Page 13 of The Ashpaw: Part One

She had noticed that about herself already, at least in comparison to the wolfkin. “Have you ever considered that you might actually be quite large?”

His chest puffed out at that, his brown eyes shining. “Thank you.”

Fern bit back a laugh. She had meant it as a joke, but was happy he took it as a compliment. “Is being small a bad thing?”

He looked at her more carefully, as though he really needed to think about the answer, and then sniffed the air between them. “You have wide hips, and your scent is very appealing. Many wolfkin would overlook your stature for that.”

His answer was so honest and genuine, she didn’t have it in her to be offended. “Well, thank the gods for that, then,” she mumbled.

“Indeed,” he nodded.

The path they took was long and winding. Fern was trying to remain calm, but the sheer size of the castle was making it difficult to breathe. She’d always felt more comfortable in smaller spaces with low ceilings.

This was too big.

“Is everything alright?” the guard asked.

Her nose burned as she sniffed. “No.”

He held her tighter. “You were made, marked and bound by the Alpha heir himself. It’s quite an honor for a small human. You should be proud.”

Fern did not feel proud at all, but she did not know how far the little goodwill she’d built with this guard would go, so speaking of her despair plainly was probably a bad idea.

“It’s just a very big change for me that I was not expecting.”

“I see,” he replied quietly, his head dipping towards other wolfkin as they kept walking. And walking

How big was this place?

“I think once you experience your first shift, you’ll feel more comfortable here.”

“How do you know I haven’t shifted yet?”

The guard leaned forward and smiled. “I can only barely sense your wolf. She is very small, like you, but ready to come out. She’s been waiting a long time.”

Fern’s mouth fell open in surprise. “You can tell all that?”

“Mhmm,” he replied. “Once you are more in tune with her and the clan, you’ll be able to sense such things yourself. Although perhaps not quite as well as me since you are made and not true.”

“The difference is important,” she said half-heartedly.

“It is,” he agreed. “But don’t worry. I won’t hold it against you.”

His earnestness, even if unintentionally condescending, was starting to cheer her up. Hopefully most of the wolfkin were like this guard and not the four who’d tried to take her outside of the tavern.

“What is your name?” she asked.

The guard smiled. “Jules. And you are?”

“Fern.”

“Fern,” he repeated, testing the name on his tongue. “A good name for a she-wolf. Perhaps your human parents knew you always belonged here.”

She highly doubted that.

They finally arrived in the servants’ part of the castle, and an older woman in a beige, linen dress watched them carefully as Jules finally set her on her feet.

Her legs buckled almost instantly, and he caught her, steadying her before speaking to the woman. “Marin, this is Fern, a Solvekh bound by Alpha Darion himself.”