Page 6 of Fated to the Wolf Cowboy (Cowboys of Collier #1)

Tricia

I was beginning to worry.

How far was the nearest town?

The animals had warned me it wasn’t close, but Clementine had been gone for two days already. I was starving and worse, my body was beginning to go numb from the shock of the pain from my broken leg.

It was trying to heal. All wolf shifters had expedited healing powers, especially in this form. But my leg wasn’t set properly. I was having to rebreak it every day to keep it from healing and the searing pain of doing that was nearly killing me.

“Please help!” I called out trying to summon every animal possible.

At this point, I didn’t even care if the Pack found me. As long as they properly set my leg so I could heal.

The pain was excruciating, and I didn’t think I could tolerate much more.

“Help!” I cried just as the edges of my vision started to fade away.

Maybe I’d just close my eyes for a few moments. Rest.

Was that footsteps I heard?

Had the trackers finally found me?

Perhaps being put to death wouldn’t be so bad after all, especially if it stopped the pain.

“What the hell is going on?” I thought I heard a man say, but I was too weak to open my eyes.

Make it quick, I thought, knowing this was the end.

“There’s a wolf down!” someone yelled.

I couldn’t quite make out the commotion around me. I could barely feel the large hands on my body checking me for injury.

My leg, I thought, but there was no way to relay that information.

“Broken hindleg. It’s pretty bad. I’m not sure we should move her.”

“We have to. We need to get her back to town. Doc will know what to do.”

“I think her hips dislocated, too. I can at least repair that.”

“Leave it, Travis. It’s okay. Let’s just carefully get her up on the horse and get her back.”

“What if we injure her worse, Ridge?”

“I can ride ahead and alert Sam. Maybe he can meet you halfway.”

“Good thinking, kid. Get moving.”

A groan escaped me as two men carefully lifted me into the air and positioned me over a horse.

“We’re gonna have to take this slow. I don’t think I should ride with her. Best we walk.”

“That’s gonna make for a long, miserable journey back.”

“I know, but I’m terrified I’m going to hurt her worse otherwise.”

“Who do you think she is?”

“Not from around here. Smell her.”

I heard a loud intake of air. “Shifter though.”

“Yeah, she’s one of us for sure.”

The two men talked as the horse began to move. I was struggling to concentrate though. Going in and out of consciousness made it hard to keep up with their conversation.

All I knew for certain was that help was on the way.

I’d have to face the consequences of squatting in foreign Pack territory later. For now, I just wanted to live regardless of what could happen to me, I thought, as the whole world spun into darkness.

*****

“Did you hear about Brady?” someone whispered.

Two people laughed.

“We shouldn’t be laughing. It’s not funny.”

“Millie thinks he’s having a nervous breakdown or something. Maybe the pressure of the new farm is too much for him.”

“Stop spreading rumors. There has to be more to it than that.”

“The whole Pack is talking about it. I mean she’s a horse.”

“That’s enough, ladies. How’s my patient?” a male voice interrupted.

“Vitals are holding,” one of the gossiping girls said.

I wanted to open my eyes and see where I was so I could start formulating my escape plan, but I didn’t dare move. I had to force my heart to beat normally and continue steady breaths. I didn’t want to do anything to alert them to the fact that I was awake.

“Come on, let’s let my patient rest,” the man said.

I listened as they shuffled out the door and waited until the latch clicked closed before I opened my eyes.

“I suspected as much. Hello, Tricia.”

I jumped and scrambled into a ball at the top of the bed.

It dawned on me that I was back in my skin and my leg was no longer hurting.

“How do you know my name?” I asked him.

“The boys found a backpack near where they found you. I assumed it was yours.”

“My money. I need that back. It’s mine.”

“You’ll get it back, and I promise no one has touched your things. You’re a long way from home, Tricia. Want to tell me what you were doing out there on the range?”

“That’s none of your damn business.”

He held up my shoes, a comfy pair of red sole heels. They were my absolute favorite. I couldn’t leave them behind. It was the one nice thing I owned.

I scowled at him. “Give those back!”

“Not exactly footwear for Wyoming.”

His eyes were softened by the smile on his face as he teased me. I didn’t feel anything threatening coming from him and I didn’t believe he’d actually keep my shoes.

“Wyoming? Is that where I am?”

“Collier, Wyoming,” he clarified.

“Collier Pack,” I muttered.

“Exactly.”

I wracked my brain trying to remember anything I could about them, but there was nothing. I’d heard the name before as a Pack that existed and nothing more.

Wyoming? No wonder the place was so desolate.

I couldn’t remember much of what happened—cowboys, a horse, pain. Lots of pain.

“You fixed my leg?”

“I did.”

“Thanks.”

“Sam,” he added.

“Thanks, Sam,” I muttered.

He seemed like a nice enough guy, even a handsome one. But I wasn’t here to find a mate, I was just passing through. The sooner I moved on, the better.

“I really don’t want any trouble. I didn’t even know there was a Pack out here until I stumbled into it and then I got spooked and well, you can guess the rest.”

“You’re lucky the boys found you at all.”

“I know.”

“What are you doing all the way out here? You’re a long way from home, city girl.”

“Still none of your business. But I’m just passing through. I’m on my way to visit friends in California.”

“By foot? In these things?”

“It hasn’t entirely been by foot.”

That was true. I’d taken a few buses along the way.

“I thought it would be okay to run in my fur for a while. There isn’t exactly much out here,” I pointed out.

Shut up, Tricia. Why was I talking so much? He didn’t need to know any of this. And what if the trackers followed me here? Sam could tell them where I was headed. Why hadn’t I said Alaska or something? Anywhere but California.

I silently berated myself.

“I’m sure it’s fine. Thomas already looked in on you once today. I’m sure he’ll be back this afternoon.”

“Thomas?”

“The Alpha.”

“Shit!”

“It’s okay. He’ll understand. You didn’t mean to trespass, right?”

“Right.”

“It’s cool. We don’t get a ton of new people just stumbling into our territory, but it does happen on occasion.”

“Seriously?”

Who the hell would just stumble into this Pack? They were in the middle of freaking nowhere.

My jaw opened to say as much and then snapped shut.

You, you idiot. You did.

“I don’t think I should stick around. Thanks for fixing my leg, but I should really be on my way. Just give me my stuff back and forget you ever saw me here.”

“Slow down there. You weren’t just injured when they brought you in. You were malnourished and severely dehydrated. At the very least let your IV fluids finish first.”

“Then I can go?”

“I’m not going to stop you.”

I wasn’t sure I believed him, but I wanted to.

“Okay.”

“Okay then. How about some food before you hit the road?”

My stomach grumbled loudly at the mention of food.

Sam smirked. “I thought so. I’ll have a tray sent in.”

He finally set my shoes down next to my backpack before leaving the room only to return a few minutes later with a tray piled high with a hot meal.

I moaned at the scent of it.

Pot roast.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen so much food for one meal. He placed the tray on a table next to the bed and then repositioned it in front of me.

“This smells divine,” I muttered.

“It is. So enjoy.”

I dove in without having to be told twice, not remembering the last time I truly ate. The sandwiches the horse had left me had been fine, but nothing as satisfying as this.

I wondered what had happened to the horse named Clementine. She’d never returned and that seemed odd. Maybe I really couldn’t command large animals.

A few more bites in and I started to yawn. My head felt heavy as a warmth flowed through my body from head to toe. It took me a minute to realize what was happening.

“You drugged me,” I accused Sam. My words were slurred as my tongue felt thick.

“I’m sorry. You can’t go yet. I really am sorry. Just rest. Everything will be okay.”

I drifted off as he spoke, back into the darkness, but this time without the pain.