Dawn Reclaimed

Jeans and a t-shirt felt were much more comfortable than the leather dress and weighty robe had been. They weren't going anywhere special for their honeymoon. Claire assumed back to their room to spend a quiet evening together. They agreed leaving town with the baby so close to being born was too risky. "So what's this surprise?" she asked as Grant drove past the lane leading home and turned onto the highway.

"Just a little something your dad, the boys, and I put together." Grant could not hide his enthusiasm much longer. He gave the car more gas, slowing when he came to a remote gravel road.

"Ah, Grant... I don't know if staying at the cabin is such a good idea. We'll spend more time traveling back and forth to the bathroom than on our honeymoon."

Grant pulled into the drive and slid Claire a smile, "Relax, you'll see." He wasted no time pulling her out of the car and ushering her up the walk. He lifted her and opened the door. Despite her demands that he put her down, he carried her over the threshold.

"Grant I'm too heavy...oh my... this is beautiful." Claire gasped as she looked around. The old worn quilt had been replaced by a luxurious cream colored comforter with red rose petals scattered across the satiny surface. Scented candles ready to light were strewn about in glass holders. Flowers, delicate, tiny buds gathered into bundles covered every inch of available surface. She squeaked in delight when she looked where the backdoor used to be, into a fully equipped bathroom.

"Your dad didn't have any problem lending us the key," Grant said proudly.

"I'll bet not." Claire flipped on the light, "Grant, this is amazing." The bath was tiled with rich, vibrant ochre colored tiles. "Wow," Claire said shaking her head in amazement. "Wow."

Grant wrapped his hands around her hips and pulled her close. "Now, how about that first kiss."

"Grant, we've kissed much more than once," Claire teased.

"But, not as a married couple." Grant claimed her lips with eagerness and urgency. She was his wife, and he her husband. They belonged to one another. Completed each other. He knew how lucky he was to find her. Without her he was nothing. "I love you."

Claire closed her eyes and leaned into him. His breath flittered across her lips. Her husband. The man she loved and had learned to rely on. Even when she'd been so close to giving up. Pushing him away with every bit of her strength. He held on. Never gave up on her. "I love you too." She grappled for a handhold as he lifted her and tossed her onto the bed, sending a shower of rose petals fluttering around them.

Grant slid off his jacket, running his eyes over Claire. Her cheeks red with blush. Her lips were swollen and full from his kiss, curled into a smile, and parted awaiting more. Her blonde hair a ruin of curls fanned out against the covers, mixing with the rose petals. Had any man ever been as lucky as he? He slid his shirt over his head. Smoothing his hands up her thighs. He slid off her jeans, and then his. He stood over her. Easing her up to remove her shirt and bra.

Grant towered over her magnificently naked. Perfect. She lifted her arms. Feeling the last stitch of her clothing being peeled away. Strong hand guided her back against the cool satin of the comforter and the random, sleek brush of rose petals. His face, etched with an expression of pure adoration as his eyes roamed over her naked form. She didn't know what he saw when he looked at her. Despite her pregnant belly and the stretch marks, he made her feel like she was the only woman on the planet. She felt beautiful. Opening her thighs, she silently invited him in.

Grant sank down on his knees. The mattress gave way to his weight. He wanted to take his time. Savor their coupling. But he was hard and aching with need. All to eager to lay claim to what she offered. Her skin was smooth against his palms as they pressed against her thighs spreading her wider. Her scent filled his nostrils, sweet and tinted with the dark perfume of desire. He pushed in slowly. Easing his girth into her warmth. Their lips crushed against one another as he buried his length as far as it would go. Her breath brushed across his cheeks in a sigh of joy.

Orgasm was quick to come. Grant knew exactly how to make her feel each and ever sensation fully and completely. Pulling her back and sending her tumbling over again, thrusting eagerly in and out. Bucking and applying pressure, gentle strokes, and the more long luxurious pumps, until she writhed in the wild throes of pleasure beneath him. Her body tensed and relaxed as another wave of passion crashed through her core.

Grant shot into her filling her and spilling over. He looked down at her. Smiling, relaxed and beautiful, fully sated by him. He made her feel good. He made her come and the knowledge that he could send her over the brink time and time again made him hard and proud. He stiffened inside of her. Hardening to his full length. Pumping. Clutching. Claiming. Jolts of pleasure zinged along his spine. Pressure increasing until he thought he would burst. Holding back until just the right moment and then releasing, her name thick on his lips, as he let go, riding the waves of fulfillment and ultimate completion.

He held her. Cupping her cheek against his pounding heart. Feeling her warmth and softness against his hard chest. Her body was lax in his arms as her fingers trailed along his collarbone and wrapped in his hair. "My Claire," he whispered. "My beautiful, beautiful Claire."

Claire smiled. Dizzied by the passion they'd exchanged. Warmed by the heat of his body. Blanketed by their love. Sleepily, she sighed. Happy, warm and more content than she'd ever been, slowly she drifted off in his arms. Dreaming about the events of the day and replaying them in her subconscious. She'd had the wedding of her dreams. And the man of her dreams was right here with his arms locked around her. She didn't worry about the uncertain future because when she was with him, she felt invincible.

Chapter 76

Try as he may to get the images of Claire out of his mind, drowning them in expensive liquor. She was still there. Beautiful. Staring doe eyed at Grant. They hadn't spoken during the reception, after all what was there left to say? Hadn't she already told him goodbye. Wasn't he the one that wouldn't listen? He had to give her credit. She'd tried to let him down easy. She'd done nothing wrong but be who she was. It wasn't her fault. He'd take the credit for his pain and suffering. He took another drink from the bottle and rubbed the spot where her lips had brushed against his cheek. Friendship sucked.

Mack looked across the thinning crowd and spotted his grandson slouched in a corner, looking like a lost pup. Swilling down a bottle of expensive tequila. It had not been lost on him that the wedding, nice as it was and as companionable as the company seemed to be, Thomas was somewhere else in his head. Mack knew that look a man got when the woman he loved, married someone else. "You gonna sit there and pout all night?"

Thomas looked up frowning at the off duty sheriff. They barely knew each other outside of the ER. Who in the hell was he to criticize? Thomas took another determined gulp off the bottle and glared. "Aren't you off duty?"

"Yeah."

"Well, then either pull up a chair and have a drink with me or go away. I'm not driving so what difference does it make?"

Mack plopped down on the hard metal folding chair and took the bottle out of Thomas's hand. The bit that was left sloshed around in the bottom. Mack finished it off in one gulp and handed Thomas the empty bottle. "Ok, so now what?" he asked, settling back in the chair.

"I don't fucking know. I honestly and truly don't know" Thomas grumbled. Abandoning the empty bottle on the ground, he contemplated snatching another round from the bar. He wasn't a drinker and the alcohol numbed his senses. But, it didn't numb the pain of losing Claire.

Thomas and Mack sat, watching but not participating. The vampires danced. The Pack overindulged in food and alcohol. Everyone was having a grand time, except for them.

"You want a ride home?" Mack asked.

Thomas shrugged, "Sure." Any more happiness and celebration and he'd puke. He leaned heavily on Mack, struggling to keep his balance on alcohol numbed limbs. He was drunker than what he thought. And that was a good thing. Maybe tonight he'd sleep, and for once be free from dreams of Claire.

Hunter held Gina close. Twirling her around the dance floor. Never letting her go. "Stay."

"I can't." The heat from his hands burned through her blouse and singed her flesh. How easy it would be for her to give in and agree. But, how much harder would it be for her to leave if she did?

"Just for the night." Hunter wasn't going to give up. Gina had no idea how patient a wolf could be when it came to stalking prey. "It's late, technically, you wouldn't get home till tomorrow anyway," he coaxed. A wolf could be very creative and ingenious once its sights were set on game.

"I can sleep in." Gina pirouetted around Hunter.

Hunter snatched her waist and pulled her back. "I could sleep with you." He smoothed his hands down her waist, brushing them suggestively across her butt.

"I don't recall inviting you," Gina retorted. Twisting her hips. Knocking his hands free. Her cheeks blazed red fire. Hunter was playing cat and mouse with her. And she wondered exactly who was the cat and who was the mouse. She was dishing it right back at him. Arms wound tightly around his neck as her fingers toyed with the ends of his hair.

"Stay." She was driving him to the point of insanity. Her hips brushed provocatively across his groin. He pressed his lips to her ear and ran his tongue along the shell pink border. "You know you want to."

"Wanting and doing are two different things." The heat of his breath as it skated across her sensitive skin sent a wave of heady desire jolting along her spine. Instinctively, she nuzzled his cheek. The rough brush of stubble scraped across her skin. Sending another wave of goose bumps dancing across her arms.

"So you admit you want to." Hunter smoothed his lips across her ear and down the gentle curve of her neck. Tonguing the bounding pulse, nipping gently. Her pulse sped up. Her scent was tinted with the thick, dark essence of desire. He smiled in triumph. Learning what she liked. Licking and tickling her with the tip of his tongue, he continued his seduction. Her body molded against his, melting in his arms.

Gina felt like a lump of clay being molded by the hands of a master. Arching her neck. She responded. Heart pounding. Legs weak. Her core throbbed. Aching with need. Desire in danger of winning over common sense. Yes! Her body thrummed. Her mind screamed out NO! in protest. Her fingernails raked across the soft fabric of his denim button down. Breath hitched in her throat as he gently suckled her neck, drawing the tender flesh between his teeth. "I can't," Gina said weakly.

"What? Can't admit it or can't stay?" Hunter lifted his face from her neck and searched her eyes for the truth.

"Both. Hunter, this doesn't have to end badly between us. I can't ever forget what you did for me. And I'll always be grateful to you. But, I have to put my life back together again. If I stay, if I admit what I'm feeling, what will it mean? What does it change?"

Hunter swallowed hard as her words sank in. He'd be forced to watch her age, wither, and die. He had just as much to lose as he stood to gain. Anything they could have would be temporary. And she was right, neither one of them had their shit together enough to consider a relationship. The only thing he had to offer was one night, maybe two. The permanence she sought was lost on him. He could love her, and he did, enough to let her go. "I'll drive you home."

Gina looked away. Seeing the pain in his eyes. Pain that she'd caused. She wished things were different. That she'd met him in another place and time, under a different set of circumstances. She didn't trust what she felt for him. She didn't trust the shambles her life had become. And she would not use him as a life preserver. Drag him down and leave him at the bottom. Her life was her responsibility and she had to get it together on her own. Maybe, once she found herself again, she'd see if he had any interest, if he had any feelings left for her, or if what she thought could be something, really was. "Thanks."

The sky was growing light by the time Gina reached the city. The orange-brown glow of the lights covered everything with a thick, hazy, glaze. Hunter had remained stoically silent during the long drive back. Taking special caution not to brush her leg as he slid the SUV into park. Gina sighed, seeing her apartment building looming over her head as a reminder of how far she had to go, saddened her. She wouldn't be seeing Hunter again for a very long time. If ever, it could take her the rest of her life to regain all that she had lost.

"Do you want me to see you to your apartment?" Hunter asked. Buying a few more seconds with her. His hand rested on the gearshift. Gripping the leather bound knob tightly to fill it with something besides hers.

Gina slid a glance at him out of the corner of her eye. Noticing the tense set of his jaw and his strained posture. This was as hard on him as it was on her. In the end, her fear won out, "Do you mind?" Bogeymen really did lurk under beds and hide in closets, having someone to walk her to the door and stand beside her while she checked every crevice and dark corner of the apartment would be a comfort to her.

"Not at all." At least she was granting him this much. He could make sure she was safe before he left. He turned off the key and held the door open for her. Extending his hand to help her down. Closing his fingers around hers after she climbed out and the door was firmly locked. He followed her through the foyer. Catching the scent of vampire on cold gusts of air conditioning coming from the vents. Dane was doing as he promised, keeping watch over her, seeing to her safety.

Gina's fingers were clammy in his hand. Gripping his strong fingers tightly as she turned the key and opened the door. Leading him inside. How easy would it be to convince him to spend the night here with her? To engage in a fling, purely physical, before sending him away? Knowing that she could didn't make it right. He'd expect more. She'd want more. And in the end, they'd both end up hurt. Hadn't they suffered more than their share of pain for this lifetime?

Hunter watched Gina. Squashing back her fear as she went from room to room flicking on lights, flinging open doors, checking the windows, and when she thought he wasn't looking, peeking behind the shower curtain and under the bed. How easy would it be to convince her to let him stay? Seduce her, shower her with a few moments of passion, and lay claim to her? To what ends? She wanted him. He knew it. But, one night would never be enough. He wanted all of her or none of her. Taking just a taste would never sate his appetites.

And what about her? She craved freedom and independence. Wanted to forget the past and carve out a new future. Where did that leave him in relation to the life that she planned? It would be easier for her to forget him and move on if he left now. One night, wasn't fair to either of them.

Gina was satisfied that the house was intruder free. "Thanks." She paused, running through things to say in her mind and coming up short. His hand locked around her jaw. Holding her captive. Stilling her. Gentle lips brushed across hers. Stealing one last kiss. The only thing he could take and she could safely offer.

Hunter forced his fingers to let her go. He struggled against his instincts to take more. Another taste and then another until they were naked and shuddering against one another in passion. "Don't forget me," he whispered as he broke the kiss. The feeling of her lips against his burned. A pang of regret for what might have been if... stole through him.

"As if I could." Gina closed her eyes. Cold settled where the warmth of his kiss had been seconds ago. The door closed with a harsh sounding snick as the lock engaged. Shutting her in and him out. Hunter was gone.

The interstate was dark and quiet. Deserted in the wee hours of the morning. Her scent filled the cabin. Driving him crazy. He rolled down the window. Chilly gusts of morning air rushed in but it did little to clear his mind. Gina was all he could think about. The pavement hummed beneath his tires as the miles ticked away. He could go back. He could go on. But, one thing was for sure. He couldn't stay where he was.

Gina climbed into bed. Feigning an attempt at sleep. She stood at her balcony. Staring into the dark city below. Wondering where Hunter was. Pondering this new life she was struggling to build. Puzzling over if there was a way to have him in it.

Chapter 77

"Good morning, wife of mine." Grant whispered. Trailing kisses across Claire's closed eyelids, he inhaled of the scent of his wife and the rustic smells of the cabin mingling with the newness of the construction.

Claire yawned sleepily and returned Grant's gentle peck on the lips. "Husband." She took a deep breath and was awakened by the smell of coffee and bacon and eggs. "Something smells good." She scooted up in the bed and lounged against a fluffy stack of pillows.

"I woke up early and decided to make my best girl breakfast." Grant placed a cup of coffee in her hand and balanced the plate on his lap. Gratified by Claire's smile as she took a sip out of the mug. "Take a bite." He extended a fork loaded down with eggs to her lips.

"Grant, I can feed myself." Claire protested as he stuffed the fork into her mouth.

"Nope, today I am going to dedicate myself to lavishing you with attention. Your every whim is my command." He loaded another bite onto the fork and held it out to her.

"My every whim?" Claire grinned mischievously. "Well then, put down that plate and come back to bed. I've got a lot of whims that need tending to."

Grant chuckled at the gleam in her eyes. She wanted something other than eggs for breakfast. Immediately he hardened. Ready to satisfy her every desire. "I am your humble servant to command." He laid the plate and the half drained mug on the roughly hewn wood floor and dove into bed.

Hunter had a lot of time to think on the drive home. And by the time he arrived back at the house, the sun was clearing the horizon. He was restless and frustrated. Couldn't sleep. He sanded furiously on a thick layer of rust coating Tristen's rear bumper. Hoping to the repetitive and strenuous motions would help him work through the hornet's nest of thoughts buzzing angrily in his mind.

He'd blocked himself off from others for so long. Hidden behind a wall of misery for so long. Clung to the memory of his wife and submerged him self in an ocean of loneliness. He had been content there. Happily drowning, until Gina came along. Now, he found himself dog paddling upstream. He was angry with himself for thinking that after all these years, he had the strength to want to pull himself out. He'd come up short and lacking. He tried to convince himself that what he'd done was for the greater good. Gina was a human, mortal. She needed to be with her own kind. She needed her own life. Free to live it how she chose without interference from him.

Tristen set a hot mug of coffee on the workbench for his father and took a sip of his own. Bitter, strong, and black was how he liked it. His dad was sanding furiously on a gleaming spot of metal. Tristen had hoped that his dad would sleep in today, and not alone. But, of course not, and there was no reason for it, except simply because, it was his dad. "Where's the girl?"