I lay for hours in my own pity, wondering what I had done wrong. Asra asked me to tell him my secrets, and I let him in, just for him to leave? I couldn't understand why.

Eve had eventually come for me, checking that I was okay. I had stayed quiet, still distraught over the previous few hours. She had repeated everything Asra had given me the basics of; wolf's blood, been here for the night, been gone for a day.

A lot had happened in less than forty-eight hours and although I was no longer in pain, the ache that settled in my chest and gut was hard to shake.

By the time the afternoon ended and evening came to take a hold, Eve had come back and tried to feed me. I had declined, saying I felt sick and with a scowl she left it be. Before she stormed from the room, she took out my drips and told me I could leave whenever I want since the wolf blood had healed me. She had shut the door rather harshly, causing me to wince at the loud sound.

I just kept upsetting people, didn't I?

I rolled onto my side. The wires and needles no longer in my skin meant I could move around the bed easier. I tucked my hands beneath my chin, pulling the multitude of sheets up to my nose. Bed was comforting; bed was a haven. I think I would stay here for the night, then deal with the spiteful looks I may receive at the pack house.

Would Asra be there?

Has that where he had gone? To hide in his giant mansion away from me?

Was I that disgusting?

My thoughts truly were my own worst enemy. But despite even the harshest of feelings, I still drifted off to sleep.

+++

Still half asleep, a scuffling noise caught my attention, causing me to pull the blanket tighter around me. Footsteps fell lightly, so gently that they were hard to pick up. My heart jumped in my chest, my adrenaline waking my mind without my consent.

Fear.

It gripped my throat, cutting off the precious oxygen that I needed to breathe.

Was it that time already? Was someone here to finish Blake's job?

A hand gently pressed into my shoulder and I fought hard to stay still. They patted me lightly, and I whimpered with fear.

"Ailia..." they whispered, and I froze.

My body fell numb to the voice, my heart stuttering as the fear quickly subsided. Instead, anguish took its place and with all of my strength and dignity, I peeked one eye open and turned my head to face the wolf in the room.

"Tulip, I am so sorry."

My jaw clenched, fresh tears burning at the sight of Asra leaning over my bed. His hand encased my entire shoulder, squeezing it softly when we made eye contact. Betrayal coated my very soul. Staring into his sorrowful eyes did nothing but make it dig deeper.

"Tulip?" His hand moved to caress my cheek.

I closed my eyes, unable to move my face away since I already pinned it to the pillows. His fingers were rough and calloused, and the faint twinge of metal hit my nose.

Was he bleeding?

I couldn't help but turn into his touch, curious about why I could smell blood. Blinking past the night-time light, I saw him dressed in new clothes. His hair was damp and dishevelled, his blue eyes painful as they begged me to speak. Where had he been? Why was he wet and in new clothes? Did he leave me to shower?

"Talk to me, please."

I exhaled heavily, settling my eyes on his own. "Why?"

He stopped his feather light touch on my cheek to clutch my shoulder again, dropping his head to the floor in shame.

"I had to go."

"Why?" I repeated.

"I couldn't stay here."

Tears threatened to fall at his admission.

So, it was me.

"Tulip, please, don't look at me like that." He begged, falling to his knees beside my bed.

It brought him to a similar height as me, his large stature reduced to that of a young child. I could see his face more clearly, smell the fresh musky soap he must've bathed in. Upon closer inspection, I saw a few faint healed cuts on his cheeks, light pink lines in his flesh that marred his beauty. His hands were the same, fading bruises and scabs that were falling off.

"Where were you?"

His mouth parted as he struggled for words. "I..."

"Where were you?" I emphasised each word, the saltiness of my tears coating my lips.

"Tulip..." He sighed sadly.

"Where were you?" I snapped, a sob tumbling from my lips.

He audibly whimpered, the sound so animal like that I had to remember who I was speaking to. A beast. He could transform into a dark furry creature, towering over me, shift his face into that of a wolf, grow claws that a witch would be envious of...

"Please, Tulip, just listen to me." He begged, both his hands grabbing my arm and pulling it from the sheet.

I stared down at the dried blood beneath hidden on his skin as he rubbed circles into the back of my hand.

"I am listening, and you are not answering."

He sighed, dropping his head onto the mattress. I sniffed back the tears, moving my head to stare up at the ceiling. It was dark outside; the only light was the moon shining through the curtains. It cast an eerie glow into the room, darkening the colours until everything felt grey.

Grey.

How bland.

"I will answer all your questions, just... give me a minute to... I have not been... myself." He admitted.

I stayed silent, swallowing thickly as he fumbled over his own thoughts. I wondered if he would lie like Darius did, make it all out to be my fault.

"I left because I couldn't be here..." He raised his head, locking our gazes. "Knowing that the man who did this to you was still alive."

My eyes widened. "What did you do?"

He growled. "Nothing... I... I couldn't."

"Who?"

"The man who destroyed your innocence." He stated, eyes blazing. "I wanted to kill him, to tear him and that entire village apart..."

"But...?" I whispered.

"Rio stopped me. Told me I couldn't go in alone. We needed back up. Some humans have guns and strolling through a populated village like yours could end badly." He growled. "I took my anger issues out elsewhere..."

"You... don't seem happy about that." I muttered.

He scoffed. "I wanted to destroy every person in that town of yours for letting it happen. I should've destroyed it when I first found it, hiding from us like it would protect you. They fed you and everyone else their false information to keep you under their little spell."

My eyebrows furrowed. "I don't... understand what you mean."

"The hunts are not about killing anymore." Asra licked his lips, squeezing my hand. "Some go to quench their blood thirst, to tame the animal within. But we only take down the ones who have done wrong. We can smell it like cancer in your blood."

Does that mean I had done wrong? Is that why I was attacked? Because I was impure?

His hand tightened on mine, pulling me back to him. "The wolves who hurt you must have smelled two men on you. There is nothing wrong with you, Tulip, believe me. That man manipulated you and that whole fucking town.... They never deserved someone like you."

Oh fuck, here come the tears again.

"Asra..." I whispered.

His hands moved to cup my face, and I rolled over to face him properly, my knees still tucked into my chest. He studied me so furiously, wiping the tears that threatened to fall.

"They raised you like me. To hate the power hungry." He stated. "Your village taught you to fear us, that the hunt meant death. But the hunt meant life. Every spring, we would look for our soulmates. That is what the hunt became. No more innocent deaths."

My chest tightened with the acceptance of his truth. I believed him. Every word that fell from his lips I knew in my gut was true.

"I pledge to you now, Ailia, that I will take down that man and anyone else who hurt you and never let them see the light of day again." He promised, his face centimetres away from mine.

I gulped with a strange sense of fear, knowing that he was so willing to kill, to torture people for me. For something that happened to me in the past when he didn't even know me... Willing to put his life on the line to get revenge. In a sick, twisted way, I craved it.

It made my chest warm, a blossom of acceptance sprouting in my heart. Did I forgive him for leaving me here after my confession of trauma? No. But everything else had me like putty in his hands.

So, when a great opportunity like this one was presented to me, I had to fulfil its destiny.

Pushing myself forwards, I connected our lips, my hands wrapping around the back of his neck. It took him a moment to catch on as I tried to persuade him to move with me, but when he did, a low growl erupted in his chest. He pushed me backwards, raising himself until he was hovering over me.

Asra's hands grabbed at my face, my neck, my hair. His mouth parted my lips as his tongue dived to depths not even Darius would dare go. Nobody had ever kissed me with such passion, with such want. All other kisses in my life did not compare to the fireworks that exploded inside of me, or the burning flourish of want.

I felt small and safe pressed beneath his large body, his hips settling between mine. His stomach gently brushed me as he held his weight with one arm. Leaning on his forearm, his other hand moved with his motions, flexing around my throat. Sucking, kissing, licking.... My jaw and neck were next, small nibbles of his teeth as he tasted my skin. My heart raced in my chest, my stomach swirling with desire as my hands grabbed at his shoulders, his neck, his hair...

I moaned, unable to hold it in, causing a flush of embarrassment to overcome me when he growled. His teeth grew sharper, scraping along the base of my neck as his lips sucked on my collarbone. My hands fisted his hair, pulling it sharply when one of his teeth traced the junction of skin below my ear. I felt the pulsing of my heart against his lips, his hot breath fanning my jaw.

"Asra..." I breathed, arching into him.

My body was on fire. I have never felt like this before, never felt such a flurry of emotions and feelings. Why was I hot? Why did the ache between my thighs grow wetter with every trace of his tongue?

"Are you mine, Ailia?" He growled, causing me to tense and arch into him.

I couldn't answer, too in tune with his very heartbeat, the vibrations of his voice, his scent...

"Tulip..."

My eyes fluttered open at his softer tone, finding striking night skies staring down at me. I was sure my cheeks were flushed and red as I fought to catch my breath. Even Asra, the six-foot slab of muscle, was breathing harder. Everything was hard on this man. Every. Thing.

My hands grabbed at his biceps, the muscles twitching and causing my body to clench in reaction.

"Will you be mine, Ailia?"

Will I be his?

What was he asking me right now?

Right now, in the middle of this, he was asking me a question...

I blinked, shaking my head as I tried to sober my rampant thoughts. But his eyes, they were so blue littered with tiny little silver specs.

My eyebrows furrowed. "I don't..."

"I want to make you mine, Ailia. I want to lay my mark upon your neck so everyone everywhere will know that you are mine. Protect you. Have you. Mine." He growled.

I was star-struck, my mouth ajar as I stared up at him with wonder. He wanted me?

After everything that happened to me, he still wanted me?

They damaged me, no-one would want me. Why did Asra? Was this a ploy? A sick joke? Why would an alpha wolf, a powerful one at that, want me? Small, weak, human me? Was this another game of his?

"Stop those rampant thoughts, Ailia." Asra growled softly. "Do you accept me as your mate?"

I wanted to ask him why me, why choose me? Why have tainted goods when he could have something so much better?

"All it takes is a simple bite, and everyone knows you are mine. If you will have me, I immensely want you." He groaned, his hand clenching the sheets beside me. "Tell me now, because I cannot hold back any longer, Tulip. I want this."

"All of me?" I whispered.

His intense, wild gaze softened. He brushed his chest against mine. His hand stroked my jaw, caressing the skin so tenderly.

"All of you. Past, present and future." He murmured.

My lower lip wobbled, and he let out a soft laugh. "Don't cry on me, now, Tulip."

He gently lowered his mouth to mine again, kissing away the tears that graced my lips. Secret treasures that would always remind me of what we spoke of, swept away into his secrecy. Emotions ran wild in my mind, my stomach heavy with want, with adoration.

A strong, worthy man in my eyes. To forget about the past meant I could move forward, start fresh. Tainted goods or not, Asra wanted me. All of me.

So I nodded, causing the air to rush from his lungs.

"Are you sure?" His eyes fell to my throat, his tongue licking his lips. "It will hurt at first."

More pain? Nothing I can't handle. If it meant a life of existing with someone, I was sure happy to withstand the initial fall. After all, you don't find flowers blossoming without some rain.

"I'm sure."

Those were the last two words that left my lips before he claimed my mouth once more.