Breathless Novels & Stories

Those contractions transmitted to his ears like a low-frequency vibration. Her breathing became increasingly rapid, with shorter intervals between each breath. Air flowed in and out of her nostrils and lips simultaneously, creating a rhythmic “ha—ha—ha—” sound. With each “ha,” a stream of hot air was expelled onto her chest, causing a strand of hair at the edge of her silk shirt collar to flutter.

He was trying to breathe and the breath wasn't coming, or barely coming, each one a longer and thinner and more desperate whistle than the last. Nonna Violetta turned from the sink, and the plate in her hands hit the floor and shattered, and she screamed. "*Dio mio!* No — no — what is wrong, what is happening—" "I don't know!" Rhys was already up, already had the boy out of the stool and against his chest, and the small body was rigid and clawing for air, the gray coming into the skin now, that horrible gray, the blue starting around the swollen lips. "He can't breathe, he can't — Rhysian, look at me, breathe, you have to breathe—"

Love can hit you when you least expect it. It could be a soft easy wind that caresses you and gets stronger over time till it absorbs into your body and heart. Other times it can hit you like a gale-force wind and take every breath you will ever have, and breathe life into the person who took it in the first place. Laken stole my breath. She was my gale-force wind, and I will gladly give her every breath I have just to keep her safe, alive, and mine. If I have to live without her then I don’t want my breath. I don’t want anything but her. I will go to hell and back to get her from the grips of death.

he whispered in my ear sending shivers down my spine. "Wha- " I was cut off. "Royal vampires can read minds," he said confidently, "don't worry I think you're pretty sexy too." I scoffed, walking past him, not wanting to talk to him. “Hey I was not done talking to you.” He yelled from behind me, running to catch up with me. “Listen vampire, I have pepper spray in my bag, I also box, so I suggest you leave me alone before I use it on you,” I lied about both of them, I couldn’t fight and I was stupid to walk around without pepper spray.

Six streams of energy. Six pulses. His mind nearly collapsed under the pressure. He screamed. Elyndra slammed into the ground. BOOM! Hazel grabbed his shoulders. "Look at me!" Jae's eyes shook. "Jae!" He looked at her. "Not them." Hazel's voice remained steady. "Look at me." Jae focused. Her voice became the only thing he could hear. "One breath." He inhaled. "Again." He inhaled. "Again." The pressure began to fade.

Breathe in one two three four five Breathe out one two three four five Breathe in one two three four five Breathe out one two three four five Breathe in one two three four five Breathe out one two three four five

Not trembling like mine. For a fraction of a second, I hesitate. This is the point of no return. Then I place my hand in his. His fingers close around mine. Warm. Firm. Grounding. The contact sends a strange calm through me. He leans slightly closer. From the outside, it probably looks romantic. Intimate. Perfect. But only I hear the quiet murmur meant just for me. “Breathe.” Two syllables. Low. Controlled. My lungs finally obey. I hadn’t realised I’d been holding my breath.

My breathing began to betray me first. It came shallow, uneven—each inhale catching halfway down like my lungs had forgotten the sequence. I tried to pull in more air, deeper, steadier, but it only made it worse. My chest tightened, ribs locking as if something inside me was bracing for impact that had already come.

he says. His voice is different now. It's softer, and I hate that I notice it. “Breathe.” I let out a shaky breath, my chest rising and falling too fast, too uneven. “I am breathing,” I snap, even though I clearly… I am not doing it properly. His gaze sharpens slightly. “No, you’re panicking.” “I’m not panicking,” I insist. “You are,” he says calmly. “And you’re about two seconds away from passing out.”

What the fucking fate is this! “I don’t know!” Alora’s voice trembled, her grip tightening around our daughter as her eyes frantically searched mine, as if I’d have the answer. “She’s… she’s not breathing right. It’s like she can’t get enough air.” Nevaeh was beginning to claw at Alora’s shoulder, her tiny hands grasping at nothing as her mouth opened and closed, desperate for air. Tears I was holding back stinged my eyes because my daughter was struggling to breath and I don’t know what to do.