Ravensong (Green Creek 2)

“I concur,” Elizabeth said, staring up at me. “They’re lucky to have us.”

“They’d probably run off half-cocked without a single idea about what they’re doing,” Jessie said.

Elizabeth nodded. “And get themselves infected.”

“Oh,” Rico said. “Can we joke about that now? I wasn’t sure if it was still too soon or what. Because if you think about it, it’s funny because—yep, from the looks I’m getting, it’s still too soon. Shutting up now.”

“There’s more,” I said, wincing slightly.

“Of course there is,” Chris said. He knocked his shoulder against Tanner’s. “Remember the days when the weirdest thing in our lives was when Gordo tried to grow that pussy-tickler mustache?”

“Those were the days,” Tanner sighed. “We made that Wanted poster with his mustache face on it and posted them all over town, telling everyone to protect their children.”

“You tried to grow a mustache?” Mark asked me.

“Gross,” Kelly said, nose wrinkling. “We can smell that, Uncle Mark.”

“What is it, Gordo?” Ox asked me.

Best to get it over with. “You felt it too. The wards. When they were corrupted.”

He nodded slowly. “Elijah said there were witches. Which means they aren’t trying to keep anything out. They’re trying to keep us all in.”

“Yeah. But I also felt something else. Heard something else.”

“What?” Joe asked.

“My father.”

Silence.

Then, “Great,” Carter groaned. “We’ve got a weird religious chick who wears skins of her kills on her back and who has pet feral Omegas on chains, one of which tried to sniff me and kill me at the same time. Witches who have the town surrounded doing creepy magic to keep us in. Michelle Hughes is some kind of stupid evil chick, and Mark and I are slowly going nutso. And now you’re saying that your dear old dad is talking in your head? Fuck this day. Fuck this entire day.”

I couldn’t agree more.

WE SLEPT that night together.

All of us.

The couches and chairs were moved away.

Thick, heavy blankets were spread out on the floor. Piles of pillows.

r /> The Alphas were in the middle. The rest of the pack surrounded them. Even Rico did it with minimal complaining, though he said he was thankful that everyone was wearing clothes this time.

I lay with my head pressed against Ox’s leg, failing to resist the urge to be close to my tether.

Mark must have felt the same, because he never went far. We lay facing each other in the dark, his ice-cold eyes ever-watching. There was a moment before I drifted off to sleep, hearing the voices of my Alphas singing in my head, when Mark reached up and traced a finger over my cheeks. My nose. My lips and chin.

A kiss was pressed against my forehead.

And then I slept.

THE PHONES didn’t work.

The internet was down.

We were cut off.