Hunter (Crescent Wolves Book One)

Chapter Twelve

I stood.

Hunter's hand dropped, and my chair screeched on the marble floor. The eyes of the table turned to me; my vision was blurry. I turned to leave, but someone grabbed my wrist.

Eric and my father now stood, and I watched in horror as people raised their glasses all around me.

"As you all know, we are celebrating tonight."

You all know...


I yanked at Eric's arm, but it was like a vice around my wrist; he didn't even glance in my direction. I frantically searched the room for anyone that might help me. No one spared me a glance. I turned to my last resort,

Hunter. He couldn't even look me in the eye; he just stared straight ahead.

"I am so very pleased to join the Moon and Redmoon packs with a united marriage between my beautiful daughter Serina and Eric Moon, son of Alpha Emmott."

Everyone around me raised their glasses in toast of my happy union. All except the princes and Cassy.

I should have seen this coming; I should have stopped this.

To make matters worse, Eric released my wrist and placed his arm around my waist. His hand touched the bare skin of my waist through the dress.

Nothing, not a single tingle.
I looked at Hunter, and this time, he met my gaze.

Only then did I see the gold irises of his wolf looking back at me… He was fighting with it.

Good, he deserves any misery he's inflicted upon himself.

With the toasts and congratulations ending, we joined the rest of the pack members in the ballroom. Eric took my arm, and we were the first to enter; cheering and applause met us, and he looked me past all the onlookers and onto the floor where the violins started a slow romantic melody.

I feel sick.

We danced alone, all eyes watching as he pulled me around the floor.

This is a stark contrast to when I danced with Hunter. It was like the world had melted away; it was just the pair of us in the room. Private peaceful. With Eric, I felt like there were spotlights put on me.

He watched the crowd and smiled, never looking down at his … Fiancé. The crowd parted slowly, going to the bar or joining us on the floor around us, and Eric still never bothered to speak or even look at me.

This will be my life now, ignored and used.

The dance had ended, and I was passed to another. Father. Who gripped my hand until I felt the bones might crack under the pressure. I hated him; I hated being close to him. I stared at his tie, unable to even see his eyes.

"You have done well, Serina, despite your little slip-up at dinner. You have united our packs and given Redmoon a future, making up for the fact you were born a girl."

I didn't need to look at him to know his usual sneer would be plastered across his face at that comment.

"I might even say I am proud of you."

But he wouldn't; he never has. I have known all along that I was an inconvenience to him. A reason for shame. His only child was born a girl, and his wife died shortly after. I had nothing to say to him; one positive for this arranged marriage was that I would finally be free of him.

If only to be passed along to Eric, like prized cattle. The dance moved us on, and finally, it was over. He walked away without even a goodbye. Before anyone else could grab me, I moved. My feet led the way, and I stood on the balcony overlooking the gardens. The cool night air wisping around my hair, causing goosebumps along my arms. Good, I could feel something. Cassy came and stood beside me and took my hand; we stood there together, looking out over the forests together. There was nothing that could be said or done. There was no fighting this for me; finding my mate was unsuccessful. Together, we watched the Moon, silent tears falling between us.

The gathering was over.

The house grew silent as the various packs said goodbye. I was forced to stand beside my father once more in a simple gown of ivory. No doubt a teaser of what was to come. My wedding day had been announced at the end of the ball last night and was to be in a week on the full Moon of the month.

No doubt, my father wants to be rid of me and welcome his new power as quickly as possible. Oddly, only the moon pack was invited to the ceremony. Usually, all the packs would be present to officiate the ceremony. I saw it as a blessing.

I wouldn't need to see Hunter ever again.

He disappeared with his brother at his side after the meal, and my father reported that they had returned to the Crescent lands that morning.

He didn't even say goodbye … and why would he?

He used me to play with me and left me. I can only be thankful he did not take more from me.

But as Eric took my hand and kissed my knuckles, flashbacks of Hunters' burning touch filled my mind.

The tangled sheets, the feel of his skin, his muscles moving under my hands, his scalding lips.


Snap out of it!

Bowing respectfully and lowering my head in submission was a strain. I hated this; my wolf hated this. She had been silent and pining since Hunter left, oddly not feeling the same way I clearly did, making matters even worse. Being at odds with your wolf did no favors. Eric was leaning into me now, his face coming a little too close to mine, my wolf growling in protest. His lips were coming up to my ear.

"I look forward to our wedding day, Serina, and the rest of our lives."

For the rest of our lives, the gods help me.

I couldn't even sit beside this oaf at dinner.
With my father watching the whole interaction, I was forced to give my best fake smile, not quite meeting my eyes. Not that Eric noticed; he walked away without a backward glance. The second they had left the entrance hall, my father swung and had me by the throat.

"You will not mess this up, Serina; this deal is important to us all now. I don't care what it takes; you will make Eric happy; give him everything he wants, or there will be consequences. Do you understand?"

At that, he threw me across the hallway, and I slammed against the banister of the stairs. Stars crossed my vision. By the time the world stopped spinning, I was alone.

Hunter


Days had passed. I had days left; I needed to find out what Marcus was really up to, and soon, I had taken to personally patrolling the borders, checking every shipment that entered the territory and nothing. He was planning something more than Serina's wedding.
Serina…


I couldn't allow myself to get distracted; the kingdom's welfare came before her, or I kept trying to convince myself that. But every breath was agony; it nearly killed me watching the betrayal cross her face that night at dinner, watching her be sentenced to a life with that i***t.

I couldn't watch the rest of the celebration, and Luke was just as happy to leave as I was. Although the wolves openly invited him to their beds. In fact, I had barely seen Luke with a woman since. I was sitting in my office, the sun streaming in behind me, reflecting off the various paperwork in front of me, import papers, shipments, and deliveries, all for the wedding in a matter of days. Marcus was sparing no cost, clearly taking advantage of the Moon's pack wealth that would soon come into reach.
Not if I could stop it. Scrolling again through the shipment, I saw flowers, exotic spices, and a lot of food.

I looked again, and there was a lot of food...

Enough to feed a wedding twelve times over. Even in wolf portions.

Why does he need that much food?
Enough to feed an army.

It hit me like a ton of bricks. That was it.

"Luke!"

Serina

I looked like a puff pastry; it was the only way I could describe this monstrosity.

Layers of fabric around my hips, ending in an off-the-shoulder sleeveless bodice. It was beautiful, but it was not me. A single moonstone necklace had been placed around my neck to show the respect I was to be a part of. My hair was up in tight knots and braids on my head. Cassy came in and walked around the podium the dressmakers had me on.

"You look...amazing, Serina."

I looked at her in her pale pink gown; no bridesmaids were allowed, so my best friend couldn't join me on my special day. My father's final nail in the coffin. Tears were falling from her eyes now.

At least one of us could still cry.

I had been numb for days.

Finally, I cried myself out when I realized there was no escaping this. My father had rolled in more security; hundreds of wolves I had never seen before patrolled the grounds. Now, I was guessing they had come from the Moon pack.

The fitters were putting on the veil now.

I was faceless. A figure was standing in the mirror.

I didn't recognize myself.

I couldn't.

A knock at the door signaled it was time.

The aisle had been set up at the balcony at the top of the stairs in the garden. Rows and rows of blood-red roses were the first thing I noticed.

How strange, very unusual for a wedding.

The second thing I noticed was no women here, only men. The third was my father, who stood beside Eric, my husband. The elder is in the center of the space, holding a bowl. That had me stopping in my tracks,

It was not a blood bonding; they were unheard of and only done if the couple were mates. It was the most intimate of gestures, allowing each wolf to connect. Complete control.

My father was taking no chances, and a guard behind me pushed me forward, up the grass, to the marble steps, and to the altar where Eric stood with a face of stone.

Funny, I always imagined my husband would have one shred of emotion when he saw me.

"Let us begin. We are gathered today to unite the Redmoon and Moon packs with the marriage of Alpha Eric Moon and the daughter of Alpha Marcus Redmoon, Serina."

Alpha! Eric, was Moon Pack alpha now? How? When? That must mean his father is dead…

I was glad for the thick veil. It was hiding the shock on my face.