It took me a while to calm my racing heart. I wasn't sure I would ever get used to car journeys; the unsettling bumps had me gasping for breath every time. The roads out of Asra's pack land were uneven dirt, so you can imagine how often I was holding my breath.

We had driven in silence as I came to terms with the feeling. I decided didn't like the front seat. I much preferred the back where I could not see my impending doom.

The approach of some huge ass gates had me squinting to get a better look. Asra slowed the vehicle down until we came to a stop and I observed our surroundings. A male approached the vehicle, his head in line with the wing mirror, and Asra rolled down the window. They exchanged a few words, and I caught onto a few vague code names before Asra muttered about the sunrise and shut the window.

"What was that about?"

"Just telling him when to expect us back, and if we are not back and he receives no response, then to stage an attack." He stated, shrugging.

"An attack?" I squeaked; my eyes widening.

"I am the alpha, Tulip, and you are now the luna. If anything happens to us, the pack will take revenge."

"That's..."

"What family does." He smiled, pushing the car back into gear. "Now let's go."

The enormous gates swung open, a low creak barely heard through the spluttering of the engine. The truck-car lurched forward the moment Asra had an opportunity. I watched him as he shuddered, a deep set grimace on his face.

"You okay?" I wondered.

"Just the border change." He glanced at me.

"Border change?"

"My land is my land; we respect other pack's territory. Some, like I, have witches cast spells to deter wanderers and make it more poignant." He explained. "So when I leave, I feel the change. I have stepped out of my land's protection and into emptiness. This land is un-claimed."

"And we are just happily going through it?" I cocked my head, confused. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"It can be." He admitted. "But no sane wolf comes close when they know I am near."

"Rather fond of yourself." I snorted.

He rolled his eyes, moving to switch the radio on. "I am the alpha."

"Yes, sir." I mock saluted him.

Asra grumbled, glaring at me through a quick glance. I spluttered a laugh, unable to maintain my composure. I watched as his shoulders relaxed the moment I did, his back sinking into his seat.

"Get comfortable. We are in for a long drive."

"How long?" I wondered. "It took us thirty minutes just to get to your damn drive gate!"

"Give it three hours, Tulip."

"Will we last on fuel?" I wondered. "Cars run on fuel, right?"

"Yes. I filled the tank last night."

"Isn't fuel bad for the environment?"

"Yes, it is."

"And you are driving a huge ass truck-car that is so loud it sounds like you when you're fast asleep?"

His jaw tightened. "Yes."

"Rather contradictory, isn't it? Being a wolf and loving the earth." I probed.

"I suppose."

I couldn't help the enormous grin on my face, a laugh bubbling from my mouth. "Poor squirrels."

"I eat squirrels as tapas." He grunted.

My small laugh turned into a bellow, imagining Asra chasing down a squirrel for a snack. I definitely did not expect him to make such a comment, and it thoroughly entertained me.

"Why don't you sleep?" Asra asked once I calmed down.

"Not yet." I grinned. "I'm having fun."

"With tormenting me?"

"Yes." I snorted. "We never finished the question game from our date."

He sighed. "Okay, so ask me a question then, Tulip."

"Okay." I nodded, cocking my head to study him through narrow eyes. "Why do you call me Tulip?"

"Because you are my tulip."

"What does that even mean?"

"Ah, I get a go." He interrupted me.

I huffed, crossing my arms. "Fine."

"When is your birthday?"

"That's your question?" I laughed.

"Tulip... Answer my damn question."

"Fine, fine!" I sighed. "February ninth."

He suddenly tensed, his fingers flexing over the steering wheel. "And you are eighteen?"

"Hey, it's my turn."

"Right." He growled, annoyed.

I wondered why my birthday was so annoying to him.

"When's your birthday?" I quipped.

"March thirtieth." He was quick to answer. "You are eighteen, yes?"

"Yeah." I nodded, frowning. "How old are you again?"

"Thirty-four this spring." He muttered, his frustration melting away.

"So, you are, like, way older than me." I let out a breath. "How does wolf aging even work again?"

"We age slower because of our immunity. It's a magic being thing." He sighed.

"You okay?"

"Me? Of course." He nodded. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You've had a billion moods in the past five minutes." I arched my eyebrow.

He sighed, turning a dial on in the truck when he noticed I was in curled into a ball. Hot air immediately came from the vents and I gasped, turning them until they faced me. I didn't know they could be hot too!

"I just realised something, is all."

"You did?"

"You were born during a strange time in my life."

"I was?" My eyes widened.

"Yes."

Silence stretched across the car, the mumbling of the radio gentle compared to the tension that grew. I swallowed, giving him time to explain, but by the tautness in his jaw and the crease between his brows, I knew I would not get one.

Sighing, I turned my gaze back to the darkness that stretched across the forest. The truck said we were going forty, and yet the blurring of the trees felt like we were going so much faster. I have never been so fast, my eyes unable to keep up with the mixing of colours and textures. A headache formed, and I grimaced as a sickness settled in my upper stomach. Closing my eyes, I fought the feeling away.

"You okay, Tulip?" Asra muttered.

"Just a sudden sickness."

"Want me to pull over?"

The probing in my head worsened, and I felt a sudden deep worry appear from nowhere. It was cautious, unsure, and foreign in my body. My eyes peeled open to stare at my shaking hands with confusion.

"It's just motion sickness." Asra sighed, reaching over to rub my knee.

I jerked when his touch sent a zap of fire down my leg, and the sickness lessened.

This was unusual.

I cleared my throat, confused, as I looked to Asra. "You are worried?"

"What?" He wondered, frowning.

"I can feel your worry."

"My worry?"

"That's what I said, wasn't it?" I rolled my eyes.

"Tulip..." He exhaled heavily, removing his hand. "Yes, I was worried. I thought you became upset."

"You knew it was motion sickness because you were in my head, right?" I probed him.

"I was."

"It's getting harder to notice when you are." I shrugged. "But this time I felt worried. I knew it wasn't mine; I had nothing to worry about. It felt like it didn't belong there."

His shoulders tensed, his hand tightening on the steering wheel. "You felt that?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Genuinely?"

"Fuck me, yes, Asra!"

"Later." He snickered, and I scowled. "Not nice being poked at with so many questions, is it?"

I groaned, my head falling back into the seat more. I wondered if it would hurt jumping from a moving vehicle?

"I am surprised that you felt my emotions." He observed me curiously. "You are human."

"I am."

He narrowed his eyes, knowing the game I was about to play. "It is uncommon for such a strong bond in a human and wolf pairing."

"I gathered that." I sarcastically drawled. "But I felt it."

"Perhaps being vulnerable allowed you to find my thoughts." He theorised. "Try to keep your walls down for the rest of the night, and we shall see if it happens again."

"So... I am just a science experiment now?" I clicked my tongue.

"You are infuriating." He groaned again, turning up the volume of the radio. "Go to sleep."

"How rude." I tutted. "I am your mate."

"You are an annoying mate."

"So are you." I quirked an eyebrow.

"Not as much as you are. Pesky human."

"Dog man."

He growled. "I will throw you from this car."

"Finally! What I was dreaming of!"

Asra growled, muttering to himself. I couldn't help but giggle softly, resting my head on my knees to stare out of the side window. The trees blurred too quickly again, and I grimaced, knowing I couldn't last looking out of it for the rest of the journey. So instead, I turned to watch Asra.

He wore a simple, dark, long-sleeved top. It was the knitted kind and tight around his arms and chest, rolled at the sleeves to reveal his tattoos. I could see the end of one up the side of his neck, tempting me to lick it.

Wait, no, Ailia. Bad thoughts. He can smell them a mile away.

I cleared my throat softly, sliding my hips further into my seat so I was more comfortable. Asra barely glanced at me with a raised eyebrow before turning back to the road.

That's it, play it cool.

I observed him more. From the gold glinting from his watch in the moonlight, to the way his eyes focused on the road. His jaw was tense, eyes firm on the road ahead. He slumped more in his chair than I did, his knees spread apart as one foot pressed the peddle. Any bump in the road, and he was quick to correct the wheel with one hand. The other lay on the armrest casually as he drove.

"How did you learn to drive?" I wondered.

He licked his lips, chest heaving as he inhaled. "My mother taught me."

"She did?" I smiled. "Why not your father?"

"My father was an old wolf. He didn't like modern inventions, believed wolves should run everywhere." Asra admitted. "My mum, being raised in human communities, soon learnt how convenient vehicles are. She taught me when I was about fourteen."

"That's cute."

"Cute? I picked it up like a pro, that's how cute that is." He snorted.

I smiled, falling quiet to observe him again. The radio blasted whimsical nonsense, mainly about the excitement raving about the head Alpha's ball in two weeks' time. The radio host was a dull sounding female, but as soon as the list of guests became known to the public, her voice picked up in pace.

Minutes passed slowly as I watched Asra drive through the blurring of trees and I could feel myself grow sleepy. The heat of the fans and warmth of my jumper had lulled me into a sense of placidness. The road had lost a lot of the bumps now, only a faint rocking in the cab as we hit a firmer road.

I hummed, changing position so I was more comfortable. I caught sight of the time, calculating that we had been driving for forty-five minutes now. Closing my eyes, I let myself fall into the numbness of sleep. I heard the radio quieten but chose not to comment on it, my chest warming with Asra's effort to make the ride quieter.

On the brink of sleep and consciousness, I lost track of the time. I only came to when I felt the car slow and the window roll down. There was a male voice as the cool air washed through the cabin and I whined, curling away from the icy breeze. A familiar growl had goosebumps grow on my skin. There were quick, harsh words followed by the whirring of the window.

"Sorry, Tulip. More border control." Asra's voice was soft.

I was quiet, relaxing back into sleep as the frigid air left the cabin. Sighing, I willed myself to get comfortable in the chair.

"It reclines... The chair. A button, by the door." Asra commented.

Inhaling deeply, I slid a hand from the warmth of my jumper to find the pesky button. There were three, and I took a wild guess and pressed one, only for my chair to slide backward. Startled, I stopped as it took me further from the heat. Pressing another, I was happy to find the back went down and once I was more comfortable; I let out a small moan of delight as I got comfortable.

Asra chuckled softly amongst the quietness of the cab and I inhaled the deep smell of his scent in the confined space. He made the journey comfortable and for a moment; I thought that perhaps driving with him wouldn't be so bad in the future.

Just before I drifted back to sleep, I heard him speak again. I wondered for a moment if it was a dream; his words were so softly spoken.

"Eighteen years ago, I made a promise to the Moon Goddess that I would change the wrong doings my ancestors had created if she saved me from the chaos." Asra mumbled. "I always thought she didn't answer and left me to suffer. But now, I realise, perhaps she didn't abandon my wishes after all."

With a heavy, happy heart, a smile erupted on my face before I fell asleep, dreaming of what-if's.