Page 1 of Pack Baines

Prologue

Juniper

“You promise we’ll always have each other?” I ask on a whisper, turning my head on the ratty blanket Creek brought out into the field behind the twins’ fancy house.

Holding his hand out for me to take, he stares right into my eyes as he declares, “I promise, Juno. You’ll always be ours, and we’ll always be yours. I’ll even make a bet to prove it.”

I’m tempted to do it, too. I’ll get him to kiss a frog or something else I know he won’t like. Before I can agree to it, my thoughts are interrupted.

“You can’t get rid of us, Firecracker,” Geo teases, hugging my skinny leg to his chest from where he’s sprawled, grinning widely at me instead of looking up at the glittering stars littered across the dark sky.

Lips twitching, I nudge him with my foot, knocking loose one of my favorite sounds in the world. His laughter could light up the darkest night, and the battle to keep my smile tucked away is lost the instant I hear it.

Evron, not being one to sit on the sidelines, drops his head onto my stomach and claims, “Damn straight. You’re stuck with us, Blue. Forever and ever and ever and—”

I cut his words off with anoomph, my hand slapping over his mouth while I laugh, only to yank it away when helicks it. “Eww!”

All three of them laugh, and I settle back into the blanket, staring back at the sparkling stars that wink down at me from between tree branches and clouds. I can still feel Creek watching me, but I don’t turn my head, lips twitching again until he whispers, “We’ll get you out of there one of these days, J. If it’s the last thing we do.”

My chest hurts and tears spring to life as I shut my eyes, wanting nothing more than his words to be true. Wishing with everything in my pint-sized body for them to get me out from that place, from them. It’s the only dream I have. Well, that and running away with the boys that brought me into the fold two years ago. That’s the more unlikely dream, though. At twelve years old, I know better, because life doesn’t just hand out dreams like that. Especially not to poor little girls that live in trailer parks and are trapped by a pack that should never have been allowed to have kids. Not to mention, I’m sure the boys’ packs will all be worried. After all, they’re loved and cared for, come from enough money to make me envious, and will have search parties out for them until they’re found. Not a single member of any of their packs would rest until they were back home, safe and warm and cared for.

I’d be surprised if my parents even noticed me missing. It would probably take them a week, by then their money would have dried up, taking with it their addictions. As soon as the fog would clear, that’s when they’d storm into my room and…

Rubbing a hand over the bruises on my collar bone I’ve kept secret from the boys, I fight the dread of knowing I’ll have to go back there soon. The boys will be called home, and I’ll be left to walk back to that crap hole, knowing what I’ll be greeted by the moment I step through the door. Trash everywhere, empty bottles scattered on every surface available, days old empty food packets. Used needles. Baggies of white powder that looks like flour. Weird glass things they boil water in and smoke comes out of. And that’s not even the worst part. I wish it was the worst part.

When I realize Creek is still waiting on some kind of acknowledgement, I nod, accepting and hugging his hand to mygrumbling stomach. It’s been eight hours since I ate last, at the pity of one of my teachers who saw my lunch box empty again. Pretty sure she’s taken it upon herself to start bringing an extra lunch for me, just in case. That just in case has been every day of the week so far, my lunch box sitting as empty and neglected as me since the adults still haven’t bought groceries like they were supposed to. Instead, there’s been more alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs stashed away where the food should be, leaving me hungry and ignoring the pains in my belly.

A nearby rustle draws our attention, Evron sitting up to watch the opening where we came through, only to fall back against my stomach when the twins appear through the trees. Both are carrying bags filled to the brim, and Geo slaps his hands over my legs, rubbing them together as he says, “Thank god. I’m starving.”

A thundering rumble from my belly says the same, and Geo frowns the moment he hears it. Before he can question the sound, Leylan drops a bag onto the blanket and smiles shyly at me as he says, “We brought a picnic. I grabbed your favorite chips and iced tea.”

I’m sitting up quickly, dislodging Evron’s head with a grumble of protest following, and I make grabby hands at the bag with a whisper, “Peach, right?”

“Obviously,” his brother answers, rolling his eyes at me, but not without a twitch of his lips that tells me he’s teasing.

Lowie passes me the bottle of peach iced tea with a shudder, and I poke my tongue out at him, taking the bottle gratefully. Then he’s dropping everything else onto the blankets, his brother copying the motion, until there’s a small mountain of food stacked in the middle of the blanket.

Without so much as another word, Lowie takes a seat behind me, his long legs framing mine as he drags me back to lean on him. Cedarwood and faint hints of coconut surrounds me instantly, and I relax into him, accepting the family-sized packet of chips Leylan places on my stomach. Lowie reaches over to open them and, like thatwas a signal for everyone to tuck in, we all dive in and snack away until the hunger pains slowly disappear.

The next couple of hours are spent talking about school, a football game they all have next week, and everything else but my home life. In fact, they all make a good effort to stay completely away from it, like if they don’t even acknowledge the disaster my life is, it won’t be real. Sadly, that bubble only lasts an hour longer before there’s a call nearby.

“Leylan, Lowie. It’s time to get inside,” one of the twins’ dads shouts, making my lips twitch. “Say bye to your friends, kiddos.”

Lowie sighs, dropping his head to my shoulder, and Leylan sends me a sad look that almost has those forgotten tears appearing again. I try to offer him a smile, but it’s forced and feels funny on my face, but I shrug and tell him, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Meet you here after school?” he almost pleads, his voice cracking and making a genuine smile break out over my face. Ever since they turned thirteen a year ago, the twins have been struggling with their voices cracking, and they get a kick out of me finding it so funny. There’s just something hilarious about them turning squeaky in the middle of a sentence every now and then.

I nod quickly, making to stand, Lowie helping with ease. I offer them both a hug, one tight enough to steal my breath, and the other so soft that I almost break down and cry in front of them, before they start packing away the trash we left in the middle of the blanket. Geo grabs the blanket before holding out his arms, wrapping me in a bear hug to end all bear hugs, and I can’t help but wheeze when those arms band tightly around me. Evron steals me just as quickly, tucking his face into the crook of my neck, rocking us back and forth before releasing me with a sad smile. He knows what I’m going home to. They all do. And we all hate it.

“Boys, we have a house full of packs here,” the twins’ dad calls again, laughter in his voice. “Creek, your mama said to hurry your ass up before your dads come out and haul you inside. Geo, you’ve got ten seconds to get to your mama’s car at the curb beforeshe sics all of your dads on you, and Evron, you’d best explain to your dads and mama why you didn’t tell them you were coming over, because I just caught some shit I wasn’t ready for.”

A burst of laughter escapes me, and I turn just in time to watch Ev wince and cringe, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket and typing a message quickly. A reply comes quickly, and his shoulders sag with a relieved sigh. “Dad forgot to tell them all that I was here. This one isn’t on me.”

“False alarm, Ev. Your dad screwed the pooch,” comes another shout, and I’m clutching my stomach from laughing so hard.

Creek shakes his head, grinning at me while I cackle, but he holds a hand out for me to take and starts our trek through the trees back to the twins’ house. He’s already taller than me, even being only a year older, but his strides are longer than mine. I’m practically running to keep up, and I roll my eyes when he snorts without slowing down.

I’m panting and breathless by the time we get to the twins’ house, legs a little shaky from how little I’ve eaten all day, but I still manage a smile when Kaleb comes into view. “Juni-bear, I didn’t know you were here.”

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