Page 44 of The Ashpaw: Part One

“I will speak to him.”

She shook her head again, more quickly this time, even though a movement as simple as that was still excruciating.

“You can’t, please. It’ll only make this worse.”

His hand cupped her cheek, warmth spreading like a drop of blood in the water, and she released a small breath, leaning into the touch.

She’d always been a little more tactile than others, holding her mother’s hand well past the age most girls had outgrown such childish behavior.

But the need driving through her now was like nothing she’d ever felt before. As though the feel of another could stand shoulder to shoulder with food, water, and air.

The Ashpaw is not touched.

She took a step back, her heart already screaming in protest.

“You’ll draw attention to me.”

“If I withdraw it now, the only wolfkin watching you will be those who mean to hurt you.”

She sniffed, looking at the floor. “I’m not sure there’s a difference.”

“Solas’s Hells,” he spat, reaching for her again. “This isn’t what you should be learning. It’s… it’s not our ways.”

When she looked up, and he saw the expression on her face that begged the question, ‘Isn’t it, though?’ he grew even more distraught.

“I mean it. I will bring a formal grievance to Head Alpha Alastair. He is a fair wolf. He’ll see to reason.”

Before she could beg him again to just let it be, he left, his boots heavy on the floor.

She looked around. Every other eye in the room had found somewhere else to be.

* * *

The sound of tables scraping against stone brought her out of sleep she had not realized she’d fallen into while leaning against the wall.

Wolfkin were rearranging the layout of the dining hall, opening the space in the middle.

A Solvekh stood by watching, hand on her hips, and Fern almost went up to ask her what was happening—some new courtship rite, most likely.

At this point, she wouldn’t be surprised if a bed was brought in so Darion and Kyntha could demonstrate their commitment towards breeding heirs in front of the whole clan.

She snorted to herself, about to move the broom again to look busy, but then noticed the general atmosphere of the room wasn’t jovial like it had been every time a new rite or feast was about to start.

There was excitement, but it felt… different.

Her grip on the broom handle tightened, and before long, the wolfkin filed in, Lurvekh sitting at the tables while the Solvekh stood along the walls.

This was new.

This couldn’t be good.

Fern found some relief that no one seemed to be paying her any mind, but that relief was short lived when she saw Jules walk in by himself, stopping just short of the head table.

He stood tall, chin out and hands held tightly behind his back.

And then alphas entered and took their seats.

Darion and Kyntha normally sat in the middle since they were still being honored for the courtship. But tonight, Head Alpha Alastair took that position. Darion was on his right, while Darion’s two uncles were on his left.