Jessie got up and began taking things off a top shelf in the kitchen. He pulled down a box with a picture of a cell phone on it. “I might need some help with this; I need to call David and get him home, see if he can talk some sense into those people in town.”
***Sophie***
Sophie paced the room while Jessie talked to his cousin, racking her brain for anything that might help them. Then she realized that there was something she could do, and Danny was going to help her. When Jessie got off the phone, she didn’t even wait to hear what his cousin had said, just jumped in with her plan.
“I’m going to that meeting with Danny, and we’re going to convince the town to help us,” she said.
Jessie opened his mouth, then closed it. “No way, I’m not letting you go down there. Gus and Mac aren’t in jail anymore, so anything could happen.”
Sophie walked over to him, took both his hands in hers and looked into his eyes. “I have to, Jessie, and I was thinking that we could create a diversion to keep Mac and Gus away, something that would keep them away from the meeting long enough for Danny and me to plead our case.”
She could see that Jessie was considering it. “It would keep them from getting hurt; you and I both know that we’re not going to go with them willing. You know what’s out there in the forest. We have to try.”
“David’s going to be at that meeting; he’s leaving Nashville right now, and he’ll be here in a couple of hours. My brother and I will take care of Mac and Gus, it shouldn’t be hard to keep them away from the meeting,” he said, hugging her. “Promise me that you’ll get out of there at the first sign of trouble.”
“I promise, Jessie I’ll come back to you,” she said.
Sophie didn’t feel as confident as she sounded; she wasn’t sure exactly what she was going to say at the meeting. She spent the afternoon trying to figure it out, rehearsing one speech after another in her head. Most of the people she’d be speaking to didn’t even know her, and since her relationship with George had gone sour, there would be no one there but Danny and David to back her up.
When the time finally came for her to follow Danny down into town, she was more nervous than she’d ever been before in her life. But then Danny got a glimpse of one of their ghosts, screamed like a little girl and hid behind her. She roared with laughter, releasing some of her nervous energy.
“Don’t worry, Danny; it’s not real. Jessie and I put those up. I guess they look real,” she said, pushing him down the trail away from the ghost.
“Geeze, I’m glad I didn’t see that on the way up. I’d have never made it,” he said, looking over his shoulder. “Are there any more of those?”
Sophie gave him a big smile. “A few, and there are some other surprises out there, so don’t leave the path. That’s part of the reason we don’t want the town coming up here; someone could get hurt.”
Danny shivered. “Or scared to death,” he said.
***Jessie***
Jessie found his brother right where he knew he would, in a little cave not far from the cabin. “Come on, we need to find Gus and Mac and figure out a way to keep them from a meeting in town tonight,” he said, not bothering to say hello.
“That’s a nice greeting,” his brother said, getting to his feet. “And can’t you say please anymore?”
Jessie rolled his eyes. “Have I told you lately that you’re a pain in the butt? Come on, I’ll fill you in on the way, and I might even say please.”
They headed for town, skirting cabins and places where they might be seen, then his brother picked up Gus’s scent and began tracking him. Jessie followed behind, making sure they weren’t seen. The scent led out of town and to the worn-down cabin where Gus lived, and Jessie was relieved to see their car parked out front.
He snuck up to the window and looked inside; Gus and Mac were sprawled in front of the television, beers in their hands. They didn’t look like they were planning on moving any time soon. An open twelve-pack stood waiting on the table, and there was junk food piled high next to it.
When he got back to where his brother was hiding in the trees, he said, “I’m going to disable the car, flatten the tires or something. When they get ready to go to the meeting, you distract them further and make sure they don’t leave the cabin.”
After he’d quietly deflated the tires, he slipped into the forest on the other side of the cabin and headed for the school where the meeting was being held. He wanted to be there before anyone else started showing up, and he knew exactly where he wanted to hide.
The meeting started with the usual chatter and gossiping, but as soon as the sheriff stepped up in front of everyone, they quieted down. “We’re here tonight to decided what to do about Jessie Rayburn and that teacher,” he said.
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the room exploded with excited chatter; people yelled their opinions at one another, and arguments erupted. It seemed to him like the group was split, some feeling that they should defend their town and not let anyone push them around. The other half seemed to feel that sacrificing them was the only way to protect themselves.
The room was in total chaos when the door opened and Sophie walked in with David and Danny right behind her. Suddenly the room fell silent, everyone’s attention was on the newcomers, who walked to the front of the room, then turned and faced everyone.
Jessie could see that Sophie was nervous, but she stood straight and proud in front of the room, took a deep breath and began to speak.
Chapter 20
***Sophie***
Sophie turned and faced the room, her heart hammering in her chest when she looked out at the sea of faces. She cleared her throat. “I know you’ve come here tonight to discuss what you plan to do, and I wanted a chance to appeal to you,” she said, her voice carrying all the way to the back of the room.
“We’re going to turn you over to the moonshiners, that’s what we’re going to do,” a man said from the back, then started for the front.
George stepped in front of him and said, “Let her say what she’s come to say.”
“I know what you all think of Jessie Rayburn, I know that through rumors and lies, he’s become a monster, but it’s just not true. Jessie is a kind and caring man who’s helped this town more than you know. He may be a black werewolf, but he’s a good man. He’s learned how to live with the gift he’s been given and he deserves a second chance.”
“Do you know what he did?” George asked from the back of the room. “Do you know what he becomes?”
“I’ve heard all the stories, the real ones and the lies,” she said. “What Jessie did all those years ago was a mistake, but he’s learned to control himself when he changes, learned how to harness the power inside him. Are you going to punish him forever for something he did long ago? Has he done anything like that recently? Can anyone here remember when he did?”
There was silence in the room, and then George said, “You’ve said your peace, now get out of here while we decide what we’re going to do.”
Sophie knew that it was time for her to leave, but as she walked to the door, she saw that David and Danny had stayed behind. “You can rush Sophie off,” he said, “but I still have something I want to say.”
She didn’t hear the rest of David’s speech or what Danny was going to say because as soon as she stepped out the door, Jessie swept her into his arms and carried her into the forest. When they were well hidden, he put her on her feet and pulled her close, then kissed her.
“I love you, Sophie; I heard everything you said. Thank you.”
“I love you too, Jessie; I don’t know if it did any good though,” she said, looking into his eyes and wishing things could be different for him.
“But you tried; now let’s get back to the cabin. I don’t know how long my brother can keep Gus and Mac distracted,” he said, pulling her down a trail she hadn’t seen.
***Jessie***
When they got back to the cabin, Jessie opened the gun cabinet and
removed each gun and placed them on the table. “I don’t want to have to use these, but as a last resort, we probably won’t have any choice.”
Sophie nodded, then picked up the one closest to her and began to load it. When they were finished, she got up from the table and looked out the window. “I guess we just wait now.”
Jessie came up behind her and put his arms around her. “It shouldn’t be long; I just hope it’s the shifters and not the people from town.”
Only a few minutes later, Jessie heard the sound of a familiar motor coming up the trail and knew that David was on his way. He crossed the room and opened the door, Sophie right behind him. Before he went out, he grabbed them each a gun from the table.
Sophie took hers and tucked it expertly into the back of her pants. When she saw him staring at her open-mouthed, she said, “I told you my dad likes guns.”
Jessie couldn’t help himself: he grabbed her and kissed her. “Okay my little gangster, let’s go see what David has to say.”
When David got closer, Jessie was surprised to see Danny on the back of the bike. As soon as David shut off the engine, Jessie said, “You shouldn’t be here, kid, go home where you’ll be safe.”
Danny shook his head. “I’ve been in on this from the beginning. I realized tonight, Jessie, that you’re a good person, that you’re nothing like the stories make you out to be. I want to help you, even if no one else does.”
He heard Sophie let out a huge breath. “What did they say?” she asked, clearly disappointed that her speech hadn’t helped.
“They decided to take the middle ground: defend the town but not you two,” Danny said.
Jessie was disappointed but not surprised. “Well then, it looks like we’re on our own, guys.”
“And it won’t be long before the shifters are here; we saw them pull into town as we were leaving,” David said. “There were four cars, so that means there are likely at least sixteen of them.”
Jessie looked at each of them, calculating their odds, “We might just be able to pull this off. The first thing we have to do is block the trail, so they have to come through the woods.”
***Sophie***
Crouched in the cornfield with Jessie watching for the shifters, Sophie’s heart was pounding, and she suddenly wondered if she was up to the task. But then Jessie squeezed her hand, and she knew that she’d fight to the death if that was what it took. She loved him more than she’d ever thought was possible, and she wasn’t going to give up without a fight.
Closing her eyes for a second, she felt for her power, hoping when the time came, she’d be able to shift. She felt it simmering deep inside her just waiting for her to call on it, and for the first time in her life, she was thankful for that power. Taking a deep breath, she let the power fill her, let it take over as her grandmother had taught her to do all those years ago, and knew that she was ready.
She felt Jessie stiffen beside her and looked out into the woods. Molly was floating through the trees, her figure glowing in the darkness, and she knew that she was sending them a message.
“They’re coming,” she whispered.
Jessie nodded his head and braced himself, ready to spring out of the darkness. The first thing they heard was a scream of fear, followed by the sound of tin cans hitting the ground. There were a couple of more screams of fright before a voice yelled, “They’re not real, you idiots, they’re just sheets.”
Then she saw Molly float into the woods, not long after, there was another scream, then a deep voice yelled, “That one’s real, I’m out of here. I told you this place was haunted.”
Molly came floating back through the trees, a smile on her face, and entered the woods in another place. This time the scream they heard wasn’t one of fear, but one of pain and Sophie wasn’t sure if she was happy or horrified that they’d hurt one of them, the idea of causing harm still difficult for her.
Jessie must have felt the same way because he whispered, “Just remember: it’s them or us.”
She nodded her head and turned her attention back to the woods, cringing when she heard another cry of pain followed by one of surprise. Clearly, their booby traps were working, and there were still more between them and the shifters.
Just when she was beginning to feel like they might have a chance, a voice said, “Okay, Rayburn, that’s enough messing around. Your little defenses won’t do much when we shift. I was hoping it wouldn’t come to that, but you haven’t given me much choice.”
Together they stood up, just as Danny and David did the same, making Arthur Billings laugh. “Is that it? Is this all you got, a few tricks, a kid and woman?” he asked. “You must not think much of me, Rayburn. Take my advice: the smartest thing you could do would be to give me the school teacher and forget this ever happened.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Jessie said, putting his arm around her and pulling her close.
“Oh, I see how it is; well, that’s too bad,” Arthur said, looking behind him at his men. “Okay, boys, this is what I brought you for. Too bad it’s not a full moon, Rayburn; it might have made this a bigger challenge.”
Sophie knew that the time had come to shift, so she stepped to Jessie’s side and took a deep breath. Clearing her mind, she called to her power, embracing it instead of fighting it, knowing that for once her unique gift would be useful.
She felt her body shift, a feeling she’d never embraced until that moment. As strength and power filled her, she felt her body tense, ready to fight, so she looked up at Jessie. He smiled at her and said, “You’re beautiful.
There was a long silence as Arthur took in Sophie’s size then he shook his head. “I expected more from you; letting your girlfriend defend you. Shame on you. But if that’s the way you want to play this then I’ll play along,” he said.
Then before she could draw another breath, Arthur shifted and started toward them. Sophie could see from the corner of her eye that David and Danny had already shifted and were facing at least ten of Arthur’s men. But then Jessie’s brother stepped out of the woods, a pack of wolves behind him.
Sophie knew what she had to do, so she lifted her head and howled, the sign they’d all been waiting for. All at once, the wolves and wolf-shifters attacked Arthur’s men, who hadn’t been prepared and ran into the woods, several finding a booby trap in their haste.
The screams of the fighting filled the night as Sophie walked in front of Jessie and braced herself, trying desperately to remember all the lessons Jessie had given her about fighting. When Arthur sprang at her, she was ready, and she stepped aside, leaving him staring at the ground where she’d been standing.
***Jessie***
Jessie watched, a mixture of horror and pride filling him as Sophie danced around the big wolf. They’d known from the beginning that he didn’t stand a chance against the bigger wolf-shifter, but all she had to do was stall him long enough for David and Danny to come help her.
He could see that she was beginning to tire though, and the sound of fighting could still be heard from the woods. In his human form, Jessie was bigger and stronger than most men, but these weren’t men, they were fighters, and he knew that he was no match for any of the shifters, let alone the biggest of them all.
When Arthur finally managed to connect with Sophie, knocking her to the ground, he knew that he couldn’t wait any longer. The big wolf walked over to Sophie, who was lying on the ground fighting for breath, stood on her chest, and snarled in her face.
Sophie turned her head, and when her eyes met his, a feeling of love washed over him; it filled him with a burning heat, made him slightly dizzy for just an instant. But in that instant, he knew that without Sophie, his life would be worth nothing. He knew that she was the other part of him that had always been missing and that he would fight until he was dead to save her.
Anger that she could be taken from him so easily began to fill him, making his body heat rise and his muscles tense, then in a rush, he felt himself shift. He stood motionle
ss for several seconds, unable to believe that he was now a wolf, but the world looked as it always did to him on a full moon.
Instantly, he was filled with power, and a burning need to destroy the shifter who had threatened to destroy the only happiness he’d ever found. He leaped at Arthur, knocking him to the ground, and stood over him, his teeth bared, a low growl coming from deep in his throat.
Arthur looked up at him in shock, his eyes full of fear, then scrambled to his feet and ran into the forest. Jessie was tempted to follow him, but the sound of Sophie whimpering behind him stopped him. All thoughts but those of Sophie evaporating from his mind, the rage he was filled with disappearing; He felt his body vibrate, and he was suddenly human again.
He raced over to her and crouched down next to her. “Are you hurt?” he asked, cradling her head in his lap.
She looked up at him, the love clear in her eyes, then the air around her vibrated, and she was no longer a wolf. “I’m fine; I just didn’t want you to chase him down.”
Jessie looked over to where Arthur had disappeared through the trees. “I don’t think he’ll be back any time soon,” he said, then realized what he’d just done.
Sophie sat up and looked at him. “Jessie, you shifted without a full moon,” she said, a question in her eyes.
He shook his head. “I didn’t know I could do that. I mean, one minute I was thinking about how I’d want to die if I lost you and the next, I was a wolf. That’s never happened before, Sophie; I can’t explain it.”
Sophie threw herself into his arms. “It’s love, Jessie, that’s what did it. It was love. When I thought that I was going to die, my biggest regret was that I wouldn’t get to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“I love you, Sophie, I love you so much I wouldn’t want to live without you,” he said, pulling her closer and lowering his mouth to hers.
Third Time a Charm: Wolves of Gypsum Creek Page 12