Rebel Wolf (Wilde Brothers Ranch #5) - Scarlett Grove Page 0,22

not to cower or lie or try to make excuses.

“You stay the hell away from our sister.” Bobby came closer, puffing up his chest. He got right into Gunner's face, his fists clenched at his sides.

Charlie was closing in behind him. Gunner was boxed in. The truck was blocking his way, and the McCoys were surrounding him. His inner wolf was fraught with rage.

How dare they tell him to stay away from his mate? If they did anything to her, if they hurt her, if they shamed her for her love, he would never let it pass. As if on autopilot, Gunner reached up and pushed Bobby McCoy away from him. “Get the hell out of my face, Bobby McCoy.”

“How dare you, Gunner Wilde,” Charlie said, taking a swing.

Gunner ducked right in the nick of time. Charlie's fist bashed right into the side of Gunner's truck, leaving a dent in the panel. Gunner swore and charged at Charlie. Austin would be so pissed. The truck belonged to the farm, not him. He tackled Charlie and pushed him down.

Bobby came at him from behind, punching him in the kidneys. Gunner huffed and staggered. He whirled and swung, hitting Bobby right in the jaw with a powerful right hook. Bobby staggered and spit blood, but when he righted himself, his eyes were burning with rage.

A pump-action shotgun snapped closed behind them. All three of the brawling shifters spun and looked toward the loading dock.

Mr. Pepper stood with his shotgun, glaring down at the young men, his white hair standing on end, his face livid with shock and anger. “You young punks better stop what you're doing. You get the hell out of here right now, or you'll all be banned from the store forever. See how your brother and father feel about that. This is your one and only warning. If I ever hear about the three of you brawling again anywhere in this town, I'll call your brother and your father. Mark my words.”

The McCoy boys staggered to their feet, cursing Gunner under their breath, climbed back into their truck, and drove away without another word. Gunner brushed himself off and looked up at Old Man Pepper.

“I'm sorry. I just found out my fated mate is their sister.”

Old Man Pepper's face fell, and he scratched his head. “Good luck, Gunner Wilde. You're going to need it.”

Gunner climbed into his truck, his head spinning and his gut aching. How could this be happening? Just a few hours ago, he'd felt like his whole world had opened up, like life was an infinite realm of possibility where everything had been born anew and was ripe with beauty and love. But now, it felt as if the walls were closing in on him, as if he had lost everything he'd ever wanted, and he had just found out what it was.

It was such a deep sense of loss that he had to pull to the side of the road and empty his breakfast onto the pavement. When he wiped his mouth with the back of his arm and turned back to the truck, he noticed the dent that Charlie McCoy had left in the door.

He swore under his breath. He was in so much trouble from every direction. Gunner's head throbbed, and he rubbed his temples. He had to think clearly. He had to figure out what was really going on. Cars driving by vibrated his truck as they passed. He sighed, put the truck in gear, and pulled back onto the road. The time for hesitation and cowardice and indecision was over. Gunner had to take a stand. He knew who he was, and he knew the kind of man he wanted to be. That meant honesty and truth and loyalty. Back at the ranch, he unloaded the shipment into the barn with Cal and Cash, who noticed the dent within thirty seconds of Gunner parking.

“Austin will have your hide.” Cash chuckled.

“I was attacked by the McCoys,” Gunner said.

“Those jerks attacked you?” Cal sounded incensed.

“At the feed store.”

“They're dead,” Cash said.

“Their sister is my mate,” Gunner said.

Cash dropped a bag of minerals on his foot and huffed, grunting and hopping.

“Their sister is what?” Cal asked.

“Cassidy McCoy. She's my mate.”

“Didn't their little sister go to school in Blackville?” Cash asked, sitting down and nursing his wounded foot.

“I guess. I don't know. I didn't even know that she was a McCoy until they attacked me this morning.”

“What are you gonna do?” Cal asked.

“I don't know.