“Tucson.”
“You like ithere?”
She shrugged a freckledshoulder.
“First round’s on me.” Matt made a beeline for the bar that was decorated with sticky ringmarks.
The hygiene freak within me cringed. How hard was it to wipe down abar?
“Name your poison, LittleWolf.”
That nickname. I shook my head. “SamAdams.”
“Coming rightup.”
I was tempted to follow him to the bar, feeling strange just standing here next to the pool table, especially after Sienna and Amanda had flocked over to Taryn and Tamara. I watched Liam finally hit his shot—miss it, to be exact. The tip of his stick skidded right off the cue ball, which spun on itself without making contact with any otherball.
“Performance anxiety, Kolane?” Lucas’s gaze sparked with delight, while Liamscowled.
He straightened, studying the cue ball as though it were a live thing that had dissedhim.
Cole chuckled, then lined up his stick. He hit the eight ball and sunk itin.
When he leaned over for another shot, I asked, “Isn’t that a foul?” I wasn’t a huge pool player but was pretty certain the black ball was supposed to go inlast.
“We’re playing cut-throat,” Liam said, chalking up the tip of hisstick.
“How do you playthat?”
Without taking his eyes off the game, he explained the rules: each player had a section of pool balls and they had to sink their opponents’ balls in. Matt arrived then and handed me a sweaty bottle ofbeer.
“Thanks.” I took a sip and felt it drip into my empty stomach. I needed food. And I probably needed it before I drank the beer. “I should eat something,” I told no one in particular, but then I offered to get the others food. I prayed no one would ask for anything, or my bank account would take a serioushit.
After everyone said they were good for now, I walked over to the bar, sat on a stool, and then grabbed a laminated menu that was as sticky as the bar. I ordered nachos with cheese and bacon, then spun on the stool and watched the pool game. Again, I wondered what got into me to come tonight. I heaved a sigh, then wheeled back toward the bar and took my phone out of mybag.
August had answered me.Glad you’re okay. Heard you’re Matt’s favorite girl nowtoo.
I smiled.No. Still just yours. He has Amanda.Only after I pressed send did I realize how flirty that sounded. I dragged a hand through my hair that was now completelydry.
August sent me a smileyface.
Not for the first time, I wished he were here instead of across an ocean. That thought filled me with abrupt guilt. Guilt that made me glance at Sienna. She was laughing at a story Cole was telling her. I studied her a moment, analyzing her body language. Her eyes glittered a little as she looked up at the mammoth blond with the buzz cut. Maybe her eyes always glittered. Or maybe she was overAugust.
I ducked my face back down and wrote:You’d be proud of me. I’m at Tracy’s with the pack. I’m trying to besocial.
A couple seconds later:I hope they’re on their bestbehavior.
No one’s called me any namesyet.
And if any of them do, you tell me,OK?
I’ll be fine. Concentrate on staying alive out there.Which had me thinking…Are we as killable ashumans?
Don’t get yourquestion.
I took a swig of beer, then set it back down and typed:Can we die of something other than drowning or silverpoisoning?
Dot-dot-dots appeared. Then:Silver, fire, or asphyxiation. Why? Are you planning on killingLucas?
