“Thanks. Her name is Kendra.”
Sage waved. “Hi Kendra.”
Kendra buried her face in her mom’s neck, then looked in the opposite direction, making the group around her laugh.
Sage fake pouted. “Babies usually like me.”
“Kendra only likes M-mac,” Troy said, flubbing the ‘M’ slightly.
Rogue was walking by, her rucksack on her back. She mocked Troy, imitating his speech, then laughed rudely, continuing on her way.
Reed stiffened and got in Rogue’s face, her eyes flashing with anger.
“What did you just say?”
Rogue rolled her eyes and kept walking.
82—Like Animals
Reed ran to get in front of Rogue again, then repeated herself, slowly. “What. Did. You. Just. Say.”
Rogue stopped and looked around, then she turned back to Reed and pointed at her chest. “You talking to me?”
“Yeah, you,” Reed snarled.
Rogue shrugged. “No idea. I talk so much crap, I don’t even remember.”
Reed gave her a ‘you’re-fucking-kidding-me’ look and stalked toward her, hands clenched into fists. Rogue laughed again and stuck her hands in her pockets.
Reed got in her face, tilting her head back, because Rogue was a full head taller. Rogue only watched, her expression and manner relaxed.
“Keep your mouth shut about Troy,” Reed told her.
An amused smile grew on Rogue’s face. “Or what?”
Reed shook her head, then said in a low voice, “You’re a bitch, you know that?”
Rogue snorted. “Go eat a dick, you’ll feel better.”
Timber laughed. So did Crew and Dahlia. Canyon chuckled softly. Heather covered Kendra’s ears and glared at Rogue. Sage could only stare. Troy moved closer to Reed, trying to put his arm around her, but she spun away from him, holding up a hand.
“Stay out of it, Troy. I know she doesn’t bother you, but she bothers me. There’s no reason for her to make fun of you.”
Troy kept walking toward her. “Snookums,” he said.
Rogue snorted a laugh. Reed looked at her sharply, then she looked back at Troy, pointing at the ground. Tree rootsexploded up from under Troy’s feet, meshing together and lifting him a few inches, spinning and growing around him like a jail cell.
Dirt flew and the rest of them backed away from Troy. Sage backed against the cabin, and Canyon and Timber moved to be near her.
“Oh shit,” Crew said, half-laughing.
Reed turned back to Rogue. “I’m not scared of you,” Reed hissed. “You need to learn how to keep your thoughts to yourself.”
“What, you gonna teach me?” Rogue drawled.
“Are they fighting?” someone shouted, drawing Sage’s attention down the aisle between the two rows of cabins. It was Ella, running fast, the wolf pup in her arms. “Someone stop them!”
“Maybe we should stay out of it,” Dahlia said, pointing to Troy in tree-jail. He was holding on to the wooden ‘bars’ of the tree cage, a wolfish smile on his face, his eyes on his mate.
