Alpha Asher By Jane Doe

Chapter 210

Not only did I avoid visiting Tessa for the next three days, but I also made it a point not to think of her or what she knew.

I stumbled back into my routine even though everything felt off kilter. Chris made warrior training worth it, but my heart was no longer invested in my magical studies. There was only one thing

I was fixated on, and that was dark magic.

The one and only time I used it was almost enough for it to corrupt me. There was nothing more terrifying than feeling the sickening euphoria of ultimate power, and ultimate evil. I wanted to learn everything I could so I could make sure it never happened again.

There was just one problem.

Since only a handful of witches successfully pulled from that kind of

power, there wasn‘t exactly any information on it. There were a few vague descriptions, but nothing going into detail on how or why those witches did what they did.

I voiced my frustration to Asher every spare chance I had, along with the absolute terror I felt when I looked down to see spider webs of sickening black crawling up my fingers.

Asher hadn‘t blamed me for drawing on dark magic. He wasn‘t even angry. There was a part of me that wanted him to be. I‘d been reckless, desperate to not be taken that I wasn‘t thinking clearly. We knew to little about my magic for me to not exercise extreme caution when using it. Asher knew this, but he still insisted on being utterly perfect by not reaming into me every chance he liad.

He was a master at covering up his emotions, but I could feel his fear flicker down the mate–bond like it were my own.

He might not have been angry with me for using dark magic, but he was just as freaked out over how close it had come to consuming me.

The first and second day, Asher sent out a few groups of warriors to monitor the safe haven. He and Zeke, along with a dozen of our most skilled fighters, made the short trip to Zeke‘s pack. It wasi te of a precaution than anything else, but with Zeke dead set on risking his mind to get information out of Tessa, we had to make sure his pack was well protected.

Asher had gone to hell and back trying to change his mind. I‘d known from the moment Zeke sauntered out of Tessa‘s prison cell that there was nothing short of a miracle that could keep him from going through with this.

and Giovanni were working harder than ever to integrate more Vampire‘s into the safe haven. As

the Vampire‘s that had yet to pick a side. The witches were closing in on one side, and the Vampire‘s still aligned to my father were closing from the other.

pledge your allegiance to, prompting a lot of them to seek out

regardless of their pasts. It was uplifting to know that the word was spreading, and that more and more Vampire‘s

families were making their way across the country to meet the new Vampire monarch and to scope out

perfectly considering I was planning a trip there anyway to

sort of protective spell over the land. I‘d been binging on blood and high–protein foods to

without an

when Brandon‘s voice slid into mine and Asher‘s head. He had surprised everyone when he single handedly stepped up and joined the groups of warriors sent to protect the safe haven. For as long as I lived (however long that might be) I‘d never forget

faded in and out. There‘s more this time…and the fire bitch is leading them. Send back up and be fast about it damn

locked eyes with one

running through our

to attack in the middle of the day, rendering the Vampire‘s there all

sister back. It was likely that the attack was meant to be a distraction. We‘d send all of our troops to the safe haven hoping to end the fight before it begun, while another team of witches slipped past the pack‘s boundary line and

how close they were to Asher and I, there was a chance the

we couldn‘t play into their plan, and on the other, we couldn‘t leave the Vampire‘s

get there in time. Every other warrior in

the facility where Tessa was being

helped fend off the witches at the safe haven, the rest of

witches were going to attempt to rescue Tessa, we had predicted it long before they actually reached the borders. What we hadn‘t anticipated was how boldly they would slice through our borders.

vacant, the families pushing further inward to steer clear of the fight. The only ones that remained in this part of town were Holly, Tristan, and Giovanni. Even though the

skipping all pleasantries when he grunted, “Any update?”

yet, but they‘re coming. I can sense it. I think we all can, actually.” I shuddered. “Just calling

enough. She just woke up

frowned. “This is the first one she‘s had in awhile, isn‘t it?