Page 98 of The Ashpaw: Part One

The door opened up to a private bathing chamber, and in the middle was a large copper tub, filled with steaming water.

Her toes curled into the stone floor, a soft whimper sounding from her lips.

“Everything alright?”

She sniffed. “I haven’t had a hot bath since I arrived here.”

Reinn got up from the bed, and she felt him standing behind her. Not quite touching, but close enough to feel the heat of him.

“I really should take you far away from here, you know. What this clan has done to you is a travesty.”

Fern stared at the water longer. “Because I’m an omega?”

He paused for a moment, and then grunted softly.

“So if I were still just the Ashpaw, a Solvekh who’d failed to learn her place, then everything would have been justified?”

When he didn’t reply, Fern had her answer. She took a step forward, but he placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

“There are no Ashpaws in the Ironcoat Clan, and our Solvekh bathe in the hot springs found on our lands.”

She didn’t look at him, but nodded once, and he released her as she started to move again.

“I’ll help you.”

At this she whipped around, clinging her cloak tightly together. She knew modesty was moot at this point considering how they’d woken up that morning. But she no longer had the pull of the moon and wolf clouding her human sensibilities, and when she felt her cheeks redden, he leaned against the doorjamb, arms crossed.

“I’ve already seen you.”

Fern held her head high. “That doesn’t give you the right to see me again.”

He chuckled, running his tongue across his teeth as he looked at her. And then he shrugged. “Alright then, if you don’t want me to wash your hair…”

Reinn started to walk back into the bedroom, and Fern stepped towards him. “Wait!”

He stopped, still facing away.

Fern swallowed, her fingers gripping the cloak even tighter. “Does that mean you’d…”

His neck turned slowly, and he smiled over his shoulder. “Mean I’d what?”

“Rub… my head?”

“I can’t imagine any other way to work the soap in.”

She let the cloak fall and slipped into the water quickly, the heat almost shocking. She caught her breath, wriggling down. “Well, if you insist.”

* * *

His fingers dug hard into her scalp as he lathered, Fern trying and failing to keep the moans from escaping.

“Right there, don’t stop…”

Reinn laughed. “Be careful with your tongue, or someone passing by may think I’m trying to seduce Alpha Darion’s omega.”

“Aren’t you, though?”

He slowed down for a second, then lowered his mouth to her ears and whispered. “That depends entirely on whether the omega in question is open to being seduced.”