Dawn Reclaimed

"About what? I thought you said the baby and you were both perfectly fine?"

"We are. Grant, this baby is coming a lot sooner than I'd planned for. I can't have my child born into the world without a name. Grant, what are we going to name this baby?"

"Oh, is that what's got your tail tied up in a knot?" Playfully, Grant nibbled on the tip of her big toe. Claire was tense and needed to relax. She'd been through so much today. And he had just the cure for what ailed her. He wasn't a foot fetish kind of person. Truthfully, she had the cutest toes he'd ever seen on a female. The polish on the ends of her toenails was chipped. But, that was because their baby was taking up residence in her belly and she couldn't reach her feet.

"Quit that. I'm serious." Claire stifled a giggle and pulled her foot away. The sensation of his warm lips and wet mouth on her toes was both squicky and a little bit of a turn on at the same time. She was not into the stranger side of sex. Nope, not a bondage, handcuffs, or fetish girl, but Grant had magic hands capable of caressing and stroking her into about anything he wanted to try.

"But, I like your toes," Grant pouted. Pulling her foot into his lap, he began to massage the arch.

"Grant. The baby. Coming soon. No name. Focus," Claire prompted.

"Ok." Grant said as he continued massaging. A name said a lot about a person. And he didn't want to stick his kid with a name like George, or Harry, or he shuddered, Thomas. "I don't know, what names do you like?"

"If the baby was a girl, I'd have no problem coming up with a name. Girl names are easier, I think. Boy names are so hard. We could name him after you or your father or someone in your family," Claire offered.

"No, we can not. What about after your father?" Pack tradition allowed for only one male to carry any given name at a time. There would only be male named Grant, at least until after he passed from this world into the next.

"Blake? The multipurpose name... I hate names that can be used interchangeably as first and last names." Claire scoffed, "Let a first name be a first name and a last name be a last name, that's my motto." Claire drained the rest of her cocoa and wiggled her toes. Inching her nose over her belly, she craned her neck to see if she could still see her toes at all.

"So, you won't be wanting to name the baby Thomas?"

"Well, he has done so much for us. And he is one of my closest friends. Really, that's not a bad idea. He'd be honored."

"But, you just said that you didn't want interchangeable names. Thomas could be a first name or a last name."

"True." She tried out the name in her head. Blake Thomas Grant. The name was a mouthful. Grant Thomas Blake? Thomas Grant Blake? Blake Grant Thomas? The whole first as last name thing was baffling. What was Grant's last name anyway? He'd said he didn't have one. But, he had ID and a birth certificate, a social security card. He had to have some sort of a last name. Otherwise, she'd have to give their baby hers. Grant Thomas Blake Samuelson. 'GT' for short. She liked it. "Grant, what last name will the baby have?"

"We haven't decided on a first one yet." Grant hadn't thought of that. He didn't have a last name. He wasn't officially 'born' in the system. None of his family was.

"I have to put something on the birth certificate," Claire huffed. "You have a driver's license don't you?"

"It's a fake. Claire, the Pack keeps out of the system. As far as the government is concerned, we don't exist. There is no Grant Wolfe, at least not this Grant Wolfe, in existence except for the one Toby created on paper. I don't exist and for a very good reason, none of my family does."

"But, you said it yourself. Our son might not have your gift. He could live a very normal and very human life. He needs a last name and a social security number. At least until we know for sure."

"Well?" Claire asked.

"Wolfe then, I guess." He slid out from beneath her legs and crawled up on the

bed to cuddle beside her.

Claire giggled. "Now that's original." Her mind was already working. Mapping out how to Grant's fake last name would fit. Grant Thomas Blake Samuelson-Wolfe. Now that was a name that was a name that deserved attention and demanded respect. Claire Samuelson-Wolfe. "Grant Thomas Blake Samuelson-Wolfe. Claire Samuelson-Wolfe. I love it."

"What? How is the baby supposed to say all of that? Don't torture the poor kid." Grant rubbed Claire's belly sympathetically. "I'm sorry son, but your mother insisted on that mouthful for a name." he teased. Grant didn't necessarily see the purpose to all those vowels and consonants. And he was kind of on the fence about naming the baby Thomas...after Thomas. But, he had a feeling any protests he threw out would be immediately vetoed.

"Well next time, try for a girl." Claire rested her hand on his. Their fingers linked over the bulge that used to be her slightly flatter tummy. Caressing their baby, Grant guided their joined hands in small swirls.

Grant's eyes lit up. "Claire, you want more babies?" He bent to kiss her forehead. Awestruck. He didn't know what he'd ever done to deserve her. But he was going to spend the rest of his life making sure she was happy and well cared for. If more babies came, he'd count them as blessings. But, to have her healthy and whole at his side, was the greatest gift he could ever ask for.

"Sure. I dunno. Maybe someday." Claire tipped her head up and met his lips. His kiss was soft and gentle. Made no demands, and offered the promise of happiness.

"I really want to name the baby after you and my father. And Thomas, he really has been so good to us. I want to honor him too. I think it would mean a lot to him."

"Ok. Grant Thomas Blake Samuelson-Wolfe it is. GT huh? I can deal with that." He snuggled Claire into the crook of his arm and wound his feet in between hers. Softly, he stroked her hair. Twirling the ends in his fingers.

"There's something else on your mind. Isn't there, Claire?" Her body was nestled tightly against him. But, she was tense and on edge. She was thinking too much.

"Grant, the baby is coming so soon. And I don't know what's going to happen next. What about the wedding? I'd like to get married before the baby comes."

"Claire, I already consider you my wife. A piece of paper and a gold band won't change my love for you. I love you. If you need a ceremony to feel like my love is official, we'll do it."

"You'd do that for me?"

"Of course. I asked you didn't I? Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know if I can throw something together soon enough? Where would we have the ceremony? What about the minister? It takes weeks to order a cake and flowers."

"We could elope. Escape Wedding Hell and have a simple and private ceremony out at the bluffs. Claire, the bluffs are a sacred and holy place for my people. A place where we go when we need to feel the goddess's hand and hear her voice whispering to us on the winds."

"My dad used to take me there when I was a kid. We'd pack a lunch and sit on the rocks for hours. It's a beautiful place. I always knew there was something special about them. The bluffs, that sounds really nice." Claire giggled. "My mom will have to trade in her designer suit and stiletto heels for hiking boots and jeans. The fresh air might kill her."

"Might, do her some good." Grant joined Claire in a snicker. Her mother was an indoor girl. She'd probably shrivel and die if she got dirty or broke one of her porcelain nails. "I'll make some calls in the morning and see what I can do."

"Grant, there's just one more thing," Claire hesitated. "Where are we going to live? This bedroom is going to get a little cramped for the three of us. And I've got the house to think about."

"We will live wherever you want. Personally, I'd like to keep the baby and you as close to my family as possible."

"Why?"

"Claire, this is how I've always lived. How I've grown up. In a house filled with family. We look out for each other. Care for the young and the old. Everyone contributes. Everyone benefits. There is safety and strength in numbers, Claire. The pack takes care of its own. We'd die for one another. Can you say that of your neighbors? Would relatives that you've never met put their lives on the line for you?"

"Probably not," Claire admitted. She knew Grant was deeply committed to his family. She'd never guessed exactly how deeply the commitment ran. He took the whole blood is thicker than water saying to a new level. He was serious. He would die for these people if needs be. She, on the other hand, had cousins in town that she hadn't spoken to in months.

She could keep the house. Make payments for now and if things worked out. Sell it or use it as a rental. She wasn't necessarily attached to the house and had done little to change things since she'd moved in. She considered the house nothing more than that, just a house. A starter home, not someplace where she'd intended to stay for more than a year or two anyway. "Ok. We'll try it."

Grant grinned in triumph. He finally had her in his bed and in his home. She went down easier than he'd expected. He thought she'd put up a fight about moving. Love was the conqueror of all things, especially of Claire. He had everything and even more than he'd ever dreamed. A wife he adored and a baby on the way. The only thing missing was his brother. There was little he could do about that. He didn't regret saving his brother's life. Never would. He could only hope that someday Hunter would forgive him. Gasp a hold of the life he'd been given and finally live.

He yawned as Claire flicked off the lamp. Tomorrow he'd talk to Nash about moving into a bigger bedroom and talk with The Supreme Pack Master about performing a wedding ceremony. He spooned Claire in his arms, rubbing her protruding belly with his hand and nuzzling his nose against her neck. He was happy. For once, things were working out and almost everything was right with his world.





Chapter 63

Thomas woke up with a throbbing headache and a foul mood. He stomped into work with the same demeanor. Most of the nurses knew him and the scowl on his face well enough to give him a wide berth. Duck in a room and pretend to be busy just to keep out of his line of fire. When he arrived on the unit, the nurses scattered like roaches beneath a spot light. He spotted his victim. A petite brunette, who didn't know any better, wide eyed and green as grass. He'd never seen her before. A long ponytail swung across the small of her back as she walked down the hall in a pair of navy blue scrubs as stiff and new as she was. "Do you know which nurse has room forty-one?"

"Ah..." She turned. She was a little older than she appeared from behind. From the back she looked maybe twenty-one, but from the front, she had faint traces of laugh lines etched in the corners of her eyes and a few light wrinkles, probably approaching thirty. Long, thick doe like lashes blinked up at him. Brilliant green eyes, glittering like emeralds timidly appraised him. Her cheeks heated to a bright pink blush as he scowled back at her. She had a short, blunt tipped nose slightly curved up showered by a spray of freckles. Cute. "I do."

Thomas narrowed his eyes. Enjoying the feeling of making his poor victim shake in her Nurse Mates tennis shoes. "I ordered labs an hour ago. Why aren't they in the chart yet?"

"Because you didn't order them stat. I was getting ready to start a new IV and I thought I'd draw them then. Save the patient an unnecessary stick."

Thomas leaned closer. She was so short, probably just under the five-foot tall mark. So tiny, weighing at best ninety-five pounds. Seeing her cheeks flush red and her lip quiver slightly made him begin to feel better. "Everyone around here knows that if I order labs that means that I want them ASAP. What's your name? I've never seen you around here before, who's your preceptor?"

"My name is Jan, that's Nurse Collins to you," Jan said hiding the tremble in her voice. If she showed weakness, the vultures would circle and pick at her until there was nothing left but a pile of bone and fur. Truth was, she was petrified. She had a new job in a new town, a new apartment, starting over with her new life. Surrounded by strangers in a strange place. And she was more than a bit intimidated by the rushed pace of the unit. And her preceptor...wow. Words could not begin to describe that woman. "Ginger is my preceptor today."

"Well, Nurse Collins." Thomas glowered over the nurse as she scrabbled to hold her ground, "I'm Doctor Thomas Sterling and from now on when you see my name on a chart with my orders on it. You'll know that when I order labs I want them done PRONTO."

Jan glared at Doctor Thomas Sterling with disdain. "I'll keep that in mind. But proper procedure is that if you want an order carried out." She made quotation marks with her fingers. "PRONTO, you'll write." She made more quotation marks. "STAT on the order." Jan stiffened her back in defiance. "Now then, we can stand here in the hall debating hospital procedures or I can get back to work, start my IV, and get your labs." She smiled widely. "If you'd like I can page you with the results when they're finished. I'd be happy to read them to you."

"That won't be necessary," Thomas muttered. He hid his snicker behind a glare. His bad mood was completely forgotten. The pint-sized spitfire glaring up at him had definitely put him in his place. "I'll let you get back to work. Welcome to the hospital, it was very nice to meet you."

Jan nodded and forced a smile. "Likewise." HA! She spun on her heel and made a beeline for the supply room. "Jackass," she mumbled under her breath when she was out of earshot. She didn't have time to let an egotistical schmuck like Doctor Thomas Sterling get beneath her skin. He didn't mean anything to her. The good doctor was a slightly shorter, medium built, somewhat balding man with the worst case of 'little man' syndrome she'd ever seen. And she didn't know who or what had pissed in his wheaties this morning. But, she wasn't going to let him take it out on her. She snatched up her supplies and put the incident and him out of her mind.

Ginger stood in the doorway, peeking out of a patient's room. Watching the exchanged between Thomas and her protégé Jan. Stifling a peal of laughter when Jan walked off cussing the good doctor under her breath. Almost losing it when she saw Thomas's face turn three shades of red as he overheard her. Usually, Thomas was easy going and laid back. Nurses and patients did what they did for him because he was so easy to get along with and genuinely cared for them. Today, he was hell on wheels. She wondered what his issue was and if it had anything to do with a certain very pregnant blonde chic.

Claire stretched her legs and rested her feet on the stone hearth. Rocking in front of a blazing, cheerful fire. Letting the fire's warmth penetrate through her thick wool socks. There were a million things she should be doing. Packing her things. Shopping for the baby. Planning the wedding. But instead, she was sticking firmly to her plan. Lounging her day off away. The cheesy romance novel she'd started months ago stretched over her belly as she daydreamed about nothing in particular staring out a large bay window.

Cold pellets of rain fell lazily down from a steely gray sky. Pretty much par for the course for Memorial Day Weekend in Indiana. Winter wasn't going down without a fight this year. And the day was damn cold for May. The seasons had changed. There was plenty of evidence to suggest spring was here, blooms on the flowers, leaves on the trees, and green grass. Everything was green and alive. Bursting with life, and so was she.

When she went on vacation and fled the world. Seeking seven days of solitude and quiet refuge, love was the last thing she'd been looking for. But somehow, love found her. And love was taking her places that she never thought she would go. She smoothed a hand over her rounded belly. Love had brought her to Grant and given her a family.

"Supreme Pack Master," Grant said bowing to Drew. Drew, such a simple name for a man who held rites to the fate of the entire Wolf Nation in his palm. The setting was casual enough. A fire crackled and filled the room with warmth and a dim, orange glow. The burning wood filled the room with the smoky scent of cherry and spice. The man, still intimidating, by size and station, stretched out non-threateningly across a richly colored, thick and plush, exotic Persian rug. Drew was powerful and lethal. He didn't throw his power around, however. He was dangerous, and he knew it. Before he became Supreme Pack Master, inheriting leadership and title from his brother. He was a leader of men, founder of a brotherhood, and father to a great race, The Sons.

To the Pack, he was the Supreme Pack Master, Psaiwiwuhkernekah Ptweowa, the Great White Wolf. The Weres had a divine purpose. When the wolves were not occupying the body they shared with their human, they protected the goddess and guarded the boundary between the land of the living and the dead, the Spirit World.

To the Vampires, he was The Great Father, leader and father to the Sons, a secret society of vampires and humans sworn to protect humanity from the Rogues. The Rogues were soulless vampire thugs, who drank without discretion or thought. To them, people were nothing more than a smorgasbord. If not for the Sons, humans would have been fed upon to the point of extinction.

Tala sat to Drew's right. His fingers casually played with the ends of the thick, ropelike, silky, black braid, slung across her back. She was his queen. Pack by birth and a queen by marriage. She had given her blood to Drew and taken his. Both of their lives irrevocably changed. Drew was a vampire who could shift. And Tala was a wolf who had fangs and required blood. Vampire-wolf hybrids. Their combined abilities and gifts made them the ultimate predators, lethal, deadly, and divine. And nobody in the Pack or the brotherhood had much of an idea of what that meant for the two of them.

Grant showed no fear. Fear meant weakness. After the stunt he'd pulled, nearly killing Tala in a show of force. He could understand the Supreme Pack Master's wary gaze. At the time, he'd been stupid and power hungry, vying for pack master and Tala's love. He thought winning the title and making Tala be his wife would make him happy and fill the empty space in his life. How thankful he was that he didn't get what he thought he wanted, because, he had it now. Claire filled the dark chasm with her love and completed him.

"What can we do for you Grant?" Drew asked. He had completely forgiven Grant for what he'd done to Tala. Dismissing the whole incident. Grant was a changed man. And the past was the past. But, if Grant so much as thought about harming Tala again, he'd live to regret it and die before he could try. Grant stood, close to the door, hands jammed in his pockets. Drew beckoned him to sit on the floor with them, close to the fire in a sign of friendship and good will.

Grant selected a place on the floor farthest away from Tala. Showing that he had no ill or otherwise intentions. "I came to ask a favor."

"Well of course, anything we have is yours. You know that, Grant," Tala said graciously. She gave Grant a big and hopefully warm smile. He'd come far and had proven himself to be trustworthy and loyal to the pack and his vampire cousins. The past, what he was then, didn't matter to her. She had forgotten and forgiven. She and Grant grew up together. And she'd always seen him as an older brother. She could hold no grudge against him. "How is Claire doing?"

"That's what I came to talk to you about. She wants a wedding. Soon. Before the baby is born. Drew, would you do us the honor of officiating the ceremony?"