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Dawn Discovered

By: msnomer68



Native Dawn Series book 14

Lycan Dawn book 3






Chapter 1

Hunter wasted no time getting down to business claiming Gina's body. Ravishing her with wild kisses. With feverish anticipation, freeing the buttons of her blouse from the buttonholes like a child unwraps a gift on Christmas morning. His fingers trembled as they traced a path over her silky skin. Blazing a trail that would take both of them to who knew where. He crouched on his knees between her thighs, crushing the sofa cushion beneath their combined weight. He'd made pretty good progress getting her naked. Oh, she was still mostly clothed. But, that little hitch to his plan would be remedied soon enough. He needed her out of her lacy bra and the silky panties she undoubtedly wore beneath a pair of faded jeans.

Peeling back her layers had taken time and plenty of hard effort. And now, with her beneath him, staring up at him with an expression so hot it stole his breath, it'd so been worth the work. Her body was so eager for everything he had to offer. And like him, she was done with the wait. Was he in love? Hell yeah! This woman had gotten to him in a bad, bad way. And he was more than ready to seal the deal and make her his in every way possible. With her lashes fluttering like butterfly wings and her lips pursed in a tight O of desire, her cheeks stained with a heated blush, and her breaths so soft in an exhale against his skin. He was a gone man and damn happy about it. Wasting no time freeing himself of his t-shirt, wanting nothing but skin on skin contact, his fingers moved to the waistband of her jeans. 

Gina stared up at Hunter's magnificent torso. He was in, a word, breathtaking. Layers of finely sculpted muscle rippled beneath smooth bronze skin. He towered over her. Melting her into a puddle of lust with the heated desire far too evident in his dark, glittering eyes. Dawn light filtered in through the sheer curtains of her balcony door, highlighting the planes and sharp angles of his perfect body. She ran her fingers over his tight flesh, tracing smooth lines over his rock hard chest. His chest, his neck, and his belly, like hers, should be riddled with scars. Bitter reminders of all they'd suffered together. But, like her, his skin was flawless. 

Weddings brought out the best in people. The reception was probably just now winding down with the rising of the sun. With him half-naked, on his knees between her thighs, staring at her with an expression that was all male, all desire, and filled with promises, she couldn't remember why she'd thought delaying this inevitable moment between them had seemed like such a good idea at the time. 

Maybe, she'd mistakenly believed the two and a half hour drive back to her apartment in the city would give her time to clear her head. Maybe, it'd been the crush of Hunter's overwhelming family, the history of everything that had happened between the two of them, the happy smiles of the newly wedded couple, or just too much too soon. Possibly, it was that dance, feeling his arms tight around her and the closeness of him that had her scrambling for cover. After that dance, she'd asked him to bring her home. And without complaint or question, he had. Where did that leave them now? About to do this, about to embark down a path from which there was no way back. 

Hunter wanted her with the same consuming, aching need that she wanted him. But, the absence of visible scars on their flesh was enough to make her grapple in the dim light for her blouse and pull it over her shoulders to hide her flawless skin. The vampire blood had worked miracles on their outside flesh. They were healed. But, they were far from whole. Gina's mind began to work overtime, scrambling through the lust filled haze of promised pleasure to bring her sense of self-preservation back on line. She wondered about the scars not quite so visible but every bit as real, scars hidden beneath the surface that might never heal. The ones she'd never revealed to him. And the ones he'd hidden from her. The ones that reflected in his eyes, and that she knew damn well were reflected in hers. They were two very screwed up people. And this...this thing about to happen between them was a disaster waiting to happen. "Hunter." 

Hunter sat back on his haunches, confused. "What is it? I thought you wanted this?" Reaching out a hand, he stroked her cheek. She wanted him. Every fiber in his body told him that she wanted him with the same white-hot desire that he wanted her. He thought...well, it didn't matter what he thought. She was the only one that mattered. Gritting his teeth against the pressure in his groin, he scrubbed a hand through his hair and felt around on the floor to find his t-shirt. Pulling it over his head, he sat right and proper on the sofa. Leaving the no-man's land of the middle cushion, stretched out like miles instead of a mere twenty-four inches, between them. 

"I do," Gina answered in a small voice. Wincing against the confusion etched across his beautiful face at her rejection. She wiggled to sit up and retreated to the far side of the couch. Avoiding him, she curled up into a protective ball, tucking her knees up under her chin. She looked down at her toes peeking out from beneath the hem of her jeans. Hunter had a way of stripping her bare with nothing more than a glance from his dark eyes. As if he could see past her defenses, deeper into the heart of who she was, down deep into where it mattered the most. 

The red polish on her toenails stood out in contrast to the pale white of her leather upholstered sofa. She should have thought this through a little more carefully before she asked him up to her apartment. She should have...there were a lot of things she should have done before she'd admitted everything she had to him. Primarily, it might have been beneficial for the both of them if she'd done a reality check long before ever opening her mouth. "I'm afraid." She confessed. "Of everything." 

She'd faked her recovery convincingly enough. Otherwise the well-meaning vampires responsible for nursing her back to health wouldn't have let her leave. Hunter wouldn't have either. She'd lied, about everything, denying nightmares. Hiding her fears behind a well-trained mask of perfect mental health. But, she couldn't lie anymore. Not to him. Half naked on her sofa was not the place for secrets. Between them, there could never be secrets. She worried that if she told him everything. He'd try to talk her into returning to the safety of the compound. Nestled in the heart of miles of thick, dark woods, deeply underground. The compound was the safest place for her and the last place she wanted to be. But, that wasn't her reason for pretending. She feared that he'd feel sorry for her. 

Hunter reached out for Gina. Her face was twisted into an expression of worry and trepidation. She didn't resist as he gently gathered her up into his lap and pressed her cool cheek against the warmth of his chest. "Tell me." He ran his hands through her tangled brown hair. Highlighted with hints of gold and platinum, the strands caught the shimmery light of the dawn filtering through her curtains. And the only thing he could think as he ran his fingers through her curls was how the pretty the play of light and shadows were. 

She distracted him past the point of good sense. No woman had ever affected him this dramatically, at least not in the last twelve years. And now was not the time to think about that. Gina had a way of working past the hard persona he showed the world. With nothing more than a glance at him from her green eyes and a bat of her lashes, she had gotten to the soft center of him. She didn't put up with his bullshit. Gina had gotten into his head and his heart. She'd forced him to confront his inner demons. She was a fierce little thing. And because she believed he was worth saving, he believed it too. Hunter grabbed a soft throw off the arm of the couch and wrapped it around her shoulders. "I won't judge," he said gently. "I'm in no position to judge you for anything."

"Except for Claire's wedding, I haven't left this apartment since I came back. I tried once. I thought a quick walk to the coffee shop around the corner would do me some good. You know, for practice. I didn't get very far. Made it to the elevator. When the doors closed me in, I lost it. Total panic. I ran back to my apartment and locked myself inside. I didn't sleep that night. I paced circles, checking under beds, riffling in the dark corners of my closet." Gina snickered, "I even looked behind the shower curtain about a dozen times. I'm nothing but a scared little girl. I even threw out all my silverware. For me, it's finger food or nothing for the rest of my life, I guess. With you in the compound, it was all so easy. But here, on my own, it's so hard. I wonder if I'm going to make it."

"Gina, all that is understandable. In time..." His voice hitched when he heard the depth of suffering in hers. He was a fool to think that she was ready to return to the bustling city. How would she handle the crowds and the random brush of bodies on sidewalks below? At his brother's wedding she'd seemed self –assured and in complete control. Twisting him into a knot around her little finger. But, like she said, among friends at the compound, it was easy. Here she was alone. 

"Don't placate me. I'm out of time. I have to go back to work. Hunter, I wanted this. I have to deal with it. I just...I don't know how." Hunter rocked her in his arms, pressing her cheek to his chest. The steady beat of his heart against the shell of her ear comforted her. He was alive. He was here. She was alive. Against all odds, they'd survived. She was in love with the dauntless man holding her as gently as if she were made of glass. And she had no idea what to do with it...with anything. 

"The nightmares are the worst. I see you chained to that wall. Bleeding. Suffering. Because of me. You came to rescue me, and look what I got you into." Gina trembled against the onslaught of memories. Against the dark hours filled with terror spent in captivity at the mercy of a madman. "I should have died. Dying would have been easier, I think."

"No." Hunter's voice flared in anger. "Don't you ever say that. Ever." He gripped Gina's chin in his palm and forced her green eyes to meet the heat of his stare. Her bottom lip trembled as she trapped a sob in her throat. " I got myself into that jam. Not you. It wasn't your fault. It was mine."

"It was mine. IF I hadn't been so stupid and self-absorbed, I wouldn't have been on that platform alone after dark in the first place. He wouldn't have gotten me. And you would have had no one to rescue. You would have been safe and so would have I."

"And we never would have met. I regret everything that you suffered. But I don't regret my suffering. I was dying little by little every day. I had accepted my death. I welcomed it. I wanted it. I didn't save you. You saved me. You. Gina. You rescued me from something worse than death by that man's hands. You rescued my from myself." Hunter wrapped his arms around Gina's shoulders and squeezed her tightly against his broad chest. "I don't regret one minute of anything that happened to me. How could I? It brought me to you."

"Is that all that there is between us? We're survivors? How long can that last? How can that be real?" She unwound Hunter's arms from her shoulders. Feeling chill replace where warmth had been a few seconds ago. She drew the throw up tightly around her neck, shivering beneath the layers of soft knit. 

"Gina, don't shut me out. Not now. Not after everything we've been through. You challenged me to live. And now I'm starting to believe again. Don't turn me away when you've finally gotten through to me. Not when for the first time in over a decade, I finally want to live." He slicked his finger along the curve of her cheek, gently cupping the soft, warm flesh. Gina was so lost, so afraid. He could see it in her eyes. 

"I thought I wanted this too," Gina said. Staring at the white walls of her overpriced, trendy downtown apartment, she doubted her sanity at the fact that she'd convinced herself she had ever been truly happy here. She had the clothes. She had the ambition. She had the look and the smile to go with it. She had everything she'd thought she wanted. And when it crumbled down around her. The life she thought she wanted to live reduced to ash. She had nothing of value. And the emptiness of it, the superficial, plastic, transparent truths of her old life had been nothing but an illusion she'd sold her soul to buy. 

The truth in his words was tearing her to shreds. Of course, Hunter was always right. Never mixing anything with the truth was his way. She had forced him to confront his feelings. She had stripped him bare. And when she'd finally won, she was turning away. What the hell WAS wrong with her? Reality was what was wrong with her. Reality was hard. Reality hurt. And the fiction, selling her soul for nothing but smoke and mirrors had been far easier. 

"I don't know what's worse. That you doubt my feelings for you or that you doubt your feelings for me." Hunter lowered his hand and clinched his fingers into a fist. He wasn't angry. He was hurt. He fought against the old walls beginning to rebuild, sealing off his heart. He didn't want to be isolated. He didn't want to be alone. He wanted her.

"I don't know what to say," Gina said softly. The hurt she caused Hunter crushed her. His voice cracked from the intensity of his words. His fingers flexed, reaching for her. He needed physical contact. Skin to skin. Warm flesh to warm flesh. The tears she held back stung her eyes. His thumb traced her lashes, capturing a saline drop before it spilled over. He balanced the tear on the pad of his thumb, holding it to capture the morning light. 

"Don't say anything." Getting up off that white leather sofa was killing him, crossing the room to grab his jacket, and pull on his boots was hell. How he managed to do it and gather up his keys in his fist was nothing short of a miracle. "I won't say coming here was a mistake, because it wasn't. At least you know where I stand."

"Hunter, don't go."

Hunter's lips curled in satisfaction. "Is there a reason for me to stay?" Forcing Gina to confront her feelings was risky. She was terrified of everything. She didn't realize how strong she actually was. She loved him. He knew it. But, it was whatever came after admitting the truth that scared her. Hell, he didn't know what was supposed to happen next. He was winging this whole thing. But, much like the cocky son of a bitch he had the reputation of being. He wasn't about to admit it, especially to her. 

"Yes...no... I don't know." Gina was in danger of losing the guy and a large chunk of herself. Grappling for him was self-preservation. But, it was all that she could think to do. If he walked out, he wasn't coming back. "I don't know how to..."

Hunter was on her. Lifting her in his arms. Smothering her with his kiss. Carrying her off to some foreign land from which there was no return. And she could not think of a single reason she'd ever want to come back. She'd had her share of lovers. Movers and shakers of the world she thought she knew. Players that played her and she played in return. What Hunter offered was something more, something different, something that she'd never dreamed would happen to her. Love. 

The nagging question was if she had the staying power to make it work and give it an honest try. They'd been through enough tragedy. The last thing she wanted to do was add more suffering to either one of their lives. She had the power to crush him with a word. The power to destroy or to rebuild was hers to wield. "I don't want to lose you. But, I don't want to hurt you either. What if it doesn't work?"

"If we don't try, it won't and we've already failed before we've truly given it a chance. I'm willing to take the risk. A broken heart still beats. A heart that never has never will." 

Gina bit her lip and stared up at Hunter. What a fool she'd been to think she could leave everything behind and pick up exactly where she'd left off. She knew too much about the world, the real world. There was no going back to the way things were, not for her, not for him, not ever. She could walk away and he'd let her. There really wasn't anything he could do to stop her. There was nothing to stop her except for her heart. "How do we do this?"

Hunter gently lifted Gina's chin, cupping it in his palm. Forcing her to meet his eyes. Pressing a soft kiss on her lips, he said, as if he actually knew the answer. "Day by day, Gina. Step by step, one after the other. That's how we do this. Just like we always have. One step at a time." 

"What's the first step?" Gina asked. Hunter was a man who took no prisoners. He was confident and secure. She wondered if there was a doubting bone in his body, if he was ever uncertain about anything. She melted in his dark stare. Swallowed whole by the obsidian blackness of his eyes. A day's worth of thick, black stubble lined his angular jaw. His broad shoulders dwarfed her narrow frame. He towered over her, so tall she had to tilt her head back to read the expression on his face. He was hot nights and cool darkness. There was nothing soft about him. His black hair, spiked short in a military cut close to the scalp, added to his aura of intimidation. Yet, for his darkness, his heat, and the overwhelming everything that was simply Hunter, she was not afraid. 

Yes, he was demanding. Yes, he was pushy. Yes, he was alpha male and anyone with an ounce of good sense would run like hell. But, and maybe, she was lacking in the sense department, because she could not keep away. 

"Gina, we've already taken it."

"Ok, then what's next?"

"Pack a bag. Spend the summer with me. I'll bring you back whenever you want. But, I'm hoping you don't." Hunter locked his fingers around Gina's wrist and dragged her into the bedroom. He parked her on the edge of the bed and riffled through her closet. Locating her empty overnight bag, he pawed through her clothes. The woman had no shortage of skirts, blouses, and matching jackets. Power suits for the upwardly mobile. Not for this trip though, for what he had in mind, spiked heels, skirts slit up to there, and silk blouses weren't going to cut it. Finally, at the very end of the rack, he found what he was looking for. Folding the faded jeans and t-shirts, picking through her dresser to pull out shorts and other unmentionable and thought provoking things, he packed her bags. 

"You mean you don't want to...?" Gina asked in puzzlement. The way Hunter handled her lacier things, with graceful, careful reverence with those big hands and long fingers of his was almost laughable. She blushed violently. If he kept pawing through her dresser, he'd find more than her underwear. Luckily though, he was a man on a mission. He wasted no time. Off to the bathroom, he stuffed her makeup kit and whatever else he thought she might need into the bag. 

Was she really going to do this? Spend the summer with him? What about her job? Not that it was any big shakes. But, it did pay the rent. And her checking account wasn't exactly that far into the black to afford a whole summer without a paycheck. She got up from the bed. She at least could pack her own stuff. He was a guy. What the hell did he know the things a woman needed? But, when she heard the cabinet door underneath her vanity open and the rustle of plastic as he grabbed her other unmentionable items. Pads and tampons, and the rustle of Midol pills in the bottle, she supposed maybe he had this packing thing well in hand. "Hunter?" 

A masculine grumble heated her cheeks and made her heart thump wildly. His brown eyes so dark they were almost black, lit with an intense golden glow. He was at her side in an instant, dropping to his knees and kneeling at her feet. Smoothing his hands along the curves of her calf, his voice so gravelly and tinted with desire and his fingers so damn coaxing, she quivered in the wake of his touch. "No, I want to. I really, really do. It would be an honor to make love to you. But, I can wait. I'll work my way into your heart first. And then when you're madly and irrevocably in love with me. Then I'll secure my invitation into your bed. It won't be for one night, Gina. When this happens with us it will be forever." 


Dawn Discovered



"You already have an invitation into my bed." Gina clutched Hunter's shoulders. He was good at what he did. Nipping at the narrow strip of flesh beneath her blouse and the waistband of her jeans, swabbing over the sting of his teeth on her skin with the tip of his tongue. He left her breathless and shaking. Forgetting why giving in and spending the summer with him was such a bad idea. His hands wandered around her hips to cup her butt, pulling her close to him as he nuzzled her stomach. 

"And your heart?" Hunter asked. Reluctantly, he released Gina and zipped the bag. When they'd first started this game between them. She'd been the one to demand. She'd forced him to face truths about himself. And now she was the one trying so desperately to hide from the truths she needed to face about herself. She wanted to forget everything they'd suffered. She wanted to exist. But, that wasn't what he wanted for her. He knew what it was like to exist and not really live. And he was not going to let it happen to her. She would live, truly live. Forever with him, if he had his way about it. And damn was he ever going to try to win her. He knew all too well how brief forever was. And forever was but a blink of an eye. But, it was enough, as long as he lived it with her. 

"I'll go water my plant." Gina couldn't answer what she didn't know. To do so might be to lie. There were too many variables to answer honestly. Unlike Hunter, she hadn't found her way back to who she was yet. She still lived in the shadows of a life that no longer fit her and in the dawn of a life she was terrified to grab hold of. She didn't know if she ever would trust herself enough to let anyone in. She'd wanted so badly to save him. And she had. Now it was her turn to be saved and his to do the saving. 

"Step by step," she muttered to herself. It was the best advice anyone had ever given her. And of course, it'd come from Hunter's lips. He'd been by her side as she took her first timid steps into a much bigger world. He'd encouraged and coaxed her to live again. Not to return to her life, as she'd known it, but to truly live. "Day by day," she whispered as she picked up her plant and set it beside the bags piled on the floor. The plant was half-dead. The dry, brittle leaves dangled limply from a wilting green stalk. But, with a little tender loving care, she could bring it back to life. 

He stared down at her as she crouched on the floor, double-checking the bags he'd packed. Gina smiled up at him, giving him a subtle nod of her head. They were going to try. After all, what they had to lose was far more than what she had to gain by staying here. She gave her apartment the once over. Trendy or not, the three rooms, the white walls, and bland beige carpet that she'd called home had lost their luster for her. She preferred the vibrant color of wild and the man standing patiently waiting for her to take that final step. He held out his hand and she took it, allowing him to pull her onto her feet. Grabbing her plant, clutching it to her chest as he took her bags, she followed him into the heart of the wolf's den. 























Chapter 2

Thomas woke up with a pounding headache and a mouth that tasted like he'd tongue kissed road kill. Whoever said that mixing drinking with chronic loneliness was a bad idea was absolutely right. He slid his palm across the sheets, expecting to find his bed exactly as he did, cold and empty. She hadn't even left a note. Not that he required one to explain her absence. His memories were vague. Almost as if he'd dreamed the whole thing up, which, in a way, he wished he had.

They were both battling a demon with long teeth and sharp claws aimed right at their hearts. After a brief conversation and a few rounds, they'd left the bar arm in arm. Trying to defeat the ugly monster, or at least, find a temporary respite from its relentless bite. He lifted the pillow to his nose and inhaled. The smell of her perfume lingered vaguely on the fabric. A long strand of deep walnut hair tickled his cheek. The scent of her on his pillow and the long strand of hair were the only reminders that she was really there at all and that what happened between them had indeed happened.

Seven A.M. was a hell of a time to start drinking. But, after the night he'd had, at the time, a little liquid anesthesia sounded like a pretty good idea. And, well, apparently, he wasn't the only one with that thought in mind. The bar had few patrons at that time of the morning. But, she was there, sucking on an ice cube, swimming belly up in the depths of a whisky sour, eyeing him as if he were her only savior and her special, private devil. Yeah, it hadn't taken him much fortification to ask her. And she hadn't missed a beat before accepting. By, nine A.M. they were naked and sweaty in his bed. And approximately nine hours later, sporting one hell of a hangover, sweating beer and reeking of sex, he'd awakened alone. Regretting all of it and none of it at the same damn time. 

His mind was filled with memories of their brief tryst. The smell of whisky on her breath and the biting sting of top shelf black label against his tongue, the feel of her soft, supple skin beneath his fingers, and the cries of pleasure echoing in his drunken mind as she climaxed. She hadn't cried out for him when she came. She hadn't cried out for anyone. But then again, neither had he. 

The only girl he'd ever wanted was married now. Living her happy life, married to the man of her dreams. Not him, of course. Never him. She was probably nursing the son he'd helped to deliver into the world. He should be flattered that she had named the baby after him. Grant Thomas Blake Samuelson-Wolfe, GT for short, hell of a mouthful for a seven pound- six ounce, twenty-two inch bundle of joy, carbon copy of Claire. The baby was named after his father, Grant, and after him, her best friend, and after her father, as a token of honor. 

He was GT's godfather. Talk about rubbing salt in an open wound. Idiot that he was he'd jumped at the chance. Maybe, he'd done it as a way to stay close to her. It wasn't fair to GT. But, nothing about this whole goddamned situation was fair. She was lost to him forever. There was no going back. And moving on was going to be a hard and bumpy ride. How many more women, like Jan, just temporary diversions from his pain, would there be before he finally got over Claire?

He frowned at his reflection in the mirror over his bathroom sink. He looked like hell. His thinning, sandy brown hair stood up in a tangle of disarray from where Jan had ran her fingers through the strands as he pumped his cock in and out of her core. He had dark circles under exhausted, bloodshot, blue eyes. A layer of light brown stubble grew thick and bristly on his jaw. He tried like hell not to compare himself to Grant and came up lacking. Grant had it all: good looks, the baby son with his eyes and his perfect profile, and Claire's sweet smiling face. He had the girl and the life Thomas wanted so badly for himself. 

"Suck it up buttercup, you dumb schmuck," he grumbled. Scrubbing his hand across his chin, he made his way to the shower. Nope, he was shit compared to Grant. Rapidly approaching middle age, he barely cleared five foot- ten standing on the tips of his toes. He wasn't in bad shape. He was lean, perhaps too lean, with the light build of a runner and none of the bulging muscle Grant seemed so inclined to flex every time Thomas got within five feet of Claire. Thomas had his mom's brilliant blue eyes. And as for his father, Thomas had no clue what he'd inherited from the man. He'd never even seen as much as picture of him. But, no doubt his father was in him, somewhere.

His cock was sticky with the remnants of the events of this morning. And didn't that condemn him in a special way. What a complete idiot he was. Crossing the line in more ways than he cared to count. Fucking a coworker. He ambled to the shower and flicked on the tap. Leaning heavily against the peach tiled wall, he waited for the water to heat up. Yeah, he was a special brand of stupid. And this morning had been his final slide down a slippery slope straight into pathetic. Claire was alive and well, for the most part, thanks to him. And when he should be flip dizzy embracing life and the wonders of it. He'd been embracing Jan instead. He stepped under the spray and lathered up. Refusing to think about the used condoms in his trashcan, the smell of sex and Jan on his sheets, and how pitiful he truly was. Rinsing off and relathering for good measure he washed any traces of Jan and this morning down the drain. 

His only salvation was that Jan would have the decency to keep her mouth shut. The bar had practically been deserted this morning. The patrons that were there were hip deep in their own misery and paid little attention to them when they left together. This was a small town and rumors could spread like wildfire. No one needed to know what happened and it was really no one's business. 

He scowled at the empty condom wrapper in the trash. At least he had had the common sense to protect them both from any further embarrassment. This morning was a fuck up that didn't need to be compounded by...my God, he couldn't even think about what could happen. He'd given in to his body's needs and shared a few hours of pleasure and escape with an almost complete stranger. And the sex...Jan wasn't Claire. The two women were as opposite as night and day. Claire was sunshine and the golden glow of things revealed. And Jan was cool midnight and dark shadows. But, the sex was...well, what little he remembered or was willing to let himself remember, was pretty fucking fantastic. 

Jan hated his guts. Why she'd done it was a complete mystery. A mystery he didn't have the least bit of desire to solve. Ultimately, it didn't matter. It would never happen again. There'd be no calls. No secret glances. No romance. The sex was nothing more than two lonely people using each other for comfort and shelter from the shit storm that was life. He dressed in running shorts and a t-shirt. Towel drying his hair and quickly brushing his teeth. He chewed four ibuprofen pills to cure his pounding headache. He dumped the bathroom trash, disposing of the evidence. Tearing the sheets off his bed and tossing them in the wash, he wrote off Jan Collins, RN. She might be Claire's replacement at work. But, not in his heart, not ever.

He had enough on his plate without dealing with the entanglement of an unwanted relationship. Not that he thought he'd have to worry about Jan getting mixed signals. He sure as hell wasn't going to let himself get the bigger issues confused. To him, everything was crystal clear. And it was going to stay that way. Fortunately, he wasn't due at work for two days. Things would have at least a chance to cool off a little before he had to deal with her again. He tried to remind himself that he wasn't the first employee at the hospital to get tangled up with a coworker. It happened. When you spent more time with the people you worked with than you did your actual family. These things were bound to happen. And they did. Jan was just an unfortunate accident. A momentary lapse of reason he'd just as soon pretend hadn't happened. 

But, the point was. It had happened. He knew every curve, every lush line of Jan's body. His palms had stroked her breasts. His fingers and delved deep into every secret part of her. He'd tasted and drank deeply of her forbidden fruit. The taste of it, despite the mint of his toothpaste and the bitterness of the medicine he'd chewed and swallowed down, was still thick on his tongue. He remembered, although he wanted to forget, the way her lips parted, her cheeks heated, and the way the shudders raked through her body when he made her come. She'd had her hands on his body. Her lips wrapped around his cock as she gave him as good as he'd given her. And damn, wasn't that going to make for an interesting day at work Monday morning.

She was in his head. And there was no remedy, no way to get her out. He scrubbed the house from top to bottom and all the little corners in between with a fervor he'd never bothered to use for such mundane necessities as cleaning before. As if he could be rid of her as easily as he could scrub away the non-existent filth in the corners. 

His mother kept the house spotless as if the cleanliness of the two-bedroom, bath and a half bungalow was her only mission in life...or in her case, death. He was thirty-three years old, an accomplished physician, and his mommy still took care of him. How humiliating was that? Sure, it was his fault. But, he didn't and would never blame himself for doing what he'd done to keep her alive. And if caving to her every whim, letting her clean the house he'd grown up in, fold his tighty-whities nice and neat, and being her little boy for as long as she needed him to gave her a reason to stay alive, so be it. 

The thought that his mother might pop by to check on him as soon as the sun went down, about an hour from now, had him febreezing the mattress. The stuff, Christmas pine scented from last winter, was thick as a fog in his bedroom. His mother had an uncanny sense of smell and if she scented what he'd been up to and whom he'd been doing it with. He just couldn't go there. She'd ask questions. And how the hell was he supposed to answer them? More importantly, why did he feel he needed to? He was a grown man. He had a man's needs. And he'd taken care of them. End of story. 

Hell, he knew why he was trying so desperately to hide the evidence of things that should damn well be none of her business. His mom had been trying to get him married off since he'd graduated med school. He just hadn't had time nor the desire to get with the program. She'd think his momentary lapse of reason, the woman in his bed, was the answer to her prayers. She'd be planning a wedding. Digging stuff, his baby stuff, out of the back corner of the basement planning for grandchildren he wasn't ready to give her. 

The reek of air freshener was more choking than the musky scent of good sex. Coughing on the stuff, he opened a window and turned the ceiling fan on high to clear the air. He was so fucked and not in a good way. His mom wanted him married. The best parts of his career, his greatest accomplishments, were cloaked in secrets. And the sex he shouldn't have had. The best sex he'd ever had. Had been the biggest mistake he'd made in his life. And that had nothing at all to do with Jan and everything to do with him. 

He wasn't over Claire. Plain and simple, he wasn't ready to give up on her. She was married. She had a beautiful son and was building the perfect life with the man of her dreams. And Grant, for all his shortcomings was good for Claire. Better than he ever would have been for her. And that's probably why this whole thing was so hard for him. Never let it be said that he was falsely accused of being a sore loser. He was a sore loser. He should go down gracefully and be happy for her. But, he just couldn't let it go. 

Everything about his life was a contradiction in terms. His mom should be dead. And thanks to him, she wasn't. His accomplishments should be published in medical journals. But, thanks to the secrets he was vowed to keep. They never would be. And the woman that should have been in his bed was married to someone else. And Jan...what about Jan? What they'd shared, those few hours that were supposed to be nothing but bodies colliding together in the heat of passion, meant more than he was willing to admit. FUBAR'd didn't begin to cover the state of his life.

Well, at least the ongoing bet between the nurses at the hospital was settled. He wondered if Jan told, who would win the big wager. The staff had money riding on which one of the single nurses would finally manage to bed him. In a million years, up until last night when he'd pulled her son from her body and begged her to live, his money had been solidly on Claire. 

He sat on the edge of the bed, resting his forehead in his cupped palms. He'd sat here, in this very same spot this morning with Jan crouched on her knees between his thighs. Staring up at him with those big dark eyes of hers as she took his erection into her perfect mouth. His cock stiffened, tinting the front of his running shorts in an embarrassing, humiliating bulge. He was so frustrated he wanted to scream. But, that really wouldn't do much for the throbbing in his temples or in his groin. And it sure as hell wouldn't change the sorry state of his fucked up, contradictory life. 

He flung his body back on the mattress. His head rested on the exact same spot Jan had stretched out before him, offering up a feast to a starving man. He'd feasted and feasted well. His hand wandered down to the bulge in his shorts. Shivering with the memory and hungry for just one more sampling of the divine. He intended to simply readjust his cock. But, like everything else he'd ever intended to do. His best intentions went straight to hell in a hand basket. Fisting his erection, gritting his teeth against the friction, and damning the surge of pleasure he delivered to himself. He pumped up and down, jerking hard in swift motions and swabbing his thumb over the drop of moisture on the tip. 

Sweating and shivering in the dim pallor of the evening light snaking through his curtains, he came. His release hot, scalding his palm, and slick against his softening member. Thomas rolled over on his belly, hiding the stain on the front of his shorts in shame. Not because he'd jerked himself off in the most pathetic way possible. No his reaction had nothing to do with his most embarrassing, most compromising occasional indulgence. It had everything to do with the name torn from his throat in that fragile moment between pleasure and pain. That moment when the orgasm tightened his groin and the release took him to the place where the boundaries between fantasy and reality blurred. The name hadn't been the one he'd expected to groan in such desperation. It'd been the one he'd least expected and never wanted to repeat again in such a manner. It'd been Jan's. 

















































Chapter 3

Gina kept out of the way as Hunter's family congregated in the living room to wait in eager anticipation for supper. From the bits and pieces she'd overheard the menu tonight was one nobody wanted to miss. And if the smells of cooking food wafting from the kitchen, the muffled whispers of approval and hungry licking of lips were anything to judge by, supper was going to be spectacular. The eager, nervous, shy giggles of children overtly curious in their unabashed childlike way about their guest, primarily her, cut through the din of conversation in the living room. Gathered around a big screen TV were about ten school age kids, at least four toddlers, and a one cool, aloof reluctant teenage boy. "Which ones are yours?" she asked Hunter. With all the black haired, brown-eyed kids running around sharing so many familiar characteristics, she couldn't hazard a guess.

They'd returned to the city sometime around mid-morning. He hadn't bothered with any introductions. And that was a good thing. She was so bleary eyed exhausted, she wouldn't have kept all the names straight anyway. Hunter had promised to introduce her to everyone later after she'd had a chance to rest. Hell, she'd still be asleep if he hadn't awakened her in time for supper. After a very long and much needed nap, she sat perched on the corner of an oversized recliner chair with Hunter nestled in cozily by her side. Sipping coffee from the mug she clutched in her hand, Gina tried to take it all in. 

Hunter chuckled. "You see that one over there. The one oozing teenage angst and the ear buds crammed in his head?" Hunter pointed, directing Gina's attention to his middle son. Daniel slouched against the fireplace, balancing his weight on one foot pretending to care less about his surroundings as he fiddled with an iPod. But, he was watching, not the TV or anyone else in the room, but Gina. Hunter noticed. Gina pretended not to be aware of his son's apparent dislike of her. She looked in the direction his finger pointed and nodded. "That's Daniel."




Dawn Discovered



Daniel heard his father say his name and glanced up from his iPod. Seeing his dad cuddled with the brunette woman, the two of them stuffed so cozily in an oversized recliner, disgusted him. Daniel didn't know who she was. He didn't care. He already despised her. So, getting to know her better was completely a moot point. He rolled his eyes in their general direction and turned up the volume to skull splitting in hopes of avoiding being dragged further into a conversation he didn't want to have. 

"He hates me."

"Gina, don't take it personal. Daniel is a teenager. He hates everyone." Hunter bristled at Daniel's response to Gina. And the two of them were going to have a nice, long father/son chat about it, as soon as he got Gina settled in for the night. He plodded on as if he didn't notice Daniel's apparent rudeness. "And you already know Tristen, my oldest." Hunter nodded in his son's direction. Tristen was sprawled out on the floor dutifully trying to assemble a toy for one of his cousins. Parts were strewn everywhere. And Tristen's progress at the very best was minimal. So much for some assembly required. 

"This one here is Mouse." He grabbed his daughter as she walked past and slung her up onto his lap. His little girl wasn't so little anymore. At the age of twelve she was beginning to fill out and get her curves. And didn't that make him feel ancient. Mouse was the complete opposite of Daniel. She was openly curious, shy and hesitant, but willing to at least give Gina a shot. He didn't blame his kids. He had to address Daniel's overt rudeness to a guest of the Pack. But, he understood. He had a lot to make up for. He hadn't exactly been father of the year. And wasn't likely to win the title anytime soon. "Mouse, I'd like you to meet someone. This is Gina." Mouse and Gina exchanged glances sizing one another up in the depreciating way that females of all ages do. 

Marianne gave her most polite, 'hello' to the woman her father was so intent on introducing her to. Any attention from her dad was good. And if making nice with Gina would ensure it continued, she was all for it. Gina was not as pretty as Aunt Claire. She was all lean, hard muscle where Aunt Claire was soft and curvy. She had blondish hair, sort of like Aunt Claire's. Highlights of gold and red wove through an under layer of soft brown, a dye job for sure. And the style was something trendy, straight out of a fashion magazine. Gina had perfectly straight, white teeth, a likewise perfect complexion, and held herself so composed, her shoulders back and spine straight. She wore a plastic smile on her face, like a mask, to hide her apprehension.

Marianne thought Gina's eyes were her best feature and certainly her most natural one. Gina's eyes were a soft shade of green and were the only thing about herself that she couldn't really change. The color of a person's eyes could be enhanced with contact lenses, sure. But, not the reflection of the soul mirrored in their depths. Her dad's new friend, and no, she was not so naïve that she failed to realize this woman was her dad's girlfriend, had a deep fracture running through the middle of her soul. She knew, because she'd seen the very same expression in her dad's eyes for as long as she could remember, until now. 

Marianne decided it might be in her best interests to give Gina a chance. After all, the woman could become her stepmother someday. And after everything Gina had done for her dad. Basically, brought him back to life. How could she not give her benefit of the doubt? Marianne clung to her father's neck. And although she was too old to sit in his lap, she soaked up the overwhelming warmth of her father's embrace. Gina had given her back her dad when she'd thought he was gone forever. Sure, she'd have to share him with another woman. But, that was ok, because one day when she grew up. He'd have to share her with her with somebody else too. 

Marianne let it go and enjoyed acting a couple of years younger than she actually was for just a minute. Sitting on her dad's big lap, his strong arms wrapped protectively around her shoulders, surrounded by the scent of his wolf and of Pack, she couldn't do otherwise. Her dad had never held her this way before and it was the only thing she'd ever dreamed of. Her dad was happy. And if that meant Gina was going to be a part of their lives, it was fine by her. 

"Hi," Gina replied nervously. Up close, she could see Hunter in his daughter's features. They shared the same shaped eyes and slant to their nose. The girl was a picture of loveliness. Dressed for summer in a red, polka dotted t-shirt and faded jean shorts. She sat on her father's lap with the most contented smile on stretched across her cherubic face Gina had ever seen. Someday this girl was going to give the boys a run for their money. And it was going to happen sooner rather than later. Already, Mouse showed hints of the heartbreaker she was growing up to become. And more than that, Mouse was smart. Wickedly, confidently smart, and she knew it. Someday, this little girl so happy and content in her father's arms was going to change the world. 

Hunter had told her that he didn't have the best relationship with his children. But, maybe with the exception of Daniel, he was making great strides toward winning back their hearts. Trust would be a long time in coming. His absence from their lives had affected them all. That broke her heart. She'd never known her real parents. Her foster parents were as good as any parents a kid could ask for. But, a part of her always wondered what her life would have been like if she'd been raised with her real family.

Something deep inside of her ached for what these people, this huge, extended family of aunts and uncles, brothers, sisters, and cousins, had. There was plenty of love here, inside of this house. She didn't belong. Everyone was polite to her, almost painfully so. But, she didn't fit in yet. She was still on the outside, looking in. She'd only just gotten here. Of course, his family wouldn't accept her as one of the family. It was too soon. And she really wasn't part of the family, neither by marriage or by blood. How could she expect anything different? 

Mouse's long, silky, black hair hung down to her waist. Pulled back into a neat ponytail the strands trailed over her shoulder and draped over Hunter's muscular forearm. Gina knew right away that the child was as suspicious of her as the rest of the family. Winning the girl and these people over was going to take a lot of work on her part. Their trust was a hard earned commodity. But, she had a suspicion that once you were in, these people were the kind of people that never turned you away. When you were family. You were family. "That is a pretty locket."

"Thanks," Marianne said, wrinkling her nose. She didn't have anything nice to say back so she did what Grandpa Nash said she should do in such situations and kept her mouth shut. Gina was shaky and nervous. Negative energy hovered over her like storm clouds about to burst. Gina was trying so hard...too hard. And it rubbed Marianne the wrong way. It wasn't Gina's fault. Gina saw her as a kid. And in a lot of ways, Marianne still was a little girl. But, she was far more jaded than a kid of twelve should ever be. "Can I go? I want to see if Aunt Claire will let me hold GT."

"Nice to meet you, Mouse." Gina said, as Hunter dismissed his daughter. If anyone asked her how she'd best describe Mouse, she could sum up her first impression in one word. Terrifying. Gina shook her head and slouched deeper into the dense padding of the recliner. This whole thing, as badly as she wanted it, didn't seem to be going so well. Tristen was an innocuous flirt. Harmless enough. And he'd danced with her primarily to goad his father into action. Maybe, Hunter was right and Daniel was at that awkward phase where he disliked everything and everyone, especially adults. But, it seemed like Hunter's middle son had a particular disdain for her. And Mouse hadn't even reached puberty yet. But, for some reason, she seemed far older than her tween years. Resting her forehead in her palm, with Hunter stroking her back in an attempt to ease her. She wondered exactly what was she getting herself into?

Marianne stopped and turned. Flinging a black curtain of hair as she looked over her shoulder. She hated her nickname. Her brother, Daniel, had penned her with it from the day she was born. The nickname had stuck, much to her embarrassment. It wasn't easy to be twelve years old and named after a rodent and be taken with any measure of seriousness. "My name is Marianne." 

Gina blushed a furious red at being put in her place by a pint-sized powerhouse the likes of which she'd never encountered before. "Nice to meet you, Marianne," she corrected. She caught Claire's sympathetic smile and ducked her head. With the exception of a few others, Claire was the only person who made her feel welcomed in the slightest. She was surprised to see Claire and Grant in attendance for a family meal so soon after the delivery. Claire and Grant were positively beaming. Proud as any parents could be of the bundle of joy Claire held in her arms.

Dinner was almost as painful as the introductions to Hunter's family had been. Gina sat crammed between two sets of shoulders at a long table overflowing with food and teeming with polished silverware. Of course, she couldn't blame them for that. Most people did eat with silverware. And his family didn't know about her phobia. Knives were a particularly touchy matter. Especially sharp blades like the ones meant for carving meat. The sight of a carving knife, slicing through a slab of rare beef and the juices flowing out of the pink hued flesh were enough to make her bolt from the table and lock herself in the bathroom. Crying hysterically, she rocked and tried to control trembling. "I'll be out in a minute," she answered the hesitant knock.

"Gina, its Hunter. Will you let me in?" Hunter should have thought to warn his family about Gina's fear of silverware. He should have made them cut the prime rib in the kitchen and set the table with clear plastic forks and spoons. The sheer number of people at the table was overwhelming enough for her. He should have known better than to toss her haphazardly into the thick of his family. His fault, he thought guiltily. He'd been so happy to have her here, beside him that he forgot, about her and her feelings.

Gina reached up and unlocked the door, scooting across the tile out of the way. The bathroom was barely big enough for one person. As Hunter walked in, she should have felt claustrophobic in such a confining space. But, she didn't. She felt safe. "I'm sorry I wrecked dinner."

"You didn't." Hunter closed the door behind him, depressed the lock, and sat next to her on the tile floor. "I'm the one who's sorry. I should have known better. I pushed you too hard, too fast. My family can be more than a little intimidating." He reached up and pulled a towel off the rung, dabbing at her tearstained face. 

"Are they all like you? Do they all live here?" Gina asked.

"Yes, except for Claire, they all have the gift of the wolf. And yes, we live here together. Being close to the pack is essential for our survival. We have little choice. But, the house is more than big enough for all of us and there's more than enough room for one more."

Sometimes Hunter was so human that it was easy to forget what he really was. His family looked human and acted human. But, they weren't. They were the stuff of horror movies and scary stories whispered around campfires. Werewolves. Vampires. She'd never been afraid of Hunter. And as stupid as it might be, she didn't fear for her safety around his family. Somehow, she just knew these people, strange and unique as they were would protect her. But, there were just so many of them and so many new faces. 

At the reception, people came and went. She saw family resemblances in the crowd. But, hadn't truly calculated how big his family really was. There was plenty of space to move around and disperse the crowd. Every seat at the dining room table had been filled. At least twenty, maybe thirty people were gathered together. Stuffed shoulder to shoulder at the table. All of them hungry and eager to eat, clanking their silverware as they unrolled their napkins. Hey, at least there wasn't any bottled water to send her over the edge and straight into the loony bin. Overwhelming? Hunter had no idea how much of an understatement overwhelming truly was. 

"Everyone must think I'm some kind of a nut job. I should go apologize. Try to explain myself," Gina muttered. How could she explain her stupid paranoia of bright ornately carved silverware without making the situation worse? The last thing she needed was for people to feel sorry for her. Tossing a drowning person a life preserver was one thing. But, for someone capable of drowning in a teaspoon, the only thing to toss that kind of a person was pity. And that she didn't want or need. 

"For what? Gina, you know what I am. You know what they are. Think about what you're saying. We run around on all fours in the woods. Growling and pissing on tree stumps. Marking everything that doesn't move. Fighting over scraps of dead things that any self respecting buzzard wouldn't eat and you want to apologize?" 

"When you put it that way." Gina snickered at Hunter's analogy of wolf behavior. The wolves were beautiful, graceful majestic creatures. Hunter's wolf was thickly muscled, with erect ears and a sleek, soft, bushy coat tinted with variegating shades of rich brown so dark it was almost black. Terrifying and amazingly powerful, his wolf was able to kill with a snap of his jaws. But, his wolf was also gentle. There was so much of Hunter in the wolf and so much of the wolf in Hunter. Sometimes, it was difficult to tell where one of the two of them ended and the other began. 

She broke away from Hunter's stare. His eyes and the soft brown of his wolf's eyes were the same. Gentle, loving, and pinned solely on her. His unbroken attention focused solely on her was too intense. She played with the edge of the bathmat, tugging on the fuzzy strands with her fingertips. "Is there even a term for being terrified of silverware?"

Hunter chuckled. The tiny bathroom wasn't exactly the best place for a heart to heart conversation. Gina was frayed around the edges and starting to come unraveled. She needed time and space. And the overwhelming crush of his family and this postage stamp sized bathroom were not going to cut it. He stood. Extending a hand to pick her up off the floor. At least, Gina had a sense of humor. Although it was a self-depreciating, sarcastic, very dry sense of humor that took someone just as versed in it as she to understand. "I Googled it. Argyrophobia." 

Gina actually snickered at her weak enunciation of the word. Hunter damped the end of the towel and smoothed it across her cheeks. He was always trying to pick her up and put her back together. And in some ways, it made her feel better. Cherished and loved. But, in others it made her feel worse. Weak. Fragile. "That's better," he said. Gently, he tipped her chin up and gave her a light peck on the lips. "Want to see where you'll be staying?"

"I thought I'd be staying in the compound or here."

"No. I thought you'd prefer someplace above ground. But maybe a little less crowded than here. Claire's father has a cabin just at the edge of the county line. It is quiet, secluded, very private, and completely silverware free. You do still want to stay, don't you? Remember what we agreed on, Gina. Step by step"

Gina smiled. Leave it to Hunter to see to every detail of her needs. He had always seen to her comfort and safety. Acted as her protector. And now, on the verge of this something more happening between the two of them, he became her best friend and closest confidant. He was her respite, her safe haven. But, not even he could keep her sequestered from the world forever. Staring up at him, her weight balanced against his broad chest. Locked in place by the depth of everything that made up this complex man. She found herself drawn inexorably in. Unable to speak, breathless in the wake of his confidence in her, in himself, and in them, she nodded. 





























Chapter 4

"Hurry up, Blake. We're going to be late." Dena paced around his living room. The place looked, pretty much, exactly like it had the day she'd left, twenty some years ago. She'd grossly underestimated her ex husband's frugality. Some things never changed, like the draperies, the threadbare carpet on the floor, the battered remnants of a sofa and matching armchair pieced together with scraps of duct tape, and her ex's inability to get anywhere on time. 

Blake smoothed down his wild tangle of salt and pepper hair. His hair was more salt than pepper these days. Suppressing the urge to scratch, he straightened the stiff new shirt Dena had insisted that he wear and tucked it into the waistband of his dress slacks. He had regular clothes for everyday and a few good ones saved back for special occasions. And she hadn't liked any of them. His hair was probably a few strands thinner after she'd practically dragged him by it to Hanna's and forced him to part with a hefty chunk of his hard earned cash. He didn't see the point. GT was just a baby. Hell, his newborn grandson was barely twenty-four hours old. It wasn't like GT was going to form an opinion of his grandpa based on clothing.

He was a schoolteacher. Teaching tenth graders the miracles of science and coaching the baseball team hardly made him a wealthy man. Some things never changed and were likely to never change. Dena had no fear of spending money. She wanted nice things that were a little beyond her means. Maybe, it was her career that gave her the courage to spend so freely. After all, as a real estate agent she made her living selling dreams of the good life to other people. 

He had plans for that grandson of his. The minute GT got old enough to hold a fishing pole in his chubby fist. He was calling it quits. Retiring. Of course, this monkey suit, she'd insisted he buy would postpone his golden years by a few months. The suit was a nice cut. Straight off the rack because, much to her distress and his amusement, there wasn't time to get it properly tailored. The sleeves of the jacket were a little too long. The waistband of the pants, and yes, he still wore the same size he had in college despite what she tried to say otherwise, was a little snug. 

Well hell, he'd shelled out the cash and bought the damn thing just to make her happy. The tie, a hideous print she insisted matched the jacket, strangled him. But, what do you know. He looked pretty good in the get up. He splashed on some aftershave and gave up on what was left of his hair. Damn, he missed the full head of hair he'd had in his twenties. However, the thought of wiling away the day in a boat on the lake with his grandson eased the burn, a little.

He only had to wear the suit long enough to survive dinner with Grant's side of the family and then he could hang it in the back of his closet and forget about it. The next time he wore it would probably be at his own funeral. And he wouldn't exactly care if the waistband chafed, if the tie was stifling, or if the shirt was itchy. Dead folk didn't exactly complain and neither would he when the time came. Blake made a mental note to tell Claire about the suit. He didn't see the point in wasting a dime of her inheritance on fancy clothing to send him off into the afterlife. For a stiff, the suit was fine. 

The screech of his ex wife's voice, telling him to hurry it up, was music to his ears. Damn, he'd missed her constant nagging. Blake ran a hand through his hair and sauntered out of the half-bath off the master bedroom. John Travolta didn't have shit on him. For as miserable in this suit as he was. He could work it. And he'd proven that to his ex last night. 




Dawn Discovered



At fifty-five years old, who would have thought, he'd be contemplating starting over. Life was funny that way. Just when you thought a door was closed and sealed tight, it opened. He'd had plenty of regrets when she'd packed up Claire and left him behind with nothing but memories, a mortgage, and some old furniture. He wasn't bitter about it. Dena had never tried to keep Claire and he apart. She hadn't left because he was a cheater or out of lack of love. Life got to her. Her ambition and her drive for the bigger and better and his unwillingness to run at her faster pace tore them apart. Couldn't blame anybody for that.  

Squashing a stray tube of wrapping paper that had rolled off the coffee table and onto the floor under his foot. Blake studied his ex wife. Dena was still a picture of feminine beauty. Not a blonde strand out of place. Nails perfectly filed into long points. And makeup flawlessly applied. She looked the same, almost as if the last twenty-seven years had never happened. She was badgering him, as if they were an old married couple, instead of just getting reacquainted, to get it in gear. He shrugged and searched for his car keys. "What? Claire's not watching the clock. If we're a few minutes late what difference does it make?"

"It matters to me," Dena huffed. The sight of Blake in that suit left her a little breathless. Of course it could have been that she was so harried to get everything done. But that suit brought out the broadness of his chest and the width of his shoulders. His hair, well there wasn't anything she could do about that. But, the salt and pepper, graying at the temples, did not take away from his handsome features. If anything the alternating shades added depth and character to his masculine face. Blake had always been the one to do it for her. Somehow, though she'd just forgotten. Last night and early this morning had been very pleasant reminders of exactly how good they'd been together. Pulling herself out of her thoughts and back on track, she picked up an armload of presents. "Help me carry these to the car."

Call her a bad grandma. But, she'd been hoping Claire's ultrasounds were wrong. She so wanted a granddaughter to spoil rotten. And baby girls just had cuter things to buy for them than baby boys. She had eons of time left before she gave up her job and retired. Claire might have a baby girl in the future. And if her daughter ever did, and well, probably if she didn't, Dena had plans to keep on working to buy her grandchild and her future grandchildren the best of everything. 

Blake peered over the fancily wrapped packages Dena piled into his arms. "Is all this for the baby? Dena, Claire only had one baby. You've got enough stuff here for ten."

"I wasn't sure of what to buy," Dena mumbled in defense.

"So you bought everything?" 

Dena snickered. Ok, so what? She had gone a little overboard with the shopping. But, she only had one grandson. And it coincidentally was his birthday. Ok, so she was pushing the birthday issue by about a year. GT was only a day old. But, in her book it still counted as a birthday. They'd been so poor when they brought Claire home from the hospital. Money was tight back then. And now, it wasn't. Well, it was. But, she could afford to splurge here and there, especially on her grandson. 

She stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Blake's lips. Smiling as she wiped away the smudge of lipstick. "We're late."

Blake smiled back at Dena. Feeling the tingle of her lips against his. How odd, this turn of events, the marriage of their daughter, and the birth of their grandson, events that had transformed them from virtual strangers into to something else. Not a couple... not yet anyway. That was more than he could hope for at this fragile juncture. But, they were on the verge of rekindling a very old flame. And it surprised him how brightly it still burned. He had her back in his bed. And that was a very nice place for her to be. He could only pray that he lived up to her expectations and that eventually they'd become more than what they currently were. As for that tiny flame, he wanted it to burn into a raging fire. He still called her his ex. But, maybe one day, he'd call her his wife, again.

With Blake smiling down at her, grinning like a Cheshire cat it was easy to forget how uncertain and tenuous this thing between them truly was. Sometimes, she played the what if game. But, she always came back to the same conclusion. There was no point in wondering what might have been. They'd both dated other people off and on. It was a small town and she had heard bits and pieces of gossip over the years. And naturally, the gossip went both ways and he'd probably heard his fair share about her. It didn't matter now. None of it mattered. Blake had been the love of her life. And he still was. 

It was an unfortunate thing. Sometimes, the people you loved the most were the ones you liked the least. Looking back, she couldn't remember what the final straw had been. Why she'd packed her bags and left. It was all water under the bridge now anyway. Where they were going, she didn't know. She was a woman and he a man. And whatever had been between them was still there. The small flicker had somehow managed to stay burning bright against the passing of time. Maybe, with Claire an adult and raised, and the insanity of trying to make your mark in the world, behind them, they could get it right, this time around. 













Chapter 5

Claire excused herself from the dinner table. Pretending she'd heard the baby cry, she maneuvered herself on an interception course with Hunter and Gina. GT was fast asleep in his crib. But, over the din of noise and conversation, who'd know the difference? Her plan went without a hitch. And she accidentally/ on purpose bumped into Gina and Hunter in the living room. Latching her arm through Gina's, she led her away from Hunter. "Come check on the baby with me," she said. 

Gina shot Hunter a hesitant glance over her shoulder. Her trepidation of being away from him so soon after her outburst eased when he tipped his head slightly in a nod. "I'm not very good with kids," she admitted. Her brows went up in curiosity when Claire led her up the stairs and past GT's crib instead. She didn't say anything but let Claire lead her into a tiny sitting room just off the main stairwell. At Claire's suggestion, she had a seat on the two-person sofa.

"I wanted to get you alone for a few minutes, to thank you," Claire said. Plopping down on the empty cushion in a heap of exhaustion, she studied the woman responsible for bringing Hunter back to them. Gina was pretty in her own rights. Expertly highlighted sandy brown hair a shade darker than dirty dishwater blonde was run through with strands of gold and platinum blonde with undertones of red and brown. Gina had green eyes and a natural sun kissed cast to her skin. Her nails were ragged and the red polish chipped. She wore simple clothes. But, Claire had the idea that at one time. Possibly before everything had happened. Gina was very much a creature of feminine comforts. Everything was different for her now though. 

Claire had never seen a woman so alone. Gina's hip was pressed to the arm of the sofa as far away from her as she could get. As if the slightest brush would send her running back to Hunter. For all her outward, albeit cracked, veneer the woman was terrified. Hunter was the lifeline she clung to. Gina had found herself thrust into a world she couldn't navigate. And Claire could sympathize with that. It hadn't been so long ago she'd felt exactly the same way. 

"For what?" Gina asked. 

"For everything you've done for Hunter. I can't say that I know him very well. But I know his kids. I can see that through helping him. You've helped them as well. And I am grateful. I can see how much you've done for this family when I look at them." Claire smoothed her hand over the plush upholstered arm of the sofa. Most of the furniture in the house was engineered for durability. And for a pack of wolves, that was understandable. She waited patiently for her words to soak in. When Gina had no response to her statement, she continued with her story. 

"Tristen had his first change this year. And it was hard on him. He didn't want it. In fact, he resented it. To him, the change made him too much like his father. Reminded him of what he was. Grant tried to help. But, there's only so much he could do. Tristen needed his father. And you led Hunter back to him. Now, Tristen seems more at peace with who and what he is. And I thank you for that."

Claire scoffed. "Even Daniel, he pretends that he doesn't hear or see a thing that is going on around him. But, he does. And Mouse, you've given her the one thing she's never had. A father. From what I understand, Mouse's mother died when she was born and Hunter never recovered. He was too wrapped up in his pain to think of anything or anyone else. He hid from his kids, from life, until you came along."

Gina bit her bottom lip, confused by Claire's words. From her perspective, she hadn't done a thing for Hunter or his family, except almost take him away from them. She really didn't understand the point of Claire's glowing praise of her and her imaginary deeds. Hunter would have a lot more time with his kids, if he weren't busy babysitting her. All Gina could see was that she was in the way. "What do you mean? I haven't caused Hunter anything but pain and hardship."

"Quite the opposite really. You brought him back from the dead. Forced him to live again. You gave him back to his family."

Gina suddenly felt cornered. Claire painted her out to be some kind of a savior. And Gina wasn't up for the task. Most days she could barely get herself out of bed. "I should get downstairs."

"I'm not done yet." Claire was careful not to grab Gina and force her to sit back on the couch. She kept her butt planted on the sofa as Gina wiggled to the edge of the cushion. "Consider this. I didn't say it would be easy. It won't be. Hunter and his kids have suffered a lot. Hunter might be letting you in. But, his kids won't be won over so easily."

"I've already figured that out," Gina huffed. "Mouse and Daniel hate me."

"No, they're wary of you. I don't think they fully trust their dad yet. And then you come along. Wolves are very competitive. It's in their nature. And that's how the kids see you, as competition. As far as they know, their dad's sudden turn around could be nothing more than a fluke. As far as they're concerned, he could change his mind and be gone tomorrow. I'm sorry to say, he hasn't been the father to them that he should have been."

"So, I should just give up now?" Gina shifted on the sofa, careful not to let any part of her body brush against Claire. She was trying to overcome her fear of touch. And with Hunter, she had. But, Claire was a stranger. Sure, she meant well, with her words of caution and her gentle understanding and acceptance. It was easy to see how Grant had fallen in love with the woman. There was something in Claire...about Claire... that gave a person a sense of trust. And Claire might have Gina's best interests at heart. But, that didn't mean Gina was ready to drink the Kool-aid. 

"No, that's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is that things are going to take time. Be patient and quit trying so hard. Kids can smell fear, you know. You have much to gain by sticking it out and not running away before you've given them a chance. In time they'll come to love you, as Hunter does."

Gina trembled at Claire's revelation of what she already knew. Hunter was in love with her. Hearing someone else say it drove home the point. "We barely know each other," she protested.

"Doesn't matter." Claire smiled, almost beaming remembering the early days with Grant. "I made it so hard on Grant. Gave him every reason to give up. But, he never did. And neither will Hunter. There's something that you don't understand and I'm not sure that I'm at liberty to tell you. When Hunter offers you his heart. He's actually offering something else, his life."

"What do you mean? His life?"

Claire smiled in knowing. "He can't go back, even if he tried. He's in too deep. He's chosen you. For him, there will never be another." 

"Claire, you're scaring me. I'm not ready for this." Gina tried to process Claire's words. Claire sat on the couch, fingering the upholstery with a dreamy smile on her pretty face. The woman was in la-la land, living some kind of a fairy tale. Sure, Claire had just delivered a son. And from what Gina understood, the delivery had been rough. What Claire and Grant had together as a couple, Gina and Hunter did not. Claire and Grant had love, happiness, and the promise of a new life to unite them. Tragedy and suffering had brought Hunter and she together. What was that to base a relationship on? 

"Is anyone ever ready for love when it comes? Trust your instincts and Hunter's. These men, our men, don't love easily. I personally think, he's chosen well." Claire got up off the couch and extended a friendly hand to Gina. Timidly, Gina wrapped her fingers around Claire's outstretched palm. Gina still had room in her heart to trust. She just needed more time. "Promise me you'll think about what I've said."

"I will." Gina withdrew her hand and sighed, resting her weight on her elbows. She could still feel the warmth of Claire's gentle grip on her fingers. "I can't believe that suffering was what brought us together. I wish it had been something more than that."

"Your suffering his how you met. It wasn't what brought you together. That was something more. Don't discredit it. I can't begin to imagine what you and Hunter went through. And I understand if you never want me to know. But, if you ever need to talk, I'm here for you. Perhaps one day, you'll consider me a friend enough to share your story. It'd be my honor."

"Hearing my story is no honor. But thanks, Claire... for everything." Gina mustered the strength to get up off the couch and follow Claire out of the sitting room. 

"We good?" Hunter asked as the two women emerged from the dim hallway at the top of the stairs. Check the baby his foot, the baby was sleeping, well, like a baby. They'd gone upstairs to share wily feminine secrets. He rolled his eyes at Claire's amazing smile.

"We're great. Don't be a stranger, Gina. And enjoy the cabin. I know it's a special place for Grant and me. I hope you find something special about it too." She turned as the doorbell rang and jogged across the living room to answer the door. Surprised to see not one, but both of her parents, together. And dressed to the nines at that. How had her mother managed to get her dad in a suit and tie? Ok, so her dad looked a bit miserable in the get up. But, damn, he cleaned up well. Surely, this must be some sort of a miracle. She had not spent so much time with both her parents at the same time and in the same place since she was a kid. "Come in!" 

"Sorry we're late," Dena huffed. "I had trouble getting your father in gear." The real estate agent in her head was appraising the house. The house boasted huge, open concept rooms, a good location, new construction, and amazing potential. Must have cost a fortune, even this far off the beaten path. Claire had warned that Grant's family was a little unique in their culture. Unique was an understatement. From the dining room, she heard the din of dozens of conversations going on at the same time. There were probably thirty people gathered at the longest dining room table she'd ever seen. And the food...there was so much of it. Given the size and furnishings of the house, Grant's entire family, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins, parents, grandparents, all of them must live here under the same roof. She shook off her questions and her misgivings about the living arrangements. It was rude that Grant's family had started eating without their guests. But, with all those people to feed, she kind of understood it. "Now where's that baby?"

Claire shot her father a confused look as she led them up the stairs. Her mom took in the scene with mild, aloof, curiosity. Which, well, that was just her way, Claire guessed. Her dad was more open to the idea of Grant's extended family. Her dad was a people person. He'd never met a stranger. And in this small town, that was a distinct possibility. Her mom was more reserved, definitely not a people person. 

When Claire had proclaimed that she was going into nursing as a career. Her mom had wrinkled her nose and made her disapproval of Claire's choice painfully evident. Her dad was supportive and had spent many late nights helping her study for exams. And anytime she'd needed to practice; he'd been a very willing patient. 

Claire would have better luck getting information out of her father than her mother. Wishing they were alone so they could have a question and answer session, she ushered her parents down the long hallway into the suite she shared with Grant. Did she really want to know what was going on with her mom and dad? They were so very different people. Could it even be possible that after almost twenty years apart they could be getting back together? Maybe, it was better she didn't ask. She'd always dreamed that someday they would. But, she didn't want to get her hopes up. 

Blake shrugged his shoulders and smiled at Claire. She had questions. But, he had no answers to give. Speculation would only jinx whatever might be brewing between him and her mother. He gave Claire a peck on the cheek. With his arms loaded down with presents the climb up the stairs had left him a little bit winded. He hadn't questioned what Dena had bought for GT. She'd spent hours wrapping the things, getting the print on the paper lined up just right, tying bows, and carefully printing the tags on the gifts. GT wouldn't know the difference and Claire wouldn't care if her mom had gifted them in Super Center bags. But, it'd made Dena happy to spend such painstaking time on her grandson. He should have paid more attention to what she'd wrapped. Guessing by the weight of the presents, there could be lead weights or bricks in the boxes. "These are for you. Well, I think there might be something for you in this mess. Mostly, it is for the baby. I'd like to take a closer look at the future star fisherman if I could."

Claire led her dad to a quiet corner of the small sitting room adjacent to the bedroom and helped him unload his burden. Her mom had really outdone herself with the wrapping paper, the gifts, the bows, and the tags. Curiosity sparked her interest and she couldn't wait to open them. But, she suspected her mother had spent way too much money on the gifts. Her mom was not as well off as she pretended to be. The real estate market had tanked over the last few years. Everyone wanted to live closer to somewhere better and the small town was dying slowly. Her mom had never said anything. But, Claire saw more and more for sale signs and fewer and fewer houses sold. 

The wrapping on the presents was just too pretty to leave in a haphazard stack on the small coffee table. She'd save the bows and tags to put in GT's baby book. But, in the meantime, she didn't want to smash them. Her dad was in the next room with her mom, leaving her to carefully arrange the bounty. GT's crib was in a room just off the sitting area. Three rooms and a bath, wasn't quite what she was used to. And with the stuff Grant had brought from her house, the space was a little cramped. But, she was adjusting.

When GT was old enough, he'd move into the bedroom across the hall. Maybe, he'd have a roommate, maybe not. She loved that GT was going to grow up surrounded by so many loving family members. So far, everyone had managed a little one on one time with her son. She had yet to change a diaper. There was always someone in line to cuddle with him. 




Dawn Discovered



Claire stepped into the doorway of GT's room. Her mom and dad were standing at the crib, staring down at GT. And to her surprise, they were holding hands and whispering things she couldn't quite hear. Her heart burst with happiness and a tear of joy gathered at the corner of her eye. Her son was more special than he'd ever know. He brought so much love into the world. He was the miracle she'd never known she needed and was waiting for. Quietly, she tiptoed out of the suite and let GT work his magic. 













































Chapter 6

The purple glow of twilight shadowed the woods in shades of gray and soft black. The storm had washed out big patches of gravel from road and turned the lane leading to the cabin into a bumpy, muddy, twisting path. Hunter had some trouble navigating the four-wheel drive without getting it stuck. Even though Grant and Claire had been here and the place was well maintained. Nature refused to release her hold on this remote location. The woods were bursting with new life and the promise of summer. He didn't exactly know what day it was. And it really didn't much matter. Gina sat in the seat beside him, grabbing onto the 'oh shit' bar as the SUV rocked and bucked over the potholes and washboard surface of the path. 

He'd always loved summertime. The heat of it, the sunshine, the longer days, and shorter nights, and the random cool breezes that came out of nowhere to stroke his skin. Summer was here in earnest. And he and his wolf could not be happier. His wolf scratched at the corners of his mind, wanting out to play. And damn, if it were not for Gina, he'd be happy to indulge. There was prey in the woods. Things to hunt. Things to eat. Visions of fat rabbits and white tailed deer popped in his head. And even though his wolf did the hunting and the subsequent eating, Hunter licked his lips at the prospect. Maybe, once he got Gina settled in and she bedded down for the night. He'd let his wolf off the chain. 

Gunning the engine to avoid getting stuck in a particularly muddy spot, the SUV rounded a gentle curve and the lake came into view. The water was placid with hardly a ripple breaking the surface. With the little light left before night fell, the trees cast dark reflections on the crystal clear lake. From across the lake's wide expanse, far on the distant shore, the dim glow of electric lights, faint smells of food cooking on grills, and the soft whisper of music and people talking and laughing drove home the point that they were not as far from humanity as the woodsy, peaceful setting led them to believe. 

The cabin was situated in a little alcove, out of view from the activity of the main campground. The place was made for privacy. And the woods provided. A shallow lagoon made the perfect spot for swimming. Hunter was not a swimmer. He didn't engage in anything just for fun. Well, he hadn't until this point. But, the thought of a moonlit skinny dip with Gina had him rethinking his previous policy. 

A little boat rested on the rocky shore. The peeled paint and name painted in black, neat lettering on the side, RMS Titanic, had him wondering if the tiny boat would float or sink straight to the bottom of the lake. A wooden deck, weathered from the elements poked out from the shoreline. A ladder made it easy to climb down into the water without jumping from side of the deck.

Hunter rolled down his window to let in some fresh air. The breeze was fragrant with blossoms and the scent of growing things. Hunter's wolf lifted his nose and wagged his tail eagerly at the prospect of prey on the air. Hunter squashed him down into that place in his mind where he controlled the wolf rather than letting the wolf control him. Sometimes, it was a fragile balance between the two halves of him self, a trick of give and take. His wolf balked at first and then settled down into the metaphysical world from which it had been spawned. Truly, it wasn't that difficult to placate his wolf. Not where Gina was concerned. She was their primary concern. 

The sound of cricket song and the throaty calls of bullfrogs did not detract from the quiet of early nightfall. Hunter eased up on the gas and rolled to a stop. How different this place was from his childhood home. Oh, the desert was beautiful in her own right. Flat lands and graceful outcroppings of rock and the rough, rugged, arid terrain, a land of browns and vibrant hues of orange. A wide open place of clear, velvet black night skies and stars so close you could almost reach out and capture them in the palm of your hand. Everything here was green and alive, gentle sloping hills, trees of every shape and size, wide, grassy meadows dotted with wildflowers of every color imaginable, and miles and miles of plowed fields. The woods were dense and it would be so easy to get lost in them and to lose your self to them in this land of green.

When he'd first arrived, Hunter had been surprised by how much water there was. It rained and sometimes, it rained some more, and then, some more. It seemed like more water than should be in one place. He'd been in the service. But, he'd never stayed in one place for very long. He'd traveled the globe. But, he never really thought much about the scenery. His mind was too focused on the tasks at hand to think about how pretty or ugly a particular place might be. The decorated veteran he had been was no more. John Smith had disappeared after Vietnam and he hadn't and wouldn't be seen again. That was, unless the need arose. And then some other version of John Smith would step up to serve his country. 

Hunter had a rare gift he'd probably inherited from his father. His wolf could survive for long periods of time without Pack magic to sustain him. Hunter had never tested exactly how long his wolf could stay with him. He'd served from the start of the war to the end and his wolf was still going strong. For him, there was only one way to separate himself from his wolf and that was to willingly force him out. Hunter didn't want to think about life without his wolf. His wolf had saved a great many lives. And probably Hunter's hide more times than he wanted to think about. After the war, he'd lived on the fringes of the Pack. For over a decade he'd existed. Haunted by the nightmares of all the awfulness he'd seen. 

Then Marianne came along and changed everything. He owed his wife just as much for saving his skin, his very soul, as he did his wolf. They'd had many happy years of loving before Tristen was born, and after that, the happiness and loving continued as Daniel was birthed and Marianne blossomed with Mouse. After Marianne died, Hunter had wanted to join her in death as so many mates did. He'd been too much of a coward to end his life and too much of a coward to truly live without her. Existing, just getting by, seemed to be the repeating theme of his life. And here he was with Gina, throwing the gearshift into park, contemplating happiness and starting over yet again. 

There were a great many things he had yet to explain to Gina. She knew what he was beneath the wrapper of his human flesh. But, there was much she didn't understand about his world. Of his wolf, of the wolves, she had no fear and that was good. He had plenty to tell her. The truth of his age and how long he'd live. He'd outlive her, not by years or decades, but perhaps by centuries. Well, he didn't plan to last that long, not this time. For him, there'd be no third chance, no starting over. This was it. When she left this earth for the spirit world, so did he. And there was more he needed to tell her. Things he suspected, but had never said, mainly because he didn't know how. But, they were things she needed to hear and deserved to know. 

The cabin was just as scenic as its surroundings. The new construction was barely noticeable in contrast to the existing structure. The Pack had done a nice job with the handiwork. Tristen and Daniel had put on the new roof and hammered in the timbers to form the walls. The whole thing was Grant's idea. And somehow, by some miracle, the Pack had made it happen. Hunter was filled with pride that his sons had helped to build the addition. Once in a while they could get along long enough to get something accomplished. The rest of the time, they fought and carried on as brothers so often do.

Much like Grant and he had. By the time Nash, his father, had adopted the squalling baby, Hunter had been an adult. He could have been a mentor, a big brother, and a guide. Instead, he'd suggested they drown Grant in the river. Grant and he still had their moments, less often now though. But, he was glad their father had maintained a close eye on his adopted brother and had kept him from drowning Grant. He really wouldn't have drown Grant...well, he might have. No, he wouldn't have. Even though there were times, and still were, where it was a very tempting idea. Hunter could have blamed his thoughts on post war PTSD, alpha rivalry, or a dozen other things. But, the truth be told, Grant had been just that much of a pain in the ass growing up and sometimes still was.  

The winters were harsh and relentless, turning this lush land of green into a barren world of white and cold. And the cabin had shown the effects of the weather. The blistered and peeling paint on the wooden siding had been scraped and repainted an earthy tone of brown. The shudders over the windows were new and painted a woodsy shade of green, the color of pine trees. Fresh gingham curtains, the checks red and white, hung over the windows. Someone, probably Mouse, had dug flowerbeds and planted rows and rows of perennial blossoms. The stairs leading up to the front porch no longer sagged. And the handrail was good and sturdy. The old roof had been torn off and a new one put on. A natural stone chimney poked out from the shallow peak of the roof. The overall effect of the setting was homey and comfortable. A place to relax and just let it all hang out, forget about the outside world for a while and let the big ball of mud spin and spin without you. And it was exactly what Gina needed. 

Gina climbed out of the SUV and looked around. She shuddered against the coolness of the oncoming night. It really wasn't cold. No, not at all, but she had goose bumps anyway. She didn't like this place. The darkness and the remoteness of this cabin set her on edge. The woods were black and creepy. The sound of crickets and bullfrogs and the occasional chatter of something from the depths of the trees surrounding the cabin grated her. She supposed Hunter had taken her out here for some peace and quiet. But, the place was anything but peaceful and it sure as hell wasn't quiet. 

The lake was a dark mirror reflecting a dim sky. Not a ripple broke the glassy surface. Maybe, she'd seen one too many horror movies. Maybe, it was just everything she'd been through. But, this cabin and the woods as picturesque as they might be, gave her the creeps. 

Gina swatted a mosquito and tromped around to the rear of the SUV where Hunter was loading bags of supplies into his arms. The interior dome light barely cut through the darkness. Ok, so she was a city girl born and bred. No shame in admitting it. Growing up, family vacations centered around urban hot spots like Disneyland or New York City. She'd never been camping. She'd never gone fishing. And she'd never swum in a grungy, filthy lake before. She wasn't getting in the water. She wasn't singing Kumbayah around any damn campfire. She was miles away from anything remotely resembling civilization and without the glow of neon lights and the background noise of the city she was completely thrown off kilter. 

Hunter obviously had brought her out here for an escape from anything that could possibly trigger her unwanted memories. She had to give him some credit for that. This place was as far from the urban jungle as a person could get. He couldn't have known that she'd lived such a sheltered life. Gina chalked up her apprehension to the fact that this was something new. There were no axe murderers lurking in the woods just waiting to chop her into bits. There were no grizzly bears in Indiana. Hunter and the Pack were the only wolves to be found here. And while they weren't exactly tame, they weren't going to eat her. There were no killers in hockey masks or chainsaw toting maniacs. Nothing here was going to hurt her. Hunter wouldn't allow it. 

Gina batted at a moth the size of a pigeon and took the duffel bag Hunter handed her. There were bugs everywhere. Moths swarmed the porch light. Mosquitoes buzzed around her head in determination to suck her dry. She didn't want to think about snakes and spiders and whatever else called this place home. The day had been warm, almost hot. And with the recent rains, humidity hung over her shoulders like a hot, wet, miserable blanket. Sweat beaded her brow and rolled down her spine. Indiana was probably the only place on earth a person could sweat in air conditioning thanks to the relentless humidity.

Hunter stared down at her as if he expected her to say something. And he probably did. He'd never said. But, with his wolfish side, Gina guessed he could sense her moods. He always seemed to know what she needed before she realized she needed it. She didn't want to disappoint him. And maybe, once they were inside of the cabin and the outdoors shut out, she would relax a little. Gina gritted her teeth as they rounded the edge of the cabin and she spotted what she only knew from pictures and books. An outhouse? There was no way in hell she was peeing in a hole in the ground. She'd rather deal with her fear of ...everything than have that particular adventure. But, he was trying. And because of that, she'd try. "It's pretty here." And it was. The scenery just wasn't for her. 

"Very." Gina's body posture was tense and on guard. But, a slight curve of a smile she couldn't help tilted the corners of her mouth. She was a reluctant country girl. Of course, she'd feel more at home in the noise and hustle and bustle of the city than out here in the middle of nowhere. And he had taken that into consideration. If he hadn't, they'd be pitching a pup tent and the true middle of God's country. She was a city girl to her core. She'd need certain modern conveniences, a toilet, running water, a shower, electricity, a roof over her head, and a soft bed to sleep in. While he could do without all the above and be quite happy sleeping under an open canopy of stars. The fact that she could not was not lost on him. And the cabin provided a happy medium for the both of them. 

She was apprehensive of the woods and the oncoming darkness, sticking close to his side as he toted the bags of necessities to the front door. Her mind needed this time to get away from everything. She just didn't realize it yet. Gina was terrified of new things. Unfortunately, she was terrified of the old too. And after everything she'd been through. He didn't blame her. And that was exactly why he'd chosen this place. The cabin was just far enough away and close enough to. They could be in town in less than fifteen minutes. Yet, at the same time if they chose to isolate themselves from everything they could. He unlocked the door with the key hidden under a flowerpot on the porch and ushered her inside. 

Once Gina saw there was electricity and a bathroom, she'd feel better about being here. He hadn't totally taken her from the outside world and the convenience of the things she'd always known. Soon, she would relax enough to appreciate the woods and their wild beauty. He planned to be gentle with her and to give her the time and space she needed. He would be no more at home in a posh highrise than she was here. He couldn't stand the city, the stink, the constant daylight of neon lights and streetlights, the crowds of people, and the way the city was never still or at rest. 

Hunter flipped on a light switch and crossed the room to deposit the bags on a two-seater kitchen table. He motioned for her to put the duffel bag he'd put in her hands on the edge of the bed. He'd done it more to give her something else to do besides bolt for the SUV and demand him to take her home, than because he actually needed help carrying the thing. Busying himself unpacking their food for the next several days, he backed off, kept quiet, and gave her space to look around. 

Gina took a step inside the door. She was relieved by the reinforcement that yes, the place did have electricity and from the looks of things, running water and a fully functioning bathroom. The cabin wasn't anything fancy. Rustic, of course, but not elaborate and overdone in that way some places trying to boast a country atmosphere were. Everything here was genuine from the rough cut floors worn smooth with the constant tromp of footsteps and time to the hewn logs pieced together to form the walls.

The furniture scattered about in various groupings was well used, but comfortable looking in a miss match of textures, styles, and fabrics. The cabin was one room, creatively divided into an eating/kitchen area, a small sitting area, and an equally small sleeping area equipped with a queen sized bed. The space should have looked cramped and small. Instead, the placement of the furniture was well planned and thought out. 

The kitchen had a rustic, old-fashioned hand pump and cast iron sink and counter combo. Checked red and white gingham fabric new but meant to look old formed a curtain under the sink and hid what was probably storage space. A small, round table big enough for two was decorated with a matching tablecloth and a vase of freshly picked wildflowers. The curtains covering the windows were made of the same cheerful checked pattern. 

The bathroom was a recent addition. She could still smell the fresh paint and sawdust over the essence of smoky autumn wood fires, the crisp mint chill of snow, the fragrance of spring blossoms, and the coconut scented sunshine haze of summers past. Off the kitchen, the room although new was decorated to look as if it had been a part of the original cabin. The walls were wainscoted with rustic looking half logs midway up their length. The paint was creatively chosen to match the outdoorsy setting and was a woodsy shade of brown. She was relieved to see a shower and a toilet, modern though designed to look old. And there was a deep tub, claw footed, maybe an antique, dominating the smallish room. 

Decorated in colorful, hand knitted afghans, bright patchwork quilts, and equally vibrant hand woven rag rugs, the place definitely had no shortage of country charm. A stone fireplace occupied one corner of the living space. And even though the day had been warm and the evening humid and sticky, the night was cool. Hunter had opened the windows and a gentle breeze rustled the curtains. The lights were dim. And he had the makings of a small fire blazing on the hearth. Not because they needed one, it wasn't that cold. The fire was just big enough to fill the place with the pungent scent of wood smoke and the warmth and glow from the flickering flames. 

Gina's toes curled in her tennis shoes at the sight of him lounging on the floor on a soft braided rug. He'd taken off his boots and peeled off his socks. His big, bare feet stuck out from beneath the hem of his jeans. The sleeping area was partitioned from the seating arrangement by a large screen made of colorfully embroidered sheets of cloth stretched between thick, roughly cut planks of wood. There was only one bed. And although she'd shared a bed with Hunter in the past, their relationship had taken a decided turn since then. He would never fit on the twin cushion loveseat. And that meant there was only one place he intended to sleep, with her on that bed barely big enough for two. The word that came to Gina's mind was cozy. This cabin, this quiet setting and this man stretched out on the floor and that double bed was definitely cozy. And she wondered just exactly how much sleeping and how much of other things would go on tonight.