Page 8 of A Collier First Christmas
“Peyton,” I replied.
“That makes sense. Peyton’s as fiercely protective of her kids as Lily is,” Wyatt added with a smile.
“I’m going to owe my sister big time for this,” I told them.
“Enough with the baby talk. You’re here, we’re here. Food’s packed, the site’s waiting. Let’s ride!” Austin said.
They already had my horse ready and waiting. Emmett passed me his reins as we all mounted our steeds and road out into the vast pasture that was Collier land.
Normally a ride such as this was work related. We would be wrangling cows, or searching for a lost calf, maybe even just running a perimeter check to make sure our fences were allintact and good for the season. There was always something to do on the ranch.
I loved working the ranch. I always had. The fresh air, the sun beating down, the exhilaration of racing through the fields, even the hard work, and there was certainly nothing easy about ranch life, but I loved it all.
I didn’t get out to the barns as often as I liked anymore. It was a testimony to the jobs and hard work my wolves did. With the efficiency of the crews, even the addition of the dairy expansion had gone flawlessly. Ruby and Clay worked hard to oversee that part of our operations and had managed to turn a profit in under a year. It was practically unheard of. I couldn’t be prouder of them or my pack.
All the changes I’d made in my time as Alpha had brought positive results and we were flourishing. With the Larken Pack merge, we had the manpower necessary to keep things moving in the right direction to benefit every wolf of Collier Pack.
There were Alphas who kept any profits from a pack operation for themselves or even for the pack. I did hold back a portion to ensure pack expenses were covered and that the pack would continue to prosper even through hard times for many, many years to come. But above that the proceeds were distributed to every member of my pack. It kept them loyal and happy and my need to intercede and help struggling wolves was severely lessened.
I took care of my wolves, just as my father had before me.
This year had been especially profitable, and I had already announced there would be a Christmas pack run this year where I couldn’t wait to announce the end of year bonuses everyone would be receiving.
As I looked out across the open fields surrounded by my closest friends, I felt more at peace than I had in a long time.
“Been too long since you went for a ride, huh?” James said as he kept pace beside me.
“Much too long,” I admitted.
James was our Pack Sheriff. He worked hard to keep order and handle human relations with the other towns nearby. Since the pack merger, he’d certainly had his hands full, but had reported that discontent within pack territory was at a new low. Things were finally settling down.
As for the others, Wyatt owned Kate’s Diner. Really it was his mate’s business, but he had cut back on his duties at the ranch to help out more with the place, and no doubt spent more time with his mate.
Clay ran the dairy production with my sister. Since Ruby started her journey into motherhood, he had assumed far more of that role than my otherwise control freak sister would have allowed. I never had to worry if Clay was doing a good enough job, but I knew that Ruby’s expectations for him would always be far superior to my own. Yet somehow, he seemed to exceed even her hopes.
Emmett worked at the ranch. He made it clear that he was a cowboy and didn’t care to do anything else. I respected him for that. We needed more good men like him.
And then there was Austin. Austin was often the clown of the group. He was outgoing and charismatic. He loved being in the spotlight and he couldn’t settle into one position to save his life. He was dubbed the Jack of all trades. He worked at the ranch, but also helped out at Kate’s Place. He was a volunteer at the Sheriff’s department to help James when needed. He was always there and ready to drop it all and come when I needed an extra hand for absolutely anything. Heck, when Wyatt had told us Kate wanted to actually get married after they mated, Austin had taken an online course to become an official ordainedminister to officiate the wedding. That was just the sort of man Austin was.
In truth we were all on very different paths of life, but none of that mattered. Our friendship had weathered through it all.
“What’s that look for, Thomas?” Austin asked.
I shrugged. “Just thinking about how blessed I am to count you all as friends.”
“Seriously? Stop being a sentimental schmuck. And you call yourself a respectable Alpha,” he teased.
“I hope no one was around to hear that,” James chided with a chuckle. “Last thing I need is someone thinking they can take you on for your pack position.”
I groaned and rolled my eyes.
“Word might get out that we have a pansy for an Alpha,” Wyatt joined in.
Clay shrugged. “It’s not like everyone doesn’t already know how whipped he is since mating Lily.”
I grinned. “Love you guys, too.”
Emmett quietly nodded my way.
