**pls read 47 first.**

Lately, my days felt like they were all blurred together. Like every day was the same and nothing ever changed. As I pulled on a simple dress to go down for dinner, it felt like I had done this more than any normal person has before.

Entering the elevator, Piper gave me words of encouragement and reassurance. I know she meant well, but I wouldn't listen to her until I saw Asra for myself. The door opening distracted Piper from her attempted soothing and we walked towards the dining room together. Since there was still a pack guest, we still had a set meal as a pack.

We were fairly early at arriving and Mya and Eve soon ambushed me as they worriedly asked me questions. Speaking over each other, I had no ability to understand what they were saying.

Lifting my hand, I placed it on Mya's mouth before giving her a pointed look and turning to Eve. Eve snorted, crossing her arms at her sibling before looking back at me.

"Are you okay? I was on my way inside when he barged past me and he smelt a lot like you." She mumbled.

"Yes, I'm fine. It was nothing to worry about." I muttered.

Eve nodded, her eyes scanning my face, lingering too long on the bruising of my jaw. I had kept my hair down, but I assumed she could still see. Mya's eyes were also locked on target, her pupils blown with her beast. I felt her growl against my hand, the faint prick of her canines brushing my skin. I pulled away with a shudder, my arms raising in goosebumps as I repressed the fearful reaction.

"What happened?" She snapped.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." I shook my head.

She grimaced, her hand coming to move my hair, but I stepped back before she could. Her eyes darted to mine with surprise, but I just gave her a stern smile.

"It's sore." I mumbled.

She nodded once, her lips pursing. "Is this why Asra turned into the Hulk?"

"The who?"

She blanched, blinking at me with disbelief. "The Hulk? Big green comic guy with anger issues?"

"I've... not heard of him."

"Comic books?"

I shook my head.

"Movies? Humans made them..."

"We didn't have regular movies in Evermore."

She let out a low whistle. "Damn, sounds horrible."

Eve snorted. "How is not having access to television the worst thing?"

Mya shot her a look, one that told me they were about to bicker. I took it as my chance to slip away from them when Mya's arms raised to her hips with defiance. I found Piper sat in the same spot as before and slid in next to her. Eliza wasn't here yet, but neither was her mate Caleb. Rio was here. His heated gaze from the head of the table burned through my skin.

Piper subtly nudged me, pulling my gaze from Rio. "I'm sorry I tattled."

"What?" I wondered.

She winced. "When I left you last night... I know you didn't want to be alone, but Rio called me over. I'm not a part of this pack, so I didn't have to listen to him, but... I was concerned for you, and I knew that sending Asra to you would not make the relationship any easier. He would go in guns blazing, so I thought about sending Rio... I didn't know Rio would then tell Asra he was concerned."

As she spoke, she stared down at her lap. Her fingers played with the cotton of her place mat, every so often casting me a look from the corner of her eye. I sighed, nodding with understanding. If the roles were reversed, and I knew something bad happened to Piper, I would want the threat eliminated, too.

"It's okay. I get it." I smiled softly, my hand raising to pull hers away.

Her eyes darted to me with shock. "Are you sure? I broke the unspoken girl code."

I laughed softly, shaking my head. "I'm sure. If that was you, I would want the same."

She squeezed my hand just as the doors opened and the room fell silent. Blake entered first, a grimace on his face as he made his way to the head of the table by Rio. His minions followed behind him, gruffly standing behind their designated chairs. I held my breath as I scanned the trio, finding nothing out of the ordinary other than the foul mood they seemed to omit.

The door swung once more and my eyes found Asra. Entering the room, his hands were fixed on adjusting the cuffs on his long-sleeved shirt. His lips were in a grimace, his hair neatly combed and otherwise untouched. It was suspicious, how put together he seemed, and it made me think he had an alternate ego or twin hiding somewhere.

Standing behind his chair, he cleared his throat. "Everyone. This is our last meal with Alpha Blake. He leaves tonight because of a pack emergency."

My eyes widened and small murmurs filled the dining room, some even glancing at me and then at my throat. Asra stared firmly at the room before his eyes flickered to me. His gaze was a blank, unemotional mask that had me squirming in my seat. I didn't like the weight, the promise of his dull eyes. He was clean, too clean, and it made me suspicious about the secrets he was withholding.

With a wave of gesture, Asra sat down and everyone else followed. Scraping of chairs fell to the loudness of the room as the chattering picked up in volume. I couldn't pick up on all of it. Being at the head of the table meant they were more reserved in their gossip. A shift in the air beside me alerted me to Eliza's presence, and I turned to greet her quietly.

Her eyes also flickered down to the bruising, and I tensed as her eyebrows raised in alarm.

"So, which rumours do I believe?" She began.

"Rumours?" I wondered. "What are they?"

"Well, one is that you got freaky in the sheets." She winked.

My eyes widened with shock. "Wait, what?"

She snorted. "I know right, I said you are not that type of person. Don't worry."

If people thought I was already sleeping with their alpha, then I could see why Blake had the same idea. Why couldn't they just use their noses? I thought Eve said you smell of each other?

"Can't they just smell we haven't?" I groaned.

"You have smelt of each other quite a lot this past week. Not to mention they saw him leaving your room in the morning." She teased.

Dammit, so I guess him sleeping beside me was evidence enough in their eyes.

"What was the other rumour?" I huffed, just as a familiar face set my starter on my placemat. "Thank you, Serenity."

She nodded once at me, her lips pulled back into a wide grin. "Of course, Ailia."

Moving down the line, I watched her work for a moment before Eliza cleared her throat. Today was a starter of what smelt like chicken with a dip on the side.

I still had yet to talk to Asra about their hours...

"The other rumour..." She paused, waiting for me to look at her again. "Is that a pack member did that to you and Asra was getting revenge?"

Well, I suppose that was fairly on point.

Nodding slightly, I hummed with thought. "I see."

Eliza fell silent, and the starter passing by quickly. I tuned out to the general chatter of the room, focusing on one mouthful at a time so Asra's blue eyes would not tempt me to look. When the starter ended, the pause of meal time made the room grow louder. Piper occasionally spoke to me, but otherwise, her own thoughts occupied her.

"So... How are things with you two?" Eliza wondered.

"Us two?" I repeated.

Was there even an 'us' to have things about?

"Yeah, you and Alpha." She giggled.

"Nothing has changed." I shrugged. "I know what he is to me now, but that doesn't mean he suddenly has a right to my soul."

Piper snorted from beside me and I tensed at the sound, mentally sending her evils.

"Okay, I get that. It's a big step but... him sleeping in your room?" Eliza hinted.

I rolled my eyes. "He insisted."

"Uh-huh." She grinned. "Was it in the same bed?"

I sent her a look to be quiet around so many wolves, but the twinkling in her eyes told me she was getting a kick out of questioning me.

"Have you kissed?" She grinned.

Her words seemed to have caught the attention of her mate, Caleb's brown eyes darting between us. She giggled, pushing him lightly when his arm came to wrap around her chair. I flushed at the attention, which only made her grin wider, and even Caleb's lips quirked at the corners. Groaning, I turned away from them, happy to see the main meal flooding out on the trolleys.

Distracted by the food, Eliza let the topic drop and I felt my shoulders relax. Serenity gave me my food and I once again thanked her before looking down at what I received. It was meat, of course, although I am not sure which type. It lay surrounded by baby potatoes, green vegetables and a small creamy splodge of sauce.

Looking at Piper, she was watching me with a lazy grin. "It's venison."

"What's that?"

"Deer."

My eyes widened. "Where did it come from?"

"Asra's..." She hesitated, unable to say the words out loud. "He killed a load this morning and we couldn't let it go to waste."

"I see." I hummed, looking back at my plate.

Poking my fork into the tender meat, I tentatively raised it to my mouth. It was firmer, not as tender as I expected, but it wasn't fatty. The steak I had on my plate was cut and cooked perfectly. It took little to chew; the flavour reminding me of the time I had a squirrel for dinner; slight and earthy.

Swallowing, I happily dug into the rest of my meal, taking small sips of wine in between. I had learnt from last time. The indulgence was not worth the embarrassment. As I ate, I found my gaze wandering. At first, it didn't stray to the forbidden end, trailing on the various pack members and servers as they scurried back into the kitchens.

But of course, the temptation won over.

I found Blake first, only a seat down. He fixated his dark eyes on his food. I felt my stomach churn with unease, unable to look at him for any longer than a second. Taking a sip of my drink, I finally gave in and looked to my left.

Asra was sitting upright, cutlery in either hand as he chewed some food in his mouth. His eyes, however, were on me, sending my head into a tizzy. I gave him a small smile, picking my fork back up to stab some more meat. His eyes were heated with a strange emotion, watching as I placed the meat into my mouth. His pupils dilated, his hands gripping the silverware more tightly than before.

Giving him another tender smile, I shied away and looked back down at my plate.

Throughout the rest of the meal, I could feel his eyes on me. They hardly strayed away, burning into the side of my face as I ate. By the time we nearly finished dessert, I felt his intense goosebump-inducing eyes lift away. Swallowing down the last of the fruit before me, I patiently waited for the cue to leave.

Asra stood, his chair scraping along the hard ground. He cleared his throat, thanking everyone for the meal as he stood to his full height. Adjusting his shirt, he nodded once before turning to leave. I watched him go, unable to look away as his body swayed with each movement. Just before he disappeared through the door, his head turned to me and, with a motion so small, he gestured for me to follow.