He did.
But it didn’t take long.
There was a space left open just for me. All I had to do was take what was offered.
Even in the face of everything, they were giving me a gift.
I stood from the cot, feeling all eyes on me. I held my hand out for Kelly. He took it without hesitation. I settled down on the blanket next to Carter. He pulled another blanket up and over us. I lay on my side away from him and barely flinched when I felt his hand on my waist. “No homo,” he said. Then, “Well, maybe some homo. I don’t even know anymore. And before someone says anything, shut up. Robbie, just so you know, my morning boner won’t be for you. Mostly.”
“Love,” Elizabeth told her oldest, “I’d rather not hear about such things, if it’s all the same to you. Though I’m glad to hear you’re open to… new experiences.”
“What?” Carter asked. “What new experiences?”
“So close,” Jessie said as she yawned.
“Jesus Christ,” Kelly muttered. He lay down next to me, his back pressed against Ox.
And though we weren’t whole, not by a long shot, a quiet energy crackled around us. I was on the precipice again, and the void was still there, but I wasn’t alone. Instead of jumping, I took a step away from it.
Carter tightened his arm around my waist.
Ox’s hand was in my hair.
Kelly lay facing me. We shared a pillow. We were warm. We were safe. We were together.
Kelly reached up and pushed my hair out of my face. He was about to pull back, but I didn’t let him. I took his hand in mine and held it between us.
We watched each other without saying a word.
I was nearly asleep when Rico said, “Bambi’s convinced I’ve slept with half of you. She wouldn’t tell me which half, but since there are more men than women, that means she thinks I’ve sucked some dick. It’s not that I’m scared of dick, but I don’t know how I feel about balls hitting my chin, you know?”
Chris and Tanner burst out laughing even as most of the rest of us groaned.
“What?” Rico demanded. “It’s a very real concern. Gordo, what do you do when you get beard burn from Mark on your balls? That has to suck. Ha. Suck. See what I did there?”
I heard him squawk as it sounded like he got a face full of pillow.
I didn’t dream that night.
The day after a full moon was always a lazy day for wolves. We would be sluggish and slow, the power the moon held over us fading. It never hurt, not like the hangovers that seemed to affect humans, but the lethargy kept us from moving around too much.
Couple that with the night I’d had, and I didn’t feel like moving. I didn’t want to think. I was warm and sleepy, and there was an arm curled around my waist. I reached up and lazily traced my hand up the back of the hand to the arm.
“I said no homo,” a voice whispered in my ear.
My eyes flashed open.
Everyone else was gone aside from the bastard behind me.
Carter burst out laughing as I tried to pull away. He held on
tightly, his growl rumbling in my ear. “I know you don’t remember, but you love cuddling with me. Promise. You always said as much. Pissed Kelly off to no end.”
“Let me go, Carter.”
“Nah,” he said easily. “Just a little bit longer. Need to get my scent on you some more. Make you smell like pack. Are you into watersports? That’d make things quicker if you are. I could just whip it out and—oof!”
He exhaled heavily into my neck as I elbowed him in the stomach as hard as I could. I turned to glare at him, and he was curled up, arms wrapped around his belly.