“That’s enough! Raven, please, that’s enough!”
Raven released him, smirking and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
Levi, on the other hand, looked weak and unsteady.
“Will someone tell me what that was about, now, please?”
“Raven, release my wife’s wrist before I bite your arm off.” His voice was calm but threatening. I could tell he meant it. That’s my Levi.
Levi, with both hands around my waist, carefully helped me back into bed. “I promised to let Raven feed off me in return for helping erase your memories.”
“You see,” Raven interrupted, “werewolf blood is more appealing to us than human blood. It’s richer and more satisfying and also harder to come by, and I didn’t have time to feed beforehand.”
“Thank you, Levi. I know that was hard for you. Did it hurt?” I reached up to touch the two little wounds on his neck that were already beginning to fade.
He shrugged. “My biting you hurt me more.”
I reassured him with a gentle kiss to the lips. “Thank you,” I whispered.
“And Raven, thank you for coming. It means a lot to me. I don’t remember any of the details.”
“You’re welcome, Charity, but I believe I owed you.”
“Well, you don’t owe me anything anymore. You’re free.”
“I am afraid I will never be free from you, Charity.”
Levi growled, but Raven laughed. “I believe it is time for me to go. Happy healing, Charity,” he murmured as he bowed, taking my hand and kissing it. He turned, nodded to Levi, and then exited the room.
Once the door had fully closed, Levi stumbled. “Hector!” I yelled as Levi began to collapse. Hector caught him before he crashed to the floor, picking him up and laying him gently in the recliner next to me, pulling the lever and elevating his legs.
“What’s wrong with him?!”
“It’s all right, Mrs. Charity. It’s a combination of the drugs in your mother’s system and Raven taking a lot of blood. He’ll be fine once he sleeps it off. You get some sleep now. I’ll stand guard, and tomorrow we’ll get you out of here. You should be home by tomorrow afternoon.” He took up his usual protective stance at my door.
I glanced over at Levi sleeping peacefully and smiled. I reached over and wiped his beautiful, wild hair out of his face with my good arm. At that very moment I felt my connection symbol tingle, and I knew it had grown slightly.
“I love you so much,” I whispered, tracing my fingers along his perfectly sculpted and flawless face. Tears stung my eyes at the overwhelming beauty of him.
Knowing sleep wouldn’t find me without him, I got up slowly, grabbed the blanket from the bed, and strolled over to Levi spread about the recliner. It was a big chair but somehow looked small with him sprawled across it. I managed to squeeze in beside him and arranged the blanket over us with my good arm. Though he seemed to be completely out, his arm came up and around me. “I missed you so much,” he whispered in his sleep.
“Oh puppy, me too,” I whispered back. And once in the comfort of his arms, snuggled as close as I could possibly get, I smiled contently, allowing the melody of his rhythmic heartbeat to sing me into a sound and peaceful sleep.
Chapter Seven
So much had happened in the week since our return home. We had Frank’s funeral. To my surprise, tons of people showed up. I hadn’t known Frank to have that many friends, but soon I realized that most were there to support us.
Doc was making regular visits to the house, checking on our condition. Mom was still puzzled about how she could’ve healed so fast. And of course my shoulder and arm were healed, although it still ached at times. I wondered if it would really ever heal fully.
Levi was more protective, if that were possible, along with Hector, especially in light of the fact that silver nitrate was indeed the reason for the attack, which brought on a new uncertainty.
Mom was mourning Frank’s absence. She couldn’t remember all the events of that day, but her loss was everywhere she looked. For days she tried to remember what happened. She remembered fixing the picnic lunch, but nothing else until she woke up in the hospital on the morning we left. Of course we never checked into the other hospital, instead Doc agreed to make house calls, which seemed to satisfy her suspicions. To my surprise, she didn’t really question too much, just accepted everything we told her. Numb, however, was an emotion that had become a part of her.
The time had come for me to step up. So I began taking care of her. It felt natural really; making sure she had her medicines, helping her with her baths, doing all the household chores, and I began to learn how to cook, which was a totally new experience for me, and to be honest, a scary one. She’d always been a great cook. It seemed effortless for her. I mean all I had to do was follow the recipes, right? Should be easy enough.
Okay, so my first meal took me all afternoon, but I was happy with the end result. It looked good anyway. It smelled good too, but I was afraid to taste it. I decided, at the last minute, to invite Levi, Ashley, and Josh to be my guinea pigs. They graciously accepted.
I decorated the table with my mom’s white, linen tablecloth, set out the good dishes, and prayed for a miracle.
I was anxious as everyone took their seats. I mean, anyone can cook meatloaf, right?
“It looks delicious, babe,” Levi commented with a smile, kissing me on the forehead and taking his seat.
“Yes it does,” Ashley added, “I applaud you. Everything looks good.” She made a face. “What is that?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
“If it was, would I have asked?” She smirked.
“Fine. It’s mashed potatoes.”
“It’s a little chunky,” she said, putting a glob on her plate.
“Shut up and eat,” I snapped.
Mom bounded down the stairs and shocked us all. I think I’m going to have to talk to Doc about her medications. She pulled up the empty chair and took a seat. “Oh, Charity, it looks divine.” She heaped food on her plate and began to eat.
Everyone else was now a little reluctant. Maybe it was the green beans. I really didn’t think they were supposed to be hard. But what did I know.
I studied all the faces before me as each one took their first bite. I tell you it was torture, plain and simple. I didn’t like what I saw.
“Well, it’s definitely like nothing I’ve ever tasted before,” Levi politely commented. But his smile was apologetic.
I threw my hands up in the air. “Great! I suck at cooking!”
“No!” Ashley butted in, “it’s not terrible, just—not done. How long did you cook the potatoes?”
“Huh?”
“You did cook the potatoes before you mashed them, didn’t you?”
“Oh, so that’s why it was such a pain. I wondered.”
“Good grief, Charity.”
I turned to glare at Levi as an odd crunching sound came from his lips. “Charity,” Levi asked, “What’s in this meatloaf?”
“Um, hamburger meat, bread crumbs, chopped onions, some kind of seasoning I found in the cabinet, and ketchup, oh—and an egg.”
“Oh!” everyone said in unison.
“Am I missing something?”
“Charity, did you even read the recipe?” Ashley asked.
“Yes I did.”
“And what did it say about the egg?”
“It called for one egg, lightly beaten.”
“And how did you beat the egg, exactly?”
“I dropped it in the pan with the rest of the ingredients and beat the snot out of it with my hands. Was that wrong?”
“Including the shell?”
“Umm.”
Everyone at the table burst into shrilling laughter. I didn’t get the joke, but their laughter was contagious, and soon all of us were doubled over, laughing hysterically. All except my mother, who was in the process of cleaning her plate. That’s my girl.
Okay, so not everyone’s cut out
for cooking, but I, for one, was not a quitter. Needless to say we ordered in pizza. But my experience wasn’t a total failure. I’d say I definitely learned what not to do to meatloaf, anyway. And when the recipe calls for an egg, remove the shell first. Even if they do leave that bit of information out.
My alarm meter sounded as I observed that Ashley took only a few bites of her pizza. Levi and I exchanged concerned glances but said nothing.
After I had Mom tucked comfortably in her bed, we all cuddled up on the sofa and settled into a movie in the den. I let Ashley make the popcorn.
Chapter Eight
The next night I invited the gang from school over to try my second attempt. Ashley, Stacy, Delaney, Missy, and Toby arrived on time and in humorous moods. It’s not often Levi and I spend a night apart, but there is a time just for friends, and I thought this was one of them, not to mention he declined my offer—chicken. And I have to admit Ashley’s eating was becoming a bit of a concern and I needed an excuse to observe her more closely.
This time I decided to try beef stroganoff—should be simple, right?
“So, Charity, what’s this—lasagna?” Toby asked.
“No! Why does it look like lasagna?”
“The way my mom makes it.”
“No,” Stacy interjected, “it’s Hamburger Helper.”
“No, it’s Chinese,” Delaney added.
“Chinese!” I snapped. “Don’t you psychos know food? It’s beef stroganoff.”
“Ohhh,” they all said in unison.
“It smells weird,” Toby said. “Are you sure it’s beef stroganoff? Maybe it’s Chili Mac.”
“Oh for Dummy’s sake! It’s beef stroganoff! Now shut up and eat!”
“Gee, you’re so touchy about your cooking.”
“Yeah well, you weren’t here last night.”
“What happened last night?”
Ashley laughed. “A disaster, that’s what.”
“Well, not tonight. I followed the recipe very closely.”
But I guess not closely enough, since each face turned distorted as they took their first bite. Yikes! It was definitely too salty.
“Crikey! I really rot at this!”
“Don’t beat yourself up too badly, Charity,” Toby began, “not everybody can cook. Take my mom for instance. I’ve grown up on Chef Boyardee, frozen pizza, and spaghetti in a box. But my mom can sew, sing, and she makes the best ham and cheese sandwiches on this side of the Carolinas. I’d stake my life on it.”
“Thanks, Tobe. I guess you’re right. I mean, I do other things good, right?”
The room was silent.
“Right?”
Still silence.
I rolled my eyes. “Thanks guys. What would I do without encouraging friends such as yourselves?”
“Well,” Missy finally said, “you’re a totally loyal friend.” All their heads nodded in agreement. “You’re gorgeous. Not everyone can be gorgeous like you and it not go to their head. You’re funny, artistic, and you’d do anything for the ones you love—even put yourself in danger. I should know—and thank you.”
“Wow, Missy, thanks.”
She smiled, her face turning a cute shade of pink.
“See—why can’t you guys be more like Missy?”
Toby laughed. “And you’re so good with the compliments too.”
“Yeah, well back atcha homeboy.”
Needless to say we ordered in pizza again. This cooking thing was much harder than I expected. Maybe I needed a new cookbook, or a new brain.
Again Ashley took only a few bites of her pizza. I know for a fact that pizza is one of her favorite foods. Only God could help me with this one, so I said a silent prayer for wisdom.
That night I was deep into a sweet dream about Levi. He and I were wrapped in each other’s arms sharing our dreams about our long future together, when screaming woke me with a start. I bolted straight up, annoyed that my dream was interrupted. Then I heard it again—a scream. It was coming from my mom’s room. I jumped out of bed and bounded into the room, quickly spotting Mom screaming and thrashing in her bed. I rushed to her. “Mom! Mom! It’s me, Charity! I tried to stop her, but when I reached for her she struck me. She wasn’t aware, of course, but it hurt all the same. I ran into my room to retrieve my phone. I called Levi.
He answered on the first ring. “Charity?”
“Levi! Mom is freaking out! I think she’s remembering the night we were attacked! What do I do?! Help me!”
“I’ll be right there.”
I went back into her room. She was kicking and screaming. “Charity, run! They’re werewolves! Run! They’re killing Frank! Oh, Frank!”
I panicked. I ran back into my room, opened my window, and yelled, “Raven!” I didn’t know what else to do. I hated seeing her in distress, and I was desperate.
I darted back into her room. She was still screaming and there was nothing I could do. I felt totally helpless. Suddenly, there was a hand on my shoulder. I turned. “Oh, Raven, thank God! Please help her! She’s remembering the night of the attack! Please make her forget all of it, please!”
Without a word he walked gracefully around the bed and sat beside her. He took her face in his hands, ignoring her protests. He forced her to look at him. She was quiet at once. He spoke softly. “You do not remember anything about the day you were attacked. You do not know who or what attacked you. You are not afraid. You miss Frank, but you are no longer sad. You are moving on with your life, and now you will sleep.” He gently laid her head down on her pillow, and instantly she was asleep.
I was in total awe. Talk about your Jedi mind tricks. And now I was in total debt to him.
He rose gracefully and came and stood by me. My eyes filled with tears, despite my attempts to control them. It was one thing for me to suffer, but seeing my mom was too much. He gathered me to himself and held me there. After a moment he pulled back and peered into my eyes. He studied me in silence, and then whispered softly, “You want to kiss me.” It wasn’t a question but a request.
With my eyes still leaking, I found myself leaning in, inching my lips closer and closer until they were almost touching his. Did I mention that vampires can manipulate emotions?
“Charity?” an alarmed voice called out.
I turned and spotted Levi standing in the doorway, his face full of shock.
“Levi!”
His face grew angry as he scowled at Raven, then opening his arms for me.
“Oh, Levi, I’m so sorry!” I ran to him, his arms encircling me, and clung for dear life. I wondered what his expression was saying to Raven, but in that moment I really didn’t care.
“It’s okay, kitten. It’s not your fault. It’s okay.”
We left Mom’s room, shutting the door behind us, and entered mine. I turned to explain, when suddenly, Raven was on the floor, wiping blood from his mouth. Levi grabbed him up, holding him by the collar of his shirt. “You’re gonna pay for that! Just what do you think you were doing in there?!”
“I was helping Charity’s mother.”
“No, you were taking advantage of Charity’s weakened state.”
“Hey, you cannot blame a guy for trying.”
“Sure I can! If you ever touch her again I’ll—”
“Okay, that’s enough!” I snapped. “Levi, let him go!”
After a few moments of torment, Levi reluctantly released him and stepped away.
“Well, I guess I better be going,” Raven stated, straightening his shirt and stepping toward the window.
I stood. “Raven! Thank you for helping my mom.”
“No, thank you.”
Levi clenched his jaw, making a tight fist.
Raven smirked before disappearing out the window. I don’t know why he antagonizes Levi like that. Doesn’t he realize how bad he wants to kill him?
Levi stayed the night, never letting me once out of the warmth and security of his embrace. Actually, I’ve gotten so use to the feeling of him that, just
like Levi said, I find it difficult to sleep without him. I always feel so safe in his arms, something I never felt before meeting him. In fact, before I met Levi I never trusted any man. It took him quite a while to earn my trust, but I’m glad he never gave up. And his diligence paid off for both of us.
When he first asked me to marry him, explaining that it was vital that he marry and start a family right away in order to insure the future of his pack, I was scared to death of the idea. But looking back I can’t fathom why. Marrying him had been the most wonderful, and fulfilling thing I’d ever done, and probably, aside from having his puppies, will ever do. We married in secret, with only the pack and Ashley present. My mom would’ve never approved of me marrying while I was still in high school. Can’t say that I blame her on that one, I had a problem with that myself. That’s why I still lived at home, only spending as many weekends as I could with Levi at the Drake House.
After graduation, Ashley and I had plans to get an apartment together and take nursing classes at Windrake Community College, but in truth, I’d move in with Levi. I couldn’t wait, only a few more weeks and we could live like real married couples. No more of him sneaking in my window to stay a few nights a week, and no more having to spend nights apart. Ashley was actually thinking about moving into the Drake House herself. Personally, I didn’t think it would be long before Josh proposed to her. Levi says that werewolves don’t date around. Usually, they find a girl they like and soon after, marry her.
Werewolf society is so different from ours. In many ways it’s much better. There is very little divorce amongst the pack. They have their rules and most follow them without question. Sometimes there are a few rebels, but Levi says those are few and far between. Most believe solely in their way of life and do everything to ensure its secrecy and safety. Sounds good to me. I know I’d never want to go against the pack. The thing that blessed me the most, however, was how everyone watched out for each other. Everyone genuinely seemed to love one another. And after the last three years of my life where I couldn’t even trust my own stepfather—it was overwhelmingly refreshing.
Charity Rising (Charity Series Book 2) Page 5
