Chapter Twenty-Three

ASH

They practiced all morning, but so far, she had not been able to reach him. He could tell she was growing frustrated, rubbing her temples like she was fighting a headache.

In truth he had found it very hard to explain how it was done. It was so second nature to him, he did not know how to effectively communicate the mind-linking process to her.

“Let’s take a break, hmm?” he suggested. “Perhaps when we get back to the pack, one of the other human mates will prove to be a better teacher.”

She smiled sleepily and nodded. He knew she must be exhausted. She still had a few days left to completely recover, by his estimation.

“Take a nap, baby. I’m going to check on the horses,” he told her.

Before he had finished speaking, she was already snuggling deep into the blankets. He laughed and kissed her head, leaving her to nap.

The caretaker, Rolph, had traveled to the village along with Emily to restock on food and supplies, and to give Ash and Keyara some privacy, he suspected. Ash had promised to look in on the barn while they were gone.

He strode toward the barn, realizing it was the first time he had been outside in over a day.

Being cooped up inside like that was against his nature and should have been making him restless but being there with Keyara made it enjoyable.

He took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air, when he suddenly stopped in his tracks. He smelled humans. It was faint, but he could detect it. This was not Emily’s or Rolph’s scent; he was very familiar with those.

He walked along the tree line, sniffing out the source, but he could not pinpoint it. It was not strong enough to cause him great concern.

Humans often ventured over the border by mistake when tracking game, but it was enough to make him slightly wary.

He didn’t want to investigate further, for fear of causing Key pain on the chance he traveled too far from her.

He sighed and made his way back to the barn. Shoveling hay and filling and hauling buckets of water for the horses quickly erased the worries from his mind.

When he returned about an hour later, Keyara was awake. Her body was recovering more quickly, he noted, needing less sleep as the days went on. She smiled as he entered, and he felt his heart flutter.

“How was that?” he asked her. “No dizziness?”

She shook her head, still smiling. “None. I feel fine.”

He leaned over and kissed her. “Good,” he replied. “We should start pushing the distance as soon as you feel ready.”

“I would love to spend some time outside,” she said earnestly. “I hate to admit it, but I’m getting sick of this bed.”

He laughed, knowing she was referring to all the time they had spent in each other’s arms.

“Great,” he told her. “I would love to show you around. There is a small lake not too far from here. Maybe we can catch some fish for dinner.”

“I’ve never been fishing,” she told him.

There were so many things she had never done, and Ash felt a strong sense of pride he was the one that was able to share these experiences with her for the first time.

She threw the blankets from her body, slipping off the side of the bed. She was wearing the same shirt she had for the last three days.

“Why don’t you see if the dresses Emily brought fit?” he suggested. “I’ll go pack us something to eat and find the poles.”

KEYARA

She examined the two dresses draped over the back of the chair for the first time since she had moved them there from the bed. They were simple, but nicer than any clothes she had ever owned before.

She decided on the blue one. It was lighter and thinner. Better suited for exploring the woods. She slipped the shirt up and over her head, suddenly realizing she had worn nothing else over the past few days.

She pulled on the dress, admiring herself in the mirror. It fit well, considering, and she adjusted the laces on the side until it hugged her waist.

She ran her fingers through her mess of hair, attempting to get it under control. She quickly braided it, tying it off at the end.

Satisfied, she turned away from the mirror and pulled on her boots before going to find Ash.

He was in the kitchen packing them bread and cheese and fruit for their outing. Two fishing poles leaned against the wall by the door.

He smiled at her when she entered the room, and her heart did its usual flutter. She wondered if he would ever stop making her feel that way.

“Ready?” he asked her warmly.

“Ready!” she replied, reaching over and popping a berry in her mouth.

He swatted her hands away playfully.

They set off toward the lake, hand in hand. Ash carried the fishing poles in his other hand, and she had the basket of food over her arm.

She closed her eyes and lifted her face, enjoying the feeling of the sun on her skin after so long inside. When she opened her eyes, he was smiling down at her.

They reached the lake, and Key took off her boots and walked ankle deep into the water. She squished the mud between her toes and laughed happily.

“Come help me find worms,” Ash said, when she was done splashing in the water. They dug in the mud and collected worms, then Ash explained to her how to bait the hooks and use the poles.

After an hour, he had pulled in three fish, but she was still struggling with the pole. She blew the stray strands of hair out of her face in frustration, casting into the water. Suddenly she felt a tug.

Her eyes widened. She felt another. She started to reel in. There was definitely a fish on the other end.

“Ash!” she exclaimed excitedly. “I got one!”

Ash leaned back against a tree and watched her reel in the fish, until a nice-sized trout hung from the end of the pole. She laughed in excitement. “I did it!” she said.

He walked to her slowly, cupping a hand behind her head and kissing her softly. “You can do anything, Key,” he said softly.

Ash cleaned the fish and made a fire, while she carefully spread out the rest of the food for their dinner. She leaned against a large stone, watching him cook the fish.

They ate it straight off the skewer, and the crispy skin of the fish was the best thing she had ever tasted.

They fell asleep in each other’s arms as the sun started to dip in the sky, and Keyara was positive this was the happiest day of her entire life.

That is, until she suddenly woke to the feeling of a cold blade pricking her throat.