Chapter Twenty-Nine

KEYARA

She opened her eyes to see Ash and Luca towering over her bed, both studying her intently. Her eyes darted between them nervously.

“Hi,” she said meekly, before grimacing in pain.

Ash’s hands were on her immediately, soothing her pain with his touch. He stroked her face gently, his hands traveling down her arms, leaving goosebumps behind. It helped, and she sighed in relief.

“How are you, my love?” he asked, his voice full of concern.

“I’m all right, I think,” she said carefully, considering as she answered. “The pain isn’t quite as bad now,” she said honestly, though her words still made Ash grimace.

“It’s good to see you again, Luna,” Luca said with feeling, bowing slightly.

She blushed at the title, embarrassed by his admiration.

Luca smiled with amusement. “I think I’ll go check on the cleanup,” he said, excusing himself from the room.

“Cleanup?” she asked, frowning at Ash, “What cleanup?”

Ash cleared his throat, looking into her eyes seriously. “I’m afraid Jonas Pershing and his companions had a very serious encounter with an incredibly angry wolf.”

She swallowed, nodding nervously. She could only imagine what Ash had done to them, with her on the brink of death.

“I see,” she said quietly.

Ash took her into his arms, holding her close against his chest. She closed her eyes and leaned into him, breathing in his scent of pine and cloves. It seemed stronger to her, more powerful.

“What will happen to me, Ash?” she asked nervously.

He stroked her back, holding her close, before answering her carefully.

“You are through the first stage, Key,” he told her. She could feel his nervousness as he spoke. “But the risk is still great,” he continued.

“The final step is your first shift, on the full moon. It will happen whether you’re ready or not, but Luca and I will do our best to prepare you.

“If you make it through that, if you survive the shift, then you will be like the rest of us, able to shift at will. A full werewolf.”

“Why would I not survive?” she asked him. She didn’t know enough about the process to comprehend the risks, and she desperately wanted to understand, to prepare herself.

Ash gathered her into his arms more tightly, resting his chin on the top of her head as she buried her face into his chest.

“A wolf born into it first shifts around the age of twelve,” he explained. “They spend their whole lives preparing for it and know exactly what to expect. Everyone in the pack is there to support them through the mind-link.

“The fact that they are still in adolescence makes the transition easier. Their bodies are not fully mature and will accept the shift more easily.”

He stroked her back, pausing before continuing. “It is still excruciating, even as a child,” he said softly. “The first time a wolf shifts, it changes their entire anatomy. Your bones break and reform into your wolf.

“After the first time it’s easier, but it takes a while for the pain to fade. Coming into it later, as an adult…”

She felt him shudder against her.

“It may be too much for your body to handle.”

“How often do people survive it?” she asked carefully, not sure she was ready to hear the answer.

“In truth, my love, I cannot tell you,” Ash replied.

She let out a nervous breath at his words. He stroked her hair, and the motion made her feel calmer.

“The process is forbidden among the packs,” he continued. “The elders think it dilutes the bloodline to change the humans. Human mates are fairly rare, but not unheard of.

“The mate bond is enough to indicate the bloodline will remain strong, and they are accepted into the pack. But the survival rate for transformation is so low, no one dares risk it for their human mates.

“There’s no need, for the most part.”

She furrowed her brow, thinking hard about his words. “But surely I’m not the first human mate to almost die,” she told him.

“I’m sure someone has accidentally fallen off a cliff or something. No one has ever turned their mate to save them before?”

He chuckled darkly at her question. He was sure she was correct, and it had been attempted before, though he had no proof of it.

“As I said,” he said seriously. “The survival rate is extremely low, especially if the injuries are severe. It may have been attempted with an unsuccessful outcome, and we would be none the wiser.”

She shuddered, coldness filling her body, as the reality of just how lucky she was finally hit her.

ASH

The men returned some time later, the scent of blood on their clothes. Ash didn’t question their methods, confident his men had taken care of the mess he had created.

He left Keyara briefly, promising to return soon, knowing he had to show appreciation to his warriors, no matter how much leaving her pained him.

The men were gathered around the hearth, where Emily was serving them dishes of rabbit stew and fresh bread. Luca and Mateo were off to one side, plates already in hand.

Ash approached them, and the two men nodded respectfully to him.

“Alpha,” they said in unison.

“I’m sorry for the diplomatic nightmare,” he told them wryly. “How should we handle the…disappearance of Lord Jonas?”

Mateo shrugged. “I think we say nothing,” he replied flatly. “They should not have been on our land. No one will find them if they come looking.”

Luca nodded in agreement. “Chances are no one knew of their plan. None of the men smelled familiar. I do not believe they were guards from the castle. Mercenaries, perhaps?”

“There will surely be inquiries when he is missing for long enough, even if no one knew they were headed into our land for certain,” Ash told them.

“Luca, start preparing a statement for when we’re asked. Something generic about assisting in any way we can… You know the drill.”

One corner of Luca’s mouth turned up in a wry smile. “Yes, Alpha,” he replied.

Ash clapped him on the shoulder, then made his way over to the hearth. He shook hands with the rest of the men, thanking them each in turn, before grabbing two servings of the meal for Key and himself.

He wanted to get back to his mate.