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‘If it were that easy, I would have done it already.’

A mild punch hit his bicep. ‘If it were that easy, it wouldn’t be worth it, brother.’

‘Oh? Since when did you become an expert?’

But Torj wasn’t listening anymore. His attention was elsewhere.

On the alchemist tending to the fire.

Wilder shook his head. ‘Furies save us all.’

* * *

They ate and drank their fill, chatting quietly across the fire. But Wilder dreaded the moment the talk would quieten and they would retreat to their bedrolls. For several nights now, he’d slept soundly with his arms wrapped around Thea, the rest of the world fading away to nothing. No night terrors, no flashbacks, only Thea and the comfort of her steady breaths against his body, her hair tickling the crook of his neck.

No sleep would come to him now without her. He knew that much.

All the same, when Torj stamped out the larger flames of the fire and the others rolled out their bedding with loud yawns, Wilder once again opted to put a little more distance between himself and the rest. He listened to them all readying themselves for sleep, and finally, he lay back on his bedroll in the dark, staring up at the infinity of stars canvassing the inky night.

Footsteps sounded across the camp and a bedroll was dropped unceremoniously next to his. Wilder didn’t dare move as Thea lay down beside him, curling up on her side against him, her head resting in the dip between his shoulder and chest. She was warm from the fire, and smelt like smoke, but the shape of her fitted against him perfectly, as she always did.

When he couldn’t bear the silence any longer, he peered down at her. ‘What are you doing?’

‘Sleeping.’

‘Here?’

‘Where else would I sleep?’ she asked.

‘I just… I thought…’

‘That I was angry at you?’ Thea raised a brow.

Wilder braced himself. ‘Aren’t you?’

‘Furious.’

‘And yet…’

‘And yet here I am. I thought by now you’d know I’m harder to shake than that, Warsword.’

The corner of his mouth twitched. ‘I —’

‘I’m still furious,’ Thea assured him sharply. ‘And believe me, I’ll have the truth from you, one way or another. But for now… why should I lose sleep?’

Wilder couldn’t help the breathy laugh of relief that escaped him. ‘Why indeed,’ he muttered.

They were quiet for a moment. Wilder breathed in her presence like it was a drug he’d been craving. Every fibre of his being wanted to haul her on top of him, to fuck her senseless until they both forgot all that stood between them – not just the secrets he kept, but the fate stone resting between her breasts and the world on fire around them.

But he didn’t move. There was a time for secret campsite debauchery, but this wasn’t it.

After a time, Thea nestled into him, tugging her blanket up over them both. ‘This is where I belong,’ she murmured.

‘I couldn’t agree more.’

Wilder’s arms tightened around her, and throughout the night, he didn’t once let go.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE