I slid under the blankets as far away from him as I could manage. I didn't know what was worse: being forced to be naked, or him not even noticing that I was naked.

He joined me in the bed, and read through a book for a while. He completely ignored me.

I cried for a long time. At least until I fell asleep. Maybe even in my sleep.

I knew Gabel felt it. I could sense he didn't sleep either.

I woke up with him at dawn and joined the pack for breakfast. I didn't have to. But it flattered the pack that I did, even if I said nothing and just dipped my spoon in and out of my oatmeal. Gabel murmured to everyone I was going to scry later and it would be best if I ate little.

That was true. I also didn't want to eat. I felt hollow. He had ripped my clothing off. Forced me to undress. Forced me to be naked with him.

Gardenia wasn't at breakfast. She was awake, but had an intricate two hour grooming ritual that meant she couldn't possibly be seen before 9AM. I think I would have told her she could have Gabel.

I considered my morning grooming complete having brushed my hair and splashed cold water on my face to chase away the bags under my eyes. I was naturally pale. Makeup didn't help that. I wasn't a sickly pale. I was moon-touched pale. I sort of liked to flaunt my moon-touched skin instead of bury it under makeup. Especially so early in the day.

I had hoped Gabel would forget about his question, or not have figured out what he wanted to ask, but no such luck. After breakfast he took me out onto the stone veranda overlooking the massive gardens. He handed me a cup of coffee, which I declined. I really wanted it, but if I was going to scry, I couldn't have it.

I stood as far away from him as I could manage and crossed my arms across my breasts. I didn't look at him.

He ignored my unhappiness. "I've thought of the question."

"What is it?" I didn't look at him.

"Yes or no questions are best, right?"

"Answers are usually more like sorta and sorta not." I did not want to talk to him. The previous evening was still fresh in my mind, and I wanted nothing to do with Gabel. "But the more specific, the better."

"Is Alpha Anders of Gleaming Fang disloyal." He stated.

"That's the question?"

"That's the question."

That was a pretty specific question. No putting this off. "Do you have a picture of Anders?" I didn't need it but it'd make it easier. I didn't feel like putting in a lot of work for Gabel.

"Yes. And a letter he sent me. Something he's touched will work, won't it?"

"Yes." Damn. There was no putting him off that morning.

I followed Gabel to his office, where he handed me a printed out picture of Alpha Anders and the letter. Then he dismissed me with a flick of his hand. I was grateful to leave and asked my goons to show me to the room he had set aside.

The room was in the far east wing of the house, all windows along the far wall so the moon's light could stream in as it crossed the sky. A thick rug had been placed in the middle of the otherwise bare room. There were no curtains on the windows and no other furniture. The room had been scrubbed from top to bottom with harsh soap.

I would have to do the consecrations myself but the room had been properly prepared.

I really wished Gabel wasn't such a damn know-it-all about everything.

"It'll do." I told my goons. I looked at Goon A. "I need salt. Rough salt. Like sea salt. And candles. Undyed is best."

I had everything else I would need. I hoped there would not be appropriate salt or candles in the house, and I could put off doing this.

But again, no such luck. The kitchen had rough, non-processed salt, and Cook had a stash of basic, tallow candles on hand. Gabel had been prepared.

"Let it never be said Alpha Gabel is not well educated." I took the candles from Goon B with a sigh. "Leave." I told them both. "And don't let anyone bother me. Even Gabel. I'll be done when I'm done."

I didn't need to wait until dark to scry. It was best to do it at night, but this wasn't a difficult question (at least on the surface), and drawing the heavy curtains would do. If the Eye of the Moon was closed, I'd just have to wait until dark, but hopefully I would be able to get this over with. I undressed, cast a glance at the door and hoped my goons did as I told them to.

I unpacked my stones and bowls with great care once the salt had been sprinkled all around the room's perimeter. I filled the bowl with water and set it aside, then contemplated my multitude of runestones and runes. I chose the usual ones— inquiry, pack, protection— and then one I almost never used: traitor. I picked up that rune before casting it into the water bowl and rubbed my thumb over the carving. But in the end, I cast it into the bowl as well, and sprinkled a little salt and then a tiny drop of frankincense oil into the water so it slid over the surface in a film. Normally I preferred jasmine oil, but jasmine oil had romantic overtones. I was afraid with my half-forged Bond it would cause problems.

I used one of the candles to pour wax onto the letter, then placed the candle over the folded letter and the print-out of Anders' photograph.

Already I could feel the Moon's gaze. I had half-hoped to be ignored.

It was just not my day.

I resettled myself on my knees and bent over my bowl. The scent of the oil met my nose, the candles, I felt the little bits of flame, the pull of the Moon like I was the ocean's tides. Slowly She tugged me out with Her, so I looked down into the bowl as She looked down upon us.

I saw Alpha Anders, moving around amongst his pack, in wolf form. The forms of his packmates were hidden from me, like they had been blurred out. But Anders was clear. Around his neck were four collars, each one made of a different color leather, and each one had multiple iron rings on it for multiple leashes, even though I did not see any leashes. He seemed strong and healthy, but frustrated with something.

I watched as he went throughout his pack, understanding that what I saw was Anders moving through his life day after day. Sometimes I saw the blue collar tugged hard at his throat, and he used a hind claw to scratch at it. At other times the red collar also tugged and he scratched at that one too. More rarely I saw the green collar tighten until he bowed his head and coughed, and just once I saw the black collar twist around his neck and the iron loops move as if a hand were sorting through them trying to decide the best place to attach a leash.

The vision released me slowly.

It was dark outside by the time my awareness returned fully to my body.

I sat back on the rug. Sometimes visions were simple. Sometimes they were more confusing. This wasn't the weirdest vision I had ever had, but it had been a long vision. Usually I did not spend hours in the Tide. Usually visions were fleeting, an hour at most. Hours and hours in the Tide while I waited for the vision to unfold was meaningful in itself.

I rubbed my head. Gabel wasn't going to be happy with the complicated answer.

I turned my precious scrying bowl on its side and spilled the water all over the floor. The runes slide out with it. I scrubbed it with more salt and tucked it into its velvet wrappings with the salt still on its surface. It would need several days to purify and loose the scent of the vision. I had other bowls to use if I needed them, but this one was my favorite. This one that took me to the Tides the most easily.

Outside my goons still waited. "What time is it?"

"Seven." Goon A told me.

"Alpha Gabel has been waiting." Goon B said.

"Tell him I'm done. I need to eat something before I talk to him." I missed dinner by at least an hour, but hopefully I could find some left overs.

Luckily a plate had been set aside for me. I devoured it. Scrying made me hungry. My body craved something inside it from this world. I was also tired, but Gabel wouldn't wait until morning.

I dragged myself to his office. He was chatting with Beta Hix, and two other high-ranked wolves. The conversation stopped when I entered.

Bond or not, angry with him or not, I was still his Oracle and he was still my Alpha. "I have drifted with the Tide, as ordered." I told him formally.

"What did you see?" he asked.

"It is for your ears alone, Alpha." I looked at Hix meaningfully. "Visions are only for the one who asked. You can tell them later if you wish, but they will not hear it from me."

Gabel twitched his hand and murmured for the other wolves to leave. "Now. What did you see?"

I carefully sat down in the chair on the other side of his desk. I didn't look at him. I didn't want to look at him. The Bond between us nagged and gnawed at me, and I ignored it. "I saw Anders in his wolf form. Wearing four leather colors. One blue, one green, one black, one red. The collars had iron rings around them like to attach a leash to, but I saw no leashes. As I watched, the blue and green would tug at him and he would scratch. The black one turned around his neck as if a hand were trying to choose where to clip a lead. And the red would twist on his neck as if to strangle him. He would cough when this happened."

"And?"

"That was the vision. There was nothing else."

Gable's eyes darkened like a stormy sea. I felt his displeasure. "That's it. That's not an answer! I gave you a simple question to ask!"

I flinched. "It's not a question with a simple answer. The Tide kept me for nine hours. It wasn't a fleeting image. You decide what it means. It was your question."

Gabel got out of his chair and paced. I tucked my hands between my knees and kept my eyes on the ancient rug.

He stopped pacing. He stood in front of me. I shivered with fear and pleasure at how close he was. "You have had many visions. What should I make of this, Oracle?"

I hunched forward even more. "It means the answer is not a simple yes or no. Collars are usually symbols of a master or obligation. They own us, restrain us or compel us."

"And all the collars were the same except for the color."

"Yes." I had looked closely for some difference but there was none. "Only how they affected him was different."

Gabel scowled as he thought. Finally, he seemed to actually see me. "You look tired."

I said nothing.

"Go to bed."

As I reached the door, his voice told my back, "Remember. Naked. I do not want to rip your clothes off you again."

 I shriveled a little inside.