Page 54 of Fastlander Fighter

“She isn’t!” Corey said louder, and now a growl was in her voice. “I saw her face as she told us about the vision. She doesn’t want this for us.”

“I’m leaving the Crew then,” Captain said, suddenly in a panic. “I can’t leave her.”

“You can and you will,” Gunner said, standing slowly.

“What are you going to do, brother? You gonna fight me?”

“No. But we can’t do this without you. We need your bear. You have to stay.” A shard of harshness pierced Captain’s mind through his words. Shit. An Alpha order. Captain backed away and clapped his hands over his ears. “Don’t.”

“I need you here, brother,” Gunner said, advancing. “It’s not forever. You just have to stay away for a while. Stop!”

Captain’s legs locked, and he couldn’t move them. “Please don’t!” he yelled.

“I need you to focus. I need you to keep them safe with your distance.”

“Gunner, stop!” he yelled.

“Captain, I order you to stay away from Sloane and Ruger, and any of their associates. I order it. I order it. I order you to cut them from your heart and dull your memories of them until I lift the order. I need you to focus on being a weapon for the Fastlanders. I need you to protect the people here, and until your job is done, I need you to forget your feelings for Sloane.”

Captain couldn’t move. Gunner’s voice bounced around his mind, repeating and overlapping, consuming him like fire. A darkness spread inside of him, enraging him an inch at a time until he felt nothing but fury. He tried to hold onto the image of Sloane’s smile. God, he tried, but Gunner was bigger than he’d ever realized until this moment. Sloane’s face faded to nothing.

His legs buckled and he pitched forward, fell onto his knees. He wouldn’t be able to fight this. He wouldn’t be able to!

He hadn’t been able to say goodbye.

Teeth gritted, he forced his gaze up to his Alpha. His brother. “I hate you.”

Gunner’s bi-colored eyes bore into him, and he nodded once. “Truth.”

He looked over at Hallie, who had shocked tears rimming her eyes as she looked at Captain. Gunner ducked his gaze, turned, and made his way into his trailer, and then something big shattered inside.

Hallie’s lip trembled, and twin tears streamed down her cheeks. “I’m sorry.”

The emptiness was spreading through him.

Sloane.

Slo…

S…

He was a weapon for the Fastlanders.

He was a weapon for Gunner.

That was his job.

That was his destiny.

Chapter Seventeen

Sloane didn’t understand.

Her frown deepened as she read the text again.

This isn’t working out. We are too different and it’s not what I want. I wish you and Ruger the best.

It was so formal, and didn’t sound like Captain. Maybe someone had gotten ahold of his phone, and this was some kind of a prank or something?

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