Heartsong (Green Creek 3)

I put my hands flat against the ground and pushed up with everything I had. The wolf on my back jumped off at the last second, landing on its feet directly in front of me. It turned slowly, and I raised my hand to tear out its goddamn throat—

“Enough.”

It was one word, and one word only.

But it was filled with such power, such a bright and consuming rage, that every single wolf cowered at the sound of an Alpha.

I slowly raised my head.

Ox stood before us, eyes red and violet. Rain sluiced down his nude body, his hair matted down on his head.

Elizabeth pushed by him, glaring at the Omegas. I thought she was going for Kelly.

I was shocked when she knelt at my side, hands on my arm, pulling me up to sit back on my knees. “It’s all right,” she whispered in my ear. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

“What the fuck is going on?” Gordo demanded as he approached. His tattoos shone in the dark, and Mark was loping next to him, violet eyes darting back and forth between the gathered Omegas. Then he looked at me. His nostrils flared as he inhaled sharply. He started to growl at me, but then he stopped. He snorted, lowering his head to paw at his nose.

The others began to gather around. Chris and Tanner were shifted, Rico standing between them with his arms across his chest, glowering at anyone and everyone. And it took me a moment to understand why Chris and Tanner smelled like fear.

They were scared of me.

Jessie ran up, looking like she was going to murder someone. A thin rust-colored wolf was at her side for every step she took. Dominique.

Joe was still a wolf as he came to stand next to Ox, his big paws flattening the grass. Carter and the timber wolf appeared last, and both of them recoiled as they sniffed the air.

“We were just sitting here,” Kelly said, shoving Carter’s head away as his brother tried to keep him back. “We weren’t doing anything, and they just came after us. After him.”

There was the creak of muscle and bone as Mark shifted next to Gordo. He grimaced, his eyes still alight with violet as he turned human. The wolf hair on his body was still receding when he said, “It’s Robbie. Like it was with Gordo. Stinks like magic. Bad magic.” He took in a deep breath before sneezing harshly. “It burns. It makes me want to hurt him.”

Gordo looked shocked. “But that’s….” He looked at me. “What happened?”

They all stood above me, watching me. I felt cornered. Trapped. One of the Omegas snapped its jaws at me, but Ox stepped in front of it. He glared at it until it whimpered and bared its neck.

Ox crouched before me, keeping his distance. “Robbie?”

I didn’t know what to say.

“It’s okay,” Elizabeth said, rubbing a hand up and down my back. “You’re safe. Kelly’s safe. I promise.”

I took in a shuddering breath. “I didn’t… I didn’t mean to….”

“Didn’t mean to what?” Ox asked.

I shook my head. It was raining harder now, and I tried to think of the fireflies, of how it’d just been only minutes before, but it was lost in a fog.

I said, “I heard him.”

I said, “In my head.”

I said, “He could see me.”

I said, “He could feel me.”

I said, “And he’s not going to let me go. He’s not going to stop. Not until we give him back what belongs to him.”

And as the rain poured down, I wondered—not for the first time—if being in Green Creek was a mistake.

not fair/forgive myself