C4

Thorne Matthews

"Why are you smelling like fried pig fat when you should be getting your wolf ready for the Moonfang Harvest House shift?" Ellis Johnson shifts the gears of his beat-up mechanical carriage, the metal rattling hard as we roll through the lower territory.

I lean my large head back against the seat, sighing deeply. "Sokka and Randall Kirkland were snarling at the breakfast table when I walked in. Randall was complaining about the burnt meat. You know Sokka cannot cook anything right unless it is boiled wild grass."

Ellis lets out a massive bark of laughter, nearly running us into a ditch. "Burnt meat? That is what started the growling? Randall better watch his throat, because Sokka will rip his fur out if he pushes too far."

"Oh, Sokka was ready to bite," I say, a small smirk moving my lips. "Told him if he did not like it, he could take his sorry rogue ass off our pack land. Randall told him he ought to hold him down and force him to eat it. Then Sokka told him he would be limping out of the Raven Hollow Pack Settlement forever if he tried it."

Ellis slaps the wooden steering wheel, cackling loud. "Randall needs to stop playing with a rabid wolf. Sokka is crazy. He really would make him limp."

"I left before the claws came out," I say, shaking my head. "I just do not get him. He takes that rogue back every time just to get more silver-dust and more fights."

Ellis rolls his eyes. "Thorne, you act like this is new. That is the thousandth time he took that pack trader back. Sokka just wants a dominant male around, even a bad one."

I give a small laugh, but my chest feels heavy. "Speaking of dominant males... Ellis Boyd sent a message to my communication crystal last night."

Ellis Johnson whips his head around so fast his neck cracks. "What? And you did not lead with that?"

"It was nothing great, trust me," I say, crossing my thick arms over my chest. "He asked what I was doing, then told me he just dropped off Trudy Bennett."

Ellis groans loudly. "Who cares about Trudy? I knew that fake little wolf was going to try and lock down his mate bond as soon as he got that Alpha Warrior Champion buzz."

"Exactly," I say, my voice dropping. "Then he asked if he should get serious with her. Said she wants a real pack bond now, but he does not get why because she has been curving his male attention since they were young pups."

Ellis lets out a sharp laugh. "I hope you told him hell no. She does not want his wolf; she wants the pack resources that come with the champion title. There is no Trudy without the capital gold."

"I told him to focus on his training and leave relationships alone," I say. "But he had to tell me she has great heat. I did not need to hear that."

Ellis gasps loud. "He said that to you? Oh, no. He is playing mind games with your feelings, Thorne. Why do you let him get away with that?"

"What am I supposed to say?" I mutter, looking down at my large, heavy hands. "I cannot tell him how my wolf really feels. We always talk about things like that. I do not want to ruin our friendship just because I have feelings and he does not."

"He needs to know what is up," Ellis says firmly. "Or you need to start giving Frank Pratt a real chance. You have been dragging your feet on that courtship for too long."

"I am thinking about it," I admit, though my stomach twists.

Ellis turns to me with a sly grin. "Oh, so now you want him?"

"Do not push it," I laugh, my face burning. "Frank— he is just not my type. You know I am not into those soft-furred, light-skinned wolves. I mean, he is not ugly or anything."

"No, he is not ugly at all with his pretty Drake-looking face," Ellis laughs. "He hates when I say that."

I chuckle. "Just like you hate when he calls you Donna Matthews or Big Glo."

"Because I do not look like Donna!"

I just stare at him. "Brother, I hate to check your wolf, but you do look like Donna Matthews. Everybody says it, including Ellis Boyd."

Ellis growls playfully at me. "Fuck Ellis Boyd and his long-legged wolf form."

"Why do you get so mad anyway? Donna is a cute male wolf," I tease, mocking the royal pack accent.