Blood and Chocolate

Vivian grabbed at the alibi; what else could she do? "As you can see," she pointed out boldly. "I'm not pining for my ex-boyfriend."

"Can anyone confirm your story?" asked the male officer. Vivian couldn't miss the disapproval in his eyes.

"Ask Bucky Dideron," Gabriel suggested. "He's my downstairs neighbor. He saw us leave early this morning. He complained we'd kept him up half the night."

Vivian blushed furiously. She could imagine how she and Gabriel were supposed to have accomplished that. Apparently the cops could too, because they didn't ask further questions. They took Gabriel's and Bucky's names and addresses, then left after promising they would get back in touch if they had any more questions.

"What the hell is going on?" Esmé asked Vivian when the door closed behind the police.

"Look, I had a few drinks. I made a mistake, okay?" Vivian headed for the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee she didn't want.

Esmé followed her. "That's a helluva mistake."

Vivian turned away, but Esmé walked around her to stay in Vivian's face. "I take it you really were in that girl's house."

Vivian didn't answer.

"Are you crazy?" Esmé screamed. "Don't we have enough problems?"

"Let me speak with Vivian," Gabriel said. Vivian hadn't even noticed him entering the kitchen.

"I'll speak to my own daughter, thank you," Esmé answered. "This is family business."

"When the police are involved, it's pack business," Gabriel said. "Go call Bucky." His eyes glittered as he stared Esmé down without blinking. Vivian wondered how he could stand there so nonchalantly and still look as if he was ready to spring.

"Have it your way," Esmé finally spat, and stormed off.

"You got here fast," Vivian said.

"I was already on my way to see Rudy, as it happens. Tomas almost knocked me off my feet." Vivian noticed that the glitter in his eyes seemed more like humor now. "I didn't know an alibi was needed, but I'm glad to help out."

"Well, you needn't have come up with such a disgusting one." She sat down and tried to ignore him.

"I don't find the idea disgusting," he said. He didn't pretend to hide his smile now, but it was fleeting. "The cops were right, weren't they? You were jealous."

Vivian took a sip of coffee and grimaced. She'd forgotten sugar.

"Homo sapiens can be very attractive," he said, sitting at the table with her.

Vivian had expected him to chastise her. She raised her eyebrows in surprise but didn't say a word.

"The need to dominate is bred into us," Gabriel continued, "and they are easy to dominate. It's seductive, this power over them. And they're so fragile, there are those you almost want to protect."

He laughed softly,  and Vivian wished she could laugh too, except she remembered Aiden's shocked white face.

"But they're dangerous," Gabriel said. "They're desperately afraid of things they can't understand, and there's more of them than us. They can't fight us fairly so they gang up on us with fire and blades, or betray us from the shadows with silver bullets.

"Vivian, you can't force him to love you if he's chosen elsewhere. You have to let go. You can't confuse the desire to dominate and protect with love. If you continue this way you'll end up hurting this girl, and the police already have you connected with her. Or worse, you'll give yourself away to the boy - then you'll have to kill him because, I swear to the Moon, he'll try to kill you."

Vivian was amazed to see pain in his eyes and wondered why it was there. Suddenly she wished she could tell him everything because maybe he'd understand. But she couldn't. She'd be crazy to. According to Gabriel's philosophy, she'd already brought doom upon herself by revealing her secret.

But Aiden's sweet and gentle, she thought. He wouldn't try to kill me. His way of coping is to run away from me.

"I thought he loved me," was all she could say to Gabriel. "Then he went off with her."

There was tenderness in the curve of Gabriel's lips. "Then let him go, Vivian. He's a fool if he didn't recognize what a fine creature you are." He stoked her cheek and for once Vivian didn't pull away. She needed those words desperately.

Vivian heard the front door rattle open and Rudy's excited voice. Gabriel's hand dropped to his side, and Vivian felt as if she'd reached for a handhold and clutched at air.