Dawn's Shadow

"Yoo hoo! Mr. Fabulous," Janine cried out, waving a thick stack of bills at the dancer. He was dressed in a loincloth, undulating his hips as he sauntered toward the table. "Here Chris, your turn first!" she shouted over the din, shoving a wad of crinkled money into her fist.

Chris took a deep breath, so this was a bachelorette party. Not wanting to break the jovial mood of the party, she took the bills. The man was standing in front of her rocking his hips suggestively, waggling his loincloth and the bit of flesh beneath it in her face. Chris noticed that he smelled like sweat and cheap cologne. And there wasn't nearly as much in his loincloth as he pretended there was. She gripped the thin strap of his G-string in between her front teeth, pulling it back and slid the stack in between his sweaty skin and the leather.

Anna hopped up, chanting, "Go Chris, Go Chris!" She clapped and danced around the table. Her skin was flushed and hot. Her hair had fallen from its tight bun hours ago, somewhere around the third shot of alcohol. And her shoes had to go. There was no way she could dance in this get up. She kicked her feet free of the heels, tore off her sweater, and yanked the pins from her hair. A dancer, dressed as a naughty fireman, noticed her and danced his way over to the table. Without the heavy sweater, clad in a black silk spaghetti strapped cami-top with a built in bra that barely contained her small breasts, Anna winked at the guy and giggled flirtatiously as he made his way through the crowd to her.

The dancer was blond and about her height, very well built with bulging pecs and rock hard abs. Anna blushed as he undulated in circles around her. She felt the heat of his body through the satiny thin material of her camisole as he ground his very large hose against her thigh, working her skirt up higher and higher. He wasn't like Toby, not at all, not nearly as attractive.

But she wasn't here to sort out her love life. She was here to have fun and to help Chris celebrate her final night as a single woman. Who knew when she'd get the opportunity again? She snatched some of the bills off the table and clenched them between her teeth. Dropping to her knees, she lifted her face, eye level with the dancer's groin. There was no way she could or would use her mouth to tuck the bills. And no way she could use her fingers to slide them in place without getting an up close and personal look at what he had underneath his g-string. She knelt and the dancer lowered his head, slipping the bills out of her teeth with his lips. He was very careful not to touch, but to only tease. She fell on her ass, laughing at herself.

John Mark pressed against Toby's shoulder firmly. "Relax, it's all part of the act. See." The fireman was already dancing away finding his next victim. Toby sighed, willing to forgive the bastard, this time. John Mark grinned and whispered, "Jealous?"

Toby pointed to Robbie, brazenly tucking bills into the front of an obscenely tight pair of biker shorts. "Jealous?" he countered.

Alex cringed as the girls pointed out that it was her turn to join in the fun. The noise, the scent of alcohol mixed with perfumes and colognes blended with sweat and human flesh was overwhelming. She looked eagerly at John Mark. "I need to get out of here for a minute." He didn't waste any time ushering her through the crowd and out the door.

The party went on. Anna and Janine tossed back a couple of more shots before they drug Chris and Robbie into the fray of bodies. Toby stretched out his legs, watching Anna dance. Her long, graceful body turned and twisted in time to the thumping bass of the music. He felt a twinge of jealously toward every man wiggling his hips to collect his pay. Toby didn't care if it was part of the act or not. He should have stayed home, gone hunting with Dane and Patrick, instead of agreeing to baby-sit Anna. Dane and Patrick were hunting big game, bear and elk. He was watching another kind of hunt play out before his eyes, and he didn't like it one bit.

Chris towed a drunk and giggling Anna behind her while Robbie guided Janine, in a similar state, to the table. "We'd better get these two back to the hotel while they can still walk." Thank God, they had rented suites downtown instead of driving home. She doubted if either Janine or Anna would have survived the ride back.

Anna refused to put her sweater back on. The wool was hot and clingy against her flushed, sweat-dampened skin. Obediently, she let Toby slide her coat over her shoulders. She just wanted to have a good time, not contract pneumonia. "Take us home, Jeeves." She jovially danced her way through the crowd to the exit. Not protesting as Toby wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her on her feet.

Somehow, Toby managed to stuff Anna and Janine into the SUV without major incident. John Mark and Alex had been patiently waiting outside and were as eager to get the hell out of here as he was.

Anna rested her swimming head on Alex's shoulder, "Who's the next one to get married? I can't wait to do that again. I haven't had that much fun, well, ever." She tittered and swatted Janine on the knee, "Maybe, it's you, Janine." She patted Janine's thigh. "You gotta stay human till after the wedding though. Otherwise, I'm all out of drinking partners."

Janine readily agreed. She was ready to marry Patrick. But, wasn't entirely convinced about his thoughts on the subject. And she wasn't ready to turn into a vampire, not yet. "I promise," she replied, drunkenly. She added an after thought "Maybe, you'll beat me to it. Maybe, you'll get married first."

"Oh hell no. You are definitely next. Marriage is not on the agenda for me. Can I get a hell to the no from the crowd?" Anna protested. She lifted her head up from Alex's shoulder, staring at Janine. "Shouldn't I have a boyfriend first?"

Janine and Robbie exchanged knowing glances and snickers. How could a woman as smart as Anna be so obtuse? Toby had been watching her all night. "Oh, I think you've got the boyfriend department covered," Robbie said, eyeing Toby, who was busy pretending not to overhear the conversation. Janine nodded in agreement. Anna however didn't hear her comment. She had fallen fast asleep and was drooling lightly on Robbie's shoulder.

Robbie pushed Anna gently away, resting Anna's head on the padded seat. "That's going to be a bad hangover in the morning," she said with a pitying wince. She didn't envy Anna or Janine tomorrow morning. Janine nodded, chuckling in agreement. "Better make that two bad hangovers," Robbie muttered.

Somehow, John Mark and Toby managed to get the giggling girls, now fully awake and drunk off their ass, through the lobby and up to their rooms. Alex and Robbie bunked up in one room, while John Mark and Toby shared the adjoining room. Chris had her own room. She was too new to risk bunking with Anna. Janine and Anna demanded their own rooms and nestled by vampires on either side, Dane had caved. Once in the hotel, John Mark, Robbie, and Chris retreated, leaving Alex to handle Janine and Toby to tuck Anna into bed.

Janine was snoring lightly, sleeping off the effects of the alcohol. Alex put a fresh glass of ice water and two aspirins on the bedside table knowing Janine was going to need them when she woke up. Alex was too nervous to sleep. Too afraid she'd slip up again. She stared out of the window and watched the dozing city below her, lost in thought.

"Off to bed you," Toby said, ushering a very drunk Anna toward the bed. She looked so pretty. Her face was glowing with a pink flush from the effects of the alcohol and the vigorous dancing. He resisted the urge to cup her cheeks in his hands and kiss the pink to a brilliant blush.

Anna pushed against Toby's chest and stumbled toward the bathroom. "Lemme brush my teeth first." She spilled her toiletries onto the countertop and fished through for her toothbrush and toothpaste. She brushed her teeth slowly, enjoying the mint flavor in contrast to the harsh, sweet aftertaste of the alcohol. After she rinsed her mouth out and washed her face, she dragged a comb through her tangled hair. The spinning of the bathroom had her deciding it was best to forget the nightgown and climb straight into bed. She flopped onto the covers and squeezed her eyes tightly closed against the first waves of her dizziness.

"You didn't mean what you said did you?" Toby asked, pulling the covers over Anna's shoulders. He'd already removed her shoes and convinced her to abandon the panty hose and skirt, which wasn't really hiding anything anyway. Stretched out in her black camisole top and a pair of matching lace panties was a better look than that skirt bunched up around her hips from all the tossing and turning she did trying to find a comfortable position on the bed.

"What?" she asked. Sobriety was a bitch and it was slapping her all over the place. The pleasant buzzed feeling from the alcohol was gone, leaving her with the start of the bitter after effects. She had no idea what she might of said at the height of her drunken blathering. But, she already felt guilty as hell because of it.

"About the horny men? You looked happy with all those practically naked men prancing around you tonight."

Anna opened one eye and looked at Toby's fuzzy image. She swore if she opened both eyes there were two of him floating around. "If there were a contest for reborn virgins, I'd definitely win," she said as her eyelids slid closed.

"Well," Toby exhaled in relief. "That's good." The thought of Anna in some other mans arms raised his hackles. He slid onto the bed next to her. He wasn't leaving her in this condition, defenseless. She might need him. He pulled her close tucking her head into the crook of her arm.

"You look better than all those guys put together. You're the only one I really saw," she mumbled groggily.

He grinned in triumph and snuggled her just a little closer. "That's just the alcohol talking."

"If only it were," Anna sighed. "Sometimes I think about us," She drifted off not finishing her thought as the last dregs of alcohol in her system pulled her down.

"I do too," he whispered, kissing the top of her head. He couldn't help but wonder what she thought about when thoughts of him entered her mind. He resisted the urge peek. It would be too much like spying. A little bit of the unknown was good, very good.

********

"Wake up you bunch of drunks!" John Mark made his rounds. First, pounding on Janine's door and then mercilessly hammering on Anna's. He was eager to go home and get ready for the festivities. He was eager to get Alex home before her control finally snapped. That alley cat she'd managed to round up for breakfast wasn't going to hold her for long.

Anna moaned in agony. "Somebody kill him." She gripped her head. It was throbbing like a toothache inside of her skull. "God, I need coffee." A cheap white mug with a hotel insignia on the front was thrust into her hand. "Thanks," she muttered, blushing as she realized who had handed her the steaming cup. "Oh, I didn't realize you were here."

"Good morning," Toby said, grinned brightly.

Anna balanced the cup on her stomach as she flopped back on the bed. Pulling a pillow over her head, she groaned, "Don't kill him. Kill me." Death would be a much kinder fate than facing Toby in her underwear.

"Come on, get up sleepyhead." Gently, he pried the cup from her hand and hefted her up into a sitting position. "Big day today."

"Ugh," Anna groaned.

******

The drive back was mercifully silent. Anna and Janine lounged in the backseat, their heads resting on one another's shoulders. The only person who had sympathy for hangover was someone else with a hangover. Chris was lost to a world of her own as she stared out at the stark gray landscape zipping past her window. Toby was at a loss for words, still dumbfounded by Anna's half confession of her feelings for him. Robbie's mind was focused on the wedding. John Mark was concentrating on measuring how much control Alex had left before she snapped. And Alex was struggling to restrain the urge to reach into the seat in front of her and latch onto Janine's wrist. They all exhaled a communal sigh of relief as they exited the interstate and turned up the long, gravel lane leading to the mines.

Chapter 51

Evening was giving way to night as Dane dressed in his ceremonial garb. This time the medallion didn't feel like a noose hanging around his neck. It felt like it belonged there, resting low on his chest. At midnight tonight, the ceremony would begin. New Year's Eve would turn into New Year's Day and he and Chris would begin their new lives.

Dane joined his men on the bluffs. His men. The concept was still difficult for him to grasp. But, these were his men and he was their leader. They were willing to follow him into battle and die for him, as willing as he was to do the same for them. He led the prayers chanting in their ancient tongue. He felt the tingle of a familiar presence, dropping to one knee with his head bowed low, the Great Father and his brother entered the clearing.

The brothers nodded to the group of bowing men as they entered the circle taking their places in the center. The Great Father was proud of his children they had overcome every test that Kokumthena had thrown at them. Stood up to every challenge, even at the loss of their brothers and dear sisters. They never gave up, never faltered, and he had no doubt, they never would. He and his brother joined in the song, adding their bass voices to the chants and prayers.

Chris was simply a ball of nerves as Janine, Robbie, and Anna twisted her hair into an intricate mass of carefully woven braids. The crystal beading that was intertwined through her hair glittered brilliantly, illuminated by the bathroom lights. She fiddled and tugged anxiously at the white leather fringe of her dress. She was ready to be done with the formalities and get on with her life as a sister and Dane's wife.

A gentle rap on the door interrupted the friendly female chatter. Chris smiled at her companions. It was time for the ceremonies to begin. Tonight she was giving her life, becoming a wife and a sister to the brothers. She opened the door. John Mark grinned widely at her offering his arm as her escort. She remembered that he wasn't supposed to speak. It was part of the ritual. But, his eyes spoke volumes as he led her to the exit.

Chris gasped as John Mark helped her down off the horse. The gathering was far more intimate than the one at the party the previous week. The group was composed of primarily vampires, faces familiar to her. The few human observers stood back in distance along the perimeter of pines and black trunks that marked the edge of the clearing. She suppressed a tremble as her eyes rested on the two tall unfamiliar men in the center of the circle. John Mark led her to Dane, placing her hand in his and then took his place by Dane's side, winking reassuringly at her.

Dane guided her into the circle bringing her to a stop in front of the men. "You wish to join us little builder?" The man's deep voice was filled with confidence and years upon countless years of wisdom. Dane nudged her as she stared. Her eyes were round with awe.

"Yes." Her voice sounded small and weak when compared to his. He towered over her looking down at her with eyes the color of dark chocolate. She felt as if he could see into the deep recesses of her soul. She held her ground suppressing the urge to shuffle her feet nervously and look away.

The Great Father smiled at Chris. His broad lips curved, revealing perfectly straight white teeth. His brother stepped forward taking her hand from Dane's with the lightest of touches. He gripped her hand holding it in his. Dane bowed and stepped back returning to the circle. A chilling sensation ran along her arm sending shivers along her skin. She felt the pressure of invasion into her mind. "She is not of our blood. But, her heart beats true. She is worthy."

She was worthy, worthy of love, worthy of belonging. It was that thought that carried her through the rest of the ceremony. Through the blood exchange, through the tattooing of her back, and finally delivered her into Dane's waiting embrace.

Dane took Chris's hands in his, holding them firmly with his fingers. He gazed down at her she saw her love for him. "Ni haw-ku-nah-ga, you are my wife."

"Ni wahsiu, you are my husband." She squeezed Dane's hands hardly able to hold back the smile curving her lips. After they finished drinking from the cup that held their blood and the blood of the Great Father, the ceremony was finished. They were married. One with each other, one with the Father, and one with the brothers in a never-ending circle of life. Loud shouts of approval and joy drifted up into the night as the formal circle broke and the brothers rushed to congratulate them.

******

Anna hugged Toby. She was so filled with happiness for Chris that it overflowed. She didn't want to think unhappy thoughts tonight. They would come soon enough on their own. She would have to leave her friends and return to the city, to her old life. It had once been enough. Now her life seemed dull and drab by comparison to what she had here. She buried her cold nose in the crook of his neck, inhaling his woodsy, outdoorsy scent, etching it in her memory.

Toby sensed Anna's feelings. He felt them too. He rubbed a cheek against her face relishing the warm softness of her skin. Her scent was soft and feminine, like a fragrant field of wild lavender. There was so much he wanted to say. He wanted to beg her to stay. Wanted her to admit that she wanted to. He wanted whatever was forming between them to have the chance to grow to full maturity. He didn't want it to end before it could begin. He swallowed back the words. She had to decide for herself where she belonged. That didn't mean he had to make it easy for her. And he didn't intend to. No amount of miles between them was going to keep them apart.

********

Dane slipped away from the brothers. They danced in celebration around the blazing bonfire. Even Anna had joined in, undulating wildly in cadence to the joyous chanting that filled the air. He stood at the edge of the bluffs, looking out at the sleeping town below. His felt an overwhelming sense of completion. His destiny had finally led him to exactly where he was supposed to be.

When he first started this journey he thought the tasks were impossible. There was no way to do all that was required of him. He hadn't been able to see past himself and the weight of his burdens. He thought he was meant to shoulder them on his own. He didn't realize that sometimes destinies were intertwined, one dependent on another.

He hadn't realized the depth of commitment and trust his brothers had in him. He hadn't thought to lean on them to help carry the weight on his shoulders. He hadn't been open and ready to love. If he'd met Chris in another place and time, in an entirely different set of circumstances, he would have missed the chance to realize the outcome his destiny had chosen for him.

Over the past few months, with a lot of help from everyone around him, he'd finally grown up and become a man. The man he was supposed to be. The leader he was meant to be. A man capable of great love and passion, one who cared and loved with all his heart. And through all of these things, and on this rocky proving ground, he had been blessed, with a heart big enough, with room enough to become a husband.

Chris joined her husband, snuggling under his outstretched arm. She had no idea what line of thought had such an expression on his face, one of deep contemplation and utter contentment. When she'd opened her eyes that first morning in that abandoned house, she hadn't fathomed the unimaginable life waiting for her. In death she had found peace. She had found love and a life bigger than her wildest dreams.