Ravensong (Green Creek 2)

The man he’d become stood before me.

And he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against mine, eyes open and staring at me.

I didn’t look away.

“You idiot,” he said. “You stupid idiot.”

“Had to get you to stop being angry with me somehow.”

He choked on a laugh. “Oh, I’m still mad at you. But now it’s for entirely different reasons. I’ll probably need to come to the shop to give you a hand now. I don’t know the first thing about cars.”

“Too soon,” Joe muttered, sliding into a pair of jeans Jessie had given him. “Already tried it.”

I shoved Kelly away. “Asshole.”

He shook his head as he went to his brother. The timber wolf didn’t seem pleased to see him again, but Kelly ignored it, falling to his knees in the snow, wrapping his arms around Carter’s neck.

“I’m fine,” I told Jessie and Rico, who were starting to fuss.

“Yeah, sure you are,” Rico snapped. “I get shot, and you just had to go and try and one-up me. I’m going to have a sexy scar, and you’re going to be able to get a sexy hook. Pirates always beat scars, Gordo. You know that. You stay away from Bambi. You don’t get to try and take her away from me when you already got a wolf.”

“Why does it feel like this is a conversation you guys have had before?” Jessie asked us suspiciously.

“Weed is a hell of drug,” Ri

co told her. “Though it does make more sense that Gordo would be the pirate instead of me.”

“Why would that be?” Jessie asked.

“Because I’m straight,” Rico explained. “And Gordo likes to plunder the booty.”

“I hate you so fucking much,” I told him.

“Nah. That’s a lie. Don’t even try it. And, as a sidebar, is it almost time to kill the bad guys and get Chris and Tanner back? Because I’m going to need them here with me to help me get over the trauma of getting shot and having a one-handed boss. They’ll help me come to terms with this brave new world we find ourselves in.”

“Men,” Jessie grumbled. “You’re all fucking idiots.”

“Hey! This has hands down—sorry, Gordo—been one of the worst days ever. Show a little respect!”

I loved them more than I could ever say. “Yeah. It’s almost time.”

“Good,” they muttered in unison, sounding more wolfish than the actual wolves. The hunters should never have come to this town.

And because he was the only one left, and still stood near the porch looking ridiculously unsure, I waved Robbie over.

He came, trying not to stare at my arm but failing miserably. “Who did this?” he asked, voice hushed.

“A witch.”

“Is she dead?”

Mark growled as I said, “Very.”

Robbie nodded frantically. “Great, that’s great, that’s—”

“Kid, you need to calm down. Take a breath. We’re fine. We’re all—”

He surprised me by leaping forward and throwing his arms around me. I grunted at the impact, and Mark snapped at him, fangs flashing but not actually sinking into skin. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he whispered into my neck.