“It looks that way,” Levi responded grimly.
“Yes, and you two can thank me later,” I said, strutting proudly out the doorway, with Fang loyally at my feet.
“I think she needs a hobby.” I heard Raven say to Levi.
“Sadly, I think she’s found one.” I heard Levi mumble.
I gave Fang a bath and took him into the kitchen where I mashed him up some leftovers and sat them at his feet. He gobbled them up in minutes. Truth is he didn’t look so bad after a thorough bathing. He actually looked quite good, a little skinny perhaps, but we could fix that right up.
Levi growled at Fang when he came into our room to find him sleeping on the end of the bed while I was reading. Fang jumped down, and after three or four turnarounds, found a comfy spot on the floor beside me.
In the morning, at breakfast, everyone was enjoying our new pet. I was happy to see how accepted he was by most. That is until Barney burst on the scene.
“Levi!” he began yelling, his Italian accent thick. “You must talk with this wife of yours! First she terrorizes my kitchen day after day! Now she demands more from me! Is it not enough that I cook meal after delicious meal for a hungry pack of wolves, take criticism from a meddling, old woman, now I must grind up a special meal for some mangy mutt with no teeth! Mamma Mia!”
Levi stifled a laugh, but collected himself quickly. I started to stand until Levi’s hand on my arm held me in place. The room became totally quiet as Levi stood. “Barney! That’s enough,” he said firmly. “My wife has a big heart. She doesn’t give it easily, but once she does she is totally devoted. You would be wise to remember that. This dog has won her heart, and I will not break it by sending the dog away. You’ll do whatever she asks even if it means the rest of us starve. Do you understand?”
Barney’s anger left him at once. Sighing, he responded, “Yes, of course. Forgive me.” He bowed and took his leave.
My eyes filled with tears as I pulled Levi down beside me. “That’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever done for me.”
“Even better than your new car?”
I thought for a minute. “That’s the second sweetest thing you’ve ever done for me.”
He laughed softly. “I just want you to be happy—and nothing else.”
Minutes later, Fang had a nice bowl of chopped up steak sitting before him, and I was totally happy.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Three years had passed since our babies were born, and I was pulling into Levi’s driveway with a heavy heart. The boys were overly excited to see their daddy, and spending the following week with him would spoil them almost beyond repair. They especially looked forward to seeing their Grandpa and Grandma Drake.
I got out of the car and the boys spilled out and ran into the arms of their doting father.
He approached me, hands in his pockets, face glum. “Hey, Charity. How are you?”
I somehow managed to hold my head high, though all I really wanted to do was puke. “I’m fine, Levi. How are you? And how’s Lana? I hope she’s taking good care of you.” The sarcasm spilled from my lips with little effort.
“Let’s not do this—not now.”
“Fine. Boys come give Mommy a hug.”
I kept a straight face in front of the boys, but once my car rounded the corner, leaving my heart behind, the tears spilled out and down my face, soaking my lap. I cried all the way back to the house, all of my built up composure gone, and when I got in I went straight upstairs to my bedroom and took a bath.
When I emerged, I jumped at the sight of Wesley sitting on my bed, holding mine and Levi’s wedding photograph in his hand.
“How did you get in here?” I asked, appalled.
“Well, I was thinking. Now that you and Levi are getting a divorce, maybe you and I can be together now.”
I figured I wouldn’t be able to outrun him, but I decided to try anyway. I bounded out the door and toward the staircase. And just as he reached for me, I lost my footing and went tumbling down the stairs, landing hard on the floor below. I couldn’t move, and every bone in my body was screaming in pain. I knew I was fatally injured. I was only slightly aware of Wesley running out the door and slamming it shut behind him.
I’m not sure how long I lay there, perhaps hours even.
Someone opened the door and rushed to me.
“Charity!”
I recognized the lovely voice instantly. My heart knew it better than its own rhythm. He picked me up, carried me upstairs, and laid me gently on the bed. He began to take off his shirt. He was going to shift so he could heal me.
“No,” I whispered.
“Charity, now is not the time to be stubborn.”
“No, Levi. My body’s broken—like my heart. Let me die in peace. Go.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
I peered into his eyes as tears filled my own. “There’s only one way I’ll let you save me. If you’ll tell me you love me and come back to me.”
He lowered his head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. I love Lana now.” He got up and glanced down at me, his eyes sad. “Goodbye, kitten.”
I cried as I watched him walk away, and as I closed my eyes for the very last time, my mind kept repeating the words, “I love Lana now”.
I jolted awake, sitting straight up in bed and immediately glanced over at Levi sleeping soundly. I became angry, and in a split second was straddling him and repeatedly pounding my fist into his chest.
His eyes snapped open. “Charity! What are you doing?!” He threw his hands up in defense as one of my fists swiped past his nose, barely missing it.
“You lousy dog!! Who’s Lana, huh?! You no good, cheating snake!!”
“Stop hitting me! What are you talking about?!”
He grabbed my hands and rolled me over on my back, pulling my hands over my head and holding them there.
He continued to hold me down while I struggled, kicking and fighting until all my strength was finally exhausted. Then I began to cry.
“Charity, baby, what is it?” His hold loosened as he pulled me into his arms.
“I-I had the worst nightmare ever! You cheated on me with a woman named Lana, and we were getting a divorce. You didn’t love me anymore, and then I died.”
“Baby that will never happen. Look at me.” He took my face gently in his hands. “It’s not possible for me to cheat on you. Even if it weren’t instilled in me from childhood to be faithful I still never could.” He smiled. “Besides, I’ve got all I can handle with you.”
“So maybe you get tired of dealing with me.”
“Never. That’s one of my biggest joys in life. I’ll never let you go. Never—do you hear me?”
I sniffed. “Do you promise?”
He rubbed the tears from my face. “I promise.”
I smiled and hugged him fiercely. “I love you, Levi.”
“Ll mio cuore `e per voi,” he whispered in my ear.
“What does that mean?”
“My heart is for you.”
I was opening my mouth to respond when his lips came down on mine, silencing me. He made love to me with extra care, making his point that I was the only one who could possess his heart. We cradled like spoons for the rest of the night, but still I couldn’t claim sleep.
The next morning I was walking down the hallway toward the dining hall, yawning and eager for that first cup of coffee, when I spotted a little girl, maybe seven or eight, sitting on the floor crying.
“Hey there. What’s wrong?” I knelt down to her and took her little hand in mine.
“Helen and Frieda were making fun of my red hair. They always make fun of me.”
That made me mad. “What’s your name?”
“Lily.”
“Lily, are you Connie and Ted’s daughter?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Well, Lily, come with me. I want to show you something.”
She took my hand and let me lead her into my old bedroom. I sat her up on my
stool and turned her toward the mirror. “Now, I want you to take a good look at this beautiful girl in the mirror. She has the biggest, brown eyes I’ve ever seen. When I look into those eyes I feel like all is right with the world. And she has the most beautiful, thick, wavy hair that most girls wish they had. It’s the color of a flame, which can put you in a trance when you stare at it. I’ll also let you in on a little secret.”
Her eyes grew wide.
“Mr. Eli has just added a streak of red to his hair, and I do believe it’s the exact same color of flame as yours.”
“Really?”
“Absolutely.”
“Well, if this color is good enough for Mr. Eli then it’s good enough for me. I can’t wait to tell Helen and Frieda. Oh, and I have to tell Tigger. Thanks, Mrs. Charity,” she said, giving me a peck on the cheek.
“You’re welcome, angel.”
Then she bounded out of the room, her face beaming.
I peered into the mirror and watched as Levi’s image became bigger and bigger behind me until he was pressed against my back, both hands on my shoulders. “Hearing that made me fall in love with you all over again,” he said, planting a gentle kiss to my left ear.
“Oh stop. The babies made me do it.”
“That’s not true. I remember when you did something similar at school for Missy. It seems you have a weak spot for the underdog.”
“Yeah—I guess I do. Can I tell you something?”
“Of course,” he responded, turning me to face him, and taking my hands in his.
“Well, I’ve never told anybody this out of respect for Missy, but that next day after I intervened for her, she stuck a note in my locker. It said that she had actually been contemplating suicide, but just knowing that someone cared about her enough to stick up for her was all it took to change her mind. Of course, we didn’t know at the time that she would become a natural part of our group of friends.”
“Something tells me you knew.”
“Let’s talk about something else. How’s your training with Eli coming along?”
“Well, he’s definitely improving. With a little more practice he should be able to hold his own and not get killed too easily.”
I laughed. “You sound disappointed.”
“Nah, he’s a good kid. I like him, and I’m happy he’s here. His other family should be arriving soon. I hear his sister isn’t too happy about coming. She was seeing someone and her parents made her break it off because of the move.”
“Wow, that rots. But she’ll meet some guys at West Windrake High this year.”
“Yeah, I think that’s what Eli’s worried about. He seems pretty protective of her. He said he didn’t like this guy she was seeing. He wasn’t sure but he thought that maybe he was mistreating her.”
“Well, I’m surprised he didn’t do something about it.”
“He did, but it only pushed her further toward the guy, so he backed off.”
“I guess that’s all he could do, but when she gets here she’ll be far away from his influence. I guess living in a pack will be a new experience for them, huh?”
“Yes, but in truth, every werewolf has a desire to belong to a pack. It’s what keeps our family unit strong. Sometimes there are loners, typically someone who was wounded in a pack, but those are rare. Most families, even if they live separate, still stay connected to a pack. Eli’s family didn’t have that advantage because they were afraid someone would find out about Eli. Now they have a chance to belong not only to a pack, but the pack they were born into, no matter how crazy we are.”
“I second that. It’s nice to see things work out. Now, we just have to find him and Raven mates.”
“Oh no you don’t. You have enough on your plate than to play matchmaker.”
“I didn’t say I was gonna play matchmaker, but if someone comes to mind who would make a suitable mate I’m not gonna ignore it.”
He shook his head. “You’re unbelievable.”
“Are you disappointed?”
“Never.”
Instantly I had a thought. Lily mentioned something about Tigger. I wondered if—
In the next few minutes, I was approaching Connie and Ted’s living quarters. The door was slightly ajar so I peeked inside. I didn’t see anyone so I went in a little further. I heard a voice coming from another room. I stepped up to the door and pressed my ear against it. It was Lily’s room. I could hear her gleeful voice as she talked to someone in great animation. She was retelling the story of me finding her in the hall and telling her about the red streak in Eli’s hair. I listened closer, using my new super hearing, and heard a purr followed by a happy meow. I stifled a laugh. Lily had managed to get her hands on my cat and was hiding her out and in her bedroom. The scene warmed my heart. Now she had a friend who would never make fun of her. Someone who would accept her no matter what color her hair was. I didn’t have the heart to break up their new friendship. A smile covered my face as I quietly made my exit.
I wasn’t, however, as happy about my newest pet recruit, as Fang bolted past me in the hallway, almost knocking me down. I had barely recovered my footing when Grandmammy came plowing past, fist in the air, yelling words of warning, which I won’t repeat, and moving quite fast for an old broad with hip issues.
“What’s going on?” I yelled, only to be ignored. No surprise there. So I started off after them. All I could make out now was Grandmammy yelling, “Bring ‘em back!” repeatedly.
“You bring ‘em back! You hear me, you ol’ varmint!”
“Grandmammy, what’s wrong?” I asked, finally catching up to her.
She stopped to catch her breath, putting both hands on her wobbly, old knees. “That dang mutt a yourn has gone off and stole my dentures! Just crept in my room when I wassa lookin’ away and snatched ‘em right off my night stand!”
I began laughing so hard I had to bend over so I wouldn’t wet myself.
“What! You wanna give me lip, young lady?”
I instantly straightened up. “No ma’am,” I managed to say through restrained laughter. “I’ll help you get them back.”
“That’s what I’s thinkin’ too.”
We both took off back in the direction Fang had been heading, stopping at Hector and little Jeremy gathered in the hallway racing their remote-control cars.
“Have you guys seen Fang?” I asked, breathless.
“Yeah,” Jeremy answered. “He just ran by here, chewing on something making a crunching noise.”
“Oh no! That stupid, dang dog’s eating my plastic teeth!”
“What?” Hector asked in alarm.
Before I could explain she started back down the hall after my dog.
Hector and Jeremy joined me as we raced after her.
By the time we finally caught up to my menacing mutt, sitting under a dining room table, chewing what was left of his prize, we had accumulated about a dozen followers who were curious as to what had caused this current outrage. Sadly, again, it had something to do with Grandmammy, but this time my dog was the instigator.
When we were finally able to pry his muzzle from her dentures, needless to say there wasn’t much left of them.
“Charlie! What ya gonna do ‘bout this?” she said, obvious blood pressure rising.
“Um, I’m so sorry, Grandmammy. I’ll take you first thing in the morning to get you a brand new pair.”
“Dang right you are! And what else?” she asked, hands on hips, eyebrows raised.
I knew she wanted more, but I didn’t know what. “Uh, well, I’m gonna keep a better check on Fang and make sure he stays away from your room?”
“Right!”
Whew!
“And you!” she said, pointing at Fang, who lay contented at my feet. “From now on you go find your own dentures, you hear me?”
He yawned and stretched out as if saying, “Yeah, yeah, whatever, old lady”.
“I’m so sorry, Hector,” I said once Grandmammy had left the room in a huff.
“Thanks, Hector.” I reached up on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek.
That night while Levi and I lay in bed, I recounted, in vivid detail, the story of Grandmammy and her unfortunate encounter with one mutt and his appetite for plastic teeth. At first he just stared at me, and then we both burst into boisterous laughter that I’m sure the whole pack could hear. Suddenly, Fang’s head popped up, and I couldn’t be sure, but as his lips peeled back, exposing his teeth, and a few missing ones, he appeared to be laughing too.
Chapter Thirty-Three
On the night of our bachelorette party, the girls insisted we go to this club called Halo’s. I’d never been there before and the place was packed. As soon as we were seated, a great song started blaring, and Ashley grabbed my hand, pulling me to the dance floor. I was enjoying the beat with arms in the air and hips swaying, when two arms came around my waist from behind and pulled me to him. I knew instantly who was holding me so tight. Only one man could hold me with tenderness and bold strength at the same time. I melted into him as our hips swayed in rhythm, his lips near my ear, humming as we moved.
“You’re supposed to be celebrating,” I said.
“I am celebrating. To be honest, it’s not fun without you.”
“Yeah, well I was having fun,” I teased.
“Now you’re having more fun. I brought everybody with me, even Hector. The guy seriously needs to cut loose.”
I laughed. “I agree. He’s been so worked up over watching me, I’m not sure if he even knows how to anymore. Um, on second thought,” I said, spotting Hector and Tosha busting some moves on the dance floor, “maybe we could take some lessons from them.”
When a slow song started to play, Levi took me in his arms and held me close, whispering sweet things in my ear. I glanced over just in time to see Doc pull my mother into his arms as they began to sway together. I had to admit they looked good together, and she seemed really happy. I smiled as I studied them wrapped so tightly together. Levi followed my gaze.
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