Wolf Pack

Author: Baby Blues

E-mail: purely_blissful@hotmail.com
Rated: NC-17
Disclaimer: Not mine, but the story is.
Feedback: Greatly wanted and appreciated.

Summary: An alternative universe in which Buffy belongs to an ancient werewolf pack and where her family suddenly gets threatened when their leader dies. (Inspired by the novel, 'Blood and Chocolate' by Annette Curtis Klause)

Notes: I've been contemplating writing this, but I finally decided to take the chance. And I know I haven't even bothered to finish 'Intentions For A Slayer,' and now I've started a new story, but I can't help it!

Dedication: To Leonardo de Vinci, my greatest hero who was an artist, an inventor, a philosopher, and an all around great man.

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Chapter One: The Accident

Buffy stared at the flames that flickered before her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks as she watched, frozen, from the sight of the fiery element swallowing their home whole.

Someone grabbed her arm, someone familiar . . . her mother.

Buffy didn't even notice the other people of the pack running and screaming away from the hot fires that licked and engulfed the once shiny oak wood of the mansion her family had been calling 'home' for more than a hundred years.

"Buffy, we have to leave!" Joyce pulled on her daughter towards the cars that were parked in front of the once glorious house they called The Den.

"No! Daddy!" Buffy screamed as others began pulling her away.

"We can't do anything anymore, honey! We have to leave now!" Joyce yelled, holding back her own tears as she gave Spike the silent permission to carry the hysterical young woman towards one of the cars that sat waiting for the remaining three.

"We have to get dad!" Buffy struggled in Spike's strong arms, unwilling to leave her father behind to die.

"We can't do anything now, pet," he cringed, turning her away from the fire that had been caused by a mad mob in the village three miles away.

One of the enraged town’s people had found one of their pack members running out in the woods and saw him change.

Jessie was killed on the spot, slashed viciously in his human form and left to rot in the middle of the woods.

He died alone.

This fire was the outcome two days later; a fire that had taken away her father and had made them run from their home, a fire that had taken her sense of safety away . . . had taken away the innocence of everyone else in the pack.

She was placed in one of the cars, specifically Spike's black Desoto as her mom took the front seat.

And with one last sad look at the still burning remains of their once lovely home, the cars drove away into the night and away from their life.

They all mourned the life that they had to leave behind. The leader of their pack had died trying to save everyone from the fire that the mob had started when they had all been seated at dinner.

Rupert Giles, (Giles as he was known to the pack), had gotten everyone out, including the already fed young twins, one four month old baby, and the young couple who were watching them upstairs in the nursery.

After Giles handed the baby to Xander, a broken timber had fallen on him. The young man couldn't do a thing for their leader as he yelled for him to get out and save their own lives. Xander obeyed, he had to get the child out.

"Daddy . . . " Buffy whimpered in the back seat as she sobbed for her father who had lost his life and left them all alone and leaderless.

Giles wasn't just the leader of their pack; he was a father to Buffy, a husband to Joyce, an uncle, a brother, and a friend. They all lost a part of themselves tonight and nothing will be the same ever again.

So here they were, once a powerful set of species centuries ago, driving towards a new town to try and start a new life and a future they were all very unsure of.

Joyce slowly shifted and crawled towards the backseat, gathering her daughter in her arms as Buffy continued to cry out her grief.

"We're going to make it," Joyce whispered tiredly, her own eyes bloodshot from crying as well.

"I just want Dad back," Buffy whimpered.

"We all do, honey," Joyce said softly, "We all do."

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Chapter Two: The Fear

The werewolf pack was now separated, living in their individual homes in a town called Sunnydale, California. It was a small place two hours away from LA. It had acres of woods to run in, a plus for the times when it came to change beneath the moon.

It was a frightening experience, especially when they were so used to going down the hall and knocking on their sister's bedroom door or their friend's study room.

It had been so easy and simple when they were all living together under the same roof. The safety and the security they all felt with being together. They were peaceful, and life was more like a sense freedom other than a restriction in which most human beings lived by.

But now . . . the pack was just falling apart. No one knew what to do. Hopelessness and fear had reached them all, gripping their hearts at such a tight constraint that they dreaded what to do next and what step to take. They had lived such a sheltered life away from the village with just their pack and without outsiders that it was just so hard.

Back in Pennsylvania, they had their home and the woods to run wild and free in. For a hundred years, their pack had lived there, away from other werewolf packs and average human beings that they had gotten so used to the protection their secluded lives offered. But along with that safety came the carelessness of the outside world . . . and now, here they were, living in it.

"We need a new leader," Alex said at their first meeting place at Ethan Rayne's home at the edge of town.

Everyone eyed each other for a moment before regarding and sizing them up, contemplating who would take place as their next leader. Too thin, too old, too young, too weak, too small . . . and then their eyes landed on Spike, who sat languidly on a chair by the fire, staring at it with his intense blue eyes.

"He's the finest wolf we have," Joyce said softly. The others nodded in agreement. Spike would make a good leader, if he could just fix or get rid of his habit of breaking the rules and being incompetent.

"No," Xander cringed.

Buffy continued to stare at Spike. The two of them, along with Xander, Willow, Cordelia, Kendra, Oz, and Faith, had grown up together and had always gotten along. But because of the tragic circumstances, they had drifted carelessly apart, like so many others in the pack.

They all held their emotions in check, keeping themselves as far away from the others as possible, afraid that it would all just burst and cause more panic than what they were used to. After all, sadness led to fear, fear was followed by panic, panic led to anger, and anger became their deaths. And not one of them wanted to die. It was something driven in all beings . . . the will to survive, and they all knew they had to survive, and if they showed panic now . . . they knew what was to happen after that.

"He's all we have, Xander," Alex told his son, "And we need a new leader now . . . or else we can kiss our lives goodbye."

The others nodded their agreement, not really knowing what else to do. They were desperate for a new leader, even if it was Spike. He would be a good protector, if not an organizer. That would probably and hopefully come from his mate.

"He's not fit to be the leader!" Xander stood up, trying to make a point, "He's a rebellious waste who will bring us all to our damnation."

Spike stood up and glared at the younger man. "Hey now! Don't get me started with you, boy!" he yelled at Xander as the two males stared daggers at each other.

The pack went into an uproar, whispering and arguing what to do and what choices to make. They had never been in this position before. They always had a leader or a leader who was next to follow. Giles had still been strong and healthy for him to make a decision in who should be their next leader.

They had never been in a situation to decide on their own before. They helped with the choices, but they never actually made it.

Buffy sat back in her seat and looked out of the window, staring up at the dark sky, wishing the Goddess Moon, the mother of all werewolves, was out that night so they could all just run through the woods; free to howl, to chase, and nip each other with playful jaws.

"Now, now," Ethan said and the pack quieted down. "We can't fight over this. That's not the best solution we have."

"Then what the hell are we going to do?" Xander asked him.

"We'll call for the Blood Moon," Wesley, the oldest member of pack said in his raspy yet strong voice. "A battle shall take place on the last night of the following moon cycle. The last wolf standing will become our leader."

A collective gasp and whispers spread through the pack. "That means anyone can join in, even strangers . . . lone wolves that have nothing to do with us," Cordelia said, her brown eyes wide.

"It's the way it has to be, child," Wesley said hoarsely, his withered blue eyes gleaming darkly.

"It's too dangerous," Willow pleaded sadly, hoping anyone can make a better suggestion. No stranger has taken the place as leader of their pack before. All their leaders had been someone they knew and trusted . . . this would put a new rift between all of them.

Not only that, but they had never had such a battle before. Sure they were one the strongest family lines, their ancestors one of the oldest and most powerful werewolves to walk the ancient earth, the ability was naturally in their blood and spirit. And they sparred and hunted in their wolf forms to harness that power, but this battle was to the death . . . and neither of them had killed anyone before.

"It has to be this way," Wesley said, shooting his granddaughter a warning glance. Willow back down in respect to the older man.

"This battle will cost most of our men," Kendra said, hugging Xander closer to her on her seat on the couch.

"This battle is our future," Cordelia said, her eyes full of hurt as she studied her ex-boyfriend with one of her friends. Her and Xander were together most of their pre-teen years, but they broke up when they hit sixteen . . . and now he was with Kendra. Although Cordelia had no more claims on him, her heart was still in pieces because of it. After all, he had moved on, but she hasn't.

Wesley nodded his agreement with what Cordy had stated. "A new leader for a new beginning. The Moon has called it . . . "

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Chapter Three: The News

The news of The Blood Moon Battle traveled swiftly through the globe among the twitching ears of eager male werewolves. Those who had enough stamina and guts to play the dance of death beneath the moon prepared for the upcoming fight.

They knew they had to put up with the Slayer Clan, a pack in which powerful and ancient blood flowed through their veins. It was going to be tough even though they had all heard they had been a peaceful and sheltered pack before their leader died in a fire set by a mob in their old town in Pennsylvania. The blessing of the Moon Goddess and the Shadow King was granted to their family, and they were the considered one of oldest clan of werewolves that had survived through the centuries.

Everyone else was either a lone wolf or a fairly new pack.

"It's a pity, really," Gunn said.

Angelus paced the floor of the apartment in New York he shared with Gunn and Penn. Gunn, such as Angelus, was looking for a pack to lead, while Penn was an independent, not wanting to be tied down with any sort of responsibilities.

"What?"

"The death of Giles. I heard he was a great leader," Gunn said as he placed more wood into the fireplace of their simple three-bedroom apartment that overlooked the Statue of Liberty as well as the Atlantic Ocean.

"A leader who kept his pack away from the real world is no leader at all," Penn commented snidely as he strolled into the living area to look out the windows. "If you ask me . . . "

"In which we didn't," Gunn muttered as he glared at the man.

"It's not worth trying to lead the pack," Penn continued, ignoring Gunn's comment.

"They would need to be taught," Angelus said, continuing to pace.

Penn sighed dramatically. "You'll be wasting your time. They'll turn you into a pussy before you can corrupt them."

Angelus smirked. "I doubt that, Penn."

He only shrugged. "Fine. Go," he said nonchalantly. "This is your chance, after all," he said, "You want it . . . so take it, have it."

"And I will," Angelus promised to himself. It was time. This had always been his silent hope, to take over a prominent pack suck as the Slayer Clan and turn it to something bigger. It had always been his dream to make the werewolves rule Earth once again, and turn human beings into precious meals to be hunted down and slaughtered.

Times needed to change once again, and the Slayer Clan will help him reach that change.

"I hear his daughter is one wolf to sniff up," Gunn smirked impishly as he laid back on the couch.

Angelus quirked up a bit and stopped pacing. "A daughter?"

"A beauty at that," Penn whistled. "She's a worthy mate, I hear, and at her prime as well," he said, "Twenty years old and still not taken."

"A virgin," Gunn sat up, taking full interest now.

Penn nodded. "The Slayer Clan lived their lives as werewolves, but they stuck to some human morals as well. Especially when it came to their sex lives."

"How fascinating," Gunn said.

"Very," Angelus added with a frown. Werewolves in nature were as sexually driven as every other being on earth . . . how they could deny themselves the pleasure of sex was both appalling and mesmerizing.

"A virgin werewolf princess," Gunn mumbled thoughtfully, "I actually find it arousing. To dominate a powerful yet innocent wolf."

Angelus growled at the thought. "Damn, that sounds nice," he said huskily before continuing his pacing in front of the fire.

"And intriguing. I never had a virgin before," Gunn said, sitting back on the couch lazily.

Penn sneered humorously. "They're the best piece of ass, if you're into the whole naive maiden sort of shit. The easiness of dominating them makes any wolf's blood boil like crazy."

"I'm liking the sound of it so far," Angelus said truthfully.

"You would," Gunn snorted, knowing how much Angelus enjoyed sex, a lot of sex. He should know, his room was right next to his and he's heard every groan, scream, and grunts that had come through the walls that separated their rooms. It was annoying and very tiring.

Angelus shrugged. "I'm always open for any new sexual rendezvous that comes my way. New experiences are the best learning experiences," he grinned wickedly.

Penn rolled his eyes, "Please, you just got that from the back of a cereal box."

"We don't eat cereal," Angelus said as he stared at him as if he were the dumbest person on planet earth.

"Cereal box, meat packages, I wasn't being literal," Penn ground out.

"Well, I'm definitely up for the challenge," Gunn said, standing up and walking towards his bedroom, "I'm in."

Angelus stared at the fire. "Same here."

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Chapter Four: The Beginning

The pack quickly heard of the males that had made their way to the small town of Sunnydale. Buffy had seen more unfamiliar faces and and smelled more scents all over the woods during her nightly runs.

She morphed to wolf form, stepping away from the clothes that piled on her feet. The scent of the night became stronger and her vision became sharper as her mother opened the door for her. "Be back before midnight. There're a lot of crazy wolves out tonight. I want you safe at home before they come howling at the moon like hooligans and petrifying the townies."

Buffy just continued down the front steps of their home as she ran freely into the night, disappearing through the shadows that encased the woods.

Joyce sighed. She shouldn't be letting her daughter out at such a hazardous night. Male wolves, especially those who were strangers to the pack, were dangerous. But her daughter was restless, and the only antidote for her sadness was the freedom of a run.

Buffy moved swiftly and quietly through the forest, instinct and natural reflexes the only thing getting her through the darkness of the forest. Her sleek white coat, with Buffy being one of the only few werewolves of the past to have been gifted with fur the color of the Moon Goddess, was pale in contrast to the night.

Her heart pounded and she felt herself crush the leaves and twigs beneath her paws as it added their own aroma to the night. She suddenly stopped when she smelled the scent of two approaching males.

She instinctively took a step back as they suddenly appeared before her. She felt another presence of wolves, three this time, and Buffy eased a bit as she felt the familiar members of her pack appear behind her. They growled warningly at the other two who still stood their ground, but with uneasiness in their glowing eyes.

Buffy looked at Spike, his long gray coat whipping smoothly with the wind. Xander stood behind him, short white and gray fur blowing with the wind as well. The two of them may never get along, but when it came to the pack, they were both as protective as each other. She felt Oz nuzzle her shoulder, making sure she wasn't harmed or injured. She nuzzled him back, whimpering and silently telling him she was fine.

Spike bared his teeth angrily, his wolf body crouched for attack. Xander was right behind him, ready to pounce. The two strangers spun, glaring at the group before sauntering off with an arrogant howl.

Spike stared at Buffy, question and anger in his eyes. She shouldn't have been out. What if the three of them hadn't come along? What would've happened to her? He stalked towards her and nipped at her neck hard enough for it to hurt, showing her his disapproval of her behavior.

Buffy growled warningly. He wasn't the pack leader. He couldn't tell her what to do. She stepped away from them and ignored Spike's raging bark. She felt Oz walking with her and felt a bit safer with her cousin, prominent by his bluish gray coat, by her side.

The two of them entered through the back door of Buffy's home. All the lights were on indicating that people were there. The two of them changed in the bathroom, not even blinking at the fact that they were both as naked as the day they born.

It wasn't something they cared for. The pair, along with the other members of the pack, had changed in front of each other since they could all remember. It wasn't something to shy from. It was as natural as running through the woods underneath the Mother Moon.

"Here," Buffy said, handing Oz, a robe, "You still have extra clothes upstairs."

"Thanks," he said and stared at her eyes as she fit herself into a robe as well, "What were you doing out tonight, Buff?"

She looked away. "I needed the run," she confessed, knowing she would be able to tell Oz anything. He may be the quietest out of all the pack members, but he was trustworthy. Plus, they were blood kin, their mothers being sisters and all.

A knock came on the door as it opened, revealing Cordelia and Willow. "We had been waiting for you!" the brunette scolded.

Buffy smirked and Oz took Willow's hand in his as the two headed towards the living room first. "Do you guys ever wonder who will win this battle?" Cordelia asked.

"The strongest will win," Buffy said with a nod.

"The oldest," Willow said.

"The wisest will be leader," Wesley's voice replied down the hall. His blue eyes landed on Oz, "You should leave, child. The meeting is for the women of the pack." The male werewolf nodded before kissing Willow on the cheek and heading up the stairs for some clothes.

The three girls moved towards the living room, noticing the other female members: Faith, Anya, Kendra, and Joyce. Buffy took a seat on the couch with Kendra, letting the girl crouch on her lap as she stroked her dark hair. The two had always been close, especially when Kendra lost her parents to natural causes and Buffy had been there through the hardships. Joyce had taken the young woman in for a while, but when the girls were twelve, Kendra moved in with her uncle and his family.

Willow sat on arm of the couch, playing with Buffy's hair as she kept an attentive ear around her. Cordelia sat back on the other side of the couch, facing her three closest friends. Joyce stayed seated on the loveseat with Anya as Faith paced by the window.

"I call you here to learn of the Moon Dance," Wesley began. "All seven of you are our unmated females."

"But I've had Giles . . . "

"He's gone, Joyce, meaning you are as free as the other girls."

She stayed silent.

"After The Blood Moon Battle, a fight between the females for the winning male will follow next. You seven are free to participate. The other women of our pack are either already mated or too old or too young," Wesley explained.

"How about lone female wolves? Will they come too?" Cordelia asked worriedly.

Wesley shook his head. "If a stranger wins as our pack leader, then one of our own should be chosen as his mate to keep our bloodline. If one of our own wins, then that's just a better advantage."

"Must we participate?" Buffy asked, hoping she didn't have to fight to be someone's bitch.

Faith sneered."Yeah, princess wolf doesn't like the thought of touching wolf mutts, right, babe?" she mocked.

"If you're trying to get a rise out of me, it's not working," Buffy said, glaring at the brunette who had always challenged her since they were young kids.

"Please," Wesley raised his hands to quiet them down, "Save it for the battle, girls. As I said before, it's your choice, but let's do this for survival . . . for the pack . The Moon has called it . . . "

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Chapter Five: The Chase

' . . . but let's do it for the survival of the pack . . . '

He just had to say that.

The other girls had all decided that they were going to fight the Bitch Dance. Even her mother was going to participate, and she was usually so diplomatic and peaceful.

They had told Buffy to go for it, urged her to do it for the pack and the family. So Buffy grudgingly agreed. After all, she would do anything for the clan. It was her life, her kin, and her blood. Everything was for the pack.

She feared being someone's mate. To have that responsibility of being owned by someone as his partner for the rest of her existence. It sounded . . . too much of a duty and an obligation to deal with. Not to mention the fact that she wasn't what you would call an 'Experienced Genius' of any kind when considering and listing all of her 'sexual' encounters in her twenty-year history.

In the past, she had exactly two very ~innocent~ sexual rendezvous with exactly two men. First it was with Xander with his sudden crush on her when they were ten, and then there was Spike.

The pack had always believed, from the moment they found out that they were together, that Buffy would end up with Spike. After all, the two of them were very close, and not to mention the never ending flirting and stolen kisses gave much away. And at that time, Buffy fooled herself into believing she was in love with him too.

She had worshiped the ground he walked on and had always been by his side when all their friends were against him. Simple as that. But later on, realization dawned on her. She admired him and the little things she noticed about him. Like the way he would tousle his peroxide blond hair with gel in the morning while humming Elvis Presley songs, or the way his thick British accent rolled off his tongue like velvet whenever he wanted to seduce you, or the way he always managed to burn a few more holes on his leather jacket whenever he dropped a burning cigarette from between his lips.

But she didn't love him.

And when Buffy had told him that, Spike went ballistic, convincing himself, as well as Buffy and the others, that she was just a little lost and that she didn't know what she was talking about. Even now he continues to delude himself that she was going to change her mind anytime now.

She sighed.

And that delusion still continues . . .

Don't get her wrong, she loves him in her own way, but she doesn't love him as she would to a mate. She saw him as a close brother who would protect her from anything and everything, or even as best friend she could usually count, but not in any other way.

Buffy morphed slowly the following night, relishing the way her body changed, the way her bones seem to crack as she fell on all her fours, and how the twist of pain she felt in her stomach felt like a high. The change was like a drug . . . and what took after the change was ecstasy, the reason why werewolves alike changed in the first place. The feeling of freedom coursed through the veins of all wolves, it was in their nature, especially hers.

As usual, Joyce opened the back door for her, praying to he Moon Goddess that her baby would be protected in the darkness of the first night of the Thunder Moon. It was easy to keep away from the transformation during the first two nights of the moon cycle, but by the third night, all werewolves instinctively morphed. For now, Joyce just wanted a quiet night alone.

Buffy, once again, disappeared in the haven of the woods of Sunnydale. An owl hooted in the distance and the rustle of the leaves were reasonably loud to her ears. Howls of other wolves filled the night air, and Buffy ran faster, her white coat as bright and as mysterious as the moon that shone above her.

Angelus licked his face, enjoying the taste of coppery blood that remained on his tongue. He licked his paw, completely sated from his meal.

The rabbit that was once alive and well was now ripped viciously apart by his teeth and claws on the ground. The only remains were its head, the eyes staring back at him blankly, its bones, completely clean of the meat, and the fur, stained with sweet red blood. Everything else had been eaten with gratification.

It was good to hunt and kill. It was a superb sensation: to slash and to lacerate. And since he couldn't kill as a human, he could kill as an animal. What better way to get away from charges of murder? Even if they were only small rodents he was killing. The feeling was both pleasant and quite disturbing.

Him and Gunn had arrived at the small town of Sunnydale just that morning. They had been fidgety and agitated as they entered the small hotel of the small community. They were too eager to study and examine their new surroundings of the woods of Sunnydale. After all, they had been living in an urban city most of their lives. The rural scene was a huge change.

When their Mother Moon finally came out, so did the two of them. They had felt the presence of two other male wolves inside the hotel, but it didn't matter. Neither of them had run into the other lone wolves. So as soon as night came, the two friends parted ways to run into the woods on their own.

Angelus looked up, satisfied and content with his midnight kill in the woods.

And that was when he spotted her, running like the wind across his vision. Her eyes were a blazed with the pure exhilaration . . . feral and uncontrollable, she ran . . . a beautiful apparition of a werewolf sprinting in the night with complete abandon . . .

And Angelus ran after her.

Buffy had sensed him the moment she ran past him. He was dangerous and sleek. She could tell from the way he continued to pursue her no matter how many times she faked a turn or disappeared beneath the shadows.

She felt her blood sing as he neared, and she ran faster, afraid of the way her blood was boiling with warmth at the thrilling chase.

She jumped over a fallen log, the smell of rotting bark flowing through her nostrils with its pungent odor. The male wolf was closely behind her, not showing any hint of giving up the chase he had began.

Angelus studied her from behind, admiring the shiny white coat and the way she ran, so lustrous and powerful. The epitome of everything a werewolf should be, magnificent and mystifying, robust and exquisite.

Angelus felt a growl erupt from his throat as he ran faster.

Buffy knew the chase was not hers to win when the wolf gained distance. She felt fear run through her body as she realized the many possibilities that could occur when he caught her. A fight could erupt, or the instinctive pull of sexual needs and wants. Anything could happen. Especially with this particular male.

Angelus leaped in the air and pounced on her.

A pitiful whimper reached his ears, worrying him for moment. But then she morphed back into her human form, causing his concern to fade away for the moment. She was stunning, her golden nude body shining with light perspiration as her chest rose and fell from her labored breathing. Her eyes stared up at him with a sense of innocence and animalistic roughness, a lovely mixture for a lovely young woman.

She was superb, a whole new step from the women he was usually seen with. Typically, he was with older women with overly done makeup and hair, skimpy clothes, and not a whole lotta brain. But this one . . . she was young, naturally beautiful . . . and intelligent. He could tell just from the way she looked at him. It was written clearly in her eyes.

Their eyes met and locked, stormy blue eyes met midnight black. And they could only stare at each other as the world stopped around them.

His coat was glossy and black, a large contrast from her white coat. He morphed into his human form and she continued to stare at him, barely noticing that he was naked and between her legs.

He was handsome, but the word did no justice to how completely beautiful he was: dark brown hair, with a dark set of eyes, and an all around gorgeous face.

"Who are you?" Buffy demanded, annoyed even though she was truly scared shitless.

Angelus smirked and rubbed his hard cock against her sex. She gasped, her eyes widening as a tornado of emotions washed through her face, the blue color of her eyes changing from one shade to another.

"You're nightmare," he whispered huskily, continuing his slow assault on her and wanting her to remember him, to engrave this memory in her mind as it did to his already, "and your dream."

Buffy's sense of humor decided to hide her fear and her arousal. "Sounds like the worst pick up line I've ever heard."

He had the heart to chuckle, making her frown with irritation. "The name's Angelus," he said, a smirk still playing on his lips. "And you better remember it," he said in her ear, his warm breath tickling her neck, "Cause you'll be screaming it soon enough."

Angelus brought down his lips and smashed it against her own, swallowing her sudden yelp of surprise as he held back a groan from the smell of her musky scent all around them. She felt so soft beneath him, so fragile and tender, yet strong and vivacious.

With his last ounce of will power, he pulled away from her, morphing back to wolf form before disappearing into the night. He didn't want to leave her, but it was his nature to be mysterious. It was more of an intuition than a chosen act. Yet his last thoughts remained on the naked werewolf he had left out in the woods.

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Chapter Six: The Warning

Buffy swung lazily on a swing in the jungle gym of a small park the next night. Her thoughts were on a particular werewolf that she had been thinking about since getting back home the night before.

She sighed.

Whoever he was, his handsome face still lingered clearly in her mind, and the feel of him on top of her infused her body with growing warmth that began from her stomach and ended at the tips of her fingers. A never ending cycle that continued whenever she saw his dark eyes in her head.

Her friends were scattered around. Xander was trying earnestly to swing on the monkey bars with Kendra rolling her eyes at him. Oz and Willow sat on the slide, embracing each other as they enjoyed the quiet night with their Mother Moon shining down her light upon them. Cordelia sat on the swing next to Buffy while Spike took other one besides her. Faith, being the daredevil that she usually was, balanced on the high beam that held the swings.

Everything was quiet, and they all enjoyed it. The tranquility the night offered a soothing balm to their souls. It showed that their Moon Goddess was watching over them, healing them in a time of broken hopes and dreams.

"Everyone went out into the woods," Willow said, finally breaking the silence that had enveloped them all.

"The battle's two days away," Oz added, "Everyone's getting antsy."

"I've smelled more markings of wolves out in the woods than I have on Faith," Cordelia smirked impishly.

Faith glared at the brunette. "At least I've got some."

Cordelia rolled her eyes at the weak attempt to insult her. "Please, like being a total slut is such a great way to boost up your ego. Shows how confident you really are."

"Sorry if I'm not like Princess Wolf over here who's saving her virginity for a wolf that'll steal her heart and carry her away beneath the moonlight and make sweet love to her behind a bunch of bushes," Faith sneered.

"The bushes are a bit twiggy. Leaves can get stuck in your hair. I was thinking more along the lines of the river," Buffy shot back, "I hear sex in the water is quite . . . enlightening."

"Yeah, you've heard. There's a difference," Faith said.

"She would know," Cordy mumbled causing Buffy to chuckle.

"Well, look at what we have here," a voice broke into the silence.

They all looked up and Buffy's eyes suddenly widened at the sight of Angelus and a black man standing next to him. He was still as perfect as the first and the last time she had seen him. He was dressed casually in black pants, a black coat that went down to his knees, and a red silk shirt with the first few top buttons left undone.

Faith jumped down from her perch, a wicked gleam in her eyes as she stalked towards the two large males who looked at her with interest. The small stones and pebbles of the playground gave way beneath her feet as she stopped in front of the two strangers. Her eyes were on Angelus, drinking in his handsome form.

"What you have here is a very willing female," she whispered huskily before she stared into his eyes.

"Oh, God," Cordelia scoffed disgustedly, making a face of revulsion, "Now that we all know that Faith is horny, who's ready to gag with me?"

Everyone, except Buffy, raised his or her hands.

Gunn stared at the pretty brunette who had spoken as she shared a look with a blonde and a red head. She was a beautiful thing, around her twenties with long dark hair, brown eyes, and a wide and enriching smile.

Angelus kept his eyes on Buffy, not bothering to take another glance at Faith who continued to eye him with appreciation and approval. He sidestepped the brunette who stood her ground in front of him and sauntered towards the very surprised and very shocked blonde.

His groin twitched at the sight of her just sitting innocently on the swing, her blond hair cascading down her shoulders in soft curls, her blue eyes wide with a hint of fear in them.

Ah, fear . . . he loved the sight . . . loved the smell.

Buffy froze when she saw him stalk towards her like she was prey. She stood up, intent on running when he grasped her arm and pulled her towards him.

She glared at him. "What do you want?" she ground out through clenched teeth.

Angelus' nostrils flared from her scent. He had to fight the urge to nuzzle her bare neck to inhale more of her intoxicating smell that was a mixture of vanilla and her own particular aroma.

He brought his head down to hers before blowing seductively in her ear. "I want you," he said quietly.

Angelus was suddenly pushed away, the unexpected action causing him to slam against the slide. He growled and glared at a pair of icy blue eyes.

The other males of the pack had gotten up from their positions to give Angelus a warning look that almost made him smirk. They were still pups, barely grown males, and they thought they could actually take him on?

Spike growled back at the stranger and turned to face Buffy, his face softened as he took in her stunned form. "Are you all right, luv?" he asked worriedly.

Buffy mentally shook her head, trying to clear her mind as her body continued to tingle from Angelus' touch. She glared at Spike. "I don't need you to protect me," she said huffily, hating the fact that Spike still thought of her as some helpless wolf that always needed saving, especially by him.

"That's right," Angelus spoke up behind the bleached blond werewolf, anger in his eyes for being disturbed by the putrid male and a smirk on his lips for Buffy's nice comeback for the British punk, "You're a big girl, aren't you?"

Buffy shot him a look, blue eyes dark with passion and rage. "Bite me," she ground out at the annoying yet handsome male.

"Now you're talking," Angelus grinned, stepping closer and shoving Spike away. He could picture himself doing more than just biting her . . .

Spike was enraged, here was a foreign male going after his future mate. He was not going to put up with any of that shit. With a furious howl, he punched the stranger across the face, causing the dark male to fall to the ground.

"Buffy!" Willow yelled, pulling her friend away from the brawl.

The two of them along with Kendra and Cordelia watched helplessly as Oz and Xander joined in the fight.

Gunn quirked an eyebrow and let out a quiet chuckle. He crossed his arms and leaned back against a pole as he watched on carelessly.

Please. Did these cubs actually think they would be able to defeat Angelus? He chuckled once again. There might be three of them, but Angelus was one tough fucker.

Gunn tore his eyes away from the fight to the pretty brunette that stood with the other girls of the group . . . except for the other young woman who had made a move on Angelus. The girl was now standing a few feet away from him, watching the fight with much interest . . . well . . . watching Angelus with much interest.

Angelus laughed as he piled the three young men in a heap of injuries by his feet. He wiped sweat off his forehead with the sleeve of his jacket and then stared up at Buffy, danger and intensity radiating from his eyes as she stared back at him with equal ardor.

She noticed the large bruise that was starting to form on his temple as well as his torn shirt and the deep gashes on his washboard stomach. Buffy looked away and stared into his eyes once again as his shoulders rose and fell from his harsh breathing.

"You like what you see?" Angelus asked in an amused yet passion infused tone.

The three other males got up on their feet and stared at Angelus with astonishment. The lone werewolf had taken all of them down. But before anyone could blink, Spike had the stranger by the throat and shoved against a pole, the blood in his veins singing powerfully by his Mother Moon.

Angelus knew he was in danger when he could smell the power from the blond male glowing off of him in waves. He flashed his eyes yellow and Angelus realized that this was one the reasons why the Slayer Clan was known for their amazing strength and gifts.

"You've overstepped you boundaries, you poofter," Spike said through clenched teeth, "You haven't won yet . . . and after this little display, I'ma make bloody sure that you don't become our leader." With that said, Spike stalked away, the others following closely behind.

Angelus watched as the Billy Idol Wannabe led the group away from the park. He smirked and then winked as Buffy lingered behind, eyeing him suspiciously and wonderingly.

"Buffy!" one of her friends called. She jumped a little and quickly followed the others as he watched her 'til she disappeared out of view, enjoying the way her hips swayed and the way she kept looking back at him as he leered at her.

"Who is he?" Willow asked her best friend.

"Angelus," Buffy said quietly, peeking behind her shoulder to take another glance of the dark male, "I met him last night. He was chasing me."

"He looks . . . "

"Good enough to eat," Cordelia muttered.

The other girls stared at her. "What?! Like you can't tell!" she huffed before they fell into silence and continued on their walk home.

"Well . . . that was fascinating," a female voice piped in, breaking the concentration of the two strange males who continued to watch the blond and the brunette who were now leaving the park.

Both Angelus and Gunn stared at the girl who stayed. Faith, if they remembered correctly. "Who is she?" Angelus suddenly asked, keeping his eyes at the spot where the blonde vanished in.

"Elizabeth Summers Giles . . . aka Buffy," Faith said bitterly before walking towards where the others had exited. "Watch out, boys, Princess Wolf is overly protected by the pack."

"I understand their reasons," Angelus sneered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Seven: The Battle

Buffy stood with Willow and Cordelia by a tree as the three of them watched their surroundings with silence.

Ethan had chosen the spot in the woods, completely secluded from the town and away from any humans. All the pack members were there, standing off to one side and sizing up the lone wolves who stood at their own spots beneath the glow of their Mother Moon and the darkness of their Shadow King.

"They all look strong," Willow commented worriedly, taking in the sight of very well built young strangers.

"But dumb," Cordy assured with a nod.

Buffy had seen Angelus the moment he arrived, still looking as dangerous and as beautiful as the last time she'd seen him. And she mentally cursed him for it.

"I can't believe you're not participating, Buffy," Willow said fearfully,

The blonde shrugged. "It's my choice," she said, tearing her eyes away from Angelus.

Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Right," she said skeptically, "And it's not because of that certain brown haired honey we ran into a few days ago . . . "

Buffy became silent.

Angelus' eyes stayed on her, not bothering to study and examine his other competition. He couldn't help it. He couldn't look away when she was looking so glorious with her blond hair up in a twists, dressed in a light yellow top that bared her neck and shoulder, a dark olive green skirt that went down past her knees, and a pair of vintage heels.

Angelus smiled.

Looking sexy for the battle, a trophy worth showing off to stimulate those who were fighting for the name as the Slayer Clan's pack leader.

And boy was it working.

He could tell from the numerous amount of looks the other males threw at her, except Gunn who has had his eyes on Buffy's brunette friend, that they would go to any lengths to win this particular battle for her.

"Attention!"

Everyone looked at Wesley who stood on the middle of a circle fo white stones half dug into the ground. The old man was dressed in an old gray robe, a rope tied around his waist. He stared at the crowd, his blue eyes twinkling with an unknown force.

"It is time!" he shouted, and the gathered group of werewolves roared in cheer. Friends laughed and embraced each other, wishing them luck. The group quickly morphed into wolf form, barely waiting another second. The sounds of bone crunching and the sudden growls and howls of the changing animals permeated the air like a song in the night.

"Those who will fight for leadership, step forward," Wesley ordered, and the group obeyed as males of all different shades and sizes stepped into the circle.

"My prayers and wishes go out to all of you," Wesley said sincerely, "The last wolf standing will be named as the Slayer Clan's pack leader." He stepped away from the circle. "The battle begins . . . now!"

With a thunderous rumble of roars, male werewolves lunged at each other with feral attacks. Buffy watched on in fear and fascination as Angelus, notorious in his black coat, attacked the nearest male, biting him with his large and powerful jaws.

The male went down with a whimper as Wesley pulled him out of the circle before his companions, who chose not to fight, dragged him away from the crowd. Time seemed to go on as more of the males sauntered out of the circle with broken bones, bleeding wounds, and other major injuries.

And Buffy watched with complete enthrallment as Angelus took down every single male that came at him. He looked so powerful, a magnificent specimen of a werewolf. His eyes gleamed with animalistic passion as he bared his teeth, showing off his sharp canines with a growl. His dark eyes, now specked with amber and yellow, stared at the challengers with violence and fierceness.

The air became even more pungent, but this time, with blood and the small cries and whimpers of those who were wounded and hurt. Buffy moved closer to the circle, her silver eyes fixed on him as he continued to battle with passion.

Angelus was having a high as more power surged through his wolf form. He fought with viciousness. And through all this, his thoughts were on Buffy, who he knew was watching with keenness and acuteness.

He had been feeling her eyes on him the whole time . . .

And by the end, it was only him and Spike left standing.

The two circled each other, scrutinizing and looking for any sort of weakness. And Angelus found his. The other wolf had been wounded badly on his left shoulder. And Spike soon found the other male's as well, and with a grim smirk, sauntered off towards Buffy, looking shocked as he licked her face.

And from pure instinct, she nuzzled Spike's neck, not really knowing what she was doing as she kept her eyes on Angelus.

Instead of getting weakened by the act of affection between the bleached blonde ass and the mate he wanted, Angelus got angered, causing more power and strength to flow into him.

He lunged at Spike, catching the male off guard.

Spike struggled beneath the feral wolf. He opened his jaws, twisting his neck to bite at his shoulder.

Angelus almost laughed. It was bad move. The werewolf's neck was open and vulnerable, and Angelus took that to his advantage. With one fierce snarl, he bit into the neck, causing his opponent to whimper in pain.

Buffy watched, wide eyed as Angelus won the battle. Wesley pulled him away from the injured Spike.

"The Blood Moon Battle has ended. Angelus will take his place as pack leader for the Slayer Clan. The Moon has called it!" Wesley shouted.

The whole crowd was stunned into silence, amazed and shocked at the turn of events. A stranger, a lone wolf for that matter, had won The Blood Moon Battle, and against a Slayer Clan member.

Buffy howled . . . and the others soon followed, praising their respect towards the new leader.

Angelus licked his lip, his glowing eyes still on Buffy as the whole entire group of wolves howled their call. He was now the Slayer Clan's pack leader.

Faith was the first to attack, knocking Willow down on the ground before biting the girl's shoulder. A pitiful whimper escaped from her the auburn haired werewolf.

Buffy took a step forward, face fallen from utter horror as Oz pulled Willow from the circle she had been thrown into. What the hell was Faith doing?

Cordelia snarled and lunged after her . . . but Faith reacted quickly and slammed against her. The sound of bones breaking echoed through the air.

Kendra entered the fight as soon as Cordelia went down, but she was quickly disabled when Faith clawed at her. The girl slid across the ground in helpless whimpers.

Buffy watched as Anya came forward, but was quickly injured with an angry bite to her shoulder.

And then her mother came into the circle as the two circled one another. With a howl, Buffy jumped inside to protect her mother, but was too late. Faith quickly nipped at the older woman's neck, and Buffy watched helplessly as her mother fell to the ground.

With a ferocious roar, Buffy tackled Faith to the ground, completely blinded by fury. She bit, she growled, she stomped, and she clawed. No one touched her mother. She may be no reigning queen any longer, but no one dared touch her. But her attack on the werewolf was interrupted when she was roughly pulled away.

She looked at Wesley and growled at him in warning.

"The Moon Dance has ended. Buffy will take her place as Angelus' mate for the Slayer Clan. The Moon has called it!" Wesley presented.

The whole crowd roared and howled, growled and barked. But Buffy shook her head and stepped away from all of them, denying the fact that she had just won herself the Bitch's Dance. And by accident!

Her eyes landed on Angelus, who stared at her with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. He changed his form, and Buffy watched in fascination as his human features took the place of his wolf form. Blood and bruises covered his body, but he paid no heed to them.

Buffy morphed back as well, not caring that she was naked. That didn't matter, not when she had just won herself as his mate.

Angelus stared at her frightened expression and brought up a hand to caress her face. He smiled when she didn't pull away as she continued to stare at him in utter shock. Angelus took that moment to bring his lips down to hers, amused when she pulled away to glare at him.

He grinned. "I'm pack leader now . . . and you will be mine," he promised her.

Buffy gazed at him defiantly. "Don't be so sure," she said and morphed back into wolf form before she turned and ran deeper into the woods.

Angelus chuckled lightly before changing as well to follow her into the night, the sounds of howls flooding the night air.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Eight: The Following

Buffy reached the Summers-Giles' home just as dawn slowly climbed its way above the horizon in a golden halo of orange, yellows, pinks, and reds. It was a beautiful sight as the promise of a picturesque day continued to rise as she ascended up the steps of her home, naked and filthy.

Her hands and feet were bleeding from her night long run through the woods. She had been running all night, not once bothering to stop to take a breather or a rest. She was driven with a powerful surge to get away. She just wanted to get home, especially after finding out that she had just named her self Mate of the Leader.

Buffy limped up to her room, noticing that her mother was already sleeping peacefully in her own room down the hall. The battle in the woods took place too far from the town. It was a few hours drive, no wonder she took all night to get home and her mother was already sleeping quietly.

Buffy was just glad she was safe. No prominent bruises except for a cut on her mother's forehead, but other than that, she looked fine.

She entered the bathroom and sighed as she took in her rumpled form. Her hair was tousled; completely wild and untamed as crushed leaves adorned it here and there. A few smudges of dirt marred her skin, and the scratches of the twigs and sharp rocks in the woods had already made their marks on her body.

She looked like a cavewoman who had just gone through hell.

She turned on the shower and let the water run until it was nice and hot before she stood underneath its spray, enjoying the feel of the warmth of the water heat and comfort her. She then opened her eyes and stared at the dull white tiles before her, picturing Angelus' naked body beneath the moonlight as his words echoed loudly in her mind.

~I'm pack leader now . . . and you will be mine.~

He was right. She'll end up being his in the end no matter how much she tried to resist him. The pack will want the winner of the Moon Dance with the victorious leader. Not only that but the Moon Goddess and the Shadow King had called it.

It was the way of the laws . . . of their ancestors. And she also knew she wouldn't be able to resist him personally. He was not only a gorgeous specimen of a werewolf, but the danger and the excitement he was surrounded with attracted her like a moth to a flame.

She could still picture his piercing dark eyes roaming over her, caressing her with just a look. She could still remember the way it made her tingle with yearning, making her wish that just for once she can act with lack of control and be as risky as him.

She remembered the way his touch, just a simple one at that, made her quiver . . . and how his kisses made her weak with desire.

She groaned at the memory of his lips pressed deeply against her own.

Jesus . . . just to feel his mouth all over her body . . .

Buffy mentally punched herself.

Well . . . if she was going down, she wasn't going to go down without a fight. She was stubborn like that . . . a fighter who didn't back down from challenges such as Angelus.

She turned the showerhead off and toweled herself dry. She was going to get some sleep, let herself heal, and think about everything else (including Angelus) later . . . that is unless she dreamed about him. Which was something she found herself doing every night since she met him.

With a sigh and a last lingering picture of Angel's handsome face . . .

Wait . . .

Angel?

. . . Well . . . it was a suiting nickname for such a handsome man . . .

And with that last thought, Buffy drifted into the welcoming arms of darkness.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

A knock on the door woke Buffy from her blissful sleep. She grumbled incoherently and opened one eye, blinking as the mid-afternoon sun shone down on her, making her look like a golden angel in her sea of white sheets, pillows, and fluffy comforters.

"Honey, you have a phone call," Joyce said, her voice full of concern for her young daughter.

Buffy rubbed her sleepy eyes and sat up from bed, not really caring that she was still naked beneath her covers. She liked sleeping in the nude, it gave her a sense of freedom.

"Hello?"

"Buffy."

"Buff."

"Hey, Will, Cordy," she muttered as she fell back into her bed, sinking into her bed as she snuggled even deeper within its warm embrace.

"Where the hell did you run off to?" Cordelia shrieked angrily, "We were worried. Some of the men searched for you and what's his face."

"Angelus?" Buffy offered.

"Whatever."

"I'm sorry, but I had to get out of there," she tired young woman said through the phone.

"Give her a break, Cordy. You would've done the same," Willow teased lightly. Cordelia only scoffed in response.

"Not to sound like a bitch or anything but . . . is there another reason for this call? I've been running all night and I feel like I'm gonna die if I don't get anymore sleep . . . that or pass out or something even worse," Buffy said, the sound of regret in her voice.

"Yeah, there is. First off, Spike went completely ballistic that Angelus had won. You should've been there, it was classic. We should've brought a camera," Cordelia said, laughter in her tone, "Second, your mate's friend kept hitting on me all night."

"You did not mind it," Willow taunted.

"And third," Cordelia said, ignoring Willow's comment, "What happened between you and the new pack leader?"

Buffy smiled. "First of all, Spike can be such a drama queen sometimes, and if he hadn't been such a male, he would've had a great advantage in the battle," Buffy lied, knowing Angelus would have won anyways, "Second of all, Angelus is not my mate . . . "

"Yet," Willow interrupted.

"And third," Buffy almost growled, a little frustrated from what Willow had said, "Nothing happened between me and Angelus. He never caught up. I think I lost him."

"Please, give me a break, Buff. That wolf was to close to your ass that he would've taken you right there and then," Cordy smirked.

Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Anyhow, like it really matters now," she said off handedly, "You'll end up mated with him sooner or later. But I thought you weren't going to join the fight."

"Well . . . I thought so too," Buffy replied, "But when Faith started attacking . . . I got protective. Especially when she went after my mom."

"Oh, but you should've seen her . . . " Cordelia said happily, "Beaten into a pulp. Black and blue . . . and other interesting colors that I never knew existed. It was quite pretty, like a Picasso. You did a pretty good number on her."

Buffy winced. "Even if I don't really enjoy her, I still hope she's okay," Buffy said worriedly.

"She'll survive," Cordelia said nonchalantly.

"Well, we're just glad that you ended up as our queen instead of Faith. I don't think the pack would survive if we had to follow her," Willow said.

"I'm no queen, Will," Buffy said.

"Whatever," Cordelia muttered, causing Buffy to smirk.

"Wait. I have a question. How are the others reacting to . . . well . . . the news?" Buffy asked.

"They're a little hesitant about the whole thing, but I think they're just happy that we have a leader," Willow replied.

"They would've been happier if it was one of our own who had won, but it didn't turn out that way," Cordy added.

"We're all gonna have to get used to it," Buffy said and the girls silently agreed.

"Wesley has a good feeling about him," Willow piped in.

"I think he's the only one," Buffy mumbled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Nine: The Kiss

"Honey? C'mon, sweetie, you have to get up sometime today . . . er . . . tonight and eat," her mother called out to her outside her bedroom door.

"I like the sound of pancakes!" Buffy called out, hoping her mom would take the bait. She was bone tired, hungry, and craving for warm fluffy pancakes . . . chocolate syrup, chopped bananas, and sprinkles.

Yup, she was definitely weird.

"It's already dinner time, Buff."

"Please."

"Fine. But I want you down stairs in ten minutes," Joyce said grumpily, hiding the fact that she was happy that her daughter was responding to her and that the event the night before didn't destroy her baby girl. She knew these turn of events was a bit traumatizing. She may not know it from experience, but as a mother, she knew these things from instincts. When her daughter was unsatisfied, unhappy, or excited, Joyce knew it without effort.

"Got it."

Buffy walked down the stairs, a smile playing on her lips as she tied her golden blond hair in a simple ponytail. Dressed in a white top and a pair of silky light baby blue jogging pants, she entered the kitchen, stopping dead on her tracks when she caught sight of a large and well-muscled male standing in front of the stove cooking.

"Morning," he said, his voice low and velvety.

Buffy shivered.

"Or should I say, good evening?" he asked, his strong back still facing her. He looked so comfortable in her home, dressed in a simple white wife-beater, black sweats, and . . . barefoot. It looked like he lived there . . . or stayed the night . . .

"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked, trying to put some ice in her tone, but came off as a nervous one instead.

"I'm cooking for you, can't you tell?" he asked with mirth as he turned to look at her.

Buffy's eyes locked with his as she absorbed the amusement on his face. And even with the cut on his forehead, his bandaged left arm, ribs, and the amount of bruises that covered his body, he still looked as beautiful and as dangerous as ever. His beaten form only made him look much more striking.

Buffy just wanted to walk up to him and caress and kiss every part of him, to softly touch his wounds with tenderness that would make him tremble with longing.

Oh, God . . . stop it, Buffy, she commanded herself.

Angelus wasn't doing so well either. She looked too wonderful for words. Wouldn't he love to wake up with this vision every morning, to watch her sleeping face pillowed against his body . . . and to know that she was completely in the nude underneath the covers.

Damn . . .

He would love to explore that heavenly body of hers that he had only seen three times, but would love to see and discover it with much more precision and time.

"Where's my mom?" Buffy asked.

"She went out to get some things," Angelus answered, tearing his mind away from the fantasies that had been conjured up by his brain of him and Buffy together.

She looked at him suspiciously. "You stayed the night?" Buffy asked incredulously, realization finally hitting her.

"The day, actually," he smirked, before turning around to finish cooking her pancakes.

"Why?" she demanded, stalking towards him in complete fury. He had been sleeping in her house without her knowledge! And her mother didn't even bother telling her!

Angelus looked at her, enjoying the way her temper flared with that small knowledge. "I followed you last night, love," he whispered, his eyes searching her face for nothing in particular. "I was right behind you from the moment you left the battle sight to the second you changed and walked inside the house," he whispered huskily, his eyes darkening from the memory of her naked. "I waited outside, looking up at your bedroom window, keeping you safe. Your mother opened the door for me a few hours later and gave me the guest room. She's a sweet one."

"Get out of my house."

Angelus quirked an eyebrow, humor dancing in his dark eyes. "But I'm an invited guest. And plus," he gestured towards the cooking pancakes, "I made you your specific order. Pancakes, and look, I added chocolate chips."

Buffy just stared at him.

"You're hurt," he frowned, as he took her injured hands in his own.

She pulled them away. "I'm fine," she insisted, "They'll heal."

"You should bandage it up," he said, gently tracing the cuts on her palms, "You don't want it to get infected."

"Thanks for the advise," she said and pulled them away again, hiding her hands behind her back so he would stop touching her, thus stop making her tremble with desire. "Get away from me," she deliberately said before whirling around only to get caught by the elbow and pulled against his strong hard body. She managed to keep hold back the gasp that threatened to escape her throat.

Angelus' nostrils suddenly flared from her sweet scent. She smelled like baby powder and rain this time. So sweet and enticing, so innocent and real.

His eyes almost rolled back as he grasped her and pulled her more firmly in his arms. "Do you really want that?" he managed to ground out.

"I want a lot of things," she said truthfully, "But some of them are too cruel and twisted to say."

"I like the sound of it so far," Angelus whispered in her ear.

Buffy jerked away and glared at him. "Bones crunching, wolves howling, people screaming would give you a happy," she reasoned.

He thought for a moment and began nodding. "True."

Buffy shook her head at him in disgust.

"You can't keep pushing me away, Buffy," he said, his eyes wiped of mirth that was replaced by total seriousness. "I won the rights for this pack . . . as well as you. I have taken this clan. You just have to accept it."

Buffy looked at him for a moment, studying his chiseled features. "I don't and I won't."

He stalked towards her in two long strides, catching her off guard when one of his hands settled against the small of her back as he pulled her against him. "You will because I'm going to have you, no matter how many times you try to defy me . . . in the end, I will win your undivided attention, your devotion . . . in simpler words . . . you will worship me," he said, and nipped at her lips as his hand traveled inside her shirt and up her back.

He swallowed her gasp of surprise with a searing kiss, and Buffy melted in his arms, not daring to move away and break this incredible feel of him so close to her. Their lips melded into one, heated with red-hot passion as Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck and as Angelus pulled her even closer to him.

She moaned into his mouth as they devoured each other, their tongues dueling a battle of will and lust. They were so engrossed in their own world that they didn't even notice the two females who entered the premises.

"Oh, my, God," Cordelia smiled impishly, causing Buffy to quickly pull away, eyes wide, lips swollen, and flesh heated.

"Corde . . . " Buffy growled warningly at what her friend must be thinking. Not only that, but angelus stood next to her looking completely full of himself.

Cordelia held up a hand to stop her, and then pointed at the door. "We're gonna . . . " she cleared her throat and pulled a surprised Willow towards the door, "Go . . . we're definitely gonna call you later," she said with a wink before closing the entrance.

Buffy looked back at Angelus' smug face. "I'm telling you, Angelus, keep your distance. You may win me in the end, but I promise you, I'll never truly be yours . . ." she warned before turning to head back up stairs to lock herself in her room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Ten: The Gathering

It was a quiet afternoon, the sun glinted warmly above the sky as the group made their way across the outer woods of Sunnydale, looking for a nice spot to lay their picnic that they had prepared earlier at Joyce's house. The sounds of fleeting birds echoed above them, and the soothing noise of rustling leaves sounded dreamy in their ears.

Buffy's long stresses blew with the breeze in gentle golden waves. Her slim sea blue skirt flowed down to her ankles, the wispy silk showing off her tiny yet curvy figure. Her tiny feet were encased in white sandals and her white top showed off a nice amount of tanned midriff and a lovely feminine four pack. She looked like Aphrodite walking in the sunlight with an air of power and splendor. She looked like the embodiment of everything that was beautiful . . . of everything that was woman.

"So, how's life with Mr. O'Connor?" Kendra asked, walking with Buffy as the group continued onwards, the sweet scent of nature intoxicating their heightened senses.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Hell," she answered curtly, "I never knew I would feel like a stranger in my own home."

After she had run up to her room after their erotic kiss, she had later found out from a talk with Willow and Cordelia that her own mother had offered their house as a temporary home for her unwanted mate. And although Buffy hadn't really seen him during the few weeks he'd been staying, except for the constant and very uncomfortable moments when he would corner her, she soon found out that he had been hunting for a permanent home for the pack.

The remaining living males who survived the battle had left Sunnydale the following morning. Those who didn't survive the ordeal were buried out in the woods in their wolf form. The only lone wolf left was Gunn, Angelus' good friend who was staying at a hotel in town. He often came to visit the Summers-Giles residence to have a few words with Angelus, and eyeing Cordelia like a meat-package whenever she was around.

"Why? What's he doing?" Willow asked curiously, her red hair bright and fiery beneath the rays of the sun.

"We can conjure up a few things on what he's doing . . . or will be doing," Xander piped in impishly as he started stroking an imaginary penis. Oz and Spike lightly chuckled.

Buffy smiled and shook her head, "Coming onto to me every minute he can . . . "

"What's the problem with that?" Cordelia asked with a grin.

"That's 'cause Miss Prissy here thinks she's Virgin Mary. All saintly and whatnot," Faith answered, popping out of nowhere.

Buffy winced at the sight of a pink scar on the other girl's lips. She hadn't seen her since the battle, and it was time to make amends to the person she had caused a lot of damage to. "Listen, Faith . . . " Buffy began, wanting to apologize for the injuries she had caused the other girl.

But the younger brunette held up her hand and smirked coldly. "Hold the apologies, Princess. I don't need it from you. Just hand me one of your mom's chicken sandwiches and I'll be on my merry way . . . I hear Angelus may need some company this afternoon," Faith grinned when she noticed Buffy's jaws clench instinctively. "After all," Faith sighed, "His so-called 'mate' has left him out cold."

Spike growled, grabbed a sandwich from the basket Willow was carrying and shoved it towards Faith. "Here. Now get lost," he growled, knowing that if she stayed any longer with this attitude of hers, an unwanted bickering will turn up soon between her and ALL of them.

The group watched as Faith sauntered off with a iniquitous gleam in her eyes. Spike looked at Buffy, his own scars from the battle prominent within the light. There was a cut on his eyebrow, and even more bruises beneath his dark clothes and leather duster.

Buffy tore her eyes away from him as the ensemble stopped at a shaded area of the woods, a perfect spot to have their picnic. She hadn't seen Spike 'til that morning. And from what she had heard from Willow and Cordelia, he had been a mess after the ordeal. Shamed from being defeated so quickly, he disappeared in the woods for a few days to heal inner wounds deeper than his physical injuries.

"I heard Joyce is praising him like he's God," Xander said, biting into his sandwich as Kendra threw some grapes in the air and catching it with an open mouth.

"Yup. He talked about the gallery one night, and my Mom was so far gone afterwards, it would be hard to pull her out now. The entire conversation was about art. I was ready to gag after their conversation about Fertility statues," Buffy explained.

"Wow," Willow said, wide eyed as Oz lovingly caressed her arm.

"Not only that, but he's constantly working to get the pack in order. He's a responsible male adult. A huge plus for Mom," Buffy nodded. "And he's practically being rewarded with cookies, gold stars, and all that jazz . . . I think he's even replaced Spike's spot on the kitchen counter for those nightly Cocoa-with-marshmallows-talk."

"What!?" Spike raged, hurt that he was slowly being replaced by a new male who, not only stole his mate, but his own position as pack leader . . . as well as Joyce's favorite 'son.'

As if reading his thoughts, Buffy laid a encouraging hand on his shoulder. Joyce had always been like a mother to him, a friend as well as a confidante that he could always count on and run to whenever he needed an adult figure to give him some comforting words. "You're still her favorite . . . you'll always have a place in her heart. And plus," she shrugged and smiled, playfully ruffling his hair, "You came to her life first," Buffy said and laid her head on his chest as a consoling gesture to one of her best friends.

'I was first in yours as well,' Spike quietly added, but kept his mouth shut as he basked in the feel of having Buffy so close to him once again. He kissed her forehead and enjoyed the glorious moment.

Cordelia eyed the two blondes sadly as she picked at the remains of her sandwich. The pair had always been so close. She had always been so jealous of Buffy finding such intimacy with Spike, but to see her two friends going through such a tough time in their relationship hurt her. Cordy knew that the two would never be more than friends from now on. Buffy was someone's mate now . . . and Spike had to move on to find his own.

Xander and Kendra were now throwing grapes at each other and laughing their heads off with mirth. Willow quietly held onto Oz as he leaned against a tree and strummed his guitar.

"So . . . this is all great and fun," Cordelia said, breaking the silence, "But I'm bored."

"Ooo, let's play Truth or Dare," Xander said, perking up a bit more.

"We're not in 5th grade anymore, Xander," Kendra said.

He shrugged. "It'll be fun. Give us something to do."

"Alright, who goes first?"

"I will, since it was my idea."

"A brilliant idea at that," Spike mumbled as he internally rejoiced when Buffy moved closer to him.

"Okay, Cordy, truth or dare . . . "

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Angelus watched the group beneath the shade of a tree in the background. He had taken some time off from his work to take a walk out into the woods. He had run into Faith, flirted with her to get some info, and ended up here, at least twenty feet away from the younger members of the pack.

They were playing truth or dare, and he smiled as they laughed and fooled around with no worries bound to their young shoulders. Their only responsibility was each other, taking good care of the other person . . . while he had to take care of all of them . . . and he loved it. Loved the power and respect it gave him.

His eyes darkened when he saw Spike let Buffy snuggle closer into his embrace. He had seen their earlier display. When Buffy rested her cheek against the young man's chest for more than ten minutes. It took him all his discipline not to stalk towards them and rip Spike's head off before dragging Buffy back at the house and ravishing her 'til he finally made his mark on her and she couldn't walk any longer.

Laughter filtered through the air once again and Angelus sighed as he watched Buffy give Cordelia a high five. She was so young, so beautiful . . . the perfect mate. They seemed to fit together, the ideal contrast between light and dark, large and small, male and female, handsome and beautiful.

He looked down at his watch then back at the group before disappearing into the woods to return to his work.

He would have Buffy . . . by his side, as his mate, and in his bed by the end of the year. That was his new goal, a goal he had to achieve with no questions asked and no excuses made.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Eleven: The Survival

Soon enough, the entire pack moved into a large mansion on Crawford Street. It was far enough from the main part of town to hide their secret identities, and close enough not to pull too much suspicion from the villagers.

Everyone in the pack began praising Angelus after he found all the adults jobs around town. Some of the employment even went as far as to LA which was only less than an hour drive from Sunnydale. It was amazing that only after less than two months, he had the family well organized.

Buffy settled into her new room which was conveniently, and as expected, right next to Angelus' Master Bedroom. He did it on purpose. Instead of assigning a room on the South Wing along with the other young women of the pack, he had to put her room right next to his. It was fitting, and completely Angelus.

And even though she just met him and continually avoided him as much as possible, it seemed as though Buffy knew more about him everyday . . . just thinking abut him and watching him.

It was eerie . . . and fascinating. To know he was frustrated and tired whenever his dark eyes darkened even more as he searched through the internet and newspapers about jobs that suited the individuals of the pack. To know he just wanted to kill someone whenever he was venting his silent stress on punching bags downstairs in the basement or in his study room. But through all this pressure, he did it alone, and Buffy wanted nothing more than to take him in her arms and comfort and sooth him as he went through the strain of taking care of the pack.

Buffy walked casually out of her bedroom and down the hall, stopping in front of the double French doors of Angelus' large study room. The computer was on, papers were scattered everywhere, and the trashcan overflowed with paper. He stood in the far left, punching a bag with a violent force and concentration. He looked so powerful and completely male as sweat dripped from his naked chest, his sweatpants almost clinging to his legs as he continued on with his assault on the innocent punching bag.

She looked away, fighting the urge to continue watching him. And with a defeated sigh, she headed down the stairs, intent on staying away from him for the rest of the day if she didn't want to kiss him senseless whenever she saw him.

She shook her head. "Elizabeth Summers-Giles, you are so screwed," she said softly to herself.

Angelus had felt her gaze on him the moment she stood outside the study. It heated him to know that he could feel her presence without using any of his natural senses. He just knew. It must have come from the fact that they were now bonded as mates . . . and if only she would take that to the next level and make it official. To be married in the name of 'God' in the human world, and the name of the Moon Goddess in the werewolf world, to sleep in the same bed, and for her to carry his child and finally become part of the Slayer Clan through blood and bond.

He gave the bag a hard punch from the left.

Angelus had gone through some rough roads in his life, but being pack leader has been taking a lot out of him. The responsibility and all that shit . . . but he never stooped low. He never complained or whined about all his troubles, he just continued on even when the stress of it all felt like a huge marble stone on his back.

If only he had the pretty blond by his side (and bed) to make the pain go away. But no . . . the girl was too stubborn and proud to even give a hint of feeling, fondness and care, towards him. And if she did hold any such feelings, she denied it and hid it from him and everyone else.

He kicked the bag.

But he would wait for her to come around . . . he had to.

She was definitely tough, but he wasn't about to back down from the challenge of it either. She had caused something to flare inside of him. It should scare him, but it just made him wonder what it was all about.

It had been a great challenge to win the battle, and to lead the pack . . . and now, all he had to do was to officially win his mate. How? Well . . . he'll think of something.

Buffy found Wesley meditating peacefully in the living room of the mansion. His eyes closed, his legs crossed together, and his chin tilted upwards.

"Why haven't you taken to him?" he suddenly asked, his eyes still shut.

"What?" Buffy asked curiously as she sat down on a couch in front of him.

"The young man, Elizabeth."

"I don't want him," she said through clenched teeth.

"It's already been decided."

"I didn't decide anything."

"Our Mother has resolved it, child. Our Goddess Moon has destined you and Angelus for each other. You cannot fight her power . . . you cannot fight destiny," he said wisely.

"But I can avoid it," Buffy said with determination.

"Why do you fight him, child? He's a good man and werewolf, a powerful and worthy leader. He has put a strong roof over our heads, given us jobs that has good pay, and he has given us hope that we will survive," he told her.

"Anyone could've done it," she said, her chin high in the air.

Wesley's eyes opened. "Could you?" he asked curiously. "Could I?" He smiled slightly, "Even more so . . . could Spike?"

Buffy's gaze dropped to the floor in thought. As usual, Wesley was right. No one in their pack would've been able to be leader. First of all, Buffy was a young woman . . . even if she was male, she knew she wouldn't survive the pressure of being pack leader. Wesley was too old . . . and Spike . . . he was strong willed and powerful, but he was irresponsible.

"Go to him, child," Wesley said, closing his eyes once again, "At least accept him. He's one of us now."

She was dismissed and she obeyed, getting up from the couch. Angelus really was one of them now. He had been accepted by the pack, impressing them with his leadership skills and organization. He had taken control and made sure everyone knew he was creditable and in control. He laid down his authority when Spike decided to rebel against him along with Xander. Their punishment was two weeks out in the woods on their own. The two young males didn't rebel after that.

It might sound cruel, but Angelus had to lay down his own law. He had to be respected as well as feared to lead a pack, especially a pack like theirs.

Angelus continued to punish his punching bag when Buffy entered his domain with a silver tray. He stopped and watched her place it on a coffee table.

"Afternoon," he greeted, panting from the workout.

She nodded at him. "I brought you some lunch," she said, indicating the tray of food.

"Thank you," he said sincerely as he walked towards her. He smirked when she stepped back, hands clasped together behind her back as she looked around the study room nervously. "I'm not going to bite, love."

That earned him a glare, causing his grin to widen at the fact that such simple retorts from him could make her blood boil. "I like the mansion," she ground out, trying to change the subject.

He nodded, amusement still written on his face, "I like it too. I'm glad the past owners kept the place up until someone bought it. The place would've been a disaster area if they hadn't done so."

"It's lovely. And the antique furniture that came with the house," Buffy added.

Angelus gulped down a bottled-water as he studied her form. She was dressed in a knee length skirt the color of her eyes, and a white top that showed off her creamy shoulders. Her dainty feet were adorned with a woven pair of platform sandals that strapped around her ankles. She was undeniably . . . stunning.

"Why did you really come up here?" he asked with a gentle smile.

Buffy straightened. "What? I can't be nice?" she asked defensively.

Angelus grinned. "I'm sorry I asked."

"Fine," she said and shrugged, "I don't have to be here. I'm sorry if I bothered you," she spat out bitterly before heading towards the door. Here she was, trying to be kind, and he brushes her away like she was some sort of criminal for visiting him and trying to make amends.

Angelus couldn't suppress a smile from her fiery attitude and grabbed her arm as he tenderly spun her around. He stared into her stormy blue eyes and gently raised a hand to caress her smooth face. "You didn't bother me. I was just curious," he said truthfully.

She pulled away from him and crossed her arms against her chest. He continued to step towards her, but this time she stood her ground defiantly.

"Are you finally coming to terms with the fact that you belong to me?" Angelus asked.

Buffy stared at him for a moment and turned to walk out of the study. "Maybe . . . " was the answer he heard her say.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Twelve: The Courting

Angelus found Buffy in the kitchen a few days later, quietly humming a tune as she washed the breakfast dishes. Most of the pack members had left for either school or work. Only Angelus, Buffy, Wesley, Adia, and her baby daughter were left behind.

He quietly stalked towards her, not making a sound as he wrapped his strong arms from behind around her waist, causing her to gasp from the unexpected action.

"Hello, lover," he whispered huskily in her ear and gently nibbling on her lobe.

"You should really stop that," she moaned as she closed her eyes and fell back against him, acting on pure instinct.

Angelus growled and lifted her, placing her on the kitchen counter and settling between her legs. She gazed down at him with wide eyes, her hands and arms wet and soapy from her washing.

He stared into her eyes as he silently grabbed a towel and dried her limbs. "What are you doing?" Buffy choked out nervously.

He licked her almost trembling lips. "Cleaning you up."

"Get off of me. I have to wash the dishes," she said, struggling to keep a hold of her self-control in their current position.

It had been days since their encounter in the study, and she had taken it as a goal to stay away from him. And she had succeeded . . . until now that is. But during those days, she had missed him . . . missed watching him when he wasn't looking, or just hearing his voice whenever he talked on the phone or to one of the pack members. She didn't know it was possible to miss him so much . . . but it was, and her shocked happiness at seeing him and being so close to him was proof of it.

And Angelus was feeling the same thing. For days now, he had tried to spend just a second with her. And now . . . here was his chance. And he was not about to back away no matter how much she fought him . . . in which she wasn't doing much of at the moment. He had missed her terribly the last few days, just seeing her and touching her, even if it was only for just a moment was better than not being able to do it at all.

"Wash it later," he growled lightly, "I missed you. I never see you anymore."

"And I like it that way," she groaned when he began nuzzling her neck.

"You're lying."

"Not that it matters," she said truthfully as he threw the towel behind him and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing himself closer to her as he rested his head against her breasts and inhaled her smell. Instead of vanilla, apples, and baby powder and rain, she smelled like peaches and cream. From making the twins their usual pancakes with the whip cream topped on it along with fresh sliced peaches.

He growled at the new intoxicating scent of her.

"You smell like breakfast," he murmured and kissed the top of her breast that peeked slightly above her white corset with red flowers embroidered in the front and red string tying the material in the back. And as usual, she wore a skirt, this time denim and mid thigh with red leather boots.

"Never heard of that line before," she said and smiled.

"I'm full of them," he teased and gazed into her eyes, surprised to find a certain look of tenderness and fondness in her blue orbs.

"Yeah, full of yourself," she rolled her eyes, loving the fact that she could tease him and he wouldn't take it personally. He was like that, he teased, he flirted, but it was just that . . . especially to him.

Buffy tried to push him away, but he wouldn't have any of it as he stared at her with passion-glazed eyes. She was flirting back and smiling, a very good sign in his book. "Say you missed me," he ordered lightly.

"Now why would I do that?" she smirked.

"Because you have."

She glared at him. "How would you know?"

"My room is right next to yours," he smirked, "I hear you calling my name at night . . . even if it is along the lines of 'Angel' and not Angelus, but it's close enough."

Her eyes widened with embarrassment at the revelation. She DID NOT do that. He was lying . . . but the she knew better. Dreams of him had always come to her, she just never knew she ever verbalized it. Especially when the East Wing was completely devoid of any other pack members except for the two of them.

Angelus' grin widened.

"Now you're lying," she said.

"Am I?" he taunted as he showed off his pearly whites, " 'Cause I do remember that I have to fight with myself not to just get up from my lonely bed to go to yours and make you scream my name instead of moaning it."

"How are you so sure that I'll be a screamer?" she asked, hiding her anger and frustration, her arousal and her lust.

He shrugged. "With your temper and your flare, I just have a feeling," he replied.

"I have to finish washing the dishes," she said grumbled and hoped off the counter.

"I've upset you," Angelus noticed with a slight worry. They were teasing. She usually didn't take it so seriously anymore.

She shook her head and continued with her cleaning the breakfast dishes. "Don't you have some work to do?" Buffy asked him, wanting him to be as far away from her as possible. They had played around and she got over missing him, and she was satisfied and content for now.

"So eager to get rid of me, lover?" he asked and molded himself against her back as he rested his chin on her left shoulder.

"Maybe."

"Maybe?" he asked with a slight chuckle. "Tell me something, what did you mean when you said that MAYBE you were finally accepting the fact that you're mine?"

Buffy sighed. "I'm accepting you as leader . . . As for a mate and a lover . . . "

"You'll get there, don't worry," he promised.

Buffy pulled away from him and wiped her hands on the carelessly tossed towel that had thrown on the kitchen table. She grabbed a bottle from the fridge and heated it in the microwave.

"Ignoring me?" Angelus asked with amusement as he leaned back against the kitchen counter.

"No," she answered and took out the bottle when it was finished. She checked the temperature of the milk before heading up the staircase with Angelus following right behind her.

He watched as her hips swayed as she walked up the stairs, the baby bottle in her hands. And a sudden vision of her with a rounded belly attacked his mind, and he growled at the thought. Every male, humans and wolves alike, have a certain instinct when it comes to a woman carrying his child. It was a natural thing, whether it was a large instinct or not . . . it was still there, especially in him . . . and especially if Buffy would be the one doing the carrying.

"Adia?" she knocked carefully on a door on the West Wing.

"Yes?"

Buffy opened the door and entered with a smile when she was met with a brunette laying on a canopy bed with a baby resting on her chest. It was a beautiful sight. "Morning," Buffy greeted.

"Good morning, Buff," she smiled, "I wasn't expecting you today, Angelus."

He smiled. "Why not?" he asked and stepped towards her to run a gentle hand against the baby's back.

"You've been busy."

"Things are starting to calm down a bit, so everything's a bit easier to deal with now," he said reassuringly.

She let out a breath of relief. "That's good to hear," she said.

"Here's a bottle for Abby and I also cleaned the other bottles and filled them up. They're ready and waiting in the fridge if you need anymore. Warm it for one minute, no second more, and just wait a few moments until it really cools down. But don't wait too long because it'll get cold and I know how fussy Abby can get when . . . "

"Breath," Angelus teased as he placed a large hand against the small of her back.

Adia laughed lightly, not wanting to wake up her baby girl. Buffy smiled embarrassedly. "Sorry, I'm just . . . "

Adia nodded in understanding. "I know."

"Well, we'll leave you to rest. Call us through the intercom if you need anything," Angelus said, gently leading Buffy away from the room.

She sighed as the two of them walked back down the staircase. "I want a baby," she thought out loud, causing her eyes to widen and look at him frighteningly.

Angelus smirked and stepped towards her. She backed away until she was pressed against the stair railings. "I can give you that, Buffy. Just accept me . . . let me have you. Be my mate."

She was silent as she opened her mouth to speak, but the doorbell suddenly rang and she ran down the stairs, her clicking of her red boots loud against the marble. She opened the door and was met with Wesley, who stood before her with flowers he had gathered in the garden.

"Put them in water," he said and handed the armload to her, "I'll be out on a walk through the graveyards," he said and turned and left.

"Got it," Buffy said, relaxing when she realized she just escaped another encounter with Angelus.

She walked towards the dining room next to the kitchen and picked a few single flowers before arranging them in a vase that sat in the middle of the cherry oak dining table.

"You can't keep running from me," Angelus said, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed loosely against his chest.

"I'm not running," she said, her brows drawn together in concentration of what she was doing and what Angelus was doing to her senses.

"You are," he said when she walked past him with the remaining flowers in her arms as she made her way to the living room to arrange the remaining flowers she had in the vase on the glass coffee table.

"Must I court you in every room of the mansion?" he laughed.

"I guess," she ground out sarcastically with a fake smile.

"Well, I can't wait to reach the bedrooms then," he teased.

"Don't hold your breath," Buffy frowned.

He sighed and the nodded. He had to be patient. She was a fighter, and there was no way in hell she was just going to over herself to him without a fight. She wasn't like that . . . and that's why he enjoyed her so much.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Thirteen: The Observation

Buffy watched him as he played with the twins in the playroom. A few months had passed by. A few more encounters with Angelus as well, including stolen kisses, unexpected touches, unanticipated laughter, careless flirting, and light teasing. If she was anyone else, she would've already puked at the sight of the two of them. But then nobody has seen their endless encounters that usually ended by her leaving in the middle of the game.

"Hey, Angelus," Dylan said, his face marred with a frown.

"What is it?" he asked as he caught the football the small boy threw at him.

"Maybe you should ask him, Cole," Dylan said with a serious nod.

"No way! You're the one who wants to know!" his brother laughed.

"Oh, no . . . don't tell me you guys are already after the birds and the bees talk?" Angelus chuckled as he flopped down on one of the chairs inside the large playroom with the Disney characters painted neatly on the walls of the bright and cheery room.

"The birds and the what?" Dylan asked with the cutest confused look on his young and handsome face.

Angelus shook his head with a grin, and Buffy made herself more comfortable as she leaned against the doorway, waiting to hear what was about to take place in the innocent playroom the twins often occupied.

"Cole and I were just thinking about something," Dylan began, being the more serious and wisest one out of the twins. "We know you won the Blood Moon Battle and Buffy won the Moon Dance."

"Yeah," Angelus answered slowly.

"Aren't you supposed to be together?" Cole finally interjected.

Buffy's eyes widened.

Moon Goddess . . . even the eight-year old twins were wondering about her and Angelus. She knew the pack was getting nervous about the fact that she won't just take her place as Angelus' mate. They wanted the bond between the new leader and the pack to become official with a marriage and a child. It was a way to keep Angelus grounded and more dedicated to the pack. Not only were they disappointed and a little pissed off at her because of her prude ways, but they were also scared about the future of the clan.

"Well . . . she's . . . a tough girl," Angelus said with a fond smile.

"Mom and Dad are worried that you two won't end up together," Dylan said, "The entire pack too."

Angelus frowned at that. He knew the clan was getting antsy. He needed a wife and a child that would forever tie and link him to the pack . . . because at this moment, he could walk out any minute without looking back. He could just let some other lone werewolf have dibs on the pack and they can't do anything about it.

But either way, he wouldn't leave the pack for anything. He still wanted to conquer the world with werewolves . . . and second, there was Buffy.

"We will end up together. No worries," he smiled. "And plus, c'mon, guys. You two are what? Eight? You should be playing and goofing off while you learn how to add and subtract, not worrying about a pair of adults," Angelus smiled before lunging at them, throwing them over his shoulder like they were a sack of potatoes as they laughed at his antics.

"Yeah, but then this is you and Buffy," Dylan tried to reason, his chuckles dying down.

"Yeah, you two are like . . . our favorite people," Cole added, "And we hate seeing Buffy so sad."

Angelus put them down and frowned. "What do you mean?" he asked curiously, beginning to believe that the twins were more observant than him. As a good leader, his senses had to be keener than the other's. He knew things from Kendra and Xander's late night make out sessions in the game room, to Cordelia and Gunn's sudden secret affair, Joyce's quiet cries in her room every other night, and to Faith's constant midnight stroll through the town. But children had a much sharper sense when it came to the little things that were around them, and for that Angelus praised them . . . especially when it concerned Buffy.

"Like when she's cooking dinner, she has this faraway look on her face and she starts biting her lip. And she only bites her lips whenever she's sad," Cole explained.

"Sad or confused," Dylan corrected.

Buffy stood up and entered, not wanting Angelus to know anymore about her constant daydreaming and thoughts about him whenever she was alone. Or thought she was alone anyways. Children were more attentive than adults, she should've remembered that from her psychology classes.

"Hello, kids," she greeted brightly.

"Buff!" the twins yelled as they launched themselves at her.

She laughed, kneeled down on the plush carpet of the playroom, and embraced them in her arms, her eyes catching Angelus' stormy dark eyes at the sight of her. She cleared her throat and pulled away form the little ones. "Come. We're gonna wash up, go to dinner, then we check your homework," she said.

Cole groaned, but Dylan just smiled, hoping to catch her attention from his job well done in his math homework. She may be destined for Angelus, but it didn't mean he couldn't try to win her devotion.

Buffy turned to look at Angelus, "Fifteen minutes," she announced before turning and walking away with a twin each holding one of her hands.

Now that was a picture worth remembering.

Buffy felt his gaze on her as she led the pair in the bathroom to wash up. "Hey, Buff, when am I gonna start shavin'?" Cole asked curiously as he soaped his hands, working up a lather as he studied his face in the mirror.

Buffy smiled and ruffled his hair. "Just wait a few more years," she winked.

"Cole said he found a chest hair yesterday," Dylan said, examining his cheeks for any hints of a beard coming its way as well.

His twin brother stood high and proud as Buffy heard Angelus give out a small chuckle by the bathroom doorway. "It's true. I'm becoming a man."

"Yes, you are," Buffy humored as they rinsed their hands, dried them, and headed out the bathroom door.

She felt Angelus walk beside her as they walked down the staircase with the twins chatting about some kid's show they had watched during the afternoon.

"Something on my face?" she finally asked him when everyone began taking their seats of the dining room table. She sat on the right of the head table where he sat, the perfect place for his werewolf queen to sit.

He smiled and gently caressed her soft lips with the pad of his thumb. "No, just the most gorgeous features I've ever seen on a woman."

"Flattery will get you no where," she replied back, quieting her voice when Wesley took his own seat in front of her.

"You sure about that?" he asked with a wicked gleam in his eyes as the older women of the clan started serving dinner.

His gaze strayed on her the entire night. She couldn't believe his straightforwardness. Everyone around the dinner table noticed and smiled and exchanged knowing looks as they continued to chat about the upcoming events, circumstances that sounded troubling, and other pack business they were all concerned about.

"The town's getting curious," Molly, the twin's mother said worriedly.

"We need to ease their suspicions," Alex agreed. "They might start coming by, taking peeks as we change to wolf form and back."

Angelus tore his eyes from Buffy for the moment and nodded gravely. He knew this would come up sooner or later, he was just glad it was sooner. A better way to get rid of the problem earlier so he didn't have to worry about it later and when there was so much more to worry about.

"I've decided that we should go out to town more," he said, "Get to know the residence. Even make a few friends."

The large dining room quieted and Angelus nodded. "I know that you all never have done this in Pennsylvania, but you must understand, suspicions will arise and we can't have that. Not now, not when we're still settling down."

The dining room murmured their agreement and understanding. "Buffy and I will have a walk around town," he said, his eyes back on her. She gazed back at him in surprise, "After all, it seems as though our food supply is getting low . . . especially with the appetites of the growing twin males," he winked.

The dining room was silent as they eyed the pair diligently. Searching for some sort of sign that would finally bring them together.

"Are you up for it, Buffy?" Angelus asked, with almost a hint of mocking sarcasm in his dark eyes. 'Don't try and defy me, lover,' he added silently.

Buffy continued to stare at him. "I don't really have a choice in the matter, do I now?"

Angelus shrugged. "That's not the point."

"Of course it is," she said cheerily, adding her own mocking tone.

The pack leader smirked. "It's not a command, my dear," he said, his voice low and soothing to her ears, "You will . . . because you want to."

Buffy glared at him. She knew that he had concluded that she did want to go on this "walk" with him. It was clearly written in his eyes. But what got her angered her the most was that it was true, she did want to spend some time with him and he knew it.

"If we must," she replied, knowing it was the lamest attempt to keep her pride in this battle that he obviously won.

The pack continued with the plans until the end of dinner. Some of the males and a few of the older females, along with Angelus, discussed more of the future plans in the living area while the others left them in their chat. After finishing cleaning the dining room and the kitchen, Buffy decided to call it a night and headed up to her room for a good night sleep.

She drew her top over her head, revealing her bare breasts in the safety of her bedroom. Her knee length white skirt soon followed, leaving her in a lacy white underwear. She massaged her shoulder as she took a white hair tie from her vanity and pulled her hair up in a twist as she snatched her abandoned clothes from the floor and threw them in the hamper.

She grabbed a white silk shirt her father had owned from her closet and drew it over her head. The garment was large and cool against her skin as it fell to her knees.

"I know you're there," she said as she looked out her window and into the dark night.

A light chuckle followed as she turned to look into the dark eyes of Angelus. "You were watching me," she said as he opened the door to her bedroom even wider so he could lean casually against the doorframe.

"Yes. I was," he nodded as he took in the site of her tanned legs against the brightness of the white buttoned down shirt, "Why? Is there some sort of law that states that I'm not allowed to?"

"I think there is . . . especially when I'm stripping down to nothing," Buffy said, crossing her arms against her chest as she glared at him.

"I believe you're the only one complaining," he smirked.

"I rest my case," she said, and turned to look out of the window.

"About tomorrow . . . "

"It's a date."

He looked startled and Buffy had to smile. He wasn't the only one who could play games.

"What?" she asked innocently.

Angelus grinned. "Finally coming around, lover?" he asked as he slowly stepped further into the room.

Buffy smirked back.

She was coming around . . . which was a frightening yet intriguing thing. Her attraction and lust towards him had become ten times greater from what she started off with.

"Don't act so smug about it, LOVER," she snapped as he backed her against the wall by the window, "I may be getting there, but I'm still far off."

He nipped at the flesh below her jaw and she moaned. "Maybe," he breathed, his nostrils recognizing the smell of chocolates that she was surrounded with, "But you'll be there soon enough."

"Do you promise?" she whispered huskily, nipping back as he growled.

"Don't push me," he warned and kissed her neck before licking it.

She laughed and gently pushed him away as she stared at him with stormy blue eyes. "Play time's over. I need to sleep," she said, gently leading him out of her room before shutting the door in his face.

"You're a tease," he called out with a laugh.

"And you love it," she shot back.

"Damn right I do," he mumbled quietly as he walked towards hid own bed chambers with an aching longing to be with her protruding between his legs.

TBC...

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