Page 125 of The Ashpaw: Part One

And then, with a few jolting movements, he pushed until her nose and chin hit a bulbous mound of flesh.

His knot…

And suddenly she wanted nothing more than to feel that inside her.

Her hands wrapped around it, squeezing and twisting gently, and he shuddered violently as he came. His seed shot, hot and sticky, down her throat, and she only tasted the warm, salty, musk as he withdrew, panting and looking like he might be a little boneless himself.

He took a minute to catch his breath, and then tucked his still half-hard cock into his breeches.

Fern stepped up to him, rising on tiptoes for a kiss, but he turned the other way, and her heart stopped.

“That should settle you for now,” he said, his voice lacking all the desire, the warmth, the awe of her he had mere seconds ago.

It felt like she’d been hit by a second landslide. This one not pleasant in the slightest.

“For… for now?”

He motioned for her to move, and then opened the door, leading her into the hallway. With a hand on her back to guide her, he took her to her rooms.

Her wolf was elated, jumping and rolling over in joy, as though they’d actually accomplished something worth celebrating.

But Fern felt even emptier than she had been before. She held herself, careful not to sniff too loudly.

When they reached her door, he unlocked it, but stayed at the threshold. He regarded her for a moment, and when he bent down to kiss her, she winced.

Darion stood straight and sighed, rubbing his forehead. “You are right that I have been negligent of your needs. Perhaps with more… tending, you’ll become more agreeable.”

“Um.” She swallowed nervously as she entered, trying to blink back the tears. “You could start by coming in to see my nest…”

“I can see it fine from here.”

Well, that was enough for tonight, then. The tears fell down her cheeks, but he was not moved to wipe them away.

“Kyntha is in need of my company and reassurance tonight after her cousin’s cruel taunts and the musician’s even crueler dismissal of her beauty,” he explained.

Fern sucked in a shuddering breath. “So you think he should have chosen her?”

His eyes narrowed, and he crossed his arms. “I will not play this game with you, omega.”

“And yet you play hers!” Fern cried. “You do nothing but console her, sparing her fragile feelings all while running roughshod over mine to do so!”

“Because she is to be my mate!” he yelled. The word “mate” echoed off the bare stone walls. “You have won your freedom and my affections tonight, and will have them until you’ve proven you no longer deserve them. Do you mean to do so this quickly?”

She looked away, closing her eyes as he slammed the door shut.

The lock turned.

Fern fell to the floor, crumpling into a ball and openly weeping.

How was it that she felt worse now than she had when Eidan had shown up earlier to release her from this cage?

Like drinking seawater when dying of thirst, his attention had only left her worse off than not having it at all.

Why did her wolf still insist he was theirs? She needed to end whatever silly infatuation her wolf had with the alpha, because she could not live like this, where the only outlet for her needs was with a man who didn’t love her.

Please, she begged. At least stop wanting him. Help me make this hurt less.

She stood, ears perked and looking towards the nest.