Before dinner I was accosted by an older woman I hadn't met yet. Her name was Violet, and she instantly struck me as a submissive wolf. One with lower rank. She insisted that Alpha

Gabel had sent for her to "help" make sure I was ready for dinner.

Helping meant doing my hair and make-up. Because Alpha Gabel wanted his might-be-future-Queen to be pretty for dinner. Normally I wouldn't have minded help with my hair or makeup. I had never figured out how to look "nice" without also looking over-done. But Gabel deciding I needed that help and fetching someone from his little kingdom pissed me off.

Jerk.

I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of arguing with him and making a big stink over this. I'd go along with this for now.

There were about thirty people at dinner, split between two long tables. The dining room was quite festive and brightly lit. Gabel sat at the head of one table, and I had to sit at his left hand, across from his First Beta, Hix. Hix had dusky skin, dark eyes and smooth, dark hair like a raven's wing. He spoke with an interesting accent. I later learned he was Turkish, and when his pack had drive him out for disagreeing with their Alpha, he had come to the US and been one of Gabel's first recruits. He was unquestionably loyal to Gabel, a skilled leader and a brutal warrior.

It was easy to see him defying his Alpha. He probably could have been an Alpha. But he liked being First Beta to an Alpha like Gabel.

He made me a little uncomfortable. Hix sized me up like I was prey.

"Have you met Gianna?" Gabel asked Hix.

"Just now."

"What do you think?"

I gave Gabel dirty look. I wasn't a new car or a new pet or painting! It didn't matter what the Beta thought of me. Gabel just enjoyed prodding me.

I should stop being surprised at all the little cruel barbs.

Hix looked at me and I was pretty sure he could have lunged across that table and split me into two pieces. "A very fine selection, Alpha," he told Gabel. "A Seer with spirit. She would make strong pups."

I turned red in anger and mortification, which Hix smelled and he just smiled at me. Strong pups!

Gabel grinned at his Beta and clapped Hix on the shoulder.

I wanted to kill both of them. Not that I could have. They would have laughed at me when I tried. They'd probably have liked it if I tried.

Gabel stood up. Dinner conversation and eating stopped. All attention turned to him. I tried not to shrivel. Hix just watched me with a little grin.

"Wolves of Iron Moon," Gabel told the room, "As you now know, Alpha Jermain of Shadowless agreed to our terms."

Applause.

More like Alpha Jermain dropped to his knees and offered up all his she-wolves for Gabel to choose from. When I thought of it that way, bitterness and contempt filled me. I wouldn't have wanted to go back to Shadowless even if Gabel offered to drive me himself.

"And," he gestured to me. "While Shadowless had little to offer us, they did have a fine selection of she-wolves, including a treasure I could not possibly leave without." He twitched his fingers at me.

I dug up a smile and got to my feet. Gabel took my hand. It sent shocks through my body and stabbed into the bruise on my neck. I felt his teeth sink into my skin again. I looked at him to make sure he hadn't bitten me (and I hadn't realized it) and he gave me the same sort of shocked look.

Hah. He hadn't expected the Bond to smack him either. I enjoyed the small victory.

"This," Gabel recovered, "Is Gianna. She is a Seer, and we have also begun the mating process."

We? There had been no we involved. It had been Gabel getting himself a toy to play with because he was bored.

Applause and howls from the crowd. Master Of Arms Flint stood up and offered me the howl of greeting again, which was met with tremendous applause. Most of the group was males, some had their mates with them, and there were a few single females. I saw Gardenia clustered at the end of the second table with her two thralls and three other pretty females, and they all stared at me with dagger-eyes. The males present made up for their lack of enthusiasm.

Gabel smiled at them. He had such a winning smile. He could turn on the charm like a faucet when he wanted to. It could have melted iron.

After dinner my Goons (I still did not know their names) escorted me to the other side of the mansion to the master wing: Gabel's quarters.

I don't know what I was expected when I stepped into the rooms. Opulence, perhaps. Like a little mini Versailles, but it was actually not. The walls were a shade of stormy blue with white trim, the floors dark polished wood with cream-colored rugs, his furniture simple. He also had a large bathroom, and a little side room with a couch and television, and of course an immense closet.

Which now included all the clothes from the closet in my quarters, and my suitcases on a top shelf, presumably next to his.

"At least I didn't have to move my own stuff." I said. That was a bonus. "And I guess all this is mine."

I flipped through the clothing. Unless Gabel kept a wardrobe in exactly my size and had a fetish for ladies of that size. That was creepy. In the closet was a tall built-in set of drawers. I yanked one open and shoved it closed just as quickly: men's boxers. "Not mine." I went to the other set. Clearly women's panties. Silks and cottons in an array of colors and skimpy styles. "Um... mine?"

Had he bought me lingerie too?! I slammed the drawer shut.

But- oh no! They had unpacked my suitcases. They had seen my granny panties.

I yanked open all the drawers on my side looking for my plain panties and bras. They were all gone. There were new cotton panties, but none of mine. In fact, as I tore through the closet, most of my stuff wasn't there. That meant that someone had unpacked my stuff, inventoried it and discarded most of it. Probably because rags not fit for a future Queen and all.

"Jerk!" I shouted at the ceiling. "You hear me, Gabel!? You're a jerk!"

"Of the many things I've been called," his voice said from beyond the closet, "That's one of the least offensive."

He sauntered to the closet and leaned against the doorframe. "Hello, buttercup."

I gripped my fingers into fists and glared at him. My neck pounded with my pulse. It hurt. It hurt because I was so angry at him. The Bond did not want me to be angry at him. "Don't call me that." I snapped. "I'm not your buttercup. I'm your war-prize."

"Don't be dramatic. No blood was spilled to win you." He sounded disappointed.

"Oh, I know." I growled. Shadowless hadn't fought to keep me. They had just shipped me off with Gabel, glad that I had bought their safety. They had probably already forgotten I was gone.

"They didn't think you were worth dying for, but I would have spilled quite a bit of blood to get you."

"Don't compliment me either," I snapped.

He just smirked.

"Where are my things? Or should I even ask?"

"I don't know. Garbage, I suppose. I told Violet to take care of it for you."

Well, at least it had been Violet who had touched my panties. Violet also had nice taste. I scowled at Gabel. He came into the closet, casual as you please, and pulled his shirt off with one smooth motion.

The Bond prodded me for a different reason. My mouth watered a bit. Gabel's skin was that tan all over, and his muscles flowed like water.

"Master Of Arms Flint likes you." He said casually, his back to me. "That is a large mark in your favor."

"I don't care." I said. "I'm a Seer. I don't need your pack's approval. You won't do anything to me."

"True." He agreed. His voice was warm. He liked it that way. It made it a bigger challenge. I didn't need to do a damn thing to please anyone. The Bond could be severed and I'd still have my rank as his Oracle, and that made me a greater challenge than any other she-wolf. "About that. I need you to do some work for me tomorrow."

"What kind of work?"

"An Oracle's work. Your tools are still in your quarters under guard." He glanced over his shoulder at me, "I've been told they must be handled with great care and not violated in any way. I've also had another room in the house, west facing, prepared for you. As best I could. I know you need to do most of the consecration rituals yourself."

"It would be best if I had a pond." I flung at him. "Can I have the foyer?"

"That would be inconvenient."

I smirked at him.

"See how the room in the west wing suits you." He said. "Then we can talk about the foyer."

I didn't want to do his work. But, in this matter, he was my Alpha, and I was his Oracle. I had a duty and obligation to obey, and if I did not, he could punish me, and the Moon Goddess may as well. Mate bond or not, I was an Oracle. If I wanted my rank as a Seer to protect me, then I had to play by certain rules.

"What am I supposed to look for?"

"There is a pack that has been... ignoring me." He said. "I want you to see what you can see. I will give you pictures and names in the morning."

"What am I looking for?"

"Anything." He took off his belt and hung it neatly on a hook with twenty others.

"I might not see anything since you do not have a specific request. Seers are not spies."

"No?" he asked.

"No. I need a specific question." I said irritably. "Or specific problem. There has to be an intent to focus my gifts upon. Visions are like dreams. They have to be interpreted. It's not like watching a security camera."

The muscles of Gabel's shoulders tightened and twitched. "I see." He said thoughtfully. "Then I will think of a specific question."

Great. I rolled my eyes.

He unzipped his pants and stepped out of them. He had on green plaid boxers. I stared at him with huge eyes. What... was he doing?

Then he took off his boxers.

I made a terrified sound.

He turned around. "What?" he asked me.

My eyes yanked downwards in their sockets to his... you know. Manly bits.

No! I shouldn't look! I tore my eyes up to his ocean gaze. My neck throbbed. My eyes betrayed me and went back to his man bits. I gawked. Then I mustered enough sense to look back at him.

"What are you doing?" I squeaked.

He wasn't going to touch me. That would be giving in. So why the hell was he naked! And he just stood there like being naked in front of me was no big deal. It wasn't, normally, except we were in private, alone, the two of us and...

"Going to bed." He told me.

"Naked?!" I wheezed.

"I sleep naked." He said.

I prayed for the floor to open up and swallow me right there.

"And so will you." He informed me.

"No! No!" I exclaimed. "No, I won't!"

I looked at him again. He had some scars on his body, including a long one that traced the length of his left lip. Like someone had tried to saw his leg off.

"Yes." He told me. "You will. That will make it more... interesting."

"No!"

"Am I the first man you've seen naked, buttercup?" he smirked at me. "Up close? Personal? Hmmm?"

"Shut up, Gabel! Don't call me that! Don't!" I finally covered me face with my hands and looked away. "Put some damn pants on or something!"

"We're all naked under our clothes, buttercup." He laughed at me. "We can talk about this in bed."

"No! I'm not sleeping next to you naked."

"You are. Or I'm going to rip your clothes off you."

"Don't you dare!"

He advanced towards me. I plastered myself against the drawers. "No!" I shouted at him.

"Yes." He grabbed my dress. "Pity. It does suit you!"

I shrieked and struck at him as he snapped the thin strap on one shoulder. He barely noticed my fists on his chest. He snapped the other strap. His fingers grabbed the fabric between my breasts and yanked my dress down over my hips. It fell to the floor in a pile of silk.

"Stop it!" I screamed at him. I tried to kick him in his naked crotch. He blocked it with a huge thigh.

"Don't do that." He growled at me.

"Stop it!" I wondered why the Bond wasn't stopping him. It hurt me. It flailed between us like bridge cables in high wind. It hurt me, so I knew it had to hurt him. I think it did. I stared up at his face. "This is a shitty challenge!" I shouted at him, tears starting, "This is how you challenge yourself?!"

"Then take your own damn clothes off." He growled at me.

"No!" I sobbed.

"Yes. This isn't how I like to get a woman out of her bra and panties."

"But you have before?" I spat.

"I have never taken a woman against her will, and I'm not going to start with you." He growled back. He loomed close to me. "Just. Get. Undressed. My pack doesn't pretend to be modest like a bunch of humans. I won't have my Queen blushing like a stupid girl everytime she sees a naked man. Get over yourself. It's just a penis. You'd think it was a machine gun the way you're squealing. It's not like you haven't seen more on male wolves in wolf form."

My tears dripped onto my collarbone. He was right, but it was just different in human form. It was different when it was in private, with the Bond flailing. It just was!

He stepped back one stride and glared at me.

Tearfully, I unhooked my bra and dropped it. Then I pushed off my panties before I lost my nerve. "Happy?" I had never felt so violated and miserable just standing there naked in front of him.

"Yes." He said. He left the closet. "Come to bed, buttercup."

I hated him right then. The Bond punished me for it, and I knew it punished him. It punished him like he was drinking burning liquid that seared all his guts.

Damn you, Alpha Gabel, damn you.