Page 24 of Fastlander Fealty

Adrenaline was pumping through her body, and she trembled uncontrollably. She was caught like a rabbit in a snare. He would kill her now, as he should. She was here to betray him and his people, but as his hand tightened around her throat, and she closed her eyes, the brush of his lips touched hers again. Her eyes flew open and he ended the kiss with a soft smack, then backed away from her. “Don’t look at my friends like that anymore, Silver,” he uttered. “I don’t like it.”

“Why…why are you spending time with me?” she asked as he swam toward her innertube, putting distance between them.

He didn’t answer, but she had to know. Had to.

“Why, Owen?”

He lifted up into her innertube and when he was settled, he leveled her with a fiery glare. “To see if you’re salvageable.” He jutted his chin toward the others. “They want to kill you.” His chest rose and fell with an inhalation of breath. “I’m still undecided.”

Chapter Five

Well, he hadn’t planned any of that.

Owen had imagined Silver wouldn’t find out he knew why she was here, and she would sneak around while he paid attention for five to eight days, and he would be the one feeding information about her and the Holland Pride to the Fastlanders, and specifically Gunner, who had an acute interest in the lions who were destined to come after them. Lucia had seen it in a vision. It would happen, they just didn’t know when.

The appearance of Silver the Decoy said they weren’t too far away from war.

He had a freaking plan! Why, then, had he kissed her? Twice?

Probably because she had moments of vulnerability that tricked him into thinking she was actually good, and also because her body was bangin’ in that leopard print bikini, and also he liked how she had put her hand around his throat and flashed those pissed off glowing gold eyes at him.

She was messing with his animal.

He’d meant to keep today light and fun, get her to relax and share some stories about herself. She was supposed to grow to trust him while he was supposed to make her forget she was here to do a job. He had wanted to seduce her into slipping up, and saying too much. He’d had a plan, and now that plan was in the dumpster, on fire.

He was giving her space, but honestly? He also needed room to think.

Owen had loosened the rope and allowed their innertubes to float the river farther apart. She was so damn pretty, rocking that little bikini. Her damp hair was drying in loose waves that cascaded out from under her backwards hat, and she was hiding her eyes behind the sunglasses, staring straight ahead. He’d caught her glancing in his direction a few times, but he didn’t know what to do about the ruined day.

The Fastlanders had done exactly what they’d intended to do, and that was to come in, break up the moment, jack up any connection they were forming, and bounce. They were still in sight, but floating farther up the river, and staying separate from them.

Even Captain Asshole was keeping his distance. Maybe he really was attracted to Silver, but Owen could see his motivation from a mile away. He would poke at Owen via Silver. Stupid dumb grizzly. Owen didn’t even like Silver like that, so it wouldn’t work. She was just a mark. Yep.

We kissed her. The boar’s voice in his head startled him. It wasn’t often he spoke directly to him. Owen was used to this dark rider inside of him who stayed quiet and observed the world around him, assessing their surroundings for danger, but not much more than that. He’d never understood this part, where an animal could talk in his mind, and he could understand it. He didn’t speak the same language, but he understood his words so clearly.

“I kissed her,” he murmured. “You’re just an animal.”

“We’re just an animal,” Owen said out loud as the boar pushed wider in his mind. “Shit. Stop!” His voice cracked down the river, and up ahead, the Fastlanders turned toward him. Fuck their glares. “I’m fine!”

When he glanced at Silver, she was watching him.

“You all right?” she asked softly.

And bless her, Silver’s tone was genuinely caring. Owen shook his head hard, trying to shake the boar’s grip on his mind. “Just animal shit,” he said low.

“Mine talks to me too sometimes,” she said. “I didn’t sign up for this, just so you know.” Silver slipped into the water. “I don’t have a choice. Where I’m from, it’s not safe like Damon’s Mountains. I don’t have anyone at my back. I’m a chess piece, just like everyone else, except the worst part is I’m at the bottom of the Pride. I’m the expendable one.” She kicked away from the innertube and started swimming up-river.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Being honest, like you said.”

He watched her for a few strokes as she eased up toward the Fastlanders, then muttered a curse under his breath. They would eat her alive.

“Come on, dipshit,” he muttered to his annoying inner boar.

You heard her. She doesn’t have anyone at her back. We remember what that is like, the boar said.

“Really? We’re going to revisit old memories? I’m already going,” he grumbled as he slipped into the water and began dragging their tubes downriver. “Hey, hold up,” he called to Silver, but she ignored him.

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