Dawn's Path: Completed Work

Tala's body reeled from so much pleasure and the gentle care Drew had taken to give it. He stood, clutching her to his chest. His body blocking hers from the pounding shower spray. She kissed paths over his chest, lapping at the torrents of hot water running over his shoulders. He was hard. The skin, like velvet over steel as she stroked her fingertips up his shaft. His breaths gasping as she made contact with him. He bent, cinching his arms around her waist to lift her. She circled her thighs around his hips and clung to his neck. The heat of him sought her out. The swollen head, rubbed against her clit, creating the most decadent and torturous friction. The orgasm he'd given her had been wondrous and so good. But, it hadn't been enough and she wanted more. She wanted it all. "Drew," she gasped.

Stealing his name from her lips with a kiss, Drew tightened his grip around Tala's waist. He was so aroused. Wanting her so badly, so desperately, it hurt. It was a wonderful pain and a lesson in true agony. He'd taken a lethal shot to the chest and it'd been mere child's play compared to the slickness and heat of her gliding up and down his cock. She'd brought him more joy than he'd known in such a long time. Her sweet sighs echoed off the tiled shower walls.

He'd washed her with a luxurious vanilla scented body wash. And the lingering essence of the soap mingled with the musky feminine scent of her desire. He could take her. And she'd welcome him fully and freely into her body. End their joined torture with a buck of his hips.

With the pleasure he'd bring her, she'd forget the momentary sting of pain. His wolf prowled the periphery of his mind. Growling at him in frustration that he had not claimed this female. Had not allowed him to stake his claim on her wolf. Every masculine instinct he possessed longed to take this willing female. As much as he wanted her, yearned to bury his erection to the hilt deep within her. And knew she wanted him with the same intensity. He could not. He would not risk forcing a mating bond with her in the temporary heat of passion. He had to know that there was love, true love and not infatuation. Only then, would he take her. Show her all the pleasures and wonders that the world had to offer.

"Tala," he rasped. Her heat wrapped around him. Cradling his cock with the sleekness of her outer walls. She wiggled against him, bucking her hips at the intensity of the contact of his hardness brushing her softness. Her thighs flexed tightening their grip around his hips. Her tiny fingers tunneled through his wet hair clutching at the strands. Cupping her in his palms, gripping at the soft flesh of her bottom, he pressed her to him. Groaning at the dizzying waves of pleasure that ran through him. Their bodies danced so close to the fringe. His biceps lifting her, guiding her up and down his length, their mouths mashed together and tongues seeking one another out, her body climbing his to seek out the pleasure of more.

Her wolf burst past the floodgate of her mind. Howling in joy. The air was laden with the musky essence of his wolf. The heady call of his mating scent and the command her body instinctively ordered her to obey. Tala was ready to give him everything. Her body, her heart, and her very soul were his for the taking. Heady with the knowledge that once the bonding was done, it might never be undone. But, that this, that he, was the only man she wanted.

Drew rocked against her, driving her to the point of another orgasm with the gentle pressure, the delirious friction of his erection slicking over her swollen core. He was there with her, panting, bruising her skin with his grip, guiding her up and down his shaft, increasing the speed and the pressure as he got closer and closer. But, never breaching her barriers to enter her and complete their union.

The hot jets of his release, the teasing tickle of his lips across her skin, and the way his arms shuddered around her had her there with him. She climaxed gasping his name in labored breaths. He held her tightly. Running his hand down her back, over the tattoo inked onto her skin. Her wolf purred in contentment. But, Tala sensed her wolf's annoyance that there had been no true mating and just a dance. She quivered in his arms. So overwhelmed by her wolf's needs and her own, she nipped at his collarbones and slicked her tongue over his throat. "Shhh," Drew soothed. Away from him was better. The space he put between them as he slid her down his body to her feet helped. Gently, he washed away his thick, white release. Cleaning her lower belly and between her thighs with the soapy washcloth with careful strokes, so cautious not to start something again.

Her wolf whimpered. Slightly vexed by Drew's denial. She retreated from the forefront of Tala's mind. Tala sighed a bit relieved that she only had her own instincts to battle and rested her head against his chest. His hands were light, gentle. Bubbles rolled down her spine as he rinsed her hair again. "I...," she stuttered unsure of what to say. She caught some of the suds in her palm and slicked them over his chest. "We almost... I..."

Drew ran a finger under Tala's chin and lifted her face. Softly, gently, and lovingly, he kissed her lips. He could taste his passion on her mouth. His cock, delighted at the warm contact of their mouths, hardened to agonizing erectness. He chastised the wayward body part. Shaming it into submission. Now was not the time to think with his little head. Now was not the time to think of himself, of his needs at all. If things went well, his penis would get plenty of time to play later. He withdrew from Tala's lips before he did something she might regret later. "I swear to you we will not go any further until you are absolutely sure that this is what you want."

"What about you? What about what you want?" Tala's heart pounded wildly in her chest. His words seared her soul as much as his touch burned her body. His dark eyes, still shaded with lust and masculine arousal stole her breath. He had wants. He had needs. And he'd held back and denied himself, because of her. She saw the sincerity reflected in his gaze and something else that went far beyond that. Possibly, deeper than she could have ever imagined or dreamed. She saw love. And in his love, she saw one possible outcome for her future unfold.

She could fall in love with him. If she didn't keep her distance from him, she would. And would that truly be a bad thing? He was an alpha. The alpha. Their wolves had already done the choosing. They knew exactly what they wanted. But, it was she, the woman within her that was so very confused. He brought something to life inside of her. Fanned a spark that threatened to consume the both of them. His happiness mattered more to her than her own. And that was a dangerous thing. She was still herself. And perhaps, that was the most confusing thing of all. He offered her everything she'd ever thought she wanted in that heated stare of his eyes locked on hers.

Drew saw Tala's confusion etched in her expression. His wolf was a wiley creature that sought out every weakness in his prey. And her confusion, her hesitancy to admit the truth of her feelings was a weakness his wolf could exploit to his fullest advantage. The man in him wanted her. And the wolf did too, any way he could get her. The man was going to win over the wolf. He wanted Tala's happiness above his own. And he could wait, forever if he had to. "That was the best I've felt in a very long time, Tala. You bring me incredible joy. What more could I ask for?"

Tala smiled and soaped up her hands. Turning him, so that his back was to her front, she scrubbed his shoulders. Her fingers traced the lines of the indigo tattoo that twisted and swirled from shoulder blade to shoulder blade, around to the right side of his ribs, and down to the base of his spine. The artwork was intricate and complex. Some of the lines were faint and faded with time. Others were brilliant, as if they'd just been inked. "Beautiful," she breathed. His words, his taste, his body, and the way he made her feel were summarized by that one word. Washing his back, tracing her fingers over the living breathing canvas, she knew then, it was already too late. There would be no stopping. No keeping away from him. She was in love.

Tala's fingertips tracing over his tattoos were almost his undoing. He endured, standing under the hot shower spray. Concentrating on the pummeling beat of it against his chest instead of the wonderful sensations her fingers created. "I almost forgot! We have a wedding to attend tonight." Drew cranked off the tap and reached for hot towels fresh off the warmer. Slowly. Reverently he traced the soft, fluffy fabric down her curves. Drying her thoroughly. Wrapping a towel around his waist and secured it in a tight knot. He wrung the excess water from the ends of her hair and studied the tangled strands. "Will you allow me to braid your hair for you?"

Tala smiled. She didn't know if she could handle any more sweet gestures from this man. Draping a towel over her shoulders and tucking another one around her body, he reached into one of the drawers in the vanity and pulled out a comb. Gently, he began working the comb through her hair. His fingers were sure, separating the strands and braiding them into an intricate plait down her back. The drawers were full of ties and bands, still in the packages. But, he chose the leather strap he'd used to secure his hair away from his face.

The black leather strap was worn soft, crinkled with age. And she wondered as he secured it to the tip of her braid, how many battles had he worn it?

Her lips curled into a smile as he pressed a light kiss to the top of her head and ushered her out of the bathroom to change. His fingers were already working the knot that secured the towel around his hips free. And she scurried before she did something that ensured they wouldn't leave the bathroom, or at least her bedroom for a very long time. "Are you conducting the ceremony?" she asked to divert her attention from the man behind the closed door. She heard the soft whisper of leather against skin as he pulled his battle gear over his hips. When he emerged from the bathroom wearing the leather pants and nothing else, the image was breathtaking.

"No. Dane is the leader of this group. The honor belongs to him," Drew answered. His nostrils flared catching the sudden surge of her musky desire scenting the air. She stood at her closet door, wrapped in the towels he'd secured around her. Her eyes rounded with want and flickered in feminine appreciation of him. It'd be too easy to rip the towels off of her and carry her to the soft bed and love her till they were both senseless. But, patience was a virtue. And he had every intention of protecting her virtue. It was too late for his. He'd made love to her at least a thousand times in the past minute, at least, in his mind. "Tala, get dressed."

Tala had no idea about how vampires conducted their weddings or what she should wear. There were a few nice dresses hanging in the closet with price tags bigger than the net worth of a small country. She also had a wide selection of jeans, slacks, and blouses, as well as sweatpants and t-shirts folded neatly on the wire racks above the well-stocked clothing rack. And more than that, she had no idea if Drew was going to watch her dress or give her privacy. What was worse, she had no idea of which she'd prefer.

Drew had not spent much time around women in the last two hundred years. And the females at the compound did not count. To him, they were sisters, female, but entirely off limits. He should have guessed Tala would puzzle over what to wear. "Might I suggest comfort over style? The winds gusting off the bluffs can be quite cold this time of year. And you'll look beautiful in anything you choose."

Tala chuckled at her silliness. It wasn't like her to be so concerned over what she wore or the impression her clothing made on men. Males, especially the ones she was used to dealing with, cared more about sharing their genes with eligible females. They could care less about clothes. And of course, the brothers would have the wedding on the bluffs, the most sacred, holy site of their goddess. Naturally, the ceremony would be after dark as most vampires shirked the light of day. She settled for a pair of less costly jeans and a heavy, thick sweater made of dense cable knit. He called her beautiful. And her heart sang that he thought of her that way. Drew did not appraise her for her DNA. He didn't see her value as the product of good breeding and in the promise of the children she'd birth. He saw her as a woman, as all woman.

He stood at the foot of her bed, watching her with his dark eyes. His black hair curling at the ends as water dripped from the ends. Clutching his rumpled shirt in his hand. His lips were pursed in that way they did when he was thinking, being so stoic and businesslike. She'd seen him naked, caressed his cock with her lips. And that he was trying so hard to pretend to be the leader he was with her was laughable. "As you wish, Great Father," she teased.

Drew's body tensed and his eyes narrowed. Tala would never address him as the Great Father. Ever. She would never bow to him and call him Great White Wolf. He opened his fingers, dropping his t-shirt on the floor and crossed the room, moving with the swiftness of his vampire speed. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her to him, forcing her chin up with a light fingertip against her jaw, so that their eyes met. "No. Not Great Father. Not Great White Wolf. Not to you. I'm Drew. Not a patriarch. Not a master. I'm a man, merely a man."

Tala smiled, blushing slightly. Her wolf reveled in his alpha forcefulness, loving every second of being held in his powerful embrace. Tala saw the desperation in his eyes that she accepted him, not as he leader, not as her master, but as a man. "Drew," she said softly. "A very special and sweet man, but never merely a man."

"Your man," Drew growled. The words felt right and true coming from his lips. Even righter as Tala stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his in a kiss, sealing them in promise.

Drew ran his fingers down her jaw and released her. He left her alone in her room to dress. She picked up his forgotten shirt and brought it to her nose, inhaling his scent. Her man. In saying that, in displaying his alpha, he'd staked his claim on her more than he'd ever know. Her man. Carefully folding the shirt and stashing it under her pillow so that she'd have him close to her and her wolf would be comforted by his scent, she knew he was absolutely right. He was her man.

Chapter 76

Angel locked herself in her room and squeezed her eyes shut. For hours she had endured a seemingly endless tirade from Janine on the merits of proper wedding planning. When she finally managed to escape, Janine was still on her rampage, barking orders at anyone unfortunate enough to cross her path. Watching John Mark string tulle bows across a makeshift aisle was funny shit. The way such lethal vampires cowered to Janine's whims of moving that there and this here, and then deciding it didn't look right, and ripping it down to move whatever she didn't like someplace else was almost painful. And there was only one reason the brothers snapped to carry out Janine's whims. They loved her. Right now, they didn't like her very much. Especially Patrick, the man was busily following in her wake, desperately trying to smooth some very ruffled feathers.

Angel was glad, that as the bride, she was exempt from having to participate in the preparations. Her nerves were shot. And her feet had turned from a nice toasty warm to frozen blocks of solid ice. Doubts buzzed in her head. She wasn't good enough for Lance. She would never really fit in here. She would never be the wife deserved. Swarming around like a swarm of angry bees, her thoughts battled back and forth in her head. Stilling her trembling hands, she focused on the one thing that made her say 'yes' to his proposal in the first place. She loved Lance and he loved her. She knew this. Knew it. And ultimately, that was all that mattered. Janine and all her fancy bows, strands of lights, and her damned cocktail weenies could take a hike.

Angel closed her eyes and smiled, remembering the night she first met Lance. Really met him, that is. Before he'd always seemed so distant. Watching her out of the corner of his eye. But, never taking the time to do more than stare at her. She'd thought, assumed, he felt pretty much the same way everyone else at the compound did about her. That she was trouble. Not worth his time. She would have never guessed that he was watching her because he saw things that nobody else seemed to. That beneath the black sharpie pen eyeliner, the skintight black corsets and barely there skirts, he saw the woman she was so desperately trying to hide.

The run through the woods had been exhilarating. He always was one step behind her, close but never really capturing her, until now. Their first kiss had been terrifying. Their first embrace made her heart pound out of control. And the first time they'd made love, as confusing and frightening as it had been at the time, was magic. Now, he had not only captured her, but owned her, heart, body, and soul. And even for all Janine's torments, she could never turn back. She didn't want to. Although, eloping was still not out of the realm of possibilities.

A gentle knock on the door roused Angel from the sweet memories of first kisses and first nights together. Wasn't there anyone in this place that understood the meaning of privacy? She just wanted to be alone to think, to breathe, and to gather her composure before Janine figured out she was missing. "Who is it?" Angel asked, rhetorically. She already knew who was knocking on the door. Her sense of smell gave too much away to leave much guessing to the game.

"Kayla." Rolling her eyes, Kayla knocked harder and faster on the door. "Hurry up and let me in. I seek sanctuary from the beast known as Janine," she joked. Janine bossed everyone around like a drill sergeant and stomped through the halls in a flurry of five --foot two inch terror. Nobody could move fast enough. Nobody put anything where she thought it ought to go. Nobody did anything good enough to satisfy her. And what was worse, they still had a few hours left until the wedding.

Kayla wanted to keep out of hurricane Janine's path. Out of sight out of mind was a pretty good philosophy as far as she was concerned. And as soon as Janine was busy, bossing someone else around Kayla got the hell out of there. Kayla laughed as the door cracked open and a feminine hand snaked through the crack and snatched her collar and yanked her inside.

"Janine. I understand," Angel said, nodding. She glanced at the ornately carved rosewood clock that hung on the nondescript, neutral toned beige wall and counted the hours. Three hours to go until sundown and another seven after that until the witching hour. Damn daylight savings time. A wave of nervous anxiety wracked through her mind and sent her hands trembling. She flopped on the bed sighing and spinning her diamond engagement ring on her finger. "Do you really think all this wedding business is worth it?"

Kayla's brows knit together in a frown. Angel was going to be at the altar if she had to drag her. Bryce was busy with Lance, soothing his best friend's nervous jitters. And yes, Lance was nervous. Pacing the floors as he counted every sweep of the second hand around the clock. It was only natural to be excited and well, nervous as hell about your wedding. Kayla sat on the edge of the bed and ran her fingers over the soft blankets. "Having second thoughts?"

"About Lance? Never. About this whole wedding business, you bet." Angel scooted to make room as Kayla plopped down on the royal blue satin comforter. "So much trouble for such a little thing," she muttered.