a Primal Pursuit

thirty

Asra blinked. Once, twice, five times before his laughter bellowed and shook the room. My lips fell into a grimace, and I slapped his chest. He shut up, eyes blazing, as he stared down at me.

"Don't slap me."

"Don't laugh at me!" I shrieked. "I am telling you what is on my mind, and you laugh! Asra!"

He growled. "You even suggesting that someone in my pack is a spy, a traitor, is ridiculous."

"No, it's not!" I growled back, baring my teeth.

He blinked, shaking his head. "There it is again. A growl."

"I don't care about the bloody sound effects I am making, and I don't care about how good my hearing has got." Huffing, I held his gaze. "I am the Luna, so listen to me!"

He rolled his shoulders at the severity of my pleading, his jaw flexing as he gritted his teeth. I watched as his tongue darted out to wet his lips before he nodded once.

"Yesterday was a bad day for me." I began yet again, and he listened quietly. "Aside from our... misunderstanding, Caleb came to me before lunch, saying I had a phone call."

"A phone call?" His eyebrows furrowed.

"I thought it may have been you." I shrugged. "So I went with him to your office."

"Who was it?"

"Caleb said my brother."

"You don't have a brother." He shook his head.

"Exactly." I nodded, and he frowned. "It... it wasn't my brother; it was Darius."

Asra's entire body went rigid. "Excuse me?"

"Darius phoned and lied to Caleb, saying he was my brother and wanted to get in touch with me. Caleb didn't know otherwise, because he doesn't know about me, and accepted the call for me." I explained.

"What did he do?" He snarled.

"Caleb?" I cocked my head.

"No, the asshole." He bit back, and I flinched.

"Darius didn't have to do anything; all he has to do is say." I shook my head.

Asra's growling didn't subside, and despite being completely nude, I pushed him back onto the bed and straddled him. His hands fell to my lower back instinctively as I kneeled over him. Successfully catching his attention, he peered down at my body before looking back up at my face.

"Continue."

I rolled my eyes but obliged. "Darius threatened me, Asra. He said that he knew where I was and called me a whore."

"That fucking arsehole-I-Tulip, you are not a whore."

I shrugged, not agreeing with him completely. Who else let a man, and even his friend, use their body whenever they wanted? Who else gave it up even when she didn't want it? Me.

I grimaced. "He jeered at me, saying he knows where I am because he heard I was whoring myself to a pack of wolves."

"Who told him?"

"He said his contacts. Darius always has contacts and not friends." I shook my head. "I asked him why he was calling and..."

My breath was shaky as I trailed off, and Asra ran his hands up and down my spine to comfort me. His growling turned softer, pulling my body flush against him. It was weird how it worked, but I felt my heart rate settle at the comfort.

"He said, 'you know what I want' and warned me he won't stop until he has it." I gulped. "He thought I faked my death, that I escaped him by pretending the wolves got me."