Heartsong (Green Creek 3)

“Not cool, dude,” he wheezed. “You gigantic dick. I was just trying to be your friend!”

Chris appeared in the doorway to the basement.

“You said you were going to piss on me!”

“Whoa,” Chris said, immediately turning around and heading back upstairs. “I do not need to know that. Is that a wolf thing? No one told me that was going to be a wolf thing. Joe! Joe! Do I have to let your brother piss on me or what?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Joe shouted, sounding outraged.

I thought about lying back down, but Carter was only wearing boxer briefs and was scratching his junk as he yawned so widely his jaw cracked. He saw me watching and trailed a hand toward the top of his boxers, waggling his eyebrows.

Before I could murder him, Ox appeared in the doorway, completely dressed. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he looked stern.

“Crap,” Carter muttered. “You were serious.”

“I’m always serious,” Ox said.

Carter sighed. “You know, you take this Werewolf Jesus thing a little too far.” He twirled his hand in the air above him. “Take this bread, all of you, for it is my body. Eat of me and—”

“Your little brother doesn’t seem to mind eating my bread.”

Carter looked horrified, even as Joe screeched incredulously.

Ox grinned. “Anything else, Carter, before we begin? I could tell you about how Joe likes to—”

Carter shook his head. “Nope. In fact, I’d really rather not hear you say anything ever again. I heard enough through the walls when you and Joe started knocking buttholes, or whatever it is guys do to each other.” He frowned. “Not that I care about that kind of thing, but how does that work? Do you guys just bend over and push your asses together to—”

“Get up,” Ox told me.

I didn’t like the sound of that. “Why? It’s still early. I want to go back to sleep.”

Ox shook his head. “Not this morning. We have work to do and we’re getting started now. Get dressed. Everyone will meet behind the house in ten minutes. Don’t make me wait.” He turned and went back up the stairs.

“What are we doing?” I hissed at Carter.

He put his arm over his eyes. “Werewolf Jesus is going to work us. Took what those witches said a little too much to heart. Pack unity, blah, blah, blah.” He dropped his arm and looked over at me solemnly. “When we do trust falls, I promise to catch you.” He reached for me. “I’ll always catch you, Robbie.”

He was laughing again as I tackled him. It didn’t take long before I was pinned below him, breathing heavily.

“Kelly!” he yelled. “Your mate is trying to get all up on my junk. It’s unbecoming for a man of my political position. My constituents won’t like this very much at all!”

I prayed the day would be over quickly.

It wasn’t.

By the time we finished, I was convinced the only reason we’d done any of this was so everyone could take a turn kicking my ass. The Alphas stayed out of it, as did Kelly and Rico (though I was sure Rico itched to pull out his gun), but everyone else was fair game.

Elizabeth moved like liquid smoke, her movements so close to dancing that I thought she was toying with me. I bloodied her nose and squeaked out an apology before she flung me into a tree. That caused a hairline fracture in my arm that healed almost immediately, and she spat a thick wad of blood on the ground before saying, “Lucky hit.”

I groaned as the small tree I’d crashed into fell over.

Jessie came next. She zigzagged toward me, left, right, left, and Ox said there there there, and I pivoted to the side as she brought the staff from over her head. It hit the ground where I’d just been standing, the tip digging into the earth. Before she could lift it, I kicked down on it, my heel striking the middle of the staff, snapping it in two. Jessie lurched forward but stayed on her feet as I hopped back.

“Oh shit,” Tanner breathed.

Jessie frowned down at the broken staff. “I made that myself.”

“I’ll find you another stick in the woods,” I said, feeling lighter than I had since I came to Green Creek. Carter choked but covered it up quickly. “Shouldn’t be too hard.”