Page 40 of Fastlander Fallen

Chills rippled up her spine.

“You’ll probably die early with us, but at least you’ll live while you’re breathing.”

He set his empty bottle down and cleared his throat. “I’ve got to go back out and schmooze the Alpha.”

“Why did you come in here with me?” she asked.

Owen shrugged. “To give you a break from the awkward moment you put yourself in.”

She huffed a laugh and nodded. “Fair enough. Thank you for that.”

“Sure. I’ll send Hallie in here. You girls can dance your butts off on the dance floor or fuck, I don’t know. Do whatever you do in bathrooms as a girl-herd.”

He turned to leave, but she called out, “Hey Owen?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

He gave a little salute. “No problem, human. Oh, and you’re welcome.”

“For what?”

He grinned. “For getting Ace’s attention back on you.” He offered a wink and disappeared into the crowd. As he did, she noticed a tall, dark-haired man with blazing-blue eyes in the crowd. Ace.

If she had any pull to put her vote in for a shifter getting a place in the Fastlanders? She would put in a good word for Owen. He really hadn’t pushed her for anything.

Ace sauntered up and gestured to the newly-open seat Owen had been sitting in. “Can I sit?”

She shrugged. “Suit yourself.” She turned toward the wall of liquor bottles and sipped her drink.

“I deserved that,” he told her.

“Deserved what?”

“You going off and having a good conversation with someone else.”

“He didn’t try anything. He’s probably a good man, actually.”

“Yeah—”

“I’m good with it,” she interrupted him.

“Good with what?”

“Friendship. The friendzone. I’m good with it. I’m actually really good on my own right now. I don’t need anything complicated. I’m happy.”

He nodded once. “Good.”

A fast song came on, and he leaned onto the bar top and stared at the dance floor. There were a few couples boogying there. “Want to dance again?”

She looked at the couples dancing, and tried to reposition her mind. She could stay feeling stung, or move forward and be a great friend.

She sucked her drink down to the ice and nodded, only this time she didn’t offer her hand when she went to dance.

It took about until the middle of the song before she really loosened up and appreciated him acting like a grown man. He had shared that awkward moment outside with her, and instead of ignoring her, he had come in and worked on getting them back to a fun place. Attaboy.

Midway through, she was trying all of her stupidest dance moves, his booming laugh egging her on. That’s when Hallie showed up to match her weird dance mojo.

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