I had spent the rest of my day in the kitchen, trying to distract my mind.
I had mixed emotions. Fear and worry consumed me as I thought about Darius's warning and how he discovered my whereabouts. Another was anxious about keeping it quiet, along with the whereabouts of my so-called soulmate. It fueled my agitation because he had left me during the night.
The entire day I was running hot, an angry huff constantly within me. I momentarily felt sorry for the chopping boards and vegetables that I had butchered today.
The sun was setting now, and I was sitting on the porch munching on some chopped fruit. I glared off into the trees, annoyed at a sharp headache. I knew what it meant. He was on his way and checking in on me. I wouldn't let him in, and the moment he broke through that damn treeline I was going to...
Ugh!
Leaving me after we completed the bond... The audacity!
Ugh!
Never-mind, I was going to meet him halfway.
Discarding my bowl on the swing, I wiped my hands on my trousers and marched into the woods. I did not know where I was going, and tried to listen for voices or footsteps of any kind. The birds were lively with their last song of the day, which meant gigantic wolves did not disturb them yet.
I ignored the agitating determination of Asra in my head. I followed the strange tugging in my gut, allowing the bond to take over my senses and lead me through the trees. When it grew quieter and eerily darker, I knew I was in the right place.
Huffing, my hands balled into fists as twigs broke beneath me. I heard echoing footsteps in the distance, barely noticeable. It was strange, my ears picking up on the slightest of shuffling leaves. Perhaps I was going crazy, or perhaps the rage within me made my ears supersonic.
Gritting my teeth, I raised my chin when I caught sight of them. Coming to a stop, I crossed my arms and waited for them to make the last few steps. I glanced at the surrounding men and noticed the way Rio's eyes widened before he tapered off with Everett at his side. Rio flickered his eyes down my form, the smallest hint of a smirk on his face.
"Luna..." Rio nodded, passing me.
I grunted, ignoring him as I levelled my gaze at the man before me. He stood stoically, watching his friends go with hard eyes. I noticed the way his throat bobbed and his jaw tensed, a sure sign he was uncomfortable.
Good.
I wanted him to sweat. I was certain my anger was palpable by now.
Ailia Thorne was out for vengeance.
"Tulip..." He began.
"Don't you Tulip me." I snapped.
He blinked, those midnight eyes turning dark. "What's the matter?"
"The matter? Oh nothing, I thought I would just come for a stroll through the woods as the sun went down. Alone." I glared.
He swallowed nervously and took a step toward me, but I stood my ground. When his hands came to wrap around my elbows, I shrugged him off and took a step back.
"You don't get to touch me." I hissed.
"What's wrong? Talk to me." He shook his head, reaching for me again.
I took a larger step back. "I would've loved to talk to you this morning, but there seemed to have been something preventing that..."
He sighed, his shoulders lowering dramatically. "Please, Tulip. Don't do that."
I narrowed my eyes. "You didn't even wake me! You just left! After everything we did, you just walked out like I was... a hooker!"
He recoiled, his chest vibrating with a growl. "Ailia..."
I surprised even myself by growling back, and he blinked, surprised.
"The night we complete our bond, I wake alone." I clenched my fists, glaring. "I gave my soul to you, Asra."
"I'm sorry, Ailia-Tulip, come on." He shook his head.
I shook my head, lowering my voice. "Why didn't you wake me?"
"I didn't want to disturb you."
"So leaving me after that night was okay? With no explanation." I deadpanned. "Then I wake to bombardment from the girls who had to tell me instead."
"Tulip, it was an emergency."
"You could've woken me!" I snapped. "I thought I was alone!"
He grumbled. "You are taking this out of proportion."
"So what if I am? Today has been a shitty day!" My voice rose an octave.
My breath became shaky, and I forced myself to take a deep breath. My chest constricted, feeling on edge for the millionth time of the day.
"This can't all be because I went to a fucking fight." He snapped.
My head snapped up, eyes widening. "A fight? The emergency was something that could've got you killed and you just left?"
What if something happened to him and I never got to say goodbye? My emotions were running wild, crazed with too many anxious-driven thoughts.
Asra sighed, running his hand down his face. "Okay Tulip, I'm sorry I left."
Hmm, sounded like a fake sorry to me.
I pursed my lips, observing him. "Where was this fight?"
"Blake's pack." He grunted. "The new leader was rioting."
"In the middle of the night?" I frowned.
"It was the best time to go. They were hurting innocents."
I hummed, debating if that was a legitimate answer or not. But the fear deepened in my gut as I remembered the man Blake was and could only imagine how his pack was, too.
"What happened?"
"I killed him." He shrugged.
I couldn't hide the way his honesty made me flinch. He narrowed his eyes, stepping toward me automatically. It was then I raked my eyes over his entire body, only just realising he was wearing a bloodied shirt and shorts. My hands itched to have a look, to peel down the collar and see what that angry red mark was on his neck.
"What..." I whispered.
"I'm fine." He smiled softly.
I swallowed, crossing my arms to stop myself from touching him. "Well, I am glad you are okay, but I have had such a stressful day and there was a call-
"Tulip, can we just go inside?" He interrupted, and I slammed my mouth shut.
"I'm trying to tell you about something that happened-
"Please." He snapped. "I don't want to talk about it anymore."
Huffing, I stepped away from his outstretched arms. "No, you don't get to touch me. In fact, I have grown rather fond of sleeping alone, so how about we do it more often?"
"Tulip..." He growled, narrowing his eyes. "You are being irrational."
"No! I think my feelings are valid." I shook my head. "This relationship is new. Everything is new to me. And after such an amazing and changing night, I woke with so many questions, feelings, senses... Just to find out you had left to a fight to the death without telling me has really hurt my feelings, Asra."
Asra's dark eyes didn't waver from my gaze, a perfect poker face, as mine searched his eyes for something, anything. All I saw was tired, and I knew I would not get very far with a one-sided argument. Asra was stubborn and was not seeing it from my view.
Sure, I was being dramatic, and I was acting out irrationally, but fucking hell, today was terrifying and he wasn't listening to me. I spent half my lunch time hiding under his desk and he didn't want to listen!
So, I turned and headed back toward the house. Giving up.
"Don't turn your back on me." He warned.
I heard his footsteps grow closer and darted out of his grip as soon as his shadow cast over me.
"No touching." I hissed.
My body was thrumming, annoyed and emotionally drained. I just wanted peace now; I didn't want to fight anymore. Today was long.
He growled, about to snap something stupid, so I spun on my heel and growled right back. His head reared, his entire body tensing as I bared my teeth at him. When he made no further move to touch me, I spun around and continued my walk.
I was hyperaware of his silence as he followed a few feet behind me. His footfalls were light despite his size, and he didn't seem to trip over measly logs like I did. I felt him try to grab me a few times when I nearly fell, but I slapped him away before he could reach. My agitation was making me clumsy.
When the house came into view, he continued to be silent. And when I reached the porch, I grabbed my discarded fruit bowl and went inside. I didn't hold the door for him, feeling satisfied when he had to grab it half-way.
I was being petty, and I knew it.
The hallways were empty, only a faint chatter coming from one of the living spaces. I hastily walked toward the elevator and pressed the button for it to arrive. To my annoyance, the death box took its time and Asra loomed behind me. I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, wary of the predatory eyes he was giving me.
When the doors opened, I huffed and walked inside. He followed me, annoyingly, and I moved to the far side to cling to the barrier rather than his arm. It was light in here, and with only a brief glance at him, I spotted the drying blood and dishevelled hair.
Stay focused, Ailia. He's not interested in your day, don't give in. Be stubborn.
The doors slowly slid shut and Asra sighed heavily. My teeth clenched, keeping my eyes set on the doors rather than the surrounding mirrors. His scent overwhelmed me, but so did the smell of blood. It was strong, and in such a confined space, hard to ignore.
Floor four; nearly there.
My exhale was shaky, and I saw Asra shift his weight. He folded his arms against his chest, leaning against the wall as he crossed his legs at the ankle. I swallowed harshly, ignoring the instant attraction. His damn muscles and just the posture alone... Did he know what he was doing to me? Was it part of his game?
"Ailia..."
I winced at my birth name, and remained silent.
When the doors randomly dinged on floor five, they opened to reveal Caleb. His dark eyes widened as he glanced between us, his throat bobbing as he noticed the tension. He must be going down.
"I will just catch the next one..." He mumbled.
"Just get in." I rolled my eyes.
He dropped his gaze, stepping inside and between the two of us after pressing the ground floor button. He cleared his throat awkwardly, and I let my eyes wander quickly over him.
"How's Eliza? I didn't see her at dinner."
"She's okay. The morning sickness has a tendency to change to early evening sickness." He mused.
I grimaced. "I don't envy her. A pregnant woman in Evermore couldn't stomach the smell of meat. She would vomit every time she had to go past the butchers."
He chuckled softly. "Well, Eliza currently hates every smell."
I sucked in a sharp breath. "Ouch."
"She's strong." Caleb's lips twitched as he thought about his mate. "So... Have you spoken about the freak call yet?"
My eyes widened, an instant bolt of fear dampening my mood. Asra must've noticed it because his posture adjusted until he was standing straight, his hands gripping the bar of the elevator. The wolf was finally interested.
"What call?" He grunted.
Caleb glanced between us, laughing awkwardly. "So, the tension isn't about that... Oops."
The elevator dinged, and I was quick to hurry out and toward our room. My room. It was my room now; he could sleep outside like the dog he was.
Ha.
I grinned manically as I reached the door, ignoring the confused shouts coming from Asra behind me. The walls in my head ached as he tried to knock them down, the bond tugging in my chest.
He grabbed me just as I crossed over the threshold and I snatched my arm away, eyes blazing with hurt. He growled a warning at me, one that I ignored as I stepped inside.
"Ailia! Speak to me!"
"I tried to speak to you, but you wanted to stop, so here we are!"
"I smelled your fear." His voice was deadly, and I paused on my way to the bathroom. "Who called you?"
I gritted my teeth, shrugging my shoulders. "It was nothing I could not handle."
"Your emotions say otherwise." He muttered.
As he stood behind me, his breath on my neck caused my hairs to stand on end. I inhaled deeply, letting the scent of him wash over me before exhaling sharply. I wasn't in the mood for another argument and would leave him to sweat a little in spite. He was an impatient man, so I wondered how long he would go without being able to touch me or get an answer from me.
If he was going to act stubborn and elusive, and leave me in the middle of the night, he would have to get used to me giving him it back. I would not give into his charming, dark looks, or the harsh devil glare. I had become his equal, and he needed to understand that he couldn't simply dismiss me or exclude me from important events.
I sighed, exhausted. I had spent the day angry, my blood boiling at being left alone. Then, so afraid that it crippled me, and after a shift in the kitchen, it drained me completely.
"I am going to shower. Alone. You can take the sofa tonight." I deadpanned before entering the bathroom and leaving him alone.
*******
Ailia is stubborn. She feels overwhelmed and confused
Asra is stubborn naturally.
Match made in heaven? lol