Dawn's Path: Completed Work

Chapter 56

Chris and Anna chattered amongst themselves, plotting and scheming the Were's new home. The home they were planning would be grand in stature, spacious and airy, with plenty of room for a growing family. Anna, of course, didn't like Chris's ideas for the kitchen. And Chris hated Anna's theories about how many bathrooms a house of this size should have. Anna, obviously, had never shared a dorm floor with fifty other women. "Honey," Chris paused considering one small detail Anna hadn't thought of. "Exactly how much of a budget do we have to work with?"

Dane shook his head as he packed up his belongings, planning to surrender his office to the women. "However much you need. The stock market was very forgiving this quarter and we've had a very, very good year."

Anna smiled at Chris and eagerly rubbed her hands together in glee. This little project couldn't get any better. An unlimited budget, oh boy, could she ever design a home with that kind of cash! "Leave it to us," she said, practically pushing Dane out the door. "We'll have a rough set of plans drawn up in a few hours." Chris was already snatching sheets of paper from Dane's desk blotter, gathering up erasers, and sharpening pencils in preparation.

"That fast?" Dane asked incredulously. He wondered if he should offer Anna a slobber bib. The woman was practically drooling at the idea of having no budgetary restrictions placed on her masterpiece. He had warned the two of them to keep it simple, non-descript. They had free creative license. As long as the place didn't stick out like a sore thumb and attract too much unwanted attention. He didn't care. It was a house and it needed to look like a house. A glittering monstrosity of metal and concrete would not blend in. And this home had to fade into the woods as much as possible.

"We're women, nothing is impossible," Anna said, shutting the door in Dane's face. She turned toward Chris, her eyes gleaming in eagerness to prove her worth. Dane didn't fully trust her vision. What did he think she was going to do? Design a skyscraper in the middle of nowhere? He'd judged her by the work she'd been commissioned to do in the city. Where architects competed to build the biggest and the best. Out here, she could do the work she wanted to do exactly how she wanted to do it. And in her head, the plans were already finished. She had only to put them on paper. "Ok, let's build a home."

Janine stalked the compound searching out the scent. The lingering essence was not quite human. But, it was not a vampire either. And not only did the traces of musk, earthen smell of loam, and the hint of sweet blood pulsing through veins tease her curiosity. But, the scent triggered something worse as well. She was hungry. On the verge of becoming crazed from the empty ache rumbling through her belly. Hunger was an enemy she couldn't afford to let win. But, sometimes, it was damn hard to fight. All in all, she supposed, things were going pretty well. Leigh was a very accommodating donor. And Patrick was a very patient teacher. But, of course, she was his favorite pupil of all time.

Vampire life was certainly different from human life. In time, she imagined, she wouldn't be able to tell the difference as she got used to things. She hoped not. The sex was incredible. Patrick seemed to think so too. And that he no longer had to hold back, took their lovemaking to a whole new level. He was happier than she'd ever seen him. And that made this whole crazy thing just a little easier to endure.

Every little thing, even the mundane everyday things she'd taken for granted before, amazed her now. She could hear the gears in that old wind up clock grinding against one another. Ticking away hours that no longer mattered. Colors were more vibrant, almost alive.

She'd be lying if she said she still didn't crave a huge chocolate milkshake and a double cheeseburger from Happys. But, she had her notebook and all the careful details she'd jotted down to remind her of the taste of things when she couldn't quite bring them to mind. Everyone expected her to cave. That eventually, she'd cave and take a bite of something just to see if she could. Wasn't happening. She was a stronger person than that. And she was damned determined to prove them wrong, if for no other reason than out of spite.

She hadn't really learned how to 'use her vampire senses' as Patrick called them. He was constantly drilling into her head how important they were. But, her sense of smell was making up for its lack of participation in his training now. She wrinkled her nose. Tracking the alluring aroma down the hall like she'd been born to do it. "What the hell is that?"

Tala didn't give into the urgings of her wolf. But, rather wandered along the trails in human form. When she was a wolf, her mind was a tangle of instinct and drives. She wanted time to herself, to contemplate her future and the man who made both she and her wolf howl with frustration. He tempted her in ways he shouldn't. And she couldn't say for certain. But, she thought she tempted him too. Her knuckles burned at the spot where his lips had come into contact with them. Over the years, she'd had her share of dates and almost trysts. But, none of men had affected her the way, the simplest conversations and most casual of contacts with him seemed to do.

Human men were far too fragile for her species. Even in this weaker human version of herself, she was stronger, faster, and more aggressive than the average man. Her wolf wanted absolutely nothing to do with a human male. Considered them prey. And she had made that abundantly clear. What her wolf felt had a tendency to seep through the barriers of their joined minds and bodies. Tala simply couldn't work up an ounce of attraction for a normal, everyday guy.

And the males of her pack were even less attractive to her. Her wolf evaluated them with the cunning, cool aloofness of a she-wolf on the prowl for a mate. And she'd found her pack-mates sorely lacking. At least Tala and her wolf were of one mind on that subject. She didn't like the men any better than her wolf did. They were bruits, always stomping around, beating their chests to prove themselves, and pissing on each other's territory in their vie for the title of top dog. They were laughable and so predictable it was pathetic. Back in the early days, when she'd first come into her own as a she-wolf. She'd bat her eyes at them and watch them scramble, almost coming to blows for the chance to steal a kiss.

Her father had threatened to marry her off just to keep the males from tearing each other to pieces. Pack had to come first, he'd say. She wondered what he'd say if he knew about Drew? Would he be good enough to suit her father? Or would he force her to mate with someone else, possibly Grant, just to keep them apart? Her snatch wasn't made of gold. And she had no ideas otherwise. It was her genes that drew the males to her like bees to honey.

Drew was just as fertile as the rest of the pack thanks to the Great White Wolf's gift. But, he lacked the typical alpha male mentality. He was interested, perhaps intrigued by her. Had been before he knew his shot wasn't loaded with blanks. Male pursued her for her position. Mating with what was considered in pack hierarchy the equivalent of a princess had its perks, after all. But, he was as high up in the ranks as a male could get. And maybe, it was that she found so attractive. If he wanted her at all, it wasn't for her genes or to gain status in the pack. And wasn't that a refreshing change of pace.

Drew radiated confidence. He didn't need to mark his territory in a frenzy or perform tricks to gain a female's affections. He exuded pure sexuality and masculinity from every pore. Every sharp plane of his well-defined body vibrated with raw power. Yet, he had a deeper side, an almost soulful quality to his character, steeped in wisdom and dozens of lifetimes' worth of experience. The strength of his quiet ways drew her to him. He could abuse his position to gain anything he wanted. But, the only thing he seemed to desire was peace and calm. And in that she regretted the Great White Wolf's spirit had chosen him. The life of a wolf was not a peaceful one.

She found her way back to the compound easily enough. Her wolf, never forgot. It was like having a GPS in her head. She looked up at the creatively hidden camera and waited. There was a barely audible hiss of disengaging locks and the ivy vines draping over the side of the roughly hewn stone gave way to the entrance. Tala shuddered at the thought of having to go back underground. But, she was hungry and thirsty. Not to mention that her wolf might not have a problem peeing in the woods. But, she sure as hell did.

Tala walked through the double doors leading from the main foyer to find a petite blonde woman staring fixatedly at her. Licking her fangs in eager anticipation. The wolf, sensing danger, growled defensively, setting her bones shivering and her muscles quivering. The female's scent, creatively covered by layers of perfume, gave her away. Smelling desperation and hunger, Tala didn't move. Didn't make sound. She stood her ground, matching the woman's blue-eyed stare with a hardened defensive glare.

Janine blinked and broke eye contact with the woman who smelled so goddamned edible it hurt. Shamed by the uncontrollable punch of fangs through her gums, she blushed and shifted from one foot to the other. As first impressions went, this wasn't one of her best. She couldn't even open her mouth to say 'hi' without revealing the points of her fangs. In the vampire world, the social faux pas was the human equivalent of farting in public or sneezing snot on a stranger's shoulder. Unsure of what else to do, she did exactly as Patrick had instructed and kept her mouth shut.

Ok, so it was rude to think of a guest as food. Humans weren't food. Even as a baby vampire she knew better than that. Janine hazarded to lean forward and sneak a sniff. Trying to figure out exactly what the woman who wasn't a human and wasn't a vampire, was. What she wouldn't give for a tiny taste of the woman's blood. All she wanted was an appetizer, a delectable little morsel taken from a teensy nip at the woman's wrist. The woman looked healthy enough. There wasn't as much as a split end, a hangnail, or a freckle on her. She wouldn't miss a drop or two. Humiliated by her thoughts as well as her fangs, Janine leaned back on her heels. She wanted to say something intelligent. But, she hadn't quite learned to how to speak without sounding like a total moron when her fangs misbehaved. And somehow she got the impression that flashing them would not be a good thing to do at the moment.

Tala couldn't hold her wolf back any longer. Shivering and trembling, her body contorted. Hands and feet formed into paws. Nails grew into sharp, dangerous claws. And her skin gave way to a thick, lush, black pelt. Once begun, the shift had to happen. It was out of her control and couldn't be stopped. Fearful for the curious, round-eyed onlooker, she rasped out a word of warning before she lost her ability to speak. "Run!"

Once the wolf was in full control. It would defend itself against the threat of the woman's fangs. It wouldn't matter if the woman meant her harm or not. The wolf would perceive the aura round her as danger and attack. Clothing and shoes split at the seam as the transformation from human to wolf swept her away. Tala had one last human thought before instinct claimed her mind and she became a shadow of her human self. In this form, trapped underground, her wolf could do a lot of damage. "Don't hurt anybody," she pled with her wolf before her consciousness faded and the wolf took control.

The wolf sensed danger and fear. Uncertain of her surroundings, backed against the closed door. The wolf snarled in warning. She wasn't afraid of this scrap of a woman blocking the path in front of her. The female smelled like fun...like prey. The wolf bristled her fur and pinned her ears to her skull. Her claws scrabbled against the slick floor beneath them as she lunged at her prey.

Patrick was on it. He ran down the corridors. Not exactly certain of what caused the sudden spike of Janine's fear. He'd like to think a runner in her stocking was the most likely cause. But, this wasn't like the time Janine discovered blue wasn't the 'in' color last spring. This was real. This was danger. And he had a feeling her life was in danger.

"Janine don't move," Drew whispered softly as he approached from the depths of the dimly lit hall. He cooed to the wolf in their native tongue, soothingly coaxing her to calm. Janine had a penchant for accidentally being in the wrong place at the wrong time and finding herself in a heap of trouble because of it. Fortunately, for her, he'd been on his way to find Tala and had tracked her scent to the front door. "Toby, open the door," he said in a low, calm voice. The door hissed open, freed from its magnetic locks. The scent of fresh air and escape drew the wolf's attention and she darted into the weak afternoon sun.

"Oh my God!" Janine huffed and stammered for something to say to The Great Father. She came up with nothing. This was going to be one of many additions to her list of "oopsies" she'd committed in her lifetime. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean her any harm. Its just that she smelled so," Janine paused. If she said the Great Father's guest smelled tasty, he might be more pissed than he already was. Blushing in shame, lisping and stuttering, she scrambled for something complementary to say. "Ah... interesting. A werewolf. Wow, I didn't know they really existed."

"She's not a werewolf," Drew retorted. "And my name is Drew. Find some clothes for me to take to her. I'll track her and see to it that she gets them. Maybe, if you haven't embarrassed her too much, bring her back once she's calmed down." He turned to Janine, hiding his humor beneath a harsh glare. Janine couldn't harm a fly and he knew she'd never purposely do anything malicious. Armed with a charge card, Janine was a force to be reckoned with. But, it was just too damn funny to see her so flustered and completely out of her element. Besides, he owed her for the uncomfortable suit. "Next time try not to sniff our guests."

"Sure," Janine nodded. Clothes. The woman was about a size seven. Her figure a little on the boyish side, lean and trim. Janine's clothes wouldn't fit her. She was much more curvier than the woman. Anna's would be way too long. Chris's too big. Lori was the closest in size. But, just to be sure, Janine ran to the laundry room and grabbed sweatpants, a t-shirt, and a pullover sweatshirt out of the community stock she kept on hand for company. One never knew who would be dropping by or what they might need. And her pre-planning had paid off. She'd just never guessed it would be a werewolf or rather a non-werewolf on the doorstep.

She scrambled down the hall and plopped the bag into the Great Father's...Drew's arms. Exhaling a welcome sigh of relief as he stomped off into the sunlight after the er...um wolf. She was going to have to do some major damage control on all fronts and do it quickly. Janine certainly hadn't made any friends today. Certainly not of the mystery woman, wolf, wolf-woman, or whatever she was. Drew was annoyed with her. Not as pissed as he pretended to be. But, definitely miffed. She'd seen the spark of mischief in his eye when he'd chastised her for her behavior. And she'd seen something else in his eyes too, a teensy-tiny flicker of interest in the woman. In her opinion that was a reassuring sign. He'd been alone for far too long. And he could do with a bit of affection from the opposite sex.

Patrick had often accused her of meddling where she wasn't welcome. She didn't see it that way. Making sure couples hooked up and stayed that way was one of her many callings in life. Her instincts about affairs of the heart were never wrong. Convincing these two that they were absolutely perfect for each other would be her biggest challenge yet. But, first things first, she had to befriend the woman. And she knew exactly how to do that. Clothes. What girl didn't love clothes?

Janine mulled over her choices. Her enforced ban on public excursions was still in effect. And she really, really liked Hanna too much to risk snacking on her neck. She wondered, how well spandex would hold out, given the woman's shape challenged condition. Designer labels were out of the question. Even though she wanted to make a good second impression, certainly better than her first. There was only so much indignity a woman could endure. And watching the wolf pop out of a pair of two hundred dollar jeans was very, very high on the list.

"Janine, are you ok?" Patrick asked. She looked ok. As usual, there wasn't a hair on her head out of place. Her clothing was a little askew. But, she was otherwise undamaged. The air was thick with the lingering musk of a predator. He'd been down by the garage and even running at top speed he'd missed whatever had caused her sudden surge of fear. His woman was a sensitive type. And it didn't take much, especially now, to set her off. She was handling the transition well enough. Better than he had.

The hardest part for her hadn't been what it was for most vampires. The sunlight. The not eating solid food. Battling her instinct to hunt and kill. But, giving up her makeup. She couldn't wear the stuff. It simply wasn't compatible with her vampire skin. And she'd cried for days after figuring it out. He thought she was going to force the brothers to endure a pyre for her bottles and jars of useless cosmetics. She had hope though. And was constantly trying out new concoctions and applying them to her face. If anyone could solve the dilemma of makeup, it was his tenacious wife.

He groaned inwardly when he saw that gleam in her eye. Janine was scheming. The woman was positively like a hound on a scent when it came to meddling in other people's business. And she'd found something to stick her nose in. He didn't like it. Not with the lingering scents of the Great Father and female in the air. She was definitely up to something. And he had the sense that the Great Father was somehow involved. "Janine, whatever you're thinking, just don't."

Her husband didn't trust her. And wasn't that a funny thing? He'd warned her off meddling. But, if she hadn't meddled just a little bit they wouldn't be married. And besides, it wasn't meddling. She was just planning to give Drew and the woman a friendly push in the right direction. "Honey, you worry too much." She stood on her tiptoes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You'll see. Everything will turn out fine."

Chapter 57

The wolf loped into a thick outcropping of trees to safety. The lush scent of pine and fresh air tickled her nose. Slinking back into the deep thicket of shade, she watched the man approach. He smelled of wolf and of home, of family. The Great White Wolf was with him, closer to the surface than ever before. Gathering her power, she called to him.

Drew approached the wolf, tracking her earthy scent into the heart of the woods. Dropping onto his knees a safe distance from her, he sank into a sit and spoke in his native language, coaxing her out of hiding. He wasn't certain if it would work. He had no real idea of how to communicate with a wolf. He was flying by the seat of his pants and doing whatever seemed right. Inside of him, his wolf prowled closer and closer to the edge of their joined consciousness. Power rippled over his skin as his wolf tried to force him into submitting. He was every bit as alpha as his wolf. And he refused to give the beast the freedom it craved. Until he understood things better, and he did not. He could not risk setting him free.

The wolf, calmed by the soothing words crept out of hiding. The ancient language spoke to her soul, calling out the woman housed inside. Tentatively, she stuck out her nose, sniffing the man. His scent was comforting and soothing. But, she was still too skittish to give her human control of their body. Fear and shame rippled through their shared mind. Her human was content to hide. And that was fine with her. She was better in this form. Powerful. Strong. She could not communicate with the man without voice and human words though. Studying him with watchful yellow eyes, she sat on her haunches beside him.