Page 24 of Fated to the Wolf Cowboy (Cowboys of Collier #1)

Tricia

“I don’t like it,” Brady argued.

While I appreciated his concern, my head was swirling with questions. Could I control a shifter in animal form?

It sounded absurd. I’d never dare to try.

“And we don’t like the idea of the Grand Council potentially becoming a threat to our Pack,” Luke warned.

“She’s my mate.”

“You haven’t claimed her,” he pointed out.

“Yet.” Brady said sharply.

My breath caught and my insides turned to goo. Even after all of this? He was still thinking of bonding with me?

We hadn’t exactly had the smoothest start.

And after all of this, I hadn’t let myself hope that he would accept me as a mate even after our intimate evening.

Despite my best bravado, I was too insecure to just go after him like that.

Sex was one thing but acceptance and forever were so much bigger to me.

“I haven’t sealed our bond yet. That doesn’t make her any less my mate. And let me point out that she is in fact my one true mate. That used to mean something around here.”

I shivered as goosebumps broke out across my skin. I hadn’t seen this assertive side of him much lately and apparently, I still liked it. I liked it a lot.

If we weren’t in this mess and in the company of others, I probably would have crawled into his lap and tested his control right now.

I had to squeeze my thighs together tightly as desire slammed into me at the thought combined with the memories of last night.

Brady sniffed the air and smirked.

Sonofabitch knew exactly what he was doing to me, too.

My cheeks burned as I realized they all did.

Thomas grinned. “You’ve made your point. I do not and will not stand between true mates. You are well aware of my stance on that.

“And if I take her as my mate, she’s privy to the full protection of the Pack, right?”

Thomas’s grin turned into more of a smirk. “Right.”

“Hold up. I’m not mating you just to ensure Pack security. No offense, but I have a Pack and they don’t give a shit about such things. It’s all false bravado. If my Pack were protecting me, then why the hell is my name on this list at all?”

“I can’t control what other Packs do,” Thomas said. “But Pack means everything to me, Tricia. And we protect our own.”

“Even a level 5 witch threat?” I blurted out as tears began to sting my eyes.

“Are you a threat to me?”

“No, sir.”

“Are you a threat to my family?”

“Absolutely not.”

I thought highly of his mate. She had gone out of her way to befriend me and I knew I would help protect their pups no matter what.

“Are you a threat to my Pack?”

“No, sir.”

“That’s all I really care about, Tricia.

I told you there are currently only two level 5 threats documented.

I happen to be related to the other. You stand in good company as far as I’m concerned, and this threat against the witches is bullshit and not something I, nor my Pack, will just roll over and take. ”

A tear escaped and streaked my cheek.

He wasn’t afraid of me?

He was going to support me? Or at least give me the benefit of the doubt?

It was hard to believe it could be true.

“My own Alpha turned against me. Why would you help me?” I blurted out.

“Because when he says Pack means everything here, he means it. We’re family, and we protect our family,” Brady said.

The tension I’d initially felt within him had subsided. He had full faith in Thomas. I wasn’t sure how I knew that, but I did, with absolute certainty.

“So what should I do?” I asked.

“I still say we should test her,” Luke spoke up.

“I agree,” James said. “We need a full threat assessment on her.” Brady started to protest, but was cut off. “So we know what we’ll be up against and what resources we have should they try to come for her.”

“Right now, they don’t know she’s here. I’d prefer to keep it that way. I’ve already reached out to Kyle Westin for counsel on this. He and Kelsey are on their way. If it’s okay with the both of you, they’d very much like to meet you, Tricia.”

“Me? Kyle Westin, Alpha of Westin Pack, wants to meet me?”

Of course, I knew who he was. The guy was hailed the savior of witches.

He’d brought so many out of the darkness and shadows and into the light.

He fought for witches and as Alpha of the largest wolf shifter pack in the entire world, he had the support and power to stand up and fight. And he wanted to meet me?

I wasn’t one to get starstruck. I’d crossed paths with plenty of celebrities back home. They were just people, mostly stupid people. But Kyle Westin? I was speechless.

Thomas smiled. “He’ll be here in time for dinner. Why don’t the two of you join us?”

“For dinner? With Kyle Westin?”

Brady growled and I jumped.

“He’s just a man, nothing special,” he spat out.

Thomas laughed, and so did Luke and James.

“Best go calm down your mate before they arrive,” Luke advised. “I don’t think his wolf likes your appreciation for Kyle.”

I gasped and looked at Brady. “He’s already mated. He’s not a threat to you. Stop being ridiculous.”

How could he possibly feel threatened or be jealous of Kyle? Didn’t he know how much I liked him? Maybe even loved him?

My breath caught in my chest and I started to cough.

The men in the room quickly moved to get me some water.

Was I in love with Brady? No. I couldn’t be. I didn’t even like him.

But the second I thought those words, I knew it was a lie.

Mine, my wolf growled as a reminder and this time, I accepted it as truth.

The guy had threatened an Alpha, a Beta, and a Sheriff for me. He’d growled at them. There were Alphas out there who would have gone for his throat for doing that.

I considered that for a moment.

Alphas were notoriously strong and territorial. They didn’t ever allow themselves to look weak before the Pack, not even Morris. To allow such insubordination could be seen as a weakness, yet there was nothing weak about Thomas Collier. He didn’t demand the respect of his wolves, he earned it.

Morris expected it. He tried his best to treat us fairly, or at least I’d always thought that. But how could an Alpha protecting his Pack turn me over to the Grand Council like that? Wasn’t I Pack too? It certainly didn’t feel like it any longer.

“Why don’t you guys get out of here and think things through?” Thomas surprised me by saying.

“You’re just going to let me roam free?” I asked. “What about the tests and threat assessment and all that shit?”

“Tricia, you’re not a prisoner here. We’ll get around to all that because it is something I need to know, but it doesn’t need to be right this second.”

“But what if I run?”

He shrugged. “Then you certainly wouldn’t be my problem to deal with any longer.

Though I’d prefer you didn’t. I’ve been hearing all positive things from the farm project and I’d hate to lose a great manager.

But I suspect if you run, Brady will follow.

So save me the headache of finding a replacement for him, okay? ”

“Damn right I will,” my mate muttered under his breath.

“Uh, okay,” I whispered.

My head was still swimming from all that had happened. I wasn’t sure how to even begin processing it all.

We got up to leave, but Luke stopped Brady.

“If you guys need anything at all. . .”

“Thanks.”

The two men embraced. It was like a testament to everything they had told me. This Pack, these people, it was like nothing I’d ever known before.

Could I really be accepted so unconditionally here?

I supposed only time would tell.