Page 142 of The Ashpaw: Part One

“That’s reasonable enough,” he said. “I’ll walk you back to your room and wait while they’re delivered so I can scent mark them before you go to bed.”

Fern looked up, feeling like she might burst into tears at any moment. “Really?”

“Ouch!” Kyntha cried.

Darion turned to look at her, red-faced and sucking her finger. He lifted an eyebrow, waiting for her to speak.

“I poked my finger with the needle, look!” She took it out of her mouth to show him, a small bead of blood breaking the skin.

Darion huffed. “Be careful, you’ll stain the work.” Then he started to rise, taking Fern with him. “Let’s fix your nest before it gets too late.”

“Wait!” Kyntha said, scrambling to get up. “Shouldn’t I come? Your time together, I’m supposed to be there.”

“Despite what your mother may say, I do not need a chaperone with my own omega,” he growled. “And Fern is aware of the ridiculous promise I made to you, so nothing will happen that you need to worry about.”

With that, he turned around, taking her out into the hall and ordering Lucas to fetch more bedding.

“How much, Alpha Darion?”

Darion looked down at Fern, and she pressed her lips together, averting her gaze.

“Gather much more than you think is necessary. And then double it.”

Fern’s heart felt so full it might burst, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him on the cheek. “Thank you, Alpha.”

He purred in response, his small smirk growing larger. Then he took her hand, and they left for her room.

Inside, she’d already piled all of the old things into the corner, and felt almost ashamed to have no nest to show him.

It was such a strange, ridiculous feeling, especially when she’d never cared about what others thought of her “nests” before she’d shifted and her designation emerged. Her little collections, her soft blankets, her cozy spaces… they’d all been for her.

But now, it was like her heart was always pointing towards Darion. Always wanting to know his opinion of her, and hoping it was high.

And since it often wasn’t, she felt on edge almost all of the time.

So when Lucas and another attendant showed up with probably three or four beds’ worth of items, she gathered them up quickly and then shooed the two out so she could work with only her alpha’s eyes on her.

She couldn’t start until she’d inspected each item, felt them, weighed them, matched them with complementary shades or textures. And then she realized it might take a while with how much she had to work with.

“You… you can come back tomorrow when it’s finished,” she said quietly, holding a velvet pillow to her chest. “The process can be…”

He turned a chair around so it was facing her, then took a seat. “I don’t mind at all. I’m actually interested in your process.”

Fern smiled and gave a nod, then went right to work.

Lightest blankets made of the smoothest fabrics went on the bottom, then the heavier, thicker blankets were on top.

Pelts of fur went to the foot of the nest, as a place to sit or for easy grabbing in case she had a chill and wanted the extra warmth. It was still summer, but she needed to be ready for cooler days.

And pillows…

Firmest on the bottom. Softest on the top. The long, narrow pillows on the sides. Rounder, smaller ones in the middle.

It took some trial and error, some practice burrowing and rolling around, but finally everything had its proper place, and the rest went into the cedar chest in case she changed her mind.

Then she stood in front of it all and addressed Darion, who’d watched without commentary the entire time.

“What do you think?” she asked, her braid nearly undone and hair falling in her face, chest heaving slightly from all the exertion.