More on this book
Kindle Notes & Highlights
Fear was a constant companion to a shifter like Silver Murdock. It shouldn’t even be in her vocabulary—fear—because of what her inner animal was capable of, and yet it was a daily sensation that filled her chest, and drew her fine hairs to attention on the back of her neck.
He was tall and very handsome, and had an easy way that had her heartrate settling already. When he disappeared around the corner, Silver pulled the notebook toward her and opened it to the second page. Owen Carson
She sipped her wine and considered showing her hand too soon. That’s what it would be. Rook had told her to hide what she was until she came back to the Pride. But… Rook wasn’t here, in this peaceful moment she was sharing with only Owen. Yes. Send. Nice. Your people probably suck. That’s a cool-ass scar. Looks hot on you.
Just a peck of his lips and then he rested his hands on either side of her innertube again. “No one owns you. They don’t have the right. I don’t care who your people are.”
“She’s with the one you were with?” he asked, his voice echoing a little too loudly down the river. She shrugged. “It’s normal for some Kings to take multiple Queens, and besides, I was stripped of my rank and title. I am nothing. Katrina is Queen now.”
On the river bank they were passing, a group of familiar faces were launching rafts and kayaks into the water. “Oh my gosh,” she whispered under her breath in horror. The entirety of the Fastlander Crew was here, including the Alpha himself, the Fury, the Monster, Gunner Walker. Silver was having to try very hard to keep her balance with all the splashing. “Um, hi,” she said meekly as Gunner approached. “I think Owen and Captain are trying to kill each other.”
“Listen to that engine going. That’s quite the purr you’ve got there, lioness.”
“Good girl. She’s bait.” He slid his hand to her throat now, and squeezed gently, eased back far enough to search her eyes with his bright glowing gaze. “And here you are. Alone. Making me think of life in the wild. Making me think of breeding you. Dredging up my animal when I see the way you glare at the girls in this Crew. You want them to like you, Silver? Start with being honest with them. I don’t mind playing with a decoy. They’re not like me.”
Owen. Was. Huge. She hadn’t ever seen a shifted boar in person, and hadn’t known what to imagine. It wasn’t like one of the wild boars she’s seen run across the road when she was little. He had to be a thousand pounds of aggression, and so much bigger than any natural born animal. His eyes were the color of blue ice, and foot-long tusks protruded from his bottom jaw. They were already tipped and dripping with red. His black fur was spiked in a bristled mohawk down his back.
“Fuck!” Corey yelled at Silver as she ran past her. “You caused it. Fix it!” Her bear ripped from her so close to Silver, she was thrown to the side and was barely able to stay upright. Fix it? How could Silver fix it? She was one lioness in a Crew of titans much bigger than her animal. She couldn’t fix anything!
“But you didn’t really accept it,” Owen told her. “If you had, you would be headed back to Rook right now, or trying to manipulate your way back into the Fastlanders to finish the job for him. You’re running toward a better life instead. Sink or swim, you are doing it, Silver. Do you realize how tough you are?” He leaned forward on his elbows and lowered his voice, blue eyes boring into hers. “Do you really understand what you are?”
“That and you were hot.” Silver snorted. “No I’m not. I’m just me.” “Why did you attack me?” he asked suddenly. “Earlier in the river, why did your lion go after me?” “Because you are the biggest danger. The animal is broken. She goes after the biggest and baddest. That was you.”
She smiled knowingly. “The fighting between the Crew doesn’t eclipse the loyalty then.” Her words touched him. She could tell. “You Fastlanders will be just fine. You’ve got it better than you think.”
“Owen the blue collar boy boar shifter reads books?” she teased as she picked the pizza slice with a bubble on the crust.” “Blue collar boy boar shifter. Say that ten times fast.”
“Mmm, I really did think about standing you up.” “Gasp! What?” “You were spying on my Crew, and I thought you were dangerously pretty, and too interesting for your own good.” “Dangerously pretty? Me?” “Yep. What’s number two.”
He leaned back, blond brows arched. “I don’t know, you may be able to take me if my boar disappears any time you try to claw me.” “Why did he do that?” “Because he didn’t want to fight you.” A frown took his handsome face as he stared at the candle for a few seconds. “He couldn’t fight you is a better way of saying it.” Huh.
He was slow and calculated as he pushed her cowgirl hat back off her head, and held it at his side. He leaned down slow and kissed her. This one, they both expected. This one was slow and built up. This one was arms sliding around each other, hands exploring, and tasting each other. This one was building a connection. This was was tethering her heart to him. It was building hope inside of her. It was happiness. It was absolute comfort with another person.
Her lip trembled and she looked up at Hallie, squatted down and held the phone closer to her mouth as she admitted in a murmur, “My favorite thing about myself is the scar on my face.”
No forgivesies. She has the protection of the Fastlanders now. If you come for Silver, I will remove the leash from all of our people, and there will be nothing but a crater where you used to exist. She’s going to block this number now. Haunt her, and we will fucking kill you.” Truth. Truth. Motherfucking truth.
Owen slid his hand over her thigh and squeezed gently, just a reassuring gesture. When she swung her attention to him, his expression had gone serious, and the color of his eyes was lightened to a frosty blue. “If Rook touches you, I’ll kill him.” Truth.
She was not Silver of the Holland Pride any longer. Now, she was Silver of the Fastlanders.
