The Alpha's Oracle (SAMPLE, IronMoon #1)

Into Gabel's Bed

 After I ate my sandwich I told Goon A and Goon B to show me around the mansion.

Because the pack house was a mansion.

"Who lives here?" I asked. There were three stories, and the place was huge, but it seemed awfully empty. I thought Iron Moon was a big pack. There just didn't seem to be a lot of wolves here.

"Most live in town or in the outlying houses." Goon B told me. "Only the ranked members of the pack live here. And their families. And a few others."

Like Platinum. It was obvious to me why she was here.

So Alpha Gabel only kept a select few close to him. Just like the Alpha Kings of old He was already convinced he had won.

Although maybe he had. I touched the expensive-looking wallpaper in a hallway. Alpha Jermain wasn't a gutless coward, but all Alpha Gabel had had to was make a simple phone call. I was here. Gabel had gotten me without a fight. Shadowless had practically tied a ribbon around my neck and begged Gabel to take me. If everyone believed Gabel was King, did that make Gabel a King?

It was harder than that to become Alpha King. It had to be. I had to believe there was more to it than that.

The handful of people I saw passed me by and murmured greetings. They didn't know how to address me. I wasn't Luna, I wasn't Queen. I was Gabel's BondMate, but nothing more. I knew he didn't intend to take it any further.

I was going to start calling our Bond the Knot. Because "Knot" seemed to suit it better. Maybe Shackles, or Bindings, or Cage.

My two escorts showed me around the grounds. There was a lavish pool and patio, and beyond that, well trimmed grass and a dirt area for training. It was huge and carved into the forest itself. A number of wolves were training, several in human and several in wolf form, and they were immense specimens and brutal.

Maybe Alpha Gabel and Iron Moon's reputation was justified.

Curious, I drifted towards them. My goons didn't try to prevent me.

The way the wolves trained... it was like combat. Blood and fur flew everywhere. An older man, not wearing a shirt and in a plaid utilkilt (laugh if you will, but utilikilts were great for werewolves), stood on a little box and shouted instructions at everyone. He seemed to see everything at once and barked corrections and instructions constantly. He was perhaps about forty, huge, and even from a distance I was intimidated.

"Master-of-Arms Flint." Goon A murmured to me.

Master of Arms. So Gabel had even gone for the traditional titles too. I had never met a Master-of-Arms before but Flint definitely seemed to be worthy of the title. Gabel didn't suffer the weak, and Flint clearly made the strong even stronger.

"Stop!" Flint suddenly bellowed.

Everything stopped moving. Even the bugs in the air. Even my heart, I think.

Flint raised one huge arm and pointed straight at me. As one the warriors spun around to face me. Goon A and Goon B snapped to attention.

I wanted to just melt into the ground. Or bolt.

The Master of Arms jumped down from his box with the nimble grace of a deer in the woods. A man that big should not move like a dancer. It just told me how dangerous he was.

Where had Gabel found this guy? For that matter, where had the world found Gabel?

Flint marched towards me, the hem of his utilikilt swirling around his massive knees. He had a couple of bruises on his body and a few healing scratches. He also looked fresh as a daisy and ready to go beat every single one of these warriors with one hand tied behind his back.