Page 11 of Fated to the Wolf Cowboy

I laid on the ground with the realization that I was never going to get out of here. No one was coming to rescue me. I would starve to death before my injury healed enough to walk on it again.

Looking around, I knew this was where I was going to die.

Lost in my misery and grief, I didn’t hear the cowboy ride up on me until it was almost too late.

Overwhelmed, I sniffed the air and froze.

Shifter.

I had nearly forgotten I was squatting on Pack land. I knew nothing about this territory. Would they help me or kill me onsite?

That thought caused a shiver to run through my body.

It was best if I didn’t take that chance.

Crouching low, I tried to remain as still and silent as possible. That was no easy feat as I battled against the pain and swallowed back a groan.

The cowboy was no more than a hundred yards away as he dismounted and sniffed the air around him.

“Do you smell that?” he asked.

It was only then that I realized there was more than one of them. As I scanned the area, I saw four in total.

Shit!

I willed myself not to move. I barely breathed, fearing I’d been caught.

As they all dismounted, two of them pulled out binoculars and scouted ahead. I just prayed they moved on quickly.

They looked like cowboys to me, hats and boots and all, but what if I was wrong? What if these were trackers hunting me?

“I see part of the herd over there,” one of them said. “Maybe a couple miles out.”

Another guy took the binoculars from him and checked for himself.

“Good job, Will. I’m not even sure I would have spotted that.”

“Thanks, Cruz.”

Cowboys. They definitely had to be cowboys, right?

While the men seemed to be settling in, they let their horses roam free, though none of them were leaving the immediate area.

“Psst.” I risked trying to get one of the horse’s attentions. I wasn’t sure why I was bothering. After the cow incident I was pretty convinced I couldn’t control such a large animal. Torn between survival and fear, I knew I had to at least try.

One of the four horses wandered over.

“The rest of you, cover me,” I whispered.

Much to my surprise, they listened. It felt like a wall was put up between me and the cowboys as the horses shielded me from their sight and the one wandered over closer.

“Hello,” the horse said.

“Hi. I seem to have found myself in a bit of a predicament. Could you help me?”

“You’re injured.”

“I am. I can’t shift back into my skin, but I shouldn’t be here.”