Submit (Book 1, The Karyln Trials)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

     I roll over, turning my eyes from the brightness behind them and hope for sleep to drag me under again. I relax back into the pillow under my head and hear a soft noise as something tightens around my waist. My brow furrows in confusion and I peel one eye open.

Auggie's head lays on the same pillow as mine, face only inches away. I look at his face for a moment then move my gaze to the lack of space between us and try to piece together the fact that we slept together. In the same bed.

"Morning." August's breath is warm on my face and I look up at him again. His eyes are heavy-lidded, open only enough to see me.

"Quick question," The butterflies that have been in a type of hibernation in my stomach wake and take flight. "How did...this happen? I don't remember coming back into the tent let alone climbing into bed with you."

August chuckles and opens his eyes fully, blinking the sleep from them. "You fell asleep outside. It got cold quick and you started shivering so I brought you in, only our beds were ice cold by the time we got back. I wasn't going to put you in your bed and let you try and warm up while asleep. Instead, I grabbed your blanket and tucked you in with me. Our two blankets and shared body heat warmed up the bed fairly quick." He shrugs and takes his arm from around me to cover a yawn. "That's how it happened."

I nod and watch as he sets his arm on his raised hip. We both lay on our sides, facing the other and I notice how much smaller I am than him. "What are you doing?" I meet his eyes with a raised brow.

"What do you mean?" August looks at me in confusion and I fight back the need to laugh at him.

I grab his arm and put it back around me. "You're warm and you took your arm back. I think that doing that should be a punishable offense." I scoot in and press myself closer to him, soaking in all the warmth I can. I set my forehead against him at the crook of his neck and can feel the vibration of his chuckle.

"Is that so?"

"Very much, I don't think you'll want to know what I'll do if you do it again." I grin and silently hope that he won't test me, I'm more than happy to simply lay here in his arms.

But of course, the stars have set themselves against me and August takes his arm away again, my back and waist instantly feeling cooler. "What are you going to do?"

I huff and grab the blankets behind my back, quickly rolling away from him. I strip the blankest from him and wrap them around myself as I stand looking down at him. I shut my eyes, the blankets cozy around me and tilt my head to the side. "That."

I open my eyes with a giggle and see Auggie wrap himself with his arms. "Stars! Adaline!" He sits up and rubs at his arms.

"It is an oddly cold morning, don't you think, August?" His brow drops and he purses his lips as he shoots me a glare, a picture of Stanton glaring at Sophia flashing in my mind.

I clench my jaw for a short moment and clear my throat. "You can have the blankets if you would like, though I would suggest we start tearing camp down." I take the blankets from around me and toss them in his direction. "I need to go put some salve on Eve and have her put some on me as well."

I hurry out of the tent, August's protests following me until I'm next to Eve at the other side of camp. "Salve?"

Eve turns to face me and she sighs. "Yes, thank you!" Eve takes my wrist, carful of my burns, and pulls me to where her bag sits against the south wall of the building.

I move my hair and hold it in my hands as the cool salve meets my tender skin. "Eve, I was thinking­­—"

"Oh, no." She snorts at her comment and I scowl.