Charity Moon

by Deanna Kinney

  “Hector, please, Levi’s out there. I have to go to him. Now put me down! As the alpha’s bride-to-be I command you to put me down!”

  “I’m sorry, Miss Charity, but I only take orders from Levi.”

  “That rots! I’m changing that rule as soon as we’re married! Don’t make me hurt you again, Hector!”

  “Now, Miss Charity, you’re making me do this.”

  “Do what?”

  He carried me back into my room and sat me carefully on the bed before taking a stance in the doorway, arms folded across his chest.

  I got up and walked over to him. “Please, Hector, let me by.”

  “I can’t do that, Miss Charity. I have a responsibility for you.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Last night, after the fight, Levi gave me a job. It’s to look after you, and keep you safe. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

  “Great. So that’s what he wanted to talk to you about. And what did he offer you to do this?”

  “Nothing. I want to do it. Keeping you safe makes Levi happy, and I like you.”

  “Oh, Hector, that’s so sweet. Now let me by!”

  He shook his head from side to side. “It’s not gonna happen.”

  I sighed in frustration. “Don’t you have a normal job you can do and get paid for it?”

  “No. Since Levi has appointed me in charge of your safety, that is my job now.”

  “Boy, saying you’ve got your job cut out for you is an understatement, huh? What did you do before coming here then?”

  “I’ve never worked. I guess it’s because of my size, but I’ve always been a member of the alpha’s elite team.”

  “I don’t understand. So the elite don’t have normal jobs either?”

  “I guess Levi hasn’t explained this to you yet. See there are three levels of rank amongst werewolf packs. The first are the alpha’s elite, which are picked by the alpha and can be anywhere from three to ten depending on the size of the pack. The next rank is the secondary; these are called upon when needed. The last are the reserves; these would consist of people like Doc and those only called upon in the case of an emergency, such as an attack. Levi’s dad has probably been added to this rank. The elite don’t have normal jobs because they, like the alpha, are always working to ensure the safety and functioning of the pack.”

  “So, are you considered one of Levi’s elite now?”

  “Well, not exactly. I’m more like your elite, which to Levi is just as important, if not more.”

  “Well, shouldn’t I be able to tell you to move your butt out of my way then?”

  “No. I guess Levi knows you too well to allow that.” He smirked.

  I huffed. “Well, if you’re not going to let me by, can you at least tell me what’s happening? Someone around here has to know what’s going on!”

  Just then, Joseph, Irena, and Ashley stepped in. “Charity, everything’s fine,” Joseph reassured me. “He’s still out there, but word has gotten back to me that he’s fine and so are the other pack members. They’re forcing the east pack back to the border and out of our boundary. He sent word that he’ll be here on time. He promised.”

  “Now, we’ve got thirty minutes before the ceremony begins, try to relax,” Irena added.

  I still couldn’t erase the worry from my mind. I heard what they said, but I just kept thinking—what if something went wrong? What if he got hurt or worse?

  As the time inched closer, I became more and more concerned. And by the time the ceremony was about to start, I was on the verge of a full blown panic attack.

  Ashley was fully aware of my condition. “Charity, look at me,” she said, taking my face in her hands. “Everything’s going to be great. Just remember to breathe. He’ll be here.”

  “Are you saying he’s still not here?”

  She turned to look at Irena for help.

  Oh no, not good.

  Irena dashed to my side. “Charity honey, he’ll be here. He promised. Now, let’s go.” They both took my arm, one on each side, and walked me down the long hallway. Once we stood in the doorway of the meeting room, the music began, and despite trying to fight it, the tears filled my eyes.

  “Charity, I have to get up front, but I’ll be waiting for you, and so will Levi. Don’t keep him waiting.” Ashley said lovingly. Then she left me.

  “I have to go too, Charity, but look at me, he will he here. You have to have faith. Now, once the wedding march begins, you start walking, okay?” I nodded. She turned and took the long walk to her seat.

  I looked around, trying to appreciate the view. The room was so beautiful. The aroma of the flowers filtered through the air, filling me with hope, but as I reluctantly allowed my eyes to zoom to the front, Levi was still missing in action.

  I had always dreamed of my dad walking me down the aisle on the day of my wedding. I missed him so much. I hadn’t realized just how much until that moment. Would he be proud of me—of the woman I had become? Suddenly I felt sad.

  My heart raced as the wedding march began, snapping me out of my state of self-pity. “Oh, God, help me through this,” I whispered to myself. “Please let him be there.” Everyone stood and turned to face me. I rubbed my lips together, confirming the application of my lip balm, and then with all eyes fixed on me, began the walk. I instantly had a thought. Am I really gonna do this? And yet, as the thought played around in my head, my legs continued to shuffle as though I had lost all authority to command them. And then I knew. Yes—I was gonna do this! And as I walked, I made myself focus on the faces around me. I saw Sissy and Jamie, Hector, Tosha and little Jeremy, Doc, and finally Joseph, Irena and Tara, along with her husband Kevin. Suddenly my breath caught as the altar came into view, and there I saw the most brilliant face of them all, an angel’s face, beaming at me. It was Levi, standing at the altar waiting for me, just as he promised. The rest of the pack filed into position, dividing up into two groups on either side of the altar, with Ashley in front. I sighed in relief and smiled. I wanted to scowl at him for putting me through torture, but the moment was too perfect to ruin.

  As I approached, he took my hand and drew me to him, causing all my worries to wash away. All was right in our world once more.

  “You are breathtaking,” he whispered, his eyes moist with unshed tears.

  After repeating our vows, Levi surprised me by pulling out a piece of paper and reading with heartfelt tenderness . . .

  I remember the day my eyes fell on you,

  You gazed up at me as if on cue.

  My breath caught and my heartbeat raced,

  I’d never looked upon a more exquisite face.

  An angel’s face with eyes of sparkling blue,

  That’s what I saw when my eyes fell on you.

  How could I know what to say—what to do?

  I only knew you had to love me too.

  I needed you more than my very next breath,

  It’s a love only extinguished by death.

  You made it difficult to show you my love,

  It forced me to have faith in God up above.

  But I wouldn’t be swayed for my heart clearly knew,

  That exact moment my eyes fell on you.

  The tears streamed down my face as he folded the paper and tucked it away. I knew he’d just read the poem he’d written for his English assignment. It was about me after all, about the moment he first saw me, and my heart melted at the memory. I confess I don’t remember much else about the ceremony after that, but I remember the kiss. Oh, the kiss! My heart stopped beating a couple of times as a result. We were pronounced husband and wife, and cheers broke out as we turned and faced the crowd.

  Levi smiled exuberantly as he took my hand and led me back down the aisle. He stopped me at the end, bringing my hand up to meet his lips, kissing it gently and whispering, “You have made me the happiest man alive, Mrs. Drake.” We both beamed at the sound of my new name.

  So I had done it. I had married
the man of my dreams. And along with my new marriage came a truckload of responsibility. I hadn’t been a very responsible person up till then, but I would do my very best to live up to my new title—wife and alpha female.

  He took my hand and was about to lead me further, when suddenly I jerked as I felt a sharp pain in my chest. At that moment everything seemed to freeze-frame. I looked at Levi, a look of horror tainting his face. I was confused to see one of Wesley’s pack members standing in the doorway across from me. The pack was on him at once and when I looked down, to my horror, I saw the reason for their panic. A spear was lodged in the center of my chest, and blood was pouring down the front of my dress.

  Levi grabbed me as I crumpled to the floor. “No! Charity, no!” he cried as he caught me in his arms.

  Doc ran to me and with a calm voice said, “We can’t remove the stake or she could bleed to death. We need to get her to the clinic, now!

  Levi took the spear in his hands, and in his anger, broke it off near my body.

  I could still hear the cries from the crowd that had gathered around me. I could hear Ashley’s desperate pleas as she begged me to answer her. I could hear Irena crying. I could hear Hector’s angry growling, but more than any of this—I could hear Levi’s quiet sobs of pain.

  “Charity, can you hear me? Please, Charity. Don’t leave me. I love you so much, please,” he pleaded desperately.

  I tried to answer him, but I couldn’t force the words out. I wanted to tell him that I loved him too, and that I wouldn’t leave him, and how much, in the end, marrying him had meant to me. I opened my mouth to ask him to heal me. “Levi, he—” Against my will, my eyes closed and my last breath escaped me.

  “Nooo!!” Levi yelled, pulling me tighter against him.

  I could hear the cries and gasps from the crowd around me. But then, not only could I hear them—I could also see them. I was seeing them not from the floor as I had expected, but from a standing position. Then I realized I was standing beside Levi who was still crouched down on the floor, and to my disbelief, still cradling my body in his arms.

  So that’s it. I had died—and just when my new life had barely begun. I’d just married the love of my life, and then, just like that, it was over, and yet I felt no pain. It just happened like they say. I felt peace, even joy, and absolutely no more pain. But if I could’ve felt it I would have just by observing Levi. I tried to comfort him, but my hand couldn’t seem to grip him. But still I felt peace. Peace at the fact that I knew soon I would be with him again. I looked down at my palm and the symbol that formed there. It was still blue, and at that very moment, it looked as if it grew slightly. For that brief instant I was puzzled. Shouldn’t it be black now, I wondered?

  It seemed as though I needed to be somewhere, and yet I was frozen in place by the scene before me. Levi’s agony held me there. Then an amazing thing happened—Levi began to pray.

  “Lord, please bring her back to me,” he whispered, “Charity believed in You, and I want to believe in You, but I don’t know how.” Then he yelled in a tone of desperation to the crowd around him, “Everyone down on your knees! Pray with me!” Everyone quickly obeyed. He continued. “Lord, I haven’t lived my life acknowledging your existence, and I’m so sorry for that. Please bring Charity back to me, and I promise this pack will honor You in all we do from this moment on.” He buried his face in my neck and sobbed, whispering, “Charity, come back to me,” over and over.

  What happened next was so remarkable that, to this day, I still have trouble believing it. One moment I was standing beside him, touched beyond belief by his words, and in the next moment I was like a feather, floating slowly—weightlessly until I was lying on the floor in his arms. I opened my eyes in amazement and reached up to put my hand in his hair. He gasped and pulled back, gazing down at me as fresh tears dropped from his eyes. The relief that marked his beautiful face took my breath away, and I smiled an exuberant smile.

  “That was the sweetest prayer I’ve ever heard.”

  “Charity?” His expression was that of total shock.

  “Were you expecting someone else?”

  “Oh, Charity,” he exclaimed, pulling me up into his arms once more. He held me tightly against him for a while and cried. When he finally pulled back to look at me he said, “But how?” He examined me. The spear was lying next to me on the floor and in one piece. The whole in my dress was gone, all the blood—gone. It was as if the incident hadn’t happened at all. But every one of us knew differently. It was a miracle, just as simple as that.

  “You came back to me.”

  “No, Levi, I didn’t come. You’re prayer brought me back.”

  He got to his feet in a flash, pulling me up into his arms and swinging me around, laughing. “Look everybody, Charity came back to us! It’s a miracle!” Everyone got to their feet and began to celebrate, but the celebrating came to a sudden halt as the pack brought the man responsible for my death to face us. Levi sat me down on my feet. He tightened his fists and clenched his teeth as he looked into the eyes of the man who had thrown the spear. Then he softened as he remembered the vow he’d made.

  “Release him!” I could see him struggling with the decision.

  “What?” the pack demanded.

  “You heard me, release him!”

  The man looked at Levi in shock as the pack released him and backed away. “But I killed your bride. Why would you release me? Aren’t you going to kill me for revenge?” The man’s face was filled with wonder.

  “As you can see, my bride is alive and well. And revenge isn’t something this pack promotes any longer. I want you to go back to your alpha and tell him what you’ve witnessed here tonight. Tell him that before he attacks us again he should know we have a new ally.” He turned and smiled at me, and I returned a reassuring smile. A feeling of great pride swelled inside of me. He had just made his first honorable decision as alpha of this pack, and I, his bride, was there to witness it.

  “Now, where were we?” Levi picked me up and carried me around the crowd to the reception area. He sat me down on my feet. His expression turned serious as he took my face in his hands. “You scared me, Charity. Please don’t ever do that again.”

  “Never. I told you before, it isn’t easy to get rid of me, besides, it looks like now you’ve got some pull with the Big Man upstairs.”

  “Yeah, well I was desperate, but I meant it. Did you really hear my prayer?”

  “Yes. I was standing right beside you. I felt like we were going to be reunited, but I thought you would die and join me. I just kept standing there like I was waiting for something, but I wasn’t sure what until I heard your prayer. That’s what I was waiting for, and I guess God was waiting too.”

  “Charity, do you really think that’s true?”

  “Well, all I know for sure is you prayed and now we’re together again. That’s all that matters, right?” I touched his face gently, stopping my fingers at his dimples.

  “Yes. That’s all that matters to me,” he said, pressing his lips to mine in a sweet, gentle kiss.

  “All right, you’ve already had your moment. Now it’s time to share her,” Ashley butted in, hugging me fiercely. “After all, you’re not the only one who was scared to death. But one thing I’m curious about,” she said, pulling away and looking down at my dress. “Why did God heal your dress too?”

  “Oh that’s easy,” I smirked at her. “He was avoiding another death.”

  “Another death? What do you mean?”

  “Well, if Irena saw what that man did to my dress, after all the sleepless hours she put into it, she would’ve killed him right then and there.”

  We all laughed, with Irena’s booming laughter taking center stage.

  We celebrated for hours, dancing, eating, opening presents then dancing some more. It turned out to be a wonderful evening. For one thing, God not only healed my chest, but as a bonus, healed my previous injuries as well, even my cracked rib. And He didn’t even have to bite me,
go figure.

  “You are so beautiful,” Levi said to me as we slow danced. “I never imagined you could look more beautiful than you always do, but I was wrong. I promise I will always take care of you, Charity. Tonight I was distracted and didn’t see the danger in time. Tonight could’ve turned out differently.”

  “Levi, it wasn’t your fault. You couldn’t have known that someone could get through.”

  “Yes, Charity, I could’ve and should’ve known. It’s my job to know. My mistake was almost the end of us.”

  I put my hands on his face, caressing it softly. “Listen to me, this was not your fault. All of this was supposed to happen, at least that’s what I believe. We saw a miracle performed here tonight. How often can someone say that? The events that happened here will change things for a lot of us in ways we can’t even know now. But—if I had died tonight, know that I would’ve died a very happy woman having loved you, even if our time was short.”