Chapter 8
Wren
G od, I hope I don’t regret this. That was the only thought that kept swirling through my head the entire morning as I got ready. Devon packed me a lunch, and Grace was there to cheer me on and comment on how cute my paw print scrubs were.
My hair was pulled back in a ponytail, wisps of blonde hair pulled out around my face so I didn’t feel like a founding father. The boots I pulled on were well worn and I had a feeling would come in handy.
I looked professional, but practical.
It was also the most put together I’d felt in far too long. Maybe Grace and Hailey were right. This was something I needed.
“I got you something to celebrate the fresh start,” Devon said as he slid me a travel mug of coffee, just the way I like, along with a sparkly green gift bag. I guess he’d noticed my favorite color, too.
“You didn’t have to do all this,” I said, stunned at his thoughtfulness. In fact, tears burned behind my eyes, throat tightening at the sweet gesture.
When was the last time someone did something this simple and thoughtful for me? The answer was far too long.
A smile spread across my face as I tossed the tissue paper aside, revealing a new set of markers in just about every color imaginable, double sided, too, so they were more compact. A carrying pouch for them all, just big enough I knew they’d fit. And finally, a stack of mini coloring books.
“Devon,” I managed to choke out. His smile was bright and sweet as he reached over and squeezed my hand.
“I noticed you do it when you’re stressed or relaxing, so I figured a new set for work breaks was fitting.”
“This is amazing. Thank you,” I said, standing up and pulling him into a hug. My entire body melted into his touch, the scent of the omega wrapping around me like a comforting blanket. It was an understated but delicious mix of green apples and cedarwood. Warm, comforting, and cozy.
When he pulled away, we were alone. Grace must have stepped away to give us a moment.
“Send me cute animal pictures,” he teased, picking up my lunch and handing it over. “And get going before you’re late.”
WIth one last wave, I snagged my bags and keys, and hurried down to my car. I piled my stuff in and plugged in the address Hailey sent into my GPS.
It navigated me straight through Rockwood Valley and out the other side. I passed the big sign for Whitaker Ranch before winding further down the road.
The road reached a fork and I turned left, right onto the long, gravel driveway that led up to my job.
I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, but this wasn’t it. The landscape was gorgeous, a backdrop of the mountains and a lake making it gorgeous. But the ranch itself was also beautiful. The barns were painted black with dark wood accents. The grounds were perfectly cut and flowers planted here and there.
The animals were milling around in the fenced-in fields, a handful coming to the fence to see who had arrived.
I’d barely made it out of the car when a mountain of a man stepped out of the barn. He was dressed like I’d expect, in faded jeans and a flannel shirt, though the jeans were sinfully tight, showing off powerful thighs and if he turned, I bet it was a great ass.
His hair was dark, a backwards ball cap hiding the cut but his matching beard was trimmed short and the man looked like he took care of himself.
Nothing was sexier than an alpha who cared about his appearance without being cocky. He didn’t give me fuckboy vibes.
Then he saw me and his face went unreadable. He didn’t exactly have ‘resting dick face,’ more like he was viewing the world with a healthy dose of skepticism.
“Shepherd Harding?” I asked, putting a smile on my face as I climbed out. He nodded once, taking me in with eyes that gave nothing away. As I walked closer, I saw they were a rich amber brown that were unique enough to captivate me.
“I take it you’re Wren Ellis, my new vet tech?”
“Yes, I am,” I said. “Thanks for the opportunity. I’ve missed working with animals.”
“Did you take time off?” he asked, studying me like he was expecting me to say I took time off because I was tired of them or something.
“Unfortunately. I had personal issues that demanded time off. I’m eager to get back to it, though. Where should we start?” My smile never faltered but a weariness had crept back in, stealing some of my excitement.
“The barn,” he said, turning and gesturing for me to follow. I didn’t hesitate to speed up, falling in step next to him. Another disappointingly perfect scent, even if my body didn’t react. It was a rich bourbon mixed with sweet and tart blueberries and creamy cheesecake.
If only. That was a scent I could breathe in for the rest of my life.
I heard him take a deep breath and grunt, but didn’t say anything.
Was he as disappointed as I was?
Or maybe I was simply desperate for a genuine connection, something to chase away my past. Maybe I should be running from the prospect of mates, but I refused to let them steal away my chance at a true pack. One actually meant for me.
“This barn is for the bulk of the big animals. I’m not sure how much experience you have, but just about everyone here has something in their charts worth studying. Once we do introductions, it might not hurt to take the afternoon to study them. I’ll be around doing maintenance and chores if you have questions. I’d rather you ask a million and be thorough, then assume you know and make mistakes.”
It wasn’t said with frustration or doubt, simply a blunt statement of what he knew could happen.
“Understood,” I offered as he led me to one of the stalls. A horse peeked its head out, giving a snort in greeting. He gestured to a basket on the wall just out of the horse’s reach, brimming with apples.
“Go ahead,” he suggested. It was a test, or at the very least a challenge. He wanted to see how I interacted with them and I was fine with that.
“Name?” I asked before moving in.
“Honey,” Shepherd answered, stepping back and leaning against the empty stall opposite of Honey to watch the show.
The horse was watching me, its eyes tracking my hand holding up the shiny, red apple. A small huff echoed out but she didn’t back away.
“Hey, sweet girl. I hear you like apples? How about this, you let me give you a good scratch, then I reward you with an apple?” I stepped forward and she tried to snatch it, but my arm dropped faster. I’d dealt with a handful of stubborn horses in my teens and it was like second nature.
Though, this horse was likely not a pampered purebred with more attitude than it should possess. She was gorgeous regardless.
I held my hand out, palm out like I was saying no. She eyed me before finally tapping her nose to my palm. It felt like there was a bit of exasperation in the movement and I let out a small laugh as I patted her nose and held out the apple flat in my other hand. She didn’t move right away, letting me give her some love before finally taking it and stepping back.
“Impressive,” Shepherd said before moving on. Each stall was an introduction, a quick name and treat for them all. It was a smart way to have me introduce myself. Bribery never failed.
It took much longer than expected before I was introduced to all of the animals. It was easy to see his favorites. A potbelly pig named Mabel who was sweet as can be, a basset hound that howled the moment he saw me but was happily wagging after he got his treat and some ear scratches.
When we got to the final pen, he wouldn't get too close. “This is Astrid’s domain. Watch out, she spits, but you can toss her a treat.”
“Astrid!” I called out as I dug out a bundle of leafy greens for her. She came running up in all her fluffy, brown glory. She stopped a few feet away and I didn’t back away, though I kept my mouth closed and lips curled in a smile, bracing myself for her assault.
I kept my body relaxed, hand outstretched within reach of her treat. She eyed me, the look clearly saying she could if she wanted to, and I tried my best to show I didn’t hold it against her.
It was a battle of wills, but in the end, as it did for all the others, the bribery won out.
“What a sweet girl,” I said as she leaned her head to the side in offering. I gave her a good scratch in her wooly fluff as I felt Shepherd’s eyes on me. When she stepped away, dismissing me, he couldn’t help himself.
“Really, you evil alpaca?!” he demanded. “I give you shelter, a clean home, plenty of food, and treats. Treat you like a damn queen. Then one omega comes in and you’re all sweet and innocent?”
She stared at me but shifted her eyes to him, a laugh bubbling out as Astrid’s side eye amped up to epic proportions.
Then, she turned, and spit.
“No!” Shepherd wailed, gagging as he tried and failed to dodge the smelly projectile as it hit him square in the shoulder. He said nothing else to me as he took off at a run, leaving me with the offending alpaca and barely contained laughter.
“That wasn’t very nice, but it was funny,” I cooed at her, giving her one final handful of greens before heading back to the barn. He’d pointed out a small office he’d set up for me there and I knew the files were already inside.
Since the tour was over it couldn’t hurt to dive in.
Despite all of my nerves, I realized I hadn’t been freaking out. This place felt like a true sanctuary. It was quiet and serene. The scent of animals was often replaced with bursts of fresh mountain air and sweet grass.
Like a slice of heaven.
And Shepherd truly did keep an impeccable barn. I’d spent my time in enough clinics, kennels, and even house calls to know that it was sadly not the same everywhere.
After opening up the first file, I quickly realized I’d need my laptop. Thank goodness I’d thought to bring it along.
Once I ran to my car, I started unloading my things, filling the desk with my various supplies and plugging in my laptop before cracking open the new notebook I’d found and grabbing a fresh pen. Just because some of this would require notes and office work, didn’t mean it couldn’t be cute. Everything was varying shades of pastel greens that all went together perfectly. Serene and pretty, that was the vibe I’d embraced.
I was so enthralled with my research and studying I didn't hear Shepherd come in. It wasn’t until he cleared his throat that I jumped, a squeak escaping me as I spun around, heart pounding and panic rising.
“Sorry,” I stuttered out, fingers itching to reach for my markers to calm my nerves.
“Didn’t mean to startle you. What’s all this?” His eyes took in the notes and folders spread across my desk. I had sticky notes and tabs poking out of files and research pulled up on the laptop.
“Going through the files with a fine-tooth comb. I don’t want to make mistakes and I want to be able to research if something is new to me. I do have a list of questions but that can wait until I finish.”
He grunted, but looked impressed again. I had a feeling he wasn’t easy to impress and since I’d done it twice, I took that as a win for today.
“It’s been hours. Take a lunch break. I’ll swing by at the end of the day to answer some of those questions.”