“Howdy, Miss Storm. The woman of the house baptized you, so I’m afraid you gotta stay.”
Best we get that out of the way. Storm belongs to Veda, so I can’t let her go. It’s as simple as that, and if I wasn’t sure where this was going before, I now see what I have to do clearly, like the stupid scar on my fucked-up hand.
Storm must feel the change in me because she eyes me carefully, blowing out a breath of frustration. It’s not a challenge. She’s looking at me in a way that makes me wonder if all this time, all she was doing was waiting for me to stop being a coward.
Goddamn, I’m about to break my own curse.
thirty-two
Derrick
My scar tingles, flashes of the night of my injury run through my mind, and I rub a tender spot in my chest. I didn’t even think it was bad when it happened. The adrenaline was so high, I didn’t feel a thing, but I damn well felt everything after each surgery.
It was my dominant hand, so the injury not only ended my career but also took away my autonomy. I couldn’t hold a fucking fork. I couldn’t do shit for myself for a long time, and it chipped away at who I thought I was.
But fuck me, meeting Veda makes me realize I’m not just a bronco rider. I'm a member of this pack, and I’m responsible for our piece of land. The animals depend on me, my brother depends on me, and now… I have an Omega to take care of. The hope inside my chest grows defiantly bigger. This pesky little thing wants to survive against all odds. It pushes me further into believing there’s more for me in this life than my past.
In a careless decision, I rise on the first rail of the fence. The movement is enough to call Storm’s attention, and she regards me. I smirk at her. She has to know it’s time. Animals always know. I swing a leg over the top rail and then the other. Still leaning over, I call her.
She’s angry. It all reminds me of the rodeo, but the stakes weren’t so high before. There is a game here I can’t lose. The mare needs to stay if I want her taken care of. She needs a vet, and she needs a home. It’s fucking clear to me, and it’s stupid that I didn’t do this before. Veda is right. It’s me and not anyone else.
All or nothing, right?
I open the gate, making a show out of it, and I smile at her. She fucking knows, but her intelligent eyes flick between the gate and me, calculating. I wait perched at the fence, heart drumming against my rib cage, trying to take flight. And then Storm takes a chance. She takes off at a gallop, wind blowing against her white coat, and the familiar adrenaline takes over. I wait with my bad hand gripping the fence. It's not comfortable, but it doesn’t hurt like before.
This mare is smart. She doesn’t rush to me or to the gate. She makes her way around the pen, driving off my scent, and I hold back my smile.
Then she comes to me, to the gate. Time stands still as I watch her in slow motion. In the rodeo, a breath can change it all. Every second lasts an eternity. I hold myself, waiting for the right moment, and when it finally comes, I jump onto her back right as she passes me.
My hand holds her mane, my knees locked in position. She’s all fucking speed. The laughter is loud as we make our way away from the Golden Acre and across the empty fields. It takes me a long time to realize that this is pure fucking happiness that’s making my chest feel this full.
Storm should be called Lightning as she pushes across the fields. It’s hard to believe she’s this powerful after the rough time she’s been through. For the first moments, I have to hold myself tight. But after a while, she stops trying to knock me off.
She shows me a freedom I’ve forgotten about. My fingers go numb, and I know I’ll pay for this tomorrow, but right now, it doesn’t matter because I’m doing it.I’m fucking doing it.
The sun dips below the horizon, and Storm loses speed. She’s calm under me now, and I risk untangling my hand from her mane, just enough to pat her tenderly.
“We did something today, Storm. And you did great.”
Her wild eyes are still dangerous. I know we have a long way to go before she can join the other horses, but this is a step in the right direction. If I can get her to trust me, we can get a vet up here. We can start her recovery.
With a soft tug, she follows in the direction of the pen, showing how smart she is. Of course, she belongs to Veda—only the best for my darling.
I don’t even chastise myself for calling her that. It feels right in my chest, and I’m not about to poison a good day with a lie. I bring Storm to the pen and make sure she has food and water before moving away to the stables.
My legs are sore from the bareback ride, and my fucked-up hand is as stiff as fuck, but I have something to do, and it can’t wait any longer.
It’s been months since I've been to see the horses. Chaos is at the front, his face closed off just as his rider's, and he regards me with as much suspicion as Storm. I chuckle and push down the pens, my mouth dry with nervousness.
Champion's pen is the last one. When I stop by its entrance, I give my horse a weighted look, emotion clogging my throat and shaking my hands.
“Hello, old friend.”
At the sound of my voice, he moves. His eyes lock on me, and I wait to see if I’m even welcomed. When he doesn’t seem disturbed by mypresence, I reach for the lock and open it at once, needing this more than he does.
Fuck, I’ve always needed Champion more than he needed me. My hands flatten against his long nose, and I drop my head to his.
“I’m sorry.”
