Brothersong (Green Creek #4) - T.J. Klune Page 0,175

into flesh.

Behind us, other wolves fell into similar traps, boards breaking, bodies pierced by spikes of wood and silver. If it didn’t kill them, it would at least injure them enough to take some of the fight out of them. Will had been rightly proud. “Saw it in a movie once,” he’d said. “Figured it’d work here too.”

It did, at least in part.

It wouldn’t stop all of them. They’d be more careful as the wolves around them fell prey to what Will had done.

The people on top of the buildings were firing under Will’s orders. On the other side of Green Creek, I could see a couple of wolves running toward us. Hillary, the woman standing on a roof next to Will, took aim through the scope on her rifle. I watched as she breathed in and then out slowly. She fired, knocking one of the wolves off its feet, blood arcing as it hit the ground roughly and skidded off the side of the road. It didn’t rise.

“Got ’im!” Grant cried from atop the roof of Gordo’s. He lowered his binoculars and grinned across the street. “Motherfucker went down hard.”

Gavin growled, pacing in front of me.

Will looked down at me. “Got through, did they?”

I nodded. “Just like we thought they would. They’re coming behind us too. All of us are lit up. Make sure you don’t hit the wrong wolves.”

The people on the buildings closest to us immediately turned around, facing the way we’d come from. The wolves that hadn’t fallen to Will’s traps hurtled toward us through the trees. They hadn’t hit the road yet. If they were smart, they’d circle around through the back. Jessie and Mom would be waiting for them to the north, Chris and Tanner and Rico to the south. I looked to the alleys on either side of the building. Men and women stood just out of sight, all of them armed.

Gavin yelped as he got too close to the sidewalk, the silver powder burning his front paws. He jumped back, shaking his head.

“Idiot,” I muttered. Then, “Any sign of Livingstone?”

“Big wolf, right?”

“Right. You’ll know when you see him.”

“Not yet. Hillary, on your left.” It was said almost conversationally. Hillary raised her rifle again and fired. I looked back in time to see a wolf fall in the road and skid to a stop, eyes wide and unseeing as it bled out onto the pavement.

“That’s three,” she said savagely. “Think I can get ten?”

Will said, “I bet you—look out!”

I whirled around, crouching low. A wolf leapt from between the buildings. It sailed over me, jaws snapping inches from the top of my head. It landed on its side but was already up and moving even before it came to a stop. I half-shifted, my vision filtering with sharp clarity. I roared at the wolf as it stalked toward me, head held low to the ground. It coiled its muscles, preparing to jump again. Before it could, Gavin crashed into it, fangs embedded in the back of its neck. He jerked his head viciously from side to side, and I heard the sharp crack of bone as its neck broke. Its legs skittered along the ground as the orange light faded in its eyes.

Gavin rose above it, blood dripping from his fangs.

Jessie shouted in warning from behind the buildings to my left. My mother snarled in anger, and another wolf whined before its voice cut off. I felt her fury, her savageness toward these wolves who would dare to come here.

I grimaced at another flash in my head. It was painful, coming from Chris. Something had hurt him, but Rico and Tanner were there, and whatever had harmed him would never do it again.

“There!” Will shouted. “Coming up from the rear!”

I turned again and saw Gregory standing in the middle of the road into town. Wolves gathered around him. He had blood on his face, but it didn’t look like it was his. He raised his hands, his tattoos bright in the dark.

The road in front of him split, the rumble heavy and loud. The windows on either side of us blew out, glass raining down onto the road. The metal grates shook but held. I covered my face as I lowered my head, the glass cutting into my arms. A piece nicked my ear, the skin immediately going numb. Gunfire exploded around us even as the buildings shook. Grant was knocked off his feet, almost falling off the side of the garage. He