Under a Blue Moon

Chapter 1

A/N: Hi everybody this is my first Blood and Chocolate fic and I really hope that you like it. Okay some details before I begin so no one is confused. This story takes place in the town in West Virginia that the pack is at in the very beginning of the novel. Axel is still alive and so are all the Five, Vivian's dad, Ivan is alive too, and no one has been killed. Aiden and the Amoeba live in the town not in Maryland. Finally Vivian isn't, I repeat IS NOT part of the pack, though she is in the story. Now on with it.

Disclaimer: This will go throughout the story if, I do not own the characters of Blood and Chocolate, though I do own the book, but the characters and the idea for the book remain the property of Annette Curtis Klause, no matter how much I want Gabe.

The moon hung pale and almost sickly looking just over the horizon in the dark carpet of the night, its minions, the stars, peeked out into the world surrounding them. Low gray storm clouds thundered over head, lighting rolled in their bellies ominously, foretelling of the pounding rains to come and covering the pale silver light that leaked into the forest. The ground however thundered with a very different kind of storm. Out of the brush and into a large clearing a group of half clothed people strode, males and females alike panting in the ecstasy of the night, the pack was ready for the hunt. A tall, slender male stepped forward, fully nude, and raised his hands to the moon saying a silent prayer of fortune. Then suddenly he tossed his head of thick black hair back, his face towards the sky and howled, the rest soon joining his cry. They were gone now, past the realm of human, they were wolves graceful and deadly, and they were hungry.

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"I think it is a good idea." The husky voice of Gabriel slid like silk through the air, twinning around everyone present.

"Yes it is then agreed." A strong very masculine voice sounded, thick and sturdy like the bark of a tree, Ivan had made his decision. All the pack members nodded their heads.

"We will look into the new pack of wolves that has recently moved into the woods. We will see if they are like us or if they are normal and if they mean us ill." Ivan recounted the events of the meeting and then stood telling everyone to leave. The crowd that had gathered dispersed through the two doorways of the common room. Esme slid next to Ivan taking his large hand in hers and smiled sweetly when he looked down at her. He returned the smile and then lifted his head towards the only member still sitting where he was. Gabriel was as frightening at rest as when he was in his wolf pelt, maybe even more so.

"Ivan, it will be more difficult then just spying on them, if they are a pack of plain wolves they will be harmless to the likes of us. But…" he didn't have to finish the sentence Ivan already knew what he was going to say. Ivan sighed heavily and trailed his hand that wasn't wrapped around Esme through his hair.

"Yes, if they are a pack," he paused and looked down, "a pack like us. We will have to somehow learn to share the land but they came so suddenly maybe they won't stay when they learn that we are here." Gabriel gave a rude snort and growled something under his breath.

"What if they mean to run us out of here?" He questioned his ice blue eyes boring into Ivan's warm honey one's. They stayed in the comfortable silence for some time, just staring at each other knowing on some distant plain what the other was thinking.

"If that is what they have come for then we will fight for this land that has been our home for the past hundred years. We were here first and we will remain here as long as no one knows what we are. I am putting all my trust in your abilities Gabe, don't let me down and come back with no knowledge about this new pack." Ivan said, confidante that Gabriel was capable enough for this small job. Gabriel nodded and then rose and left Esme and Ivan alone. Esme looked up at her husband worry on her brow as she saw his look.

"What is wrong Ivan?" Her sweet voice caressed him into a sigh and he sat down.

"I am worried that we are getting into something we shouldn't, but we have to know if they are going to be trouble or not." He replied running his hand through his hair again. Esme smoothed her hand down the side of his face trying to sooth him. He smiled up at her.

Pulling her into his lap he nuzzled his nose into her neck, "What would I do without you love?" Esme gasped in delight as Ivan bit her and then shivered when he laugh huskily into the bite mark.

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The Five lay sprawled out on the back lawn, soaking up the last razes of the fall sun; Axel sat with his back to the panels of the porch railing, his dark brown hair shading his eyes form the light. They were talking about the new pack in the woods.

"It would be great if they were a loup-garou pack like us!" Gregory smiled at his comment, happily with the thought. Rafe lifted his head and kicked Greg in the shoulder.

"Why would that be great?" he questioned sitting up on his elbows. Willem, Finn and Ulf all followed suit and nodded, curiously. Greg snorted.

"Because if they were then they would have woman and hopefully good looking ones at that!" he reasoned and they all smiled smugly, thinking of all the different combinations of figures they could come up with. Rafe moaned quietly.

"And do you think that we could have a chance with them even if they are?" Axel's voice quickly killed all the fantasies that the Five had been forming. They all looked at each other confused as to why they wouldn't be able to have one of the beautiful women from…then it hit them, they would be from another pack and that pack wouldn't want to share with anyone. Their faces fell and their hopes died quickly.

"Shit! That's not fair; we don't have any girls in our pack that are our age! How else are we going to mate? Do they want us to mate each other?" Rafe shouted, causing every one of the boys to gag in disgust. That was the last thing that was going to happen and they all knew it. Axel sighed.

"You boys will just have to win their leaders trust I guess." All six of them scattered, turning to face the person who had intruded on their conversation. Gabriel stood smirking at them, shirtless and glistening in sweat, a leaf in his brown hair. They relaxed a little seeing one of their own however, at the meeting this morning everyone had been banned from the woods till Ivan knew what the pack was, Gabriel had clearly broken that rule.

"Well, well, well if it isn't the little prince of the pack and what is this your spotless record in now ruined. I thought that Ivan made it clear that no one was allowed into the woods. To bad you left evidence that you have disobeyed him." Axel said his voice venomous as a snake as he ripped the leaf off of Gabe's head. He and Gabriel had never gotten along with each other and they had no intention of ever trying to. Axel has tried on more then one occasion to get Gabe into trouble with Ivan but the situations had never worked but now he had a surefire way to raise hell for him. He smirked in Gabriel's face showing his now long and very sharp teeth to him before passing him up and jumping onto the stairs and going inside. The Five followed close behind. None saw the smirk that adorned Gabe's face.

"Ivan are you really sure about this?" Esme's voice led the seven bodies to the man they were looking for. Rounding a corner Axel saw as Ivan kissed Esme deeply, reassuringly almost and he cleared his throat as they broke apart. Ivan looked up to find the six young wolves under him and Gabe close behind them, and welcomed them into the antechamber for the common room. They made themselves comfortable but Gabriel stood, still shirtless leaning against the doorway. Axel stood in front of Ivan lifting his hand to hold the leaf in front of his eyes. Ivan looked at it with mild interest.

"What can I do for you Axel and make it quick I have little time for your complaints." Ivan sighed sitting down as Esme stood behind him, smoothing her hands down around his neck to rest on his collarbone. Axel snorted rudely.

"Gabriel, your precious little minion, has disobeyed your orders and has gone into the woods." Axel said twirling the leaf in his hand smiling thinking that he had finally pinned with a crime.

"Really well that is wonderful but you are wrong for the thousandth time. I sent Gabe out to search for the new pack's whereabouts." Ivan snatched the leaf out of Axel's hand, watching as his face fell and then became angry. He snorted, turned waving for the Five to follow him, and pushed past Gabriel who was happily smirking.

'I'll get you yet!' Axel thought. After they had left Gabe walked into the room closing the door behind him. He looked into Ivan's eyes and Ivan knew in that instant that Gabe had found them.

"So where are they?" Ivan asked tilting his head to the right and laying his check against Esme's hand. Gabe sat down across from them and stretched.

"They are living in an outcrop about five miles from the valley and south of the creek. I followed one of them and," he paused glancing down, "they are like us. They are loup-garou."

Ivan sighed, "I see it is as we thought."

"Yes however I have a feeling that we will be able to get along with them. The whole afternoon as I watched only one of them left the clearing and that was to get some small game that was nested close, they aren't looking like they will leave that outcrop anytime soon. Of the few human times I saw them they were kind and very polite to each other. I think we will get along well with them Ivan." Gabe said in a rush his heart in the words. Ivan raised an eyebrow in amusement and smiled.

"Well if you like them so much them they must have some quite beautiful woman for you to have you so railed up." Ivan smirked knowingly a glint in his eyes as a blush spread over Gabriel's cheeks.

"That's not…it isn't like that!" Gabe's voice was strained and he stuttered his eyes down cast.

"Really well I don't believe you but that can wait for later now we have to plan when we will confront them. I think that tonight would be good as any other." Ivan was thoughtful for a moment and then nodded making up her mind. Esme was pulled in front of Ivan she looked down at him.

"Go tell everyone to get ready we are going to make some new friends tonight, at least let us hope that they are friendly. Go Esme, and we will be leaving at ten to get there and back before dawn." Ivan patted her hand, and as she turned her butt. She turned at the door to smirk knowingly back at him. Gabe's eyes remained down.

Ivan smirked getting up and walking around to Gabe's side.

"So what did she look like?" Ivan inquired hands in his pockets. He had never met a woman who could faze Gabe and now that there was one he couldn't wait to meet her.

Gabe sighed and intertwined his fingers, "She is beautiful. Tall and extremely leggy, long yellowish brown hair I guess you could call it tawny; her eyes were a dark brown they penetrate like knives. She was so very beautiful." Gabriel's voice broke and he couldn't go on. Ivan nodded in understanding, so Gabe had finally found a woman that was up to his standards but it was going to be a problem if the new pack wasn't up for negotiations then his heart would be broken and that in turn would be the worse thing that could happen, since Gabe was to take command of the pack when Ivan was no longer able to rule.

"Ivan we are ready when you are. I have informed the pack and they can't wait to go." Esme was standing at the door smiling. Ivan nodded and dismissed her, he and Gabe still had to talk.

"You know the consequences if they aren't friendly don't you? You probably won't ever get this woman so just get yourself prepared for the rejection." Ivan grabbed Gabe's shoulder, comforting him in the only way that he knew how. Gabe nodded.

"I will leave you alone and we will se you at ten, and Gabe I expect you to be there." Ivan left without another word.

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The pack moved fast, the darkness of the night closing in around them, so close it could almost be felt as though they could feel Her velvet cloak. Ivan, his dark pelt tipped with starlight, Esme, her brown coat slick with the sweet scented sweat of the run, wasn't far behind him and the rest were spread out, fanning the area. They had been running for a good twenty-five minutes and they were nearing the clearing that the new pack had chosen as their home, however something didn't seem right. The wind had stopped its rhythmic sway long ago and the Lady Moon had hidden herself behind the clouds that coated the dark, anger sky. Lightening flashed over head and the light penetrated the inky blackness of the forest floor. Thunder was soon to follow, like a faithful blood hound on his master's heels, drunk on affection and wanting more. As the last corner of the trail was turned the pack that could be seen on the path stopped short, for in front of them was a site they had not expected.

Sitting in a semicircle around the end of the paw-trodden path were seventeen large male wolves.