disclaimer: I do not own the settings or ideas of Blood and Chocolate; I merely added on a bit to the story that belongs to the genius in the form of Annette Curtis Klause
A/N: This is my first Blood and Chocolate fic, so bear with me on the mistakes. I don't know if Gabriel has a last name, so Thayne's is now Gandillon after her mother. I expect this to be about thirty chapters long, but somehow I always fall short of my goals.
R'N'R!
Part One: Hunter's Moon
Mother…Thayne thought, annoyed that her mom would follow her. She padded on, though, acting like she didn't notice the shadow slipping through the moonlight. Her mother's scent of spice and pride wafted through the night air and into Thayne's nostrils. She stopped abruptly, her fur bristling at the thought of not being trusted. She plowed on through the woods, waiting for the right moment.
Thayne Gandillon paused, shaking her dark mane and lashing out to decapitate a branch only to have it snap back and whip at her shoulder. Embarrassment flowed through her and she hoped her mother hadn't seen that. She sniffed, waiting for her mom to catch up. Vivian slinked behind a tree, her golden eyes catching the light for a split second. Thayne took this opportunity and pounced, tackling her mother to the ground and she startled her mother into human form.
Thayne herself changed, her smile still keeping its feral bearing. "You're following me again!" She accused, clambering off her mom. Vivian shook her gleaming locks and smiled wanly.
"It was either me, or Esme. Or even your father." She replied snappishly, her full lips carving themselves into an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, but we can't take any chances with that new pack moving in on our territory. You being the Princess Wolf would catch their attention."
"Mother," Thayne commanded firmly, rolling her sea green eyes. "Don't you think you're over reacting? Da's been unbeatable for nearly twenty years. He'd give them a thing or two to think about if anyone moved in on his territory."
"That's what I'm afraid of." Vivian murmured, but her mother's eyes caught on a fond glaze at the thought of Gabriel.
"Then don't worry about me, worry about him." She insisted, squirming as the bark of the tree she was leaning on poked harshly at her tender flesh. The trees of Vermont were being very unkind to her this nine-belly swell of the moon.
A devilish grin spread across her mother's face. "So, how much damage did that tree back there cause?" She asked teasingly. Thayne groaned, a blush creeping into her face.
"You saw that?" A nod answered her question. Thayne glanced down at her shoulder. "Just a scratch." She answered dismissively. A wind blew the fresh scents of the pack.
"Okay, but don't tell your father I'm letting you out of sight." Vivian warned, backing into the shadows and lettting them engulf her as she changed. Her golden eyes flashed once more as they captured the moonlight.
"I won't." Thayne answered in hushed tones as she watched her mother lope away. Snapping back to her freedom, she changed into her loup-garou form and danced through the trees, forming her own party to celebrate the night.
"Hey, tyke!" Uncle Willem shouted jovially, his barking laughter echoing through the house. Thayne glanced at him and grumbled, hating the mornings.
"I see you're becoming quite the morning angel." Esmè mused, taking in the sight of her granddaughter's tousled hair and sour expression.
"Not everyone has something to get up for." Thayne retorted pointedly, snatching Willem's cup of coffee. She ransacked the refrigerator and let out a cry of triumph as she found the award-winning breakfast. "Okay, scratch that, I have coffee and chocolate chip muffins to look forward to."
Esmè's giggling laugh announced Tomas's entrance. Thayne rolled her eyes at the sight of her fifty-odd years old grandmother getting a hickey from her step-grandfather.
"When am I ever going to get a boyfriend?" She whined, a pout forming onto her delicately sculptured lips. Willem snickered.
"When Gabe quits scaring them away." He answered helpfully, a smirk on his face. Thayne frowned, remembering her last date. Her Da had followed them to the amusement park. He scared the shit out of her date in the Hall of Mirrors, forming half-way into loup-garou. Thayne didn't speak to him for a week after that.
"Da needs to learn that his little Princess is seventeen now, and needs to grow up." She demurred, sitting down at the table. Golden bars of sunlight streaked through the windows reaching to the vaulted ceiling. She blinked, adjusting to the blinding light.
They sat around the oak table in comfortable silence, bathing in the warm sunlight.
"Thayne Tala Gandillon!" Gabriel's booming voice resonated through the house, waking all the hopeful late sleepers. Thayne winced, knowing he was mad at her for some unapparent reason.
A sly look crossed Gregory's handsome face as he strode into the kitchen with a drawling yawn. "Looks like someone is getting it. Better watch out, tyke." He offered with a wink. Thayne growled, shoving the rest of the muffin into her mouth and downing it with some coffee. Wiping her hands together over the table, she brushed the lingering crumbs away and bounded to her father's voice.
Her heart sank when she saw him in her room. Clothes scattered across the floor and on numerous pieces of furniture. Her painting supplies were tucked neatly into there cubby holes, but the rest of the room was a 'pig sty' in her mother's words.
"You aren't going anywhere this weekend, Thayne Tala. You are officially grounded." Her father growled, his ice blue eyes snapping in anger.
"Why?" Thayne cried, anger pulsing through her. "First you have me followed, then you became my chaperone- which you aren't good at, by the way- and now, I'm grounded? This is unbelievable! This is your new low, Father!"
Her Da winced at her verbal abuse, having always hated being called 'father'. It was so stiff, like there was no real emotion between parent and child. He caved in when he saw tears brimming in her oceanic eyes.
"Alright, you can go. But you have to be home by curfew or you are grounded." He answered, his voice becoming velvet thunder. He always softened when his regal, unwavering daughter cried, which was very rare. Vivian walked into the room and leaned on the door way.
"Thanks Da!" Thayne cried joyously, pecking him on the cheek and bounded past her mother and down the stairs.
"Was she…was she faking?" Gabriel asked disbelievingly to his wife. She smirked, wagging over to him. She pressed a slender finger on his lower lip teasingly.
"No, you think?" Vivian asked sarcastically, nipping his nose. She laughed when he realized it was all a heist. "You're growing soft, Gabe."
Thayne hummed contentedly in the bath, the water gleaming on her golden tanned skin. She ducked under and lathered the shampoo from her thick, dark auburn brown hair. Sitting up, she felt the luxurious weight of her long tresses on her slender, strong back. Stepping out of the bath tub, she wrapped a fluffy towel around her form and relaxed as the steam curled around her.
She dried herself quickly and slipped into her light blue peasant dress. Gold peacocks pranced across the clinging silk, ending around mid-thigh. She loved the lavish feel of the cloth on her skin. She let her hair dry into its thick layers before pulling it into a loose bun, letting the fine, stray hairs fall gently into her face.
Thayne traipsed down the three levels of stairs. Entering the sun room over looking the inn, she basked in the warming light on her flesh. She teased their guests that had rented rooms by stretching slowly, her hair falling out of its restraint and cascading heavily down her back until it stopped at her elbows.
The young men that were tossing a football in the field below stopped, staring at her. The ball hit one on his head, causing her to giggle. She taunted their eyes, smoothing her hands over her body, walking lithely to the door. She exited the room and stepped down the stone stairs, her sandals making hushing sounds. Thayne stepped onto the lush green grass and crossed the acreage, passed the boys, and into the inn.
Her cousins and good friends, Brooke and Chloe, grinned wickedly when she strode seductively into the inn. They were working at the register today, anticipating their entertainment in the form of Thayne.
"Shall we?" Thayne asked in mock contempt.
"You're shrewd, Thai!" Brooke answered giddily, but followed the older cousin and her older sister outside. They walked onto the patio, reveling in the men's gaze. Lounging on some chairs, they sipped lemonade and contemplated silently their plans.
"So, do you know what we're going to do this weekend?" Chloe asked finally in hushed tones. Immediately Thayne leaned in, offering her attentive ear.
"Skinny dipping, nothing new." Brooke guessed in bored tones. Thayne shot her a warning glare. "You know, just because you're Princess Wolfdoesn't mean you can control me." Brooke added fiercely.
Thayne rolled her eyes, and laughed at the younger girl's attempts to act brave and haughty. "No, I was thinking about going to the annual high school party." She taunted back to Brooke.
Her pale cousin colored considerably. She was known as a whore at their high school and wouldn't, for the life of her, spend an extra second with the ass holes that accused her of selling herself.
"No, no… how about going to the Bubble Room?" Chloe asked, pulling her own impressive golden locks over her shoulder. Thayne's face lit up and she cupped her cousin's face and planted a fat sisterly kiss on her cheek.
"Genius! I always thought you had the brains!" Thayne exclaimed, laughing. A new, crisp scent floated on the breeze that ruffled her hair. She stared across the rolling lawn.
"Do you smell that?" She whispered, standing up. Numerous members of their pack froze in their movements and gazed in the same direction.
"Loup-garou." Brooke murmured, surprised. The scent was congregating from a group of people, apparently a family. Thayne's father was already strolling across the yard to greet them.
A young boy, in particular, caught Thayne's eye. His build was lean, muscular, and lithe. His black hair flashed in the sunlight, accenting his sapphire eyes. Thayne peered curiously at him until his eyes met hers.
She didn't dare back down and met his gaze evenly. His chiseled features broke into a wolfish grin and he looked away in favor for Gabriel.
"Who are they?" Chloe whispered.
"I don't know and don't want to." Brooke answered her sister grimly. Thayne's breath hissed out slowly.
"I do," She murmured.
Sparks flew into the blackness, forming golden stars in the night. Thayne sat by the fire's side, looking into the fiery element's depths. The flames danced in her eye's nadir, flaring the streaks ofa light, soft blue.
She tilted her head back, breathing in the heady scent of smoke. A smile curved a crescent moon on her full lips. Her eyes closed and she let herself loose into the night.
A howl brought her crashing down to the earthen floor. She huffed, picking herself up. Gabriela, her best friend who happened to be a loup-garou too, laughed at her sudden clumsiness.
"That didn't sound like one of the pack!" Thayne cried indignantly, searching for an excuse. Gabriela's grin didn't fade.
"That's because they aren't from our pack. They're part of the British pack." Her friend answered wisely. Finn snorted derisively.
"They act like the sun shines from their asses. What they don't know is that they have a fucking stick up their dick." He snarled.
"Is that physically possible?" Chloe asked smugly. Her expression didn't waver at their uncle's heated glare.
"I can make it possible." He growled. Thayne giggled and moved out of the reach of the flame's light. She stripped out of her clothes, finding pleasure in the way the wind made her muscles taunt.
The breeze caressed her nipples into tight buds. Without further ado, she bent forward, the Change reforming her bones. Her hair spilled over her shoulders. In seconds, she was in sweet reprieve.
It was like being released of a too tight corset after running for hours. She howled herlove to the moon and leaped into a sprint. Thayne raced on the winds of the darkness and was spirited away on the beams of the full swell of the moon.
A whiff of rabbit wafted into her sensitive nostrils. Her lips twisted into something akin to an untamed grin on her slender mussel. She slowed, catching a flash of movement. The huntress in her bloomed, and she stalked the small animal, always just out of sight, hearing, smell.
A predator was lurking in the dark; that the rabbit knew. Just what it was and when it would pounce was what it didn't know. Thayne's pleasure in the hunt mounted when it started to sprint away.
The chase strained sweet tension in her muscles, egging her on. Soon, she had the helpless creatures in her maw. She let the lifeless animal drop at the edge of a nearby creek.
The Wolf Princess looked up to the Moon, and howled her offerings. I lay my bounty in your honor, Sweet Moon. she thought. When blood wet her snout, a new scent reached her. She lifted her head and stared straight into the eyes of a stranger.
so how'd ye like?