Wild (Wolf Ranch 2)

The idea of skinny dipping with her, getting her naked and wet and beneath me was going to fill my head all day. Like my wolf wasn’t already in enough of a frenzy.

We headed back down the ridge, and that’s when I saw it—a herd of cattle grazing on Sheffield’s lower forty.

They didn’t look like our cattle, these were a different shade of brown, but I urged Cinnamon forward to take a look. When we reached them, I held up my hand. “Stay here for a minute. I want to check the brand on these cows.”

She reined in Lucy, and I got close enough to one.

“JM” was the brand on its hide. Jett Markle. He was the flashy New Yorker who’d bought up the property on the other side of Sheffield’s place, Rob had told me. Boyd had had a run in or two with him. Hated his guts. I could see why now. Who the fuck let their cattle roam on someone else’s land? A total dick, that’s who.

Rob had told me he’d shot one of our pack members last month—a teenager running in wolf form for an illicit visit to his girlfriend. Markle hadn’t seen the kid shift, and I heard Boyd had given him a black eye and told him he’d shot our dog.

Not only that, Markle wanted to buy the Shefield land, perhaps double the size of his property, which meant we’d be next door neighbors to the asshole. It didn’t bode well for our need to run in wolf form. The man was a fucking problem.

And now, apparently, he was moving his cows onto Sheffield’s place as if he owned the place.

“What is it?” Marina asked, when I returned.

I shook my head. “They belong to the next ranch over. I don’t know what they’re doing on this land.”

“Probably the same thing we are.” She smiled impishly. “Maybe they want to go skinny-dipping, too.”

My cock went hard again, and I had to adjust myself. “Stop talking about being naked, little girl.”

“Or what?” she challenged with a smirk.

I growled. “Or… fuck.” I looked away.

“Right.” Disappointment rang in her defeated tone. “What’s the scoop with the cows? Are they lost?”

“No, I have a feeling Jett Markle is using this property like he owns it.”

“Well, aren’t we?” she asked. “I mean, the waterfall is on the same property.”

“Technically,” I grudgingly agreed. “We’ve had a long-standing arrangement with the guy ever since my parents ran the ranch. Hell, before me and my brothers were born. He gave us permission to be here. We helped each other out. That’s what neighbors do. Markle just moved his cows right on in.” I sighed. “We’ll have to call his niece and make sure she knows about Jett’s cattle being over here.”

Marina nodded. She knew nothing about cows or grazing land, so it was a short conversation. But I’d need to have a long one with Rob and what the fuck he was going to do with Jett Markle.

“Well, little girl, I’d better get you back, so you can get all dolled up for the wedding. While you’re doing that, I’ve got to talk to Rob.”

15

MARINA

* * *

“So what’s with you and Colton?” Audrey asked, an hour later.

After the riding, Colton had given me directions, and I’d driven one of the ranch trucks to Audrey’s and Boyd’s cabin in the woods. He’d wanted to drive me, but since he still had to rub down the horses, I put my foot down. In return, he refused to allow me to take my tiny rental, saying it would probably bottom out on the dirt road to get there. Once I parked in front of Audrey’s and Boyd’s cute place, I had to agree he was probably right. This place was remote, and the access road was… rustic.

When Audrey came out onto the porch to meet me, I knew she was happy here. I felt a pang of jealousy… again, but tamped it down. She deserved a good man, and Boyd was it.

“Now that I finally have you all alone, I want to hear all about you and Colton.”

She led me inside. The walls were log, the main room a living room, kitchen and dining room combination. The kitchen had been updated or was in the process of it, but I could see modern touches in the granite counters and new fridge. The rock fireplace went from floor to ceiling, and I knew it would make the place cozy in the winter.

Now, all the windows were open to let in the gentle breeze. It smelled like pine and… wildness.

“We met by chance in front of a washed-out road.”

“And you shared a motel room because of the storm.”

“Right.”

“Yet he seemed really surprised when he came into the kitchen when he arrived.”

I blushed. “That’s because I didn’t tell him who I was.”