Page 33 of Heir of the Autumn Queen

“Not until I get what I want.” His eyes darken slightly as he stares at me, and my stomach flutters at the heat in his gaze.

“Not gonna happen, lover boy,” I say, even though my body is screaming at me to connect with him in every way possible.

“Someone’s confident,” Finn says seductively, biting another piece of pheasant off the tip of his knife.

Who knew eating could be so sexy?

I clear my throat, ignoring the heat in my cheeks.“Can’t let your ego get any bigger than it already is.”

“You’re no fun.” He pretends to pout.

“My best friend Briar is the biggest advocate for having fun out of everyone I know, and she would still tell you that there’s a time for work and a time for play.” I throw another log on the fire and try to shield myself against the wind with my cloak, missing Briar and her spells that would keep me warm.

“So then you’re not traveling to the Westlands forpleasure?” He emphasizes the last word then chucks the bones of his dinner into the fire.

I mentally kick myself again for not thinking about the implications that my words have. Maybe Finn just catches the underlying meaning of everything I say, even when I don’t think there’s any hidden significance in my words. I ignore his question, not wanting to dig myself any deeper with my thoughtlessness.“We should get some rest. I’ll take the first watch,” I say, hunkering down close to the fire.

Finn eyes me curiously, but lays down on his back near the fire, staring up at the stars with his hands behind his head.“Wake me when you get tired.”

I give him a curt nod of agreement, and he closes his eyes. I finish my dinner and think of Staghorn, once again praying that Killian and Briar are safe. Feeling homesick, the chill of the autumn night seeps in much quicker. Even near the fire, my cheeks and nose turn cold, and the harsh wind whips the loose strands of hair that somehow escaped my braid around my face, stinging my skin. I hug my knees to my chest in an attempt to maintain some semblance of body heat, but within minutes, my teeth are chattering.

“It’s sort of impossible to sleep with all that cacophony going on over there.” Finn turns his head toward me, not appearing cold in the slightest.

“Sorry.” I bite my tongue to keep my jaw from rattling.

“Come here,” he says, gesturing for me to scoot nearer to him.

“I’m fine.” I insist as a violent shiver racks my body.

“Hazel.” The authority in his tone is absolute. When I ignore him, which takes considerable mental and physical effort, he adds,“I won’t be able to sleep if I know you’re miserable.”

“I’ll warm up in a second,” I say, still resisting his plea.

“You’ll warm up faster over here next to me than by the fire,” he argues. Even though I know it’s the truth, I hate yielding. Hate being dependent on him for anything for fear of appearing weak.

“Fine.” I crawl over to him and sit so that my hip is barely touching his shoulder.

“You are incorrigible.” He rolls his eyes, before sitting up and scooping me into his arms before I can react. He spreads his legs wide and plops me down in between them, his chest flush against my back as he wraps his arms, and his wings, around me, shielding us from the biting wind. My body temperature rises instantly, but now I’m shaking for another reason. All of the contact between our bodies is making me buzz with a feeling I can’t exactly place, but I’m pretty sure is lust.

I take a deep breath and force myself to breathe normally, even though this is the most physically intimate I’ve been with a male, unless you count the kiss with Cedric, which feels like child’s play compared to what I’m feeling right now.

I breathe in his scent, which I haven’t really had an opportunity to do until now. Finn smells like the forest; pine and mint and fresh air, but there’s an underlying sweetness there as well. If I’m being honest with myself, he smells downright divine, which is very unfortunate for me and my heart that’s quickly forgetting to stay guarded.

I feel myself relaxing into him, and I sigh contentedly as that frantic buzzing feeling is replaced by a low hum in my blood, making me feel heavy with contentment. I can feel his heart beating against my head, steady and soothing, lulling me into a sort of trance. My eyes grow heavy and I can feel sleep’s familiar siren call, begging me to join her in the abyss, the promise of peaceful rest sweet on her lips.

With Finn’s wings wrapped around us, we’re in our own little cocoon, safe from the outside world. I know I’m letting my guard down with him, but being with him feels so right, I don’t know why my mind would betray me into believing that I’m safe with him if he was truly a threat.

The last thing I remember is Finn whispering in my ear.“Sleep.”

I obey.

Chapter Sixteen

As I drift toward consciousness, I feel the sun warming my face, and a large, strong body behind me, wrapping me in an embrace. With my eyes still closed, I piece together my surroundings; Finn must’ve fallen asleep as I can hear and feel his steady breathing on the back of my neck. We’re laying down on our sides, my head resting on his bicep as his other arm wraps tightly around my middle, holding me flush against him, my hips cradled perfectly in his pelvis. I consider trying to slip out of his hold, but his hand is curled in a fist right on my stomach, a handful of my shirt held tightly in his grasp. I shift my hips slightly, trying to inch away from him, but he only pulls me tighter against him in his sleep. I place my free hand over his, trying to loosen his grip on my shirt, but it’s unwavering. Even in sleep, he’s a trained warrior, prepared for battle at a moment's notice. Unfortunately for me, we are not in a battle, and I desperately need to pee.

I shift my hips again but am unsuccessful in putting any space between us once more.

Finn’s voice is gravelly as he talks through clenched teeth.“You really need to stop moving like that.” Having not thought he was awake, I startle, which makes my hips buck back even further into his crotch. He lets out a low growl.“That’s not helping.”

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