Chapter Thirty-Nine

ASH

When he saw her eyes were clear and pain free, it was as if he could finally breathe again.

“Thank the goddess, Key,” he said, pulling her against his chest, emotion clouding his voice.

Watching her go through that and feeling her pain, knowing there was nothing he could do to help her, had been torture. Luca had had to basically beg him to leave her side to eat or get a few hours of sleep.

His wolf had been able to sense the changes in her and had remained close to the surface, fixated on her pain, which had made Ash’s instinct to protect her multiply.

He inhaled her scent, pressing his nose to the top of her head. There was a slight change to her smell, barely discernible, but it had an edge of earthiness to it now. It mingled well with her normal sweet and floral aroma.

He was pleased to see his body still reacted to it in the same way. He could feel his muscles relax as he drew it in, a slight stir of arousal, though that was the last thing currently on his mind.

She tilted her face up to his, kissing him quickly. “I need out of this bed,” she said seriously.

He laughed and sat up as she rolled to the side of the bed and stood, stretching her muscles. She pulled the cotton shift over her head without a second thought, turning away from him.

He frowned at her body, the bones along her spine seeming to strain against her skin.

The last several days had been very hard on her, and she had lost so much weight that she didn’t have to spare to start with.

She grabbed the gray dress Emily had given her when she first arrived, quirking a brow at him over her shoulder as she obviously felt his mood shift.

“You’re just thin, love.” He answered her unspoken question softly. “You weren’t able to keep much down.”

She stepped into the dress, and she pulled it over her body before turning back to face him, lacing up the stays in the front of the bodice. It wouldn’t tighten all the way on her gaunt figure and hung loosely off her body.

“I could eat now,” she said, optimism in her voice.

“Then let’s eat,” he replied, reaching for her hand.

KEYARA

They walked into the main room hand in hand. Her legs were shaky and weak, and she was glad he was next to her, half-afraid she might collapse.

As they approached, the men all stood, bowing their heads respectfully. Her steps faltered and she stopped, not sure how to react.

“Luna,” she heard them greet her, speaking softly over each other.

Ash squeezed her hand lightly. She cleared her throat. “G-good morning,” she managed.

At her words, they sat back down, returning to their meal as if there had been no interruption. She slid onto a bench beside Luca, who smiled at her warmly as he sipped his coffee.

She glanced around at the men. She felt bad she had not had a chance to really speak to any of them, besides Luca.

She recognized the man sitting across from her; he was the one who had helped Anne in the kitchen the day they arrived.

“Mateo, right?” she asked him, catching his eye.

“Yes, that’s right, Luna,” he replied. “It’s good to see you up and about.”

“Please, call me Key,” she told him.

“Respectfully, Luna, I don’t think so,” Mateo replied, trying to hide a smile.

Keyara glanced at Luca, who had bitten back a laugh. “What?” she asked him, not understanding.

“The men wouldn’t dare address you so informally, Luna,” he replied, amusement in his eyes.

“You do,” she said to him sullenly.

Luca winked at her, leaning close to her ear. “I’m not much for rules,” he told her quietly.

Just then Ash returned with two plates overflowing with food. She scooted over, making room for him on the bench as he placed one in front of her.

“Alpha,” Mateo greeted him, nodding toward him.

“Good morning, Mateo,” Ash replied warmly, taking a small bite of eggs from his plate. “What’s the news from the patrols? Any movement on the border?”

Key tuned them out as they started to discuss what had been going on the last few days, staring at the mountain of food across from her.

She hardly knew where to start. She picked up a crisp piece of bacon, tearing off a bite. The grease coated her tongue as she chewed.

When the bacon was gone, she tried a bite of eggs, which had been scrambled with a generous amount of butter. She followed that up with a piece of toast, spread with a layer of peach preserves.

She wanted to eat more, but by the time she was done with the toast, her neglected stomach was protesting the amount of food she had forced into it.

Her plate was still almost full, he had served her such a ridiculous amount. She sipped the water instead.

Ash was still deep in discussion with Luca and Mateo. They were planning shifts for the watch during the full moon, when they would all be in wolf form.

Ash had told her he was usually the one who stood watch, letting the pack run free, but with the uncertainty of how tonight would go, he was splitting it up among the men.

If she made it through, he would stick by her side on her first night as a wolf to guide her.

If she didn’t, well, Ash hadn’t said it, but Luca had told her that he might be difficult to restrain if he lost her, and the men would need to be on guard.

She couldn’t let her mind go there, needing to focus on a positive outcome. She needed a distraction.

She touched Ash’s arm lightly, hesitant to interrupt him, but he turned to her as soon as he felt her touch.

He smiled at her before his eyes flicked down to her breakfast, a ghost of a frown taking its place as he saw how much was left on her plate.

“I can’t possibly eat all that in one sitting,” she told him, rolling her eyes, knowing what he was thinking.

“Is there somewhere I can write a letter to my mom and Jenna? I’d like them to hear from me at least once, in case, you know…” She trailed off.

He frowned again and kissed her on the forehead. “Of course,” he replied, pointing to a door on the far wall.

“My office is just through there. Help yourself to whatever you need. We’ll be done planning soon, and then I’ll join you.”

She stepped away from the table, her legs feeling steadier now that she had some real food in her.

She entered the office, her fingers trailing across the backs of the plush armchairs that faced the ornate desk. The room was plain, lacking any personal touches, but it was steeped in Ash’s scent, making it feel comfortable.

She sat down at the desk, searching in the drawers that were unlocked until she found some blank parchment.

She set it flat on the table and stared at it, trying to come up with what she could say to convey the love she felt for them, without sounding as desperate as she felt.

She hadn’t even started writing by the time Ash joined her.