Heartsong (Green Creek 3)

It didn’t matter.

I threw myself against it, and it cracked in its frame before the wood splintered, exploding outward as I stumbled through it, managing to stay upright. The man at the top of the stairs was knocked off his feet, but I paid him no attention.

I was in a house.

A goddamn house. Sunlight streamed through the windows.

People were shouting all around me, but I ignored them. I charged toward one of the windows and crashed through it, the glass slicing into my skin.

I landed on the ground, curling into myself and rolling to absorb the impact. I was on my feet even as the glass continued to fall.

There was another house in front of me, a blue house next to a dirt road surrounded by an old forest. It all felt surreal, like I was caught in a dream. It smelled different, more potent, the scent in the air filled with wolves and magic, causing my chest to burn with each breath I took. I was so far from home. I looked around wildly before deciding on the road.

I made it three steps before my legs were kicked out from under me. I barely had time to make a sound before I hit the ground again, this time flat on my back.

A woman stood above me, pointing a crowbar at my face.

Jessie grinned. “Hey. This is fun.”

I snarled at her as I knocked the crowbar away, gasping as my skin began to burn. There was fucking silver in the goddamn metal. Before I could even begin to think who the fuck would do something like that, she attacked.

I jerked my head to the right and the crowbar hit the dirt. She grunted when I kicked her in the hip, but she was already moving again by the time I sat up. She raised her thigh to her chest before kicking out toward my face.

I caught her foot.

She barely looked surprised.

I twisted it, intending on breaking her fucking ankle, but she moved with it, throwing herself to the side. She landed roughly, the crowbar bouncing from her hand.

“You dick,” she groaned. “I’m going to kick your fucking—”

I was already up and moving, heading for the road.

I made it three steps before I was stopped again, a hand on my shoulder. I bared my fangs as I whirled around. The man didn’t seem scared. “Hey, Robbie. I’m Chris. Good to see you again, dude.”

I shoved him hard, sinking my claws into his chest, but he grabbed my hands as he grunted, pulling me down with him. He kept the momentum going as we fell back, his legs folding between us, feet pressed against my chest. He kicked me up and over him, and once again I landed flat on my back.

I really fucking hated this pack.

I was up on my feet again when a strangled yell came from behind me and some douchebag landed on my back, causing me to take a stuttering step forward. Legs wrapped around my waist and arms went around my neck, cutting off my airway.

“Hey,” he panted in my ear. “It’s me, Tanner. And honestly? I really didn’t think this through. So if you could not hurt me, that’d be—”

I grabbed him by the arms and yanked as I bent forward, throwing him over my back. He landed with a jarring crash on the ground in front of me. He was older but strong. Another fuckin

g wolf.

I went for his throat.

Jessie was there again, silent and deadly, crowbar forgotten on the ground. She cocked her fist back, broadcasting her next move a mile away. So imagine my dismay when, instead of punching me in the face, she wrapped her other hand around the back of my neck and pulled me forward, her knee going into my stomach.

She laughed as I bent over, my breath knocked from my chest. “I’m enjoying this far more than I expected. No offense.”

I flashed my eyes at her, but she wasn’t intimidated. I didn’t know who the hell this human was, but I was pissed.

The man who called himself Tanner picked himself up off the ground, wincing as he did so. “Jesus. I thought being a werewolf meant I would be all badass at everything I did. This is frankly embarrassing.”

From behind me came the telltale click of a gun.