Dawn's First Light

She didn't realize until after her first few sips and the fog in her addled brain began to lift that she was not alone in the kitchen. "Oh. Hi, Lori. I didn't see you standing there. Caffeine hasn't kicked in yet. Sorry." She took a drink from her mug and winced at the bitterness on her tongue. Riffling through the fridge for the cream, she glanced at Lori over her shoulder. "You spend the night here last night?"

Oh boy. Lori didn't know how to answer that one without ratting on her self. So far, she'd managed to avoid spilling her guts to anybody about the depth of her relationship with Keene. Not that it was necessarily anybody's business anyway. But, her mother would be less than pleased. And until she figured out a way to afford her own place, Lori was trying to keep the whole 'guess what mom, I'm in love with a vampire' thing under wraps. "Ummm, You're up early," Lori mumbled.

"Unfortunately," Janine replied with a heavy sigh. "Couldn't sleep." She added a generous dollop of cream and four heaping spoonfuls of sugar to her coffee and hefted her tired butt onto one of the high stools neatly tucked underneath the breakfast bar. Lori's cheeks were a peculiar shade of red as she danced around the truth of why she was here. Janine automatically went on matchmaker alert and wondered, who was the lucky guy? Bryce? Hopefully?

Lori poured herself a mug of coffee and sat on the empty stool next to Janine. Carefully, she steered the conversation away from the topic of men and sipped her coffee. "Too worried to sleep?"

"A bit," Janine confessed. She raised a brow curiously at Lori. Things were definitely looking up. Lori wouldn't have known about the mission if one of the brothers hadn't shared the information. Generally, donors were only informed of such things on a need to know basis. And if Lori knew...well, Bryce must have told her. And he wouldn't have done that if the two of them weren't close.

Janine liked the idea of Bryce and Lori together. It wasn't the whole she wanted to get Bryce out of her hair thing. As much it was that he might have finally found someone actually and completely one hundred percent available. Ok, so it would be nice to see him moving on. And she wouldn't miss riding on the guilt trip express in the least. Bryce was her friend and it would be great to actually be a friend to him without the awkwardness to come in between them. Lori was like a little sister to her. Bryce was perfect for her. He'd do anything in his power to see to her happiness. And seeing the two of them happy...well, it made her happy too. "There were a couple of times when it was a little intense. But, Patrick is fine. All of them are. They're on their way back now."

"What's it like being linked to him?"

"Sometimes it's very good. And sometimes, like last night, its not. You can't imagine what its like feeling someone else's emotions and hearing their thoughts in your head." Janine absently toyed with her coffee mug, lost in a private moment of thought. Last night, Patrick had been in danger. She'd felt it deep in the marrow of her bones. "There are times, like last night, that I wish we weren't linked. Sometimes, I'd rather not know. Ignorance is bliss and all that. But, there are other times. When sharing everything with him is the most intense and wonderful experience in the world."

Now it was her turn to blush. When Patrick and she made love, they shared every thought and sensation with each other. Their passion was complete and fulfilling. To give and receive pleasure in equal measure from something as simple as a caress was the ultimate in experiences. And talk about stamina. Her man could go all night.

She focused on the positives to the physical side of their relationship. And never dwelled on the negatives. There were limitations due to her easily breakable state. Even though she took him to new heights, he could never fully let go and love her as thoroughly as he wanted to. Not without risking her life.

Lori snickered at the blush staining Janine's cheeks candy apple red. "Great sex, huh?"

Janine chuckled. "I'm not supposed to talk to you about things like that." She lifted her eyebrows pointedly. "Robbie thinks you're too young to know about the birds and the vampires."

"She's a little late for that." Her cheeks burned red at the confession. Finally, she'd found somebody to talk to about the wonderful and confusing emotions buzzing in her head. She set her empty mug on the countertop and nodded at Janine in confirmation. She was a full-fledged woman now. And she felt a heady sense of relief that she could share her secret with someone who understood exactly how she felt.

"No way," Janine gasped. This was very good news. Apparently, Bryce had a much speedier recovery than she'd anticipated and had moved on. She just knew Lori and Bryce would be so perfect for each other. She should be the adult here. Instead she giggled and bounced in her seat. "Bryce is a great guy. You two will be so happy together."

Lori frowned in confusion. Janine thought that Bryce and she had done the deed? Immediately, the idea had to be squashed like an unwelcome insect. She thought Janine knew which guy she was referring to. What had she said to make Janine think she was talking about Bryce? Not that the guy wasn't prime goods and any girl would be nuts not to fall head over heels for him. But, he was so wrong for her. "Not Bryce. Keene."

"Keene?" Janine stammered. "I thought...?" Her heart sank. It wasn't that she didn't like Keene. What little she knew of him, he seemed like a nice guy. And Lori's happiness was the only thing that was important. But, she'd been so hopeful that Bryce had finally found someone. She had to wonder if Bryce was destined to be a bachelor forever. Was there no woman out there who was right for him?

"Bryce is nice enough, I suppose. But, Keene is special." It felt right to be sharing in a moment of pure unadulterated female bonding with Janine. "I really think he's the one."

"Wow," Janine stuttered unsure of what to say. Secretly, she hoped Lori was right

and things would work out for the best. Lori was so young. And Keene was so much older. Not only in years. But, in how much of the world he'd seen and experienced first hand. There was a hard, jaded edge to the man underneath his deceptively youthful appearance. His path in life had not been easy. Men like him, for all their wonders, came with no small amount of baggage. Loving him would be hard. Having gone through her fair share of hell with Patrick, she ought to know.

Janine sipped her coffee in silent contemplation. She didn't know what else to say to Lori. The girl practically gushed with happiness. True love took a lot of work and patience. And in the end, if it worked out, there was nothing in the whole wide world that could compare. Janine was a matchmaker to her very core. And she lived for the rare happy ending. "Congratulations. You know, if you need a wedding planner, my schedule is wide open."

Lori rinsed her mug in the sink and set it in the strainer to dry. She had a slew of questions for Janine. The two of them were friends. But, not that good of friends and she was just too embarrassed to ask. Maybe, it was better to figure some things out for her self. She shook her head at the mention of getting married at the ripe old age of twenty. "Thanks, but I don't think I'm going to be planning a wedding anytime soon."

"Smart girl. Live a little before you settle down." Janine got up from her stool and stretched. "Well, I think I'm going to try to grab a quick nap before Patrick gets home. A girl needs all the beauty rest she can get." She rinsed her cup and placed it in the strainer beside Lori's. "If you ever need some advice or just want to talk. You know I'm here for you. Love is a wonderful thing. But, sometimes, it sucks rotten toadstools too."

"Thanks, Janine." Lori blurted out the question burning in the forefront of her mind. "Janine, do you ever think about...you know...joining up?"

Janine sighed. Damn wasn't that a hell of a question to ask. And hadn't she been doing a lot of soul searching about that subject her self. She was rapidly approaching the big thirty. Aging was a rather sore topic that she battled with every time she looked in the mirror. "Everyday, girlfriend. Everyday."

******

Dawn peeked its way over the horizon, driving the final remnants of darkness from the sky with its golden rays. Keene inhaled the damp, humid morning air blowing in from the open passenger side window and leaned back in the seat. The events of last night replayed over and over again in his mind, damning him. Angel. Roark. His failure.

The brothers rode in silence. The miles ticked away beneath the rolling tires. The night had been hard on all of them. Finding the man alive was no small victory. But, losing Angel to Roark was a heavy loss. None of the brothers relished the eventual outcome. Someone, maybe, him, maybe, John Mark or Patrick, even Bryce, someday one of the brothers was most likely going to have to kill her and none of them relished that thought.

Keene was ready to leave the city behind him and all the festering trouble that was eventually going to come crashing down on his head along with it. He just wanted to go home and forget. Enjoy what he could while he could. Seek the comfort and solace of Lori's waiting arms. Let her warmth soothe his battered soul and her goodness ease his wounds.

******

Angel finished her shower and curled up on the satin patterned comforter. Roark hadn't said a word on the way back to his penthouse suite. The silence was impenetrable and final. He'd simply ushered into a room and locked her inside, which was probably a good thing. He had a fresh supply of human females occupying the apartment and their scent made her uncontrollably thirsty. She didn't think he'd take too kindly to her draining them dry. As ruthless as he was, he didn't allow killing in his home, unless he was the one doing it.

Her thoughts wandered to Keene and the unmistakable smell of Kayla. The bitch was with him, under his protection. Keene was dangerously lethal before. But, Roark kept him on a very short leash. He was still just as lethal and dangerous. The only difference was in who held his leash. That bitch had to pay for what she'd done. Abandoning her like that. And now it was more unlikely than ever that Angel would ever get her hands on her.

She wasn't about to risk pissing off the Sons. As it was, she considered herself lucky that they'd let her go. If she wanted Kayla, she'd have to play good vampire and bide her time until Roark decided to get off his ass and do something about them. Then, when the Sons were busy fighting for their lives, she'd swoop in and snatch that stupid whore up by her bleached blonde roots and break her fucking neck.

It was a good plan. A solid plan. And Angel pushed back the random thought that she shouldn't blame Kayla for what was so obviously her mess. If this life had taught her anything it was that nobody was responsible for looking out for anybody else. People did what it was in their best interests to do and anything beyond that was just a bonus. That's exactly what Kayla had done. She saw an opportunity and she took it. After all, Angel had killed to get her chance at the brass ring. And what a ring it was. Shackling her to Roark without even the hope of death to escape.

****

Roark sat in his private rooms, staring out at the city below, lost in contemplation. It was true. Keene was a traitor. He'd known it. But, a part of him hadn't believed it until he'd seen it for himself. Keene was a very dangerous adversary. The most dangerous he'd ever faced. No one in the world knew him as well as his former second. The man was a threat. He knew too much. And he had to be eliminated for good. Roark was at a disadvantage. But, he hadn't told the man everything. He still had a few tricks left up his sleeve. He lounged back in his chair, grinning like a Cheshire cat at the plan forming in his mind. The brotherhood knew an attack on them was imminent. But, none of them had no idea when. Keene, like so many unlucky souls who'd crossed him in the past, would be an unfortunate casualty, cannon fodder for the greater good. Nothing stood in the way of progress. And no man stood in his way, once he'd made his mind up.

Chapter 37

Kayla lounged in the bed, daydreaming. It was too early to be awake. But, she had gone to bed, for once, at a reasonable time. She wondered where Bryce was, after he'd dropped her off last night, she hadn't heard a peep from him.

He made her feel so good, wanted. He and his companions were not the vengeful, murderous fiends that Roark made them out to be. In fact, they were quite the opposite. The brothers were considerate of one another, compassionate, and caring. Which, was more than she could say for the Rogue Master and the company that he kept. Not one person or vampire for that matter had treated her with the slightest amount of disrespect. And certainly, not one of them had demanded her blood or her body. Strangely enough, she really did feel safe amongst them.

She doubted if the sense of security that she felt would last. Nothing good ever did. Roark was out there biding his time. He plotted his revenge on Keene. And he was busily organizing a war. Eventually, he would strike. Kayla shrank down in the rich pile of the comforters and pushed her fears to the back of her mind. Worrying would do nothing but wreck the time she had left. And she wanted to enjoy the bit of her short life that she could.

Thoughts of Bryce entered her mind. It would be so easy for her to let go and love him. When she was with him, she could almost forget the ghosts of her past. He quieted their voices. As deep as her wounds were, when he held her in his arms, she almost swore they were healing.

She tried to accuse herself of being so desperate for the slightest bit of comfort and affection that she eagerly romanticized what seemed happening between them. That she was making more out of it than what there actually was. But, deep inside she didn't believe it, not for a minute. The chemistry between them was real, very potent, and very tempting. Bryce was just too nice of a guy. And he did not deserve to be dragged into her mess any further than he already was. She didn't even know if she had a tomorrow to plan for. Her future certainly didn't look too cheerful from where she stood.

Unwilling to torment herself with bleak thoughts, she burrowed under the covers and closed her eyes. Sleep was a lot quicker to come than it used to be. Especially, when she had something pleasant, like Bryce and an imaginary future with him, to dream about.

****

Sam and Marcus unloaded their burden, thankful for the cool gusts of fresh morning breeze on the bluffs. Their goddess required that bodies be disposed of in a certain manner. The Shaman was on hand, directing construction of the funeral pyres. The rogue would be burned at high noon, face down, with his body facing north and south, in a position of dishonor. The unknown female would have a warrior's rite. Her memorial at moonrise, burned face up, with her head pointed east into the rising moon.

Marcus wasn't necessarily superstitious. No matter what folklore told or their goddess required. Dead was dead. And it was just that simple. Legend had it that if a vampire's body wasn't burned and the ashes carried by the winds up to the goddess. The body could rise again as an agent of pure evil. He didn't believe it. But, why tempt fate. Vampire zombies from hell would be just his luck.

Cursing at the dead rogue for being such a heavy bastard, he hefted the body onto the pyre. He stank like a damned funeral parlor and wanted nothing more than to douse him self under the shower to wash away the reek of decay. But, hell no. Corpse detail didn't end until the bodies were burned. He had no reservations about standing honor guard for the human female. No one deserved to die like that. But, as for the rogue, let him rot in the sun for all he cared. The nasty fucker wasn't going anywhere. All zombie apocalypse possibilities aside, the son of a bitch didn't have a head. And Marcus had watched enough bad B movies to know there wasn't any coming back from that.

Disgruntled and reeking, he squinted against the sun and joined Sam for what would probably be the most boring day of his entire life. He'd been a short order cook, one of Uncle Sam's elite, a pool shark, and now to add to his resume, a guard of the dead. Dane was probably in his office hacking up a fang from laughing so hard at the detail he'd assigned them to do.

Sam rolled her eyes at Marcus. Luckily, he didn't see her do it. The dark lenses on her face hid her eyes and she could roll them all she wanted. Yeah, she didn't exactly relish this particular assignment. But, adversity built character. And her adoptive big brother was all about character building these days. He was just trying to keep them busy and out of the bedroom. By now, he'd figured it out. There wasn't a damn thing he could do to keep Marcus and she apart. He'd eventually come around and then they could do all the things normal couples did. Like get married and quit all this damn sneaking around. Until then, it was corpse detail and whatever putrid assignment Dane could dream up.

She looked on the bright side. There were worse things Dane could make them do as punishment. Like count the pine needles on the trees. And guarding a human female killed by a rogue was an honor. Making sure the dead stayed dead, in the rogue's case, was just part of the job. Besides, she got to spend the day with the man she loved. What could be better than that?

*****

Dane shuffled through the reports retrieved from the morgue. Luckily, all the evidence was destroyed, or would be soon enough. There was enough data contained in the files to condemn them all. The box addressed to Thomas caught his eye. He felt as if he was violating a sacred trust between them. But, the box had been at the morgue sitting on the coroner's desk. He had to make sure that it didn't contain anything damaging.

He snapped the packing tape open with the razor sharp edge of his fingernail and tore open the box. The sweet choking acrid scent of death and decay assaulted his sensitive nostrils. "Damn it." The contents carefully tucked in a layer bubble wrap were the most condemning evidence of all. He hissed, twisting the cap off the glass tube. The sample contained inside the tube was thick and black, like oil. Sniffing the contents, he shook with rage. This one sample would have damned them all. And Thomas had almost gotten his hands on it. Dane stormed to the sink in the washroom across the hall from his office and poured the Rogue's blood down the drain.

Thomas and his damnable research! When would the man finally learn that death was an unstoppable and unchangeable force? Dane knew the too brilliant for his own good doctor's hypothesis was right. Countless human lives could be saved every year with nothing more than a drop of vampire blood. He understood the reason for Thomas's desperation. And as much as the doctor wanted to help humanity, the main reason behind his research was far more personal. Dane wanted to help. He really did. But, the secret of their blood wasn't his to share. And death was the natural conclusion of life. No force in the universe could change that. Not even the determination of one man.

Thomas was off duty and holed up in his mom's basement. His equipment was primitive. Pilfered from e-bay and the hospital's scrap heap. But, his makeshift lab had enough to get him by. And it was the only place in the house he had the slightest bit of privacy. His mom never came down here. She couldn't. The stairs were an adversary not even her iron will could conquer. She was getting worse. Each day he could see her deteriorate faster and faster. She tried to hide it from him. But, he was a doctor and more than that he was her son. He knew. She was so brave and stoic. And he was running out of time to save her.