Page 4 of Howling Love (Hunter’s Moon Ritual #1)

Gracie

So this was where Alpha Ivan’s mates lived.

It was a ten-thousand-foot leap compared to what most of us dealt with.

For one, there was a radiator on the left side of the room along with a fireplace, the room warmed against the chill outside.

Two large queen-size beds positioned on either side of the room sat covered with plush blankets and pillows, and a private bathroom was attached to the suite to my left.

While Alpha Ivan’s mates were mostly put away and ignored—so much so that I’d never even passed their quarters until now—he at least provided them basic comforts.

Serelina sat in the corner alone, knitting quietly. She was the first mate he’d taken and was pregnant with his seventh pup. I had no idea where her children were, or if she was even allowed to see them, but she seemed out of it, as if she wasn’t truly present in the room with the rest of us.

Vianne, his second mate, was pregnant with her first child. She was only a few years older than me and was very vocal about being relieved she wasn’t the one going to the TTC.

“I feel bad you have to go,” Vianne said, “but honestly, I’ll be glad for the break while he’s gone. I shouldn’t say that, but…I need rest.”

That statement was upsetting for many, many reasons.

“If you just stay quiet and follow orders, it should pass by quickly. Plus, you get to see some new places, so that’s good, right?”

“I suppose,” I murmured, looking down at the dress I’d been placed in. And placed in was the right term—from the time that I’d woken up, I’d been in a process of transformation.

Vianne had been helping me get ready from the moment I’d woken up, transforming me from a ghost in a threadbare dress to a puppet draped in silk.

She’d directed me to bathe in her tub, letting me wash the grime from my skin and nails, as well as shampoo and condition my hair.

The last time I had seen any products like that—including a razor—had been back before the raids.

Soap had been deemed essential alongside toothpaste, but nothing else.

To say I relished in the bath, despite my anxiety, was an understatement.

I’d stayed still as Vianne and Serelina styled my hair, twisting it into neat braids and weaving them in an updo that felt far more elegant than anything I deserved.

As they’d brushed my hair, my eyes had glazed over with a memory of the last time my mom had done the same in the cold barracks.

How she’d whispered that the color of my hair—of her hair—had been passed on through generations of women in our family.

The same was true for my father’s side and my gold eyes, which seemed too bright for someone who felt so hollow right now.

Throughout that time, Vianne had explained a few things about the travel process and told me to expect some modern technology I’d yet to be exposed to.

I’d thought she was joking—after all, before the raids, our family had owned a TV!

But when she went into detail about phones, tablets, and smartwatches, I became overwhelmed and started to zone out.

I would have no need to know about that stuff anyway.

The only comment Serelina made was that I needed to make sure to smile a lot—which, considering I’d never seen her smile, was surprising.

Finally, after I’d been rid of any remnant of who I was on a day-to-day basis, I was put into an outfit that felt heavy, like weighted chains.

It shouldn’t have. It was beautiful. The coat-dress was stiff, the stormy gray fabric buttoned all the way to my throat.

It was the most durable and luxurious thing I had ever worn, but the silver embroidery around my wrists and at my feet where the garment brushed my ankles felt like shackles.

Even my boots felt like armor. I knew I was traveling, but it was beginning to feel more like a prison transfer.

Or like I was being arranged like a vase of flowers to be put on display.

I didn’t often feel a sense of independence in my circumstances anyway, but right now it felt like my autonomy had truly been taken from me.

Spending the morning in such a luxurious setting should have been a treat, but it had been more disturbing than anything else.

When the bedroom door opened, I was only half-surprised to see Ravina there. She held a bag that she dropped in front of me, eyeing me with distaste. “Where the hell are you going looking like that?”

“She’s going to the Thornfell Trade Conference,” Vianne explained. “With Alpha Ivan.”

“I’m guessing you aren’t coming back, then. I was just ordered to pack up all of your things,” Ravina scoffed. Then her brow twitched, dipping slightly in confusion. .

Shock filtered through me. “What? What are you talking about?”

“I thought it was weird too,” she admitted, motioning down at the bag. “I…I packed up everything I could find of yours, including that little collection of jewelry you keep under your pillow.”

My eyes stung as I offered her a small smile. I didn’t think she’d known about that. “Thank you. That’s from my mother.”

“Whatever.” She shrugged, tilting her chin up. “More room for me in the barracks if you’re gone.”

Except I could still see the concern she’d shown only moments before, and I didn’t fully know what to make of that.

“I don’t understand what’s going on.” I looked back at Vianne. “Why would I need all my stuff? Am I not coming back?”

Vianne frowned. “He didn’t mention that—although he doesn’t tell me much to begin with.” Serelina looked up and shrugged. She didn’t know either.

“I can answer that.” Thalira stated as she stepped inside, carrying a small pouch of herbs. I recognized the medicinal bag. “You’re being used as a bargaining chip.”

A bargaining chip. An object to trade at the Thornfell Trade Conference. I should have expected this, yet Alpha Ivan’s plans continued to blindside me.

I watched her blankly as she handed me the pouch of herbs, motioning for me to tuck it into my coat. I did so robotically, a numb sense of confusion leaving me struggling to form words.

Finally, I managed.

“Bargaining for…”

“You’ll be offered to the leader of another territory in exchange for access to their resources.” Her words were tight and filled with sadness, but with a tilt of the head she offered, “It means you’re getting out of here, Gracie.”

Was I truly worth so little, that I wouldn’t even be told I wasn’t coming back?

That I would just be given away? I shouldn’t have been surprised, I knew that, but I still felt a strong sense of rejection.

Not rejection from Alpha Ivan, but rejection as…

a human? As a person. Was I truly just tradeable?

“Damn you,” Ravina growled, motioning toward me in a frustrated jolt. “This is ridiculous. What value does she hold?”

I couldn’t even argue with her question. I wanted to know the answer too.

“She’s young and pretty,” Serelina said simply, stopping her stitch. “They’re going to offer her as a potential breeding option.”

The “pups” comment from Alpha Ivan and his men suddenly made sense.

So that was my worth. Somehow, I had known that I would eventually come to this place, that this would be the situation I would find myself in—whether it be in the Cold Moon Pack or elsewhere.

I was just a breeding option. My chest fractured as my last bit of hope drained away.

And all that was left? An odd sense of…relief.

I had no family here. I had no friends, not really.

Here there was only sadness and pain. I didn’t know who they wanted to trade me to, but at this point, it couldn’t get any worse—could it?

After all, I had heard from Alpha Ivan himself that he was the most ruthless of the leaders.

So maybe, despite the dark future that could lay ahead, it wouldn’t be as bad as this. That was all I could ask for.

“Who?” Vianne asked after a drawn-out, heavy silence. “I can’t imagine it’s the Grimfur Skulk.” I nearly shivered in disgust. That would be… horrifying .

“No, they’re already allies,” Thalira said. “From what I gather, it’s most likely the Stark Flight in the South. They have animal products that we’ve been unable to import recently.” There was an undertone to that statement that I didn’t understand.

“Then he plans to trade you to Waylon Kane,” Serelina hummed. “Dragon shifter. Very old, but kind. Well, as kind as a leader can be.”

My wolf let out a vicious growl inside my head, making my temples pulse. She clearly did not like dragons, and I couldn’t fathom what she was saying anyway. Me? Given to an Alpha? That didn’t seem right.

But I wasn’t about to question it. I looked to Ravina. “I know this is asking a lot, but if I don’t come back, would you mind making sure any leftovers go to the children’s barracks every day? Please?”

Ravina rolled her eyes and shook her head in annoyance. “Whatever—sure.”

When a knock sounded on the door, a now familiar thread of energy cascaded into the room, making my body still.

Alpha Ivan. His eyes went to his two mates, offering them a look I didn’t understand, but they understood it.

Serelina gave a subtle nod and went back to knitting as Vianne offered a tense, awkward smile.

“Alpha, it’s wonderful to see you,” she greeted happily, but her voice was pitched slightly wrong.

“We’re departing.” Alpha Ivan’s expression was kind, but Vianne flinched as if she’d done something wrong.

“Of course,” I murmured, immediately standing. Not only did I not want to upset Alpha Ivan, but I hoped that my obedience would ease some of the tension in the room. When I went to pick up my duffel bag, Ravina’s words moved softly against my ears, so quietly I barely heard them.

“Careful, Gracie.”

Gracie? I couldn’t remember her ever calling me Gracie. When I met her gaze, authentic worry shone in her eyes. I gave her a miniscule nod. Despite our differences, I think she considered us friends, somehow. Or at least allies. I didn’t know what had changed, or if anything had.

Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be around to figure that out.

As I reached the door, I realized Alpha Ivan had waited for me.

He motioned me forward, and I straightened, feeling his eyes on me as I walked down the hall, his steps like drums behind me.

Did he do that on purpose? Make it so that I felt like I was on death row, being escorted to execution?

The way the coat tightened around me, the stiff material shifting back and forth, made me feel as if I were a wrapped-up present, being delivered to wherever Alpha Ivan decided.

The silence turned overwhelming by the time I reached the bottom of the stairs, waiting so that I could follow Alpha Ivan’s lead.

He circled me in a predatory way, raising a hand to grab my chin.

His chuckle was cruel as I flinched, his bruising grip making my eyes sting.

It wouldn’t have been the first time I’d been hit, and a slap was far less than what usually occurred—especially when working outside of the house.

“Don’t look so worried, Gracie Holloway,” Alpha Ivan said after his laughter quieted down. “Your life is about to change.”