Page 13 of Wild Hunt
“That’s not true.” The firmess in his tone took me by surprise. When I finally looked up, his blue eyes were just as sharp as I’d feared, but I found myself not wanting to look away. He reached out to touch my cheek, a soft smile on his full lips. “If anything, I think you’ve proven you belong toe-to-toe with the best of them.”
“Dionysus…”
“I’ve never been one to rock the boat,” he said quietly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “I always just accept things as they are, for better or worse, but you… You make even me think that change is possible. Change for the better.”
I felt my cheeks flush despite my best attempts to stop them, but all thought of embarrassment went out the window to leave room for shock as Dionysus’ eyes fluttered shut and he leaned in.
To kiss me.
Holy shit.
I found myself kissing him back, too. For one improbable moment, our lips brushed and the soft caress made goosebumps rise up all over my body. He tasted as cool and sweet as I’d imagined, and holy Hestia, was he a good kisser.
I wasn’t sure who finally broke the kiss, or if we both just ran out of breath, but he was staring at me with the same look of shock I was sure I had to be wearing, like he couldn’t believe what he’d just done.
That made two of us.
The knock on the door nearly sent me out of my skin and I leaped up from the bed. “I’ll get it,” I mumbled hastily, reaching for the door.
Dionysus was back on his side of the bed, looking as flustered as I felt when I opened the door to reveal Daphne on the other side. She was still in her track gear and she looked into the room with a curious glint in her eyes.
“Sorry. Did I come at a bad time?”
“No,” I said quickly. Technically, it was the truth. She hadn’t just come at a bad time, she’d come at the worst, but at least I was saved from having to process what had just happened. “What’s up?” I asked, trying not to seem as dazed as I was.
“I was just hoping we could talk about the Games,” she said, clearing her throat. “I kind of had a falling out with my team and you’ve still got a couple of spots open, right?”
I stared blankly at her, waiting for the joke. When I realized she wasn’t kidding, I asked, “You’re serious?”
“I mean… I can’t compete on my own and none of the other teams want another member, so…”
I realized Dionysus was coming up behind me a second too late, but tried not to look as flustered as I was as he joined me in the doorway.
“You know teaming up with us is practically a guarantee to get disqualified in the first round, right?” he asked.
“Dionysus!”
“Well, it’s true,” he said, shrugging innocently. “She should know what she’s in for.”
“I know the risks, but everyone is already underestimating you,” Daphne reasoned. “I figure that’s an advantage of sorts. And I’m kind of out of options.”
“Must have been some falling out,” I sighed.
“It was.” She held my gaze. “So… what do you say?”
I hesitated when I realized they were both looking at me. When exactly had I become the leader in this? “I mean… I don’t even know if Artemis will let us switch teams at this point.”
“I already talked to her,” Daphne said quickly. “She said it’s fine as long as it’s settled today.”
My mind was reeling, but all in all, this was probably the best news I’d had all week. “Sure. I mean… yeah, as long as Dionysus is good with it, I don’t see why not.”
“Great,” she said with a smile of relief that seemed a bit unfounded for someone who’d just willingly put herself on the Triad’s shit list. “We should start talking strategy. The other teams are already gearing up, so the sooner we start, the better.”
Before I could respond, Dionysus grabbed his bookbag and slipped past her through the door. “Sounds like fun. You two go ahead, I’ve got something to take care of.”
“Dionysus, wait —” I called.
He cast me an apologetic glance, but he was already on his way. “We’ll talk later. And good luck with the strategy session.”
