Page 16 of Alpha's Promise

He watched her walk away, the setting sun casting long shadows that stretched out like fingers, grasping for the last remnants of the day. In the quiet that followed, Landon felt the weight of the night begin to settle, a cloak of possibilities that wrapped around him, heavy with the promise of what could be.

Landon's muscles ached pleasantly as he secured the last bridle on its hook, the scent of leather and horse lingering in the air. The day's labor had left him with a gratifying sense of tiredness that matched the sun’s descent from its zenith. As he stepped out of the stable, his gaze caught Dakota's silhouette against the fading light.

She moved with an ease that belied her earlier nervousness, her tall figure cutting a striking shape as she headed toward the house. Her dark hair fluttered behind her like a banner in the gentle breeze, and when she felt his eyes on her, she turned. Their gazes locked, and for a heartbeat, time seemed to stretch and warp around them.

Dakota raised her hand, offering a wave that was both casual and charged with an energy Landon felt in his very bones. He lifted his own hand in response, the corner of his mouth tickingup in a half-smile that he couldn't suppress. It was a simple exchange, but it sent ripples through the stillness of the evening, whispers of something more that neither dared to voice just yet.

Not long after Dakota disappeared from view, the sound of boots on the gravel announced Bryce's approach. Landon turned to face his younger brother, whose expression was one of casual curiosity.

"Everything good with the new girl?" Bryce asked, leaning on the fence post and wiping his brow with the back of his hand.

Landon hesitated, his mind replaying Dakota's subtle grace, the electric touch of their fingers. "She's... intriguing," he admitted, the word feeling too shallow for the depth of his interest.

"Seems you're smitten," Bryce teased with a knowing look, but his tone shifted to seriousness as he continued, "Just remember what happened with Colt and Briar."

The reminder hung heavy in the air, a cautionary tale of passion and peril intertwined. Landon felt a twinge of something—was it fear or anticipation?

"I think she might be my fated mate," Landon confessed, the words slipping out with a mix of certainty and wonder.

Bryce rolled his eyes, but there was warmth there, too, brotherly affection that reached beyond skepticism. "Tread carefully, Landon. But if you need me, I'm here."

Landon nodded, grateful for the support even as the weight of destiny seemed to settle on his shoulders. The unruly emotions within him coiled tighter, a quandary of desire and the unknown that pulled at him with the force of a coming storm.

CHAPTER 9

DAKOTA

Dakota awoke to the first fingers of dawn caressing the horizon and the ranch stirring around her with the low murmur of life, weaving through the open window and carrying the promise of the new day. As she lay in the soft embrace of what she was beginning to think of asherbed, she considered the rhythm she had fallen into over the past several days.

Landon, with his quiet strength, had been as good as his word. Each afternoon, he'd either accompany her to the diner in town or entrust her with the keys to his prized fully-restored, vintage truck, its engine rumbling like a contented beast under her careful hands. Dakota found an unexpected solace in the steady thrum of the vehicle and the shared silences that stretched out along the miles between the ranch and the diner.

By morning, she roamed the expanse of Copper Canyon Ranch, offering her help where it was needed. It was during one of those sojourns that she fetched the satchel she had stashed out in one of the pastures. Her hands, unaccustomed yet eager, busied themselves with mending fences and feeding livestock, the tasks grounding her in ways she couldn't quite articulate.With each passing day, the hard lines of her past softened, blending into the edges of this new landscape.

The ranch hands were cautious but kind, their eyes clouded with curiosity rather than judgment as they watched her navigate the world they knew so well. She engaged them with a guarded smile, her words measured, revealing only slivers of the woman beneath the surface. Yet even these tentative connections wove threads of belonging that tethered her to this place.

"Morning, Dakota," Landon's voice cut through the tranquility, rich and warm as the earth beneath their feet.

She turned, her gaze lingering on the way his shirt clung to broad shoulders, the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, revealing forearms corded with strength. There was a magnetism to him, a pull as undeniable as the moon on the tides, and she felt herself drawn in despite the walls she had built.

"Morning," she replied, her voice betraying none of the tumultuous thoughts swirling within.

"I was just about to check on the new calves. Care to join me?" His offer hung between them, fraught with an intimacy that went beyond the simple act of walking side by side.

"Sure." The word escaped almost before she could think better of it, and they saddled up and rode out together.

She followed him through the fields, her horse keeping pace with his through the dew-kissed grass. As they approached the pond, Landon's proximity became a tangible thing, the heat from his body brushing against her skin in whispers. As she leaned down to examine a calf, their shoulders accidentally touched, causing a surge of awareness to shoot down her spine. She caught her breath, the sound lost amidst the wind whispering down the canyon and the distant call of a hawk.

"Everything looks good here," Landon said, straightening up, his gaze locking with hers. There was a depth to his eyes, a silent question that seemed to see through to her very core.

"Y-yes, they seem healthy," she managed, her pulse quickening as she fought to maintain the distance between them, both physical and emotional.

"I think your family would have been proud of the life you’re making here," he murmured, and she wondered how he knew just what strings to tug inside her heart.

"Maybe so," Dakota whispered back, turning away to hide the sudden moisture in her eyes, feeling the weight of memories and the pull of desire, a dangerous cocktail that threatened to overwhelm her defenses.

They worked silently for a time, the air thick with things unsaid and the scent of sagebrush. Dakota's senses were acutely tuned to Landon, each shift of his body sending ripples through the charged atmosphere. She wrestled with the longing, the yearning to lean into the security his presence promised, even as her mind warned her of the perils of getting too close.

"Thanks for being here, Dakota," Landon said, his voice suddenly close, his breath warm against her ear. "You're fitting in more than you know, and more than one person has commented about how much help you’ve been."

---