Dawn's Never Ending Glow

"You bet," Lori replied.

The crowd in the backseat grew unnaturally quiet and Bryce felt the collective weight on their eyes focused on the back of his head. He shrank a little in his seat and devoted one hundred percent of his attention to the road. He was a guy. He couldn't help what ran through his head when a woman brushed her thigh against his leg. He tightened his hands on the wheel and rolled the window down a smidge, ignoring Janine's grumble that the wind was mussing up her hair. The smell of her perfume, floral and sweet with a slight musky undertone, did nothing to ease the bulge in his groin or the heat of the scowls directed at him from the backseat.

Tonight might be about Anna. But, in no uncertain terms was it also about Janine. About pulling her out of her depression and diverting her mind away from Patrick, if only for a few hours. His brothers had caught the gist of the random thoughts colliding in his brain. Although it was none of their business and he sure as hell didn't welcome the thoughts anymore than they did. They made their stand on the subject plainly clear. Janine belonged to Patrick and she was off limits. Too bad. Patrick wasn't here. And Janine was her own person. And if she happened to enjoy his company over Patrick's, who was he to complain?

John Mark so did not want to kick Bryce's ass. He was armed under the lightweight spring weather jacket and the urge to do a little damage was just a little too tempting. Janine was like a sister to him, to all of them. And Bryce's thoughts about her were anything but brotherly. He grunted in approval when Bryce subtly shrank down in the seat and scooted as close to the door and away from Janine as he could get.

Anna chatted with Chris about the upcoming wedding. She had the worst case of pre-wedding jitters and talking about it did little to ease her nervousness.

Over Chris's shoulder Anna shot a raised brow at Alex in question. What the hell? If Bryce could have driven with half of his body hanging out of the SUV, he would have. For every inch he scooted away from Janine, she scooted closer. Flirting? Maybe, it was a subconscious act on Janine's part. But, she was torturing the poor guy.

Everyone knew Janine and Patrick were on the outs. They hadn't spoken for the better part of a week. The tension between them had all the brothers on edge. There was nothing like sharing relationship angst through a psychic link. No one really wanted to peek into that rat's nest. Anna dipped her head in a subtle nod at Alex. Bachelorette party or not, it was time for a little sisterly intervention.

Chapter 46

The auditorium was packed. Crammed to the hilt with humanity. John Mark carefully guided Anna by the arm through the crowd. Past the hoards of screaming fans waving signs, practically foaming at the mouth for the show to start, and deposited her in the front row. He sat on one side of her, looking for any break in her composure. With this much noise and confusion, he'd have to get her out quick. He directed Chris to sit on the opposite side of Anna, lending her calming effect to help Anna to concentrate on something besides the beating hearts and the scent of blood rolling off the crowd.

Janine clapped and yelled, whistling with the crowd and pumping her fists into the air. She had no idea why the crowd was going so wild. But, she joined in anyway. Wrestle Mania. Who knew? Cutting loose, letting go and shouting at the top of her lungs was exactly what she needed to distract her mind from her troubles. She leaned over Chris's lap and grabbed Anna's hand. "Isn't this fun?"

Anna smiled and nodded at Janine. Fun was not the word she would choose. Afraid to open her mouth too far for fear of showing her extended fangs, she clamped her lips tightly closed and concentrated on something, anything besides the smell of humanity crammed in such close confines. The smell of flesh was pushing her closer to the breaking point. She grabbed tightly onto John Mark's arm with one hand and with her free hand, she grasped Chris's wrist for support.

"You can do this Anna," John Mark reassured. "If it gets too difficult. We can go out and get some fresh air. Surely there's a stray cat around for you to snack on."

"I can make it," Anna repeated under her breath, more to convince herself than anyone else. The lights went down, and the crowd rose to its feet in a collective anticipatory sigh as the National Anthem blared over the speakers and a spot light shone on the American flag. After the tribute, which was a little solemn due to recent events in the country. The auditorium filled with shouts and claps from fans as rock music blared and multicolored laser lights cut through the thick white smoke from the fog machines.

The wrestling matches were entertaining. But, watching Janine and Lori's reaction to the men was even more so. Even Anna was starting to loosen up a bit, conquering her hunger and enjoying the show. Bryce grinned as he watched Janine jump to her feet with excitement as the big, bulky wrestlers rolled across the mat. It was so fake no human could endure the punishment these two doled out on each other. If the fight and the blows were real they'd be in intensive care, or the grave.

******

Toby was sitting around the campfire full from the hunt. The men sat around him, shooting the shit and exchanging stories of days gone by. But, all he could think about was Anna. How was she fairing up? The brothers were gathered around his laptop, watching the wrestling match, thanks to a satellite feed that he'd conveniently found and hacked into.

"That shit is so bogus," Chance chimed in. He was fully engrossed in the match, ducking, bobbing and weaving in time to the wrestlers. "I went to wrestling camp one summer. The shit is so fake."

"I can't believe Anna agreed to go," Will agreed. He stared at the monitor and groaned on a half chuckle. "Oh damn, did you see that?" One of the wrestlers had taken a chair to the back of his skull and was lying face down on the mat. "That's gonna leave a mark."

Dane chuckled, "I hope nobody springs a leak or John Mark is going to have his hands full." He pointed out that despite the physical abuse these men dished out on one another, there was no blood. Fights and battles were messy. He knew that from first hand experience.

"I hope they don't," Toby said.

"Patrick is there mixed into the crowd." Dane said, "Not that Bryce and the women aren't good. But, I thought John Mark might need more help."

"Aw, give it up Dane. You sent him because of Janine," Lance chastised. "You're such a sucker for love."

Dane shrugged. "Ok, so I did. Patrick is driving me nuts with his pouting and pining away for her. But, I gave him strict instructions to stay out of sight."

"Yeah right, I'd like to see how that's going to work out," Lance muttered, ducking a pillow Dane threw in his direction.

"Hey, no throwing stuff." Toby guarded his precious laptop with his body until the pillow throwing ceased. "She's a fragile girl."

******

John Mark pushed Anna's head down as he caught the metal chair tossed out of the ring with his free hand. The crowd went wild, clapping and cheering as the underdog got up and slid under the ropes, and grabbed it out of his hand, throwing it back into the ring as he climbed under the ropes.

Janine was standing on her seat, precariously balanced as she clapped and whistled. She was on serious caffeine overload and for once, in the past week, she wasn't thinking about Patrick. She was having a great time. And those men, the sweaty, tanned, hard bodied, eye candy certainly were distracting. One of the wrestlers was tossed out of the ring, landing onto the cement, practically at her feet. Unthinking, she jumped off her chair to help him.

Janine squeaked when the wrestler grabbed her up in his sweaty, bulky arms and carried her into the ring. He lifted her up onto his shoulder, balancing her weight by wrapping one arm around her waist and resting the other on her upper thigh, just under her skirt. Janine laughed with glee as he grabbed the microphone to address the crowd. "What's your name little lady?"

"Janine," she said into the mic.

"Are you enjoying Wrestle Mania?"

"Oh yeah!" She waved an arm, pointing to their seats. "My friend is getting married tomorrow and this is her bachelorette party!"

"Well congratulations!" The stadium filled with applause and whistles as Anna sank down in her seat, waving gingerly to the crowd.

Janine clapped and laughed as the hulking man slid her off his shoulder and set her down onto her stiletto heels. Before she could turn to retreat from the center of the ring, he wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her into the line of his bulging pecs and rock hard abdomen. He smelled masculine, of sweat and skin. She barely registered what was happening to her. Held this closely. Envied by the women in the crowd and more than a fair share of the men. The wrestler really was a looker. Healthy. Muscled. And damn cute with his sweat drenched hair clinging to the tops of his broad shoulders. He claimed her mouth in a kiss. Not the soft, passionate kisses she was used to but an unyielding, demanding, kiss.

Ok, she realized the kiss was all part of the show. But, she gasped in shock as the wrestler, who went by the stage name of Wrath the Punisher, ran his tongue in between her lips. She gave the crowd what they wanted and, surprisingly enough, what she wanted in the heat of the moment and kissed him back. Playing it up for her fans, she wrapped her arms around his thick neck and draped a thigh, which wasn't as easy as it looked in the heels and short skirt, over hip. He held her tightly, his hands splayed wide across the small of her back to keep balanced and dipped her backwards, all the while playing tongue tango with her.

It was the first kiss she'd had from a human male in a very long time. It was hot and salty. His mouth was wet and his breath moist against her lips. She couldn't hear his thoughts and didn't know, for the first time in longer than she cared to remember, what affect her kiss had on a man. He seemed pretty revved up. Dipping his tongue eagerly in and out of her mouth with the enthusiasm of a starving man at an all you can eat buffet.

She giggled and blushed as Wrath the Punisher guided her into a standing position and held on while she regained her balance. With a deep bow and a brush of his lips across her knuckles, he held the ropes wide and eased her out of the ring, handing her over to a stagehand who helped her climb down and pressed a backstage pass into her hand. Laughing and clapping, she took her seat, oblivious to the fact that Patrick was two rows behind her and fuming with rage. "That was so fun!" she squealed in Lori's ear.

John Mark glanced over his shoulder and locked eyes with Patrick. Sensing the rage building within his brother, he gave a subtle shake of his head. This was not the place or the time. Patrick glared at him and bristled at the wrestler in the ring before he stormed off, melting into the crowd. John Mark eased a sigh of relief and returned his attention to watching Anna.

Patrick slid out of the crowded auditorium and filled his lungs with cool night air. He couldn't lose his temper. But, seeing the man's hand resting on Janine's bare thigh stirred his jealously. And when the muscle bound bruit kissed her, obviously working his tongue in her mouth. His anger tipped, spiraling downward into full-scale fury. She was his. She loved him. How could she kiss someone else and like it? He noticed, oh yeah, he noticed the subtle tilt of her pelvis and the way she leaned against the man. He was supposed to be the only man that curled her toes in her designer stilettos and sent her heart racing. And wasn't that a happy thought, that she could forget about him so easily.

Finally, the exhibition ended. Anna sighed, relieved sitting back into her chair to wait until the crowd dissipated. She had survived her bachelorette party unscathed. "I made it," she said, smiling at John Mark.

"You did very well," John Mark replied, squeezing her hand.

"Wasn't that the greatest?" Janine said, bouncing on the balls of her feet, practically bubbling over with enthusiasm.

Lori snickered," For you maybe. But I didn't get kissed. I didn't realize how physical wrestling is." She leaned forward into the breeze created by the program Janine used to fan her overheated face. "All that flesh."

Janine elbowed Lori. "See, what did I tell you?" She handed Lori the program and turned her attention to Anna. After all, she was the gust of honor and this was her party. "Did you have fun?"

Anna smiled at Janine, forcing her eyes away from the bounding pulse point beneath her skin. Damn, she was hungry. And being around all these humans was getting to be a little tricky. "Yeah, I did."

Janine beamed at Anna's praise. "FANTASTIC! Anna, we have gifts for you." She bit her lip and frowned in doubt. "I'd rather not go to the compound, just in case, well you know. Can we finish the party at Robbie's?"

"I think I'm going to pass. All the people." She leaned closer whispering in Janine's ear, "I'm really hungry. And I don't usually think you smell like an appetizer, but I'm starting to change my mind about that. John Mark and the brothers are taking me out for a little midnight snack."

"And the little human girls can't come." Janine forced a smile to hide her hurt at being left behind. She got it. And she did not want to end up as Anna's personal drink box. "Ok, we'll finish up tomorrow when I get to the lodge to decorate."

Anna smiled and gave Janine a gingerly hug. "Deal. And Janine, thanks."

Chapter 47

Janine watched everyone but Bryce and Lori disappear into the woods behind the Convention Center. She claimed the passenger side of the SUV while Lori slid into the backseat and stretched out wearily from all the excitement. She was a little tired too. But, the evening was still young. And even though the guest of honor preferred deer to her company, she was still the hostess and had a job to do. "Do you guys want to go to my place for a while?" She had no idea of how she was going to entertain them. Watch bad TV on Robert's battered twenty-five inch console TV? Raid Danielle's collection of cassette tapes and listen to the Cranberries? Maybe, there was an old VHS player somewhere in the basement and a couple of videos she hadn't seen in a thousand years. Wouldn't that be just peachy keen?

Lori groaned from the backseat and fluffed her jacket under her head as a makeshift pillow. Her mom was an early riser, as in four in the morning early. And before the crack of dawn Lori had been drafted into pulling weeds out of the flowerbeds. Mommy Dearest claimed the dew on the ground made the roots easier to work out of the soil. Bullshit. "Ah, count me out. I open in the morning."

Janine huffed and stared out of her window into the darkness. Her party was a complete wash out. "I suppose you want to go hunting with the rest of them too," she grumbled at Bryce for no particular reason other than she wasn't ready to call it a night yet. She was bored, frustrated, and restless and there was nothing to do.

Bryce held his hands up in surrender. "Nope, I'm good." He started the SUV and slid into place among the dribble of traffic headed towards town. Taillights moved at a snail's pace as drivers slowed and turned off on the side roads off the main highway.

Janine checked the time on the dash. If people would move their asses and get out of the way, she could still make it to the coffee shop before they closed for the night. She would make Bryce take her to the One Shot for a drink. But, she was in no mood for alcohol. And she sure as hell didn't want to be one of those drunks that cried in their beer. Tonight, she would. She was crawling out of her skin. Exhausted and in desperate need for a pick me up. "Bryce, can we stop by the coffee shop on the way home?"

After stopping by the coffee shop at Janine's relentless demand and dropping Lori off at home, Bryce parked the SUV in Robbie's driveway and slid the vehicle into park. The engine idled, ticking away the minutes as they sat there in the driveway in awkward silence. Janine played with the empty coffee cup in her hand and sighed heavily, not contributing a thing to break the uncomfortable moment between them. He wasn't necessarily a brilliant conversationalist. But, it usually didn't take much to get Janine talking. "It was another great bachelorette party."

Janine nodded in agreement. "It sure was." She hated coming home to an empty house most of all. Despite the light she'd left on in the living room, the house looked dark and desolate. She was embarrassed by her insecurity. But, wired for sound thanks to the double shot caramel latte and all that sugar and caffeine she'd just swilled down, she wouldn't be sleeping anytime soon anyway.

Damn it, there was a party going on somewhere in the world and she was missing it. She was, and she hated to admit it, lonely. She sensed that Bryce was too. Maybe, they could keep each other company for a while. Just kind of hang out and talk till her coffee wore off and she finally got too sleepy to fight it. Janine rested her hand on the door pull and glanced over at him. "Do you want to come in?"

Bryce turned off the ignition and pocketed the keys. "Sure." Hiding his triumphant grin, he got out and walked around to the passenger side, helping Janine down. She was soft beneath his hands, feminine, and smelled faintly of coffee beans and sugar. He guided her hand into the bend of his elbow and led her to the door.

******

Patrick joined the brothers in the hunt. Pinning and trapping the deer beneath his weight and sinking his teeth into the tender musty smelling pelt as he drank his fill was somehow life affirming. He was still pissed as hell. But, this was what Janine wanted. He was doing exactly what she asked of him and leaving her alone. He was all about changing his approach these days. If he seemed like he was giving up on her, maybe she'd swallow her pride and come back.

Anna stood with her hand on her hip, watching Patrick drink from the deer. "You don't know shit about women do you?" If her relationship were in danger, roaming around the woods with a bunch of vampires was the last place she'd be. It was so obvious that he was in over his head when it came to Janine. The poor guy needed a little help.

Patrick released the buck and watched it bound clumsily into the woods. He glared up at Anna and licked a trickle of blood off his bottom lip. His fangs retracted with a satisfying snap. Bride to be or not, she had no right to tower over him with her hands planted smugly on her hips as if she knew everything about broken relationships and how to fix them. "Maybe, you'd like to fill me in?"

"Come on, walk me home," Anna said. She still felt guilty about almost killing him and felt that she owed him at least a little friendly advice. It was a way that she could make amends and maybe save his ass. She reached out a hand and to her surprise he accepted. With a hard tug, she pulled him onto his feet and he fell in step beside her.

Anna walked through the woods, unfazed by the darkness surrounding them. As long as a little light shone down from the moon above, her night vision was perfect. "I'm really sorry I almost killed you," Anna said, contritely.

"I'm fine now. Don't worry about it," Patrick answered. Anna was a little awkward, walking beside him through the woods in her dress flats. Other than that trick with her light up palms, she seemed to be adjusting to her new lifestyle fine. "You've got one hell of a punch."

"Thanks, I guess." Anna took a deep breath and dodged a muddy patch in the dirt. Her shoes were old, but they were still designer label and deserved some measure of respect. She wasn't quite sure of how to approach Patrick. But, she was never one to beat around the bush or spare someone's feelings. Bluntness didn't always win her friends. But, the few she had were true. " Look, I want to talk to you about Janine."