Page 19 of Claimed By Fur and Fangs

“Do you sing?” I asked as we grabbed a table.

She shrugged, looking a little bashful.

“Not much, but... I guess I could try.”

“Don’t worry,” I said, leaning in, “You’ll be great. And if you’re lucky, I’ll sing with you.”

Her eyes brightened at that.

“You? Sing?”

“I’m full of surprises,” I said with a grin, the challenge hanging in my tone.

“Come on, let’s do it,” I added, pulling her toward the stage.

She hesitated for a second but then laughed, nodding.

“Alright, but I’m warning you, I’m terrible.”

We grabbed the mic, and as the music started, we both fumbled through the lyrics. We were completely offbeat, missing lines, but it didn’t matter. Amelia was laughing so hard she could barely keep a straight face, and I was no better.

“You’re killing me!” she shouted between bursts of laughter.

“I’m just getting started!” I teased, making it worse as I dramatically belted out the chorus.

I could barely catch my breath from laughing as the last note of the song fizzled out, and the crowd cheered us on. I shot Amelia a grin, feeling a mix of exhilaration and amusement.

“That was a mess,” I said, still grinning. “But seriously, that might’ve been the most fun I’ve had in ages.”

“I can't believe we just did that,” Amelia wiped a tear from her eye, still trying to catch her breath.

“You were amazing,” I leaned back in my seat, laughing again.

She raised an eyebrow at me, her lips twitching into a smile.

“Oh, I was amazing, huh? What about you?”

“Hey, I was the backup,” I shot back with a grin. “But if I’m being honest, you might’ve just stolen the show.”

“Yeah, right. That was... something,” she rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the smile tugging at her lips.

We left the bar, the weight of everything else fading as we enjoyed the carefree moments together. The drive back to her place felt different now, a deeper connection between us.

I stole a glance at Amelia as I drove, the streetlights casting soft shadows across her face, highlighting the smile still lingering there.

“Thanks for a fun day,” I said, my voice quieter now, the tone more sincere than I expected.

“No, thank you. I needed that. I haven’t had this much fun in... Forever,” she glanced over at me, her eyes warm.

We pulled up to her place, the quiet of the night settled in around us. I stopped the car, the engine ticking as it cooled.

“Well, this is me,” she said, unbuckling her seatbelt. “I guess I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah,” I said, though I didn’t want to let her go.

“Thanks for coming out with me. I mean it. I really enjoyed today.”

She flashed me with a soft smile, her eyes lingering on mine for a second longer than usual.

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