Page 65 of The Good Boys Club

“Um, this is gonna sound really weird,” I said when she stopped spinning.

“You wanna sniff my butt?”

“Yeah.”

She laughed again. “I kinda wanna sniff your butt too. We don’t have to tell anyone.”

“Oh!” I said after the butt sniffing had happened. “It’s not gross.”

“No, it’s not gross at all.”

“I’m gonna find some more trees to pee on,” I said.

“Ooh, that sounds fun. I’m gonna go and howl. I really want to howl.”

“Ooh, me too.”

We ran together all night, playing and rolling around, chasing and pinning each other. Drinking from the stream. We weren’t brave enough to hunt and eat raw meat, but I had no doubt we’d get there eventually.

We woke up in a bed of pine needles three metres apart from each other. I was thankful we weren’t cuddling, because we were both buck-ass naked. Luckily, no boner that morning.

“Mash, oh my god!” Poppy said, jumping to her feet, wrapping her arm around her chest, and placing one hand in front of her privates.

I covered my eyes, and then probably too late, I realised I should have been covering my dick.

“Um . . .” Poppy said. “Where are we?”

I peeked through my fingers. Saw the red-tiled roof of Mam’s workshop. “Oh, okay, I know where we are. We’re not that far from the house and the marquee. You wait here and I’ll go fetch your clothes.”

“Are you sure?” Poppy said, but she was already looking for a place to sit.

“Back in a sec.”

“Hey, Mash?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you remember any of last night?”

“Uh . . .” I thought about it. “Bits, I guess. Like I remember how much shifting hurt. And I remember sniffing your butt—”

“Oh my god.”

“But I’m not sure I remember much else. I know I had fun, though,” I said.

“Me too,” Poppy agreed.

As I walked back to the cubbies to collect our clothes, I remembered with lightning-strike clarity, my destiny as the next Cassidy pack leader had been confirmed.

Who Let the Dogs Out

Present Day

Cian

Colourful bands striped the last of the evening sky. My smart watch told me it was eight oh eight. Half an hour until sunset. I took a deep breath in and puffed it out in one continuous, dragging sigh.

Here we go.

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