Page 12 of Fated to the Wolf Cowboy

“It’s okay,” she assured me.

“No, it’s not. Pack rules and all. I can’t risk anyone finding me in this territory, but I’m injured and hungry. I’ll starve to death before the wound heals. A sweet opossum tried to help, but all she could carry was a twig of berries.”

“I have food in my pouch, but I’m afraid I can’t reach it.”

“I can,” a small field mouse said.

The horse started to back up uncomfortably.

“Please don’t go. This mouse can climb up and get the food for me. If that’s okay with you.”

“Absolutely not. No rodent is going to climb on me.”

My heart sank.

“But,” she continued. “I can lie down, and he can retrieve the food—as long as he doesn’t touch me. I hate rats.”

Forgetting how it would look in my wolf form, I smiled causing the horse to shutter.

“I won’t hurt you,” I promised as I sensed her unease.

She dropped to the ground and rolled to her side while the mouse quickly got into her sack and pulled out a huge bag of sandwiches.

“Oh, thank you so much, horse.”

“Clementine,” she corrected. “Every proper horse has a name.”

There was an air of sophistication and a bit of snobbery about her, but I could look beyond that, seeing how she was my savior.

The mouse dragged the bag over to me as Clementine rose.

“I have to get back now.”

“Will you visit me again?”

I could feel the authority flow through my veins. My witch powers had activated. I wasn’t asking, I was demanding. She knew it too.

Her eyes widened and she snorted.

“Please?” I tried again, but in desperation, a small part of me fixed upon her. “I need food and I need information. I don’t know where I’m at or who I’m dealing with. You will go into town and look around. You don’t have to do anything, just look and then return here. I’ll be able to see everything you saw when you return.”

I still wasn’t certain I could control such a large creature, but I had to try.

It was clear she was not happy about it, but reluctantly she relented. “I’ll be back.”

As she walked away, I sighed with relief. There was no way for me to know for certain that she would return, but I had hope again.

She walked over to the cowboys as I strained my ears to listen in.

“Clementine, get over here. We’re starving,” Cruz said. I peeked my head up to see him open her saddle bag and then curse. “Who the hell was in charge of lunch?”

“I was,” the biggest of the men said.

“Then where the hell is it, Wyatt”

“It’s right here. . .” he checked and then looked perplexed. “Where the hell did it go? I swear Kate sent a whole big bag of sandwiches for us and I put it right here.”

Feeling uncertain, he walked around and checked the other bag before scratching his head. “I know I put them in here,” he mumbled to himself.