It took me a while to prepare myself to go down for dinner after what happened with Asra. If my mind wasn't already mush, then it was definitely a pile of mash potato now.

First, whatever the hell happened in the bathroom and following with the confrontation.... It was like the small rendezvous never even happened. What did this man want from me? He made it very clear a few weeks ago, and now I was getting more confused. He seemed secretive in nature, but I was getting major whiplash. And now he wants to tear me to pieces? To sink his teeth into me?

Did this man even like me or was my human-ness too much of a tasty treat?

He was part human. Did that make him a cannibal?

The thought of having to go down there after what just happened did not appeal to me, so I stayed in my room steaming over it for a while. I was still clad in just my towel when Piper came bursting into my room. Her dark eyes darted straight to my bed, narrowing in suspicion.

"I would like to ask why it is taking you so long when dinner is almost ready, but the towel seems to tell me you are behind schedule." She hummed, crossing her arms. "However, I can see that your hair is mostly dry and your skin is no longer pebbled with water."

Rolling my arms, I adjusted the towel at my chest. "And?"

She stepped further into my room. "Let's get you dressed."

Sighing, I dropped my gaze. "I don't want to go down to dinner."

"Was it because of the new alpha?" She asked, taking some clothes from my dresser.

I shivered at the memory of him, my mind totally focused on Asra to remember the creepy alpha. Was he going to be there at dinner?

"He is down there. It is courtesy of us to host him a dinner." She frowned. "It was called... seven minutes ago and will start in twenty-three more, so let's hurry before this is an embarrassment."

She gestured for me to stand, and I did so with a groan. Taking the underwear from her, I dropped my towel and pulled it on. I focused on stepping one leg at a time and didn't realise she was standing in front of me expectantly.

"What?" I wondered.

She pointedly made a show of flaring her nostrils. "You smell of... sex."

My cheeks flamed. "I have not had sex!"

"Oh, and the alpha stench is just an accessory?" She snorted, lazily grinning. "You reek of his..."

"Don't you say it." I narrowed my eyes.

"Jizz." She laughed when I groaned.

"That is an awful word." I muttered after she stopped barking with laughter.

"Would you prefer I use cum? Or semen? Or... bodily fluids?"

Her giggles filled my room once more, and I groaned with embarrassment. When she didn't stop, I threw my towel in her face and she stumbled backwards. Sobering up, she grinned at me before passing me a dress.

"What happened?"

"A competition." I stated, running my hands over the soft fabric.

She quirked an eyebrow. "Of sex?"

Shaking my head, I pursed my lips. "He came storming into the bathroom whilst I was... enjoying myself in the shower."

Her eyes bulged with amusement. "Go on..."

"Said that he thought someone was touching me." I rolled my eyes.

She squealed. "Like a knight in shining armour."

Recoiling from her delight, my nose scrunched. "I shouted at him first, but then he dared me to continue, so... I did."

"And, and?" She giggled.

"Then he... joined in." I murmured, looking away. "After I climaxed, he climbed into the shower and finished all over my stomach."

"Oh god, that sounds so hot." She moaned.

I gave her a concerned look when the noise left her throat, but she just burst into laughter again.

"Is that all that happened?" She wondered.

"After the shower, we had another argument." I continued, and she frowned. "I asked him what happened. He said he thought someone else was touching me. I wondered how he knew, but... I repeated his own words to him-that he wanted to stay away, and..."

"And?" she urged.

I sighed. "He said he doesn't think that he can because he's intrigued by me. That the pull he feels makes him want to... sink his teeth into me. Why would he want to kill me and be near me? I don't get it."

Her eyes widened, sobering up rather quickly. I shifted nervously, playing with the folded dress in my lap as I waited for her reaction. When she let out a long breath, I looked up expectantly.

"Okay, so what happened before this moment? Did something trigger it? It seems very tense."

"It was tense." I agreed. "I was looking for him actually but couldn't find him, so I went swimming. Then these three guys came out of nowhere and starting eyeing me up. It terrified me. I thought they were going to do something... bad to me. Then Asra comes out of nowhere, hides me, and protects me before walking me back."

"So, he must've felt your fear." She murmured.

I watched the side of her face as she fell deep into thought. I kept silent, letting her mull over my complicated situation.

"Want to know what I think?" She clicked her tongue.

"Of course. You are my friend." I nodded.

Smiling softly, she sat beside me, her hand grabbing mine. "First, I think it is not just the mate bond drawing him to you. If he wasn't interested, the bond would not have the chance to grow. If a mate ignores it, it does not get so strong."

"How do you know?"

"Because he would not feel your fear, or you pleasuring yourself." She smirked.

My lips closed immediately. A slight nod was my response.

"Continuing with that, the mutual masturbation was obviously just a show of dominance. The fact he came all over your skin instead of his hand or the drain is his way of scenting you." She explained. "A male wolf loves to scent their female. Sometimes they make them rub it into their skin like an exfoliant."

She laughed at my horrified expression. The thought of being covered in sticky semen did not sound as wonderful as she makes it seem.

"It's hot, trust me. But it's worse in wolf form, their wolves urinate on you too." She snickered.

I scoffed, shaking my head. "That's disgusting."

She shrugged. "That's part of the claim."

"Part of the claim?" I wondered, moving on. "I've heard about this claim thing. Eve said it was a part of a mate-ship? That it shows the love between two people?"

"It is. That's the story tale, anyway." She nodded. "Often, it happens way too quickly for love to be a thing because wolves are horny."

We laughed, but I was still confused, so once she realised, she explained it to me fully.

"Claiming. It's werewolf one-oh-one." She began, grinning. "They form a mate bond before creation. The Moon Goddess is the one who can create them. She gave every pure wolf a soulmate whilst they were in the womb. The Moon Goddess can see every wolf's potential and attributes, and she pairs them with someone else to match that. It is super rare for cross-species mate-ships to happen, and this is definitely the first alpha one I have heard of. Publically, at least."

"What does that mean?"

"That instead of giving Asra a powerful wolf by his side, she gives him a human." She stated, cocking her head.

I glared, and she sighed softly.

"Not like that, Ailia. Look at it from a biological point of view. You have said it yourself before." Piper shook her head. "Asra is an alpha male of many packs. He is a powerful ruler who should have another leader by his side, right? In biological terms, that would be another alpha blood, surely?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so."

"But she pairs him with a human instead. A weaker blood, with a short life span and no strength. Just a soft heart and gentle emotions with no raw instinct." She smiled. "It's perfect really, if you think about it. Yin and Yang, left and right, bread and butter. Sometimes, opposites create the perfect match."

"I would not say we are perfect. I am just a tasty treat. He has said he wants to eat me many times." I shook my head.

She snorted a laugh. "Let me continue, and you realise that is not what I mean."

"Fine..." I sighed.

"Back to basics. A claim happens between two people who want to be together. The bond is the sacred thing that draws the match together. If it is ignored, or rejected, it can be agony to wolves."

"Rejected?" I repeated, remembering the heart-stricken face Asra gave me when he asked me that.

"When one counterpart rejects the bond. Essentially, it is them dismissing the bond, going against the Moon Goddess, and her blessing. One has to speak formally beneath a full moon, under her eye, to break the bond which can drive the other person insane. A lot of rogue wolves were once sane until their mate rejected them." She explained.

I sucked in a breath, my heart racing in my chest as I realised why my words had hurt Asra so much. I didn't realise that it was so deep, and hoped he didn't see it as a soul-crushing rejection.

"What else is there?" I murmured, wanting to change the topic so my heart doesn't race anymore.

"If the two consent to being mates, they physically claim each other." She grinned, shooting me a sly smirk. "One part is sex. It mixes the scent of two people on a deeper level. Ingrains it into the bloodstream and skin through sweat and touch."

My lips twitched, wanting to frown, but I resisted as the doe-eyed look came across her face.

"Now, wolves can fuck, sure. They will just smell for a while." She shrugged. "But if they want to make it a claim, they have to mark each other, with teeth."

I gulped, my heart jumping in my chest. "Teeth?"

She nodded, brushing my hair over my shoulder. Her finger traced my throat, gently pushing against my pulse before sliding down my collar bone.

"Right on the neck or shoulder is preferable. Anywhere teeth can sink in and leave a scar, but most love to do it on the neck." She mumbled softly, causing me to shiver. "It's a vulnerable part of the body. One wrong move and it can kill you. To bare your neck to someone is submitting, so in claiming terms, it is allowing the other person to have that control of you."

"I don't want someone to bite or control me." I whispered. "They have controlled me all of my life."

Her hand fell from my neck, searching my eyes. "Asra is your perfect match, Ailia. The Moon Goddess saw your potential together before you were even born. Some wolves don't get the blessing of a moon-given mate if they do not have a potential match or good-soul. Or sometimes it takes decades and they give up. She saw you are meant to be together, and she will know that you need someone to respect your wishes. She isn't cruel-hearted because she wouldn't gift you a mate otherwise."

I swallowed thickly. "I am not a wolf, though. Why would she give me a mate?"

"Perhaps she saw how alone you were, how controlled you were. She is kind and forgiving. It is why we love her so much." She smiled, taking my hand. "You were always meant for this, Ailia. Every obstacle has led you here to Asra. That is the fate of the wolf bond."

My shoulders sagged with the burden of her words. If she had matched me with Asra, and he had been waiting for me through most of his adult life... That was a lot to take in. It was something that I definitely was going to a need a few nights to think about.

"So... Want to keep talking, or are you ready to go down for dinner?" Piper wondered.

Licking my dry lips, I mulled over her words for a while longer.

"Maybe seeing him whilst it is fresh can help you think about this better."

I felt safe with Asra and the clarification of him not wanting to kill me, but mark me as his, settled my nerves. One night wouldn't hurt, right?

I nodded, shakily standing to my feet. "Yeah, okay. How much time do we have left before the first dish?"

She beamed at me, jumping to her feet before checking her watch. "Six minutes and counting."

Nodding, I cracked my neck. "Okay, let's do this."