Page 46 of Crew

“Thanks for being on board with it.”

He looked thoughtful. “Nights like tonight remind me why we fight so hard to protect what we have. It’s worth fighting for because it’s so special.”

“I agree, I just wish we didn’t have to fight for it.”

“If tonight showed us anything, it’s that we can let the security system do its job without us mother-henning it to death and wecanfind times of peace and relaxation. We’ll figure it out, no matter what comes next.”

For now, at least, things felt peaceful. She really wanted to hold onto that feeling for as long as she possibly could.

“I forgot how nice it is to just sit and relax.”

“Me too. I’ve been a little obsessed with everything lately. I needed a chance to see the other side of things.”

“I did as well,” she said. “It was nice to be in the moment and enjoy the herd. I never had this before. I don’t think anyone had fun in my old herd, you know? It was always focused on work. I get so much joy here working with everyone. I get up in the morning and can’t wait to get my hands in the dirt and tend to the garden or help with the animals. And I honestly enjoy the security stuff even if it’s a little terrifying worrying that someone might try to harm one of us. But all of it—the herd, the farm, you—I love it. I love everything about this place, but I love you most of all.”

He pulled her close and kissed her. “I love you most of all too, Zara, sweet soulmate and treasure of my life. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”

They settled back in their chairs, arms around each other, and watched the fire, talking late into the night about what the future would hold for them. Someday they wouldn’t have to worry about anyone trying to take over the herd, and for now, she was going to focus on not worrying about it for the rest of the night. Worries could come tomorrow, but tonight belonged to her and Crew.

The next day, Crew and Zara joined the others after breakfast to get back to work around the farm. They hadn’t patrolled overnight after the cookout the night before, trusting the security defenses to alert them. After checking the footage in the morning, he’d confirmed that nothing had happened. No one breached the perimeter or messed with anything.

It was a good thing, but it was oddly unsettling.

He rubbed his chest as he walked out into the yard.

“What’s wrong?” Zara asked.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I feel like we’re waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

She hummed and looked around. “Like last night was too good, too nice to be real?”

“Yeah.”

“I feel that way too. But you said last night that we can’t live waiting for them to attack us.”

He cupped her face and kissed her. “I know, I know. I think I’m just a bit of a pessimist when it comes to this situation.”

“For good reason,” she said. “He’s an ass and clearly crazy to keep coming after us. If he’d just gone ahead and settled somewhere, he’d already have a place for his herd. It’s just…lazy to try to take what’s ours.”

He loved that she thought of the farm as belonging to all of them. For a while, it seemed like she felt like she was on the outside of things and not truly part of the herd. He was glad it wasn’t like that for her anymore.

“Definitely,” he said. Shaking off the dark thoughts, he said, “Let’s get to work. What’s up for you today? I’m going to work with the guys on clearing out the area around the pasture to expand it so the livestock have more room to roam.”

“I’m going to harvest the tomatoes to make sundried tomatoes. It takes a while for them to dry fully outside, but the weather for the next week will be perfect.”

“Let me guess, it’ll be hot and sunny?”

“You know it,” she said with a laugh.

He gave her a kiss and said, “Have fun.”

“I will, you too.”

He strode away from his mate, even though what he really wanted to do was hang out with her. As he walked to the barn, he took one last look at his mate, marveling at how lucky he was to have her in his life, and headed inside.

After a quick check-in, they divvied up the chores to expand the pasture, gathering tools and making their way outside. While Grey used a weed eater to take down the thicker brush sections beyond the original pasture fencing, Crew and Ford grabbed a wheelbarrow and shovels to dig up a few small trees while Avi grabbed the spray paint to mark the new pasture fencing lines so they could dig the posts.

As he and the guys worked, there was a strange peacefulness.

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