Disclaimer: I present to you-the lawyer's thumbscrews! YAY for trademarks!

Warnings: Again, your eyes are safe…unless you ate that stuff you just bought…

AN: This stuff is going somewhere and it does have a point.

Enjoy!

/

Chapter 5: Can't buy me Love.

As October passed into November and the first snowfall hit, the date was settled. The official ceremony which would make Vivian and Gabriel the official alpha pair would take place this week. Vivian was incredibly nervous, and would snap at anyone who came to near her. To make matters worse-the truck had died.

Determined to do her part in the ceremony correctly, she only allowed Aunt Persia and Orlando to help her. At night she dreamed of her father, Ivan, who she knew would shape how she would rule the pack, with Gabriel's help-the unity would be the symbol of their leadership. She took a deep breath before racing towards one of the half built cabins.

/

Remus sat down for a brief break, Blackjack at his side. The dog was rarely without him. Remus was absently petting Blackjack when Vivian's scent came near. He stood up, getting a glimpse of her paled face.

"What's wrong?"

"I just wanted to let you know I'm going through with the ceremony."

"Ummm I already knew that you were."

Suddenly she hugged him. She looked so fierce that it could have been vulnerability. Her gold eyes wide and shimmering. Remus knew his heart was beating rapidly, wondering what she was going to say next.

"I'll do right by my father-I must lead my people."

"I know you will. They are my people too-remember I said I would stand by you and Gabriel."

Vivian gave him a radiant smile before kissing him. Remus stiffened in surprise, then relaxing. He opened his mouth, letting her dictate it. It was passionate, and rich, filled with a purity that made her glow. It was brief, and when Vivian stepped back, she looked enlivened again.

"Thank you."

She sped off again, a golden comet amid the falling leaves. Remus just stared after her, vaguely aware that he was petting Blackjack, who was whining sadly. Why he did not know

/

"Hand me the socket wrench." Gregory opened his palm.

"This?" Remus questioned.

"Yeah. Thanks."

Remus watched as Gregory fiddled with the truck's engine; the twins Willem and Finn kept making suggestions, which Gregory followed with a grain of salt, since the two boys kept causing Gregory to mess up. Ulf watched and laughed, even managing to trap Gregory under the hood, before he was cuffed sharply.

They were all rambunctious-to the point of absurdity; perhaps it was because Axel had been good with cars( Rafe too, but not as much) and did all the mechanical work. Getting reminded of that fact must have been harsh-Remus remembered this vague piece of trivia from back when Vivian was nursing him all those months ago.

"Shit. I really should know this shit." Gregory threw up his hands.

"Course-it'd be cheaper if ya did too'" Finn called back.

"K'-hit it up." Gregory dictated.

Remus slid into the trucks' cab, turning the ignition. It sputtered and growled, making an effort to purr. Blackjack's ears flattened in distaste at the sound. Remus tried again, the sound even worse on the second try.

"Yeah, Greg-you really do suck." Finn nodded his head wisely.

Finn managed to dodge the wench that was hurtled his way, snarling at Finn and Ulf, who was doing his usual jittery dance as he laughed hysterically. Willem climbed into the passer seat, blaring the horn.

"That's it, you fuckers are gonna die!" screamed Gregory as he began yelling more tools, "Get your asses back here-your gonna help me even if I have to break you legs!"

Remus didn't suppress his grin as Gregory tackled Finn, with Willem and Ulf darting between the two, egging the fight on. Blackjack barked loudly-

"That's it Blacky-sic' em!" Gregory screamed.

Remus burst into laughter as the huge dog shepherded the Twins and Ulf onto the roof of the truck. Gregory was taunting the three from the leaf strewn ground.

"Oh yeah-who's the bitch now? Yeah-yeah!"

'What the hell?' Remus thought as he snuck out of the cab and into the truck bed.

Remus took careful measure before pouncing up, knocking in the three. Ulf fell down with a yelp, Gregory laughed loudly and Remus had to wrestle with the twins a bit before they fell-just with a little bit more grace than Ulf. Remus looked down at the sprawled forms and grinned; his glory didn't last long-Finn grabbed a tool lying next to the tires and threw it. Remus barely dodged it, but slid down and grabbed a tool of his own. Rushing out of his hiding place, the war had just begun. Fixing the truck was forgotten.

/

Vivian kept her face neutral, as her mother, Persia, Jenny, and few others prepared her. Inside was a burning fire, and she could barely contain herself and her body trembled with the effort of suppressing the change. She knew the instructions being whispered to her, and how it would all go.

Wolf-kind had no gifts of fidelity, just that knowledge of mating for life unless separated by death. This was the ceremony that would declare her and Gabriel as the rightful alpha pair unless bested in combat or removed by death. Vivian knew this. Everything would go as transcribed by tradition, with the two elders-Orlando and Persia-watching over it.

Aunt Persia was robed in white, her hair loose and silver. Her face was painted, making her eyes wide and solemn. Braids and bangles tickled her skin as the she-wolves led her to a basin filled with water. The water felt boiling hot, its steam making the facing surrounding her look hazy-just a month didn't seem to be enough practice-Vivian took another breathe to calm herself; she could smell incense.

She was being gently pulled out of the bath and being dried. Aunt Persia was holding a container of something red and she felt it being painted on her, its chilliness giving her goose bumps. Esme''s deft fingers were pinning up Vivian's hair; she had closed her eyes to let someone paint her face. Vivian was dizzy from having to stand for so long; she had been fasting for that last few days. A long sheet rested on her head, covering all of her save her eyes.

Wordlessly, Aunt Persia moved in front of her and the rest of the women surrounded Vivian, pressing her forward and they began to walk. Outside it was chilly, the moon their only light as they walked into the forest. With their white robes, Vivian thought they looked like ghosts-all she knew was that hers were colored. It was darker the farther they went, but Vivian could hear the sound of drums softly-it had a steady rhythm, almost like a heart beat and she let that calm her; it was the pack's heartbeat.

In the depths of the night there was just a tiny flame, and she concentrated hard, letting everything else become a blur and the steady pulse of the drums put her into a trance. Feeling the moon filtering through the trees and bathe her, it was almost as though she could be the goddess herself.

It was only until the fire was a foot away from her did she realize she was by herself. She was encircled the moment that she came to the fire. Aunt Persia stood next Orlando-she was holding a large plate filled with clear liquid. Orlando's hands were clasped together, and the two of them were humming. The drumbeat went on, and Vivian could see her mother out of the corner of her eye; she knew Gabriel was somewhere there-enclosed by others.

Esme' moved, blocking her path. Knowing her part, Vivian stepped forward; the move of a challenger. Moving quickly, her body took over, the hours of practice etched into her muscles. Their "battle" was quick and fluid; Vivian moved with ease, feeling her feet crunch over leaves as though she were stepping over corpses. Her mother's face was taunt was concentration and to Vivian, she never looked as beautiful as she did now. Delivering the finishing blow, Vivian watched Esme' kneel down, exposing her belly. Howls rose up at Esme''s "defeat" and the crowd pressed in and Vivian felt the veil be lifted up and watched as her mother threw it into the bonfire.

The circle stepped back to reveal more pack; Vivian could hear the other howls of victory as Gabriel defeated his opponent, and the circle swelled in size as the other circle of wolf kind joined theirs. Vivian could see Gabriel's blue eyes pierce hers from across the fire. The drums suddenly changed pace, becoming faster and Vivian took that as her cue. She raced towards the fire, watching as Gabriel did the same.

The two leapt; Vivian could feel the fire's heat licking at her legs and she couldn't change her course as she saw Gabriel leap, his body brushing past hers. She landed with a thump, the reverberation going through her whole body and she raced to the fire again, leaping over, her eyes locked onto Gabriel's. She felt herself pirouette and land, knowing his eyes had never left her. He moved toward her with such command that she trembled; Vivian steeled herself and felt her taunt body rise to his challenge. She knew she would prove to be his equal.

The dance had begun; Vivian had almost struggled to keep in time with Gabriel's pace; his motions were furious and graceful. Vivian could feel her sweat slide down her skin and she shuddered to stop herself from shifting forms. The moves were fast; Vivian could barely notice the blows she was giving-she felt feverish and she could feel the moon follow her every step.

The dance ended, with the two facing each other; Vivian bared her teeth when Gabriel came near, and she concentrated on the icy color of his eyes and her straight back. He was close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off of him; she wanted to get scorched by that heat, and to make him bear his belly to her. Vivian and Gabriel faced each other, knowing that they must present their throats to each other. Vivian knew he had just as much pride as she did; but she wanted him to be impressed with her, and he was the only one that she would want to feel prized over.

She looked into his eyes and knew that she wouldn't let anyone else have him. Vivian strode forward and tilted her head all the way back, and she felt his teeth brush her throat, and Vivian couldn't help but unsheathe her claws. She stared back into his eyes, daring him to call her weak; he smiled and it was a admiring one, and he gently angled his head back. Vivian suddenly felt a ripple of desire go through her at the sight of his well muscled, bare neck.

She bent forward, letting her teeth graze his neck, ever so slightly nipping it in ownership. She stepped back, feeling proud. Another chorus of howls went up and a frantic drumbeat towered to the sky. Orlando's reedy howl silenced all others. There was no more noise and Aunt Persia walked forward facing the two, holding the shimmering dish. Vivian and Gabriel kept pace and knelt in front of Persia.

"The Hunter and the Goddess will drink the Moon's blood to be united." she intoned.

Vivian let her lips touch the liquid and course through her insides, and felt Gabriel doing the same beside her. They finished, and Vivian still kneeling, watched as Orlando produced a knife from his robes, letting its blade slice through his hands. Vivian watched, transfixed as the blood flowed from his hand unto the dish-hardly making a sound as the bright liquid pooled on the gleaming silver tray.

"By this blood-the blood of your people, you will swear to uphold the Law by your fangs and your wisdom. By the Blood and the Moon's blessing-this is your oath. Woe to you to forget." She intoned, as she dipped her fingers into the blood and pressing it on Vivian's lips first, then to Gabriel.

Vivian could feel it burn, and she knew this was her place; the sacred liquid now bound her tightly to the lives of her people.

"This is the silver of the Goddess; its light is the curse of our blood, but its also our Lady's body. Bound to it as much as you are to your people. Present a kiss to the Goddess-sealing your oath to your people-or let the Goddess strike you down."

Vivian felt a shudder at the words as she kissed the stone-its silver as deadly as a poisoned dagger. She saw the imprint of her red kiss on the stone before Persia turned it to Gabriel. The pact was sealed. Aunt Persia handed the dish to Orlando, and Vivian and Gabriel stood in tandem. The old she-wolf grasped their hands in hers; the power was still flowing through them, Vivian could feel the life burning inside them. Her arms were being lifted by Aunt Persia with a surprising strength.

"Hark! I present to you-the Alpha Pair!"

The drums went into another furious beat, one of celebration. Vivian stared at Gabriel; this was her partner-her mate. For life. She couldn't have felt prouder. Even with his appraising eyes, she didn't feel naked at all; she knew he felt the same. The crowed swelled again, closing around them and lifting them up. Vivian could see the stars as she was spun around, the howling the only music now, wrapping around her soul.

She could vaguely hear herself thanking, praising the Goddess as she was being lifted into the air; she felt she could hug the stars, the tiny pinpoints of light growing bigger and bigger and she could feel herself opening up to meet them, and receive the joy and pain that was to come. The half-changed hands that grasped her burned like coal, leaving their impressions on her body and the fabric of everything was charging through her soul; she was too elated to feel the fear and as the moon covered her like a second skin, the ecstasy bordered on a torturous pain that was almost sublime. She knew the Moon and her stars intimately-how it was all suppose to function and just how she would be molded beside them.

As if the Moon was speaking to her, whispering all the secrets in her ear; her body flamed. Vivian could vaguely feel her body float, nearly exploding outwards, the only thing anchoring it to her people's arms were their howls. It was what she meant to do; her body quivered as bow that loosed an arrow-the knowledge written in the stars was being scribed into her body. As they set her down, Vivian felt the change immediately, occurring faster than it ever did before.

She howled, its song more potent as it gained vibrancy from Gabriel's wondrous, thundering bay. The feel of fur was all around, the intimate scents of the pack comforting her briefly before she wheeled, and Gabriel reared and the two lead the charge. Vivian felt her muscles pump, heart bursting, and blood singing- she couldn't stop her lunar chorus from pouring out of her jaws.

She could knew the pack was spreading out behind them, racing through the wilds, chasing other scents as they went to hunt and celebrate to leave the two of them for their final rite. Vivian was overjoyed to be beside Gabriel, feeling his midnight fur next to her flame pelt. She didn't know how long they raced through, only knowing that every scent was open to her. Gabriel suddenly bolted from her side. Vivian stopped, panting in delighted exhaustion and tail wagging when she caught sight of Gabriel again.

He was carrying something in his jaws. It was a deer, coat ruffled and eyes gleaming. Gabriel stood next to her, cracking the deer's neck. He let it slide out of his jaws and bit into its soft stomach, letting the contents spill out. Vivian watched the steam rise out from the eviscerated body; she could see that its heart still pumped, determined to live and blood gathered at the ground, wetting her paws and feeding the grass.

Gabriel knelt next to the body, laying his kill at her feet. An offering to a temple, and Vivian felt humbled. She dipped her muzzle into the still hot flesh briefly before moving to Gabriel, knowing what the trembling, gentle heat she felt meant. Vivian nuzzled him, pressing close to him and she knew the was no need to hide.

/

TBC…