Dark Wolf (Claimed by Wolves 3)

“You’re not resting,” I shoot back irritably.

“I’ve been a wolf a hell of a lot longer than you,” he replies. “Bark at me all you want, moonlight. You need to rest.”

We’re interrupted by the front door opening, and I whirl around, my shoulders relaxing a fraction as Archer trudges into the house. I won’t relax any more until Trystan and Ridge return, but for now, I rush across the living room to wrap Archer in a hug.

“You’re supposed to be sleeping,” he says into my hair.

“Dammit.” I grimace, although he can’t see it with my face pressed against the soft material of his shirt. “You’re just as bad as Dare.”

The man in question chuckles behind me, and when I look up, I see the two of them exchanging amused glances.

“She hasn’t sat down since you left,” Dare informs him. Traitor.

Archer frowns at me. “Sable, that was two hours ago. Maybe more.”

“More,” I say with a shrug.

He slides his arm around my shoulders and leads me down the hall. “We just had a crazy intense few days,” he says gently. “That amount of travel, of running at full speed, would tax any ordinary shifter. Plus, you used magic multiple times, and that takes energy too.” He reaches past me and turns on the bedroom light, ushering me inside. “You need to sleep to be able to fight when the witches come. Don’t you want to be able to fight?”

“More than anything.”

The viciousness of my voice surprises me a little, but Archer just grins, laughing softly as he releases his grip on my shoulder and tucks a lock of hair behind my ear.

“That’s my girl,” he murmurs, kissing the tip of my nose. “But there’s nothing to fight yet. So we need to gather our strength while we can, okay?”

Wrapping one arm around me, he backs me up until my legs hit the edge of the mattress. Dare appears in the doorway behind Archer, still naked from his shift back to human form earlier. He’s abandoned the blanket on the couch though, leaving nothing but hard planes of muscle on display.

I can’t help the bolt of heat that streaks through me as I glance at him, and Archer must guess what I’m looking at, because his grin widens.

“Would it help convince you to go to bed if we get in with you?” he asks, his eyes dancing with amusement.

I nod, the motion immediate and automatic.

Dare laughs, stepping into the room to join us. We get ready for bed quickly, and I don’t even bother to grab a pair of shorts and a tank top to sleep in. Instead, I shuck my clothes and crawl onto the mattress naked.

Archer cocks an eyebrow at me before doing the same, and he turns out the light before he and Dare climb into bed on either side of me, sandwiching me between them. The warmth of their bodies immediately begins to soak into mine, making some of the tension drain from my muscles. Nothing in the world feels quite as good as being skin-to-skin with my mates, so I pull them both a little closer, trying to let their presence relax me enough to sleep.

Moonlight streams through the windows, and after a while, my eyes start to adjust to the dim light. I find myself staring up at the ceiling, counting my breaths and trying not to fidget.

It’s hard not to. Even though I’m lying still, my mind is still running sprints inside my head. I shift a little, brushing my hand over Dare’s thigh.

I feel his body react to my touch, stiffening a little. I like that, so I do it again, gliding my hand up his leg more deliberately this time. My other hand moves in the opposite direction, reaching over to trail across Archer’s hip.

“Sable.” Archer’s voice is low. “You’re supposed to be sleeping.”

“I know.” I let out a breath, not stopping my gentle exploration of them. “But I can’t.”

He grabs my hand before it can dip too low, threading his fingers through mine and bringing them to his lips. He plants a kiss to my knuckles, and I can feel his lips curving in a wry smile. “Try a little harder.”

I turn toward him, hoping he can see the pout on my face in the shadowy darkness. “I have tried. I think I need help.”

“Help falling asleep?”

“Help getting tired.”

Dare chuckles behind me as I say the words, his hand skating over my stomach and across my rib cage, grazing the underside of my breasts. “She’s got a point. Maybe we could all use a little help getting tired.”

Archer makes a noise in his throat, and for a second, I think he’s going to protest again or tell us to try counting sheep or something. But instead, he releases my hand and palms the back of my head, leaning closer to me until our lips meet.