Dawn Discovered

Carter had spent the last few centuries staying one step ahead of Eric O'Sullivan. But, the time for hiding in the shadows was over. He kept his friends close and his enemies closer. He hadn't taken his dear sister in because he felt any compassion or loyalty toward her. Bianca was beautiful death. And she struck without mercy. He'd never be certain. She was too smart to slip up and too devious to give her hand away. But, he suspected, wherever her loyalties were, they weren't with him. And what had he done? She was his Second. And she currently held the keys to the Guardian's kingdom in her pretty, polished, grasp. Whatever her part to play in this game between Eric and he, she was but a pawn for both sides. And she knew it.

"Dad, let's follow Carter's lead on this one. If we get ourselves killed. We haven't done Gina any good." Tristen turned to Carter. "What should we do?" He was more than willing to follow the directives of the vampire if it kept them out of trouble and got them back home in one piece. He didn't like the city. Didn't like the noise and the constant hum of humanity that buffeted his senses from all sides. He was ready to return to the frozen, peaceful quiet of his woods.

"My guess is that when we find Gina, we'll find O'Sullivan. He's got her in his sights and he'll not be likely to let her out of them."

They followed Gina's scent and the scent of O'Sullivan through the apartment complex and out onto the street. Patrick and Carter kept their guard up. Searching for O'Sullivan or any of his followers while Hunter and Tristen kept their eyes peeled for Gina. They stopped at a coffee shop. Tracking where the scents lead. From there, they followed the trail down to the beach.

Carter paused, sniffing wildly. O'Sullivan was closer than he expected. Every hair on his body stood at full attention. Alerting him to the powerful master's presence. "Patrick, we have company." He turned to Hunter and said, "Do what you have to do to convince Gina to go home. And be quick about it."

Hunter and Tristen trotted onto the beach, locked on Gina's scent. She was close. Following the wisps of the breeze that carried her familiar smell upwind to them. They followed the trail. They were in danger. All of them, and they needed, most of all to get Gina out of here. She had no preternatural gifts. She'd be easy-pickings, especially for the vampire with the power Carter claimed O'Sullivan possessed.

O'Sullivan smiled like a Cheshire cat. The little minx had been feeding him a line of shit. She had provided the Guardians and the Sons with a reason to enter his territory. Of course, he had no doubt they'd come for her. Humans were plentiful. But ones that knew their secrets and could keep them were a rarity indeed. He stepped out of his shadowy hiding place to greet his visitors. "My friends, what an unexpected delight. What brings you all the way to my humble territory? Business or pleasure?"

"Business," Carter clasped the hand Eric offered. He hoped, the hand was offered in truce. But, he suspected far differently. "We apologize for our presence on your territory. But, our business here is an unfortunate necessity. We've found who we were looking for and we'll be on our way shortly."

"Ah, the woman. Luckily for her, we were on the same flight. I detected your scent and naturally, was concerned for her safety. As you see, I've seen to her well being personally. She is safe and unharmed."

Carter tipped his head. "We appreciate your generosity and understanding in this matter."

"Of course. Please consider this your home away from home during your visit." O'Sullivan swept his arm across the beach. "You simply must sample the local cuisine while you're in town. The offerings are so very varied and colorful. Although, I sense some of your party may not appreciate our definition of fine dining." Eric winked at Carter, as if the two of them were old friends sharing a private joke. He sensed the brother moving through the shadows and nodded in his direction. "Anything else you may require is yours simply for the asking."

"Eric, thank you. But, we hope to get underway before any dining arrangements are required." Carter withdrew his hand and studied O'Sullivan with icy reservation. Master to master they stood toe to toe. Power rippled over them in waves battered back and forth as they sampled and tasted the force of the other. Carter knew better than to trust Eric. He also, knew better than to stick around for any longer than he had to. The only reason Eric hadn't tried to kill him yet was out of a sick hope that Carter would return to the family. Wasn't going to happen ever.

Too much bad blood had passed between them. O'Sullivan chuckled as if he'd spied on Carter's thoughts. And maybe, he had. Eric had forced him into a blood bond, and while lingering traces of the link remained, Carter hadn't thought him powerful enough to access his mind. He'd greatly underestimated O'Sullivan's strength. And likewise, Eric had underestimated his. "Perhaps you'd prefer a trip to one of our many zoos if your needs require sated," Eric said.

"We can find our own dinner," Patrick said. He scanned the shoreline and the adjacent row of buildings. Counting at least fifteen vampires poised for attack at the wave of their master's hand. They needed to get the fuck out of here before this whole thing went south in a hurry. At this point he didn't care if they had to hogtie Gina and cart her out. He hadn't dressed in the traditional brotherhood black leather. And it was a little difficult to be menacing or look the part of bad ass in flip flops, Bermuda shorts, and a t-shirt. He had no weapons. And basically the four of them plus Gina were sitting ducks.

"Of course you can." O'Sullivan bowed to the Son. "Pay my attendants no heed. I've taken the liberty of posting guards to ensure your safety during your visit. I mean no offense." He inflected his words with graciousness. He had them outnumbered and surrounded.

Patrick nodded his head. Right. Eric didn't give a shit about anyone's safety but his own. "None taken. I'll make sure the Great Father knows what a gracious host you've been."

"Please, do that. And do apologize for me. I meant to pay him a visit while I was in your territories. But, found that I was needed here and had to cut short my stay."

Carter interrupted the men. Cutting short the verbal exchange before it could escalate. "We really don't want to monopolize your time. And really hate to cut our visit short. But, necessity calls us to return home immediately. Please, feel free to visit us again in the future."

"My friend, what else have we got but time these days?" Eric chuckled. "I'll visit you in the future. As always, my invitation remains open for you to do the same." O'Sullivan turned on his heel and melted into the shadows.

He and Carter went way back. But, they weren't friends. In fact, he regretted killing him when he had the chance. He'd thought Keene, Roark's second in command was a bigger threat to him than the wiry, non committal male who had become such an unlikely leader. O'Sullivan wanted the city for himself. But, somehow, Carter had managed to band the shattered factions of vampires together and transformed the rag tag bands into a fierce guard that kept the city free of rogue vampires, vampires like him.

The Guardians were as bad as the Sons. Eating animals, drinking from humans as a form of sustenance only, despicable do gooders who refused to embrace the full extent of their gifts. The combined forces of the Guardians and the Sons were formidable and tough to breech. Eventually, he'd regain his foothold in the city and bring his wayward son back into the fold. But, it wouldn't be today.

Patrick and Carter stood their ground. Hunter had little time to perform whatever magic it would take to convince Gina to return to her home. O'Sullivan's guards remained at their posts and time was fleeting. If Hunter could not accomplish his task they weren't going to be left with any choice but to step in and use extreme means of persuasion on her. This had to be done and their asses had to be on a plane or on the interstate, quickly. Their presence here had added fuel to a bed of hot coals that threatened to spark back to life at any second.

Hunter saw Gina, sitting in the sand. The cool blue waters of the Pacific lapped at her toes. He was prevented from rushing to her by a firm hand on his bicep. "Take it easy Dad. She's been through a lot."

Tristen stayed put and stared out across the unfamiliar waves of blue sea. He understood his dad's excitement at finding her. He was just as exited to know that she was safe. And soon, she'd be on a plane bound for home. Where she belonged.

Hunter slid off his shoes and socks, leaving them at the edge of the beach. The sand was spongy and unfamiliar, coarse beneath his feet as he walked to her. She hadn't noticed him yet. He played through all the possible scenarios in his head. What he would say. The combination of sentences in his mind were jumbled and disjointed. A mish mash of emotions he could not truly put into words. His main thought was of how much he loved her. He was relieved that she was safe. He was close enough now to hear her heart beating in her chest. He smelled salt, not the ocean, but the saltiness of her tears. "Gina."

Gina turned at the sound of the familiar voice that said her name. "Hunter?" Her heart skipped a beat. Without thought she sprung to her feet and rushed into his arms. Her tears fell freely. The dam that had kept them at bay burst forth and they flooded out in a torrent. "You found me!"

Hunter rocked her in his arms. His eyes misted over with tears of joy and relief. "I would have searched the whole world for you. Don't you know that you are my everything?" He pressed his lips to hers. Tasting the sweetness of the donut and coffee and the saltiness of her tears on her lips. "I missed you." He squeezed her tightly and lifted her off her feet, crushing her against him.

"Hunter." Gina closed her eyes and let the warmth of him invade her senses. He wasn't sick like he had been when she left. He was strong and whole. Reunited with his wolf. "I missed you too." She leaned heavily against his body, her head reeling from the urgency of his kiss. "You're whole again?"

"Now that I have you I am." Hunter rocked Gina in his arms, burying his nose into her hair. He felt peace descend over him. Calm. Now that she was in his arms he'd never let her go. He'd never keep secrets from her again. "Let me take you home."

Gina stiffened in his arms. "I can't be with you, Hunter. You hurt yourself because of me. I can't let you do that again. I'm not going home with you. I have to stay away from you."

"Gina. What I did. It was stupid. I was being selfish. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you someday. But, I lost you in the process of trying to hold on to you. I was a fool. And I'm sorry."

"You almost died, again," Gina corrected. "How could you have thought that I didn't want you and your wolf? The two of you are inseparable. I love you both. I had already accepted what you are and everything that went along with it. I don't want to leave you behind. But someday, that will happen. And there's nothing either one of us can do to prevent it."

"I know. I can't survive without my wolf any more than I can survive without you. I promise. I won't do it again." Hunter sat on the shore and pulled her into his lap. "I promise I won't try to separate from my wolf again. I promise. Please. Please come back." He trailed a path of kisses across her cheeks. "I don't know what else I can say to make you come home, except for I love you."

"Hunter, I love you too. And I can't live without you either. I can exist. But, I can't really live without you and your wolf in my life." Gina lifted her chin and looked him in the eye. "You're telling me the truth? You won't try it again?"

"Never. We'll make the best of whatever time we have. If there's a way to extend that time, we'll find it." He slipped the ring off his pinkie and held it out questioningly. Smiling as she nodded and he placed the band onto her outstretched ring finger.

"I don't know if there is a way or not. Even if there's not, I like the idea of living day by day, taking each step by step together, and making the best of every moment that we have been blessed with." Gina gave Hunter a light peck on the lips. The ring was warm from his finger and slid into its familiar comfortable groove on hers.

Patrick and Carter gathered up Tristen and trotted down the beach to collect Hunter and Gina. "Guys, we hate to cut this short. But, if we're going to make the afternoon flight home, and I really think we should take full advantage of that flight and get the hell out of here, we've got to go now," Carter said.

"Home?" Gina smiled widely. Breathing a relieved sigh at the thought of the cozy cabin nestled deeply in the woods.

Hunter nodded to the vampires. Winked at his son. And turned to Gina, "Home." Mission accomplished, not through bruit force, but through the gentle whisper of love.













Chapter 31

Thomas exited the elevator and turned to the left. The weekend was over and life was back into full swing. He was trying desperately to come to grips with Claire. He'd even stopped by to pay her and baby GT a visit. She'd tried to get him to hold his namesake without any success. Seeing her ached. Holding the baby would have been like pouring salt into an open festering wound that simply wouldn't heal.

He'd seen Jan a couple of times since their romp in the sack. He'd treated her with cool detachment and she'd reciprocated with equally chilly indifference. Nothing had changed between them and that suited him fine.

His body, however, reacted to her quite differently. He ached and grew hard whenever she was near. The scantiest whiff of her perfume in the hallways made him stiff and throb with need. His body was getting used to sex, more importantly, it was used to sex with her. He kept his distance. Mindful of the thin material of his scrub pants and exactly how little they'd leave to question if he grew fully erect while he was in uniform.

He nodded casually at Ginger, who greeted him with a cheerful, if not loud, "Good morning, Doc." He passed Jan, catching her perfume on the breeze that fluttered as she passed. He ground his teeth against the pounding in his groin. Yes indeedy, this was the life of Doctor Thomas Sterling. Keeper of secrets he couldn't tell. Aching for a woman he couldn't have. And hard for another he didn't want. His life was one big party. All day. Every day. The entertainment never stopped.

Jan casually ignored Thomas as she whizzed past. Bent on a mission that would carry her as far away from the good doctor as possible. Surely, there was a patient that needed something. Something that would keep her busy while he was on the floor making his rounds. The unit was bustling as usual. The summer asthma season was ripping its way through the community. The humidity had set off anyone with lung problems and the unit was full to capacity. A call light buzzed at the far end of the all. Yes, there was a patient that needed her attention and wanted her caring touch a lot more than Thomas did.

She reminded herself of the facts. He'd been up front about what he wanted. And so had she. She could not afford the luxury of emotion to cloud her judgment or her determination. She could have the husband and a family, if that's what she wanted. She was single for a reason. And she'd do well to keep reminding herself of that reason and to stick to it. Besides, if there were any one person more unlucky in love than her, it was Thomas.

Thomas left the unit and he left Jan. He made a run for his office and locked the door behind him. Today, he had clinic hours and his last patient for the day had left over an hour ago. The eight in the morning to four in the afternoon shift was long gone. And he basically had the place to himself. He hadn't looked at GT's lab results yet. He wasn't certain he wanted to know exactly what the baby had in his DNA. Wolf? Human? Some cross between the two? Claire hadn't asked him what the vials of blood he'd drawn from her son revealed. And if the results were what he suspected they were, he wasn't certain how he'd break the news to her.

He took a deep breath and broke the seal on the envelope. Usually, he asked Roger to e-mail him results. But, he wanted no trail left behind in cyberspace. Pulling the pages free, he scanned through the labs. And he was not surprised at what he saw. GT was a fifty-fifty mix, part of Claire and part of Grant. He was human and wolf. And what that meant for his namesake's future, Thomas did not want to consider. He reached for the phone, intending to call Claire. And then set it back down on the handset. Some things should be told in person and others should not be told at all. Nothing he could say would change Claire's love for her son. GT could not help what he was born with, the uniqueness of his genetic code. Turning in his seat, Thomas flicked on the shredder behind his desk. And he watched the only documented proof of what GT was, shred into ribbons of useless paper.

The countryside was dark and vacant. Brightly lit by a big silver moon and the headlights of the SUV on the open road. Patrick was at the wheel. Tristen rode shotgun. Occasionally, he'd glance at her in the rearview mirror and cast a wide grin. Gina dozed in the back seat, safe in Hunter's arms. If she knew anything about the man, it was this; he never made a promise he didn't intend to keep. She felt confident in that promise and in his love for her. She couldn't change what she was and she would not allow him to change for her. She was in love with him for who he was, not what he was. Somehow, they'd find a way to make it work.

Hunter smoothed his hand over Gina's hair and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. He held her dainty fingers in his palm. Tracing his thumb lightly over the engagement ring. He'd come full circle. Through the self-hatred of surviving when his wife had died. Through the years of loneliness and deprivation he'd been into so deeply that even something as precious as his children couldn't draw him out of. He'd overcome his fear of love and life. And now, he had found a woman that could fully and wholly accept him for who and what he was. Gina completed the circle and his journey through Hell. His love grounded him and kept his feet solid on the course laid out before him.

He longed to find a way to keep her by his side for more than a few decades. He glanced into the front seat over Patrick's shoulder. There was a way, not to stop, but to slow the hands of time to a crawl. Would she be willing to give up her humanity for the sake of love? Was it fair for him to even consider the possibility? Gina stirred and sighed in his arms. Soft and warm, gentle and cuddly, how could he even think of such a thing? She'd forbidden him to change for her. Perhaps, he should just accept what fate had planned for them and do the same for her. She was fine the way she was. Human.

By the time Hunter dropped Patrick and Tristen off and the SUV reached the tiny cabin, the hour was late and Gina was sound asleep. Gently, Hunter carried her into the cabin and stretched her out in the bed, tucking her in. "Where are we?" she asked sleepily.

"We're home," he answered. Placing a kiss on her forehead, he drew the covers under her chin.

"Home," Gina breathed. Sighing deeply when she felt Hunter's warmth under the covers. He was nude, wonderfully, unabashedly, naked beside her. She was fully clothed. She needed to feel his skin against hers. Chucking her sweater and jeans, underwear and bra, even her socks, despite how cool her feet were. She climbed on top of him and pressed her body against his, soaking him in to every pore of her being. "I love home."