The diner door creaked open with the kind of dramatic, aching slowness usually reserved for westerns or horror films.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In stumbled Feral Eclipse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not strutted. Not walked. Stumbled.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane, Gabriel, Cassie, Maya, Rico, Jonah, Emily, and even Diesel\u2014dragging themselves in like a defeated circus<\/strong>, each moving like their bones had been replaced with hangover cement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark trailed in last, perfectly upright and looking like he\u2019d just returned from a casual morning jog instead of a night that ended with tequila-fueled firehouse war stories and an elderly woman drinking them under the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They flopped into a corner booth and nearby tables, limbs everywhere. Gabriel\u2019s ears were at half-mast. Maya was wearing sunglasses inside<\/em>, clutching a water glass like it was a holy relic. Jonah just slumped forward and let his face rest on a menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The waitress\u2014a chipper twenty-something with a nametag that said TINA<\/em> and a lot of emotional armor\u2014raised an eyebrow and strolled over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cY\u2019all okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A muffled \u201cdefine okay\u201d emerged from Thane\u2019s side of the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet\u2019s start with coffee,\u201d Mark said, sliding her a twenty without making eye contact. \u201cBring a lot.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel mumbled, \u201cAlso hashbrowns. A mountain. Like\u2026 Everest, but with cheese.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jonah groaned, lifting his head slightly. \u201cAnd maybe a side of forgiveness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Emily offered a small smile. \u201cSorry. Long night.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tina raised a brow. \u201cOh, I know who you are. You\u2019re that werewolf band. Played the arena last night. I saw y\u2019all trending with a seventy-year-old woman doing whiskey shots.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cassie croaked, \u201cWe don\u2019t talk about the granny.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI liked<\/em> the granny,\u201d Diesel said proudly. \u201cShe gave me a shoulder rub and called me \u2018handsome trouble.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tina laughed, then nodded. \u201cWell, you\u2019re safe here. Fans won\u2019t mob you. They mostly don\u2019t show up until after ten.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Right as she said that, the door chimed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two young fans walked in, stopped dead, and immediately gasped.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOhmygod,\u201d one whispered. \u201cThat\u2019s them. That\u2019s them.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The pack groaned collectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cassie waved weakly. \u201cHi. We are the ghosts of last night\u2019s concert.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel attempted a smile, then accidentally hiccupped and bonked his head on the napkin dispenser.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane just raised one clawed hand without opening his eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLove you. Please\u2026 lower your voices.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fans approached like they were entering a sacred shrine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCould we\u2026 get a selfie?\u201d one asked, reverently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Maya lifted her sunglasses just enough to give her patented you\u2019re-brave-but-I-respect-it squint. \u201cSure. But no flash. We might disintegrate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The selfie happened. It was blurry. Gabriel\u2019s ears were crooked. Thane blinked at the wrong time. Cassie\u2019s eyes weren\u2019t even open. Jonah may have been unconscious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fans posted it anyway.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Caption:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMet Feral Eclipse at a diner this morning. They\u2019re literally dying. We stan true legends. \ud83d\udc80\u2764\ufe0f\ud83d\udc3a #HangoverHowlers #ProtectThePack\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Back at the table, the food arrived\u2014steaming, greasy, glorious. Hashbrowns, eggs, biscuits, regret.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gabriel stabbed a sausage patty with the seriousness of a man dueling his past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cassie sipped coffee and whispered, \u201c…Okay. I might live.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jonah blinked blearily. \u201cRemind me to put \u2018Granny-proof\u2019 on our tour rider.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thane grunted, \u201cMake it laminated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mark took a peaceful bite of toast and said nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because he\u2019d already won.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The diner door creaked open with the kind of dramatic, aching slowness usually reserved for westerns or horror films. In stumbled Feral Eclipse. Not strutted. Not walked. Stumbled. Thane, Gabriel, Cassie, Maya, Rico, Jonah, Emily, and even Diesel\u2014dragging themselves in like a defeated circus, each moving like their bones had been replaced with hangover cement. 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