Fox, Morgan - Craving Silence [Cowboys and Werewolves] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (2 page)

It was no mystery that he favored the country to the city and that was also why he preferred to auction his cattle off in quaint country towns. Dealing with the hustle and bustle of the crazed, big-city traffic and rude, obnoxious attitudes of its inhabitants was something he avoided at all costs.

Even as a boy, he’d always known he wanted to take after his father, raising livestock on their farm. As a young man, he spent hours and hours trucking all over Texas delivering his father’s cattle, growing more accustomed to the demands his dad had endured over the years—the responsibility to always be the best he could. The ranch his family owned had grown into one of the largest in Texas, and his cattle was some of the best in the state. Lance was proud of his family’s reputation for raising the best herds, and, the truth was, even though the road trips to deliver his cattle were tedious and time-consuming, he enjoyed the time to himself.

Life on the ranch was hectic. Every day there was more and more to do, more cattle that needed tending, more food that needed picking up and sorting out, and more acreage that needed fencing. The requirements of his job were enough to drive most people into the cities, but not him. A life of hard work in the open fields was exactly what he loved about living in Texas.

The simple fact that he could cross the state and discover completely different terrain was both amazing and wonderful. There were hills in some towns, flat plains in others, mammoth cities with buildings that reached the heavens, small towns where everybody knew everybody, and a bordering ocean to gaze at and dream in—there was no place on earth like Texas. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that nothing could make him leave his little piece of paradise. This was the life he had chosen and the life he was content to have.

Finally, he had reached the last long stretch of unlit highway before arriving at Silent Falls, and he couldn’t have been more ready to be there. His rumbling stomach had been his constant companion, and his anxiously bouncing leg was about to drill a hole right through the floorboard. Yawning, exhausted from travel, he knew that even when he arrived, he’d still need to unload his cattle before he could even think about feeding his belly and getting even a wink of sleep.

Then suddenly a flash of silver blinded him, and he squinted to see past it, but it was too late. He hit something on the road. Actually it was more like something hit him. He slammed his foot down on the brake, but the truck had veered too far off the edge of the road, causing the tires of his truck and trailer to scrape against the rocky asphalt. An explosion of sounds blasted around him as several tires blew. The steep embankment and flattened tires tugged at his vehicle, and the heavy weight of the cattle spilled over, jerking and pulling his truck onto its side.

His vision blurred as blood gushed from his forehead. The windshield of his truck had been shattered, and the cab of his truck bowed in from the impact of the crash. Cattle screamed and wailed behind him, and he struggled to get free of his seat belt. He hadn’t broken anything. At least, he didn’t think so.

Using his legs, he kicked the rest of the glass free of the windshield and slowly climbed out. Dizzy and disoriented, he tried his best to remain conscious. Holding his head in his hands, he knelt on the ground. Beneath the weight of his knees, the crushing of leaves and twigs sounded like drums banging inside his ears. The first wave of nausea hit him hard, and he gripped his stomach, bracing for the first round of dry heaves, but they didn’t come. Instead, an unsettling feeling of
oh shit
churned in the pit of his stomach.

Being wounded badly and stranded in the middle of nowhere without a cell phone was not the best situation to be caught in at night. To make matters worse, he was so banged up that he was physically unable to check on his cattle. With blurry vision, he could see that some of the cows were bloodied and wandering the street and some even lay on the ground unmoving. He cringed at the sight of all the crimson-colored fluid that had splashed on the side walls of the trailer and ground. The horrifying scene around him resembled a bloody massacre.

Startled by the growl of a wild animal, he froze. A second later, he felt another unsettling prickle at the back of his neck warning him of certain danger. He swallowed and slowly scouted back to his truck in search of his gun. It was too late. Before he could reach the cab, several large four-legged beasts erupted from the woods like demons springing from Hell. The hideous animals’ menacing fangs glowed in the darkness as they leapt through the air, snarling and snapping. Dozens of furry creatures sprung over him, charging for his unprotected and injured cattle. The fierce animals shredded the flesh of his livestock in seconds.

Clinging to his truck as if hoping to camouflage himself within it, he held as still as he could. Once all the animals were distracted with his cattle, he took the chance to find his gun. Moving as slow as he could, he crawled back through the window, his legs still dangling out as he searched the glass-covered floorboard of his truck. His fingers slowly circled around the barrel of his shotgun, and he eased it up.

Then, behind him, he heard the intense rumbling of a breathy growl. Closing his eyes, he knew in an instant that his attempts to find the gun had been for nothing because he was about to be destroyed by whatever wild beast now stood over him. He prayed.

* * * *

“Excuse me, Sheriff,” Gavin said, leaning into her office. “There’s been a report of drag racing just outside of town. Mr. Jared’s pissed, says his cattle are going to be too anxious to produce milk if we don’t make the kids stop acting like a menace.” He winked and quickly retreated. His coded messaged was received. The menace Gavin referred to was the new damn lycans running wild in Silent Falls. Maybe she’d get lucky and catch them in the act.

“I’m sorry, Walker, but I’ve got to handle this.”

“I understand, but before you go, agree to meet me for drinks?” He leaned forward to be just a little closer to her, his arm stretched over her desk, his hand inches from hers. The distance between them was driving her mad.

“I don’t know,” she told him, her gaze sweeping over the stack of paperwork on her desk. “I’ve got so much to do.”

“Silence, the work will be there tomorrow. Come on, and have a drink with me. Better yet, dinner.”

“Walker.” Irritated, she spewed his name and scowled at him. Her hands folded defiantly over her chest and her glare grew more heated, but inside, her belly flipped and flopped nervously, charmed by the gorgeous billionaire cowboy from her past.

Walker placed his hands palms out in a show of surrender, lowering his gaze in a submissive manner. “Fine, dinner and drinks, but I’m serious, nothing more.” His gaze slowly rose, and the grin that spread across his face practically melted her already-racing heart.

She rose from her seat and stood with her palms flat on the desk. “I’ll meet you tomorrow night at the diner downtown at seven.” Walker rose from his seat, a heavy smirk tugging at his adorable lips. “But, Walker, don’t make me wait and don’t act like this is anything more than a business dinner between two old friends. Got it?”

He placed his gray Stetson on his head and pinched the brim of it between his index finger and thumb and gave it a subtle tip. “Yes, ma’am,” he said. The Southern drawl in his accent sounded forced, but coming out of his mouth it still sounded sexy as hell. “Until seven.” He flashed another quick smile before rounding the door of her office, disappearing from sight.

Nerves jittered wildly inside her as she tried to focus on the latest incident that required her immediate attention. But her thoughts continued to return to the man from her past. Who would have predicted that today she would be having dinner with a man she’d once considered the one who would win her heart.

Shaking the warm thoughts from her head, she quickly grabbed her gun from the top drawer of her desk, stashed it in its holster at her hip, and then snatched the keys from her pocket. With an uncharacteristic pep in her step, she rounded the desk and charged from the office to see what havoc her new little pack of heathens had wreaked.