Astor had felt thirsty in the middle of the night, finding himself stumbling here and there into the darkness until he managed to reach the kitchen. At first, he was only planning to grab a glass of water and get back to sleep because he was feeling already exhausted by everything that had happened but his plans seemed to evolve in a very different way.
On his way to the kitchen, he heard talking, freezing just before he stood in front of the entrance. He looked around, thinking what was the right thing to do. I should probably go back up, he thought not wanting to interrupt whoever was in the room or get caught eavesdropping. He was already with one foot on the staircase when he managed to hear his name, frowning. They were talking about him.
That little piece of information changed his plans and he slowly and silently turned back, trying to recognize the voices of the two people in there. Astor thought it would be too risky to peek inside so he stuck his head to the wall, like a cartoon character hoping to hear them better.
"I don't think having him here is a good idea." Niss said. "Astor is too fragile right now. Didn't you see August? He was ready to devour him, he is going to get hurt."
"Then what do you purpose I do?" Ren asked her. They were alone in the room, talking about him. Astor couldn't help but feel anxious all of a sudden. Not long ago he had told Niss about his feelings and now this. Could it have something to do with his childish confession? "I can't send him away."
"Why can't you?" Niss asked and Astor's eyes widened. She wanted to send him away, away where? Could she want to send him back home? "He would be safer. August will go after him, he wants him and I do not think you would be willing to give do as he said, not even if it was for one night."
This whole situation had been caused by one of the Elders. The man who had requested him as if he was some kind of book he could borrow from the library. Niss wanted to avoid that but Astor did not want to leave. He couldn't handle being tossed away again. He had just started to trust them and they were planning right now how to push him away. The werewolf did feel like an object, they were not even asking for his opinion. Was it really that different from what that man had done?
"It's been four years, I waited for so long, and now…"
"I get it, I understand but we can't do anything else. Keeping him here will make things a lot more difficult for us. With the Elders trying to get on your back all the time they will try to find every weakness and take advantage of them that's why…"
"I will go." Astor interrupted their conversation surprising them both. "It's just one night, right? I will go. Let me be helpful."
"What?" Ren asked him, his eyes stuck on the werewolf.
"Astor!" Niss shouted, pretending to be excited. She rushed towards him, placing her arm over his shoulders. "What are you doing here so late? Trouble sleeping? Come on let's go upstairs and…"
"Please don't do this." Astor said, removing her arm from his shoulder. "I am not an object to be taken from one place to the other without even being asked. You took me away from home and now you want to send me to god knows where. I wish to decide for my own self, as much as I can, at least. So let me be of some help with these people. Let me go to August." he stated.
"You must be insane!" Ren said loudly, slamming his fist on the counter. His strength ruined the edge of it, breaking a whole piece. It landed on the floor like a rock but the Alpha did not care at all about the disaster he had just caused or how angry he looked. His fists rested on the sides of his body, his face frowning with dissatisfaction, cold eyes shooting glares at him. "Do you have any idea what this perverted old man will try to do to you? And you want to go?"
"Then what are you going to tell him when he starts bothering you again about meeting me?" Astor said, finding some courage in him to talk back. "Oh sorry he just disappeared into thin air? Or are you going to blatantly deny his offer because from what I saw a few hours ago, between you doing nothing to stop what was happening and slapping the only person who tried to in the face, you don't have that much power over them, do you?" Maybe he went a bit too far, maybe there was no reason to be so aggressive about it but he felt wronged, once again treated as someone with no will or wants. Astor felt as if he was being pushed to the edge.
"Astor." Ren called his name and it was a clear warning, one that the white-haired werewolf did not understand, covered by his own anger. "You will not be going there."
"I will. I will go there. If it's just one night, I will be fine. Just don't send me away."
"I wasn't going to send you away!"
"You were! You want to make decisions for me without even asking me. I am a person too! Bought with money or not I feel things too. Why? After everything you told me why would you think to send me away?" Astor asked Ren.
"Come on now, let's not get heated. I think we can talk about it in the morning, with clear heads. No one will send you away Astor." Niss tried to comfort her but he didn't pay her any attention. All he could look at was Ren and examine the way he was trying to restrain himself. He had obviously made him mad with what he said but he couldn't stop it. Once he started talking, taking everything out was the only way for Astor.
"There is nothing else to talk about. If there are two options, going there for one night or being sent away I choose to go there. I get to choose."
Ren shook his head, letting out a sigh.
"Fine! Go, go, and stay there. I will make all of the arrangements for you to become a whore and when you beg for me to get you out of there I won't come, because you wanted to choose."
"Ren!" Niss exclaimed as the Alpha stormed out of the room. "How could you say something like that?" she went after him, the sound of their footsteps disappearing as they walked further away.
Astor took a deep breath, hoping inside of him that he hadn't made the wrong choice and that he wasn't going to regret this moment of retaliation.