Wildfire Rekindled

Chapter 3

My cattle manager, Joe, wipes the sweat off his neck with a bandana, his face grim under the blazing Texas sun. "We found the cows scattered about ten miles from the south pasture."

Leaning against my truck, I cross my arms, bracing for bad news. "Fence cut?"

"Yeah," he says, nodding. "Someone let 'em out. Didn't take us long to find the herd—they hadn't gone far. Didn't stampede, either. Just wandered through the opening. Good thing we found 'em when we did."

His jaw tightens. "Ground was covered in pesticide. Fresh, too. We moved the herd to the west pasture, but the south's off-limits now. I left a few cowboys to guard the herd."

Luke's brow furrows as he shakes his head. "What the hell? The oil field wasn't enough? Hunters went after our cattle, too?"

"No," I reply, my voice hard. "This wasn't hunters."

Luke narrows his eyes. "Then who?"

I glance at Carly, my ranch manager, standing nearby with her arms crossed, and a frown etched deep. "What's the latest from Austin?"

Her lip curls in a sneer. "Governor's office called this morning. Didn't mention a damn thing about yesterday's attack, even though it's all over the news. Said he heard we had a problem in one of our pastures and, seeing as how we can't use it for grazing, he'd be happy to take the land off your hands."

Luke's jaw tightens as he mutters, "What a load of bull."

My chest tightens, but my voice stays calm. "Did he now? Funny how he knew about the south pasture before I did."

Joe stiffens, his eyes widening. "Alpha, are you saying the Governor of Texas poisoned our land?"

My lips press into a thin line. "I'm saying it's convenient. He's making a veiled land grab."

Carly shakes her head, incredulous. "A land grab? You think he'd stoop to this?"

Luke's gaze sharpens. "What do we do about it?"

"Nothing. Not yet." I push off the truck, standing tall. "We're too vulnerable to leave the ranch. The hunters are watching."

Carly tilts her head, skeptical. "You think the Governor's involved with the hunters?"

I let out a sharp breath, shaking my head. "No, he's not smart enough for that. But he doesn't have to be. He'll twist this mess to his advantage. Protect his humans. And leave us to fend for ourselves."

I turn to Carly, nodding toward the ranch office. "You'll need to juggle schedules. The west pasture has to be guarded until the calves are born. I don't want anyone slacking."

"Yes, sir, Alpha." Her voice is steady, but her eyes flash doggedly. She and Joe head for the ranch office without another word.

Luke stays by my side, his face unreadable. "He's pushing, Alpha."

I nod, watching the horizon. "He is. And I'll push back when the time's right."

For now, all I can do is protect what's mine. The south pasture might be poisoned, but the Lonestar territory is far from finished.

I watch Carly and Joe stride toward the ranch office, their silhouettes sharp against the sunlit dust cloud settling over the fields. Luke lingers beside me, quiet but alert, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

"They'll come back," he says after a moment, his voice low and steady.

"Yes, they will," I reply, my tone grim. "And we'll be ready."

He nods once, the silent weight of the last twenty-four hours stretching between us. I rub the back of my neck, the ache there a dull echo of the battle still fresh in my body. The ranch feels tense, coiled like a spring ready to snap. Between the poisoned pasture, the refugees, and the hunters' attacks, it's a wonder the land hasn't cracked beneath us.