There was almost no time that Wayne didn’t have a horse underneath him or at his side, and now was no exception. Since receiving Maia and Gypsy from Saul, he had done his best to acclimate the pregnant mares to Casa di Cavalieri life. He knew how to handle his old companion Gypsy, but the rich chestnut draft had been a different story. She was bad-tempered from the beginning—not especially nasty, but definitely not something that he wanted for a horse in the pack. The first time he’d tried to trim her hooves, she’d nearly kicked him for his trouble and had kept a distance for the next few days. It was something he knew he could work out of her system with time, though, and he rode her now as they patrolled along the edge of Casa’s territory.
Maia tested him since the first time he mounted her, but the cowboy was an experienced handler and put her back in her place—spurred on by the newfound confidence he’d took hold of since his trip to Ichika no Ho-en. Saul had broken her in well, though, and they had relatively little trouble now. He was able to keep a firm hold on her when the unexpected call broke the silence of their ride, and he wheeled her around in the direction of the sound. It didn’t take long before they came out to the border, and while the Labrador mongrel had a greeting on his lips, it faded away when he saw the stranger.
Wayne McCoy was a pretty tall individual, and he was in a pack full of giants. Hadley stood taller than he did, and Regner surpassed eight feet even in his old age, and the Sole himself and his brood towered over most of the other wolves. The well-built young man was used to craning his neck to look at his comrades—but this black and white behemoth before him had about three inches on Jazper!
“H-howdy,” the dusty-furred wolfdog greeted, dismounting from Maia, who flattened her ears and snorted at the other’s horse. For once in his life, his own attention wasn’t directed on the beast standing next to the stranger—other than to glance at it in awe for being able to carry this huge guy!
Wayne shook his head quickly, stepping forward. He adopted an easygoing but dominant posture, noting the other’s polite submission despite his amazing height. “Howdy,” he repeated more confidently, his grin bewildered nonetheless. “You’re at the borders of Casa di Cavalieri; what can I help ya with?”
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