Breathless Novels & Stories

Being near him during the heat is a nightmare. It surprises me that I’m still standing at all, even after minutes of heat clawing through me and breathing in his scent. “No.” My voice cracks as I stumble back, shaking my head. “No, I don’t need you. I’ll manage. I’ll—” “You’ll collapse,” he cuts in, tone sharp, matter-of-fact. “Your body’s already giving in. How long do you think you can hold on?” My knees threaten to buckle. He’s right, damn it. I can barely breathe—every inhale is a fight. My skin burns, my vision swims, and my body screams for something I refuse to give.

I can't breathe again. I try not to let Adrielle see this, or she'll have to worry about both of us. I clench my hands tightly, as if that will control my anxiety and trembling, but it doesn't. My fingers seem to have a will of their own and won't stop trembling, as do my lips. I try to take a deep breath to get air, but it doesn't happen. My vision is blurry and starting to darken. Everything around me is deafeningly silent, and I can no longer focus my attention on anything. I turn to leave the room hurriedly for some fresh air. I take quick, steady steps down the hallway, trying to get out of there as quickly as possible, but the hallway seems to stretch even further, getting longer and f

I couldn't breathe. "Slow down," I forced out. My voice trembled as I spoke but he ignored me. He didn’t respond. "Adam," I tried again, louder this time, but it came out shaky. "Slow the damn car down!" The panic was clawing at my throat, making it harder to breathe. My chest rose and fell in rapid, shallow breaths. A familiar tightness wrapped around my lungs, squeezing mercilessly. I was spiraling. My fingers shot out, gripping the edge of the dashboard. "I can’t…" I gasped, squeezing my eyes shut. "I can’t breathe…"

No one can. I am thrashing, fighting for my life, but nothing is working. Where is everyone? I'm dying and this is the end for me. Bubbles coming out of my mouth and I can't do anything to save myself. I'm losing oxygen. "Victoria!" I hear a light voice. My shoulders start shaking. "Victoria!" It's getting louder. "VICTORIA!" It's so loud. My eyes shoot open and let out a loud gasp, I want to sit up but something is holding me down.

“And you shouldn’t be out here alone.” The distance between them was less than ten feet now. And it showed. Elara’s lungs constricted, her breathing faltered, the ache building in her ribs. She staggered back, clutching her chest. Kael cursed, closing the space in two strides. He caught her by the shoulders, his touch sending a violent shiver through her. “Breathe,” he commanded, low and urgent. “Damn it, Elara, just breathe.” “I—I can’t when you—”

I know what this means the end is near. “Breathe in,” he murmurs, low, intimate. I obey. The air fills only the top of my lungs. He holds me there, and I want to panic, but I don’t. “And out.” As I exhale, his weight presses me down, coaxes the breath from my chest, leaving me hollow, empty.

Halfway there, the first contraction hits. It starts low in my back, like someone pressed a hot iron against my spine, then climbs, wraps around my middle in a slow, tightening band. The pressure builds steadily, squeezing everything inward, making it hard to breathe. My knees buckle a little. I grip his arm hard enough to leave marks. “Breathe,” he says instantly. Voice steady even though his face is pale. “In through your nose. Out through your mouth. With me.” He breathes with me. Slow. Counted.

It’s like something is missing inside of him, something vital. Kieran blinks again; his lashes are heavy, and the ceiling above him is tilting and warping. His lips part, but no sound comes out. His throat feels raw, his tongue thick and bitter, and every attempt to breathe feels like a difficult task, like there isn’t enough air in the room. Everything feels wrong.

He turned to find her, breath rapid, struggling for air. "What's wrong? Are you alright?" he asked, concern evident in his voice. Her breathing quickened further until she couldn't draw a breath. "What's happening?" he queried, worry deepening. "I don't know. I think I can't breathe properly," she managed to say. "Shortness of breath? Alright. I'm sorry. Maybe I pushed you too hard, especially with the stairs. Let's take a moment to rest, alright? Breathe in and out, slowly," Ian advised.

Rosie I can’t breathe… It feels like my lungs have melted to form a narrow tube, and whatever oxygen is left seems stuck somewhere in my chest, a sharp, painful stab digging in my chest. My eyes fly open, and thick black darkness shrouds my vision. Heavy pants echo through the room, perspiration trickling down my already slick back. I tap the bed, but all I feel is nothing… air and nothing.