Dawn Redeemed

Ruby rolled her eyes and glowered down at the cell phone. Hanning was yelling so loudly that she didn't need to hold it to her ear to hear him. She took a deep calming breath and pressed the phone to her ear. From the other end, she could hear Hanning's rapid breathing, "Because this is what I expected," she said calmly. "What do you want? Is there something wrong with Evan?"

"No, Evan's fine, not that you seem to give a shit," Hanning gritted. "Why haven't you called to check on him? Don't you give a damn about your son?" As he paced the bedroom, he caught a glance of his reflection in the mirror. Damn, he looked like shit. His shortly cropped black hair stuck up at odd angles. His jaw was black with unshaved stubble. And he had bags, heavy, thick, dark circles under his eyes. His clothes were rumpled and dirty. He looked like he'd aged about ten years over night. The bitch was tearing him apart.

"Look I don't want to fight with you," he said, taking a deep breath to calm the rage that boiled within him. "I don't have any fight left and it won't help my cause. I thought you might want to talk to Evan before I tucked him in for the night. I know we're through, but what about him? He's still our son."

"You're right, fighting won't solve a thing." The gravity of his words stung. Logically, she knew they were done the second she admitted her feelings for Ramon. Hearing the words said aloud, hurt. "I was going to call Evan in the morning. I thought maybe we needed time to cool off before I talked to him. Hanning, I want my son. I want him and my nephew here in Texas where they belong."

"They belong here. There's nothing for them there. Here, he has a pack. A chance. What's down there, Ruby? Who's left? A few die hard stragglers? A few lone wolves without anyplace else to go? What's left down there to hold on to? This is his home."

"A child belongs with its mother," Ruby retorted. "Evan belongs with me, not you. Evan isn't even yours. Why do you want to raise a child on your own who isn't even your real son?"

"I don't believe you," Hanning hissed venomously. "Evan is my son! You've lied to me for the past six years? Why would I even begin to believe you now? If you take him, what does that leave me with Ruby? NOTHING! I won't give him up without a fight," Hanning growled between clenched molars. "Do you really think I'm just going to hand over my son and let you take him away?"

"I don't think you'll have a choice." The phone trembled in Ruby's fingers. She'd never experienced the full wrath of Hanning's rage until now. He was always so laid back and calm. Nothing much bothered him. His words were harsh and the tone in his voice was outraged. She had no doubt that if he could reach through the phone lines and strangle her, he would. She shouldn't stay on the line and encourage the fight, but her pride and her feelings were hurt. "Evan is going to love what I've done to the house."

Hanning trembled in raw fury. His wolf bristled under his skin. Ruby was goading him, pushing him and his wolf. Trying to make him lose control. The last thing he wanted to do was give her more weapons to use against him. "I don't think," he said. "We have anything more to say to each other. This conversation is finished. Done. Do you want to talk to Evan or not?"

Breaking Hanning was going to be harder than Ruby had expected. If she could get his wolf to spring free, she could prove that he was a danger, not only to himself, but to their son. "I'd love to."

"Fine." Hanning pulled the phone from his ear and stormed out of the bedroom. Evan was in the bathroom, across the hall, brushing his teeth before bed. "Mom," Hanning said, holding the phone out to Evan.

Evan hurriedly rinsed out his mouth and smudged a towel across his lips. Eagerly, he took the phone from his dad's hands. "Mommy?"

"Hi Baby," Ruby's voice cracked. Tears welled behind her lashes at the sweet little boy sound of Evan's voice. "How's my baby boy?"

Evan smiled and squeezed the phone in his tiny fingers. "When are you coming home Mom?"

"I'm not sure, Baby. I've been working all day on the house. There was so much dust all over everything that when I dusted, it looked like snow. I can't wait for you to see what I've done to your old room. You're going to be so happy here. We're going to be happy. I promise. Me. You. Baby R.J., we're all going to be so happy."

"Mom, what about dad? Don't you want him to be happy too?" Evan tugged on the draw string of his pajama bottoms. The desperate tone in his mother's voice frightened him. From the other end of the line he heard her rapid breathing as she went on to explain.

"Of course I do, baby. Of course I do."

"So dad's coming with us?"

"No baby, I don't think so. But that's ok. He can visit you once we get settled in." Ruby nervously curled an end of hair around her index finger. Evan was a very smart little boy. He knew things no child of his age should know. She had been hesitant to say the 'D' word in front of him. In their world there was no such thing as divorce, technically. A mating could be broken, but it was a painful process. Worse than any human version of divorce. A part of her guessed that he'd already figured out that his parents were splitting up, anyway. "Your dad will be ok, I promise. Me and you... we're going to start over. We'll make a new family, just me and you and baby R.J."

"I don't want a new family! I want my dad! I want you to come home and make him happy again! Say you will, mommy. Say you'll come home." Evan's bottom lip trembled as he held back the sobs. He was unhappy and his dad was completely miserable. Aunt Shayla had taken R.J. away because she was scared of his mommy. "Mom, you have to come home. Please."

A tear rolled out from under Ruby's dark lashes at the pleading, desperate tone in her little boy's voice. "I can't, baby. Please try to understand. I can't just yet. As soon as I can. I will. I'll come get you and take you back to Texas."

"I don't want to go to Texas! I want you to come back here! I don't want to leave my dad! I won't go! I won't!" Evan dropped the phone and ran out of the bathroom.

"Damn it." Hanning snatched the phone and snapped it shut, ending the conversation with Ruby. If he'd spoken to her again, he would lose control. He would say things that he could never take back. Things that she could use against him. Gently, he knocked on Evan's bedroom door. "Buddy, can I come in?"

Ruby stared at the darkened display screen. Guilt wracked her hard. She was breaking her son's tender heart. She'd managed to do more bad and cause more hurt in the last forty-eight hours than she had in her entire life. Angrily, she wiped the hot flow of tears off her cheek. The four walls and the empty echo of the house closed in around her. She couldn't breathe. The warm South Texas night air was smothering her. She had to get out of here. The cheerful home she'd hoped to create enclosed her like a coffin. Bolting, she ran into the night, no clue of where she was going, just somewhere, anywhere, anyplace where she could catch her breath again.

Hanning shoved the phone in his back pocket and sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm sorry, Buddy," he said to the sobbing shape under a bundle of blankets. Evan's tiny shoulders heaved with gasps and sobs. Gently, he fished his son from under the wad of blankets and lifted him onto his lap. Evan latched onto him, tightly gripping him with his arms and legs. Awkwardly, Hanning rocked his son in his lap and smoothed the edges of his dark hair with the tips of his fingers. Evan's breath came out in short hitched sighs and tears dampened the edge of the collar of his t-shirt. With no other way of consoling his son. He told the lie that all parents tell. "Shh, Evan. It's ok, Buddy. I promise, everything is going to be ok."

Hanning had never felt so inept in all his life. He was the dad. The strong one who never cried, could fix anything, and had all the answers. His son was limp in his arms, exhausted from sobbing. Hanning rested his cheek on his son's baby fine hair. His shoulders quivering with the effort of holding back his tears, tears of anger, hurt, and frustration. He wanted to hate Ruby. Hating her would have been easier, less painful, than feeling the emptiness of her absence.

Hanning couldn't fix, anything. His family was broken, shattered into millions of tiny pieces that he couldn't begin to hope to fit together again. Ruby wasn't going to call and announce that 'oops' she'd made a mistake or 'ha ha' she was only kidding. Whatever they had was over between them. And it sucked that her big decision didn't affect only her or him. That their son was being dragged down under the muck of broken hearts and shattered dreams with them.

Hanning had no answers, not a one. There was nothing left to say to Ruby. Nothing he could say to console his son. Things were bad. Worse than they'd ever been before. He stood to lose more than just the shallow woman who'd never really loved him, but his son. He wouldn't let her take him. Evan was the only thing he had left to live for and he wasn't going to lose him too.

Hanning pried Evan's arms from around his neck and stretched him out on the bed. He'd failed his little boy in every way possible. He might not even be his biological father. What a slap in the face that would be. Ultimately, he might even fail Evan on that account as well. Evan called him dad, but that might not be true. What model parents Ruby and he were turning out to be. The only lesson they'd managed to teach him was what a disappointment life could be.

Hanning crawled under the covers with Evan and snuggled his tiny sleeping body tightly against his chest. Ruby had planted the seed of doubt in his mind and kept watering it with harsh words until it began to grow. The truth didn't matter. Biology didn't make a difference, but he had to know, for himself. Was he really Evan's father? Was the little boy in his arms really his or was he Ramon's?

Even if the truth revealed that Ramon was Evan's biological father. He was his dad. And that simple truth went beyond mere biology and took him to the place where love superceded all else. Evan was his son. End of story. End of all doubt. Wearily, he closed his eyes. Too tired to keep up with the tirade of thoughts marching through his mind. Tomorrow was another day. And he'd greet the dawn with a smile and renewed hope. He would wake up, take a shower, get his shit together, and be the dad he knew he was.

Ruby ran blindly through the darkened streets. Not caring where her feet carried her as long as it was away from that house. Things were supposed to be good here. She was supposed to come back to the perfect life she dreamed of. The burning in her lungs as she gasped for breath and the aching in her calves forced her to a stop. She dropped to her knees in the soft, dewy grass and sobbed. Sobbed for what she'd lost. Sobbed for her broken dreams. Sobbed over the guilt of destroying Hanning and breaking her little boy's heart. Her cheeks were burning hot against the coolness of her fingers. Tears ran in rivulets down her fingers and collected in puddles in her cupped palms.

Looking up, her vision blurred with tears, Ruby realized where she was. The place was different. The horror neatly erased by ornate flower beds and a lush lawn of soft, new grass. She clamped her damp hands over her ears to block out the memory of the screams of agony. The ground had been carefully tended and nursed back into growth, but underneath the smell of fertilizer and freshly tilled earth, she smelled the coppery scent of blood and the sweet, cloying scent of death. She buried her face in the grass, wiping her tears on the green blades. "Ramon, what have I done?"



Chapter 47

Fallon popped out of bed the second the gray light of dawn peeked in around the edge of the curtains. Unfortunately, so did her mother. She could hear the whirr of the hair dryer coming from underneath the bathroom door. There'd be no visit with her wolf this morning. If her mom so much as caught a glimpse of him, she'd be on the phone to the sheriff and her wolf would be history.

Gingerly, she peeled back the curtains and pressed her nose against the window. There he was, hiding in the rows of thick pine and prickly brush, almost, but not quite invisible. Fallon gave the glass a sharp tap with her fingernail. Shrewd, intelligent eyes, met her gaze. The foliage rustled as his tail gave a nervous, excited wag. He didn't hazard to come any closer. Almost as if he knew what would happen if he got spotted. She stretched out on her belly and rested her chin on the window sill, watching him.

Her fingers wiggled at him in a wave and his tail thumped in response. Flower petals from the low, prickly thorns of wild rose bushes showered over his sleek brown coat like snow. If only she could make her mom see past the long teeth and sharp claws. He wouldn't hurt anybody, especially not them. Fallon saw him as a protector. She felt safe when she knew he was around. She wasn't a baby. She knew there really weren't monsters in the closet or gooshy things hiding under the bed waiting to snatch her ankles. Even if there were, her wolf would bite off their heads and grind up their bones with his powerful jaws.

"Fallon get ready for school, we're running late!" Erica shouted, as she balanced on one leg to adjust the strap on her sandal.

Fallon rolled her eyes and gave her wolf one last wave before she slid the curtain back into place. They were always, perpetually late, as far as her mother was concerned. Her mother saw tardiness as a black scourge upon the earth, worse than the Bubonic Plague. "Ok!" She bounced off the bed and slid into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. She couldn't wait to tell Marianne the news, all of it.

"What? No time for breakfast today?" Alexander asked Erica. "I was going to make my patented, illegal in three states, gut buster omelets this morning."

Erica paused at the coffee pot, travel mug clutched in her fist. Afraid to ask if she were drinking deaf or fully leaded this morning. "Sorry, Uncle Alexander, we're late."

"You're always late," Alexander grumbled, balancing an armload of ingredients in his hands, closing the refrigerator door with the heel of his foot. "I guess I'll have to eat by myself this morning."

Erica poured the coffee into her mug and placed the half empty pot back into the coffee maker. Guessing her aunt had won the argument, she grabbed four packets of sweetener and two extra creamers to add to the mug. Decaf, no matter what the brand, was bitter as hell. She snapped the lid on and took her first sip. Her eyes widened in surprise at the rich, dark, flavor of fully leaded coffee. "Its real?"

Alexander nodded triumphantly and leaned in close to Erica. "I won." Smugly, he cracked an egg into the skillet.

"Where is Aunt Leigh anyway? She's always up before now." Erica took a long drink out of the travel mug and sighed contentedly. Secretly, she was glad that Uncle Alexander won the Great Coffee War of Moore County. Decaf truly did suck.

"She had some damn women's meeting this morning. Woke me up before the crack of dawn. Fair will be here before you know it and the Women's Auxiliary is hosting the annual charity auction this year." Alexander pointed his spatula at Erica. "You should get involved in something, you know. Get your name out there. Make a few friends."

"Mom, I thought you said we were late?" Fallon demanded.

Erica glanced at her watch. "We are. Uncle Alexander, how do I look? Too much? Too little?," she asked, nibbling on her lower lip. "I start my new job today and I want everything to be perfect."

Alexander glanced up from his eggs and grunted, "You look like an accountant."

"Great, that's just the look I was going for," Erica said. Balancing on her tiptoes as she gave her uncle a quick, affectionate peck on the cheek. "C'mon kid, lets go before Nash changes his mind about hiring me."

"Bye Uncle Alexander," Fallon said.

"Just where do you think you're going Little Miss? Put 'er right there," Alexander said, bending low enough for Fallon to reach his cheek. Her kiss was light and feathery against his rough, sun weathered skin. These little girl years were passing by too quickly. Before long, she'd be too old to give him kisses and adoring glances. He'd be demoted from best friend and all around pal to an old fuddy duddy. He was going to cherish these moments for as long as he could. "Take care of your mom today."

"I will." Fallon gathered up her backpack and trotted out of the kitchen.

Alexander flipped his omelet and added another layer of cheese. He was going to enjoy a relaxing, luxurious breakfast this morning. Calories, who cared. Cholesterol, he loved the stuff. A nice big omelet loaded with cheese and pork products and a nice hot cup of java would sure hit the spot this morning. Too bad he had to enjoy it all by himself. Leigh was gone. Otherwise he would be eating egg beaters and buttering whole wheat toast with fat free margarine. The girls were off and he had no one to share his glorious tribute to coronary artery disease with.

He glanced out of the kitchen window as he slid the omelet free from the skillet and smeared jelly on white toast. He grabbed another plate from the cabinet and set it next to his. Opening the backdoor, he whistled a shrill pitched whistle and grabbed a clean pair of sweats off the dryer, leaving them on the doorknob for his visitor.

The wolf's nose twitched in interest at the smells wafting through the screen door. Humanity always smelled so appetizing. How they could create such alluring fragrances out their food was beyond his understanding. He only knew that it smelled good. Hungrily, his pink tongue skated over a row of sharp teeth and sleek black lips. He crept forward on cautious legs. Just because humans smelled good didn't mean he trusted them. The open backdoor was an invitation though.

Torr groaned and rolled onto his back. The weathered boards were cold and damp. The chill bit into his spine. There was always a slight time warp. A lag of consciousness between where his wolf had left him and when he came back on line. Cursing, he leapt to his feet as he realized where he was. Erica's back porch. He saw the sweats hanging on the doorknob and hoped they were left there for him. Gingerly, he snatched them and threw them on. At least now he didn't have to explain what he was doing naked on her back porch. Obviously, since he didn't hear anything but the sound of cows mooing in a nearby pasture, she hadn't seen him naked and called the police.

He wrapped his fingers around the doorknob and pulled the door open. Springs on the screen door groaned in protest. Timidly, Torr padded barefoot through the landing/ laundry room and into the kitchen. He shivered off the last of the chill from his stiff limbs.

Alexander cut the omelet in half and scooped a generous portion onto the empty plate. Hot coffee steamed in a mug to the left of the plate. "C'mon in, breakfast is getting cold," he said. The eggs were every bit as good as he'd fantasized. Crispy bacon crumbles crunched between his molars and added a smoky flavor to the sharp cheddar cheese. He savored the bite as he watched Torr pull out the chair, sit, and take a long, deep drink from the mug. "I won't tell anyone your secret as long as you don't tell the wife about the bacon."

"Deal."



Chapter 48

"All right you two cut the chatter."

Fallon covered her mouth with her fingertips and stifled a giggle. Blushing, she turned her attention away from Marianne and back to the instructor. She shrank down in her seat, embarrassed by the harsh scowl on the man's face. He was big and heavy with muscle. The paramilitary haircut gave him a look that promised menace. "Sorry."