“So you went ice fishing?”
“Sad I didn’t show you how to properly fish?” I counter, recalling the Glacier Sector incident again. That was what she and Alpha Henrik were doing when she fell in. “I thought that wasHenrik’sresponsibility.”
Amusement chases away the residual sadness in Ashlyn’s features. “He wasn’t a very good teacher.”
“Shocking,” I deadpan.
She giggles, the sound one she’s made twice now in my presence. And I find I’m rather fond of it.
“Next time, I’ll take you with me.”
Her gaze brightens. “Really?”
“If you want to learn, sure.” I shrug. “I don’t mind teaching you anything you want to know.”
She seems to sit up a little straight. “Anything?”
Okay, now I’m intrigued. “Is there something you want me to teach you?” I ask, curious as to what has her looking at me with such eagerness in her pretty eyes.
“Runes,” she says, shocking the hell out of me. “I know you make them for protection. I would love to learn how to do that, too.”
“I…” I frown. “I’m not sure that can be taught.” Runes are layered with magic and she’s a Z-Clan Omega. She has foreseeing abilities that are clearly quite impressive, but what I do requires V-Clan genetics.
“Can you show me anyway?” she asks, hope a bright emotion in her alluring features.
“If that’s what you want, yes,” I tell her. “I’ll show you whatever you want, Ash.”
Her cheeks pinken a little, probably from the nickname I’ve just used for the second time. But she doesn’t remark on it. “Thank you.”
“You can stop thanking me,” I murmur. “Actually, no. If you want to properly thank me, you’ll eat something.”
She releases a laugh this time. “Okay.”
“Good.” I hold onto her for another beat, then force myself to set her to the side. “I’ll be in the kitchen. Join me when you’re ready. You’ll eat… and I’ll teach.”
Her responding smile is so fucking beautiful that my heart aches. “You have no idea what this means to me.”
I don’t. But I can see it means a great deal by the way she’s looking at me. “I’m not a normal Z-Clan Alpha, Ashlyn. I believe in respecting Omegas. I hope you believe that and understand that.”
“I do,” she says, her expression sobering a little. “More than you know, Grey.”
There’s a hint of something in her tone that I can’t quite identify, no doubt linked to some vision or another.
So I don’t overthink it or analyze. Instead, I give her nod. Then head toward the kitchen and prepare to feed her.
Protective runes, I think, frowning a little. I haven’t mentioned them to her, but she clearly knows I have a talent for them. From a vision, perhaps?
But the real question is:Why does she want to learn how to make them…?
6
ASHLYN
I drawmy finger through the air, just the way Grey showed me three days ago.
But nothing happens.
Ugh.
