Chapter Two

"She's pretty," Owen murmured, watching the woman stare out across the parking lot at the white truck that was leaving.

"She's dangerous," Lucia corrected him.

He studied the disappointment in the woman's face—Silver. Cool name. "Who is her target?"

"Captain, I'm guessing. She gave him her number, didn't she?"

"Mmm." Owen narrowed his eyes and canted his head, watched Silver shift her weight from one side to the other, eyes on the dust trail that pickup truck had made. She thought it was Owen leaving. He knew it. "I can't sense her animal at all."

"Broken shifter maybe," Lucia said thoughtfully.

Silver had dark brunette hair, but she had two blonde pieces that fell forward in front of her face as she looked at the ground. She seemed to be wrestling with something.

"She'll ruin the Fastlanders," Lucia said. "It's her destiny."

"You saw two ways before. Maybe people can change."

"What are you talking about?" Lucia demanded, rounding on him. "I'm giving you the tools to protect yourself, and you're sympathizing with some traitor." Her eyes flashed a brighter green and she leaned closer. "I'm trying to save you. Don't undo my work." Lucia shoved him in his shoulder and strode off toward the truck her mate, Landon, was waiting for her in.

"Ace still hates you," Owen called after her.

"I know." She flashed him a middle finger without turning around and climbed into Landon's truck.

When he looked back to where Silver had been standing, she was gone.

Traitor.

Lucia was right, but he hadn't pointed out something he'd noticed to her. A long, deep, intentional scar had been cut in a perfect line under her left eye, down to her jawline. That was a traitor's mark. She was a traitor to be sure, but she'd gone against her own people at some point.

Owen, knowing why she was here, wanted to chase her straight from these mountains, but that scar…that scar meant something intriguing.

A woman with a traitor mark, full of secrets, who could hide her shifter. Hmm.

Her soft brown eyes had been full of startlement, and at times confusion and fear, but there was something there. Something unbroken. He'd seen a little fire.

He was going to have to tell his Crew at some point. Perhaps it was time to out what Lucia had been talking to him about, and involve the rest of the Fastlanders. Lucia hadn't known exactly when Silver would show up, but now that she was here, Gunner probably needed to know. Ace too, and the girls. Fuck Captain though, she could gut him for all he cared. Douche.

He pulled his phone out and entered the phone number he'd remembered from Silver saying to Captain. Saved it as Traitor, and then opened the Fastlander text loop.

Crew meeting tonight. Something is happening. Send.

Eat a dick, Captain responded immediately. A gross one.

No thanks man, we aren't close like that. Send.

Take me off this loop. Captain.

Owen sent about sixty-nine eggplant emojis into the loop just to piss Captain off.

A notification popped up that Captain had removed himself from the group, so Owen added him back and snickered to himself as he heard a roar of anger from inside Moosey's.

I want to kill you both right now. Gunner.

It's important, Owen typed out. Send.

A gif of a man rolling his middle finger up like a crank appeared from Ace.

7:00. Gunner texted. This better not be another one of your dumb pranks Owen, or I will break your other leg.

That was not a threat. Last week Gunner had literally broken his leg on the jobsite in a fight. Owen was just now getting rid of the limp. I'll bring the beer. Send.

Ace responded, You better not come in here and steal a six-pack again. I'll fight you.

Twelve-pack it is. Crew discount. I'll pay you back in hugs. That or Captain said he is okay with someone sucking his dick. Send.

I'm blocking all of you, Captain texted.

Hallie sent a message to the group. Is this how guys talk to each other? Gross. Steal me some canned margaritas, Owen.

Owen grinned and shoved his phone into his back pocket, and then made his way over to the gas station side of Moosey's, that Ace managed.

If Ace knew Lucia had been here, he would've already been fighting. He probably wouldn't ever forgive her for Turning Hallie into a grizzly shifter, and then locking Corey in the room with her so Hallie would Turn her too. Corey was Ace's mate, and he had a big protective instinct for her. Kudos to him, though Owen would never admit he had even an ounce of respect for any of the males in this Crew. There was no fun in peace.

Maybe he was toxic.

That thought drew him up short and he frowned, ready to check himself, but then remembered he didn't care.

Phew, that was close.

"No," Ace said sternly the second Owen entered the gas station.

"Oh pipe down, I will probably pay," he muttered as he passed by the counter where Ace was scribbling onto an inventory clipboard.

Ace stood up straight in a blur and sniffed. "Why do you smell like Lucia Novak?"

"Because we are besties now. You could be besties with her too if you would just accept that she had your mate's best interest in mind."

"Bullshit."

Owen walked backward toward the beer section, arms out. "Just this morning I heard Corey announce she was no longer allergic to yogurt, and guess who is to thank for that."

"Not Lucia fucking Novak!" Ace barked.

"Lucia Novak!" Owen said, turning just in time to meet the fridge he wanted. Canned margaritas were secretly delicious, but he only admitted that to the girls when he crashed their girls' nights. The guys would roast him if they saw him drinking one.

Owen pulled out a case of a multi flavor pack of margaritas, and then opened the next door and pulled out a twenty-four pack of yellowjackets, or, as normies called them, canned Coors Banquets.

"You said a twelve-pack," Ace growled as he approached the counter.

"I'm paying, dipshit, I'll get a ninety-pack if I want. Hey listen, if I was going to make someone my girlfriend, what should I do to get her attention?"

Ace had been ringing up his gas station wares, but at Owen's question, his face went completely blank. "What?"

"How do I get a woman to want only my wiener?"

Ace sighed. "Why are you being weird? There's a line behind you. Pay and move."

"Look, clearly Corey is out of your league, so how did you trick her into liking you?"

Ace leaned across the counter and his eyes brightened as he snarled, "I don't have time for you today. I'm busy."

"As your best friend—"

"You're not even my friend. Pay."

"—I think you are supposed to give me woman-advice. Her name is Silver." He waited to see a reaction on Ace's face, but he really didn't know the lioness that was hunting him. Huh. "Cool name, right?"

Ace clenched his fists in the air and then looked around Owen's shoulder. "I'm so sorry," he said to the lady waiting behind him. "He'll be done soon." He lowered his voice. "Or I'll gut you."

"Whoo, truth. You mean it. That's not very best-friend of you—ack!"

Ace's hand appeared around his throat and squeezed. "I'm fighting every urge to kill you right now, Owen, take your credit card, and tap it, and let me live in peace until seven tonight, where you will unquestionably waste all of our time with whatever you want to say at this Crew meeting. Again."

Owen pried his fingers from around his throat and scrunched up his face at Ace. "The last meeting was very important."

"You wanted to discuss our favorite colors."

"For the T-shirts I'm having made for us, you ungrateful cactus."

Ace gave him a dirty look and pointed to the credit card machine.

Owen tapped his credit card and tucked the booze under his arms. "Can I have a beef jerky stick?"

"No."

"I forgot to pick it out before I paid. I'm really hungry."

Ace's face went vampire and his fangs extended and his skin thinned and morphed into something terrifying before he composed himself again. "Please leave."

Owen pursed his lips against the smile at how easy it was to get to both Ace and Captain. "I'm lonely."

He'd expected Ace's hit, so he ducked his closed fist easily and laughed as he walked away. "So testy."

"Tell your girlfriend she has terrible taste in men," Ace called.

"Oh, she absolutely does. She likes Captain."

"Wait!"

Owen gave a private grin, and then composed his face before he turned around. Ace was leaned all the way to the left of the counter, looking around the line. "You like someone who likes Captain?"

Owen shrugged. "I tried to confide in you."

Ace narrowed his eyes at him. "Are you messing with me right now?"

"Probably. Later masterbater."

Owen pushed open the exit and something hit him in the back of the head. He winced and looked at the ground. A beef jerky stick laid there by his feet.

"This doesn't make us friends," Ace barked out.

If Owen liked people, he would feel touched by the jerky stick. As it stood, he was just proud he'd annoyed it out of Ace. He wasn't even hungry. He'd just inhaled six to seven pounds of barbecue while he'd watched Silver eat. It wasn't creepy. It was recon.

He stooped and grabbed the beef stick, careful to balance the beers. "Thanks, bestie."

He heard an annoyed groan as he left the building. He was in the best mood today. He should come here on his days off and annoy Ace and Captain more often.

His phone vibrated and he checked the text. The blood drained a little from his face as he realized who had messaged. Wreck had texted the loop. I'm not going to this Crew meeting or any other.

Eee, well good. That shifter was a little heavy to be around and brought out the worst of his inner boar. When had he been added to the Fastlander's loop? Probably Corey or Hallie had done it. None of the guys wanted to even mess with him.

Owen was lost in thoughts of Wreck when he sensed something standing in his way. He looked up to find Silver there, her hands clasped in front of her, pretty beach waves hanging down and covering half of her face. She looked timid. Why? He knew what she was, and never in his life had he met a timid lioness. They were monsters—in the hottest way.

She cleared her throat delicately. "I thought you left, but I just saw you walking out to your car, and I wanted to say I'm sorry." Truth.

Owen frowned. "Sorry for what?"

"For back there when I gave someone else my number right after you bought me food."

Owen looked around, thinking. He had planned on texting her later, once he'd had some time to see how he really felt about everything. When he looked back at her, she wore this cute little hopeful look in her doe-brown eyes.

His heart pounded a little harder at how pretty she was. Five-six, maybe five-seven. Curves in all the right places. High cheek bones and long eyelashes and full lips. Skinny jeans that hugged a perfect ass and a tank top with a low neckline that showed off the top curves of her perky tits. Gorgeous.

Oh, she was good. Good bait.

He shook his head, and walked past her. "Don't worry about it. Captain is rough though, just so you know. He loves himself too much to ever treat a woman right. He goes through them like candy."

He opened the back door of his truck and shoved the drinks onto the floorboard.

When he turned back around, she was still standing in the same place, looking awkward and clinging to her purse as the wind blew her blonde streaks across her face. So damn pretty.

"I made a reservation online," she said, as if she was reaching for conversation.

"For what?"

"For that floating-the-river adventure you recommended. I have to be there to pick up my innertube and catch my bus at ten-ten in the morning."

A smile took his face without intention. "You'll have fun."

"I made a second reservation too. If you…you know."

"You're inviting me to go with you?"

"I thought maybe you could show me the ropes. If you want. No pressure. You don't have to. Oh my gosh, I sound so silly right now. You are a stranger. I'm sorry. This is really forward, and I'm…" She parted her lips, but nothing else came out. She tried again. "I don't know what I'm doing." Truth.

Everything she'd been saying was the truth. Unless she could hide the lies just like she could hide her animal. Curious.

"Normally, I would be working."

"Oh, right, I'm sorry."

He frowned. That was the second apology she'd made for nothing in just a few sentences. He didn't like that. "As it stands, the mountains are under a fire warning because it's so hot right now, and we can't run the machinery tomorrow."

"Oh, so you're some kind of construction worker?"

"Logger."

Her pretty eyes went round. "Like a Lumberjack?"

"Sure. Maybe I'll meet you there. We'll see."

She nodded like a little bobblehead. "Okay, thank you. I mean, that's great. It's a maybe." She began backing away, nearly stumbled on the heel of her sneaker, and righted herself. There was a blush in her cheeks as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "Ha. Clumsy me. Okay, I'm going to leave now. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow. Or maybe not! No pressure. Maybe I'll never see you again! Ha." She seemed nervous and jittery, but there was no way a woman as pretty as her didn't have any game with men. This had to be an act, right?

He watched her walk jerkily toward a little silver car and get inside. He watched her rest her forehead on the steering wheel and talk to herself, and bump her head twice on it before she rested her head back against the seat, and look heavenward. She heaved the biggest sigh.

Silver wasn't what Lucia had described was coming for the Fastlanders.

She was different. Not a proper hunter like he'd expected, but filled with uncertainty instead. She didn't make any damn sense.

Silver was still talking to herself when she looked over at him, realized he could still see her and she froze, pursed her lips, and hung her head as she pulled her seatbelt on.

Then she turned on her car, gave him a little wave, and drove out of the parking lot.

And now he was having second thoughts about what he would tell the Crew tonight.

There was something growing inside of him that told him to protect her.

She's dangerous. He could hear Lucia's voice in his head so clearly.

He didn't know about dangerous to a Crew of monsters like the Fastlanders, but she was certainly confusing.