Page 34 of The Ashpaw: Part One

But Darion shook his head. “No, I’m afraid it’s that sort of leniency and attention that has exacerbated the problem.”

Fern bit her tongue hard to keep from arguing. What leniency was there to speak of in his treatment of her? And had she asked for his attention? No! He’d given it, and now meant to punish her for it.

“I’ve heard the Solvekh whisper among themselves that she is special because she is the only female I have bound. Whispers that have even reached Kyntha’s ears.”

“Are they wrong?” Eidan asked.

Darion growled, quieting the other alpha before continuing. “They are. She is a mistake, not an exception.”

Her body flinched so violently Alastair’s hold on her tightened. “Our wolves do not make mistakes.”

“Mine was injured, half out of his mind when he marked her. A nip on the finger. Hardly a rational decision.”

Fern’s wolf was truly gone now, each new word from her alpha forcing her further back, while Fern’s human form crumpled, held up only by Alastair’s steady hand.

“No need to torture the she-wolf, son. If you’ve made a decision, tell us of it so we can be done with this.”

He stood, walking slowly towards the fireplace, when Eidan scoffed. “No, you can’t mean—”

“I do,” he snapped, crouching down to run his fingers through the cinders. “Some wolfkin need to hit the bottom before they can truly learn to rise.”

The bottom of what? She looked frantically from alpha to alpha, hoping for some hint in their eyes.

But they would not look at her, a mixture of disgust and pity pulling their gaze in any direction but hers.

“So you mean to punish her for your mistakes?” His brother stood, pointing at Darion and looking at Alastair. “Father, please, you know this is wrong.”

“I don’t agree with this,” Alastair said, turning her around in his arms. “But it is Darion’s decision.”

“It is,” Darion said.

Fern was more frightened than she’d ever been of what Darion was going to do to her, and yet her body still leaned towards him as he approached, still hoping to find comfort with the alpha who’d marked and bound her. Even knowing he would never offer it.

Their eyes met for a moment, his resolute, before he drew an “x” on her forehead with ash.

Her body began to shake, and she heard Eidan get up roughly, his chair falling backwards and hitting the ground as he stomped out of the room, but she could not tear herself away from Darion, fear and awe compelling her to stay right where she was.

“By moon and clan, you are Ashpaw. You stand apart until your worth is proven anew.”

Chapter 10

Fern

The Ashpaw is not spoken to.

Fern walked down the steps in a dazed stupor.

No one greeted her.

No one looked at her.

She had known it could always get worse, she just hadn’t realized it could so quickly. Simply one mark Darion had made upon her forehead, and that was it. Her fate was sealed.

The Ashpaw is not touched.

Someone rammed into her shoulder so hard when they passed that she fell, the pain barely registering as she stood back up, making her way to the sleeping quarters.

Others bent their bodies at unnatural angles to keep as much space between them as possible.