general, but he felt a keen sense of loss as he looked at the dead wolf. Those men had taken it upon themselves to kill the wolf. But why?
Somebody bumped into his shoulder. Alex looked to the side only to find that Noah was moving toward the circle of men. He’d obviously seen what Alex had seen, judging by the murderous look on his face. “Shit!” Alex hurried after him.
“What the fuck?” Noah spat as he pushed himself in the middle of the circle. He glared at the men surrounding him and the dead wolf. “You shot him?”
“Get lost, kid,” one of the men said offhandedly.
“Gray wolves are protected by the Endangered Species Act,” Noah said, voice loud and clear. “This”—he pointed to the dead wolf—“is a crime, and you will pay for it.”
One of the men stepped forward. He had a menacing look in his eyes. “You threatening me?”
“I’m stating a fact, you dick,” Noah shot back as he crouched next to the wolf and gently laid his hand on the animal’s head. The tips of Noah’s fingers traveled over the wolf’s head, coming up bloody when his hand grazed the hole in the side of the wolf’s head. Alex’s breath got stuck in his chest when he saw the crushing heartbreak on Noah’s face.
“Now you listen here—” The man took a step toward Noah, and before Alex could even register what he was doing, he’d moved in front of Noah.
“I’d think twice before making any threats,” Alex said. The man measured him with obvious disdain and seemed to decide Alex wasn’t threatening enough as he laughed.
“Great, two good-for-nothing pussies, crying over a fucking pest. Do you know how much damage wolves cause, boy? I’m trying to run a sheep farm here. I’ve already got coyotes to worry about. I don’t need wolves on top of it all. I say, good riddance.”
“There are ways to keep wolves away from cattle with nonviolent methods,” Noah said from right behind Alex.
The man rolled his eyes. “Because loud noises will keep vicious killers away, sure.”
“Stop calling them names!” Noah snapped as he tried to push past Alex. “Have you tried any other methods, or did you just go right in, wielding your gun like a freaking imbecile?”
The man barreled toward Alex to get to Noah, but Alex wasn’t having any of it. He was firmly planted between the man and Noah.
“You watch your mouth, you little shit.” The guy seethed, staring at Noah.
“You should be ashamed, you asshole.”
“And you should shut up before I make you shut up.” The guy charged, clearly deciding to go through Alex rather than continue his unsuccessful attempts to get past him. He slammed into Alex so hard that Alex had to take two steps back before he managed to get his bearings. Noah was at his back and the angry dude at his front. They were sandwiched together, the man huffing and puffing in the front and Noah spitting out insults in the back.
“Fucking move,” the man snarled, and when Alex didn’t, the guy went in for a punch. It wasn’t the first time somebody had figured that the best way to deal with Alex was the physical approach, so in an instant, instincts kicked in and he blocked the man’s fist, but before he could retaliate, Noah was there, and it all became a chaotic mess with Noah trying to punch the man who’d punched Alex, and Alex trying to stand in between Noah and the man. Other people from around them were also itching for a fight because suddenly there were even more angry, yelling bodies surrounding Alex and Noah.
It all ended as soon as it had started. Alex had just caught a blow to his chin when he was pulled out of the scuffle. The men kept fighting, seemingly not even realizing that their targets had been removed.
Carl slapped the car keys into Alex’s palm. “Go home.”
“But—” Alex started to protest, but he was stopped by Carl’s raised palm. “I need you to get Noah out of here. Now, Alex.”
Noah was still seething, looking like he was ready to jump back in the fight and kill somebody. Alex nodded mutely. He figured one body was enough for the day.
“What about…?” Alex gestured toward the wolf.
Carl sighed. For a moment, he looked older than his fifty-something years. “I’ll take care of it,” he said quietly.
Alex gave a single nod before he turned around, grabbed Noah by the arm, and dragged the still-cursing, spitting mad