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.