Author's Note: Sorry for the wait. Anyway, I'm shocked to say; overall this is a serious chapter. I'll let you read for yourself. Enjoy my fellow "Blood and Chocolate" readers!

Chapter 9

Victoria started to walk along the river. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She heard voices and froze. She squinted ahead and saw Christina and Finn. They looked like they were arguing.

"Look what you did Finn!"

"Its not my fault!"

"It was your brilliant idea of keeping watch out here."

He paused. "Very true, my wife."

"SHUT UP ALREADY!" Victoria heard a voice say. The voice sounded vaguely familiar. She can't pinpoint when or where she's heard it before. She thinks hard but no one comes to mind. Victoria squinted a little harder and saw that Finn and Christina were tied up, back to back. Victoria turned her head slightly and saw him. She finally remembered his name. Before she could say it to herself, she heard a loud noise. They were turning her way. She ducked behind a bush, her heart racing. She pulled out her cell phone.

"By the river. 911!" She sent in a text message. She wasn't sure if he would get the message or not, but she had to at least try. She shifted to look out above the bush. She saw Finn and Christina still tied up, but not the man. She scrunched her face in confusion and kept searching for him. Suddenly, a hand came over Victoria's mouth and the other around her waist. Victoria was screaming but couldn't get out of his grip no matter how hard she tried. She completely panicked and had no clue what to do. He tied her up, by Finn and Christina.

"So you got my letter, I see." The man said with a creepy smile.

"What letter?" Victoria spat. Then it dawned on her. The letter saying to meet by the river on the full moon. She looked up into the sky and saw it was the full moon. "That was you?"

"You catch on like your mother does." He chuckled.

"Look, my mom picked Gabriel over your sorry ass. Get over it already." Victoria snapped. His smile faded. He slapped her across the face.

"You're just like your mom. In so many ways."

"Finn, transform into your wolf form." Christina whispered.

"Why me?" he whispered back.

"Just do it."

"Fine."

Finn concentrated and transformed into his wolf form. He bit through the rope, and escaped.

"Go get help, Finn." Christina yelled. The man turned away from Victoria and gritted his teeth as he saw Finn run away. The man grabbed Christina by the neck. Christina was struggling to get out of his grip. She transformed into her wolf form, and bit his hand.

"OW!" he screamed in pain. He let go. The man transformed and started to attack her. They wrestled on the ground for a minute before Christina bit him in the stomach. A trickle of blood ran down his side. Because of his wound, he transformed back into his human side. Christina ran off; confused about what she had done. The man walked off into the bushes, bleeding.

"Victoria!"

She turned her head to the right and saw her parents and Finn. Vivian got to her first.

"What happened, baby?"

Victoria sat there wide eyed and disoriented.

"It all happened so fast." Victoria said looking in the direction Christina ran off in.

"What happened?" Vivian asked shaking her daughter. Victoria came back to earth and pointed through the bushes.

"It was…it was…Aiden. He went that way."

Vivian nodded Gabriel to go in that direction. Vivian started to untie Victoria. She helped her daughter up, and they ran after Gabriel.

Gabriel was running in his wolf form, and scanned the forest. Up ahead, he saw a light brown wolf. He was about to bite the wolf, when she transformed.

"Gabriel it's me!" Christina shouted. Gabriel stopped and got off of her. He transformed back into his human form.

"Christina, I thought you were a white wolf."

"I am. But I got dirty. Ok?"

"Are you ok?"

"No. I'm not ok."

Christina broke down in tears. Vivian and Victoria caught up with them.

"I told myself it would never happen again." She said vaguely.

"That what would never happen again?" Vivian asked.

"When I was in high school, before I met you. I had this boyfriend named Charlie. One night we had this huge fight. I walked off really angry. I went to run in my wolf form, to cool down. The next day, I woke up in bloody sheets, and found out that Charlie was murdered."

"Oh Christina."

"That's why I don't like to transform."

All of a sudden they heard a loud thud. Victoria, Gabriel, and Vivian took off running. Christina struggled to keep up. Victoria got there first.

"NO!" she screamed as tears welled in her eyes. Eric was on the ground not moving as Aiden ran in the opposite direction. Gabriel went to go chase after him, while Victoria ran to Eric. "Eric, get up." She said shaking him. "Get up! Eric please get up."

Victoria broke down in tears as she continued to shake him. How could a night with such joy, end in tragedy?

THE END