Dawn's Path: Completed Work

Drew lost it at the accusing tone in her voice. With a strength and a mindless fury he did not know himself capable of he grabbed Tala by the throat and pinned her to a wall. The rock crumbled and bits of debris trickled across his fingers and down over her shoulders. He squeezed, choking her, rage calling to the beasts within him. His vampire smelled her blood and longed to sink his fangs into her skinny neck. His wolf growled in his head at the threat to Tala. She was pack and therefore his to protect. The two halves of him battled in his mind, neither one able or willing to yield to the other. "You don't know shit about my brother or about me. Don't presume to tell me what he did or did not die for. And don't you ever accuse me of dishonor. Little girl, you don't know a fucking thing about my world."

Tala struggled to hold her wolf at bay. Tears rolled down her cheeks and spots formed in her vision as Drew choked the life out of her. Kicking desperately and clawing at his thick wrist, she struggled to draw breath. In a last ditch effort to remain conscious, she swung her foot and planted the sole of her bare foot into his groin. Tumbling to the ground as he released her throat in preference for cupping his injured family jewels, Tala leapt to her feet. Wolves had a tendency to fight violently and dirty. And she wasted no time pinning him to the floor with one heel planted firmly over his groin and the other pressing into his throat. Her voice was raspy, growling. Her wolf hovered on the surface of the body they shared, lender her much needed strength and stamina, not to mention razor sharp claws and a lethal set of incisors. "Apparently, you don't know shit about mine either."

She could only maintain this partial shift for so long before either one side or the other won. He stared up at her in shock. Slowly, he opened his hands and positioned them palm up on the carpet. His eyes watered from the pain in his groin. His breaths puffed between his parted lips, revealing the fine points of his fangs. Even agonized, flat on his back and defenseless he was still scary, at least to the human side of her. To her wolf however, he was just prey to be eaten. "What's it going to be vampire? Like it or not we're in this together. I need you and you need me just as badly if not worse. Trust me, I'm not the biggest or baddest wolf out there. And unless you want the do it yourself home version of a vasectomy, you'd do well to keep your hands to yourself."

Tala dug her heel deeper into his groin to prove her point. He whimpered or would have if he'd had the air to do so. "I know I dumped a load of shit on your doorstep. But, things are what they are. And family helps family. Got it?"

Drew couldn't move. He couldn't do anything but lie on his back and see stars from the pain shooting through his groin. Ashamed by his actions and that he'd hurt a female, no matter how defenseless she might not be, he mouthed a yes, sucking in a breath and a whimper as she removed the sole of her foot from his throat and her heel from his groin. " Got it, werewolf."

Tala kicked him where it counted. How many more stupid things was this man who was the supposed savior of her people and housed the Great White Wolf's spirit going to do before he learned? "I am not a werewolf."

"Nor am I a vampire," he heaved. Crouching on his knees, he stared up at Tala. He couldn't quite muster the energy to stand just yet. She fought like a man. Swore like a sailor. Had a nasty temper. And in her, he might have just found the woman of his dreams. "What are you then?"

Tala shook her head and scoffed. She knew more about vampires than he obviously knew about her. She kept out of arm's reach of his fingertips. Balancing on the balls of her feet, she crouched low to meet his eyes. "Welcome to your new world, Dane. And shouldn't the question be, not what are you, but what am I?"

"What am I?"

"More than what you ever dreamed." Tala stood and reached out her hand. The offer was a gesture of trust and of truce. She was shocked when he accepted, gripping her fingers with a firm hold. He weighed a ton. But, she managed to assist him to his feet. His posture was stooped and pained. He was too much a gentleman to massage his aching groin in her presence and refrained from doing so. The minute they parted company though he'd probably check to make sure everything was where it should be. "Will you help us?"

"How could I say no to family?" His groin ached and things didn't feel as if they were quite where they should be. The speed of vampire healing should take care of any long lasting effects. But, the healing couldn't happen fast enough. The very least she could do was offer him an ice pack or at the very least, some sort of apology. As she'd pointed out though, their worlds were very different. And he'd given her a rude introduction into his, just as he'd gotten a rude of an introduction into hers. Their worlds were harsh, sometimes cruel, and violent. But, they could be filled with wonder and indescribable beauty, and so much magic. And they had much to learn about each other and their worlds.

Tala smiled at his comment. His words rang with his acceptance of the truth. And she didn't know why it was so important to her to set at least one thing straight. But, it was. "You do realize, we're so genetically distant that we're not technically related and haven't been for generations, right? I'm no closer to being a genetic relative than any other stranger on the street."

This woman, this little Maiden of the Woods, spitfire woman was going to be the death of him. Probably in a literal sense rather that a metaphorical one. This woman could kick serious ass. She'd managed to drop him to his knees. Not something easily done by the strongest of the brothers. But, that didn't stop the comment from rolling off the end of his tongue. "You clarify that point for a particular reason? Let me guess, you fine me irresistible. My animal magnetism calls to your inner wolf on a level that you just simply can't refuse. What is it they say these days? I make you hot?"

Tala burst out laughing and rolled her eyes. Drew had no idea how close to the actual truth he was. His wolf did call to her. And when he smiled and let his guard down enough to ditch his stoic façade, he actually was pretty damn irresistible. But, he didn't need to know any of that. "I should have kicked you harder."

Drew grabbed his groin. Covering his softer bits with his palms. "I'm glad you didn't." Glad to be on conversational terms with her again, he dropped onto the loveseat and stretched his legs out across the coffee table. "So tell me, what is it you require? How can I help? There isn't much space down here. Not enough to house all of us. But, I suppose we could double up on the accommodations for now."

Tala hesitated. She didn't want to throw his offer back in his face. Not when he wasn't choking her, had dropped the stiffness of his stoicism, and she was getting a rare glimpse of the man behind the leader. "Actually, this set up might be good for vampires. But, it isn't for my kind."

"Werewolves."

"I'm not a werewolf," she retorted. "My kind needs sunshine and fresh air, open spaces to explore."

"Trees to mark," Drew teased.

"Keep it up bloodsucker and I will kick you harder."

"I bite."

"So do I."

Drew dropped the teasing. The analytical part of his mind that was still functional

and not thinking about her naked or preoccupied by the lingering pain in his groin was working the problem. He'd already figured out that they weren't related enough to breech any taboos. But, that she'd thought to point it out had his mind veering off in all sorts of conflicting directions. "Something above ground then. Let me see what I can do about that. In the meantime, if you leave your chambers, please be cautious. Your scent confuses the others."

"I think I'll go outside and let my wolf roam for a while." She didn't think the

vampires would hurt her. But, she'd rather not take any chances. And her wolf was agitated from the draw on her power and released she'd been denied. Her wolf could be destructive, if the change happened indoors. And the brothers really did have a nice place.

He stiffened at the thought of Tala naked. The raw power of her body, curves and hips, full breasts and lean, shapely legs, of her bare and surrounded by nature played havoc with his mind and his aching groin. "Please allow me to escort you."

She stood and followed Drew to the door. "I think I can find my way on my own." Resting a hand on his shoulder and shuddering at the force of the contact. The shiver that ran down her spine was sheer magic and the pull of attraction. Drew was the only male that had managed to keep her attention beyond a few seconds. The sensation was confusing, unwelcome, but not unpleasant in the least. She hadn't come here to find a mate. And didn't want one. "Thanks for helping us."

Gently he grasped Tala's fingers with his hand and brought her knuckles to his lips. The gesture was old-fashioned and culturally outdated. But, for once, he didn't mind being a fossil or a gentleman. "You're welcome." He held her hand for a few more minutes than were necessary savoring the contact and the rush of heat that spread up his arm. Abruptly, he released her and held the door. He had not felt this desire for a woman since his wife crossed the Great River. And if he didn't let Tala go now, he wouldn't, ever.

He shook off the feelings. Dismissing them. There were too many unanswered questions and too much uncertainty hovering around him and his future. He could not afford to think about her, to see her as a woman. Pursuit was folly. And it could spell disaster not only for his destiny but for hers as well. Everything he thought he knew had been turned upside down. And he did not know which path was the right one to follow. She deserved someone like her. A male that was absolutely certain about what and who he was. Drew was not that man. He had to stay away from her. And not think about her as he had been. Wistful and feeling more alone than he ever had, hovering in indecision between wanting to stay and knowing he should go, he left her standing in the open door to her room. And in doing that he did something he'd never done before. Retreated.

Chapter 55

Angel walked the halls of the compound. She was back. Her bag over her shoulder and the car parked in the garage. The same walls and floors stretched out before her in the same confusing maze of intersecting corridors. But, something about them was different. She was different. She hadn't been a day and in those ticks of the clock she'd changed so much. Her life had gone full circle and she was exactly where she started. Hovering in indecision. That homing beacon in her head felt Lance's tingling presence. He was in his room. Awake.

His annoyance flowed through the link. But, beneath the lingering undercurrents of his anger was something else and the sensation of it warmed her to the bone. He was pissed that she'd taken such a stupid risk and left the safety of the compound. She'd expected that though. She just hadn't expected to feel his love for her with such intensity. He'd forgive her. Even in his anger, he'd understood her past was not something he could protect her from. And she sensed his annoyance wasn't as much with her as it was with himself that he could not save her from herself. She wasn't certain she was ready to face him or the emotions bubbling to the surface of her mind. The safest thing to do would be to retreat to her own bedroom and let him cool off for a while. Let this whole thing settle till she could deal with it. But, hiding from him wasn't the answer. He deserved the truth. He deserved to hear what she had to say from her lips not from the lingering ties of their link.

Angel walked past the hallway leading to her room. Her fingers working the strap to her bag in nervous agitation, as she approached Lance's bedroom. If she'd had time to think about it, she would have mentally prepared herself better. Come up with some sort of speech that would erase the past twenty-four hours. She had shit. Flowery words weren't her forte. She was more of a let the words tumble out of her mouth and hope they made sense kind of person. Besides, what could she really say? She'd accomplished what she'd set out to do. And the past was well and fully buried. The things she'd done could not be undone. Her past would always be a black mark of failure on her soul. But, her future was for the first time in her life, totally up to her.

Lance finished his shower and wrapped a towel securely around his waist. Angel's call, her confession anyway, filled him with uncertain hope. She loved him. And while he'd known it for quite sometime, her realization of it was a giant step forward. Now, if he could keep her, keep them, from taking two steps back, they could explore the possibilities of an actual future together. His Dark Angel had a tendency to do her damnedest to destroy the things that frightened her. Friendship. Love. Belonging. Oh, she'd come a very long way. But, she still had so much farther to go.

She wasn't the only one that had done a little soul searching during their time apart. He had too. And he always reached the same conclusion. Loving her would hurt. She would make it as hard on him, as hard on them, as possible. Angel was a woman who needed things proven to her. And love wasn't any different. She wasn't a woman easily won by a little easy romancing. It would take everything he was, his very heart and soul, to convince her of his love. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her. No leap of faith he wasn't willing to chance. And perhaps, he was doing that now, in waiting for her to gather up her courage and walk through his door instead of dragging her through it.

Lance was not a man to sit back and let anyone set the pace for his life. He took control of every aspect of his long existence. But, in love, and in her, he was helpless, as weak as a kitten. He figured he had two choices. Accept it or not. Angel didn't feel in control of her life. And in tightening her fist around her very being and thusly dragging him along for the ride, was how she managed to control her world.

She'd been traumatized far beyond what she could admit or he even wanted to consider. And he could not even begin to heal the wounds of her past. The scars ran deep, engrained into her very being. There was no healing them. He'd have to accept her for who she was. And that was what he'd been pacing the floors all night considering. Could he do it? Was he the man to drag her beyond her past? Give her everything she needed, his strength, his understanding, hell his very heart and soul? Hurt her to prove he loved her? He'd been waiting for the day some woman would snag his heart and make it hers. He just hadn't expected it to be a woman as difficult as Angel.

Lance heard the doorknob twist and deliberately gave her his back. Her footfalls were a soft whisper across the carpet as she stepped inside. The door closed, a gentle sigh of wood engaging wood. Ignoring her, he riffled through his dresser and pulled out a pair of socks. She slid the bag on her shoulder to the floor and hovered behind him. He couldn't see her. But, he knew she was biting her bottom lip the way she did when she was thinking. "I have limits, Angel. Hard limits."

Although he couldn't see the gesture, Angel nodded. "I know." In leaving, she'd hurt him. She'd disregarded his feelings in preference of her own. An apology would be appropriate right now. Gloss things over. But, she could not apologize for leaving. If she'd stayed, he wouldn't be angry with her now. And she wouldn't have hurt him. They could have pretended everything was ok and was going to continue to be ok. It would have been a matter of time before in their desperation for each other, the truth of how not ok things were. How not ok she was. Would have torn them apart.

Her inner tramp purred at the sight of Lance's broad back. She wanted nothing more than to cross the room and trail her fingers down the scrollwork of his tattoo and inch her fingers beneath the towel tightly knotted at his narrow waist. Her whole life, she'd used sex to get what she wanted. Hell, she'd fucked as a means to survive. Though the fucking, feeling Lance hard inside of her, would be nice. And it might even serve to get her out of trouble. She would not debase herself and insult him to avoid the bigger issues at hand. He deserved better than that.

Lance grit his fangs at the heat of Angel's stare on his back. He'd love nothing more than to drop the towel, scoop her up, and plunge deep inside of her. Fuck her into submission. Fucking would accomplish one goal. Claiming her as his. But, he would not confuse physical pleasure with love. In his past, he'd done that before. Used sex as a substitute for love. The two were not even remotely similar. The momentary sating of lust was a pale, pale illusion in comparison. He was done with shadows. Done with her running away. Done with her, if she couldn't agree to his limits. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

Angel didn't expect the heat of his anger or the sting of his question. He'd asked it simply enough. Coldly enough, though the words burned. He was waiting for her to do the talking, the explaining, and the promising. And in this moment, she understood that she had no limits. Nothing she wouldn't risk for the chance, perhaps her only chance, for something real with him. "Yes." She crossed the room and rested her forehead on the chiseled muscles between Lance's shoulder blades.

Wrapping her arms around his chest, she inhaled the scent of him. Fresh from the shower, smelling of spice from his shower gel, wild, and man. Closing her eyes, it was easy to say the words. Not the ones he wanted to hear. But, the ones she truly meant. "I didn't have to go as far as I thought to find what I was looking for. Everything I was looking for was right in front of me the entire time. Lance, I love you.

"I was stupid. I ran. I thought I needed to confront my past to finally put it behind me. I just didn't realize it already was. I used my past as an excuse. I wore it like a shield to keep you and everybody else out. But, it wasn't my past I was afraid of. It was my future...that you were so determined to be a part of it...that terrified me. I'd rather live an uncertain future with you in it than a dozen lifetimes of certainty alone. I fought you, fought us, and fought everyone, out of fear. I'm not an easy person to live with. I'm moody, unpredictable, and most of the time, a bitch. And I can't say I'll ever get any better. But, that you're willing to accept me as I am says a lot. I'm sorry I hurt you, Lance. I pushed your limits too far. Pushed myself too hard. Caused us both a lot of unnecessary pain. I'm done being afraid. I'm done running."

Lance trembled in Angel's arms. She'd said everything he'd needed to hear. Bore her soul to him and placed her heart in his hands. He turned and grabbed onto her like a drowning man clutches at a life preserver. Lifting her, feeling the rasp of her thighs wrapping around his waist and the weight of her against him, he exhaled. "No more running."

"Never." Locking eyes with him, Angel tilted her head. Bracing herself for the kiss that would seal her fate and lock the two of them together as one. Lance delivered, kissing her in urgent desperation. His tongue invaded her mouth, searching out the dark places. Swabbing wildly, his tongue danced with hers. Their fangs brushed creating a heat that was as necessary to her as breathing. His fingers dug into her rump, clutching with wild abandon. She was softness, all woman, and so very alive in his arms. Dizzying and terrifying, the kiss possessed every part of her: heart, body, and soul.