Page 39 of Doubly Tied

“Cattle roping. Now, Megan is going to try and be biggest, baddest ever, it’s just her nature. You don’t need to grandstand. Just rope the calf from your mount, tie the rope to the saddle horn with a string. When the rope breaks, it’s over. Understand?”

“Sorry, Mayne, but I’m gonna need my sister. Come on,” Ginger said, interrupting Mayne. She grabbed Ani’s hand and pulled her off to the side.

“What is it?”

“This!”

Ginger handed Ani her cell phone and for the first time since this damned thing began, she felt a sliver of hope. It was not even noon yet and the sun was so damn strong, Ani’s jeans and shirt clung to her. Thomas signaled the start of the roping event, and since Megan was the challenger, it was her right to begin again.

Ani narrowed her eyes as she watched the female walk past Sam Greeves again. The man whispered something as she passed, patting her shoulder, and Ani swore she saw something green and sickly leave him and enter the woman.

She shook her head. Damn eyes were playing tricks on her. Had been since she’d been claimed by her mates. The she-Wolf mounted her horse gracefully and Ani shook her head. She could not believe she had to do something like that.

One of the Wolves released the calf into the pen and the she-Wolf stalked the tiny creature like the predator she was. Ani was horrified. The calf bawled noisily, trying to get away from the hunter, but Megan cackled heartlessly and bore down on the critter. Oddly enough, no one seemed to cheer when she finished, and the calf broke the string.

Ani didn’t have time to contemplate that as she was helped onto her new mount. She sure wished she would have paid attention at horse camp all those years ago. As it was, she stood to be in more pain than ever after these events.

“Good luck, sweetheart,” Mayne murmured, giving her thigh a pat.

She scanned the crowd, searching for Brody, and found his dark eyes on her from his perch on the rail. Warmth filled her, love, attention, and need as well.

She would not let her mates down.

Ani nodded, and the calf was released.Poor thing, she thought as she trotted into the pen. Rodeo contests were huge in most of the United States, even in New Jersey. Unfortunately, it had not been something she ever took part in growing up.

But she didn’t have to be a rodeo queen to know when an animal was scared. Ani hopped down from her mount, ignoring the heckling of the crowd, she focused on the baby cow in front of her.

“Here now, I won’t hurt you,” she whispered, holding her arms wide, one hand gripping the lasso.

“How about a sugar cube?”

Ani opened her palm and held out the tiny stack of sugar cubes Ginger had shoved in her pocket just moments ago. She grinned when the animal seemed to focus on the treat, the little calf’s eyes seemed to glow as he ran over to her. While the calf was licking at her palm, Ani slipped the rope around his neck, pulling more cubes out of her pocket to feed to him, she used her other hand to tie the rope to the saddle horn. The clock was ticking, but she paid it no mind, as she focused on what she was doing.

String securely tied, Ani turned around and waved her hands, shooing the calf away. The silly creature liked her too much, wanting more sugar instead of getting her gist.

Dang it!

The seconds were speeding by now. Ani moaned when her Crocs sank into a pile of steaming horseshit, but she refused to be distracted. Thank fuck she got the ones without holes, she thought, and grimaced as the stink hit her right in the face.

Ugh.

Just when she thought she’d blown it, her horse snorted, and the calf’s ears pricked. Once more, the gelding whinnied, and this time Ani held onto the horse’s reins as the calf bolted toward the gate. The string broke and the horn announcing the end of the breakaway contest sounded.

She looked to where Mayne had been standing and saw him smile before he ran to her. Her heart was pounding, body aching, Ani turned to see her sisters jumping up and down.

“Did I do it?” she asked, surprised at their reaction.

“Aww, honey, you did great! You tied!”

“I tied? But damn it, Mayne, that means she is still ahead!”

Ani growled and turned to where Megan was guzzling a bottle of cold water, smiling, and flipping her braid behind her back.

The bitch was not taking her guys!

Hell no.

“It’s okay, baby, you have one more contest left.”

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