His sleepy morning voice only further stokes the flames inside me. “How long have you been awake?”
I clear my throat. “A couple of minutes.”
He hums and closes his eyes again.
I’m painfully aware of all the points where our bodies touch. The way his hand rests over my waist, and just how hard he is.
I clear my throat again. “Jax. You have a boner.”
A cheeky smirk blooms on his face, but he doesn’t open his eyes. “I can’t help it, darling. It’s biology.”
I sigh dramatically. “Well, then at least let me go.”
He chuckles, but his grip around me loosens. I wiggle away immediately and get to my feet. My limbs are sleepy, so I do a couple of stretches. Even moving my body doesn’t help me get rid of this painful longing.
Fuck me.
“I’m going to check on the horses. Let’s get going,” I mutter and stride out of the cave.
The morning light is soft. The skies are clear, and the forest is full of sounds. I take a deep breath once I’m outside, and head for the horses tied to a nearby tree. They had plenty of space last night to graze.
Luna greets me with a familiar blow of her nostrils and a nudge.
“Good morning, sweet girl,” I murmur while I pet her neck.
Her coat is so soft. Midnight stands a little farther away, eyeing me sideways with his red eyes.
“Good morning to you too, Mister Grumpy,” I say to the stallion.
He grunts.
This motherfucker.
I’m not angry this morning!
“I think it’s ironic how you refer to my boy over here as Mister Grumpy when you’re the Grumpy Blade.” Jax’s voice startles me from behind.
I turn to him. He carries our bags from the cave with a wide smile.
“Whatever, Sparkle Boy.”
Jax chuckles while I head to collect the furs from the cave. I roll one and carry it back outside to secure it to Luna’s saddle. I pass Jax walking back into the cave. He winks at me when our eyes meet.
I ignore the tickle in my lower stomach and march towards the horses. Just as I put the saddle on Luna and tie the straps, the forest goes deadly silent again.
Immediately, I pull out two of my daggers and whirl on my heel. There’s nothing I can see among the trees. But the forest is silent, and that same crawling feeling is back.
Something—someone—is there. Watching. I know it in my gut.
A heartbeat later, the silence is shattered with a hooting, followed by a number of different songs from birds.
I lower my weapons.What the fuck is going on?
Shaking my head, I strap my weapons back to me. Jax emerges from the cave with the last two fur rolls.
“That’s all,” he says. “Let’s hit the road and try to find a nearby river on our way. I need a cold plunge.”
I secure my bag to Luna’s saddle. “Yeah. I can smell.”
