Chapter 25 #2
He was finished, and yet he didn’t move, carefully inspecting the rest of her. Her pulse felt through her wrist, a slight push on her abdomen, an ear to her chest to hear her breathing.
Her fingers dug into the thin blanket beneath her, otherwise they would have wound into his hair to keep him there. Even an examination was touch she needed.
He hummed, the tone disappointed. “You are malnourished, omega.”
She snorted. “I think I could have told you that.”
His eyes narrowed—not in anger, but in pity. “I will have the kitchens send something up immediately. Without some fat, I do not know if you’ll even be able to go into estrus.”
Her wolf whined, but Fern merely looked confused. “Into what?”
But he was already packing his things. “Good meat, cheese, and butter for your bread. Healer’s orders.”
She sat up on her elbows, watching him go. Food was good, but that wasn’t all she needed. “Um…”
He paused, his hand on the doorknob as he turned around. “Is there something else?”
“I… I don’t know if this is necessarily in a healer’s purview, but…”
He gave her a soft smile. “Even if it’s not, I will find whoever it belongs to.”
She swallowed, finding it difficult to ask for something so… excessive. “My bed… or nest, rather. It’s…”
“Woefully insufficient?”
Her cheeks heated and she nodded, suddenly feeling very foolish. She’d barely eaten and yet was worried about the number of pillows she could sleep on.
“I had thought so myself, considering your nature. I haven’t met any omegas before, but I’ve researched their care. I will let an attendant know.”
“Thank you,” she replied, her voice quiet.
The door snicked close, and she must have fallen asleep almost immediately, because the next thing she knew, someone was tucking pillows and blankets around her.
“There’s food on the table,” came Adela’s quiet voice. “Venison pie, straight from the kitchen. Still hot.”
The scratches on her chest still ached, but the fabrics around her—velvets, silks, brocades—were more luxurious than anything she’d ever known, and she made a contented little moan as she curled around a long pillow made for cuddling.
Her wolf was pleased at first, because despite Darion’s decision to keep her in her room for the foreseeable future, he seemed to still want to honor her status.
And then she recognized the scent.
She opened her eyes just to check, confirming she’d seen this bedding before.
It was all Reinn’s.
“How did you get these?” Fern asked, wondering if it had been taken from his bed without his permission. If he would be angry with her for having this.
She really didn’t want two alphas upset at her.
Well, three, counting Eidan…
“Alpha Reinn gave it all to me,” Adela replied. “And said if you need anything else, to tell me and I can inform him.”
It was good he wasn’t upset with her, then, but she was disappointed Darion had either forgotten or ignored his promise. And she didn’t know which hurt worse.
Taking one of the smaller pillows with her, she rose and crossed the room to where the steaming pie and half a pint of ale were waiting for her.
And a book.
And a small rock.
The book was about the origins of the wolfkin, while the rock was a smooth, black river stone.
“What are these?”
“Also from Alpha Reinn,” she said, opening her cedar chest and adding new gowns inside. “He said the book was for your education, and the rock was for your… I think he said bed.”
“Bed?”
“I’m not sure, I’m sorry. He seemed quite pleased with himself, I thought you would understand.”
And then her cheeks heated with understanding.
“Perhaps he said ‘nest?’”
Adela paused for a moment. “Aye, that sounds right.”
Her wolf was beyond excited, running in circles with her tongue hanging out.
It’s sweet, but…
It’s for us, she barked. When Fern’s mind’s eye just stared at her, she huffed. You wouldn’t understand.
Fern thought she understood plenty, and was trying to feel grateful. Excited. Cared for.
But there was a dam inside her, and the outpouring of happiness that should have been flowing from such a gesture was backed up, reduced to a cautious trickle.
Still, she palmed the stone, already warming to her touch, and then began eating. She burned her tongue almost immediately on a chunk of potato, drinking half the ale to cool it down and wondering when the last time was she’d eaten something hot.
Adela closed the heavy lid to the chest, rising to a stand. “I’ll bid you good night then. Any special requests for your morning meal?”
Fern stilled, the fork halfway to her mouth. “Requests?”
“Aye,” she replied. “Unless someone tells me otherwise, Alpha Reinn’s informed me to make sure you receive all the same meals as the rest of the clan, with extra fat on Healer Serich’s orders. Are you partial to anything in particular?”
Her eyes began to tear, and Fern quickly shoveled another forkful of pie in her mouth, burning it again.
Darion still hadn’t ordered anything for her care.
“Just…“ She stopped for a moment after the wave of grief had passed, wondering if it was too much to ask. “If you bring porridge, can… can you bring honey, too?”
She bowed her head with a small smile. “Of course. Good night, Fern.”
“Good night, Adela.”
Her attendant left, and Fern tried not to call her back for the company. Being alone seemed harder now since her shift. So she spoke to her as if she were there, still working behind her, and finished her meal with Adela’s “ghost” as her companion.
When she was finished, she dressed in her new nightgown, took her book, and then crawled into her nest—all courtesy of Reinn.
Not her alpha.
But at least her wolf was satisfied, sighing loudly in her mind.
Fern laughed as she burrowed into the blankets and pillows. Okay, okay, you were right. We did need this.
I am always right. It’s better to accept this now.
She rolled her eyes and began reading, finding a handwritten note on the title page.
Your alpha has already let the Council know you’ve agreed that some isolation is in order to help everyone adjust, and that no one is to visit you.
How dreadfully dull for all of us.
At the very least, I’ll have your attendant drop off some things for you to read, so that I might finally have someone I can talk to at these awful Sabletail feasts.
Hope you “agree” you’ve had enough isolation soon.
-Reinn
The text blurred as tears filled her eyes, and she closed them for a moment, not wanting them to fall and stain the paper.
It would be so easy if she could just hate the alpha who’d claimed her. Truly, Darion had done nothing to earn her respect and everything for her enmity, but her body still leaned towards him when he entered the room. Still craved his touch, his attention. Still longed to hear his voice.
She held her eyes shut and counted to twenty, letting the sorrow come and go, and then opened them, trying to ignore the pain as she started on the first chapter.
There was a time when no door could keep a wolf out, because every wolf wore a human face…
A line connected the first passage to another note. A comment, really. Underlined twice.
Terrifying.
Fern giggled, snuggling deeper into her nest, and she read on to see what else Reinn had added.