that.”
Kelly nodded. “We know.”
I pulled away from them both only to put my hands on the backs of their necks. They looked at me. I said, “We’re going to finish this, you hear me? One way or another, we’re going to finish this. And then nothing will hurt us again.”
“You promise?” Kelly asked.
“Yeah. I do. And since I’m your big brother, you know I’m right. I’m right about pretty much everything.”
Joe snorted, but he looked more relaxed. “I’m not even going to argue with you on that.”
“Good. Because you’d lose.”
He said, “I love you. The both of you. I don’t say that enough, but I need you to know.”
I didn’t like how he sounded. “We love you too. Stop acting like this is goodbye.”
“Isn’t it?”
I shook my head. “No, it’s not. Because you’re going to come home. All of you will. And we’ll be together.”
“Forever,” Kelly said.
“Forever,” I agreed, because I wished for nothing more.
Joe nodded and stepped back. I dropped my hands, fighting the urge to drag them both inside to keep them from leaving.
We rejoined the others. Ox looked at the three of us. “All right?”
“All right,” Joe agreed.
I went back up to the porch. Mark kissed Gordo fiercely, whispering to him not to do anything stupid. “It’s like you don’t even know me,” Gordo said.
“Yeah,” Mark said. “Like I don’t even know you at all.”
And then he let Gordo go. Gordo walked down the porch, and we all pretended not to see the slump of his shoulders. He stood next to Ox, leaning against him. Kelly and Joe were on the other side. Robbie hugged each of us in turn before going to the others.
We stood there, watching each other. Joe was right. This felt wrong.
Ox said, “We’ll keep in touch. Every day, by phone. You’ll hear our voices. I swear it.”
“You better,” Rico said. “If you don’t, I’ll kick your ass. I’m a pretty great wolf, in case you couldn’t tell.”
“And I’ll help him,” Bambi said, glaring down at the men gathered before us. “I’ve got Rico’s guns now. You heal, but it’ll still hurt. I’ll make sure of it.”
“I love you so much,” Rico said fiercely. “You don’t even know.”
“Oh, I know. You’re welcome.”
“Straight people are so weird,” Kelly whispered to Robbie.
Ox said, “Stay together. No one goes off alone, even in town. Carter, make sure Green Creek’s ready, just in case.”
“I will.”
And then he turned around, heading for the SUV. Gordo looked at Mark once more before following Ox, grabbing Robbie by the arm and pulling him along. Kelly and Joe were about to do the same but stopped when I called to them.
They looked at me.
“A phone call away,” I said. “No matter what. You hear me?”
They both nodded.
“Good. Go on. The sooner you leave, the sooner you can come back home.”
Joe took Kelly’s hand in his and pulled him toward the SUV. “Carter,” he called over his shoulder. “Kelly and I left something for you on your bed. Take a look, okay?”
“I will.”
They waved as they climbed inside the SUV. Mark held Mom close, her head on his shoulder. Rico whispered to his son, and Bambi smiled at the both of them. Jessie stood behind Dominique, leaning against her. I looked down when I felt someone grab my hand. Gavin. He was holding on tight. I didn’t try to pull away.
Ox honked the horn once, twice as he backed up, turning the SUV around before pointing it down the dirt road. There was something in my head and chest, something that felt like lightning, that sounded like thunder.
It was the bonds that stretched between us all.
Vibrant and wild.
They whispered pack and pack and pack.
And if I listened hard enough, if I really dug in and pulled the threads apart, there was a quiet voice buried underneath.
I looked at Gavin.
He was watching me.
I heard him.
He said, i think i think i think i’m home.
I WAS CURIOUS about what my brothers had left for me. After making sure Gavin was okay in the kitchen with Mom, I took the stairs two at a time, heart thudding in my chest. I hoped it wasn’t anything big. It would feel too much like they thought they weren’t coming back. I hated it.
I shouldn’t have worried.
In fact, when I saw what it was, I hoped they’d never come back.
Those fucking assholes.
A flat square sat on my bed, wrapped in shiny paper with Christmas trees on it. It was heavier than I expected when I picked it up.