The next ten days passed rather uneventfully. Every day I would wake beside Asra in his room, and have breakfast with him downstairs. The pack gathered at the weekends for meals, and I had to go through the awkwardness of eating first. Then, Asra would disappear after breakfast to go to work and would leave me wandering around the pack house.

Despite Asra's concerns, I went swimming every day. I always had someone with me, whether it was Mya or Piper. I was never alone. Eve was busy with work and once I even hung out with Eliza. It was nice to be around someone with dull senses, but she was always busy with the maids, choosing to help them maintain the hotel-like house.

It was becoming boring, doing the same thing every day. Wake up, eat together, kiss Asra softly before he left, swim, eat, be bored, go for a walk and then fall into bed and wake beside Asra again. He seemed to avoid me, or that was just my paranoia, but I never fell asleep next to him, only ever woke with him there.

So this morning, when I woke to a stomach cramp, it did not surprise me to find him already watching me. He smiled softly at me, his hand trailing down my hair as I pulled myself to sit upright in bed. I don't know why I lived in his room. It kind of just... happened.

"Good morning, Tulip." He greeted.

I grunted in reply. Not up for small talk today. My stomach hurt and I felt nauseous, and all I wanted was to lie back down.

"Not up for talking?" He wondered.

I huffed, shrugging his touch off to stand. "No."

I walked around the bed and into the bathroom, rummaging through the cupboard under the sink. Pulling out a freshly clean cup, thanks to Eve's prep yesterday, I rinsed it before bending over the toilet to insert it. I was glad I was on my period, but the cramps and soreness could piss off. Plus, I needed to wash my pants from last night, the few drops of blood already beginning to stain.

Washing my hands when I was done, I eyed the shower, debating on showering this morning. I really could not be bothered, so chose to just wash my face and privates, and brush my teeth. I would shower later on, my morning too disrupted by aunt flow's arrival to care.

Leaving the bathroom, Asra appeared shocked. "You not showering this morning?"

I shook my head. "Don't feel up to it."

"Are you feeling well?"

"No." I sighed, rummaging through the drawers I now occupied.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

I gave him a look over my shoulder. "You and I both know you can smell it."

He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "I know. I was trying to be polite."

I hovered my attention on his biceps before shaking my head and continuing to look in my drawers. Asra had a boiling water tap in his bathroom and that would do for a hot water bottle. I did not want to go downstairs and face the pack when it felt like my uterus was about to fall out of my ass.

"What are you looking for?" He asked, the floor creaking as he moved closer.

"The damn water bottle." I grunted, throwing a t-shirt in my temper.

He clicked his tongue. "Well, you won't find it in there."

"And why not?" I snapped, glaring at him.

"Because I had it filled whilst you were in the bathroom." He mused, gesturing to the bed.

My hard eyes snapped to the bed and sure enough, the dark blue comfort was staring back at me. I grunted a thanks before crawling back into the bed and wrapping my body around the precious life force. Asra muttered something about my switch of personality, but I promptly ignored him.

"Want me to get you anything?" He asked, moving to open the window.

I shrugged. "I don't know."

"I will get you some things." He murmured before the door clicked softly closed as he left.

I sighed, hugging the blankets around me as I wallowed in my pity for a while. The first two days were always rough, but this one seemed to kick my ass. I haven't had one this bad since I was a teenager.

Time passed slowly as I listened to the birds outside singing their praises of the sunny day. At least nature had something to be happy about whilst I was stuck in here bleeding to death.

A soft knock came to the door, and I lazily turned my head to look at the intruder. It was Asra, and I furrowed my eyebrows at his random need to be polite when entering.

"What?" I wondered.

If my attitude bothered him, he didn't show it. His grin widened, eyes flickering with amusement as he rounded the bed. In his grip was a paper bag, the contents a mystery. He placed it on the bed beside me, urging me to sit up.

"What is it?"

"I said I would get you things." He ran his hand through my hair.

I didn't have the heart to bite his hand off, too curious by the contents of the bag. Sitting up slightly, I pulled the bag closer to peer inside. There were multiple things I had never seen before, but pulling them out became rather self-explanatory.

"I'm going to shower. I'll leave you to look," Asra announced, kissing my head.

I watched him leave before looking at the contents surrounding me. There were human grade pain killers, cool patches for headaches and another hot water bottle. Next to all of that was chocolate, ice cream, some warm pastries, and a bottle of cold coffee.

He really got me some stuff.

I knew he had a fridge freezer in here somewhere. I just had to find out where...

Or...

I could just eat all the ice cream. It wasn't a large tub, the label reading 250ml. I could totally demolish that.

Popping some pills with the cold coffee, I pushed everything else to the side. I grinned, sitting up straighter as I hugged the cold tub of sugar. Finding the tv remote in my bedside drawer, I chose a random selection of tv programs as I dived into the ice cream. He even provided me with cutlery, how cute.

I had never had ice cream like this. In fact, the first time I ever tasted ice cream was from left overs at the café back in Evermore. This was nothing like that. It was chocolate and vanilla, with caramel and chocolate chips throughout. I wasn't sure how he knew I'd like it, but it was amazing.

Getting lost in my ice cream and tv, I barely registered Asra entering the room until his naked back blocked my view. Pulling the spoon from my mouth, I licked my lips with fascination as he routed for some clean clothes. He usually took them with him, so he was teasing me today. I didn't mind, though. The view was divine.

Droplets beaded down the defined muscle of his shoulders. The thin, long scars seemed to stand out more when wet, begging me to look at him. His tattoos were darker, hugging and caressing his definition all the way down into the towel. Hung so low on his lips, it didn't surprise me if the only thing holding it up was his dick.

He moved, and my eyes followed hungrily. His stomach was always so soft in the morning, the lesser definition appealing to me even more so than when he was working out. He was just a god, really. I honestly did not see how anyone could fear such a magnificent beast-

Asra cleared his throat, and my eyes snapped to his with alarm. Swallowing audibly, I waited for him to speak first.

"Like what you see?" He teased.

Oh, he was winding me up.

Grinning, I shrugged. "I've seen better."

His smirk dropped, his eyebrows lowering with annoyance. "You have?"

"Oh, yes." I nodded. "Quite a few fine specimens around here."

A low growl rumbled out of his chest as he moved closer, rounding the bed. "Is that so?"

"Yep." I swallowed as he leaned over me.

"Then why were you eye-fucking me?" He smirked, his breath hot on my face. "Why can I smell how much you want me?"

I audibly gulped, gripping the empty ice cream tub like a lifeline. At my lack of response, his wicked smirk erupted on his cheeks before his mouth descended to latch onto his mark. I shrieked, tensing up before melting into a puddle as his tongue teased it. A soft moan left my lips, my thighs clenching together as he massaged the scarring.

Pulling away with a low hum, he wiped his lips with his thumb. "Next time you lie to me, Tulip, I will have you over my knee."

My eyes widened, but not with alarm. The thrill that rushed through me was intense, the bond now humming and begging for attention. I had kept my thoughts and desires at bay since he claimed me, but talking to me like that was definitely not helping the sexual demons hiding inside of my mind.

"Something tells me you'd like that, Tulip." He mumbled, watching me with hooded eyes. "You'd like being thrown over my knee."

I stammered, unable to speak. The power he had over me. Ugh, I could just crawl into myself.

"Maybe I will think about it." He nipped my jaw before standing upright. "It would be great foreplay."

I whimpered as he walked inside of his walk-in closet. Just before he disappeared from view, he dropped the towel from his waist, the brief view of his bare ass disappearing with the rest of him. I remained frozen for a few seconds, unable to catch my mind and body up on what had just happened. Slowly, I released my grip from the ice cream bowl, placing it and the spoon on the side.

My hand fell to my hair, running through the ragged tangles as I let out a loud breath. Falling into the pillows, I stared up at the ceiling.

How was I going to survive the next few days around this man?

He oozed sexual prowess. I could jump him right now and not even care how he took me. It was odd to me to want someone like that and to have their undivided attention in return. Asra made it clear he wanted to fuck me, to make me his and even mentioned children.

God dammit, am I meant to have his children? Is that how long I am going to be with this man? The rest of my life?

My head span as I groaned into my arm. The whole concept of living with him for the rest of my life was bizarre. Would I even live as long as him? Give me twenty years and I will have my first wrinkle, first grey hair with all of this stress. My body will deteriorate whilst he stays the same. My children would outgrow me in strength and age.

Wait.

Would our children be wolves? Or humans?

Would I have to give birth to a wolf? Fucking hell, even the thought of pushing out an Asra size child had my legs clenching shut to never open again.

Despite all the whirring thoughts, my stomach felt warm and full of butterflies. Asra wanted me. For life. He made no exceptions to that. In fact, he made it rather clear. I said I needed a few days, and then I got drugged and taken by Blake, and the conversation never happened again. Next thing I know, I have his claim and sleep in his bed.

I let out a long sigh, rolling onto my side. My heart hammered in my chest at the onslaught of thoughts. My chest ached, a sudden dread overcoming me as the events of last month burned into my brain. I had been drugged, kidnapped and taken advantage of... they took away me from the place I regarded as safe, snatched me right out of the pack lands. People died because of it, my body suffered because of it.

Tears burned in my eyes despite how hard I tried to force them away. My lower lip wobbled, my hands clenching at the pillow as I fought the memories away.

I was... scared.

"Tulip?"

I sniffled, keeping my head buried in the pillow. Asra rushed over at the first sign of my distress, falling to his knees before me. Through blurry eyes, I watched his crestfallen face search my own for answers.

"Oh, baby, what's wrong?"

I managed a smile at the soft pet name. His eyebrows furrowed as he looked for answers in my expression. I stared back at him, quietly watching as he ran his hand through my hair. I had blocked him from my head since we marked, not liking the random intrusion headaches.

But I could trust Asra, right? He had proven everything to me and more. He wanted a life with me, claimed me as his, and treated me well. Brought me period packages, for goodness' sake, and didn't run at the first hint of aunt flow. That was a bonus in my eyes.

So, with a soft sigh, I unfocused my mind, allowing him into the part of my head that was in a turmoil. His eyes widened, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat before he let himself in carefully, seeking his answers.

*****
I forgot to mention back in the beginning. Wolves here are not separate souls. The shifters in this book are simply people who can shift into a beast, with extra senses.
No voice or separate persona.