Lucky: Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever owned any part of the book, "Blood and Chocolate," by Annette Curtis Klause. I do, however, love her characters, and I hope she doesn't mind me writing a story about them. Also, in order to make the relationships in this story legal, all of the characters have been aged up by three years.

Vivian awoke to the sound of car doors slamming shut. Opening her eyes, she saw morning sunlight coming through the open window. As she rolled over onto her back, she remembered coming in some hours earlier. Exhausted from running, she'd had barely enough energy to leap onto the roof, come through the window and collapse on her bed.

The front door opened and the sounds of several voices floated up the stairs. They're back. Vivian could hear as the living room and kitchen filled with wolf-kind. They'd stay for a quick chat and maybe some of Rudy's coffee, but they'd leave soon enough.

Vivian lay there, weighing the merits of going back to sleep versus going downstairs when her nose caught the first notes of coffee, sealing her decision. She stood and threw on enough clothes to make her decent, pulling her hair into a ponytail as she caught sight of the sketch above her bed. She smiled. Do what makes you happy. Buoyed, Vivian made her way downstairs, mumbling sleepy hellos to her packmates.

In the kitchen, the coffee pot bubbled away as Rudy and Esme made easy conversation with some of the Pack elders.

Vivian waved, "Good morning," as she made a beeline for the mugs.

"Morning, sweetie," Esme replied, "What's got you up so early?" She sounded pleasantly surprised, a tone Vivian hadn't heard in a while.

Vivian picked up a stolen diner mug and held it out as her answer before filling it with the piping hot brew.

Esme laughed, "Ah. So, socializing, then?"

Vivian grinned before she took a sip, "Of course." Rather than retreat back up to her room, Vivian leaned against the counter, the seats having already been taken. Esme raised her eyebrows, but said nothing.

The conversation, once it started up again, was mostly centered around the Orioles and their early season standing. To Vivian, they may as well have been discussing astrophysics, but as long as they weren't arguing, she was happy. Rolf, Gregory's father, was making some point about ERAs when Gabriel walked in.

Immediately, Vivian's eyes were riveted on him. Dressed in a tight t-shirt and worn jeans, he should have looked casual, but there was nothing casual about him.

For his part, Gabriel didn't seem to react to her presence, at least not until he had said his greetings to the room. Then, as he made his way to the coffee machine, he locked eyes with Vivian and she felt naked despite her clothes.

"Morning, Viv." His tone was cool, but his gaze was hot; it simmered, hinting at all the unspoken things between them.

"Morning." Vivian looked away and sipped at her coffee, wanting to break the tension but hungry to be near him.

He moved in closer to pick up a cup, close enough for her to smell his scent, to feel his radiating body heat. If she shifted her arm over an inch or two, she would be touching him. When she dared to look over at him, she found him watching her.

At that moment, Vivian had exactly two thoughts: He's dangerous, and, I don't care. Vivian drank in the sight of him: his tousled hair, his beard stubble, his ice-blue eyes, his mouth... Distractedly, Vivian stared at his mouth, thinking about his lips, their taste, the way they'd felt against hers, wondering how they'd feel on other places...

Vivian looked back up and her breath caught in her throat. There was a hunger in Gabriel's gaze that could not be mistaken. Vivian knew that if they hadn't been surrounded by packmates-

Oh, shit. Vivian glanced over to see what the others had seen. The conversation at the table continued uninterrupted, with no one looking their way.

Even so, as Vivian looked back she saw Gabriel pouring coffee for himself, only a slight tic in his cheek signaling that he noticed her attention. Avoiding her eyes, he turned and made an abrupt exit to the living room. Vivian was almost grateful; after all, if he was out of sight, she might stop feeling the crazy urge to rip his clothes off-

Vivian took a quick sip of coffee and almost choked. Bloody Moon.

She stayed in the kitchen as long as she could, trying to listen to her elders' conversation, but fighting against the wicked images forming in her mind. As soon as she finished her cup, Vivian escaped upstairs to her room, steadfastly ignoring Gabriel on her way through the living room.

By the time Gabriel's Harley roared away with the rest of the Pack, she'd more or less gotten her imagination under control. When Esme knocked on the door to let Vivian know that they'd be taking naps, Vivian was trying and failing to study for the last week of classes. However, as Esme's footsteps faded away, Vivian admitted to herself that there was no way she'd be getting any real work done. So, instead, she changed clothes, brushed her hair and grabbed her bag. The campus bookstore probably sold art supplies, and she'd promised herself a sketchbook and drawing pencils.

The air outside held a hint of sticky summer humidity; Vivian could feel the moisture in her lungs and on her skin. Ignoring it, she made her way through Riverview, up to the university.

The bookstore was part of a strip mall containing a burrito joint and an Asian bistro, both of which were packed with college students eating lunch. The store, on the other hand, was empty, despite the large posters advertising end-of-semester textbook buyback. Straightening her shoulders and trying to look like she belonged, Vivian strode back into the stacks, looking for the art section. She found it against the back wall, with stock ranging from paints to canvases to easels and in one corner shelves with sketchbooks of varying sizes. Picking out one of the larger ones, Vivian ran a finger down the spine and savored the smell of fresh paper and possibilities. She re-shelved it and spent a few minutes seriously considering her choices. After much deliberation, she opted for a smaller hardcover that would fit nicely in her bookbag. Walking along, she picked out a pack of graphite drawing pencils, an eraser, a sharpener, and, on a whim, some charcoals.

At the register, Vivian felt a moment's hesitation when she saw the total. It was more than she'd spent on herself in the past several months. Taking a deep breath, she thought, do what makes you happy, right? Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her wallet as she caught sight of the bowl of condoms on the counter.

A nervous thrill ran through her as the thoughts from earlier, the thoughts she'd been fighting, came flooding back.

Do what makes you happy, right?

I can't be seriously considering this-

"Miss?" The cashier interrupted her. Looking at him, Vivian weighed the wallet in her hand.

You can't be serious-

I am.

"How much are the condoms?" She blurted out before she could change her mind.

The cashier, to his credit, didn't even blink. "They're free. Y'know, safety first, and all that."

"Okay." Taking a deep breath, Vivian pulled out Esme's credit card. When he handed over her purchases, Vivian reached into the bowl and grabbed a small handful, stuffing them into her bag. "Thanks."

The cashier nodded, "Have a nice day!"

Vivian bit back a giggle as she walked out of the store, thoughts racing. Outside, the aromas of Americanized ethnic foods battled in the air, and a plan formed in her mind.

Are you sure about this?

Vivian paused for a moment, trying to calm her nerves. No. No, I am not, she answered as she turned and started following her feet.

Gabriel lived in an apartment complex not too far from campus. She knew this from the times she'd ridden with Uncle Rudy to pick him up for Pack functions. Vivian walked, letting her memory lead her through the streets until she stood outside of his building, a squat, brick two-story backed by woods and identical to the buildings surrounding it. His Harley was parked out on the street, and the sight of it brought reality barreling back into focus. Vivian breathed deeply, steadying herself, and walked up to the front door. From the mailboxes, Vivian learned that Gabriel's apartment was the fourth, and as she climbed the stairs, she alternated between feelings of surreality and utter disbelief. Then she knocked on the door and he answered, and, looking at him, Vivian felt absolute certainty.

"Can I come in?"

He was wearing the same t-shirt, but had swapped out his jeans for sweatpants. Judging by the time it took him to react, she'd probably woken him from his nap. "Yeah, sure." He stepped aside and allowed her to walk past him.

Closing the door behind her, he asked, "Can I get you some coffee?"

Vivian tossed her bag on his sofa. "No, not really."

Gabriel sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Okay. I guess we're skipping pleasantries. So, what do you want?"

Vivian waited a moment, giving herself one last chance to chicken out. Instead, she looked up at him and smiled slightly. "I thought you knew."

Gabriel's gaze sharpened as her meaning hit home, and she crossed the distance between them, not thinking, not hesitating as she reached up to kiss him. His lips descending on hers hungrily, greedily, as his hands found her bottom and picked her up, bringing them face to face as he held her against him. Dreamily, distractedly, Vivian felt him walking them to the sofa and settling down with her straddling his lap. He bit her lip, and she gasped as he pulled her in for more. When he began nibbling at her neck, a low moan escaped her and she reached under his shirt, exploring the exquisite tautness of his torso.

As her hands found his waistband, he pulled her away.

"Okay." Gabriel's breath was ragged as he stammered, "...okay Viv. I think we should stop."

Vivian's answer was adamant. "No."

"Viv-"

"Please." Her eyes met his, pleading. She wanted this, needed this more than he could know.

Gabriel's resolve faltered. "Are you sure? Viv, I... I want you," He stopped and took a breath, "God, I want you, but I don't want you to make a mistake you'll regret later."

Vivian lifted a hand to touch the small scar on his lip, considering what he'd said. Slowly, carefully, she answered him, "Maybe you're a mistake I want to make."

She saw the shift in his eyes, felt the hitch in his breathing as his decision was made. He gripped her hips, pulling her in tighter against him, and the feel of his physique took her breath away. Not breaking eye contact, she reached down and pulled her shirt up over her head and tossed it on the floor, followed closely by his shirt and her bra. Bared before him, Vivian watched Gabriel closely as he discovered her, fingers exploring her skin. Trailing lower, she felt her pulse race as he unzipped her jeans and she gasped when he slipped his hand inside.

"Gabe-"

"Do me a favor?" He murmured against her ear.

"Y-yes?" She could have flown to the moon for him.

She felt him smile, "Take your pants off."

Vivian grinned; she didn't need to be asked twice.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: To keep this story within the "Teen" rating, some of the more explicit content in this chapter has been removed. If you'd like to read the "Mature" version of this chapter, please visit ( archiveofourown DOT org/works/3519134/chapters/8075229), an alternate version of this story being hosted under the same title and username at Archive of Our Own (AO3). Have fun and, as always, thanks for reading!