Brothersong (Green Creek #4) - T.J. Klune Page 0,119
the ground.”
“You think so?”
He smiled. “I do. You’ve got a long life ahead of you, Carter. And one I hope is filled with happiness.” A clatter came from the kitchen, and we looked over to see Dominique chasing Gavin through the door, his mouth filled with bacon. She chased him around the counter, eyes flashing. “Yes,” Will said. “Every happiness indeed. And look at that, right on time. Larry’s here for his twelve-thirty appointment with our illustrious mayor. Fair warning, he’s going to bitch about quite a few things like he always does. Just smile and nod and let him vent. Then give him what he wants, because it’s not that big of a deal. Larry! You old cuss. How you been? Sit down, sit down. Mayor Bennett’s been expecting you.”
“HE CAME FROM THE WOODS,” Aileen said, her voice crackling through the phone. Ox had switched it over to the speaker, and we stood around the desk in the office, listening. “Human. On two legs. Found some clothes somewhere. He came to the wards.”
“Did he speak?” Gordo asked.
“No. Just… stood there. Watching us. He—wait. Here’s Patrice. He’ll tell you.” The connection was muffled for a moment as the phone exchanged hands thousands of miles away.
“Oxnard?” Patrice asked.
“We’re here,” Ox said, leaning over the desk, hands flat against the wood. “What did he do?”
“Don’t know,” Patrice said, and he sounded frustrated. “Not much, as far as I can tell. Just stood dere. Didn’t try and touch da wards. Didn’t try and cross dem. Eye was red.”
“What else?” Joe asked, because he could hear as well as the rest of us that Patrice was holding back.
Patrice hesitated. Then, “He wasn’t alone.”
Joe narrowed his eyes. “Who was with him?”
“Wolf,” Patrice said. “A Beta. A man.”
“How the hell did he get through the wards?” Gordo asked, looking at Mark, who shook his head.
“Can’t say,” Patrice said. “Shouldn’t have been possible. But it’s dere all da same. Recognized him too. Saw him once in Caswell. Santos, he’s called.”
Robbie grunted as if gut-punched. “Shit.”
“Santos?” Elizabeth asked. “Why is that name familiar?”
“He was in Caswell,” Kelly said as Robbie paled. “Robbie knew him. Livingstone used him to guard the house Dale was kept in.”
Gordo scowled at the mention of the witch.
“He didn’t like me,” Robbie said quietly. “I thought it was because I came out of nowhere and Michelle made me her second. Maybe it wasn’t about Michelle at all.”
Ox looked at him, then back at the phone. “Patrice, the wards are still intact?”
“Oh yeah. But Ox, if dere’s one, den dere could be more. It’s a big place he’s in. We’ve got it surrounded, but….”
“And you know all the witches?”
“Handpicked dem myself.” He paused. “Couldn’t hurt to talk to a couple of dem. Make sure dere on da up-and-up.”
“Do that,” Ox said. “Let me know what you find out. If I need to come out there, I will.”
“It can’t keep like this forever,” Patrice said as Aileen muttered her agreement in the background. “It’s a stopgap. Whatever you’re planning, you gotta do it soon, Alpha. He can’t get to Robbie like he used to, but dat don’t mean he won’t try. And den dere’s Gavin.”
“I know,” Ox said as Gavin cowered behind me.
THE FULL MOON CAME ON A SUNDAY.
We ate until we thought we would burst.
The moon was singing here i am here i am run run run.
Bambi stayed at the pack house with Joshua. She told us she’d be fine, that all of us could go, but Jessie wasn’t having it. “I’ll stay here with her. Better to be safe than sorry.” She kissed Dominique before shoving us all toward the door. “Go. Do your wolf thing. I’ll set up the blankets and pillows for when you all get back.”
“Thank Christ,” Tanner said, already pulling off his clothes. “I need to fucking kill something.” He dropped his pants and kicked them off before standing with his hands on his hips. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go.”
“I really wish you hadn’t gotten so used to being naked,” Rico muttered. “I’ve seen more dick in the last few years than I ever have in my entire life.” He shook his head. “My kid is going to be so fucked in the head, I tell you what.”
“You’re already naked too,” Bambi pointed out.
Rico looked down at himself. “Huh. How about that. I didn’t even notice. You like what you see?” He waggled his eyebrows at her.