There were three blankets, side by side and overlapping. My eyes widened as I stared at the two spaces beside Kieran.
“Are we sleeping here?” I demanded. “The three of us?”
“I was wondering when she was going to notice that,” Kieran commented.
My gaze narrowed as the mist slipped over Kieran’s chest. “Is it really necessary that the three of us sleep…so close?”
“Is it necessary for you to make it sound like we’d be doing something other than sleeping?” Casteel queried, and when my gaze shot to him, he grinned. “I mean, all we’re doing is sleeping side by side.” He reclined back on one hand as the dimple appeared in his cheek. “Unless you have a different idea. If so, I’m very curious to learn more about it, wife.
I stared at him as the mist seemed to still around us.
“What? I’m just a very curious soul.”
“Did you forget that I’m armed?” I asked softly.
“Are you thinking about using it against me?” In the glow of the fire, both dimples appeared. “If so, this sleeping arrangement may get very uncomfortable for Kieran.”
I immediately thought of the Joining, and the humor dancing across Casteel’s face was evidence that he knew where my mind had gone.
“Or…interesting,” came the wolven’s response.
“I’m going to seriously hurt you both,” I growled as the mist drifted away.
“And I’m so very…intrigued now,” Casteel replied and then laughed as he patted the space beside him. “It’s going to get even colder during the night, more so than when we were in the Blood Forest. In about an hour or so, you’ll be grateful for the body heat.”
That was highly unlikely.
“Which, by the way, is the only thing either of us is offering tonight,” Casteel tacked on, the teasing gone from his gaze.
Kieran snorted and there was a taste of sugar on my tongue—amusement. “Yeah, I don’t feel like having my head ripped off tonight.”
“I doubt that will happen,” I muttered.
Casteel moved then, catching my hand. He pulled me down beside him, and I didn’t really fight him. The sleeping arrangements were awkward, but Casteel was my…he was my husband.
And it wasn’t like Kieran hadn’t already been in far more awkward situations with us.
Like when he’d seen me naked in the tub when we barely knew each other.
Or when he’d heard me screaming and walked in on Casteel and I, only to discover they were not shouts of fear or pain.
Or when Casteel had needed to feed.
I told myself to stop thinking about all of that as Casteel drew the blanket over us and then settled beside me. There was space between the three of us. Not much. Maybe an inch or so, and I so hoped I stayed still during the night.
And I really hoped that what Casteel had said about Kieran wasn’t true—that he kicked in the middle of the night.
I wanted to turn toward Casteel. I liked…using him as a pillow. Okay. I just liked being close to him, but he was lying on his back, actually behaving himself, and so I stayed where I was, watching the mist as it moved in slow waves above us. After a couple of minutes, I tilted my head, and it seemed to do the same, tipping to the same side.
I glanced at Casteel. I thought his eyes were closed. When I looked at Kieran, it appeared to be the same with him. Could they really be asleep already? I drew a hand out from the blanket and lifted it a few inches. The mist dropped and stretched like before, forming wispy fingers.
“What are you doing?” Casteel asked.
The mist fell apart.
“You scared it,” I grumbled.
“Scared what?” he asked.
“The mist—or magic. Whatever.”
Casteel shifted onto his side. “You can’t scare it,” he said. “It’s just magic. It’s not like it’s alive.”
“Seems alive to me,” I replied.
“That doesn’t make sense,” Kieran said tiredly.
“It interacts with you,” I told them.
“It’s your imagination.” The wolven rolled, and I felt his knee brush my leg.
“It’s not my imagination.”
“The magic can play tricks on you,” Casteel said, taking my hand and drawing it back under the blanket. “Make you think you’re seeing things you aren’t.”
I frowned.
“You should sleep,” he said. “The morning will come too soon.”
Not soon enough for me.