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Not to be outdone, Jessie reminded them of how the same would probably happen to them one day now that they were wolves—that they would most likely succumb to the mystical moon magic. Chris and Tanner were outraged.
Gordo, on his third beer, seemed loose and easy when he said he never would have expected that he’d actually like having wolves ar
ound again. He had a goofy grin on his face, and he laughed without reservation when Mark tugged him close, his nose in Gordo’s hair, beard scratching Gordo’s cheek.
Carter spoke of seeing Joe for the first time after he was born, and how he told his mother he didn’t think something so small and wrinkled and loud could ever be an Alpha. I didn’t think he realized that his hand never left the timber wolf’s head, rubbing between his ears.
And Kelly, always Kelly. Kelly, who was only halfway into his first beer and yet was talking loudly and snorting in quiet laughter, even as Carter tried to get him to drink more. Kelly, whose eyes were wide and bright, Kelly who looked at me as if I were the moon itself, Kelly who said we were where we were supposed to be, with who we were supposed to be with. And seemingly without thinking about it, there, in front of everyone, he leaned forward and kissed me, a loud smacking thing that caused Rico and Tanner and Chris to hoot and holler, demanding we get a fucking room.
I was dazed, my head spinning, my heart thundering in my chest. I tried to find the words to tell him, to tell them all, what this moment meant. What I thought we could be. That it almost didn’t matter if I never remembered the life I’d once had because I knew I could make a new one out of the bones that remained.
It was Ox who spoke last.
He said, “I love you,” and we all fell silent. He looked at each of us in turn. “More than I could possibly say. And I’ve never been prouder of who you’ve all become. Remember this. Here. Now. If there ever comes a time when all seems dark, when all seems lost, remember this moment. Because this is who we are. This is who we’re supposed to be. It’s time. It’s time to run.”
He tilted his head back as the sky filled with stars, as the moon shone down around us. He howled, and it echoed throughout Green Creek, shaking it to its very foundation. It rolled through each of us, and as we sang our songs in response to the call of our Alpha, I told myself nothing could stop us.
“Jesus Christ,” Rico muttered as Chris and Tanner took off their clothes. “Chris, you really need to do something about your bush, man. It’s like an old-growth forest down there. What the fuck. Learn to manscape.” But he was laughing when Chris threw his shirt into Rico’s face.
We ran that night.
Through the woods to the clearing.
The humans kept up with us, light on their feet and breathless.
In my wolf head and in my wolf heart, I knew that no matter what happened, I would have this moment.
And no one, not even Robert Livingstone, would be able to take that away from me.
We slept together that night as a pack, curled together safe and warm.
I thought everyone was asleep. I was about to drift off when I heard whispers from my left.
I opened my eyes.
Carter and Kelly lay facing each other. My arm was around Kelly’s waist, and Carter was holding on to my hand, but I didn’t think they knew I was awake.
Carter said, “We’ve got this, man. You’ll see.”
“What if we don’t?” Kelly asked, and I ached at the worry in his voice.
Carter sighed, reaching up to flick Kelly on the forehead. “Stop being so pessimistic. You gotta believe.”
Kelly huffed. “You’re so stupid.”
“Yeah, probably. But I’ve got my looks still, so I’m not too worried about it.”
They were quiet for a moment. Then, “Carter?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m scared.”
“I know, Kelly. Me too. But as long as we’re together, we’ll be all right.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Really. You stay with me and Robbie. You protect us, and we’ll protect you. I’ve got your back, okay?”
