Dawn Revealed

Chapter 39

Within a few hours Roark was inundated with vampires. Either directly or indirectly of his bloodline, the fiends filled the woods surrounding his makeshift headquarters. He could tell, somehow sense, the ones he'd created with his blood and the ones that were a diluted offshoot from his original line.

He was a bit overwhelmed at the size of this impromptu family reunion. Indeed, his children had been busy. Very, very busy. Huddled denizens quaked with fear, wary of him and of the call that had compelled them to this location. Others glared in defiance, enraged at being summoned against their will. He brushed off the groupies gathered at his feet in worshipful awe of him and sent them scattering into the woods. Two things were abundantly clear. First, more of his children were undoubtedly on the way. And secondly, his little family was growing hungry.

Vampires kept arriving. Straggling in randomly. The quiet woods became a parking lot, marred by tire tracks and trampled underfoot. It wasn't going to take the brotherhood long to figure things out. And until he figured out exactly what to do with his family, he needed to find a way to keep things under wraps. Roark still had the situation under control. Sending out his guards to calm the random disputes bound to get worse as tensions rose and questions went unanswered. Vampires, by their very nature were predatory and territorial. Soon, his little family would turn on each other and rip one another to pieces over a few drops of blood and an inch of personal space.

Of the two he'd hoped to capture, not so much as a whisper or a glimpse. Roark stepped to the edge of the motley assembly and rubbed his temples in disbelief as he stared out over the masses. There were so many. Every living thing on the planet had the urge to procreate and apparently, he'd been no exception. Throughout the course of his life, he'd made many and forgotten them just as easily. There'd be no way to hide this number of preternatural beings from the brotherhood or the humans for much longer. He was simply in over his head. "What have I done?"

Mack lounged in the driver's seat of his cruiser expecting another mundane day. Most of the locals knew about his favorite speed trap and crept along the stretch of highway at a snail's pace to avoid a ticket. He wasn't a big believer in the 'good ole' boy's' club and was an equal opportunity enforcer of the law. Everybody in town knew that and behaved accordingly, most of the time. This morning, he was counting on the random traffic from the interstate to provide his required quota for the day. Yawning and sipping on his coffee, he clicked his pen and waited patiently to spring his trap.

The sleek candy apple red sports car careened off the exit ramp haphazardly and roared out onto the stretch of highway. Mack sat staring at the digital readout on his radar gun in disbelief. The driver of the tiny car was a complete and total idiot. And more than that he was going to get somebody or himself killed driving the curves at such a breakneck speed. Today was about keeping the community safe, not peeling some dumb ass out of a tin can. Flipping on the lights and siren, he hammered down the accelerator and peeled out from behind the billboard at the edge of town.

Mack glanced at his speedometer. The orange needle was hovered around ninety and the red car was quickly leaving him choking on exhaust fumes. "Damn buddy, just pull it over," he muttered. There was at least one piece of good luck. The car was speeding on a stretch of highway, headed north out of town instead of south into traffic. And he had about twenty miles of flat two-lane road to go before the car plowed into a nasty patch of hairpin curves. Blinking away the sweat trickling down his brow, he radioed for back up. Once the car crossed the county line, thankfully in ten miles, it was out of his jurisdiction and in the hands of the staties.

He backed off his speed when the needle on his speedometer broke the one hundred ten mile per hour mark. Dangerous curves and steep embankments flanked the roadway up ahead. And he wasn't about to join the sleek red car at the bottom of one of a ravine. This driver of the candy apple red sports car had a death wish. Given the driver's precision handling of the car around the sharp curves, Mack suspected the driver was something more than an ordinary human. Slowing, he ended the chase and hit speed dial. Dane answered and didn't seem the least bit surprised by Mack's report.

Raising a curious eyebrow, Mack pulled onto a gravel road and turned his cruiser around. Dane had called him off the chase and ordered him to stay put. The hairs on the back of Mack's neck stood upright on high alert. Bad things happened when he got this feeling. The last time, rogues invaded the territory. This time, his skin was crawling like it was covered with ants. Something bad was about to happen. He steeled himself for what was about to come. Call it a lifetime on the force, intuition, whatever. But, his instincts were never wrong.

Kayla prowled around the compound, restless and agitated. She could hear the worried whispers of Bryce's thoughts in her mind. Driving her insane with plenty of her own worry. She hadn't spent much time with him since the night at the cabin. Although, she stood firm in her conviction that Bryce loved her. A little alone time with him was exactly what she needed. He hadn't stood her up for their date. But, he'd clumsily excused himself and bolted for the door not long after showing up. And she hadn't seen him since. In fact, she hadn't seen much of anybody around the compound all day. Everyone was busy. Rushing about in a flurry of activity. Speaking to one another in soft hurried whispers. She didn't know what was going on. But, Bryce wasn't the only one worried.

The thing that made her more agitated and nervous than anything was the whisper of Roark's name, uttered like a curse, in the conversations she accidentally managed to overhear. Kayla stomped down the hall, looking for someone to give her some answers. If she'd placed the compound in danger, didn't she have a right to know about it? Shouldn't somebody say something? Wandering aimlessly, she passed an intersection in the hallway. Not even thinking about which way she should go, she marched ahead not deterred in her search for somebody with answers. A squeak of alarm left her lips as a hand snaked out and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her into a darkened room off the main corridor.

Bryce was prepared to go out and do his duty. He'd been out in the woods, tracking rogues all night. And was going out again as soon as he stole a kiss from his girl. HIS GIRL. The words sounded great as he repeated them over and over in his head. He didn't feel right about this. About what was going on out there. Kayla ought to know. And Dane had given him strict instructions not to tell her. Dane's logic was right. Kayla would rush off and do something stupid, like hand herself over to Roark, thinking that she was saving everyone. She'd only make things worse. He hated keeping her in the dark about the danger looming over their heads. But, he didn't want to terrify her by telling her the truth.

Kayla was more than his girl. She was his wife, for lack of a better word to describe the level of their commitment. It didn't matter what words were used. She belonged to him. And it was his job to keep her safe. And if that meant a white lie, a subtle omission of the truth, so be it. Bryce wrapped his arms around her waist and settled his body against hers. "Hi."

"You scared the shit out of me!" Kayla gave him a playful swat on the cheek to make her displeasure known. Sometimes, he was such a guy. Cupping her butt in his palm. Nibbling a path down her neck like she was a tasty treat on a dessert line. Hardening as he pressed against her hip. Bryce had a hell of a way of saying hello. Zealous and affectionate, obviously missing the physical contact with her as much as she missed it with him.

Kayla ran her hand over Bryce's chest. Feeling the brick hardness of muscle and softness of supple leather beneath her fingertips. Inching her way down, she stilled her hand when her fingers made contact with the myriad types of weaponry strapped to his belt. He was dressed, not for a patrol, but for a war. "What's with all the gear? Bryce, what's going on?" she asked in a panicked voice.

Bryce stiffened and gritted his teeth, twisting his hips away from her curious fingertips. The last thing he needed was for her to accidentally trip the safety off his pistol and shoot his foot off. He didn't want her to find out about the danger in the woods. But odds were, no matter how he tried to hide it from her, she would figure it out anyway. Especially since she was a key player in Roark's little game. "I'm going out on patrol," he lied.

Kayla sensed the lie as Bryce spoke the words. "You're geared up like you're going to war. Please, you have to tell me." She'd rather know the truth than to have it hidden from her beneath a pretty façade of lies. She rested her ear on his chest, comforted by the slow, steady, rhythmic beating of his heart. "Please."

He smoothed his hand over her soft hair, pressing her cheek to his beating heart. In her he had everything he'd ever wanted. And he wished things weren't the way they were between them. That they could just be together, learn all the little intricacies about one another without some kind of a crisis hanging over their heads. Threatening to destroy everything they were trying to build. Damn it. He couldn't lie to her. "Roark's up to his old tricks again. It's nothing to worry about though. We can handle him." The half-truth fell from his lips as casually as a song. "Dane is going to have a talk with him. Really, it's nothing major."

"Whenever Roark's involved, it's always something major," Kayla huffed. Did he really think he could fleece her so easily? And that she couldn't read the truth between his carefully chosen words? Without sounding like a total bitch she couldn't continue asking him questions that he wouldn't or couldn't answer. Choosing not to get into a fight, she raised up on her tiptoes for a kiss.

Bryce cherished the feel of her lips brushing so gently against his. With the taste of her sweet and thick on the tip of his tongue, he wished there was more time to take advantage to the privacy of the darkened room. Wasn't going to happen. He heard the soft whisper of Dane's voice in his mind and the impatience of the command. "I've got to go." He lifted Kayla's chin with a fingertip and tilted her head up. "Do me a favor," he asked, staring down into the azure drowning pools of her eyes.

Kayla stretched her spine and pressed her lips to his. "Anything." Except stay out of the fight in which she was so deeply embroiled. Roark was her problem. And maybe, if she'd stayed and faced him instead of running like a coward and hiding behind the brotherhood, Bryce wouldn't be putting his life on the line for her now. Keene, Angel, and her, none of them had done what needed to be done when they'd had the chance. Now everyone they cared for suffered for their mistake.

Bryce wouldn't have to lie to her. And she wouldn't be forced to lie to him by agreeing to his request. Her love for him condemned them both. Her heart sped up whenever Bryce touched her. With one soft caress of his fingertips on her skin she lost the capacity for all rational thought. She could deny him nothing. Not even the comfort of a lie. There was absolutely nothing she wouldn't do or promise to keep him safe.

"Please, stay in the compound. Don't go outside for any reason. And keep out of the south corridor." He cupped her face in his hands and held her eyes with his stare. "Can you do this for me, Kayla. Promise."

She read the expression of urgency in his eyes. He needed the reassurance that she was safe. Denying Bryce might place him in even greater danger than he was already in. He'd be focused on her instead of himself and the job he had to do. Roark was an opportunistic bastard and he'd kill Bryce if he got the chance. She wasn't going to give it to him. Bryce meant more to her than her guilt or her pride. Maybe, he couldn't or was afraid to tell her everything. Kayla nibbled her bottom lip and nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, Kayla." He pulled her close against his chest and lowered his mouth to hers. She drove him to the brink of insanity with her perfectly shaped curves and the way they fit against him. Her scent and taste were burned into his mind. She kept him centered and grounded. Now that she was in his life, he finally felt complete. There was no way he wasn't going to return to her. The devil himself couldn't keep them apart.

Reluctantly, Bryce responded to the voice in his mind. Dane's demands were no longer a whisper, but a loud shout he couldn't ignore. The trackers had picked up dozens of scents in the woods and followed them to a location just north of the compound in the heart of the woods. With the enemy so close, Dane had no choice but to do something about it. He was going along as a scout while the brothers fanned out to flank the rogues and contain them into a central location.

Dane and John Mark planned to corner Roark and have a little chat with him. Roark was on their turf. A clear act of hostility and not one the brothers could take lightly. The trackers could not get a clear head count on how many Roark had rallied to his side. And what he was up to was anyone's guess. Roark could have hundreds of followers stalking through the woods. One man could not contain so many. Bryce wasn't so certain the brothers could corral a hungry pack of rogues if they chose to attack.

Roark had done a fine job of bringing a potential catastrophe to their doorstep. Gathering that many vampires in one place couldn't go well. It might spell disaster for the smaller outlying towns. People didn't believe anymore. Not really. Hell, they'd probably be more than willing to offer their necks to anything with a pair of fangs.

The media downplayed the danger. Made something surreal out of the horror they didn't even know existed. Crosses, holy water, garlic, silver bullets, none of that shit worked. And the stake through the heart gig, probably hurt like a bitch. But, it wouldn't stop a vampire. The brothers carried handguns for the simple fact that sometimes, you didn't want the enemy dead. The situation had to be controlled quickly before the truth got out and the humans became unwittingly involved in something they couldn't begin to understand.

"Kayla, I have to go." Bryce wrenched free from her arms and gave her a gentle kiss. Dane wasn't one to be kept waiting. And now was not the time to push him. Too much was at stake. He wasn't concerned about earning brownie points with the boss. He only wanted to uphold the vow whispered from his dying lips long ago.

"I know, you have to go save the world," she said. He stood in the open doorway. His body a dark shadow in the backdrop of light streaming from the hallway. She could try to guilt him into staying out of danger. Hide down here with her. But, it wasn't who he was. And she'd never try to change him. Stifling a chill, she wrapped her arms around her chest.

"No, not the world. Just our world," Bryce said. Turning on his heel, his boots making soft noises against the tile. He walked away. He had to trust her he same as he asked her to trust him. He was asking for a leap of faith from Kayla. That she'd simply believe him enough to do as he asked and stay put.

Kayla stayed in the darkened room until Bryce was gone. If she followed him out, she might try to stop him from going on his mission. The thought of him willingly putting himself in danger frightened her. It came with the turf. Just one of the many sacrifices that loving him undoubtedly involved. But, that didn't mean she had to like it. And she didn't.

By promising not to enter the south corridor, she found her feet carrying her there anyway. Bryce had told her just enough to spark her curiosity. Given her enough information to be dangerous. She had to know what was down there in the little used portion of the compound. What he didn't want her to see.

Chapter 40

"I can't take it anymore!" Angel shouted at the top of her lungs. She strained against the steel cables binding her hands and feet. Hogtied and face down on a dirty, cold, hard, concrete floor. She could barely move. Inside of her the compulsion roared painfully calling her. Her nose itched furiously and she couldn't even wiggle her fingers enough to scratch it. And, above all else, she was damn hungry. What were they going to do? Starve her? "I HAVE to get out of here!"

"Shut up Angel!" Keene barked. He'd been trapped in this room listening to her whine for an hour and his patience was worn to a frazzle. He was uncomfortable, fighting against his own bindings and the urging in his mind was becoming even harder to resist. His hold on the rational portion of his mind frayed thinner and thinner. And Angel's constant complaining made it harder to maintain what thread of control he had left. Luckily for her, the brothers had left him restrained. Otherwise, he would have wrung her scrawny neck to silence her. He bore his fangs and growled low in warning. If Angel kept bitching, he'd find a way to silence her, permanently.

"Keene!" Lori scowled up at him, furrowing her brows in distress. She shifted her head in his lap trying to find a comfortable position. She too was tired of Angel's whining and bitching. And like Angel, her hunger and the compulsion in her mind to travel to her destination screamed to be acknowledged. "How much longer will this last?"

"It will be over soon. There has to be a way to stop the calling," Keene soothed. He was sugar coating the truth. There was only one way to stop the calling that he knew of and that was to kill the caller. Right now, the idea was sounding better and better. Roark was out of their heads. But, still linked to them on an elemental level through their blood. No matter how the brothers tried, it seemed that none of them would be free as long as Roark was alive. If he were free, Keene would hunt him down and kill him without hesitation and no small measure of joy. Like a plague, Roark destroyed everyone he came in contact with. Hurting the woman Keene loved and that was unacceptable.

Angel took a break from her misery and sniffed the air. DINNER! Her mind locked on the scent of human blood as the source of the delectable fragrance drew closer. "Do you smell that?" Her fangs elongated and throbbed responding to the stimuli. She didn't care who the donor was. As long as they had what she needed.

"Kayla!" Keene barked. "Get away from here! It's not safe!" He'd always done whatever he could to protect the women. And he recognized the scent creeping through the air vents. Kayla held a special place in his heart. She'd endured so much, suffered greatly. And he'd been there standing helplessly to watch it. Roark heaped abuse on her. Kayla bent to his will. But, she never broke. And the harder she resisted the more punishment Roark heaped on her. When he would have turned his attentions on Angel and shattered her fragile soul. Kayla braved his affections and bore the burden in silent defiance. And he'd done nothing, hadn't been able to do anything, to prevent it.

Keene was helpless. Bound and tied with the steel lengths of cable. Unable to do anything but watch as Angel shimmied and inch wormed her way to the door. It wasn't likely. The brothers were very thorough on their means of holding a vampire. But, if she found a way out, Kayla wouldn't be alive long enough to draw a breath to beg for her life. As long as Angel had Kayla's scent and was under Roark's influence, he doubted if the Great Father himself could stop her. "Get her the hell out of here!" He shouted at whoever was guarding the door. His predatory side roared for release, seeping around the edges of his fragile control, lured by Kayla's human scent.