Page 15 of Fastlander Fallen

Kyle jerked his attention to the humongous man that took up the entire doorframe. He stepped out of the shadows, and his glowing silver-and-blue eyes were drilling right into Kyle. “Corey doesn’t need to be taught a lesson. You can leave before I beat the shit out of you.”

“Gunner,” Hallie warned.

“Nope. This one is a fair threat. I’m not picking fights.” He lowered his voice and leaned forward, looked right into Kyle’s soul. “But I will end it. Get out of my territory.”

“Do you know what I am?” Kyle asked in a quiet tone.

“You could be a planet, and I would burn you,” Gunner said.

Something about the confidence in Gunner’s voice made Kyle turn around and jog down the stairs, yelling for the others to, “Get out of my way!” as he exited.

“I think I’ve caused enough problems for one day,” Corey murmured. She moved to hand the clipboard to Ace, but he was wearing this strange smile.

“You’re doing well at weeding them out.”

“Next on the list,” Gunner ground out, and disappeared back inside.

Damon Daye was staring at her, from his seat at the table inside, with an unfathomable look. She threw him a little wave, got self-conscious, and looked back at the sheet. “Devon-Jack,” she called, not about to piss any more of these monsters off. She dared a glance at Ace. “Thank you.”

He stared at her. After a few moments, he nodded, but didn’t say any more.

This shifter was very interesting to her now. He was hot, and mysterious, and he could have a sense of humor, and he was protective, but not in an overbearing way.

Okay, hot-boy, she was paying attention.

“I’m sorry about your ice pack,” she said.

“I didn’t need it. My jaw is already healed.”

“Oh, amazing, you’re hot and you have superpowers,” she muttered under her breath.

The chair creaked, and she looked over at him in time to see him lean his elbows onto his knees. “I can hear a bird’s heartbeat over in those trees.” He twitched his chin toward the woods.

“Congratulations?”

“So, I heard what you just said about me being hot.”

The blood drained from her face. Oh, that was very unfortunate. “I said you’re not hot.”

“I can also sense a lie.”

“I feel like my work here is done. Hallie?” she called inside. “Longdong is going to be your new bouncer. I have ramen noodles to make.”

Ace snorted. “I thought you said you can’t cook.”

“Boiling some noodles for three minutes and then adding some chemical flavor packets doesn’t really count as cooking, but if it does, then I am a chef because I have had them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the last three days in a row. I need to go grocery shopping.”

“Okay.”

She handed him the clipboard.

“Did you hear me? I said okay.”

She frowned suspiciously. “Okay, what?”

“We can eat together.”

“Was it…” She was so confused. “Was it the ramen noodles that changed your mind?”

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