The Characters of Clayton, Rya, Kennedy, Dallas, and the Valentines belong to Rachelle. The character of Cora is expanded on with Permission from Rachelle, and is written for the pleasure of the International Wildflower Pack, the WhiskeyQueenn fandom. #WildflowersUnited #iwp

::Special thanks to Rachelle for the inspiration for our Sidestory::

:::For Monica Agentmg17  and the #IWP  Inter_WildflowerPack

Who loves Cowboy wolves? We do.:::

Cowboy Wolves, ohmy!

Finally the week long Western Livestock Show, was winding down. I had not seen the Urban wolves again and was grateful! I did not need their drama or to see Jamison. I had enough problems with a certain cowboy Beta and his cookie-holic horse showing up every morning as we set up and evening as we packed up. He had repeatedly tried to get me to go to dinner with him, just nope, no more dating. Waiting for my mate. At least his horse smelled good. This winter venue was definitely not my thing, I was tired of being cold and honestly I felt like I was coming down with something. Only one more day of cookie making left then I was going to sleep for a week. At least all the cowboys looked good, I never would have thought I had a thing for wolves in Wranglers and Stetsons but dammmn... even my wolf approved. 'Eye-candy on the menu for this young, single she-wolf.' I just rolled my eyes at her.

~

"Third place in the People's Choice Award goes to Cora Shill, Ms Shill is a private chef for Flatirons Industry and volunteer culinary arts teacher." 

I smiled as I accepted the award. The Margarita cookies had also gotten a special mention award for most unique flavor. I tried to keep a pleasant expression as I stalked back to the truck. THIRD freaking PLACE! Everyone congratulated me for making a showing in my first ever competition but I felt defeated. I had failed, my cookies had failed, my concept failed. We needed the second place or better first place. I knew that Yes, Luna Loui and the Red Hatters were proud of me. The Flatirons pack was already happy with my top 10 showing, but I was used to being the best. It was an uncomfortable feeling to have been beaten, one I was not used to. My brain went over and over what I could have done better. All I could do was wait for the final Judge's awards and hope for better. Hope I did not have because I felt completely out of my element. Adding to it, I had woken with a headache and feeling slightly feverish, there were few bugs that affected wolves but the ones that did were miserable. I did not look forward to losing and being sick. As I looked at the posted ratings and reviews, I was rudely shoved from behind, falling into the shoveled snow. I rolled over, ready to chew on whomever had pushed me, only to look up into Shotgun's golden horse face. He looked down at me smugly.

Can horses look smug? WHHYYYyyyy Goddess, did this equine feel the need to torment meeee!?!? 

And my wolf just laughed at me. 'My boo loves us...' Cue eye roll.

I stood up slowly, holding out my palm to the horse, at least the beast smelled good. The other horses I had encountered in the last week just smelled like they could be prey, but Shotgun Sam smelled like creme fresh with orange and toasted almonds, or maybe sesame mandarin sauce over sweet rice,  something like that combined with homemade butter bread baking on a cool afternoon. Something sweet and savory at the same time but comforting too. Like the perfect meal, just wonderful. After getting over our initial fear of the giant golden horse, my wolf just wanted to rub herself all over him or eat him, she couldn't decide which. She is so weird!

"Come on beast, let's go get you some cookies." I walk back toward the food trucks, and Shotgun just follows like he understands. 

As I stand in front of the food truck, palming crumbles of oatmeal cookies for Shotgun, an angry man in a security guard uniform yells at me, "Hey, that horse can't be here."

I just stare at him like an idiot, I don't know what he expects me to do.

"Get it out of here or you'll be banned next year." Oh crap!

"Sorry, officer," I say as sweetly as I can. I grasp Shotgun's lead the way I had seen Miles do, whispering to the tall, sunshine-colored equine, "Okay Shotgun, I'll walk with you but you need to get us back to your wolf before we get into anymore trouble."

To others it may have looked like I was leading Shotgun but in truth he was leading me. Every 20 or so steps, the cursed beast stopped and demanded a nibble of cookie before he started walking again, it was cookie-mail! All I can think is where the h3ll is Miles and that I am going to beat him when I find him. At least Shotgun smelled much nicer than most of the animals at the show. Finally, I see Alpha Matthias and a grinning Miles walking toward me with another wolf, obviously a brother.

"Well, look what the horse dragged in," Miles teases.

I hold out the lead, "I believe you lost this cookie monster." The three wolves laugh.

"Miss Cora, this is my oldest brother Matthew. Matt, this is Cora, Shotgun's cookie lady." With sun-lightened sandy hair, dimples, and eyes the color of toffee, he's just as pretty as his brother and father as he tips his hat to me with a polite Ma'am. I shake his hand and get a weird vibe from the whole family, something like disappointment? These cowboy wolves are just plain strange.

I palm the final crumbs for Shotgun, "Last one, monster," I say and Shotgun rubs his head against me, almost knocking me down again.

"Thank you for returning my son's wayward mount, Miss Cora. Would you like to join us to watch this afternoon's cutting horse competition?" Alpha Matthias asks.

"Uhh, I have to get back to my pups," I answer, please don't offer, please don't offer, please don't... Dammit.

"Well, bring them along and before hand, we'll introduce them to the riders. Matt, take care of it," Alpha Matthias has that 'won't take no for an answer' tone that all alphas have. I smile politely and thank him, giving Matt the details of my group. Just one more day and the cowboy wolves will be gone and I can go back to my quiet life...

'Without the eye-candy and good smells,' my wolf pouts. I would tell her to shut up but honestly, I feel like crap and I just want a nap.

~

Before the event, the Big Sky Pack wolves walked us around, 'educating' us poor city wolves. I learned more about horses and cattle in that hour than I thought possible, and not all of it I needed to know. I doubt I will ever get over finding out how geldings and steers are made. Suffice to say, no male wants that to happen to them - EVER! And the nonchalant way in which Alpha Matthias explained it to me, has scarred me as bad as anything my grandmama has ever said or done. Matt just looked on my embarrassment with pity while Miles laughed until he cried. I really think I hate that wolf. So now we are waiting on the third born of the Big Sky Alpha family to compete in the 'cutting horse' competition. It is a strangely violent name for a contest to separate cattle using a horse and involves no actual knives or claws.

I can see Shotgun standing, obviously bored, to one side, trying to untie himself again. His ears perk when he sees me, and I mouth "No cookies," at which he shakes his head and goes back to working on the knot in the lead rope.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the last round of the Men's ACHA jackpot round of this year's Western Livestock Show and Rodeo. The finalist will be against the clock, cutting three randomly drawn steers in this Superstakes qualifier. Gooooood Luck, Gentlemen and horses."

I have no idea what the announcer said but we are having fun watching. Me, 4 of my pups, and Jorge are in the front row, sitting with Alpha Matthias and Matt. We are right by the fence watching as different riders and horses separate juvenile cattle, called steers, from a group called a herd. The young cattle don't like to be separated from the group and it is the horse and rider's job to keep each one separated for a length of time before fetching the next one. It really is amazing to watch how well the horses and riders work together, like they are one being. The horses look almost like they are dancing as they bob and weave back and forth, cutting off the steer's escape routes. It is the same thing Shotgun did to me the first day we met. Shotgun Sam, is an American Cutting Horse Association champion cutting horse with several titles. He is a Palamino gelding, like Trigger, who evidently was a famous television and movie horse belonging to someone named Roy Rogers, a name I vaguely remember from an old tv western Alpha Forrest used to watch.

I turn to Matt. "How many siblings do you have?"

Matt smiles, "Four younger brothers and a baby sister. Mark's dead middle. He and Shotgun are on the trail to be this year's ACHA champion, it's his dream. Last year, he missed it by a dozen points." Matt sounds really proud of his younger brother.

"Sissy's gonna start competing with us next year, if she can keep up," Miles tips his hat at me with a wink, he laughs when I roll my eyes, and rides toward Shotgun, who almost has himself freed.

"That poor girl," I mutter, thinking of their sister having five older brothers and I can barely manage one.

Alpha Matthias barks a laugh, "Don't believe it, she and her grandma run the rest of us and the pack too. You'd like them, Miss Cora." He makes me feel welcome, like part of the family, he reminds me of another alpha I met once a long time ago, that alpha had 5 sons too.

"There's Mark," Matt says and we turn to look. Sitting on Shotgun's back is the most handsome wolf I have ever seen, I literally can't inhale. 

'Our mate is so beautiful,' my wolf says giddy like a school girl, and I can't even answer her because I completely agree. He is pretty handsome.

I hear Matthias ask, "So what do you think of my middle son, Miss Cora?"

I think I breathed out something like, "He's so pretty."  

Matt said something to Jorge and they started laughing, but I have no idea about what. I can't think, or breath or anything. All I can do is stare at our mate.

The PA is too loud, announcing, "And last we have Shotgun Sam and Mark Kincaid of the Big Sky Ranch, Mark's jackpot numbers are 12, 7, and 19. 12 – 7 – 19. Goooood luck." 

Miles and his mare, walk along side the herd as Mark and Shotgun wander through the herd looking for the numbered eartags. They separate the first steer in under a minute, they drive it away from the group until time is up. Then they get the second one, it is faster, coming out of the herd, backing away from the horse, almost too easy. The third is difficult, darting in and out, flighty, running to and fro like a cornered deer. Shotgun easily handles the dance, bouncing to and fro, Mark flashed a grin in our direction. His eyes meet mine and the world stops.

Horrified, I watch the calf bolt and Shotgun turn to follow before stopping suddenly, throwing Mark to the ground. I don't remember jumping over the rail, or running over to him, I just remember looking down into his sunglow eyes and his lips against mine. I remember how complete I felt, and the electric tingles running all over by my body, exactly the way it was described to me. The world roared to life around us like the ocean and we realized we were not alone. In fact, thousands of people had just watched our first kiss.

His earthy amber eyes glowed as he smiled at me, confidently, "You must Shotgun's cookie lady, I'm Mark."

I lifted my head, my whole body felt flushed, burning, but as boldly as I could I responded, "You must be Shotgun's cowboy, I'm Cora."

Miles was laughing uncontrollably from the back of his horse as their father and older brother walked over. I stood terrified and embarrassed, surrounded by cattle and horses, and the whole time, I kept pushing Shotgun's head away as he tried to search my pockets for cookies. The PA played some radio advertisement, while the judges and the Alpha talked. Then I heard a voice over the PA, telling people that I was a local culinary student who volunteer taught at a local community center and had placed third in the People's Choice Award for this year's cookie competition and fourth in overall judging. 

'Fourth place - Goddess dammit! I suck so much.' 

That I was raising awareness and funds for my program to teach and inspire young chefs from impoverished neighborhoods to pursue culinary arts careers. I wondered who was feeding them all this information about me.

"And now folks for the big proposal." 

My brain was not processing what was happening. Wait?!?!Did he just say proposal?

Matt handed Mark a chain from around his neck and Mark took something shiny off it. Everyone, riders and horses, stepped back creating a ring around us, Mark knelt on one knee in front of me. Someone close must have held a microphone because his words echoed through the arena and beyond.

"I was in love with you from the first moment I saw you, and you have put up with more than your fair share of bother from Shotgun. Cora, My Darlin', will you be my wife and make cookies for my horse for the rest of our days?" The crowd went wild, the noise was deafening, and I couldn't speak. Shotgun took that moment to shove me forward and I fell into Mark's arms. His embrace was so strong, so safe, but I had had it with the beast.

"Dammit horse, I don't have any cookies on me, " My voice boomed around us as I slapped at Shotgun's nose. Wretched horse just looked disappointed. The audience roared with laughter. Just let me die now...

Mark laughed and held a ring in front of me, in a low tone he said, "Ya didn't answer my question, darling."

I grinned, "Yes, I'll marry you cowboy, just keep your horse out of my kitchen."

The crowd went crazy as he kissed me again.

~

The judges let Mark take his turn over with a minor deduction for his theatrics. The Alpha managed to convince the Judges that Mark was planning to fall off Shotgun so he could surprise me with the proposal. They thought it was clever but asked to be notified before hand, the next time a Kincaid cowboy wanted to propose. Points tallied, he placed second overall. I felt so bad for costing him the winning performance, but he was still second for the national title points race and he promised me he was fine with it. The things we say to and do for our mates. I called Charlie and grandmama screaming in happiness. Tina was over the moon. Our proposal was even posted on You-tube.

At dawn the next morning, Chef Gerard gave me away and I wore a solid white dress Luna Loui had bought for me. Alpha Dave performed the ceremony after the Red Hatters had thrown us an amazing  party. It was a western custom for the marking ceremony to be held on the first sunrise after mates met, usually following an all night party. The young wolves then spent their first 72 hours alone, 'getting to know each other' before starting their new lives together. 

Three days after we met, we were marked and mated and the honeymoon was over, both figuratively and literally, then the battle began.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

9.2018 - CLAYTON is published!!!

Clayton (The Wildflower Series) by Rachelle Mills https://www.amazon.com/dp/164034487X/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_S8sbDbB084P46 via @amazon

2.2019- DALLAS is published!!!

Dallas (The Wildflower Series Book 2) by Rachelle Mills https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MXRVB7M/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_o9sbDbPFY61NH via @amazon
Find them on Amazon

::Thank you to Rachelle for allowing this CLAYTON Fanfiction to be published.:: 

If you are reading this on a site that is not Wattpad, it has been taken

and published without my permission.