Chapter 10
Cruz
“The snow should finally be packed down enough to get this over with. Are you ready?”
“No. I was caught trespassing, Cruz. I don’t want to go and admit that to the Alpha. I’m ready to get out of this house, but not for that.”
She was scared. I could understand, but didn’t she know I would never let anything happen to her?
“I’ll handle it. Just leave it to me. Everything will be fine. Thomas is not an unreasonable man. You’ll like him.”
Hesitantly, she agreed.
Before she could freak out or change her mind, I loaded her up in my truck and drove to the Alpha House. She gripped the door handle like her life depended on it, even though the roads were passable and we had no issues.
Once we arrived and sat there in the truck in front of the house, she started to panic again.
“You can do this. I’ll be right by your side the entire time.”
She nodded but looked so miserable. I didn’t know how to fix that. She should have declared herself days ago, but I knew Thomas would give a pass for the weather. He was a great and supportive Alpha.
I smiled encouragingly when I got out and walked around to open her door.
Grabbing her by her upper arm, I kept her from falling, knowing that the boots that I’d packed extra socks around to keep her feet from sliding in were still far too big for her and posed a fall risk as she attempted to stomp her way to the door.
Still, they were a lot better than her house slippers that she’d arrived in.
Maybe Lily would have something she could borrow until I could buy her some real shoes.
With my assistance, she made it safely to the door.
I knocked, suddenly wondering if I should have called and warned Thomas ahead of time.
His oldest daughter, Cammie, opened the door. She looked at me and smiled and then looked to Daisy.
Cammie froze, and then let out an ear-piercing scream.
I covered my ears with my hands.
“Damn, Cam. Stop that. What is wrong with you?” I muttered.
When I glanced Daisy’s way, she actually relaxed and smiled.
“Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh.”
“Calm down, you’re gonna hyperventilate if you keep that up.”
She screamed again. This time a few of her sisters came running.
Audrey and Willow came to a screeching halt, looked toward Cammie who nodded, and then suddenly all three of them started screaming and jumping up and down.
Willow practically threw herself into Daisy’s arms, and I’d never seen that girl get this excited over anything that wasn’t a book.
“What is going on in here?” Lily yelled from down the hall.
She rounded the corner with little Tommy in her arms and stopped.
“Cruz? And . . .” she gasped.
“Ha ha,” I said dryly. “Yes, I have a mate. You don’t have to be so dramatic about it. Is Thomas in so I can introduce her and get this over with?”
Lily nodded but said nothing.
Lily always had something to say about everything, so it was freaking me out.
“Are you okay?” I asked her when I passed.
She just stared at Daisy, then finally she nodded slowly.
“What the hell was that all about?” I muttered.
Daisy looked up at me, surprised, but then just smiled and took my hand.
I carefully led her to Thomas’s office.
“Was that really her, Mama?” Audrey asked.
“Am I dreaming?” Cammie asked.
“It’s her. It’s really her,” Willow insisted.
“Daisy Brooks is mated to Cruz?” Lily asked.
Suddenly they were all screaming again. I just shook my head.
“They’re all insane,” I whispered to my mate. “But not in a dangerous sort of way. At least I think not,” I added when they started squealing once more.
Tommy seemed to have enough of that, and they quieted as he screamed out in protest.
I knew I liked that kid.
“Come in,” Thomas said.
I opened the door and waited for Daisy to enter ahead of me. It was a sign of respect to my mate. Thomas would understand without me having to say a word. Or so I thought . . .
“Sorry to stop by unannounced like this, but it’s the first chance we’ve had to get out of the house.
That snow was a tough one. But don’t worry.
I’ve had a team sleeping in the bunks and handling the animals and chores during all of this.
And even though I wasn’t there, I checked in with them multiple times throughout the day. ”
“Cruz. It’s fine. Now, what do we have here?”
“Hi,” Daisy managed. I expected a nervous squeak, but she seemed stronger and more confident in his presence. It was weird.
He blew out a long breath. “Hi. I can certainly see why my girls were going so crazy out there.”
“Why? I’ve never seen them act like that before.”
Thomas looked at me confused. “Cruz, you do know who this is right?”
“Of course I do. She’s my mate. Why do you think we’re here?”
This time he looked at me like I was crazy.
“Okay, so introduce me then.”
“Thomas, this is my mate, Daisy Brooks. Daisy, my Alpha, Thomas Collier.”
Thomas looked psychotic, as if he were holding something in and ready to burst.
“Is it okay if I call you Daisy?”
“Of course.”
“I’m a huge fan, as is my family, if you couldn’t tell. I absolutely love you . . .”
Before he could finish that statement, a growl ripped through me.
They both stopped and stared.
“Did you just growl at your Alpha?”
“Stop flirting with my mate,” I warned him.
Thomas rolled his eyes. “Simmer down. I was not flirting with her. I have a mate and am no threat to you. Logically, you know this. So calm down.”
I felt the warm sensation of Alpha power surround me, and I really did not appreciate it.
“I’m trying to do the right thing here, Thomas, but you aren’t making it easy.”
Daisy reached over and touched my hand. “It’s okay.”
My head whipped toward her, and then I glanced down at her hand on my arm. It immediately relaxed me, and I nodded.
What the hell was happening here?
“So what brought you to Collier Pack?” he casually asked her.
I appreciated his change of tone. Lily would have ripped his throat out for telling another female he loved her.
I still wasn’t certain I wasn’t going to attempt it.
Sure, I’d die in the process. Thomas was strong, and I knew attacking him would be a suicide mission, but with any luck I’d make my point fast enough before he ended me.
But that would mean Daisy would be all alone. I still didn’t know her whole story, but I knew it was bad.
“I had the opportunity to remove myself from a bad situation and I took it without really thinking about it. I’m just really lucky this guy found me when he did. I probably wouldn’t have survived if I’d be stranded on your range in that snowstorm.”
“Things were really that bad?”
She nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Where is your Alpha?”
“I left the Pack when I was just a girl and have been on the road since. I was like twelve the last time I was there. I’m not even sure they remember me.”
“Trust me, they remember.”
“How can you be so sure?”
The hurt in her voice was evident even to my ears.
“You have no contact with your Alpha?”
She shook her head.
“Anyone back home?”
She shrugged. “I’m allowed to talk to my parents once or twice a year.
I wasn’t allowed to attend my little sister’s high school graduation, so she cut me off entirely.
I haven’t spoken to her in nearly four years.
Ronnie manages my entire life and everything about it.
I suppose when I stepped off the bus in the middle of the night that I must have caught the scent of your pack nearby.
I didn’t think, I just walked away and no one noticed. ”
He scoffed. “No one noticed? The entire world is looking for you.”
She sighed. “It’s not the same.”
“Why do you look so confused, Cruz?”
“Because I don’t know what the hell you two are talking about.
I brought her out of courtesy to formally meet you.
I know your stance on true mates, so while she’s been nervous about this meeting after having been caught trespassing, I knew given the circumstances it would be fine. But officially, can she stay or not?”
“Of course she can stay. My mate and my children would murder me in my sleep if I said no. They are super excited to meet you, if you hadn’t noticed.”
I still didn’t understand why, but I was catching on to the fact that there was a lot more to my mate than I understood.
Who the hell are you, Daisy?
“Okay, well, no need to make things any weirder. I’m assuming Kate’s Diner is open today now that the roads are passable and all?”
“Yeah, she’s been open for a day or two now, just in case people decided to swing in. She put out a box of clothes around back for those running in.” He stopped and something seemed to dawn on him. He shook his head and grinned. “Daisy Brooks is a shifter. Never would have guessed that.”
“How the hell do you know who my mate is?” I blurted out.
“Dude, you have got to stop living under a rock. This is the Daisy Brooks. She’s America’s sweetheart. Champagne on the Barn Floor? Midnight Rodeo? First Kiss, Last Call? Nothing?”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Songs, Cruz. She’s a country music legend. Everyone knows your mate, well, everyone but apparently you.”
“Country music?” I asked, scrunching up my nose. “I mean you sing real nice and all.”
The door cracked open and Lily practically fell into the room.
“You’ve heard her sing?” Lily squealed.
“She’s always singing. She’s skittish and doesn’t talk about herself much, but she can’t keep her mouth shut when it comes to songs.”
Daisy shrugged. “I have my reasons.”
“I think the two of you really need to talk this through,” Thomas said.
She sighed. “I know.”
“If you need an impartial third party, I’m here for you,” Lily said.
Thomas chuckled. “Get out.”
She glared at him, and he immediately backed down.
“Well, at least don’t embarrass yourself being starstruck,” he teased.
“It’s okay. I’m used to it. This feels normal. I don’t know what to do with this guy though because he is not normal,” Daisy said.
“Hey. Low blow. Maybe I’m the most normal thing you have in life.”
A star? Literally everyone knew but me?
The scariest part of all is that when Thomas listed off some of those songs, I actually recognized a few.
Damn, ain’t that some shit?
I don’t even like or listen to country music, but as they talked about it and gushed over my mate, I realized I knew exactly who Daisy Brooks was. Everyone around town has been gushing about her upcoming concert in Cheyenne for weeks now.
Staring at my mate, I just couldn’t reconcile the two.
How could my sweet, innocent little Daisy be that Daisy Brooks?