Darkest Before Dawn

RETH

They hadn't wanted to sleep, but Reth woke suddenly, in the dark, adrenalin pumping through his veins until they throbbed.

She was leaving. Today. And he didn't know when he'd see her again.

He closed his eyes and rolled, finding her under the furs, and sliding one arm under hear head, pulled her back with the other, into his chest. She sucked in a breath and her hand tightened on his that was flat on her belly.

"Morning love," he rasped in her ear.

"Is it? Already? I didn't mean to sleep, I'm so sorry, Reth—"

"Don't, love, hush. I slept too. We needed it. I just…"

"Yeah. Me too."

She hugged his arm and pulled his hand up to lay a kiss on his palm. Then she rolled over, buried her face in his neck and wrapped her arms around him. Neither of them spoke. But he held her so tightly he wondered if he was suffocating her. But she held him just as tightly.