Hunter (Crescent Wolves Book One)

Chapter Eleven

Serina

Tonight was the hunt. Cassy was back, preening over herself and going over outfits I thought were pretty pointless; if you didn't strip before the change, anything you wore would get ripped to shreds. Not that the women of the pack could properly let loose. My father very rarely let us shift. Believing our places were with the children and in the kitchen.

'How medieval,' Cassy liked to say; lucky for us, we had a lot of childhood finding our wolves, bonding, and playing. When father was busy – that was a lot these days. I often drag Cas into the woods for a run. I needed it to get through some of the weeks at home. This place was a cage, and I hated it.

The woods that surrounded the packhouse were handy for many reasons. They kept wandering eyes from seeing the community that was spread around the area. They were also full of wildlife, keeping the pack well fed and my father's favorite factor – impossible to negotiate unless you really knew the woods.

Ultimate security.

We found ourselves trudging through the undergrowth, old torches lighting the way to the forest's center as expected. Most of the packs had attended, not one person wanting to miss the chance to run and hunt… and the other activities that tended to happen once there had been a change.

Walking alongside Cassy, I could already see the excitement in her eyes and the eyes of my fellow packmates.

However, the women in my father's pack would only be allowed to shift once all the males had.

Sexist hierarchy is another of Cassy's words.

We could run once the males and other packs had started, but strictly to not join the hunt or anything else. But my wolf stirred within me, restless for a run nonetheless.

The clearing was a round circle; the alphas and important pack members lined the area while the others stuck to the darkening woods surrounding us. I stood beside my father while he addressed the crowd. All eyes were on him, some already being the yellow irises of a wolf looking through.

"Welcome all!"

My father's booming voice broke my trance.

"Tonight, we become one pack, one animal under the full moon. Tonight the hunt!"

Wolves all over let up an almighty howl. The shift already starting to form.

"As tradition dictates, the royal prices will lead the hunt."

At this, he emerged in nothing more than some gym slacks.

Godess save me..

His body was carved of sheer muscle. His abs had a sheen over them from the humid woods. His slacks hung low with a V shape leading where my traitorous eyes wanted to follow.

Look up.

I blinked hard. He met my gaze, his eyes sparking gold, ready for the hunt. His stupid, smug grin and the way he tilted his head, his dark hair falling over his eyes.

He knew exactly what he was doing to me. Bastard.

My father turned to me, Eric behind him.

"Serina, you will not participate in the hunt tonight. Return to your room."

My father's voice broke the spell. He took hold of my arm tightly, and his men ushered me out of the clearing.

The last look I saw was Hunter with his eyes fixed on me. His body starting to mold and change.

Damn, so much for my run.

Another ball.

I inwardly groaned. I hated this; the stupid dresses, horrible heels, and packs pretending to like each other gave me a headache. I was half-hearted about just going back to bed. But I couldn't even look at it; even after my maids had changed the sheets, I could still smell him.

He was everywhere; I thought I had seen him whenever I turned.

One day, it was all it took for a man I was meant to hate to get under my skin.

So much for willpower, Ser…

He would return to that castle one more day of the gathering, and I could forget all about him.

Could I forget all about him?

"Wake up, girl!"

Cassy was clicking her fingers in front of my face. I had just done my hair, and the dresses hung in front of us in the large mirror. What horrible thing had I been ordered to wear this time? I unzipped the dress before me, revealing … black.

What in the world?

I turned to Cassy, showing the sheer, long sequin gown with straps along the back, all in crystal.

"Holy crap… the dressmakers have stepped it up…"

I couldn't believe it. Striping off my robe, I stepped into the dress. It hugged every part of me, the material catching the light. The dark of the dress made my hair and dark eyes pop.

"Do you think the old bat had a stroke?"

I scowled at Cassy's comment, but she had a point: the dressmaker had never given me something so luxurious. It made me look like an entirely different woman.

"I hate to wonder what the special occasion is."

The pre-ball dinner was tense, to say the least. Father had invited the moon pack to dine with us for some reason. Naturally, I dragged Cassy with me. But walking into the dining hall, I found all the alphas sitting around the grand table.

"What the f"

"Cassandra, you will sit further down at the table tonight. Serina, your seat is to the right of me."

My father quickly interrupted Cassy's foul language, but we were all thinking about it. Making my way over to the table and immediately spotted the blond locks in the seat beside me.

Eric.

My wolf paced around, not happy about this setup. But it only got worse; no other than Hunter sat at the top of the table, my father's usual seat. But when Royalty was invited, he had the seat across from me.

This night is just going to get better and better…

Coming to my chair, the whole table stood

Yikes, full manners tonight, then

I bowed my head in respect, but when I went to pull my chair, I found Eric doing it for me. As I sat, so did the rest of the table; Cassy had been sitting beside Luke across from Eric and his father, Emmott. I could see from here she was not happy at all.

That makes two of us.

I could feel more than one set of eyes on me as my father signaled for dinner, the servants bringing an array of dishes; my stomach growled in agreement. I had missed breakfast thanks to a certain hulking prince. At this distance, I could smell him, all masculine and fresh, reminding me of this morning. A blush hit my cheeks as I caught his stare.

"Are you well, Miss Redmoon? You seem flushed?"

The nerve on him.

I glared at him, and my father and Eric turned to look at me.

"Quite thank you, Prince Hunter."

Picking up my champagne that had been served and twitching to throw it at him. I sipped it, unable to down the entire lot with my dad shooting daggers at me. The dishes were placed, and portions are now taken. With wolves, they control their own portion size. Most males can eat three or four portions in one sitting. Women were selected second. I could see Cassy judging them all now, suppressing a giggle. I could feel him as I sat looking in the opposite direction; his stare was burning into me. How could no one else notice this? My dad ate a slice of chicken whole, and Eric poured himself some more drinks. Turning to give him a final glare, I was met again by that stupid smirk.

Something touched me under the table.

Hunter's hand casually stroked my leg where the slit revealed my upper thigh, the familiar tingles spreading from his touch. I looked up at him in alarm. He was sitting there happily drinking and picking at his dinner with his remaining hand, his eyes shifting to mine with that knowing look, staring into mine, his hand going further and further up my dress, the heat where our skin touched scalding into me.

“Miss Redmoon?”

Huh?

“Serina”

My dad barking at me brought me back to my current situation. Eric looked at me, puzzled, and my father gestured to him.

"I'm sorry, Eric, I was … in my own world there."

He frowned, his green eyes looking over me as if I had banged my head. Maybe I had, as Hunter's hand had been still tickling its way up my thigh, and I had done nothing to stop it.

"I asked you If you would like some beef?"

It was my turn to look puzzled. Severing someone's food was a very intimate act among wolves. I had to get my own a lot of the time. I looked at my dad, and he subtly nodded. This was serious. Hunter's hand tightened on my leg. But I had to nod my head.

"Yes, thank you, Eric."

Serving me my food got a lot of attention, and as he placed the meal in front of me, I couldn't help but look at Hunter; his face gave nothing away while conversing with my father. Eric was beaming beside me, and I could see Cas gesturing further down the table, but Luke grabbed her hand and lowered it immediately. The look of horror on her face was priceless, but she never was very subtle.

"You look beautiful tonight, Serina."

What was going on with Eric? He never commented on anything other than my 'hips wide enough to bear sons. I didn't like this one bit and was starting to get nervous. It wasn't until I really thought about it that it hit me.

With Hunter tormenting me the last day, I hadn't thought much about my pending engagement, but it all made sense.

The dance, the words with my father. And now his place at the table. Eric Moon.

He was going to force me to marry the caveman.

My eyes shot to my father, and I dropped my fork, clattering to the plate nosily in the conversation going around the table. My father's eyes met mine unwaveringly, and I could practically hear him telling me to sit and behave. I felt sick.

Eric… I would be stuck with Eric for the rest of my life, giving him his precious sons, nothing more than a breeding b***h.

The world spun around me. I looked now to my 'fiancé'. He looked back but looked right through me, which would be my life. Used.

I looked at Hunter, his hand still holding my leg. For once, there was no smirk, no comment, and nothing. He looked back at me with pity this whole time he knew.

Everything we had done, my first kiss, my first… anything.

What was wrong with me? Was I under a spell? I had let Hunter do all these things to me.