Page 74 of Heir of the Autumn Queen

Firstly, betting on me is very ungentlemanly of you.I scold him mind to mind but smile nonetheless.And secondly, I’m perfectly capable of beating him on my own.

I don’t doubt it.Shepherd concedes, and I feel his presence retreat from my mind. I close the mental door that allowed him in,shutting anyone else out who might try to gain entry, if that’s even doable.

I lose the first hand to Rowan, whose cocky grin is now out of control. I win the second hand, but I can tell he’s still confident he’ll take me for all I’m worth. On the third hand, I let him believe he’s got me beat as I pretend to hesitate in calling his bet. He smiles as he flips his cards over, thinking he’s beat me again, but I wink at him as I reveal my hand, and his mouth drops open.

He shakes his head in admiration, smiling at me.“Damn, Amberheart. Well-played.”

We play a few more hands, and we’re well-matched, usually alternating who wins from hand to hand. I feel the hooded stranger in the corner watching me, which makes me uneasy, but I know with the pack surrounding me, he doesn’t pose any real threat. I have another glass of wine while we play, and I’m admittedly feeling pretty tipsy by the time I call it quits at the card table.

I stand up to head outside to use the privy, but lose my balance and start to tumble forward, tripping over my own feet. Shepherd wraps his arms around my waist and catches me, and I giggle as he steadies me. The mysterious stranger in the corner stands abruptly, his chair scraping on the floor with a loud groan, and heads out the front door, slamming it loudly behind him.

“He’s just sore you beat him.” Rowan laughs.“Hell, you’re drunk and you beat everyone, even I’m a little pissed.”

“I am not drunk!” My smile is enormous, and I know I did have a little too much to drink.

“Sure you aren’t.” Rowan rolls his eyes, but I get my balance and push off of Shepherd, who seems reluctant to let me go.

“Where are you going?” Shepherd asks, concern lacing every word.

“To the bathroom, Dad.” I joke, knowing he definitely is the pack dad, always looking out for everyone else. I didn’t mean anything by it, but his face drops and he looks slightly hurt. I instantly feel terrible, but make my way out the side door to the privy, hoping the crisp night air will help me sober up a bit so I don’t say anything else hurtful, intentional or otherwise.

Once outside, I take a moment to lean against the wall of the building, resting my head back and closing my eyes. Sure enough, I feel less dizzy out here as the fresh air fills my lungs and a cool breeze whispers across my face, making me feel more awake. Only then do I notice a male figure, cloaked and hooded on the other side of the alleyway, leaning against the building opposite mine. It must be the same male from inside, and I worry he might try to harm me for taking all his money. I draw my dagger from my thigh, ready to strike if necessary.

“Still playing cards, I see,” the male says, lowering his hood.

“Finn,” I whisper, shocked to see him. I quickly force myself to remember his betrayal, disdain lacing my next words.“What are you doing here?”

“I told you I’d find you,” he says, his body language casual but his tone biting.

“Well, here I am,” I respond.“What do you want?”

“Are you gonna give me a chance to explain myself this time without biting my head off?” Thirty seconds into our conversation and he’s already testing the limits of my patience.

“I don’t owe you anything, Finn. Not my time or my respect. You lied to me,” I say, not holding anything back.

The Prince of the Winter Kingdom laughs darkly, his shadows swirling around him as he flexes his wings under his cloak.“That’s rich, coming from you.”

“Excuse me?” I raise my voice, the alcohol in my system superheating my blood.

“You lied to me the entire time we were together about who you were.” Finn’s voice rises to match mine as he takes a step toward me.

“I was trying to protect myself from people like you!” I yell, throwing my arms up.

“People like me? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You tell me, Finn. You were sent to capture me and bring me to your father so he could hand me over to Selena.”

“But Ididn’t.” He watches me closely. I have no response to that, and his words hang between us.“Have you wondered why that is? Why I didn’t just knock you out and fly you to the Northlands to leave you at the mercy of Brutus’ sick, twisted mind?”

The anger in my veins fizzles ever so slightly at his words.“Of course I’ve wondered that. Why would the fearedReaper of Soulsstoop so low as to help the likes of me?”

Finn’s in front of me in the blink of an eye, his tall, muscular frame towering over me. One hand rests above my head against the building while the other lifts to my chin, gripping it possessively. The unexplainable energy passes between us when our skin touches, and I almost cry out from the intensity of the feeling. I’m inexplicably relieved that the spark of energy is still there when our skin meets; it’s like a sign that I wasn’t just inventing the pull I felt toward him. It was real, at least partly.

“There’s something between us. I feel it, and I know you feel it too. An undeniable connection, like the universe is pulling us together.” I hold his gaze but don't admit I feel the same way.

He brings his strong hand to the back of my neck, his thumb running up and down the column of my neck, making me shiver.“I had every intention of following through on the task I was sent to do when I saw you at the card table the night we met.” My eyes flash with hurt at his confession, but he caresses his thumb along my bottom lip, distracting me from the pain of his words.“But then I touched you…” His voice is barely above a whisper now as he looks down at me.“And everything changed. I had to know you, had to listen to my gut and explore whatever this is between us.”

Even though my mind is still screaming at me that he can’t be trusted, reminding me of his betrayal, my body wants him closer. I reach out and grab a fistful of his shirt, pulling him closer to me. He leans down so that his lips are hovering just inches above mine, and my breathing becomes rapid, my heart pounding in my chest as my body begs for his touch.

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