I successfully managed to avoid Blake for the rest of the day, but I knew it would be inevitable when dinnertime came around. Piper had understood my concerns and stayed beside me the whole time. My jaw had started to ache too, and it made opening my mouth harder than normal.

"Ready to go?" Piper wondered.

I sighed, shaking my head. "Not at all, but if I hide, he is going to know something is up."

She smiled sadly at me, and we made our way back inside. We had gone for a walk since the weather was nice. A gentle breeze brushed the hem of my dress as I walked. Entering the house, the smell of dinner invaded my senses. It smelt of spice today, a smell that was guaranteed to linger for the next twenty-four hours.

"Mm, smells amazing." Piper grinned, dragging me into the dining room.

The Bain Marie's were set up with steaming pots of curry, chicken and different rice and noodle dishes. Piper was quick to grab a plate and force one into my hand. I giggled at her eagerness as I helped myself to some chicken and vegetable rice, and a drink.

Sitting down at a table, it surprised me to find Mya wasn't here yet. Eve was, though, and gave me a small greeting as I sat beside her.

"Where's Mya tonight?" I asked.

Eve rolled her eyes. "She got in a fight and had to go cool off."

"A fight?" I gasped.

"Yeah." She snorted.

"Who would go up against her?"

"More like who would she go up against..." Eve rolled her eyes.

I was about to ask further when Piper's plate clattered against the table beside me. She pulled out the seat and sat down, shooting Eve a wide smile before digging into her dinner.

"Piper loves curry night." I commented and Eve smiled in understanding.

As we ate with comfortable chatter, the rest of the pack slowly filtered in and the sound in the cafeteria/dining room picked up. My jaw ached with every bite, and I ended up leaving the larger parts of the chicken on my plate.

When Asra walked in with Rio on his heels, a strange feeling of want overcame me. His eyes immediately flickered to me, and I dropped my gaze, glaring into my dinner.

Pushing my fork around my plate, I tried my hardest to keep from staring around the room. No one seemed to notice or take too much interest in the alpha male and by the time Piper had finished, I declared I was, too. We took our plates away together, and I kept my head down, my hair shielding most of my peripheral vision. The kitchen was quiet, servers bustling around and tidying away. A young girl took our plates with a bow before turning around to place them in a dishwasher.

I frowned, remembering that I wanted to complain about their unfair treatment to Asra.

Heavy footsteps filled the air as we turned to leave, and I looked up just in time to see Blake entering the room. His dark eyes flickered to me straight away, and I tensed, ready to run if I had to. His eyes crinkled with an unspoken promise as I ran around the corner to catch up with Piper. A hand came out to brush my hair behind my ear and I turned my head to stare at him with unease. My eyes unwillingly met his before catching sight of Rio standing from his seat in the background.

I blinked; my movements slow as the beta's eyes met mine. His lips pulled into a frown as Blake's hand ran through my hair, but as soon as it started, I was past him and out of the entryway. A shiver rolled over my shoulders as I caught stride with Piper again. She was glaring at Blake over her shoulder, but I paid no further attention to the disgusting Alpha and kept moving. I hoped he would leave me be...

Piper suddenly stopped as we reached the elevator, a deep set frown on her face. Her hand came to clutch at my shoulder, glancing over our backs with glassed over eyes. I sighed, knowing she was being mind-linked and was probably about to leave me again.

Blinking into the present, she gave me a small smile before apologising and explaining what I had guessed. I waved her off, telling her it was fine, before hurriedly pushing the button. She waited with me until I was inside the elevator, and I watched the doors close on her sheepish face. Sighing, I slumped against the glass mirror after pressing the button for my floor. Stomach lurching, my nerves grew as I thought about being in here.

The elevator suddenly stopped, and I looked over to the screen to see I was only one floor number three.

Was that him? Was he trying to catch me on the way up?

My breathing became laboured as the doors opened and, without even looking at who it was, I ran out of the elevator and threw myself up the stairs. The claustrophobia of the death box was too much, the whispering ghosts of Blake's hand on my throat too raw in my mind to stay in there.

What if it was him? Was he hunting me down?

Slamming my shoulder into my bedroom door, I was quick to run inside and force it closed. I breathed heavily, forcing air through my lungs as my hands pushed against the door. Resting my forehead on the wood, I begged my heart to settle.

Running up some stairs was more hard work than I thought.

I think I will skip exercise for the next millennium.

"Running from something?"

I screamed, spinning round to press my back into the wall. He was here? Was he here?

Sliding my back along the cool wood, my eyes searched my room for the intruder. I faltered when instead of dark hair and eyes; it was sharp grey ones with blonde hair.

Rio leaned near my window, legs crossed at the ankle and arms folded along his chest. He quirked an eyebrow at me, a small scowl on his features.

"W-What are you doing in my room?" I exhaled heavily.

How did he get here so fast?

"What are you running from? I could hear your heart from the elevator." He wondered.

He pushed himself from the wall, walking a few steps towards me. I shook my head, swallowing the lump in my throat as my heart still raced in my chest. Moving across the wall, I tried to put some distance between us. He noticed my attempt at leaving and paused in the middle of my room.

Clearing his throat, he ran a hand through the back of his hair. "Look, I'll get straight to it. I saw the look on your face in the kitchen around Blake. I need you to tell me what it was in aid of and if I need to escalate anything to Asra."

Trying to avoid the subject, I licked my lips. "Wouldn't you tell him, anyway? He's the alpha, right?"

Rio shrugged. "You are the luna. If you are hiding something from him, I will respect it. But if I need to take something further into my own hands, I will do so."

My heart hammered in my throat, my hands becoming clammy with nerves. His words struck a chord within me. Not only would he respect my privacy, but help me out. Could I trust him?

I shook my head, not knowing what to do.

"So, why do you reek of fear?" He asked, crossing his arms.

I looked away from his wide stance, staring at my feet on the ground. "Something spooked me. It's nothing."

"Ailia..." He sighed, and I winced at the familiar parental tone.

I hated my name sometimes. Whenever somebody belittled or spoke down to me, my name would be there. It was fine if it was gentle, but Rio's tone took on an edge I didn't like.

"You do not need to fear being here. I have seen you with your friends. You enjoy it, right? I cannot help be concerned when I saw the terrified doe-eyes you had earlier."

I stayed silent, shrugging off his answer. He growled softly, annoyance painting his features. My stomach lurched, nausea bubbling in my throat as I fought back the urge to vomit. Anxiety clutched at me. The past few minutes being too much for my emotions and heart to handle.

"Right. Look. I don't want to do this." He snapped and my eyes flickered to meet his. "Has Blake hurt you?"

I flinched as his canines snapped in my face, rapidly shaking my head, holding my breath to not be sick all over my floor.

"Has Blake said something to you?"

I shook my head again, my lips sealed shut. If being with Darius ever taught me anything, it was that going to someone who pretended to care was always in vain. They didn't help, no one did. It trapped you, cornered in your own battle, and no one would come to help you. Sometimes the consequences of even trying were not worth it.

Right now, I could only trust myself and Piper. She had gained my trust.

Anxiety swirled in my gut, my palms sweaty and hot as my stomach churned.

"Are you certain?" He growled.

"Yes." I squeaked.

His eyes ran along my face before his head reared back. He nodded once, looking away from me to glare at my door, his lips sealed into a thin line. I stayed where I was. This wolf may have not hurt me on the hunt, but he did not have the soulmate magic to stop himself from hurting me like Asra did.

"Then I apologise." He sighed, grumbling. "For intruding into your bedroom and scaring you."

"Okay." I whispered.

He grunted once before leaving my room; the door shutting rather loudly and making me flinch. Recoiling into my bathroom, I was quick to fling open the toilet seat and empty the wonderful contents of my dinner. I was thankful I did not eat all of my dinner because it would've been worse coming out.

Sweat pooled at the nape of my neck, my back curving with every hurl of my stomach. Once my nerves subsided, I stripped off my clothes and climbed into the shower. I got sick on my shirt and wanted nothing more than to wipe the sticky substance from my skin.

The water was hot, scorching my skin. I scrubbed at my body, running soap over my body before tenderly wiping at my jaw and chin. I hissed as I pressed too hard along my jaw, my skin slightly swollen and tender. Blake had truly got me good and with the thought of his dark, sinister eyes, I scrubbed even harder. Hoping that the ghostly touches faded with the attempt of cleanliness.

The air cooled after spending way too long in the shower, and I sighed as I stepped out. I grabbed a towel from the cupboard, wrapping my hair in it before drying my body with another. I lazily applied moisturiser to my skin and brushed the sick taste from my mouth. Remembering I hadn't flushed yet, I did that before drying my body with the towel.

It still smelled in here.

Once the whooshing of the toilet died down, a low creak from my bedroom filled the air. I tensed, my lungs aching with fear. Was Rio back for seconds? Was it Blake here to get me?

Would I ever get any damn peace?

Swallowing the fear, I quietly inched to my bathroom door. Wrapping my hand around the smooth, sweaty door handle, I slowly twisted it until the wood popped from the frame. Leaning close to the frame, I peered out into my bedroom. When nothing seemed out of the ordinary, I inched myself further into the room. I knew which floorboard made that sound; it was the one by the foot of my bed.

Swallowing the fear, I left the bathroom door open behind me in case I had to run to safety. A door would only hinder my time to reach sanctuary, and I wanted to be prepared.

"Naked again? I fear you have a thing for naturism, flower."