CHAPTER ONE:

Vivian. She watched his eyes soften as he said her name. His beautiful cornflower-blue eyes searched hers, and she tried not to look away.

"Hey," he whispered, his lips pulling into a gentle smile. "Everything's gonna be alright."

Dear Aiden. Mistaking her silences for worry. Just for him, she nodded. Aiden gave her another smile, and resumed his drawing. Vivian stared. His skill had painted a beautiful picture. It always did. But the picture unsettled her. It disturbed her. It practically screamed at her to rip it up into tiny little pieces. She stared.

Flames devouring an old building...lithe wolf bodies dancing through the hungry fire, writhing in complicated patterns. But their faces told a different story. Vivian could hear the howls of agony, filling the night air. Screams. Puncturing the sky... and the awful, cloying smell of burning flesh...

"Vivian! VIVIAN!"

Her eyes flew open, to find Aiden's anxious face. She relaxed. Aiden released his grip on her wrists. Vivian buried her face in his chest, letting the tears fall. Aiden held her tight, not knowing how else to comfort her.

"I'll throw it away, if you like..." Aiden offered finally. Vivian breathed in his scent. Not the cologne. His natural smell, the one that made him unique. It was...delicious. There was no other word for it. If smells had colours, his would be golden. Vivian took a deep breath and shook her head.

"No. It's beautiful," she whispered. It was the truth.

"But it disturbs you," Aiden whispered back. Vivian remained silent. Aiden pulled back to stare at her, as if expecting to find an answer there. Vivian quickly looked away.

"You're staring."

She felt Aiden drop his gaze.

"Oh. Sorry."

He stepped back.

"Um...I'm...going to get a cuppa. Want one?"

Vivian nodded. Aiden hesitated for a moment, and then he was gone. Vivian sighed, pulling her sweater tighter around her body. She remembered the fire. She remembered the smoke. She remembered the painful cries. She remembered him. His fury. His snarls. The rage in his beautiful green eyes, uncannily like her own. She bit her lip. Heck, she had loved Rafe too! Maybe not in the way he did, and definitely not like she loved Aiden, but it was love. He was her cousin, after all. But that didn't mean he could do no wrong. What happened...wasn't Aiden's fault. Not...not really. Aiden was...only trying to defend himself...

"Vivian..."



Vivian whipped around, startled. Aiden stood there, with two steaming cups of coffee. His face darkened, and he set the cups down. Pulling Vivian closer to him, he whipped out a handkerchief and started dabbing at the blood, while tilting her chin upwards with the other. When he was done, he pocketed the handkerchief, and drew her into yet another embrace. He hugged her tight, wanting to know what he could do to help.

"Please tell me what's wrong," he begged.

Vivian closed her eyes. She thought of Gabriel. She thought of Rafe. She thought of Astrid, and of the pack. She thought of Aiden, and his smile. The look on his face, when he touched her, or kissed her. She thought of how much he meant to her. And she thought of the thing inside her...

"Nothing's wrong," Vivian mumbled, wishing to hold him forever and ever.