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."