Page 47 of The Sin Binder's Vow

One—my back is killing me. There’s a spring in this mattress and it’s trying to claim my soul.

Two—my face is inches from Elias’s. Inches. As in, if I breathe too deep, we’ll accidentally kiss and then probably die.

And three—his arm.His arm is around me.

Not just slung, not just casually draped.Tucked.Possessively. Comfortably. As if this man, this silver-eyed snark goblin, chose to spoon me like I’m the comforting lullaby that gets him through the night.

I go still. Utterly, painfully still.

His breath brushes my cheek. His lashes twitch. And then, the worst part—hesnuggles closer.

A sound—feral, muffled, wholly unmanly—punches out of my throat. Somewhere between a wheeze and a whimper. I clamp my hand over my mouth too late. His eyes crack open.

And of course they’re molten silver. Of course they’re bedroom-eyed and sleep-drunk and unfairly pretty. Because gods forbid I suffer in peace.

For one perfect second, we both justblink. Me, frozen in existential terror. Him, still high on dreams and the warmth of a body he very clearly thinks isLuna’s.

And then realization hits him like a brick.

We both flinch.

His arm yanks back like I’ve suddenly grown spikes. We scramble apart with all the grace of two rats abandoning a sinking ship, limbs tangling in the sheets, me smacking into the headboard, Elias thudding to the floor with a grunt of betrayal.

“Thefuck, Silas?!”

“You spoonedme! Youcurled! You were the big spoon, Elias!”

“That’s alie, I wasbehind—”

“Oh no, I know whereRivenis. That’shisarm wrapped aroundmenow, which meansyourswas—you spooned me!”

From the floor, Elias stares up at me, hair mussed, shirt twisted, dignity in shreds. “I thought you were Luna.”

“Do Ifeellike Luna?!”

“No! But—warmth! And your shampoo smells expensive!”

I open my mouth. Close it. Because itisexpensive, but that’s beside the point.

There’s a low growl from behind me. A rustle of blankets.

Riven.

Still tucked against my back like some vengeful, half-asleep protector of dreams. He tightens his arm and pulls me back with all the force of a possessive cat claiming its territory. My spine meets his chest. And yeah, now I’m the meat in a very uncomfortable, verywrongspooning sandwich.

Luna, of course, is passed out diagonally across the mattress, one leg flung off the edge, blanket tangled around her waist like royalty who justknowswe’d kill each other for a chance to be near her.

She murmurs something in her sleep and shifts.

Elias, flat on the floor, stares up at the ceiling like it holds all the answers.

“Never again,” he whispers. “This is why I don’t share beds.”

“Youdidn’t share,” I hiss. “Youinvaded.”

Behind me, Riven exhales against my neck.

I consider letting the bed swallow me whole. Instead, I lie there. Cursed. Claimed. Absolutely done with everything. And try not to think about the fact that, honestly? I kind of liked it. Gods help me.

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