Page 198 of Crucible

Thorin grunts his agreement, and when I look over my shoulder, I see him swaying on his feet when he tries to straighten.

“Thorin!” Shooting to my feet, I rush over to him. I reach him just as he collapses back against the couch. “Khalil, help me.”

Khalil curses and nudges me aside so that he can help Thorin around the couch. Thorin is passed out by the time Khalil lays him down, and my worry skyrockets. I’m actually wringing my fucking hands.

“Fuck,” Khalil grumbles when he peels back Thorin’s T-shirt to inspect the wound. “Seth got him good. Help me get this off.”

I help by lifting Thorin’s head and arms while Khalil frees him from the confines of the shirt. “What now?”

“We need the first aid kit. It’s downstairs.”

I go to stand when I hear Seth speak. “Here.”

Looking up, I see he’s already holding Thorin’s med kit when I hadn’t even noticed he’d left the room. Khalil takes it from him and thanks him.

“Shouldn’t we take Thorin to the hospital?” I ask when Khalil begins rifling through the medical supplies.

“Not if I can help it. It’s really not that bad. Thorin is just being dramatic to get you to fuss over him like you were doing Seth.”

I start to tell Khalil how ridiculous that sounds when I catch Thorin peeking an eye open before quickly closing it when he sees me watching him.

“Are you freaking kidding me?” I yell as I stand.

Thorin sighs and looks pretty proud of himself when he opens his eyes now that his ruse has ended. “Can you blame me?”

“Yes!”

“Don’t mind him, Sunshine. He’s just jealous.”

Thorin lifts his chin. “Damn straight.”

I grab one of the throw pillows from the couch and hit him in the face with it. “I can’t believe you.”

I go to storm away when Thorin reaches out and catches my hand, aggravating his wound further in the process. Khalil barks at him to stay still, but Thorin keeps his blue eyes on me. “I’m sorry for making you worry, wolf. Stay with me. Please.”

I debate it for a few seconds, torturing him even more than Khalil is as he cleans the wound before I go to kneel by Thorin’s shoulder. I notice he’s sweating profusely, so I tell Seth to bring me some cool water and a cloth. When he returns, I play nursemaid, dabbing Thorin’s forehead with the cool cloth while Khalil patches him up.

Seth busies himself cleaning up the mess he made, and half an hour later, we’re all too exhausted from this day to participate any further. Khalil orders Thorin to stay off his feet for the rest of the day so as to not tear open his stitches. Thorin asks me to keep him company, and Seth insists on coming, too.

And that is the story of how the four of us end up in Khalil’s bed since his is the only one big enough to fit the four of us.

I won’t lie and say it isn’t awkward at first.

It’s not that the three of them aren’t used to sharing a bed, but it’s the first time they’ve shared it with a woman. Seth made sure to let me know that I was the first when he read the question in my eyes and the brewing jealousy behind it—and all before I could say a word.

“Well, since we don’t have a TV, I guess we’re going to have to entertain ourselves,” I announce once I’m settled between Thorin and Seth while Khalil lays between my legs—much like Seth was out on the deck earlier. “Not sex,” I clarify when the three of them start eyeing me like I’m dinner and dessert.

“All right then,” Khalil drawls. “What do you suggest?”

“We could play a board game.”

“That’s not a good idea unless you want a repeat of earlier. Thorin is a sore loser.”

“Cards?”

“We lost those years ago.”

“Okay…” I ponder for a few moments before an idea pops into my head. “Tell me something you miss from your old life. Something you can’t get out here.”

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