Page 150 of The Ashpaw: Part One

Fern finally let out a strangled cry.

It was completely, utterly destroyed.

Chapter 34

Darion

Darion stood in the wreckage of the nest, both his future mate and omega Naravekh distraught and begging for his help.

His heart ached for his omega. She’d expressed concern that someone had been violating her nest for over a week. He’d helped her rebuild this one himself, had carefully scented each pillow and blanket and fur so she would feel safe. So he could still be with her in spirit if not in flesh.

And Kyntha… his future mate, vulnerable and unstable by the changes, the unfinished courtship. Needing all of his attention to feel secure, and unraveling because she could not have it.

Both she-wolves were hurting. But only one had been the aggressor.

“Kyntha…” he started.

The dagger in her hand fell to the floor and she rushed to him, falling to her knees and wrapping her arms around his legs. “Please, please my love. I beg of you to hear my case in private. It’s important, and if you’re distracted for even a moment, you won’t understand what drove me to such lengths.”

It seemed obvious to him what had driven her to such lengths, and he wondered what possible excuse she thought might spare her from punishment.

Not that he wanted to give it so close to their ceremony. They both needed to be fully sure of each other before he gave her the mating claim—any doubt from either party would cast a permanent shadow in the bond, tainting it forever.

He turned to look at the omega, rocking back and forth on her knees, mumbling incoherently to herself, her cheeks stained with tears.

Her guard stood behind her, frowning at the carnage.

“Stay with her,” he ordered. “I need to speak with Kyntha in private.”

There was a flash of something other than obedience in the guard’s eye. Something that angered Darion, that made him want to teach the beta a lesson for even thinking of defying him.

“Aye, sir,” was all he said, though.

Darion grabbed Kyntha by the arm and took her outside into the hall, closing the door.

“Speak.”

She wiped her face, inhaled a shuddering breath, and tilted her chin to expose the smooth, pale expanse of her neck. He couldn’t keep his gaze from falling there while she spoke, her voice soft and high.

“Alpha… today, I heard the most disturbing account from one of my attendants.”

He blinked, his eyes returning to hers as he dipped his chin to signal she should continue.

“The Naravekh, the omega, she… she visited the healer today, and my attendant heard through the door something about heats and…”

Darion stiffened.

He’d been afraid of this, that despite promising Kyntha he would not bed the omega before the courtship was over, she could fall into a heat and he would have to tend to her.

He’d been looking forward to it, if he was honest with himself—even without heat, it was painful to be so close to the omega and not be able to do more than basic touching.

But it would put him in the awkward position of having to break a promise to his future mate. And that could affect the bond.

Why had he even made that promise to begin with?

And then his eyes flashed briefly to her breasts, and he remembered how he’d grabbed them, overflowing even from his large hands, while thrusting in her from behind. And then she’d begged so prettily for him to be hers and hers alone until she wore his bite on her skin.

Darion almost sighed. He needed to stop letting his cock make decisions for him.