In Love Through War - Book 3

Part 62

"So umm..." he starts, scratching his head.

"Yes?"

"How are we..."

"Sleeping?"

"Yeah. Cause we don't have bedrolls?"

"No. But I saved the improvised leather tarp from the stretcher, the one used in-between the frame of it. That will be the base so we don't sleep on the ground directly."

"I can't help noticing that you are saying the tarp as in one and we as in the two of us. Does that mean..."

"So would you rather sleep directly on the cold, grainy sand or should I?"

"I guess I could..."

"You need warmth to recover."

"But you can't possibly."

"Well, not that you insist. I'll join you."

"I didn't mean..."

"Oh. So you want me to sleep in the frigid, annoyingly infiltrating sand."

"I'm sure we can share it," he says with a sigh.

"Great. We only have that thing around your shoulders as a blanket. That won't be a problem, right?"

"Really?"

"I don't like the cold of the desert night. Do you? Even more so considering you should recover?"

"Fine. On one condition."

"Hmm?" she raises a brow at him expectantly.

"You keep your shirt on since I won't have any."

"But the heat transfer is..."

"Better if skin contact is used... yeah, I know the theory. But I'm much better now."

"You didn't seem to mind last night. And the proximity of one's mate helps with recovery as well."

"I... was not conscious last night."

"I see. Fine. With that settled, I think we should sleep."

"Right. Well, come on then!" he beckons after settling down and lifting the makeshift blanket so she can get under it.

"This isn't large enough to keep 10 inches of space between us. And if I see you shivering, I'm stripping and getting on top of you. The pack needs its best warrior in full health, now more than ever. So you'd better get closer to me and make sure you're warm. For the good of the pack, of course."

"Yes, of course... for the pack. Could you at least turn around? Your breathing on my neck is giving me goosebumps and I don't want you to think I'm cold."

"Fine. Make sure you stay next to me then."

"How am I supposed to do that while sleeping?"

"Don't worry, I'll help. I'll just take this arm and hold it around me. This way you can't move away and start that shivering you are so worried about."

"And there is no way I'm getting out of this?"

"The pack needs you."

"Right. In all honesty, though, you and Conall are much better fighters than I am."

"If we refer strictly to fighting warhogs, that war-form of yours is much better suited for it. There is no wolf that can dispatch a warhog as fast as you can in that form."

"Maybe true, but if I feint out, lacking energy after each time I use it, it's not very useful now, is it?"

"The enemy doesn't know that. And you seem to have recovered a lot faster this time."

"Yes. I also believe your presence... helped."

"This would work even faster if you accepted me, you know."

"Jena... not that again, please. I told you I can't!"

"I'm pretty sure you can, pokey. But I'll be sensitive and drop the subject. Again."

Feeling red in the cheeks, Al'Aeen is happy she can't see his face right now.

"That was just an involuntary reaction of the male body in the morning. I didn't mean anything by it!"

"Didn't say you did. Just said you can."

"This is awkward. Can we stop talking? Actually, shouldn't one of us keep watch?"

"Lana will keep watch, don't worry."

"OK then, good night!"

"Same to you!"