I awoke with a start and noticed I was drenched with sweat again. Mercifully, I hadn't yelled in my sleep and disturbed the other pack members. I sat up rubbing my bleary eyes.

"Are you okay now?" A voice rang out in the darkness.

I nearly gasped when a warm hand wrapped around mine. Squinting into the darkness, I tried to figure out who the person was.

"It's just me. I saw you twitching and kicking about violently in your bed and was worried." Ashton spoke comfortingly.

"How did you know?" I said hoarsely. The dream wasn't completely off my mind and I was still shaking as recollected it.

"I was working late in my office and I decided to get some water for myself from the kitchen when I crossed your room and found you were pretty restless. However, that isn't important now." He said, "Was it another nightmare?"

I nodded as I held on his hand tightly. If he found that uncomfortable, he was careful not to show it.

"It seemed so real. Too real for just a nightmare," I said.

"Want to talk about it?" He asked me kindly.

"I couldn't make any sense of it either. It was as if, I was going through it myself; like I was the girl and I was seeing and feeling everything through her eyes." I explained. "Weird isn't it? What the hell would I be doing in a dungeon of all places?"

He shrugged. "Dreams can be bad. But I don't think they are always true. It is probably because of your past. But don't worry," he added, "You have us now, don't you?"

I smiled warmly at his assurance. He could be the perfect gentleman, when he chose to be. His mate would be extremely lucky when she found him. He was everything a girl would wish for. Why wasn't he mine?

Ashton got up, "I should probably leave. You seem better now..."

"No, stay." I told him. I don't know what made me say that but I found his mere presence comforting. "Please." I added, when he looked hesitated.

He looked at me surprised but thankfully agreed without much of a fuss.

I snuggled up to him and I felt his arms immediately wrap around me. Slipping my hand in his, I leaned against his broad shoulder enjoying his warmth and the silence around us. I was wondering about the nightmare when a thought struck me.

"Ashton, do you think my dreams could mean anything? Is this girl whom I dream about someone I know?" I asked him after a while.

He looked down at me thoughtfully, "It could be. But do you know of anyone who is being held captive?"

My forehead creased in confusion until I remembered, "It could be Arie. Though if it really is her, I will hunt down her captor and roast him alive."

Something flashed through Ashton's eyes when I mentioned her; but it was gone before I could decipher it.

"Kiara," he spoke to me like I was a child, "do you really think after all these years, you'll still find her?"

"Why not?" I cried indignantly, "Don't you think so?"

He said nothing but stared into the darkness avoiding my gaze.

I frowned. Did people really think Arie wouldn't come back?

She was kidnapped, alright; but she wasn't dead. Something in me told me, she was still alive and breathing and trying her level best.

The Arie I knew would never quit. She would stand up to fight back even when victory wasn't an option.

"I don't think the girl in your nightmare was Arie," Ashton spoke up, putting an abrupt halt to my trail of thoughts, "Arie can't be-It's been so long. Don't let false hopes fuel your fantasies, Kiara."

"Probably it isn't. No one would treat someone so badly." I said. "But I know she is somewhere out there and she will return one day."

Ashton sighed but said nothing.

I waited for him to agree with me, but I began to feel drowsy. I leaned against his shoulder trying to fight off the sleep and think about Arie. But the darkness seemed so inviting and the warmth next to me made it impossible to keep my eyes open.

And so I gave in to the blissfulness of sleep.

I awoke next morning to find Ashton gone and me tucked in bed like a child.

I smiled to myself at his concern.

Sometimes, when Ashton's gentle nature took over his Alpha hauteur, he could be sweet beyond words.

A knock at the door distracted me and I got up with a yawn. "Come in," I said hoping for some reason it would be Ashton.

However, it was Claire who stepped in.

Stupid Kiara, Ashton is an Alpha now, he has much better work than chatting with you!

I smiled at her as she came to me and sat down. However, her smile soon faded much to my surprise when she approached me.

"Hey," I said wondering what the matter was.

She put on a smile, (which definitely looked forced to me) "Hi."

"Is there anything the matter?" I asked her scanning her face for a trace of worry.

"No, it's just that I didn't see you at the pack breakfast today, and Ashton seemed..."

Oh my God! Had I missed the pack breakfast?!

I had definitely overslept after talking to Ash half the night. I jumped up from bed as I dashed to get ready. However, I stopped halfway when I saw Claire hadn't moved from her seat.

"What's the matter?" I asked her again. "Is there something wrong?"

Why did she look so tense? Had something serious happened to anyone?

"It's nothing," she said trying to brush it off.

However, her clenched knuckles and stiff posture had a different story to tell. I sauntered back and sat next to her forgetting my growling stomach for the moment. Hunger could wait for a while longer; little suspicions like these couldn't.

"You can tell me." I told her kindly. "I won't tell anyone."

"Nah... It's just that you smell a bit different today," she said looking away.

I smelled different? How was that possible? Each werewolf had their own distinct smell.

"I do?" I questioned her puzzled.

She nodded, "You um..have Ashton's smell all over you," she said, "Did you by any chance...?"

It took me a few moments to click, and I blushed when I realized what she meant.

"Er...it's nothing. Ashton had just come over last night since I couldn't sleep."

She relaxed visibly. "Oh... I just thought so. You guys are best friends, right?"

The way she told it, she made it sound like something else, but I nodded shrugging it off.

Seriously, Kiara you are going paranoid for no reason. This was just Claire...

"Yeah, we have been best friends since the day we've been born." I told her smiling at the memories that flashed in my mind.

Claire let out a sigh of relief, discreetly but I heard it.

I frowned trying to determine what she felt, "You okay? You seemed to have spaced out."

Her eyes snapped back to mine. "Uh.. Yeah, everything is alright. I just came to ask you how you felt."

I shrugged. "I'm fine. As usual."

Claire smiled back brightly in return as she stood up. "You should get down for breakfast Kiara, you must be starving now. I'll leave now since Ashton will be wondering where I disappeared to during working hours. See you later."

I watched her go and shrugged off the persistent feeling of suspicion to the back of my mind.