Dawn Released

The time for defiance was not quite at hand yet. He would report in for work in the morning. Just as every mother and father would deliver cherished firstborn sons to the front lawn for training. Hanning heard the men talking and the buzz of saws and pounding of hammers as laborers constructed the barracks that would house the youths. He cringed. The sprawling lawns and painstakingly tended gardens he'd cared for all his life were trampled underfoot and transformed into a military base.

He wondered how many of these young boys that he'd known since their birth would die for Seff and a rebellion that they barely understood. The madness had to end and the madman behind it stopped. Emil slipped into the fray of activity unnoticed and went to work. He was dirty from his tunneling underground and looked as if he belonged amongst the exhausted, filthy workers. The windows of the manor were dark and the drapes drawn tightly shut. The place would have looked empty and deserted if not for one point of light shining through a window on the first floor and the dark outline of the man standing in it.

Seff stood, scowling into the darkness. A dark shape outlined in the light from the room behind him. Watching the progress with eyes that never missed a thing. A guard nudged Emil in the back, motioning for him to carry a bundle of wooden beams across the yard. The guard's eyes were hard, cruel, and black: flat matte black, the eyes of a killer. Emil had grown up with this man. His eyes weren't always like that. At one time they'd been filled with the joy and wonder of youth. Now, they were dulled and lifeless, reflecting what little was left of the man on the inside. He was just one of many of the casualties of the war for conquest, another one of Seff's faithful.

Emil dropped the bundle at the feet of a worker. The wooden boards clattered as they fell on the ground. Emil met the steely gaze of a pack mate. The spark of rebellion and faith burned in his stare as he answered Emil's silent question. There were others that would fight. Not for their mistress though, those days were over and even Seff's defeat would not bring them back. The man, the ordinary worker would fight for freedom. Something none of the pack had ever known.

Chapter 28

Kacie tossed and turned in the sleeping bag. Her eyes refused to shut and her mind would not quiet. She was confused about the kiss, but that wasn't what kept her awake. Thoughts of her mother stormed through her mind tonight. Worries of the danger she faced. Seff would kill her for making a public spectacle out of her self and likely, Torr right along with her. But, not before the baby, if there was one, was born. Seff would want the baby to be raised as his own. That bought her mother time, but not Torr. Torr was more expendable now than he ever had been.

Had her mother really slept with Torr? Had she been forced to? Was there really a baby? The questions swirled in Kacie's mind and there was only one person who could answer them. Her mother. If her mother were in danger, it was up to Kacie to get her out of it. And Kacie didn't know how she was going to do it. She only knew that she had to try.

There had to be another way in. Digging in through the hole Carter had made was too risky. If the hole were found, the only escape route the others had would be cut off. Under the fence was not an option and it wasn't like she could just simply walk up to the front gate. Tristen was right about that. Seff wouldn't believe that she had come all this way on her own. Seff would look for the others. Tristen was right about one other thing too. If Seff got his hands on her, her mother would be in even more danger. She was as stuck as her mom and every bit as helpless.

Even though she was the daughter of a pack mistress, her mother had not shared any secrets with her. If there were another way in, she didn't know about it. What was she going to do once she got in? Her mother was in the Grand Manor. A house Kacie knew nothing about. She'd never even been inside. How would she find her way through the sprawling maze of rooms and corridors?

Sitting back and playing it safe had never been Kacie's style. She was never one for obeying the rules. She had done something none of the pack's scouts had managed to do and find her sister. How hard could finding a way through the fence be considering how well Jan had kept herself hidden from the scouts? Yet, Kacie had done it. She could find a way in to the complex and to her mother. Getting out? She'd just have to deal with that when the time came.

Kacie slid out of the sleeping bag. The fabric whispered across her jeans as she shimmied free. The camp was quiet. Everyone except for Carter, who was occupied with his bird's eye view of Shayla's mind, was taking advantage of the tiny bit of rest they could get. It was now or never. Either Kacie was going to go now or she'd have to be content to cool her heels till news arrived of her mother. She'd never out run the vampire in her human form, too damn clumsy and noisy. She'd have to shift. Quietly, she snatched a backpack out of the corner of the tent and emptied the contents.

She clutched the backpack in her fingers and inched free of the tent. As she guessed, Carter was distracted by his thoughts. He barely acknowledged her as she pointed to a scraggly patch of brush. "Gotta go pee," she explained apologetically. She dodged out of sight behind the bushes and shimmied out of her clothes, stuffing them into the backpack. She'd have to wear something once she found her way in. If she showed up naked, she'd definitely attract attention.

Tristen heard Kacie slip out of her sleeping bag and tiptoe out of the tent. He heard her explain that she had to go pee. But, he had his doubts. He gave her a few seconds and when she didn't return, he slid into the shadows to follow her. He ducked behind the tents as she glanced over her shoulder, dodging for the brush. He was just going to investigate. He wasn't that big of a pervert to spy on her while she did her business. He inched to the brush, not surprised to see a dark wolf with golden eyes meeting his stare before she bounded off with a backpack clutched between her teeth.

He should wake up his grandpa and sound the alarm. Instead, he found himself peeling off a layer of clothing and shivering in the cold night. He called the energy of his wolf and gave his body over to the beast. Flesh tore and ripped as skin formed into fur and reshaped over muscle and bone. Fingernails dug in the earth as claws painfully emerged. His breath came out in pants from between his black lips and tongue. Sharp canines and jaws, strong enough to tear a man in half, snapped against the shivers of pain.

The wolf sniffed the air. Easily picking up the female's scent trail. The man in the wolf's mind prompted it to snatch the jeans off the pile of abandoned clothes. Hating the taste of denim and the smell of human left on the cloth, he complied. The wolf would rather hunt and play in the strange new environment surrounding him, but there was work to be done. And a wolf never shirked his duty.

The ground was a blur beneath the she-wolf's paws. The night was a blanket of scent and sight wrapped around her. She had no time to indulge. The scent of the complex was getting stronger. She could smell her pack and the strangers. She heard the murmur of voices and televisions. Tiny points of light glowed, piercing the darkness. The wolf sped through the night enticed by the light of home.

The fence hummed menacingly, frustrating the she-wolf. Her feet padded across the barren earth on the outside of the fence as she sniffed and whined nervously. There seemed to be no end to the fence and no way in. In the distance, the wolf heard the roaring of a powerful engine and gagged on the strong smell of diesel and billowing clouds of black exhaust. She slunk closer, crouching in the brambles to investigate.

Air brakes squealed as the semi, loaded with building materials, slowed to a stop at the gate. The wolf dropped the backpack between her paws and perked up her ears as the gate rolled open and the semi inched inside. The woman invaded her mind. Demanding to take over the body the wolf and she shared. Reluctantly, the wolf agreed and the painful process of transforming back into a human began.

Kacie rummaged through the backpack and slid into her bra and panties. The night was mercilessly cold, even for south Texas. The night wind bore a bitter northern chill. She shivered as she shimmied into her jeans and pulled a thick, black hoodie over her head. Maybe she'd found her way in. If another delivery truck pulled past, she could hitch a ride into the complex. She'd have to hide in the brush and scrub along the side of the road and wait for an opportunity.

Tristen adjusted himself and zipped up. He hated going commando. The denim was rough against his skin and chafed miserably. Unfortunately, his wolf didn't seem to know about underwear and he was going to have to make due with what he had. The cold bit into his shirtless chest, making his mood go from bad to worse.

He thought he could trust Kacie to behave herself. As if. She had a penchant for trouble and was going to drag him right along with her. When his grandfather found out. When Tracker and Catcher found out that she'd given them the slip. There'd be hell to pay. He had to talk her into coming back. Good luck with that though. Trying to force her back would only give away their location and announce their position to the guards. At least then she'd have her way in. He knew what she was planning to do. He could only hope another delivery truck didn't come rattling past anytime soon.

"What are you doing here?" Kacie hissed. Tristen crouched in the brush beside her. Even as dark as the night was, she could see the deep lines of a scowl etched across his face.

"Watching you try to get yourself killed," Tristen grumbled. "What are you doing here?"

"Tristen, go home. Nash is going to be furious with you." Kacie winced as she saw him shiver with the cold. He wasn't dressed for the weather. Wearing only a pair of jeans, he'd run out at the last minute to follow her and it was her fault that he was here with her in the biggest mess that she'd ever been in before. Now she'd have to figure out something to do with him. She was goose pimpled beneath a hoodie. He had to be freezing.

"He won't be none too happy with you either, Little Miss," Tristen retorted. He tried to hide the shiver that ran along his spine. Damn, it was colder out here than he thought. His wolf would be down right cozy under a layer of thick protective fur. But he in his thinner human skin was freezing.

"I don't care. I have to do something to help my mom. I have to do this, you don't. Please, go home. Please," Kacie begged.

Tristen hunkered down wrapping his arms across his chest and tucking them between his knees and his stomach to keep warm. "No, not unless you do." He ground his jaw closed tightly to keep his teeth from chattering together. Damn wolf hadn't brought any shoes or socks either. His toes were burning from the cold. "What's the plan?"

"I'm going to hitch a ride on the next truck that rolls through the gates." Kacie scooted closer to Tristen, hoping her body heat would help to warm him just a little.

"You mean WE are." Tristen smiled. It was worth risking his neck to have Kacie pressed up against him. He was still freezing, but he was getting warmer and warmer.

"You don't have to do this."

"What and let you have all the fun?" Tristen leaned into the warmth of her body. Memories of the kiss they'd shared spread heat through out his frozen limbs. He buried the tip of his cold nose in the warm, fragrant shelter of her hair. Better. When she cursed under her breath, but wrapped her arms around him to share her body heat, he was much, much better. A part of him wished that another truck wouldn't come. But, he knew that when dawn started to break the horizon, if they weren't out of sight, hidden somewhere. They were as good as captured. At that point worrying about his grandfather's wrath would be the least of their problems.

Shane sat at the guard shack. The complex was mapped out on camera screens that spanned across the back wall. Everything was quiet. The workers had all but finished the tent city that would house the new recruits. Boys, nothing but children, given weapons, taught to kill and indoctrinated to hate. Was this what it had really come down to, Seff using children to do his dirty work for him? He had convinced the patrol leaders to focus on the streets and the Grand Manor. Leaving the fence unprotected seemed reasonable to the guards. After all, anyone who touched it was going to be electrocuted, why would guarding the fence be important? So far, the patrol leaders had bought into his logic.

The last delivery truck of the night arrived on schedule, wood and building supplies for Seff's infamous platform of horrors. Seff ran his hand across his bristled military style hair cut and pulled on his cap. From the cameras, he caught a glimpse of movement. The other guard had his back turned to the screens and hadn't seen Kacie and Tristen scrambling up the side of the canvas and slipping underneath it, hitching a ride into the complex with the shipment. Had there been a change of plans and no one had bothered to inform him? Communication was risky and plans could have been altered. Both of the young were itching to do something besides keep out of the way. Maybe, Nash had found them something to do after all? He slid open the window and motioned to the guard to forgo the usual inspection. "Just let 'em through. It's late and I'm ready to get the hell out of here for the night."

The guard perked up, eager to please and prove himself to his superior. He saluted and waved the truck on through. "Yessir." When Seff had showed up and made his promises. The guard saw Seff's promises as his way out. He could serve and rise above his station as a servant to the mistress. Work his way up through the ranks. At first, his friends had teased him. Now, it seemed, they were going to join up, too. Where he'd been given a choice and had taken it. They had not. They'd done nothing but sit around with their thumbs up their asses and wait for Seff to force them to join up anyway. Maybe that would earn him some points with his superiors. He hoped so.

Shane saluted back and rolled his eyes at the kid's enthusiasm. Some people swallowed what Seff had promised, hook, line and sinker. The kid was no exception. He thought that Seff would actually deliver on the words he'd used to sell them into bondage. Shane knew better. He'd been young once and he'd believed. What an idiot he'd been and how much of his life he'd wasted, investing in the lie.

He watched the truck rumble by the window. Kids ought to be locked up until they were forty. Too often their decisions were made off the cuff and under the foolish assumption that they were invincible and had time to burn. Far too often, those young lives were cut short or ruined by those misconceptions. Time was precious and no one was invincible. How well he knew.



Chapter 29

Eloise spent the night searching the room for a weapon anything she could use to defend herself. She had nothing. Curtains. Bedding. Her clothes. Nothing sharp. Nothing deadly except for the wolf that howled in her mind and scratched at the door begging to get free. Her wolf would only make matters worse. She had to keep it in control. Her wolf would rip the room to shreds and maybe take out a couple of guards, but that was all she would accomplish. Seff still had the firepower and the upper hand. He'd shoot her, wound her, and then she'd be even more defenseless than she already was.

The thought of Seff putting his hands on her thoroughly nauseated her. One injection had been enough to waken the powerful pull of hormones inside her body. What would two or three do? She'd be fertile and in full-blown heat, ready and eager to breed.

Usually, female wolves only experienced the uncontrollable need to further their species once, maybe, twice in a lifetime. Once at the onset of her shifts and then again right before menopause. Though sometimes a third occasion and rarely, a fourth, would be thrown in, just for fun. Females had cycles and were fertile in between these times of heat. But, when the time of the heat came on them, nature took control of their bodies and they were powerless against the hormonal surge. Not giving in to nature was painful, agonizing torture. There was only one thing a woman could do when the heat took her. Give in to it and scratch the itch.

"Damn him." Eloise wiped a line of sweat off her brow. The first symptoms were already setting in. Her emotions were edgy and raw. Beads of sweat beaded on her skin. Her breasts were swollen, tender, and painful. As the symptoms progressed she'd become more on edge. Her emotions would go haywire and she'd barely able to hold a thought in her head, except for one preoccupation, breeding. Her body would start to send out chemical signals, damned pheromones that every male within range would scent. The males were just as helpless to the heat as she. They'd come running and panting after her and she'd pick the strongest male as her mate and do as nature intended.

The heat was a dangerous time for everyone. Jealous women fought with husbands drawn to the scent of another woman's heat. Men fought to the death for breeding rights to the female. If two females were in the heat at the same time, they battled one another for rights to a male.

The heat could tear a pack to shreds. Unmated females fled during this time to remote locations until the hormone storm ended. Mated couples locked their doors tightly against intruders and got down to business until the female was well and fully sated and the heat had passed. Unmated males had to be watched carefully, sometimes even confined to prevent an unwanted union. Over the centuries, females of the pack had learned how to ease the symptoms. Herbs and elixirs quieted the instinct and dulled the agony, to a degree. Modern medicine sometimes delayed the heat. But, nothing was a guarantee except for the fact that the heat would come.

Seff wasn't going to be that merciful. He wanted her to suffer. He wanted her fertile so that he could pump his demon seed into her. Her time was not yet upon her. She was close to the end of her cycles and almost looked forward to her final heat. He'd forced nature to turn ahead the clock by years.

Bile rose up from her stomach and burned the back of her throat. Seff would do what he planned. He'd put his hands on her. She wouldn't put up a fight. Shame boiled in her gut with the rumbling acid. She'd actually welcome him inside of her body to do his business. She'd want him inside of her. Under normal circumstances, she had maybe a week before the heat reached its full potential. With the drugs, who knew how long she had before she lost control.

Torr fumbled in the darkness, sweating and panting against his panic riddled brain. His father intended to kill him. He'd always known it would happen, but now that it actually was going to, he was in a shocked stupor. His feet shuffled over the rough concrete floor. He was blind from the blackness consuming him whole and could not even see his hand as he waved it in front of his eyes. Not even the faintest of light drifted in from beneath the door. It was almost as if the light were afraid of his father and would not dare to enter the cell.

He ran his fingertips along the razor sharp edge of the wire encircling his throat and jerked his hand back quickly as his fingers bled from the self-inflicted cuts. If he could work the wire loose he'd have one less thing to worry about. His wolf was agitated, pacing in his mind. The urge to shift was so strong Torr was in agony from the toll it took on his body to hold the wolf back. The wire had been twisted tightly into a knot at the base of his throat. It'd been secured so snugly there was no way to work it free without cutting his fingers to ribbons.