Wolfsong Tj Klune Quotes

You don’t get to decide what you’re worth because you obviously don’t know. You don’t get to decide that anymore because you have no fucking idea that you’re worth everything.

All I wanted to do was come home, because without you, I don’t have a home.

You can plan for life, but life always has plans of its own.

Mom! Mom. You have to smell him! It’s like… like… I don’t even know what it’s like! I was walking in the woods to scope out our territory so I could be like Dad and then it was like… whoa. And then he was all standing there and he didn’t see me at first because I’m getting so good at hunting. I was all like rawr and grr but then I smelled it again and it was him and it was all kaboom! I don’t even know! I don’t even know! You gotta smell him and then tell me why it’s all candy canes and pinecones and epic and awesome.

Please just let me have you. Please. Nothing else matters if I can’t have you.

Monsters are real. Magic is real. The world is a dark and frightening place and it’s all real.

Our eyes met like a car crash, colliding and breaking away.

Oh my god, Ox, your life is like those shitty sparkly vampire movies. That I’ve never seen and don’t like at all, shut up.” “Oh

So he pressed his forehead against mine and breathed me in and there was that sun, okay? That sun between us, that bond that burned and burned and burned because he’d given it to me. Because he’d chosen me. And I got to choose him back.

My future,” Joe said, “is Ox.” Ah god, that made me ache. “Is that so?” Mom asked. “How do you figure?” “He’s really nice,” Joe said seriously. “And smells good. And he makes me happy. And I want to do nothing more than put my mouth on him.” “Ah

I want to court your son.” “What does that mean?” she asked. “It means I want to provide for him to prove my worth,” Joe said. “And then, once he agrees to be mine, I’ll mount him and then bite him and everyone will see that we belong to each other.” I

You were his, Ox. Even then. And he was yours.

My daddy had told me once that people were gonna give me shit all my life. The monster had told Joe that his family didn't want him anymore. We'd have to live with that, those things that were whispered in our ears. Maybe we'd never be free of those shadows. Not completely. But we'd still fight like hell. And maybe that's all that mattered.

I googled “what to do when your future werewolf mate / boyfriend /best friend courts you and brings you a dead rabbit.” First, there was a lot of porn. Then I found a recipe for Maltese rabbit stew. It was delicious. The stew, not the porn. The porn was weird.    

A werewolf is courting me with a dead rabbit. There’s nothing subtle here.

I just want to be wherever you are.

THREE YEARS. One month. Twenty-six days.

He said, " I'm a witch." And I said, "You're a wizard, Harry,

Don’t tell me you don’t know!” I roared at him. “Tell me one fucking thing you do know!” “That I love you.” His breath hitched in his chest. And I just. I couldn’t breathe. Everything

I couldn't find the words to say what I wanted. Sometimes, when your heart gets so full, it takes away your voice and all you can do is hold on for dear life.

I needed to see him. To make sure he was okay. To tell him how sorry I was. That I never wanted to leave him. That I never wanted to be anywhere but by his side. All I ever wanted was to keep him safe. Ever since that first day on the road, when he spoke and moved like a little tornado, all I ever wanted was to make sure nothing ever happened to Joe Bennett. He was coming for me. I

I would do anything to make you happy because no one had ever smelled like you did. It was candy canes and pinecones. It was epic and awesome. and it was home.

You’re not broken.” He said, “You don’t know that.” I said, “I do. You’re alive. If you can take another breath, if you can take another step, then you’re not broken. Battered, maybe. Bruised. Cracked. But never broken.

I sit here, day after day, waiting for release. Waiting for death. Because I know when my heart no longer beats, my beloved will be waiting for me, and we will howl together in the stars.

And I’ve been waiting,” Joe said. “For him to look at me like I looked at him. And he finally did. He finally did. And I’m going to do everything I can to make sure it stays like that. Because I want him for always.

It was warm like a summer day. It was candy canes and pinecones, it was epic and awesome, it was dirt and leaves and rain, it was grass and lake water and sunshine. It was a forest so alive, so untouched.

Joe sang the loudest of all. He said, you belong to me.

I ground my teeth as I bit back words I knew would hurt. That was the danger with knowing and loving others. You always knew things about them to throw back in their faces.

WE’RE FRIENDS first,” Joe whispered in my ear. “You’re my best friend, Ox, and I promise that will never change. We’ll just be… more.”     “WILL

Era bastones de caramelo y piña, y épico y asombroso y también era mi hogar. Olías como mi hogar, Ox.

There was a clearing in the middle of the woods. It tasted of lightning and magic. Of claw and fang. And in the middle of this clearing sat a man who had once been a boy. A boy who I had loved. Then a monster had come to town with murder on his mind and tore a hole in our heads and hearts. The boy chased after the monster with revenge in his bloodred eyes. The monster was gone now. And so was the boy. Because a man had taken his place.

How he closed down like before. How he gave himself over to the wolf. How he didn’t speak for months and months. And yet, the moment he comes home, the moment he sees you again, he finds his voice like he’d never lost it at all.

It can mean many things. Friendship. Family. Trust.” He closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the forest. “Or more.” “More?” “Love. Faith. Devotion.” “He….” “Yeah, man. He did.” “He was ten.” Carter opened his eyes. “And he spoke to you after not speaking for over a year. We all knew. Even then.” I

This is for life. When the wolf attaches, it is for life.” “I

Because sure, he’d chosen me. Out of everyone. He’d given me his wolf. Which was essentially the heart of him. I said, “I love you, you know?” And how he smiled.     IT

I was all like rawr and grr but then I smelled it again and it was him and it was all ka­boom! I don’t even know! I don’t even know! You gotta smell him and then tell me why it’s all candy canes and pinecones and epic and awesome.

Though sometimes, the songs are meant to sing a pack member home. It’s easy to get lost, Ox, because the world is a wide and scary place. And every now and then, you just have to be reminded of the way home.

I said, “I have bad dreams too. But then I remember I’m awake and that the bad dreams can’t follow me when I’m awake. And then I feel better.

Someone, my mother had said. Make someone very happy. Not a her. But someone. I

I was only sixteen when I’d found out the truth, still young and naïve enough to believe in impossible things. She wasn’t sixteen. She was in her twenties. Which meant she was cynical.

Losing him hurts more than anything I’ve ever felt before. But losing you? Ox, if anything happened to you, it would kill me. There is no point for me if you’re not here. So no. You’re not going. You’re going to stay here because I love you more than anything in this goddamn world and I don’t fucking care if you’re pissed. I don’t care if you hate me because of it. As long as I know you’re safe, then that’s all that matters. That’s why, you bastard.” I

This boy, this man was the sun, bright and all-consuming. The animal in me roared to be freed. Elizabeth Bennett whispered, “Go.” I went.     I

A shattered heart can be heavier than a broken limb.

His breath on my face. This was Joe. And I was Ox. His nose touched mine. My hands found his waist. He shuddered under the touch. He rumbled deep in his chest. He said, “Mine.” My cheek scraped against his. The wolf growled, “Mine.” It was a great and terrible thing. So I said, “Yeah. Joe. Yeah. Yes.” And

MARK SAID, “I knew. From the very first day, I knew that you were made for something great. I am proud to call you my friend and pack.”     CARTER SAID, “I hope you’re ready for werewolf stamina. Like, for real. You’re going to be sore. For days.”     KELLY SAID, “I really wish I hadn’t heard Carter say that. I need to pour bleach on my brain. For days.”  

Because revenge is the lesson taught by animals. Because it's more difficult to show mercy. I showed him mercy because he'd never shown my family the same.

It’s not destiny, Ox. You’re not bound by this. Not yet. There’s a choice. There is always a choice. My wolf chose you. I chose you. And if you don’t choose me, then that’s your choice and I will walk out of here knowing you got to choose your own path. But I swear to god, if you choose me, I will make sure that you know the weight of your worth every day for the rest of our lives because that’s what this is. I am going to be a fucking Alpha one day, and there is no one I’d rather have by my side than you. It’s you, Ox. For me, it’s always been you.” So I said, “Okay, Joe.” I looked up at him. His wolf was close to the surface. And he said, “Okay?” I said, “Okay. Okay. I don’t know if I see the things you do.” “I know.” “And I don’t know if I’ll be good enough.” “I know you will,” he said, eyes flashing orange. “But I promised you. I said it will always be you and me.” His face stuttered a bit, and he said, “You did. You promised me. You promised.” I

Joe crowded into my side, sitting down next to me, not leaving any room between us. The meal was an exercise in torture. He leaned in often when talking to me, breath on my neck, whispering in my ear. He touched my arm, my hand, my thigh. He had a straw in his soda. He never used straws. Never. But he had one now, pulled from somewhere, eyelashes fluttering up at me as he sucked, cheeks hollowing. I dropped my fork. It clattered loudly onto my plate. “Joe,” Thomas sighed. “Really?” “Oops,” Joe said. “Sorry.” He didn’t sound sorry at all. Kelly said, “Oh man, this makes so much more sense now. And is much more gross.” “I made pie for dessert,” Elizabeth said, coming back to the table. “Whip cream topping.” I groaned. Joe looked delighted. Even more so when he ran a finger through the cream, licking it from his skin, never taking his eyes off of me. Carter and Kelly had matching looks of disgust and horror on their faces. “Stop it,” I hissed at him. Joe cocked his head at me before leaning in and saying in a low voice, “Oh, Ox. I’m just getting started.

I’m angry,” I admitted. “So angry.” “I know,” she said, squeezing my hands. “It’s why we’re dancing. I find it hard to be angry when I’m dancing. There’s just something about it that doesn’t foster rage.

He bent his head down, running his nose along my cheek. My neck. Behind my ear, huffing his scent onto me like he hadn’t done since he’d become the Alpha. I loved it. And him. But

Carter?” Gordo asked. “Who is he? I want to meet him. In my office so I can scare the shit out of him. Goddammit, Ox. You better be using fucking condoms.

Estás vivo. Si puedes tomar otro aliento, si puedes dar un paso más, entonces, no estás roto. Maltratado, tal vez. Magullado. Agrietado. Pero nunca roto.

Kelly said, "I don't understand. Why does he keep making those faces at me? Why does he stutter every time I try talking to him? I didn't do anything to Robbie. I don't get why he's acting weird." Robbie said, "I don't even know what to say to him! I don't even know him. Anytime I try and talk to him, I forget how to talk and—oh my god, are you laughing at me? You're a fucking bastard, Ox, I swear to god.

Ox,” he said, a hint of his wolf poking through, eyes flashing. “Anything you’d like to tell me?” “No,” I said quickly. “Absolutely not.” “You sure about that?” he asked, his grip on my elbow tightening. I just barely managed to pull my arm free. “I’m hungry,” I said, voice rough. “We should—” “Sure,” he said. “Let’s go.” I blinked. He smiled at me. My heart stuttered a bit. The smile widened. No

And Joe. Joe sang the loudest of all. He said, "You belong to me.

You got a boner over my little brother.” I

He was a tornado of fingers and feet and words. I was caught in the storm.

Cuando lo fantástico se revela ante ti, es fácil volverse ciego a todo lo demás.

Richard Collins had only taken weeks to destroy the little boy I’d known. He was this shell, okay? This empty shell, and I didn’t know how to fix it. And then, Ox. Oh, and then there was you.” She

I’ve been to your house.” “You have,” Gordo said. “You pissed in my kitchen. You remember?” Gavin shrugged. “Nope.” “Really? Because that was a lot of piss that I had to—oh, fuck you, man. You’re yanking my chain, aren’t you.” Gavin laughed. “Yeah. Yanking your chain. So much piss.

Somewhere, a bird sang a song that ached.

Because Joe was standing at the front. He’d changed. White shorts. Green shirt that hid nothing. He was barefoot too. And his feet were sexy as all hell. “Uh,

It’s like something so lovely can’t just be lovely. It also has to be harsh and corroding.

And then he laughed. His head rocked back and he laughed and the birds came back and laughed right along with him.

And this is the part where really attractive people get naked,” Rick said. “And most of them are related. Which isn't weird. At all.” “Rico,” I said. “Yes?” “Shut up.

The third day, he wasn’t on the road. I wanted to feel relieved. Instead, I was disappointed. Until I got home. Mom had had the day off, the first in a long while. So, of course, she was home when I got there. And so was Joe. Sitting at our kitchen table. Wearing dress pants, a dress shirt. And a bow tie. Which, unbeknownst to me, turned out to be one of my greatest weaknesses. I

But I still had trouble with words sometimes. It wasn’t that I didn’t have any. It was that I had too many, and they all got stuck trying to come out at once. But that was okay. Because Joe had plenty.

There's a choice. There's always a choice. My wolf chose you. I chose you. And if you don't choose me, then that's your choice and I will walk out of here knowing you got to choose your own path. But I swear to god, if you choose me, I will make sure that you know the weight of your worth every day for the rest of our lives because that's what this is.

Then he started taking off his clothes, so I said, “You’re getting naked?” Because of all the skin. His shirt was already off when he said, “What?” I grasped onto the only thing that made sense. “You’re seventeen!” “Not for too much longer,” he said and his voice was deep. Because he was leering. Instead

Joe arched an eyebrow at me, leaning against the counter. He crossed his arms over his chest, muscles bulging from the residual pull of the moon. He was beautiful because he was Joe. He was beautiful because he was mine. “Hey,

Why do you hide?” Because it was easier. Because I’d done it for as long as I could remember. Because it was safer than being out in the sun and letting people in. It was better to hide and wonder than reveal and know the truth.

Can I kiss you?” It was said so shyly, so hesitantly, that I ached with it. “You want to?” I asked quietly. He nodded once, a little jerk of his head. “I guess that’s all right,” I said. “I’m not your first.” “No.” “And you’re not mine.” “No,” I said, jaw tense. “But you’re the only one that matters. So, it’s like it’s the first. For the both of us.

Joe was Joe was Joe.

It should have been obvious. It should have been obvious what they were, but then I wasn’t looking for the incredible buried in the ordinary.

You must really love him. To do what you’ve done.” “He’d do the same for me,” I said, knowing it was true. No matter how else I felt, I believed that with everything I had.

packpackpack sing our wolfsong sing our ravensong sing our heartsong sing for all the world to hear

We watched the stars. They were so much bigger than we could ever hope to be.

Someone told me once that the light we see from them is hundreds of thousands of years old. That the star could already be dead and we'd never know it because it still looked alive. I thought that was a terrible thing. That the stars could lie.

Ox!” Jessie bellowed. “This is going to be loud,” Chris said. “Should we leave?” Tanner asked. “Nah,” Rico said. “I want to wwatch what happens. “As your Alpha, I command you to save me," I told them. They just stared at me. Useless fucking pack.

low-slung shorts/you and joe     IT WAS not a gradual thing. Wait. That was a lie. I didn’t know it was a gradual thing. But it must have been. It had to have been. Because it’s the only thing that explained the cosmic explosion that was the feeling of want and need and mine mine mine. The force of it was ridiculous. It had to have been there. For a long time.     JOE

He knew something was different about you. That you were wonderful, and kind, and amazing, but that there was something else. Not something more because what you were was already enough.

He groaned. “Don’t talk about my dad while I’m trying to seduce you.” “Stop talking,” I begged him. “Please.” And then, of course, Carter and Kelly appeared, on their run. They stopped and stared at us. We stared back. I felt guilty. Because their underage brother was shirtless and it probably smelled like a whorehouse where we stood. Kelly said, “This is awkward.” I said, “Nothing happened!” Carter said, “Oh my god, it stinks like sex.” Joe

A werewolf is courting me with a dead rabbit. There's nothing subtle here." "Couldn't have been flowers," she muttered as she slid on her rubber boots by the door. "He gave you flowers," I reminded her as she stepped down the porch. "I meant for you," she said. She bent over and grabbed the rabbit by the ears, pulling it up off the ground. It came up with a low crackle, grass stuck to the underside. "Courting. I swear." "Why are you touching it?" I said, sounding horrified. "We can't leave it here," she said. "He'll be offended." "I'll be honest. I'm already offended.

I check out guys sometimes.” It came out fast because that was the first time I’d said it aloud. It felt like relief. And terror. Carter didn’t say anything for a minute. And then he said, “Oh. Okay. Did you lick his balls?” I laughed so hard that I thought I would die. Carter was laughing right along with me. He said, “You know I don’t give a shit, right? Like, of all the things in the world to freak out about, that’s one of the least?

But you are my brother. You are Kelly’s brother. We would do anything for you.” “You can’t leave again,” I said, voice rough. “Not again. You can’t. You would do anything for me? Good. Fine. Don’t leave.” Carter and Kelly exchanged a look before shrugging almost in unison. “Sure,” Carter said. “Fine,” Kelly said. I stared at them. “That’s it?” They tackled me even before I knew what was happening.     WE

And I know you're old, but I found you first so you have to be my friend first. Sorry, Dad." And then he said, "I just want to get you a present," so I said, " You already did," and I didn't think I'd ever seen a smile as bright as his at that moment.

Carter said, “You drenched yourself in the worst-smelling thing you could find so you could cover up the smell of your boner.” “Stop saying boner!” He waggled his eyebrows at me. I glared at him. He said, “It’s about time.” And so I said, “What?” He squinted at me. “You and Joe.” “What about me and Joe?” “Seriously. That’s what you’re going with.” It was either that or have a panic attack. “Yes,” I said. “That’s what I’m going with.” “It’s okay,” he said. “You’re allowed to have a boner for my seventeen-year-old brother.” I

I said, “Gordo. Gordo. His wolf. He gave me his wolf. The stone wolf.” Gordo smiled sadly. “I figured he did. When he came to see you?” I shook my head. “The day after I met him. When he was ten. I didn’t know what it meant. They said I had a choice.” And there it was. That look on his face. That fear. He said, “Even then?” I said, “Even then,” and of course, “Gordo. Gordo,” because a realization struck me and I was so fucking blind. “Yeah, Ox.” “Did…?” I almost stopped. But then, “Mark did. Didn’t he? Gave you his wolf.” The tattoos on his arms flared briefly as he hung his head. I rubbed my hand through his hair. It was getting long. I needed to remind him to get it cut. He’d forget so many things if I didn’t tell him. He said, “Yeah. Yes.” He coughed. “He did. And I gave it back.”     WE

It’s not destiny, Ox. You’re not bound by this. Not yet. There’s a choice. There is always a choice. My wolf chose you. I chose you. And if you don’t choose me, then that’s your choice and I will walk out of here knowing you got to choose your own path. But I swear to god, if you choose me, I will make sure that you know the weight of your worth every day for the rest of our lives because that’s what this is. I am going to be a fucking Alpha one day, and there is no one I’d rather have by my side than you. It’s you, Ox. For me, it’s always been you.

I’m not going to do anything about it,” I said. “He’s young. He’s going to college. He’s going to have a life. He’s my friend, and that’s—” Carter snorted. “Yeah, good luck with that, Oxnard. Trust me. When Joe catches wind about this—and he will—you aren’t going to stand a chance.” “He won’t,” I said, determined. “And you won’t say a goddamn thing.” He grinned at me.     CARTER

Four men walked from among the trees. All of them had their heads shaved. The one in the front, the Alpha, had a beard, dirty blond and full. He was the same size as the other two wolves, large and intimidating, moving with a grace he hadn’t had before. The fourth man moved with them, smaller than the others, but his tattoos were as bright as they’d ever been, the raven fluttering on his arm. They

I already have enough doubts as it is. I can’t have them from you too. I need you, man. To have my back.” He pounced on those words, of course. “Doubts? Then why are you even doing this?” I said, “Not about him. About me. What if I’m not good enough for him? What if I can’t be what he’s going to need?” He stopped his pacing and his shoulders sagged. “Ox, you can’t think like that.” I snorted. “Yeah? It’s actually pretty easy to.” “Your father did this to you,” he said with a scowl. “I should have kicked his ass when I had the chance.” I looked up in surprise. “I don’t like this,” Gordo said. “At all. But I’m going to say it anyway, okay? Anyone should count their lucky stars if they got to call you their own.

You should put your shirt back on,” I said. He squinted at me. “Why?” “Because of… you know. All of that.” I waved my hand at his entire being. Then he grinned. And it was evil. “All of this?” He flexed his chest. Unfairly. I managed to say, “Yes. To all of that.” He took a step toward me. “We could… ah. You know.” He waggled his eyebrows at me and I thought, fuck. I took a step back. “Or we could wait until you’re eighteen.” Now he glared. There was a bit of wolf in it. “That’s not how this works.” “Yeah, because you know how this works. With all the courting you’ve done.” “I can’t wait until I’m Alpha so I can tell you what to do all the time.” “I’m going to tell your dad you only want to be Alpha so you can get in my pants.” He

¡Mamá! Mamá, ¡tienes que olfatearlo! Es como… como… ¡Ni siquiera lo sé! Estaba caminando en el bosque para ver los límites de nuestro territorio así podría ser como papá y luego estaba como… guau. Luego estaba allí de pie y no me vio al principio porque estoy volviéndome muy bueno para las cacerías. Estaba como rawr y grr pero entonces olfateé y era él y todo fue ¡kaboom! ¡Aún no lo sé! ¡Aún no lo sé! Tienes que olfatearlo y luego decirme por qué es todo bastones de caramelo y piña, y épico y asombroso.

And then I saw him. In the snow. Behind the trees. A white wolf. Black on his back and chest. His eyes burned red. He said chase me i love you chase me. I said, “Daddy?” because I was just a little boy again, and my father, my father was there, and he was never going to leave me, he was never going to leave me again. He ran. I chased after him. Tree branches slapped against my face and chest, sharp stings as the blanket flared around me. I almost dropped it. I almost let it go. PackLoveSon to me to me come to me

I wasn’t posing,” Joe said. “Totally posing,” Elizabeth said. “Ox—” “Totally posing,” I managed to say. “Fine,” he said. “I can tell when I’m not wanted.” No, I almost said. You’re always wanted. I always want you. I never want to leave you. I never want to say good-bye. I’m sorry, Joe. I’m so sorry. I said, “For just a little while.” “Yeah?” Joe said. “And then you’ll want me? I feel so used.” I nodded. “Hey,” he said, and he was right by my side, pressed up against me, nose pressed against my neck. “I was just joking. You know I don’t mean it like that.” “Yeah,” I said. He kissed my jaw. “I’ll leave you to it, then. And later, I’ll let you show me how much you want me.” He smacked my ass and cackled as he left the room.     WE

So I said, “Hey, Joe,” and hoped it was a start. He was startled. He opened and closed his mouth a few times. He made a growling noise deep in his chest, a low rumble that made my skin itch. It was pleased, that sound, like even just me saying his name was enough to make him happy. For all I knew, it was. It cut off as quickly as it started. He looked faintly embarrassed. I scuffed my foot in the dirt, waiting. He said, “Hey, Ox.” He cleared his throat and looked down. “Hi.” It was weird, that disconnect between the boy I’d known and the man before me. His voice was deeper and he was bigger than he’d ever been. He radiated power that had never been there before. It fit him well. I remembered that day that I’d really seen him for the first time, wearing those running shorts and little else. I pushed those thoughts away. I didn’t want him sniffing me out. Not yet. Because attraction wasn’t the problem right now. Especially not right now. I

You're wearing a bow tie," I said necessarily. He glanced over at me. "Mom said I had to dress up for this." I heard a low snort of laughter coming through the open window above the sink. And I knew. I stalked over to the window and looked outside. There, sitting spread out on the grass, were the rest of the Bennetts. Goddamn fucking werewolves. "Hello, Ox," Elizabeth said without a jint of shame. "Lovely day, isn't it?" "I will deal with you late," I said. Ooh," Carter said. "I actually got chills from that." "We're just here for support," Kelly said. "And to laugh at how embarrassing Joe is." "I heard that!" Joe shouted from behind me. I banged my head on the windowsill. "Maggie," Joe said. Then, "May I call you Maggie?" "Sure." My mother sound like she was enjoying this. The traitor. "You can call me Maggie." "Good," Joe glanced down at his card berfore looking back up at my mother. " There comes a time in every werewolf's life when he is of age to make certain decisions about his future." I wondered if I threw something at him if it'd distract him enough for me to drag him out of the kitchen. I glanced over my shoulder out the window. Cater waved at me. Like an asshole. "My future," Joe said, "is Ox." Ah god, that made me ache. “Is that so?” Mom asked. “How do you figure?” “He’s really nice,” Joe said seriously. “And smells good. And he makes me happy. And I want to do nothing more than put my mouth on him.” “Ah well,” Thomas said. "We tried." "He's our little snowflake," Elizabeth told him. "You want to do what?!" I asked Joe incredulously. He winced. "I didn't mean to say it like that.

Joe and Carter and Kelly were coming out of the woods, finishing up their run as I came back from the garden. They were laughing and shoving each other the way brothers do. I loved all three of them. Except. Except. Joe wore a pair of low-slung shorts. Just the smallest things. And that was it. He was almost as big as I was now. We were eye level, or so close that it didn’t matter, which put him a couple of inches over six feet. There was a sheen of sweat over his torso. A spattering of wet blond hairs curling on his chest that looked to be cut out of granite. The soft definition of muscles on his stomach. A line of sweat that hit his happy trail and soaked into the waistband of his shorts. He turned, saying something back to Carter, and I saw the dimples above his ass. The way his legs flexed and shifted as he hopped from one foot to the other. He pointed wildly at something back in the woods and there was a blue vein that stuck out along his bicep and I wanted to trace with my fingers because when had that happened? And those hands. Those big fucking hands and I— Joe had grown up. And somehow, I hadn’t really seen it until it was on full display. Right in front of me. He

Jessie,” Carter said. “Oh, what about her?” I said. “You baning her?” Carter asked. “Banging,” I repeated. “You smell like her,” Kelly said. “I smell like your mom too, I’m sure.” They both scowled at me. “Holy shit, that’s not what I meant. Jesus, don’t tell her i said that. And no, I’m not banging Jessie. There hasn’t been anything between us in a very long time. She had a date the other night. With a history teacher.” “So you didn't bang her while we were gone?” “Stop saying banging!” “Seriously, Carter,” Kelly said. “That’s gross.” Then, “Are you banging Robbie?” “Oh my god,” I muttered “That's not a no.” “No.” “He’s protective of you,” Carter said. “I’m his Alpha.” “Seemed a little more than that,” Kelly said. “I hate you both.” Still not a no.” “It’s not --look. It’s__” “He has a crush on you!” Carter said, sounding rather gleeful at the prospect. “It’s not a crush--” “Dude,” Kelly said. “You didn’t build a pack. You built a harem.” “Kelly!” Carter yelped. “Mom is in his harem!” Kelly paled.”Oh my god. And Mark.” “Working your way through the whole family, eh, OX?” Carter said. “You kissed me first and it couldn’t quench your insatiable thirst for Bennett.” “At least you're both still idiots,” I muttered