But he felt rested and refreshed, the dreams he’d had of Sophie leaving him with a warm glow when he woke. It was silly to be so wrapped up in a woman that he barely knew, but she drew him to her like a moth to a flame and talking to his brother had made it clear to him that he wouldn’t be able to stay away from her for very long.
He wasn’t sure exactly how he was going to win her heart, how he’d convince her that he wasn’t the monster everyone made him out to be. He just hoped that he could show her who he really was before the people in town turned her against him.
Protecting her from Gus and Mac was the first step so he loaded up his backpack with food and a few other supplies that would make a night in the woods far more comfortable. Then he headed in the direction of the school. He’d make sure Sophie got safely in her car, then follow her to her cabin.
He was still telling himself that he wasn’t going to talk to her as he walked down the trail to the school. Trying desperately to muster some self-control, he tried to think about Gus and Mac and what they might be planning. But images of kissing her again kept creeping into his mind, and once he even thought about what it would be like to sleep in her bed with her in his arms.
He was almost halfway to the school when he heard a voice calling his name. Stepping off the trail, he hid behind a tree and waited, trying to place the voice but coming up empty. After a few more minutes, Danny came into view; Jessie knew who he was and remembered that he’s been at the still the night before.
No one ever came looking for him, so he was immediately on his guard, unwilling to show himself, but then Danny yelled, “Jessie, if you’re out there somewhere, Sophie needs your help.”
Those words changed everything, but he knew that he still had to be careful; the kid could be working with Mac and Gus. Letting Danny pass him by, he listened for sounds of other people, then satisfied that Danny was alone, slipped out from behind the tree.
When he caught up to Danny, he wrapped his arm around his neck and pinned him to his body. “What do you mean Sophie needs help? What have you done to her? Where is she?” he asked, tightening his arm around Danny’s neck. “And this better not be a trick.”
He knew that Danny couldn’t breathe, so he let up a little and gave him a second to catch his breath. The boy was trembling in his arms, so scared he was probably going to pee himself.
“Gus and Mac tricked the sheriff to get him out of town and came storming into the school and took Sophie,” he panted. “I tried to warn her, but I was too late.”
“What did you have to do with this, and how did you know how to find me?” Jessie asked, giving Danny a big squeeze to remind him who was in control.
“Nothing, Jessie, I didn’t have anything to do with it. I shouldn’t have been there the other night; I’m not like them,” he squeaked out. “I didn’t know what else to do so I came looking for you. You helped her last night, so I thought...”
He didn’t want to trust Danny, but he didn’t have any choice; if he was telling the truth, then Sophie was in danger. He pushed Danny away from him, “Where did they take her?”
Danny stared at him, his eyes full of fear and something else, something that looked almost like admiration. “I’m not sure, maybe the old mill. They’ve talked about taking girls up there before,” he said, “I can show you where it is.”
Jessie looked at him; he couldn’t have been much more than fifteen or sixteen. “Not this time, kid; you go back to town and tell the sheriff what’s going on. I’m going after Sophie.”
***Sophie***
Sophie woke with her head throbbing and a sharp pain in her side. The headache was nothing new, but she didn’t remember her side hurting before, then she remembered Gus and Mac bursting into the school. They’d nearly knocked the front door off its hinges, then grabbed her and thrown her across the room where she’d collided with her desk.
She’d stumbled to her feet and staggered a few steps before Mac swung his arm out and knocked her into the desk again. The sound of bones breaking, quickly followed by a searing pain in her side told her that she’d broken several ribs. Gasping for breath, she tried to get back to her feet, but Gus pushed her back down to the floor.
“Don’t give up very easily, do you?” he’d asked, then picked her up and slung her over his shoulder. “That ought to make what’s going to happen later even more fun; heck, we might decide to keep you after we’re done. You might even like it; I hear you’re a wolf-shifter.”
Sophie opened her mouth to reply, but he shifted her on his shoulder, and searing pain made her gasp. Gus laughed, “Did you hear that, Mac? She likes the idea,” she’d heard him say before the world went black.
Now she realized that not only did her ribs hurt, but her arms were pulled at an odd angle. She opened her eyes, afraid of what she might find, and looked around, her heart sinking. Not only was it pitch black outside, but she was chained to a wall in what looked to her like an old mill.
Pulling on the chains, she tried to get free but only succeeded in making her ribs hurt more. She thought about shifting but wasn’t sure it would do her any good chained up as she was;, even as big and strong as she was as a wolf, the chains were stronger.
She was considering her other options when Gus and Mac came into the room, each with a beer in hand. “Well, looks like our guest is awake,” Gus said, walking across the room to stand right in front of her.
When she only glared at them, he kicked her, making her scream in pain. “Just wanted to make sure you could still do that,” Gus said, then turned and walked back across the room.
Sophie was fighting for breath, the pain in her side filling her entire body and making tears stream down her face, but she refused to cry out loud. Instead, she closed her eyes and concentrated on Jessie, hoping that he’d figure out what happened when she wasn’t at the cabin and come looking for her.
Mac drained his beer and threw it against the wall, breaking it, then rubbed his hands together. “Let’s get started,” he said.
He crossed the room and grabbed Sophie's face in his huge hand and squeezed, then made her look at him. “Are you going to play nice or do you want us to get rough? It’s up to you,” he said.
When she was silent, he squeezed her jaw a little harder, so she spit at him. He stepped back, wiping his face with the back of his hand. “You little bitch, you’re going to pay for that,” he said, then slapped her across the face.
Sophie saw stars but refused to let him see the pain she was in. She held his gaze, feeling strength building deep inside her. It started as a small nugget of heat deep in her belly, then began to spread through her body.
Soon her fear was replaced by anger, so she nursed that anger, feeling it fill her and give her strength. She glared at both men, then said, “When Jessie gets here, you’ll be sorry.”
There was a long silence, then Gus said, “He won’t get the jump on us this time, if he can even find us.”
He was trying to look brave, but Sophie had seen the moment of fear, so she taunted him a little more. “It won’t matter if he gets the jump on you or not, he’s still going to make you very sorry that you hurt me.”
“That’s enough out of you,” Mac said, walking over to where she was chained to the wall. “Shut your mouth and keep it shut, or I’ll make sure you never talk again.”
He got right in her face, then raised his arm to hit her, but before he could bring it down, Jessie burst through the door. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he said, glaring at both men. “Unchain her and let her go.”
Mac backed away from her, his muscles tense. “Or what?” he asked.
“Or you’re going to be sorry,” Jessie said, looking from one man to the other as if planning his attack.
Gus backed away from him, but Mac stood his ground. “You know, I don’t understand why everyone is so afraid of you. After all, the only time you’re dangerous is during a full moon, and the moon isn’t going to be full for days,” he said.
; “I don’t need a full moon to take care of you two idiots,” Jessie said.
“I’m done playing around with you, werewolf; if you want her, you’re going to have to come get her,” Mac said, stepping in front of Sophie.
She could feel the electricity in the air, the power radiating from the three men and wished she wasn’t chained to the wall. Jessie stepped toward Mac, who immediately shifted into a wolf, but Jessie kept coming, and Sophie felt the fright return.
Jessie lifted his chin and howled like a wolf, the sound echoing through the old building and stopping Mac who was ready to lunge at him. Gus who had backed himself into a corner, turned and fled, the sound of his feet pounding down the stairs fading, then they heard a scream and nothing else.
Mac snarled at Jessie, then lunged, but Jessie stepped to the side so quickly that he went right by him. Turning, he snarled again, but then there was an even louder snarl, and a huge white wolf came through the door.
“It’s about time you got here,” Jessie said to the wolf.
The wolf almost seemed to give Jessie a dirty look, then turned its attention to Mac, who was again frozen. The white wolf stood at least two feet taller than Mac, and it was clear who would be the victor, so he began to slink toward the door, his tail between his legs. Sophie wanted to laugh but knew that it would hurt too much.
Jessie waited until he was almost to the door, then said, “I better not see you anywhere near Sophie again, and don’t be surprised if I find you on the next full moon. That’s the thing about black werewolves; we’re extremely smart and cunning.”
Mac looked at Jessie, then ran off out the door with the white wolf right behind him. Jessie ran over to her and began taking the chains off her wrists; when her arms were finally loose and fell to her lap, she cried out in pain.
But she didn’t care, Jessie had rescued her and that was all that mattered. A little pain could be endured now that she knew that she was safe. She tried to smile at him, but it came out as more of a grimace than a smile, and she felt herself getting lightheaded again.
Jessie gathered her in his lap, and the pain that had faded with her anger came back twice as strong as before. She felt her broken ribs shift and the pain become so intense that she couldn’t breathe. Gasping for air, she looked up at Jessie as her vision began to cloud.
Chapter 12
***Jessie***
Jessie pulled Sophie farther onto his lap knowing that he was hurting her, but afraid to lay her down on the cold ground. She was gasping for breath and grimacing in pain, tears streaming down her cheeks and panic in her eyes.
When her eyes began to go cloudy, he said, “Sophie, calm down and take little shallow breaths. You’re going to be okay; it’s just a few broken ribs.”
Her eyes focused on his and she began to calm down; her breathing became less labored, and a little color came back to her face. “That’s better,” he said, smiling down at her. “I’m going to move you now; try to relax.”
When he slid his hands under her legs and started to pick her up, she gasped and cried out in pain, so he set her down again. “I think those ribs are pretty bad,” he said, stroking her face.
“Mac, or maybe it was Gus, threw me across the room, and I landed on my desk,” she managed to say through clenched teeth.
Jessie felt rage shoot through him, settling deep in his chest, and he wished they had just killed Gus and Mac, but his brother had refused. “We should have killed them,” he said.
“Jessie,” Sophie said. “That was the biggest wolf I’ve ever seen. Is it your pet?”
Jessie laughed. “No, that was my brother; we’re twins but opposites.”
Sophie stared at him in shock, then said, “He’s a white werewolf.”
Jessie nodded. “My mother abandoned us both here, but my brother grew up in the wild I didn’t meet him until after I moved up here. He’s been there for me ever since. He was out trying to find those two when I called him.”
Sophie opened her mouth to ask him another question, but her face went pale again, she gasped, and her eyes fluttered closed. Jessie was suddenly more terrified than he’d ever been before. Something must be terribly wrong somewhere inside her, and they were miles from any help.
But she was a shifter with incredible healing powers. He hated to do it, but he shook her, hoping she would wake up. “Sophie, wake up, you have to shift. Your ribs must have injured something inside you,” he said, hoping she could hear him.
When her eyes fluttered open again, he stroked her face and said, “I know you hate to shift, but you have to right now. Your broken ribs must have done more damage than we thought.”
She looked up at him, then whispered, “I don’t know if I can, it’s been so long.”
“You can do it, Sophie, just let your mind go blank, then imagine yourself as a wolf,” Jessie said, remembering the advice his grandfather had given him so long ago. “It’s part of who you are and nothing to be afraid of.”
Sophie closed her eyes, and the room began to fill with electricity. He could feel the power surging through her, then it began to spill into him, making him gasp. “That’s good, Sophie; you’re almost there.”
Then suddenly his lap was filled with the most beautiful wolf he’d ever seen. Her fur was soft and thick, a rich red-brown that was unlike anything he’d ever seen before, and she was huge. She lay in his lap for a long time, her body hot as it healed itself, then she picked up her head and opened her eyes.
They were the same beautiful eyes he’d looked into so many times, and a wave of desire washed over him. He pushed the feeling aside and watched as Sophie got to her feet and shook her body from head to tail. Then she walked around the room a few times before coming back to stand next to him.
He understood what she wanted, so he got to his feet and followed her outside. Leading the way to the cabin, he went slowly, not wanting to push Sophie too hard. When they got to the cabin, he opened the door, and she went inside.
As soon as they were in the cabin, she shifted again, and he caught her in his arms. He picked her up and carried her over to the bed and set her down. “You did good, Sophie, now let’s get you to bed,” he said.
He knew she needed to get out of her bloody clothes, but she could barely keep her eyes open. So, he grabbed the tee-shirt she’d worn the last time she was there, and said, “We need to get you out of these clothes; I’ll help you if you want.”
She nodded, so he slipped her bloody shirt over her head, keeping his eyes on hers so he wouldn’t be tempted to look at her breasts, then quickly slid the tee-shirt over her head. He helped her to her feet, unbuttoned her jeans and slid them off, gritting his teeth as he did.
When he’d finally gotten her settled in bed, she looked up at him and said, “Thank you, Jessie; that’s twice now that you’ve saved me.” Her eyes were so heavy, she could barely keep them open.
“Then I think we might be even because you’ve saved me twice too,” he said, tucking the covers under her chin. “But I want you to promise me something.”
Sophie nodded, “Anything you want.”
Jessie smiled at her. “Well, there are lots of things I want,” he said, then kissed her on the forehead, “But most of all I want to know that you’re safe. Promise me not to get in any more trouble. I just found you, and I don’t want to lose you, sweetheart.”
***Sophie***
Sophie’s heart leaped at his words, but she was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open. “I’ll try not to, but trouble seems to have a way of finding me up here,” she said, letting her eyes drift closed.
“You get some sleep; I’ll watch out for trouble,” Jessie said, kissing her forehead again.
“You should get some sleep too,” she mumbled. “I don’t mind sharing the bed.”
“I might join you later. I just want to make sure everything is okay outside,” Jessie said.
That was the last thing Sophie remembered before she fell into a heavy sleep. But when she woke later in t
he night, Jessie was curled up next to her, his back pressed to hers, and she couldn’t help but roll over and throw her arm across him. He stirred in his sleep a little, then sighed and tucked her hand under his arm.
The smell of bacon and the bright morning sun woke her the next morning. She stretched carefully, expecting her broken ribs to hurt but discovered that there was no pain at all, and even better, for the first time in days her head didn’t hurt. Reaching up, she felt the back of her head and discovered that the cut was healed as well.
Then she remembered shifting into a wolf, her head still in Jessie’s lap, and wondered what he thought of her now that he knew she wasn’t a normal wolf when she shifted. Her face flamed with embarrassment when she thought about it, and she wanted to bury her head under the covers and go back to sleep.
But then Jessie turned and saw that she was awake. “Good morning. How are you feeling?” he asked, scooping bacon out of a skillet.
“Much better, thank you,” she said, cringing when she heard how formal she sounded.
“I’m glad to hear that. Are you hungry?” he asked, cracking eggs into skillet.
Just then Sophie’s stomach growled loudly, and she blushed. “Well, I guess that’s my answer,” he said, sliding the eggs onto a plate and adding a couple of pieces of bacon. “You’re not a vegetarian, are you?”
Sophie laughed, “No, I’m not, and even if I were, I’d probably eat that. I’m suddenly starving,” she said, throwing back the covers and getting out of bed.
When she realized that she was again dressed only in his tee-shirt, she blushed again remembering him undressing her the night before. But along with the embarrassment, she felt a tingle of desire deep inside her, and for a moment she couldn’t move as it grew and spread through her.
Then she looked at Jessie who was holding the plate and smiling at her; the embarrassment disappeared, and the desire took over much stronger. “Umm, maybe I should get dressed before I eat.”
Third Time a Charm: Wolves of Gypsum Creek Page 7