Page 22 of Those That Are Lost

“It’s blood,” he says.

“In a skull!”

“I may have sacrificed one of the goats. This was the only vessel I could think of. You both needed blood, this was the first creature I happened to stumble upon.”

“You hunted a goat?” I stare at the macabre cup in his hands. Nearly retching at the sight of the haphazardly cleaned-off bone. The scent of blood hits my nostrils, however, the grossed out feeling receding as my fangs drop.

“Don’t worry, I killed it humanely. It was very quick.”

I tentatively take the skull from his hands as I sit up, but not before I ensure the blanket is wrapped around me. It might be warm with the fire but it’s notthatwarm.

Peering into the main cavity, where the animal's brain would’ve been, I see there is indeed about a litre of warm crimson liquid inside.

Pushing down the full body ick, I pick a place where the rim of the skull looks cleanest and raise it to my lips. The sweet liquid coats my tongue and I immediately feel a little better. It's not even in my stomach yet but I can sense how much my body needs this.

I drain every drop without pause before handing the dead creature’s head back to Henry and lapping a wayward smear of blood from my lips.

“Feel better?” Ty asks, eyes roaming over my form. I catch him lingering on my mouth and feel a flush of warmth from his gaze. I pass it off as the blood rush.

I nod. “Thank you,” I tell him, my eyes meeting his crystal blue ones. “For saving me.”

“Always, Red.” He raises a hand and brushes his fingers gently down my heated cheek. I can’t help leaning into the touch a little before I remember that I shouldn’t. I can’t let him in. The voice might be quiet right now, but I know it's not gone. I’m too broken for it to be gone.

I stifle a yawn as tiredness takes over. Ty gives me another one of those soft smiles. “You should sleep. The blood will heal you but it’s still been a long day.”

“We all should get some rest, we’ve got another day’s hike tomorrow,” Henry adds from across the space, whilst feeding the fire.

I wiggle down into the bedding once more. The males shuffle around the space as I close my eyes and bask in the heat kicking out from the flames a few metres away. I'm nearly drifting off as two bodies jostle the toasty warmth I’m building inside the blankets.

“What are you doing?” I groan.

“You’ve got to share, I'm afraid. Seeing as your bag is nowin a lake, we only have two sleeping bags and one blanket between us. And it's too cold, even with the fire, to sleep in the open,” Henry tells me. “Plus, this’ll help you keep your temperature regulated.”

“Sorry,” Ty apologises as he slips in behind me. I get the feeling he isn’t really sorry at all but I let it slide. Henry is right about the cold, and I am the one who lost their sleeping gear.

Henry lays out on my other side. Even with the sleeping bags unzipped it's a tight squeeze. I try to stay on my back, feeling that’ll be the best position, but I’m soon having to turn onto my side as I get squished between the two hulking males.

In my sleepy haze, I turn to face Ty. He doesn’t hesitate in letting me nuzzle up to his naked chest, his scent luring me in with its comforting spices. One of his arms finds its way under my head and the other rests against my hip.

The cocoon of his soft skin and hard muscles is too hard to resist. I forget Henry is at my back, that one of his legs is up against my own. Instead, I get distracted by lightly tracing the swirling black ink above Ty’s pectoral.

“No funny business you two,” Henry says over his shoulder. I feel my face turn crimson.

“Just go to sleep,” Ty growls at his friend, the sounds vibrating his chest.

“I’m only warning you. If the scent of arousal gets any stronger I will be kicking you both out into the cold. I’m not leaving this cave.”

It’s not just my face now, my whole body feels flushed with embarrassment. I almost wish for another dip in the lake.

Ty’s thumb, brushing my skin in a gap that’s appeared between the t-shirt and his boxers that I’m wearing do nothing to cool my current predicament. “Sleep sweetheart.Let your body rest,” he whispers so close to my ear, I’m unsure if Henry would be able to hear.

Somehow that thumb turns soothing, and I manage to relax enough that sleep pulls at me once more. I’m almost succumbing to it when I hear the guys speak again.

“Thank you for that.” Ty’s voice drifts over me.

“You’re welcome,” comes Henry’s sincere reply.

“I’m being sarcastic.” Ty’s voice drops, deadly serious. “I need you to not goad her like that.”