Chapter 23: Willa

I was chewing on my lip as I thought about what he was saying. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the idea of having a constant entourage. Was he going to have people following me around all the time? That seemed a bit restrictive. I just wanted to see my family and friends. I didn’t want a parade of babysitters.

Ferrin tugged my lip from between my teeth, lifting my chin as he started pushing me to the bathroom.

“It’s only temporary, Willa. Once you get out of here and get settled in, you’ll be where you were meant to be. No more isolation and plenty of purpose, okay?” he asked, kissing my forehead when I nodded. “Now, go take your shower. I’ll be back soon.”

I took my time in the shower, thinking about how much my life had changed in such a short time. I know that finding your fated mate often turns your life upside down, but dang. Even my dad didn’t have to deal with this much change. He may have never been a part of pack life before, but at least he grew up around them enough to gain an understanding of the social structure. I really wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into.

But Ferrin said I could take it slow. I didn’t need to dive in headfirst. So, I would just start with getting out of this room and getting through my introduction to the council. From there, I’d just see what happened.

I was dressed and brushing through my towel-dried hair when there was a knock on the suite door. I opened it to find Shawn standing outside.

“Okay,” he jumped straight in, “instead of movies, I was thinking something a little more interactive. Have you ever played poker?” He held up a deck of cards as he came into the room, leaving the door open behind him.

“Poker? Not really.”

“Well, then, I guess I’ll have to teach you,” he said, taking a seat at the dining table.

“Aren’t you supposed to gamble when you play poker?” I asked. “Because it’s not like I have any money.”

Shawn set several stacks of rolled coins on the table. “Adam owed me fifty bucks from a bet, so it’s kind of house money already,” he said with a wink.

“Okay,” I said as I sat across from him.

He took some time going over the rules of the game, and we played a few practice hands before we started placing bets. An hour later and five lost hands…

“You hustled me,” Shawn exclaimed. “You little minx.”

I laughed, pulling my winnings across the table. “Maybe a little. Underground gambling dens and fight rings were some of the few places no one cared if you were a rogue. I may have taken a few frat boys’ allowances a time or two. It’s how I got most of my art supplies.”

“I guess that serves me right for making assumptions.”

“Well, what do you say? Want the chance to win some of your money back?”

“Who’s taking Shawn’s money?”

We both looked up to see Austin coming into the room. He was Ferrin’s gamma and head of security. He had come up to introduce himself the first day Ferrin had gone to Paslow.

“Turns out our Luna is a bit of a card sharp.”

“Oh, really?” Austin asked. “Well, deal me in.” He took the seat next to Shawn. “What’s the buy-in?”

We played for a couple more hours. Austin ended up mind-linking Damen to bring up some more cash, which led him to join and, later on, Ferrin’s sister, Rebekah. She had come by to check on me and thought it would be a good sisterly-bonding experience to trounce the menfolk. She wasn’t wrong. She was better than me and had her own stack of winnings in no time.

By early evening, there was a small gathering in my room. Adam and Austin had retrieved an extra table and chairs. Damen ordered pizza and helped Miranda bring it up to us with a couple cases of beer. We weren’t even playing cards anymore as we exchanged stories and cut up together like long-lost friends.

“You’re all a bunch of damned traitors.”

The room fell silent as all of our eyes went to Ferrin standing in the doorway.

“There I was, stuck listening to Lord Vargo drag on about insurance statistics and annual population growth, and all of my so-called family are up here gambling and drinking.” He stalked up to the table. “Without me.”

He looked down at me. I could see the laughter in his eyes and had to suppress a grin.

“Was this your doing?” he asked.

“I mean, babe, you did say I shouldn’t be left alone,” I pointed out.

He rolled his eyes and grabbed my arm, lifting me from the chair and kissing me. “You really are going to be trouble, aren’t you?”

“I need to be good at something,” I teased with a shrug.

Everyone laughed as Ferrin lowered himself into my chair, pulling me onto his lap.

“So, has anyone beaten Bekah yet?” Ferrin asked as I handed him a beer, and Damen slid a plate to him.

“Only your mate,” Rebekah said as she slid a pile of coins and bills into a small handbag.

“That was just luck,” I said, which was the truth.

Ferrin chuckled against my ear. “She’ll love you forever now,” he whispered in my ear.

Things started to slow down not long after that. Shawn and Adam left, and Miranda followed soon after. Austin stood to leave, but Damen held him back for a minute.

“We need to discuss how we’re going to get the king and Luna out of the castle and back,” Damen said.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Ferrin was forced to come up with a story for what he’s been doing up here. If anyone sees him bring you down, they’ll know he lied,” Austin explained. “They’ll be suspicious. It will draw attention we don’t want right now.”

“So, we’ll need to get you out without being seen.”