Page 12 of Howling Love (Hunter’s Moon Ritual #1)

Gracie

It was clear to me why Alpha Ivan wanted to earn Alpha Waylon’s respect and become trading partners.

While I didn’t understand what made an alpha good, it was obvious that the people of the Stark Flight, who stood all around him, not only authentically liked him, but he seemed vested in what they were telling him.

He had a relaxed, friendly disposition that still retained the certainty required for his position.

So when we finally reached him, I was surprised by the sudden turn in his demeanor. His face remained friendly, but I saw the disdain in his gaze.

“Alpha Waylon, just the man I was looking for.” Alpha Ivan’s voice was filled with a smarmy self-assuredness that made me feel sick to my stomach.

I hoped for Alpha Waylon’s sake that he could read between the lines and see how fake it was.

Considering the way he looked at Alpha Ivan, I had a feeling he did.

Which, of course, didn’t bode well for my situation.

“Yes, I heard you were coming,” Alpha Waylon said, his gaze moving over to me briefly with a nod of greeting. “And this must be your mate.”

“No,” Alpha Ivan instantly corrected. “Gracie is one of our most promising pack members and has a vested interest in trade politics, so I wanted to give her the opportunity to experience the TTC in all of its glory.” The last part was said with a bit of amusement, and I couldn’t help but make a face, looking down to hide it.

An interest in trade politics? I had an interest in staying alive past tomorrow, but politics…

“Interesting. I didn’t see her in the meetings,” Alpha Waylon commented. “Nonetheless, it’s good to meet you, Gracie.”

My gaze moved up to his as I offered a small nod. “Great to meet you as well.”

“Right. Well, if you don’t mind, Ivan?—”

“I wanted to talk to you about something before we continue to enjoy the night,” Alpha Ivan interrupted.

“I would rather save deal-making for the morning,” Alpha Waylon said, again trying to dismiss us. My cheeks turned hot in embarrassment. Ivan had no shame, but I did.

Alpha Ivan’s energy turned darker, more malice-filled, as he spoke with a quiet but harder edge. “This isn’t the type of deal you make at the table, Waylon.”

Instantly, the dragon’s entire disposition changed. He straightened up further, his gaze narrowing on Alpha Ivan before moving to me. I tried to stay perfectly still, not wanting to disrupt the moment or ruin his analysis of me.

“Is it?” Alpha Waylon looked back at Alpha Ivan. “And what exactly do you want, Ivan?”

“Trade routes open between our territories. Surely an alpha of your experience can see the value of what’s in front of you.”

Bile rose in my throat as I looked down at the floor, trying to calm my heartbeat.

The chuckle that left Alpha Waylon was filled with a sharp disgust that had my eyes widening in surprise.

Alpha Waylon spoke louder than before. “Trying to trade a girl to me—especially one who’s younger than my own grand-niece—is a foul move, even for you, Ivan.

The Stark Flight has not traded with the Cold Moon Pack since its inception, and I continue to maintain that we will not work with a regime that traffics broken shifters. ”

Alpha Ivan’s wolf exploded in fury, a savage sound breaking from his throat.

The force behind it made me tremble involuntarily, but all I felt was relief.

Humiliation at being rejected as well, but mostly an easing in my chest. I kept my expression neutral as I waited on Alpha Ivan, not wanting to show any sign of the reprieve I’d been given.

Alpha Ivan chuckled, his disposition remaining the picture of relaxed despite his wolf’s behavior. “You take yourself far too seriously, old man. I simply wanted to talk—but it’s clear you don’t have the stomach to grow in power.”

Alpha Ivan’s hand wrapped around my arm, and I was pulled violently from the Stark Flight table and toward the door. A whimper left me as his grip turned merciless. His violent fury filled the air, turning it so hot I could barely breathe. The relief I’d felt was suddenly replaced by terror.

He would kill me.

We didn’t even make it back to our suite.

He used his bulk to crowd me into a room near the stairwell, the door slamming shut behind us.

I backed as far away as I could, listening as his soldiers positioned themselves in front of the door to keep anyone from interrupting us.

The backs of my calves hit into a couch, and I gasped as I fumbled in the dark to keep myself upright.

Alpha Ivan was silent, pacing back and forth near the door as I tried to gauge what was going to happen. Nothing good. Nothing good at all.

“You had one job,” he hissed, approaching me. “One fucking job, and you couldn’t even do that right.”

“I didn’t even have a chance to say?—”

Alpha Ivan’s hand wrapped around my throat, cutting off my air supply. I knew I shouldn’t have spoken, but it had been my last-ditch attempt to make him see the truth—to make him see that this wasn’t my fault. His grasp turned tighter as he moved in my face, overpowering and overshadowing me.

“What a waste of time. A pathetic excuse for a wolf,” he snarled, lifting me from the floor.

I flailed, trying to remove his hand from my throat.

When he tossed me to the side, I slammed into a chair, my head throbbing in pain as I slid to the floor.

Using the side of his boot, he rolled me onto my back and stepped right on my chest, eyeing me like I was prey already bleeding out.

“I should have known that a piece of shit like you wouldn’t hold the attention of an alpha,” he spit, his foot compressing on my chest. When he lifted it, I tried to roll over, gasping for air, but he kicked me hard in the ribs, finally tearing a cry from my throat.

I pressed my lips together as he grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me up, moving his hands into my hair and ripping at it violently.

“So what do I do with you now?” he growled, dropping me down on the couch. I tried to back away from him but he grabbed my jaw, squeezing so hard it felt as though it would break. Tears leaked down my face as a smile grew on his lips, getting sick pleasure out of my fear. “Answer.”

“I can go back to the kitchen?—”

“No,” he snarled, using his free hand to slap me hard across the face, my head aching from the force behind the hit. “You’ll be useful in some way or another. Maybe I’ll give you to Marek.”

A whimper of fear escaped my throat.

His hold on me released as he stood, yet again looking down on me. “No, I wouldn’t give my third-in-command such vile trash. Go, Gracie. Back to the room. Tell Velina to prepare for us to leave tomorrow. You’ve made this trip utterly pointless.”

I didn’t hesitate, sprinting for the door as he ordered his soldiers to open it.

I tripped over my dress as I stepped out, falling to the ground and slamming my nose into the stone.

I whimpered as the scent of blood filled the air, and Marek laughed.

At that point I realized I hadn’t tripped… he had put his foot out.

Gathering my dress and kicking off my shoes, I stood and ran.

I didn’t look back because that would only slow me down, and Alpha Ivan’s men would be looking for excuses to punish me.

I would seek refuge back in the hotel room.

After running down two long hallways without hearing anyone coming after me, I slowed.

Exhaustion and adrenaline roared inside of me, equally pulling at me as my body slumped against the wall. I pushed myself to keep moving, though. I was bloody and bruised, and I felt like prey. I was prey to them. It had never been more clear than now.

My wolf was silent, curled up inside of me, unwilling to make a stand or even a move against such anger.

We had limits, and this was it. I couldn’t be strong even if I wanted to.

Fear tormented every part of me, and when I reached a door, I pressed against it, knowing that it would lead to the emergency stairwell.

The cold hallway was a relief against my skin and would keep me hidden. Our room was on the sixth floor, five floors up, but for now I just…sat down. A floor-to-ceiling window to my left revealed a refracted image of me in the shadows of the nighttime city.

Blood stained my ivory gown, the bottom ripped from my fall. My face was colored with blood from my nose, and faint purple bruises were beginning to form on my jaw and throat. I cleared my throat, not even sure if I could talk. What would Velina think?

It didn’t matter—not really. Somehow, I knew she’d been through worse.

Suddenly, a shadow moved across the stairs as someone came jogging down, their footsteps heavy.

Curling into the wall, I tried to remain invisible…

until a blanket of warmth wrapped around me.

My body froze in recognition as the power soothed my injured flesh and the scent of brown sugar and bourbon tickled my senses.

I didn’t have the energy to look up as they approached me from behind, their body casting such a large shadow that it should have terrified me.

Instead, all I felt was need. I needed to see who this was, even if I looked horrific, I needed to connect the power to the man walking toward me.

Adrenaline coursed through my veins, turning my fingertips cold, and my heart began to beat loud and demanding in my ears as I tried to look up.

Chocolate brown eyes circled with gold. At some point the massive man had crouched behind me, so he was at eye level as he looked over me in surprise, shock, and…

something else. Something darker. His coiled onyx hair was cut in a fade, longer on top than on the sides, and his smooth skin had undertones of gold and fire beneath the bronze. He was beautiful—unfairly beautiful.

A brilliant smile graced his face. I must have accidentally said that last thought aloud. “Listen, little flame, if you’re going to say stuff like that, I’m going to assume we’re getting married. Doesn’t seem very fair since I don’t know your name.”

Oh. Oh wow. Even his voice was perfect, like honey. I think I may have been losing too much blood at this point because…

The world around me went dark.

When I woke, I was held in a pair of muscular arms, my head resting against the man’s chest. I breathed in his scent as he spoke from above me, his tone rougher than before.

“Hang in there. We’re going to make sure you get looked at.”

That couldn’t happen. If Alpha Ivan found out…

The world blinked out of focus again, and when I woke this time, the bright lights of the stairwell were gone. I was still resting against the man’s chest, and I could hear one other person nearby. They spoke quietly in low, distinct tones, and I could sense a familiar power right within reach.

“They’re coming for her.” The man from the bathroom. I opened my eyes again and found myself looking directly up at him. I couldn’t tell where we were—it wasn’t a hotel room like I’d assumed, but more like a lounge area. Couches and tables were just within my peripheral vision.

“You again,” I whispered.

“Why am I not surprised that you’ve met Basir,” the man holding me drawled in amusement. “How are you feeling, little flame?”

“Is that your name? Basir?” I asked the man across from me.

As if me saying his name was painful, his jaw tightened before he offered a nod.

Not a word left his lips, but as his gaze moved over my lips and down to my throat, I saw something burn behind his eyes—a simple spark that could easily turn into an inferno.

Basir. I liked that name. A lot. Looking up at the second man, I found a charming smirk on his lips as he gazed back at me.

Despite how horrifying I probably looked, covered in blood and bruises, he didn’t look at me like that…

he looked at me differently than I’d experienced before.

Something about the way he held me tugged at the back of my mind.

A warning? Or encouragement to get closer to him? I really didn’t know.

“Thornar,” he introduced himself. “And you must be Gracie. Ravik mentioned you.”

“You both know him?” I croaked, looking back and forth between them.

“Know him? I work for him.” Thornar winked. “But yeah, the bastard is like a brother.”

This man was so full of life, he was like sunshine on a rainy day. I wanted to revel in it. And Basir, he was the coolest night, wrapping around you at the end of a long day.

“Less than a minute,” Basir warned. “We have to let her go. He’s the one coming for her.”

I looked at Basir, feeling a surge of knowing panic as Thornar let out a low rumble of disapproval. My voice was raspy as I tried to get out my question. “Who?—”

“Gracie.” Alpha Ivan’s sharp tone had my entire body trembling.

I scrambled out of Thornar’s arms, making him curse as I tried to distance myself as much as possible.

I nearly fell over in the effort, my ribs echoing with pain as my pulse beat wildly in my throat, my gaze darting around to watch Ivan and his soldiers approaching.

I didn’t want the two of them to be punished because of the state I was in. I didn’t want Alpha Ivan’s wrath turned on them.

“Alpha Ivan.” Thornar’s voice was filled with disgust as he gently helped me stand.

Alpha Ivan ignored him. “Come, Gracie. We’re done with tonight.”

“She needs medical attention. We were waiting on our?—”

“No.” Alpha Ivan laughed as he approached and grabbed my arm. “Come now, Gracie.”

Before we could move an inch, Basir blocked our path out of the room, pointedly eyeing Alpha Ivan’s grip on me as he spoke in a quiet but steady tone. “She needs help.”

“I will decide what she needs,” Alpha Ivan snarled. “And I won’t have a Gentry lackey tell me what to do with my property. She deserved every one of those injuries.”

I could see it register with Basir that Alpha Ivan had been the one to do this to me. His eyes went cold as true darkness enveloped him.

In a fast move, I was whisked away from the confrontation and placed within the wall of bodies that Ivan had brought with him. Ivan hadn’t come alone. In fact, he seemed to need thirty men to do this particular job.

“Don’t start something you can’t finish, boys. She’s not worth it.”

I kept my gaze forward, tears crowding my eyes. I heard Thornar say my name from behind the wave of men, but I couldn’t bring myself to look back—to watch the expression of two of the men that had made me feel so much in so little time. I was afraid they’d see the truth in Alpha Ivan’s words.

That I wasn’t worth anything.

But somewhere deep inside, my wolf stirred.

Why didn’t we fully believe him anymore?