Page 11 of Crew

“I’m glad.” He told her how he’d almost turned Colton down. “Why didn’t he let you come to the meetup?”

She hummed. He dropped his hands and leaned against the top rail of the pasture fence, and she mimicked him. “He doesn’t like me. He’s always thought I was mouthy and too independent. His dad, the former alpha, wasn’t quite as bad, but Colton definitely feels like females should be seen and not heard, you know?”

“I figured,” he said. “So tell me what you know about what happened when the herd was caught by poachers.”

“The males went out to shift and run when the sun set. We didn’t have a lot of females, but they were with their males. I wasn’t welcome to be with the herd for the run, and there were a few males who stayed to watch over the houses. About ten of the herd returned and gathered the males to go get the stallions from the poachers. I found out later that the females had been killed in the melee. The poachers had set some fires to flush out the stallions and corral them, and in their panic, a few females were thrown from their mates’ backs, and one died from smoke inhalation.”

“The alpha died? Colton’s father?”

“Yeah. In the massacre.”

He let that roll around his head. “I’ve only been alpha for a little while. I don’t know what I’d do if poachers abducted my people thinking they were wild horses, but I sure as hell hope that I’d be able to get everyone back alive.”

“I don’t know what happened, but I do know the poachers are dead and Colton was worried someone would track it back to us. He said we had to leave, and when I questioned him, he got defensive. I wish…”

“Wish what?”

“I wish I’d been able to leave the herd, but if I had, I wouldn’t have come here and that would suck.” She smiled at him.

“It would.” While they watched the cows meander around the pasture, she told him about her past, about losing her parents, and never feeling like she belonged, never feeling safe.

“I’m sorry things have been tough for you.”

“Well, it did keep me self-sufficient. I learned to rely on myself because I didn’t have anyone in my corner. I’ve spent a long time trying to make myself valuable by being the best forager I could be, but now that I’m the only female in the herd, I’m a different kind of valuable. Those males don’t know how to make toast or hang laundry.”

“We’ve got Tris as our caretaker, but we hired her because we’re damn busy between the farm and working for our elder Dexter’s construction company.”

He wanted to tell her she didn’t have to worry about being valuable or wanted in his herd, because she was his mate and she’d always have a place to call home. But there were some things they needed to do first.

Like go on a date.

His stallion made some inappropriate comments in his head about where the date might lead, and he shushed him mentally.

All good things in time.

“Listen,” he said, turning to face her. “You’re safe with me, with my herd, here in Little River. I told Colton he and his people could stay for a week and that we’d attempt to help them find a new place to settle in, because I’m not interested in sharing our territory with another alpha and his herd, so they can’t stay forever.”

“I understand.”

“I’d like to offer to let you stay at the farmhouse. The guys and I live there. Khyle and Tris, and Dexter and Nancy, have their own places down the road.” He cleared his throat, suddenly nervous when she turned her gaze to him. “There are plenty of empty rooms in the house, and no offense, but I don’t want my soulmate staying in the barn with a bunch of males, even if they’re part of your herd.”

“I’m not offended,” she said with a little chuckle. “Trust me. I’m so happy, I can’t even explain it. I was just floundering, and now I feel like I’m where I’m supposed to be. It’s incredible. I’d love to stay in the house.”

She definitely seemed relieved.

“We’ve got the herd dinner tonight, but I’d love to take you out on a date tomorrow if you’d like.”

“I’d love to.”

He glanced over his shoulder. “I suppose we should go back to the others and share the good news, and then see where the day takes us.”

“As long as we’re together, I don’t care what we’re doing.”

“Me too.”

* * *

Crew had a tough time concentrating on anything but Zara. She sat across from him so they could talk, the rustic picnic tabletop between them. On either side of her were Nancy and Tris, the females animatedly talking to her about life on the farm, the herd, and New Jersey life.

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