Free Charity Moon by DeAnna Kinney Page A

beneath me as the werewolf became a man.
     
    “Levi?”
     
    “Yes.”
     
    Once again I was relieved to hear his voice, but the pain shooting through my ribcage was overwhelming. A moan escaped my lips causing Levi to stop abruptly and set me down on my feet.
     
    “What are you doing? You can’t stop here!” I grabbed my ribs and bent over in pain.
     
      “You’re safe. We’re in my territory now, but you’re injured.” He reached for me.
     
    “Don’t touch me!” 
     
    Ignoring me, he reached and grabbed me before I could fall, scooping me into his arms like I weighed nothing. I rested my head on his shoulder and didn’t fight him again.
     
     

Chapter Seven
     
    One minute Levi was carrying me through the dark, thick forest, and the next minute we were in a long, dimly lit tunnel of some kind. It was as if the forest just opened up and swallowed us. I could see a faint glow of light ahead. He carried me through a doorway and into a big, open room. It was then that I realized the tunnel was actually a hallway. The big room was decorated in simple furnishings, nothing elaborate, with bookshelves that lined the walls, a library perhaps. Levi sat me down on a blood red sofa, how appropriate considering I was most likely about to be eaten. Another man entered and Levi ordered him to get the doctor. I thought it was odd how quickly the man obeyed.
     
    “Where’s Ashley?” I demanded.
     
    “She’s resting comfortably in another room. Don’t worry, she’s safe. We won’t harm her.”
     
    “How can you say that after what we’ve witnessed tonight? You’re werewolves for cryin’ out loud! I can’t believe I just said that. I can’t believe any of this.” I leaned over and put my face in my hands, feeling a slight urge to vomit.
     
    “Try to relax, Charity. I’m not all that different from you.”
     
    I looked up then. “Oh yes you are. You are very different from me. For one thing, I’m a lot less hairy. I don’t howl, growl, snarl or bite. Okay, maybe I bite, but you’re a dog, for Pete’s sake. Oh-my-gosh. Oh-my-gosh.” Feeling hysteria creeping in, I got up and began pacing before stopping and grabbing my ribs again.
     
    “Charity, please calm down.” He came to me and helped me slowly back to the sofa. “Here, let me feel.” He felt my ribs gently, causing me to squeal in pain.
     
    “If you do that again I’m going to punch you in the nose, dog or not.”
     
    “Can you please stop calling me a dog? A dog and a wolf are clearly not the same. I think you have a cracked rib.”
     
    “What’s the difference? You both have lots of hair and sharp teeth, except one licks you to death, while the other eats you to death. And how do you know I have a cracked rib?”
     
    “Dogs don’t eat people, Charity, and because I can feel the crack.”
     
    “That’s real funny. How can you be so casual about this? As though this is normal.”
     
    “Because this is my life. This is all I’ve ever known. To me this is normal.”
     
    “Wow, that really sucks.”
     
    “Not really. No one can beat me. I’m strong, healthy, and hard to kill. It’s pretty awesome to tell you the truth.”
     
    “Poor Lava—I mean, Levi. You’re in denial.”
     
    He laughed. “It’s okay. I know what you and your friends call me.”
     
    I smiled guiltily, feeling the heat rising into my cheeks.
     
    “Really, it’s okay. It could be worse. But I’m not in denial. I only shift when I want to, except on a full moon, and it’s pretty cool.”
     
    “Gee, lucky you. By the way, could you please put a shirt on?”
     
    “Why? Does seeing my skin bother you?”
     
    In ways I can’t even describe . “Yes. Especially since just a moment ago it was covered with dog hair. And why aren’t your pants ripped?”
     
    He laughed. “You watch too many movies. In truth, our bodies don’t really grow all that much. Our upper body grows slightly, mainly because of all the hair, and our shirts might