Page 40 of The Biting Bargain

Damn, I need more to win this thing.

"I'll bet my companion." Stellan glares at me over his sheet. "Are you going to call?"

No way around it.Rien ne va plus, as they say.

"Call."

A murmur ripples through the crowd.

I ignore Polly tensing beside me, ignore the way her breath catches. She must be able to bear this. It's a calculated risk. And I have much more to lose than Stellan does. If I were to lose Polly, her protective effect that currently keeps my wolf in check would break.

I would turn.

In front of everyone.

But I've been playing poker against Stellan since before banknotes even existed. In all these centuries, he hasn't learned a thing. He’s usually too busy admiring his own brilliance.

At least I hope so.

Stellan trades a card. I do the same — and breathe an unseen sigh of relief. With the Jack of Spades, I have a full house.

Stellan puts his cards down and the crowd murmurs again.

It’s a flush.

I bite back a triumphant smirk. Unblinking, I put my cards on the table and sit back in my seat as the crowd around us politely applauds my victory.

Stellan smirks, holding out the leash of his companion I have rightfully won.

"She’s all yours."

"Not interested," I say. And I’m really not interested in keeping another companion. The lady in question doesn’t look too keen, either. But before I can say anything else, there’s a metallic clicking next to me.

Polly unhooks the leash from her collar.

"What the-"

"You bastard," she hisses, her round face red with rage, tossing her end of the leash to the ground and turning on her heel. The spectators around us stare and whisper in amusement and the crowd disperses as Polly marches off.

I'm too surprised to react. The pull between us scrapes against me and has the wolf in hiding rumble with greed. The few feet of distance between us is enough to remind me that an angry Polly walking away from me is not a scenario I need in the middle of theSocieta Vergiliiclub. I jump to my feet, chair staggering behind me.

"Doesn't look like your companion’s too interested, either."

Stellan grins, twirling his companion's leash in his hand.

"Better go catch her, little doggie," he says. And I can only thank those long centuries training in keeping my poker face that the nauseating suspicion that Stellan might know what’s going on washing through me isn't showing on my face.

"Woof woof," he adds, winking.

I break out of my paralysis, turn, and go running after my companion.

ChapterEighteen

Polly

He catchesup with me in the vestibule. Of course he does. He’s an overpowered, paranormal apex predator/vampire with a god complex and an ego the size of a skyscraper, and I’m just a fuming little person in a far too revealing cocktail dress, with a truckload of debt and an injured ankle. No way I could have outrun him. But be that as it may, he can’t just grab me by the neck like I’m some insolent puppy.

"Don’t touch me!" I slap his hand away.

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