Iron Oracle (IronMoon #2, PUBLISHED/SAMPLE)

The Bell

"None." Gabel's eyes slid sideways.

"No. None. He's just... there. Another face in the crowd. But he's a powerful Alpha. Gleaming Fang is pretty large. Almost as big as Shadowless."

"Big in terms of territory, their population is spread out. Not so many of them. But he has never impressed you when you met him."

"No, I can't say he did." I admitted. I hadn't thought about it until Gabel asked, but it was fair to say Anders really hadn't left an impression. There had been other wolves I had met that had.

"Maybe that's the key." Gabel mused.

"You mean he's gutless."

"You weren't impressed, were you? You didn't sense his prestige?"

"No...." I mused.

"But what?"

"I'm not the best judge anymore."

"Oh, am I that impressive?" Gabel smirked at me.

I rolled my eyes.

"So you no longer sense what you used to."

"No. I guess I can only really sense those that rival you. All the others are." I shrugged.

"That's inconvenient." Gabel said.

"I don't know, perhaps I will only perceive the ones who are the biggest threats, even if they don't appear to be?"

"You mean Aaron."

"You don't need me to tell you that."

"They're all threats. Look at Marcus."

"So kill them all." I grumbled into my pillow.

"Maybe I will." he said to the ceiling.

* * * * *

As if they had heard our conversation, a card from Gleaming Fang arrived the next day, affirming their loyalty to Gabel.

Gabel was less than pleased. He tore it up and flung it into the trash.

"Cowards." he diagnosed. "Anders is on whatever side won't get him disemboweled. Not willing to bleed! Damnit it, buttercup. Why is it so difficult for these Alphas to understand? You fight, you bleed. You surrender when you're beaten. You honor your agreements! What do they think is going to happen? That I'm not going to come back and beat them into the ground again?! Look at all of them," he gestured to his map, "Plotting and scheming, making agreements with each other. I'll bet that's what happened at SpringHide. What that Alpha meant before I killed him."

"That he was expecting his allies to come save him?" I asked.

"Yes. Idiot. They were never going to come at all, I bet. Either I showed up too soon, or whoever they were expecting stayed home. That's why they fought instead of surrender. They were expecting reinforcements. Some grand fucking revolt for the ages." Gabel flicked his finger against his map.

I shifted on the couch, annoyed.

"What?" Gabel asked me.

I pursed my lips. I had sworn to myself I'd never speak of Anders, Gardenia or that entire horrible episode again, but like a sore that just wouldn't heal, it was there again, raw and bloody.

"You're angry." Gabel stated.

"Just that of all the Alphas I don't want to ever deal with, it's Anders. And the way he crawls on his belly... It'd have been better if you had presented Gardenia to an Alpha with some courage. Now he sends you a nice little note that says 'please sir, don't beat me, I had nothing to do with the MarchMoon' He might as well come down here, crawl on his belly and wet himself like a puppy."