by Jane Jamison
Charlie couldn’t help but compare her sister’s relationship with the Holms men to her parents’ relationship. Instead of cold, unfeeling glances, their gazes were filled with love and desire. Instead of quarreling, they gave each other soft kisses and murmured words that brought joy to Shannon’s face. Instead of talking about business and the stock market, Daniel and Anderson made jokes that had Shannon laughing so hard she had tears running down her face. If Lloyd and Dorris Newman had given each other one-tenth the love she saw between Shannon and her men, maybe she and her sisters would’ve grown up happier and more confident in the belief that love could last a lifetime.
She sighed. There were too many “ifs” to think about. What good did it do anyway?
The men wanted to stay outside and enjoy the weather, so they pulled steaks, hamburger, and hot dogs out of the huge refrigerator in the bright, sunny kitchen. Just like Blane and Reese, the men consumed large quantities of food and drank more than a gallon each of sweet tea.
Charlie sat in a recliner, amazed to be so relaxed near two men who were werewolves. She drank her tea and watched them, but more times than not, she’d find her attention straying to catch Reese staring at her or Blane tossing her a quick grin. They made her feel comfortable when she should’ve been anxious and on edge. Weren’t they looking at her the way the Holms men looked at Shannon? She tingled just thinking about spending a lifetime with Reese and Blane.
“Charlie?”
She shaded her eyes with her hand and followed the long, lean body standing in front her. Daniel held his hands up, palms out.
“Don’t shoot. I’m unarmed.” He opened his mouth, drawing his lips back to show his teeth. “See? No fangs.”
Was he the same man she’d shot twice? If so, he was more forgiving than she’d ever be. He sank onto the lounge beside her.
“I’m glad you came to see Shannon.”
She looked into his earnest face. “I am, too.”
“So, are we the horrible monsters you thought we were?”
She couldn’t tell if he was joking or not and decided to play it safe. “The jury’s still out. But at least I’m not afraid you’re going to hurt my sister.”
He shifted to face her. “Hurting Shannon would be the last thing I’d ever do. She’s my life.”
A lump formed in Charlie’s throat at his simple declaration of love. Glancing past him, she watched as Reese caught Blane in a headlock, playfully tussling like two overgrown boys. Would either Reese or Blane ever say the same about her?
“I don’t understand. How can you live as a werewolf?”
He tilted his head at her. Did everyone in Forever have that same habit?
“I know it’s difficult for you to get, but Anderson and I were born werewolves. To ask me how I can live like a werewolf is like me asking you how you can live as a woman.”
She shook her head. “It’s not the same thing. I don’t change into White Fang’s distant cousin whenever there’s a full moon.”
Daniel laughed, drawing the attention of her men, Anderson, and Shannon. Her men? She’d only dared to think of the Rawlins brothers as her men this morning, and yet the phrase already came to her so easily.
“First, we can change any time we want to and not just during a full moon. In fact, if I wanted to, I could change right this minute.” He held up his hands, palms out again. “Don’t worry. I won’t.”
“So why did you change the other day? Blane and Reese were afraid you’d come after me.”
He bowed his head then brought it back up to study her. “I’m sorry about that. But when you shot me, my instincts kicked in. I wasn’t going to hunt you down unless you’d shot Shannon or Anderson instead of me. Thankfully, because I’m a werewolf, I healed fast.” He shot her a crooked grin. “Both times.”
She took a sip of her tea to give her time to think. Daniel was charming, and she could easily see why her sister loved him. “But what about the future? What about children? Can Shannon still have the kids she’s always wanted?”
Daniel waved at Shannon, who was staring at them, her expression tight. “She’s worried that you won’t accept us, you know. She told me about the promise she made you. I hope it doesn’t come to that, but whatever Shannon decides, we’ll support her.”
He leaned back in the recliner. “As for children, yes, she can have as many as she wants. The only thing she has to remember is to not shift into her wolf form while she’s more than two months pregnant.”
Charlie sat up, her heart pounding, her breath taken by the realization of what he’d said. “Are you telling me that she’s a werewolf, too?”
The color drained from Daniel’s face. “Aw, shit. I thought she’d told you.”
Charlie was on her feet and rushing toward the front door. Daniel shouted at Shannon, but every sound around Charlie was muffled by the one thought repeating in her head.
Shannon’s a werewolf.
She kept moving, hurrying to get away from the awful truth without any idea where she was headed. She didn’t realize she was inside the house until she crumpled on the rug. Hugging herself, she sat on the floor, sobs racking her body as she wailed. If only she could cry away the sentence drowning out all other thoughts.
My sister’s a werewolf.
“Charlie?”
Shannon knelt beside her and tried to pull her into her arms, but Charlie pushed her away. “Don’t touch me.”
She wiped the tears from her cheeks and glared at her sister. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
The misery on Shannon’s face was nothing compared to the gnawing pain in her stomach.
“I love them. You can see that, can’t you? I saw your face outside. You saw how good we are together.”
She had, but did any of that matter? “What does that have to do with it? You didn’t have to become a werewolf to stay with them, did you? Did they force you to do it? Did they attack you and make you one of them? If they did, I swear I’ll kill them.”
The pain in her sister’s face disappeared. “Knock it off, Charlie, and grow the hell up. No, they didn’t force me to change and they didn’t attack me. They wouldn’t do that. Don’t you get it? I love them, and they love me. I want to live my life with them. I want to share in their lives. I wanted to become a werewolf.”
She stood, hands fisted and towering over Charlie. “And you know what? For the first time in my life, I’m happy. I’m not just going through the motions of living any longer. I’m really, honestly, totally happy. I have two amazing men who love me and accept me for who I am. They don’t expect anything from me, which is more than I can say about our parents. If you love me like you say you do, then you’ll accept them. It’s unconditional love, Charlie. You either love me as I am now, as a werewolf, or you really don’t love me at all.”
Charlie couldn’t find the words to argue with her. It hurt to think, to breathe, to move.
“That’s what real love is, Charlie. When you find someone you love more than yourself, you take them in any form they come in. I’m damn proud to be a werewolf and damn proud to be their mate.”
Shannon whirled around and headed for the front door. Charlie turned toward her as she came to a stop, her hand on the doorknob.
“I’ll always love you, Charlie, no matter who or what you are.” Pushing the screen door wide, Shannon marched down the front steps and into the arms of her two mates.
* * * *
Charlie wasn’t sure how long or how far she’d walked. After Shannon left, she somehow managed to get on her feet. Like walking through a dream, she passed through the kitchen and out the back door. She vaguely remembered hearing Reese shouting at Shannon, questioning her about what had happened, but she didn’t turn back. Instead, she put one foot in front of the other and kept moving.
The sun was beginning its descent in the western sky. Using it like a beacon, she headed toward the changing colors floating above the horizon. Her mind was blank other than taking in the splendor of the sunset. Purples
and blues filled the sky as the golden sun sank behind the ground. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew she should turn around before the light grew dimmer, but she’d lost control of her feet. She kept walking down the road then followed a path that led her away from the road and over the flat land.
My sister’s a werewolf. She’s mated to two werewolves.
As many times as her mind tried to comprehend it, she couldn’t quite get a grip on it. She still loved Shannon with all her heart. Maybe that would change if she saw her sister change like Daniel and Anderson did, but she doubted it would. Could she stand to stay around and find out?
Blane’s and Reese’s faces popped into her mind, giving her comfort. They’d accepted their friends as werewolves even to the point of defending them. Could her men help her do the same for her sister? Was acceptance just a matter of getting used to Shannon’s new life?
She walked on, stumbling once as the path grew more rugged with lots of large pebbles to trip over. The sun was almost gone and the light was going. A tingle at the back of her neck warned her to beware, urged her to turn around and hurry back the way she’d come. But she ignored it. Her heart hurt more than her feet did.
Memories flooded her with images of happier times with both her sisters. A seven-year-old Christine, still alive and laughing, pointed a water gun at her older sisters and squeezed the trigger, soaking their new party dresses. She smiled and remembered Shannon’s cheerful good-bye as Christine slipped into the waiting limo to be chauffeured off to college.
But the good memories were few and far between as other memories leaked to the forefront. Shannon’s tear-streaked face gazed up at her as she clung to Charlie and weathered another argument between their parents. Her mother had railed at their father, but it was his coldness, his uncaring that had been worse. Wasn’t that the worse kind of cruelty?
She’d seen a close friend of hers caught in a horrible relationship where the man had been physically abusive. Wasn’t he less of a man than Shannon’s lovers? Was Reese right? Was her definition of a man wrong?
Shannon was still the same gutsy, fun-loving, loyal sister she’d always been. Those qualities hadn’t gone away now that she could change her appearance.
It was true that Daniel and Anderson loved Shannon. She’d seen enough evidence of that during the day. She remembered the first time she’d seen them in their wolf forms, back in the vampire’s house. As she’d raised the gun and shot at Daniel, she’d seen them come together to block Shannon and keep her safe.
Charlie stopped as an idea hit her.
Reese and Blane. What about them?
She frowned. They were a lot like Daniel and Anderson. All the men were strong, virile, and exuded an extra quality that she couldn’t define. But it was a quality that spoke of confidence and their ability to handle any situation. They held themselves in a certain way, even tilting their heads in question much like a dog would do.
She sucked in a breath. Could it be true? Could Blane and Reese be werewolves, too? Didn’t it make sense that they were? Hadn’t she felt the same kind of connection to them that Shannon had described?
Her mouth parted as she tried to draw in regular breaths, and she could hear her pulse picking up speed, flooding her ears with the pounding of her heart. If they were werewolves, what did it mean for her?
She loved them. She didn’t know how or when it had happened, but she was certain of it. She loved them with every ounce of her being. More, she was sure they loved her back. Their actions, the way they made love to her spoke it as loudly as any words ever could. Hadn’t they already made a place in their home for her? Could she give that up if they were werewolves?
She turned around as the answer came. She’d love them no matter what they were, just as Shannon had said she loved her men. She didn’t care what form they kept, she’d love them until her dying breath.
The growl, low and mean, slammed her to a stop. She listened, trying her best not to make a sound, to not even breathe too loudly. The growl came again, but closer this time.
Is it one of the others? Maybe even Reese or Blane? Did they track me?
Yet she sensed that it wasn’t either the Holms boys or her men. She started moving, careful to keep any noise to a minimum. If she could make it back to the main road, she might have a chance of getting away before whatever had growled knew she was there.
Fear crawled into her spine then rolled through her limbs. She stiffened and found it difficult to get her legs to move. She’d acted like a fool by leaving the house and walking on her own. Although she was a city girl, she should’ve had enough sense not to be out in the middle of nowhere after dark.
She glanced around as she shuffled forward. Darkness had fallen fast, and the moon was only a sliver in the sky. She couldn’t see very far in front of her, but she kept going.
Just make it back to the main road. Don’t run. Don’t make any noise. You’re going to be all right.
Sweat dotted her forehead and ran a trickle down her back. If she shouted for help, would anyone hear her? She hadn’t heard another growl for several minutes. Had the animal gone in another direction?
Almost as soon as she’d finished the thought and breathed a sigh of relief, another growl floated to her. She gasped and spun around, stirring the rocks and dirt under her feet. The noise she made wasn’t much, but in the stillness of the night it sounded like the roar of a tornado. Swallowing back a cry, she hurried toward the main road.
Another growl sent her stumbling forward. She cried out and managed to stay on her feet, but she’d made even more noise than before. Her throat closed up as she straightened up and checked around her. Closing her eyes, she chanted a silent prayer for help.
Reese, help me. Please, Blane, come and find me.
The sound of dry dirt cracking under a heavy weight swiveled her to the left. She held her breath as another crack split the air. Squinting into the night, she tried to see what was coming at her, but it was too dark.
Summoning every bit of courage she had, she went on the offensive, her gut telling her it was her last chance before hell descended on her.
“Go away! Get lost! Whatever you are, you’d better get the hell away from me!”
She dragged in a ragged breath and readied herself for another shout when the sound of an evil chuckle made her freeze in place.
“Who’s out there? You don’t frighten me, so you might as well go home. Do you understand me? Go home!”
A noise behind her had her spinning around. Cold amber eyes that seemed to be floating in the darkness locked onto her. Evil glittered in the eyes, raking fear into her. She stepped back, her heel sliding off a rock and sending her falling backward.
She landed on her buttocks with her hands flat on the path. Shaking her hair back, she looked up to see an enormous bear bounding toward her. It rose onto its back legs, roaring its attack.
Chapter Ten
Charlie screamed and tried to fling her body away from the attacking beast. She rolled to the left, expecting to feel the agony of its claws ripping through her skin.
But the pain never came.
Growls of more than one animal erupted around her as she put her arms over her head to protect her face. The bear screeched again, but this time the sound was filled with rage.
Daring to take her arms away from her head, she sat on the ground, awestruck by the sight before her. The bear, larger than she’d have thought possible for any bear, raked its claws over the nearest werewolf.
Two golden werewolves lunged at the animal, striking wherever they could. They worked as a team, one moving in for the attack while the other retreated and circled to the other side of the bear. In and out they dodged, clawing into the bear’s hide then sinking their fangs into its fur.
The amber eyes of the werewolves matched the amber of the bear’s eyes, but they held an extra essence, an intelligence that she’d seen before. She gaped at them, knowing beyond a doubt that the two werewolves were Blane and Re
ese.
A hand closed over her mouth, muffling her scream. Shannon clutched her arm, making her turn to look at her, then took her hand off Charlie’s mouth. “Are you hurt? Did it scratch or bite you?”
Charlie shook her head and scanned her body, looking for any sign of injury, but found none. “No. I’m okay.”
Getting to her feet with help from her sister, Charlie refused to let her sister pull her away. “Let go. I’m not leaving them.”
Shannon yanked on her arm, but she yanked it away again. A growl from the left had her heart sinking. Was another bear about to strike? Instead, she found two other werewolves, their darker coats a striking contrast to the golden werewolves.
“Don’t worry. It’s Daniel and Anderson.”
“Then why aren’t they helping them? Four against one is better odds.”
Shannon nodded toward the three animals still fighting. “I don’t think your guys need any help.”
“I knew it was them.”
“But they’d want you to get out of harm’s way. Come on. I’ll lead you back to the ranch.”
She jerked her arm out of Shannon’s grip for a third time. “I said no. I’m not going anywhere until I know they’re going to be all right.”
Shannon smiled and hugged her. “I understand.” Taking one last glance at the fight, she hurried back to stand between the two dark werewolves. Lifting her hand in good-bye, she disappeared into the darkness.
Charlie gritted her teeth, determined to find a way to help her men against the bear. But when she turned back to them, she saw that they were doing fine on their own. Foam spilled from the bear’s mouth as it gasped for air. The werewolves circled it, and, without knowing why, she sensed that they were communicating to each other.
Were they going to kill it? Their lips were pulled back into snarls, but they made no effort to move in on it. The bear crouched low with its ears laid back and its tail hanging low. Blood covered its flanks and back with a large gash oozing blood down its neck. It snarled at the werewolves but didn’t attack.
