Wrangled Fate: Book One: Black Claw Ranch

by Lane, Cecilia

  His mother used to do the same for his father’s clan.

  He couldn’t get attached. Not before he could see her clear of any blowback from Viho and certainly not before he knew what she planned once she had her brother back in her life. She’d stormed into his life with fire in her eyes and he didn’t know if he’d still stand if she blew right back out.

  “I’m saddling up two horses after breakfast,” he said. “Not sure how long we’ll be gone. I want to keep the herd close and extra eyes on the heavies until we return.”

  Nods all around took his orders in stride. They knew what went unspoken. Wolves could be lurking and waiting for an opportunity. Keeping everyone rounded up helped their chances if it came to a fight.

  Jesse wiped his mouth with a napkin and globbed a spoonful of hash browns onto his plate. “Have you ever been on a horse before, Tansey?”

  “I took a few lessons as a kid. It’s like riding a bike, isn’t it? You do it once, it’s not so difficult the next time.”

  Lorne snorted into his coffee. Jesse fought to keep the smile off his face. Hunter and Alex looked at one another, then nearly collapsed into laughter.

  Ethan wiped his own grin off his face. He didn’t want to threaten the food about to get dumped on his plate.

  Hunter reached for a piece of bacon. His lips still twitched at the corners, but he managed to sound bored. “Lady, anytime we hear one of you say ‘lessons,’ it’s always those fancy saddles and riding around in circles. We don’t do that crap here. This is real riding.”

  Ethan winked. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you tonight.” He leaned in closer and nipped at her earlobe. He dragged her scent into his nose. “Draw you a hot bath and rub down all those sore muscles.”

  The others whistled and banged fists on countertops.

  Tansey waved the spatula in his face. “It can’t be that bad. Just watch. I’ll be fine.”

  His bear clawed for control, which Ethan denied. The beast wanted to protect her from any sense of danger or hint of pain. Taking her to Trent’s territory put her in the crosshairs of angry lions or deranged wolves.

  Leaving her behind would be worse. No, he needed to keep her close. He wouldn’t trust anyone else to keep her safe even if she agreed to stay behind. He wouldn’t trust her to sit still, either. Last thing he needed was her sneaking across onto pride lands and sparking a war between his clan and Trent’s.

  “Out of sheer stubbornness, you just might be.”

  Chapter 19

  “What is she doing here?”

  Tansey ground her teeth together at the sheer animosity in the man’s voice. A deep whisper in the back of her head wanted to slide back into the truck and lock the doors.

  She folded her arms over her chest and stared the man down. She didn’t back down when Viho or his Vagabonds started blustering. This man wouldn’t see her retreat, either.

  “Trent, Tansey. This might be your wolf’s sister,” Ethan explained. “She might keep him from doing anything skittish.”

  “Or might make him wild if he perceives a threat. Of all the ignorant bullshit you could have pulled—”

  “It’s done. She’s here. She’s going with us.”

  The air felt heavy as neither man blinked. Dominance, Ethan explained to her. She’d put good money on them being equally matched in a fight.

  Whatever silent conversation existed between them ended as Trent spun away abruptly and stomped toward the barn. “She’s not my damn problem. I’m not babysitting a fucking human.”

  “That went well,” Tansey said lightly.

  “Told you Trent wasn’t a fan of humans,” Ethan answered as he undid the latch on the trailer and unloaded first one horse, then another. “This is Jolie. She should be sweet enough for an inexp—for your first time out here.”

  Tansey ignored the slight and stroked a hand down the mare’s tan neck. Her legs and tail and mane were a richer brown. “What’s your’s named?”

  “Patches,” Ethan grunted. He fixed her with a stern look. “Not my choice. Colette started calling him that when he was just a foal. Poor guy never stood a chance at a decent, manly name.”

  “Something strong, like JD or Remington, I imagine.”

  “Fine names, both of those. Patches would have done them equally proud.”

  “Hm.” Tansey nodded to herself. “I think I know the real reason why you want your sister to stay away.”

  “You don’t mess with the naming of a man’s horse.” Even though he griped, his mouth hitched up in a simmering smile.

  The relaxed, joking Ethan snapped to attention as soon as Trent led a horse into the sunlight. Four pairs of glowing eyes watched from the shadowed barn entrance.

  The lion shifter flicked a dismissive glance at her, then focused on Ethan. “It’s about an hour rough terrain from here.”

  “Won’t be a problem.”

  “And I’m taking supplies in case he doesn’t want anything to do with you.”

  “Smart move,” Ethan agreed pleasantly.

  Trent glowered at her for a long moment, then swung into his saddle with a mouthful of muttered curses. Ethan shrugged, then helped her up and adjusted her stirrups.

  As soon as Ethan mounted his horse, Trent twitched his reins and took the lead. Tansey followed with Ethan behind her. No one said a word, which left her all alone in her thoughts. Two men fought for focus in her mind, and she didn’t want to share the nerves either sparked with Trent. Ethan, Rye. Rye, Ethan. Better to let everything go blank than work herself up into something that couldn’t be solved in the saddle.

  The uncomfortable silence and intruding thoughts were shoved aside for the scenery. The land was beginning to come alive, but still had a way to go. Patches of new green grass mingled with the old growth the snow recently unveiled.

  In the distance, snow still clung to the peaks and some lower ridges. Closer to their little party, a few mountains looked like they’d been sheared away with steep cuts down to the hills below. Other areas were gradual slopes into rolling foothills. Regardless, bright blue skies cut above the land with barely a dot of cloud in the distance.

  “You’re staring,” Ethan interrupted. He pressed his heels to his horse and pulled up next to her.

  “I never stopped to get a good look at places, I guess. This is the furthest I’ve been from Minnesota, but I was so focused on finding Rye that I didn’t see anything except the road ahead of me.” Not that there was much time for sightseeing. Her time was spent attempting to pester Viho into action and trying to earn any side cash she could.

  “And now?”

  Her gaze bounced over the mountains that hid Bearden and the ones further in the distance. Cows mooed in the field they passed while a big bull watched over them in silence. Her skin tingled with the potential she felt from the land readying for new life and the hope of being reunited with her brother.

  She didn’t know how to put any of that into words that wouldn’t make her sound like a crazy person.

  “It’s not at all what I expected.” Truth. None of it fit into the story she planned for herself, especially not the bear shifter cowboy at her side.

  “They don’t call this Big Sky Country for no reason.” Ethan jerked his chin in one direction. “It’s a bit flatter out east. We built in the mountains to give us more protection. At least that’s what they said in school.”

  Shifter school, in a shifter town. She felt like a child when it came to the other world. She had to learn, though. For Rye.

  And Ethan, a tiny voice whispered in the back of her head.

  She shoved the thought to the side. He was a confirmed bachelor and didn’t see a future with a mate. Their little dalliance was just that, and nothing more.

  Tansey swirled a finger through the air. “This was all hidden away?”

  “Yep. The roads leading in and out of the enclave would make humans feel unwelcome if they edged too close. If they persisted, all they would see was wilderness. The higher ups in tow
n did their best to keep anything developing where it’d give us away.”

  “It’s like something out of a horror movie,” she teased. “Let me guess, there were watchers on the roads, too?”

  Trent glared over his shoulder. “Didn’t do a damn lick of good. Might have saved us all a heap of trouble.”

  “Locals were paid to watch the roads and discourage traffic. Some of us had to be extra careful. My land has a spit on the other side of the barrier—when it’s active—so the clan has to be kept on a tight leash near the border.”

  “Could be tighter. Could be more discrete,” Trent muttered.

  Tansey was sure it was exactly loud enough for her to hear. She didn’t know how or why Rye would have chosen the surly lion to help hide him away. The man seemed to go out of his way to be unwelcoming.

  Ethan scowled in his direction. “Problem, lion?”

  “You wanted to give her a tour ride, you should have done it on your own time. She don’t need to know our secrets.”

  “She is in this life whether you approve or not,” Tansey said through gritted teeth. “My brother is the one we’re trying to find.”

  Trent grunted and fell back into uncomfortable silence.

  Not soon enough, the hut came into view. Unpainted, worn wood looked sturdy enough, even if the entire thing leaned a little too much to one side. A pipe rose from the more even half of the building, but no smoke curled out of it.

  Come out, Rye. Please, come out. Wolf or man, just please come out.

  “This is where you stashed my brother?”

  “It’s sound enough. Bed and a stove do in a pinch. He wasn’t exactly looking for company.”

  The defense sounded distracted to even her human ears and when she quirked an eyebrow at Ethan, she found him looking away into the distance. “What’s wrong?”

  Trent dropped to the ground. He scooped up a handful of dirt and sniffed it, then let the grains fall through his fingers. His nostrils flared when he lifted his nose into the air. “The scent is faint. He’s gone.”

  Her stomach sank. So close. So fucking close, and Rye still slipped through her fingers. She was no closer to understanding why he left in the first place or how he ended up in a shack in the middle of nowhere Montana. “How long?”

  “Days, maybe. Spread out. Let’s see if we can pick it up.”

  The last was meant for Ethan, and Tansey watched as they cut lines away from her. Trent led his horse on foot. His mouth opened and closed as he gulped down big breaths.

  Ethan stayed in his saddle. His eyebrows furrowed as he watched the ground on either side of his horse.

  Not knowing what else to do, Tansey dropped to the ground and started making her way toward the hut. The shifters could track from the outside, but maybe Rye left something behind indoors.

  Gunshots fired in quick succession, ringing across the range before she even recognized the noise. Bullets zipped into the ground next to her horse and at her feet.

  Ethan jumped from his saddle and flung her behind him. “In the hut. Now!”

  Tansey didn’t think twice. Another burst of gunfire followed her across the tiny yard and she dove for the hut door.

  A lone howl rose eerily in the distance, growing the pit in her stomach and sending chills down her spine. Others picked up the cry and answered. Through the slats of the hut, she watched the pack stream down from their hidden spots and gather in front of the two men. Coats of all colors rose along arched backs.

  There was no warning before a lion burst out of Trent. His mane shook with the huge roar he yelled at the invading wolves. Fangs longer than her hand were exposed in continued snarls as he paced back and forth in front of the hut.

  But it was the giant bear that held her attention. Ethan’s silver eyes churned with fury. Huge claws dug into the earth with each step he took toward the biggest wolf at the center.

  The wolves jumped for the bear, piling on the unfairness. A small number teased and chased the lion, but it was clear the bear was their target. It was like watching a nature show in action, with creatures that shouldn’t have brawled together. The wolves wanted to cut the bear away from all hope of pooling the fight with the lion.

  Both bear and lion ripped and tore into any target they could find, but the wolves made up in speed and numbers what they lost in sheer mass. They jumped in and out of fang or claw range, then nipped at the ass ends, sending Ethan and Trent spinning round and round as they unleashed fury where they could reach. Blood dripped from black fur and tan coat and colored the ground red.

  A whicker to her left drew her attention. Eyes rolling to show their whites and reins dangling in the sand, all three horses clustered together at the edge of the hut.

  Tansey threw the door open and rushed straight for Patches. She wouldn’t ever forgive herself if she let those two men go down without any help. She’d be damned if she let the wolf pack tear her apart without taking a chance to save her skin.

  She ripped the rifle from the saddle, pulled the bolt, and fired at the nearest wolf without hesitation. The wolf slowed his attack, then fell into the dirt.

  One down, but there were still so many. Ethan whipped one from his side, and two more jumped for him. She didn’t dare try shooting any from his back, and they all seemed determined to land there.

  A growl from her left sent her swinging the rifle. She fired just as the wolf leaped for her, catching the creature in the side. The beast yelped with pain and stayed grounded, but didn’t stop his advance.

  Ethan roared, shaking and clawing the wolves still clamoring up his back and sides and ran straight for her.

  Her hands shook as she worked the bolt. Fear doused everything but determination. Each growling step the wolf took forced her back another. Then another. Her palms slick with sweat, Tansey lifted the rifle. She refused to go down easy.

  Then the bear was there, crowding between her and the wolf. He swiped huge paws and snapped his jaws over the wolf’s back. The beast scrambled for release, but Ethan shook him and threw him to the feet of the others still hungry for blood.

  Whatever the wolves saw in Ethan’s silver eyes made them turn and run.

  Tansey’s heart thumped once. Twice. Then strong arms wrapped around her and crushed her into a solid wall of muscled chest.

  “Are you okay? Did any of them bite you?” Ethan’s words fired from his lips.

  “I’m fine. I’m fine.” Everything shook and it took her a moment to realize it was her. From head to toe, she quaked. Fear, adrenaline, she wasn’t sure which was more powerful at that moment.

  Ethan kept her locked to his chest as he threw open some hidden bag on Patches’ saddle. He angrily stuffed his legs into a fresh pair of jeans, then locked her tight against him once again before rounding on Trent.

  “The fuck did you do?” Ethan snarled. He pressed a balled up shirt to his side to stem the flow of blood. Even as she watched, the shallower cuts closed. The deeper ones would take longer, and probably be gone by morning.

  The lion shimmered until a naked man stood in his place. He cocked his hands on his hips and bared his teeth. “Me? You’re the one that brought the human. Bet she was the one that lured them here. Who else knew we’d be out here? Can’t trust a human.”

  Tansey pushed away from Ethan, anger burning away her shock of a real shifter fight. She wagged her finger in Trent’s face. “You were the one who told Ethan about the lone wolf you had hidden away! How do we know it wasn’t you who set us up? What the fuck did you do with my brother?”

  He spat on the ground. “Like I’d deal with the fucking Valdanas. They aren’t my problem. Talk to your man about their kind.”

  Two lions appeared in the distance, hauling themselves at a pace that must have been faster than their natural kin. They skidded to a stop right in front of their alpha, snarls lifting their lips.

  “Run the fences! Put down any wolf you find,” Trent roared. He whipped back around, blackness tipping the finger he pointed in their directio
n. “Get that fucking human off my land, Ashford!”

  Ethan tugged her toward the horses, but Tansey jerked out of his grasp. “He doesn’t mean Rye, does he?”

  “Tansey, let’s go.”

  “No! Not if he means Rye. Stop him!”

  “Tansey, listen to me.” Ethan spun her into his grasp, stooping to catch her eyes. “Rye is gone. His scent is so faint that I don’t think he’s been here for days.”

  “But he was here. He could still be around somewhere.” She would not cry. Not now. Not in front of that infernal man.

  “He’s not now and we need to leave. We’ve worn out our welcome.” He hugged her tightly again. “I promise I will do whatever it takes to find him.”

  Chapter 20

  Tansey sighed and let her head fall forward while Ethan rubbed her shoulders and down her back. True to his word, he’d drawn her a bath in a large, claw foot tub after a quiet dinner alone. Also true: everything hurt. Her thighs and calves ached, and even her stomach and sides felt the workout of a fight for her life and a hard ride home. The hot water and Ethan’s nimble fingers did the trick for her sore muscles, but did little for the pain in her heart.

  So close, and the mystery Rye saddled on her still remained unsolved. She didn’t even know for sure if he’d been the one hiding out in the secluded hut. She was no closer to finding her answers than the day she stepped onto Black Claw Ranch.

  Worse yet, she’d come far too close to savagery. She didn’t want to imagine what would have happened if Ethan and Trent were just a touch slower, or if the Vagabonds had more numbers on their side. Maybe the big wolf would have landed fangs in her skin and her mother would have two furry children to disapprove of instead of just one.

  “Tansey,” Ethan rumbled softly and drew her back to reality, “I think it’s time to consider Rye is caught up in Viho’s business.”

  Water sloshed as she folded her knees to her chest. “I know. I just don’t understand why.”

  She still couldn’t piece together the connections or why Rye would even go near the man. What hurt even more was the idea that the two were alike, but Rye never showed her that side of himself. When had they gone from close siblings to strangers? A shiver worked its way out of her frozen center. If she couldn’t depend on her own brother, then she could count on exactly no one.