Thirty Nights with the Alpha King

Chapter 2: Cattle Mutilation

“Another one?” my grandfather says, standing up quickly. “s**t, let’s go take a look.”

“Can I come?” I ask suddenly. Both my grandparents and Nick whip their heads in my direction.

“Absolutely not!” my grandmother responds, shaking her head furiously. “Those cattle mutilations are horrific!”

“I’ve heard about cattle mutilations on TV,” I reply. “I know what they look like. I promise I won’t be shocked.”

“Fine,” my grandfather concedes. He’s visibly anxious to leave as quickly as possible.

I stand up and follow Nick to his truck. He opens the passenger door for me and lowers the seat, allowing me space to crawl into the backseat. His warm, broad palm engulfs my petite hand as he helps me onto the running board, and I suddenly feel self-conscious as I stoop low to avoid hitting my head on the roof. Not only do I shudder at his touch, but my ass is completely in his face as I awkwardly crawl into the back.

I’m surprised to find my grandmother crawling in after me, also assisted by Nick. Once she’s in, he moves the passenger seat back in place for my grandfather, then jogs back around toward the driver’s seat.

After the truck roars to life, we speed off in the direction of the cattle mutilation.

“Were they in an enclosure?” I ask curiously.

“No, they were out grazing near the northwestern corner of the ranch,” Nick responds. “I noticed them all clustering together really closely toward the end of the day. They seemed pretty agitated about something. My siblings had already gone home for dinner, and I was just repairing a hole in the fence before turning in myself.”

“A hole in the fence?” my grandfather repeats. “Did it look man-made?”

“It could have been,” Nick responds. “Hard to tell if it was human or animal.”

“How can you tell?” I interject.

“A split rail fence made of metal runs along the entire boundary of the property,” Nick explains patiently. “It’s high enough that it would be difficult for a coyote to jump over and harm the cattle. The only natural cause would be rust, but in one section, the rails were just gone.”

“Were they laying around nearby?” asks my grandfather sharply.

“No, I wasn’t able to find them. I used some wood to quickly repair it. I didn’t want the cattle to get out, so it’s only a temporary solution. But we’ll need to order some more metal posts to replace them.” 

It isn’t much longer before we come to a stop. Twilight is starting to settle over the ranch, so I take out my cell phone and turn the flashlight feature on. Nick pulls out a real flashlight from a toolbox in the bed of the truck before leading us on a short walk away from the dirt road.

I spot a large, dark mass lying motionless in the tall grass. As we approach it slowly, I feel a tinge of sadness at the sight of the dead cow as its black hair glints softly under our flashlights.

My grandfather paces around the length of the cow, examining it closely.

“There aren’t any flies,” he mutters in bewilderment, his brow furrowed. When he examines the cow’s head, he utters a string of curse words under his breath.

“What’s wrong, Bob?” asks my grandmother sharply.

“Her eyes are gouged out,” Nick answers quietly on my grandfather’s behalf. “And her udder, too.”

His dark, brown eyes meet mine momentarily, and I glance away quickly in embarrassment.

“An animal couldn’t have done this,” my grandfather says, folding his arms. “There’s no visible damage on the cow. No scratches, no bites – nothing. How do you strip a cow of her eyes and udder so cleanly without surgical instruments?”

“Is there a gunshot wound?” my grandmother asks.

“No,” my grandfather shakes his head.

“There’s something else, Mr. Byrne,” Nick adds. “I think the animal was drained of its blood. We’ll need to call the vet out to confirm, but there’s no sign of blood in her eye sockets or belly.”

“Did you see any footprints or animal tracks nearby?” my grandfather asks.

“None,” says Nick.

“I’ll call the vet out to test the carcass and make sure there wasn’t any poison,” my grandfather replies. “After he’s done, take her carcass out to the far corner of the ranch. We’ll let the coyotes pick her off.”

“Yes, sir,” Nick nods.

“What a waste,” my grandfather mutters, shaking his head slowly. “This can’t keep happening. We’re already struggling as it is. We can’t lose any more cattle at this rate.”

“Have you lost other cows to cattle mutilation?” I ask, suddenly feeling alarmed. I hadn’t realized that the ranch had fallen on hard times, and to think that this cattle mutilation was not a one-off occurrence – well, that didn’t bode well.

“Yeah,” my grandfather sighs. “We had another one about three months ago.”

“Skinwalkers,” my grandmother breathes ominously. All our eyes turn to look at her.

“What are skinwalkers?” I ask, glancing between both my grandparents.

“That’s nonsense, Winona,” my grandfather chides. “That’s just an Ute superstition. Don’t pay it any mind, Addy. No, I think this is Avery’s doing. He’s been trying to make his stock look healthier than mine to fetch a higher price for his cattle and undercut my sales!”

“Avery is another cattle rancher in the area,” my grandmother quickly explains to me, before she turns back to my grandfather. “Bob, you have no proof he’s out to get us.”

“Well, he’s not going to just show his hand, is he?” he challenges. “Maybe I should just sell it to that housing developer who’s shown some interest in the area.”

“No!” Nick suddenly says, a bit louder than necessary. We all give him a questioning gaze, and he quickly composes himself.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Byrne, but please don’t sell the ranch.”

“I know this ranch means a lot to you, Nick,” my grandfather responds. “But if we can’t turn a profit, we can’t afford to keep the ranch going, much less pay you for your work.”

“I-I don’t mind,” says Nick, his eyes lowered to the ground. “This place means too much to me to let it go.”

“It’s just some preliminary interest in the area,” my grandfather explains. “He hasn’t approached me with an offer or anything.”

“Shall we head back?” my grandmother interrupts. “It’s getting dark out here, and I’m sure Addy is hungry after a long day of travel. Nick, have you eaten?”

“No, ma’am,” he responds. “I’d love to stay for dinner, but I better go check on my family and make sure everyone is okay. I’ll ask if they’ve seen any suspicious activity around the ranch today.”

Family? Was he married? With children? I glance at his hand, searching for a wedding ring. I’m not seeing one, but maybe he takes it off while he’s working on the ranch?

My eyes travel up his broad, muscular body until my eyes reach his face, and I shiver slightly when I find him staring right back at me. His dark eyes are sultry and soulful, and they’re studying me with interest. Or, at least I think so. 

I really hope he’s not married.

“Are you two coming?” my grandmother calls out. My head turns in the direction of the truck, where my grandparents are already walking toward.

Nick drives us back to the farmhouse. When we pull up, he hops out of the driver’s seat and jogs over to help my grandmother out of the truck. I slide across the backseat to crawl out through the small space between the seats. When I go to stand, I’m hunched over to avoid hitting my head on the ceiling, keeping my eyes low on the floor to avoid tripping. 

Out of nowhere, a feeling of vertigo takes hold of me, causing my head to spin. I freeze, closing my eyes to stop the world from whirling around me.

A wave of nausea washes over me, and I feel myself lose my footing beneath me.

I’m falling. Am I falling backwards or forwards? I can’t tell.

I feel a strong set of arms catch me before I make contact with the ground. I blink a few times, trying to bring the world back into focus. It doesn’t become a clear picture – the brain fog makes everything a little bit hazy – but I can see enough to figure out where I am.

I realize that Nick is holding me, bridal style, right beside the truck. I must have fallen forward when I was trying to step out.

Looking up into Nick’s face, I realize our noses are mere inches away from one another. My breath hitches when I notice our proximity, and my heartbeat quickens when I realize he’s holding me close to his hard chest.

“Addy, are you okay?” he asks in a low voice. Concern is etched all across his face as he studies me closely with those deep, brown eyes.

“What happened?” I hear my grandmother’s panicked voice say behind Nick.

“Y-Yes, just had a little dizzy spell,” I say. My voice sounds so weak in my ears.

“I’ll carry her inside,” Nick says quickly, and he begins heading toward the porch with me in his arms.

“Please, I can walk,” I protest, suddenly feeling very self-conscious about my weight. Even though I’ve lost about twenty pounds since I got sick, I still feel like I’m not quite where I’d ideally like to be.

“Don’t worry; I’ve got you,” Nick says huskily. His low voice sends shivers down my spine as he says those words into my ear.

He doesn’t seem to be struggling to carry me. In fact, he acts as though I’m as light as a feather as he quickly crosses the path up to the farmhouse.

My grandmother is able to beat us to the door, opening it to allow us inside. Nick turns to sidestep into the house, and my mind momentarily thinks how this looks like a groom carrying his bride over the threshold into their new home.

But my fantasy is ruined when he sets me down onto the sofa in the living room. I already miss the feeling of his large, warm hands supporting my body, and I long for him to touch me again. My grandmother is close behind, fluffing the pillows behind my head.

“Thank you, Nick,” she says.

“Don’t mention it,” he replies to her, but his eyes are trained on me as he speaks. “Are you okay now?”

“Yes, much better, thank you,” I respond quietly. I realize that both my grandparents and Nick are staring at me with worry on their faces, and I hate being made a fuss over.

“I’m fine!” I insist. “Thank you, Nick. I’m sorry to keep you from your family.”

“It’s no problem, really,” he assures me with a small smile. “I’m just glad you’re feeling better.”

Nick gives me one last look before turning to leave. My grandfather walks him out to the truck, while my grandmother keeps her eyes on me.

“Can I get you anything, dear?” she asks gently.

“Some water, please?” I ask.

“Of course!” she answers, rushing to the kitchen.

My grandfather has to help me up the stairs that night, since I feel too weak to support myself. As I lie in bed, I realize I pushed my energy envelope too much when we went to look at the cattle mutilation, especially after a day of travel. I scold myself silently to be more careful next time.

My thoughts wander to Nick. What must he think of me, passing out in his arms on the first night we’re reunited after so many years? He’s much stronger than I remember. The Nick I knew was tall and lanky, not to mention bumbling and awkward. I could almost fit his skinny arms in between my thumb and middle finger at one point!

Nick’s certainly grown up, I think to myself. Maybe staying here won’t be so lonely after all.