Page 7 of Grady

After ensuring the UTVs had disappeared, Grady urged his horse back toward the barn. As they rode along, he kept a sharp eye out for any signs of danger. Suddenly, he thought he saw movement and came to a stop, peering intently along the nearby fence line.

“Shit,” he muttered under his breath as a pack of wolves emerged from the shadows, their eyes fixed on him and the horse. Slowly, he reached for his rifle as he kept his eyes on them and held it across his lap. Unless they made a move, he would leave them be. Once the fence was finished and electrified, they wouldn’t pose a threat. But for now, he hoped they would stay put and not come after him. He had heard too many stories about packs of wolves attacking humans before. If they were hungry enough, they wouldn’t hesitate to take down a man, but they would go after his horse first.

Grady nudged Onyx into a slow walk, keeping a watchful eye on the pack. He could feel the tension in the horse’s muscles as it sensed the presence of the predators. But Grady soothed him with gentle touches and reassurances.

“Take it easy, boy. I won’t let them near us. Just stay calm,” he whispered to Onyx.

Slowly, they continued to make their way through the field, with Grady constantly glancing over his shoulder at the wolves following behind them. When they suddenly separated into two packs, then broke into a run toward him, Grady quickly raised his rifle and fired a shot into the air. The sound scattered the wolves and gave him a chance to spur Onyx into full speed and race across the field, but as he looked over his shoulder, he saw them running after him again.

He could hear his walkie-talkie crackling in his pocket but there was no way he was stopping to answer it right now. He had to keep moving and get away from those wolves.

As he crested a small hill, Grady let out a sigh of relief when he saw the UTVs coming back toward him. They slid to a halt in the snow and the men jumped out, immediately firing shots into the air in an attempt to scare off the wolves.

Grady reined Onyx to a stop, his adrenaline still pumping as he tried to calm his racing heart. He looked at the men and spoke through heavy breaths.

“Thanks.”

“We heard the shot and when you didn’t answer, we got worried,” Jeff said, shaking his head. “We didn’t see any wolves while we were here.”

“Trust me, they were there. But with all of you around, they were too scared to make a move. It was only when they saw me alone that they came after us,” Grady explained, still trying to catch his breath. “That was way too fucking close.”

“I bet. We’ll get that fence finished tomorrow. I’m glad you were able to get away from them.”

“Thank God you heard the gunshot and came back.” Grady gazed toward the woods, but saw no sign of the wolves. “They split up so they could surround us. The gunshot scared them offfor a few seconds, then they came back after us.”

“Damn. You might want to buy a lottery ticket,” Jeff suggested.

Grady chuckled, his breath creating a mist in front of him. “No shit.”

“We should all ride back together. It’ll feel safer that way.”

“I couldn’t agree more, Jeff.” Grady nudged his horse and led them back to the barn.

He had never been so close to death before. Those wolves would have gone after Onyx first, then once he was down, the rest of the pack would have come for Grady. He shuddered at the thought. He never wanted to be in such a dangerous position again.

Later that evening, he sat in his recliner, staring at the flames wrapping around the wood in the fireplace. He couldn’t stop thinking about what would have happened if those wolves had caught them.

He’d be dead for sure. He was just glad that Onyx didn’t get spooked and dump his ass in the snow. The horse knew the wolves were after them, but he didn’t panic because Grady kept touching him and reassuring him. That horse knew Grady would protect him at all costs. He’d had the horse since it was born. The minute Onyx arrived; Grady claimed him. He’d spend days with him so he’d know that Grady would never harm him. Even the mare let him close to her baby and mares were very protective of their foals, but the colt loved and trusted him.

When his cellphone buzzed from the coffee table, he sat up, reached for it and saw Maverick’s number.

“Hey,” he answered.

“Are you alright?”

“You heard, huh?”

“Yes. That sounded way too close, Grady.”

“Hell, I think I could feel their breath as they chased us. Inever want to experience that again in this lifetime.”

“I’m sure. Jeff was really shaken. He could barely get the words out.”

“If they hadn’t heard the shot, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Those wolves scattered for a few seconds but then came after us again.”

“Damn. I’m glad you’re alright though.”

“Yeah, me too. I was just thinking how glad I am that Onyx is a calm horse.”

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