Page 53 of Live Love Lasso

Furyon

“Ranchers been flooding the office with reports of sick animals all morning,” Echo says, frowning at Bishop and me when we return from Varek’s place.

I’ve never felt helpless like this in my job, and I’m beyond frustrated. A desperate need to see Lemon and talk to her chokes me.

Every tattoo on my body aches, the twinge stealing deep into my bones. I’m powerful in my own right, but apparently not powerful enough to fix this. The animals’ pain becomes mine, and not being able to find the source is killing me. I run my hands through my hair, growling as I rip it out of the elastic and toss it messily back up.

Echo glances over at me from beneath bushy black brows. “I know this is killing you, but we’ll figure it out, Furyon. I’ve gotta believe that.”

Bishop stares at her. “Your father got any sick cattle yet?”

She nods, her expression sorrowful. “Yeah. Started last night. I got a whole speech about it this morning. I told him we’re doing everything we can, but it seems like everywhere we turn is a dead end.”

I stare at the female who’s been my closest friend and confidante since I moved to this beautiful, wild, free haven. She doesn’t look away when my stare grows long. Like always, her steady nature is something I can draw peace from. Despite that, nerves bundle deep in my core, that sense something’s incredibly wrong and growing worse.

I usually don’t worry about what I can’t control, but this is different. This feels like it’s pulling our haven apart at the seams, at least for the animals. How long until it starts affecting Gulch residents too? I don’t know if that’s even possible because we don’t know what we don’t know. But when I think about Lemon getting sick, or Oz or Bluebell or Echo, I want to rip something to shreds, my protective instinct running rampant.

Echo flips through a new toxicology report we got from a sheriff’s office in another haven. “I know you wanted a second opinion, Furyon, but there’s nothing new. They don’t know what it is either.”

“I’m goin’ home,” the sheriff announces. “I need to think about all this, try to see a new angle. I’ll catch up with y’all later.”

My comm watch buzzes, pulling me away from answering him. Oz’s name hovers over the blue band. Shit, I hope everything’s okay with Lemon.

Thinking of her sends warmth through my body, fingers twitching as my horns flex and straighten. My core tightens. “Answer Oz.”

“Furyon!” Oz shouts over the obvious din of a rodeo crowd. Guess they made it from the Punishers game to the bull riding event.

I clear my throat. “Everything alright, Oz?”

“You should come down here!” He lets out a hysterical peal of laughter. “Gods, oh my gods, okay, I’m just busy at the moment!”

I have no idea who he’s talking to.

Breathless, he continues on between giggles, “Okay, I know we invited Lemon out, but I think you should come. She misses you; I can tell. And I want to see her eyes light up when she sees you.”

Heat shreds through me at his words.

My woman.

My mate.

She needs me.

I rise and grab my hat. “On my way.”

He doesn’t bother to say anything, just hangs up mid-cheer.

Echo gives me a carefully neutral look. “You gonna check on the animals while you’re out there?”

I nod. “You know I will. We haven’t heard from any of the rodeo circuit ranchers, so I’ll talk to them while I’m at it.”

“Well,” her tone is pleasantly neutral, “have fun.”

I sigh, crossing my arms as I lean against her desk. “Echo, you ain’t still suspicious of Lemon at this point, are you?”

She matches my sigh and leans back, her swivel chair creaking under her weight. “It’s not that I think she’s our culprit necessarily; it’s just that we have no idea what’s happening, and it could be her. Maybe not even on purpose. But don’t you find it weird this started the day she arrived? In her yard?”

I shake my head. “I think it’s coincidence. She’s…” I trail off. I haven’t told anyone about the mate thing yet because Lemon and I haven’t had time to talk about what it really means long-term. I know she wants to return to Rainbow haven, and I…don’t. But I would for her.