Alpha Asher By Jane Doe

There was no room for argument, no room for negotiation within the gruff plains of his voice. Not a single shred of remorse or sympathy was viable within his words, nothing I could play on or entice to change his mind.

‘Asher, come on. I have to do this -‘

You don’t have to do s**t.’ He snarled, the sound raising each and every hair on my body until I felt like I’d touched a live wire. ‘You can wait until we get back, then we can assemble an actual team to accompany us.’

‘It’ll be too late by then. I’ve already told you that they change the location of their lairs. If I don’t act now, they’ll move somewhere else and then we’ll never find them. How can you not understand that?’ I barked, frustration sharpening my voice and tinting my vision in a dull shade of red.

I was being insensitive, uncaring of the fact that he’d gone through so much while I was held captive by my father, but Asher was being so d**n stubborn.

‘I might be stubborn, but I’m not reckless. I don’t leap into a dangerous situation with the word of a Vampire we don’t know nor trust.’ His rebuttal was instant, a barrage of fire and ice clashing within the confines of my skull. ‘If they move locations before we’re both able to go, then so be it, but I will not risk my mate a second time. I mean it, Lola. Do not do this. As your Alpha and mate, I forbid it.’

A sound of surprise and defiance slipped past my lips, making several heads in the coffee shop I sat in turn in my direction. I wrapped my hands around the to-go cup I held, tightening them to ease the shaking my rage had incited.

‘Did he just try to Alpha-command us?’ Maya scoffed, offence thickening her voice.

Hastily, I maneuvered around the growing line of customers and veered straight for the doors. The slew of crimson tinted emotions I was currently experiencing deafened my ears to the few patrons I heard call out my name followed by a ‘hello.’

breeze lapped at my face, carrying my

the guy on a dangerous mission by himself with a witch he still doesn’t trust.” I seethed, so consumed by disbelief and anger that I hadn’t noticed Rowena’s auburn

A flash of recognition danced within her

mouth to speak, but she beat me to it with a wave of her

mused, flipping back the loose curls that trailed down her shoulder. I was seconds away from declining when she said, “…and

so much like Tristan that I took a

a vacant bench, her flowy dress swishing around her full hips and clinging to her slender waistline with each move. She smoothed out the back of her dress before sitting down and placed her dainty purse

and flow, eventually thinning out as everyone headed

go right away, my chance at finding them will slip through my

that’s not quite what I expected, but I’ll try to help nonetheless. Tell

the bridge of my nose when a headache stung my temples. “He-he’s still dealing with how it felt to lose me the first time, when I had to hand myself over to my father, but I let him go off on this mission knowing there was every chance he wouldn’t

mind this is simply an outsider’s perspective, but have you considered that protecting is in his nature, just as sacrifice is in yours? I’m not excusing or condoning his reaction, but it’s merely

then, that doesn’t help me decide what to do. If I go against him, I don’t know if he’ll forgive

the one chance you have at gleaning more information on the witches responsible for the d***h of two of your pack members, and the attempted m****r of Breyona.” Rowena pointed out helpfully. “Also, with how I’ve seen Asher look

seemed that even Rowena knew what I would do, that this opportunity was one I couldn’t pass up. As much as I wanted to trust Bridgette and let that warm feeling of hope

not mistaken.” Rowena hummed, her eyes crinkling at the corners as her lips curved