Wolfsong (Green Creek 1)

“For Joe? Yes.”

“You are so much more complex than you first appear,” Thomas said. “These layers of yours. Just when I think I’ve reached the bottom, it falls away and goes even deeper.”

“Can I see him?”

“Give him a couple of days, Ox.” Thomas touched my shoulder, squeezing it gently. “He’ll find you when he’s ready. And you take care of your girl. She deserves it.”

I flushed. “She’s not my girl,” I muttered.

“She could be.”

“Maybe. Am I part of your pack?”

For the first time since I’d known him, I had caught Thomas Bennett by surprise. His eyes went wide and he took a step back and said, “What?”

“Your pack. Or whatever Carter said.”

He said nothing and I wondered if I’d crossed a line I didn’t know existed.

“I didn’t mean….” I trailed off, unsure how to finish.

He said, “What do you think pack means?”

“Family,” I said promptly.

Thomas smiled. “Yes, Ox. You are part of my pack.”

CARTER AND Kelly weren’t at school the next day. I worried. Usually, I rode with them. But they weren’t there in the morning and I was almost late after Mom gave me a ride.

“I’m sure it’s fine,” Jessie said, squeezing my hand while we sat at lunch. I did my best to smile at her as she talked. About how she liked Green Creek more than she thought she would. About how she couldn’t wait for summer. About how she missed her mom. She wondered how long it would hurt and I told her I didn’t know, even though I wanted to say it would probably hurt forever.

She kissed me on the cheek before I we

nt to work.

THE GUYS gave me shit at the shop. Chris said Jessie had gotten home the night before and was all swoony.

“Ox is so dreamy,” he breathed in a high falsetto. “His eyes and his smile and his laugh. O. M. G!”

I blushed furiously and tried to focus on an oil change.

“Look at him!” Rico said gleefully. “He’s like a tomato!”

“Our precious baby boy is growing up,” Tanner sighed.

I said, “Where’s Gordo?” His office was dark.

“Day off,” Rico said. “Had some business to take care of.”

“What business?” I didn’t remember him saying anything. He never took Mondays off.

“Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it,” Tanner said. “You just worry about trying to impress your girlfriend.”

“She’s not my girlfriend!”

“Yeah,” Chris said. “Try telling her that.”

JOE WASN’T waiting for me on the dirt road. The house at the end of the lane was dark, like no one was home. I thought about knocking on the door, but I went home instead. In my room, the stone wolf sat on a shelf. I held it and realized that Thomas had never answered me about the bad man who had hurt Joe. If he was still alive.