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Alaya continued to sit at the table, drawing in the smell of pasta as the two of them waited.

“By the drool and the very loud stomachs, I’m guessing I don’t need to ask if the two of you will be staying for lunch?” Namby asked with her back to them.

“We would love the food to go Nams, we have to get back to the others before they eat each other from starvation,” Alaya answered, as she fought the urge to stay and eat everything in sight.

“Ever dramatic. I’ll pop some pasta and snacks in some tubs. How many am I feeding?”

“5 of us, please. And extra mushrooms if you have any,” Alaya replied, trying to keep the laughter from her voice and failing. Lenara giggled beside her, fully understanding why Alaya had elbowed her earlier.

“Guessing Fen is waiting for you too. He will be more mushroom than wolf one of these days the amount he eats,” Namby joked as she drained the pasta, decanting it into the empty bowl on the side.

“Come on girls, get me out those tubs and pack the snacks you want to take whilst I make this sauce,” Namby instructed, waving her wooden spoon around in disapproval. The girls clambered over each other towards the cupboard, racing to grab the tubs instead of each taking a task.

“Snacks Alaya. You deal with snacks, child. I swear sometimes I worry for the pair of you,” she continued but they heard the endearment in her tone. The best friends had been the same way since they were toddlers. Always together, always in trouble.

“Snacks, right. I’ll make sure to pick all the pickled onion crisps,” Alaya called over her shoulder as she righted herself and headed over to the pantry.

“Don’t you dare. I hate them and you know it. I’ll tell Fen you’re the cause of his mushroom situation,” Lenara quipped and Namby stopped chopping and looked over. Alaya froze in place, silently berating Lenara for not thinking before talking.

“What mushroom situation? Alaya? Does Fen like mushrooms?”

“I feel like there is no right answer to that question. I like mushrooms Namby. I really like mushrooms,” Alaya replied whilst quickly collecting snacks and putting them into a canvas bag, making sure to add a range of crisp flavours despite her best friends big mouth.

“Alaya,” Namby pressed, hand stilled over the half chopped mushrooms on the wooden chopping board.

“I may have over-embellished his love of mushrooms.”

“Well, then no mushrooms for any of you. Especially you,” she retorted, scraping the mushrooms straight into a tub before placing it directly into the fridge. Alaya frowned over at Lenara before walking over to the fridge door so that when Namby closed it, she was greeted with her face.

“Nams, I’m so sorry. But I really do love mushrooms. Can I have them please, just for me I promise,” she asked, over-exaggerated frown on her face. Namby stalled in closing the fridge and stared at Alaya before her resilience faltered and she reached back inside, pulling the tub out.

“You’re lucky I love you. Poor Fen. I’ve been feeding him extra mushrooms for years Alaya.”

“I thought he just needed gentle persuasion,” Alaya lied, not wanting to explain that it was just because she thought it was funny. Made her sound childish, not the wise adult that stood before her. Well, adult-ish.

“Well leave the poor boy to eat what he wants. If I find out you have continued your gentle persuasion then I’ll ban you from mushrooms. For life,” Namby warned and Alaya nodded furiously, not wanting to invoke her wrath. She had been on the receiving end of her anger once before and that was not something anyone would want to risk again.

“Pinky promise,” Alaya reassured, little finger pointed towards her. Namby laughed, pushing the tub into Alaya’s hands and shaking her head.

“Why don’t I believe you Alaya,” she chuckled but her gaze held firm, letting Alaya know her threat still held water. Luckily for Fen, she liked mushrooms too much to risk it.

“Because you know her too well,” Lenara quipped, gathering up the rest of the supplies they needed. It was that moment Adolpha seemed to wake from her induced slumber, her ears pricking up when she realised Noah or Adolph were nowhere nearby.

“It’s ok. I’m just grabbing food for everyone, we will be back with them soon,” Alaya soothed out loud, not remembering her current company or that she didn’t actually need to say the words, only think them.

“Um, What?” Lenara asked quizzically, her eyes widening as she realised exactly who her friend was talking to. Alaya shook her head subtlety in her direction, praying she wasn’t going to say anything stupid and land them in more trouble having barely survived the last lot.

“Nothing. Thanks, Namby for all this amazing food. We would stay longer if we could but they are waiting for us,” Alaya rushed out, taking the tubs and adding them to the piles of food on the counter. She grabbed the closest bag from the side and shoved their haul inside, not taking the time to pack carefully. She had been so focused on wrestling the rest of the food into the bag that she hadn’t noticed someone enter the kitchen until a hand stilled her own.

“That’s not all going to fit,” Alaris calmed, his thumb stroking the top of her hand. She flinched out of his touch, sending some crisps tumbling to the floor.

“I’ll just get another bag,” she growled, annoyed at how he had assumed it was okay to invade her space like that uninvited. And touch her like he used to. She noticed the hurt that marred his beautiful features but she refused to get pulled into his orbit the second he paid her attention. She was stronger than that, or atleast, she was trying to be.

“Sorry. Was only trying to help,” he replied, sadness making his words heavy and sticky like gum. Alaya refused to look him in the eye, knowing that despite herself she would still feel a pull towards him. She was too busy for this and too God damn tired.

“It’s fine,” she replied through gritted teeth even though it wasn’t. Adolpha seemed to stiffen inside of her at Alaris’ closeness and Alaya backed away from where he still stood, blindly searching for another bag with her hand.

“Here,” Lenara called out as she threw a bag into the air, Alaya catching it with ease before walking around Alaris and back to the pile of food that needed her attention.

“Thanks,” she replied as she continued to shove the remaining items inside the bag, praying they would just fit. The second they all were packed inside relief washed over her a little, not realising just how stressed and confined she felt in this room. She went to move around Alaris once more, both bags in hand when his hand touched her arm. She looked at him angrily, a growl almost escaping from her chest.

“You forgot this,” he informed, a slight smile on his face as he slowly placed a packet of crisps into the left bag, his hand skimming hers as he pulled back. Adolpha was pacing now inside of her, insistent they get back to their mate, not this imposter that had broken their heart once before.

“Will you just quit it,” she yelled, a little too loudly, causing Alaris to recoil slightly. Alaya hadn’t actually been shouting at him, she had been shouting at Adolpha. Her constant pushing and clawing was making her skin feel tight, the walls too close. She understood her need to be with Adolph but she couldn’t think straight with her incessant pushing. But she couldn’t say all that out loud so she was just going to have to run with this.

“I just need space Alaris. Just space,” she replied calmer this time. She didn’t look him in the eye or check to see what his response would be. She hoped he would relent and leave her be, just like he left her all those weeks ago.

Alaya glanced over at Lenara who was standing there awkwardly, not really knowing whether to input some inappropriate joke to break the tension or to glare at Alaris. Alaya gestured to the doorway and walked through before shouting “goodbye” and yet another “thank you” to Namby as she left. She shoved a bag into Lenara’s empty hands as they exited the house, Adolpha’s impatience flowing through into Alaya’s body as well.

The friends walked briskly in silence, the mood having changed from the jokey camaraderie earlier. Alaya was focusing hard on being calm hoping that in turn would soothe Adolpha as she paced and clawed at the confines of her mind. She wanted her mate but what she didn’t seem to understand was that they were literally walking back to their mate. She just needed to be patient.

“Everything ok?” Lenara asked and Alaya winced a little at the thought of having to actually form a sentence and respond. She decided best to just shake her head, every part of her mind desperately trying to keep her wolf contained.

“Is it Adolpha?” Lenara pressed and Alaya stopped walking and dropped her bag, throwing her hands up to her temples. Adolpha just wouldn’t stop pushing, demanding to be in control so that they could get back to Adolph.

He was too far.

This skin wasn’t hers.

It was weak.

It was slow.

Everything felt disjointed and incredibly loud as Alaya gripped her head as if physically trying to contain her.

“Stop!!! Make it stop!!” She screamed aloud, hitting her temples over and over as it started to get too much. It was as if Adolpha was in a wild panic, spinning in circles, pushing and clawing trying to find a way out.

“Are you ok?” Lenara called out, touching a hand on her shoulder which felt like needles against her skin. Alaya shrugged away, stumbling as she did so to the floor.

“Um, I’m going to get help ok?” Lenara shouted over her shoulder as she ran off in search of aid. Alaya lay on the floor, too wrapped up in the noise in her own head to regain her balance and stand. Adolpha continued her assault, the fall causing more anxiety not less.

𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘦. 𝘗𝘢𝘤𝘬. 𝘎𝘦𝘵. 𝘜𝘱

Every word felt so primal inside of her and Alaya groaned under the onslaught. A tear ran down her cheek onto the dusty floor below as something inside of her broke.

And that moment was all Adolpha needed...

As Adolpha flowed through all of her, a beast free from her cage once more, Alaya relished in the silence in her own head. It was better now. Everything was better. Alaya didn’t know whether she freely gave Adolpha complete control or if she was just too tired to fight her any longer, but she felt relaxed in her mind, once again purely a spectator.

Her limbs felt like they were made of jelly, unstable under Adolpha’s command. Her arms and legs scrambled beneath them as Adolpha struggled a little to stand. Alaya chuckled and the sound rang around her mind. She immediately felt Adolpha’s annoyance which just made her chuckle louder.

𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘶𝘴. 𝘞𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦. 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘬,

Adolpha urged but Alaya simply didn’t want to help. She was exhausted and to be honest a little upset. Adolpha had pushed to be in control, to be at the forefront of this body they shared.

Well then, she could have all of it.