Page 18 of Crew

“Be careful,” he said, giving her a quick kiss.

“I will.”

She walked to the barn and opened the man-door, finding the herd seated on the cots and talking. Nerves skated through her as Colton made eye contact with her, a severe frown pulling down the corners of his mouth.

“Can I talk to you, Colton?”

He rose slowly from the cot and joined her, and they walked outside into the morning sunlight.

“I wanted to speak to you,” she said. Part of her wanted to run back into Crew’s arms and ask him to handle this for her, but the other part of her knew that she couldn’t back down and needed to handle this on her own. “I’m leaving the Valley Herd. Crew and I are mated now, and I want to join the Little River Herd.”

His face twisted into something ugly. “After all I’ve done for you, do you really think you can simply walk away?”

She stifled the smart retort on her tongue. “All you’ve done for me? You and your father never saw me as anything but a worker, never saw me as having any value except whatever I could provide for you and for the herd. I’ve never been free to live my own life. You’ve consistently stifled me, talked down to me, and belittled me. I don’t want to be part of the Valley Herd. Crew’s herd is different and I’m choosing them. I’m choosinghim.”

Colton took a menacing step toward her and she nearly flinched, but managed to stand her ground. “I’m still your alpha, Zara. You can’t leave. It doesn’t work that way.”

Fear prickled at her like biting ants. “It absolutely does work that way. Our laws state a stallion can leave at any time and choose exile. You might be alpha, but you have no right to keep me in the herd. I’m Crew’s mate, and whether you like it or not, I’m technically part of his herd now.” She lifted her chin. “I don’t belong to you and I’m not yours to control.”

He chuckled. “We’ll see about that.”

Turning on his heels, he walked back into the barn and left her behind, shaken and confused.

She blinked at the closed door, and then she went to find Crew.

She’d wanted to handle this on her own, and it hadn’t really crossed her mind that Colton would say no.

Could he actually keep her from leaving?

She didn’t think so, but she could admit that her knowledge of the laws wasn’t absolute.

When she told Crew about her interaction with Colton, he growled angrily.

“You’re my mate,” Crew said firmly. “Whether we’ve had the joining ceremony or not, you asked to leave his herd and he has no right to keep you in it. He can’t control you. He doesn’t have a say in this.”

“He’s dangerous,” she said.

“No one threatens you or questions your place here. You’re mine and you’re joining my herd, period. I’ll handle this.”

“Be careful,” she said.

“I will.” He looked at her, then pulled her close and kissed her. “Go to the farmhouse and wait for me. I’ll come find you when I’ve finished speaking with him.”

They parted ways, and a funny, uncomfortable knot formed in her gut.

Be careful, Crew.

Crew was furious.

How the fuck dare Colton treat Zara that way? Like she was some pawn he could move around as he wished and not a person.

Storming into the vehicle storage barn where Ford was working on one of the tractors, he sent a quick text to Avi and Grey and let out a snarl.

“You look like you could spit nails,” Ford said, sitting up and resting his forearms on his knees. “What’s going on?”

Avi and Grey walked into the barn, and Crew appreciated their hustle.

He told them what had happened when Zara talked to Colton.

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