Page 63 of Buck Wild Orc Cowboy
Max waited beside me, practically vibrating with the effort it took to stay still.
“You ready to meet her?” I asked, grabbing a halter from the peg on the wall to the right of the gate.
“I sure am.”
He was always polite and kind. Holly had done a good job raising him.
“Mishka’s five months old. Sorhoxes take about three years to fully mature.” I kept my voice low as I approached her with the harness hanging loose from my hand. “She’s still learning what everything’s about. She’s sweet, though, like someone else I know, so you two should get along well.”
Max ducked his head, grinning so hard I thought his face might split in two.
As we got close, Mishka watched us with bright, curious eyes, her green fur ruffling in the faint breeze sneaking through the barn windows.
“There’s one big rule when you’re working with animals.” I moved slow and easy, not wanting to spook her. “Be patient at all times. You don’t force them. You show them they can trust you.”
Max nodded, hanging on every word.
I let him watch me first, showing him how to approach from the left side so the sorhox could see me clearly, how to offer the back of my hand for her to sniff before trying anything else. Mishka stretched her neck out, giving me a snuffle before butting her nose against my hand.
“You try,” I said.
He came around to stand beside me and held out his hand for her to sniff. She butted him too.
“She likes you,” I said. “Go ahead and scratch behind her ear. She loves that.”
While Max’s eyes widened with excitement, and he did as I suggested, and she leaned into his touch with a happy huff.
“Good. Now hold out the halter like this.” I demonstrated, letting her sniff that too before I gently slid it over her snout and tugged the straps snug behind her ears. After removing it, I handed it to him.
He copied my posture carefully, the halter hanging from his hands just right. I guided him step by step, showing him how toslip it over Mishka’s nose, how to fasten the side straps without tugging or fumbling.
It wasn’t perfect. He missed a loop the first time and Mishka danced sideways, snorting. Max’s face fell, but he gritted his teeth and tried again, slower this time, like I’d told him.
“There you go,” I said when he got it right. “Great job.”
Max straightened, pride radiating off him like sunshine.
“She’s soft.” He stroked Mishka’s cheek.
“Soft and smart. She’ll do anything you ask if you treat her right.”
Max bit his lip, and a frown flitted across his face. “My dad didn’t treat animals or people right.”
I kept my hands steady, adjusting Mishka’s lead rope while I thought about how to answer.
“Your mom mentioned something like that,” I said quietly. “A youngling sorhox who flinches when it makes a mistake usually learned the hard way.” We both knew what I meant.
Max stared at the ground, his knuckles whitening.
“What your father did is his mistake. It’s not a reflection on you. None of what happened was your fault.”
Max’s throat bobbed as he swallowed.
“You’re not him,” I continued. “You get to choose what kind of male you want to be.”
He nodded, turning to wipe at his eyes with his sleeve as if he thought I wouldn’t notice.
“From what I’ve seen, you’re going to be a damn good one.”
