Here was my insanity:
I walked back into the compound.
Some of the wolves waved at me. Some did not.
I smiled at those who did. I smiled at those who did not.
Little cubs ran around me, shouting my name, demanding that I lift them up and spin them around.
I did.
God help me, I did.
Tony screamed in delight, just like all the others.
What was it like when you were here before?
Why were you blue when you came back?
I almost dropped him.
He looked up at me with wide eyes, nostrils flaring. “Blue,” he whispered. “It’s all blue.”
Sonari said, “Hey, Robbie.” She smiled as the cubs took a step away from me. They weren’t frightened of me, but they knew something was wrong.
“Hi,” I said. “Sorry, I’ve—I’ve got to run.”
Her smile faded slightly. “Oh. Hey, that’s okay. Maybe we can talk later?”
“Sure. Yeah.”
“Are you all right?” She looked concerned. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I left them standing there. I could feel their eyes on me as I walked away.
Santos was on guard duty.
He stood in front of the house.
He said, “What are you doing here? Alpha Hughes said you’re not allowed back at the house. It’s for your own good.”
“Where did you go?”
He glared at me. “Fuck off, Fontaine.”
I didn’t know how it happened. One moment there was distance between us. The next I had him pressed up against the porch railing, the wood cracking under our combined weight, my claws in his throat. A small drop of blood trickled down his neck.
“Get the fuck off me!” he cried.
“What did you do?” I whispered hotly in his ear. “What the fuck did you do?”
“Jesus Christ, have you lost your damn mind? What the hell is wrong with you?”
He tried to shove me away.
I let him.
His blood was on