Strays. They seemed to show up on this ranch like moths attracted to lights. Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. Owned by John Dutton. His four children, Beth, Jamie and Kayce. Beth had her husband, Rip, Jamie was alone and then there was Kayce who had his wife and son, Monica and Tate.

But this story involves all of them. John was known to be generally quite generous to strays, shit. Thats how Rip came along. He adopted them like flies. Lloyd, Colby, Travis, Jimmy, Ryan, Jake, and can't forget Teeter. These were the ranch hands. They lived down in the bunkhouse. Managed the ranch under the command of Rip and Kayce.

But recently Rip found you on the side of the highway. He'd seen you a few times but the last he bought you in. Beth took a liking to you. Like her son, Carter. He liked you too, because he was close with Tate, Tate also liked you. But unlike Carter and Tate, you slept in the bunkhouse with the others.

They didn't mind you Lloyd saw you as a son, he stuck close with you despite him being the oldest goddamn wrangler there. Rip watched you work. He admired it. You reminded him of him. First he saw himself in Carter. But no.. No you were more like him than anyone he'd ever seen.

Like he saw a darkness in you. One that he had in himself. One that no one else could see.

Carter and Tate wanted to be like you. You were probably a year or two older than them, they were 15, both. But you got to do all the cool jobs with the men. They got to ride horses, shovel shit and do all the dumb jobs.

All the men in the bunkhouse, and Teeter, liked how you worked. Rip especially but he wasn't in the bunkhouse. Unlike how reluctant he was to let Carter in. He let you in in seconds. Which made Carter envious. And a little angry.

Rip rode down to the lake after he heard you got branded. He slowly walked down beside you.