a Primal Pursuit

thirty five

"Arabella is not part of the pack." Asra grumbled, eyes flickering to glare at any wandering eyes.

"That's all you have to say?" I scoffed. "When will you open your eyes, Asra? It is not Arabella who is betraying you. She cannot use a phone, cannot send a letter so quickly, and barely has a backbone around wolves. Darius is a terrible man who will use any method to get what he wants. That means he will stoop as low as to use spies and work with the enemy."

"I trust my wolves to not betray me." Asra shook his head.

He was hiding something; he wouldn't meet my gaze.

"And I trust my sister," I stated, crossing my arms. "You have nothing against her. She is a child, Asra, locked in a freezing cold cell. How you felt about me being in there, I feel about her. Have some empathy and realise that I have just as much of an opinion as you do."

His blue eyes were dark, but they held mine with a twinge of curiosity. His jaw tightened as he inhaled deeply and held it, observing me. I stood my ground, keeping my eyes locked onto his and summoning as much of my truth into my stance as I did my words.

Asra exhaled, grinding his teeth, and I held my breath when he muttered a decision.

"Fine."

"Fine?" I raised an eyebrow. "All I get is a fine?"

"Look, can we not talk about this here?" He muttered, gesturing to the wandering pack members.

I inhaled sharply, crossing my arms. "Fine."

He took me by the elbow and together we walked toward his office. The moment he shut the door; he let go of me and walked to the other side of the room. His hands fell to his hair, his body tense with frustration. I watched him quietly, my anger steaming to a guilty hum as the frigid chill seeped into my bones.

Sighing, I dropped my gaze. "Asra, I'm sorry-

"No, don't be sorry." He mumbled. "You were right. I should have listened to you."

I pursed my lips, intent on listening to his reasonings. He sighed, placing his hands on his desk as he stared down at the wood.

"I did act rash, and ignored you. I only did what I thought was best." He muttered. "I should've let you speak. Arabella is your sister, I know that, but I could not help but jump to conclusions. After what I did to Caleb... it riled me up, and I just wanted to protect you."

"I understand," I sighed, hovering a few feet away. "What happened with Caleb that made you so angry?"

"Not much." He raised his eyes to mine. "When I found he was innocent, it meant I had no other lead. It riled me up, and I jumped to conclusions."

"Stupid conclusions." I muttered.

"Smart conclusions." He quirked an eyebrow. "I fear your health and wellbeing, Ailia. You are my mate. I vow to protect you with my life, no matter who gets in the way."

My heart warmed slightly, melting away the icy chill. "Even my sister?"

"If she is deemed a threat, yes." He nodded. "But she is not. I see your reasoning and I have dealt with it."

Nodding, I understood his thinking. We both were hot-headed.

A smirk twitched at my lips, but I cleared my throat to hide it. "So, now what?"

"We come to a decision,"

"We do? What kind?"

"About your sister and about where we look next." He shrugged, sitting in his armchair.