Dawn's First Light

The object of his fantasies sat in the seat beside him, her thigh gently brushing his in the tight quarters of the SUV. Thank God she had no idea how deeply his fantasies ran or how often he indulged in them. His palm was a poor substitution for the real thing. And he had not had a female's intimate companionship in...well he didn't want to think about it. His gaze raked over the cleavage visible from the low neckline of her top in heated desire. He shrank back in his seat when Kayla's eyes popped open and she shot a dirty, disapproving look in his direction. "Sorry," he mumbled, focusing his eyes on the back of Dane's head.

Patrick marked off the miles as the SUV sped toward home. They were in one piece. They were safe. And he could not wait to get home to his woman. There were still issues between them. Every couple had their problems. But, theirs were bigger than most. Tonight had kind of convinced him of how precarious human life was. Janine might as well have a target tattooed on her forehead. Every day they waited-he waited for her to make a decision- was a day they lost. They both knew there were only so many ways their lives together could play out. And the inevitableness of it was just a matter of time.

Lori lifted her head from Keene's shoulder as the SUV slowed and took the off ramp. Something important had been hovering in the periphery of her mind. And she had put off facing it as the procrastinator she could sometimes be. Well, in about twenty minutes, she'd have to deal with it and she scrabbled to prepare herself to face the worst. Her mother was fiercely protective of her daughters. And when Ginger wasn't happy. Nobody was happy.

She wondered if her mother had a pamphlet in her stash to cover this. Not exactly cognizant of her strength, she gripped Keene's t-shirt and gave him a shake. Ok, so with her newly found strength she probably rattled his fangs in his head. "Keene, what are we going to tell my mom?"

Keene hadn't thought of that. He much liked his mental picture of Lori naked in his bed better than the dread of dealing with her mother. Ginger was a powerhouse of dyed, redheaded fury, especially when it came to her daughters. Lori was too new to this life to pretend to be human. And her mother was way too savvy about his world to be fooled by a poser. "Um, the truth?"

There were so many different versions of the truth. She'd offered her life and Keene had taken it. That was the whole, unvarnished version of the truth. But, there was something more and as they drove through town it occurred to her which version was the only version that mattered. Whether her mother accepted it or not, there wasn't anything anyone could do to change it. She'd died for love. And she lived for love. And this man, holding her so tenderly was worth it.

Chapter 57

Dane stayed close to Lori and Keene. As the leader, it was his job to handle the backlash from Lori's mother. It was not going to be pleasant. And he did not relish explaining the situation to her. Above all else, he really didn't want to mention that her daughter was in need of a donor and she was the most likely candidate for the task. Not good on so many levels he couldn't begin to list them all. His eyes fixed on Lori and Keene's hands, joined in solidarity as they braced themselves to face her mother.

Ginger sat at the kitchen table nursing her umpteenth cup of coffee. The women were better than Ihop with its never-ending carafe. They'd fed her to the point of bursting, despite her protests that she couldn't eat another bite. The caffeine they pumped into her set her nerves jangling. And if she was forced to flip through another one of Janine's fashion magazines or listen to another tirade about how bell bottoms were making a big come back this season she was going to tear her red hair out by its gray roots.

She just wanted her kid back safe and sound. Was that so much to ask for? She'd spoken with Bill over the cell phone. He was due back from his run tonight. She hated lying to him. And the vague falseness of her reassurance that everything here was fine. She didn't know how she'd tell him the truth of the secrets she'd hidden from him all of their married life. And she hoped like hell she didn't have to. He'd never understand. He wasn't an unreasonable guy and he loved her and the kids. It was just that the vampire thing would be too difficult for him to swallow.

Chance kept Maggie busy in the rec room playing games. And effectively out of her hair. Ginger had no idea of how to field the many questions her youngest bombarded her with. She knew the kid wouldn't follow in her footsteps and become a nurse. Maggie just didn't have it in her. But, with the whos, hows, whys, whats, whens, and wheres, she had the makings of a fine investigative journalist. Which meant she'd probably end up broke and living in their above garage apartment until she was forty. But, it wasn't Maggie's questionable future Ginger worried about. It was Lori's uncertain present.

Her 'mom sense' tingled along her spine in alarm. She pushed aside the untouched slice of apple pie Anna had demanded she try and rose from the table. She didn't know and couldn't explain how she knew. She just did. Lori was back and things were far from fine. "I want to see my daughter."

Lori pulled Keene to a stop at the entryway into the kitchen. Her mother's familiar scent of jasmine perfume and the antiseptic smell of the hospital tinged the air. She could smell Maggie too. Sweet like the cherry candy she loved to eat by the fistful mixed with the musty undertone of the pages of an old book. But, beyond their scents, the heady essence of the blood thrumming through their veins called to her like the aroma of a fine meal yet to be eaten. "Keene," she gritted. "I can't do this."

And this was the price he'd have to pay over and over again for her sacrifice of saving his miserable hide. Lori didn't understand it all yet. But, in time she would. She'd think back and remember all the things she could have done with her life. The sunshine, the sweet foods she used to crave much to her chagrin, and befriending a human without the thought of killing pacing like a caged tiger in the back of her mind. This was her life now. It was his fault. And a part of her, no matter how in love with him she was, would always hate him for taking it away from her. And for that he'd always have the deepest regret. "Yes you can," he said sternly, pushing her forward.

Lori barely made it into the doorway before her mother spotted her. Pressing a hand in shock to her trembling lips, her mom gasped. "Lori, baby? What have they done to you?" Lori tried to sidestep out of the way of her mom's path. But, there was no escaping her mother's one-track mind. She was snatched up into a big bear hug and the collar of the tattered shirt Angel had stolen from Roark's closet was soaked with tears of happiness and relief. "We'll figure this out. I promise," her mother said in between her hitching sobs. "Oh, my baby girl don't worry mama's here. We'll make this better, somehow."

Ginger clung to her daughter. It was just so good to see her alive and in one piece. Her baby girl had gone through hell. Her clothes were tattered and filthy. Clumps of dried blood and dirt matted her hair. Mud smudged her cheeks. She was glad to have her daughter back. Ginger saw patients and their families conquer seemingly unconquerable circumstances in their lives everyday. The Grant family was no exception. To Ginger, although Lori was hardly human, her daughter's vampirism was just a hurdle to overcome. A physical condition they'd learn to deal with and adapt to. It changed nothing and altered her love for her baby girl not one least bit. But, someone had some explaining to do very soon.

"Mom," Lori gritted. The smothering embrace in which her mother held her was absolute hell. And she wasn't sure how much longer she could stand it without taking a bite out of the Grant family matriarch. Lori held up her hands in surrender and tried to twist out of her mom's hold. "Mom, please."

Maggie dropped the pool cue and rushed to the wide threshold that separated the dining room from the rec room. Her sister was back. The sound of her mom's shrill cries of relief set her teeth on edge. Never let it be said that Ginger Grant was ever understated in her emotional outbursts. Smiling wildly in anticipation of seeing her sister, Maggie stopped mid-stride. Oh, it was Lori. But, in a way it wasn't. The fangs were a little difficult to miss and how close the white points were to their mother's neck was more than just a bit alarming. "Ah, Mom you might want to let her go."

Dane sensed how close Lori was to losing control. He had to give the family credit where it was due. Ginger hadn't shied away in horror at her daughter's change. She'd stepped bravely forward and embraced it. Even Maggie was holding up nicely, given the circumstances. The three of them were going to be just fine. "Ginger," he said, gently placing a hand on her arm to ease her back from Lori.

"Oh pooh to all of you," Ginger scoffed. She didn't want to make her daughter uncomfortable. Opening her arms, she stepped back. "I brought this child into the world I think I know her better than any of you do," she chided. "Oh sweetie, it'll be just like old times where you were a baby and you fed from my breast."

"Ewwww Mom, bad analogy," Maggie said totally grossed out.

"Hush Maggie," Ginger snapped. "I fed you the same way. Left breast for ten minutes then right breast for ten minutes. Then left and then right again. You were quite the little piggy in those days, missy. And it was all I could do to keep up with you."

"God Mom, tell the whole world would you," Maggie wailed. Embarrassed, she stormed into the rec room and flopped into an overstuffed chair wishing she'd just disappear before her mother said something equally as damaging to her fifteen year-old psyche. She had no doubt someday she'd be telling a therapist about her teenage years, if she managed to survive them with her sanity intact at all. Given the way her mother lived to humiliate her, she had her doubts.

Dane coughed in embarrassment. He got the analogy crystal clear. But, yeah, he'd never quite look at Lori or Ginger quite the same way. It was just one of those TMI facts of life that he wished he'd never heard about.

Keene raised a brow at Lori and glanced back and forth between the younger and older of the Grant women. Ok. A willing donor was a good donor. But, he could have done without the visual.

Ginger didn't get why all the men in the room were blushing and her youngest daughter had stormed out of the room. Even Lori stared down at the floor. "What?" she asked. "It's the truth. Mother's milk, blood, breast or wrist...or Happy burgers served on Chinette, it's all the same to me. I'm her mom and I've been feeding her in one way or another for twenty years. It's my job to take care of my baby girl in any way that I can."

She lifted her head to meet the redheaded, a real redhead, she might add, vampire avoiding her eyes. He stood awfully close to her daughter and Ginger got that feeling in the pit of her stomach that told her that this vampire and her daughter were more than just friends. She gave him an appraising once over. He was a big bruit, well-built and tall, not to mention, handsome.

Immediately, she liked him. He was a protector. And he would take care of her daughter better than any human man ever could. That in itself earned him the 'mom' seal of approval. But, that didn't mean she was going to make it easy for Lori and her beau. Someone still had more than a fair measure of explaining to do about how all of this had happened in the first place. She'd suspected Lori had a boyfriend. And she wasn't wrong. But, she didn't dread it or the fact that he was a vampire. For her daughter, he was perfect. And even though the nut hadn't fallen all that far from the tree, it'd fallen exactly where it was supposed to. "And who are you?"

Lori reached out and gave Keene's hand a tight squeeze. Her mom stared at Keene as if he were a cockroach she'd found doing the backstroke in her morning coffee. She'd never liked any of the boyfriends Lori brought home to meet her. No one had ever earned the legendary 'mom' stamp of approval before. And, like all her other boyfriends, Lori had no doubts that her mom would make Keene's life absolutely miserable. "Mom, this is Keene, my boyfriend."

Ginger stretched out her hand for Keene to shake. The epitome of politeness, he'd waited for her to initiate the greeting. Something most men either forgot or weren't aware of. The woman was supposed to offer her hand first. There was nothing worse than a pushy handshaker. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," Keene said, shaking Ginger's hand.

"Um mom, did you really mean what you said about dinner?" Lori asked. She was dumbfounded by her mother's acceptance of Keene. Whether or not it was the official 'mom' seal of approval or not she wasn't sure. But, it was a good start.

"Why of course, baby. I hope you like type O positive, because that's all this diner has on the menu."

"Type O positive it is then." She'd never expected her mother to accept her this readily. She thought there'd be tears and endless tirades over how badly she'd screwed up her life. About all the grandchildren her mom would never get to bounce on her knee. But, in the end, her mom's love for her won out. For the first time that Lori could ever remember, there was a peace and closeness between them. In a way, given all the strangeness of her new world, Lori supposed dying was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

*****

The next few weeks passed quickly for Lori. She was learning to master her new lifestyle with amazing ease. She took classes at the vo-tech. But, now they were online and she'd switched her major from nursing, which was impossible for a fledgling vampire with her voracious appetite, to accounting, which she found she actually enjoyed. She even managed to arrange an awkward family dinner so that Keene could meet her dad. Her father was a whole lot easier to win over than her mom. The minute Keene started talking football. He had her father eating out of the palm of his hand.

She was settling into a happy life with Keene. He was patient with her and never got angry no matter how badly she seemed to screw up. With a gentle smile he repaired or replaced anything she accidentally broke while she learned to harness her newfound strength. He'd sit by her side, quietly, while she stared at an ordinary object with rapt fascination. He allowed her the time to explore her new world, never getting frustrated as she touched and smelled everything she came across. But still, from time to time, she'd see a glimmer of regret hidden in his eyes. And since she'd moved into his room and hung her things on the closet rod beside his, he hadn't laid a finger on her.

"Keene, do you regret turning me?" It was one of those rare times where he allowed her to sit in his lap. She played with his hair, amazed by the softness of the fat ringlets that now brushed the tops of his shoulders and the way the color changed in the dimness of the lamp on the nightstand.

"No," he answered. Lori's question caught him off guard. He could never tire of watching her explore her world and drink it in with fresh eyes alit with amazement. His only regret was that he'd taken away her mortal life way too soon. There were so many things left for her to experience. Foods she'd never tasted. Sunrises she'd never see with her own eyes. And he'd taken all the possibilities away from her. She should have had the luxury of time to embrace them all. "The only thing I regret is that you were too young. You should have had more time as a human."

"Too young?" Lori captured Keene's cheeks in her palms and stared into his eyes. With her new vision, his eyes were no longer steely gray. But brilliantly shimmering silver that she'd never grow tired of gazing into. "I knew what I was doing when I gave you my blood."

"Did you fully understand the consequences though? There are so many things that you'll miss out on."

"And so much more that I've gained. Before, it was like I saw the world in black and white. Now, I see it in every color of the rainbow and a few that I don't even have names for. I see the world as it truly is. And I see you, Keene, as you truly are." She lowered her mouth to his and pressed her lips gently to his. "As long as you love me, I'm not missing out on a thing."

"I do love you," Keene said, easing out of the sweetest kiss he'd ever had delivered to his lips. He wrapped his arms around Lori's waist and pulled her in as close to him as he could. He searched the depths of her green eyes, needing to see the truth reflected in them. "No regrets then?"

"Not a one," she answered honestly. Keene crushed his lips to her mouth in a kiss filled with hunger and desperation. She opened up for him, allowing his tongue to explore her depths. His kiss was sweet and persuasive. Slow and tempting. His fingers blazed a trail of desire as they slid up her back and around her ribcage. Adeptly, with skilled hands, he kneaded and fondled her breasts until they were taut and aching with need. "Keene," she sighed. It'd been too long since he'd touched her like this. And she was dying slowly in agonized torment from each soft caress. She arched her back, pressing the throbbing peaks into his palms in a silent request for more.

He'd been the perfect gentleman for far too long. Since their return to the compound, he'd kept his hands to himself. And it was absolutely killing him. Lori had been through a very traumatic experience and he didn't want to press her too soon. He was wiling to wait for as long as it took, to give her the time she needed. He wanted her to be unencumbered by her past to relax and fully enjoy the new sensations making love as a vampire would unleash. But, she felt so good in his hands, so responsive and receptive to his touch. "Are you sure?"

Sure? She was absolutely positive. His mouth and his hands set her on fire wherever they touched her skin. If he didn't do something soon, she was certain to be the first vampire in history to burst into flames. "I'll die if you don't." She pressed her palms against his chest and pushed him flat on his back, stretching his long frame out across the sofa. If there were one perc to being a vampire, it was her new strength and she intended to use it to her advantage.

"It's a scientific fact that you won't die if you don't..." He groaned when she ground her sweet softness against the hard swelling of his groin. Whatever he was going to say was lost on his lips as she kissed him in deep longing. When she withdrew and lifted her top over her head and released her firm, high, peaks from the lacy scrap of material she called a bra, he surrendered to the magic of her flesh and her touch.

Lori relaxed into Keene's arms as he slid her body up along his. When his lips found the tip of one peeked nipple she cried out in sheer pleasure. The sensation was so intense. It sent a wave of ecstasy to the very tips of her toes.

Keene suckled one tender blossom and then the other. He ran his tongue between her breasts, alternating between one perfect globe to the other. Relishing the taste of her hot skin and the smoky scent of her desire. He scooted down on the sofa. Leaving her balanced on her knees. Her shorts were little more than an annoyance, one he could easily take care of. His fangs made short work of the rough, faded denim. He tore the remaining tatters out of his way and guided her core over his hungry mouth. He had to know every inch of her, every different taste, and every different smell. Burying his nose and his tongue into her wet, slick softness he suckled the blooming nub at the apex of her soft folds. If heaven had a taste, a scent, and a feel, this was it. He worked his mouth against her until her hips bucked and she gripped the back of the sofa as she cried out in pleasure.