Chapter Fifty-Seven

KEYARA

Emily and Rolph had been shocked to hear their news that Ash had left the pack. He explained everything to them, including Keyara’s transformation, which Emily admitted she had already suspected.

They had given them hugs and promised to help in any way they could. Ash gave them some gold and asked them to travel to town to get some food that would be good for camping for an extended period.

Ash ran a hand through his disheveled hair as they entered the living quarters, and she could feel that he was upset having gone through all that.

She placed a hand lightly on his chest, and he covered it with his own. “Was that hard for you, Ash?” she asked him softly.

He gave her a weak smile, patting her hand before pulling away to light the fire in the hearth of the common room.

“Emily was like a second mother to me after my own mother died. She lived at the castle for a while before they took over here, and she used to care for me when my father was busy,” he replied in explanation.

He had never told her what happened to his parents, not directly. He had spoken often and respectfully about his father, and she knew he had been an important part of Ash’s life, but she had heard almost nothing about his mother.

“What happened to her?” she asked quietly. “It’s all right if you do not wish to talk about it,” she added quickly.

He was still busy at the fire and did not turn around, but she could feel he was not upset by her question.

“She died when I was just a boy,” he replied, wiping his hands after adding the last log onto the fire that was beginning to roar to life.

“It was during childbirth with her second child,” he continued. “It happens, even to us. We are stronger than humans but not indestructible. My sister died as well.”

“I’m so sorry, Ash,” she said sadly.

“I was very young,” he replied with a comforting smile. “I remember her vaguely, but it is not painful to speak of it,” he assured her.

She frowned lightly, remembering what she had been told about losing a mate. His father ruled for many years after that, she knew.

“Your father was able to overcome it? Losing his mate?” she asked curiously.

“They were not mates,” he replied simply. “My father never found his.”

“Is that…common?” she asked. Luca had told her almost everyone waited for their mates and usually remained alone in the case they were never found.

Ash smiled tightly. “No, it’s not common. My father searched for many years for his mate. He was already getting to be advanced in age by the time I was born.

“If he hadn’t been an alpha, he probably would have been content to be alone, but the council expected him to provide an heir, so he chose to mate with my mother.”

The thought made her sad for his parents, now that she had experienced the powerful emotions the mate bond provided.

He walked to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “They were happy, Keyara,” he told her softly in reassurance.

“He cared for her very much, but when she died, it wasn’t like losing a mate. He was still able to maintain control and lead afterward.”

She felt silly for being upset and nodded. “I don’t know why the thought made me sad,” she told him, smiling gently.

He kissed her lightly before heading to the back rooms. “Come,” he said to her. “There is much to do.”

ASH

They spent the rest of the afternoon sorting through supplies, picking out things they thought would be useful in the weeks to come. Luca had given them permission to take whatever they needed.

They gathered blankets for camping in the woods and a large pot for cooking, as well as some maps of the territory.

He rolled a dozen sheathed swords into a waterproof tarp, tying it into a bundle with just as many daggers.

If they were able to utilize Keyara’s plan to use the tunnel, they might not require such a cache of weapons, but it was better to prepare for every possibility.

“I think that does it,” he told her, placing the bundle with the rest of the supplies.

“Emily will be back soon with the food she’s getting us in the village. I’m afraid we will be living on rice and beans for a while,” he told her apologetically.

She smiled at him, reorganizing the pile nervously. “I’ve lived on worse,” she told him.

“Come,” he told her, opening his arms.

She walked quickly to him, pressing her face against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and inhaled her scent as he closed his eyes.

“Do not be nervous, my love,” he told her, her apprehension difficult to shut out.

She kept her face against his chest, her words coming out muffled as she spoke. “I am trying not to be,” she told him.

“These last few weeks have just been so much to take in. It’s like my mind is stuck two steps behind the current events. I’m just trying to catch up.”

She took a deep breath, her nerves fading as his scent calmed her, then raised her head to smile at him. “My life was pretty dull before I met you,” she told him.

He laughed, kissing her. Her smile alone was enough to stir his desire. “Who wants dull?” he asked her with a wink.

“Let me help you catch up,” he told her, pulling her toward the bed. “We have nothing to do until tomorrow—we can catch up all night.”

They made love late into the night. He tasted every part of her body, committing it to memory. When she finally fell asleep against his chest, his mind went back to the memory of his mother and father.

His father had never given any indication he was disappointed with the direction his life had gone, but Ash wondered what he would have done if he had never found Keyara.

It was hard to imagine life without her, and he was glad he didn’t have to make the same decision his father had.