AN: Thank you all so much for being so patient… again! But moving on, the last chapter was just a bit of fun on my part. Please note that the characters (except for mine) all belong to Annette Curtis Klause, as does the setting. Also note the children's book title is not mine, and it is an actual book that I have read, that is very good. And Dahlia, I really tried to submit a review, but was unable to. Please know I did love your last chapter, and I hope you can manage to stretch the story a bit longer (I'm not quite ready to let go… Heh.) And now, prepare yourselves…
Chapter 10
Vivian looked at herself once more in the full length mirror attached to the inside of the closet door. Wiggling in to some very loose and stretchy jeans, she stuck her butt out a little bit, then grinned. Yeah, it's definitely bigger. Vivian had managed to cleverly disguise most of her pregnancy. Not that she was ashamed of it at all, but she still had to get used to having lost the tautness around her abdomen. Now at three months into her pregnancy, she had developed a soft belly, and had gained nearly five pounds. She slipped the empire-waisted top, one of many, on over her head, and then reached up and tied all of her hair back into a ponytail. She paused for a second and inched her face closer to the mirror, then turned to her right, looking at her profile. Her eyes grew wide and she reached her hands up to her chest. Wow. They're bigger too.
"Viv? Almost done yet, baby?"
"Yeah, just a second." She fought against the urge to pull her top down just a little, to reveal the new and improved cleavage, and picked up her jean jacket from the floor. Gabriel was leaning against the wall outside the bedroom. He held out a clear plastic bottle for her, before looking her up and down with a happy grin on his face. He had to admit, he didn't mind the changes either. "No way, Gabe. Do you even know how many times I've had to go to the bathroom today?"
"Just take it."
"Fine. So, is everyone else ready to go?"
"Just about." He walked into the bedroom, reached into the underwear drawer, pulled out a little box and opened it. Vivian had forgotten her chain with the moon pendant. She wore it instead of a ring, just in case she forgot to take the ring off during one of the changes.
"Oh! …Thanks." She slipped it on, and felt the pendant as big as the inside of her palm bounce against her ribcage. The action made her wonder when Jacob would start kicking a lot. Vivian pushed the thought out of her head as she walked down the stairs to meet up with the rest of the pack, and some human guests in the lobby. "Good morning all." She said, before making a beeline towards the kitchen.
The cooks smiled as they passed her a plate of scrambled eggs with a side of Canadian bacon, toast, and extra sausage links. None of them objected to all the meat. They thought it was just her pregnancy that was giving her these strange cravings. Truth was, she was more than happy to get to eat whatever she wanted, and as much meat as she wanted, with the excuse that she was eating for two. I guess this isn't so bad since I get to eat whatever I want with no complaints from anyone. Heh. Still though, Gabriel sat beside her drinking a cup of coffee, and offering her some more water, which she mostly refused. She paused mid bite and tried to say something, then swallowed it and finished what she was trying to say "ugh- your shisters?- coming?- When are your sisters coming?"
"They'll be here real soon. They get two weeks off for Christmas break." Oh good. I can only imagine how dreadful spending the holidays stuck as a human must be. She shuddered at the thought. Boarding school.
"Should we…"
"No, I don't think there'll be a need to close the inn down again. We could use the steady income from the winter tourists. Now hurry it up. Concert's at one."
The Five stumbled into the kitchen, all at once, with Adam and Nathan following close behind them. "Morning Vivie! I see you're stuffing yourself like crazy. Go easy on the grub would you?" Willem gave her shoulders a little squeeze, before sitting down in front of her, Gabriel was beside her, and the rest of the Five sat in their usual chairs on the circular table, throwing smug comments at her like they usually did. This was becoming a habit. Just as soon as the group was done eating, and insulting each other, they got up and walked to the outside of the inn where their trucks and motorcycles were parked.
Vivian made them all wait for a few minutes while she used the bathroom, yet again. Although if anyone remarked on that she'd kill them. Vivian then joined them outside, where she swung her leg over Gabriel's big black bike. He laughed and picked her up by her waist, as if she weighed nothing at all, and carried her over to one of the trucks while she kicked and protested. "No way! I want to ride in the bike! Are you serious?" He strapped her in with the seatbelt, put a new water bottle on her lap, and closed the door. She frowned, but didn't protest any longer. Obviously this was safer, but she didn't like having to ride in the truck when she could've been with Gabriel instead.
Gabriel knew what she was trying to say without saying it, and walked over to the truck, opening the driver's seat door. "What's up big brother?"
"Get out Ulf, I'm driving."
"Whatever you say, boss." Gabriel raised one eyebrow and shook his head, all the while Ulf walked over to the black bike, laughing the entire time. Nathan revved his green bike, impatient with the lot of them, and then they finally headed out. In forty five minutes time, they would be at the concert they'd been planning to attend for weeks.
Vivian dipped farther into her seat, picking up her huge tinted sunglasses, resting her knees on the dashboard, and playing with the knobs on the radio, to look for a station. Occasionally there were a few snippets of a song, and more fuzz, as she skimmed channels. Finally she gave up on looking altogether and pulled the visor down, to get one of her mix CD's from the visor organizer. Gabriel said nothing the whole time, being thoroughly amused by his mate's actions, actions that appeared more and more often since the beginning of her pregnancy. He started wondering when these actions would be more…chaotic.
Finally she picked a red CD, stuck it into the player, and turned the volume up. The Cardigans played on the radio, as did the only song Vivian would belt out and dance to while seated inside the truck. "Momma tells me I shouldn't bother, that I ought to just stick to another man, a man that surely deserves me," she pointed at Gabriel shaking her shoulders "but I think you do!" He smirked and kept right on driving.
Love me, love me, say that you love me. Fool me, fool me, go on and fool me. Love me, love me, pretend that you love me.
By the end of the song, Vivian had pulled the sunroof down, and all of the windows, singing the words out as her companions passed on motorcycles. She made sure they could hear her. Gabriel only shook his head while tapping out the rhythm on the steering wheel, but still being very much focused on the road. "I love that song," she laughed, taking a swig from the bottle. The sun beat down warmth on her skin and face as she leaned closer to the window, still dancing and singing, her hair managing to escape from her ponytail and whip around her face. Even then, when most humans would've looked like blown away messes, she managed to make wind tossed hair effortlessly good looking.
"Now put one on that I like," said the deep thunder beside her.
"You liked Lovefool!" He laughed, but at the same time waited to see what she would put on. Loup-garou chose mates for only a while, but he had chosen her for life, and occasionally liked giving her little tests, just to see what her answer would be. He would never get mad at her for failing, because she never failed. She just showed him she knew him better than he knew himself in most cases.
Vivian scored big points when she put on Californication by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He lip synched to it, beating on the steering wheel with more vigor, and even moving his head around in perfect natural syncopation. She smiled fondly at her mate with his black sunglasses and collar length black hair, looking like a scruffy cologne model, lip synching to an old Chili Peppers song. These were the times when she felt he was just the same age as she, twenty one, and not twenty seven. He reached his hand out, and wrapped it around her, driving with one hand while she buried her face in his neck. She could feel his throaty growl deep down, the one he always had around her.
Marry me girl be my fairy to the world, be my very own constellation, a teenage bride with a baby inside getting high on information. And buy me a star on the boulevard, it's Californication.
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Perhaps humans do have some small sixth sense, a sense that tells them who they should and should not be hanging around. The same is also true in reverse. The sense gives way to desires, to wanting to be just like these strange people, to talk to them, to be around them, like celebrities. Vivian felt strange now that she had been suddenly thrust into the opposite side of the spectrum. All her life Vivian had been a relatively happy outcast, always knowing she could never quite fit in. Like a square peg for a round hole. Aiden had tried to be that peg, once. But nature knows what its doing. And if it didn't, it would evolve. Maybe nature's trying to tell us something. Look at the half-child in our tribe. Katherine. Vivian's observations were momentarily interrupted as the gang arrived at the concert. Heads turned at the guests who had showed up, stepping off beautiful and impressive motorcycles and trucks.
The old Vivian, the one without Gabriel, would have liked all of the attention. She could tell in their faces they were envious of her, of them. They weren't like humans. They were better. The new Vivian glowed with confidence, and let Gabriel put an arm around her waist, looking around at all of the jealous faces from behind her tinted sunglasses. She tossed her golden hair back and started walking.
All of the same old adrenaline came rushing back from before. Vivian had always been a concert girl. She already scoped out the best patch on the hill, and noticed how far away it was from the drink booth. No way. I'm going to be a good mother. As they walked, heads kept turning, and whispers followed them. She knew they looked formidable. Enviable. Gorgeous. But she didn't get as much satisfaction out of that as she would have. Now, just seeing Gabriel's shocking blue eyes every morning gave her all of her pride and energy. A quick glance over at her pack, and she knew she was the only one thinking like that. Nathan and Adam might as well have been strutting with how much they enjoyed the attention, and the Five were just being hams.
The band got on, and the pack lost some of their thunder, but not much. Occasionally people would turn around, just to see what that woman was doing, or what they were drinking. And Vivian just smiled, because she couldn't have cared less.
A lone guitar played a sticky melody, sure to be stuck on everyone's mind long after the concert was over. Vivian smiled wide. Gabriel had sung this one to her once or twice before. When he was sure not another soul would ever hear him.
Tell me baby what's your story, where you come from and where you wanna go this time? Tell me lover, are you lonely? The thing we need is never all that hard to find.
They came back as the sun came down, hot, sticky, and worn out from the concert. Vivian had gotten Gabriel to lift her up on his shoulders for a better view, and then wished she could have some of the foamy beer in the plastic cups everyone else was getting. No, I'm going to be a good mother, she reminded herself, sipping at the water and pretending it was every bit as satisfying. Willem and the rest of the Five had had a very good time, flirting with some of the girls there, but never daring to take it a step further. Oh Willem, I hope he finds someone soon, she had thought, combing her fingers through Gabriel's hair as the band played on. Soon, she began drumming on his head, causing Gabriel to twirl her around to stop. Nathan and Adam seemed to be having a good time too, although they weren't half as rowdy as the Five. Every once in a while she thought she caught Nathan staring in her general direction, but then quickly dismissed the thought. He couldn't. No way. Nathan doesn't think of me like that. I'm married, and pregnant!I'm… just being paranoid, that's all.
The inn was bustling. Their absence hadn't slowed business down any. Several visitors greeted them before leaving, and one or two stopped for a small chat. Out of the corner of her eye, Vivian saw Katherine walking towards the lobby. I should stop by her mom's room for a talk.
"Viv? Did you hear what they asked?"
"What? Oh, I'm sorry. What were you saying?"
"How many months are you…?" asked the young woman with the rosy cheeks and blonde curls. Vivian fought back a grimace. She hadn't wanted this extra attention. Moon goddess; am I just a baby carrier now? Is that all I'm good for now?
"Umm… three. I'm sorry; could you excuse me?"
"That's fine." Gabriel held her hand for a second and kissed the top of her head, then watched his pair bond make her way to the lobby, to sit by the half-child Katherine. He went back to making small talk with the couple in front of him, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.
Katherine looked up at Vivian with her pale green eyes, which she made a mental note of. Nathan's are dark green, like an oak leaf, while hers are like a lime. "Hey sweetie," she said, the terms of endearment and affection coming easier to her now than before. "How are you?"
"Good." She had a quiet voice, and didn't make a lot of eye contact. Vivian suddenly remembered holding Katherine outside Uncle Rudy's home in Maryland. The child had always been quiet, even when the growl of motorcycles came by.
"What are you reading, baby?"
She flipped the book over to the cover to show Vivian the title. Three Little Wolves And The Big Bad Pig. This was definitely a good book choice for a loup-garou child, casting the pig as the bad guy and the little wolves as the protagonists. This was also read to her when she was little by her father. "You like this one Vivy?"
"Yes I do," she responded, picking up the child and resting her on her waist. Katherine smelled like apples and sunshine. "Where's your mama?" Katherine pointed to the backyard, laughing. A group had gathered around some of the tables to sit outside under the light of the moon and citronella candles. The hairs on the back of her neck bristled as she felt the moon's light touching her skin. Vivian shook the feeling off, unsure of how many of the people outside were part of the pack.
Katherine's mother's eyes lit up as Vivian walked toward her. Katherine slid down and ran off to play with some kids. Later on in the night, she may join the children and their parents in her true form under the moon. "Good evening, Vivian."
"Good evening, Sandra."
"Do you have any more questions about… your baby?" Vivian grinned, remembering that she had been by a few times to ask some random questions while her mother was on her honeymoon.
"Not exactly. I… Could you come upstairs with me?" There were questions she didn't know if she could ask in front of the group gathered.
Sandra looked at the ceiling, as everyone who visited the room did, and then glanced at the back wall where the headboard of the bed rested. Vivian had done a beautiful job with the murals. It really did look like a sky and a forest, just as everyone else had said. "What are you curious about, my queen?" The words slipped out before she could catch them, and Vivian turned abruptly to look at her.
"Oh come on now, Sandra. Please. I'm just Vivian." Sandra nodded and sat on a chair while her queen sat on the side of the bed, slipping her boots off. "I was just wondering about… Katherine." Images and thoughts flashed by in her head.
Katherine was a target once. They wanted to get her. That loup-garou man with his tranquilizer gun full of poison. I almost died. I was force changed back. I lived. Jacob lives. Jacob could've been a half breed just as Katherine was, had things been different.
"I'm going to ask this in the nicest way I can think of… how was it possible?" Don't date if you can't mate, shrilled her mother's voice in her head.
"I ask myself that every day of Katherine's life. She's almost five now."
Katherine entered suddenly, as if on cue, and was in the process of shaking her fur back in. She climbed on to the bed, and sat beside Vivian. Now she smelled of lemony citronella and grass. She was a very quiet child, and was just happy to sit with her head resting on the bed watching her mother sit. "I met her father when I was young and naïve. We were in love. But he left, and I learned I was pregnant. Then…" she glanced at Katherine once, then back at Vivian. "I don't remember much of the rest actually."
"Mama says I was born lucky."
"You certainly were," said the queen bitch, stroking the child behind her ear. "Sandra… do you remember, that man?" The man who tried to force change, and even kill Katherine? She thought The way Vivian said it, Sandra was entirely certain she wasn't talking about the father, but rather the attacker that had come to the inn almost a year ago. Sandra nodded. "I'm curious if you're worried about their return someday…" She didn't finish the thought. Sandra nodded. They sat in silence, wondering what the future had in store for them.
"I worry about it sometimes. It's very possible there could be more people like him… But..."
"I know. Both of you are safe here." She nodded and got up suddenly, deciding she wasn't going to press matters further. Sandra and Katherine took that as their cue to kiss Vivian on the cheeks and leave. Whatever problem comes, I can face it. We can face it. This pack is stronger than all of the others. And our strength lies in our diversity.
The queen bitch retired to the bathroom to take a bubble bath, seeing as how showers were strictly off limits, in case she should fall. Some several minutes later, she stepped out of the bath, and walked back to her room. Gabriel was seated on the sofa chair, looking out at nothing. She sat with him, and he growled happily. By now she knew he liked her best when she had her own scent, but he also liked it when her scent mingled with that of soap and lotion. Now now wolf-man, you promised to behave, she thought, grinning at him and getting up so he could take a shower. When he came back from the shower, dressed in pajama pants, looking like a demigod, it seemed as if he had forgotten his promise. Gabriel sauntered towards her and changed so he was his loup-garou self. Vivian held his beautiful face in her hands and smiled.
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There was a loud series of knocks on the door, and the beepers on both of their walky-talkies went off. Vivian and Gabriel shot up from where they had been laying, intertwined in peaceful slumber, and looked around them. Has it really only been a week since we went to the concert, or just a night? No… its been a week. Gabriel grabbed a shirt from the floor, and Vivian picked up her robe from the end of the bed. Her pendant swung against its chain and bounced against her skin. Wordlessly they agreed she would get the handheld radios and he would get the door.
"Hello?"
"What is it?"
Gabriel was startled to see Uncle Rudy at the doorframe, a blank expression on his painted face. Vivian heard her mother's voice. "Don't say anything. Not a word Vivian. Gabriel is going to leave and you're going to meet me outside in the backyard. Bring a jacket." The static signaled the end of her strange message.
Vivian looked at her pair bond with anxious eyes, but he was just as confused as she was. The pack wouldn't do anything to their king and queen. And there didn't seem to be any urgency or danger present. Gabriel turned and walked toward her, gave her a quick peck on the lips, still crushing them with his force, and left the room. Vivian slid on some jeans and threw Gabriel's thick jacket on over her nightgown. The clock on the nightstand on Gabriel's side read "3:05 AM." Moon goddess, what is my pack up to?
The late November air was cold and dry as she stepped outside, thankful for the jacket. Women from the pack in various stages of life were gathered outside; wearing what seemed to be jackets and wreaths of flowers in their hair. Willemina was sadly not in attendance. A realization dawned upon her as surely as her hair stood under the light of the leaving moon. This is my baby shower.
No one spoke but her mother stepped forward and took Vivian's hand. She had never been to an official loup-garou female's baby shower, mostly due to the fact that a lot of traditions had been abandoned back in Maryland. They walked, with only little white puffs of smoke issuing from their mouths, towards the reserve. Then they made a tight circle around the wide eyed Vivian, and offered her too big garlands of flowers. She gladly wore the wreaths and felt them pile on heavy against her chest. Farther towards the forest, away from prying human eyes, the pack changed. Running even farther into the forest, they were allowed sweet surrendering howls at the moon. Still her eyes were wide.
A couple of miles away, the males in the pack had led Gabriel up to the mountains. He almost laughed as he saw their lush greenness reach high up to what seemed like endless sky. They had wrongly typed out "mountain climbing" on the brochures as one possible tourist attraction once. Now, living here for such a long time, he knew better. The trees that hid them from the rest of the world also made mountain climbing nearly impossible. Still though, the steady stream of avid mountain hikers more than made up for that error in judgment. And loup-garou could climb up nearly anything, which is what they were presently doing. Burying his claws into the dirt, he followed the Five as they made their way ever upwards. He could the thick musk of fresh blood before they were even half way up. The blue pools of his eyes flashed with a desire for blood and he ran faster, quickly passing the Five.
Right in the middle of the forest, in a newly made clearing, the females ran circles around Vivian. She wondered when they had the time to practice this ceremony. Pretty soon, the dancing and circles became frantic and Vivian had to lie sprawled down on the floor, covering her eyes with her paws. Suddenly they stopped, and lay on their backs offering her their bellies, as a sign of submission. Vivian winced and wished they could all stand up again. Then a single blonde and gold loup-garou rolled over and howled, her high soprano voice climbing to ridiculous heights. The females all rolled over, and sat on their haunches, growling softly, as Gabriel did whenever he was near his wife. The forest was trembling with the soft current of growls as Vivian's mother made her way to Vivian. Moon goddess, thank you for this pack, she thought, still wondering what lay ahead in the ceremony.
Blood ran rich and free across the rocky ground and their mouths. Gabriel paused, licking his lips, wishing Vivian were here so he could give her a large portion of his share. "I want to lay my kill at your feet," he had said. And he had acted on that promise ten times over, being her provider both as her husband, a man, and a loup-garou. There was enough meat up here to feed the entire pack for a week, and most of it was still alive. Deer and other wild animals were tied together, shaking from their nerves. But eating them tied like that would have been immoral. After all of the fresh meat had been eaten, Uncle Rudy made his way over to the wild animals, causing them to scream in fright and frustration, and swiped at the rope that held them all together. The quickest animals made a fast dash to hide, while the slower ones fought to keep up. Gabriel howled. The hunt was on.
After several more rounds of dancing for Vivian, the females panted with exhaustion, but kept right on dancing. She wanted them to stop, to take a rest with her, but they kept their manic fervor going. The moon danced too. It waltzed slowly down the sky, disappearing into the blanket of trees in the distance. As sunrise came up, the females had all taken turns showing Vivian their prowess and reverence. Then Aunt Persia stomped her paws in a one-two rhythm, like a steady heartbeat, which the rest of the women followed. The heartbeat grew faster and more irregular, as did Vivian's, until it seemed as if surely someone would pass out. Then, without so much as a notice, hundreds of wild animals ran towards them. Moon goddess, come back! The animals had apparently decided to lose their minds, as a group, and run towards danger. Her mouth watered and her eyes glinted menacingly. This is too easy. Were the animals crazy? Diseased? Should she hunt?
Her fears dissolved into the cold air as a black creature, with beads of sweat shining like tiny dots of stars on the ends of his fur, his blue eyes as dangerous and beautiful as a sapphire, ran towards her. She realized what she had been missing the entire ceremony. My mate. My love. The males corralled the animals into a huge circle, as easy pickings for the females. Vivian knew he would find the best animal and take it down, then offer it to her, but she was restless with the energy of the heartbeat drumming in her ears. Vivian looked around at the rest of the females, who seemed to be waiting to see what she would do. Vivian's voice climbed up to the sky, sending everyone's hairs on end. She had one of the best voices in the pack. Then loup-garoux males and females went for the hunt, bringing down as many animals as they could catch.
Vivian spotted a handsome buck trying to make a dash for the cover of trees. She sprinted towards it, glad for the excuse to finally exercise. Jacob needed to feel this energy. From the corner of her eye, she saw vivid forest green eyes and sapphire ones, racing to reach the same buck. No way, this one's mine. She leaped, almost flew, right onto the buck, bringing it down and sinking her teeth into its neck. Her claws made quick work of the carcass, cutting it down into manageable pieces to eat. She grabbed the chunk of tender neck meat in her powerful jaws, her pendant dipping into the blood. Gabriel bowed his front legs, and Nathan took that as his cue to leave his leaders alone. She placed the meat down at his sinewy paws and looked up into his eyes. A different love took over when they were loup-garou. His eyes weren't soft, they were blazing. He maintained eye contact as he finished the cut of meat she had given him, and then licked her jaws clean. Vivian heard a satisfying growl in her ears, and then a human voice. "I love you."
Back at the inn, no one was awake, and as Gabriel carried his exhausted wife back upstairs to their room, the door to Jacob's nursery next door was open, revealing a myriad of pastel wrapped boxes. Meat was for loup-garou offerings, but as humans they needed actual material items for their child. The range in box sizes made him sure they wouldn't need anything for Jacob. Vivian stirred in his arms, and the pendant hit his chest gently. The moon pendant was tinged pink with blood. Gabriel growled, smiling.
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The baby shower was still on everyone's mind some days later, when whispers followed the innkeepers wherever they went. Vivian walked down the stairs, wiping away at her brow with her paint stained hands. Jacob's nursery was done. Gabriel and she had worked well into the day to finish it.
"Viv, you have some guests waiting for you in the lobby."
"Tell them I'll meet them in the dining hall, Will."
"No. You don't want to keep these ones waiting. Trust me." She raised one brow but headed over to the lobby. Once there, she was almost knocked to the ground by three females. Oh, moon goddess. Please let me not have forgotten their names. I will never hear the end of it…
"Vivian!!!" they said in eerie unison.
"Oh my babies! How you've grown!" the blue eyes teased and taunted her. Like her husband, she could tell they liked giving out little tests to the people they knew. Vivian racked her memory for the little reminders in their differences.
The oldest triplet has a freckle on her right cheek. "Maria!" Maria's smile was reassuring as she let herself get a kiss on the cheek by her queen.
The middle child is the biggest tomboy. "Mercedes." Mercedes laughed and gave Vivian's shoulders a squeeze. "Oh and last but certainly not least…" She paused. The youngest triplet's face was strangely calm. The trouble maker. "How could I ever forget Monica?" A secret exhale escaped the woman's lips as the last of the triplets gave Vivian a hug.
Gabriel's sisters had finally come back from boarding school for Christmas break. Vivian wasn't expecting them for a few more days. Oh wolf man. What a time to go to the store, she thought, getting crushed by the young girls' arms. Perhaps he had known his sister's would be coming. Perhaps he had set this up.
The thirteen year olds tried taking turns in talking to their queen, but could not. Vivian tried as much as possible to answer all of their questions, no matter how embarrassing they may have been. They hadn't changed much in their time away. She made mental notes of the differences in their appearances for future reference. The oldest has curly black hair and the freckle. The middle's eyes are a lighter blue. And the youngest has dimples. They all got the striking looks of their brother.
"So Viv, how's my brother been? Not too bad I hope."
"No Monica. He's been just fine." She avoided a potentially sticky situation. No one needs to know about the wolf man and his bunny. The girls giggled and continued harassing their sister in law. Then a flash of blonde hair by the counter distracted her. "Who's that?" she said aloud accidentally.
"That is our b-f-f-e and chaperone, Emily." Emily looked to be around seventeen or eighteen, and a very good flirt. Willem was blushing in the face for once. Vivian grinned, thanking the moon goddess for answering her prayer.
"Your pendant. That's the one bro gave you, right? Why's it pink?" Vivian flushed red.
"Uh… good question Mercedes. Actually it's because…" Great. Now they're going to think I'm a complete pig when I eat.
"Quit bullying Viv if you know what's good for you." A deep rumbled caused shrieks among all the girls, and then it was momentarily stifled. Gabriel had come back from shopping in the nick of time. They pounced on him, and Vivian was afraid the human guests would notice their fangs, or the odd brightness in their eyes.
"Ulf! Take these bags down to the kitchen. Tell them to get the caterers on the phone. We got a lot of people today. Gregory! You and Finn go get these girls up to their rooms. No funny business." The boys grinned and carried bags. "As for me and you," he said, snaking his arm around his wife's waist and pressing a hand to her belly for a second before giving her a kiss, "we have a dinner to host."
The sign in front of the main dining hall read, "Private party. Closed for the night." But inside was a whole different affair. There were balloons and a whole group of people, taking turns at the buffet which served an odd amount of meat from the innkeeper's private stock. The caterers were specially hired for the night. They weren't human. A broad shouldered man in a blue button down shirt and jeans stood up, champagne glass in hand. "To the pack! We've waited a long time for the happiness we have among us today. We're gathered here, all together, as one giant extended family," girls giggled as his eyes scanned the room, placing faces to names, "and as my wife would say, bless you moon goddess. Let's hope for the best in the days to come." His blue eyes met gold ones as he called the toast.
As they danced, Vivian again caught a flash of blonde hair, which made her nerves stand on end. She excused herself from Uncle Rudy's arms and strode over to Willem, resisting the urge to grab him by the lapels. "What are you doing?"
"No Vivy. It's cool. She's…" Emily's eyes lit up from within. "I'm very lucky." Her heart stopped stammering, and she calmed down instantly. Willem couldn't hide the happiness meeting Emily brought him. He hadn't been interested in any of the girls around the inn.
"Oh, Emily. I'm sorry. You can never be too careful."
"You are too right," said the blonde, watching her charges flirt with some loup-garoux boys.
Muscled arms locked themselves around her waist and made her sway. The burning heat of his skin was welcome and familiar. "Have you seen Nathan and Adam? They took off after dinner."
"No. I hope they don't miss the run tonight. It's a full moon." He turned her in his arms and she pressed her head against her spot on his chest, between his neck and shoulder. Her heart beat in time to the ever present purring in his chest.
"Viv?"
"Yeah?"
"Yo tengo tanta suerte." Her insides just about melted when he spoke Spanish to her. In the years they'd known each other, he rarely spoke it unless he was absolutely blissful, but he had made it a point to teach her. I have so much luck, he had said. She tried to remember the right words to say.
"Te amo." The way his eyes and his lips reacted, she knew she'd gotten it right.
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Adam coughed and his hands shook as he gripped the transparent orange tube. Aunt Persia had given him some special pills. Mostly vitamins, minerals, but also a couple of special things human pharmacists wouldn't think to use. Since his sickness had left him, he was fine during the day. But during the day he had other things to occupy his mind. During the night was the worst. The moonlight teased him, cursed him, and begged him to find the wendigo spirit to possess him again. But like a cancer patient, or recovering addict, the very thing that would give him his strength back could also kill him.
"Nate? Is that you?" Footsteps were heard walking towards their room. No, not walking, stumbling. Nathan could never hold his liquor. Adam choked the pills back and stood up, ready to offer his brother a shoulder.
Nathan managed to stumbled into the room, but then sprawled himself across the bed. The bottle in his hand was empty. "What's up little bro? Took your meds?"
"Yes."
"How you feeling?"
"Just fine. You're not going to the run?"
"Nah. Are you?"
"No. I can't. It's a full moon tonight."
"Ah, sweet temptation. How do you do it Adam? How are you so strong?" Adam held his jaw firm and braced himself. His brother was two different people when he was drunk; either hopelessly angry and destructive, or hopelessly bitter and abrasive. The latter had come to visit Adam tonight. "You could do it. I know you could. You know you could. Just a little, right?"
"I could... But I won't. It's not worth it."
"Fuck! I'm so tired of hearing that!" He threw the bottle down onto the floor, where it landed with a silent thud against the carpet. Adam tried to calm his brother down, tried to lead his mind down some other road.
"There were a lot of really nice looking girls at the dinner, Nate. Did you see them? That red head was totally checking you out."
"Yeah, so? Come on Adam. Don't pretend like you're a retard. You and I both know who I want. But I can't have her. She's married. But I'm not giving up." He sat upright, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "One day Adam. You'll get to go outside during a full moon. You'll get to feel that power again. And I-"
"That's not what I want. That's not what you want either."
"Shut up. You don't know what I want. No one does. No one can." Adam shook his head and left the room, locking the door. In a couple of minutes, the alcohol would fully seep into his brother's bloodstream, rendering him unconscious at least until morning. And by morning, he would be back to sane Nathan. Smart Nathan. Good Nathan, apologizing for the things he had said. At least… Adam hoped so.
AN: And that's all I have so far. I hope you liked it. And I sincerely hope it was worth the wait. I'm sorry for having kept you all so long. I promise the next chapter will be a hundred times more prompt. In fact, here's another sneak peek (because I am oh so fond of those…)
"Viv?"
Her eyes were drowning in tears, and her hands clenched in fists trembled at her sides. "Fuck you." His cell phone was on the floor, the screen still lit.
AN: Did you like it? Did you like this chapter? PLEASE REVIEW!