Wolfsong (Green Creek 1)

“All right?” Kelly asked me.

“Yeah. What’s going on?”

Carter said, “No idea. Osmond and his bitches came and they went into Dad’s office. Five minutes later, Dad’s storming out, breaking the door off its hinges and howling for you and Joe to come home.”

I said, “Mom. Where’s my mom?”

“Gordo,” Kelly said. “He’s getti

ng her from work.”

“It’s bad?” Because they would know better than I.

They looked away.

Thomas came in. He ignored the rest of us and went to Joe and Elizabeth. I heard Joe say, “What happened?” but Thomas hushed him gently and told him to wait.

Osmond followed and he pointedly avoided my eyes.

It was only minutes later that a car approached outside. Osmond tensed, but Thomas said, “The witch and Ox’s mother.”

There was some growling outside, but I heard Gordo say, “Oh shut the fuck up before I burn your furry asses.”

Mom’s eyes were wide as she walked through the door. She sought me out and took my hand. I told her I didn’t know what was happening.

Gordo came in a moment later and stiffened slightly. “Osmond,” he said.

“Livingstone,” Osmond said, sounding just as formal.

“This isn’t going to be good, is it?”

Osmond sighed. “It never is, Gordo. I’m sorry it’s come to this. The—”

“Ox,” Thomas said.

I looked over at him as Osmond fell silent.

“Do you remember what I said? About tethers.”

He’d said many things about tethers. I told him as much.

He said, “They pull. In times of great uncertainty. They’ll pull. Like you’ve never felt them pull before. You’ll need to hold on as tightly as you can. Do you understand?”

“Thomas,” Gordo said with a scowl. “What the hell happened?”

Thomas ignored him. He only had eyes for me. “Do you understand?”

I said, “Yeah. Yes.” Because I did. I thought I did. I could feel the tension rising in the room and there were little flickers on my skin. In my head. My chest. Pulling me toward Joe. Toward Gordo. I touched these little strings that tied us together and sent back a wave of calm and peace and it’s okay we’re fine we’re all just fine because we’re pack pack pack, even if Gordo wasn’t. Not really. But he was tied to me. And I was tied to them.

“Tether?” Osmond asked. “Who?”

“Mine,” Joe said, eyes burning orange.

Gordo said, “And mine.” The raven on his arm glowed briefly and looked ready to take flight.

Osmond looked at me, head tilted. “Just who are you?”

“I’m Ox,” I said. “Just Ox. That’s all.”