The wind blew restlessly, scattering leaves and dust in its path. Though it chilled, Allie did not pull her coat tighter, or shiver in the dimly lit dusk. The stars were already overhead and she walked with steady resolve along the drive towards her ancestral home. When she had played here as a child, tall sycamores had lined the cobbled path and the wilderness waited only a few steps from the driveway. Now carefully tended hedges and overly green lawn stretched as far as the eye could see. A rose garden grew peacefully along the west veranda of the house.
Coming here always filled her with an irrational remorse and anger for the spreading disease called suburbia. All that was missing was a white picket fence and a few obnoxious little dogs called "Muffy" or "Fluffy." Fortunately, this was no longer her home. So she quashed her guilt and continued up the drive, her heels tapping quietly, skirt fluttering just above her knees. The house itself loomed out of the twilight, light flashing from its windows and the muted sounds of laughter and chatter drifted to her. The party had obviously started some time ago. She wondered if it was her father's empathy that had given her a later arrival time or if Emily arranged it so her party wouldn't be spoiled. A sliver of amusement curved her lips. Either way it made them both happy.
A familiar singing in her blood told her the moon had just risen behind her. No putting it off any longer. Time to get out of the darkness if she expected to be human for the night. It was always hardest to stop the Change as the moon rose, but once out of the gentle rays Allie could prevent the Change. In a few hours she would be able to keep her humanity with only a small effort, even in moonlight.
Her father opened the door quickly as she ascended the stairs. She paused briefly on the porch, just to make sure he realized she was in no hurry. "Hello, father."
"You've pushed it a bit late, hurry on inside dear. Sorry we started without you." A lie, but well intentioned.
The interior was just as sterile as the exterior. A cleaning crew wouldn't be able to find a speck of dust or grime in this house. There was a very modern, minimalist feeling to every piece of furniture and most of the colors were creamy and light-toned. The den was through the door to her left and that was where the Pack seemed to have gathered. She remembered most of them well, having grown up half a dozen "Aunts" and "Uncles" who had given her plenty of playmates as a child. Some of those playmates were now grown and gathered with the rest of her extended family. The group had quieted as she entered the house and now waited for the inevitable confrontation.
"I'd prefer to say that I'm just on time." A lanky blond wearing a classy mint-colored slip broke away from the group in the den and came to join Allie and her father. "Hello, Emily. It's nice to see you again. You look great." The last part was true, but all of them were brimming with health and energy on the moon full.
"Alice. So glad you could make it. Won't you join us in the library?" So nice, so civilized. Who said wolves weren't chock full of manners?
"Of course. Thank you for inviting me." Standing beside her father's third wife, Allie could tell she was a contrast to the icy beauty of her step-mother. Small and delicately proportioned, she was dark haired and eyed, wearing an elaborately embroidered black on black dress, bright purple petticoats peeking out around her hemline. Even with heels, she was a few inches shorter than Emily. She'd had enough foresight to paint her nails and pull her hair into a loose braid over one shoulder so it wasn't a snarled mess.
Her father closed the door behind them and turned to face the room. "Allie, I know that you don't have much interest in Pack matters, but it's important for you to be here for this. Autumn and winter are in the air, and the Pack grows restless." His voice lifted, speaking to the room in general. "My bones are weary, and I do not have the energy to run all night. The moons' call to my blood has weakened and the hunt no longer moves me. It is time for new blood and new leadership."
Allie heard the murmurs and could see in every eye that no one had expected to be gathered for this purpose. She herself could see that her father wore a much older face than when last she had seen him. He still seemed vital and solid, but she could see that he meant every word. The thrill of the hunt and the moonlight were fading from him.
"Allie, my daughter, is of my blood but is not qualified to assume leadership. Therefore, I must choose my successor."
Not that she'd have taken lead of the Pack if it'd been offered to her by any of the Gods. She had been called to a different path early in life, and had followed it willingly into exile. The moon must be smiling on her. Thirteen years ago, at the tender age of twelve, she'd made the decision not to be a wolf. There'd been hell to pay, but it had given her exactly what she'd wanted: freedom. Father had more or less forgiven her, but Emily had looked on her with a disgust that had driven the final wedge between them.
"...Not cling to the ways of a dying past. The future is uncertain, but we wolves must adapt to the rapid changes in our territory. No one is more qualified to lead the Pack into the future than Elliot Grey."
Grey? Obviously Allie had zoned out for a bit too long. The tension in the room practically dripped from the walls. Elliot came from a Pack several hours to the north. He hadn't even married into this Pack, let alone asked to join it or challenged her father for leadership. Allie only knew of him from the mention he sometimes drew in the financial news. The way her father had talked of him had told her he was a wolf. The financials had come to that conclusion too, but they only knew of his predatory acquisition style.
Interesting. Several pairs of eyes were obviously unhappy with this news. Anger quickly replaced the initial shock in some of the younger members of the Pack. Obviously there had been some expectation of an internal promotion. Very interesting. Allie couldn't wait to watch the explosion.
A dozen voices erupted at once, all of them hostile and loud. "...Can't just expect us to let an intruder usurp..." "Direct violation of all tradition..." "Completely without precedent..." "No reason to go outside the pack..."
And people wondered why she avoided all Pack matters. Well, at least no one remembers I'm here, she thought. It's a good time to slip out and hide in the kitchen.
As she tiptoed down the hall she heard her father restoring order, in the usual authoritative manner he reserved for the hot-blooded wolves. She briefly wondered what he would say to calm them and bring them around, but quickly distracted herself with a mental search of where the junk food stash would be hidden.
Narrowing it down to three likely possibilities, she slowly and quietly eased the door to the kitchen open and waited for her eyes to adjust to the inky shadows. Directly in front of her sat the stove, and the cupboards above it were her first choice, in terms of ease of accessibility. She had one knee on the stove to boost herself to the cabinet when she got a cold prickling across the back of her neck.
Instinct. Knife from chopping block, pivot and balanced fighting stance. Fucking heels and dress... Sanity reasserted itself long enough for her to hook the kitchen table with a foot and pull it between her and the shadow watching her with glowing green-gold eyes. "If you move, I'll gut you as an augury."
She couldn't possibly see it, but she thought the shadow briefly flashed a toothy grin. "Dually noted."
"Who are you and what are you doing in my kitchen?" Conveniently forgetting that she no longer lived in this house.
"If I fail to satisfy your curiosity?"
Allie appeared to ponder for a second before she replied, "I scream." She'd barely gotten her threat out before he was in motion. Beautiful, he moved with the grace and speed of a predator over the kitchen table, crowding her against the stove. He gently placed one hand over her mouth.
"Shhh..." When he felt the chill of the blade against his back he added, "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just supposed to remain here quietly for a while. Scout's Honor."
This close, her suspicions were confirmed. Her lips brushed against his hand as she mouthed his name. Green-gold eyes narrowed, and Allie got a small nod of assent.
Since he didn't seem to be inclined to move away, Allie removed the blade from his back and put it down behind her. She boosted herself onto the stovetop and gently nudged him away from her with her foot, careful of the sharp heel. Well, mostly gently. He hadn't resisted, but he was so solid that she used more force than was strictly necessary. Probably because at such close range, he'd been noticeably hard against her stomach.
"Well, that answers all my questions. Except for the truly important one, of course." She turned on the stove and reached up to rummage through the cabinets.
"What I'm doing here?"
"No, where the chocolate is. I skipped dessert to be here, and so far it hasn't been worth it." Success. Definitely a Snickers bar, the shape and feel couldn't be mistaken. She resumed her seat on the stove and concentrated on the chocolaty-goodness in her hand rather than the long sprawl of interesting male on the kitchen table across from her.
"Well, it's good to know you have your priorities straight. Are you sure you're not even a little interested why I'm lurking in this kitchen?"
Allie pretended to consider his question for a few moments while she nibbled on the Snickers before she shook her head no. As a consolation, she held out the half-eaten candy bar so he could have a bite.
And immediately regretted the impulse when he simply sat on the table and watched her. There were a few tense seconds before he leaned towards her and tore off the better part of what was left of the Snickers. The primal awareness she'd experienced since she sensed him in the dark behind her surged again as she watched him eat. She couldn't take he eyes from his mouth. As her eyes became more attuned to the dark, she realized he was more substantial than she'd first though. And she kept remembering what he'd felt and smelled like when he was intent on silencing her.
The silence stretched to the breaking point, Allie forced herself to look away and suppress her adrenaline. The moon had her running hot, and hormones were making her blood rush. The candy bar lay forgotten in her hand, and she could tell he had spent the time sizing her up.
It was he who eventually broke the silence. "You're not one of the Pack, are you?"
"No." Damned if she'd say more on that subject.
"Are you here for some particular reason, other than chocolate?"
"I was invited."
