Dawn's Never Ending Glow

"No you're not. You smell different. I think he's linked with you Anna. I need to get you to the Shaman. Have him take a look. Breaking the link could be dangerous." He snatched the jeans out of her hands and stuffed them back into her suitcase.

"That's nuts. I don't have any bite marks on me." She held out her wrists and slid her t-shirt down her neck, showing him. When Toby bit her, he sealed the punctures closed with a delicious swipe of his tongue and smeared the tiniest bit of his blood over the area to heal the wound. Somehow, she doubted a rogue would be so considerate. On the inside she was trembling and scared, but she put on a brave face. She didn't want to be afraid.

"Anna," Toby said zipping the suitcase closed. "A bite could be anywhere on your body, if he left any at all. Let me see the clothes you wore to work today and I'll show you."

Anna handed him the wet, wadded up pile of expensive silk and waited for him to inspect the items. Crossing her arms defensively, watching as Toby sifted through the damp items. He held up the hose, running his hand along the sheer material until his finger poked through a twin holes. "See." He said wiggling his finger at her.

"It doesn't mean anything. I snag my hose all the time." Anna's mind was reeling could he be right? "It's just a runner."

Toby held the hose to Anna's waist, guessing at where the hole would be on her leg. Grabbing around her knee tightly, he pressed in.

Anna winced when he hit the tender spot along the back of her leg. "Ow!"

"Now do you believe me?"

"No. I hit my leg on something and tore the hose. All you've proven is that I'm a klutz."

He shook his head, unfastening her pants and jerking them down over her thighs in one swift movement. He plopped her down on the bed next to the suitcase and extended her leg, gently running his finger along the bruise, showing her the pinpoint puncture marks. "This conversation is over," He said, dropping her leg.

Anna shivered as realization set in. She'd been bitten, attacked. Now, Roark had an entryway into her mind. She was at the mercy of his whims, whatever they may be. "Can The Shaman really fix me?"

"I don't know. But, the more distance you put between yourself and him the better. In time, the link will fade and you'll be free from him. But, it could take months, maybe longer. We have to make sure he doesn't bite you again." He smoothed his hand down Anna's silky hair, pulling her to his chest. "Don't worry. It will be ok. I'm not going to let him hurt you."

Anna pushed back a sniffle. She wouldn't let Toby see her fear. The only thing it would accomplish would be to send him into a fit of rage and set out on a quest to kill the vampire. Anna wouldn't have him risk his life for her. She would only have to lay low and share her mind for a few months. Maybe, the Shaman had a cure. If he could cure a hangover, surely he could fix an accidental blood bond.

Toby helped Anna finish packing. He tried to keep a reign on his anger. She was frightened, terrified. He sensed her fear, no matter how well she tried to hide it. The son of a bitch had bitten his woman, his fiancée. He wanted to track the bastard down and kill him up close and personal. He forced a smile as Anna crammed another overnight bag full of belongings and slung it over his shoulder. "Are you ready?"

"Sure. Tomorrow, I'll call my boss and quit outright. Obviously, I don't have a client anyway." In a way she was disappointed, she really wanted to work the project. How could she have known that it was nothing more than a ruse? She felt cheated and used. Stopping at the front door, she gave Bryce a quick hug before she headed out. He'd saved her life. He and Lance and there was no way she could ever thank them for what they'd done. "I'll see you around? At the compound sometime?"

Bryce returned Anna's embrace. It was good to have her back. For once, he didn't envy Toby. Losing a link like the one he shared with Anna was painful, almost enough to make you lose your mind. Anna was afraid. He could see it in her carefully controlled features. The scent of her fear was enough to make him want to track down the Rogue Master and deliver vengeance tracker style. "You know it." Gently, he tipped her chin with his index finger and lifted her face to see his smile. "I'm going to stick around here and wait for the others. If that's ok."

"You know it." Anna returned his smile and took a last look around her living room. With a heavy sigh, she turned away. She had a feeling it was going to be a long time before she saw the place again.

Chapter 11

Marcus nodded, listening to Bryce recant the details. Anger welled within him. The bastard bit Anna. Toby had found the hidden marks on her body. "I think we should call him out."

"We have our orders from Dane." Sam gently reminded Marcus, placing a hand gently on his shoulder. They were supposed to track him. Eliminate any immediate threat. And report back to the compound for further instructions.

Marcus looked down into her soft brown eyes and ran his hand over her sleek black hair. God, she was a fierce little thing. She wanted a piece of Roark as badly as he did. "I know. But, it still pisses me off. In a city full of women, why Anna?"

"Marcus," Sam said softly. "She was obviously a target."

Marcus ground his teeth, his anger blossoming again. Anna was his friend. She shared her blood with him trusted him and there was nothing he could have done to prevent her attack, nothing. "I could cut his head off myself. I don't give a damn about orders."

"Pal, I couldn't agree more. But, let me tell you. Dane is not a man you want to piss off. Orders are orders." Bryce guided Marcus and Sam to the door. "Let's start out by casing the property he supposedly was going to build on."

Marcus took the keys from Sam. Something special was developing between them and he hated the thought of contaminating her with the sight of his old stomping grounds. She was everything he ever wanted. She was smart, beautiful, funny and very loving. Since she'd entered his life, he rarely thought about Candace. Losing her to Will had hurt for a long time. But now, since Sam, he only wished the happy couple and their son the best. "I'm driving. I know the hood pretty well."

Sam scoffed and dropped the keys into his palm. "Be my guest." She patted Marcus gently on the rump as he walked to the driver's side. She didn't want to admit it, but she fell for him. Hard. He was rough on the exterior. Unruly brown hair framing a masculine face, lined by life's experiences, his body small and compact, built for speed. Next to her slight frame, he was the perfect height. Just right for her.

Bryce scoffed uncomfortably at the affectionate display. "Get a room." He slid in the backseat. Scowling over the head rests at them. Yet another hook up, when was he ever going to catch a break? He focused his attention to the task at hand, finding the Rogue Master.

******

Roark closed his eyes, focusing on Anna. Tracing the link, he followed the prickling sensation with his mind. She was on the move and very afraid. He guessed that by now, the Sons had figured out what happened and were taking her into their protection. He chuckled, sending a suggestion to her. She'd be easy to invade once she was asleep. Then he could play with her all night.

Anna's eyelids grew heavy. The SUV was warm and dark. The clicking sound of the tires against the pavement lulled her to sleep. She was safe with Toby by her side. Quickly, she slid into a dream. She was enveloped in darkness. The sensation of hands ran along her body, searching out all her sensitive places. The hands teased her and tortured her with pleasure. The feeling was so intense, so real, that the moan escaping her lips woke her up. She lifted her head, looking at the dark highway that stretched out before her.

"Shh, go back to sleep," Toby coaxed. "You were dreaming." He thought she might be having a nightmare by the sound of her heart pounding in her chest and the moan that passed between her lips. "I'll keep you safe. Go back to sleep." He added a little psychic push to his words, helping her to fall into the world of dreams once again.

Anna slipped back into the darkness, wearily succumbing to her exhaustion. She was back in the dream, hands and lips pressing against her flesh. Taunting, demanding, thrilling her. She wriggled in pleasure, thinking that the erotic content of the dream must be her mind's way of coping with the stressful events of the day. "Toby is that you?" She asked the darkness, breathing heavily as another rush of passion buffeted her sensitive skin.

"No love." A face began to take form out of the darkness. "I know how to make you damp with want. You should come to me in the flesh." Roark's face eased out of the black, looming over Anna's. His fangs flashed white, contrasted against the red sheen of his lips. With a hiss, he drove them deep into her soft skin, drinking from her neck. And she was helpless, paralyzed with fear, her body tense with unresolved pleasure, and she wanted it. Wanted him.

Anna jolted awake, gasping in fear. She struggled against the confining seatbelt batting away the hands gripping her arm. "Don't touch me!"

"Anna it's me Toby. You were having a bad dream." He kept his voice low and soft. He feared the worst. Roark was using her. Taking advantage of her when she was defenseless, as she slept. Invading her mind. "Maybe, if you talk about your dream it will make it better," he said, disregarding the state's seatbelt law and pulling her into his lap as best he could and still drive.

Toby didn't need all the details of her dream. She had been raped, molested by a fiend. Her mind invaded and violated. "He's in my head Toby." She wiped away a tear and gripped his hand using his strength to steady her. "Can we pull over? I need to go to the bathroom. And I need some coffee."

"Sure, no problem." Toby guided the SUV onto the next off ramp and pulled into the gas station, diligently standing guard outside the bathroom door while she did her business. He stood at her side as she bought a bag of peanut M&M's and an extra tall latte with a double shot of espresso from the coffee bar.

Anna was stressed out and searching for comfort foods. It reminded him of the night when she'd come into town demanding to see Chris. He was working the night shift in the town's only gas station, using it as a cover to keep an eye on the comings and goings of people. She was stressed and strung out then. Wired to the point of breaking. Unable to accept her new reality. How much had changed in a few short months. Chris was now happily married to Dane and soon Anna would be a member of their growing family. "Anna, you're going to have to sleep sometime," he said gently as he buckled her seatbelt.

Anna guzzled the coffee and chomped on the candy. "Not until you get this bastard out of my head." She shuddered, not saying another word. The caffeine and sugar rush worked through her system, setting her already frazzled nerves on edge. She didn't care. She had to stay awake. Crunching through the remainder of the bag, she crushed it in her fist.

"We'll figure this out." He backed out of the parking place and slid into drive.

"I hope so." She downed the rest of the nauseating gas station coffee. Gas station latte, not a good substitute for the real thing. The coffee was extra strong though. It should keep her awake for hours. When she got to the compound, she'd make a whole pot, just to be sure she stayed that way. Roark was not getting the chance to get into her head again.

******

Chris bit her lip as Dane told her about Anna. Her best friend was in mortal danger and there was nothing she could do about it. Anna had been reluctant to come around after she found out about vampires. But, she had overcome her fears and now was a trusted companion. Soon Anna would be married to Toby and moving in. Chris had been working diligently on a project since she'd heard the happy news. Toby's suite was definitely not a place Anna would ever willingly stay. Too much red. Too much velvet and satin. Chris worked furiously to redecorate one of the larger suites, knocking down walls to make the space have a more open and airy feel to it. She was planning it as a wedding present. "Dane what can we do?"

"I don't know. Hope the Shaman has a few tricks up his sleeve." He hugged his wife and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Come on, we'll go raid the store and stock the cabinets full of Anna's favorites." He needed to keep his wife busy. She wanted to do something to help her best friend. Maybe shopping would occupy her mind.

"That's a good idea," Chris agreed. Anna would need comfort food as well as healthy food. Janine was the only human living at the compound and her dietary selections consisted of frozen dinners and canned soup, things Anna detested. She always swore that processed food was a killer. Now, it seemed a vampire might do the job long before any food got the chance. "I'll ask Alex to get some coffee going."

******

Janine lowered her head under the steaming hot spray of the shower and exhaled a weary sigh of relief. The heat stung her sunburn. But, eased her tense muscles. She was so sore and worn out from working at the shop all day. Tomorrow wouldn't be so bad now that all the cleaning was done. All she had to do was master that damnable ice cream machine and memorize the menu. That and learn to make that stupid little curlicue thing in the ice cream at the end of the cone. Her favorite part of an ice cream cone. She'd have to take a crash course from Robbie and Lori to master the art.

She lathered her hair and rinsed the suds down the drain. What the hell was a Jack and Jill anyway? Why couldn't everyone eat plain vanilla cones? She turned off the water and wrapped a towel around her body. She paused in front of the mirror and ran her hands through the damp mass of tangles, wondering which one of her matching sleep sets she should wear to bed, anything to take her mind off spending another long night in her empty bed. Deciding on the pink cami and short combo, she padded into her bedroom to retrieve it. Squeaking in shock, she spotted Patrick sitting on the edge of her bed, resting his head in his hands.

"What are you doing here?" Janine grabbed the end of her towel tightly in her fist. "Get out! I'm not dressed." She could tell he was agitated by the way his fingers tugged at the ends of his short brown hair. And she wanted to help. But, he did not have the right to barge in on her like this. "Patrick!"

He looked up at Janine. His green eyes blazed with want as he took in her petite frame. She was the only thing that could solve his two main problems. He was lonely and very hungry. He missed her. "When are you going to give this up?"

Janine lifted her chin defiantly and squared her sunburned shoulders. "I'm not." She kept her eyes locked on him as she walked over to the dresser and fished out her clothes. Changing her mind and grabbing a pair of sleep pants and a baggy t-shirt. A week ago she would have been happy to show him the goods. She was wary of the shimmer in his eyes. It was a look she knew well. He wanted her. Not just physically. But, he needed her blood.

"Why? What did I do?" Was she trying to torture him? He'd given her time chill out like John Mark suggested. But, he was growing tired of her game. He just wanted her back in his bed where she belonged. Thoughts of Anna ran through his mind. Janine could have just as easily been in her place. The son of a bitch could have fed off Janine. She didn't understand how much unnecessary danger she placed herself in by going out.

"Nothing, Patrick. You didn't do anything. You didn't say anything. You never do." She slid into the bathroom to change. Being half dressed in front of him was unnerving. She felt vulnerable and exposed. There was one lesson she'd learned about vampires long ago. Never underestimate them. No matter how honorable their intentions were or how much they cared for you, they could slip. "Now will you please leave?"

"I came to tell you about Anna," Patrick said in a low voice. He was trying to keep his temper and his desire under tight reign. The scent of her blood was teasing him. Calling him. Being near her was sheer torment. His anger stirred to life along with his confusion. If he didn't do anything, if he didn't say anything, then why was he sleeping in their bed alone? What did she want?

Janine popped her head out of the bathroom at the mention of her human BFF's name. "Anna? Is she alright?"

Patrick looked deeply into the depths of Janine's blue eyes searching for any sign that she still had feelings for him. Concern was the only thing he saw meeting his gaze. "She was attacked by the Rogue Master."

"Oh my God!" Janine covered her mouth in horror, her hands trembling. "Patrick, please tell me she's ok." She inched closer, but still kept a safe distance between them. She longed to touch him, to reach out and smooth the lines of worry across his forehead away. They didn't belong on his still youthful face, marring his boyish looks and charm.

"She's ok," he sighed. There was no point to hide the truth from Janine. Maybe, it would scare her back to her senses and she'd come home. "He forced a link with her. He's in her mind."

Janine sank to the bed beside Patrick. Her legs were too weak to hold her upright. "Patrick, no." Her hands trembled with fear and rage. How could the bastard do something like that? "Poor Anna." She shifted her weight staring into Patrick's eyes, searching for the things he hadn't said. "Will he hurt her?"

"We're going to do everything we can to keep her safe. Toby is on his way with her now." He shook his head in doubt. "Maybe, the Shaman can break the link."

"You have to keep her safe." Janine rested her hand on his shoulder feeling the heat of his body radiating through his t-shirt. "You have to stay strong for her." Patrick was hungry. He pushed his feedings too far. Waited too long before he took her vein. She knew he'd refuse another donor in her place. With nothing but concern for Anna, she tugged down the collar of her t-shirt and extended her neck.

"I'd never force you to do that." Patrick could withstand the torment of his hunger, a while longer. He turned away from Janine's extended neck and the pulsing carotid beneath her skin. She had no idea how tempting her offer was.

"Patrick, you've never been able to make me do anything I don't want to." She scooted closer. Her blood would sustain him and give him the strength he'd need to help the others protect her friend. Patrick was the best tracker they had. His brothers needed him. Anna needed him. If sharing her blood were the only thing she could do to help, at least she'd be doing something of value.

His lips curled up in a bitter smile. "I know." He shuddered as he felt her body brush against his. Her scent invaded his nostrils, driving his instincts. His fangs lengthened and pushed through his gums, throbbing with need. He whispered the gentle familiar words, enthralling her, making sure she'd feel no pain. When she sank into his arms, dozing, he lowered his head to the soft curve of her neck and bit, relishing the fell of her in his arms, taking in much needed nourishment.

Patrick closed the wounds and slid her up into the bed, resting her head comfortably on the pillows. He longed to curl up next to her. But, he didn't want to push his luck. His foot was still in the door and he wanted to keep it that way. Her blood told her secrets. She still loved him and was missing him just as badly as he missed her. He pressed his lips against her forehead. "Please, forgive me. Whatever I've done, please forgive me for it."

******

Alex stood at the coffee pot, watching as the dark brown liquid drizzled into the decanter. She was officially on the wagon. But, the rich aroma of the dark beans still called to her. It wasn't like she could drink one drop. But, she used to love holding a mug of the hot steamy liquid in her hands and stare down into its murky depths, losing herself to the world.