The next morning came around quickly. After succumbing to the scent of Asra's shirt, I had to admit the little care package really made my stomach do flips. I even woke to the sound of someone knocking at my door, only to find Eve on the other side.

She eyed my shirt with a questioning quirk of her lips before letting herself in and sitting at the foot of my bed. I hesitated at the door before shutting it with a shrug and going to join her.

"So... that shirt is... that shirt is not yours." She clicked her tongue.

I shrugged. "You should be glad I am not naked."

She rolled her eyes. "It is not the nudity that bothers me, Ailia, it is the absurd positions I find you sleeping in."

Laughing, I shook my head. "I cannot help it. I am a part-time acrobat in my sleep."

"Sleep therapy is a thing, you know." She hinted, a small smirk gracing her features. "You woke in a good mood, feeling okay?"

The way her nostrils flared when she walked into the room gave away the meaning behind her words straight away. I smiled anyway, acknowledging her wonderful wolfy senses with hidden sincerity.

It didn't work.

Her eyes narrowed. "What are you twitching for?"

"Twitching?" I recoiled.

"Yes. You twitch when you have something negative to say."

"I do not twitch." I huffed, squishing my hands under my armpits.

She quirked an eyebrow. "Then what's wrong?"

I gritted my teeth, my blue eyes meeting her motherly judgemental ones. "Why do you have to smell everything all the damn time?"

Her lips pursed in silent laughter. "I knew something was bothering you."

I sighed, standing to go relieve myself in the bathroom. "I am not leaving this room for the next four days."

"Oh Ailia, it's not that bad. Eliza told you some positive stuff, right?" She called after me.

I grunted in reply before doing what I needed to on the toilet, then turning on the shower. Setting the now clean menstrual cup on the side for after, I tied my hair back to keep it from getting wet. Eyeing the orange waves in the mirror, I could see what Eve really meant. My hair looked like it had been involved in a hurricane.

I knew I didn't sleep well. There was always something happening back home. I remember the dark memories of Darius when he would crawl into my bed and use me for his pleasure. Most of the nights were easy, but some, he was drunk and it never ended well for me. But here in this pack house? I just couldn't settle. I always woke tired and the bags growing beneath my eyes were a test to that.

It was like my brain wouldn't switch off. Last night was probably the best sleep I had since I got here, and that was saying something, considering how I looked.

Climbing into the shower, I didn't spend too much time in there, just long enough to get washed. I hummed a random tune as I dried myself off, securing the cup in its rightful place before walking out of the bathroom naked. Just for fun.

Eve examined me with curious eyes. I could feel them burning into my back scars as I walked over to my drawers and pulled on some underwear. It was like the questions were burning on her tongue and today; I was feeling kind to allow her one minor feat.

"I will answer one question." I stated.

Her eyes widened, and I knew she wouldn't drop the topic. She also knows I would refuse to answer the two most personal ones.

"The big ones on your back, in the middle of your shoulder bones." She pointed out, eyes falling to where they hid behind my back. "What caused them?"

She didn't say who, so I granted her this one. It would keep her annoying-I mean, inquisitive wolf's mind at bay for a few days. She was always so busy trying to get me to open up, but sometimes I didn't want to be reminded. Asra carrying me on his shoulder proved that past things may have gone now, but left imprints behind that never faded.

I shuddered at the thought, licking my suddenly dry lips to answer her. "A beer bottle."            

She remained silent as I turned to continue getting dressed, grabbing the Asra scented shirt and pulling it on again. Just a whiff of his smell had my blood pressure dropping. Opening my eyes, Eve's eyes narrowed, an angry tick to her jaw.

"I hope one day you tell me the full story so I can kill everyone who ever hurt you." She growled.

"So, you'd have to kill me too? I'm offended Eve." I teased.

Her eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

Shaking my head, I decided no more stories for the day. I had barely been up an hour and already had way too much talking without a coffee.

"Bad things happen to people," I shrugged. "Anyway, why did you come crawling in here at eight o'clock anyway?"

"I came to see if you wanted breakfast." She mumbled.

"Thanks." I nudged her with my hand. "But I don't feel like eating much this morning. Like I said, I'm going to lock myself in here and not come out until at least the last day."

And to prove to Asra that I could last more than a few days here.

I smirked at the thought. An eagerness to rile him up again burned in my veins.

Just a glimpse of annoyance in his stoic eyes would have me crumbling with glee.

"... and the shirt?" Eve wondered.

Snapping out of my revenge-daze, I blinked down at her. "Huh?"

"Where did the shirt come from? What did you two do?" She grinned, her mood shifted.

I frowned, shaking my head quickly. "Nothing like that. I... I went for a walk, and came back, and this package was on my doorstep. There was food, this shirt and some girl stuff, I guess."

"You are telling me you ate random doorstep food?" She frowned.

"Yeah..."

"That didn't seem suspicious to you?"

"A little," I shrugged. "But there was a note, and I knew it was from Asra and he can't kill me because his wolf will go crazy."

She paused for a second, taking the time to absorb my words before shrieking. "So you thought it was his because he had signed his name? What if someone copied it?"

I placed a hand on her thigh to calm her down when she threw her hands in the air. It seemed to work because she froze again before settling back onto the bed. I awkwardly slapped it, pulling my hand away with a small laugh.

"No, he used a nickname, I guess, that only he has used. So I knew..." I explained.

Her eyes became doe like. "A nickname? How cute! What is it?"

I groaned. "Please, this reminds me of all the shrieking girls at home."

She giggled. "Oh, come on. Just a little snippet?"

"Ugh, fine. He calls me a flower." I grunted.

She was awed, which caused me to shoot her a look. Giving me a last grin, she sobered up and stood up from the bed. I watched her curiously as she came to stand beside me. Pushing me onto the bed, my ass fell into the mattress firmly, but I remained puzzled.

"Since you have given me two pieces of Ailia mind gook, I will forget you are hibernating and leave you to it." She chimed.

"Thanks." I rolled my eyes. "So, kind of you to respect my wishes."

She snorted, shrugging. "I may, but good luck with the others."

She practically skipped from the room, shutting my door softly behind her. I muttered a soft goodbye as she left, taking a minute to accept the quietness.

Sighing, I pulled myself further into the bed and grabbed a hold of the television remote. I had a couple of hours to kill before going downstairs. I knew most of the wolves would train at ten o'clock every day, so it would be a perfect time for me to get a drink. Tap water from the bathroom just felt taboo...

***

"Finally!" I groaned, rolling out of bed.

An eternity later, the clock struck 10:15 and I couldn't wait much longer. The hunger pangs had started, but I didn't want to eat. The unsettling anxiety of being sniffed out settled high in my stomach, with the occasional cramps flaring everything up as well.

Sliding on some slippers, I creeped my way down the hallways. I thought I was doing a pretty good job until a passing wolf caught me and gave me a strange look. Then I realised they would hear me anyway, so may as well make it less awkward for myself and walk like a normal person...

Clearing my throat, I straightened myself out before pressing the elevator button and hoping it was empty. Once it dinged and the doors opened, I gratefully sighed at the loneliness the death trap would encompass. My stomach flipped as it took off, only to swirl once I hit the ground floor. About to step out, I quickly realised it was the first floor, and the doors were opening for someone else.

The doors revealed Piper. Clad in athletic booty shorts and bra with her hair tied back on her head, she gave me a quick smile.

"Ailia! Hey!" Piper squealed, coming to hug me.

"Piper..." I breathed.

She pulled away, looking down at me with a cocked eyebrow. Her nostrils flared just like everyone else's and I grimaced, looking away from her.

"I get it, I get it. Everyone sniffs the bleeding human. I swear you guys are vampires..." I muttered.

She giggled lightly but shook her head. "It's not that! You are wearing a shirt that smells like Asra..."

I blanched, remembering that I had forgotten to change. "Oh... yeah... about that... I..."

"It's okay. I know he is your mate, Ailia. He told me last night. I kind of figured, though, he gave you his blood to heal was clue number one." She laughed as the elevator doors finally shut behind her.

"You're not... mad?" I wondered.

"Why would I be mad?" She asked, looking genuinely confused.

"Are you two like... a thing?"

She smiled softly. "We could be. I do not have a mate, Ailia. I met him and an enemy pack who hated his kind murdered him. He was a human, much like you."

Wait...

"Murdered?" I snapped my head to stare wide eyed at her. "Wolves killed him because..."

"An enemy pack, a foe of my father did. He did not approve of the Alpha's daughter having a human mate." Her eyebrows creased with a frown. "I played into the whole Asra thing when my father suggested it, just to get away. He accepted it, you know, just for fun."

I shook my head, exasperated. "So... they killed him for being human?"

She giggled again, the musical sound ringing in my ears. Oh, wait no, that was the elevator doors. Stepping out of them, Piper followed me, her hand wrapping around mine.

"Oh, Ailia. Don't look so frightened. Nothing will happen to you here." She beamed.

Sure, it won't... I just felt more on edge than I ever did before...

"Okay," I lied, nodding. "We'll talk about this later?"

I was eager to get rid of her and crawl back into my bed.

She nodded, squeezing my hand. "I am late for training, and they are going to kick my ass. See you later!"

I watched her hair swing wildly as she hurried from the room. Squeezing my fingers into my eyes, I pushed the terrifying thoughts out of my mind. My heart ached for the poor man who didn't get to live just because he was human. Wolves acted like they had every right to end one of our lives, to rule over us. We were nothing but rodents to them; an easy kill.

A shudder rolled down my spine as I made my way to the kitchen. I would grab a drink, a piece of fruit and then that's it. I was not leaving my room until my heart no longer sat in my throat.

**********

guys i neeeed harry styles wembley tickets.

i couldnt afford them when they went on sale but thanks to all of you, i can now, and i so badly want to go. I'll be going alone tho but my eyes are searching for those POD tickets hehe I don't trust viagogo lol