Page 38 of Emerald Moon (Pitch Mountain Pack #2)
twenty-five
Waking up in another pack house was strange, but waking up to Cass and having her around made Jo want to giggle and kick their feet, shout to the entire world that Cass was the actual best.
Running into Alexander in the hallway right outside of Cass’ room was almost enough to pop the giddy bubble.
He stared at Jo. They stared back. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came.
He glanced at his sister’s closed door, then back at Jo.
He looked like he was trying to speak again, but all he did was point at them, make a pained sort of smile, then gave them an awkward thumbs up.
Jo returned the gesture and slid into Cass’ room, bursting into laughter as soon as the door was closed.
Seeing Krista downstairs was much better. She seemed to do the same dance of piecing together the scene in front of her, but she was much faster than Alexander and, instead of a thumbs up, Jo was on the receiving end of a running hug that nearly pushed them back into a wall.
”Good to see you, too,” Jo managed as the air was punched from their lungs.
Krista backed up just enough to place both hands on either side of Jo’s face. “You. Me. Coffee, dinner, whatever. ASAP.”
With their cheeks smooshed, they managed to say, “How about tonight?”
”Perfect.” She dropped her hands, gave them another hug, then bounced over to Cass to do the same, repeating the same routine and making sure Cass promised to tell her side of everything over some croissants and coffee when she got back from dropping off Jo.
“They’re going to have an earful for you back at your pack house,” Krista teased as they turned to leave. “Coming back the next afternoon after a date. They’re going to connect those dots.”
Jo grimaced. “Let’s hope they show me some mercy.”
They knew better than to expect that and braced themselves for the teasing they’d face.
Jo had to pass by the entrance to the living room to go upstairs. They nearly made it unnoticed, but a squeaky floorboard gave them away. Harry and Billie’s heads turned in their direction. Jo waved and tried to rush upstairs, but Harry was quicker.
”Welcome home, Captain Stays Out All Night.”
Despite wanting to run up to their room, they crossed their arms and raised an eyebrow. “Is that the best you can do?”
“Captain Get Some,” Billie chimed in, her neutral expression giving way to a sly grin.
Jo peered into the room and realized Edgar was sitting in there, too, reading but definitely listening to the exchange judging by his smile.
”Ain’t your business,” Jo deflected, but the deflection in itself said everything the two of them needed to know.
“Well, you look like a hot mess,” Harry said.
”With an emphasis on hot,” Billie added.
”It’s summer,” Jo deadpanned.
”Not what I meant,” Billie said like it wasn’t obvious. “Looks like one of your crushes finally went somewhere.”
”Weirdly enough, it didn’t start that way. It kind of took me by surprise, this one.”
“Good for you.” Billie shrugged with a sideways smile, losing interest as the chances to tease Jo lessened, but still sincerely sharing her feelings in her own way. She turned back around.
Harry turned the rest of the way and threw his arms over the back of the couch, his chin resting on the cushion. “You got details?”
”No way. I’m not sharing anything about last night.”
”Please keep it that way for my sake,” Edgar called from the other side of the room.
Harry made a face. “Not about that! About Cass. The rest of us barely know her.”
”How do you know her name?”
Raising one eyebrow, Harry tilted his head. “Do you really think we don’t know at least that much?”
“Well, she’s clever and interesting and really into birds and she’s a little bit weird in a good way.”
”She’d have to be, to like you.”
”You’re not wrong. She’s wonderful, though.”
”Keep it in your pants, Jo.”
They sneered in reply, pivoting to make their way upstairs — only to meet Seraphine coming down.
”Beta Seraphine!” Jo squeaked.
Sera’s attention turned from whispering to herself to taking in Jo’s appearance. They wondered if their Beta remembered what they were wearing yesterday and would recognize it. From the way Sera’s lips curled into a sharp grin, Jo was pretty sure the answer was yes.
”Having a good day?” Sera asked.
”Yep! Doing great. Just out and about this afternoon. Going to rest for a bit. How about you? Doing anything fun?”
“Not as much as you, I bet.”
Jo felt their cheeks warm. “Eh, I don’t know about that. I’m not doing much today.”
”Sometimes rest is important, too, isn’t it?” She patted Jo on the shoulder and kept walking down the steps.
They thought they were in the clear, but Sera added, “Give Cass our regards, will you?”
Jo sprinted the rest of the way to their room and shut the door behind them, their back against the door.
Wil looked up from her canvas. “Welcome back.”
Dolly hopped off the bed and curled between Jo’s legs. They stooped to give her some pats on the head. “Thanks. It’s been good, but glad to be back, too. You had another artist meetup last night, right? How’d that go?”
Wil set down her paintbrush and turned in her stool to face Jo, features solemn. “I may have had three glasses of wine, and I may have let out sassy Wil.”
“Oh my gosh — what did you do?”
“There’s this merman, right? And I don’t know why he has it out for me, but it’s like he thinks we’re rivals in the Hickorywood art scene or something, except it’s completely one-sided.
I don’t even know who he is! He just kept making comments and, after I had my third glass of wine, I said, ‘Who even are you?’ Which was the exact wrong thing to say, I guess? ”
”Was that all you said?”
Wil laughed. “You know me too well. No, of course it wasn’t. Once sassy Wil was unleashed, it was hard to tuck her back away. I didn’t say anything bad. I just stood my ground.”
“Sounds like you were just fine, then, and this merman is a real piece of work.”
“You can say that again.”
Dolly hopped back up on the bed and circled a few times, finding a good way to sleep.
”So you’re not going to ask me about last night?” Jo asked.
”You’ll tell me if you want to.”
”What do you want to know?”
”If you’re happy.”
”Very.”
”Then that’s all I need to know, but feel free to share whatever you want.”
Jo sat on the edge of their bed, careful not to disturb the cat.
“She’s the best. Cass is so fun, and caring, and sweet, and hot.
She’s, like I said, way too good for me, but also maybe it’s fine?
Maybe it’s not as disparate levels of goodness as I thought?
But like, she’s wonderful and took me out on this great date, then we ran as wolves.
And she takes such good care of me. It’s like this totally new feeling — you’re really just going to let me go on and on about how Cass is the best? ”
”For as long as you like.”
”You’re the best, too.” Jo grinned.