Triumph (Wolves 0f Gypsum Creek Book 2)

by Serena Meadows

  Kara looked up at him. “Only because I needed a place to hide from Sebastian, then I met Jessie and our brother and realized that I couldn’t just walk in, ruin his life, and walk away. That’s why I didn’t tell the truth; once I lied, it was just easier to keep lying.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  ***Danny***

  Danny wanted to forgive Kara completely, her reasons for lying seemed valid, but it was a shock to realize that she was Jessie’s sister. It took him a second to understand why that was important and then another few seconds to decide if it mattered to him.

  “Does that mean that you’re... I mean, you told Sophie that you’re not a shifter and you were never scared of Jessie. Are you...”?

  Kara reached over and put her hand on his arm. “I’m a black werewolf just like Jessie; we had the same father. My mother wasn’t sure about me like she was about Jessie, but she said it didn’t matter: she’d already given up her sons, and she wasn’t going to give me up.”

  Danny looked at her in shock. “So, on the next full moon you’ll shift like Jessie?”

  Kara nodded. “I’ve learned to control the anger and rage that always surfaces when I’m a wolf, but I can’t control my shift any more than Jessie can.”

  Danny grinned at her. “Well, I can’t wait to see that,” he said, then pulled her into his arms. After a few minutes, he looked down at her and asked, “Do you remember when I said that you never cease to amaze me?”

  Kara nodded, so happy it would have been impossible to speak right then. “Well, I think it’s time you stopped that,” he said, then bent down and kissed her.

  They sat by the fire in silence for a long time, both so relieved that they’d made it through their first disagreement, neither dared to speak. But then Kara broke the silence. “Are you sure it doesn’t bother you, Danny? I mean, you know what it means, right?”

  Danny thought about his answer carefully. “Well, I’ve learned that Jessie isn’t a monster, so I’m sure you’re not one either,” he said, then paused, wondering if he could tell her the truth.

  When she looked up at him and desire flooded his body, he said, “Honestly, I think it’s kind of sexy to think that my woman becomes something as fierce as a werewolf.”

  Kara’s body suddenly became rigid in his arms. “I’m not sure you really understand what I’m capable of when I shift, Danny; you might not say that if you knew the truth.”

  Danny rubbed her back, “I understand, Kara. I get the fact that sometimes the rage and anger take over, but you said yourself that you’ve learned to control it,” he tried to soothe her.

  “There’s something I haven’t told you, Danny, something that might still make you change your mind about me,” she whispered, knowing she had to say it fast or she’d lose her nerve. “I’ve killed before.”

  “We all have, Kara, it’s part of being a shifter,” he said, dismissing her statement.

  “No, you don’t understand; my stepfather, he made me... I mean, I killed a person, Danny,” she said, then burst into tears when she saw his face.

  “Oh, god, I knew you would be shocked,” she cried, trying to pull out of his arms, the sobs coming so fast she could hardly breathe.

  Danny was shocked, but not so much that he was willing to let Kara go, and she’d mentioned her stepfather, a topic he’d yet to bring up. He grabbed her by the arms and made her look at him. “Slow down and tell me what you’re talking about.”

  Kara took several deep breaths, but it was clear her tears weren’t going to stop until they were spent, so he let her cry on his shoulder. When she’d finally calmed down, he wiped her face with his shirt and rocked her in his arms.

  “Now I want you to tell me about your stepfather,” he said.

  Kara was shivering, so he got up and grabbed the other sleeping bag, unzipped it and wrapped it around her. Then he put some more wood on the fire, poured them a cup of coffee, and sat down next to her again.

  Kara took a couple of sips of the coffee, then said, “My mother married Sebastian when I was three. I remember the day. I cried through the whole ceremony because I didn’t like him. Even back then he gave me the creeps, but my mother loved him, and he promised to take care of us.”

  She shivered again, so he rubbed her back to encourage her. “Everything was fine as long as my mother was alive. She protected me from him, took me to a little cabin in the mountains during the full moon, sheltered me from him. After she died, he pretended to care about me, said I would always have a place to stay as long as he was alive. He even gave me a locket that he said had a piece of her hair in it to keep her close to me,” she said, stifling a sob.

  Kara was silent for so long, he wondered if her story was finished, but then she began to speak again, her voice devoid of all emotion. “It wasn’t her hair; it was mine. The locket was enchanted; on the full moon when I shifted without my mother there to protect me, Sebastian was able to control me. He made me do terrible things, made me do things I would never have done.”

  Danny felt a helpless rage beginning to fill him; it made his blood boil, and he felt himself beginning to shift. But then Kara whispered, “He made me kill someone, Danny. I didn’t remember it at first, but the memory came to me a few days later. That’s when I ran; I packed up everything I owned, threw the locket into the lake, and drove for two days without stopping.”

  He just managed to control his shift, the need to seek revenge for what Kara had been through nearly overwhelming him. “Oh, sweetheart, I can’t hate you for something you couldn’t control. Does Sebastian know that you threw the locket away? Is that why he’s chasing you?”

  Kara shook her head. “I don’t know, but if he had one, I’m sure he can get another one. He has some friends in some pretty bad places. I’ve heard rumors about him, and he’s not someone to mess with; that’s why I didn’t want to get you all involved in this.”

  “Well, it’s too late for that, and when Jessie hears what you’ve been through, he’s going to want blood just as much as I do. You’ll see,” Danny said, wrapping his arms around her.

  ***Kara***

  Kara looked up into his eyes, which were pulsing with power, practically glowing in the darkness of the night, and a primal desire raced through her. It was overpowering, and before she could stop herself, she pushed him down onto his back and crawled on top of him.

  Danny was shocked at first, but when her mouth came down his, he groaned and wrapped his arms around her. Kara kissed him, the way he’d kissed her, teasing him with her tongue, nipping at his lips then licking the bites away. Soon she could feel his erection pushing against her, and a thrill of pleasure ran through her.

  It was empowering to be in charge, to give Danny pleasure just as he’d given it to her. Feeling bolder than she ever had before, she unbuttoned his shirt and ran her hand over his hard chest, making him groan. Then she reached for his pants and slowly unbuttoned them, lowered the zipper and let him spring free.

  When she began kissing her way down his chest to his stomach and then lower, Danny gripped her shoulder and tried to pull her back up. But she pushed his hands away and boldly said, “Let me give you pleasure, Danny, I want to taste you.”

  He groaned, but let his hands fall to his sides. When her mouth covered him, he threaded his fingers into her hair and held on, little grunts of pleasure telling her he was enjoying it. Pleasure washing over her, she got bolder, licking and sucking until with a strangled cry, he flipped her onto her back and began tearing off her clothes.

  When she finally lay naked under him, he spread her legs with his knee and drove himself into her. Kara cried out his name as pleasure flooded her, stealing her breath and leaving her panting under him.

  He filled her over and over, then pulled out of her, making her whimper with frustration. But then he slid down her body until his head was between her legs, and anticipation thundered through her, making her gasp and hold her breath.

  When his tongue slid over her sensitive nub, she g
asped again, sucking in a breath as her body exploded. Pleasure flooded her, and the world faded until the only thing she was aware of was Danny’s tongue giving her pleasure like she’d never experienced before. The pleasure flowed through her, each pulsing wave stronger than the next until the last and strongest wave crashed over her.

  Her body shook and trembled then began to still as the pleasure faded, but then Danny slid back up her body and entered her again, sliding in slowly, then seating himself deeper. “You feel wonderful, Kara, like a part of me that’s been missing.”

  Instantly, a thrill shot through her when she realized that he felt exactly like she did. “Danny, I didn’t know that it could feel this way,” she said, then lost all ability to talk when he drove himself deeper inside her.

  She wanted to tell him that she loved him but knew this wasn’t the moment. When she told him, she wanted it to be special, wanted to take the time to tell him why she loved him. Wanted to explain that no matter what happened with Sebastian, she’d never be sorry they’d met, that he’d shown her that there was so much to life that was wonderful.

  Her head swimming with the emotion and pleasure of their shared passion, she rode the pleasure till the end, promising herself that she’d remember this moment for the rest of her life. When Danny joined her in the bliss of their joining, she clung to him as his body bucked and trembled, a growl erupting from his throat as pleasure took him over the edge.

  It wasn’t long before the chill of the night drove them into the sleeping bags. Before he crawled in with her, Danny put more wood on the fire, making the shadows dance in the small clearing where they were camped.

  The stars above their heads shined brightly in the night sky, and the moon, although still not full, was like a bright nightlight above them. Kara snuggled into Danny’s arms and sighed contentedly, then closed her eyes, exhausted from the long day.

  Before she fell asleep, she whispered, “I’m sorry I lied to you, Danny. I never meant to hurt you.”

  He kissed her on the forehead and said, “I know; just promise you won’t do it again.”

  She fell asleep in his arms, knowing that she still had a lot to face, but that she wasn’t going to face it alone. She’d finally found someone who would be there for her, who would stand by her side no matter what.

  Chapter Seventeen

  ***Danny***

  They broke camp quickly the next morning, both anxious to get back to Jessie’s. There was still so much that was unsettled, and Danny wanted it over and behind them. He wanted to know that Kara was his forever, wanted nothing hanging over their heads.

  His visions of the life they could share together seemed to be coming true, but with Sebastian still out there, he was afraid he might still lose Kara. And she still had to tell Jessie the truth, which although he’d assured her would be fine, might not go as well as he’d promised.

  Jessie had already been through a lot in the last few months, and although it had mostly been good, another shock might send him over the deep end. Discovering that he had a sister, who’d grown up with the mother he’d never known, might be hard for even him to deal with.

  But he knew Jessie well enough to know that once the anger and shock wore off, he’d embrace Kara. How could he not? She was his sister. It occurred to Danny then that if Jessie turned away from Kara, they’d be on their own because he wasn’t going to turn his back on her.

  Pushing the negative thoughts away, he reminded himself that Jessie wasn’t that kind of person. He’d never send Kara off on her own to face a man who would make her do horrible things, a man who was clearly evil. Jessie was a reasonable man who’d had his share of problems in life; he’d never abandon someone who needed his help.

  It was late afternoon before they finally made it to the farm; the storm made the stream crossings difficult and dangerous, so they’d added miles to their hike to avoid them. They were both covered in mud and more than ready to see some sign of civilization when they came over the ridge and saw the cabin.

  When they got close enough, Danny called out a greeting to the cabin. “Anyone home?”

  In only a few seconds, Jessie and Sophie came bursting out the front door. Sophie was the first one to speak when they got close enough. “We were so worried about you two, especially after we found your car, Kara,” she said, then rushed over and hugged them both.

  Danny could see that Kara was a little uncomfortable about the hug but eventually hugged Sophie back. He knew that the sooner they sat down with Jessie and Sophie and told them the truth, the better, but it was so good to be home, he just wanted to enjoy it for a moment.

  They all went inside the cabin, but then Sophie took a good look at them both. “I’ll start dinner. I’m sure you two are starving, but before you sit down at my table, you’d better get rid of that mud.”

  Jessie looked at them and laughed. “What did you do, roll in the mud?” he asked, handing them both an apple. “Eat this then go shower; we’ve got a lot to discuss. Things have gotten interesting around here since you two disappeared.”

  Danny didn’t like the sound of that, but if Jessie was laughing, it couldn’t be that bad. “We need to talk to you too,” he said, taking a big bite of the apple.

  “After you get cleaned up,” Sophie said, then pushed them out of the cabin.

  When they got back to the cabin, both clean and refreshed, Sophie had a big meal spread out on the table. After they’d filled their plates and eaten for a few minutes, Kara put down her fork and cleared her throat, but Jessie cut her off.

  “I’m sure you want to know what’s going on around here, so I’ll fill you in, but Kara, I have a few questions for you that I hope you’ll answer when I’m done,” he said, looking directly at Kara.

  Kara nodded her head, and Danny could see the fear in her eyes, so he reached under the table, took her hand and squeezed it. She squeezed back and gave him a weak smile, then said, “I have some stuff I need to tell you too.”

  Jessie nodded. “That’s good, because I have a feeling that there’s some of your story that we’re missing, and I don’t like being deceived.”

  Kara’s face went white, and she opened her mouth to say something, but Jessie went on. “Your stepfather has been hanging around town for the last few days. He showed up here the day after you disappeared asking all kinds of questions, threatening people,” he said.

  “Please tell me he hasn’t hurt anyone. I could never forgive myself. I never meant for this to happen; you have to believe me,” Kara said, almost in tears.

  Sophie reached over and patted her hand. “None of this is your fault,” she said.

  Danny could see that Kara didn’t believe her, but before he could agree with Sophie, Jessie continued. “He’s threated to come up here and look for you. I think the rain held him off, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him up here and soon. We need to know what we’re dealing with, Kara; it’s time to tell the truth about your stepfather.”

  ***Kara***

  Kara knew that the time had come to tell the truth, but now that it was upon her, she wasn’t sure where to start. Did she tell Jessie who she really was first, or explain about her stepfather? In the end, she opted to wait to tell him who she really was; Sebastian was a bigger threat.

  “Sebastian married my mother when I was three; I hated him from the beginning. I sensed something evil in him, knew that he was only using my mother, but I was too little to really understand. It wasn’t until she died that I understood: he was after me, not her,” she said, wishing that it was enough of an explanation.

  No one spoke, so she knew she’d have to tell them more. “He’s a witch or a wizard; I don’t know what to call him. He practices black magic, but I don’t think my mother ever knew. After she died, he gave me a locket, told me that the hair inside it was my mother’s, but it wasn’t: it was mine.”

  Jessie got up and began to pace around the room. “What did the locket do?”

  Kara took a deep breath, the memory o
f what she’d done almost overwhelming her. Danny put his arm around her and pulled her close, giving her the strength to go on. “It gave him control of me; he made me do things I would have never done.”

  Jessie turned to face her. “What kind of things?” he asked, his green eyes pulsing with anger.

  Kara opened her mouth to reply, but there was a loud clanging out in the forest that surrounded the cabin. Jessie turned and headed for the door. “That’s our alarm; someone’s in the woods around the cabin,” he said, then opened it and disappeared outside, Sophie right behind him.

  Danny grabbed Kara’s hand and pulled her up from the table. “We better go see who’s here,” he said.

  By the time they caught up with Jessie and Sophie, they were standing with David at the top of the trail. “Sorry, you guys, I forgot about the alarm,” he said, shaking his head in embarrassment. “But I’ve come to warn you, Sebastian and his men are planning to come up here as soon as it gets dark.”

  Jessie looked at the setting sun. “That doesn’t give us much time,” he said, then headed for the woods. “I need to find my brother; the rest of you know what to do.”

  Kara wasn’t sure what he meant, but she followed Danny, who headed into the woods. When he stopped at one the traps hanging from the tree and began checking it, she said, “Danny, I didn’t get to tell Jessie everything; I need to go find him and tell him.”

  Danny shook his head. “It’s going to have to wait, Kara; unless you want to go with Sebastian, we have to be ready when he gets up here.”

  “But he needs to know,” she said, staring at the spot where he’d disappeared into the forest, knowing Jessie was with his twin right then. “I could tell them both,” she muttered to herself since Danny had already walked away.

  Kara followed Danny from trap to trap, wondering why now that she’d decided to tell Jessie the truth it was suddenly so hard. When he’d finished setting them all, she followed him back to the barn where they met up with Jessie, Sophie, and David.