Dawn's Promise

Candace took Will's length into her mouth, dragging her teeth gently along the hard ridge of his erection to lap at the bead of moisture at the tip. Will's fingers wound through her hair, flexing and releasing the medium length brown strands, grappling to keep from pulling them and forcing more of his hard length into her mouth. He was long, pulsating from the ripe tip to the thick base with the urgency of his arousal. Grunting for control, he bucked his hips off the floor to thrust more of his erection between the slickness of her lips. Encouraged by the soft pleading in his moans and damp with need, she straddled him, gasping as he cupped her butt and moved to position the glistening head, wet with her kiss, at her entrance.

Will ground his molars to clear his head. He would not make love to Candace, not for the first time in twenty years, on the floor. She deserved soft pillows and cool, smooth sheets, not carpet burns. "No," he gasped, his voice gravely with need. "Not on the floor." He gathered her up in his arms, groaning at the strain delaying the moment inflicted on his tight groin and lifted her, depositing her onto the center of the bed.

Splayed out on the comforter, she stared up at him through eyes tinted with desire, scorching every inch of his flesh with their heat. Her honey brown hair was a tangle of disheveled curls framing her heart shaped face. Damn, she was beautiful, open and so ready for him. Careful not to jar the bed, he stretched out next to her, nuzzling her ear and gently nipping at the flesh with his teeth. "Ulethi equi'wa, beautiful woman, are you sure you want this?"

"Yes," she whispered tracing the deep indigo trail of intertwining symbols circling his ribs. Will landed a deep kiss on her full lips, sliding his tongue deep inside. He was eager to burry his need deep inside her. But, he kept reign on the fragile bit of restraint he had left. He slid his hand down along the soft curve of her belly dipping them into the softness between her thighs. She was hot, wet, and panting with desire, returning his kiss with equal passion and abandon. He teased her, coaxing her body into a trembling mass of want with gentle slow strokes. He paused, "Once we do this, we can never go back. We'll be bound together."

"Will, we've been bound since we made Chance that night twenty years ago. I want this. I want you." Her voice trembled. A cry of need escaped her lips as he stroked her want adding fuel to a fire already burning out of control and threatening consume her. "No going back, only forward. Remember?"

His world imploded as he covered her with his body and pressed into the sweetness of her depths. Gently, slowly, he shifted his hips sliding to fill her completely. Her walls enveloped him, milking him with a series of soft spasms. He lost himself to the utter sensation of her, pushing into her and pulling out, slowly bringing her to the height of her pleasure and wringing every bit of passion out of her he could summon. Her breaths quickened and her body stiffened beneath him. Clawing at his back with those sharp feminine nails of hers and bucking her hips to match his rhythm, he gave her all that he had, all that he was, and wished he had more to give as she shattered beneath him, sighing and moaning with his name a breathy promise on her sweet lips.

Candace cried out in pleasure from the wracking surge of her orgasm. Her body tensed, curling her toes, fulfillment flooded every nerve ending, setting them on fire with the heat of his passion. She floated along meeting his thrusts as a second wave of heady decadent pleasure dragged her under.

Her fangs descended, responding to another need as urgent and instinctive as making love to this man. She wrapped her arms and legs around his back, holding him close as he pounded inside of her, sweeping her along in a tidal wave of bliss. She tilted her chin, not bothering to ask permission, doing only what felt right in the heat of intimacy, she drove her fangs deeply into the thick muscle mass at the base of his neck. Blood thick and decadent, sweet as a lover's first kiss, rolled over her tongue. Merging Will, his very life force, into her body in every way imaginable, she drank.

Will roared with pleasure as Candace suckled his shoulder. The tip of her pink tongue worked the puncture sites in his flesh, coaxing the blood to flow from him freely. His blood filled her. His erection filled her. And he pounded and poured into her, fusing them together as one. His release rocketed through him like a shot. He trembled, shaking as her body clenched tightly and received his hot seed into her womb and his blood into her mouth.

He wound his fingers through the soft strands of her soft brunette waves, tilting her head to bare the creamy flesh of her long, supple neck. "Please, Candy, please," he pled overcome with the need to be one with this woman in every way. Candace cupped the back of his head with her palm, guiding his lips to her throat. Answering his request with soft moans and gentle sighs.

He drove his fangs in, piercing her flesh to release a torrent of hot sweet nectar over his tongue. Swallowing her down with greedy mouthfuls, he hardened inside of her warm depths. Pounding into her with his erection and drawing hard on her flesh with his lips, he lost himself to her flavor and the hot friction of their co-joined bodies. He didn't last long before he shattered to pieces, unsure where he ended and she began.

Candace nestled into the crook of Will's arm. She could sense his thoughts. His blood ran hot in her veins, linking them as one. "I can hear you," she whispered in wonder. The melding of his mind with hers comforted her, like a warm blanket on a winter's night. She exhaled a contented sigh and traced the contours of his angular jaw with a fingertip. She had never known such fulfillment. Such joy. Such love.

Will ran his fingers over the soft skin of Candace's shoulder, marveling in the smooth texture beneath his rough fingertips. For the first time ever, he felt complete, totally at peace with who and what he was. Her voice was one of the thousands ever present in his head, but never till now had the song been so beautiful and melodious. "I can hear you too," he said, pressing his lips to the soft patch of skin.

Candace tipped her chin up to meet Will's kiss. His thoughts were like a caress over her skin, soft and warm as his breath across her lips. He loved her. She knew it. His love infused every fiber of her being and flooded her with its gentle promise. For the first time since this nightmare began, she saw a glimmer of hope, a ray of sunshine piercing the impermeable darkness. Twenty years had passed. Twenty years. And he'd nursed the flame ignited so long ago for each and every one of those long, lonely years. "So a vampire can love," she whispered against his mouth.

Will slid the weight of his body over her. Supporting the bulk of his weight on his elbows to keep from crushing her beneath him, he rested his forehead against hers. Gently, he nuzzled the tip of her nose with his and breathed deeply, pulling her exhale into his lungs. "Yes," he answered. "This vampire does. I love you, Candy." Slowly, he parted her thighs with his hips and slid inside her velvet softness, filling her with his love, pouring out his heart through the joining of their bodies and the bonding of their souls.

Now he knew why he'd waited so long. Why no other woman appealed to him as much as this gentle, soft creature beneath him. He couldn't love another because there was no room in his heart. It belonged solely and exclusively to her. She answered his proclamation with a breathy, pleasured sigh and the sharp graze of her nails over his back.







Chapter 26

Marcus paused before knocking on Candace's door. She'd been such an emotional mess the last time he'd talked to her. And rumors of the fight she and Chance had in the kitchen swamped the compound. The brothers were worse than a bunch of old hens sitting around a sewing circle when it came to gossip and word had spread quickly. He wanted to check on her and make sure she was ok before he turned in for the day or night, whichever it was. Down below in the subterranean tunnels without the sun or moon to mark the time, it was easy to lose track of the hours. Determined to lend a shoulder for her to cry on, if she needed one, he pounded on the door.

A sharp knock on the door roused Candace from her contented doze. Utterly sexed up, she'd quickly fallen asleep in Will's arms. She was tempted to stay where she was and ignore the summons demanding an answer. Another, more determined rap sounded from the hallway. It could be Chance. Through the thick oak door and surrounded by rock walls, she couldn't catch a scent to determine who waited on the other side.

Beside her Will stirred sleepily and grunted in annoyance at the intrusion. Carefully, not to jar the bed, she slid from under the covers and fumbled in the darkness for her clothes. Not finding them and determined to silence the incessant knocking on the door before the noise woke Will. Her fingers locked on the comforter wadded into a messy heap at the foot of the bed and wound it around her body toga style. Blushing in awkwardness at having to answer the door in such compromising attire and hoping it wasn't her son on the other side, she reached out and twisted the doorknob, barely cracking the door open.

"Shit," Marcus ground out on a hiss as Candace opened the door and blinked out at him through the narrow slit. Her hair was tangled and disheveled and her cheeks heated with a deep crimson blush. Wrapped in a blanket to hide her nudity, she stared down at her feet, refusing to meet his eyes. Her lips, swollen and bruised from kissing, fumbled for something to say. She didn't have to say shit. He could smell it, the air heavily tinged with the mingling scents of sex and blood.

Marcus shoved his fists deep into his jacket pocket, fighting against his rage. He was too late. She had given herself to Will. Apparently, the two of them had picked up right where they left off. Unwilling to suffer any further humiliation, he bolted. He had to get away from her and this place. "Marcus, wait!" she called after him. The desperation in her voice did nothing to slow his rapid pace. He ran though the maze of tunnels and kept running as fast as his preternatural legs would carry him, out of the compound and into the night.

He had played by her rules, always being the nice guy, and what had it gotten him? Nothing. The woods thinned, yielding to a ragged strip of pavement. He paused, looking over his shoulder. No one came after him. No one tried to stop him. It might have been a nice gesture if Candace had tried. But, dressed as she was, in nothing but a comforter and looking so utterly fucked and sated, he wasn't surprised that she didn't. Apparently, she had better things to do than to chase after him. For once, like a fool, he'd let his guard down. Hadn't his mama, with all her 'love taps' across the face and her cruel words, taught him better than that? There was only one person in this life he could truly trust. And he should know that by now.

The bracelet affixed to his ankle was a niggling reminder. The brothers could find him, no matter how far he ran. He guessed they probably would come after him, at some point. But, he'd make them work for it. The deserted road stretched out before him, a ribbon of black in the darkness of night. Randomly, he chose a direction and ran, refusing to look back.

Candace leaned heavily on the door and blinked back the tears in her eyes. The hurt on Marcus's face and the gleam of betrayal in his eyes cut her deep. She knew that he had feelings for her that went beyond friendship. She just hadn't realized how deeply his feelings ran. Marcus was always so calm and cool, so cautious. She thought he understood. Shamed, she sat on the edge of the bed and toyed with the hem of the comforter. One look at her and he'd ran off, refusing to stop and listen. Instinctively, she wanted to go after him. Make this right. But, what explanation could she give? She loved him, just not in the same way.

Will sensed the sudden shift of Candace's emotions. He was usually, when he did manage to sleep, a light sleeper. Tonight, the sandman had doused him with a double dose and he'd fallen asleep contentedly wrapped around Candace's body. He pushed back the covers and sat up on the edge of the bed. "What's wrong?" he asked, sniffing out the salty scent of her tears in the air.

Candace didn't know what to say. She'd confessed her love for Will, yet she fretted over Marcus. "Nothing," she answered and sighed. There was no point in hiding things from him. Marcus was her friend. He'd saved her life. And, from his point of view, she'd betrayed him in return. "It's Marcus...I answered the door and he saw..."

"Damn," Will muttered. He owed Marcus a great deal for keeping Candace alive. Nothing he could ever do would repay the favor. Marcus's feelings for Candace were transparent. From day one, Will had known Marcus had a deep affection for her. And there was nothing to bruise a man's ego like spurned love.

Candace was a mother to the core. Not just to her son, but to everyone who needed a mother's love and affection. She wanted to go after Marcus. Somehow repair the damage finding her with him had done. This wasn't something a Band-aid and a cookie would fix. Marcus was prideful and would resent the attempt. If she tried to smooth things over with him, it would only make the situation worse. "I'm sorry, Candy," he said, pulling her to his chest, smoothing her hair with his fingers. "Give him some space," he reassured. "Marcus will be fine."

********

"You want us to go get him?" Toby asked Dane. He keyed in a series of commands on the keyboard, enlarging the blip on the monitor. The red dot skated across the map, heading east at a furious pace toward the city.

"No, let him go." Dane followed the red dot with his eyes. He was curious to see where Marcus was headed and why. "Notify the trackers they've got company. Tell them not to intercept." Dane raked a hand across his jaw in frustration. He didn't relish the thought of another stray loose in the city. Far too often, on their own without close ties to bind them, strays went rogue. And the brothers had to intercede. At least with the anklet in place, they'd have no trouble finding him. "Marcus knows the law and the consequences for breaking it."

At this point, Dane had no reason to hold Marcus at the compound. The man had been educated. "Take a receiver to the trackers in the city and have them monitor his movements."

"No problem, Boss," Toby said, eagerly snatching a set of keys off the desk. While he was in the city, he could stop by and tuck Anna in for the night. He hoped for Marcus's sake that the man really did have a good head on his shoulders and kept out of trouble. The tracking devices had proven their worth ten times over. But, he didn't really want to test their effectiveness on a vampire gone rogue.

********

Chance awoke chilled to the bone. The water circulating water formed weak bubbles around his pruned body. He couldn't believe he'd fallen asleep in the tub. Wearily hoisting his body over the slick porcelain side, he pulled the stopper and watched the water disappear down the drain. He shivered from the goose bumps on his arms and wrapped a towel around his hips. Idly glancing at the clock on the nightstand by his bed, he noticed it was a little after two in the morning. Resigning himself that it was too early to start the day, he dropped the towel and pulled on a pair of soft cotton sleep pants. Sighing, he sank into the covers pulling them up over his head and tried to go back to sleep.

The turkey sandwich he'd eaten for lunch was long gone and the nagging rumbling in his stomach refused to be ignored. He sighed in irritation. Throwing back the covers, knowing there was no way he'd ever fall asleep on an empty stomach, he got out of bed and pulled a t-shirt over his head. Running with the vampires was playing hell on his sleep/wake cycle, not to mention his eating habits. Not nocturnal his ass, he scoffed, slipping his feet into his shoes.

"Let's go get a bite, I'm starving." Candace nudged Will playfully. She could use a good run through the snow to clear her frazzled mind. Giggling, she watched as Will fumbled through the pile of clothes at the foot of her bed, tossing aside the silky scrap of her panties searching for his smiley faced boxers. After reassuring her that Marcus would be fine and finally convincing her to believe him, they'd made love again. Slowly and passionately, becoming reacquainted with one another's bodies.

Will smiled, flashing Candace the tip of his fang. Too bad there wasn't such a thing as vampire room service. He was quite content to stay sequestered in her bedroom for the next decade making up for lost time. But, they had to eat. He slid his hand around her elbow, dragging her into the hall and away from the disheveled bed before he pounced on her delectable body again. Finally out of the bedroom, the lack of privacy in the hall did nothing to tamp down on his rampant reawakened sex drive. Growling mischievously he snaked an arm around her waist and backed her against the wall, kissing a trail along her supple neck to her mouth.

Chance stood in his doorway, watching the passionate exchange between Will and his mother. His face heated in embarrassment at catching his mother and his father making out in the hallway like a couple of teenagers. In all these years, he'd never seen his mother with a man. Never. Awkwardly, Chance leaned against the doorjamb speechless, unable to pry his eyes away from their affectionate and way too public display. Noisily, he coughed, clearing his throat to get their attention before his parents got it on right here in front of him.

"Oh Chance," Candace gasped in shock and humiliation. Shrinking at the frown of disapproval on her son's face, she mumbled apologetically, "I didn't see you there." Shamed at being caught with her and in the cookie jar and chastised by his interruption, she wiggled out of Will's embrace.

"Obviously not," Chance retorted, trying carefully to hide his amusement at the red flush of his mom's cheeks. She was so busted and she knew it. Maybe, he should be giving her 'the birds and the bees' lecture. It was so obvious what they'd been doing in her room. Her hair was a mess and her clothes rumpled and disheveled. Will hadn't even bothered to tuck in his t-shirt or to pull on his shoes. Sizing his father up with a hard scowl, he supposed she could do worse. Awkwardly, Chance rubbed the back of his neck and bit his bottom lip in discomfort.

"We were just stepping out for a bite," Candace said in vague hopes to ease the awkwardness of the situation. She'd always been so careful to keep her private life private. Chance had never seen her with a man before. The rise of his brows in knowing left her blushing furiously. "What are you doing up? Couldn't you sleep?"

"I was headed to the kitchen," he answered. The sight of Will's arm snaking around her waist infuriated Chance and sparked the faintest hint of jealousy. This was his mom, not Playmate of the Month. How well did they really know Will? Vampire or not, if Will hurt her, caused so much as one single tear to spill over her lashes, Chance would put a hurt on him so legendary it would go down in history.

Will met Chance's glare with steely confidence. The boy was fiercely protective of his mother. And was probably contemplating sharpening a stake with his name on it. Chance had better get used to seeing them together. He wasn't going anywhere and no amount of male posturing was going to change that. "Candy, we should go hunt," he said, dropping a hint. Candace hadn't eaten in a while and he did not want another incident like the one that had transpired earlier.