Brothersong (Green Creek #4) - T.J. Klune Page 0,167

i’ll pull them out one by one

find them she says find them find them

kill them

kill them all

i hunt

there’s

man

witch man raven witch man kill him kill him but

there’s

smells like

????

what is

that what is that in him

that smell

that scent

that stench it’s like it’s like

familiar

it’s i know it i know it

can’t

hurt him

humans

he is with humans

scary woman with crowbar

witch man says jessie no

but she says fuck this and crowbar

fucking crowbar it burns it burns

they run they run and i follow

i follow them hunt them stalk them hide hide hide

big wolf bad wolf big bad wolf

witch man raven man i follow you why do

why do you smell like that

who are you they say gordo gordo gordo

and i know that

name

i know that name brain in brain on fire where where where do i

know that name this place i know this place

trees i smell the trees they smell like

man alpha big alpha comes to me

child i am child and alpha says there are wolves gavin there are wolves and

witches gavin there is magic and monsters

you are not

you are not a monster gavin your father is

you are safe here alpha man says i tell you this

i tell you this not to hurt you but to

make you know you are never alone

i looked for him i remember now dead he’s dead he’s dead

follow gordo

follow ???? brother ????

is that who witch man raven man is is is

and i

i attack i kill them make smell go away

don’t need him don’t need this don’t want this place

but then

but then

he comes

out

he’s yelling

wolf stupid wolf big stupid wolf

he is

not

???

others see him

don’t

don’t touch him

that’s mine

that’s mine

he’s mine and i will take him away into woods

i will hunt for him

i will keep him warm

and safe

he yells at me tells me to stop dragging him

stupid wolf man

not dragging you saving you stupid man stupid wolf

it’s

thump

it’s

thump

it’s

thump thump thump and i

i can breathe

i can breathe

i can

I OPENED MY EYES.

Gavin stared down at me.

Blood dripped down his chest and onto mine.

I said, “Gavin,” as I looked to the mark on his shoulder, the perfect impression of fangs already scarring over.

Gavin said, “Carter? It’s…. Carter. I can… I can.”

I reached up and cupped his face. He turned and kissed my palm.

“Show me,” I whispered. “Show me your eyes.”

He shook his head furiously. “I don’t know. I don’t know. If I can. If it’s real.”

And because I had a part to play, I said the words he’d told me once in the snow stained with blood. “What do you want?”

He knew. Of course he did. He said, “To feel like I’m awake.”

“Show me, then. Show me your eyes.”

He did.

Oh, he did.

He opened his eyes, and for a moment nothing happened. But then the tangle of threads in my chest burst to life, writhing and wild, and it stretched between us. It connected us. It was strong and true and I heard him, loud and clear even though he didn’t speak aloud.

carter carter carter

His eyes filled with the brightest orange I’d ever seen.

A tear trickled down his cheek.

I brushed it away.

“Awake,” he whispered. “Awake. Carter, I’m awake. I’m awake.”

THEY WERE WAITING FOR US.

We walked toward them, hands clasped between us.

The sirens blared, cracking the cold air like it was glass.

Chris and Tanner and Rico were grinning. They looked almost feral.

Rico said, “This is some goddamn Disney shit right here.”

Jessie rolled her eyes. “Mystical moon magic.”

Dominique shook her head fondly.

Bambi laughed, and it was sweet and kind. Joshua looked up at her from her arms, blinking slowly at the sight of his mother so carefree.

But it was my own mother I turned to.

She was smiling quietly.

She said, “Gavin. To me, if you please.”

He stiffened, but it didn’t last. He squared his shoulders. He dropped my hand and walked slowly to her. She stood on the steps above him, looking down.

She said, “Did you make your choice?”

He said, “Yes.”

“What did you choose?”

And Gavin said, “Carter.”

She started to nod, but then he spoke again.

“And family. I chose family. Pack. Pack. Pack.”

She took his face in her hands. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. He shuddered at the press of her lips. She pulled away, but only just.

She whispered, “This is where you belong. This is where you’re supposed to be. No one else can have you. No one else can take you. I love you, I love you, I love you.”

He stepped forward, pressing his face against her stomach. She was startled, but then she chuckled and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She looked to me. Her eyes flashed. “It’s time to show the world