Page 1 of Fastlander Fealty

Chapter One

Fear was a constant companion to a shifter like Silver Murdock.

It shouldn’t even be in her vocabulary—fear—because of what her inner animal was capable of, and yet it was a daily sensation that filled her chest, and drew her fine hairs to attention on the back of her neck.

Once upon a time, she’d been a badass lioness and high-ranking in her Pride, but now?

So many things had changed.

The phone rang again, and she looked at the source of her chills. The caller ID said exactly what she’d known it would say. Rook Holland.

He was the King of the biggest lion shifter Pride in the world.

He was the one the lions looked to for leadership.

He was the one she’d been promised to.

He was the one who had dragged out the worst in her.

He was the one who controlled her entire life now.

Silver blew out a steadying breath, and answered his call. “Hello?”

“Are you there yet?”

She squinted at the Moosey’s BBQ sign and at the droves of people filing in and out of the entry door under the Grand Opening sign.

“Yeah, I’m here. Just arrived a few minutes ago.”

“Do you have eyes on him yet?”

She wiped her sweaty palm on the denim fabric of her jeans. “Are there any Fastlanders that are less dominant than Captain?”

“Captain is the mark.”

“Okay, but I just don’t understand why you want me to target a grizzly shifter, because—”

“Silver!” he snapped, his volume making her wince in the seat of her car. “Stop asking stupid questions. That’s what landed you here in the first place. Remember? You questioned everything, and then you ran away, and then you were shunned? If you want a place in the Pride again, you will do your fucking job. Captain is the mark, get as much information as you can, I want to have a profile of everyone in Ace’s Crew by the end of the week.”

“They aren’t just going to let me—”

“You’re good at seducing men, aren’t you?” he snarled low.

Chills, chills, chills.

And you’re good at seducing women, aren’t you? The retort sat there on the tip of her tongue. As much as he had desensitized her to poor treatment, she still had moments of defiance, and that was the real reason she was here. She was too defiant.

“Say yes sir,” he gritted out.

It was a lash on her soul to say it, but she didn’t have much pride left. The faster she did what he said, the faster he would want off the phone. “Yes sir,” she said robotically.

“It’s so hard to be attracted to you now,” he said.

Silver closed her eyes against what he would say next. He always did this. Gotta break her down until she didn’t want to fight anymore, right?

“I can sense the weakness in you,” he told her. “This will fix parts of it for me. If you are successful, I will see some value in you again. Maybe someday you can earn your place back with me. Maybe someday I’ll want to fuck you again.”

“Why me?” she murmured softly.

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