I actually showered alone.

I know, baffling, right?

It felt great at first, but then... it grew somber. The moment I even picked up the shampoo, I was thinking about his fingers kneading my hair. The way he would lather my body in soap and then massage it in, purposely going harder on my ass and thighs.

I sighed when I stepped out, drying myself with a frown. I had thought that I would feel refreshed and free from stress, but it only made me sad. It made me realise how much he had weaselled his way into my everyday routine and how much I missed it when it was gone.

Damn dog.

Finishing up my nightly routine took longer than normal, too, and when I stepped out of the bathroom naked, my heart sank a little deeper at finding him not perched on the bed.

Where did he go?

Did he actually leave?

I didn't mean for this. I was just lost and angry that I was so alone when so much happened.

My frown deepened, the pang in my heart jostling the bond between the two of us. If I tuned into it, I could figure out where he was. When he was far, it felt like an echo, and when he was close, I felt warm and full. Right now, I felt lost in the middle.

Enough of that, Ailia. You're meant to be annoyed at him.

After closing the curtains and turning off the ceiling light, I grumpily climbed into bed nude. Seeing as I was alone, I may as well make the most of the clean sheets. No stinky ass wolf to ruin my fun and make me sweaty.

Right?

Laying on my side, I stared at the wall, trying to force my mind to be empty. It was difficult, my attention being grabbed by the space behind me. By now, Asra would have wrapped me in his arms, providing warmth and comfort. It wouldn't take me long to fall asleep, the vibrating of his chest and the warmth of the bond making me drowsy. Even when I was wide awake, his heartbeat soothed me like a lullaby.

The emptiness had my heart hurt too much and tears burn in my eyes. I didn't want them to fall and alert him of my sadness, so sniffed them right back up. Traitorous tears had nothing on me.

Grumbling to myself, I rolled until I lay in the middle of the bed, star-fished. Glaring up at the dull glow of the moon shining through the curtains, I huffed.

I wasn't sure how long I tossed and turned for, my body uncomfortable and mind unable to rest. I had kicked the duvet off in a tantrum ages ago, leaving my naked ass pointed to the room.

It was the moon's fault. Must be something up with it to make me not able to fall asleep.

Stupid moon.

My exasperation grew to the point I was about to throw myself off the bed and onto the floor. Frustrated tears pooled in my eyes as my body became too restless for my own good. But the moment I even contemplated knocking my head against the bedside table, footsteps sounded and the door creaked open.

"Are you ever going to sleep or am I going to drug you?"

I squealed, surprised at both the sudden stream of white light and Asra's body casting a shadow through it. I scrambled to grab the duvet from the floor, pulling it over my chest.

"What are you doing?" I breathed, my throat scratchy and dry.

He shut the door behind him and I had a hard time re-adjusting my eyes to the moonlit room. His shadowed figure walked closer to the bed until he was standing beside it.

"Have you been crying?"

"No." I frowned.

"It smells like tears."

"I can't sleep. I'm angry."

"I am aware you cannot sleep." He grunted. "I can hear every damn movement."

"Why? Where were you?" I couldn't help but snap.

"Next door. Sleeping."

My heart beat in my ears, my teeth clenching as I nodded solemnly. He could sleep whilst my mind plagued me with too many thoughts?

"Don't look like that, Tulip." He murmured, sitting down next to me. "And why are you hiding yourself?"

"You could've been anyone."

"Then you should lock your door, or not sleep naked." He cocked his head.

I glared at him, able to see his amused smirk now he was closer. He frustrated me to hell and back, and he could just smirk about it.

But how could I tell him I didn't lock the door because a part of me hoped he would come back? That a part of me felt guilty. That would just be boosting his ego, and I didn't want to play that game right now when I wanted to win.

Sighing, I fell back into the pillows. "You can go. I'm sorry if I woke you."

He sighed too, running a hand over his face. "I couldn't sleep either."

Rolling onto my side, I hid the small smile of victory in the pillow. Clearing my throat, I pulled the duvet higher over my body.

"Sucks for us then."

"You realise it's the bond, right?" He clicked his tongue.

"Perhaps." I shrugged, peering at him from over my shoulder. "Maybe you should've thought the whole marking thing through. Then we wouldn't feel like this."

He grumbled softly. "You marked me, remember?"

My eyes narrowed, and I internally cursed myself for the slip-up.

"You let me."

"Only because I wanted to bear your mark." He admitted.

I rolled onto my back, my stomach fluttering. "You did?"

"Yeah, makes me stronger and scarier."

My small hopeful smile crashed and burned, so I picked up the nearby pillow and smacked him across the face with it. He laughed softly, grabbing it and throwing it back at me.

Grunting, I avoided his gaze. "What time is it?"

Despite just admitting he wanted to have my mark, he didn't seem affected. Meanwhile, my stomach was doing so many flips my heart couldn't keep up with the cardio. Glancing down at his phone, he grimaced at the hour it showed.

"A little after one. Not that late." He murmured.

"Still later than normal." I groaned. "I have been awake for three hours!"

"Just lay down, I will wait here until you sleep." He sighed.

I eyed him curiously. "No touching?"

"No touching." He smirked.

I hummed, but rolled onto my side and settled my head down onto the pillows again. I was facing him, and he stared at me in silence before looking away at his phone. Sighing, I closed my eyes and let my body sag into the mattress.

It was strange. I could feel my entire body give in. The bond was satisfied, a barely noticeable hum in my body. It agitated me that it was that simple; that his mere presence could calm the bond. I was getting used to understanding its weird little quirks within me, even if it came with freakishly good hearing.

As sleep threatened to take over, I felt the weight at the foot of the bed dip. He adjusted the duvet around me and before the bond could freak out about him disappearing; I felt him lay beside me. Too tired to complain, I let myself fall asleep without another thought.

***

When I woke up in the morning wrapped in Asra's arms, I was disgruntled. Despite being half asleep, the sound of an alarm blaring, coupled with his touchy hands, had me reeling myself from the sheets. Asra groaned as my elbow connected with his jaw, but I was too busy climbing from the bed to care.

"I said no touching!"

"Tulip, it is six in the morning." He grumbled.

"You got into my bed."

"You cuddled me." He stated, opening his eyes.

I glared at him. "I did not."

"I was awake. I remember you rolling over and cuddling into me." He cocked his head.

I huffed. "No. I didn't."

"Yes, you did." He mumbled.

"No. I didn't." I growled.

His eyes widened, and he sat up on the bed. "That is the second time you have growled."

"And?"

"Like a wolf."

"And?"

"You are not a wolf."

"And?"

"Ailia, god fucking dammit, listen to me when I am fucking talking to you."

I couldn't help it.

My tummy thrived with arousal.

I chewed on my lip, staring up at him with wide eyes. He grumbled at me, rising from the bed to walk toward me. I froze on the spot, waiting for him to approach me. His gaze was harsh and when he cupped my jaw, I automatically flinched. I couldn't help it. It was programmed into me whenever someone grasped my jaw.

Asra's eyes softened, and he lowered his hand to settle on my shoulder. His thumb brushed the mark on my neck, and something must've caught his eye, because his eyes darted down to it in surprise. I watched as they widened and before I could voice a comment; he was forcing my head to the side. I squeaked as he pushed my hair away, peering down at the scar on my neck.

"It's changed." He muttered.

"Yeah, it's bloody silver." I snorted, shrugging his hand away.

He was bare chested, and I trailed my eyes up the various tattoos until I found his throat. This would be the first time I really saw his mark since it healed, and I craned my head to see what it looked like. He watched me curiously, lowering and turning his body so I could see.

I pulled myself closer, my breath fanning his skin and making him shudder. The marks were pretty similar, both a silvering white, except his was a lot smaller, and did not have the prominent canine punctures.

"Yours is the same." I breathed, leaning away.

He grunted before his hands wound themselves around my waist and pulled me into him. I gasped, the bare contact of our skin shocking me as much as the warmth did.

"Don't pull away." He murmured.

"Asra..." I sighed, my palms resting on his chest.

"Stop acting childish." He warned, tightening his hold.

"I am not childish." I deadpanned. "You have done quite a few fuckups in the past day."

"I apologise for not being there when you woke up. But it was our best opportunity." He sighed, sliding his hands up and down my sides. "In the time it took us to get there, they murdered ten pack members in their homes."

The cool bolt of dread was like ice down my spine and I swallowed down the sudden lump in my throat. His eyes were serious when we made eye contract and I shakily exhaled, licking my lips to ready the conversation.

"I understand that, I do." I replied. "But I wish you woke me. We had an amazing, no, a confusing, life-changing night, and you weren't there when I woke, nor all day when..."

He cocked his head, gazing at me as I trailed off. I dropped his gaze, staring at the bed behind his bicep as the reminder of yesterday came back to haunt me.

How did Darius know I would be alone? Asra said so himself. It was a last-minute leave and it was in the middle of the night.

"Tulip?"

I felt my palms go sweaty as thoughts raced through my head. If he had the phone number to Asra's office, he knew me well enough to lie about being my brother, and Caleb wouldn't have thought otherwise. Caleb didn't know me, and Darius was gambling on that.

I never really opened up to people, and Darius knew that. He took that bet.

But since he knew the number, he knew the alpha, and he knew the pack, which meant he knew where I was.

"Tulip?"

But knowing where I was, and knowing that the alpha was out of pack land, was another thing. How did he know I would answer? Darius was a smart man. He would've played his cards carefully, but I was smart enough to keep up with him. It was when he was rash or angry that he lost his way and would act off-script, so to speak.

So how did he know Asra had left that night? How did he know that someone other than the alpha would intercept the call, leading it straight to me?

How did Darius know?

How...

"Ailia, talk to me. You're shaking."

My eyes flickered to Asra, fear coating my spine. "What?"

His eyes ran all over my face, my hands firmly locked onto his against his chest.

So much for the no touching rule.

"What's wrong with that head of yours? I can't get in."

I swallowed, shaking my head. "That's not a problem right now."

"You are my priority."

My head shaking continued, the rest of my body following, even my voice shook as I looked at him with wide eyes. I was going to beg him to listen, fuelled by my anxiety.

"You need to listen to me-

"You need to listen to me." He growled. "You need to calm down, take some breaths, look at me."

I inhaled sharply, darting my eyes straight to his. "I am listening."

"Not well enough."

"Asra, please, it's important." I sighed.

"Let it out now, Tulip, before you collapse to the floor." He grunted.

I nodded, holding his gaze as I built up the courage to tell him what was on my mind.

"Someone in your pack is a traitor and they are working with the enemy."

*****

Well, one way to say it Ailia

Question of the Day:
What's your go-to cinema snack? And what's the last movie you saw on the big screen?