Dawn Revealed

Maggie sat in a chair, pretending to read a book. But, what distracted her the most were all the hot guys mixed in with the ordinary looking crowd. Of course, they were all way too old for her, by decades if not more. But, she could still look and admire the view. Her mother had stuffed her into a dress. As always, one of Lori's grungy hand me downs. And she looked ridiculous, the bodice practically bursting at the seams from trying to restrain her curves.

The dress was too small and way too low cut for her humongous boobs, and definitely out of style. There was only one person who looked more ridiculous than she felt, and that was her dad. Tuxes and truckers did not mesh well. But, at least, she wasn't alone in her misery.

That was the thing about being the younger sister. It wasn't that she wasn't happy for Lori. She was. And Maggie was absolutely flip dizzy to have her out of the house for good. But, everyone tended to ignore her, especially on a day as important as this. That was ok. She was used to it. And Katniss Everdeen was far more entertaining than some dumb old wedding anyway.

Maggie stared longingly at Lori and Keene. Lori was so pretty and never had a shortage of guys crawling after her. And of course, her older sister's fanged state hadn't changed her looks at all. If anything, she was prettier than ever. Maggie couldn't get a boy to give her the time of day. It wasn't fair. And without Lori around to torture, she was the sole focus of her parent's attention, especially her mother's. If she had one more pamphlet with nasty pictures of rashes in unmentionable places shoved in her face, she was going to hurl.

Her parents did their best, she supposed. Life at the Grant household wasn't intolerable. But, it wasn't exactly the Brady Bunch either. Maggie sighed and rested her chin in her palm. In a few weeks, she'd be sixteen. Sixteen. Finally. Just two more years of suffering under her parent's rule and she'd be free. She couldn't wait for the day she finally grew up.

Chapter 3

"We're a great team," Kayla said. She lifted her hand for a high five and quickly dropped it as Angel pinned her with a pained scowl. Shaking it off, Kayla stuck her hands in the pockets of her skirt and accepted that any friendship she had with Angel would be tenuous at best. And that was a shame. Despite everything else, nobody at the compound had really gotten to know Angel and understood the circumstances behind her standoffishness. The woman was utterly friendless and alone in the world. Although it was by her own design, everyone, even Angel needed a best friend. And Kayla was the closest thing she had to one.

The two of them never spoke of it. But, they shared the same terror that haunted them every time they closed their eyes. Roark was out there somewhere, biding his time, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. And no matter how safe and protected they felt. Until he was dead, it was only an illusion.

Angel rolled her eyes at Kalya's well-intended gesture of friendship. How could Kayla be so readily forgiving? How? Did the brotherhood spike her Coco-puffs with Prozac or something? She'd wanted Kayla dead less than a month ago. And she would have done it too. If something loosely called her conscience hadn't gotten in the way. Even a morbid soul like her needed a friend every once in a while. Kayla and Keene were the closest things she'd ever had to a real friend.

Sure, it was her fault and she had nobody to blame but herself. She repelled people with her attitude. She hid behind her toughness, her cold standoffishness, and her goth girl attitude out of fear. Only the people closest to you could hurt you. And if nobody ever got close, she couldn't be hurt. Kayla should be pissed at her. If the roles were reversed and Kayla was the one with the fangs and the hideous fashion sense, she would be. But, Kayla was trying to move forward out of her past. Angel clung to it and used it as a shield to keep everyone at a safe distance.

"Agreed. Just don't tell anyone that I arranged the flowers and made the bows. It'd ruin my image," Angel said in the snarkiest tone of voice she could manage. For the life of her, she could not figure these people out. They tried so hard to be normal on the exterior. And when she'd first arrived, everyone had gone to the extreme to make her feel welcome and fit in. It just wouldn't work. She wouldn't let it. For the most part, she didn't trust people who were nice to her. Or take good things that happened to her at face value. Hidden amongst the fluff and puff of smiles, there was always a catch.

"Never." Kayla snorted and shook her head. Angel had a real talent for decorating. The flowers and the bows were beautiful. Who would have guessed the woman could color coordinate so well when black was the only color, besides the pink tips of her hair, that she wore? Kayla got it. The clothing and 'I'll bite your head off' personality was Angel's way of coping. Angel wore black as a means of silent rebellion against her past. Much the same way Kayla would never ever wear frilly lace or pink again. Granted, their gesture was lost on most people. But, to the two of them, just having the freedom of choice even in the color and style of their clothing was everything.

"I think someone is looking for you," Angel whispered into Kayla's ear. The guy was a little hard to miss in his obvious hanging out in the fringes. He wandered through the guests; meandering about like a lost puppy in search of a handout. As if nobody would notice his eyes constantly drifting to Kayla. Angel had caught on to it long before today. But, thought the better of saying anything. Maybe, Kayla was pretending to be clueless on purpose. And given everything they'd gone through, who could blame her?

Currently, Angel would rather poke her eyes out with a rusty nail than look at a man in any other way but platonically. She wasn't a lesbian. But, she just couldn't even stomach the thought of a man putting his hands on her or actually welcoming his touch. It was too soon. And she couldn't let her past go yet. Maybe, Kayla was more resilient than she. "Go on," Angel said, giving Kayla a not so gentle nudge. "Go talk to him."

"Just because I'm human doesn't mean you can push me around," Kayla grumbled in protest. Bryce didn't know how fucked up she was on the inside and she wanted to keep it that way. Nobody would ever find out, especially him, if she had her way about it. Of course, she couldn't hide her past from Angel and Keene. They knew, everything, because they'd lived in the same nightmare too. It was easy to pretend none of it had happened and she was just as normal as anybody else. She wasn't. And deep down only she knew how broken she truly was. The night Roark came to the bluffs and she'd almost ran to him and thrown herself in his arms brought the reality of her depravity crashing down on her head.

Bryce was the only man who'd ever looked at her as if she were anything other than a whore to be used. Once upon a time, Roark had been charming. But, even he saw through the thin veneer of her pretend innocence. Bryce was clueless. Oh, he guessed. But, he could never imagine how deeply the things she'd done...had been forced to do...had corroded her soul. How could she ever explain it to him without him thinking that she was a total freak beyond damaged? How much differently would he look at her if he knew? She scrambled to regain her footing on the dewy grass. "Great, now I look like a dork." She straightened her skirt and regained her composure.

Goading Kayla into action, Angel chastised, "Don't be so high school. If you don't talk to him and stake your claim, I'm going to have to assume he's up for grabs." Angel buffed her black nail polis against her elbow length gloves and admired the sheen. Bryce wasn't bad looking. And she enjoyed looking a lot. But, not the touching part. He was everything a male should be. Tall, dark, handsome, and brooding, and absolutely safe, considering Kayla was the only woman in his universe.

Jealousy was an emotion Kayla knew little about. It had no place in the life she'd been forced to lead. But, she felt a strong surge of it as Angel ran her dark eyes hungrily over Bryce and licked her lips. "You wouldn't dare," Kayla hissed. She'd been avoiding Bryce, covertly, for weeks, ever since their return from the city. She just didn't know what to say to him. She'd been so certain that she was going to die. Holding his hand, cuddling in his lap, accepting his comfort on the fringes of her death, seemed like such a natural thing to do at the time. When she returned to the compound in one piece, she'd ran for cover. And he, along with her past, became just another of the things she pushed to the back of her mind and couldn't find the strength to face.

"You're right. He's way too white bread, middle America for my tastes. Boring." Angel said with a slow, disinterested drawl. One thing, no matter if she ever got her shit together enough to think about men, was for certain. Dark haired men, although attractive, held no appeal to her. Not since Roark. That was one thing he'd taken from her that she'd never get back.

Kayla exhaled a squeak of disbelief. Bryce was too good looking for his own good. Was Angel blind? He had completely shocking gray eyes that pierced right through her. A full head of thick, wildly wavy, and totally out of control, dark, almost black hair that curled around his expressive jaw in absolute disarray. His deep, Mediterranean, olive skin tone gave him a hint of mystery and foreboding. His tall, lean, muscular build, complete with the broad shoulders and narrow waist and firm butt, just meant for squeezing in the throes of passion, melted her strongest resolve anytime she got within ten feet of him. He was hardly repulsive by any means. Kayla shivered in delight whenever her thoughts wandered to him.

Yeah, Kayla was well on the road to recovery. The sweet scent of her lust for Bryce choked the air. "Go get him," Angel chuckled. She gave Kayla a gentle nudge in his direction and thwacked her on the ass to get her moving. "Lori shouldn't be the only one getting some."

Kayla glared over her shoulder and gathered up her dignity. The smack on the ass had been intended as a playful gesture. But, it hit a little too close to home and the twinge of fear she'd felt at the strike went straight through her. It brought back too many bad memories. Huffing at Angel, Kayla growled in irritation, "Don't you have someplace to be?"

"What?" Angel snickered. "And miss all the entertainment. Its like Animal Planet with all the mating going on around here." She shrank under Kayla's annoyed scowl. The smack on the ass and the teasing had been too much. Regrettably, she guessed she didn't know how to be a good friend. She shouldn't have done that. Not with the past so close to the present. And she was sorry she'd slipped for the briefest moment and forgotten. Turning on her heel, Angel melted into the night without a trace. Without as a bent blade of grass or a leaf out of place to indicate that she'd ever stood on the spot.

Chapter 4

Bryce dutifully suffered through yet another ceremony. The pages of his black book, not that he had one, were growing thinner and thinner as another available female was taken off the market. By the time Lori skimmed his radar, she was already head over heels for Keene. And he was still recovering from the latest and hardest blow to his ego. Admitting defeat and delivering Janine into Patrick's arms was by far the most difficult thing he'd ever had to do. But, the arrival of a pert, although reluctant, petite had done wonders to ease his suffering and speed his recovery. Kayla was something special.

He spotted Kayla from across the broad, flat expanse grass. She stood guarded but, casually joking with one of her friends. Angel, reminded him of something out of a bad gothic novel. But, Kayla was like a cool breeze on a hot day. Refreshing and clean. There had been a few stolen kisses, a little playful banter, and a lot of shy glances and coy smiles pass between them.

Feeling her eyes on him, Bryce shot her a wide smile. Kayla had done more than trip his radar. She sent it into overdrive. The way she responded, in such shy hesitation, gave him a pretty good hint at her feelings. She was as interested in him as he was in her. Maybe, if he kept up his gentle persuasive pursuit of her. In time, he'd win her heart. Her past, and he could imagine how traumatic it had been, was the only stumbling block left between them.

Vampire hearing was a powerful asset in the game of love. He tried to appear cool. But, as he overheard his name mentioned in the conversation, he listened in. Never hurt to know what was on a woman's mind, especially Kayla's. He scowled as Angel called him 'boring' and too 'Middle America' for her tastes. And grinned as Kayla squeaked in shock in his defense. Angel had the goth thing down pat. But, somewhere under that tight, black leather corset and all that cleavage beat the heart of a true matchmaker. At least he had one person in his corner. Counting Janine who was as desperate for him to find his love match as he was, maybe two. Nervously, he shuffled his feet as Kayla started walking in his direction.

A part of her wanted to turn around and run away. Bryce was too good for her. She was nothing more than damaged goods in a pretty wrapper. What could he really see in her? The things she'd done in her past were the stuff of nightmares. If he were to know the list of all her sins, there was no way he'd want her. Hell, he wouldn't even look her in the eye. Her feet kept moving forward, listening to the other part of her. The part that reminded her that he'd shown her every kindness. He would understand that her past was just that, the past, and that she'd done the things she had out of necessity, for her survival. She was a good person and she deserved to be happy.

"Hi," Bryce said softly. Kayla was as nervous as he was. Her heart beat in her chest like that of a frightened rabbit's. He could feel the heat of the blood that rushed to fill her cheeks. He could smell the nervous energy that surrounded her. Good signs? Bad signs? With women, who could tell?

"I never got a chance to thank you," Kayla said, ducking her head to stare down at the grass rather than meet the warmth of his eyes.

"For what?"

"For protecting me." She bit her bottom lip nervously. During the heat of the battle, when he could have abandoned her to help his brothers, he stayed by her side. "And for what you did to help Angel and Lori," she added. Bryce had saved Lori's life and had brought Angel back from the brink of self-destruction.

"It was my pleasure," Bryce replied slightly embarrassed. "As long as I'm around, you'll always be safe. I'll make sure of it." Slowly, he inched forward and ducked his head to engage her stare.

Kayla blushed furiously under the heat from his eyes and the sincerity of his words. "I just love weddings don't you? Wasn't Lori positively radiant?" She stammered, changing the subject.

"I didn't notice Lori. My attentions were focused on someone else," Bryce admitted. His eyes had been glued on Kayla from the moment she stepped out of the woods and onto the bluffs. She looked fresh and summery in a thigh length brightly colored skirt and matching silk tank. Her scent was unmistakable, she smelled soft and feminine like roses.

As far as the wedding, he didn't remember many of the details. Flowers, candles, bows, a bride and a groom, they were all pretty much the same. He was a guy. As long as it wasn't his wedding, what did it matter if the flowers were pink or salmon or the bride wore white or eggshell? "Yeah, you did a great job. The wedding was fantastic," he muttered, fibbing through his teeth.

"Angel helped." Kayla added modestly.

"Well you guys did a wonderful job." He edged close enough to gently brush a mosquito off her shoulder in a seemingly casual gesture. It was really anything but. He just wanted to touch her. But, was afraid that if he were direct. It would send her scampering for shelter in fear. He wanted her where she was, right next to him.

"Thanks." She pretended not to notice the effect the light brush of his fingertips had on her. He was rescuing her from a pesky insect and an itchy bite. Nothing more. Self- consciously, she took a step back. "Ah," she stuttered as her mind struggled for something else to say. Something safe that wouldn't lead to an in depth conversation about anything in particular.

"So, what are your plans?" Bryce asked. His biggest fear was that Kayla might believe the threat from Roark was over. And that she might be thinking of leaving the shelter of the compound to return to the city. He wanted her right here where he could do as he promised and protect her. Dane was still pissed at him and it wouldn't matter how much he begged or what the reason, he was still stuck here.

Kayla shrugged. "I don't know. I hadn't given it much thought." She honestly didn't have a clue. She liked living in the compound. The people, most of them fanged, made her feel welcome enough and she appreciated the safe harbor they offered. She wasn't stupid or naive enough to think that Roark's threat on her life was over. He'd never give up unless he was forced to by something as drastic as death. Hers or his, either one would serve the purpose.

"Well, there's only a few more weeks left of the summer. But, I bet Robbie would sure appreciate having some help at the shop."

"The shop?" Kayla was curious. She'd never had a real job before. She'd done things to earn money. But, working and earning a paycheck had never been in her realm of experience. She couldn't imagine such a thing as a job, a checking account, or normalcy would ever apply to her.

"Yeah, Robbie owns an ice cream shop here in town. What's the Scoop? And well, Lori's kind of out of commission for a while. Unless, Robbie wants her trying to eat the customers." Bryce chuckled. "So, she could probably use an extra pair of hands."

"I'm not a charity case," Kayla grumbled, defensively crossing her arms over her chest. She had money, plenty of it. She'd been planning her escape from Roark's clutches for quite sometime. She had been squirreling away every spare cent she could get her hands on and entrusting it into her best friend, Mr. Smiley, her fuzzy pink bear, for safekeeping. Creatively and gradually she'd replaced his stuffing with wads of cash until she'd finally been brave enough to make a run for it.

"I didn't mean to implicate that you were," Bryce snipped back. "I thought you'd enjoy getting out of the compound and having something to do. You just might find you actually want to stick around. Instead of feeling stuck here because you feel like you have to. " He toed the grass nervously with the tip of his boot and stared down at her.

"You know, you'd be doing her a huge favor. Lori's little sister has been bugging the crap out of Robbie for weeks. Robbie doesn't have the heart to turn her down. But, Maggie is too young to run the shop unsupervised. Janine works there too, off and on. But, since she and Patrick got married. It has been more off than on. Robbie really needs the help. It's only till the week after Labor Day and then she closes for the winter."

"What about ah... you know." Kayla swallowed hard, referring to Roark or one of his many minions. She might be spotted if she were out in the open pretending to live a normal life in the sleepy little town.

"Trust me, Robbie is perfectly capable of handling anything that comes her way. And when she's not there one, of us will be. I promise you'll be well protected." He wanted to add that he personally would be guarding her, no matter if Robbie were around or not. But, he didn't want her to think that he was going stalker on her. So he left that trivial piece of information out.