Chapter Forty-Nine

ASH

He ran a hand through his hair absently as he made his way back to his quarters. The council member from their closest neighbor, the Moonstone Pack, had arrived a few hours before.

Ash had to welcome him properly, as well as explain the reason for the pending meeting at length.

The council representative had not been informed as to the reason for the gathering before traveling to Kodian territory, and he had been as shocked and outraged as Ash had imagined. It had been an emotionally trying morning.

Ash hoped he would not have to repeat this each time a representative arrived, anticipating that word would soon begin to spread.

These old men had little better to do than gossip, their duties rarely requiring them to be much more than a figurehead for each pack most of the time.

As he entered his chambers, he could hear Keyara’s soft breathing coming from the bed.

He was briefly surprised she had not yet roused until he saw that the breakfast tray had been raided, and a blanket was discarded on the floor in the middle of the room.

He realized she had been up and back to bed again, the effects of the wine clearly lingering. He quietly approached the side of the bed and bit back a smile at the sight of her.

She was on her stomach, her limbs sprawled out carelessly in her sleep. One side of her face was pressed against the mattress, and her hair fell messily over her features, one thick curl moving over her lips with each exhale.

He sat down beside her on the bed and brushed the curl out of her face. She moaned sleepily, opening her eyes and stretching slowly. “How are you feeling?” he asked her with amusement.

“Better now,” she replied, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. “Breakfast helped. Remind me to watch my wine glass from now on. Those servers were sneaky about refills.”

He laughed and leaned back on the pillows beside her, folding his arms behind his head. “They can be,” he agreed.

“How did this morning go?” she asked him, propping herself up on one elbow, facing him.

He sighed, the wave of worry crashing over him once again. “Not well,” he admitted to her. “The representative from the Moonstone Pack did not take the news lightly.”

She furrowed her brow and frowned. “Will they all be that bad?” she asked him.

“I hope not, but I can’t say for sure,” he replied honestly. “The Moonstone Pack does tend to hold on to some of the old traditions more strongly than the other packs, which surely clouded his opinion of things.

“I’ve asked Ethan to come back. Hopefully his presence among the council members will help keep the mood a little more even.”

She nodded, clearly taking it as good news, though Ash wasn’t sure how much differently the other packs would feel despite their more modern take on most things. But he let it go, not wanting to concern her more than necessary.

“Come on,” he said brightly, wishing to distract her. “Get dressed. I want to show you around.”

KEYARA

She slipped on a pair of soft leather pants and a cotton blouse, reaching for her familiar boots instead of any from the selection of new shoes, anticipating a lot of walking.

She laughed as he pulled her through the halls, his enthusiasm to show her his home evident.

He recounted the historical events depicted in the massive paintings that adorned the walls and took her to see the portrait of his father, who she knew had meant a lot to him.

He pointed out all the small nooks and hidden spaces where he used to play as a child and took her to the library. She gasped at the sight of so many books, knowing she would likely spend a lot of time there.

Finally, they walked along the wall outside, the cold wind whipping through her hair and stinging her eyes.

He pointed out the supply station at the bottom of the cliff the castle was built into, explaining the pulley system they used to haul up goods to the castle.

She leaned over the side as much as she dared, seeing the station he indicated far below them.

As the morning came to an end, they walked hand in hand to the dining room for lunch, her stomach growling in hunger.

Ash suddenly stopped, cocking his head to one side. “Apologies, love, but Ethan is almost back. I need to greet him. Go on into the dining room. I’ll join you shortly.”

She nodded and watched him stride quickly away before entering the room. The tables were set up the same as they had been the night before, though the decor from the banquet had been put away and simple plates adorned the tables.

Jill waved at her from the head table, and Keyara made her way over, smiling in greeting at those she passed on the way.

An older man sitting alone looked away at her smile, an angry scowl on his face. “Damn mutt,” she heard him spit out as she passed. By the way he said it, she knew it was a deep insult.

She blinked back tears at his obvious hatred, keeping her head down the rest of the way to the head table, greeting Jill with a weak smile and taking her seat.

~“Keyara, what is it?”~ came Ash’s worried voice, clearly having sensed her sudden mood change.

~“It’s nothing,”~ she replied quickly. ~“I’m fine.”~

She felt the link break, his urgency to return to her evident despite her reassurance.

She sighed, hoping there wouldn’t be a scene. She felt oddly relieved when the offending man slipped out of the room before Ash made it there.

She had just taken her first bite of chicken smothered in mushroom sauce when Ash strode quickly into the room, his eyes flashing from table to table to assess any sort of threat.

When he reached her side he leaned down beside her, his eyes angry at the hurt he had sensed passing through her. “Tell me,” he growled quietly.

“A man called me a mutt when I passed him. It’s not a big deal,” she mumbled.

He growled louder, standing straight and glaring out across the room, which turned a few heads of those seated closest to them.

She tugged on his hand, pleading with him to sit down. “He’s not here anymore, he left. Please don’t make a big deal out of it.”

He passed a hand over his face before taking his seat next to her, and she breathed a sigh of relief that the moment had passed peacefully.