Page 11 of Midnight Moon
“Ah! The Last Frontier,” she said with enthusiasm. “We know people in Alaska. Don’t we, Blair?”
If by ‘know’ she meant ‘know of’, then yes.
“Sure.”
Stephanie laughed, easily ignoring my short reply. “Well, I guess I should say our fathers know people in Alaska. Blair and I haven’t had the chance to meet them yet.”
Why my best friend thought to bring up the elusive Wilds Pack as a way to try and form a connection with Asher was beyond me. It wasn’t like our packs were allies. The small group of shifters didn’t even deign to join in the Alpha Games, instead choosing to live in isolation. The Wilds Pack only interacted with other packs when absolutely required.
Stephanie’s confident grin began to waver when Asher didn’t respond.
I’d be lying if I said the interaction didn’t make me a littlehappy. Normally, I would never be jealous of my best friend. We’d grown up together, and our bond was too strong to let a hot guy come between us. But I wasn’t going to lie—seeing her flirt with Asher had rubbed me the wrong way.
“That’s very interesting,” Chase offered, filling the void left by Asher’s silence.
“Mmhmm,” I seconded.
My best friend murmured her agreement. Her demeanor turned docile with Asher’s obvious rejection.
I immediately jumped on the opportunity to get us out of there.
“Well, it was great to meet you two, but we really should be getting home.”
“What? Already?” Chase frowned and glanced at his smartwatch. “But it’s not even midnight.”
I feigned a regretful expression. “I’m afraid so. I hope you both enjoy Denver.” I grabbed Stephanie’s arm and started to lead us towards the exit after she murmured her goodbyes.
We took two steps before a muscular chest blocked our path.
I reared back and looked up at Asher with wide eyes, my stomach tightening with anticipation.
He opened his mouth to say something but hesitated. Then, he pressed his lips together with a frown.
I tilted my head to the side. After a few more seconds of his continued silence, I asked, “Yes?”
Again, I thought he was about to say something. Asher inhaled, flaring his nostrils. He closed his eyes for a moment, then shook his head. “Nothing. Have a safe flight tomorrow.”
My shoulders fell, and I was surprised by my disappointment.
I offered a half-hearted smile. “Thanks.”
I stepped around him.
That time, no one blocked our way.
Stephanie and I weaved through the crowd of young people making the most of their night. Thanks to our shifter reflexes, we avoided bumping shoulders and spilling drinks with ease.
We had just stepped out onto the busy street when I realized we needed to walk by the Iron Horse’s patio to reach Stephanie’s car.
A quick scan revealed Chase and Asher still stood by the railing, and they seemed to be in the middle of a heated discussion. Chase wore an incredulous expression and waved his arms in the air emphatically. Asher faced away from us, but I could see the tension in his back muscles.
I wasn’t sure why, but my gut told me they were talking about us.
Maybe Chase was giving Asher a hard time for being rude? That seemed the most likely case.
As we traveled with the flow of the pedestrians around us and drew closer to the bar’s patio, I felt a moment of panic. Should I ignore them as we walked by? Or should I give them a wave?
I was still debating my plan of action when, out of nowhere, Asher’s head snapped to the side. His eyes searched the crowded street, and I sucked in a breath when they locked onto mine. Once again, the intensity within their depths was disconcerting. His stare robbed me of all thought—except for how stunning I found his irises.
