Page 76 of Renegade Kings

As Maddox gently set me on my feet next to the bed, he kissed me on the forehead. “Dean’s right. We’re all wiped and we have a full day of preparations to get in before we move out. You need rest if you’re going to get through this, and none of us will risk your safety for a few moments of pleasure.”

“A few moments? I think you’re greatly underestimating my stamina,” Ryder quipped from where he lay sprawled out in the middle of the bed. “Have I mentioned how much I love this bed?”

It was pretty great. Everything in the human realm was so small. It was like they favoured function over decadence. They could learn a thing or two from Nymeria. Although, maybe the whole monsters-who-suck-out-your-soul thing balanced it out.

Ryder’s hands wrapped around my waist and he pulled me into bed with a devilish grin on his face. “If we’re only sleeping, then I want you sleeping next to me.”

I wasn’t about to argue with that. Ryder was just as bad as Tank in the snuggling department, and I found I enjoyed the closeness far more than I ever thought I would.

These men were slowly chipping away at that hard exterior I’d tried to pretend was my default setting, and I didn’t hate it at all.

#

The only way that Ryder could wrap himself around me more right now would be if he grew a couple of tentacles. Which wasn’t completely outside the realm of possibility in Nymeria, but not something anyone should really willingly experiment with. What with the whole curse thing kind of being a ‘no refunds or exchanges’ sort of deal.

I’d been staring at the ceiling, listening to the men’s soft snores for what felt like hours by now. In reality, it had probably only been around half an hour, but I was feeling antsy and like I needed to do something which completely went against the levels of exhaustion I’d been feeling only hours ago.

Why was it that the more you wanted to sleep, the less likely it was to happen? Whatever it was, sleep felt impossible right about now, but extracting myself from this bed and doing something else filled me with a sense of guilt I definitely deserved.

Turning my head to the side, I looked at Dean’s sleeping profile. He even frowned in his sleep. It was like the guy never truly rested. To prove it, I’d only been staring at him for about a minute when the corner of his lips tipped up in a smile.

“You enjoying the view, sweetness?”

Of course, he wasn’t really sleeping. He was probably waiting for me to pass out before he’d even consider it. It was sweet, in a way. It also raised that aforementioned guilt to a whole other level.

“I can’t sleep,” I whispered back to him. “I feel… weird.”

Dean’s eyes snapped open, and he leant up on one elbow to look at me with concern. “Weird, how?”

I thought about the question for a minute because I could see how this situation would spiral if I wasn’t careful. I didn’t want to worry him. I just needed to get out of bed and do something rather than lie here and slowly drive myself insane as I stared at the ceiling.

“Like I’ve had too much coffee. Although caffeine doesn’t really give me that buzz it does most people. I wonder if that’s because I’m fae. Like is caffeine only a human stimulant, or do you think my body is just used to…”

“Yeah, I’m getting your point,” he interrupted, and I could see the amused smile he was trying to hold back. “Come on, let’s go hang out in the living room and give these guys a chance to get some sleep in.”

Oh, hello guilt, I was thinking you’d already maxed out in there.

“You can go back to sleep. I can go read or something. I’m not going anywhere. I just wanted you to know what I was doing so you wouldn’t worry.” I shrugged and wiggled as I spoke, trying to gently extract myself from Ryder’s grip, much to Dean’s amusement.

Just when I thought he was going to abandon me to my fate, he took pity on me and reached over Ryder and me, picking up Maddox’s hand.

“What are you doing?” I asked curiously as I watched him gently pull Maddox’s arm over Ryder.

“When we were kids, we all shared a room because we lived in this tiny apartment. Ryder was also a cuddle fiend back then as well, but I have a secret trick to getting free.” He looked at me with one eyebrow raised for a moment. “I need your word that you take this to the grave.”

Well, colour me intrigued.

I eagerly nodded, needing to know exactly what was about to happen more than I needed to breathe right now.

Dean gently tugged on Maddox’s arm, so he rolled closer and then tucked it between me and Ryder. After a moment, Maddox tensed and pulled Ryder closed, holding him tightly.

And then Ryder rolled, wrapping one leg over Maddox’s hip as he snuggled in.

Dean’s hand slapped over my mouth as I snorted and was about to laugh. I could feel a gentle shaking behind me as he pressed his face against my back to suppress his own laughter.

“Come on,” he said after a moment, slipping off his side of the bed and tugging me after him.

We slowly crept out of the room and I took a quick peek at the others before quietly closing the door. Maddox and Ryder were in full-blown snuggle mode and Tank lay flat on his back on the other side of the bed, completely oblivious to what was going on. He seemed in full-on hibernation, and to be honest, it made sense. They were all wiped from using magic that was completely new to them.

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