Charity Moon (21 page)

“No, I guess not.”

“My middle name is Anna. My mom wanted to name me her favorite name, Annabelle, but Annabelle Bell wouldn’t really work so she decided to name me after my Grandmother Charity instead. She made my middle name Anna and has called me Annabelle for as long as I can remember.”

“Charity Anna Bell, I like it.”

“I’m glad it meets your approval.”

“Well, soon it will be Charity Anna Drake.”

“Maybe I’ll keep my own last name,” I teased.

“Oh, I think not, Annabelle.”

We received surprised looks as we entered the cafeteria with our arms intertwined, especially from my friends, who had re-entered and were comfortably chatting at our table.

Toby looked at me in agitation as we approached. “Don’t bother, Charity, I’ll get it myself.”

We all burst into laughter as he snatched up his tray and took it to our new table, letting it smack down harder than was necessary.

“So what’s everyone saying about us now?” I asked once we were seated with our food.

“Well, surprisingly most are happy to see we worked it out, except for Patty, she’s pretty aggravated.”

“Good, maybe I won’t have to hurt her after all.”

“Mmm, I like it when you’re jealous.”

“You wouldn’t say that if you knew what I was thinking about doing to you earlier.”

“Tell me.”

“No way. It’s bad enough that you listen in on my conversations, but intentionally make me jealous again and you’ll see it firsthand.”

“I don’t think so. My days of playing with your emotions are over. Besides, I have some making up to do. Want to come home with me again this afternoon?”

“Of course. I’m dying to see how Irena’s doing on the dress.” I was careful to whisper.

He took my hand and brought it up to his lips, kissing it gently. I wondered how many were watching the gesture, though I really didn’t care. We stared longingly into each other’s eyes.

He whispered softly, “I love you. I hope you know that, and I’m sorry I hurt you. When I saw your tears this morning it broke my heart. I never want to be the cause for your tears ever again, only your happiness.”

“I want that too,” I paused, “do you really think I can handle all of this?”

“I have no doubt. You’ve been through a lot, and you’re much stronger as a result. As a matter of fact, you’re the strongest woman I’ve ever known.”

“Thank you, though I feel like I’m losing my touch since meeting you.”

“On the contrary, the way you’ve been busting my chops since we met, I’d say your touch is stronger than ever.” He smiled his brilliant smile and touched his finger to the tip of my nose. Oh those dimples.

“Just keeping you on your toes, Mr. Drake.”

“That’s an understatement.”

We finished our lunch in silence while holding hands.

“Irena, it’s going to be beautiful,” I said, examining what she had done on the dress so far. “How did you know this was the dress I picked?”

“Ashley faxed me the picture you chose.”

“Oh right.”

She came to me and took my hand in hers, looking with loving eyes into mine. “Are you going to be okay with all this? Levi worries so much about you. He’s paced around here for days now. He’s afraid he’s asking too much of you. He wants more than anything for you to be happy here with us.”

“Well, I won’t lie, this is a lot to process, but I’m getting used to the idea. I know it won’t be easy, but I’ll have Levi, and that’s the most important thing.”

“Well, he’s lucky to have you, dear. And I’m always available if you need me for anything—or just to talk. You’re not alone in this.”

“Thanks, Irena.”

“Oh, call me Mom.”

I laughed, picking up the dress again and holding it against me. “That ought to be easy enough. You know, I’m amazed that you’re able to do this dress so quickly.”

“Well honey, I’ve been sewing all my life. I’ve sewn all of the dresses for every wedding in the pack and some for the east pack as well. It’s what I love doing, although I’ve never done one this quickly before.”

“I know, and thank you.”

“It’s my pleasure, dear. I want this to be a great memory for you. I’ve got everyone doing their part, so all you have to do is show up and be beautiful.”

It was such a relief to know she had it all under control. All I had to do was decide what I wanted and Irena assigned people to do it. Most women would love the idea of planning their own wedding. And if it was a normal wedding, and I was marrying a normal guy, and in a normal time period, I probably would too. But this was
not
a normal wedding, and I was definitely not marrying a normal guy. I was trying to do what Ashley said and look at it optimistically. After all, he
is
the love of my life, and hopefully that life will be a long and happy one.

“Charity, will you stay and have dinner with us? I have a surprise for you afterward,” Levi said with much enthusiasm.

“Yes, of course. Can I ask you a question though?”

“Sure.”

“Are we going to have a honeymoon?”

“Well, we’re gonna have to wait until after graduation. There’s no way for us to get away now. It looks like we’re only gonna have Sunday together. Monday we have to be back at school.”

“Well, we’ll just have to make Sunday count.”

“I’ll plan something nice for us after graduation. Once Josh is officially my beta I can arrange for him to look after things for a week or so. Where would you like to go?”

“Well, I’ve always wanted to visit Charleston. We could rent a nice old home there for the week, or maybe stay in a B & B.”

“That sounds very nice. I’ll look into it.”

We had a quiet dinner, and afterwards I pulled out my lip balm, preparing to heap on a generous coating, when I noticed several other girls applying something to their lips as well. I had an odd feeling.

“Levi, is it just me or are other girls applying lip balm, same as me?”

“No, I see it too. What’s wrong?”

“Can you smell it from here?”

“Yes, if I want to.”

“Does it, by chance, smell like mine?”

He took a deep breath, his expression turning amused. “Actually, it smells exactly like yours. I do believe you have some female admirers.”

“Great, just what I’ve always wanted. Well, at least the mystery of who’s buying it all up is solved.”

“I think my pack’s obsession over you is just beginning. You should be flattered that they want to be like you. I think it’s sweet.”

“That’s because it’s not you. But, I guess it does have a sweet quality about it. Okay, so maybe I like it, a little bit, but don’t tell anybody.”

“My lips are sealed. Now, are you ready for the surprise?”

“Are you kidding? I love surprises.”

He took my hand and led me out of the dining room and down the long hallway. “By the way, did you know that the only sound in the world that doesn’t have an echo is a wolf’s howl?”

“Well, now aren’t you special?”

“Actually, yes I am.” He smirked.

We stepped into the large meeting room. It looked more like an auditorium as I noticed the props on the stage.

“What’s going on?”

“The children wanted to do something for us, more for you than me. They want to welcome you to the family.”

“Oh, how sweet.”

Levi led me to a seat in the front. “Whatever happens, act excited.”

I gave him an incredulous look. “Of course I will.”

After a few minutes, the production began. I soon recognized the play,
Beauty and the Beast
. How appropriate. I watched in amazement as the children played their parts awkwardly and off cue. They were adorable. It was hard to believe that the innocent boys before me would someday become beasts themselves.

“So which one are you supposed to be?” I whispered to Levi playfully.

“The beast obviously.”

“Well, based on the way he’s treating her now, I’d say that resembles the way I treated you when we met. So I’d say I’m the beast.”

“No, you’re definitely
not
the beast. You’re the beauty through and through.”

I just smiled at him. “Okay, you win.”

“It’s about time.”

When the play was over, I was so moved I could barely contain my emotions. We all stood and applauded. The children seemed proud of themselves. It’s odd how that one thing made me feel much better about the decision I was making. Suddenly it was easier to see this pack as my family. I caught a glimpse of the possibilities of loving them someday, and it made me very happy.

It seemed like I blinked and it was already Friday, my last full day of freedom. Saturday night at seven, I would no longer be a bachelorette but a bride. I had butterflies at the very thought. The story I told my mom was that Ashley and I had a serious paper due and I would be spending the weekend with her. Technically I wasn’t really lying. I mean I did have a paper due, and I would be with Ashley all weekend. Still, it felt wrong. But I couldn’t tell her about the wedding, so what alternative was there? Feeling guilty, I mumbled a quick prayer of forgiveness and felt better instantly.

The day started pretty much just like every other day. When I entered the parking lot, Levi was there, leaning against his blue Mustang, arms and legs crossed, waiting for me. As soon as I exited my car I noticed his look of great anticipation. He was counting the minutes until his freedom would end. I, on the other hand, was less excited and more nauseous. He reassured me with a sweet kiss to the tip of my nose. And it worked, but only for the moment. Once I was alone the anxiety returned with a vengeance. I must’ve gone through a whole tube of lip balm before lunch.

Ashley was just as excited as Levi. You would think I was marrying
her
. She was my maid of honor, and I knew that was the cause for her excitement. She had bought a lovely dress and was thrilled that she was going to get to wear it twice, once for my real wedding and again later for my wedding of pretenses.

I was at my locker, getting ready for my next class, when Jason Bradley approached me. I’ve only spoken maybe two words to him my entire life.

“Charity, Levi asked me to come and tell you he needs to see you in the parking lot, right now, before class.”

“Oh, um—thank you, Jason.”

“You’re welcome.” He turned and walked back down the hall in the direction he’d come.

That’s odd. I wondered what was going on. Then it dawned on me that maybe he was planning something, a wedding surprise perhaps. After all, I had just recently told him how much I loved surprises. I perked up and walked with a spring in my step toward the parking lot.
Hey, when did I turn into Ashley?

I was applying fresh lip balm when I approached the edge of the sidewalk and spotted Levi’s blue Mustang speeding toward the curb in front of me. It squealed to a stop, the door swinging open. As I stepped around, I gasped and dropped my things. It wasn’t Levi in the driver’s seat—it was Wesley! I only got out half a scream before someone in the backseat grabbed me, pulling me in. The door shut behind me and the car sped quickly away.

I kicked and struggled against the stranger’s incredible grip, his enormous hands encircling the tops of my arms and overlapping.

“Levi! Levi!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

“It’s no use, Charity,” he said, looking at me in the rearview mirror, his eyes smirking. “He’s heard you already, but he’s too late to save you. By the time he communicates with any of his pack we’ll be too far away for them to catch us. His heart is gonna break when he realizes there’s no wedding for him tomorrow night, but there will be one for me.” He laughed.