Page 10 of Howling Love (Hunter’s Moon Ritual #1)

Gracie

“These scars are hideous.” Velina’s analysis didn’t cut as deep as I would have expected. Her critical eye scanned over my dress—or more like what my dress revealed. Even her hurtful words couldn’t completely ruin my mood, though.

For the past six hours and twenty-seven minutes, I’d been in paradise.

Or the closest to paradise that someone like me could hope to find.

Following the lunch that Alpha Ivan had all but dragged me from, ranting about my interactions with Ravik, I had assumed the worst—that I would be punished for my actions.

Considering the fury on Ravik’s face, I think he assumed that would be the case as well.

I’d watched helplessly as he tried to move past the wall of soldiers Ivan had erected before he whisked me out of sight.

I’d been filled with fear and dread, yet still dizzy from the high of simply sharing the same air as Ravik. I was intoxicated by the man and his scent of fresh linen and steel. Cold. Hard. Unyielding. Yet somehow familiar to me. It made me want to bury my head against his chest, just for a moment.

It was a ridiculous thought, and I’m sure if he could see into my thoughts, he would think the same. The man barely knew me, yet I was fantasizing about being held by him.

What was wrong with me?

It was a question I’d actually had a lot of time to ponder while Alpha Ivan attended meeting after meeting without me.

Since he didn’t approve of my actions during my first public outing, he’d promptly dumped me in the room, locking the door and leaving me surrounded by the luxury of the hotel suite.

The relief I felt at being temporarily safe was unmatched.

Velina hadn’t said a word, just shot me a look that said she pitied me almost as much as she despised me. She hated what I reminded her of—that we were both property.

Instead of trying to talk to her, I hid in one of the many rooms to…rest. I’d even napped. I soaked in the oversized tub, flipping through channels just to see what the world was watching now. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d been able to relax for so long.

When Velina ordered three women to “prepare” me for the evening, I’d barely managed to hide my disappointment.

I’d hoped somehow that Ivan would keep me locked away in here, able to just be .

The only positive was that I’d learned there would be two more sessions of meetings, which meant there was a potential for more rest in my future.

“I didn’t pick the dress,” I pointed out, reminding her that I’d been forced into the gown that showcased the marks on my side. She was right, anyway—the puckered skin clashed brutally with the luxurious garment.

The ivory piece had flowing silk sleeves and a high neckline that covered my body in a smooth sheath down to where it pooled gently at my feet. I felt as though I was wrapped in a cloud of luxury, and it would have been wonderful…if not for the completely open back.

Alpha Ivan was probably trying to ensure I looked alluring, that I served my purpose…but he didn’t know about the scars. They were at least half visible.

Shame colored my cheeks. They must look really horrible to evoke such a reaction from Velina, so strong that it had escaped her control to write itself so clearly upon her face.

If she felt that way, it meant others would.

It meant that Ravik would. I’d never felt embarrassed by my scars before, but I’d also kept them hidden, never asked to flaunt them.

I internally chastised myself. My scars meant I was a survivor, and what did I care about the opinion of a man who…well, what did he do? Unfortunately, far too much to me.

I’d been mesmerized by his presence. Intimidated, yet absolutely in awe.

I could feel him all around me, and when he touched me in the simplest way, I melted, my body turning into magma.

It had only been the very real threat made by Alpha Ivan that had broken the trance—that made me realize I was putting Ravik in danger simply by interacting with him.

I would shield him from Alpha Ivan’s fury.

Those had been the easier emotions to identify—the strong sense of protectiveness and, of course, lust. My body had felt electrified at his mere attention, to the point that I had felt electrified and breathless.

The emotion that had shocked and confused me the most, though?

Possessiveness. When Lacey Harrison had talked to him, I’d felt… angry. Her tone of voice had annoyed me, along with the way she’d kept grasping at his attention, trying to draw him away from me.

I didn’t have a right to hold his attention.

I normally avoided attention, so it would only make sense that the man whose attention I did want was so…

everything I wasn’t. Ravik shone with life and power, radiating strength.

I was a shell compared to him, and I felt selfish for wanting to bask within his aura.

So I wouldn’t allow myself to consider what he would think about how I looked tonight. I shouldn’t be thinking about him at all. It was horrible of me to put him in Ivan’s crosshairs because I couldn’t control myself.

“Gracie.” Velina’s voice snapped me into the present. “You’re not listening, girl.”

“I was thinking about what you said.”

“Right. Well, that is the dress Alpha Ivan wants you to wear, so it will have to do. Hopefully you’ll be good enough for what we’re trying to achieve.”

It was painful, having another woman treat me like an object, only valuable if I could gain the approval of Alpha Waylon. It was clear that everything rested on my ability to…charm him? Seduce him? I couldn’t fathom how to do either of those.

The walk down to the ballroom was quiet.

Velina’s steps were quick and impatient as I tried to follow the best I could, glad they had only put me in small heels.

The way the dress pooled on the ground didn’t help my ability to walk confidently, and I was uncomfortable by the time we reached the hallway outside the ballroom, feeling more than a bit shaky.

Alpha Ivan waited off to the side of the entrance, looking annoyed.

“Alpha Ivan, sorry about the delay. We had to address an issue.”

Alpha Ivan had changed into formal wear, displaying the Cold Moon Pack crest in embroidered stitching along the back of his navy-blue jacket—something I could only see because of the gilded mirror he stood in front of, reflecting the candlelight throughout the hall.

He was tapping his fingers against his side as if he was nervous…

about tonight? About his plans? I had no idea.

“What issue?” he demanded.

“Scars,” Velina said, nodding toward my side. Ivan’s face transformed into disgust as he eyed me like I was trash underneath his feet.

“You have a deformity? No one informed me of this.”

A deformity? I suppose it was…although I’d hardly go to that extent.

“We could change her dress for tonight and hope he doesn’t notice,” Velina suggested as Ivan walked around me, looking over me with a critical evaluation that had anxiety welling up inside of me

Alpha Ivan shook his head. “No—she will have to do as is. Come. Now.”

I followed him silently, feeling as though I was leashed. Like some kind of animal. As we stepped into the ballroom, I realized dinner had already begun, and my eyes darted throughout the room in search of one person: Ravik.

Alpha Ivan’s hand wrapped around my arm like a vise, pulling me close to speak in a dark tone near my ear. “There is only one voice you’ll answer to tonight—mine. Let your attention stray from our goal, and I’ll make sure you remember where your loyalties lie.”

Nodding once, I kept my gaze down until he pulled back a chair, ordering me to sit.

Immediately, I knew that Ravik was nowhere near me.

This setup was different than at lunch. We sat at tables with our own ‘delegates,’ which meant Clint and Marek were closest to us.

Unfortunately, the latter was on my left.

“I heard you were talking to the Gentry boy earlier.” Marek chuckled. “You know what they say—dirt attracts dirt.” It suddenly became hard to breathe through the need to defend Ravik, to let out a growl at Marek, to demand he take it back.

“Heard his father is sick,” he continued. “Will probably need to take over soon, once the old man kicks the bucket. Deegan deserves it, as far as I’m concerned—always preaching about right and wrong as if he’s better than us.”

I had no idea what Alpha Deegan was like, but I could sense Ravik was good. Or at least I wanted to believe that. Maybe everyone seemed good compared to the Cold Moon Pack.

Marek, giving up on trying to talk to me, resorted to gripping my thigh in a hard hold before turning to talk to someone on his other side.

I tried to pull my leg free, but his grip turned bruising.

I stilled, not willing to risk drawing his or Ivan’s anger right now.

Even my wolf locked up, paralyzed by the memory of pain, unsure whether to growl or cower.

We’d learned that fighting back never worked in this pack.

Eventually, his hand released my leg as he stood to greet someone approaching from our left. I let out a small breath of relief in the moment before Alpha Ivan spoke directly to me.

“Alpha Waylon. You will talk to him tonight. You will do everything in your power to hold his attention. Understand?”

My gaze moved to the Alpha he was talking about, and I noted his observant gaze as he nodded in conversation with one of his soldiers.

“Okay.”