Chapter 4
Colton Sinclair—current alpha stallion of the Shenandoah Valley Herd and future alpha of the Little River Herd—stared through binoculars at the farm as the sun set on Sunday evening.
He’d given the Little River Herd some space as he made his plans to take out the alpha pair and take over. He knew he’d meet resistance from the other herd members when he did so, which was why he expected to need to kill most, if not all, of them.
And he’d do it too.
He didn’t care whether any of them lived or died, especially Alpha Crew and his mate Zara, who’d been part of Colton’s herd before she jumped ship like the bitch she was.
If only he’d been able to take out Crew before things had gone too far, he would already be set up on the farm in comfort, not squatting in an abandoned hunting cabin with the three males in his herd.
“There’s nothing going on,” Weston, his younger brother, whispered.
First, Colton shushed him. And then he whispered, “Something is definitely going on at the farm, just watch.”
Weston sighed and lifted the binoculars to his eyes again.
Colton and his herd had set security cameras in strategic places around the farm to make a plan to take over. He knew there were weaknesses that he could exploit; he just needed time to make a good plan.
And then he saw it.
Or, rather, saw her.
A female he hadn’t seen on the farm before was with his cousin Avi, that traitor.
They were on the back porch of the farmhouse at a small table having an intimate meal. Even as far away as he was, he could see the sparks between the two.
His cousin had the nerve to find his mate?
While Colton and his herd were stuck in a piece of crap hovel, they were living it up on the sprawling farm with everything going for them.
While he had nothing but the grit and determination to take over the farm for himself and his herd, he needed a plan.
Grumbling internally at his cousin getting to find love despite being a traitor to the family and choosing Crew and his herd over Colton, he moved the binoculars around the farm to see what he might do.
And then he had an idea.
“Let’s go,” he whispered, lowering the binoculars and scooting backward until he was concealed by a tree before standing.
The males with him immediately complied, no one speaking until they reached the truck and pulled away from the farm’s territory.
“Someone find the closest sporting goods store,” Colton said.
“On it,” Asher said.
“Why?” Weston asked.
“We need a few supplies to enact my new plan.” He could feel his brother was going to ask for more details, but Colton was still in the planning phase, so he cut him off before he could say anything. “Just trust me.”
“All right.”
Eyes on the road ahead, Colton smiled to himself. This was going to be fun.
* * *
Avi pulled out the chair at the café table on the back porch of the farmhouse for Fallon and then gently pushed her in.
He’d spent the afternoon planning a kickass first date, and although he was disappointed it wasn’t safe for them to leave the farm, he knew he could show her just how important she was to him.
After spending most of the day together, he felt like he’d known her forever, his sweet, funny, beautiful soulmate with a heart that was still healing from all she’d endured at the hands of her alpha and the worry for her family that still made her skittish at times.
Sunny forwarded an email from her mom that said Otto had taken over the prowl and promised to bring his mate home, meaning Fallon.
Her mom was planning to find a way to leave the prowl and come to New Jersey, and Avi hoped she’d be able to.
While Fallon seemed to feel more at ease on the farm and with him, she was still worried about her mom, and for good reason.
It appeared that Otto was a deranged maniac who thought nothing of harming others to get what he wanted.
But he wasn’t going to get Fallon.
She was Avi’s, and part of the Little River Herd simply because they were soulmates.
He’d do whatever it took to keep her safe.
Turning his attention to the date ahead, he lifted the covered tray from a nearby side table and brought over two plates. He’d ferreted out her favorite dishes as they’d talked while she helped him with his chores, and Tris helped him craft the perfect meal.
Lasagna with a tossed salad and fresh breadsticks.
“Oh, this smells so good!” she said, smiling at him across the small table.
“I would definitely have wanted to take you to an Italian restaurant if we left the farm, so this is the next best thing.”
“This place is magical,” she said as she cut into the layered pasta dish.
“The farm?”
“Yes,” she said. She took a bite and groaned softly, her eyes glittering with happiness.
That sound was going to make his head explode.
He took a bite of lasagna, possibly the best thing that Tris had ever made, and said, “What was the prowl like with meals? Did everyone fend for themselves or were there caretakers?”
“A bit of both,” she said, thoughtfully.
“There were caretakers, generally the unmated females like Mom and me and Sunny, who cooked and cleaned for those who couldn’t—or wouldn’t—like the alpha’s high-ranked males who weren’t mated.
Mom’s a great cook, and I like to cook too, but Sunny never was much for it.
She usually helped with prep work in the kitchen. ”
“And you?”
“I was a very good line cook for my mom, but her favorite thing was making coffee. She used to make her own flavored creamers and they were amazing. Sweet caramel, vanilla and cinnamon, and she had a mocha one that was fantastic.”
“Sounds like she would have been a whiz at having her own coffee shop.”
“We weren’t allowed to have businesses outside of the prowl. It would have been nice if we had been. Mom would have been great at that and I would have happily helped. But it wasn’t to be. Not with the old alpha, not with Dario, and especially not now with Otto.”
“So your mom’s favorite thing to do is coffee. What’s yours?”
She looked thoughtful, and then smiled softly. “Sewing.”
“Oh yeah? What do you like to sew?”
“Anything, really. My grandma taught me to sew before she passed away when I was a teenager. I was always looking for things to mend, like clothes and curtains. I made a quilt once with old shirts I collected from prowl members and it took me forever, but I really loved it. It’s like a puzzle made with fabric that ends up being a really useful item. ”
He loved the way she smiled as she talked about sewing. He wasn’t sure how, but he’d figure out a way for her to be able to do what she loved.
While they ate, they talked about everything and nothing, learning about each other in small, important ways.
Once they’d finished the meal and the cheesecake he’d secured for dessert, he took her hand and led her a little ways from the porch, using his phone to activate string lights to illuminate underneath a tree. Turning on a romantic music playlist that softly filled the air, he asked her to dance.
She fit perfectly against him as they moved under the lights, swaying to the music and just holding each other.
As the first song ended, she tilted her head to look at him, longing in the beautiful brown depths of her eyes, and he lowered his head to kiss her.
That first kiss, so important and perfect, sealed his stallion’s devotion to her.
She was his soulmate, and he was going to keep her safe and by his side forever.
No matter who came after her—alpha or not—she was his to protect.
“I want to give you the moon,” he murmured against her lips as his heart pounded in his ears and his stallion let out a deep, satisfied whinny in his head.
“I think you’re just the male to do it,” she answered, biting gently at his bottom lip. “Sweet Avi. Let’s go to the apartment.”
With a nod, he gave her one last lingering kiss and then turned off the lights and music, taking her hand and leading her to the barn.
He wasn’t sure what was going to happen as they climbed the stairs, but then she didn’t let go of his hand as she opened the door, giving him a sultry look.
“Stay with me, Avi. I don’t want to spend another night without you.”
He stepped into the apartment and pulled the door shut, and then drew her close. “I’m falling for you, Fallon.”
“I’m falling for you too.”