“So should you,” I said, noting the dark circles under his blue eyes. I would’ve bet my entire collection of mint-condition, out-of-print BL manga that he hadn’t slept a wink last night.
“It’s late afternoon now. You’ve been sleeping for hours.” Briar soothingly combed his fingers through my hair. “Are you hungry?”
“A ridiculous question,” Maddox said with a scoff. “He is always hungry.”
“I don’t recall asking for your input, Captain.”
“I don’t require your permission for anything, physician. This is my goddamned room.”
I smiled at their bantering. “Food sounds nice, but if it’s okay, I’d like to just stay like this for a while. With both of you.”
Briar rested his hand on my cheek. “We’re right here.”
I leaned into his touch before peering up at Maddox. He hadn’t made a move to touch me. I couldn’t blame him for being pissed. I’d caused them unnecessary worry. Or maybe his irritation stemmed from the conversation I’d overheard. His patience with me was thinning.
Even so, I slid my hand across the mattress, reaching for him.
He eyed my hand as a tic started in his jaw. Yeah… he was pissed. Just as I started to pull my hand back, he grabbed it, his hold loose at first but quickly tightening. A tremble went through his large body before he joined Briar on the bed.
“Don’t ever scare us like that again,” Maddox whispered, lifting my hand to his lips before kissing my knuckles. “I can survive many things in this life, Evan, but losing you is not one of them.”
Us.As if he viewed Briar and himself as a pair. The medicine must’ve still been messing with my head because there was no way that was true.
“I won’t,” I responded, voice shaking.
“You said you heard our conversation from last night.” Briar traced my jawline and trailed his hand up to my temple, like he was mapping my face with his fingertips. “That’s why you ran?”
I nodded.
Maddox huffed, yet his hold on me tightened. “Foolish boy. It’s fortunate we found you in one piece. And in the company of a wolf no less.”
“His name is Lake,” I said. Images from my dream stirred in my head—the sad wolf with purple eyes. “He’s untrusting of people, but he’s really kind.”
Just then, a monstrous sound filled the room… coming from my stomach.
Briar breathed out a laugh. “I’ll make you something to eat.” He stood from the bed and walked toward the door.
Maddox brushed our thumbs together once before standing as well.
“Wait.” I tried to sit up but slumped back down, my muscles still not wanting to cooperate. I needed to make things right with them. As right as I could anyway. “We need to talk.”
“Later,” Maddox said. “Focus on resting for now.”
***
“Feel better?” Callum asked, his brown hair damp and his skin slightly pink from the hot water. “A dip in the hot spring can cure any ailment.”
He had taken me to the spring shortly after I’d cooked dinner for the knights—knights who had complained that I shouldn’t have been on my feet working after my “attack” in the forest. I reassured them that the only thing that had attacked me was a thorn bush and that I was fine. When Duke started calling me Evan the Thorn Prince, the other knights had laughed and relaxed. I had too.
Well, mostly relaxed.
Briar and Maddox had been preoccupied with work since visiting me earlier but said we would “talk later.” The anticipation was killing me. I wanted to get it over with, like ripping off a Band-Aid. The sooner, the better.
“I feel like a new man.” I tugged the shirt over my head and smoothed it down. It was the one I’d worn when coming to Bremloc. “I’m sorry about ruining the clothes you let me borrow. I’ll pay you back for them.”
I still had money left from the bag of coins Briar had given me for my clinic work.
“Pay it no mind,” Callum said as we walked along the path leading back to the knights’ housing. He had put on trousers but kept his shirt off. “All that matters is you’re safe. But I hope you’ll think twice about venturing into the forest by yourself again.”
