Claimed By the Wolf Cowboy (Cowboys of Collier #2)
Chapter 1
Cruz
“Oh my gosh! Did you hear Daisy Brooks is coming to Cheyenne? We have to get tickets,” a teenage girl squealed, causing me to jump and nearly knock over my beer. Though enough did jostle to spill out onto my pants.
Who the hell let teenagers in a bar anyway?
I supposed that was why they dubbed it Collier Steakhouse & Tavern. The steakhouse part left it open for anyone, but everyone damn well knew it was a bar.
“What’s that commotion all about?” Travis asked.
“I dunno. Someone’s coming to Cheyenne for something or another. Milly, can I get some extra napkins over here?”
“What happened to you?” Ridge asked as he took the seat across from me.
“Kinda looks like you pissed yourself,” Kenneth noted as he took a seat.
I glared at him. “I did not piss myself. One of the girls squealed and it caught me off guard. I jerked and spilled my damn beer. I am not happy about it.”
“Clearly. I wouldn’t be happy about pissing myself either.”
I was about to smack the smirk off his face.
“I don’t think he’s quite in the mood tonight, kid,” Travis warned him.
“Probably ‘cause he pissed himself,” Ridge said in a low voice.
I smacked the table, causing even more of my beer to spill.
“Damn it, I did not piss myself.”
The whole bar went quiet as all heads turned toward me.
I growled and threw my hands in the air.
“Fine! I pissed myself. Does that make all of you happy now?”
“Sorry folks. He’s just kidding. Go back to your meals,” Travis stood up and announced.
“To be clear. There was no piss, only spilt beer,” Ridge added.
I picked up my cowboy hat and smacked him with it before stomping out. I did not need this shit today.
Getting in my truck, I headed home.
Life was good for me here. It hadn’t always been easy though, at least not before moving to Collier Pack. Prior to that, I was a Larken wolf. I lived in a rundown, piece of shit trailer on the wrong side of the tracks. All the Larken wolves did.
Those before us had a falling out with Collier, dividing the Packs. I never really understood their reasons, especially after experiencing life in Collier for myself. But I also had no control over which Pack I was born into. Sometimes life’s just kind of shitty that way.
A few years back, our new Alpha, Luke Larken, put his pride aside for the benefit of all us Larken wolves when our trailer park burnt down.
He made the ultimate sacrifice for us all by stepping down as Alpha and reuniting the Packs.
We were all damn lucky Thomas Collier, our Alpha, allowed it.
He didn’t even banish Luke as many Alphas would have.
Instead, he gave him the role of Beta, and even though they are both very much Alpha wolves, they somehow manage to work together without issues.
Even before that happened, I’d been given the opportunity of a lifetime with a lead role at Collier Ranch. Thomas was expanding the ranch and needed more help, and I just happened to be in the right place and at the right time.
Now I was one of the top dogs on the ranch and we’d expanded into Collier Ranch, Dairy, and Farm. I was damn proud to be a part of it all.
Just as I reached my home—a real house, not some rundown trailer—my phone rang. I glanced down to see Clay’s name on the screen and immediately turned around.
“Hey buddy, we’ve got a new one for you and looks like more may be coming tonight. Ruby’s with them now. One’s delivered a male and three more mothers are in labor. Must be the full moon or something.”
“Must be. That’s really exciting. I’m already on my way.”
“Thought you might be. See you soon. I’m gonna head in and keep her company for a bit.”
Clay and Ruby co-led the dairy section of the ranch while I mostly worked with the cattle.
The new calves would stay with their mamas for the first forty-eight hours, at which time we moved them into the pens by themselves where they were bottle fed until fully weaned then ultimately sorted into their pastures.
Eventually the majority of the females would return to Ruby and Clay when ready to be bred while the males stayed with Emmett and I until ready to be castrated or sold.
That meant I spent a lot of my time at the ranch, in the pastures, or out on the range—riding horses, fixing fences, and keeping a close eye on the herds.
It wasn’t a job I had ever considered, and it had a steep learning curve in the beginning, but at this point in my life, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
When I was still a Larken wolf, I had no room to run, no open fields either. If we dared, we would shift and run on the range, but that was considered Collier territory and prohibited, not that it stopped us when we were desperate enough to risk it all.
Being caught in another Alpha’s territory could equal a death sentence and we had been taught at a very young age not to mess around with Collier . . . not that those warnings had stopped us either.
What else could we have done?
I’d learned that suppressing our wolves was unnatural, cruel, and caused us all to go a little crazy.
Pent up wolves led a man to desperate measures.
Many of us smoked weed to calm the beast inside.
Nearly every single Larken wolf had driven motorcycles at ridiculously fast speeds.
The local humans had dubbed us a motorcycle club, and we’d lived up to every stereotype that came with it.
Being high and reckless caused adrenaline spikes that staved off the need to shift. It was only a short-term fix though, so we were always looking for the next big high. It led to quite the reputation around town.
I’d like to say it was the Larken wolves, but I couldn’t without admitting it had been me too.
And even though I’d tried to clean up my act long before the merge occurred, I still had done things.
Maybe not to the point that I was unable to keep a job like some people.
I was a good leader with a strong work ethic.
But on my off time, I wasn’t proud of the person I’d been.
Fast forward to now and I barely remember that guy anymore.
Now, I can freely run whenever I let my wolf out. And I run out on the range nearly every day in my wolf form. I don’t fear the consequences of being caught doing it. It’s encouraged even. Because of this, I’ve found a peace I never knew existed.
It has changed everything in my life.
I don’t do drugs of any kind. I do still own my bike, but it’s carefully stored in my garage and only taken out for actual rides on a rare day off.
My day-to-day ride now is my beat-up 1985 Ford F-150. She may be old, but she is still reliable. I didn’t mind the bit of rust on her, it gave her character, though I did my best to keep it at bay. She was my pride and joy.
It wasn’t that I couldn’t afford a brand-new car.
Thomas paid me very well, and on top of that I received a monthly Pack stipend, as did all Collier wolves.
My house was given to me. All I had to pay was monthly utilities.
Sure, there were other former Larkin wolves who went a little crazy and bought whatever they wanted whenever they wanted it.
Poor Luke did his best to keep an eye on them and coach them in better decision making.
He never had to worry about that from me though.
I’d lived the low life, and I refused to ever go back to that.
I squirreled away every penny I could to ensure that if things went south here, I’d still be okay, even on my own as a lone wolf.
Never again would I go hungry while wondering where my next meal would come from, or wrap-up in five worn out blankets to try and stave off the cold through the night because there was no heat and there were holes through the wall exposing me to the elements.
I shuddered at the memories of that and worse—never again.
Thomas Collier had my loyalty now. Luke Larken was my friend and mentor.
I owed a lot to both of those guys. In appreciation of them, I took my work very seriously.
I tried to go above and beyond their expectations.
It was important to me. So when Clay calls me at seven in the evening when I know I have to be up at four to help feed the barn animals in the morning, I turn my truck around and go.
That was who I was now, and I was pretty damn proud of this man.
For me, life couldn’t possibly get any better. I had everything I ever wanted and more than I needed right here. What more could life offer?