Alpha Asher By Jane Doe

Chapter 234

There was no doubt in my mind that the place I had been was not of this world.

Not only had Sean been there, confusing me with talk of some mysterious person watching over me, but the concept of pain had been elusive and just out of reach. The peace that hung in the air, shimmering as brightly as the magic interwoven to create a place that was both real and memory, could only belong to some kind of afterlife.

At least, that’s what I was hoping.

Pain was the first thing I felt as that place slipped away. It held my head in its strong grip, claws digging into my scalp to produce a throbbing pain that chased

Enter title… me into consciousness. I hadn’t even opened my eyes yet and there it was.

When I did manage to peel my lids back, I tried to recoil at the pale face staring out at

More pain engulfed me, stinging my wrists, neck, and ankles. It blasted my mind, sapping my strength until even calling out to the shadows felt impossible.

I craned my head down, staring blankly at the silver-plated cuffs that pinned me to the wall. What was even more surprising than my restraints was the fact that my hands and arms were no longer covered in inky veins of dark magic.

As much as I wanted to wrack my brain for the identity of this mystery being watching over me, there was someone else vying for my attention.

“It’s about damn time. I thought you were dead.” A voice snapped.

The person staring at me from across the room came into focus. Toffee eyes sharpened, so familiar that my chest begun to ache. Only, they didn’t belong to Asher.

“Brandon?”

His name came out as a rasp, my tongue sticking to the roof of my dry mouth.

My throat contracted with the effort it took to speak. When was the last time I had something to drink? I had a couple blood bags back at the house, but how long had it been since then?

“The one and only.”

Brandon was chained against the far wall in the same position, silver cuffs around his wrists, neck, and ankles. His reply was dripping with sarcasm, but beyond it I could see clearly the rough shape he was in.

Dark circles ringed his eyes, and his cheekbones were just a tad more pronounced. There was dried blood where the silver had previously made contact with his skin. As he fidgeted, fresh blood sprouted from raw, cracked flesh.

“What happened?” I grimaced. It felt like I’d been hit upside the head with a sledgehammer. Every single thought was paired with a wave of nauseating pain. “How long have you been here?”

“Oh, lets see…” Brandon mumbled, blowing the hair out of his face with a frustrated huff.

He made a show of counting on his fingers, though I wasn’t sure what for.

After going over each one on his hand several times he grunted. “Since that bitch Ember and the other witches attacked the Vamp town.”

“That was days ago.” I blanched, my stomach sinking. “You’ve been here for that long?”

“Yeah, I fucking have. You wouldn’t happen to have a bottle of liquor stashed on you?”

I tried to snort, but my dry throat refused to let the sound pass. “No, I definitely don’t have any alcohol on me.”

He leaned his head against the brick wall, glaring at the singular light hanging from the center of the room. It was nothing more than a lightbulb on a thin wire, with a little string dangling from the side. The light it produced was shitty, but it was better than drowning in darkness.

“Fair warning, Lola. The service in this place fucking sucks!” He bellowed, thrashing against his restraints.

The chains clanked against the brick, spitting out a thin plume of dust, but he was clearly too weak to do any more damage. Blood trickled from his wrists, splattering on the concrete floor. It dribbled from his neck as well, soaking into an already blood- stained shirt.

He swiveled his head towards me, scanning me up and down the way I

different. How are things back

silver split the thin skin around my wrists, and I winced as the wounds began to weep blood. They’d heal quickly, only to be torn open again. It was unfortunate that I knew how

“Not good.”

in my mind, and with it came a slew of emotions I couldn’t handle dealing with right now. I’d trusted her, bonded with her, and thought of her as the little sister I’d always wanted but never had. Not only did

matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t bring myself to

“You might as well tell me everything considering neither one of us is leaving

when telling him about Asher’s proposal, but his face hadn’t changed in the slightest. When I mentioned

no amount of anger would

because the next words that left his mouth

away, swallowing the knot in my throat. It ached as it went down, forming

My whisper danced along each corner of the room before fading

floor. “I can imagine how Asher’s taking

of the rest of my life

might have to.”

grandma, which was another surprise. The woman truly did make everyone fall in love with her. My heart clenched

to know what

Brandon show any glimmer of happiness. His eyes

have mentioned it since I had no intention on elaborating, but I finished by telling Brandon I knew who the second

He leaned forward in his shackles, tilting

me if I

wooden door on the other side of the room. It sat to the left of me, far

head of hair anywhere. It was an open flame streaked with golds and yellows, beautiful if not for the scowl marring the face of the person it was attached

nearly as threatening as it could’ve been had

nothing else to focus on, it was all

the room wearing a pair of skin-tight leather pants and a low-cut blouse the same fiery shade as her hair.

not to come back here without that pizza. All that talking you did and

which were a deep brown tinted

you to shut your damn mouth.” She hissed, barely craning her head to toss

one quality was running his mouth, I already

to squeeze her hamsters

boots into the ground, Ember

shut up about the

to argue, shooting jabs back and forth until Ember was quite literally smoking. It rolled off her shoulders in waves, filling the dingy room we were locked in. Brandon didn’t seem to care in the slightest. If anything, I’d say he was

response. The longer I watched two, the more I realized they had forgotten I

they’re arguing like a married couple -wait a

much for my brain to process. Between my

much information and emotion to sort through. It would take me years to process it all, to move on from the rage and the pain that

in hell that this was possible. It was

on Brandon’s eyes as the two

was clear hatred there, which would’ve been soothing if it weren’t for

recognized that edge

when I’d first met Asher-when I realized how

“You two are mates.”

I heard one of their neck’s crack. Just like that, their argument was snuffed out. There wasn’t even a sliver of

Brandon sang, his teeth bared in a sarcastic grin. Ember’s stare burned

knew her words weren’t for

“Shut. Your. Mouth.”