Blood and Chocolate

Vivian snaked an arm around his neck and dragged him back. "Stay down," she told him. "Dogs. They're crazy in packs."

Aiden looked startled. "Jeez, there's a lot."

The musk of them filled the air - familiar scents. Astrid was in the lead. Damn the bitch. What was she thinking to lead a run this large through the middle of Riverview?

After Astrid came Lucien Dafoe, Rafe's father, stinking of drink. Rafe was rapidly edging him out. The rest of the Five were there, but so were others, mostly Astrid's age-mates, no elders, and all male. Ulf brought up the rear. She could hear him pant with an asthmatic wheeze.

Then they were past, racing upstream, devouring the night.

"Wow," Aiden said. "For a moment I thought it was the wild hunt - Herne the Hunter chasing down the damned."

She could feel the goose bumps on his arm.

"People shouldn't let their dogs run loose like that. Maybe we should call the pound."

"At this time of night?" Vivian said.

He grimaced humorously. "Guess not."

A shout came from up the river.

"Scared someone." Aiden laughed.

Unlike Aiden, she could hear that someone scramble down the bank. Her heart leaped to her throat, but the pack didn't turn to follow the human.

"We should get out of here," she said. "They might come back." And who knew what they'd do if they got the urge for blood on the muzzle? She had to send Aiden home.

Aiden chuckled. "It's not like you to be nervous."

"What do you know about what I'm like?" she snapped. She was sorry instantly, yet irritated by how chastened he looked. Couldn't he fight back? "I'm sorry," she said. "But I don't think it's safe."

He tried to pull her down with him again, unwilling to give up, but the spell was broken, leaving her frustrated and angry. "I have to get home," she lied, removing his hands and standing up. "My mother will worry."

"Oh, man," Aiden said. He climbed awkwardly to his feet, adjusting his clothes. "All right," he grumbled, and she saw him touch his pocket briefly as if bidding his plans goodbye.

Damn. Damn. Damn, she thought.

"What do you mean, tell Gabriel?" Vivian demanded.

It was two in the morning and Rudy had just come home. Esmé was still out the Moon knew where.

"Why him? He hasn't won the Ordeal yet." She had decided not to keep quiet if she saw things going wrong again, but she hadn't expected to tell Gabriel.

Rudy paced the living room. His sturdy compact form and firm stride should have been comforting. "And what did you expect me to do?"

"Talk to Astrid. Make her stop."

Rudy laughed bitterly. "That'll be the day."

"So why would she listen to Gabriel, then?" Vivian asked.

"Because she respects him."

"Because she wants to screw him, you mean."

Rudy stared her down with piercing gray eyes that made her feel ashamed. "She respects him because she's afraid of him. Power's the only thing Astrid understands. She isn't sure how far he'll go." He paused. "And neither am I."

"Then why tell him?"