Page 28 of Howling Love (Hunter’s Moon Ritual #1)

Gracie

“Ravik.” My voice was a soft murmur, a flush filling my cheeks at the way he was holding me.

I mean truly holding me, having placed me on his lap in the center of the busy dining hall.

The other two were still getting ready for the day, but the moment my stomach had made the slightest grumble we were down here, tucked into a corner, with me placed right in his lap.

Part of me felt like I should protest, but the other part of me loved it.

I loved his possessive grip on my waist and the way he kept offering me food, his attention wholly on me.

Instead of feeling controlling, it felt like I was being wrapped in affection.

It electrified my skin and made me feel a sense of rightness.

“Yes, lux mea ?”

“I…” I hesitated because I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to move. “I feel like I should move,” I murmured before taking another bite of muffin.

Ravik let out a low rumble of disagreement. “Why?” he asked, turning my head with a finger under my chin so I had to look him in the eye.

Motioning with my hand to the room, I just shrugged. “Everyone is looking.”

“Good.” Ravik’s answer had a small smile tugging at my lips. “Let them look, Gracie. I’m not going to hide you away.”

A small laugh nearly slipped out. “Didn’t you say something about that earlier? Something about not wanting to leave bed and hiding away?”

The low, warm chuckle that left him sent shivers across my skin as he brushed his lips across my shoulder. The action made my breath catch as an image of him biting there, or on the soft part of my throat, sent desire rolling through me.

“I would love to keep you in bed, that’s true.” Ravik’s voice was husky, making my toes curl. “But I also know I can’t keep you to just the three of us. I have an entire family that’s been waiting days to meet you.”

“I’m excited to meet them. I just hope your dad isn’t upset with me. It sounds like I derailed the trade conference for you.”

“You didn’t derail anything,” he promised, helping me stand as I moved off his lap, eager to go meet his family now that we had talked about it. “We went for symbolic reasons. We already have trade agreements with everyone in Thornfell except the Cold Moon Pack and the Grimfur Skulk.”

“Does that make it hard since they control so much of the east coast?”

He considered the question, wrapping an arm around my shoulder as we made our way out of the dining hall. “Maybe, but it’s worth it. No amount of resources and trade are worth aiding the development of a damn dictatorship.”

The conviction in his voice had me nodding in agreement.

“Waylon Kane from the southern region has always been open to trade as well. He’s able to access most of the same products that come across the Eastern Sea.”

My eyes widened. “I can’t even imagine going across the sea. Traveling to Silverpine? Maybe. It’s still in Iridale. But the idea of going to Florwyn, let alone anywhere past that, is insane to me.”

Our world was made up of seven continents, Iridale being the one that held Thornfell and Silverpine.

Florwyn was our closest neighbor over the sea to the east, made up of many small unique countries, and Goldmere was directly south of Iridale.

I couldn’t imagine leaving Thornfell, so the idea of visiting somewhere like that was outlandish.

“We’ll fix that,” Ravik promised, his tone serious. “Iridale has a rich history of shifters, but there are continents filled with other types of beings. Coralis has everything from aquatic shifters to merfolk.”

I came to a hard stop as my mouth dropped open. “Like mermaids?” Of course I’d heard stories, but the idea of them being real…

“Just like mermaids.”

“Wow,” I breathed out. “I didn’t realize…” That stab of insecurity about my lack of education rang in my ears, but Ravik was quick to soothe it.

“We’ll take an afternoon and go to the library, pull some books about them,” he assured me gently, his tightened grip grounding rather than overbearing. “You have forever to learn everything you want, Gracie.”

And there was so much to learn.

A few moments later, we stepped through a series of heavy iron doors two floors down from the dining hall and into the brisk autumn air. I was glad I’d chosen to wear something comfortable and warm today.

I felt nervous about the impression I’d make either way, but seeing that we were meeting everyone outside made me feel better about the casual black pants and boots I’d decided to wear with a fitted gray sweater, a black coat wrapped around my frame.

“What is this place?” I asked, curiosity filling my voice.

The balcony—though it felt more like a sky courtyard—sprawled wide, perched on the roof of one of the building’s upper wings.

Three sides opened to the skyline, lined with glass half-walls that held back the wind but offered an unbroken view of the territory.

Flags whipped in the breeze, their colors stark against the bright blue sky.

Beneath my feet, the stone floor was cool and perfectly flat, veined with lines of iron that converged in a deliberate pattern, like a path leading forward.

At the far end, beneath a stretched canvas canopy, sat a full living arrangement: cushioned benches, low tables set with trays of food, even music playing softly from some hidden source.

It looked like the inside of a private office had been dragged into the open air.

“This is my father’s office,” Ravik said, a hint of amusement coloring his tone. “He insists on doing everything outside, even in the middle of winter. Says the wind clears his head. And his wolf likes to eavesdrop on the training ground below.”

The idea of his wolf eavesdropping was authentically funny, but I understood why his father liked to be out here. My own wolf was jumping around playfully, trying to bite the wind.

Although, I had a feeling the embarrassing display of excitement had more to do with Ravik’s closeness to me than with being outdoors.

“Gracie!” Elowen’s familiar voice had me smiling as she moved past a man I didn’t recognize, who was talking with Thornar and Basir. My chest filled with happiness at just seeing them, which meant I was completely taken off guard when Elowen all but barreled into me.

“I am so, so glad you’re okay. I didn’t know what to do when you collapsed, so I’m glad we were close enough that Solenne and Isara could help.”

The sudden weight of her barreling into me sent a jolt through my chest, my body tensing before I could stop it. My instincts screamed danger, but I forced a smile, not wanting anyone—let alone my new friend—to notice.

But Ravik did.

He shifted slightly to the side, not making a show of it, just…easing the pressure. His presence was a steadying force, a reminder I wasn’t trapped. The subtle movement calmed the tremor running under my skin, and I realized he understood. He always seemed to.

Friendship mattered to me more than I could say—especially after going so long without it—and he somehow knew how to protect even that.

“I feel much better,” I confirmed as she hooked arms with me and led me forward. “It’s sort of hard to explain…”

“I totally got the full story,” she admitted. “You have a god scar on your mating bond and now Nyxarra is trying to play puppet master…or she might try that. Have we decided if we like her or not? I don’t know how you feel about The Eight. My brother and I aren’t really huge fans.”

Elowen was a literal breath of fresh air, and the ‘we’ language she used about deciding how we felt about Nyxarra made me feel like she was taking on this situation in support of us. Wholly unnecessary, but really thoughtful. So I offered her the truth.

“Honestly, she represents so much pain from the Cold Moon Pack, so the idea of being her ‘chosen’ one feels…odd. I’m not sure how I feel.”

“That makes sense. I wish I knew a better way to handle it or successfully ignore her. Instead I defaulted to what I know best.” Elowen motioned to a massive pile of books on a table near Thornar, Basir, and the unknown man.

“These are all the books I brought for you to take home! I grabbed everything I could think of from the university. You know what they say, ‘knowledge is power’ and all.”

“Books can’t protect you on the battlefield,” Thornar mused, rubbing a hand up my back in greeting. Basir moved to my other side, and while he didn’t touch me, I could feel his gaze on my curious expression.

Elowen brought a hand to her chest as an offended look filled her face. “ Excuse me ? Have you seen how thick they are? I could use one as a shield.”

“As someone who carried all of them,” the unknown man offered, “I can confirm they are very heavy and dense. Also, you would never need to use anything for a shield, so don’t say that.”

I stiffened, my pulse kicking up at the sudden male voice. My instinct was to take a step back, but I forced myself to stay put, even as unease prickled along my skin.

Elowen scowled at him and shook her head. “Gracie, this is Ravik’s brother, Banthor.”

Once she said it, it was easy to see the similarities between the two of them.

He was slightly shorter than his brother but had a similar muscular build.

Instead of dark hair like Ravik, though, he had honey-blonde hair that was to his shoulders.

His blue eyes were completely focused on Elowen, and it drew attention to the scar that went from the bottom of his eye down to his jaw.

“Nice to meet you,” I managed, my voice steady despite the nerves twisting in my stomach.

Banthor flashed me a friendly smile. “I would offer to shake your hand, but my brother or these two would probably rip it off. So good to meet you as well.”

“Men,” Elowen sighed, shaking her head.

I blinked, my stomach twisting. Did she actually think they’d rip off his hand? They wouldn’t really do that…would they?