Page 12 of Fated to the Wolf Cowboy (Cowboys of Collier #1)

Tricia

I hadn’t wanted to go out with Lily and her friends, yet here I was.

My head was still swimming with thoughts of the man I’d seen through Clementine’s memories. Who was he? Was he really my mate? It was crazy to think about.

Could I really have my mate through my powers?

Probably not.

The guy had been hot, way too hot for me. I generally attracted nerds or bad boys. There was never any in-between and that guy didn’t look like either. He was a cowboy for crying out loud.

What the hell was a city girl like me supposed to do with a freaking cowboy?

Some thoughts immediately came to mind, but I pushed them away. No way was I going there.

“Tricia, what are you drinking?”

“Vodka tonic.”

“Yes!” Lily cheered.

“No,” her friend Sydney said. “Trust me, liquor and Lily are not a good match.”

“What are you talking about? I handle my liquor just fine.”

Everyone at the table burst out laughing.

“Do I need to remind you of the night you realized Thomas was your true mate?” Sydney asked.

My cheeks burned at the label even though they weren’t talking about me or my mysterious cowboy.

Not mine, I corrected.

My wolf growled at that thought.

“Oh yeah, this is a great story. You want to hear it, Tricia,” one of Thomas’s sisters said. I was pretty sure her name was Peyton, but we’d only briefly been introduced.

“So, that was the same night I met Lily,” Sydney began.

“Keep in mind Syd was dating Thomas at the time,” Ruby added.

“True,” Sydney confessed. “And this bitch right here befriends me over drinks. . . lots of drinks.”

The girls hooted with laughter.

“It wasn’t until then that she confessed that she was mated to the biggest douchebag on the planet. ” Only, Peyton and Ruby both chimed in for those last few words. “That was code for Thomas. Everyone in the Pack knew it too. I was shocked, but not really as upset as I thought I should have been.”

“Because he wasn’t your true mate,” Lily pointed out.

“So true. And I definitely know the difference now.”

The two ladies clinked their glasses together before drinking their beers.

“But that’s not even the funny part,” Ruby said.

“Yeah, it was the aftermath of Lily’s night out drinking with Sydney that really makes the story,” Peyton told me.

Lily groaned. “Fine, whatever. I was wasted. I climbed into bed—the correct bed, I might add. It wasn’t like it was my fault he was in it when he shouldn’t have been.”

“Who?”

“Thomas,” they said in unison.

“You climbed into bed with the man you didn’t like, who was also your mate?”

“I was very drunk at the time.”

“So much so that she threw up all over his closet the next morning,” Peyton explained.

“I’m pretty sure it was true love from that moment on, because that stench lingered for weeks. He had to have been head-over-heels in love with you already to put up with that,” Ruby teased.

It was a cute story, but as they told it and shared the memory together, I couldn’t help but feel a little left out.

My eyes scanned the room full of strangers.

They all dressed different.

They talked different.

They smelled different.

Everything about the place was, well, different.

It was clear I did not belong here.

But it was getting late, and I needed to find a place to hole up for the night. I doubted there were any hotels in a wolf Pack such as this. That meant I was going to be sleeping in my fur outdoors again.

I was just finishing up my drink when I noticed a group of men sitting in the center of the room. One moved and suddenly my eyes locked with a pair of steel gray eyes.

It’s him.

I forgot to breathe as I just sat there staring at him. It was the same man from Clementine’s vision. It was him.

My heart flipped over in my chest and my body felt as if it were bolted to the chair.

I couldn’t move.

I couldn’t breathe.

Mate! my wolf howled appreciatively in my head.

All I could do was gawk at the man until he scowled at me, pushed his chair back and stomped off, leaving me staring in a stupor as he left the bar.

Everything inside of me screamed to go after him, but I couldn’t move.

It took more than a few minutes to regain control of myself. Fortunately, the ladies I was with were still cackling about their shared memories and didn’t seem to have noticed the monumental, life-changing experience I’d just had.

He hadn’t looked happy to see me. Maybe that was a good thing. I still had time to get the hell out of here and continue my journey to safety in Westin Pack.

I sucked back the last of my drink and then cleared my throat.

“This has been fun, but I’m getting tired, so I’m just going to go now. It was really nice meeting you all.”

“Hold up. Go? Go where?” Lily asked.

“Don’t worry about me. I’m good at taking care of myself.”

She frowned.

“My guest room is filled with holiday decorations I’ve been sorting through. I’m sorry. I can call and see if Luke will start moving them out for me. I’ve been in a downsizing mood lately.”

“You’re not pregnant, are you?” Lily blurted out.

Sydney laughed. “No, hon. That would be something you do. Normal people can just want to clean up clutter in their house without being pregnant.”

“You can stay with me,” Peyton offered. “I can have Kenneth bunk in Parker’s room and you can sleep there. That is as long as you don’t mind kids. I have three of them.”

I’d never really spent any time with kids, at least not since I was one and even then I wasn’t great with them, but a bed to lay my head and get a safe night’s sleep before the next leg of my journey sounded a lot better than another night on the cold hard ground.

“It’s better than the clinic,” Lily admitted. “That was going to be my suggestion. Sorry, but even though we’ve moved into a much bigger house when we finally took over the Alpha house, there’s still not a lot of extra space with all my pups and their stuff.”

“It’s okay. I don’t want to put anyone out.”

It seemed crazy to me that they’d even offer. Who does that? That was a good way to get robbed blind or murdered in your sleep. No one meets someone and says, “Come on over and stay at my house with my mate and my pups.” Was she insane? Were they all insane?

“I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“Trust me when I warn you that when Pey sets her mind to it, there’s no changing it. This is happening. Just accept it.”

“This is insane. You know that, right?”

“Maybe for a city girl, but around here folks look out for each other,” Ruby explained.

Before I could even process all they were saying, I was being escorted out and shoved into a black SUV.

“This is how people go missing—forever,” I pointed out.

Peyton laughed. “You watch too much TV.”

“No, it’s just common sense.”

“Maybe in the city, but not around here. Look, if you really aren’t comfortable with this, I’m not going to force you. I have several acres myself and most is pretty lush and wooded. It’s still better than sleeping out on the rocky range. Up to you. The clinic is always available as well.”

I scrunched my nose in disdain. “I’ve already experienced that bed.”

“Yeah, I’d rather sleep outside too. Or better still, in a nice, warm, cozy bed. You really are welcome.”

“Why is everyone being so nice to me?”

She shrugged. “Curiosity.”

“Seriously?”

“Of course. It’s not every day a girl in Chistian Louboutin pointy toed pumps wanders into our territory. That’s going to come with a lot of questions, and we want answers.”

She was trying to make light of the situation, but it left a sour taste in my mouth. The last thing I wanted was for these people to go poking around in my past.

What if Lily and Thomas reached out to Morris?

The trackers could easily find me here because I stuck out like a sore thumb.

“Okay,” I finally said. “If you’re sure it’s not a problem, I will take you up on the offer. I could use a good night’s sleep before hitting the road again.”

“Okay then.”

Peyton had admitted to having questions and wanting answers, but she didn’t ask or press me to talk. There was something very comforting about her. It was a bit unnerving, but also nice. I didn’t trust people easily, but something in my gut told me I could trust her.

“Is there a lock on the door?” I blurted out.

“Of course. And if you need a second, I’ll have Oliver install one real fast. He’s my mate and rather handy.”

When we arrived at the house, I couldn’t believe how huge it was. The big front porch was like something I’d only ever seen on television. I had no idea places like this even existed in real life.

It truly felt like I’d stepped into some sort of alternate universe. At any second people might start appearing out of nowhere and break out into song or something.

“Thank you,” I told her.

“It really is no problem. Come on, I’ll show you to your room. You will have to share a bathroom. Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay. I mean, at least it’s a bathroom. I’m assuming running water and all.” I was only making a joke, but then after today, I really wasn’t sure anymore.

She laughed easily and set my nerves to rest.

“Hot water and everything.”

All I had was my backpack which contained everything I owned. I picked it up off the floorboard and followed her into the house. The place was unreal.

“It’s like I just stepped into a movie,” I whispered reverently.

“I know, right?” Peyton said excitedly. “Every time I come home, I still feel that way. This place is literally my childhood dream come true. Oliver and the boys did such a wonderful job remodeling it too. It’s everything I ever wanted.”

“It’s beautiful.”

“Come on, I’ll show you to your room.”

Halfway up the stairs, the front door opened. We both looked back.

“Oh good. You’re home. Kenneth, this is Tricia. She’s going to be sleeping in your room tonight.”

He looked up at me a little confused and then grinned.

“Sure thing. Thanks, Pey. I’m sure there’s plenty of room for the both of us.”

She growled at him and the stupid grin on his face disappeared quickly.

“I was only teasing. Let me grab a few things and I’ll crash in Parker’s room.”

“That’s much better. Thank you.”

“Sure thing, Mom.”

He took the stairs two at a time stopping to plant a kiss on her cheek.

“It’s nice to meet you Tricia,” he said with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

“Thanks for letting me have your room,” I muttered uneasily.

“If you get cold, I’m just across the hall.”

Peyton smacked him as he ran off.

“He’s a rascal, but I promise you, he’s harmless.”

“Your son?” I asked. She didn’t seem old enough for that, but shifters in general seemed to age slower than humans so I couldn’t tell for sure.

She giggled. “Sort of, but no. He’s my brother-in-law. The youngest of our family. Oliver practically raised his three little brothers, so they were a package deal when we mated. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

At last, we made it up the stairs. She showed me the bathroom and which bedroom I should stay in. And then she hugged me goodnight.

“I’ll apologize now for the early wakeup call. It’s rare my kids sleep in, even on a Saturday.”

“It’s okay. I really do appreciate this.”

Before retiring for the night, I went to the bathroom.

I didn’t usually do well with air fresheners, but there was a scent in there that just seemed to calm my every last nerve.

I was pretty sure I could have just slept right there in the bathroom.

Unfortunately, the bedroom did not smell as good.

I suspected it smelled a lot like Kenneth.

After checking to ensure the door was locked, I laid down on the bed and closed my eyes. It was hard to overlook the stench. Not that it smelled bad, just not good either. Or more like it just smelled wrong. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

I was so exhausted from my crazy day that I did at least manage to sleep.

Though as I drifted off, in my mind, I could still vividly see him.