Page 24 of Howling Love (Hunter’s Moon Ritual #1)

“You didn’t interrupt—I didn’t announce myself either,” she said with a light laugh, leaning forward to look out over the railing.

The wind teased her hair, which was piled elegantly on top of her head.

I couldn’t quite gauge her age—perhaps mid-fifties—but she radiated a maternal warmth that blended with a wild strength just under the surface, fierce and undeniable.

I couldn’t tell which part of her was truer, or how she carried both so effortlessly.

Before I could speak, she turned back to me, leaning a hip against the railing and tucking her coat closer around her. “Besides, I’ve been meaning to talk with you. Hopefully without the overbearing presence of my son. Honestly, I’m shocked he even let you out of his sight.”

My eyes widened in surprise, a knot of nervousness tightening in my throat. Her tone was affectionate and teasing, but it didn’t make my ability to respond any easier.

“You’re Ravik’s mom?” I could see the resemblance.

“Yes, but you can just call me Malara. I’m the Luna of the Ironsun Pack—well, until Ravik takes the helm. Then I suspect that will be your position.”

I blinked once…twice…then exhaled. “I… I’m sorry, I don’t even know what to say. I feel torn between wanting to apologize, and at the same time…”

“Breathe, Gracie,” she said gently, moving toward a small table and chairs nearby. “Let’s sit and talk, or answer any questions you have. I promise I won’t hold back.”

“Do you know everything ?” I asked, sitting across from her.

“Solenne and Ravik have both updated Deegan and me about your bond and the interaction with Nyxarra,” she confirmed.

“Of course, we were also aware of the boys’ mission to rescue you.

My husband was a bit frustrated at the spontaneity of it, but he worries about everything. ” Her tone softened affectionately.

“I don’t know what to say,” I admitted, looking down at my hands. “I haven’t had a chance to process it all myself. It’s a lot.”

“And you shouldn’t be rushed,” she said reassuringly.

“What’s a Luna?” I asked, not sure what the expression meant. Malara’s brows lifted in surprise, and I wanted to disappear in my embarrassment. “My formal education ended at eleven when Ivan took over the territory. Before that I lived on the farm…I wasn’t exposed to as much as I should have been.”

“Eleven is a very young age to experience so much,” she murmured, her concern evident. Something seemed to occur to her then, inspiring her to stand.“Walk with me. I want to show you something.”

I rose and followed her, keeping pace as she strolled gracefully through the halls. She wasn’t a queen, at least not like in the fairy tales my mom would read me as a child, but she moved like one, every step purposeful and composed.

“A Luna is the mate and equal of the Alpha in a pack,” she explained.

“It’s a formal title, but it’s not based on dominance—not in the same way Alpha status is.

As our society has evolved, those rigid roles have softened.

Thornar and Basir, who could each lead as Alphas in their own right, have chosen different paths, showing that our base nature doesn’t define us.

Instead of feeling combative toward one another, they work beside each other. ”

“How long have the two of them been in the Ironsun Pack? Or did they grow up here?” I asked. I tried not to linger on the hopeful ache in my chest. If Luna meant what I gathered from her explanation, then Malara wasn’t just approving the bond. She was affirming it.

“My husband and I took the boys in at twelve and ten, respectively, though they arrived very differently—that’s a story they’ll want to tell you themselves, no doubt.

But we raised them as our own. Even now, they’re more like brothers than soldiers.

That’s one reason my husband has trusted Ravik to lead in his… absence.”

Which meant Thornar and Basir didn’t have parents. Not here, at least. My chest ached.

I didn’t feel comfortable asking about the “absence,” so I shared my own story. “I lost my dad the night of the raid and my mom a few years later. It was nice to see that Elowen and Thornar were able to stay together.”

She smiled softly. “Elowen is a wildfire. She’s been good for Solenne. My daughter has always been far too cautious.” Her expression morphed into one that was more serious. “I’m sorry you lost your parents. I can only imagine the horrors you’ve lived through, Gracie.”

I nodded slowly, taken aback by her depth of emotion and empathy toward someone she barely knew. “I just hope that their choice to rescue me didn’t bring danger to your door.”

As we reached a long hallway with a purple carved door at the far end, her laughter echoed, full of confidence. “We don’t worry about Ivan’s forces. There’s a reason he hates our pack.”

I was starting to understand why. Ivan wielded fear, but here? Here, there was true power—and it was awe-inspiring.

“Here we are.” She opened the double doors with an easy turn of a gold handle, and I sucked in a breath.

A library —though the word didn’t do it justice.

Towering floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined the entire length and width of the room, which had three levels.

Iron ladders on rails allowed access to the higher shelves, and a stained-glass dome crowned the center of the room, casting a kaleidoscope of morning light onto a plush velvet sitting area below.

“This is beautiful,” I whispered as she led me forward, the floor glowing softly in response to our steps. The scent of aged parchment filled the air, accompanied by the faint rustle of pages being turned.

It was serene. Peaceful. And much like being near Malara herself, I felt at ease here. There was a surprising gentleness to her despite the power she wielded.

“This is our family library,” she said, gesturing around. “It’s open to you, always. You may not have had the opportunity to learn under Ivan’s rule, but that won’t happen here. No question is forbidden, no piece of knowledge hidden.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, blinking away the sting in my eyes.

“Enjoy yourself. I’ll have breakfast brought here,” she added, motioning to the couch. “And if I run into my son, I’ll let him know you’re perfectly safe.”

Would Ravik actually be worried about that?

As she left, a quiet swell of hope rose in my chest. I was deeply grateful, not just for being welcomed so warmly, but for being given this chance. I’d never considered myself unintelligent, but I knew there was a disparity between what I’d been taught and what I had yet to learn.

Maybe I would have a chance to catch up.

I’d never known that something as simple as the possibility of learning could feel so much like healing.