When she had a cherry cola sitting in front of her, George sat down on a stool on the other side of the counter. Before he could open his mouth to ask her a question, she asked, “Why does everyone call it Swensen’s mountain?”
George hesitated, then launched into a ghost story about witches and the devil. When he’d finished, she said, “Have people seen this ghost?”
“Oh sure, lots of people. It’s the price the witch pays for crossing the devil,” George said, then in almost a whisper, “That’s not the only thing you have to worry about up there on that mountain.”
Kara leaned closer, her curiosity piqued, although she didn’t really believe the story about a ghost walking around the mountain looking for her children. “Are there more ghosts?”
George shook his head. “No, something much worse. Let me just say this; if it were a full moon, I wouldn’t be letting you go back there. But now that I think about it, maybe it would be better if you stayed with me tonight.”
Kara knew exactly what he was talking about; after all, Jessie was her brother, but she wanted to hear more. “What do you mean? What happens on a full moon?”
Chapter Six
***Danny***
Kara had been gone much longer than he’d expected, and he was just starting to get worried when he saw her come up the trail from town with an overstuffed backpack thrown over her shoulder. He made his way across the garden trying not to look as happy as he was to see her but couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face.
“I thought maybe you decided not to come back,” he said, then wished he hadn’t.
Kara smiled at him. “George tried to persuade me that it wasn’t a good idea, told me some wild stories about you all,” she said, then waited for his reaction. When he didn’t say anything, she added, “He really doesn’t like Jessie.”
Danny’s eyes got big, “What did he say?” he asked, his imagination running wild with all the possibilities.
“Well, according to George, this place is full of ghosts and werewolves,” she said as calmly as if she’d been talking about the weather.
Danny could only stare at her for a long time, trying to figure out what she was thinking. Finally, he said, “But you don’t believe him.”
Kara shrugged her shoulders. “Some of it, but one thing that was clear to me was how much George hates Jessie. He more or less told me that Jessie was a dangerous monster who couldn’t be trusted.”
Danny shook his head. “He’s not, Kara, he’s a kind and caring man who’s been treated unfairly by the people of this town.”
“George said that you left home to move up here; he thinks Jessie put a spell or something on you. He couldn’t really explain that one, but he couldn’t warn me enough about how dangerous it was to be up here with you all. He more or less told me that if I came up here, I might never leave, like you,” Kara said.
Danny felt anger rising inside him, felt the unfairness of George’s hatred for Jessie, and now for himself. “I used to work for George. I believed all that stuff he says about Jessie, but then I met him and discovered that he’s not a monster, he’s a good person. I know that might be hard for you to believe after the way he treated you, but it’s true.”
“Did you really fight off a pack of wolf-shifters?” Kara asked.
“Yeah, with no help from anyone from town,” Danny said, pride in his voice, then asked, “Aren’t you scared to be up here after everything you heard from George? Most people wouldn’t have even come back.”
“I can see now why Jessie reacted the way he did when I showed up. I wish he would talk to me, but I can understand why he doesn’t want to,” Kara said. “But his mother wasn’t a terrible person; she did what she had to back then, and she thought she was making the right decision. I don’t think she would have done it if she’d known what was going to happen to him. I wish I could make him understand that.”
“Well, if you stay, maybe he’ll talk to you. Sophie seems to think he will,” Danny said, hoping that he was reading Kara right.
“I don’t really have much choice; Jack says it’s going to be at least three days before he can get the part for my car. But I’m not going to push things with Jessie,” she said.
***Kara***
After a shower and a change of clothes, it was late afternoon, so Kara headed for the cabin to see if she could find something to do to help around the farm. If she was going to be there for three days, she wasn’t going to spend it sitting in her room, and she had to find a way to show her gratitude, especially after the trouble she’d caused.
Sophie was in the kitchen making dinner, but when she saw her, she set down the knife she’d been using to cut vegetables and poured them both a cup of coffee. “Come and sit down and tell me about your day,” she said, gesturing to one of the chairs at the table.
Kara sat down not sure what to say. “Well, it’s going to take at least three days to get my car fixed, so if it’s okay with you, I’d like to stay. But I’m willing to help out; put me to work, I’ve got a little experience at just about everything.”
Sophie studied her for a second, “I think we can find something to keep you occupied, but I’m surprised you came back after everything George told you.”
“How did you know I saw him?” Kara asked, surprised.
Sophie shrugged, “I just figured you’d run into him in town, but you didn’t answer my question.”
Kara chose her words carefully. “I’ve had some experience with gifted people; my mother was from Gypsum creek,” she said, then quickly added, “but she left a long time ago.”
“Is that how she knew Jessie’s mother?” Sophie asked.
“Yes, and she told me all about shifters and werewolves,” Kara answered, hoping that would satisfy Sophie.
“And you’re not scared of us? Does that mean that you’re a shifter? I can usually tell, but with you, I’m not sure.”
Kara was relieved to be able to answer honestly. “I’m not a shifter, but I’m not afraid of them. I understand what it means to be a black werewolf, so that doesn’t scare me either.”
Sophie studied her for a second, then said, “Okay then, let’s find something to keep you busy. Do you know how to bake? We make all our own bread up here, and we could use some more.”
Kara grinned. “It just so happens that I spent a few months working in a bakery.”
After she baked enough bread to feed an army, she made some sweet treats, hoping Jessie would take it as a peace offering. But he didn’t show up for dinner that night, and it was nearly midnight before she heard the truck pull up to the cabin. The next morning, he was gone before she was out of bed, and she knew that he was avoiding her.
Knowing that there was nothing she could do to change his mind, she decided to push him from her mind and enjoy her stay in the mountains. Take this time to relax a little and recharge her batteries before she had to go back out on the road, back to her life of running from Sebastian.
As one day bled into two, she found that the days passed quickly when there was so much work to do. Sophie explained that with winter coming, there was more than the normal chores that had to be done, so she jumped in and helped where ever she could.
In only two days, she’d learned to milk a cow, let the chickens peck her as she gathered eggs, and spent so much time in the garden that her skin had begun to tan. But it was what happened to her on the second day she was there that seemed most extraordinary.
She was out in the far corner of the garden harvesting the last of the onions when she caught a flash of white out of the corner of her eye. When she looked up, there was nothing in the trees, so she went back to work, but it wasn’t long before she saw the flash again.
This time, she didn’t look up, just continued pulling fat white onions out of the ground and replacing them with the little bulbs that would sprout in the spring and start the entire process over.
It wasn’t long before what had been flashes of white became a vague white sha
pe in her peripheral vision. She closed her eyes, then slowly turned her head and opened them, sure she was about to see the ghost of Molly Swensen.
But to her surprise, what she saw was the biggest white wolf she’d ever seen. It was looking directly at her, its green eyes focused on hers, and for a moment she couldn’t breathe. She felt an instant sense of recognition, a connection with the huge animal that she’d never be able to explain with words.
Then it stood and walked off into the forest, but just before it disappeared into the trees, it turned its head, and she was sure she heard it say, “Welcome.”
She got to her feet to follow the wolf, but changed her mind, and instead stood staring at the spot where it had vanished, her mind whirling with what she’d just experienced. When her mother had told her about Jessie, she’d also explained about her other brother, the one who would forever be trapped in his wolf form.
Thinking back, she could remember her mother’s words, when she’d refused to believe what she was being told. “You should understand this better than anyone, Kara; it’s like two sides of a coin. You and your brother Jessie are black werewolves, you keep your human side when you shift, just like a regular shifter. But Jessie’s twin, he’s a white werewolf; that means he can never shift out of the wolf form.”
It hit her then that she’d just met her other brother, that the giant white wolf was Jessie’s other half. Shocked, she stumbled back a few steps and looked around her, wondering where he’d gone, wishing that she’d realized sooner and talked to him.
That night at dinner she casually mentioned that she’d seen a big white wolf in the trees that afternoon, and the silence that followed told her all she needed to know. Sophie and Danny stared at her for a long time before Sophie finally spoke.
“That was Jessie’s brother. If you know about Jessie, I’d think you’d know about him too,” Sophie said, looking at Kara suspiciously.
“I do, my mother… I mean, Jessie’s mother told my mother all about him. I just didn’t think I’d get to see him,” she finished, hoping they hadn’t noticed her mistake.
Sophie was still looking at her suspiciously, “So, you know that he’s a white werewolf.”
Kara nodded, feeling like she was on more solid ground. “Yes, he’s Jessie’s complete opposite.”
Sophie laughed. “Not exactly, but he is trapped in his wolf form,” she said. “Jessie’s brother thinks and feels like we do, but he’s not able to shift, full moon or not.”
“It must be hard for him,” Kara said, thinking her little misstep had been missed, but then Sophie narrowed her eyes at her.
“Here’s what I’m trying to understand, Kara; you don’t seem at all upset by what you’ve found up here,” Sophie said, leaning back in her chair. “You tell me that you’re not a shifter, that you only heard about Jessie from your mother. I find it hard to believe that you’re taking this all so calmly. People that have known Jessie since he was a kid are scared of him, but you’re not.”
Kara had no idea how to answer, and for a second, she almost blurted out that she was a black werewolf, that she knew exactly what Jessie experienced during a full moon. But instead, she said, “My mother and I talked a lot about this. I knew what I’d find when I found Jessie.”
Sophie searched her face for the truth, and since Kara hadn’t really lied, she was able to return Sophie’s gaze. “I can’t help but feel that there’s something about your story that just doesn’t ring true,” she finally said. “I hope that soon you’ll trust me enough to tell me the rest, but until then, I want you to remember that Jessie’s been hurt before and now that it’s my job to protect him, I will no matter what it takes.”
Kara understood that she’d been given a warning, “The last thing I want to do is hurt Jessie,” she said, then got up and began clearing the table, ending the conversation.
When the table was cleared, Sophie chased them both away. “I’ll do the dishes tonight; I need some time alone.”
Kara felt bad but wasn’t sure how to make things better; if she’d just told the truth from the beginning it might be different. But she’d started with a lie, and it was too late to tell the truth now. As soon as her car was fixed, she’d leave Swensen’s mountain behind along with all her hopes and dreams of finally being able to live a normal life.
She couldn’t ask Jessie to help her now; even if he was talking to her, the lies she’d told would probably turn him away from her. And tonight, she’d sat across from Sophie and continued that lie, when what she should have done was told the truth. She’d burned some bridges, and there was no repairing them.
Chapter Seven
***Danny***
As he watched Kara walk out the door, he was torn between following her and staying to ask Sophie why she thought Kara was lying. “Why do you think she’s lying?” he asked, turning from the door to look at her.
“There’s just something about her story that doesn’t quite fit. She’s much too comfortable with the idea of black and white werewolves,” Sophie said, “especially since she’s not a shifter.”
“You weren’t scared of Jessie either,” Danny reminded her.
“But I’d sort of met Jessie when we were kids, and he saved me that night, remember?” Then when she saw the sad look on his face, she said, “I’m not necessarily saying that what she’s hiding is bad. I mean I don’t think she means us any harm, but she’s hiding something, and I want to know what it is.”
Danny hated to admit that Sophie was right, but he knew deep down that she was. “I think you’re right, but I wish it weren’t true.”
Sophie patted him on the back. “I know you like her Danny, but I’d hate to see you get hurt. Don’t rush into anything,” Sophie said.
Danny could feel himself blushing. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about; she doesn’t see me that way. I’m just a kid to her,” he said, knowing that he spoke the truth. “Besides, she’ll be gone in a few days.”
Sophie shrugged her shoulders. “Love is a funny thing; it can find you when you least expect it,” she said.
“Are you encouraging me or trying to warn me? I’m getting mixed signals,” Danny whined, even more confused.
“Go talk to her; maybe she’ll tell you what she won’t tell me,” Sophie said, pushing him towards the door. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to figure this one out on your own, Danny; I don’t think I can help you.”
Danny headed straight for the barn, planning to knock on Kara’s door and demand that she tell him the truth. But when he came around the corner, he found her staring out into the dark forest, arms crossed over her chest as if she were cold.
It was then that he realized that she was crying. All his anger and confusion drained away and without even thinking, he walked over to her and put his arms around her. Much to his surprise, she turned in his arms and buried her face in his chest and held onto him as she cried.
When her tears had dried up, she looked up at him and said, “I’m sorry, I seem to spend half my time crying these days.”
Danny shrugged and said, “That’s okay; I cry sometimes too.”
Kara laughed, “I find that hard to believe; you seem more like the break-things kind of guy.”
Danny's heart leaped in his chest at the sound of Kara’s laughter, something he never got tired of hearing, and then her scent wafted up to his nose. His body reacted immediately; his palms got sweaty and deep inside him he felt the first stirring of desire.
Without giving himself a chance to think about it, he bent his head down and brushed his lips across Kara’s. She looked shocked at first, but then her eyes met his, and he dipped his head down again, this time letting his lips linger on hers longer.
When she sighed and opened her mouth to him, he wanted to shout for joy, but instead, he let his tongue slip into her mouth. She was already wrapped in his arms, but he pulled her closer, realizing that feeling her body pressed against his was better than anything he’d ever felt before.
Kara knew that she should pull away from Danny, that letting him kiss her was a mistake, but the feeling of his lips on hers and his strong arms around her made it nearly impossible. Between the shock of her response to him and the desire racing through her body, she was powerless to move.
She’d never imagined that Danny could make her feel this way, had only seen him as a friend, but what she was feeling had nothing to do with friendship and everything to do with passion. Passion that was making her body tingle, and a hard knot of pleasure form deep inside her, pleasure that seemed to come from a place she’d never known existed.
It scared her so badly that she pushed Danny away, her chest heaving with the effort, and pressed her fingers to her lips. She stared at him for a few seconds, then did the only thing she could do and fled into the barn and up to her room without even saying a word.
After she shut and locked the door, her heart pounding in her chest, the tingle deep inside her still alive, she threw herself onto the bed. Her body began to calm, but then she thought about the kiss, and suddenly she was on fire again, a feeling that was both alarming and wonderful all at the same time.
It had never occurred to her that the little spark of desire she’d been feeling could turn into a full blaze after just a kiss. But the feeling of his lips on hers had ignited something inside her, a passion she’d never experienced before, and that was a problem.
If it had just been simple desire, she could have shoved it away, as she’d learned to do her entire life. But this was different, could become addictive, but that was a bad thing because her life and Danny’s were going different directions. She couldn’t stay here, and she couldn’t imagine him leaving.
Wishing that life didn’t always have to be so complicated, she got ready for bed, hoping that her car would be finished soon and she’d be able to leave. Things had gotten out of her control, someone was bound to get hurt, and she didn’t want it to be her.
Triumph: Wolves of Gypsum Creek (A Paranormal Romance Story) Page 4