Dawn's Shelter

Drew gave the couple a moment and then cleared his throat when it seemed that they were skipping the ceremony and going straight for the honeymoon. Finally, he got their attention after several attempts and a round of whoops and applause from the audience. He was going to cut through all the fluff and puff of the vow exchange and get straight to the point. Otherwise, he might lose his bride and groom before he could pronounce them married.

"Thomas, do you offer your word to protect Jan with your body? Offer your life in her place? Will you bring home the bounty of the hunt and lay it at her feet? Will you cover her with your body and shelter her when the cold winds blow and snow blankets the ground? Will you give all you have and are for her? Do you take her as your wife from this point on?"

"I will."

"Jan, you have heard this man's promise to you. Will you take him as your husband? Will you keep a fire in the hearth for him? Will you take the bounty of the hunt and prepare a feast for him? Will you take a bundle of sticks and turn it into a fine home for him? Will you protect his body with your own while he slumbers?"

"I will."

Thomas slid his hand free from her grasp and placed his palm over her beating heart. "Ni haw-ku-noth-tu, you are my wife."

Jan crossed her arm beneath his, the flesh sizzling where it touched, and pressed her fingers to his heart. "Ni wahsiu, you are my husband."

Thomas took his mother's ring off his pinkie finger and slid it onto her left ring finger, locking it into place with a kiss. He saw only her. His inhales and exhales and the very beating of his heart was in time with hers. Their lives together were beginning. He didn't think about the inevitable future. Time would pass and reveal what it'd reveal. He would grow old and be happy about it. He'd live maybe not the dream life he'd always thought he wanted. Maybe, there'd be picket fences and maybe there wouldn't. But, he'd live a life of love beyond measure and that was more than any man could ask.

Drew chuckled. These two were going to make lots of babies, or get lots of practice trying. The heat radiating off Thomas and Jan could thaw out a lake in the middle of January. "Now, I believe is the proper time to kiss your bride."

Thomas cinched his arms around Jan's waist and lifted her feet off the ground. Showering her with little kisses across her cheeks and nose before he landed the big one on her lips.

Jan was breathless, kissing him back with wild abandon and wishing they were alone. She broke free from his embrace and grabbed his hand. Turning to face the loose gathering of people who had come to share the moment with them. She didn't worry about the future. Things would take care of themselves. They always did, although sometimes, the process of waiting it out seemed terrifying and damn scary. Things turned out exactly as they were supposed to. She had believed differently a year ago when she'd pulled into town. But, now, standing at the end of the long road she'd traveled to get here, she believed it with all her heart.

The cake was cut. Drinks served and food eaten. Her wedding day had turned out to be absolutely perfect. Even if it was four AM by the time all was said and done and they were on their way home. She sighed a grateful sigh as Thomas locked the front door behind them. She remembered the night she realized that she was in love with him. How different she was then. How reluctant to admit that she was in love. And how reluctant she'd been to accept his love in return. She wasn't supposed to have fallen for anyone. She assumed, one day, her destiny would catch up with her. And it had. Not the destiny she assumed that she had no choice in living, but one of her own choosing.

Thomas had the love of his life in his arms. He peeled Jan free of her coat and flung it across the back of the couch. Gently he pulled off her shirt and wrapped his arms around her. Feeling the smoothness of her bare skin against his arms. He had given up on love. Abandoned all hope of ever finding the right one. Then she popped into his life. Just when he thought all was lost and there was no reason left to keep on believing. There she was. He was just an ordinary guy. He had no special abilities or hidden talents. But, he had one thing that made him unique. He had her love. And that in itself made him extraordinary.

Chapter 35

Eloise squeezed Kacie hard against her chest. Inhaling the scent of her child. Memorizing the way her body felt, solid in her arms. "You have to do this for me. You have to stay here and take care of Jan and the omegas."

"Mom, I can't. I can't let you go back alone. What will they do to you? What if you're in danger and nobody is there to protect you?" Kacie snuffled and rubbed her damp cheek on her mother's shoulder. Eloise Collins had always been cool and distant. And this woman hugging her so fiercely and protectively was not Eloise Collins. This was the mother she'd always dreamed of having. The mother she loved.

"I'll be perfectly fine. I won't be alone. I still have some in the pack that are faithful to me. Not everyone will bow to a new pack master easily."

"But..."

"No more buts. I can't focus on my duty if I'm worried about you and your sister. This is how it has to be. I'll send word as soon as I can." Eloise released Kacie and cupped her face gently in her palms, staring in to the green eyes that so mirrored her own. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mom." Kacie stifled a sniffle and forced a smile. She watched the loving face of her mother harden into a mask of grim, cool resolve as Eloise, pack mistress of South Texas, the woman who did what she had to do, returned and her mother faded. For her mother's benefit and her own, she faked bravery. She wanted nothing more than to wrap her arms around her mother's waist and hold her fast. Keep her out of danger, here, where they could all live safely. Tristen's fingers were light on her upper arm, gently inching her back, away from her mother.

Eloise turned to her faithful omegas. The twin bodyguards had dedicated their lives to her safekeeping for so many years. It broke her heart to take away their only purpose in life. But, it was better that than watching them die defending her in a fight she had no way of winning. She cupped their faces in her palms and guided their heads down to brush her forehead. Lifting her eyes, she met their onyx colored stares. Her omegas...no...Tracker and Catcher...not her omegas, not once she said the words to release them from her service.

"You have but one last vow to keep to me," she said as she ran her thumb along Catcher's unshaven chin and traced the outline of Tracker's cheek with her fingertips. "Take care of one another. I release you."

Catcher bowed his dark head and scraped his chin across her palm. He held his duty to her in highest regard. Serving her was what he was born and bred to do. Everything in his life had always centered on her. Every moment, and every waking thought, filled with her. He was free, to do as he pleased. The thought thrilled him as much as it frightened him to his core. He didn't know how to be free. Or exactly what he was going to do with himself. She was all he'd ever known.

Tracker closed his eyes and rubbed his cheek against her soft fingertips. He and his brother were free, released from their vows. But, what happened next? Serving her gave him purpose. Now, he had none. He could not imagine life beyond her. "Mistress, vow or not, you will always have our loyalty."

Eloise rested her palms on their big, wide, muscled chests and raised up on her toes, planting a soft, affectionate kiss, her goodbye, on each one of their foreheads. "I know." Saying goodbye to her omegas had been almost as difficult as saying goodbye to her daughters. She didn't regret her actions. Everyone was safe. And goodbye was the only thing she could say to any of them. She would not lie. And she would not offer any reassurances that weren't hers to give. "For god's sake, go out and try to have a life," she said. Rocking back onto the heels of her boots, she gave them both a soft tap on their chests and gently pushed them away.

"Yes, mistress." They answered in unison, just as they'd been trained for so many years to do.

"Eloise. My name is Eloise." She was their mistress no longer. And as much as it pained her to release them, she knew she'd done the right thing. Their freedom was her gift. And she hoped they did something of worth with it.

"We will try, for you, Eloise," Tracker said gently. He bowed to her one last time. Out of respect, not out of duty or fear of punishment.

"Tristen, take Kacie, Tracker, and Catcher, set them up with quarters at the house." Nash was careful not to call Eloise's guards 'Omegas'. They were free men now, with their own paths to choose. He would offer them shelter and a position in the pack, if that was where they wanted their lives to take them. Eloise was back to her cool, aloof, emotionally removed self. Or at least, she was trying to be. The tears she held back glittered in her green eyes. She was certain, as she looked over Tracker, Catcher, and her daughter one last time before turning on her heel away from them, that she'd never see them again.

Nash felt his heart breaking for her. Eloise was a dichotomy in terms. She was fierce and ruthless. A woman who did whatever it was she had to do to see those she loved safe. But, she was also loving and kind. A woman of sacrifice and deep feelings forced into hiding by the world she'd been born to lead. She walked to the rental car. The keys jangled in her grip. He could not let her take this last step alone. As one pack master to another, he understood. But, underneath the layers of her duty, she was just a woman. And she was afraid. He took Eloise's arm and guided her to the SUV. "I'll see that you get on your plane safely."

Eloise was too exhausted to argue or vie for her independence. Once that plane was in the air, she would be totally and utterly alone. The thought of it was almost more than she could bear. She'd never truly been on her own. She'd always had her pack and her omegas. "Thank you, Nash." She took his extended hand and allowed him to help her climb into the passenger seat. Sighing, she took one last glance at her daughter, Tracker, and Catcher. Although she'd released them from their vows, they were still omegas to the very heart of their being. Standing on guard, as they always did, and always would, watching Kacie's back.

Her fingers locked on the seatbelt and buckled in as Nash closed the passenger side door. The tint on the windows and the darkness outside was almost impermeable. She saw the outline of her loved ones standing silently in the cold, watching as Nash climbed into the driver's seat and pulled away.

Nash navigated the SUV down the narrow dark lane from the compound. Bumping along the gravel roads that wound through the countryside and led to the highway. The silence in the cab was deafening, nothing but the sound of the tires as they ticked away the miles.

He caught Eloise's noble profile in the pale, glowing lights of the dashboard. She was one of the bravest women he'd ever had the pleasure of meeting. She had sacrificed her own safety for her daughters and for her faithful omegas. Risking it all, including her life, to return to Texas to fulfill her duty as a leader.

He bit back the need to beg her to stay. He understood her position and what she'd risked to claim it. He valued her need for independence and respected the calm manner in which she was willing fulfill her destiny. He wanted a little more time to get to know her. Learn her brilliant mind and what made her tick. He could strike up a conversation. But, Eloise was lost in a world all of her own as the dark forests and barren fields zipped past her window.

He left her to her silent contemplating. Sometimes, when it was at risk, enjoying the air in your lungs while you still had it was all you needed. He felt the same way when his turn to fight came. He knew that place she was in her head all too well. That calm place of quiet concentration and focus and the joy of being alive you had before you placed your life on the line to defend what was yours.

Early morning traffic was a bitch in the city. He could hope for an all too common traffic jam. Something, anything to delay her and keep her close, so that he could keep her safe, for just a few minutes longer.

Eloise saw the glowing din of the city in the distance growing closer with every passing mile. Out of her heavily tinted window she saw shapes, the outlines of trees reaching up into the fading night sky above. She felt naked and alone without her omegas. She was on her own now. The danger was hers and hers alone to face. She could hope her fears weren't real. But, she knew better. She knew the world she'd grown up in and the one she'd helped to mold all too well. She was speeding toward her death.

She stole a glance at the craggy outline of Nash's jaw. Set with the silent determination of a leader. She wondered what his skin would feel like beneath her fingertips. If the flesh was as hard and rugged as his exterior, or if it was soft and pliant, a hidden part that nobody saw. Stray bits of hair had pulled free of his tight braid and wafted in the currents of heat from the air vents. Tickling the curve of his cheek and bend of his neck. Her fingers itched to smooth the wayward strands back into place. Run the silver and black lengths against her palm. Her eyes darted away as his attention turned from the black ribbon of interstate to meet her stare.

Nash stifled a yawn and arched his back. Hiding any signs of weakness or fatigue from the scrutiny of her stare. "We should arrive at the airport just before dawn."

So soon, the miles seemed to fly by. Carrying her all to quickly to the destiny she was reluctantly forced to face. "Oh." She sounded lame. There were so many things she should say. Words of thanks to him for all that he had done for her daughters and her omegas. . Words of trust, he would take care of her daughters and her omegas as if they were members of his own pack. Maybe if the situation was different. And she had the luxury of a life of her choosing, words of intent.

"What time will you arrive in Texas?" He was so bad at small talk. Usually, he sought out quiet places where he could find a few minutes of peace. He wanted her to keep talking just so that he could hear the lyrical, husky sound of her voice.

"Mid morning or early afternoon at the latest," Eloise answered absently.

"Humph." He winced at his failed attempt to keep her talking. He was hard pressed to speak aloud the thoughts that thundered in his mind. But, he kept silent instead. The odometer ticked off mile after mile. His foot was even on the gas. The speedometer hovered around seventy. And the distant city grew and closed in around them. Swallowing them up as he exited onto the expressway. The roaring sound of jet engines and planes, the sound of her destiny, filled the silence between them.

Chapter 36

"I've never had a slumber party before," Tristen teased as he ushered Kacie into his room. He'd quickly gotten rid of the twin omegas, depositing them in Grant's old bedroom for the night. And there were lots of other places where he could have settled Kacie in comfort. But, he wanted her in his bed, between his sheets, permeating his room with her scent. He turned down the bed and fluffed a pillow for her. "You can sleep in my bed."

"And where do you intend to sleep?" Kacie crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot. He irritated her to her very core. Acting the playboy. Trying to seduce her at every turn. Cajoling her with teasing words. Ogling her when he thought she wasn't looking. She knew there was a genuinely nice guy in there somewhere beneath the layers of his chauvinistic exterior. Or at least she hoped there was. She needed a friend, not some post pubescent male panting after her and following her around like a lost puppy.

"With you," Tristen drawled. Actually, he was planning to bunk down with his brother. But, it never hurt to ask. What was the worst she could do? Throw him out? Deck him?

Kacie rolled her eyes and flopped down on the edge of the bed, fisting her hair in frustration. "Tristen could you please quit coming on to me all the time? Could you please try to be normal for once?" She blinked back tears as she curled her knees up under her chin. She was worried about her mom. Homesick. Cold. Exhausted. And at a complete loss about what her future held for her. She could not deal with him for another second.

Tristen frowned. There was nothing that could turn him into a complete marshmallow quicker than a woman's tears. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." He cautiously sat down on the bed next to her and pushed her hair back away from her face. "Please, don't cry. I didn't mean anything. Honestly, I didn't." His voice was soft and shaky.

"I know." Her voice quivered as another onslaught of tears thundered behind her closed eyelids. "I'm sorry for crying. I'm just stressed out."

"Its ok. I understand," he said softly. He was careful not to shake the bed as he got up and went to the bathroom he shared with his brother and snatched up a half used box of tissues. "Here." What could he do to ease her tears? What magic thing would make her stop crying all over his sheets? "Do you want some cocoa?" He asked, desperate for something that would fix her.

"Cocoa?" Kacie looked up at him in disbelief. She was bawling all over the place. Her face was hot and blotchy. Eyes puffy from the tears. Nose filled with snot. And he thought hot chocolate would make things ok? Her embarrassment at her crying jag only made the tears fall faster. Her shoulders heaved with the weight of her sobs.

Tristen sat on the bed and pulled Kacie into his lap. Her hair was soft against his palm as he smoothed his hand down her back. He was only trying to make it better by offering her a mug of hot chocolate. Not make her cry harder. He was at a complete loss. Doing the only thing he could. Holding her body, quivering from the depth of her sobs, in his arms until she stilled and her breathing came in slow steady breaths. He eased out a relieved sigh and inched her back onto the bed.

Daniel saw the light on in his brother's room and shuffled across the bathroom to his doorway to investigate. Scratching his bed tousled head in confusion when Tristen held a finger to his lips. Shutting him up, as he gently tugged off Kacie's boots and tucked her under the covers.

Daniel snickered. The first time his brother gets a girl into his bed and she falls asleep. He was going to have some fun with this in the morning. His brother was never going to live it down. He pulled the bathroom door tightly behind him and schlepped sleepily to the toilet. Women were a pain in the ass. He wondered if any woman was really worth the effort he'd seen his dad and brother put into them. After doing his business he flushed and climbed back into bed. Feeling the slick pages of the girly magazine he'd stolen from his brother's stash beneath his pillow. Women, with all those sleek curves, soft lips, silky hair, legs that went up to here, yeah, oh yeah, they were worth it. As much of a pain in the ass as they could be, women were worth the trouble they caused, definitely and undoubtedly worth it.

Tristen exhaled a relieved sigh. Kacie had barely stirred when he stretched her out in the bed and took off her boots. He ran his fingers gently across her sleep slacked cheek as he tucked the blankets under her chin. Her face was soft and innocent. He was careful not to wake her as he slid in beside her. Always the gentleman, he kept his hands to himself and his butt on the outside of the covers. Even though he wanted to curl up around her and wrap her in a cocoon of safety beneath the warm snuggly blankets. He contented himself with watching her as she dreamed.