A gentle swaying alerted me to the fact that someone was carrying me. I firmly pressed my head against a clean smelling shirt, my legs draped over a strong and sturdy arm. The entirety of my body was warm and fuzzy, and the smell of their cologne was enough to have me hum with content. Pushing my head further upwards, I pressed my face into their throat, feeling their body vibrate with a growl.

I knew that growl anywhere.

Asra.

My mind was still hazy with sleep as he carried me somewhere, and it wasn't until he lowered me into a comfortable bed that I stirred. Rolling over, I nestled my head into the ever-so comfy pillow as he placed a blanket over me.

"Go back to sleep." Asra murmured, kissing my temple.

I didn't fight it. Accepting the comfort of my bed and his scent was enough to have my exhausted mind fall dark once more.

+++

Rolling over, I hit a brick wall. I grunted, lifting my head from the confining heat to make sense of where I was. First thing I saw was a familiar tattooed chest, encased in fine hairs and defined muscle.

An arm suddenly wrapped around me, the body in question groaning. "Don't roll away."

"Asra?" I mumbled curiously.

I pulled myself up onto my elbow, assessing my surroundings as I rubbed my eyes free from sleep.

"Tulip." He hummed, grunting as I jabbed him. "You have rather sharp elbows, you know."

I ignored his sly comment, looking around at the strange room I found myself in. The walls were a soft white, contrasting the dark blue wall that the bed rested beside. The carpet was a dark blue, matching the wall. Was I in Asra's room? I was a bit taken aback by the colour, expecting a dark dungeon of a bedroom. The bed sheets were black, however, the headboard behind me a white wood to contrast the blue wall.

I never knew Asra was so clean. He seemed chaotic, not... white bedroom clean.

"Why am I in your room?" I wondered.

He sighed, and I dropped my eyes from his spotlight ceiling to find his dark blue eyes already on me. It took me aback, seeing his face so free of emotion and so... smooth and soft. I don't think I have ever seen him so relaxed. He was even tense when he slept in my room that one time.

"I carried you here." He shrugged, wrapping his arm around my hips as I sat upright. "They cleared you to leave the hospital and yet you stayed."

I frowned, looking away from him. "That's because I wanted a night without the... looks."

"Looks?" He asked, digging his fingers into my hip.

"Yeah." I sighed. "Of where I have been... of my new shiny bite."

He grunted, spinning me around into his lap. I shrieked with alarm at the new direction, landing rather roughly on his crotch. His hands flexed around my waist, his torso lying back on the pillows as he gazed up at me. I squirmed slightly as I felt his hardened cock beneath me, prodding me right in the thigh.

Swallowing, I avoided direct eye contact, which only made him chuckle.

"I apologise. My body has reactions in the morning that your touch only seems to ignite." He chuckled, pushing some hair behind my ear. "I will do nothing to you until you are ready. I may be a beast, but I am not that beastly."

Memories of what Eve said to me shot to mind, and I debated on telling him. He seemed calm, settled, considering how many times he stormed off yesterday.

"Speaking of..." I began and his eyebrow raised with question. "Eve mentioned something to me last night when you left..."

"Oh, she did?" He frowned. "Something upset you?"

"No, no... It's just... She told me what comes after the mark... about the crazy hormones and intense need to... procreate." I stammered.

His frown dropped as his lips twitched with amusement. "Procreate?"

I flushed with embarrassment, swatting his chest lightly. His hand raised in defence as his laughter rumbled our bodies. Crossing my arms, I glared down at him as he tried to settle his amusement.

"You mean fuck, Tulip? How long before I fuck you?" He teased, his hands making their way back to my waist.

I shivered at the touch of his hands on the light fabric of my clothes. It was then, and only then, I realised I was wearing a nightgown and not the hospital scrubs. He must've noticed my change in thought because he explained he dressed me before we left the hospital. I must've really been out of it to not feel any of that.

"But to answer your question, yes. However, you, being human, may not feel it as strongly, especially with only one of us marked." He explained before sighing. "I told you I was going to take it easy on you, Tulip. Even if it means I must get acquainted with my right hand again."

I laughed lightly, my chest bubbling with warmth. So, he hadn't forgotten what he had told me last night. That was a plus.

Clearing my throat, I placed my hands gently on his chest. "Why did you run off?"

"I thought I had explained... I could not handle the thought of that bastard-"

"Not then, after... Eve said you were needed." I interrupted.

His face hardened with realisation, his hands tensing on my waist. I swallowed nervously at the drastic change in his expression, the hard lines rather unwelcome to the free Asra spirit I had moments before.

"Blake was conscious. It was the first time since...." He trailed off before clearing his throat. "He demanded to see me so I... interrogated him."

"Did Eve... come back to you?"

His grimace deepened. "No, why?"

Which means she didn't tell him I was to be sold. I exhaled shakily, shaking my head as I mulled it over. I couldn't hide it from him. He said he would be there for me, always, so I had to tell him. I just needed to do it and wait and see the consequences, right? Right.

"If I tell you something about that night, promise me you will not stomp away again."

He grumbled. "You make me sound like a naughty child."

I quirked an eyebrow. "You have done it twice now."

"Third time is a charm?" He quipped, smirking. "What is it?"

"Blake... was not the one who wanted me. He... said no harm would come to me..." I swallowed. "He said he was just the transfer and that... using me would not affect the deal because of that...."

Asra had gone frozen beneath me, his fingers digging so tightly into my waist that I gasped in pain. It caused him to startle, blazing dark eyes flying to mine with alarm as he released me. His hands moved away like I had been the one to brand him, staring with acute horror as his Adam's apple bobbed in his throat.

"I'm sorry, Tulip."

"It's okay, I'm fine." I shook it off, wincing at the feeling of a fresh cut.

Most likely a claw, I thought.

How amusing, though. I lay in bed with a demon, with a beast, the enemy. One who could kill me in an instant, yet also one who had marked me as his.

"Anyway..." I continued, clearing my throat. "In short... I... Uh..."

"What's wrong?" He asked softly.

"It's nothing... I... Blake... he... He said there was a deal. I was part of a deal, a trade..." I rambled before gushing it all out at once. "There was to be a transfer, and he said that the other guy had weak senses so he wouldn't know what happened."

"Someone wanted to... buy you?" He cocked his head, although I could see the darkness slowly swirling as his beastly instincts came to light. "He stole you from me, drugged you, hurt you and then wanted to sell you?"

"Yes." I whispered as his whole body grew stiff.

"Did he say who?" He snapped.

"N-nothing like that... I... most of the time, I was out of it." I muttered, awkwardly.

"Goddess, Ailia, you make it sound like it was nothing more than a slap to the face." Asra growled, moving his hand up to cup the back of my head. "Blake took you without consent. You need to realise this, not brush it off. He deserves punishment."

I swallowed, feeling restricted as his entire forearm made my body seem short. "I do-I understand. It's just... easy for me to swallow this type of pill."

His eyes narrowed, hands clenching in my hair. "I have changed my mind."

My eyes widened with surprise as my fear skyrocketed. "What?"

"I will no longer kill this Darius human scum, but I am going to slowly torture him. Rip him up piece by piece, skin him alive and bring him back from the dead, only to do it all over again." He snarled.

I shivered, my body reacting to the moment more than I would've liked. The bite on my neck throbbed, burning with an un-scratchable itch. I closed my eyes to savour it, the... bond seemed to like Asra's reaction. This was going to take some getting used to.

He growled. "Everyone in your life seemed to hurt you, Ailia, and I am going to make sure they all suffer. Okay?"

Heavily exhaling, my lips felt dry with fear, yet my body burned with lust. Damn Eve and giving my body ideas...

"Okay." I breathed.

"Good." He snarled.

The hand around the back of my head pushed me down until I was lying on top of him. He moulded our lips together, and I felt my body give in like putty. He was urgent, possessively claiming my mouth and running his tongue along mine. I allowed him the feat, letting him take my mouth to calm his beast within.

It felt amazing though, don't get me wrong. The more his hands wandered my body, the more mine trailed the tough muscle of his shoulders and chest. The longer I stayed here, I feared that what Eve said may come true quicker than I realised. With that thought springing to mind, I pulled away from him with ease. His head fell back into the pillow, allowing me the space to breathe.

"Are you okay?" He wondered.

"I should ask you." I laughed, running my tongue along the newly reopened cut on my lower lip. "Thought you were going to go wolf on me for a moment there."

His chest expanded, rising me up with it. "As much as I want to destroy Blake, I already did enough of that last night after he tormented me with what he did to you."

I winced. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." He shook his head. "I have seen it all in my head now, from you, so it didn't hurt me, just him."

His wicked grin would've sent even the toughest wolf running. I didn't want to think about the gory details, so pulled myself back to sitting.

"I need the bathroom." I announced, tapping his shoulder with a smile. "And I need to see my brand."

"Brand?" He smirked, eyes dropping to my throat.

His hand pushed my hair to the side, running his thumb along it. It caused a bolt of lightning to send my heart racing and core tightening. He growled in response, which only seemed to make me more stimulated.

"Stop..." I breathed, and he removed his hand.

"Sorry." He murmured, rising from the bed with me wrapped around his waist. "You respond well to it, which means you have accepted it. I cannot help but touch."

The bathroom door swept open, a gentle shushing sound along the laminate. A light flickered on without touching anything, and I admired the large golden jacuzzi in the corner. Then, as the door shut, I found the actual star of the room; the world's largest walk-in shower. Bigger than my entire bathroom back home. There was a multitude of heads, drains, even what appeared to be lights and speakers.

The floor was a white marble with gold encrusted throughout. The only simple thing in here seemed to be the toilet and even that looked fancy and... square. I have never seen a square toilet seat before... How peculiar.

Asra jostling me had my eyes darting to him. He cocked his head, and I turned to find my own eyes staring back. A mirror. My red hair was wild and greasy, the skin beneath my eyes tired. However, my skin had never looked so supple and refreshed. I was always pale, with light spotting of freckles along my cheeks and arms... so skinny from the lack of a decent diet.

But no, despite the hair and the fatigued eyes, my cheeks were flushed and supple, my lips rosy and skin relatively spot free. How did I look so... airbrushed? What was this damn mirror?

I was about to lean forward to find out when Asra's hand pulled my hair away from my neck to reveal the skin underneath.

I had to admit; I expected blood and gore, but I was dramatically surprised to find the complete opposite. Right below my ear, along the top of my neck, was a shiny white scar in the shape of a bite. No scab, no pink flesh, just smooth, untouched skin.

It was amazing.