Wolfsong (Green Creek 1)

“You won’t.”

“How you figure?”

Gordo shrugged. “You love him.”

“He kept this from me.”

“He knew how you’d react.”

“That doesn’t make it right.”

“I didn’t say it did.”

I glared at him. “You should have told me.”

He sighed. “Probably. Little late for that now. I’d forgotten how it’s different being in a pack. There’s free will, but it’s blended in with the wolves. He’s the Alpha. I have to listen to him.”

“Do you trust him?”

“Do you?”

I shook my head. “Not to take care of himself.”

Gordo patted my hand. “Good thing I’ll be there, then. And yeah, I think I do. He’s young. But then so was I when all this started. We have that much in common at least.”

“Is it enough?”

“We’ll see.”

We were quiet for a time. Then, just because I could, I said, “So essentially, you’re now the witch for a seventeen-year-old Alpha. Good job on that one.”

He snorted and shoved me hard. “Get the fuck outta here with that.”

“Dick.”

“Bitch.”

He laughed.

And maybe I did too. Just a little bit.

HE LEFT.

I waited for the wolves because I knew they’d come.

Carter and Kelly appeared first, ears flattened on their skulls, tails drooping between their legs. They lay down far enough away that I could only just make them out in the dark, but close enough that I could hear their little pleading whines, the little huffs of air.

When I didn’t scold them or send them away, they moved closer. And waited.

Closer. And waited.

It didn’t take long before they were lying pressed up against me on either side, heads resting on my chest, watching me with big eyes. Their ears twitched, listening to the sounds of the forest, but they didn’t look away.

“I’m mad at both of you.”

Kelly whined and pressed his nose against my chin.

“You’re both jerks.”