Hunt Me! I Crave the Chase (Spooky Boys #3)

“You gave me digital money,” he explained, annoyed. “It’s not like it was real.”

“Oh my god.”

“How am I supposed to use it?” Butters huffed out, annoyed.

“Just because you can’t smell it doesn’t make it not real.” Harry’s voice was practically hysterical. “Please tell me you didn’t lose your card?”

“What card?”

“The card you’ve been using to buy the dumb app shit? You know. That card.”

“Oh. Oops.”

“Jesus Christ.” Harry pinched the bridge of his nose, then turned on me, violet eyes flaming. “You know what? Never mind.” I flinched beneath his attention. “And you! Why the hell don’t you have a phone? Do you have any idea how panicked I was when Butters phone died mid-call? I had to fucking hunt you guys down. I know you hate human shit, and technology and blah, blah, blah but at this point it’s just absolutely idiotic to not be able to contact you when I need to. You can’t be stubborn about this. Not anymore. It’s a safety issue now.”

I whined, embarrassed all over again. Because he was right.

I’d been far too stubborn about this.

“You don’t have clothes. You are constantly stealing Butters stuff. You don’t have a phone. You can’t drive. You can barely read. And that’s all fine and good and whatever. I don’t want you to change. Of course I don’t! It’s fine for you to be the way you are—I just. I am this close to having a mental breakdown at any given time. Between the negotiatons—that you don’t fucking come to—worrying about you because you’re off getting your dick wet half the week and completely incommunicado, babysitting the blond-haired himbo with a CandyCrush addiction, and Jules and his erotica obsession, I am going to fucking break. Something needs to give.” I hadn’t considered how much pressure Harry was under, and immediately I felt bad. “I mean…what if something happens to you?” His eyes were wild. “What if you get stuck?” I knew what he meant. Stuck in my wolfskin. Unable to shift. It was the first sign of going fully feral. And the reason there was a number on the fridge in the first place.

“Because if you get stuck I only have twelve fucking hours. Twelve hours before you’re put down. Twelve hours, Mutt! And I’ve got a whole plan. A whole fucking plan, but what use is it, if you can’t call me?” Harry continued.

He was right.

Even though I wasn’t sure how he expected me to call him if I did get stuck. But still.

I’d been stubborn.

Too stubborn.

My whole life I’d been adamant I didn’t want any of the “human” things my brothers liked. I hadn’t understood the appeal, or their necessity. But now I just…I hated the look on Harry’s face.

I hadn’t realized how stressed out he was.

I knew he was doing his best, and I…well…

I’d been selfish.

Been focused on myself and my struggles and hadn’t seen that my older brother was breaking. I needed to do better. Besides, lately I could actually see the appeal of a phone. Jeffrey used his a lot and I wanted…well, I wanted to be able to talk to him. There’d be times when I was locked up before the shift hit, and I’d be lonely and alone—and I just…I may not have been able to write all that well, but I could try, couldn’t I?

“At this point—I don’t even—I just—” Harry pulled at his hair. “Aaughh!”

“Harry.” It felt weird talking to him. Not because we weren’t close, but because I’d never really used my words with him before. “Harry?—”

Harry’s ranting softened, as did his posture. He sighed, flopping down onto the curb beside us, his scent no longer so acrid. “What?”

“You’re right,” I said simply.

“I…am?” He blinked, surprised.

“You are,” I leaned against him, soaking up his warmth in a way I hadn’t in months. Maybe years. Not since his scent had stopped working, and the call of family didn’t soften the ache of the moon. Harry whined, a low, needy sound, turning into me and flinging his arms around me. He was leaner than I was, all his bony limbs jabbing into mine as he snuggled in close.

Butters piled on, smashing into us, the scent of chocolate on his breath.

Ew.

The warmth of pack filled my heart. It’d been weeks since I let myself have this. Hell, if I was being honest, it had been a lot longer than that. Even before I’d found Jeffrey and followed him home. Even before I’d returned and asked to be sent here. Maybe since the last time the moon had felt like a friend, and her light had been kind and not an omen.