I stood there watching them. These people, my family. They told Gavin he looked good in his new clothes. They asked him to tell them what happened to the lady who cut his hair. They laughed when he snapped his teeth in the middle of his retelling. Every now and then he’d glance back at me, as if just to make sure I was still there. Every time he did, he would smile just a little bit before turning back around and continuing his stories.
He fit.
I could see that now.
He fit. Like he’d always been here.
And later, when the sky was beginning to darken, we stood alone on the porch. The stars were coming out, and the territory thrummed within me, stronger and louder than it’d been these past days.
Healing.
We were healing.
Slowly but surely.
Gavin said, “I had a good day.”
I looked over at him. He was staring off at the blue house, the lights on inside though no one was home. “Did you?”
He nodded. “Rico is good. Chris and Tanner too. They helped me.”
“Why did you ask them? I’m glad you did,” I added quickly. “Just… why?”
“Questions,” he mumbled.
“Pretty sure I’m never not going to ask questions.”
“I know. Annoying.” But he touched the back of my hand, as if to show me he didn’t mean it. “They’re….” He paused, mouth thinning.
I waited, knowing he was trying to put his thoughts in order.
Finally he said, “They’re like me. Kind of. Still new to being wolves. Still learning. And I’m new to being like this. Human. Still learning. Easier, though. It’s getting easier. They teach me. And I teach them.”
“Like pack,” I said quietly.
He started to nod but stopped himself. “Yeah. Sure. But I didn’t mean like that. Like friends. I never… had that. Friends. People who didn’t want anything. From me. Always used. Before I was a wolf. And after.” He swallowed thickly. “They wanted to help me. And they didn’t need me. To do something for them. It’s… different. New. I like it.” He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “Better, I think. Than it was before.”
“When you were a wolf?”
“Yeah.” He tapped the side of
his head. “I can hear them. Quiet. Livingstone still loud, but not like it was. And now I can tell them. What I’m thinking. Couldn’t do that when I was a wolf. I like being a wolf. Less complicated. But I think I like being human more.”
“I like it when you’re human too.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
He gnawed on his bottom lip. “I… like it too. When you’re human. Or when you’re wolf. Or when you’re anything. Thump, thump, thump.”
“Thump, thump, thump.”
“Stupid Carter.”
“Stupid Gavin.”
He laughed.