Katlyn (M/F/M red-hot menage shifter romance) Standalone (Shadow Creek Shifters Book 1) by Madison Johns Page B
Authors: Madison Johns
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to you?” Brendan asked.
“Actually, yes, but so far nothing is like I thought it would be.”
A man appeared and they moved up the aisle to greet him. “Good to see you, Brendan and Chase. I was worried I’d have to hunt you down.”
“Not to worry, Clayton. I’m not about to ignore something as serious as missing livestock. I meant to report that we have a few calves missing.”
“Make sure you fill out the paperwork about that.”
Clayton gave Katlyn a quick once over until Brendan explained that she was the new schoolteacher at the ranch. They followed Clayton as he walked past the altar and through a door. On the other side, there was an irate man who was screaming at another man on the opposite side of a long table. “This is the third time this month, and all you people are doing is sitting back on you hands and doing nothing. I can’t afford to lose anymore livestock.”
“Calm down now, Jonathan,” the man said. “We’ll be launching an investigation into the matter.”
Brendan nodded at the man. “Jonathan’s not the only one missing livestock. We’re missing a few calves, too.”
Jonathan whirled around, his eyes narrowing until he saw Katlyn. “Sorry, Miss, but maybe you should wait outside. This is men’s business.”
Katlyn stared down at Jonathan who was only about five foot. “Men’s business, you say? Well, I might not be a man, but I know that you don’t solve anything by screaming and I’m not going anywhere. I might be new to the area, but I’m very interested in how thinks work here.”
“So you’re here to fill out the paperwork about your missing calves?” the man asked, pulling a form from a folder.
“Yes, Andrew. I had hoped they had just wandered away at first since someone had tampered with our north fence a few times.”
“I hope you’re not trying to say I did that,” Jonathan spat.
“I never said you did, but are you sure your sheep didn’t just wander away?”
“Something killed them and the blood trail leads on your property!”
“I assure you that I haven’t seen any sheep on my property, dead or otherwise.”
Clayton cleared his throat. “How about you, Jonathan? Have you seen Brendan’s missing calves?”
“Nope, but I’ve seen tracks near his north fence, mountain lion tracks.”
“I’ll have to come over and check for tracks,” Clayton said. “I don’t want to make an assumption until I’m sure. Have you spotted any mountain lions on your ranch?”
“At Shadow Creek, we’re used to seeing plenty of wildlife, but none of them have ever been a nuisance.”
“I meant Jonathan.”
“I’ve not seen them since everyone knows how sneaky mountain lions can be.”
“Perhaps you should set up some game cameras to be sure,” Clayton suggested. “Besides, there are also bears, wolves, foxes, and bobcats in the area. I’d like to have it pinned down to a specific predator before I authorize a hunt.”
“You mean like a posse?” Katlyn asked with a smile.
“Sort of, Miss, but occasionally we have problems and we take care of it pronto.”
Katlyn gasped. “You mean you plan to kill the animal involved?”
“If we have to, yes.”
“Why not just relocate them?”
“We do that, too, but if a hunt is authorized, I won’t be able to stop ranchers from killing a predator if they find one on their property.”
“That’s just sick. It seems like you’d want to find the right one, not just randomly kill an animal that did nothing wrong.”
“It’s hard to tell, but we’ll track the animal first and see where it leads. I’ll come right out, Jonathan,” Clayton said.
Katlyn’s heart began to ache. What if Clayton found tracks leading to Shadow Creek from Jonathan’s ranch? Would it be open season on her shifters, or those in the area? She’d hate to see any animal harmed, predator or otherwise, but the children were also shifters and their families also lived close by.
Jonathan curtly nodded. “It’s about
“Actually, yes, but so far nothing is like I thought it would be.”
A man appeared and they moved up the aisle to greet him. “Good to see you, Brendan and Chase. I was worried I’d have to hunt you down.”
“Not to worry, Clayton. I’m not about to ignore something as serious as missing livestock. I meant to report that we have a few calves missing.”
“Make sure you fill out the paperwork about that.”
Clayton gave Katlyn a quick once over until Brendan explained that she was the new schoolteacher at the ranch. They followed Clayton as he walked past the altar and through a door. On the other side, there was an irate man who was screaming at another man on the opposite side of a long table. “This is the third time this month, and all you people are doing is sitting back on you hands and doing nothing. I can’t afford to lose anymore livestock.”
“Calm down now, Jonathan,” the man said. “We’ll be launching an investigation into the matter.”
Brendan nodded at the man. “Jonathan’s not the only one missing livestock. We’re missing a few calves, too.”
Jonathan whirled around, his eyes narrowing until he saw Katlyn. “Sorry, Miss, but maybe you should wait outside. This is men’s business.”
Katlyn stared down at Jonathan who was only about five foot. “Men’s business, you say? Well, I might not be a man, but I know that you don’t solve anything by screaming and I’m not going anywhere. I might be new to the area, but I’m very interested in how thinks work here.”
“So you’re here to fill out the paperwork about your missing calves?” the man asked, pulling a form from a folder.
“Yes, Andrew. I had hoped they had just wandered away at first since someone had tampered with our north fence a few times.”
“I hope you’re not trying to say I did that,” Jonathan spat.
“I never said you did, but are you sure your sheep didn’t just wander away?”
“Something killed them and the blood trail leads on your property!”
“I assure you that I haven’t seen any sheep on my property, dead or otherwise.”
Clayton cleared his throat. “How about you, Jonathan? Have you seen Brendan’s missing calves?”
“Nope, but I’ve seen tracks near his north fence, mountain lion tracks.”
“I’ll have to come over and check for tracks,” Clayton said. “I don’t want to make an assumption until I’m sure. Have you spotted any mountain lions on your ranch?”
“At Shadow Creek, we’re used to seeing plenty of wildlife, but none of them have ever been a nuisance.”
“I meant Jonathan.”
“I’ve not seen them since everyone knows how sneaky mountain lions can be.”
“Perhaps you should set up some game cameras to be sure,” Clayton suggested. “Besides, there are also bears, wolves, foxes, and bobcats in the area. I’d like to have it pinned down to a specific predator before I authorize a hunt.”
“You mean like a posse?” Katlyn asked with a smile.
“Sort of, Miss, but occasionally we have problems and we take care of it pronto.”
Katlyn gasped. “You mean you plan to kill the animal involved?”
“If we have to, yes.”
“Why not just relocate them?”
“We do that, too, but if a hunt is authorized, I won’t be able to stop ranchers from killing a predator if they find one on their property.”
“That’s just sick. It seems like you’d want to find the right one, not just randomly kill an animal that did nothing wrong.”
“It’s hard to tell, but we’ll track the animal first and see where it leads. I’ll come right out, Jonathan,” Clayton said.
Katlyn’s heart began to ache. What if Clayton found tracks leading to Shadow Creek from Jonathan’s ranch? Would it be open season on her shifters, or those in the area? She’d hate to see any animal harmed, predator or otherwise, but the children were also shifters and their families also lived close by.
Jonathan curtly nodded. “It’s about
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