Page 61 of Fastlander Fighter

There was a huge lawn that was perfectly manicured, with a circle drive that went around an enormous water fountain. A stony cliff face drove straight into the sky, but there were huge windows and a door and peeks of a mansion that appeared out of the craggy stone face. And near the top of that cliff clung a monstrous blue dragon with razor-sharp spikes down his back. His blue wings were tucked close to his back, his long neck was stretched, and his eyes were on the smoke.

Damon.

A tall, red-haired beauty emerged from the front door. “Let me guess. Fastlanders?”

“We brought the problem with us,” Silver said. “Clara Daye?”

The woman nodded her chin slightly in confirmation.

Holy. Shit. All of her research hadn’t prepared her for actually seeing the dragon, or his mate. Sloane felt starstruck, and scared, and excited, and nervous, and worried for Captain, all at once.

“The mountains are dry right now,” Clara said, gesturing them inside. “It’s a dangerous game they’re playing with Wreck.”

Silver countered. “It was a dangerous game for Damon to put Wreck in our Crew in the first place. I’m Silver. This is Corey, Ace’s mate.” She waited until Clara finished shaking Corey’s hand before she gestured to Sloane. “This is what has Captain fighting.”

Clara lifted her chin higher, and a slight smile took her lips. “You’re human.”

Sloane scrunched up her face. “I never really thought that was an issue until recently.” And then she let off a soft, nervous laugh. She pointed her finger to the perfectly-still dragon above them. “There’s a dragon on your house.”

Clara bit back a smile. “Let’s get inside, lest he spray us with rock when he launches.”

“Will he launch?” Silver asked.

“He hasn’t yet, which tells me the Fastlanders haven’t killed each other. He likes to let new Crews work their issues out themselves, and only steps in if he’s needed. The Fastlanders…” She let the rest trail off into silence as she held the door open for all of them to pass.

“The Fastlanders are a disaster?” Silver guessed.

Clara laughed. “Pretty much, but I’ve never seen my mate so…hopeful.”

“Hopeful?” Corey repeated softly as she looked around the enormous entryway with the dark wood accents peeking through rock, and the towering chandelier, and the white marble floors.

“His dragon needs more lately.”

“Needs more fighting?”

“No. He needs more territory to his mountains. The Fastlanders are the experiment. He’s had his eye on Gunner as an Alpha for a long time.”

“Gunner is an idiot,” Silver ground out.

“I disagree,” Clara said, leading them into another room with twenty-foot ceilings.

A long, deafening dragon roar sounded, and Sloane clapped her hands over her ears at the pain it caused her eardrums. Corey and Silver did the same. Clara just stood there, stock-still, watching them.

A couple of stones dislodged from the ceiling and fell to the floor near their feet, but still, Clara didn’t move. She waited until everything settled before she gestured formally to a sprawling eighteen-seat table made of what looked like some ancient tree.

Silver grabbed Sloane’s hand and followed Corey to the seats, settling Sloane between her and Corey.

Clara made her way to an enormous wine fridge and pulled out a bottle. She looked at the label and then brought it over, opened it like a pro, and poured it smoothly into five glasses. She passed each one out, set the fifth aside, and then took a sip of hers. “I’ve been saving this one for a special occasion.”

Sloane looked to Silver and Corey, but they looked as shocked as her. They were a special occasion?

Corey said, “Hallie is going to be so upset that she missed this.”

“She’s almost here,” Clara said easily.

And sure enough, a knock sounded at the door, echoing through the cavernous room.

“Mason, will you get that?” she asked.

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