Page 25 of Buck This (Battle of the Bulls #6)

The cadence of his heavy breath was all he could hear. It wasn’t the roaring of the crowds, or the sound of the yelling around him. It wasn’t the directions from the cowboys loading him into the chute.

It was the roaring of the blood in his ears, and his breathing. In. Out. In. Out.

He hated the chute. Hated it. He had ever since the accident.

He was claustrophobic, and being locked in there stirred up a rage in here he couldn’t control. He’d hated that about himself…until now.

Now, he embraced the rage.

Buck This Storme clanged his horn against the metal of the chute and swung his hips into it as men shoved the door closed beside him.

This part was necessary. It was the steppingstone to getting what he wanted, and that was to send Cobalt on a journey he would never forget.

Cobalt should’ve never talked about Teague. He should’ve never mentioned his brother, or that damn night. He should’ve never encouraged the sharing of the pictures that had wrecked Buck This Storme’s life.

Tonight, Cobalt would learn not to fuck with a Storme.

Tonight, everyone would learn.

She was out there. Torrey was close. Buck could feel her.

That part he hadn’t expected. When he’d slept with her, it had done something to him.

It had tethered him to her, and now he could tell where she was in the building.

She was in the box near the chutes. He tried to see her through the bars but couldn’t.

Unable to help himself, he pushed up and hooked his hooves over the top.

He got a glimpse of her. She wasn’t scared of his behavior as the cowboys behind the chute tried desperately to keep him from jumping out the rest of the way.

She stood tall and proud, and she smiled and nodded to him. He could do this.

A hot pain zinged through his hip, and he lowered back to the ground and bellowed when he realized they’d used a Hot-Shot on him. That only pissed him off more.

Cobalt was here now, sliding onto his back, and everyone was yelling as he swung his head and tried to tag him in the thigh with his sawed-off horn.

The chute prevented the full range of motion to accomplish it, but he still tried twice more, clanging his horn on the metal grate time and time again.

He kicked hard just to rid himself of some of the pent-up rage.

He always had a hard time understanding human language in this body, so it was just a rumble of nonsensical words.

Torrey was here though, and so was Teague.

He could see him. Teague was standing on the stage in the middle of the arena. Buck This froze, his gaze aimed right through two of the bars to the stage.

Teague looked just as he remembered him. Flannel button up shirt, old worn jeans, dusty boots, and the cream-colored cowboy hat their grandfather had gifted him. He lifted his chin higher into the air and nodded once.

Buck strong.

The gate swung open, and Buck This Storme exploded out of the chute.

One.

He landed hard on his front and flung his flank to the side, then was airborne again as soon as his back legs hit the ground. He twisted in the air and kicked front and back legs hard. Cobalt had a good seat. Let’s see what you’ve got.

Two, three…

Buck This Storme slammed back down to earth and twisted the opposite way, tightening his circle. He flung his body to the side, and he could feel it—Cobalt was losing his balance.

Four.

If he could smile in this body, he would’ve.

Buck This Storme slammed to earth and went airborne, twisting as he kicked, and Cobalt flung to the side.

Five, six.

He was barely hanging on, and Buck This Storme slammed his hooves to the arena dirt and kicked his back end up. Cobalt went sailing, but his hand was still in the rope.

He twisted to the side again and yanked Cobalt through the air. He lost his grip and went flying. Buck This Storme had known that would happen. He’d felt it.

Buck This Storme aimed for him before Cobalt even hit the dirt. He was going to kill him. He wanted to. He wanted to destroy him.

He charged for him while the bullfighters scrambled to reach him, and time slowed.

He was going to make it to him before anyone could stop him.

Cobalt was going to die tonight.

Teague appeared in front of him, and Buck This Storme locked his legs to avoid hitting his brother.

“It’s good,” Teague said, his voice echoing through Buck’s head. “It’s enough. This is just the beginning for you, little brother, not the end.”

Breath heaving, Buck This Storme stood there frozen while the crowd roared.

The bullfighters had dragged Cobalt to the rail, and he was scrambling up them, and out of Buck’s reach.

It’s enough.

He looked up to find Torrey standing at the edge of the box, her hand on her chest and her heart in her pretty eyes.

Everything else blurred but her.

She was crying, but it wasn’t sadness he found on her beautiful face. It was…pride.

It’s enough.

He trotted toward her and slowed before he got to the fence, then waited as she slowly reached over and placed her hand on his head, right between his horns.

It’s enough.

He looked around to find Teague was gone, and he had this overwhelming sadness wash through him because he knew it was the last time he would see him. He’d come here to be a part of this moment with Buck This Storme. How many times had they talked about this dream together?

It was done now. It was enough.

Buck This Storme trotted around the edge of the arena in a victory lap and gave a few bucks to make the crowd go wild.

He hadn’t fucked up this time.

He hadn’t fucked up.

He was still here. He was still breathing. He was still trying.

Torrey saw something in him.

Quickdraw Slow Burn and his herd saw potential in him.

He wasn’t a throw-away.

He was Buck This Storme, and like his brother had said, this was just the beginning, not the end.