Page 71 of Fastlander Fealty

Fear trilled up Silver’s spine. “What should I do?”

“Coming back to him won’t help. He’ll kill you on your insides, and make you watch him kill that cute guy who is protective of you, and putting his arm around you, and making sure you’re happy.” Katrina shook her head. “There’s no stopping that.” She shrugged a shoulder up to her ear. “Just enjoy every moment you can.”

“Ready to find better company?”

Silver startled hard at the man’s deep voice that sounded right beside her. A stranger sat on the table of the empty vendor booth, arm resting on his bent leg like he had been here the whole time.

“Who are you?” Katrina demanded.

“The name’s Wreck.” He gave a smile that Silver could only describe as evil. “I’m a Fastlander, cupcake. Who the fuck are you?”

Wreck? The brown-haired man with the fiery gold and red eyes felt heavy, like a mountain was settling onto Silver’s shoulders. Terror filled her, and the remnants of his burning fire flamed up again under her aching skin.

Katrina slid her lion-bright gaze to Silver and back to the stranger. She looked uncertain and spooked. “I was just delivering a warning.”

“Warning received. Tell your boyfriend we’ll see him real soon,” Wreck said coolly. He stood and leaned closer to Katrina, then lowered his voice. “Tell him Wreck can’t fuckin’ wait.” His empty smile brightened, and then he disappeared. Just…poof. Gone in a cloud of black smoke.

Silver pursed her lips against the urge to run far away from the awful, dark, churning sensation that shifter left in her middle. “Maybe you should go back to your King, Kat.”

“What are you into?” Katrina asked low from behind her as she walked away.

It was at this moment, Silver saw Owen leaning against a light pole by the bathrooms, watching her with frost-blue, glowing eyes. He wasn’t coming to save her, or threaten Katrina. He was waiting for any signal that Silver needed help, but trusting her to handle it, and that meant the world to her.

“I’m in Damon’s Mountains now,” Silver called over her shoulder. “I’m not one of you anymore.”

And as she approached Owen, she saw the girls too. Two pairs of glowing green eyes stared at Katrina, and Silver knew without the shadow of a doubt, those two she-bears would rip Katrina limb from limb if Silver said she was a threat.

She really was in Damon’s Mountains now.

She was going to keep her happiness, as long as she could, just like Katrina had said.

War was going to come to these mountains. Apparently, the seers here had seen it, and there was no stopping it. Not even Silver could slow it by going back to the Pride. Her suffering wouldn’t change destiny at all.

It was what it was.

War would come to the mountains, and they would survive or they wouldn’t. But if she was a betting woman, she would put money on Owen, the Beast Boar of the Fastlanders, and the she-grizzlies of the Crew. She would put money on the Fury, the Alpha, Gunner. She would bet on Ace, the Hybrid lion-vampire, and on Captain, the grizzly with a chip on his shoulder. She would bet on Wreck, the Fire. And most importantly, she would put her money on herself, because Silver knew how she felt right now.

She was disappointed it was Katrina who had come to give her that message.

She was disappointed it wasn’t Rook, so she could maul him.

She wanted to take on the King.

The thought of any of the Holland Pride anywhere around Owen made her skin tingle with the urge to Change.

Silver slid her hand into Owen’s, and looked back over her shoulder at where Katrina was watching her leave.

For the first time in as long as Silver could remember, she really would bet on herself.

If Rook gave a single damn about survival…for him or any of his people…

He should stay far away from Silver, and the Fastlanders.

Chapter Fifteen

Silver hooked her hands on her hips and stared at the printer she’d just set up in her office space.

She didn’t know why, but this felt like a huge moment. Many moments felt big lately.

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