

That made him feel like he’d let her down, even though he had been there. He laid with her for a long while.

When he did finally move to go and began sliding his arm from beneath her head, she abruptly caught his forearm and wrist. “Stay.”

He did. Because he could deny her so very little.

It was hours before he did slip away. He made it to the door that time