Shadow Moon Ranch

Riding the Range

Once Rose had left with the twins and headed towards the goat paddock. I told Levi I would be a few minutes late whilst I changed into my jeans and got my boots. I went back up to my room and changed, then grabbed my boots and headed back outside where Levi was waiting for me. I slipped my boots on and Levi untied his horse and walked beside me.

“So do you want to ride? Your dad’s horse is in the barn,” he said.

We got to the barn and he tied his horse back up outside as we walked into the barn. He took me to a stable with a grey gelding inside.

“This is Sampson your dad brought him 4 years back. He’s 6 years old. Sampson turned his head towards us whilst having a mouthful of hay. He walked towards us and came straight to me. He lowered his head and I stroked his head. He closed his eyes and I swear he lent his head into my hand. I looked at Levi and he smiled at me.

“Well, it looks like he’s taken to you Sydnee. He rarely comes to anyone, let alone let anyone stroke him. He had a very strong connection to your dad,” he told me.

I took his head collar off of the hook on the side of the stable and opened his door. Sampson took a step back to give me room to go inside.

“ Hi there Sampson, I’m Sydnee. I miss him too,” as I reached out and stroked his neck.

Sampson took a step toward me again and lowered his head, so his head was resting on my chest. I stroked him down his neck again, lent my face towards him and gave him a peck by his ear. He started rubbing the side of his face on me as if he wanted comfort.

“I know boy, I miss him too.”

“OK, so Syd his tack is there in the middle, I’ll leave you to tack up. Come join me outside when you’re ready.” He then walked back outside.

After I tacked up Sampson, I led him outside and we mounted up. It felt weird being back in the saddle again after all this time. We took a gentle walk to the other barn where the 2 men were working. As we got nearer, Levi spoke up.

“ Dexter, Simon, I’d like you to meet Sydnee, she’s your new boss.” He said as he smirked at the guys.

Both men had tipped their hats and nodded. Levi looked at me and told me we were going to go and check the fencing on the borders. We took off into a steady canter. We rode the borders from west to north, then finished at the East border. That led us back home. Levi was explaining where our borders meet the 3 packs on each side. We passed up by the family cemetery and Levi slowed up and got off. I tied Sampson up and walked with Levi to visit Dad. I knelt down in front of his grave and put my hand on the soil.

“I’m home dad, am sorry I wasn’t here for you.” Tears welled in my eyes. There was no way I could stop them from falling. I sniffed and looked up at Uncle Levi. He held his hand out and pulled me up, he took me into a hug and held my head to his chest. I broke down and sobbed and let everything I had been carrying on my shoulders out on the one person I knew I could rely on.

We heard rustling coming from the border and out came the biggest and blackest wolf I have ever seen. I stood back and just stared at it. The wolf was turning his head from side to side. It looked like it was trying to figure something out.

“ Good afternoon, Alpha James. This is Sydnee. She is OK, I’m going to take her back home. She needs rest.”

The black wolf lowered his head as if he nodded to Uncle Levi, and then he backed away and disappeared. Levi helped me back onto Sampson, and he mounted his horse, which I came to know his name was Major. We took a slow ride back in silence till we got back to the ranch house. I got off and headed up the steps.

“Sydnee! Go in and get some rest, I’ll just put the horses away, then I’ll be back to check on you.”

I nodded my head and went inside. I went to the kitchen and poured a coffee then sat down. I was tired, I was feeling drained. I would be glad when I can hit my bed tonight. Levi came back and told me that the twins and Rose were out collecting eggs from the chicken coup. I smiled and Levi poured a coffee.

“So Syd what’s your next step and do you want to tell me what has happened?”

I looked at Levi and took a sip of my coffee. I told Levi a lot about what had been going on over the past 5 years. Marrying Clay, becoming Luna,

All the snide remarks, Sophie causing problems for me even when I was pregnant. I recounted the betrayal again yesterday, when I had caught Clay yet again. Levi put his hand onto mine and gave it a slight squeeze. I looked at him and he gave me a nod of encouragement to carry on. So I told him how I had packed up my clothes and some of the twins' stuff and went out the back door, and took off to the airport. "Well, I had to reject him first and denounce the pack and my title at the border." I told him.

I need to go into town tomorrow and get a new sim for my phone. I dared not start my phone as I knew it would be blowing up. I did ask Levi if I could use his phone to call Debbie just to let her know I was OK and had arrived safely.

Levi passed me his phone and I dialed her number. It rang 4 times before she picked up.

"Hello Debs!"

"Syd is that you?"

"Yeh Debs its me."

"Jesus Christ Sydnee, where the hell are you? Clay came to my place, he's been going crazy because he can't find you or the twins. He's even had all his warriors searching for you. Where are you?"

"Ok, ok calm down. Debs, calm down alright!"

Once Debbie was calm, I told her what had happened. We talked for about 45 minutes before Rose and the twins came into the house. I told Debbie that I would be getting a new sim tomorrow when I was going into town and I would text her my new number. We said goodbye to each other, then I hung up the call.

I handed Levi's phone back to him, before I turned on my heels and knelt down to the twins. They were ranting on a hundred words a minute telling me what they had done and that the best bit was when they fed the goats. I smiled at them. These two beautiful children are my absolute world.

"OK, go clean up and I'll start making dinner. What do you fancy?"

"Uhm, macaroni and cheese," they shouted to me as they were running up the stairs.

I smiled and shook my head, they are definitely my light in my darkness. I said to myself. I looked to Levi and Rose.

"Do you want to join us for dinner?"

Rose looked at Levi, then they both agreed that they would love to stay. I smiled and went to get the pots and ingredients to make dinner. I heard the twins coming down the stairs, so I told them to go and put the TV on and watch it till dinner was ready.