He was sorry that he’d asked the question as soon as it was out of his mouth, but he had to know, had to find out if there was even a chance that she’d accept him for who he was.
When she finally said, “No, I wouldn’t have. I could see that day that you weren’t dangerous. You looked so scared and alone in those rocks, and I knew what that felt like,” she said, then added, “I still do.” His heart nearly flew out of his chest.
He turned from the window, no longer afraid to be close to her, and sat down again. “I’ve never felt so alone in my life; everything was turned upside down; the people who I thought loved and cared for me turned against me. If it hadn’t been for my grandfather, I don’t know what I would have done. He brought me up here to hide, and eventually I made it my home.”
Sophie sighed. “How old were you then?” she asked, thinking back to that summer, which had been a horrible one for her too.
“I was fifteen, just the right age for my first shift,” he said, remembering how it had felt to be young and unaware what the future held. “But when I shifted that night, it wasn’t into a regular wolf.”
Sophie nodded her head. “After I saw you that day, I asked my grandmother about you; she explained what a black werewolf was. I thought about you for a while, especially when everyone was talking about you, but I was having problems of my own.”
“You’d been crying that day when I saw you,” he said, remembering her tear-stained face.
Sophie nodded. “Shifting doesn’t come easy for me; it always feels strange, like I’m not myself any longer,” she said. “My father sent me here to stay with my grandmother in the hope that she could teach me to control it better.”
When she fell silent, he said, “Something happened that day.”
Sophie nodded. “I was trying to shift into something small like a cat, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t,” she said, then fell silent again.
Finally, very quietly, he asked, “What do you shift into?”
Sophie looked down at her lap. “No matter how hard I try, I always shift into a wolf, and not just a regular wolf- a huge one.”
Jessie couldn’t help but laugh. “I thought you were going to say you shift into an alligator or a fish; I’ve heard of that happening. A wolf isn’t that bad, even if it’s a big one.”
Sophie shook her head, “You don’t understand; to my family, it was terrible. We were living right in the center of Nashville, and when I shifted, there was no place for me to go. Eventually, we had to move out of town, and when it got really bad, they sent me away to a boarding school in Montana. I wanted to come live with my grandmother, but my mother refused; she isn’t a shifter. I guess she thought I would grow out of it, but I still can only shift into a wolf.”
Exhausted and clearly upset, Sophie closed her eyes, but he could see tears in them. “You never fit in either, even with your own family,” he said, thankful that he’d had his grandfather’s support for all those years.
Sophie opened her eyes and looked at him. “Well, it doesn’t matter now. My family doesn’t want anything to do with me, and I’ve decided that it’s fine with me,” she said, sounding braver than she looked. “I came here to start a new life, although it doesn’t look like I’m doing a very good job at that either.”
She looked so sad that he wanted to gather her up in his arms, but he knew that would be going too far. Instead, he changed the subject. “I bet you’re hungry. I’ve got some soup on the stove.”
Chapter 8
***Sophie***
Sophie watched as Jessie filled two bowls with soup and put them on a tray. He added two rolls, napkins and spoons, then brought it over and set it down next to the bed. “I’m not a great cook, but it won’t kill you,” he said, handing her a bowl.
The soup was full of chunks of vegetables, chicken, and noodles and smelled wonderful. “It’s smells good,” she said, taking a small bite and then a second when she realized how good it was. “Tastes good too.”
Jessie grinned at her. “Fresh ingredients help,” he said, taking a bite of his soup.
She finished the entire bowl, then soaked up the last of the broth with the roll. “Did you bake these yourself?” she asked, her mouth full, then blushed.
Jessie nodded, then said, “From a sourdough starter your grandmother gave me before she died. She was the only other person in the valley besides my grandfather who cared about me, who took the time to make sure I had food, clothes, and some emotional support.”
Sophie thought about what his life must have been like, growing up here alone. “You must get lonely up here,” she said, looking around the cabin for the first time.
It was a nice little cabin, bigger than the one she lived in but still only one room, although she could see a door that probably led to a bathroom. It was furnished simply, but the bed was big and soft, and she could see herself sitting in front of the fire in the big overstuffed chair. There was a bookcase filled with books that covered one wall; and there were more piled on the floor in front of it. Still, it must get lonely, she thought looking back at Jessie, who’d been silent for a long time.
Jessie finally shrugged and said, “My cousin comes up every couple of weeks, so it’s not so bad. After my grandfather died, he decided I was his problem.”
He had a smile on his face when he said it, but Sophie could tell that he was only half-kidding. “Do you go to town very often?”
Jessie shook his head, “I’m not really welcome in town. As long as I stick to my mountain, everyone’s happy.”
He could see the shock on Sophie’s face, but then she asked, “Why don’t you just leave?”
Jessie took a while answering. “It’s complicated,” he finally said, then got up and took their dishes to the kitchen. “Maybe you should get some sleep.”
“I am a little tired, but maybe I should go home,” she said, wondering if anyone was looking for her. “I left my car parked in front of the school; someone might be looking for me.”
Jessie turned and looked at her. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. Besides the fact that you probably have a concussion, those men might be looking for you. Stay here for the day and then tonight, once it’s dark, I’ll go over and check your cabin to make sure they’re not waiting for you.”
Sophie thought about that. “Okay, but I feel bad taking up your bed. You’re probably tired and sleeping in that chair couldn’t have been easy.”
“I’ll be fine; you need to rest,” Jessie said, then turned back to his dishes.
Sophie watched him, her eyes heavy, thinking that he was a very handsome man, the kind of man most women would have fallen head over heels for. But his life wasn’t an easy one, and she wondered just how difficult it was for him to lead such a solitary life when he was clearly a very kind and caring person.
In fact, he was much kinder and more caring than the man she had been set to marry until she’d figured out it would be the biggest mistake of her life. Thinking of Duncan made her shiver, knowing how close she’d come to giving herself to a man who only saw her as a possession.
As good-looking as he was, she should have known that he didn’t really love her, but her father had convinced her that he was the perfect man for her. She’d convinced herself that she loved him, that he was the perfect man for her too, mostly to make her father happy: the one thing she’d never been able to do.
But then she’d found Duncan with a woman, and the confrontation that followed had opened her eyes to his true nature and exposed his arrangement with her father. She’d broken off the engagement, then gone right to her father and demanded an explanation.
The conversation hadn’t been pleasant, and by the time she left his study, she was on her own. Banished from the family that had never wanted her to find her own way in the world. The truth was it had been a bit of a relief to be free of her parents and their constant disapproval she had never fit in with their rich friends and never would.
That was when she rea
lized that she was far more comfortable in this little cabin than she would have been in her bedroom at home. She’d always hated all the things that came with money—the big house, the expensive car and clothes—so it was no surprise she’d chosen a simple life and was far more comfortable with it.
Feeling the pull of sleep getting stronger, she closed her eyes and listened to Jessie working in the kitchen; he was humming under his breath which made her smile. She wasn’t quite asleep when he finished and walked over to the bed, but she didn’t open her eyes, too sleepy to bother.
It was a surprise when she felt his lips brush across her forehead, a feather-light kiss that could have meant anything but stirred something deep inside her. She knew it for what it was, but pushed it away, knowing that it was only a response to him taking such good care of her.
***Jessie***
Sophie slept the entire day, and Jessie spent most of that time watching her and wondering how he could keep her safe. He doubted that he’d be able to talk her into leaving, and she couldn’t stay on his mountain, so that meant that he’d have to protect her from a distance.
He wasn’t exactly sure why he felt this overwhelming need to protect her. It might have been his way of repaying the debt he owed her from all those years ago, or it could have been something deeper, something he was afraid to look too closely at.
Sophie stirred things in him that didn’t need stirring, but he was powerless to stay away from her; that much was clear. The fact that she seemed not to mind his special gift, as his grandfather called it, didn’t help either. No one except his cousin and her grandmother had ever seen him as anything but a monster, something to feared.
She’d been scared at first, but the fear had gone as quickly as it had come, and at that moment, he’d known that he was in trouble. That fate had sent her to him, not once but twice, to save him; the only problem was that he would never ask her to tie herself to someone like him.
The life he led was not for everyone, and once a month when the moon was full, he changed and became something to fear. It wasn’t a life he’d want to share with anyone, wasn’t a life that anyone would want to share.
Thinking that life had played a cruel joke on him, he watched her sleep, wishing she could be his, but knowing that eventually she’d realize what a monster he was and turn on him like everyone else in his life had.
It was one thing to sit snug in the cabin and talk about it, but when she was faced with the reality of what he was, he knew that she’d never be able to handle it. As much as he hated to admit it to himself, he’d been entertaining thoughts that Sophie might be the kind of woman who wouldn’t turn from him, but it was time to end that; time to look at reality.
He’d have to protect her from the moonshiners, but that was all he would do; anything more would leave one of both heartbroken, of that he was sure. She’d already been through enough in her life; she didn’t need him making it more complicated.
He’d get her back to her cabin and then no matter how difficult it was, he’d stay away from her. It wouldn’t be easy, the pull he felt for her was strong, but he’d do it to save her the heartache he might cause.
Guarding her cabin would be easy; it was remote enough that no one would spot him at night, and she’d be in town during the day where George could watch her. His brother could have helped, but he hadn’t seen him for a few days, and he assumed he was out on one of his runs.
Jessie hadn’t thought about his brother since Sophie came into his life, and he wondered what he’d think when he came home to find him pining over a woman. He would probably think it was funny, then give Jessie one of those looks that said, you know better.
And he did know better, so when Sophie opened her eyes late that afternoon, he ignored the raw desire deep in his gut, smiled at her and said, “I’m glad to see that you’re awake. I think it’s time to get you home.
She smiled back at him at first, and then her face fell. “Oh, okay.”
“I’m sorry, that came out wrong. As much as I’d like to have you stay here, people are going to be looking for you, and they can’t find you here. I’ll be watching you though, keeping you safe,” he said, his voice gentle.
Sophie looked down in her lap, and he couldn’t tell what she was thinking, then she said, “I guess that would be okay.”
Jessie got up and crossed the room to a little cabinet in a corner, took a key out of his pocket and unlocked it. When he opened the door, Sophie could see that it was full of guns, and she gasped. He looked back at her over his shoulder, then pulled a shotgun out and held it out to her.
“Do you know how to use this?” he asked, walking over to the bed.
Sophie nodded. “My father loves guns; he taught me to shoot when I was just a kid. But do you really think I’ll need it?”
“I hope not; I think you’ll be fine if you stick to the school and your cabin. And if your car breaks down again, don’t go off in the forest,” he said, grinning at her.
“Very funny,” she said, grinning back at him.
“I’ll just go outside and let you get dressed,” Jessie said, heading for the door, “then we’ll get you home; it’s almost dark so no one should see us.”
Sophie had been too embarrassed to ask before, but she had to know. “How did I get undressed?” she asked, her face flaming hot with embarrassment.
“Don’t worry, I covered you up; I didn’t see a thing,” Jessie said, but she saw his cheeks pinken.
When she came out of the cabin fully dressed, he smiled at her and said, “Well, you look better. Do you think you can walk home? I can carry you.”
Sophie shook her head, “No, I think I’ll be okay.”
But she wasn’t quite as strong as she’d thought and after only a mile, her head began to throb, and she felt woozy. Jessie scooped her up in his arms, “Looks like you might need a little help.”
“My head kind of hurts,” she said, relaxing into his arms and resting her head against his chest.
She could hear the beating of his heart, and feel the rise and fall of his chest as he took a breath. A wave of desire shot through her making her gasp with surprise. He stopped walking and looked down at her, “Are you okay?”
Looking up at him, she honestly wasn’t sure. The feeling coursing through her body was new and a little mysterious to her. She’d never felt anything like it before and wasn’t sure she should be feeling it now. The man holding her in his arms was an outcast: a black werewolf.
“I’m okay, just a little dizzy,” she said, giving him a shaky smile.
Chapter 9
***Jessie***
Jessie carried Sophie as carefully as he could, her gasp a few minutes earlier reminding him that she was hurt. When he’d picked her up and desire had washed over him, tightening his groin and creating a longing deep inside him, he’d started walking as fast as he could but he clearly he was going to have to slow down.
Now more than ever he knew that he had to get away from Sophie and keep some distance between them before he did something he might regret later. She was so small in his arms, but he sensed a strength inside her that she might not even know she had, and it was that strength that appealed to him most.
It seemed like a long trip to her cabin with her snuggled in his arms, but finally, he saw the dark little building through the trees. He set her down on her feet, holding onto her until he was sure she wouldn’t fall, then put his finger over his lips and left her there.
After a quick check to make sure no one was watching her cabin, he went back to where he’d left her. “I didn’t see anyone, so you’re safe for now,” he said, picking her up again.
“I could walk now; it’s not that far,” Sophie protested but didn’t make much of an effort to get him to set her down.
He smiled down at her. “It’s okay, you’re not very heavy.”
When she smiled up at him, it was all he could do not to lean down and kiss her. But he held himself back, knowing that one kiss would never be e
nough, that once he started kissing her, he’d never want to stop.
When they got to her cabin, he climbed the steps, then set her down in front of the door. She looked up at him. “Thank you for everything you’ve done, Jessie; I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t come along,” she said with a little shiver.
“Well, I owed you one, I think,” he said, smiling at her. “But you still need to be careful, Sophie. I don’t want to frighten you, but you need to be on your guard,” he said, pulling the shotgun he’d slung over his shoulder off and handing it to her.
She took it from him, held it in her hands for a few seconds, as if she was testing its weight. “It’s a little big for me, but I guess it will do.”
Jessie dug in his pocket and handed her a box of shells. “You might need these,” he said, handing them to her. “Just promise me that you won’t shoot me. I’m going to be out there keeping an eye on you at night.”
She looked like she wasn’t sure that was a good idea at first, but then she smiled up at him. “I think I’ll sleep better knowing that you’re there.”
Jessie’s heart practically burst with happiness. “I’m glad,” he said, looking down into her eyes and seeing what he thought was desire.
They stood staring at each other for several long minutes, neither ready to part. Finally, Jessie couldn’t stand it any longer and reached out to cup her face in his hands, then lowered his head and brushed his lips across hers.
Her lips were warm and firm under his, and when she opened her mouth to him, desire raced through him. He let his tongue dip into her mouth, her little moan of pleasure igniting the passion between them and stealing his breath.
Pulling back, he crushed her to his chest, wishing he could go inside with her, but knowing that would be a mistake. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that,” he said.
Third Time a Charm: Wolves of Gypsum Creek Page 5
