Dawn's Never Ending Glow

******

Patrick was exhausted. But, he refused to give in. That rogue had gotten past all their defenses and breeched their territories. Endangered the life of the woman he cared about the most. And he was still out there, somewhere. Patrick gathered what energy he had left and dropped out of the trees, making another pass through the woods. He couldn't fail Janine like he had Nikki. The rogue had to be stopped.

Patrick had been held captive by a group of rogues. He endured countless beatings. They kept him weak, starving him to the point of insanity. As a cruel joke, they used a human girl to torture him, tempt him to become like them and betray the Sons. He refused to give in. Keeping Nikki alive became his priority. But ultimately, they both knew what her fate would be, even if he sacrificed himself, she wouldn't come out of her captivity alive.

She offered her life to him and he took it, drinking it all in with greedy gulps, until she was drained, lifeless in his arms. Her life had given him the strength he needed to escape. His brothers found him innocent of breaking one of their highest of laws, the penalty of which is death. And he'd done his best to move on. Forget. But, he still felt the guilt. Janine had rescued him from his self-imposed condemnation. But, he still felt the pain, living the life he'd stolen away from another. Everyday.

******

Alex rested her head in the crook of Chance's arm. They had spent the night making love, celebrating their honeymoon. Alex was happy and content, at peace for the first time in what seemed an eternity. As much as she longed to stay wrapped up in the cocoon of their love, she knew there was work to be done.

Not wanting to spoil her special day, the news of her wedding crasher had been kept carefully hidden. She'd already lost one love to the battle between the Sons and the Rogues. And she wasn't about to lose another husband to them. Now that she knew, she needed to be out there helping out. Tracking the bastard down. She trailed her fingers down Chance's bare chest. "Wake up sleepyhead."

Chance yawned and looked down at his wife. His wife, he still couldn't believe she was his. Her large brown eyes framed by ginger colored lashes looked up at him lovingly. He pushed back a fluff of crimson waves and kissed the top of her head. "Ready for another round?" he asked, pressing his erection hard against her hip.

Alex giggled, scooting her pelvis out of his reach. "You have a one track mind." She stared up at his masculine features, deep brown-green hazel eyes, sleek dark hair, and a hard chiseled jaw line, marveling in their beauty. "No, I was wondering if you wanted to make a track through the woods, give the guys a hand."

Chance groaned. Of course, he wanted to be out there doing his part, helping to track the bastard down. He was a warrior and it was his job. But, he also wanted to remain in bed, making his wife cry out his name in passion. That was his privilege. "It's our day off," he whined. "I shouldn't have told you about Roark."

"No, I needed to know," Alex replied in a huff. "Like yesterday." She sat on the edge of the bed with her back to Chance, refusing to argue or put the issue up for debate.

Chance slid closer, wrapping his arms around Alex's waist and tracing the outline of the tattoo splayed across her back with the tip of his tongue. Like all the members, her tattoo was individual, customized for her, indicating her rank and standing in the organization. Her skin was cool and smooth against his tongue. The taste of her body stirred his need to life. "Just a few more minutes?" He slid his hands up along her belly working his way up to cup a full breast in each palm.

Alex leaned back into Chance, relishing the sensation of his tongue lapping at her skin and the warmth of his hands on her breasts. He had a very convincing argument, his tongue and hands being put to good use. A few more minutes couldn't hurt. The woods were already full of trackers and warriors anyway. "Just a few more," she replied, lying back on the bed sighing in joy as he slid up along her body.

*******

Lance and Bryce huddled around the console. Their eyes glued to the monitor. Chuckling under their breath. Killing time. They'd patrolled all day and night, and they were due back in the city by this evening. The pair of trackers were a sharp contrast to one another. Lance with pale white-blond hair and skin and Bryce with his short, curly black hair and an olive complexion. Light and dark. Night and day. "Damn! Would you look at that?" Lance said, whistling low between his teeth as he pointed to the screen. "Damn, woman, have some mercy on a boy."

Bryce zoomed the camera in for a better look. Janine stood in the sunshine, peeling off her Daisy Dukes, casually tossing them to the grass. "Oh yeah, take it off baby." He felt the pulsing in his groin as he watched Janine bend over, her bikini top dipping low to show quite a bit of her hilly cleavage. He blew out a breath as she sank onto the beach towel and stretched out on her back. Her chest rose and fell with the effort of a deep sigh. "Now that, my brother, is feminine perfection."

Bryce about lost it in his leathers, as Janine, on an exaggerated afterthought, sat up, squirted some suntan oil in her palms and smoothed it over her shapely calves. He shifted in his chair to accommodate the growing problem, springing to life beneath his button fly. "Maybe, I should go out and offer to do her back," he said, longingly.

"Or just offer to do her," Lance belted out on a low groan. He was an ass man. And after applying a light coating of oil to her legs and thighs, she rolled over on her belly. And damn, wasn't the rearview better than the full headlights view? That pink bikini hugged her cheeks like a second skin. Slightly riding up along the full curve of her butt and making him hard as hell.

"What are you knuckleheads doing?" John Mark asked, stankeying the monitor. The brothers drooled like a couple of fools. What? Did Toby wire the panels wrong again? The last time he did that, the compound had free pay-per view for a week. His jaws snapped shut with a loud click when he saw what had the brothers panting like a couple of perverts at a peep show. Patrick was one of his closest friends and he wasn't about to stand idly by and let these two degenerates ogle Janine.

"Just checking out the monitors," Bryce mumbled. The presence of the brothers' Second had his little problem wilted down to size in like, three seconds flat. The warrior crossed his arms over his broad, muscled chest. Said nothing. Did nothing more than furrow his brows in disapproval at the monitor and apparently, that was enough to send Bryce's cock into sleep mode.

"Yeah," Lance said, clearing his throat, "just checking out the scenery." Ok, so John Mark was a bit intimidating. All six-foot some odd inches and two-hundred plus pounds of him was enough to have Lance staring at the floor instead of at the view of Janine's perfect ass. Everyone knew the rules. Nobody scammed on another brother's woman. Females were treated with the up most respect.

"Why don't you pansies go out and make another round through the woods before you head back to the city." John Mark grinned slyly at pair as they, grateful for the honor of being first out the door, jumped from their seats. "If I were you, I wouldn't let Patrick catch you sneaking any looks at Janine. I'd hate to see your pretty faces get pulverized." He panned out the camera, still keeping it focused on her, but discretely so. He chuckled as the door to the tech room slammed shut and the sounds of footfalls grew distant.

John Mark took over manning the monitor station. He kicked his feet up in a chair and scraped his hand through his long dark hair, massaging his scalp with his fingers. So far their search for the rogue had turned up zilch. The wedding present the bastard had left for Alex and Chance was nothing more than a wad of hundreds, a sizable wad. But, it wasn't tainted or corrupted in any way. The money was legit. And it would be put to good use. The homeless shelter was getting a very large donation.

Being second in command had it's share of problems and now, he had another worry added to his list. Patrick was losing Janine. The fool didn't realize it yet. But, it was slowly happening. Keeping her safe was at the top of John Mark's list. Males didn't handle rejection well. The pair was bonded. And if they split and went their separate ways, the fallout could extend far beyond the two of them. It would affect the whole brotherhood. This wasn't going to be any run of the mill messy human breakup. When, and John Mark was certain there would be a when, they ended their relationship, it was going to be a dangerous time for the both of them.

Janine was the only thing that kept Patrick remotely sane. She grounded him. Her gentle compassion reached him when no of the other brothers could have. And Patrick kept Janine safe. He protected her. Even though she didn't think he did. He cared. And in that lay the danger.

Robbie had agreed to open the ice cream shop for the season, thinking the work might be therapeutic for Janine. Keeping her busy, out of trouble, and safe within the watchful eye of the brothers. Although she was human, Janine was a valued and cherished member of the Sons.

His other main problem was Anna. She wouldn't be so easily sidetracked and getting her into the safe confines of the compound was proving to be problematic. Anna was strong and fiercely independent. She wouldn't be easily convinced and there was no maneuvering her into compliance. He hoped Toby would be able to convince her to move in soon. Then the trackers could be shifted into more critical parts of the city, relieved from having to spread themselves out so thinly with the task watching over her and keeping her safe. She was human and way too vulnerable. And like most females, stubborn as hell.

As long as the rogues were out there no human was safe. And the task of protecting them grew more and more difficult. The town kept their secrets safe. But, the city was full of unknowns and variables. There simply weren't enough brothers in this area to keep the rogues in check. Threat and reputation were the biggest card the Sons had to play and the brothers relied on it, heavily.

The Great Father relied on it. He could call in reinforcements. But, everywhere the rogue threat was growing faster than it ever had before. John Mark scrubbed a hand through his hair and honed his thoughts down to his little slice of heaven. Yeah, focus on the here and now, the people he loved and cared about the most. If he could keep them alive, whatever he and the brothers had to endure was worth the price. Call it job security. But, as long as there were rogues out there, and there always would be, no human was ever truly safe.

Chapter 3

"You could just stay here with me." Toby patted the space on the bed next to him. The day sped by, too quickly, and Anna was busily packing her overnight bag. She was supposed to ride back to the city with the trackers. And he'd kept her happily diverted way past the agreed upon time for her to leave. So what. His brothers could wait till she was damned good and ready to go. He cast his best puppy dog look on his face, hoping it would convince her to forget about her job, the city, the bag, and climb back into bed with him.

Anna shook her head at Toby's forlorn, puppy dog, face. No amount of begging, sad eyes, or the engagement ring on her finger would get her to change her mind. She had obligations to meet. The article had earned her some credibility and gotten her out of hot water with her boss. But, missing work would dunk her back under its boiling surface in a hurry. Nobody was expendable. And as much as she'd like to stay behind, crawl into that big bed with Toby, and forget the rest. She had bills to pay. And she needed the job. "I can't." She bent over and kissed his head, ruffling his dark hair with her fingertips. "I want to. But, I can't."

"Will you move in with me?" he asked, trying a different tactic. Directness. Something she could appreciate. "We're going to get married anyway. We could live together till you set the date. You know, practice makes perfect." He snatched her up by the waist in a move too fast for her to duck and dragged her down to the bed.

Anna lifted her chin defiantly. Call her old-fashioned about it. But, she was not into the whole co-habitation thing. "When we're married, I'll move in." She wasn't going to be sidetracked by his persuasive lips, which was seductively trailing down the long graceful arch of her neck.

"Ok, I'll grab Dane and meet you on the bluffs in an hour," he whispered. If she was willing, they could skip the formalities of a fancy wedding, and tie the knot, JOP style. Hell, he'd cart her to Vegas and tie the knot, if a piece of paper was what she required to set up digs in his suite.

Anna snorted and pushed at Toby's chest. Her man put up a very convincing argument. Who needed a long engagement and the stress of a wedding? She could just stay put. "And deprive Janine of the honor of throwing one of her infamous bachelorette parties?" She arched her back as Toby continued his way down to the v of her blouse. Slowly with deft fingers, he slid the buttons free and teased her sensitive nipples through the lacy fabric of her bra. "If you keep that up," she moaned, forgetting everything but the sensation of his breath on her skin. "I'll never get back home."

Toby grinned, uh huh, that was the plan. "That's the idea." He slid a hand under her back and unfastened the bra, granting him better access to her soft, tender flesh that lay beneath. She didn't understand how fragile she truly was. The only way he could ensure her safety was to keep her here, by his side. He admired her courage, going out there alone into a world where anything could happen. And he didn't want to squash her independence. But, he wanted her here.

Lord knew his place could use a woman's touch. He had a bit of a reputation, all of it by the way of masculine chest pounding and innuendos. None of it was the truth. Ok, so he was a letch and he liked pretty pictures. But, all of that had stopped when he realized his Internet harem of beautiful faces and glorious bodies paled in comparison to Anna. And she was the one, the only one, he wanted. The red velvet bedspread looked garish and tacky. The black satin throw pillows served no purpose and screamed man slut. And he didn't even want to talk about the gold and black patterned wallpaper.

Anna gripped Toby's chin, forcing his face up to meet hers. "Tobias, we need to talk first. There are a few details to discuss." She shivered in delight as he worked her core, the seam of her jeans crating the most wonderful friction, working open her thighs with his knee.

"That's what I'm trying to do, pay attention to all the details." He slid his chin free and claimed her mouth, searching out the dark crevice with his tongue, darting in, swirling it around, exploring. He could feel her response building. The air was laden with the scent of her arousal. With each stroke, the aroma became stronger, and her body, more pliant beneath his fingertips. "Ni moni tepe'kikiisthwa, My Silver Moon," he moaned. "Let me love you."

God, how could she say no when he phrased the question like that? Surely, Lance and Bryce wouldn't mind waiting around just a little while longer. He asked for so little, such a simple thing, really, one last, quick, goodbye romp. Who was she to say 'no' to his request? She needed it too. Maybe, she could store up the orgasms he delivered with such fierce attention to detail and use them, hold the closeness they created close to her heart and use them to see her through the long lonely days while they were apart.

"Yes." She wanted him. She loved him. A part of her was tempted to agree to rush off to the bluffs and marry him. Throw caution to the wind and get rid of her old life, which didn't really suit her anymore. Grab onto Toby and everything he had to offer. But, she needed to square things away at home and there was one big detail they had yet to discuss. After the wedding, she wanted to undergo the transformation and ensure they got their happily ever after.

Her body yielded and her mind closed all inbound routes to her psyche. Incapable of forming a solid thought as Toby slid her jeans and underwear off in one swift movement, she sighed in contentment. He nestled between her thighs, nuzzling her sweetness, suckling and lapping at her flesh with his tongue. She cried out in sheer pleasure when he entered her. Gently he coaxed her along with him, rocking and bucking, thrusting his hips hard against her pelvis until she shuddered, lost to the sheer ecstasy of their bodies joined as one.

*****

Anna stood with her butt firmly planted against the SUV's rear fender, resting her head on Toby's chest. Listening to the reassuring sound of his heartbeat through the cotton of his t-shirt. They'd spent the afternoon making love and completely lost track of time. Their wonderful afternoon ended when Lance sent Toby an impatient telepathic message. It was time to go and he and Bryce weren't going to wait on her much longer. "Do you think Dane will give you a hall pass this week?"

Toby grinned, nuzzling his cheek against Anna's soft hair. Her skin was coated with the musk of sex and feminine sweat. She smelled of orgasms and satin sheets. Proud of his scent on her, embedded into her flesh, warning the brothers off of her and marking her as his, he smiled. "I don't know. I'll try. You're coming back for the weekend aren't you?"

Anna nodded and lifted her face up to meet Toby's eyes. He'd be perfectly happy if she stayed behind. Nothing would bring him more pleasure than to have her toss her career out the window, unpack her bag, and set up shop in his room. Soon enough, she was going to do just that. Right after, she made the necessary arrangements, put her house on the market, and finished the work piled up on her desk. Soon. "It's the big Spring Planting Festival and I wouldn't miss it for the world." She smiled as he planted a light kiss on her lips and all but shoved her into the SUV to put some distance between them.

Bryce rested his foot on the running board. Watching Anna and Toby play kissy face made him slightly nauseous. He cleared his throat, finally getting their attention. "Either get a room or get in."

Anna glanced over her shoulder and shot Bryce a disdainful glare. She didn't know what had gotten into him lately. He was usually so nice, so gentle around her. Treating her as if she were a true friend. This weekend, ever since Alex's engagement party, he'd been avoiding her, stomping round like something had crawled up his ass and died. And she had no idea why. "I gotta go."

Toby frowned, and glared at his brother. Pushy bastard. Really? Anna wasn't going to change her mind. At least, not on this visit. But, the longer she stayed, the more likely she was to stay. He understood how vehemently she valued her job and her reputation. She would never just walk away. No matter how much he wanted her to. "You don't have to go."

"Yeah, I do." Anna climbed into the backseat and buckled up. She rolled down her window and leaned far out, snatching one last, quick kiss as Lance slid the SUV into drive. Resisting the urge to cry, she shrank back into the seat and rolled up the window. The glossy black tint all but obstructed her view of the woods as Lance navigated the SUV down the long, narrow, winding path to the main road. Silently, she rolled the pad of her thumb over the moonstone and counted the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until next weekend. It seemed like an eternity to wait. Seven days, that was all. Just seven long, boring, lonely days.