Old Wounds: (A Havenwood Falls Novella)

by Susan Burdorf

“At least I’m not a freak,” Brad snarled.

  “Don’t be a jerk, Brad!” Sherry grew angrier by the minute.

  “What if I told you your lover wasn’t natural? What if I told you he was a werewolf? Would you still prefer him over me?” Brad clicked on his phone, and the video played.

  Sherry watched, fascinated, as a beautiful russet-colored wolf changed into a man, naked and unmistakably sexy in the moonlight.

  Unmistakably Rusty.

  Sherry’s eyes widened as her gaze went from the video to Rusty.

  “What? What is that?” Sherry said, her expression confused, and then, “It was you. You’re the wolf, and the angel, and the man all wrapped up in one package, aren’t you?” Her voice came out in a strangled whisper, as if the truth was suddenly clear.

  Rusty didn’t deny it, but the look he tossed at Brad was murderous.

  “This isn’t how I wanted you to find out…” he started to say. His eyes begged her to let him explain, but she backed away.

  Brad, triumphant, restarted the video and said, “Yep, I’d say that wolf thing is a secret. Kind of a big secret, right, Sherry?”

  “This changes nothing between us, Brad. I still want you to leave me alone. I want nothing more to do with you. Especially not now. I’m not sure what I ever saw in you, but I see you clearly now.”

  Rusty reached out for her, but she deftly avoided his hands, waving him away, too.

  And with that, she turned to run down the sidewalk toward the garage.

  “But Sherry, baby, you can’t be serious. I’m not a freak at least!” Brad shouted to her receding back, but she ignored him, focused on the garage and the hope that her car was ready so she could get out of this place.

  Rusty, watching her go, wasn’t sure whether he wanted to follow her or throttle her former boyfriend. He wasn’t worried about Brad spreading rumors about him. Once he left town, the video would disappear and the memory of this place would be wiped from Brad’s memory by the town’s magical wards, but the damage to his relationship with Sherry was irreparable, and for that, he wanted to kill Brad.

  Rusty, fists clenched at his sides and his face darkening with the promise of bodily harm, faced Brad, who had turned a lovely shade of white as if afraid and backed up a few steps.

  Holding his hands up, Brad said, “Okay, man, don’t rip my throat out. I don’t want to be a werewolf.”

  Rusty, through gritted teeth, said, “I’m not a werewolf, you idiot. But I could rip your throat out and wouldn’t regret it for an instant. If you don’t leave town right now, I might just forget my oath to not harm humans.”

  Brad, realizing he’d finally crossed the line, quickly turned and ran to his car. He peeled out, and Rusty watched him speed down Main Street, barely stopping for lights as he headed out of town.

  Rusty slowly walked toward Joshua’s. He had to explain. But he wasn’t exactly sure how to do it. How did you tell the woman you had just met—and rescued from a situation that you caused—that she was meant to be with you? Oh, and by the way, you were a man who could shift into a wolf?

  He frowned when he found Sherry in Joshua’s office, sobbing in his friend’s arms. The quiet man looked up when Rusty entered with eyes that begged for help. Strong emotions were hard for the man. He’d usually left that up to Evelyn, who’d been a strong empath as well as being a shifter.

  “Sherry,” Rusty said quietly.

  She looked at him and then quickly buried her face in Joshua’s chest.

  “Sherry,” Rusty said again.

  Finally, with a great sob that wracked her body into shivers, Sherry turned and faced him. Her eyes blazing, she spat out, “You lied to me.”

  “No,” he said with calm certainty, “I didn’t lie to you. I just didn’t tell you the whole truth.”

  “You were the wolf that caused me to nearly die,” she said.

  “It was the storm that caused you to fall,” he defended himself. Rusty took another step closer to her. “But, yes, I was the wolf you saw in the woods.”

  “You were the naked angel who saved me,” she whispered.

  “Sort of. I was naked, but I’m no angel.”

  Her gaze traveled up and down his body. “You were the man I made love to, or was that a lie, too?”

  “No, that was not a lie.” He stood as she watched him through tear-filled eyes, like she was trying to gauge the sincerity of his words.

  “Why did you make love to me?” she asked, her tone beseeching him to explain.

  “Because . . . because you are the one. You are my mate. You are my world.” He paused, but pressed on. “That song . . . it was written for you.”

  “You wrote that song ages ago. How could it be about me?” Sherry’s tears stopped flowing. She watched him with hungry eyes, and he knew he had to couch his words carefully or he would lose her forever.

  “My kind love only once and forever. We wait lifetimes for a mate who will be our equal. And sometimes, sometimes the mate is not our kind. But that does not make the bond any less strong. You were sent to me by the moon goddess. I am yours, and you are mine. You were mine before I knew you.” He spoke simply, sensing that her tumultuous emotions would not be able to accept the harsh truth of what loving someone like him would bring to her. Both the highs and the lows.

  If she could accept him, accept them, he would gladly deal with any backlash when the time came.

  Sherry looked at Joshua and said in a near whisper, “This is what it was like for you and Evelyn, wasn’t it? This feeling of not being good enough, or of just not being enough, isn’t it?”

  Joshua nodded. “You are a child to one such as him, an infant, but you will grow old together. This I promise you.”

  Turning to Rusty, Joshua said, “If I can do anything to help you two, at any time, you only need ask.”

  Then, nodding to the two of them, he slapped Rusty on the shoulder.

  Rusty nodded in gratitude and then turned to Sherry. Everything rested on her decision, after all.

  Sherry, eyes bright with tears, turned back to Rusty and said simply, “I love you. I loved you the second you touched me. I don’t know how I know that, but I believe you are my fate.”

  Rusty, hardly daring to believe her honesty, said, “You’re sure?”

  “Yes, my love.” She moved toward Rusty, holding out her hand. “I’m sure. You are mine, and I am yours. Old wounds be damned. We will face what comes next together.”

  “Oh, Sherry, my darling. I cannot promise you our journey together will be easy, but I can promise you it will always be filled with love. Although our love might be . . . unique . . . it will never be normal or dull.”

  Sherry laughed a deep, throaty laugh that sent shivers down his spine. “Normalcy is highly overrated. Unique is much better when it comes to pleasing the heart.”

  Lowering his lips until they almost touched hers, he whispered, “Then get ready for some of the most heart-pleasing times of your life.”

  He leaned slightly away, taking the time to brush a hand across her cheek, sending shivers of need racing through her.

  Sherry knew, glancing up into his soft brown eyes, that nothing could hold her heart more truly than the man whose desires turned him into a beast.

  She pulled Rusty’s face closer to hers, lips meeting his with all the confidence that comes from knowing, without a doubt, that you have met your equal.

  We hope you enjoyed this story in the Havenwood Falls series of novellas featuring a variety of supernatural creatures. The series is a collaborative effort by multiple authors. Each book is generally a stand-alone, so you can read them in any order, although some authors will be writing sequels to their own stories. Please be aware when you choose your next read.

  Other books in the main Havenwood Falls series:

  Forget You Not by Kristie Cook

  Fate, Love & Loyalty by E.J. Fechenda

  Covetousness by Randi Cooley Wilson

  Coming soon are books by Lila Felix, R.K. Ryal
s, Belinda Boring, Heather Hildenbrand, Stacey Rourke, and more.

  Watch for Havenwood Falls High, a Young Adult series launching in October 2017.

  Immerse yourself in the world of Havenwood Falls and stay up to date on news and announcements at www.HavenwoodFalls.com. Join our reader group, Havenwood Falls Book Club, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/HavenwoodFallsBookClub/

  About the Author

  Susan Burdorf is the author of several YA Contemporary novels as well as numerous short stories in a variety of anthologies. She is thrilled to be part of the shared world stories of Havenwood Falls and looks forward to many more adventures within its magical boundaries. A resident of Tennessee, she is often found hiking the trails on the hunt for waterfalls. Susan can be reached on her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/susanburdorfauthor and on Twitter at @sburdorf.

  Acknowledgments

  A book is a collaborative effort even when written by a single author. In this case, Old Wounds is a work of collaborative teamwork of the highest degree, and I want to thank Kallie Ross Mathews for the loan of her character, Sheriff Kasun, and Kristie Cook for the loan of Michaela, the owner of Whisper Falls Inn, and also for the invitation to join the growing world of Havenwood Falls.

  Thank you also to Regina Wamba of MaeIDesign for the amazing cover that brought Rusty to life; and to Liz Ferry of Per Se Editing for her work making this project so fantastic to view. If I have forgotten anyone, I apologize, but know how much your knowledge and expertise is appreciated by this humble author.