Disclaimer: All characters in this story are not mine. They all belong to Annette Curtis Klause. Except for the few that I will list later on. Thank you for reading this first.
Please be aware that I'm not the best speller, writer, and definitely someone who isn't nearly as good at grammar as some of you other fellow writers. But please respect my love for writing and not to ridicule it. Please, and thank you.
Chapter one
The moonlight crept through the trees where the soft doe lay. Crouched below under the long hay that was near the lake that was only ten miles away from the inn. The doe stirred, it knew something thing was hiding, and waiting. It was prepared now to leap off in the air and run till the end of dawn, but it wouldn't make it and it also knew that. The air grew colder as the night began. Watch, crouch, prepare, and surprise. I sprang out of the hay towards the grazing doe. Running toward the doe standing in the middle of the field. It took a few seconds before the doe to realize it was being chased. Running faster and faster, she'd never out run the wolf. She took a jump, over the broken down tree that fell last spring. She was running the opposite direction of the inn, yet it seemed as if she knew. Hunger was tormenting me the more I ran for her quarter thighs and the taste of blood, raw meat and the wonderful smell of a fresh kill were getting the best of me. I was running faster than she and so I was just behind her ass. It was the time to pounce and claw her. To make the kill and to finish the job, I launched myself in the air and released the razor sharp claws out as the struck the thighs. The young doe jumped in the air, and kicked my lungs. I flew off and panted and sucked in all the air I could get. As I looked up to see the young doe that had got away from me just jogging away thinking that she survived the most terrible thing in the forest. But right then, the trees shook and then all of a sudden a huge dark brown wolf jumped out of them and leaped right on to the young doe. The wolf ripped out her throat and shook the dead doe around. The huge wolf dropped the kill and panted and made his way toward me. His gaze was all cunning and alert watching as if something else would go on. He came right beside me and looked all around and when he thought it was safe he rubbed my nose and licked me up. I nudged him in the chest as I got up and took off toward the inn. He was close behind and playfully nipped me as we ran together. The moon light on our fur coats that made my skin crawls with delight. The sweet night air was like energy as I ran. He came up from behind and lightly pushed me, I pushed him even harder so he knew that there's a competition now. My muscles tightened as I pushed myself to the extreme to out run the male wolf, but there was no choice for he was almost three times my size. The air hit my face, as I kept on running and dodging the trees but he was far up ahead. When the clearing came where the inn was and where all the other's were. I jogged toward a bush, and changed back into my normal self. I took one long deep breath and stretched toward the moon. My ears pricked up when a snap of a twig caught my attention. Who was hiding or was someone spying on me. I searched on the ground for a weapon reached for a rock. I tossed it up in the air, caught it and threw it near the pine tree behind me.
"Ouch, what was that for?" A tall broad man came from behind the pine tree in worn out blue jeans that hung on him. He was holding a bundle of clothes in his arms. He came towards me and dropped the clothes on the ground and pulled me close to his naked chest where warmth met my skin. Skin against skin, the touch was unbelievable I looked up into his blue eyes that were heavy with desire that I felt in my heart. Oh, my love for Gabriel was oh so real, but until next winter we would be married. After six years of settling down in the new inn and how life was so rocky with Aidan and of course Rafe and Astrids death was another thing that kept the pack and us on our claws at night. Just the idea of Aidan coming back and stealing me away from the one man that snuck his way to my heart, the only one to. Gabriel kissed me lightly on the forehead. He made his way to my lips. First he kissed me lightly, after he deepened the kiss. The taste of him would drive me insane; the scent of him that I caught made it better. His tongue massages
mine and tickled the tip. When we needed air, he nibbled my lip and sighed with relief. I was exhausted from the hunt, the run and the amazing kiss. When I opened my eyes, Gabriel picked up the clothes he held and passed them to me. He grinned as he looked at my naked body in the moonlight and whistled.
"You look beautiful in the moonlight Vivian with nothing on." He spoke huskily. A grin spread on my face as I heard what he said. I looked into his eyes with equal desire he held isn't his own.
" So why don't I just stay in the nude for you." He smiled but shook his head.
"Sorry hun, but I don't want anyone to see the queens body and besides your mother will soon tell us to get married and start on the grandchildren. Were no where near that kind of relationship." He spoke in his serious voice. I rolled my eyes took a big sigh.
"Fine then. But we never have time just to ourselves anymore. Ever since that huge explosion the four made that almost blew our cover we never have had any real alone time and I really miss sleeping with you. The bed isn't the same with your massive body beside me and your arms that hold me when I sleep. Gees, sometimes I wish you weren't the pack leader." I confessed to him. He looked helpless just standing there listening to the queen bitches complaints. Gabriel cupped my face and kissed me hard.
"I'm sorry Vivi, but that's just the way things happened. It'll all be done soon and tomorrow night will be a sweaty night. But at the moment, you can get dressed and get some sleep. I'll have to go get our kill that's still in the forest." He kissed me again and gave me my clothes. He turned around and started to run. He was shifting back into the wolf with each step, soon the wolf would run and I'd be jealous of all the other bitches who had there man sleeping with them. In just wasn't fair. Sure, I get to sleep with one of the youngest males who weren't my age mates, who were one of the strongest, tallest who was dark and extremely handsome, but he was never around for her. He was always doing pack business, getting called to see if there was one of the four needed to be set back in his place or he was gone traveling to another pack. It wasn't fair, and the days seemed to be getting worse slowly.
I slipped on the t-shirt Gabriel left and the blue jeans he picked out and of course, a sweater. He was very protective and possessive over me and what I wore or anything that involved with me. Over the last six years, I've grown accustomed to it and got used to it. It didn't matter to me any more. The only thing that was starting to get to me was that the two of us had been together for six years. The pack was starting to worry about us. They thought that we would have a child by now, or at least be married. And that's what's been bothering me. Why didn't we ever have a conversation about marriage or engagement? And I was getting more worried everyday and I wanted to talk to him about it but there's no time when it can be just the two of us alone where no one from the pack can over hear us. Life was perfect in it's way, and then it wasn't.
I got toward where the inn was. I opened the gate that was one the left side which lead to the to the back of the inn. Then there were the paths that lead into the deep forest, which everyone's home was. Each family had it's own house but we all had to live here where we could run and do whatever we wanted without anyone finding out. I walked down the path that lead toward the pack leaders house, or where my bed was. I walked up the porch steps and opened the big black door. I went upstairs and headed straight toward the bedroom. They're nothing better to do then sleep after a long exhausting run. I stripped down, crawled under the cool sheets and covers. I sighed with satisfaction and nestled myself so I could easily sleep. Minutes rolled by, until big arms wrapped around my waist tightly and pulled close to the muscular body that was burning with heat. It was my sanctuary. The one place I felt safe and always will. Gabriel kissed my hair and made his way toward my ears where he nibbled. I tried to hold down a giggle but it escaped me. For minutes Gabe just held on to me as if something was going to happen. Until he bent his head to my ear a whispered in his seductive voice that made my heart pound with the excitement of hearing him use it.
"Vivian, will you marry me?" I turned to look at him; I looked straight into his eyes.
"Yes." I whispered quietly. Gabriel smiled instantly and turned around to the nightstand and reached out for a box. He turned back to me and opened it. It was a gold ring with a green gem. I smiled at him as he slipped the ring on.
We cuddled until we both fell asleep in each other's arms. It was truly one night I'd never forget.
The next day…
Morning came fast, and when I woke up then stretched, I turned to see Gabriel sleeping peacefully. Only that he was up before me. Sighed with frustration that he never was going to be the Gabriel that he was the first five years we've been together. I slowly got out of bed and changed into some tight blue jeans and a tight aqua t-shirt. I went downstairs and seen that Esme let herself in again. She was sitting by the kitchen table watching my every move. I didn't look at her while I went to the coffee pot and poured myself a cup and fixed it my way. I turned to see her then, instead of the smug smile she had while I walked into the kitchen, it was her smug grin. Ever since the forth year that Gabriel and me were together, she expected us to start breeding off spring, which we weren't even thinking about, not even marriage was in my mind yet. Anyway, I went to the table cautiously, I picked a chair to sit in across the table from her, just in case if she felt like she wanted to jump me. It was quite between us for a few moments until she broke the silence. She shifted in her chair, which usually meant that she'd start talking about my personal or sexual life. I narrowed my eyes at her as she said.
"I heard that Gabriel proposed to you last night." She said with dislike. She hated the Idea of us wolf-kind following the human's tradition. She said with impatience now. "I suppose you'll be having a wedding also. Most likely I guess. You know that your father and me weren't married right. Just to let you know how much I loathe your choice in making sure that your Gabriel's mate." She glared at me. I didn't say a thing to her until the phone rang.
"I'll get that if you don't mind." I growled as I got up and went to the front hallway where the cordless phone rang on the wall by the stairs. I picked it up and answered in a sweeter voice. "Hello." A older rougher voice answered back with cheer.
"My dear Vivian, it's me uncle Rudy. Is Gabriel around there at the moment." As Rudy was speaking Gabriel in his dark navy blue t-shirt that clung to every muscle and his normal blue jeans that made every woman including humans, think of the most imaginable thoughts she could with Gabe. His hair that was normally messed up still gave him the looks that made most people believe that he was twenty-four still. He smiled when he saw me on the phone and came toward me. He kissed my cheek, when I responded back to Rudy.
"Actually he just walked in. So lucky you." I mouthed to Gabe, 'It's Rudy.' Gabe's smile vanished in an instant and turned back to serious. He took the phone that I handed to him and walked away giving him the privacy that he needed when it came pack leader stuff. I walked up the stairs and turned the corner and leaned against it so I could hear his part of the conversation. For a few minutes it was normal male battering about the weather, family and his bike. Then something caught my attention. Gabe responded to something that Rudy said.
"There's something, what, going around to each pack." He whispered it in to the phone. I started to pay close attention to what he was saying now. "What is it? Is it a stray that we should be watching for or is it just a few wolves that's around in the mountains." Gabe didn't answer for a long time, which made me worry. I was tempted to run into our bedroom and pick up the phone just to figure out what Rudy was saying to Gabriel. It was scaring me that there was a problem that Gabe was worried about. Cause if there was a problem he was worried about, it defiantly was something that needed all the pack's attention, patcentice, and assistance. Otherwise disaster would happen all over again, such as Rafe and Astrids choice when we needed their help.
I stood there waiting for Gabriel to say something; anything really just so I knew that he had everything under control. But Gabe didn't say a word. I peeked around the corner to see if he was nodding is head instead, or if he expected that I was around and eavesdropping on him. I poked around the corner so I could just see what he was doing. He was looking though the front window that was inches away from the front door. He stood ridged and complex. Something Rudy was telling him kept him in thought. I stood still watching him, wondering to myself if he would share what Rudy was telling him, to me. But Gabriel turned his head a little bit toward the staircase where I was supposedly hiding. I held my breath and quickly turned around so he wouldn't be able to see me. i couldn't turn around and face him. He knew I was standing here, listening in on what he was saying. He put out a trap for me, and I walked into it. Minutes flew by as I stood there, but this time I wasn't eavesdropping. When I had the guts to turn around and walk down the stairs to see his angry stare that would hurt me, but would also hurt him just as bad because I was suppose to respect his pack leadership business and to leave it alone. But I turned around into some hard rock wall. I closed my eyes; I smelt his scent and the heat that radiated from his body that was scorching me. He grabbed my upper arms and held me out like a child. I opened my eyes to see his straight face. He wasn't angry with me but disappointed. I turned my head away from his face. He let me go and simply said.
"Why did you listen in." I didn't sat anything to him. I wasn't acting foolish by not responding to him, and I wasn't giving Gabriel the silent treatment. I just couldn't find the answer that I was looking for. When he didn't get an answer after a few moments he shook his head a muttered something under his breath that I didn't catch. He turned around and walked down the stairs. Shortly after I head the front door open, and slammed shut after. A few second pasts after the door was slammed, then all the tears streamed down my cheeks. It just wasn't fair; nothing seemed to be going right at all for me. I walked to my room and cried myself to sleep. Only thinking that I betrayed my trust to him after so many years. And yet, I couldn't find a reason why I did such a stupid act in the first place.