Page 23 of Fated to the Wolf Cowboy (Cowboys of Collier #1)

Brady

Tricia was mine forever. Maybe I hadn’t marked her yet, but that was only a formality now. After having her, tasting her, making love to her, there was no way in hell I could let her go now.

“Mine,” I whispered as she slept peacefully in my arms.

It felt like I was waking up for the first time of the rest of my life and I couldn’t wait to see what was coming next knowing that whatever it was, as long as Tricia was by my side, we would face it together.

What I didn’t expect was the call that came in before she even opened her eyes to start the day.

“We need to talk,” Thomas said.

“Okay. What’s up?”

“Not over the phone. I need you to come down to my office and bring Tricia with you. She is with you, isn’t she?”

“Yeah. She’s right here. Give us a bit to get up and dressed and we’ll head over.”

“Good. We’ll have breakfast.”

He hung up and my head swam with confusion.

Things in my life had just started to fall into place.

I felt like I was finally ready to take control of the farm and maybe even enjoy it, something I never thought I’d say.

After last night, Tricia and I were growing close despite our rocky start.

My wolf was ready to claim her and I knew in my heart that I was already beginning to fall in love with her.

I wasn’t ready to admit that yet. Stubborn pride wasn’t just one of my faults. My mate was every bit as stubborn and prideful.

It had taken a lot for her to share her story with me and I felt honored to carry the burden of her secrets, not that I felt like it needed to be a secret here.

We had similarities in our lives, but we also came from two very different worlds. Deep down we weren’t really all that different, though. High heels and cowboy boots weren’t our biggest defining factors.

“Babe, wake up.”

It took her a moment to stretch and rise. By the time she finally did, my body was strung tight and ready to take her again.

I had to remind myself that there was no time for that.

Thomas may be like family to me, but he was still my Alpha. When the Alpha called you didn’t leave him waiting.

“Tricia, we have to get up and get moving.”

She jolted awake. “What happened? What’s wrong?”

I smiled and gave her a quick kiss.

“Nothing’s wrong. Thomas called asking us to come over for breakfast.”

“Can we say no and stay right here?”

“He’s my Alpha. He doesn’t understand the word no.”

She groaned but begrudgingly got her sexy ass moving. And this time when we rode on the bike together, it felt different, like more somehow when she hugged me close. I was disappointed when the ride ended much too soon.

“Is this normal?” she whispered after I shut off the engine. “To be summoned to breakfast by the Alpha after what I’d accidentally announced at the barn?”

“Now you are being paranoid.”

She frowned. “Paranoia is the only reason I’m still alive, Brady.”

“This is Thomas. He’s a good and fair Alpha. There’s no way he had any prejudice with witches. Trust me on this.”

Begrudgingly she nodded.

“Let’s go see what he wants.”

I led the way inside.

“Thomas?” I called out.

“My office,” he returned. “Tricia’s with you, right?”

My wolf perked up within me.

“Yeah, why?”

“I need to talk to the both of you.”

I took her hand as we walked into his office.

He motioned us to sit down, but the look he shot me riled my wolf even more. So we both remained standing.

“Why?” I asked, defiantly.

Luke stepped up behind me. “It’s going to be okay, Brady.”

My head whipped around to face him.

Something was wrong.

Something was very, very wrong.

“We just need to talk,” he assured me.

“So talk.”

“It involves your mate.”

“No shit, Luke. I already figured that much out.”

Tricia gripped my hand tighter.

“Should I be paranoid now?” she asked me.

Staring at her, I’d nearly forgotten all about Thomas and Luke standing right there.

She was afraid. Had I let her down? I didn’t think so.

I trusted them, but I was transfixed by the fear in my mate’s eyes.

All I wanted to do was sweep her up into my arms and runaway or stake my claim on her as mine right here for the whole Pack to see.

Mine, my wolf growled in my mind, and I couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off my face. I winked and she started to relax just a little.

“What’s wrong?” Tricia asked me, ignoring the Alpha and Beta surrounding us.

“Something’s happened. We need to talk,” Thomas said, and I felt my wolf jerk as Alpha power surrounded me.

My eyes widened and the griping betrayal I felt was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before.

“What the hell is happening?” I demanded as James stepped into the room and came up behind Tricia while Luke shut the door behind him.

We were trapped.

“Everything’s fine, Brady. We just need to talk,” Luke assured me. “Thomas, your powers aren’t necessary. They aren’t a threat to us.”

“I hope you’re right.”

Tricia’s eyes locked with mine and I could sense fear welling up even stronger within her.

“Come on. We’re all friends here,” James said. “Let’s just take it down a notch and have a little talk so we can figure this all out.”

It wasn’t a request. Tricia and I had been summoned to the Alpha house and I had no clue idea why.

“What’s going on? Why are we here? What do you want?”

I wanted to console her and tell her whatever I thought we both needed to hear, but the truth was that I was terrified. I had no idea what was going on, but I knew it was bad, like really, really bad.

They never had to use force or even Thomas’s Alpha powers. Tricia and I had come peacefully to hear them out. Why were they acting like this?

My wolf was calculating every escape route possible.

I knew in that moment, that if they threatened my girl, my one true mate, that I would do anything in my power to stop them. I might not be as strong as Thomas or Luke, hell maybe even James, but I would damn sure give my life to fight them all if it meant protecting Tricia.

A growl escaped me at the thought.

Thomas sighed. “Simmer down and take a seat.”

Luke directed us to the two chairs across from the Alpha’s desk while he and James sat at the table behind us. Hesitantly I sat and Tricia followed my lead.

“I’m sorry. I know this wasn’t handled well. I just need to ask your mate some questions.”

“Fine then, ask me. But you don’t need him here for that, do you?” Tricia spoke up, as her chin defiantly rose just a hair in his direction.

“There’s no way. . .”

“Relax. Everyone.”

Thomas’s words were punched with a kick of Alpha powers.

“We’re just going to talk. Brady’s wolf is already on edge so I thought talking to you together would be less confrontational.

You haven’t sealed your bond yet, making him a bit unstable,” he explained.

“I could feel it the second you pulled up. I didn’t mean to react with aggression.

So please, just try to calm down so we can get to the bottom of this. ”

Damn right I was unstable. My wolf and I were in an agreement that whatever was going on was a clear threat to our mate.

Tricia clutched my hand. She felt it too.

“Just get it over with,” Luke advised.

Thomas cleared his throat. “I got a warning from the Grand Council about you today, Tricia.”

She sat up and her jaw dropped as she shook her head in confusion.

“The Grand Council? I’m nobody. How would they even know I exist?”

“Your Alpha reported you as a threat.”

“What?” she and I said at the same time.

“Morris did that?” she added. “Why? I’ve never threatened anyone.”

Thomas sighed. “I know you’re a witch, Tricia. The Grand Council has apparently begun not just tracking witches, but classifying them. And you have officially been labeled as one.”

My heart dropped. They were tracking my mate?

“That’s not a secret, Thomas. She’s never denied being a witch. The Clementine incident, remember? That was her. Didn’t Luke explain that to you?”

“I informed him,” Luke admitted as he and James both burst out laughing from behind us as Thomas shot them a look to shut up.

“I’m never living the Clementine thing down, am I?”

“I’m sure it’ll pass with time,” Thomas said.

“Yeah, a lot of time. Like years and years,” James said.

“Enough,” Thomas told him.

“She fled her Pack in New York because they’re tracking down and killing witches, Thomas. She needs sanctuary,” I informed him.

“I was heading to California. There’s rumors about Westin Pack being a safe harbor for witches, a place I could live without fear. If it wasn’t for Brady, I’d already be there by now.”

Her words sliced through my heart.

“You’re safe here, too. Right Thomas?” I asked.

Despite whatever this was, I had to believe it was true. He wouldn’t turn out my mate, would he?

“For many generations now, witches have lived on the fringes of Packs. Every Alpha knows it, but the fear and bloodshed stopped a long time ago. At least here. Witches were suspected to be rare, but as more and more come out into the open we are seeing that isn’t the case at all.

So many have extra powers and that scares people.

It scares the Grand Council who is supporting the efforts to reduce threats to our kind.

They are defining those of us without powers as purebreds. ”

Tricia sighed, but her hand tightened around mine.

“Purebreds? That’s bullshit and you know it!” I yelled.

“Brady, settle down,” Luke warned. “James and I are only here to control you if it comes to it.”

“Control me? Why? What are you saying?”

“They’re saying I’m a threat to Collier Pack,” Tricia said in a soft but steely voice. “I’m the threat here. Not you. Am I right?”

Thomas picked up a piece of paper from his desk and looked it over carefully.

“Level 5,” he muttered.

“What?” I asked.

“They’ve ranked you as a level 5 witch, Tricia.”

“What does that mean?” she asked.

“On a scale of one to five with one being the least concerning, they have you listed as a 5. Currently only one of two documented level 5’s in the entire world.”

I looked at my mate. She was no threat to us.

“Why?” I asked.

“Yeah, why? I’ve always been the weird-o, not a threat to anyone. I talk to animals,” she blurted out. “How does that rank me the most dangerous of witches?”

A laugh escaped me. “She’s right. This is ridiculous. It’s a joke, right?”

“I’m afraid not. There’s a kill on site order in place for all level 5 witches,” Thomas said, solemnly.

“This really isn’t a joke?” Tricia asked.

Thomas shook his head.

“Why is talking to animals a threat to anyone? I mean, besides me and the whole horse confusion thing?”

“You don’t just talk to animals, do you, Tricia?”

She stiffened next to me.

I scooted my chair closer and wrapped my arm around her in silent solidarity. I wasn’t sure what I could do to protect her from two born Alphas and a trained security wolf, but I would sure as hell die trying if it came to it.

“It says here that you also command animals,” he continued.

“We already know that,” I pointed out. “And when she does, it’s like a piece of her goes with them.

While she was injured out on the range, she sent Clementine into town for supplies and help.

Her scent on the horse was what made me think it was my mate.

She’s already explained it to me. We aren’t hiding it.

She’ll tell you whatever you want to know,” I assured him.

“Yeah, but it says here that she can control any animal. Including our wolves.”

His words hit me like a ton of bricks.

“What? Is it true?” I asked her.

Tricia’s jaw locked and she started to shake her head, then stopped and shrugged.

“Not that I’m aware of. But I’ve never actually tried.

I always thought of it more as working with the animals: rats, squirrels, small critters like that.

Clementine was the first large creature I’ve ever tried it on.

We don’t exactly have many in the city. The horses in Central Park are all owned by humans or the human police.

I wouldn’t have dared to think to try messing with them.

The only time I even use my powers is when there’s a threat and it always felt more like the animals were coming to my rescue than me controlling them.

Otherwise, I just make friends with them.

That’s it. I’m as harmless as they come.

Like I said, the weird girl who talks to animals. Nothing more.”

“You’ve never controlled a shifter in animal form before?” he asked.

“No! Never! I wouldn’t dream of even trying something like that.”

Thomas looked to me for clarification. He didn’t have to ask for me to know his unspoken question.

“She’s telling the truth. I’m certain of it.”

I actually didn’t know one way or another, but I had to trust her. She was my mate.

He nodded.

As my Alpha, he could no doubt sense how close our connection was becoming. If my mate were lying, I’d know it. Wouldn’t I?

“Well, the question now becomes, what do we do with this?”

“I think we should test her,” Luke said. “Let’s find out what she’s really capable of and if there is any true cause for concern here.”

“No!” I said, holding my mate a little tighter.

“What do you mean, test me?” Tricia asked.

I sensed she was more curious now than afraid.

“When Tim was suspected to be an Alpha wolf, we tested his strength so we would know the threat level he posed. Why not do the same with Tricia?”

“Luke’s right. If she’s never commanded a wolf before, then that stupid threat level shit is just fear of something she might be able to do. And even if she can, that doesn’t make her a threat to us. You of all people know that, Thomas.”

“I know,” he assured us. “But I do think we need to know for sure, Tricia.”