“There’s Angus,” Tessa pointed out.
Angus waited by the cabin, seated on a black horse. “Saddle up, ladies, and I’ll show you the way to the schoolhouse.”
“Saddle up?” Katlyn asked in shock. “We don’t know how to ride a horse.”
Two ranch hands stood nearby, helping Katlyn on a white horse and Tessa onto the saddle of a brown and white horse.
“Now take the reins and hold them securely, like this.” He demonstrated, and then showed them how to turn the horse the way they were going. After ten minutes, Katlyn became used to how the horse felt under her, and although she was very nervous, she was able to move the animal forward.
Tessa smiled and appeared much more at ease on her horse. “I went horseback riding when I was a child,” she explained.
Katlyn merely nodded. The last thing she needed anyone to know was how petrified she was. As they made it down a pathway that led past the cabin, she couldn’t help but notice the same two cowboys in the distance. This time, they were sitting astride their horses on a hill overlooking the ranch.
“Come on, Katlyn. Speed it up.” Angus clicked his tongue. Katlyn’s horse sped up and she was barely able to hold on the reins. Katlyn wished she didn’t feel like she would fall headlong off her horse.
“Relax, or the horse will feel your fear,” Angus instructed.
“I’m trying. This was a bad idea. I’m going to fall off and be stomped to death by this horse.”
“Don’t be so dramatic, Katlyn. Just breathe,” Tessa suggested.
Katlyn tried, but her horse had other ideas and galloped off in the other direction. She gripped the reins and held on for dear life. Her hair bounced about her shoulders, and her entire body jiggled. Tears blurred her vision as loud voices shouted, “Stop!” Next the sound of hooves striking the ground nearby jarred Katlyn. When she looked up, two cowboys had caught up with her. Her reins were yanked from her fingers and the horse slowed when one of them said, “Whoa, girl.”
Katlyn slid off the horse and fell to the ground. She was then on all fours, panting hard. A sharp pain had her lungs in its grasp and it felt like someone or something was squeezing the air out of her.
Two strong arms pulled her up and off the ground. “Slow down, now. You’re okay,” a male voice said. “Breathe in through you nose and out through your mouth,” another voice said.
“I-I can’t.”
The cowboys continued to soothe her. What was it about their voices and why did they sound so familiar, Katlyn wondered. She ventured a glance up finally, her eyes wide, and her breath came harder than before as she stared into the eyes of—Brendan and Chase!
Chapter Five
Katlyn yanked her arms away and when she stared at Brendan and Chase, they appeared equally as shocked. “You’re alive,” Brendan said. “I’m so relieved, but why are you here?”
“I’m the new schoolteacher.”
Chase rubbed his jaw. “Why have you come here, of all places?”
Katlyn lifted her head high. “It’s of no consequence. If you want to know the how and why, ask Paige. She was the one who hired me.” With that, Katlyn walked toward Angus and Tessa, who dismounted their horses and ran to her, giving her a hug.
Angus pulled away when Brendan and Chase gave him a look. “Thanks for saving her. It would be a horrible thing for the new teacher to die before she had the chance to step in the classroom.”
“We’ll see about that. Chase and I need to speak with Paige about this first,” Brendan said. He saddled up, as did Chase, and then added. “Keep this woman off the horses. It’s apparent she has no clue how to ride a stallion.”
Katlyn balled up her fists, but Brendan and Chase rode off before she was able to give them a piece of her mind. Boy, did she have something to say, too. Since they lived here, and she knew they were already shifters, it answered a lot of her questions.
“We can walk the horses from here,” Angus said, breaking into Katlyn’s thoughts.
Katlyn found her horse grazing nearby and grabbed ahold of the reins. She walked the rest of the way to a brick building that was overgrown with weeds and vines that formed over the side.
When they walked up the few steps and entered the building that was supposed to house the school, Katlyn stared through the roof. “This won’t do. How am I expected to teach with a huge hole in the roof.” She glanced around at the broken chairs and desks, and added, “This building needs to be cleaned and desks and chairs ordered, plus books, pencils, and paper.”
“I’ll speak with Paige about it.”
“I’d rather speak with her myself.”
“That might not be the best idea. I’m sure the lords will be discussing the matter with her right now. With any luck, Paige will stick to her guns and allow you to remain.”
There’s no way Katlyn would allow Brendan and Chase to have her shown the door. She had taken this job in good faith and she wouldn’t allow them to ruin it for her.
* * *
Paige was settled in front of a roaring fire in the living room when Brendan and Chase stormed in. “What on earth is the problem, Paige. That fool woman almost had her neck broken riding a horse, and she tells me you hired her as a teacher.”
She raised a glass of red wine to her lips and took a sip. “The children need to be in school, and this is the best way to assure they’re able to without putting them in danger.”
“I forbid it,” Brendan said. “I’ve poured my blood and sweat into this ranch and I won’t see everything I’ve worked for turned to dust.”
“You?” Paige said. “We’ve all sacrificed, and this ranch has been the safe house of many shifters in the area for years now. Since children have been thrown into the mix, it’s our responsibility to see them educated. All of our lives hang in the balance. We can’t have someone coming around and asking questions about why the children aren’t in school. This way we don’t need to worry. If they show up now, we can prove that the children are being educated. They need to learn to read and write if your kind is to survive.”
Brendan paced the confines of the living room. He couldn’t allow the truth to come out. That Brendan and Chase had known Katlyn from before. “For how long, though? With the Shifter Patrol murdering our kind back east, how long can we remain undetected?”
“Shifters have blended in and there’s no reason for anyone to question you.”
“What about Katlyn? She’s a human, and what if she reports back to the Shifter Patrol about us here?”
“Then I suppose it’s up to you and Chase to find a way to keep the new teacher happy, then. A satisfied woman is a loyal one.” Paige downed her wine. “Besides, she’s running from something, and whatever it is will keep her in our good graces.”
“And what of when she discovers what the children really are?”
* * *
“I not only took this job, but I’ve agreed to be discreet,” Katlyn said as she joined them. “I’m here to teach the children, nothing more, but I have nothing to return to now. Shadow Creek is my home.” Katlyn’s heart pounded and the tears burned behind her eyes, but she held them all back. It hurt her feelings that Brendan and Chase would expect her to leave. “The building you expect me to teach in has a hole in the roof. I’ll need that fixed tomorrow. Tessa and I will clean the interior, but we’ll need desks and chairs. Angus will tell you the other supplies I’ll need.”
“Of course,” Paige began. “Brendan and Chase will be there bright and early in the morning to fix the roof.”
“Thanks. I’ll be going now. I’ll need all the extra sleep I can get.”
* * *
Katlyn left, which left Brendan and Chase to stare at Paige. “We need to move the herd tomorrow.”
“Let the ranch hands do that.”
“It’s not that I believe them incapable, but our neighbors have their sheep in the pasture next to ours. I don’t want there to be any trouble.”
“I’ll ride out there with them, then,” P
aige said with a smile. “It’s been a long time since I’ve done that.”
“You can’t do that and you know it. Besides, your place is in this house,” Brendan reminded her. “The last thing we need is to be taken unaware while we’re all gone.”
Paige’s brow arched. “Oh, just so you know, my place is anywhere I deem fit, but you’re probably right. I can’t tolerate the daylight hours all too well even on a cloudy day, but I’ll make sure only the best hands handle the herd.”
“I meant no disrespect, truly.”
“I know you didn’t, Brendan, but you had better fix whatever you did to cause the new teacher to feel uncomfortable. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a woman look so pale before.” Paige arched her brow. “Well, that settles it, then. Katlyn’s here to stay. Now if you don’t mind, run along. I’d like to enjoy my wine in peace,” she said as she poured herself another glass.
* * *
Brendan and Chase took their horses back to the barn where Angus was unsaddling the horse he had used earlier.
Brendan ignored Angus for the most part until he said, “I’m sorry about allowing them on the horses. Next time, we’ll walk.”
“Don’t be silly, Angus, but deliver her one of the ATV’s. She should be able to manage that, at least. You can hook up one of the smaller trailers to carry your supplies that way.”
“What do you mean your? I’m supposed to be guarding the herd.”
“You’re off that assignment. I can’t have that woman traipsing all over the ranch unattended,” Brendan said.
“I reckon it won’t take long for either of them to figure out the goings on around here. She’s the new teacher, after all, and so far my take on the ladies is that they’re smart.”
Brendan frowned. “Thanks for your input, but let me worry about the new teacher.”
Angus nodded and went to rubbing off his horse while Chase and Brendan left the barn, leaving Angus to care for the horses.
Ten feet from the barn, Brendan glanced over to the cabin the ladies were housed in. One side of the lacy curtains was opened just far enough to know they were being watched.
“I sure thought we had seen the last of Katlyn back at that club,” Chase said.
“Well, it seems she made it out of there just fine, but how on earth did she find her way here, and what did Katlyn mean when she said she didn’t have anything to go back to?”
“I suppose we’ll have to ask her when we get the chance.”
“I think we need to distance ourselves from Katlyn. She could mean trouble for us here.”
Chase smiled. “Aren’t you at all curious about what it’d feel like to actually be with her? We really got shortchanged back in Wisconsin.”
Brendan’s crotch pulled tightly as his cock twitched. “Well, we can’t fuck her now. It will only complicate matters.”
“Not tonight, perhaps, but there are other nights. I’m concerned, though, about Angus. What if he’s interested in Katlyn?”
“Hopefully, that’s not the case. I’d hate to call the man out for sniffing too close. We really need to try and stay clear of her, but there’s no way I’ll allow another shifter near her.”
“Katlyn’s different than most human women we’ve encountered.”
Brendan ambled back to the main house. “True, but most women we’ve been with, it was only a one time deal. We’ve never seen any of them again. We’re sure not used to having one turn up at our door.”
“I’d personally like to hear what happened to her after that night at the club. Whatever happened afterward scared her enough to drive her into our arms.”
“She didn’t come here for that, or so she says. I think we need to keep a close eye on her. I’d hate to think that she came here for another reason, like to bring us all down. If she’s part of the Shifter Patro—”
“She’s not. She can’t be. But not to worry. We’ll figure out what she wants soon enough. Her friend, Tessa, is another interesting detail that we might want to check out, if Katlyn isn’t willing to finish what she started back at that club.”
“Chase, you’ll never change, but I think we need to stay away from the both of them. Angus might be soft on that one for all we know. I’d hate to get in his way in that regards. Besides, he’s a good protector. He’ll keep the ladies safe when we can’t watch over them.”
Chapter Six
Katlyn snapped the curtains closed when Brendan and Chase disappeared around the front of the main house. When she turned, Tessa had a humongous grin on her face.
“So, those are the guys you had sex with back in Wisconsin?”
“We didn’t get anywhere close to that. We were interrupted, remember?”
“Didn’t you say one of them fingered, you at least?”
“Yes, but I had yet to see either of them naked, and now it’s going to be so hard to stay away from them. I can’t help but wonder how it would all have played out.”
Tessa poured wine into two glasses. “You’ll have plenty of time to turn that fantasy into reality.”
“I’m not sure I want to. I mean, I want to, but with the Shifter Patrol and all, I’m just worried where it will all lead. What if they find me here, or us?”
“That’s not something you need to worry about right now. Perhaps they’ll stay in the east and not venture here in the west.”
“I wish I knew that for certain, but since Brendan and Chase are mountain lion shifters, I wonder who else might be?”
“True, but does it really matter. You said Brendan and Chase saved your ass. I personally feel safer being around them. Besides, who would dare come to the ranch, or suspect that the same shifters that killed a member of the patrol would be here in Wyoming?”
“Killed?”
“Yes. It was on the news, remember?”
Katlyn took the glass of wine that was offered her. “That’s what worries me. I can’t see the death not taken seriously. We very well are all being hunted.”
“No reason to think that, Katlyn. All you need to do now is concentrate on readying the school. Once you meet the students, you’ll have something to distract yourself from thinking about the past. Concentrate on the present and how long it will take Brendan and Chase to reconnect with you.”
Sipping the wine, Katlyn shook her head. “There’s no way I’ll allow myself to be swayed. Perhaps you might be interested, though.”
“Nope. Angus, on the other hand, is mighty interesting.”
“Mighty? You’re sounding like you’re from the west already.”
“Don’t even try to say cowboys don’t interest you, Katlyn. I saw how you looked at them. You want them. There’s no sense in denying it.”
“I’m not denying anything. I’m just not going to get too near them.” Katlyn finished her wine and set it down. “I do wonder how Paige fits into the picture.”
“Since it seems like they already like to share women, it’s hard telling.”
“That club was for shifter-human interactions. If they had that kind of deal right here, then why would they have gone there in the first place?”
“You did say they were mountain lions, which are known to be more of loners, but there has to be a reason they live together on this ranch. I’m also curious about the children. Is it possible that they’re shifters, too?”
“I don’t care if they are. I was hired to teach the children and that’s what I’m going to do.” Katlyn yawned. “I’m heading to bed now. We’ll both need our sleep.”
When Katlyn hit her bed, sleep eluded her completely. Her body tingled, thinking about seeing Brendan and Chase. Neither of them were happy to see her, though. But why? There were so many things she wanted to know and they were the only ones who would be able to help her find the answers she wanted.
* * *
Katlyn snapped open her eyes when someone pounded on her bedroom door. “Up and at ‘em,” a voice said.
Instead of getting up, Katlyn buried her head under the pillow until Tessa opened the
door. “Time to get up, teacher lady. Folks in Wyoming get up mighty early.”
Katlyn headed to the shower and surfaced twenty minutes later, donning jeans and a tee shirt and slipping on boots. While she yanked a brush through her hair, she caught sight from the upstairs window of Chase outside astride a horse, laughing at whatever Brendan was saying on another horse. Chase wore gray jeans and a hoodie vest; not exactly what she’d call western attire. His hair was cut military style and was quite short, whereas Brendan hid his longer, dark locks beneath a black cowboy hat. The plaid shirt he wore was open and flapping in the wind, revealing his muscular chest. They both nodded and rode away, leaving Katlyn to contemplate her decision to stay well away from them. How on earth will I be able to do it, she thought.
Tessa appeared in the doorway with a cup of steaming coffee from the smell of it, handing it to Katlyn. “Are you about ready? Brendan and Chase stopped by while you were in the shower.” She smiled. “I think they were hoping to see you.”
Katlyn’s brow arched. “I doubt that. I’m sure they just wanted to make sure I was heading to the schoolhouse soon.”
“Think what you want, but those guys want you, Katlyn, and there’s no way you’ll be able to convince me otherwise.”
Katlyn sighed and followed her friend downstairs where Angus was tidying up the kitchen, but had three plates on the table filled with pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon. She sank into a chair and said, “Did you cook all of this, or did Tessa?”
“I tried to, but he wouldn’t let me help,” Tessa said. “I have to admit that it’s nice to have a man cook for a change. If it were up to you, Katlyn, it would be noon before we’d be out the door.”
Katlyn (M/F/M red-hot menage shifter romance) Standalone (Shadow Creek Shifters Book 1) Page 4
