After dinner, Nix yawns.
“Ready for bed?” I ask.
She nods, hugging herself. “One of us has to stay up. To keep guard.”
“Let’s do shifts. I’ll go first, you sleep.”
She looks up at me. “You sure?”
I stoke the flames. “Yeah. I’ll wake you when it’s your turn.”
“Thanks, Jax.”
The words are murmured gently and quietly. A shiver runs down my spine.
I sit by the fire while Nix settles between the furs. The night hasn’t even settled in fully, but the temperature has dropped significantly.
Not even five minutes pass before I’m bored. I scratch the stubble on my jaw.
Spirits of the gods, I hate being still.
Quietly, I rise to my feet and stretch my legs. Maybe I should scout the perimeter.
My feet are quiet and quick as I navigate the forest floor and leave Nix sleeping in the camp. The horses are calm, and quiet.
I don’t go too far.
At night, the forest appears to be even larger. And it’s not quiet. It’s full of sounds, from hooting owls to chirping birds.
After making the rounds around the campsite and not finding any threats, I return to the camp.
I’m surprised to find Nix still awake. Our bond is buzzing with energy.
“What’s up?” I ask quietly as I sit down by the fire.
A beat of silence. Then, “It’s fucking freezing.”
“Damn, being a human’s not so fun,” I tease lightly.
Nix scoffs and throws off the fur to glare at me.
“Not funny! I’m wearing my leathers, the fur vest, and am buried between three rolls of fur!”
Chuckling, I stand up and head over to her.
Immediately, she’s alarmed. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to join you so you don’t freeze your ass to death,” I say.
Nix clicks her tongue. I know she’s desperate to argue against it. Oh, I can literally hear her debate happening in her mind.
But she bites her tongue and makes space for me on the fur roll.
I try my best to suppress my smile.
She hits me in the middle of my chest with the back of her palm. “Stop looking so smug.”
“Sorry, darling,” I purr.
