Page 8 of Fated to the Wolf Cowboy (Cowboys of Collier #1)

Tricia

I sensed I wasn’t alone before my eyes even opened.

“Oh good. You’re awake.”

It took a moment for the room to come into focus and for me to see a blonde haired woman I’d never met before sitting next to my bed. She had a stripe of pink in her hair, making her look young and fun, yet I felt authority rolling off her in waves.

“Where am I?” I moaned before all the memories came crashing back to me. “Sam,” I said, making his name sound like a curse rolling off my tongue.

The woman laughed. “Sorry about that. I did fuss at him for it. That was no way to treat you, but he insisted you were not well enough to leave, and he was only trying to protect you.”

“He drugged me.”

Panic welled up within me and bile rose as I frantically looked around for a trash can. She seemed to understand and handed me a bucket to vomit in.

“Better?” she asked, sympathetically.

I shook my head. “Who are you people? Are you experimenting on me? Are you the Raglan?”

She sighed. “No, Tricia, you’re safe here. I promise.”

“That’s what they always say. But I’m not safe anywhere.”

I saw the look on her face that let me know I had just struck her curiosity, but she didn’t press me to explain, at least not yet.

“Do you know where you are?”

“Collier Pack. I stumbled into your territory accidentally and then I was injured and couldn’t get away. Some cowboys rescued me, I think.”

“That’s right. I’m Lily Collier, Pack Mother of Collier Pack.”

I was relieved it wasn’t the Alpha himself.

“You’re safe here. I promise.”

“You can’t promise that,” I told her.

At any second the trackers could burst in.

I had to keep moving or they’d find me. I knew it was a ridiculous thought, but it was going to keep me alive at least. Maybe they didn’t care enough to track me halfway across the country, but I knew without a doubt they had been tracking me back in New York.

And once a tracker got your scent, it was rare they could let it go.

“Where are you from, Tricia?” Lily asked as if small talk would somehow calm me down.

“Guess,” I said sarcastically.

She snorted. “I like you. You’re a smartass. I can handle that.”

She certainly didn’t sugarcoat things.

Morris wasn’t mated so I had no prior encounters with a Pack Mother, though Lily Collier was hardly what I would have imagined.

“So, New York Pack, then?”

“How’d you guess?”

She laughed. “Accent gave it away.”

In my opinion, she was the one with the accent, but I didn’t bother to mention that.

“So you’re a long way from home, and they found you out there in your fur. Have you been running the whole way?”

“You could say that. Not always in my fur though,” I confessed.

“After talking to Sam, I’m assuming Collier Pack was not your final destination.”

“No. I’m headed further west.”

It was none of her business how much further west I planned to go.

“Look, I really didn’t mean to stumble into your territory. If you could just forgive me and set me free, I promise I’ll be on my way like I was never even here.”

She pouted. “I mean, I can, but why not stay until you’re fully recovered at least. Thomas can contact Morris and let him know you’re safe. It’s really not a problem.”

My heart lurched. “No!”

My body began to shake all over. This was even worse than my worst nightmare.

“Hey, calm down. It’s okay,” she said.

As she reached to console me, I swatted her hand away and curled up into a tight ball, shaking my head.

“Okay, okay. I’m not going to touch you.”

“Y-you can’t let my Alpha know where I am. You can’t.”

She nodded. “I hear you. I see you. You’re safe here.”

We shared a moment in silence, but I knew she understood. I just wasn’t sure I trusted her not to call and alert my Alpha to my location. I didn’t know this woman and had no reason to trust her.

I nibbled at the breakfast I’d been brought and tried to ignore the awkward silence between us.

“We can talk about it.”

“No.” There was no way in hell I was going to share what was happening back home with a total stranger. It was none of her damn business.

A knock on the door cut through the tension that was quickly filling the room. I could already sense that Lily was not a woman used to being told no.

I expected Sam to walk inside but instead it was large man that I knew instantly must be the Alpha.

“Hey. Sorry I’m late.”

“Brady?” Lily asked.

“Yeah. I just got him settled in a room, too. Two broken ribs has earned him a night in his fur under Sam’s careful observation.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Me, too.” He looked over at me and smiled. “So this must be Tricia.”

“Tricia, this is my mate, Thomas Collier.”

“Alpha,” I said curtly.

This was the man that could single-handedly destroy me.

“I hope they’ve been keeping you comfortable. I heard you had some injuries that needed to be carefully watched. I’m happy to notify your Alpha and let him know you’re safe.”

Panic rose like bile in my throat as my eyes darted to Lily’s.

“No,” she told him.

Thomas looked confused. “I’ll explain later, but we will not be contacting her Alpha.”

He sucked in a sharp breath and let it out slowly.

“You’re positive about this?” he asked his mate.

“I am. And unless you want to sleep on the couch tonight, then you’ll agree to leave it alone. She is our guest from out of town, a friend, nothing more.”

He groaned and dropped a kiss on her forehead.

“When my mate sets her mind to something, not even God himself can change it. And it appears she’s hellbent on protecting you from whatever is going on here. Would you like to talk about?”

“No, sir.”

He nodded solemnly. “I suspected as much. Just know, that if it were one of my wolves, alone and injured in a foreign Pack, I’d want to know.”

“I have a strong feeling you wouldn’t in this case.”

His face scowled, but he agreed once more. “Okay, Slugger. But you better know what you’re doing.”

She grinned and planted a quick kiss right on his lips. I couldn’t believe she did that in front of me.

“I always know what I’m doing,” she assured him with a wink.

He didn’t stay long and I was grateful for that.

“I’ll walk you out,” Lily said.

Even outside of my room I could still hear them talking in hushed tones.

“Are you sure about this? It feels wrong. Morris will want to know she’s safe.”

“Something’s off here, Thomas. There was fear in her eyes when I mentioned it. She’s running away from her Pack. She didn’t say as much, but I’d bet my life on it.”

“Morris is an ally, Lil.”

“I know. But this girl is in danger. I’m not saying it’s directly from him. New York is a large Pack. But something caused her to run and I’m not going to let you betray my trust with her by ratting her out.”

He groaned. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Slugger.”

“Do I ever?”

They both laughed.

He moved on and she returned to sit with me.

“How long do I have to stay here?”

She shrugged. “Technically, you don’t. You’re not a prisoner. No one will force you to stay here.”

I huffed. “Tell that to Sam.”

“I’ve already reprimanded him for drugging you. And I’m serious, Tricia. You are free to go.”

“But I was caught trespassing on your land,” I blurted out, finding it hard to believe she’d let me just walk away.

She took a good long look at me before speaking again.

“Friends are never considered trespassers.”

“Thank you.”

“If you really want to thank me, perhaps consider staying a bit longer.”

“I shouldn’t. It’s safer to keep moving. I’ve already wasted enough time here.”

“Oh please. You’ve seen what? The range and this clinic room. At least let me show you around. Who knows, maybe you’ll decide to confide in me more, or stay.”

“Stay?”

“You heard me. I like you and I’m always a great judge of character. We could be good friends. I feel it in my bones.”

“You’re a little crazy, did you know that?”

Her laughter filled the whole room.

“Yeah, I’m well aware of that. How about we get out of here and I’ll give you the grand Collier tour.”

“Why are you being nice to me?”

No one was nice for the sake of being nice. Even family or Pack would just as soon stab you in the back. She had to want something from me. I just couldn’t wrap my mind around what that could be.

Lily shrugged. “I like to think I’m a damn good judge of character. Why don’t we get you out of here.”

I nodded. “I’d like that.”

True to her word she did, too. In a matter of minutes she had Sam and the nurses in there disconnecting me from machines and discharging me from his care.

“Take it easy, Tricia. Please. I know you’re in a hurry to get out of our territory, but your wolf was very distressed when you arrived here. Give her some time before you push it again.”

I sighed but nodded. “Thanks, Sam. I’ll consider that.”

As I followed Lily out of the clinic, the strangest thing happened.

I was only halfway down the hallway and my wolf aggressively lurched forward trying to take control.

I’d never felt her that agitated before.

And when I didn’t cave and let her get the upper hand, she whimpered in my head.

It didn’t feel like danger or that she was scared of anything.

This was an entirely new sensation I’d never experienced before.

A wolf howled from just beyond the door I’d stopped at. It made the hair on my arms stand up and I had the oddest desire to open the door and help that poor wolf. He clearly sounded like he was in a great deal of pain.

“Just down the hall and to the right,” Sam said from behind me.

I forced my legs to keep moving, even though what I wanted to do was go inside and see what was happening.

I didn’t know how long I’d been here or what sort of drugs he’d given me. Was it possible they were experimenting on shifters like the Raglan?

The thought almost made me laugh. Was I really becoming that paranoid?

Yup. That’s what being the prey of trackers did to a gal.

Question everything and trust no one.