We’ve been over this. He wouldn’t be as nice if you were just some Fae and not mine.
I shiver. It’s stupid—he’s not saying I belong to him. Not really, just that others think I do—but even reading it makes my stomach turn over and the still raw bite on my throat burns.
Fox waves the pen in front of my face to get my attention.
I’ll sleep on the floor.
I shake my head and take the quill back.
That’s stupid, you don’t have to.
The obvious unspoken issue is that we both know we’ve shared a bed dozens of times, just not to sleep.
Never once in all the times I went to his room did I stay the night, except for that one time he wasn’t there. Thinking of that sends a cold realization washing over me.
He’s never wanted anything from me other than what it was, and clearly even then, I always wanted more otherwise I wouldn’t have been so hurt.
The realization is painful, but in some ways I’m glad to have had it. It’s a good reminder that just because we’re pretending to be bonded, it doesn’t mean it will ever happen for real. We should have no problem sleeping in the same bed, because it doesn’t mean anything.
Fox takes the quill back from me and bends down to write something else, but I turn away and walk back toward the bed before I can read it. I don’t want to argue with him about it. I don’t want to discuss it at all.
Seeming hesitant, Fox puts the quill down and follows me over to the bed.
I didn’t pack any nightgowns, assuming that I wouldn’t need them. I pull out one of my human made t-shirts and some leggings and then realize that I can’t change while he’s standing right there. Obviously thinking the same thing, Fox points toward the entrance of the tent then walks outside. I hear his footsteps moving away, so I know he must be going somewhere. I don’t know how long he’ll be, so I dress quickly and climb into bed, wishing Eugene were here to cuddle with me.
Fox returns ten minutes later, and barely looks at me as he kicks off his boots and strips his shirt over his head. With a gasp, I turn on my side, my back to him, and squeeze my eyes shut.
I forgot he usually sleeps naked.Shit!
I hold my breath, not sure what I want to happen next.
Mercifully—or tragically, I can’t decide—Fox leaves his trousers on. Still, I don’t relax as he climbs into the bed, staying as far away from me as is possible…which isn’t very far at all.
Oh Gods, this torture.
He lets out a long breath, as he shifts around, clearly struggling to find a comfortable position. Finally, he turns on his side too, facing away from me.
Despite our best efforts, it’s impossible not to touch. His spine brushes mine and I can feel the warmth emanating from his skin as acutely as I feel the throbbing from the bite on my throat.
I sigh, and shut my eyes, trying to think about anything other than the man beside me.
My mind drifts instead to the mystery of my supposedly dead mother and the sister I never knew I had, and I finally fall asleep with visions of the dancing lights in the dark sky bursting behind my eyes.
Iknew I should have slept on the damn ground.
On the first morning since arriving at camp, I wake to find my arm wrapped around Aurelia’s waist and her little body pressed firmly against my painfully hard cock.
These beds are only made for one person, and if Aurelia weren’t so tiny, we never would have fit. Since most couples are placed on separate patrols, it’s not as if they’re often in the tent at the same time, and if they are, the bed probably wouldn’t be used for sleeping. Still, I don’t remember ending up in this position. I must have rolled over in my sleep.
Horrified, I try to disentangle myself from Aurelia without waking her. She shifts and hums a sleepy sound.
Please don’t wake up. For the love of the fucking gods, please don’t wake up.
I ease away from her and stand up, striding quickly out of the tent. The sun has just barely risen, and I glance around the quiet camp, a frustrated sound rumbling through my chest.
My cock throbs and my breathing comes out ragged. I need to take care of this, but with my luck, someone will hear me. That would be fucking embarrassing, but more importantly, it would also raise a lot of questions.
There have already been a lot of damn questions, as it is.
