In The Shadow of The Moon Ch. 06

Heather looked up a little surprised, but smiled "I do a little of everything. I run errands, work in the gardens, run patrols, work in town when we need it, teach the young ones sometimes, etc. Jesse wants me to keep busy since my brother went missing. I guess I was kind of moping when he first came up missing so they put me to work where ever I could fit. That'll teach me to go around wearing a 'woe is me' face."

Victoria looked a little affronted. Certainly Jesse wouldn't punish the girl for her concern for her bothers lack of current location. "So you are being punished for being worried?!?"

Heather smirked, "No...I am being given something to do. It also doesn't help that before he went missing I decided to walk the hallways of one of our hotels, moaning fairly loudly and weeping scaring the human guest. I also might have phased in front of this snooty bitch from my high school and scared the shit out of her, but all of that is completely beyond the point. I have taken these new set of tasks as a way to keep my mind off my brother."

There it was. When Heather had been so silent the similarity to Miranda had fallen short, but in the moment and retelling, she was reminded of her mischievous friend yet again. Always doing things they shouldn't and getting into constant trouble, well at least when they were younger. Victoria doubled over in laughter forgetting about the hose in her hand and spraying Heather in the face. The girl sputtered and looked up a smile bursting across her face. Victoria was vaguely aware of the other women staring at them stunned, but she didn't care. This felt good, to laugh like this, to be reminded so completely of her younger years and happy times at home.

When the laughter finally stopped it was time to empty the out the water. She deftly plucked out the dead crawfish from each bucket and in a line still laughing the women trucked back into the kitchen.

********

Victoria's grandfather was Briccio, the legendary wolf that fought in the first blood wars. A century and a half ago war broke out across the continents, beings of the realm, beings of magic, ravaged the planet in bloody battles intent on ending each other. None was more fierce than the battles that raged between the were species, canines of all kinds from wolves to the Tesem dogs of Ancient Egypt, a powerful subspecies of were and very rare. All the big cats, leopards, tigers, lions and even some of the rarer species like horses and bears were involved. Were's were attacked at home while in their human form, they were massacred in human work places, the world was a bloody and terrifying place to live in. That is until Briccio, a young rapacious wolf who had emigrated from Ireland, showed up. In those times Gaylen pack went by the name Cathal and was two or three times its current size. Briccio joined the Cathal pack and began to take back precious ground lost. He was also personally responsible for rarity of were-jaguars. Briccio turned the tide of war and was the father of the current pack system. It was believed that he had died forever ago, but Antony had just sat and discussed battle plans with him.

Antony was stunned. The man was a genius at strategy and planning. He found week points all across their borders and found ways to strengthen them with in the same sentence. As he moved down the hallway of the compound he ran over all of their plans and contingencies. Everything seemed to be laid out so neatly. The only thing left unknown was whom the threat was coming from. Antony's hunch had been right all of the packs that had cut themselves off from the council were amongst the first to respond to the mating invitation. The fight would be coming to their door step, but what didn't make any sense was the reason behind the hostility. They had lived in peace for years; there was no reasoning behind it. So there had to be something bigger involved. Mistress Sleepwell had gone off to commune with her sisters in an attempt to perceive the deeper meaning behind these attacks.

His aimless wandering had been taken over and guided by a spicy delicious smell filling the hallways. His thoughts still firing around his cranium, he allowed his nose to guide his feet to the source. As he pushed open the big doors to the kitchen and leaned in the entry way to watch. Victoria was bent over a pot, her ass looked firm and taught in the tight shorts she wore. She looked and smelled so tempting and delectable in the kitchen. Her natural smell blended beautifully with the spices floating in the air.

Antony's wayward thoughts were distracted as her mother stepped into the picture and they began to dance to the saucy latin music coming out of a boom box that he didn't even know existed in the kitchen. As they danced, meat was being seasoned and carried out on platters to be barbequed for those who were not brave enough to try the crawfish. Victoria had insisted on this concession, not wishing to insult anyone or force them to eat something they didn't want to. Little did she know, nearly every member of the pack would chop off their own arm before insulting her by not eating the food she provided them. They already viewed her as alpha female after her succinct takedown of Catrina.

Addyson caught his eye and gave a slight nod. Antony stepped into the kitchen and she spun Victoria into his arms. Though a little startled she took up the step quick enough following his lead in the small amount of dance space available in the kitchen. Her face was flushed, whether from the heat in the kitchen or their intimate embrace, he didn't know. When the song came to an end she pulled out of his arms slowly, smiling. She went back to her station and continued needing some type of dough. Antony watched as her mother bumped her and her blush deepened. Addyson burst out in laughter. The sound drowned out the music and sent half of the women into hysterics and the others' faces, the ones closer to him, held secretive smiles. He would have to wheedle it out of one of them later. He blinked as Heather stepped in front of him.

"I know you are Alpha, but if you are going to be in the kitchen, you are going to help."

Some of the older women looked taken aback, but Antony didn't mind it. Heather was best friends with his sister; she had the same personality as his sister. He was more than use to the abrupt manner in which she spoke to him. He chuckled and pulled her into a smother hug.

"Alright, what can I do?"

Heather proceeded to give him a series of task. With each one, as he began to do them one of the women would snatch it away, until finally he gave up and move over to where Victoria and her mother were working, swaying their hips in time to the music.

Antony pulled up a bit of counter space besides the two women and watched and they pulled plate after plate of fried dough the grease. He eyeballed them carefully and reached for one that looked cool enough to taste. Victoria's hand, which was closest to him, reached out quick as lightening and slapped his hand, just hard enough to sting and not hurt. All the while she kept the rhythm.

"They aren't done yet." She said, cutting her eyes up sideways at him.

As her mother slid more of the triangles into the grease, Victoria began to heavily dowse the ones out, with powdered sugar. With eyes squinted and tongue sticking out, she concentrated, going from plate to plate. When that task was done she grabbed a paper towel and one of the heavily coated pastries and held it up to his lips.

Antony looked down at her, grabbed her wrist and bit down. At first the heavy layer of powdered sugar coated the roof of his mouth, but just as quickly it melted and dissolved into the texture and taste of the pastry. Antony moaned, this had to be the best doughnut he had ever had.

******

Victoria reveled in the sound of him loving her cooking. She had been very bold when she had offered to feed him, but she was trying to turn over a new leaf. While she had been cooking it had been so easy to let go of the past and just enjoy creating delicious food. She loved the smell and feel of the heady spices in the air. If she moved closer to the back door she could smell the barbeque on the grill. All of it was spectacular and here she was actually enjoying it. Not sulking in her room or lashing out at the men who had come to get the meat to grill. She refused to allow people to see how hard it was for her right now. After waking up the pressure of her memories had grown, but the more she pushed it back, the harder it was to work and enjoy. So she did what her grandmother had suggested, she accepted the reminders, saw the memories clearly in their mind, but then she told herself over and over again that it was in the past and wouldn't be happening again. She allowed herself to get wrapped up in the atmosphere and the joy in the kitchen.

As Antony moaned around the mouthfuls of beignet, she soaked in the sound, enjoying the rich texture. With each bite he licked and nipped her fingers. When he finished the pastry, she smiled up at him and moved away. She washed her hands and checked each station. The cake was out and being frosted. The cookies were nearly done. She moved to the back door and saw the meat being placed out on large platters on table. She watched as pack members slowly began to trickle out wandering in amongst the tables of food. She noticed that the newspaper hadn't been laid on tables; she called one of the women over and asked her to organize the battalion of children playing to spread out heavy layers of newspaper so the boil could be dumped out. When that was underway she moved to check on the boil itself.

The pots had been set on not too long ago and would be ready to be taken off and drained shortly. They were releasing billowing steam clouds laced with the sultry spicy aroma of days in the kitchen with her grandmere.

All while she was walking she had felt his eyes burning holes in her body. Her hips scorched with his gaze, the slope of her shoulder radiated heat in waves; her neck was shivering with the feel of his gaze. His eyes never left her as she moved around the room. She had to push back the memories of her father's men's lascivious gaze as she walked through the room. Instead she flooded her mind with memories of the time she had spent with Antony in her room.

She moved back to help her mother, memories of heated flesh and tingly skin bringing a smile to her face. She felt his thoughts latch on to her memories, just feeding the flames. She was so wrapped up that she didn't notice when he slipped out of her mind. She was busy comparing the feeling of her skin that night to how the hot frying dough looked, when Antony was at her elbow tugging her away. One of the women in the kitchen took her place and her mother quickly explained what she should do while Antony pulled at the strings of her apron. As much as she would love to have a little tryst, she wanted to insure the food was cooked completely.

Love, as much as I adore the directions of your thoughts, there is something else we must do first. Packs have begun to arrive for our ceremony, three days early. It is traditional that you be with me to greet them.

Victoria panicked. This would be the first time they would be introduced as like a couple, mated pair, an item? Her mind was whirling; she looked down at her clothes. She was going to meet other packs as the Alpha to be in this old shorts and a tank top. FOOD!!! She frantically looked around the kitchen, running through last minute recipes. Would she have enough for three packs?

Antony turned her around and took her chin.

Victoria, you made enough to feed three or four packs for days. Now I really don't want any man to see you looking so delectable, but as an alpha you may wear whatever you please to greet the pack that decided to arrive early. I may have to disembowel a few of them for looking at you the wrong way.

It took her a minute to gather herself, but she smiled again. Hands shaking, more than a little nervous, she took his cheeks and kissed him slow and hard. Then she promptly turned and walked out of the kitchen.

It had been so easy to open up to him, to let him in. He overwhelmed the bad memories when she let him; it was easier to be happy, to get over things. This was scary, just how easy it was for her to give in to these emotions. She was feeling less herself and it had only been a few hours, how do she hold on to her identity and be one with him. She jumped and had to stop herself from shifting when Antony rushed her from behind. As she flew through the air in his arms, she collected her thoughts and smiled. She was trying to move on, she would always be herself and Antony had showed her in so many ways that he wouldn't do something like that. He wouldn't demand that she be less than herself, she could be happy.

Convincing done, she smiled up at him. Antony slid her down his body and sat her on an end table by the main door. He slipped in between her legs and took her lips, he held the back of her neck firm as he possessed her mouth. Her body immediately set a flame and she could smell the mating scent rolling of him in waves, spicy and sweet at the same time. It coated her mouth and tongue rolling over her body as he rubbed himself over her.

There was a loud "ahem" from behind them.

" S'cuse me. Please take these shenanigans to a bedroom. I may have helped birthed some of you, but I have no desire to see you creating babies. Besides there is to be no hanky panky before Saturday night."

Mistress Sleepwell turned on her heel and walked toward the front door. Antony smiled and followed her and Victoria sat stunned.

That is for the kitchen. Don't mess with the master.

She heard his loud mental laughter as he walked away. She growled and moved to follow him.

*****

Victoria was doing exceptionally well for someone who was mentally berating herself about her clothing. Andreus was a slick bastard on the regular, but now he was adding asshole to his repertoire for making her feel bad about what she was wearing. Antony was doing a fairly good job at blocking most of it, but still. As the rest of the Kumori pack walked through the compound toward the back door, Antony took a mental count, estimating how many had been left on their lands. With the early arrival, his mind had shifted back towards war preparations. Those left behind would have to be moved to safe lands. He would have to pull Andreus aside and set up plans to move everyone.

His mind was running through all the possibilities and Andreus was still heckling Victoria, when Antony picked up on thoughts he hadn't heard in so long. As he looked past the many milling bodies in the entry way, he spotted his parents. They were sun browned and smiling as they walked towards them. Antony tightened his grip on Victoria and reached into her mind.

Victoria, don't panic love, but my parents are walking towards us.

He held her as she attempted flea.

Antony, I cannot meet your parents dressed like this.

You can and you will.

He laughed as he felt Victoria growl and attempt to pull away from him yet again.

Andreus raised an eyebrow and turned around, he smiled, eyes sparkling.

"Well Antony, I will leave you and your delectable looking mate to you latest arrivals." Andreus leaned down and kissed Victoria's hand. Antony's ire rose sharper than what it was when he had smelled her in the club, he growled violently. Andreus walked away head thrown back in laughter.

Victoria got tenser the closer his parents got, with less than a half a foot between them; she was as stiff as a board. Normally he would have embraced his parents, but he could tell that that was what Victoria was waiting for, a chance to run. His mother held her arms open and he went into them, hoping he would have enough time to catch her, before she could really go any were. He heard a loud oomph as he pulled away from his mother.

Victoria had run into Mistress and it was no surprise that she had ended up on the floor, Sleepwell was a sturdy woman. Mistress looked down at Victoria with an amused smile and moved away smoothly.

******

Victoria had been mortified to meet Antony's parents dressed the way she had been. No amount of reassuring could stop her from tugging at her clothes. Normally she would have no insecurities, but she wanted to impress them, she wanted to look the part of an Alpha female. She didn't like some of the most recent changes to her demeanor and though she mostly blamed Antony, right now she was having a heated discussion with her wolf. Victoria was attempting to dip her toe into these pools of emotion, trying to slowly acclimate herself to the true depth of her feelings for Antony. Her wolf on the other hand was tugging her forward full force, with no thoughts of caution.

His parents were very welcoming, but it wasn't until she was back in the sanctuary of the kitchen that she was able calm herself. She had changed into something she found slightly more suitable, a nice pair of dark wash jeans and a delicate tank top, and she was preparing to take one of the large pots out to the table. All the food had overwhelmed her senses and swamped her mind, she mellowed out and found the calm she had had most of the day. Picking up a large metal pot she walked out prepared to face the next hurtle.

******

Victoria was nervous. She had never partaken in the lunam vinculum, the moonlight bond. Every mating received blessings from Luna and one was the sacred tattoos. Streaks of mud that held magical properties sunk beneath the skin the stronger the glow the stronger the bond. Victoria walked quietly through the woods towards the Gaylen pond, a sacred pool of water that basked in the glow of the moon every night. There her mother, Antony's mother, Antony's sister, and Victoria's closest friends were there to bestow the blessing upon her. She had seen the pictures of her mother's vinculum. The lines seemed to never end, she could not find the beginning or end. When she was little she had repeatedly traced over them in the picture album in their suites.

She wore a thin gold flowing robe, a sign of her virginity. White was the color of death, gold the color of purity. The robe glinted with the light of the nearly full moon and she gazed up at it as she walked. In the past years she prayed to never have to take this walk. She had been horrified when her father walked into her room and told her of her pending mating to Blyce Landic, a vicious alpha to one of her father's neighboring packs. The idea of taking this walk and being forcibly bound to that man had left her bones chilled. The man was cruel, deviant, and disgusting, a perverted leering figure throughout her childhood. Never had she thought her father would go so far as to mate her off and to him of all people. That had been a few weeks before they had fled, her mother's horror and hearing her father's plans, had given Addyson all the conviction she needed. They had never made a bond, so he held no claim to her, but the idea still haunted the corridors of her mind.

As she flowed through the forest her mind flitted over the last few hours. The food had been completely consumed, every crumb gone from the plates. She had poured the pot down the head table. Everyone dug in ferociously, the red juices running down arms as people cried from laughter and the liquid cocktail of Cajun spices touching eyes. Children across the lawn were throwing the heads of the crawfish at each other, eventually shifting and chasing each other around, before their mothers reined them in. It was such a happy scene, Antony sat close to her, his warm thigh pressed to hers.

As she walked through the warm forest she could remember the feelings, the tightening of her stomach from laughing so hard, the ridiculous antics of Carlie and Antony when they were little. Surprisingly the Mistress of the Sisterhood, that Mistress Sleepwell, had some spectacular stories. Tales of her youth and everyone else's that she had seen. As twilight settled her grandparents, at her behest, had told the story of their meeting and falling in love. She loved the quaintness of the old time romance. They had grown up in the time of courting and chaperones, the stories always made Victoria feel as if she had grown up in the wrong time period. She had rested her head on Antony's strong shoulder.