Page 41 of The Mating Need
Chapter 8
For the next five days,Jenny stayed at the ranch, sometimes sleeping in the cabin, sometimes shifting into wolf and staying in the woods. Troy was nothing but patient, understanding when she told him she had to sleep in the woods as wolf. Instead of opting for the comfortable cabin, he accompanied her, sleeping next to her as wolf as they had many times on the openroad.
Confusion filled her. She didn’t know what to be anymore. While being a nomad, she felt alert and knew how to watch herback.
This was different. Almost too comfortable. Comfortable had a way of kicking you in the back of the knees when you least expectedit.
The air still felt tainted with a darkness she couldn’t figure out. Maybe others had reasoned it away, but she didnot.
On the morning of the sixth day, Jenny took the golf cart at their cabin and drove it to the corral where Troy said he’d be working with the horses. He had a surprise for her forlunch.
She stopped the cart before reaching the corral and walked to the fence, standing on it to watch Troywork.
Two horses were in the corral. The chestnut looked like a colt, high-strung and restless, the other, a white horse, seemed calm and gentle. Troy had ropes attached to each horses’ halters. He walked the end of the rope and held up two apples. The gentle horse walked forward and Troy rewarded him with the treat. The younger horsebalked.
“Come on. It’s good.” He waved the apple. “Come get it, it’s sweet anddelicious.”
He’d used the same soothing, deep tone with her the night he’d saved her in the alley. Fascinated, Jenny clung to the rails, wondering if the colt would surrender and take the apple. For a minute the colt balked and then he walked forward. Troy fed her the apple, murmuring tohim.
Such a gentle touch with horses. He seemed peaceful, not like the restless wanderer who roved from city to city, always looking over his shoulder.It’s because this is home to him. He’s found his calling, and hishome.
He turned, saw her and smiled. “Give me a couple of minutes to put these two back in thebarn.”
“What are youdoing?”
“Darius asked me to train this colt,” he pointed to the chestnut. “They just bought him. Fireball’s spooked by some of the cowboys, and needs a gentlehand.”
Troy gestured to the white horse. “Calypso here is an old pro at showing new horses the ropes. She’s older and isn’t used as a work horseanymore.”
She jumped off the fence into the corral. “You have a way withanimals.”
His smile widened. “I like horses. Thing is, you can’t train them or be around them as wolf. They force you to focus on your Skinside.”
Maybe that was why this ranch made her uneasy. Maybe it wasn’t evil, but her anxiety being around so many Lupines in Skin, when her wolf side was easier tohandle.
Then again, that crystal in Sam and Darius’tree…
“Guess I wouldn’t be good with horses. I’d rather stay in wolfform.”
“Being in wolf form isn’t the answer, Jenny,” he said quietly. “You have to learn to accept who you are. You’reboth.”
“I don’t want to be both. Being in Skin doesn’t give you any real advantages in life. Pure wolf is the way togo.”
Hadn’t she discovered that the day her family wanted to dumpher?
“There are advantages to being in human form. Things you can do.” He leaned close and brushed a kiss against her mouth. “Likethis.”
Troy smiled and grabbed Calypso’s bridle. “Other things as well. Like this. Try petting hernose.”
She reached up to stroke the horse, the skin smooth and velvety. Large, liquid brown eyes gazed at her. When Jenny stopped, the horse nudged hershoulder.
“She’s begging for a treat. Calypso’s gotten spoiled from me using her to train Fireballhere.”
Troy reached out and patted Fireball’s neck. The colt did not shy away from him, but got closer, pushing his nose against Troy’sshoulder.
“Ah, you’re spoiled as well,” he said, laughing. “No more treats. That’s enough for this morning. We’ll get back to work tomorrow. I’ve got a special treat for Jenny and it ain’t anapple.”
“Better than an apple? Give ithere.”
