The male had the audacity to flinch, spinning to stare down at me with wide eyes. I bared my teeth at him, forcing myself before my sister. Taking a threatening step forward, I poked my finger at his chest.

"I said, what the fuck do you think you are doing?" I snarled.

Asra's eyes narrowed down at me, before flickering up to my sister when she whimpered. He crossed the line when he cornered my sister. If he so much as touched her, I would kill him myself.

I pushed his chest. "Hey! You leave her alone."

The beast growled, chest vibrating so vigorously that I could feel it vibrate my own. His dark eyes snapped toward mine, baring his teeth.

"Get out of the way."

"Never." I glared.

His hand wrapped around my biceps and went to move me. I grunted, digging my fingers into his arms as he shoved me aside. Stumbling, I fought to catch myself on the footboard of the bed. My eyes cast to Arabella when Asra turned to her, and when I saw the fur growing on his skin and the slanting of his ears, I knew I was not dealing with my Asra, but the wolf.

Taking a step forward, he was about to grab her when I stepped in front. His hand latched onto my shoulder, aiming for my sister's throat. I narrowed my eyes, shoving his hand away, and he grumbled.

"Move."

"No."

"I need to speak with her."

"No." I glared.

"Ailia..."

"Asra..." I taunted.

He growled. "Out of the way, you are not involved."

"Yes. I am." I snapped my teeth. "Arabella is my sister and my responsibility. She is my ward."

He grumbled. "She is a traitor."

"She is no such thing but a child!" I snapped.

I knew Arabella hated it when I referred to her as a child, but she was barely sixteen!

"She is a teenager! She is perfectly capable of being a spy." He snapped back.

I took a threatening step forward, unfazed by his beast. He may have scared me in the past, but that was then, and I would not budge from my spot. Until the beast within him realised this, I wasn't backing down until I had Asra back. Instincts or not, he was not playing fair.

"You need to sort yourself out, you fucking arsehole!" I sneered. "Calm the fuck down!"

"She needs to be interrogated!" He shouted.

"And scaring her shitless is how?" I growled. "You will get nowhere with that, Asra!"

"Putting people on edge makes them tell the truth."

"That is fucked up and you know it." I snapped. "Scaring somebody shitless is not the way to go."

"It is the only way that works."

"Is that what you did with Caleb? Huh?" I sneered. "Where is he now? Did you scare the shit out of him, too?"

His eyes narrowed, lips pulled down into a grimace as I took another step forward.

"Well, Alpha?"

"Step away from the girl."

"Why? What are you going to do?"

"Put her in the cells."

"How charming of you." I sarcastically spat. "The beast really has come to play. You take her, you take me."

"I will not."

"You cannot control me, Asra." My voice darkened. "You know, this reminds me of when you told me I couldn't leave, when I faced being torn apart by rogues or to live beneath an alpha. And you know what? I thought about leaving. I truly did, because I didn't want to face the wrath of the wild wolves."

"So why didn't you?"

"Because I was scared." I deadpanned. "You scared me shitless, and it made me regress in my memories. It made my every thought of Darius come back to haunt me."

He grumbled, but I continued.

"But guess what? You don't scare me anymore." I threatened, jabbing him until he took a step back. "Nothing you can say or do will affect me, Asra. I am your equal. Remember that, and your next choices will determine how much I think of you."

His jaw tightened, fists clenching at his sides. When he did nothing else, I took a step back, so I was closer to my sister. I heard her ragged breaths, her fingers weaving into the back of my shirt. She shakily mumbled my name, and I raised my hand to wrap around her wrist.

"Don't provoke him." She whispered.

"He will not hurt you." I told her. "Will you?"

He glared, the beast enraged at my defiance. "Don't touch her."

"My sister? Are you out of your fucking mind? You need to cool down!" I shouted. "You are being unreasonable."

"You are seriously going to protect her?" He yelled.

"Yes!"

"She could be a spy!"

"She isn't!"

"How do you know?" He scoffed.

I glared. "I just do."

"You barely know her."

"She is my sister." I shook my head. "I know her plenty."

"So you know she is selling your information?"

"She isn't! God-dammit Asra, stop being so narrow minded and pointing fingers where they don't belong."

"She needs to be contained until we figure out who is after you." He warned, just as two wolves entered the room.

I eyed them, noticing they were wearing the warrior uniform. Was this even necessary? Asra had completely lost his mind. First leaving without a trace, and now locking up my sister? What was he doing?

"You contain her, you contain me." I dropped my eyes from the men, looking back at him.

"I can't do that." The beast grumbled.

"That is how it will happen, or you will back down and leave the room."

"Ailia, you don't know what you are saying."

I jutted out my chin. "What is going to be, Alpha?"

He growled, frustrated. "This is not fair."

"Neither are you." I rolled my eyes.

"I cannot contain you." He shook his head, the beast backing down.

"So, what are you going to do, then?" I wondered.

His eyes suddenly turned sad, and I felt my entire body tense up when he didn't reply. His eyes glazed slightly, and I narrowed my own with concern. Who was he mind-linking?

Suddenly, he jerked his head, and the two men approached. I took a step back, widening my stance and keeping Arabella in the corner. They didn't stop their pursuit, stopping right before me.

"Don't make this difficult, Ailia."

I seethed. "You going to lock me up and drag me there yourself?"

"I can't do that." He shook his head.

One man suddenly moved, grabbing me by the wrist. My reactions were fast, my other arm moving to punch him in the jugular. He choked, taking a step back as I then kicked out at his knees. His hand released me as he stumbled, and I was about to push away the other one when someone grabbed me from behind.

I screeched, lashing out at Asra as he grabbed my wrists and pulled them behind my back. I writhed, kicking out at him to get a soft spot. The knee, the balls, anything! Keeping my hands trapped, he secured his body around me and pinned me to the wall.

"Let me go!"

"Ailia..." Arabella's voice was shaky.

I writhed, gasping with horror as the two men took either of her arms. They escorted her out of the room and I reared my head back, hoping to contact Asra's damn face. It only ended up with me whacking my skull off of his shoulder before my face dropped back into the wall. I groaned softly as a dull throb started in my head.

"Ailia, you promised..." Arabella whimpered as they dragged away her.

Unable to move, I felt the tears burn in my eyes. "I'm sorry."

Her fearful whimper met my ears as they took her out of the room. Asra's voice rumbled as he told the guards what to do. I ignored him, pressing my forehead against the wall with defeat. In the world of wars, I had just lost the battle. Humans were nothing against the strength of a wolf, and I was stupid to think I could out-fight three of them.

Footsteps retreated, and Asra kept me pinned until my heart rate slowed. I felt lethargic, my energy drained as my soul ached for my sister. She was being carted off by two wolves to a place she would absolutely hate. A place of trauma, a place not for a sweet soul like hers.

Asra slowly released me until I landed on my two feet. He was silent, his eyes piercing into the side of my head as I kept my face lowered. I rubbed my arms, trying to get the circulation back.

"Tulip..." He sighed.

I inhaled sharply, taking a step away from him as he reached for me. "Don't touch me."

"Tulip..."

My head reared, and I glared at him, so full of loathing. "I said don't!"

He winced, his familiar dark blue eyes nothing but a reminder of what he just did. His face fell slightly, his outstretched arm dropping to his side when I didn't break eye contact.

"I'm sorr-

"No! You aren't!" I spat. "God! I can't believe you right now. I don't even want to see you."

I turned to leave the room, making it to the doorway before I heard both his footsteps and his voice.

"Ailia, please."

Turning around suddenly, I caught him off guard when I closed the gap between us. My hand came to poke at his chest, glaring up at him as he stared down at me with a passive poker face.

Why couldn't he just fucking listen to me?

"Shut the fuck up, Asra!" I shouted. "And leave me alone!"

My eyes darted between his empty dark ones, finding nothing. No remorse, no longing or regret. He was an empty shell once again. I gritted my teeth, keeping my tongue at bay for now before I dismissed him and left the room. He didn't call after me again, and I was glad, because I wasn't sure I could keep my emotions at bay.

Storming out of my sister's bedroom, I caught the lift on the way down. The afternoon was still warm, and I was going to the only place I could cool my damn head.

Practically jumping out of the death box, I rushed through the foyer and out of the house. A few people called my name, but I ignored them, especially the ones that called me Luna.

Wolves provoked me.

They acted on pure instinct, and I wanted no part in their stupid pack games. How was I supposed to lead a pack that treated people like this? What happened to finding evidence and facts first? Who just convicts someone of a crime?

Poor Arabella was going to be traumatised.

Who the hell did Asra think he was? Going behind my back and cornering my sister? Dragging her to the fucking cells for some stupid scare tactic? And not fucking listening to me? It was like a knife to the back.

He was barbaric.

I thought Asra was different, but his beast was as much an arsehole as the humans I had grown up with.

Needing to calm my thoughts, I decided I needed a plan.

Reaching the lake, I scanned the area. The waterfall was gentle today, the weather serene. The sun scorched in the sky, a reminder that July had begun. It wouldn't be long until the party-ball-thing for Alpha Augustus Black. I doubted if I even wanted to go with someone like Asra anymore.

Stripping down to my underwear, I climbed up onto the rocks and stood at the edge.

A swim was all I needed. The lake would calm and help organise my thoughts. It always did. I needed that hand up to decide what the fuck to do. Everything was confusing. Asra was making no sense, no moral sense. He didn't respect my opinions, that much was clear.

Time to make my own decisions and sort this shit out.

So, I jumped.