Asra had food delivered to the room, and much to my surprise, he did not let the person enter. They had to knock on the door and leave, and it had my eyebrows quirking when Asra moved to retrieve it. He came back in a moment later, a legged-tray of covered food in his grip. I noticed three covered dishes and wondered just how much he was going to force me to eat.

"What's on the menu today, chef?" I quirked.

"Food." He grunted, placing the lap tray over my blanketed legs.

I rolled my eyes. "Hilarious."

"I try," He smirked. "First up, it's soup."

Soup?

I pursed my lips, glaring down at the vegetable broth. "Soup."

"Yes."

"Soup?"

"That's what it is, yes."

"My first meal in weeks is soup?"

He scowled. "Healthy."

"Why can't my first meal be a delicious chocolate cake?" I frowned.

"You can have that after." He mused. "This is the starter."

"Who even came up with this order of meals? Why can't dessert be first? The you have all the gross stuff afterwards?"

"Because that's not how it works, Tulip."

I didn't have the energy to complain more, because my stomach rolled with hunger. He grinned when I huffed a soft agreement and passed me a spoon. I eyed him as I ate, trying to hide how delicious it actually was. It must've not been a good enough poker face because his grin broadened. Soon, I finished the bowl, and he forcefully placed a small plate of chicken and vegetables in front of me. I shot him a look at the sight of more greenery and he laughed.

"It will be worth it."

My stomach was aching by the end of the main meal, but when he revealed a gooey chocolate brownie and cream, suddenly I had room. When Asra snatched the plate out of my greedy hands, I bared my teeth at him.

"I thought you were full?" Asra teased.

I scowled. "Gimmie!"

He chuckled, passing it over to me. "Take it steady."

"Yeah, yeah..."

It was a heavenly delight that was gone in what felt like seconds. Finishing the plate, I leaned back with a satisfied smirk. Patting my belly, I sighed happily.

"That was amazing."

"I am surprised you fit it all in." Asra smirked.

"It's cake, it goes in the dessert stomach." I grinned, closing my eyes.

Asra chuckled, removing the tray from my lap. I peeked an eye open, watching as he placed it back outside. When the door shut, I squeezed them shut again, listening to the sound of his footsteps as he approached the bed. The covers shifted with his weight, and soon his warmth pressed into my side.

"Come here." He mumbled.

"I am too full. You shall have to drag me." I sighed.

I could practically see him roll his eyes at me, despite my own being closed. His arm wrapped around my midsection and pulled me close. My body hummed with satisfaction where we touched, kind of disappointed at the clothes being in the way.

"You feeling better?"

"I am."

"I would say I can't believe he starved you, but somehow, I can," He muttered. "He was always one for experiments."

"You think I was an experiment?"

"Probably." He nodded. "I don't see any other motive other than using you to get to me. May as well have some fun whilst he had you."

I hummed. "He did like to bite."

His grip tightened, a low grumble rising in his chest. I turned over, nestling my face into his chest as I muttered a soft don't.

"He kept me alive."

"Yeah, by force feeding you fucking blood." He snapped.

"I know right." I snorted. "How does a vampire have blood?"

Asra sighed, his shoulders loosening. "I wish you could see how serious this is."

"I know it is, and I choose to move on."

"So soon?"

My eyes opened, staring up at his jaw. He must've noticed my movement because he reared his head back to stare down at me. I smirked softly at his face from this angle, but then I became annoyed that he still had one chin.

So unfair.

The Goddess blessed these wolves with good looks, and I want a part of it!

"Whatever Azriel did is done. I cannot change it, Asra."

"But it shouldn't have happened."

"I know that, and you know that! We all know that. Heck, even Azriel probably knows that." I tutted. "Speaking of, has Piper gone down to see him yet?"

"She saw him in the hospital, but not since I placed him in the cells." He sighed.

"I can't believe you tore off his leg."

"Wolf leg," Asra stated. "Human arm."

"What?"

"I technically tore off his arm." He chuckled.

"Why?"

"He crushed mine, and I wanted to tear his off the moment I saw him hold you how he did."

"That's cute, but tearing his arm off?" I squeaked.

"He was a wolf when I did it. Barely yelped." He chuckled.

"Asra!" I scolded him. "You said it was his leg!"

"I bluffed to get you calm," He murmured. "How do you feel?"

"Annoyed that you keep changing subjects." I snapped.

He squeezed me, grumbling lowly. It had a weird effect on me, and the tension in my spine slowly vanished. Sighing, I snuggled into him, taking in his fresh scent. He had removed the IV drip not long after the bath, and I was feeling achy. My face pressed into his skin as much as he pushed his jaw into my head.

"Tomorrow, can I please go to the lake?" I wondered.

"I will be with you." He inhaled my hair, sighing softly.

"I wouldn't expect any less." I mused, before sighing. "My body aches. Can you drug me again?"

His soft laughter had me frown. "No, Tulip, I will not."

"Spoil sport."

His chest rumbled against my cheek. "You are going to ache, no matter what. You've been in a bed for a few days now. And most of your bones were broken."

I stared down at my foot beneath the sheets. "I am surprised I even have all my limbs after what you did to Azriel."

Asra growled, and I laughed, the sound echoing around the room. "Not funny."

"Hey, you're the one who threw me fifty feet."

"Ailia..." He grumbled, warning me. "That is not something to joke about."

My laughter softened, trying to keep it at bay for his sake. "I felt like I was flying for a while. I have to admit, though, I did not expect it. Talk about spicing up a relationship."

"I can never apologise enough for that." He muttered.

"It wasn't you. It was the fucking witch." I nibbled his skin, warning him back.

"It was my hand, my strength, that nearly killed you."

"Your brother did too." I pointed out. "It was an all-against-Ailia day."

He grumbled, squeezing me. "Stop being silly."

I giggled before finishing my amusement with a sigh. "When will you give me all the details about what happened?"

His breath stuck on the intake, and I counted five seconds before he slowly exhaled. "Not tonight."

"Okay." I mumbled, understanding he wasn't ready. "When can I see Mya? Arabella? Everyone?"

"If you can walk all the way to the lake, I will let you see Mya, but you can see your sister whenever you want," Asra mused. "Mya is biting at the door handle to see you."

"She is?" I laughed. "Totally not like her."

He chuckled. "Oh, yeah? Is the Mya you know different to the one I am related to?"

We laughed at the expense of his cousin. I wonder why she so badly wanted to see me, but then again, the last thing we spoke to each other was just before I ended up locked in a cell. I remember feeling her in my mind, and knowing that I could feel her made me purse my lips in question.

"Asra."

"Ailia."

I scowled, glaring up at him. His head reared, looking down at me with an amused smirk.

"Asra."

"Tulip."

"Much better." I laughed.

"What's your question?" He rolled his eyes, settling his chin back on my head.

"Before all of this happened, my... senses have been getting stronger."

"Like smelling the bath salts?"

"You make that sound bad." I snorted. "But yes, I also... I've heard and felt people in my head."

"You have? When?"

"A while ago, I heard Eliza say something, out loud, clear as day, and I responded." I began. "And she was looking at me weird and when I asked why, she swore she didn't speak a word."

"What else?" He wondered.

"I felt Mya ask me what I was doing when I was walking to you in the forest."

"Felt?"

"Like... I just did." I huffed. "It was strange."

"A lot of things are strange recently."

"Asra!" I complained.

He chuckled. "So, you can wind me up with jokes and I can't?"

I inwardly groaned. "Yes, that is how this works."

He chuckled. "I think it has something to do with your blood."

"You do?"

The bond suddenly tightened, and I frowned, focusing on it through my confusion. He was hiding something, and I slithered out of his hold to glare at him from a foot away. Asra scowled, reaching out towards me.

"What are you doing?" He wondered.

"You are hiding something."

He scowled. "Tulip..."

"Asra." I mocked. "What has it got to do with my blood?"

"Remember the DNA results showed Flynn is most likely your father?" He wondered, and I nodded. "Well, it proved that there is a chance you could have inherited a wolf."

"It did?" I frowned.

"Ailia, do you know who your mother is?"

I shook my head. "Your dad said they killed her when your mother... was."

Asra's eyebrow twitched, a soft gesture of his reaction. "Right. She was a human."

"She was?" I whispered. "Azriel said... a lot."

"My brother will say anything to get you going." He muttered. "He thrives on wrath and sadness. I believe it is the vampire part of him."

I swallowed. "When did he..."

"Change?" He quirked an eyebrow. "A few years after I became alpha, I'd say."

"A while then." I muttered. "I noticed it makes him two different people."

"You did?"

"Yes, I didn't mind his wolf's side. He would look at me like you do, like I'm some weird pet."

"So his wolf's side is the way to defeat him?"

"Defeat him? Asra, he is Piper's mate!" I complained before gasping. "Oh, my! He is Piper's mate!"

"Yes, how unfortunate for her." He grumbled.

"Can you un-vampire yourself?" I wondered.

"I don't think it works that way." He mused. "They will figure it out, eventually."

I hummed, falling silent as I tried to picture Piper tame Azriel. It would be amusing if they tried to make it work, but it definitely had me questioning the whole soul mate thing.

"Distraction aside, what else is there to what you were saying? My mother is a human, and I am not? What does that have to do with my blood? My mother?"

"You being half-human means you could be more wolf than human."

"But I cannot shift."

"Maybe so, but you have instincts of a beast."

"Why would I have instincts but not a wolf?"

"You are a wolf. There is no extra wolf. Perhaps, whatever has made you forget your memory, has removed your wolf."

A faint flash of orange fur had me pursing my lips. "I've been having some baffling dreams."

"You have? What about?"

I held his gaze, uncertain. "I had dreams of my father. We spoke about how we would prepare for my shift. We spoke of it so lightly... And then in others, I turned into a wolf."

"You did?"

"I was a small child." I whispered.

So many things happened whilst I was with Azriel. My eyes had been opened to things of my past that I never knew existed. But it also meant that things I had seen again, and remembered, came back to haunt me.

Jeremy.

My father.

My mother.

Shaking my head, I dropped my eyes to the duvet. "Asra, I... There is something I need to tell you. Something about us."