Chapter Three
The four days had passed in a rush as the pack hurried to put the inn into order. Esme and some of the older females had called in large orders of meat that was to be served; the men had requested beer, of course. Gabe's mind had had no time to think of the mystery girl in those days, as Esme had him running around as her errand boy. Axel and the Five, sitting on the downstairs steps, smirked.
"So who you gonna chase after Axel?" Finn questioned. When they had been at the den they had been introduced to some very hot women all of whom had drooled over them, the Five and Axel, in the den. One girl in particular had caught all of their eyes. When the group had first entered the den a young woman had slipped from the side shadows and had run out the entrance, being stopped shortly by a grizzled old man. She was the finest creature that any of them had ever set eyes on. She was tall and very, very curvy, with long golden blonde hair hanging down her back.
"That one that was running away." He replied simply. The Five grinned wolfishly remembering the woman he was talking about. Yes she would make the perfect mate for Axel, for any of them actually.
"What are you just standing around here for? Go help someone do something! They'll be here any minute. Now move!" Esme screamed and the Five and Axel yelped and ran towards the decorated room.
"What do you mean!" the stern voice screamed, making the whole rock face shake with Alexander's wrath.
"Do you think they'll be okay by themselves?" a young brunette wolf questioned as Michael lead the pack toward the inn. Smiling Michael turned back to see the clearing.
"Yes, they will be just fine after they yell at each other for a while." Nodding toward the inn the pack transformed and howling began their run.
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Ivan and Esme stood proudly in front of their pack at the entrance to the inn. Gabe sat hunched over in one of the plastic chairs on the back deck. Axel and the Five were perched on the side railing. Suddenly a howling came from the edge of the forest.
Slowly, as if materializing from the shadows of the trees, the pack came into view. Mostly middle aged men and women with several gray haired men in the lead, at the back was a massed group of teenagers. Michael swept toward Ivan, head held high and a sly grin across his face.
"Hello Ivan, Esme. It is good to see you again." Michael extended his arm to Ivan, which he (Ivan) shook, and bowed to Esme. Quickly sweeping the group Ivan saw the Alexander was not in attendance. Michael, catching Ivan's gaze smirked.
"It is good to see you as well Michael. However I would like to know where Alexander is. Why does he not come with you?" Ivan stared at the graying wolf in front of him.
"Our leader is in the process of punishing my daughter for her little adventure. To make matters worse she refused to come to the party so he is, oh how to put it nicely, taking matters into his own hands. He will be here shortly no need to worry about that." Michael reassured.
Ivan sighed but relented to this new information. Stepping to the side he waved the new pack into the large common room that had been set up for the party. After everyone entered and had a drink in hand Ivan stood. The hall fell silent.
"We welcome you friends from another pack into our home. We hope you have fun and relax and meet new people on friendly terms." At this both the packs raised their glasses and cheered happily.
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Michael and Ivan sat laughing at a table across from the bar. It hadn't been long since the start of the party when a young boy passed their table. His dark brown hair shaded his overly expressive eyes. Gabriel walked past him with a beer to sit with Ivan and Michael, pushing the boy's arm so that Ivan could see that he held a few beers in his owns hands. Now this wouldn't have been a problem if the boy hadn't looked as if he was not of the age to drink. Michael seeing where Ivan's eyes had strayed shook his head disapprovingly.
"Aiden you know very well that you and your friends aren't 21 or over." He made a gesture as if to take the beer from him. The boy's eyes flashed dangerously, a warm brown to a maddening red. In a flash Gabe was next to him, the beer pried from his hands.
"Now boy go and play with your friends and leave the strong stuff for those who can stomach it." The light banter in Gabe's voice asked for argument, any sort of fight, to relieve the stress he was under. The boy, Aiden, didn't take the bait and walked sullenly back to the table of the teenaged group in the back of the room.
Gabriel sat back down, slamming the drinks as he did. Ivan smirked, happy that this new pack had seen some of the strength behind his pack, if challenged they would fight, no matter the cost.
"I am sorry about him. They all mean well but in the end they always come off wrong." Michael said, sipping his Jack Daniels.
Ivan glanced over that the group. From what he could see they were a bunch of misfits, almost. One girl wore all black clothing, combat boots that were scuffed, even her hair, cut short at her neck. Another, a blonde, had her nose pierced and a very noticeable pimple on her chin. The boy at her side had a weird hair-do, cut jagged and flipped to one side. One boy was surrounded by a swarm of girls, all of them hanging on him, trying to touch any part of him possible.
"They look to be good friends, and seem to stick together." Ivan commented, pondering about the young pups in his pack. Thought they got into trouble in the worst way they were also family, and that you could never just get rid of.
"Yes they call themselves the Ameba, an 'amorphous group whose size is always changing, and sometimes break off into small part that act like parents', or something to that extent." Michael paused to take a swig of his drink. "They are somewhat led by Aiden, the boy that was trying to steal those drinks just now. The blonde girl is Bingo, she is like a sister to him and all matters of business go through her. Jem is next to her, he's an artist and proud of it. The one swarmed by girls is Peter Quincy, though everyone just calls him Quince. He is the second in command, and he is a cocky little pup but he never gets too out of hand, even in the most extreme time."
"Who's that gothic chick?" Gabe asked gulping down the rest of his beer.
Michael turned his head a little," Oh that is Kelly, don't get to close to her, she has a tendency to hurt those she distrusts, and that's pretty much everyone, but Aiden. And she really hates anyone who is dating him. When she found out that Vivian was with him, I swear that she hit the roof and about killed her. Good thing Vivie can take care of herself or I would have been childless again."
Ivan's eyes widened. "I thought that your daughter wasn't going to mate anyone."
"Well no she isn't, not unless that guy can pass her test." Michael whispered peering down into his drink. "She doesn't want to mate unless she is sure that the man is the one whom is right for her in every way possible. She has found a little bit of that in Aiden, much to everyone's surprise, and some other's dismay. But if they are happy together then that is the way it will be. I can't change how she feels no matter how I wish too."
Ivan nodded mutely at this, staring at Gabe whose head was hung in sadness.
Suddenly, the outside door slammed open, revealing two bodies, unseeable against the sun's rays that flooded into the doorway. Everyone turned towards the door, shielding their eyes from the ultraviolet rays (sounding smart aren't I?). In stepped Alexander, ruffled from the wind and a smaller lanky girl.
I was going to stop here and give you a cliff hanger but since I haven't updated in so long and I am sorry, and I will give you about another four pages. So be nice and don't kill me for taking so long…I really am sorry!
Gabe's jaw dropped and his eyes bulged. This was the girl that he had seen. This was the girl that he wanted to mate! Alex strode forward towards Ivan's table, but the girl cut him off as she strutted off to join the Ameba. As she got to them, she slid her arms around Aiden, from behind, and hugged him to her front. Aiden stiffened and slowly turned. When he saw the girl his face broke into a smile that blazed like the full moon.
"Hey Viv." Was his reply as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her temple. Alex growled from the other side of the room, but the two just ignored him. Gabe tried not to gasp at the sight of the young pup holding the female that he wanted.
"Ivan may I have a word with you quickly?" Gabe whispered, too softly for anyone else to hear him. Ivan turned from Alex, whom he had been talking to and gave a single nod to him.
"I am sorry but I have to see to something for a moment, come with me Gabriel." Michael raised his glass in their direction as Alex kept his gaze on the boy, but growled in understanding. Ivan walked patiently to the door into the foyer of the inn; Gabe was twitching behind him, as if he were going to explode at any moment.
"Get a grip on yourself!" Ivan warned as his irritation at Gabe increased. At the feral sound of Ivan's voice Gabe stood as still a stone sculpture. Sighing Ivan sat on a wood bench in the front hallway. "Now tell me why we are here, instead of at the party?"
"The girl, the one that I told you about, I found her." Gabe said, though a little more softly then Ivan was used to. Ivan smiled and clapped Gabe on the back.
"Well that's good, now all you have to do is ask Alex to let her be courted." Ivan didn't notice that Gabe grow pale that his words.
"But Ivan that's the problem…the girl that I want, she's…Vivian…." The silence, a void ripped from the fabric of time and space, held the breath and live of all that was now to pass. Ivan lowered his head and rubbed his temples as a headache came onto him.
"Don't do anything that could jeopardize this Gabe." Ivan's voice was stern, cold metal. "We can't afford to get into a war with this pack over a girl."
Gabe sighed," I know that Ivan but that doesn't really help me now does it?" He sat down next to Ivan, a loud series of mumbled words followed as he covered his face with his hands.
Ivan laid his hand on Gabe's back in sympathy for his position at the time. "Come on let's go back and see what we can do with this sorry…thing that we have come into." Gabe nodded and slid from the chair to walk behind him.
When they entered the bar again they didn't expect to see what was there in front of them. Michael was standing behind Alex, holding him back from attacking Aiden, or so it seemed. Before Ivan could pose his question into the situation, Alex broke free of Michael's hold and ran for Aiden. Michael tried to grad on to him, but Alex evaded, suddenly a body stood between them two, a body that wasn't moving for anything or anyone. Vivian stood posed for her own attack on Alex, but it never came to blows as Alex stopped his charge. Aiden quickly tried to pull Vivian from in front of him so that Alex wouldn't hurt her if he didn't stop his run in time. Vivian however refused to move from her spot.
"Get out of the way Vivian. You can't protect him forever and you know that!" Alex was breathing heavily and panting in extreme rage.
Gabe moved as to put himself in front of Vivian, as if to protect her from the imminent attack of Alex, but Ivan pulled him back, holding him behind himself.
Vivian stood unwavering in her protection of Aiden and her position. There was no sound in the whole room, only the slow intakes of breath that came from Vivian, Alex's panting and Gabe's struggles.
"How can two such as yourselves actually call yourselves men, when all you do is fight over something as fickle as the feelings of a woman? How can you two call yourselves loup garou, even think to call yourselves pack brothers! It is a disgusting idea to fight for a female who as already made her choice." At this Alex growled and his hair grew, its blonde tentacles turning dark, his eyes glowing red with the heat of anger in his blood.
"You are a brave young pup to defy your alpha, who are you?" Ivan came forward, between the two of them as if to separate them farther.
Vivian looked up at Ivan, searching with her eyes in his, as if digging into his very being with the claws she would sprout in the warm summer night air, the claws that let her kill her prey of choice, as for now her prey as him. "I stand for what I believe in, even if it against all others." Her voice was light, as the moonbeams in the shadow filled forest of Time.
"I am Vivian, daughter of the unknown pack and sister of the cold North wind." Her dark eyes swam with honey colored speckles that heated into beauteous gold with the passion in her voice. Ivan's head tilted to the side, his own eyes now boring into hers. The very breath stopped, no sound was uttered and no sound made in the millennia of a second that their eyes locked and there seemed, to some in the room, that they spoke in voices that weren't voices, and in words that had been long forsaken in this new world.
A small smile broke over Ivan's face, "You are good, pup, you are good with me at least."
The two packs massed around the figures who, not so long ago, were in fighting moods, however that mood was gone and there was a kind of joy and a sense of peace in the congregated company that no one thought they were ever going to come down from their high.
Gabe, still standing in the corner, watched the party with a melancholy eye.
Axel and the Five strode over to the Ameba; more like over to Vivian, and stood watching her move. Axel, smiled secretly,' She'll be mine, that pup is nothing compared o me!' he thought puffing out his chest.
"Hey", he said coolly, the tone in his voice teeming with lewd suggestions, as were his thoughts, but that is the mind of a teenage boy. Vivian turned slowly around, her eyes smoldering with so unknown emotion. Her smile looked, though none of the Five could tell, a little forced, but she greeted them, allowing them to introduce themselves to her, like a queen greeting enemies of her country.
But that is the way the way the true story began.
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Four long hour later, the members of the new pack (I am going to take suggestions on what to call them, I can't keep calling them the new pack, so if you have name that you would like to call the pack please send it to me and then the reviewers of the next chapter, which I am working on right as we are talking, will get the vote on the final name!) were slowly leaving the inn; Alex, Michael and Anna were the last. Vivian had run away somewhere during the middle of the party, and no one, not ever Aiden, knew where she had gone.
"I hope that this has been a memorable experience for you?" Ivan said, grabbing hold of Alex's arm, and shaking it firmly. Alex just smiled a wide, slow drawl, his white shiny teeth glowing in the moonlight on the porch.
"Indeed I did, it was very much fun. We should do this again, but this time we will host it, as is only proper in the rules of human etiquette."
"Well, just send word when we should be there and we would be glad to attend." Ivan assured. Michael and Anna moved into the shadows of the night, a crack of bones was heard and then two large wolves strode from the night, graying brown and fiery reddish blond. Alex and Ivan watched as they leaped into the air and ran to the forest on the far side of the inn.
Alex turned, slowly, back to face Ivan, "I have something to ask of you friend."
Ivan's head tilted to the side slightly, his eyes gleaming a golden red," What can I do for you?"
"I have a wish to see the town, but I don't know the way around perhaps you could show me around tomorrow afternoon?"
Ivan sighed," I am sorry Alex but I have something planned for tomorrow, however I know of someone that knows the city better then even myself, will that do well for you?"
"Yes that would be fine by me. Who is it?" Alex inquired. Ivan turned his head to look through the doorway into that of the bar, and sitting in the corner as a loner in a bar (sighs poor Gabe) Gabriel sat, alone and brooding in his own little world. Since the fight had broken up, Gabe hadn't moved an inch from his spot in the corner, and Alex on several occasions had asked if he was okay. Ivan had always replied that he was fine just a little overcome by a slight problem. Alex nodded his head in silent acknowledgement of Ivan's proposal.
"I will see you soon, friend. And may the night hold great fortune for you and the Mother Moon forgive all actions." Ivan whispered. Alex transformed. He was a monstrous beast, the blonde of his coat bristling in the wind, his shoulders reached to Ivan's stomach; he was the biggest loup garou Ivan had ever seen, except for Gabriel. He ran towards the shadows of the forest, his green eyes turning to stare at them as he leaped into it.
Ivan waited till the last of Alex's howls had long died before he turned to see Gabe, a still stone statue, in his corner. He meandered slowly to his side snaking a hand around Gabe's shoulders and pulling him into a standing position, however Gabe awake from his slumberous state as the movement went through him. The growl that came from him could only be described as feral and dangerous; Ivan quickly dropped his hand in reaction to the threat.
"You make promises that I don't intend to keep Ivan." The beast was let loose on the world; his howl was frightening, even to the mother moon.
"What do you mean by that Gabe?" Ivan questioned, quietly so as to not agitate him any further.
"I will not be in the presence of the man who covets what is rightfully mine!" Gabe snarled back, as he jumped from his corner and out the side door.
"You will soon learn my friend that, no matter how much you think you own someone, it is up to them to decide to what extent you own them." The wise words were washed away in the breeze.
Gabe stocked around the house, moving in the inhuman way that loup garou have, as if at any moment he would strike out and kill.
"Why can't he understand? I could never get along with someone like him! I could never…" the words stopped as Gabe swept around the corner of the inn. For there, sitting contently on the back-porch railing, was Vivian! She was beautiful in the moonbeams; her tanned skin seemed to glow with a silver light, her golden hair lazily danced in the breeze. She was as perfect as the Mother Moon, and Gabe would have done anything to have her all to himself, but Alex was in his way. Gabe growled quietly at the thought of the two of them together.
He watched for several more minutes as she twirled her bare feet in the air, humming quietly to herself. Gabe was slowly shifting to leave, the sight before him much to perfect to ruin, though it would haunt his dreams for the rest of his life.
"Why don't you come and sit with me? I won't bite." The vision spoke, her voice light as a whispering brook, but musical in some way that he couldn't describe. Gabe turned to face her just in time to see the smirk her last comment had brought to her lips, and the tips of her pearly fangs. Captivated by those lips, Gabe walked forward in a daze, wanting to possess this creature, nurture her, give her everything her heart desired, anything to make her happy. Soon he found himself in front of her, only to notice that she was wearing the same dress from the party. It showed way too much skin for Gabe to be comfortable with her, but she was beautiful in it. Her eyes stared down at him; a questioning look swam through them. Again he felt the pull to go to her, to give her anything she could possibly want.
"And who are you? You must be from the inn or you wouldn't be here, but if you are from here why did I not meet you at the party?" her questions lit the air around them in a fire of inquiry. Gabe smirked slightly at her bombardment of questions.
"I am Gabriel, second in command to Ivan. It is a pleasure to meet you…I don't believe that I know your name." His reply was met with a smile, more beautiful than a thousand visions of beauty. And he couldn't help but hide a small smile when he saw that her eyes racked over his body in an approving fashion.
She leapt from the porch railing and landing on the balls of her feet, started to run towards the forest, her hair flying wildly behind her; slowly he saw that she was transforming into her wolf form. However, before she was too changed to speak, she howled, "Vivian" and the full transformation hit her, making her a long, slick golden wolf.
Gabe was speechless in awe.
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A/N: Thanks everyone who has reviewed and I am so sorry, again, that it has taken me so long to update but it has been hell at school and all. With Finals just around the bend I will be having more work but I promise to have something up before the year ends even if it is a one-shot Christmas themed one with Gabe and Viv, if you want it just tell me. Anyway, I've added a new part on to my author notes so here it is! Talk with the reviewers!!!!
Aliolyoxenfree – I updated as fast as I could, but it still took too long…hangs head in shame
asianhomie101 – well since you said pretty please…thanks for the review!!!!
Raging Raven – well here's more!
blackpippa – I love twists don't you? Thanks for the review; it was very nice of you to say I am a great writer! hug
Mrs. Dom Masbolle – I hope I don't change it much; I reread the book so I could make sure about her but it is always up to the reviewer's to tell!
cerberus angel – well you can see that your guess was very much correct! Yup Vivian is a load of trouble.
Wish.He.Was.Mine.x - evil smile I hope you were right about the girl, and if not well…I don't know what to say. And I hope this chapter gives you your addiction fix! I've had a few people say that they think my stories would be good drugs…I don't know if that's a compliment or not?
kitkat6020 – I'm sorry you don't like that I am holding my story hostage but sometime that's what has to be done. I don't usually get a lot of review for my other stories if I don't. Though this one seems to be doing fine on it's own…
EmeraldSeaFrost - thanks
SnowWhite – here's your update! I hope you like it!
Tenshi-Tsubasa201 – Thank you!
ouiplanete – I am sorry that so much time has past, its tuft at the moment.
Talon101 – I hate when movies and the books aren't anything alike but that can't be helped. And it has everything to do with Vivian and Gabe! You just have to read in between the lines.
Dahlila – I am sorry that it took me so long but my computer hates me like nothing I have ever seen! cries thanks for review, and I won't let so much time go by until I update again! I promise!
Moony - squeals your name is soooooo cute! Thanks for the review!
Blood and ChocolateLover – thank you for the review.
NotAfraidToLive - smile hope I don't disappoint!
seyin800 – where do you think this is going? tilts head to side
jesikababe – thanks!
littlegirlwolf – I LOVE YOUR NAME!!!!!! And I am sorry that you don't like the idea of Vivian's test but you'll see what happens so don't worry too much.
CITCAT826 – thanks for the review!
Again I would like to remind you that I am taking suggestions for the names of the packs so just give me whatever you got and we will have a vote! Yay democracy! Anyways I hope you like the chapter and I will have another one up as soon as I can get my computer to work again! Thanks so much everyone!