Werewolves and Wranglers

by Kristen Banet

  “You’re right. I couldn’t. I heard…the fighting, the gunshots.” He shook his head. “Some of it is blurry.”

  “You nearly killed a few of us last night,” she explained. “It was ugly. I know there’s a few dead and useless humans out there.” She pointed wildly at the rest of the field. “You better be happy a broken leg is the only injury you’re walking away with.”

  “I am,” he answered. He wouldn’t look up from the ground.

  Adalyn sighed, her fire going out quickly. Easton knew it was from how bad the night had gone. He wanted to comfort her, hold her, make love to her, and watch her sleep. He wanted to do that every night, though. It was his favorite thing to do. He stepped forward at the same time as the shaman. They glared at each other.

  “Not a challenge, huh? Yet every time I turn around, you’re trying to take my place.”

  Tobias just kept glaring, not even responding to his telepathy. Easton tore his glare off the shaman and back to Adalyn. Valen and Remy were already at her side.

  “So…” Lawrence limped behind her as he followed back to their group. His werewolves stayed behind him, but every single one of them were casting glances at Remy expectantly.

  “We’re going to take a day to rest and heal,” she declared. “Remy got their scent and we can track them down now.”

  “I can send—”

  “No, Lawrence, I think you’ve helped enough. This is mine now. We’re taking this off your property, and that’s the end of that.” She turned over her shoulder to glare at him. “When we know where your cattle are and that it’s safe, you can send men out to bring that part of your herd back, if they’re still out there. They could have been butchered or sold already.”

  “I understand.”

  She nodded, accepting that from the Alpha. Looking back at the group, Easton could see the fire was back in her eyes. She was in charge and she was daring any of them to test her. “Tobias, how long do you think Remy has until he’s solid to ride again?”

  “Oh, he’s ready to go now. I healed him completely. I’ll need to rest all day, though.” Tobias sighed. “Healing like that is hard.”

  “I know. We all need to sleep. We’re not going to ride out right now, but I think at nightfall we can get moving.” She was intent on this. It was clear in the set of her shoulders, the hard line of her normally soft mouth.

  “We don’t need to bring extra bodies. Me, you, and Remy can handle this from here,” Easton said, cutting in. Tobias and Valen were extra bodies at this point. Just humans? The three of them could handle it. They were the ones with the badges and experience.

  “I’m going whether you want me to or not,” Tobias snapped. “I’m not letting Adalyn run off after a bunch of obviously violent humans by herself. Not after the events of the last few weeks.”

  “It would be easier to go in quiet,” Easton retorted. “No offense to Valen, but a bear isn’t quiet.”

  “I don’t need to be a bear. I’m a good shot too.” Valen didn’t seem insulted, talking quietly and shrugging his massive shoulders. “Adalyn’s call. She’s the sheriff.”

  “I am,” she said, staring at Easton. “I am the sheriff and it is my call. Tobias’ ability to heal is important, as proven tonight. Valen is a strong arm and decent shot. They’re coming.”

  “We don’t need them,” Easton said softly, shaking his head. “We just don’t.”

  “You don’t need us or you don’t want us?” Tobias demanded, turning to face him.

  “Does it matter?” Easton whispered, glaring back at the shaman. I don’t want you there because it’ll give you more of a chance to prove how…useful you are. He knew better than to say those words out loud.

  “No, the strongest being in the land needs to be the most important one. Right?” Tobias stepped into his face. “Can you heal? Your friend could have bled out before you got him back to town for help if it weren’t for me. No, you don’t want me around because you know she cares about me too! She proved it last night by stopping you from interrupting my magic. She’s proven it because she refuses to send me away like you want. That pisses you off!”

  “Damned right it does!” Easton roared, shoving the shaman out of his face. “I’m not losing her to you, and I don’t care what previous claim you think you have. Remy and I have never had anyone, and you walk in thinking you fucking deserve her. That we’re not good enough!”

  “You aren’t good enough!” Tobias yelled back. “Your attitude and arrogance always prove it! If you knew anything about her, you would have known she would never jump straight to killing the werewolves! Instead, you loaded up with silver bullets before trying any other options.”

  Easton called on his power, his eyes going black. So many had died tonight, and he’d held back. He’d held on, not letting the power of the dead drive him up and into a death high like one he’d never experienced before.

  But now he called on it, power flooding his veins.

  “Her life is more important than theirs. If you gave a damn, you would always weigh her as more worthy than the others.” Arms wrapped around him and pulled back. They were warm. They felt alive, full of vitality, energy, and warmth his powers normally never let him feel. Remy was pulling him back from the shaman. If it were anyone else, he probably would have wiped their existence from the face of the earth.

  “I’m going to leave you to this,” Felicity whispered and began to walk away.

  Valen grabbed Tobias, holding him back as his hands began to glow.

  Easton grinned. He was down for a fight. If that’s what he needed to do to get this man away from the woman he was in love with, then he would kill the shaman just like he promised.

  “Stop it,” a soft voice demanded.

  Easton ignored it, pulling from Remy’s grasp and blinking forward. He grabbed Tobias by the collar.

  “Try to beat me,” he snarled. “I’ll win and she’ll be mine.”

  “Stop it!” Adalyn roared. “STOP IT!”

  Magic yanked him this time and he didn’t have time to react as it tossed him a dozen feet away. He hit the ground so hard, he was dazed. As he pushed to stand up, he saw Tobias was also lying on the flat of his back on the other side of the group. Adalyn stood in the middle, her arms outstretched and palms exposed. A force hit his chest and put him back in the dirt. He was powerful, but her magic was proving to be nearly as strong as his, strong enough to put up a serious fight.

  “I am not a prize,” she said, breathing hard. “I’m not a trophy to win or a pretty doll to put on your shelves. I am a living, breathing being and I get a fucking say in this.” Her voice broke for a second. “I care about all of you. All of you. Tobias and Valen, you’ve been my steady friends for years and I will never toss you aside for anyone.”

  Those words pierced Easton’s soul and made it hurt. No. He’d fucked this up. This was it. He released his magic and gave up.

  “Easton and Remy…you’ve been an unexpected gift. I care about you so much that every time one of you mentions leaving my home, it hurts. I’m not going to toss you aside for them either.”

  “Adalyn—” Remy tried to jump in, reaching out for her.

  She dropped her hands and stepped away from him. Easton’s heart fell to pieces as Remy’s hand fell. “But I’m not going to be with any of you. Not after this. I’ll do this alone.” She shook her head and began to walk away. At ten paces, she threw her hands back up in exasperation, turning back to them. “William never did anything like this to me. He never got jealous of my friends. Tobias, you weren’t jealous and mean to him. Why can’t you accept them?” She pointed at Easton. Then she turned on him, glaring. “And why can’t you realize they’ve been my friends longer than you’ve been my lover, and it’s stupid to think I’ll give them up?”

  She turned and stomped off again. Dark Prince ran for her without needing to be called. She swung up on him, not looking back as the stallion tore off in a gallop.

  His chest hurt in a way he’d ne
ver experienced before. She’d just ended it with him. All of them. Valen looked horrified. Tobias didn’t bother to move. Remy…

  I’m so sorry, Remy. We had something good and I was just trying to protect it. We never had so much good and I just wanted to keep it safe. Easton didn’t have the courage to actually tell his friend that. It just echoed in his own head, over and over. He’d ruined something good by trying to keep it. Remy was going to hate him.

  He didn’t get up for a long time.

  Remy walked over and reached down.

  “You don’t want me,” he said softly. “I just chased her away.”

  “We’ll make this right,” Remy promised. “Together.”

  “You think we have a second chance with a woman like her?” Easton wanted to laugh. “You think a passionate, fiery woman like Adalyn Lovett will ever forgive me? I just attacked her closest friend.”

  “We’ll make it right,” Remy repeated, his hand still out. “Now get up. You’ve never been the type to give up. You taught me not to.”

  Easton reached out for that hand and let it pull him up from the dirt. He’d never felt so low. Some part of him wanted to stay down in the dirt. He deserved it.

  He was so focused on what just happened, he hadn’t remembered the werewolves. Lawrence was watching them, shaking his head. The others in the pack just waited.

  “Why are you still here?” he asked them, walking back towards everyone with Remy.

  “I’m waiting to see if Remington Coldwell is going to give me my pack back or take over.” Lawrence raised his chin. “I’ll keep my judgment of what just happened between you all and Adalyn to myself.”

  Easton winced. That would have been nice of the Alpha, but his tone of voice gave it away. He was disgusted by their behavior.

  Remy left his side and walked to Lawrence. “Do you promise to treat Adalyn as an equal from here on out? There won’t be any more incidents like the new moon?”

  “I swear it.”

  Remy tilted his head to the side and back, exposing his throat. Lawrence grabbed him and bit down on his throat for a long time, hard enough to draw blood. Easton wanted to break it up, but didn’t know the rules of this.

  Remy never moved. He tensed up, but he didn’t move.

  Lawrence finally released him and backed away. “Thank you. Now please, leave my property. I have cleanup to manage. Felicity is probably waiting in my office to tear my ass a new one for this.” He started walking away with a heavy limp, his werewolves following without helping him. Easton knew a display of strength when he saw one.

  “I’ll find the horses,” Valen said quickly, walking away.

  “Let’s hope they’re alive,” Easton said, half to himself.

  “Dark Prince protected them,” Tobias told him, still lying in the dirt. “He’s a good stallion like that.”

  Easton clenched his jaw, not saying anything back to the shaman.

  Remy’s throat was still bleeding by the time Valen returned and handed everyone the leads to their horses, who were still spooked by the night.

  “Hey,” Easton whispered to his gelding. He normally didn’t talk to his horse. It must have been a habit he picked up from Adalyn, who talked to every horse she came across. Habits that would make him think about her for the rest of his miserable existence.

  He swung up as the others mounted their own horses. Together, they slowly rode back to the road, in complete silence.

  That was, until Remy opened his mouth. “We really hurt her,” he declared. “And we’re going to fix it.”

  “How?” Easton asked. “How do you expect us to do that? She’s gone. She doesn’t want us around and she’s got more than enough power to make that happen, I think.” He could probably force himself to her side, but he didn’t relish the idea of being somewhere he wasn’t wanted.

  “I think I have an idea, but you’ll think I’m crazy,” Valen said from the front. “Tobias, you’re going to hate me.”

  “The only person I hate right now is myself, so…” Tobias waved a hand.

  “The four of us have been at each other’s throats, fighting over a woman who doesn’t want to be fought over. She just wants to live her life, care about the people she cares about, and not be hurt.” Valen looked around between them. “We’ve been hurting her. Remy is right. The four of us just hurt her. We’ve been hurting her. I could see it and had no idea what to do, but I think I know now.”

  “What do you suggest?” Remy asked, moving his mare closer to the Russian.

  “You two share her…and she hates being fought over. She likes having a choice in her life, and obviously what we’ve been doing—what I’ve been letting you do, Tobias, and Remy, you let Easton do…isn’t working. So we stop fighting.”

  “There’s no way. Until we know who she wants more…” Easton shook his head.

  “Do you worry about that with Remy?” Valen asked him, glaring. “Do you?”

  “No. Remy and I are a package deal.” Easton would never be with a woman long-term who didn’t accept the hellhound shifter.

  “Then…we’ll be a package deal. All four of us.” Valen threw his hands up. “This sounds like madness now.”

  “It is madness,” Tobias muttered. “We hate each other. It would never work.”

  “Why do you two hate each other?” Remy asked. “I mean, I don’t like the idea of someone taking Adalyn from me…but I don’t hate you. I hate that you and Easton can’t get along. I’ll fight for her if you try to take her, but…”

  Easton wanted to reach out and strangle Remy. He agreed with Valen.

  “Exactly! Easton, you hate Tobias because he came home and had the explicit goal of taking Adalyn from you. You knew Maxwell liked her, but he wasn’t a threat. He wasn’t trying to take her. Tobias, you hate Easton because he has Adalyn and you don’t.” Valen looked between them. “So we stop fighting over Adalyn. If you two can share, why can’t the four of us?”

  Easton wanted to kill him for one reason. He’s so right. I can’t be a hypocrite and say that Tobias can’t be a part of it. That we can’t try it. If it means I can have Adalyn back…if it means she’ll keep letting me rest my tired head…

  “Easton?” Remy pulled his mare back and rode alongside him. “Easton, please. We can do this.”

  “Tobias…Think about it. I think this is what William always meant when he said he wanted us to admit our feelings to her. Not to take her from him, but to share her. To shower her in love, my friend.” Valen sounded as desperate as Remy.

  Easton thought about it. He watched Tobias’ back. Could he do it? Could he find common ground in Adalyn, at least, with this shaman? He needed to make the decision. Was Adalyn worth dealing with two men he barely knew?

  Yes. She might be my only chance at happiness. She’s been my only one so far.

  “Okay,” Easton said softly, waving a hand to calm Remy down. “Okay.”

  Tobias turned over his shoulder and stared back at him now. “Really?”

  “I think we need to try this again,” Easton said, pushing his gelding to catch up with Tobias’ horse. Once beside the shaman, he extended a hand. “My name is Easton Black. I’m a Nephilim. I fell in love with Adalyn because she offered me and Remy the first home we’ve ever really had. She accepted us without question, trusted us, and didn’t talk badly about us at any point, like many women have. Once, I asked her if we were taking advantage of a lonely widow. She answered honestly, saying yes, but that she was taking advantage of us too. I liked the fire in her then. It intrigued me. I fell in love with it without realizing, until the day you showed up and threatened what I had finally gotten my hands on.”

  Tobias took his hand slowly. “Tobias Rashaw. I’m a shaman. I fell in love with Adalyn slowly. Years of friendship and realizing no other woman would ever hold a candle to her and her passion. Her perfect marriage with William always made me mystified. She was right. I was never jealous of William. He always wanted me to talk to her. When I got home, I was fin
ally ready. I’ve lost a lot of people recently in my life and decided it was time to see if she loved me in return. I was ready, and then I saw you.”

  They shook.

  “We’re not friends,” Easton told him. The shaman nodded. “But I think maybe we can be teammates.”

  “Me too.” Tobias pulled his hand away. “We were selfish, thinking it was only about us. We never thought about her feelings or how our behavior was affecting her.”

  “No, we didn’t. We should. I would be willing to spare time for her…and you, if it keeps her happy. I can do that. As long as I can stay.” Easton looked back at Remy, who grinned. “As long as we can stay.”

  “Same,” Tobias agreed. “But I think now it’s time to grovel and let it be her decision.”

  “It is,” he whispered, looking down at his hands.

  “We can do this, boys.” Valen rode around them and back into the front, stopping and forcing them to stop. “We can win Adalyn back for all of us and prove to her we can work together. Not just for her, but as a team—like tonight. We’ll talk to her when we get back to town. Then we’re going out and getting those fucking humans. We’re going to cuff them and hand them over to the marshals, ending this ridiculous war they’ve started with our werewolves. For her.”

  “For her!” Remy declared.

  Easton smiled. He had a shred of hope. Just a small one, but it was enough to make the ride home. Because that’s what Redstone, and Adalyn’s house, was to him now. Home.

  He hoped to everything that she would let him walk back in the door, even if it wasn’t to her bed.

  21

  Adalyn

  Adalyn didn’t slow down until she was in her field, alone with her horses. She stripped Dark Prince of everything, tossing it away, not bothering to take care of any of it. It left her barn a mess. She didn’t care. She brushed him out, checking for injuries from the night before. When she was satisfied, she released him into the field, ignoring how he tried to bump his nose to her head.