Chapter 5

The crisp autumn air bit at my cheeks, a sharp contrast to the heat radiating from my skin, but I barely felt the chill. The archery range was vast, a sprawling expanse of golden-brown grass dotted with towering oak and maple trees whose leaves were just beginning to blush with the season’s change. We had wandered away from the main group, past the line of competitors drawing their bows and releasing arrows with satisfying *thwacks*, seeking a pocket of privacy near the cluster of large, woven hay bales that served as the backstops for the target lines. It was secluded, shadowed by the dense canopy above, and filled with the earthy, sweet scent of dried grass and decaying leaves. He stood before me, his presence commanding, that familiar authoritative energy that always seemed to wrap around my ribs like a vice. The kiss had broken, but the pressure of his mouth on mine lingered, a ghost of his dominance still clinging to my lips. My heart was hammering against my sternum, a frantic bird trying to escape. He looked down at me, his eyes dark and predatory, scanning my face as if he could read every secret thought racing through