Charity's Storm (Charity Series Book 4) (8 page)

“Mom?”

She turned to me and smiled warmly. “Hmm?”

“Levi’s gonna take me to the prison to see Dad’s killers,” I stated matter-a-factly.

She covered her mouth and stared at me for a moment before speaking. “Charity, no. Why do you want to do that to yourself? Please don’t. It’s not a good idea.”

“I have to, Mom. Reliving that night made me realize that I have to forgive those men if I want my life to be all it can be. I’ve been holding onto this long enough. I have to do this.”

She sighed in defeat and acceptance. “I know.” Then she looked into my eyes, and with tears pooling in hers said, “I am so proud of you, Charity. You have grown into an amazing young woman. You are a great mother and a far better woman than I could have ever imagined you to be. I wish I were brave enough to do what you’re doing. I know your father would be very proud of you too.”

I held back the tears threatening to flow. “Thanks, Mom. I love you so much.” Then we hugged.

Just in time to break up the seriousness of the moment, Deacon called, “Hey, Grandma! Come see what I made out of my chili.”

Mom and I locked eyes for a brief moment and we both grimaced. I laughed knowingly and
watched as she got up and glanced over his shoulder and attempted to be impressed with what he finally described as droppings from a monkey’s butt.

“Deacon Drake!” she tried
to scold, but it sounded more like a caress, and Deacon was overall pleased. The other two boys snickered and this encouraged him even more as he then got up and took his plate around to show the others. Mom glanced back at me, and I shook my head and shrugged.

This was normal behavior for Deacon. As the middle child, he seemed to have a mind of his own and did things to get attention. He was a good kid though with a good heart, and I tried not to be too hard on him. Every night before bed we spent about ten minutes praying for forgiveness for all the things he had done that day. I was just thankful that he had a heart to pray
at all, and I knew that as long as that were true, he would turn out all right.

About that time Grandmammy Goodfeeling, Hector’s senile old grandmother, called me over. As I approached, she was waving her hands in the air in a disapproving way. “Now, Charlie,” she began, “I don’t wanna tell yous how to parent, but that young’uns making nasty things with his there food. Yousa better scold him for I does.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Then I turned to Deacon who was curiously awaiting my reply. I pointed to our table. “Deacon, go sit down and eat your supper! That’s just wrong! Funny—but wrong. Now go!”

He lowered his head but obeyed.

“That’s it?! That’s all yous gonna do?” Why if that were my young’un I’d tan his hide with a hickory switch.”

She was still mumbling in her accent when I made my way back to our table. Levi had observed the whole thing in amusement.

“You handled that with grace, milady,” he said bowing his head.

“Oh, shut up. By the way, who won the football game?” I asked as I angrily stuffed a huge bite of food in my mouth.

He frowned and cocked his head. “Like you really have to ask that question. Us, of course.”

“And what did you win exactly?”

“They’re gonna wash our cars for a month.”

I rolled my eyes. “You should’ve asked them to do our laundry or something important like that.”

“Yeah, like I want those mutts drooling over my wife’s skimpy panties. No thank you,” he said taking my fork from my hand.

I chuckled
. “Oh, stop! Besides, I wash my panties myself. I don’t trust any of you wookies not to play with them.”

He shrugged, knowing I had a point and laughed softly as he
took a huge bite from my plate.

“Hey! Go get your own!”
I snapped, snatching my fork back.

He frowned again and over exaggerated a pout. “Fine. I thi
nk I will,” he playfully responded and rose from the table to go get his own food.

I
covered my mouth to hide my laughter as I watched him purposefully strut across the room. He knew I was watching and seriously exaggerated the movements which made him look goofier than usual
. Werewolves!

W
e were all finishing up our meal when I suddenly noticed that it was quiet—too quiet for a pack of werewolves eating dinner together, if you get my meaning. I glanced around, curious as to what was causing the silence, and realized that most everyone, including young ones, had their heads down staring at a screen of some sort; an iPod, iPad, iPhone, or anything else with a little ‘i’ in front of it.

“Are you kidding me!” I snapped and glanced over at Levi who was also staring down at a screen. “Levi! Put down your iPoddy and listen to me.”

He laughed at my choice of words but put his iPoddy back into his pocket and focused on me.

“Does this not bother you?” I asked motioning around the room.

He shrugged. “What?”

“Isn’t it a little too quiet in here?”

“Yeah, so?”

“So? Everyone is looking down at a screen. No one is talking or laughing.”

“It’s the times, Charity. Everybody does it.”

I felt my face begin to heat. “Not in this house!”

“Uh oh! Mommy’s making a new rule,” Darrow said under his breath.

“Shhh,” I snapped, “I am not.”

I stood and made my way to the front of the room. “May I have all of your attentions, please!”

All the heads popped up and looked at me with confusion and curiosity.

“I’m making a new rule!”

My litter of pups
began to laugh until Levi shot them with a look of warning, which silenced them immediately.
Boy, I wish I could do that.

“I have been a member of this family for over six years now, and I’ve prided myself on the fact that this pack puts the utmost importance on family. I love that about you guys. But I’m saddened to see that you all have conformed.”

They all began to look around the room at each other, not sure where this was going.

“This room has never been so quiet while we’re all eating together. We’re supposed to be fellowshipping—you know, breaking bread with each other? We should be sharing and conversing and bonding. But most of you are so enamored in your iThingy’s…”

“…iThingy’s?” the boys asked in unison.

Levi shook his head. “I don’t know…I just don’t know.”

“Okay, so the new rule is this: no iThingy’s in this room while we’re eating together. Leave them in your rooms or set them here on this table when you come in the door and you can collect them when you have finished eating and are leaving this room. Any questions?”

Bob raised his hand.

“Yes, Bob?”

“How long will we have this
new rule?”

“Until
this new rule becomes an old one, technology dies, or I do.” And that was the end of that.

Chapter Twelve

The next day, Levi and I made plans to drive into Happy, the closest city nearby, and visit my father’s killers at the prison there.

I hadn’t thought about what I would say once I c
ame face-to-face with those evil men from my youth; the ones that changed my life forever. But I knew it was something I had to do. I needed to forgive them—for myself—and for my future. After all, I was a mother now. And how could I teach my children to forgive those who offended them if I couldn’t do it myself? I glanced over at Levi, as he pulled into the prison parking lot, and squeezed his hand. I was so grateful he had agreed to come with me, actually insisting on it. I felt better knowing he was by my side. Nothing would hurt me with my wolfman in tow—this I knew for sure. He had to pull some strings so he could stay with me. Normally they didn’t allow it, but he promised to behave, and being the alpha of the most powerful wolf pack in the whole southeastern part of America didn’t hurt if you needed to call in some favors.

With my lips overly and psychotically moistened with lip balm, I squared my shoulders, took in a deep breath, and followed Levi into the building.

The first man I visited, the one that I hit in the eye with the remote control, and the one who actually pulled the trigger and killed my dad, wasn’t at all surprised to see me. He was a tall man probably in his fifties now, with thinning hair and a full beard. He started the conversation by saying he had expected me sooner. He was actually relieved when I told him I forgave him, and thanked me, saying he was sorry things had turned out the way they had. It seems he had found God only months after being sentenced.

The second man, the one who had his manhood damaged by my aggressive kneecap, was also relieved to have my forgiveness, although at first he was shocked to see me and took a few minutes to recover before we could begin our conversation. I was surprised when he actually cried. He had had a change of heart after the birth of his grandson, Luke, who he talked about most of our short time together.

These men had surprised me and turned their lives around for the better. The first man, Ralph Connors was actually engaged to a woman he met on the Internet, and was planning the wedding for after his release in two years. And the second man, Josh Davies was getting his degree in psychology. But it was the third man that I was most nervous about meeting—and he was my next stop—Jason Franco.

I’m not sure what I expected to see when he came into the room, but the threatening smirk on his scarred face was not it. His hair was still dark but long and greasy, and he needed a shave. I heard Levi growl slightly from a ways behind me where they made him wait. I turned to him. “It’s okay, Levi. I’m fine.” He settled down slightly, but I could tell by his posture that he was on full alert.

Jason Franco took his seat from across the glass. I picked up the phone with confidence although my hands were shaking.

He did the same. “Well, well, if it isn’t little Miss Bell. Come to see old Jason in hopes of getting some closure, have we? And I must say that you look mighty hot,” he added with another creepy smirk.

I squared my shoulders and narrowed my eyes. “First off, I’m Mrs. Drake now. The big guy behind me, that’s my husband, and he’s come to collect your head, so I’d be nice if I were you.”

This got his attention, and he studied Levi more closely, his expression shifting to a more serious one.

“Honestly, I just came to tell you that I have forgiven you. It’s been ten years and I need to move on. So I forgive you. That’s all.”

His eyes narrowed and his face turned angry. “Well, isn’t that sweet of you, but I don’t need your forgiveness nor do I want it.” He spat, I mean literally spat at the glass. “I’d do it all over again except next time I would’ve put a bullet in your head—yours and your wimpy mother’s.”

Without warning, Levi growled and charged at the glass. Jason Franco flew backwards in his chair, his eyes wide with fear.

I rushed to Levi, stepping in front of him and grabbing his shirt in my hands. “Levi! Levi, look at me!” His eyes were yellow and his teeth were sharp. “Levi,” I whispered, “You have to control yourself. You’re showing. Levi, you’re showing.”

He peered down at me then and slowly began to reign in his control. His eyes returned to their normal purple color and his fangs slowly receded.

I sighed in relief. “Let’s go.” I pulled on him. “Levi, come on, let’s go. Please.” He finally let me pull him away, but not before he gave Jason Franco another threatening glare. “I think he got the message. Now, let’s go.”

We made it to the car without Levi killing anyone, but he was still so worked up that I had to drive back.

“Levi, I need you to listen to me. You can’t ever do that again. Do you hear me? You can’t risk exposing yourself to anyone no matter how mad you are, or how bad you think you need to protect me. Do you hear me?”

“Yes,” he answered. “I hear you. I’m sorry. It’s just that that guy ruined your life, and the way he was looking at you and threatening you!” He banged his hand on the dash. “I wanted to kill him!”

“I know, baby. I know,” I said, rubbing his hand in reassurance. “You’re my hero…and always will be. But he’s not worth exposing what you are…no one is.”

Chapter Thirteen

The next night was a full moon so Ashley and I made plans to spend the evening together at our fake apartment. We had decided to keep it all these years because it was a great escape for us both. We had missed the last few months because of the children. We found out that it wasn’t safe to leave them because they kept trying to sneak out to catch a glimpse of our men shifting into huge, snarling wolfy beasts. I didn’t fear that seeing the men in their wolf forms would really scare the boys, but they made sure
to take the girls: Glory, Ashley’s daughter and Journey, Eli and Destiny’s adopted daughter, with them. The girls were much more fragile, and we always protected the young ones from seeing the men’s wolfy forms until they proved to be mature enough. And ages four and five were definitely not the right age.

             
This evening we made the children spend the night with my mom and Doc. Doc had promised after supper to show the boys a video of him applying a cast to a man’s broken arm. They thought this would be fascinating, and it would definitely keep them preoccupied until bedtime.

Ash and I spent most of the night reminiscing about some of our past sleepovers, including the one where Raven was assigned to watch over us and we got him addicted to popcorn. We laughed about that! But afterwards we were slightly depressed, because the truth is, we both missed Raven very much—him and Rose. I kept up with them and their beautiful daughter, Rain, through letters and pictures they regularly sent, but it wasn’t the same. The wolf pack hadn’t gotten even a hint of
vampire scent after the battle with Raven’s brother, Griffin, who Eli killed. We were sure Raven’s father, Julius, would come after him—and us, but it never happened. Raven took Rose and their then unborn child to live with the Mason pack in Alaska to be safe. They had said they would try to return when they felt it was safe here again.

Realizing that talking about Raven and Rose was making me sad, Ashley jumped up and ran into the kitchen, bringing back with her a box of Godiva chocolate truffles. They were one of my favorites!

“Ashley! Where did you get these?!” My face lit up with joy.

             
“I knew you’d love ‘em! I got them on the way here. Now, let’s eat ‘em—let’s eat ‘em all!”

             
We both squealed, yes, I did too, and we did just that…ate them all and licked our fingers afterwards. Yes, it was an overall fun time. I had missed hanging with my girl—very much.

             
The next afternoon, I had a meeting with the boys’ teacher, Miss Emily to go over their schoolwork. We had regular monthly meetings to make sure the boys were giving their all to their schoolwork. I sat at the table with Miss Emily, going over their work, while the three boys lay on their stomachs on the rug at my feet with their tiny feet kicking in the air, coloring.

             
The boys’ writing pages were improving greatly from the last month. Their handwriting was almost identical, except Dixon’s had a slight slant since he was the one that was left handed. Miss Emily then handed me the boys’ artwork. Most of them were drawings or paintings of simple things like sunsets, fire trucks, or mountains. But the next one caught my eye. It was of Fang smiling big and exposing his missing front tooth. But it wasn’t this that made me laugh. It was the fact that the crazy dog was playing the piano…while riding a bicycle. And, surprise, the name on top of the page was Deacon.