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Dawn Released

By: msnomer68



Native Dawn Series Book 16

Dawn Released

Prologue

Nash was a man who kept his promises. He kept his promises to his family, to relation so distant that they weren't really related to him anymore, and to others, virtual strangers, recently taken into the outer edges of the fold. He'd made a promise once. He still kept it to this day. He'd been a different man back then, little more than a boy on the precipice of manhood, really. Just as she'd been a doe-eyed girl on the verge of becoming the woman she'd someday grow up to be. He'd promised her his love and his life and he'd kept that promise made of innocence and hope, whispered like a desperate child's wish on a shooting star, ever since. The things he'd wished for had come true. But, like all childhood dreams, wishes weren't meant to last beyond the brightness of a sudden spark on the distant horizon. His wish ended with the soft final flutter of a heartbeat and the rapid inhale of breath into new lungs. 

After her death, heartbroken and released of his promise, he still remained true to his wife. Self-martyred by his fidelity to the words of his promise that had since then ceased to have any meaning, Nash remained a man true to his vows. And he clung to the promises made by a boy that had grown into a man with the desperation of the drowning to a life preserver. Time passed and the only thing he had was his promises, to her, to his children, to his family, and to anyone else in need of a promise. Keeping to the laws of good intentions was safer than risking so much on flimsy wisps of hopes and dreams as fleeting as the morning mists before the break of dawn. 

He was very much alive. He had been alive for a very long time and most likely would be for a lot longer. His promises, his memories, and his children were all he had left to remind him that she'd ever existed, that they'd existed together, and that he'd been a hopeful boy capable making of such weighty promises and dreaming such splendid dreams of a bright and glittering future. 

For a time, a long time, this life, this carefully constructed life of duty and promises had been enough. But, he found that after years of caring for everyone else. Surrounded by the heaviness and awful reality of the vows he'd endeavored to keep. He was utterly and deeply alone beneath the crush of his family and the promises, sometimes, he wished he'd never made. 

He thought about the stolen kiss. The taste of her lips as they pressed against his. A delightful kiss not filled with demanding or answers, but a kiss, soft and sweet and promising so much more than he dared to want. He'd been alone for so very long and that kiss had made him realize just how very long it truly had been. One stolen moment meant everything and yet, at the same time, meant nothing. The kiss left him with a single question he dared not to ask and wisely pushed far from his mind. With one sweet, soft, innocent, and desperate kiss so filled with possibilities and unspoken promises, had he broken the one promise he'd sacrificed everything to keep? 

Circumstance. That was what it all boiled down to. Circumstance. Eloise claimed Texas was her home. Everything she'd ever known. Circumstance had put her on that plane. Circumstance had taken her away from him and from any of the possibilities that ever could have been between them. He didn't have to grapple with the moral dilemma of his question, thanks to oaths not of his making. She had promises of her own to keep. And ultimately, all he could do was wait to see if by chance or circumstance the unspoken promise in that kiss, a vow unsaid, but far too well understood with the brushing of lips and wild tangle of tongues would ever be kept. 

Eloise took her time, slipping back into the familiar persona of the woman she had been before she left Texas. That woman was sure and confident. Doing whatever she had to do to ensure her position and procure a future for her daughters. That woman was ruthless and cunning used to giving orders and making demands. Something in her had changed in the short time she'd been away. She had to find the woman she once was. That woman was the woman her nemesis was used to dealing with. The woman her pack respected. And not the soft, shaken, and unsure woman she saw in the mirror's reflection. 

Her home still looked the same. Everything was in its familiar place, just where she'd left it. Surrounded by familiarity, she was the only thing unfamiliar and out of place. She slicked the comb gripped tightly in her hand through her soft, black hair. Ignoring the random sliver strands here and there woven amongst the black, she tamed the waves smooth and gathered them into a neat, tightly wound chignon at the back of her neck. She dabbed makeup across her cheeks and beneath the dark valleys under her eyes in hopes of erasing the proof of sleepless nights and the constant preoccupation of her worry. 

She pulled on a slim, navy blue, pencil skirt and slid into a cream colored silk blouse with tiny pearl buttons at the throat. The sensible low-heeled black pumps on her feet clicked across the hardwood floors as she walked to the closet and found the matching high- wasted blazer that completed the power suit. She looked all business, sharp angles, common sense, and no bullshit. Exactly the image she hoped to portray. Her future depended on how well she pulled off the next few days. Perhaps, her life did as well. 

She sank onto the velvet-lined bench and stared into the mirror on her dressing table. She looked right. But, inside she wasn't right. She was, for the first time in as long as she could remember, utterly alone. Her former bodyguards and her precious daughters were tucked away someplace safe from the danger that she was willingly about to confront. 

She willed the fear out of her mind and selected a few no-frills pieces of jewelry from her collection. She fingered the baubles, pretty pieces of glittery jewelry and sparkling stones representing a far shallower woman than she truly was. Expensive gifts and trinkets she'd bought for no other reason than she'd wanted them at the time. Her fingers shook as she fastened the clasp of the necklace at the back of her neck. Willing them to stop shaking, she ran her fingertips over the plain golden chain to steady herself.

Eloise selected her perfume with care from the myriad bottles neatly arranged across the vanity top. The scent she chose was feminine, musky, and sweet with a floral undertone of gardenia and rose. The essence of it was the perfect cover for the pungent, acidic, stink of her fear. Eloise Collins feared nothing. While that wasn't true, she could at least cover the reek of it. 

She was the picture of perfection, elegant and regal, classically beautiful, with just a hint of cruelty and ruthlessness beneath her composed persona. Perhaps, for the first time in her life, she was not only alone, but she was scared shitless. Her mouth felt as if it were stuffed with cotton, dry with nervous dread. She slicked her tongue over her full lips in an attempt to moisten them. As if she could lick away the traces of the sensation of his mouth on hers. 

In that one kiss Nash had unleashed a part of her she'd held in strictest restraint. Perhaps, a part she'd never realized existed. She had known men, but none like him. Even her omegas, her precious omegas, in which she held such a deep affection, did not discover this fragile part of her being that until now had been safely tucked away so deeply inside of her. 

One kiss had changed everything she thought she knew. Everything she thought she wanted. The big, opulent house seemed emptier now. Just a house though and not the home she valued so dearly. The Texas sun felt cooler and looked duller than it had when she'd left. The only thing left for her here were shadows of the great woman she had been. She wasn't that woman anymore. She'd been broken down to her simplest terms. Stripped of all the finery she surrounded herself with, unmasked and raw, she was only a woman soft, vulnerable, and uncertain beneath the layers of shiny veneer that he had peeled away to expose her with just one simple kiss. 

Yet, she was destined to be here. She'd fought too hard for the right to be here and she had to see this through till the end. Her choices were few, if they existed at all. This place was all she'd ever known. She ran her hand along the cold surface of her ornately carved dressing table and thought about all the things she'd come back to accomplish. This wasn't about her. This was about her pack. Maybe, she wasn't the best leader, but she was sure as hell the better option than the man vying for control of them. If it were only herself she sought to save. She could have the luxury of considering what she wanted and where her life was going. Things didn't work that way though. Not for her. Not ever. She'd always been pushed by duty and by the things that she had to do as a consequence. 

There was always free will. Not even circumstance could truly take that away. Her free will had brought her back to this place and taken away all her choices until they were narrowed down to only one. That decision brought her here, to this point. She had no other options but to complete her journey and follow it wherever it led.

Her thoughts were distracted by the resounding bong of the doorbell echoing through the empty hallways and rooms of this monstrosity of a house. She stood, taking her time. People in control did not rush to answer doors. They got to them when they got to them. She smoothed down the soft wool of her skirt and pulled on the blazer. Casually, checking for loose bits of lint before she took the first step toward the door. 

Any small imperfection in her appearance, dress, or manner, would be seen as weakness. That too, was a luxury she couldn't afford. She tucked a wisp of stray hair into place and gathered her wits. Faking confidence she didn't feel, she walked to answer the door Her steps unhurried, almost leisurely, as if she were still in control of her life. 





Chapter 1

Kacie stared out of the sliding glass patio door, looking down at the rooftops from her sister's place. No, it was her apartment now, not Jan's. The evening sun hung low on the edge of the horizon and with nightfall coming the temperature plummeted. She flipped the cover of her cell phone open, just to check. There was still no word from her mother. Her mother was in Texas, tending to business. 

Eloise Collins was a no bullshit, take no prisoners kind of woman who tended to business with ruthless efficiency. Normally, she wouldn't worry about her mother. The legendary Eloise Collins was quite proficient in taking care of herself. Usually. Kacie absently twirled the ends of her waist length, dark hair between her fingers. She did that when she was worried. At one time Kacie would have thought not hearing from her mother was a blessing. However, these days, no news was not good news. Lack of word from her mother could mean anything or it could mean nothing. 

Kacie was doing quite a good job at playing normal in her attempts to refuse to contemplate how abnormal her life truly was. All her time, her whole life, had been spent assuming the future was certain, predictable, and set in stone. She had banked on the fact that she'd live and die as she'd grown up, in Texas and as one of her pack. She was thousands of miles from there and the future she thought she'd have belonged to someone else in some quantum reality. It sure as hell wasn't her reality, not anymore. 

Kacie was doing her best. She had an apartment, a job, and a car. What more did she need? There were others like her in the area. Nash had offered her a spot in his pack. But, she'd refused consider shifting her loyalties. There was a certain part of her that didn't want to let go of what was then, of who she thought was, and had always been. She wasn't ready to embrace the new identity of who she could be, if she really wanted to. 

Jan, her older sister had found her happiness and she fit nice and tight, like fingers in a glove. She belonged in this new town and with this new pack. Kacie doubted if she ever would ever mold her square peg self into such a neat and tidy little round hole. There was a part of her that wanted to. Desperately. She could grab onto the new and forget the old. The past was gone and done forever. There was nothing left for her back in Texas. The future stretched out before her unplanned and limitless. For the first time in her life, she had viable options. She could stay or she could go, anywhere. She could move to Antarctica and live like a hermit, if she wanted to. Her life had never been her own and now, suddenly, it was. How she lived it, where she lived it, and what she did with it was entirely up to her. And damn, was that a scary thought. 

There was no doubt about what other people wanted for her. Jan wanted her to stay. Her mother had ordered her to stay. Nash hoped she'd join his pack. The omegas as content as they were to be doing something useful with their new pack, needed her to stay. The question though, what did she want, need, or hope for, was bigger than the people in her life. 

She had incentives to stay put, for now. People like Jan, Catcher, and Tracker. And of course, then there was Tristen. She knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted her. Sometimes, she was tempted to the point of insanity to give in to his playful, gentle tactics of persuasion. He looked at her in a way that both thrilled and frightened her. Offered his hand in patient friendship, always hoping for more, but accepting the limitations of whatever she'd give him in return. She refused to see him as anything more than a friend. Until she knew what she wanted for certain. There was no point to think of him as anything else. 

 Chapter 2

Eloise followed the guards, caring little about the posh and elaborate setting surrounding her. The Grand Manor house was something out of the pages of antiquity. Constructed sometime around the mid-nineteenth century, the sprawling mansion had served as a power base for the pack for almost two centuries. She'd never liked the place. She found the ornate furnishings and overdone sense of grandeur the Manor house represented stifling and outdated. The place was a dusty relic of a past she could do without. She'd grown up here. She'd ascended to her title here. Once she'd taken her rightful place as Mistress of the Pack, she'd shut the place down tight. 

Oh, the place was well maintained, without so much of a speck of dust or a cobweb dangling from the chandeliers. Occasionally, when she was required to receive important guests, she'd order the silver polished and the rooms aired out. After all, she'd never allow the kind of people she received in her private home. Sometimes, the overwhelming shadow of the Grand Manor and the power it represented was enough to keep the wolves at bay. Unfortunately, it had not worked on Seff and he'd settled in and made himself at home. 

She swallowed back the fear welling up in her throat. She was a little like the Grand Manor, a relic occasionally brought out for show. She relied mostly on her reputation, rather the reputation handed down to her by her father, than an actual display of power. It had been a tactic that had served her well, up to this point. With her life and the future of her pack hanging in the balance, she was out of tricks up her sleeve. Rumors of her family's fierce reputation were not going to save her this time. The Grand Manor house was just brick and mortar and she was in danger of losing it. 

The heels of her pumps clicked across the polished wooden floors. She held her head high and walked with purpose and determination in her steps. The act was bullshit, pure and simple. Her insides were quivering as the guards, unfriendlies under Seth's command, ushered her down a wide hallway to the study. 

Was she brave or just an idiot? Right now, she was opting for idiot. Eloise felt naked without her Omegas at her side. She was alone and growing more and more desperate with each step closer to the double doors at the end of the hall. She'd always feared these doors. Even as a little girl, she'd been terrified of what was behind them, of her father, and before him, her grandfather. Nothing good happened in that room of power, position, and plotting. Nothing good ever had happened behind those polished, thick, and imposing dark wooden doors and most likely, never would. 

Yes, she was an idiot. One of the guards at her back prodded her forward. She stubbornly held her ground and refused to budge. The brass handles of the doorknob glimmered dully in the pale lamplight cast down by a row of showy crystal sconces lining the hallway. She was still mistress of this pack and the Grand Manor was still her home. She was entitled to certain standards of treatment. The slight amount of pride and dignity she had left would not allow her to reach down, put her hand on the knob, and open the door for herself. 

It was such a tiny thing, a petty thing, for her not to reach down and open that door. But, it wasn't the door as much as the man behind it that had her refusing. The guard grunted in displeasure. His shoulder brushed hers as he reached around her. Eloise bristled at the insult of the contact. He opened the door and practically shoved her inside. It was a small victory, but nonetheless a victory. Clinging to old traditions and values that served no purpose was the only hope in hell she had of winning this game. Seff so loved playing games and toying with his pray. And she, at the mercy and whim of a man who wanted her pack and possibly her life, was pray. 

The room might have been cozy. The big fire roaring in the hearth might have been welcoming from the south Texas winter chill. If it hadn't been for the man, casually swirling red wine in an elegant crystal fluted wine glass he dangled carelessly from his fingers, sitting in front of it. "Eloise, how good to see you again." He drawled the words, spoken without warmth or sincerity, as if he were doing her a favor by letting her enter her own home.

Eloise fortified her presence, straightening her shoulders and tilting her chin up in silent defiance. "Likewise." Her voice betrayed her thoughts, quavering slightly as she spoke the lie. The guards flanking her stepped discreetly to the side, blocking the exit with their big bodies and effectively trapping her inside the room. With Seff everything was a power play. That he carelessly dangled a wine glass worth a small fortune from his fingertips and in it, staining the sides red like blood, was her family's finest vintage. He lounged in the heirloom, camel-hair upholstered, wingback chair generations of Pack Masters had sat in as if it were a Barco-lounger. He rested his booted feet on a priceless Persian rug that belonged in a museum of fine art and not beneath the soles of his filthy Doc Martins.

She hated this house, but she respected everything it stood for. And although she begrudged the dusty grandeur of it, she understood its necessity. Anger flared through her. Seff had no respect, no honor, and certainly no intentions of leaving anytime soon. Stepping closer, Eloise put on her hardened, game face. She hadn't been close enough to notice before. The fire in the fireplace roared and gave off a brilliant orange glow. But, coming around to the empty chair beside Seff's, she caught the vague outline of the things being consumed by the fire's hungry flames.

Thick, ornate portrait frames reduced to charred remnants. The canvases curled and the paint blistered in the hot flames. The wall over the mantle was bare, as were the walls on either side of the floor to ceiling bookcases. The books were gone, probably already consumed the fire. The portraits and books were irreplaceable, but what they'd represented was priceless. Eloise lifted her fingertips to her mouth to trap the scream and the whimper of agony building in her throat.


Dawn Released



The books were the leather bound journals of the pack masters past. And on the walls had hung their portraits. Her father, her grandfather, her great-grandfather, her great, great-grandfather, and the generations before them to the very first Pack Master, the faces, the innermost thoughts of great men and women, the founders of her pack were gone. Burned to ash. The bastard was burning her history piece by piece. 

Seff caught the hesitancy in Eloise's voice. He smelled the swirling blend of her anger and fear and it was a sweet, sweet essence tingling the back of his nose. Squashing the triumphant grin tugging at the corners of his lips, he watched her history go up in flames. He wasn't done with her yet. Otherwise, she'd be nothing but ash herself. He needed her assistance to stifle her pack. 

Strangely or stupidly faithful to her, the pack resented his presence and fought his claim on them. If he weren't careful, they'd rebel against him. He needed numbers, not dead wolves. Numbers were power. Once these two packs became one solidified unit he'd be unstoppable. No one would be able to stand against him. And he'd have more power and wealth than even he could conceive. "Eloise, please make yourself welcome, after all, your home is my home," he said, relishing the words.

Eloise ground her molars at the free way he stated his claim to all that was hers and insinuated that he was already in control of her pack. "Thank you," she said with every bit of grace she could muster. She smoothly lowered her body into the chair. Seff was a master, or so he thought, of everything he surveyed. He'd strategically placed the chair to his left, symbolically indicating that she was inferior to him. Coolly, she eyed him and crossed her legs at the ankle. She kept her face a mask of indifference. As if it didn't matter in the least that he was burning everything she'd held dear and had sacrificed so much to keep. She would not show any emotion. She would bridle her tongue and her keep her outrage in check. 

"I hear your daughter has chosen a mate." Seff took a sip of his wine, evaluating Eloise over the rim of the crystal glass. Eloise projected a cool, collected, and calm exterior. Her scent gave her away. He knew her tricks all too well. She manipulated. She planned and plotted. And apparently, she was not as in control as she thought. She never had been. She was a figurehead born into the title she held and as such as useless as a pretty decoration.

Oh, she'd killed to inherit the title. Her hands were not clean. The things daddies did for their little girls. If he'd been her father he would have slit her throat the day she was born and kept trying to procreate until a male worthy of the position had been born. In fact...he had. Torr was a firstborn male. But, he was not the firstborn he thought he was. Seff had held his daughter long enough to smother the life out of her before he handed her limp and lifeless body back to her mother. He'd done the same to the daughter that followed. He had no regrets. Such was the way of the world his ancestors had created. The sacrifice was a small price to pay for the bigger prize of the future. 

"Yes, Jan is married," Eloise answered coolly. Seff was sure and confident. Certain that nothing was going to stand in the way of claiming what he wanted, especially her pack. Seff's was outwardly impeccable, as always. He didn't have to work at being the stunner he was. Dressed casually in pressed denim and a soft button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to expose his muscular forearms, he was the living, breathing representation of everything a man of breeding should be. 

The denim fabric of his jeans clung to his muscular thighs like a second skin. The shirt, a soft, earthy shade of brown, stretched across his wide shoulders and added to the impressive width of his rock hard chest. He was a big and powerful male, one of the best of their species, precisely as he'd been bred to be. 

Eloise saw Torr's likeness in his father's rugged features. Torr had the same dark, piercing eyes in an unpredictable shade that defied naming. Not one raven's wing colored hair was out of place. Seff preferred a neat style, combed to precision and stopping well above the collar as opposed to Torr's unruly tangle of waves. His tanned skin and high cheekbones and the wild, untamed aura of danger and power that surrounded him were a heady combination. And even in her hatred of him, she was not completely unaffected. 

Yes, Seff was the picture of masculine beauty. And Torr, so much like him in outward appearance that the evidence of his mother's contribution to the genetic soup that made him was barely perceptible. Perhaps, Seff had found a way to clone the perfect likeness of him self. But, he'd missed the mark. Perhaps, Torr did have something of his mother in him even though it did not show on the exterior. He had something, and she did not think this thought lightly, she never would have believed he could possess. Something his father did not have and never would. Torr had a soul. And if his father found out how deep Torr's soul ran. Torr was every bit as much danger as she was. Possibly more. 

"That is unfortunate. The youth of today, so rebellious, what is a parent to do? It is a shame that Jan did not embrace the destiny you had chosen for her. She would have made a fine mate for my son. They would have given us both many fine grandchildren. What a pity. Truly," Seff said with a tisk as he took a deep sip of the wine. "You will give her my best?" 

"Certainly." 

"I'd like to give her a gift." Seff set his wine glass on the marble topped table that separated his chair from Eloise's. Turning slightly, he leaned closer to whisper into her ear. Her skin prickled in response to her fear and the heat of his breath. "A wedding present, if you will." He smiled at the effect he had on her and casually settled back in the chair. She was terrified of him. Subdued by her fear. 

"Your graciousness knows no bounds." Eloise choked out the words. Her wolf was agitated and unsettled by the lingering sensation of Seff's breath on her neck. She had no power. Her authority had been stripped from the walls and bookshelves and lay in smoldering ashes in the fireplace. Seff was keeping her alive, for now, because he had no choice. She was touched, deeply touched by the loyalty her pack had to her. But, she was not about to use their faith in her against them. She could lead the charge. What a waste of lives it would be though. Seff had her out maneuvered and outnumbered. With as many of the pack that had stayed faithful to her there were probably just as many or more who had not. She would not turn brother against brother. Not in a battle when the only outcome would be saving her own ass. 

"I'm sure that Jan will appreciate the sentiment." Eloise bowed her head, stifling the roll of bile in the pit of her stomach. She had been in this room ten minutes and she was already nauseated by the game she played with Seff. If nothing else, she wished that he'd get to the point and be done with it.

"Ah, as am I. Eloise, a daughter needs her mother, don't you agree?"

"Of course," she answered hesitantly.

The fabric of his jeans made a light whispering sound as they slid across the camel hair upholstery. "Eloise," he said, leaning closer to the edge of his chair. The mocking regret etched on his features was laughable. "I could make sure that Jan and Kacie have their mother, for all time. But, I need your help to do that. Help me take control of your pack and I'll make sure that Jan and Kacie don't have to face an untimely and unfortunate loss." He smiled in a gracious grin showing a row of straight white teeth. "I think that's a most generous offer, don't you?"

"Are you suggesting that my life is in danger?" Eloise narrowed her eyes. Hatred for him welled inside of her. She was in a precarious position and she well knew it. He took advantage of the fact that she had not held up to her end of the bargain. He was holding her failure, her love for her daughters, and her duty to the pack over her head. 

Guessing the outcome of another's life is a difficult thing. Seff and she had entered into a pact years ago. His firstborn son and her firstborn daughter betrothed to one another as teenagers. They were children and Seff and she had brokered away their lives, securing both of their futures and binding them as one. At the time, she'd thought she'd chosen a good life for Jan, a life of luxury and security. All Jan had to do was marry Torr and produce an heir. It had sounded like the perfect way to avoid a war between the two packs. At the time, perhaps it was. Everything had changed now and the war she'd sought to avoid was coming. 

Tradition dictated that this was how things went and had been done for generations. Firstborn married firstborn. Except, for the fact that Jan had other ideas for what she wanted out of life. When she chose to marry someone else, the pact was broken. Eloise's life and the lives of her pack hung in the balance of her decision, dangling by a very thin thread. 

"Eloise, you must understand that these are difficult times." Seff leveled his gaze. "Especially for you. There are some in the pack that welcome the change in leadership. They see your failure to fulfill your obligations as a weakness. I can't ensure your safety. If you don't help me, I can't help you."

"Can't or won't?"

Seff snickered, "Take your pick. The point is, Eloise. That you did not hold up to your end of the bargain. You failed to produce your daughter. I held up to my end of the bargain. Torr was more than willing to provide the pack with an heir. Your daughter, not only did she not fulfill her obligation. She insulted us, all of us, by choosing a human male over one of her own kind. I could have forgiven her transgression, if she'd chosen a worthy male from the pack." He shook his head, shaming Eloise. "But a human? That I cannot forgive. I must have my amends. My pack demands it. I demand it."

"And your son?" Eloise jumped to her feet, towering over him in a way that only a five-foot-four inches tall female in danger of not only losing her world but her life could. Trembling in cold rage, she wished she had the strength kill him. She wished she'd had the foresight to kill him over a decade ago. Before she'd made the damn pact. 

The man Jan had picked was of more worth than Seff, Torr, and his whole damned pack put together. Thomas didn't have the pedigree. He didn't have the gift in his blood. But, he loved Jan with his heart and soul. He was willing to die for her. And as far as Eloise was concerned, his bravery meant more than a double helix of DNA and bloodlines. "I hear Torr has children, many of them. Half-breeds. Why not let the firstborn among them share in his inheritance?"

"Curs," Seff spat. Bastard children created by his son, worthless, half human-half werewolf hybrids, genetic misfits belonging to neither world, products of his son's idiocy. Embarrassments he'd already taken care of. Seff sprang from his seat, snatching Eloise by her elegant neck, dragging her across the fancy Persian rug, and slamming her hard into the rough brick exterior of the fireplace. "My son is not in question here."

Eloise tugged at the bulky fingers wrapped around her neck. Fighting the panic that rose up and spread along her limbs. The hard, rough, edges of the stone bit into her back. The world spun dizzily as he squeezed off her air supply. He needed her alive. He wasn't going to kill her. Yet. And that was the only surety she had to bank on. 

Seff calmed the surge of anger boiling in his blood, opening and releasing his hold on her fragile neck. He stroked his fingertips across her cheek in a gesture that if someone didn't know better was almost affectionate. "Eloise, I will have your assistance or I'll have your head. The choice is yours. Don't take too long to think it over. I'm not a patient man." He patted her cheek and dropped his hand. Never letting his eyes leave hers, he spoke to his guards. "Assist Eloise safely to her home. See that she remains there until I summon her again." 

Eloise sucked in a deep and painful breath. The sudden rush of breath chased away the dark spots in her vision. Coughing and sputtering, she grappled to keep her knees from buckling. There was no point in unleashing the tears burning her eyes. Seff's guards were little more than mindless thugs. Tears would not soften them or prevent them from doing their duty. Seff had already left the room before she completely regained her composure, leaving her to stand alone in the fading light of the ashes of her burned past. 

Chapter 3

Nash snapped his cell phone closed. Neither Kacie nor Jan had anything new to tell him today. They had not heard from their mother. No one had since Eloise boarded that plane bound for Texas. His protective instincts reared to life. She could be in danger. Most likely, she was. His logical side battled long and hard with his instincts. Arguing reasonably that she knew the danger of leaving his territories and the protection of the pack. She'd made a choice to go. He didn't force her to. Rather, he tried to get her to stay. 

He should have forced her to stay. Confined her if necessary. Whatever he had to do to keep her safe, he should have done it. She was out there alone, across the country out of his reach. He wanted to go after her. But, his presence on strange lands might put her in more danger than she already was. He had to consider that there was more at risk here than just her or just him. Lives depended on them both, and like her, he was bound to protect them. 

Marianne frowned. She sensed the worry in her grandfather's thoughts. His face was a mask. His expression closed down tight like it did whenever he was engrossed with some inner conflict. She hated it when people thought she was too young to understand things and kept secrets from her. She wasn't a little girl anymore. She was twelve, almost thirteen years old. She knew a lot more than even her grandfather, who knew her almost as well as she knew her self, gave her credit for. 

She walked through the woods by his side. Evenings were for her and her grandfather. A special slot of time they reserved for each other. The air was crisp and cool. The snow whispered gently beneath their footsteps. The sky was an ugly shade of gunmetal gray and thick with fat clouds blocking out what little sun there was. Winter was forever in this place of ice and snow. She looked for signs of spring and saw nothing but more snow. "Grandpa, do you think that the pack in Texas is friendly?"

"I don't know, Mouse." Nash stared down at the top of her head, tucked neatly inside a thick stocking cap. Her braids dangled from underneath and trailed over her shoulders. She was getting so big. Mature beyond her meager twelve years on this planet. Just last year, she barely cleared his waist, now her chin reached the bottom of his ribs.

Fate wasn't always fair. Unfortunately for Mouse, what destiny had in store for her was down right cruel. He was more attentive to her than he was to the other children. Every child was important, but she was special. Like he'd been born special and his father before him had been born special as well. Her future was bright and promising, and predetermined to be painful. One day, he didn't know when, but she'd take his place. He loved her deeply and was willing to die in sacrifice. But, he knew when the time came he'd fight. He didn't have that kind of control over his instincts. No wolf did. He'd fight for his life and his title to the death. His death. When the time came, he wouldn't have the heart to kill the little girl he'd molded into the woman she'd someday become.

The best he could do for the both of them was to love her, teach her to love, and shape her into the kind of leader she would need to be. Mouse was wickedly smart, but her intelligence had a hard edge to it bordering on ruthlessness. If left unchecked and allowed to evolve untrained. Her mind would override her heart and she'd become cruel. She was the legacy he planned to leave behind. And he was careful to ensure it was a worthy one. 

Little Mouse had a way of knowing things, beyond what a little girl should know. A wisdom about her given to her by the goddess that gave her the ability to see through the fluff and puff adults tended to feed her to placate her endless questions. Maybe it was because they were so close, but she could see through him, down deep into the heart of him. She knew too much. She knew what one day she'd have to do. And the wheels of her mind were constantly turning to find a way out of it. 

Marianne wrinkled her nose in disdain. She hated her nickname. Mice crapped where they ate. Mice carried diseases and were infested with lice. She was NOT a mouse. And there were times she could wring her brother's neck for giving her the nickname. "I think maybe they are. Kacie is nice. Catcher and Tracker are nice too. Is Kacie's mom nice?"

"Yes Mouse, Eloise is a nice lady." Nash rolled his eyes. Mouse was naturally inquisitive about the world around her. Sometimes, her questions bordered on intrusiveness. Usually, he didn't mind answering them. But, questions about his love life or lack of one were off limits. He snatched a stick off the ground and pointed to a short, spindly stubby tree. "What kind of tree is that? Look at the bark."

"A sassafras tree," Marianne dutifully answered. They weren't deep in the woods. The snow and mud made some of the hilly terrain impossible to traverse. They'd walked this trail at least a dozen times and their footprints were embedded deep into the frozen ground. Her grandpa talked trees and animal tracks. But, he really needed to talk about other things. She could feel the weight of his worry weighing on her shoulders as heavily if it were her own. "Grandpa, are you worried about Eloise. Are you thinking about going to Texas? Are you going to bring her back with you?"

"No, Mouse. I can't go to Texas. I'm sure Eloise is just fine. I've got a lot of things on my mind today, that's all." He pointed the end of his stick to another barren tree looming above them. The bark was patchy, peeling back and curling in long strips revealing white flesh under the loops of tough grayish tan bark. 

Marianne snickered. Her grandpa was trying to distract her. She wasn't a dummy. Whenever an adult said they had things in their minds. It meant they were worried. Nonetheless, she played along and glanced at the tree. "A white ash." 

Nash nodded in praise of Mouse's right answer. He looked up at the slate gray sky. Iron black clouds billowed and gathered on the edge of the horizon. A storm was building and gathering energy in the distance. He felt it deep in the marrow of his bones. By nightfall, the snow would start to fall, gently at first, then harder and harder, and it was going to be a hell of a storm. "Mouse, I think that's enough for today."

Marianne shivered in her knitted cap. The cold was a wet cold that seeped into her bones and stayed there. The thermometer on the back deck said it was thirty-four degrees. It shouldn't feel as cold as it felt. But, she wished she'd worn her snowsuit instead of the barn coat and jeans she had on. Going back inside was good. Tempted by the possibility of hot chocolate and actually feeling the tip of her nose again, Mouse abandoned her line of questioning. "Ok." 

Toeing the snow with the tip of her boot, she looked for a sign of spring underneath. There wasn't a hint of green, just mud. Her grandpa said spring would come when it came. In other words, he didn't know when the winter would end either. She felt the storm, looming on the horizon and wondered if Eloise, so far away from here, saw the same storm. What the sky looked like from Eloise's vantage point or if it had already hit land.




Dawn Released



Chapter 4

The grocery store was a flurry of activity. People loaded their carts to overflowing, filling them with winter storm necessities. Kacie had been a checker for a very short time, but she already knew before her shift started that she was going to be impossibly busy today. The forecast called for another six to eight inches of snow on the ground by tomorrow morning, adding to another layer to the snow that had fallen earlier this week, the week before that, and the week before that. 

Damn, she hated winter. She cringed when she thought of exactly how much snow that was with one snowfall piled on top of another and another from December to hell, when did winter end here? Never? Total snowfalls here in this blasted arctic place weren't measured in inches but in feet. Feet. Of. Snow. She'd never seen feet of snow before in her life. But, she had now and well, snow sucked. Toss in the cold and temperatures below freezing and winter was one hell of a party. Her hair was staticy. Her lips were perpetually chapped, and her skin, so dry, itchy, and flaky, she felt as if she were molting. 

She already knew what people were going to buy: milk, bread, and toilet paper. Real necessities like rock salt and snow shovels had been sold out for weeks. What people did with all that milk, bread, and toilet paper and exactly how it necessitated surviving another winter's blast was beyond her. Her job wasn't to question the purchases and damn did people buy some strange combinations of shit. She was just supposed to scan the items, bag them, and collect the money. And, she snickered to herself, to thank them for shopping the Super Center, as if anybody really had any choice. The Super Center was the only one stop place to shop in town. Where else could someone get an oil change, buy a new outfit, a week's worth of groceries, get a bad haircut, and bank all at the same time?

She didn't care. It was a paycheck. Not much of one, but it kept her living indoors and eating. Her finger pressed the button at her counter. The conveyor, burdened by a tower of groceries, chugged and wheezed to bring the purchases forward. Large orders like this were the worst. People got impatient, as if she could scan any faster than she already was. 

God forbid a coupon not scan or an item on the clearance rack not discount correctly. She hated the price matchers worst of all. To some people saving a few pennies on a value pack of toilet paper was a religion and they were zealots about it. Vicious. Out for blood to put the screws to the establishment. More power to them, as long as they didn't come through her station.

She scanned. The annoying bleep, bleep of her scanner and the chorus of the never ending row of scanners on either side of her set her teeth on edge. She heard that damn sound in her sleep. But still, she managed to smile as she scanned, bagged, scanned and bagged, over and over again. Focused on the scanning and bagging, she didn't bother looking up to see who was doing the buying and quite honestly, she really didn't care.

Tristen unloaded the cart. Double-checking the crumpled notebook page in his hand as he hefted the milk onto the conveyor. He wanted to make sure that he'd gotten everything on Nana's list. He was earning some serious brownie points with his elder. Every time a grocery run was needed, he readily volunteered. There were other lanes open. Cashiers bored and begging the downtrodden masses, burdened with the things they could not live without, to their line. He'd stayed stubbornly put, waiting his turn in line, just to see her. 

He scowled at his younger brother Daniel. Ignoring his moans and eye rolls and his impatient shifting from foot to foot as they waited in line. Nana had a major list this time and he'd needed the help loading the cart. Otherwise, he would have left his pain in the ass little brother at home. Tristen did not need Daniel mucking up his mojo with Kacie. 

Daniel glanced up from his magazine. He was going to buy it. But, by the time they actually made it to the cashier, he'd have the damn thing read from cover to sleek cover, so what was the point? His brother was forcing this torment on him. All because Tristen wanted to flirt with Kacie, as if Daniel was stupid or something and didn't know the real reason behind their half-hour wait in line. Oh yeah, his brother had it bad for her. And Kacie was a looker. But, she wasn't desperate enough to go out with Tristen. No girl could possibly be that hard up. 

Daniel eyed the pack of condoms casually nestled between the ice cream and the peanut butter. Lubricated for her pleasure? Extra large? Who was Tristen kidding? Daniel snickered as he plucked them off the conveyor belt and shook the box at Tristen. "Really? What are you going to do with these? Make water balloons?"

Tristen blushed and snatched the box out of his brother's hand, tossing them back on the conveyor. He groaned when the box landed inches from Kacie's grasp. "Shut up," he hissed. He didn't know why he was investing hard earned cash in condoms. He was on his way to the toilet paper aisle and there they were on the shelf. There were so many different kinds. Ribbed. Lubricated. Colored. Flavored. Latex. Non-latex. Lambskin. Hey, he liked lambs, right. He had the basic idea of how a condom worked. But, he'd never had the opportunity to use one before. And well, they just looked interesting. He had no clue of the sizing. But, what the hell, extra large sounded about right. Had to be right. The condoms just might get Kacie thinking and anytime she thought about any part of his anatomy, especially THAT part of his anatomy, was good. 

He was a virgin out of necessity. One slip up with the wrong girl and it was bye-bye single life forever. He was so cranked up for sex it hurt. But, make that kind of mistake...not a chance. He wanted her to think he was the player he wasn't. And any opportunity for a chance to rib Kacie, even if it was at his expense, was a good one. Any opportunity to even talk to Kacie at all was not to be wasted. He eyed Daniel, daring him to tell anyone he'd bought condoms. "It never hurts to advertise."

Daniel howled in laughter. "Can't you be sued for falseness in advertising? Extra large?" He snorted, "You wish."

Marianne clung to the side of the cart, balancing on the edge with her feet stuck between the steel rungs on the bottom rack, giggling at her brothers' idiocy as they bantered back and forth. She'd come along for the heck of it. The only thing she liked more than spending time with her grandpa or her dad and step-mom was spending time with her brothers. She was the smartest one of the three of them. But, Daniel was quick on the game tonight. When he looked at her for confirmation of his statement, she nodded.

"Shut up, you two. Help me unload the cart," Tristen ordered. He loved his little brother and sister, even if they were annoying most of the time. For so long, it had only been just the three of them. Tristen's mother had died when he was ten. Her death had been too difficult for his father to handle. And Tristen, being the oldest had tried to take his dad's place. When he should have been out enjoying his childhood, he was potty training Mouse and helping Daniel learn to read. 

Things were different now, thanks to his new step-mom Gina. She'd dragged his dad back into the land of the living and things were finally right between his dad, his brother, sister, and him now. Thanks to Gina, they were a family again. He was grateful that he could just be the big brother he should have always been. And he could focus on his own life, for once.

Kacie was so busy. She hadn't looked up from the conveyor belt and scanner to see whose groceries she scanned. She scanned and bagged, as quickly as she could to relieve the congestion piling up in the checkouts. Long, tanned fingers brushed across hers as she dropped the bag into the cart. "Careful with my buns."

Kacie recognized the familiar touch. The voice smoothed over her skin like a velvet caress. But, the sexual innuendo, she should be used to them by now, grated her. "Hi, Tristen. Mouse. Daniel. Stocking up for the big blizzard?" She winced under the scowl her boss sent her direction. No talking. More checking. Scan. Scan. Scan. Bag. Bag. Bag. Be sure to check under the cart. Don't hold up the line. Blah, blah, blah. Watch for shrinkage. Yeah, she knew one thing on that bastard that had shrunk a damn long time ago. She snatched a package of hot dogs and ran the cold slimy plastic under the scanner and tossed them into a bag. 

"I've been waiting for the day when you'd handle my weenie," Tristen teased. Grinning as she blushed, flustered and hurriedly checking him through the line, he asked, "How's the car holding up?"

"Fine." Kacie scanned the next pile of items with furious efficiency. As her boss, satisfied that she wasn't wasting the company's dime, sauntered off to hassle one of the other cashiers. "Thanks for fixing it." Tristen had brought the rusted hunk of junk her sister loosely called a car back from the brink of death. 

"I'm still waiting for my payment. A guy could starve to death waiting for you to ask him over for dinner."

"I know. I've been so busy. Working. Settling in. I haven't had much time." Well, that was sort of true. She had time to pop a can of spaghettio's in to the microwave and call it dinner. She had a ton of excuses. But, the truth was she'd been avoiding him. He was...Tristen just was. Overwhelming. Cute. Sexy. Tempting. And she was not the type to resist temptation for very long. Kacie hefted a case of pop across the scanner and shoved it at Tristen. 

"What time do you get off work?"

"Not soon enough. This storm has everyone stocking up." Kacie raised an eyebrow and blushed as she scanned the box of condoms. She dropped them into a bag as if they were on fire. Turning even redder as he shot her a hopeful grin and a very flirtatious wink. "I'm working late today." And boy, was she starting to feel it. Her feet throbbed like bloody stumps. Her left shoulder ached from dragging cases of bottled water and huge bags of kitty litter across the scanner. 

"Well, maybe some other time." Tristen thumbed through the wad of cash in his wallet and dillydallied around counting out a palm full of change, handing her the exact total due. 

"Maybe." Kacie shrugged as she handed him the receipt. She stretched on her tiptoes leaning close to his ear and whispered, "Have fun with the condoms." Kacie didn't get it. And she sure as hell didn't have time to analyze the strange surge of jealousy stirring in her chest at the thought of Tristen using those condoms with some other girl. She had no right to be jealous. If he actually got serious about somebody else, what would she do? What would they have to talk about without the constant flirting and sexual bantering they continually dished out to each other? If they had to be just friends as she claimed they were? 

Tristen pocketed the receipt. "Someday, soon. I hope to." He couldn't help it. Kacie was like a magnet and she drew him helplessly to her. She was...god, she was beautiful. Soft and delicate, sleek curves, and she smelled so good. Her sleek hair was bound into a sloppy ponytail that trailed down her back. He'd give anything to release it from the dime store elastic band holding it in place and run his fingers through the velvet strands. Thick, dark lashes veiled her almond shaped, emerald green eyes. And it was his vivid imagination that dreamed of those eyes hooded with passion staring up at him as he pumped into her. He'd spent a lot of time in the shower with that particular fantasy playing on repeat in his head. 

He brushed his lips across the smooth skin of her cheek. His body wanted what it wanted and it wanted her. The heat from her reddened cheeks radiated across his lips, searing him. For a brief second, no one else existed but her. He could have grabbed a hold of her waist and dragged her over the conveyor belt right then and there. He'd kiss her senseless until she gave in to what she wanted from him. And he knew she wanted him. It was something he knew deep in his gut. Something instinctive. Just like the way he knew cherry pie fresh from the oven was hot and sweet before he even tasted it...he just knew how good it was going to be. 

He didn't want Kacie to get into trouble with the round, red-faced man, scowling at her from behind his manager's clipboard. He forced himself back, loaded up the rest of the bags and pushed the cart clear of her station.

"I'll see you guys," Kacie said as she waved to Daniel and Mouse. She exhaled a deep breath. The bristle of Tristen's unshaven whiskers burned her skin. Her cheek was on fire with the heat from nothing more than a brush of his lips over her skin. Tristen was...he just was...everything. Unfortunately, she couldn't have...everything she wanted. 

He had the same good looks as the other men in his family, but none of them had ever turned her head. Not the way that he did. Tristen was tall, dark haired, dark eyed, russet skinned, and handsome as the devil himself. His full lips promised sinful pleasures. Lean, muscular, and athletic, with a narrow waist, powerful shoulders, and broad chest that hadn't quite filled out into its full width yet, Tristen had the makings of a heart stoppingly beautiful male. His personality was light and playful. But, there was also depth and dimension beneath his happy, go lucky exterior. The combination was breathtaking. 

Kacie cleared her register and pressed the switch to move the conveyor belt forward. Her boss was giving her the eye...the evil eye of warning. His job was to make sure she earned her fifty cents an hour above minimum wage. He'd promised her that if she showed true potential and worked extra hard he'd promote her to the sales floor. He thought she had a future here, scanning toilet paper or stocking shelves. Maybe, after fifty years and fifty more cents in raises she could work her way into a management position, even boot his ass out of his job. And exactly how depressing was that? Scanning the next customer's first item, she pasted the Super Center smile on her face and got back to work. 

Daniel nudged Tristen, snickering at his brother's failed attempt at seduction. "You're about as smooth as steel wool," he teased. Cold air gushed in through the automatic doors as Tristen pushed the shopping cart into the throng of last minute storm shoppers flooding into the store. 

Tristen forced the cart through the mix of dirty slush and chunks of ice turning the parking lot into a skating rink. The wheels thumped along the ruts, stubbornly refusing to roll no matter how hard Daniel pushed and he pulled. Snow was falling in big fluffy flakes, dusting the hoods and windshields of the cars and sticking to his lashes. A furious wind blew from the north angrily batting at the plastic bags in the cart. "She wants me. She just doesn't know it yet."

"Well, 'Mister Extra Large' if you don't stop teasing her and get serious, you're never going to find out." Marianne stomped in a puddle of cold slush, splashing Tristen with dirty, icy water and soaking the hems of his jeans. She hated it when people lied, especially to themselves. Tristen had the hots for Kacie and Kacie had it just as bad for him. What was the problem? 

"Thanks, that's just what I need, relationship advise from a ten year old. You don't even have boobs yet. What do you know?" Tristen grumbled.

"I know enough to know that Kacie likes you. But, she doesn't appreciate being teased all the time. Besides, I'm almost thirteen, NOT TEN. And I DO have boobs, they're just not very big yet." She seethed as her brothers howled in laughter at her yet to develop womanhood. "I'm telling dad," she whined as a last resort to shut them up. Somewhere inside of her was a woman waiting to bloom, but for now, she was still very much, a little girl physically. At this moment, Tristen wasn't a man and Daniel wasn't a teenager. They were boys, annoying and pesky, hassling and teasing her, just as they always had.

Tristen cast a glance across the bustling parking lot as he loaded the back of the SUV. Kacie's car sat parked in a forlorn spot in the employee section of the parking lot. Almost all the way out to the highway. After he dropped off the groceries and his brother and sister. He was going to head back into town. Daniel was right. He was as smooth as steel wool, and all he was managing to do was rub Kacie the wrong way. Maybe, his little sister was right too and he should tell Kacie, just how serious he was. 

Daniel had already moved on to something else, the condoms and the conversation forgotten for the time being. He fiddled with his iPod and scowled up at the snow before returning his attention to the device. Mouse was still pouting. Brooding with her arms crossed over her non-existent chest and glaring at him as she stood in the snow waiting for him to unlock the doors. Tristen knew he should apologize to her too. Biology was a bitch. And didn't he know that better than anyone.



 Chapter 5

Eloise stared at the cell phone in her hand, her fingertip scrolling through the contacts. She was effectively a prisoner in her own home. Guards paced outside her bedroom windows, diligently carrying out their master's orders. They were Seff's guards. Of course, he'd never trust one of her own to guard his most prized possession. She could not get out and no one could get in. She wondered whom, if anyone in her pack was truly on her side. Faith was fleeting. Obedience was driven by circumstance. Loyalty was as fickle as a hungry promise made in the dark. 

She hadn't called her daughters since she'd arrived in Texas. She longed to hear their voices. She was home. Surrounded by all her things. She should find a sense of comfort in that. But, for all her familiar surroundings, she felt isolated and more alone than she had at any other point in her life. She desperately needed an anchor. Someone she could talk to. She didn't expect some damn pity party or worse, a rescue attempt. She just needed to know somebody was in her corner and to hear a friendly voice. 

If she didn't cooperate, she was as good as dead. If she did exactly what he wanted, her pack would no longer exist and he would have ultimate control of the entire damn state. If she called her daughters, no matter how she tried to hide the fear in her voice. They'd pick up on it. They'd realize the danger she was in and they'd worry or worse, hop the first plane here. Jan had a new husband. Kacie was starting a new life. They didn't need that kind of burden placed on them. They were so young and had their whole lives in front of them. They didn't need to be concerned about her and she would not risk them.

If she called her Omegas, Tracker and Catcher would be on the interstate before Nash had a chance to talk them out of it. They would attempt a rescue and they would be killed in the process. She wouldn't endanger them either. They'd been her loyal bodyguards for so long. They deserved and had earned the freedom she gave them. They owed her nothing now. But, she knew they'd rush to her side if they thought she was in danger.

She called the only person that she could. Nash. He understood the burden of being a pack leader. He knew the precariousness of her situation. He would make sure that her daughters knew she was safe, for the moment. When they asked questions, he'd think of some creative way to bend the truth. He would find the right words to say without tipping them off to the truth. And he was far too smart to try to rescue her. 

She punched his contact and waited for him to pick up. When he did, his voice was rough and rugged like the rolling hills and snow dotted forests of his home. And damn was the reverberating male bass of it comforting as a warm, wool blanket on a cold winter's night. She exhaled, just savoring the soft sounds of his breathing the other end of the line. "Nash, this is Eloise."




Dawn Released



Her voice was soft, smooth, and sleek, like the dangerous curves of her body. "Eloise." He was the last person he expected her to call. Yet, he had the sneaking suspicion that he was the first person she had called. The only person she would call. There was only one conceivable reason she'd do that. She was counting on him to concoct a lie to reassure her daughters that everything was fine. "We've all been waiting for word from you. How are you doing?" He picked up on the tension in her soft exhales. 

Eloise had no doubt her private space was bugged and that Seff was listening in. She chose her words carefully. Selecting ones that would convey the meaning without directly saying the complete truth. "I have received quite the welcome home. More so than I could have anticipated. Every concern for my safety has been taken into account. Even now, I can see the guards on my grounds from my bedroom window. I have been well looked after."

Nash suppressed the growl that rumbled in his throat. Eloise was under constant supervision. Guarded. Imprisoned. Her voice was steady and even, but he heard the undertone of fear beneath her carefully chosen words. Someone might be listening in. He picked and chose his answer carefully when what he really wanted was to demand the truth. "I am relieved that your safety has been taken under such careful consideration." He replied, conveying although not voicing, his concern. That he understood she was not free to say as she pleased. 

"I hope to have the opportunity to get down to business very soon. There are many matters in need of my attention." Eloise wanted to blurt out the truth, in simple uncomplicated words with no hidden meanings. She wanted to tell him that her life was on the line and her days as pack mistress were over. There was nothing and no one left for her here. In fact, she had no place to go. "I should not delay you any longer. I know you are busy. I... trust you'll let everyone know that I am well?"

"Certainly," Nash choked. "Eloise..." Words stuck in his throat. She was in danger, that much was apparent. He wanted to tell her that he understood. And he hoped she understood as well. He was bound, as helpless as she was, by his obligations. He would risk it all, if she needed him. Loose all the secrets that he'd kept for so long, if he could ensure her safety. "Eloise..." There was desperation in his tone. He wanted to tell her not to worry. He was coming for her. His duty to humanity extended to her as well. She was terrified and in danger. He could justify going to her based on that fact alone. 

"Goodbye, Nash." She ended the call before he could say anything else. She heard the desperation in his voice. She'd made a mistake in calling him. She thought he'd be level headed and put his pack before all else, but the urgent tone of his voice told her that he was thinking only of her. She didn't want that. She wanted him to keep her daughters and her omegas safe, just as he'd promised. Either she'd find a way out of this mess on her own or she wouldn't. As long as her family and her pack were safe, it didn't matter.

"Damn it!" Nash pressed the recall button on his cell phone. But, Eloise's number was blocked. He couldn't call her back and demand, even if she had to tell him in code, to know more about what was going on down in Texas. 

Grant glanced up at his adoptive father. GT, startled by the outburst, fussed in his arms. He smoothed his hand over his son's fine, downy, baby hair attempting to soothe him. "Trouble?"

Claire had reluctantly agreed to go shopping with her mother this evening. She'd left him in charge of their son. He was not going to have her come home to a fussy, crying baby. Otherwise, she'd never trust him alone with GT again. She needed her girl time now and again. He'd, along with her mother, had finally gotten her to take a little 'me' time. He could handle one tiny baby. They'd already decided to add to their family unit. Although all the practice in the bedroom was fun...damn good, actually, there was no baby number two on the way, yet. But, he was hoping any day he'd have good news to share. 

Hunter emerged from the kitchen, balancing two steaming mugs of hot chocolate. Gina's favorite. His ears perked at the mention of trouble. Not that he wanted to go looking for it, but if it came looking for him, he was more than willing to take it on. 

He set his mug on the coffee table and handed the other to his wife. Beaming when her green eyes twinkled up at him in expectant delight. He crossed the room and slipped GT out of Grant's arms. His brother was trying too hard. He was the same way with his first, Tristen. Now, after three kids of his own to perfect his technique on, he had the hang of it. GT immediately settled down, snuffling and grunting into the collar of his shirt as he patted GT's diapered butt. 

"How in the hell do you get him to do that?" Grant asked in awe. 

"I'm a natural." Hunter snickered and sat with on the couch beside Gina with GT nestled tightly against his chest. He grinned at Gina smugly. They were newlyweds. Still enjoying a honeymoon every night, and most mornings. Kids of their own would come when they came. There was no rushing nature. But, in the meantime, he didn't mind getting a lot of practice making babies while waited for Mother Nature and Gina to decide she was ready to become a mother. If he wanted a baby fix, all he had to do was borrow GT. Usually, within an hour he was over it and more than ready to return him to his parents.

"The situation in Texas isn't good. I fear for Eloise's safety," Nash answered. 

"Perhaps, we should go pay our distant cousins a visit," Hunter said. The accepted theory was that all wolves were related. Fathered by the same man. Somewhere in history, the family line had dissolved and shattered into scattered factions. The wolves in Texas were part of his family tree. What his pack referred to as the Lost Children.

"Hunter has a point. Our pack has been searching for the Lost Children for almost two centuries. Now, we've found them. Perhaps, it is time." 

"Assuming Torr has kept his word, they don't know about us. Showing up on their territory could be a great risk. They don't worship our goddess or know of their heritage. I have to think of the brothers too. Exposing our existence exposes them as well. I'm going, one way or another, but I'd like to see what Drew has to say first."

"Of course." Hunter nodded in agreement. Their heritage was who they were. They weren't just risking themselves by going to Texas, but the vampires as well. The Sons and the wolves were born from two brothers. Gifted by the same goddess. Interlinked as one. Founded by one brother through the passing on of DNA and spirit from father to child, the wolf race was born. The vampires, the brotherhood was founded by the other brother, not born, but fathered by the sharing of blood and soul. 

"Dad, you can't go alone. We need to assemble a team and come up with some sort of a plan, " Grant said. He reached down to pluck GT from Hunter's arms. Damn it, if Hunter could do it so could he. GT immediately wrinkled his forehead. His cheeks turned bright red and he took a deep breath as he prepared to unleash a wail of discontentment. Grant begrudgingly deposited him back into his brother's arms and what do you know? GT settled right down and went to sleep without a peep. 

Hunter chuckled and rocked gently back and forth, patting GT's butt. "You know I'm in." 

"No, I need my best here," Nash said. He'd already made up his mind about the men he wanted on his team. Tracker and Catcher knew the area. They understood the particulars of their pack better than he ever could. They were lethal. They were quick on their feet. And as an added bonus there was nothing they wouldn't do for Eloise. Hunter was reckless. Lethal, yes, fast, naturally. But, he'd already been through too much. His heart was calmer now. Happy. He'd just gotten his life back and Nash was not about to take it from him. 

Grant, his adopted son, was not the fighter his brother was. Hunter had inherited his natural skills from Nash. Grant was capable of holding his own in a fight. He wouldn't be useless. However, he might not be as useful as the men Nash wanted at his back. Grant's loyalties were with Claire and GT. Exactly where they should be. Between his two sons, the pack would be in good hands. Grant could handle the diplomatic side of things while Hunter knew exactly how to keep everyone in line. 

Nash had known the original founder of his race personally. He had a good relationship with the current Great White Wolf, the surviving brother. Drew had a direct nature, leaving nothing to be misunderstood. Drew had excellent instincts and good leadership skills. He'd led his Sons for almost two centuries. He was more hands off though, leaving decisions up to the individual and trusting their judgment. 

As an individual, Nash knew what he wanted to do. What he was going to do. Haul his ass to Texas and rescue Eloise. When he thought of Tala, his daughter and Drew's wife, his pack, and the Sons, he was forced to think beyond his wants. He could not risk their lives for Eloise. He could, however, risk his own. He had no doubt his thoughts were right on line with Tracker's and Catcher's and the three of them were going to be hauling ass ASAP.



 Chapter 6

Kacie shook her head as she scanned another load pre-apocalyptic purchases. "Not you too," she groused. Stuffing Jan's toilet paper into a plastic sack along with a gallon of milk, eggs, and bread, she glanced up at her sister. Jan had just gotten off work, judging by the navy blue scrubs, immaculate ponytail, and exhausted 'I'm over it' expression in her sister's eyes. 

Jan shrugged. "Thomas insisted that I grab a few necessities, just in case." The store was jam packed with shoppers scrabbling for the last gallon of milk and last loaf of bread. Shelves were bare and the whole store was almost picked clean. She was lucky to get what she'd gotten. Normally, she wouldn't have bothered joining in the chaos. But, she had, because Thomas begged her to and more so, because she wanted to see Kacie. "You want to stop by for dinner tonight?" She pointed to the rotisserie chicken on the conveyer belt. It was snowing to beat hell, cold, and she'd just gotten off a twelve-hour shift. Tonight, it was deli or do without. 

"I can't. I'll be lucky to get out of here by midnight as it is. Place is insane today. What in the hell does toilet paper have to do with surviving a snowstorm anyway?"

Jan snickered and pulled out her ATM card. "I have no idea. But, Thomas put it on the list, so I got some." Giggling, she added, "You guys are out of his brand, I hope he doesn't have to rough it too much."

"Does he have a sensitive ass?" Kacie tore the receipt from the register and handed it to her sister.

"Very." 

Kacie ignored the never-ending perma-scowl from her boss. She glared back at him and parked Thomas's precious toilet paper into Jan's cart. No, she did not have a future at the Super Center. Truth was, she didn't want a future at the Super Center. She hated the tacky blue vest she was forced to wear. She despised smiling and thanking customers who ultimately had no more choice about where they shopped than she did about where she worked. And as for her boss, her wolf wanted to eat him, or at the very minimum, take a bite out of his very broad, pompous ass. "Have you heard from mom today?"

Jan glanced down, hiding the disappointment in her eyes. "No. I was about to ask you the same question."

Kacie frowned and shook her head. 

"I'm sure she'll call one of us soon. They say no news is good news. This isn't unusual, for her not to call, is it?" After five years of practice, of overhearing, and sometimes, telling people things they really didn't want to hear. She had the warm, slightly removed nurse's placating, although sympathetic smile down pat. She wasn't sure their mother would call them soon. She didn't believe no news was good news. But, for Kacie's benefit, she pretended she did. 

"Normally, no."

"Well, we'll just pretend that things are still normal, then." Jan huffed as the customer behind her thwumped her backside with his cart to push her out of the way. She loaded the rest of her bags and stomped off, flinging her ponytail over her shoulder as she turned to give him a scowl.

Kacie gave her sister a little wave and began scanning the purchases. Being none to careful with the guy's eggs and bread as she slammed them into a bag. She purposefully put the eggs on top of his bread and buried his king sized candy bar in the bottom of the sack. Sure, it was a petty thing to do. But, it made her feel better considering how rude the guy had been to her sister. "Have a nice day." She smiled as she slammed the bag into his cart, finishing the work of demolishing the bread into a crushed lump at the bottom the bag. No doubt she'd broken a few of his organic, from free-range chickens, five dollar a dozen eggs in the process. He stormed off, scowling at her over his shoulder as he charged through the crowd and into the weather. What was he going to do? Demand a new loaf of bread? Ha! The store was sold out. 

Tristen gunned the engine, feeling the powerful growl of the V-8 shudder up through the seat and into his bones. The Super Center was still open, but the piling mounds of snow had all but chased away most of the customers. Only the very hardy, very stupid, or very unfortunate store employees were out in this wet, slick, sloppy, mess. Kacie's car sat in the parking lot, buried under three inches or more of fresh white snow. Guess she was one of the unfortunate trapped inside. Perfect.

Tristen chuckled maniacally as he pressed the brake with one foot and pounded on the gas with the other. Making the front tires spin wildly and spraying snow all over the place, he fishtailed into the empty parking space next to Kacie's car. He loved winter. If he were in his vintage Camaro instead of the front wheel drive SUV, he'd be making donuts like a baker. But, if he'd driven his Camaro, he would never have made it out of the driveway. Somehow, he doubted very much if the tiny, rust bucket that Kacie drove was going to get her out of the parking lot until spring thaw. 

In good weather the drive from the Super Center to her apartment only took ten minutes. Despite the bad roads, the SUV could drive it in fifteen. He was going to find a way to stretch the short drive out as long as possible. He left the engine idling and hopped out. Doing more playing than actual work, he cleaned off Kacie's windshield. He wrote 'I love you' and drew a heart across the hood of her car and then brushed the snow away. Leaving evidence, something like that, would definitely chase her off. And that was not something he wanted to do. 

Kacie emerged from the automatic doors, bundled like an Eskimo in a thick hat, heavy gloves, and a scarf that could have stretched at least a mile wound up tightly around her face. Poor thing looked miserable, Tristen thought. He took his cue and beat feet for his truck. She obviously didn't share his love of winter and snow. Carefully, his tires spinning, he backed out of the space. 

Yup, Kacie was going to have to accept his offer to drive her home. That little car of hers was buried up to the rear bumper thanks to the idiot responsible for plowing out the parking lot. The plow driver had buried her in but good. Tristen had a snow shovel in the back and he could dig her out. But, why? He gently pressed on the gas and rolled to the front of the store, pulling up beside her. 

Kacie despised winter with every fiber of her being. Snow was piled up into mountains along the edges of the parking lot, leaving the black pavement beneath her feet a sheen of slick, treacherous ice. And there was more snow falling from the sky in buckets. She felt like she was on an alien planet. Everything was covered in a thick, heavy layer of ice and white and it was so quiet. The cold winds picked up stray bits of ice and snow blowing them into swirling masses that slapped across her face and stung her eyes. 

She was bone tired. Still hearing the incessant bleep-bleep of the scanners, the constant din of customers, and the electronic ding of her register in her head. The cold air seeped through her coat and jeans, making her shiver from head to toe. Her breath was hot and moist beneath the thick scarf that covered her mouth. Her teeth chattered as she scanned across the field of alien white shapes, looking for her car in the back forty. Some Good Samaritan had cleaned off her windshield and brushed away the snow. Well, he'd tried to. The clean glass was already dusted with a fresh layer of snow. But, the car was buried to the fenders. 

She wondered if she'd be able to get the doors open or if the damned thing would even start. And even if it did, she wasn't sure she'd be able to get out of the parking spot. God she hoped so. She didn't even want to think about trudging home in this stuff.

A woman bundled similarly to her rushed past. The edges of her coat gathered in her gloved fingers. Her purse slapped against her hip as she trotted from the parking lot for the doors. Kacie had to wonder about someone who would willingly brave the weather for a little late night shopping in the middle of a snowstorm. She was probably someone in urgent need of toilet paper, bread, and milk. Kacie shrugged in between the shivers, oh well, it was people like the woman that kept her in a job. 

A truck revved its engine behind her and flashed its headlights on and off. Probably some redneck, Kacie assumed. Bad weather must bring out the crazies. She slicked her feet along the ice. Trying to muster some form of grace, at least enough to keep her from falling on her ass into the path of the big truck tires. The truck, actually one of those massive land cruiser SUVs, pulled up into an idle bedside her and she heard the squeak of rubber sliding against glass as the window rolled down. 

"Hey, you want a ride?" Tristen eased on the brakes inching to a stop beside her. "It's nice and warm in here." 

Kacie rolled her eyes. Tristen, of course, what other redneck would be stupid enough to be out joy riding on a night like this? She smiled beneath her scarf. Where he couldn't see it. She wondered if he had one of his condoms with him. She thought about teasing him about his purchase, but the gust of wind snaking up her back quickly drew her attention. "How am I going to get back to work tomorrow?"

"I'll give you a ride. C'mon, it's freezing out here. Hop in." Tristen put the SUV into park as she slipped her way to the passenger side. He popped open the door for her and grabbed for her wrist as her feet slid on the running board. 

Kacie grappled her way into the SUV and parked her numb, frozen butt against the heated leather seat. She sighed in relief as the warmth chased the chill away from the backs of her thighs. She peeled off her gloves and stretched out her fingers as the vents blew out hot air across them. So much better, she thought. This was the first time she'd actually sat down in hours. "Thanks." She uncapped the thermos he parked in her hands. The hot chocolate went down easy, thawing her frozen innards. The mix was warm, sweet, rich, and so good. 

The SUV easily navigated the parking lot and made its way to the main road following the tracks left behind by other cars. "What are you doing out tonight?" Kacie asked practically purring with delight. She should have dug her car out. Defrosted it and driven herself home. But, this was nice, so very nice, so warm and toasty. Not to mention the company also turned up her internal thermostat a notch or two. 

Tristen looked especially yummy tonight. His hair was down, hanging in a loose dark curtain around his shoulders. The SUV was filled with the pungent, earthy smell of his brown leather coat, worn soft and pliable from years of use. Underneath the coat he wore a caramel colored thermal shirt and unbuttoned, plaid flannel in varying shades of brown. He had recently shaved. The scent of him, the leather and his aftershave and the natural scent of wild, wolf, and man filled her nostrils. Stirring her to think about those condoms that he bought earlier today. Not as a joke or for teasing, but out of genuine interest. 




Dawn Released



"Making sure you get home safely," Tristen answered. Kacie melted in the passenger side. She'd unwound her scarf and pulled her gloves off. Flakes of moisture glittered in her hair and the curling ends of her long, dark lashes. Her cheeks were reddened with flush. He'd like to think he'd caused that blush, but it was probably just the cold. She smelled of the Super Center, of popcorn from the snack bar, of onions from the produce department, and the chemically smell of plastic sacks. She wore that ridiculous parka she'd worn on the day they met and on a night like tonight, he didn't blame her or think it strange the way she'd bundled up. 

Kacie looked away from his deep mahogany colored eyes and focused on something else besides him. One look into those deep puppy dog eyes he always shot at her and she would be a goner. "I didn't tell you what time I got off work. You stalking me again?" She joked. He'd never really stalked her at least that she knew about.

"I'm just a good guesser. Besides, I called Jan and she said you weren't getting off till late."

"Oh." Jan was playing the role of big sister, keeping her safe, looking out for her, and of course, trying to hook her up with Tristen. Kacie guessed that Jan didn't realize how dangerous Tristen was. How aware of him she was. His big hands rested casually on the steering wheel as the SUV ate up the parking lot. The tires firm and steady on the ice, as he pulled out onto the hard packed snow blanketing the main road. She was tempted to run her hands along his fingers and feel their strength and power beneath her palm. The naughty side of her wondered exactly what he could do with those big hands.

Tristen shot Kacie a sideways glance as she sighed and stared ahead out of the windshield into the snow. The weather came in bursts ranging from artic gusts and pellets of ice and curtains of snow to a gentle wafting of a few fluffy, white flakes and a flat windless calm. He turned off the windshield wipers. It was barely snowing now. Five minutes ago it'd been a blizzard. Winding through the neighborhoods to get to her house, he saw people shoveling walks and brushing off their cars. They'd be sorry. The weatherman predicted the stuff was going to fall until morning. Deep in his bones, Tristen felt it. The worst of the storm wasn't over yet. The forecast was right on track. The snow wasn't over.

The weather was just one of the many things his wolf just knew. Funny really, how when this first happened to him and his wolf had made his big debut, Tristen hated his enhanced senses. He'd despised the intrusiveness of scenting people's moods. He'd resented sharing his skin and the lack of control. Now though, his wolf and he were best buddies. Well, he was getting used to his wolf and all the things his other half actually told him about the world around him. Like Kacie, his wolf had relied valuable pieces of information. He was getting to her. Slowly, bit-by-bit, she was weakening in her resolve. He could scent it in the air, the fragrance sweet like candy on the tip of his tongue. Maybe, like a cinnamon drop, sweet, hot, and spicy. "Rough day today?" He asked making the usual small talk that society required. 

"Unbelievably. I don't think there's a roll of toilet paper left in the store. What do people do with all that toilet paper anyway? Are they expecting sudden outbreaks of diarrhea from the snowstorm? Do they burn it if the heat goes out? Do they think there'll be a national toilet paper shortage? Tell me, because I have been scanning roll after roll all day and I still can't figure it out."

Tristen snickered. "Who knows? I guess they could use it to start a fire. Maybe, it's because with all this snow it's not like they can use leaves to wipe with instead, if they run out."

"They could always use the town's newspaper to wipe with. There certainly isn't ever anything in it." Kacie shifted nervously in her seat. Her wolf liked Tristen more than she should. Her wolf was a prankster, always playing tricks on her. And one of her she-wolf's favorite tricks was screwing around with her libido. Tristen was cute. But, there were lots of cute guys. Tall, suntanned, strapping, sun bleached, summertime boys hardened from work on the farms. Unfortunately, her wolf didn't seem to notice them. 

"Yeah." Tristen inched the SUV around a corner, creeping to her apartment. They were only two blocks away and it was time to turn it up a notch. Engage the guilt button and talk her into letting him spend the night. The couch was fine with him. As long as he was close to her, he'd sleep on the floor if he had to. In her bed would be best though. "Geez, the roads are really getting bad."

"You don't seem to be having that much trouble. After all, you made it into town." Kacie's body shifted in the seat as the SUV slid to a halt and fishtailed at a stop sign. She gasped and released her hold on the dashboard. At first, with the ease of his driving, she hadn't believed him. She'd thought he was trying to coax his way upstairs into her apartment and from there, into her bed. Maybe, he wasn't using the bad road card in his favor after all and he really was having some difficulty staying out of somebody's front yard. She was hardly one to pick on anybody's driving. She and snow, well, she and snow had a tenuous past and her car had ended up in Thomas's front yard. 

"That was a few inches ago. The roads in the country are snow covered, but in town, they're nothing but ice. Plows haven't gotten out that far yet and besides' there's nothing out there to hit if I do lose control." Tristen eased up on the brake and gently gave the SUV a small sip of gas. Driving was tricky tonight, but nothing he couldn't handle. Kacie didn't need to know that though. 

Kacie licked a few drops of spilled hot chocolate off her fingers. "You mean the roads are worse here because they've been plowed?"

"Yeah, the street department got them stripped down to ice. Have you seen what the street department consists of around here?" Tristen swore that the street department had one employee, a snow shovel, and a bag of rock salt. That was it. He was vying for a little sympathy from Kacie and a night in a warm, cozy bed. A bit of feminine appreciation would be nice. Hero worship was always welcome.

Red and blue lights flashed behind them, flickering through the SUV's dark interior. "Great," Tristen huffed. He guided the SUV to the curb, as close as he could get to the curb thanks to the mountain of snow, anyway. The plows had packed the snow tightly against the curbs to clear a path on the street. He slid into park and rolled down his window. He was trying to be a nice guy and give a damsel in distress a ride home. Instead, his chivalrous intents were going to get him a ticket. 

Mack hated snow. When he retired, he was going to take winters off. Become a snowbird and nest someplace warm and sunny every December through April. His booted feet slipped in the slick coating of ice on the road. The cold wind nipped through his standard issue police parka and bit into his bones. Thank God this was his last year. But, of course, he'd said that last winter too. One of these days though, he'd actually say it and mean it. Truth was, he played with the idea of retirement. He knew exactly what he was going to do when he retired. Too bad Jan and Thomas hadn't gotten on board with the plan and made him that great-grandbaby he was waiting for. 

The county was officially under a snow emergency. Road traffic was suspended. People should be home where they belonged. Enjoying a hot toddy, which was exactly where he wished he were. He recognized the non-descript, black SUV and the driver. "Evenin' Tristen." He tipped his hat at the passenger. "Kacie. What are you two doin out on a night like this?"

"Hey, Mack." Tristen nodded toward Kacie. "Making sure Kacie gets home safe from work. That little car of hers wouldn't have made it out of the parking lot, let alone gotten her home."

"Appreciate that. Tow trucks are booked for hours. Bad wreck on the interstate," Mack said, bobbing his head to the north, toward the road. A gust of cold wind tugged on the hem of his standard issue jacket. "Nasty night to be out."

"Sure is," Tristen agreed. Hoping Mack's statement would hold weight with Kacie, he shot her a soulful glance. After all, Mack was the county sheriff. Maybe his proclamation that the roads were indeed bad would help soften her up to the idea of taking him in for the night. 

Mack leveled his gaze into his best 'no screwing off' warning glare. "Roads are closed for the time being. Street department can't keep ahead of the storm. Emergency traffic only, sorry guys. Hopefully, once this storm lets up they'll get the streets passable." His radio chattered in his ear, calling him to an accident scene, a slide off into a ditch south of town. Didn't sound too bad. But, he'd seen one too many bad accidents in his time. He didn't have to work too hard to conjure up the images in his mind. Most nights, he tried like hell not to. Insomnia was making an old man out of him. Tragedy stacked layer upon layer and every time he laid his head on his pillow his mind had a free for all. And with twenty-seven years of the kind of shit he'd seen to choose from. His nightmares had plenty of material. According to the police radio, luckily, this one resulted in no injuries, just a frightened driver. "I'll cut you a break this time. You get somewhere and you stay there till this storm lifts. I don't want to get a call about you."

"Got it, Mack. Sorry for the trouble. Stay safe out there," Tristen called after Moore County's finest. Snickering as Mack waved him off with a gruff gesture and climbed into his cruiser. Tristen cracked his knuckles and slid the SUV into gear. Kacie had no choice but to offer him shelter for the rest of the night. Mack had practically ordered her to. He owed the sheriff for that small favor, big time.

Kacie shrank into the seat. Great, now she was stuck with Tristen. He wasn't climbing in her bed and she wasn't offering. He could sleep on the couch. The SUV didn't fishtail once on the rest of the drive to her apartment. Tristen was grinning. She couldn't see it in the dim interior of the SUV. But, she could sense it. He was pleased as punch to be trapped in a freaking blizzard with her. Well, she hoped he liked Raman noodle soup and canned pasta. 

The SUV lurched as Tristen gunned the engine. With a big thump and rumble of power, the tires cleared the miniature snow mountain that blocked Kacie's drive. He was mildly annoyed that the street department had barricaded her driveway. Maybe, he'd be stuck here till spring and wouldn't that be a damn shame. 

A small parking space and narrow path had been shoveled to her stairs. The wooden flight of stairs to her above garage apartment was blessedly clear of snow. Particles of rock salt glittered in the headlights. Ginger was the best landlady ever. Kacie would have to neighbor with her more often. Ginger was always trying to be friendly. Kacie felt bad about giving her the cold shoulder. She just thought Ginger was being nosy. Jan had warned her that sometimes her landlady could be a bit gossipy. The windows in Ginger's house were dark, though. Otherwise, Kacie would have tromped through the snow to say thanks right then and there. 

"I'll take care of that in the morning. I can't believe they buried your driveway. I spent hours shoveling and with one swoop of their plow blade they barricaded you in," Tristen huffed. 

"You did all this?" She had never been in snow like this before. It couldn't have been fun and it looked like a lot of hard work. People had heart attacks shoveling snow. She saw it on TV. 

"Yeah," Tristen said proudly. He flipped the key, killing the ignition.

"Weren't you freezing?" Kacie gathered her purse and the remainder of the hot chocolate. Closing the lid on the thermos tightly with her fingers, she saved what warmth lingered in the rich, decadent, mix. Tristen might be a flirtatious pain in the ass. But, he'd shoveled her driveway and stairs and he'd brought her hot chocolate. That scored him some serious points with her. 

"Nah, I like playing in the snow." Tristen climbed out and walked to the passenger side, opening the door for Kacie and offering her a hand. 

Kacie slid her gloves on and grabbed a hold of Tristen's shoulder for support. The last thing she needed to add to her aches and pains was a bunch of bruises from falling out of the SUV onto her ass. "You like this?" 

"Sure. Haven't you ever played in the snow?"

"It doesn't snow much in Texas," Kacie mumbled. She wrapped her scarf securely around her neck and face. Blocking the wind as it howled and sent flakes showering down from the roof. The fringed ends of the thick, pink, wool scarf blew in the gust. How anyone could find this 'fun' was beyond her. The cold was already numbing her toes and seeping through her jeans. Fun wasn't a word that came to mind where winter and she were concerned.

"Ah, you've just never had the chance to learn how to play in the snow. I'll show you." Tristen pried the silver thermos out of her fingers and slid her purse free from her shoulder and arm. Taking her hand, he dragged her off the neatly shoveled drive and into the flat, unblemished, layer of snow in the front yard. "Its fun. You'll see."

He pulled her to a stop. Her lower legs were buried in snow up past her calves. The snow was perfect, deep, but light and fluffy enough for play. He jumped free of their footsteps and landed in a perfectly unmarked space of white. "Come on. Don't mess it up, just jump."

When Tristen flopped onto his back into the cold, wet snow. Kacie blinked in disbelief. How could someone voluntarily nose dive into the snow? "What are you doing? You're going to freeze to death." He lay on his back in the snow, flopping around like a fish out of water.

"No I'm not. Come on." Tristen stretched out and spread his arms and legs. Fanning them back and forth, he made a pattern in the snow. He carefully inched out of his design. Hopping clear of his handiwork he stepped back to admire it. "See, a snow angel. You try it."

"I'll get all wet."

"So." Tristen turned her and gave her backside a gentle shove. "Try it. Don't be such a baby." He grinned slyly and winked at her, knowing a bit of harassment would get her ass moving. She'd rather go head first into a snowdrift than admit she was hot for him. Besides, if she got all cold, warming her up could be loads of fun. "Are you afraid of being wet?"

"I'm not the one rolling in the snow like an IDIOT," Kacie huffed. She blushed furiously at Tristen's innuendo. Wet? Ummm, no she wasn't afraid of getting wet. She was afraid of him getting her wet. The most embarrassing part of it was that he was getting her wet and it had nothing to do with the snow. Tristen sprung from his footprints and bounded into a fresh patch of snow. He fell on his back and wiggled his arms and legs. Ok, so his motions did make something in the snow that vaguely resembled an angel. And yeah, it was kind of neat looking. But, she wasn't going to join in. This was kid stuff.

Tristen finished his angel. He rose up on his feet and stared dejectedly at Kacie. He was trying to get her to relax and have some fun. Fun was where a person found it and in what they made with what they had. She was determined not to join in the fun. She was so anti-fun, standing there with her arms crossed over her coat and glaring at him. He'd just have to try harder. He lunged and latched onto her arms, pulling her forward. 

"Tristen quit!" Kacie lost her balance and plunged into the snow, landing on her knees in the cold, wet, soft, drifts. 

"See, once you get moving, it's not that cold. Just roll onto your back and move your arms and legs like this." Tristen flopped down beside her and flipped over onto his back, waving his arms and legs exaggeratedly in the snow to make another angel. When he finished, he smiled at her. "Fun. Kacie. Fun." He pulled and tugged on her arms until she fell over into the snow beside him. 

"Will you let me go inside if I do this?" Kacie shivered and rolled onto her back giving in. Tristen would never leave her alone until she played along and made a damn snow angel. She was freezing her ass off and wanted nothing more than a hot shower and her warm bed. The sooner she made the angel, the better. She stared up at the snowflakes as they drifted down, landing gently on her eyelashes. She fluttered her arms and legs, pushing the snow into a pattern as she made her angel. She was freezing and she felt utterly ridiculous. 

Tristen clapped in encouragement. The sound was muffled a bit by the heavy pair of gloves on his hands. He sprung to his feet and jumped free of his angel. Leaning forward to help Kacie up, he brushed snow out of her hair and admired their handiwork. "Look, our angels are holding hands." 

"No they're not," Kacie protested. The angels were side by side. The swoop of their arms touched, making it look like they were holding hands. She smiled beneath the layer of the wool scarf covering her mouth. The cold wetness that soaked through her jeans was temporarily forgotten. Ok, so playing in the snow was kind of fun. Maybe, she'd make just one more snow angel. "Can we do it again?"

"As many times as you want." Tristen followed Kacie across the yard, flopping into the snow beside her. They made angel after angel until there wasn't a blank space left on the ground. The sound of Kacie's laughter echoed, breaking the silence and stillness of the neighborhood around them. She was having fun. He was having fun watching her have fun and having fun with her. 

The cold and wet finally got the better of her. She was thoroughly soaked and goose pimpled beneath her coat. For a minute, she'd forgotten to be worried about her mother. She'd forgotten that her future was uncertain and that she didn't know what tomorrow would bring. She was simply enjoying, playing like a little girl in the snow, like she was free and didn't have a care in the world. 

She scooped up a handful of snow and formed it into a ball with her palms. Tristen was staring off into the distance, not paying attention. Yeah, she smelled it too, one of the brothers making a patrol through the neighborhoods a few blocks over. There was nothing quite like the smell of a vampire. Sweet and earthy, maybe, a bit wild and dangerous, like leather, and steel, and gunpowder. The brothers weren't dangerous though, at least not to them. Kacie had kind of gotten used to their scents. The noise had probably drawn their attention. It wasn't unusual to smell a brother this close to the house. Ginger well, she was a part of them. Not a vampire, a donor and well, to put it quite frankly, she was on their menu. Something Kacie tried damn hard not to think about. She couldn't even fathom letting a vampire, good intended or not, snack on her.

She launched her attack. The snowball splattered into pieces against the back of Tristen's head. She chuckled gleefully and scooped up another handful as he turned to blink at her in disbelief. 

Tristen shook his hair free of the snow. Stifling a chuckle, he pretended to be furious with her. "I think you've got this playing in the snow thing down now," he said sternly. Ducking as she launched another attack, he crouched and gathered up a handful of snow, forming it into a loose ball. 

Kacie squealed as the snow from Tristen's snowball trickled beneath the collar of her coat and inched a cold melting trail down her spine. Tristen was on her in an instant. Grabbing her waist and shoving handfuls of snow down the back of her jeans. He picked her up and tossed her into the fluffy snow, wrestling playfully with her as they rolled across yard.

Kacie twisted and turned, shoving handfuls of snow down his shirt, wrestling with him to gain the upper hand. In a swift move, so fast that she didn't have time to react, he had her pinned on her back, arms to her side and her legs pressed hard against his. Squashed beneath him, hip to hip, shoulder to shoulder, he hovered over her, their faces inches apart.