Page 101 of The Ashpaw: Part One

“Then tell her where to go!” Reinn barked. “You forced her out of your room with no further instruction.” Darion paused, chest heaving, and Reinn continued. “I found her distraught, curled up outside your door while having to listen to how busy you were. Is that really how you plan to treat her?”

Reinn came closer, his voice lowering. “Because I distinctly remember your father saying something about mating her to someone else if you weren’t up to the task of treating her properly.”

Darion ground his teeth together before replying, “Kyntha was distraught. She needed reassurance.”

“And Fern wasn’t?”

“I cannot soothe both at once!”

“Then you should not have both!”

Fern moved her way between them, placing her hands on Darion’s chest. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”

“Fern,” Reinn sighed, the disappointment in his voice cutting, but she continued anyway.

“I shouldn’t have allowed him to take me. It won’t happen again.”

Darion stared at the other alpha for another beat and then lowered his gaze to look at her, his eyes cooling for a moment before igniting once more. “No, it won’t. Come.”

And then they left, the door closing behind them.

They walked back the way she remembered coming from earlier, when he finally stopped, still breathing heavy from the anger, and turned towards her. “You swear he did not touch you?”

Fern fought the urge to avert her gaze, and instead looked him the eye so he would know she was not lying. “Only my head.”

He opened his mouth then closed it. And then his brow scrunched. “Your head?”

Fern proudly showed off her hair—it was a little damp, still, and tangled slightly from sleep. But it was smooth, shiny, and smelled like the oil Reinn had used. “He helped me with my hair. See?” she said with a smile, hoping that was innocent enough to appease him.

Instead, something chilling crossed his features. “You let him groom you?”

Her smile froze, and her heart faltered on a beat. “I… is that bad? I didn’t know—”

The empty hand at his side balled into a shaking fist, and she flinched on instinct.

It was that small reaction that seemed to calm him down, and he loosened his grip on her, taking a few deep breaths.

“You are still ignorant of wolfkin culture, so I will forgive you this insult to my claim for now. But aye, allowing another alpha to groom you is very bad. And Reinn knew that.”

Fern looked down, tears clouding her eyes, and he bowed slightly to meet them. “And now you know that, too.”

She sniffed. “I do, Alpha.”

He grunted, and they started walking again. Then he sighed and said without looking at her, “This is new to me, Kyntha, and you, and it will take time to adjust. Some days I will need to tend to her, and others I will spend with you. It may not always seem fair, but it will require grace on your part to remember I am only one alpha.”

Reinn’s words echoed in her mind.

You’d be half an alpha to her if not less, when she likely needs more than one.

She wondered if half an alpha might be worse than none at all.

“Kyntha required more of my attention this afternoon. Tonight, I give it to you.”

Her wolf seemed excited by that, but the thought only brought Fern unease. Despite what he said about now understanding her omega nature, she still feared speaking freely in front of him. “Thank you,” she finally replied.

They took another turn, and they stopped in front of a small door. He took a key out of his pocket to open it.

“This will be your room. Mine is down that way.”