Wolfsong

I ASKED him once about his tattoos.

The shapes. The patterns. Like there was a design. All bright colors and strange symbols that I thought should be familiar. Like it was on the tip of my tongue. I knew they went all the way up his arms. I didn’t know how far they went beyond that.

He said, “Everyone has a past, Ox.

We can’t leave it here,” she said. “He’ll be offended.”

“I’ll be honest. I’m already offended.”

My daddy had told me people were gonna give me shit and that it was gonna hurt.

My father was a liar.

Everything had been shit.

But I was still fucking standing.

daddy had told me people were gonna give me shit and that it was gonna hurt.

My father was a liar.

Everything had been shit.

But I was still fucking standing.

That I love you.”

It’s not Force—”

“We rest our case,” Tanner said quite loudly.

“The humans feel the bond too?” Gordo asked Elizabeth and Mark.

“The enemy,” Gordo repeated flatly before slowly turning to look at me.

“I didn’t say anything,” I said.

“You could have gone dark side,” Tanner said.

“Like full-on Darth Gordo,” Chris said.

Gordo put his face in his hands. “I told you guys, I’m a witch. I’m not a Jedi.”

“Um, excuse me,” Rico said. “Can you or can you not shoot Force lightning from your fingertips.”

It’s weird. Just because you don’t see it as weird, doesn’t mean it’s not.”

“Talking about it doesn’t make it any less weird.”

“I feel like we should at least address the weirdness—”

“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.”

He stares off into the distance sometimes,” Chris added helpfully. “With his quiet strength. And his angst.”