Brothersong (Green Creek #4) - T.J. Klune Page 0,183

a wad of blood. Her face was puffy, her skin bruised. She said, “It’s always the same. This circle. Just like all the others. You think yourself different. You think yourself more. But hear me, motherfucker. Hear me very well. You are nothing.” And remarkably, she laughed.

Livingstone roared again.

And then Ox was there, in our heads, and he said now now now finish this it’s time to finish this this is how it ends for him here now fight fight with all you can fight for family for brothers and sisters for our mothers and fathers and for packpackpack.

We attacked him from all sides, all at once.

He was fast.

But we were faster.

Vines rose from the ground again, wrapping around Livingstone’s legs and arms, pulling him down. As soon as he was on all fours, the vines tightened as black stone rose from the ground, covering them and holding him in place.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw beams of light moving swiftly. I swore other wolves stood with us, a brown wolf with a white star on his chest, and my mother gasped in my head as she whispered abel abel abel, and there was another wolf, white with black on his back and chest, and I heard him, I heard him as he said my sons my loves my pack. He was there and then gone, there and then gone, each time he reappeared, more blood spilled.

I jumped onto the beast’s back. He tried to shake me off, but I dug my claws in, burying my fangs into his skin.

He slumped closer to the ground, the rock and vines rising higher up his arms and legs. He tried to pull himself free. The rock cracked.

Chris and Tanner landed on either side of me. They pressed against me and lowered their heads, tearing into his back.

The sound Livingstone made then was one I would remember forever. It was rage and loss, betrayal and fear, fear so strong I could taste it.

He was afraid.

I bit down harder.

All of us were on him.

All of us except for one.

He shifted in front of Livingstone. He stood tall. His chest heaved. His eyes filled with red and violet.

And Oxnard Matheson said, “I’m sorry. For all that you’ve become.”

“This isn’t over,” Livingstone hissed at him.

“It is,” Ox said. “At last. At long last. Father, I remember what you said. Help me. Please help me.”

Ox ran toward the beast.

At his side, the glowing white wolf ran with him. Right before Ox jumped, they merged, the white wolf bursting into shards of light like glass, embedding themselves into Ox’s skin.

And through the bonds, Joe howled no no no NONONO OX OX OX—

Livingstone pulled his right arm free. The stone shattered. The vines broke.

His arm shot out, claws extended.

They punched into Ox’s stomach.

Through Ox’s stomach.

Out his back.

Time slowed around us as the bonds burned in blue fire.

We all held on as our Alpha said, “Oh. Oh. Oh.”

Gordo screamed for all of us. “Ox, no!”

But Ox didn’t stop. Even mortally wounded, even with a hand through him, the claws on the other side dripping with his life blood, he sank his own claws into Livingstone’s arm and pulled himself closer. His eyes fluttered closed as he grunted. The white light along his skin flickered.

And went out.

Ox opened his eyes.

He said, “Your song. I hear your song. Of wolves. Of ravens. Of hearts. Of brothers. I hear them all.”

The white lights returned in full force, burning brightly.

Ox pulled himself closer and closer.

Livingstone raised his arm, jaws open wide.

He bit down.

Or at least he tried.

Ox caught the upper jaw with his right hand and the lower jaw with his left. The fangs pierced his palms, and the flare of pain through the bonds was almost too much to take. We were all Ox, and we all felt the ravaging his body had taken, the stutter of his heart.

But through it all, we heard him.

He said, this life this life it’s not one i expected

it’s not one i imagined

worth it

can’t you see

all of this was worth it

because of you

all of you

We were there, we were there, we were with him as he showed us what he meant. They were quick, these thoughts, but filled with so much life it was a wonder all of this could come from just one person.

Here was Ox, a large and quiet boy, staring in wonder at the family before him, a tornado on his back.

Here was Ox, sitting behind the garage, surrounded by Rico