Second Chance (Enduring Kiss) (15 page)

"It's nine o'clock." He sounded stunned.

"We slept all night and all day?"

"No, it's nine o'clock in the morning."

I sat quiet for moment. That didn't seem right. Drake should be dead to world at this time of morning. I looke
d back up at him questioningly.

"I don't know why I'm up." He answered my unspoken question.

"Well how does it normally work?"

"Well the time of day m
akes a difference. At sunrise, I become a little weak and tired and feel the need to sleep. I could stay up, but I would be so tired nothing would get done. I usually sleep until mid afternoon. That time of day is much easier to function in. I'm never one hundred percent strong, but I can get business done. Once the sun sets I'm at my strongest."

"What about direct sunlight. I know it's not suppose to kill you but what really happ
ens?" I asked stroking his arm.

I could tell he was agitated. Having these strange things happen to us was a lot to take in. Maybe it was our mixed blood, vampire and werewolf, I thought.

"No, it doesn't kill us, but I would not cross a beam of sunlight. There is a compulsion to stay away from direct sunlight. I tried this out when I was first turned. I needed to see for myself what happened.”

“
I walked into a beam of afternoon sunlight and felt extremely weak to the point of feeling dizzy. I was able to hold out for a few minutes, but eventually I had to step away.”

“T
he morning sun is much more dangerous. I was already very tired, but when I walked into that beam of light I collapsed into unconsciousness. My guards brought me to bed and I woke that afternoon like nothing happened."

Wow, was all I could think, a
nd now it was nine o'clock in the morning and he was up when he should have been out like a light.

"How do you feel?"

"I feel fine. I feel like the sun has already set. I'm strong and not tired at all."

He looked away and I knew he was trying to figure everything out. I
rubbed my finger over the line that had formed between his brows until he looked at me. He was confused even a little frightened.

"I don't know what's happening."

"It's alright Drake. This is a good thing, right? You are strong while the sun is up. I can't see any bad in that."

"Yes
, you're right. It just feels strange is all." He leaned in and kissed me, brushing his lips over mine gently. "If it stays this way, at least we'll have more time together." He eyes darkened with desire and I could feel my body respond immediately.

"That's true,
" I replied huskily.

It
was not long before he pushed inside me again, filling me with his body and heart. His love wrapped around me like a physical thing and I could not hold out. I arched with my climax offering him my neck. He fed bringing me to new heights, my fangs dropped when he offered his own throat. Our feeding made the pleasure almost overwhelming. White lights danced before my eyes then slowly disappeared as we came down together.

We held each other tight
ly as we trembled with aftershocks. I raised my head looking at the beautiful creature that was all mine. His eyes closed as I kissed his full lips.

"Thank you,
" I whispered against them.

His eyes opened. "I should be thanking you."

I smiled. "Well then we thank each other."

He chuckled softly.

"I want to call my friends today and I still need to run. My wolf is being persistent."

Drake nodde
d. "Go ahead; I have work to do anyway. You want to meet back here for dinner?"

I nodded and went to get dressed. I skipped a shower knowing
I would need one after my run and just pulled on my clothes from the day before.

"I'll have to bring my things down here." I told Drake as I pulled my t-shirt over my head.

"I'll help you tonight. I have to fix the security to allow you to come and go."

"Oh
yeah, the eye scan thing. Well, I'll see you tonight then," I said giving him a quick kiss before I left.

The kiss lasted a little longer than planned
, but I finally made it up stairs and ran into Rachel.

"Hi, want to go for a run?" She asked.

"That where I was headed."

She led me outside through the back and started across the immaculate yard. There was a large rose garden
to my left. It held so many types of roses I lost count. It made me smile, knowing they were there for me. Drake did not have to tell me to know this. They were not there the last time I was here all those years ago and Drake knew how much I loved roses.

"So what's that smile about? You and Drake doing alright?" Rachel asked with a knowing looked.

I smiled and nodded. "We completed the Enduring Kiss last night." My cheeks flamed just thinking about it.

Rachel laughed. "Congratulations! You look happy, positively glowing."

"Thanks. I am happy."

My smile faded though as we reach the edge of the woods. Dawson was waiting with two other wolves in human form. Rachel gasped
, but I held in my surprise not wanting to show any fear to that crazy wolf.

"What are you doing here?" I asked harshly.

"It’s time for that questioning Rebecca." His smug smile made me nauseous.

"You can't. Drake is not
here and we completed the Enduring Kiss. It's against the law to question me now."

I smiled just as smugly,
but it faded when the two men moved forward to grab my wrists. I had to admit though they certainly looked like they didn't want to be following Dawson's orders and they were gentle as they each took an arm.

"What's going on?" Rachel exclaimed.

"I don't care what you and your vampire did, you are coming with us. It's daylight. Evans can't do a damn thing now."

Dawson laughed making my stomach lurch. This
could not be good, I thought. I did not dare tell him that Drake was awake. He would just have to find that out the hard way.

I looked over at Rachel
, turning so Dawson couldn't see my face. The two guards holding me moved with me, but held firm.

"Rachel,
" I said so she would look at me.

Her eyes looked wild. I knew she was confused on what to do. Follow the pack le
ader's orders or help a friend.

When her green eyes connected with mine
, I said, "Call Drake."

She looked at me funny. She thought he was asleep
, but I knew better. I narrowed my eyes so she could see how serious I was. Dawson was chuckling, but I ignored him. Rachel continued to look confused and nodded once encouraging.

"Go ahead Rachel. Call hi
m all you want. It won't matter," Dawson said with a shrug. "Come," he gestured to his two men and me. "We have things to do."

He turned and started across the lawn. We followed as I watched Rachel run as fast as her heart could go toward
s the house. I took a deep breath trying to calm my nerves. Drake would come for me, or send someone. I knew it. I just had to hold on until then.

They were only questioning me anyway, right? I trie
d to reassure myself. They could not do anything else just question me, though I would not lie to them. If Drake didn't get to me before I was forced to admit I killed Logan, there was no telling what would happen.

One of the guards holding my wrist gave it a light squeeze. I looked up at him. I was too scared to notice before
, but I knew him. Of course, I knew most all of the wolves in the pack. I grew up there.

Adam Jefferies was the blonde wolf's name. He smiled gently. I turned and looked at the other. Adam's twin Sam looked back at me and gave me a reassuring smile. I re
laxed a little remembering the wolves were my family. They would do what they could to help or make it easier for me. Still, as we climb into the black SUV parked in front of the house, I prayed Drake would get to me soon.

Chapter 10

At my desk, I sighed heavily as I opened the file I had just pulled. More and more people needed jobs and places to live. The vampires especially were having a hard time finding appropriate homes. It looked like I was going to have to build some more housing developments soon. I didn't really mind, I had the money to spend, but it angered me that the government wouldn't help.

The
vamps needed homes that were safe from not only the weakening sunlight, but also zealots that wanted to end all vampire existence. Basements were necessary or if not possible because of water to close to the surface, then there needed to be windowless rooms. We also had to consider the security.

I leaned back in my chair
and ran a hand over my face. Those people, all of them, vamps, wolves, and humans needed guidance on a financial level. Too many were popping up multiple times because they could not keep the job we helped them get or they let their finances run down the drain.

I thought about what Rebecca has
said in the car on the way home. She was going to school for an accounting degree. I really hoped she was serious when she said she wanted to use that to help those people. We needed someone like her.

I needed her and not just for the job. She was so perfect for me, made for me actually. Last night had been everything I had hoped it would be and more. I got hard just thinking of her nude form lying across the bed, stretched out like a banquet waiting for me to feast. Her long blonde hair spread across the pillow, her eyes sparkling with love and want. I shivered at the image. I
could not wait to sink into her again.

The ringing of the phone drew me out of my wicked thoughts.
I would come back to them later. I wanted to plan something special for tonight to celebrate our union, maybe a party to share with everyone. Then we could go back to our room and have our own private party afterwards. That sounded perfect, I thought

"Evans,
" I said into the receiver a little firmer than I intended. I was ready to plan tonight's events.

"Master Evans, this is Rachel." I sat up quickly. Rachel voice was shaking. W
hat had upset the wolf so much?

"Rachel what's happening?"

"Dawson took Rebecca." Her voice cracked, but I barely paid attention. I shot out of my chair.

"What! How did that happen? Never mind. There's no time for explanations. We have to get her away from him."

"Agreed. What are my orders?”

Rachel sounded calmer now that we were ready to focus. I was proud of her for pulling it together. I knew she would though.

"Get Stephen and a couple more guards you can trust to meet me down here. I'll open the door when you buzz."

"Yes sir,
" She said before we both hung up.

"Shit!" I ye
lled out as I paced the office.

Dragging my fingers through my hair I pulled on the locks until I felt pain. What was I going to do? I
could not lose her again. NO! I would not lose her. I was going to get her back and Dawson was going to be history for defying, but how was I going to get her? It was still daylight, not only daylight, but also morning.

I stopped pa
cing. That was it. The sunlight, I was awake when I should not have been. Maybe I could go get her. It would weaken me I was sure, but I didn't care. Heck, maybe I could walk right in there without a single effect from the sun, I thought. I doubted it my theory, but I was willing to risk it.

A plan began to form and when Stephen, Rachel and three other wolves showed up
, I told them what we would do. Stephen cursed and pleaded with me to change my mind, but it was made up.

'Hold on Rebecca, I'm coming for you.'

~~*~~

"All right Re
becca, let's get this over with," Dawson said towering over me.

I was tied to a chair in the middle of small windowless room. We were in the basement of the pack's house. The walls and floor were concrete blocks panted black making the shadows in the room more pronounced. There was a single light on above me
, but it did not provide much light. I twisted my wrists again. The handcuffs were on too tight as were the ones around my ankles.

I had hoped
the twins would have fixed it so I could get out easily, but my hopes plummeted when Dawson took over the process of locking me to the chair. He took great pleasure in making sure they were so tight I whimpered. I thought about changing into my wolf, but with the tight restraints as well as my clothes it would have just tripped me up. However, I kept the thought in the back of my mind as a last resort.

Dawson kept talking
, but I wasn't paying much attention until he finally flat out asked, "Do you know who killed Logan?"