Heartsong (Green Creek 3)

He was scared of me. The wound wasn’t closing.

Because he was human. Breakable and soft.

A red sheen fell over my vision.

I whirled toward the wall of memories that meant nothing to me.

There I was. Smiling and happy. Like I belonged.

And it was all a lie.

I howled in rage and began to tear the photographs off the wall. The frames and glass broke apart as I threw them on the floor. I barely noticed, only wanting to get rid of this goddamn imposter grinning at me mockingly.

I gouged the wall with my claws, chunks of plaster landing on my bare feet. Glass cut into my soles, but I ignored it. I felt the squelch of blood with every step I took, the scent mingling in with Kelly’s wound, and it drove me fucking crazy.

I saved the flyer for last.

HAVE YOU SEEN ME?

I tore it down.

It wasn’t enough.

I grabbed the corkboard, ripped it off the wall. I hurled it toward the front window, which shattered as the heavy board struck it, spilling glass onto the sidewalk.

Kelly said, “Don’t, Carter, don’t!”

Thick arms wrapped around me, pinning me. I struggled, screaming and kicking, but it was no use. Carter held firm. I lifted my legs and pressed my feet against the ruined wall, leaving bloody prints as I kicked off it as hard as I could.

Carter stumbled back, but he didn’t let go.

“Stop,” he growled in my ear. “Robbie, Jesus Christ, stop!”

I laid my head against his shoulder and howled my fury, a frenzied song filled with horror.

And then it all left me, just as quickly as it came.

I sagged against Carter.

I breathed heavily. I thought I was hyperventilating.

The timber wolf stalked in front of me, eyes bright and violet. Its lips pulled back in a sneer, nose twitching.

“Let me go,” I gasped. “Please. Just let me go.”

“Can’t do that,” Carter said, sounding winded. “Who knows what you’d try and do?”

As much as I hated to admit, he had a point.

Before I could say anything else, a wolf pack gathered in front of the garage.

“Well, shit,” Tanner said. “How many times do we gotta fix the goddamn windows here?”

“Eh,” Chris said, crouching down and squinting at the damage. “Could be worse. At least no one’s guts or bones are hanging out this time.” He frowned. “That seems to happen to us a lot. I wish I’d known that before the whole, ‘hey guys, werewolves are real, do you want to be in a pack?’”

“Too soon,” Rico muttered. He was glaring at me, and I thought I saw real hatred in his eyes. “I still have nightmares about it.”

Elizabeth was trying to get a look at the cuts on Kelly’s arm, but he wasn’t having any of it. He pushed her away, trying to come toward me, but stopped when Ox flashed his eyes and stepped into the shop. Beyond him, Joe was out in the streets, talking to a gathering crowd of people. He glanced back at me and then turned toward the people, speaking in hushed tones. Jessie was with him, standing close to the Omega woman from the diner. She was whispering in Jessie’s ear. Jessie looked stricken.