Dawn Reclaimed

Dumping the damp leaves into the trash and rinsing the steeper, bought him seconds before he had to face her again. The question he dreaded more than any other question she could ask was coming. And maybe, a mug of hot tea would soften the blow. Probably, not. He walked across the living room and handed her the mug before settling down on his side of the couch.

Claire accepted the tea and took a sip, grateful for the warmth infusing her frozen insides. The tea was bitter. And usually, she drank the mix of herbs only when she had some ailment Ginger claimed the tea would cure. Oh, she was sick all right. Heartsick. But, she doubted the tea was an adequate remedy for that. "You haven't answered any of my questions. Not really. How is it that you came to be what you are?"

"I had a mother and a father. I was born into this world, just like you, Claire." Grant answered.

"You weren't bitten like in the movies?"

"No. I was born this way, just the same as my mother and father were and their mother and father before them."

"Genetic?"

"Blessed, Clare," Grant corrected. He eased the steaming mug out of her trembling hands before she spilled it and got burned by the tea. "Let me take that for you."

Claire's hands went protectively to her stomach. She was really, really hoping his condition was viral. Something a person contracted, like the flu. Not something a parent passed on to their children by forces beyond control. DNA did what it did. DNA was just a strand of proteins. But, it was the core of every living being. Their baby would have either his or her eye color, or a mix between the two. Their baby might have light hair like hers or dark hair like Grant's. And in a round about way, very much beating around the bush, Grant was trying to tell her that their baby wasn't going to simply inherit his hair or eye color from his or her father. "The baby?"

"You're a nurse. I'm sure you have a basic understanding of Genetics, Claire."

"My baby..."

"Our baby," Grant interrupted, " might and might not. But could carry the gene. Only a child born of two like parents is one hundred percent guaranteed to possess the gift."

"How? How will I know?" Claire asked. Grant was being so cool and nonchalant about the whole thing. He sat relaxed on the couch babbling on about things as if he were having an ordinary conversation about the weather. He was talking about things that weren't even supposed to exist in reality.

"You won't. Usually, the first shift occurs between the ages of eighteen and twenty-three, give or take a year or two." Claire's cheeks were as white as snow. She was on information overload. But, he meant to answer every question she had as honestly as he could. "The first shift is painful and confusing. Claire, I won't let our child go through it alone. I won't let you go through any of this on your own. I am here, for you and for our baby."

"Mouse is going to shift someday isn't she?" Claire asked. She didn't know whether to cower away in fear and pretend that the conversation wasn't taking place. Ignore the possible future that awaited her baby until it came for them or to let it sweep her up and pull her under. She and her baby were one of the family now. And they would be for the rest of their lives.

"Yes. She will. Her brother, Tristen, had his first shift today."

"How old is he?"

"He'll be twenty-one Christmas Day." Grant didn't like the pallor to Claire's skin. Dark circles ringed her eyes. She was physically exhausted and emotionally drained from the day. "Claire, we don't have to talk about this now if you don't want to. I know your whole world and everything in it has been turned upside down. I'm asking you to go out on a limb and believe in things that don't exist in your reality. I'm asking you to accept the unacceptable. And I wish I didn't have to."

"No. I want to try to understand. I have to know. And I don't have a choice but to accept it." Claire reached for her mug. The tea was stone cold and tasted even worse than before. "Mouse said her mother died in childbirth."

"She did." Grant stared at the floor. "I'm afraid I'm asking you to go out on another leap of faith here. You will need the strength of the pack to get through this pregnancy and bring our child into the world. You can't do it on your own. This isn't a normal pregnancy, Claire. The baby is not fully human. The baby is stronger and more demanding than your body may be able to endure. Sometimes, even the strongest women in the Pack don't carry to full term or make it through the delivery. For a human...for you, childbirth might be too much of a strain. I've put your life at risk. And for that, I am sorrier than you'll ever know."

"I seem to recall that I was just as willing as you were at the time. I'll be just fine," Claire said more for her benefit than Grant's. "Besides, what can the 'pack' do for me that a highly skilled physician can't?" Claire's voice was small. She didn't exactly relish the idea of possibly dying to bring her unborn child into the world. But, it was a risk every mother took.

"Nana has delivered dozens of babies into the world. We have herbs and medicines that will help keep you healthy. The baby will need the strength of the Pack to be born. Claire, the biggest part of what we are defies explanation. Magic, Claire, ancient magic, goddess and spirit born, is what I'm talking about and what you need."

"Grant, this sounds like a bunch of superstitious nonsense to me. I have an appointment with a highly respected Obstetrician next week. Modern medicine suits me and my baby just fine." Claire had to stop herself from clucking her tongue at Grant. Hocus pocus versus high-resolution ultrasound? No contest. And besides, she had Thomas in her corner. And she trusted him, was willing to trust him not only with her life but the life of her unborn child.

"Claire, modern medicine can't help you. I'm asking you to at least let Nana take a look at you. This baby, Claire, this baby inside of you is not a normal, human baby. This pregnancy is not a normal, human pregnancy. For all intents and purposes, you are Pack now. I want our baby to live. I want you to live. Modern medicine won't save your life. But, the Pack can.

"Claire, I don't know how to say this. But, inside of you grows a secret. To the human world, we do not exist. We can't. Try, Claire, please try to understand that. It isn't just your life, the life of our child at stake here. It's Mouse's life, Nash's life, the lives of my family, and it's the entire future of my race at risk. "

Grant wanted to be there for Claire as much as she'd let him. He'd go to every appointment. Pick out everything down to the last diaper. Anything she wanted and needed. He had little time to convince her to let Nana and possibly, the Shaman care for her and the baby. By force, if he had to, she would get the proper treatment. He could not allow her to go to a human doctor and expose their secret to the world. "Have you looked in the mirror recently, Claire? Our baby is healthy. But, he's growing faster than a normal human baby would. This pregnancy is progressing faster than a normal human pregnancy. But, for Pack, everything is happening exactly how it should. How are you going to explain that you're only six weeks pregnant to a human physician?"

Now, it was her turn to hedge the question. She really had to think about how involved she wanted Grant to be in her life. Of course, she'd never keep his child away from him. As for her, she couldn't answer the question yet. "Grant, we've got time to figure all this out. I have so many questions." He hinted that she was showing. And she shouldn't be, yet.

Grant settled back in his seat. He could see the wheels in Claire's mind turning. She believed him...to an extent. But, the logical part of her steeped in science, didn't fully believe him. "This secret affects you too. What do you think a human physician is going to do to you, to our baby, once the truth comes out? Bad things happen when humans believe in miracles, Claire. Humans don't accept them for what they are. And they pick apart what they don't understand. By fall, you're going to be holding our son or daughter, fully developed and healthy, I hope, in your arms, unless you involve your modern medicine in the mix. If you choose to do that, who knows what will happen? Do you want to give birth in a science lab? Do you want our baby raised under a microscope? And what about Mouse and the Pack? Do you know what your modern medicine would do to them in the name of progress?"

Claire pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. She hadn't thought beyond the immediate to glimpse into the future. Grant was right on all counts. But, she was not about to let some 'witchdoctor' deliver her baby. She didn't want to risk anyone's life. But, she didn't want to risk her unborn child either. "I know someone who can help." The thought of Thomas probing around in her nether regions didn't exactly make her feel warm and fuzzy. Especially given their history. But, he was a doctor and a damn good one. He'd do what was necessary, as would she, just like they always did, to save a life.

"Claire, aren't you getting tired? We can talk about this more tomorrow. You need your rest."

"Nope. I'm off tomorrow and the next day. I can sleep later. You're not getting out that door until I have my answers. You promised you'd answer all my questions."

"Fine, but I wish you'd reconsider and get some sleep. Before you get any crazy ideas, I'll answer some that you may have. Believe me, I can take a pretty good stab at what they are. You can't become a werewolf from a bite. That's pure fiction. I don't go all hairy on the full moon. Yes, my wolf hunts, bunnies and deer, not people though. I'm more durable than your average human. But, still breakable. Silver bullets aren't a necessity. Any old bullet aimed in the right place will do the trick just as well. There, did I cover all the bullshit?"

"Not hardly. Although, the thing about the bullets might be handy to know," Claire teased. It was so hard to be angry with Grant when she was face to face with him. Especially, when he smiled with that crooked, half-cocked, sexy as hell grin of his. Curiosity got the better of her and she was willing to put her fear aside for the time being. "How is it that your... race came to be?"

Grant groaned, "Claire, it's a very long story. Are you sure you wouldn't rather get some sleep and save it for later?"

"Start. Talking."

Grant held up his hands in surrender. How to tell his story without divulging the brotherhood? Claire was having a hard enough time dealing with the wolves, let alone throwing the fanged into the mix. He'd have to tell her about his toothy cousins soon enough as it was. But, not tonight though. "As you wish, Claire. The first of our kind was a man. He was a very skilled hunter and there was nothing that he couldn't track, once he set his sights on it. Not even the bravest warriors among the village would dare to venture into the woods for fear of the Great White Wolf who hunted in them. But, winter had draped her white cloak of snow and ice over the land and the villagers were in danger of starvation.

"When the Great Hunter heard the villagers' plight. He headed off into the woods to hunt and kill the wolf and bring prosperity back to the starving villagers. He knew he could find the wolf and kill it. Wear his great white pelt as a coat to keep him warm and earn his place as the greatest hunters of all time amongst the village. So he set out to do just that."

Grant smiled as Claire inched down on the couch and eased back against a fluffy throw pillow. Her eyes were round as quarters and still very wary. But, he could easily remedy that. He gathered her feet and placed them across his lap. Massaging with long even strokes across her soles and up along her calves with casual, measured strokes of his broad hands. "He tracked the wolf and kill it, he did. The wolf wasn't an ordinary wolf though. The Great White Wolf was the cherished pet of Kokumthena, our goddess, the Grandmother of all creation. When she saw what the hunter did. And saw the life spirit of her wolf leave his body. Her heart shattered in two. She was hurt and angry that one of her children could destroy something so beautiful as the wolf for such a purely selfish reason.

"Rather than punish the hunter, she made him a deal. She offered to allow him to make restitution to her and to the wolf by housing his soul in his body. The wolf would become a part of him and he, part of the wolf. He would spend the rest of his days sharing his body with the wolf."

Claire sighed as Grant ran his fingers along the arch of her foot. Her eyelids were heavy. But, she was not giving in until she had all of the answers she wanted. Stubbornly she forced them open and focus on Grant.

"The hunter agreed. He would share his body with the wolf. The wolf though, was not pleased with the hunter's limited human skin. The hunter's teeth were too blunt, his nose too short, and his human skin, no shelter from the cold, and the whole walking on two legs thing, not happening. The wolf felt cheated and wronged by the human who had hunted and killed him and he wasn't going to agree, if he had to live inside of such an ugly, limited body.

"The wolf was about to refuse and his spirit was drifting into the world beyond. Kokumthena wanted her wolf happy. So she decided that not only should the hunter house the wolf's spirit. But, the only way to make things completely fair was for them to share the body in its physical form as well, sometimes, in the body of the wolf and at others, in the body of a man. This agreement was pleasing to both the hunter and the Great White Wolf. But, not to the spirit wolves, his brethren, who guarded Kokumthena's realm, the world between the living and the dead. It was the envy of the wolves that man should eat the fat of the land and walk the earth while they had no corporeal flesh to do the same."

To reset the balance in this world and the one after, Kokumthena, the hunter, and the Great White wolf and his kin came to a compromise. The hunter's offspring would share their bodies with her spirit wolves. Their wolves would guard the spirit world. Protect the shadow land barrier between the living and the dead, as her precious pet had and yet, at the same time, walk the land with earthly feet. Kokumthena gave both the spirit wolves and the hunter a great blessing and a terrible curse in the pact they'd made between them on that day." Grant lowered his voice to a whisper. Claire was almost asleep. "That's the story of The Children of the Wolf, of my family, and of our the father of us all, Psaiwiwuhkernekah Ptweowa, the Great White Wolf."

Claire yawned sleepily. Her addled brain wavered between the drowsy sound of Grant's voice and clinging to every word. His story sounded like nothing but myth and folklore to her. But, he believed everything he said. For her, it was simply too fantastical to accept as fact. Glancing at the mantle clock, she pulled her feet out of his lap. "Two in the morning. I haven't been up this late in a long time."

"Claire, you are safe with me and my wolf. Of that I can guarantee with absolute certainty. I can control my wolf, maybe not my wolfish nature, but definitely my wolf. He won't pop out unless I call on him. The only time the wolf has the ability to override me is if I'm...I mean we, are in extreme danger."

"That's reassuring." She sat up on the side of the couch, debating on what to do with Grant. She could, but she wouldn't toss him out into the street so late at night. Sure her little town was safe and usually boring as hell. But, he lived so far off the beaten path and at two in the morning, it'd be dark as pitch out there on those country roads. He could crash his car. And Lord knew that little, economy clown car of his would crumple up like a pop can if he got in a wreck. Yeah sure, likely story, if she wanted to kid herself and believe it. She wanted Grant to stay, and that was all there was to it. She didn't know where she stood on the whole wolf-human relationship topic. But, the man sitting next to her was still Grant. No matter what else might share his body. And despite all her better judgment, and as much as she didn't want to, regardless of all the excuses she could find not to love him, she did.

"Look, it's really late and in that little tin can you drive isn't safe after dark. You be squished like a bug, if you got in a wreck." She glanced hesitantly at Grant, half hoping he would and half hoping he wouldn't take her up on her offer. "Do your want to stay?" Her cheeks heated as his mouth curled into a cocky smile and he nodded his head.

"You shouldn't make fun of my car. I'm going green." Grant frowned in a false pout. "You know, some say a man's car is an extension of his penis. Please, don't disrespect my car or my penis."

Claire chuckled. His penis was anything but small. And if she really believed that a man's vehicle was an extension of his penis. There were a lot of rednecks driving around this town in big monster trucks that had to be compensating for something lacking below the beltline. Besides, Grant's little car could get a hell of a lot of mileage on one tank. And endurance was far better than sheer size. "I didn't say that. You did. Besides, I think your penis is ...ok."

"Ok? OK?" Grant spread his legs apart and planted his hands against his groin. "Don't listen to her, little buddy. She didn't mean it." He grinned up at Claire, "Ok? Just ok? I guess I'm going to have to make it my life's mission to get you to change your mind on that topic."

Claire snorted and rolled her eyes. She liked this flirty, playful, less scary version of Grant a whole lot better than his wolf side. And just sitting here, exchanging harmless banter with him made her feel almost normal again. She fanned her face with her hand and feigned a swooning motion. "Your penis the finest display of manhood that I've ever seen in my entire life." She batted her lashes at him and battled the urge to laugh. "I think I may faint with the vapors."

"Ok, I get the picture." Grant stood and stretched his legs. Apparently, his little buddy was rising to the challenge Claire placed before him and growing bigger every second, something getting increasingly difficult to hide from her. "Where am I sleeping?"

"Well, if you can keep your little car in park." Claire gestured with her eyes to the bulge behind his zipper. And what an impressive bulge it was. "You can share my bed. No funny business, and I mean it. Sleep only."

"Consider it a deal." He grinned wildly as he followed her to the bedroom. "I feel I should warn you though. Sometimes, my little buddy has a mind of his own. Especially when it comes to you."

Claire scoffed and turned down the bed. "Don't make me take you to the vet and get you neutered."

Grant threw back his head and let out a long, hearty, laugh. He placed his hand over his zipper and pretended he was talking to his penis. "Little buddy, I think you'd better listen to the lady. I'm pretty sure she means it."

Claire shuffled to the bathroom to brush her teeth and change for the night. She heard the rustle of the sheets and the springs groan as Grant climbed into her bed. Love, she supposed, was a funny thing. Sometimes, it had a mind of its own. And sometimes, it had no common sense at all.

Grant looked down right cozy in what he'd adopted as his side of the bed. Which was actually hers. Lounging against the pillows with his hands behind his head, the skin of his bare chest stood out against the pale peach sheets. "You are wearing your pants aren't you?" Claire hesitated before she threw the covers back.

"Yes. I'm an honorable man and I keep my word. My little buddy is tucked in for the night. But, I'm sure that with the proper motivation he could be coaxed out of hiding. If you want." Even in a pair of loose cotton sleep shorts and a camisole top she looked sexy as hell. Her blonde hair fell in a tumble over her shoulder. He could see the pink of her erect nipples through the white fabric of her top. Keeping his car in park was going to take every bit of his will. Proper motivation? Hell, he would be ready for action with little more than a whispered suggestion from those sweet, berry lips of hers.