Brothersong Quotes

“It was warm like a summer day. It was candy canes and pinecones, it was epic and awesome, it was dirt and leaves and rain, it was grass and lake water and sunshine.

It was a forest so alive, so untouched.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“We must remember to say what’s in our hearts aloud because we can never know if it’ll be the last time we’ll ever get the chance.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“I just don’t have any idea what I’m doing.”
“Do we ever?”
“We say we do.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“Stay here. I can stay here. You go. Run.”
“Really.”
“Yes.”
“Okay. If that’s what you want. I mean, I could probably die or something, but you do you.”
He jerked his head up as he growled. “Die?”
I nodded solemnly. “Might trip over a tree root and break my neck. Or Ox could jump on me and crush my liver. Who the fuck knows?”
“Stupid Carter,” Gavin said.
“Stupid Carter,” I agreed.
“Know what you’re doing.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. So I’m just gonna go, I guess. Don’t know if I’ll ever come back, seeing as how I might be dead and all. If only there was someone out there who could have my back and—”
He put his hand over my mouth. “Stop talking. You make it worse.” His nostrils flared. “Fine. I’ll go. Stupid Carter always almost dies.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“Why are you here? What do you want?"
I closed my eyes. "To feel like I'm awake.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“I’ve been to your house.”

“You have,” Gordo said. “You pissed in my kitchen. You remember?”

Gavin shrugged. “Nope.”

“Really? Because that was a lot of piss that I had to—oh, fuck you, man. You’re yanking my chain, aren’t you.”

Gavin laughed. “Yeah. Yanking your chain. So much piss.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“Remember something for me, okay? When the moon is full and bright and you’re singing for all the world to hear, I’ll be looking up at the same moon, and I’ll be singing right back to you. For you. Always you.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“He sees through that, though. I exasperate him, I annoy him, and he scowls at me like he wants to punch my fucking teeth down my throat. And it all goes away when he says thump, thump, thump. Because he hears my heart and it anchors him. How can I say no to that? Who cares if he’s a man or a woman or somewhere in between? It doesn’t matter. All I care about is that he sees me. Like, really sees me. And I see him.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“He said, “Listen well, my son.”
He said, “Listen with all your might.”
He said, “Your pack is howling you home.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“Use your fork.”
“No.”
“Gavin, I swear to god, if you—don’t do it. Don’t pick the mashed potatoes up again with your hand.”
He stared at me as he did it anyway. Making sure I was watching, he shoved the food into his mouth again.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“Joe fluttered his eyelashes. 'Ooh, Gavin. You made my cold, dead heterosexual heart burst with super gay life and now I can't--oof!'
I tackled him. Hard.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“Excuse me for wondering why my f*ing brothers gave you a bottle of lube.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“And then I saw him.

In the snow.

Behind the trees.

A white wolf. Black on his back and chest.

His eyes burned red.

He said chase me i love you chase me.

I said, “Daddy?” because I was just a little boy again, and my father, my father was there, and he was never going to leave me, he was never going to leave me again.

He ran.

I chased after him.

Tree branches slapped against my face and chest, sharp stings as the blanket flared around me. I almost dropped it. I almost let it go.

PackLoveSon to me to me come to me”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“We ran because we were loved.
We ran because we were family.
We ran because we were pack.
We were pack.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“This," he said, taking my hand. "You. Me. The pack. This place. The people of Green Creek. That's the point, I think. We love because we can. We live because we've fought too hard to ever stop. And here we are, you and me. Together. In a moment, we'll go inside and join the others. We'll eat. We'll laugh. We'll tell stories about our day, inconsequential things that mean little to anyone but us. That's the point, I think.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“PackPackPack”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“I was stunned when he raised our joined hands to his lips. He kissed the back of my hand. And then he was gone, as if he hadn’t just devastated me. As if he hadn’t just rocked me down to my foundation.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“packpackpack sing our wolfsong sing our ravensong sing our heartsong sing for all the world to hear”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“It's the mystical moon magic,' Tanner said. He was behind my, near my head, leaning over me and studying my face. 'Makes you do dumb things like killing deer and running away to chase after a piece of ass.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“Livingstone,” Gavin said again, almost stubbornly. “I call him Livingstone. Not Dad. I had….”

“You had,” I said, squeezing his hand.

He glanced at me quickly before looking back down at the table. “I had Dad. Mom too. Not real parents. But still good.”

“What happened to them?” Robbie asked quietly.

“Dead,” Gavin said in a dull voice. “Long time ago. Still human when it happened. Car accident. I didn’t know what to do. After. Then I was wolf. Then I was Omega. And now I’m here.”

All those years broken down into a few short sentences. I wondered if I would ever know all that had happened to him or if it would be locked away in his mind. Memories hurt when you let them.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“You take the weight of everything on your shoulders so that others don’t have to carry the burden. You put others before yourself, even if it’s to your detriment. And finally, finally when you find something all your own, it’s snatched away just as you’re beginning to reach for it. It’s not fair. It never is.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“Sometimes there isn't a rational explanation, even if we want there to be one. It just feels right.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“I was tired of burning because I was burning alone.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“How could I ever be happy without you?”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“But it was my own mother I turned to.
She was smiling quietly.
She said, “Gavin. To me, if you please.”
He stiffened, but it didn’t last. He squared his shoulders. He dropped my hand and walked slowly to her. She stood on the steps above him, looking down.
She said, “Did you make your choice?”
He said, “Yes.”
“What did you choose?”
And Gavin said, “Carter.”
She started to nod, but then he spoke again.
“And family. I chose family. Pack. Pack. Pack.”
She took his face in her hands. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead. He shuddered at the press of her lips. She pulled away, but only just.
She whispered, “This is where you belong. This is where you’re supposed to be. No one else can have you. No one else can take you. I love you, I love you, I love you.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“Gordo rolled his eyes. “Come on, Gavin. Apparently it was a bad idea to leave these two idiots alone.”
“Yeah,” Gavin said. “Those idiots. Did you know Carter is stupid? He almost dies a lot.”
“I know. It’s a Bennett thing. Trust me, you think you can stop them or even get used to it, but then they go and do something ridiculous and you have to save them. Again.”
“And again,” Gavin said, scowling at me. “Don’t know why they can’t see it.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“She said, “That man out there. That wonderful man followed you for years. He put himself between you and harm’s way time and time again. And when he thought his father was going to take you away from him, when you were screaming as Livingstone’s magic was pouring into you, he made his choice. He found it within himself to crawl from the depths of whatever feral hell he was in. For you, Carter. How are you so blind to that? I know he’s not what you expected. I know you never thought about one such as him—”
[...]
But don’t ever doubt what Gavin Walsh feels for you. Everything he’s done has been for you. Carter, can’t you see? He loves you. So much so that he was willing to sacrifice himself in Caswell just to keep you safe. He chose you over his father. It’s why he left with him. Not because he wanted to. But because he thought it would mean Livingstone could never touch you again.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“Who cares, right? I mean, it’s sort of fitting, you know? And even if there wasn’t this thing between us, I could.…” I shook my head. “Even when he was stuck as a wolf, I felt it. I didn’t know what it was. In hindsight, I should have. I hated it at first, but I got used to it. Then he was gone. It hurt more than I ever thought something like that could. And all I could think about was getting to him. I need him to be my shadow because without him, I’m … I felt lost. He’s snarly. He’s surly. He’s a pain in my fucking ass. But there’s no one like him. Dad told me once that there could be others, that there wasn’t just one person. That we had a choice. I think I’ve made mine, though. If he’ll have me. Do you think he’ll have me? I’m not perfect. I make mistakes.” I shrugged awkwardly. “He sees through that, though. I exasperate him, I annoy him, and he scowls at me like he wants to punch my fucking teeth down my throat. And it all goes away when he says thump, thump, thump. Because he hears my heart and it anchors him. How can I say no to that? Who cares if he’s a man or a woman or somewhere in between? It doesn’t matter. All I care about is that he sees me. Like, really sees me. And I see him.”
I looked at my brothers.
They were gaping at me.
“What?” I said, suddenly self-conscious. I rubbed the back of my neck as my face grew hot.
“Holy shit,” Kelly breathed.
“You love him,” Joe whispered.
I glared at them. “I do not. Shut up.”
“No,” Kelly said, voice growing louder. “You looooooove him.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“I would do it again if I had to.”
“For him?”
“Yes,” I said defiantly.
“Because of what he is to you.”
Jesus Christ. This wasn’t going like I thought it would. And yet.… “Yes.”
Gavin sucked in a sharp breath.
“Good,” Ox said, and suddenly he was smiling. It was dazzling, and I was breathless at the sight of it. “Because you need to take Gavin as your mate.”
I almost swallowed my own tongue. I started coughing roughly, bending over, trying not to die.
“You did that on purpose,” Joe said, shaking his head fondly. “Jesus, Ox. We talked about this.”
Ox shrugged. “We did. But he made me mad, so now we’re even. I feel better.” His smile widened. “All right there, Carter? Do you need a moment?”
“Fuck … you,” I wheezed.
“Bitchy Alpha,” Kelly muttered.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong

“Gordo said, “And I don’t know what to do. It’s like it was before when everything was dark. When I left you behind even though every part of me was screaming to keep you with me. Mark, I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to fix this. I don’t know how to make it all end. We can’t keep going on like this. I love you. I miss you. I need you. Please don’t ever let me go.”
― T.J. Klune, Brothersong