Page 169 of The Ashpaw: Part One

May the light of the moon cleanse you.

He was so deep in thought, he almost forgot the response, and tripped over the words quickly.

“Tuun shae-min koren devaris.”

I am cleansed by her holy light.

A crown of chrysanthemums, crocuses, and pomegranate blossoms was placed on his head. Another, smaller crown was waiting for Kyntha.

His… his mate.

A liar.

A deceiver.

And it was too late to deny her.

To halt the ceremony now would be to invite war with the Ironcoats again, and he could not risk his wolfkin’s lives over his own ignorance.

He could only try to forge a path forward. Manage Kyntha more carefully, and protect Fern from her scheming.

Darion knew all too well what the consequences of a she-wolf’s unchecked jealousy could lead to.

Eidan knew them better.

The doors to his right opened, and Kyntha stepped through.

The moonlight she’d exuded earlier had dimmed considerably, and where he’d once seen pure beauty was now tainted by the ugliness of her machinations.

She knelt beside him, and the priestess began her piece again, invoking the gods while Kyntha responded, the pronunciation of the old tongue rolling off hers effortlessly where he had tripped.

Once, he would have marveled at such oral skills, but now he recoiled, knowing her mouth was not trained so much for pleasure as it was for twisting lies to sound like truth. To fool him into believing she was something she was decidedly not.

At last the priestess had them stand and turn to face each other.

Her hair had been styled to one side, to keep her neck clear.

The priestess sprinkled her skin with moonwater, speaking in a liturgical chant as she circled. “Dra Lurei thie Solas, mai oka-vekh en gekish dran ta ka-vekh.”

As Lurei claimed Solas, you will claim your mate before the clan as witness.

Kyntha tilted her head, and Darion leaned down.

He cupped her cheek in his hand to keep her steady, and his lips brushed her ear.

“I know what you did,” he whispered.

She stiffened in his grasp.

“Do not think being my mate will protect you from my wrath, Deceiver.”

Then he kissed her on the cheek, bent further, and sunk his teeth into her neck.

She whimpered in pain and in fear.

And this time, he knew the sound was genuine.

Chapter 41