Alpha Asher By Jane Doe

The others were quick to respond as one of our own had been found.

I couldn’t peel my eyes away from Katie’s glassy stare, even when Mason’s gentle hand turned me from her body.

We had shifted into human form after alerting the others, pulling on a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants that were stashed in the forest.

“Don’t look at her, Lola.” Mason murmured, his typical care-free expression was absent from his face.

“Could a wolf have done this?” Maya mused in my head.

I shook my head in response, “It’s possible. It takes incredible skill to cover your scent like that.”

I could feel my heart hammering in my chest, and the cool night time breeze felt sharp against my skin.

As awful as it sounds, I had grown used to blocking things from my mind. While Katie’s glassy stare would surely haunt my dreams, I pushed the image from my conscious mind.

Alpha Asher and his men had taken a total of six minutes to arrive in the clearing.

Asher looked delectable in his loose fitting shorts, his bare chest absorbing the moon light and taking on a porcelain glow. As much as my mind wanted to linger on Asher and find some semblance of peace, there was business to attend to.

“He brought a lot of men with him.” Maya pointed out that interesting fact.

I frowned, “Kind of strange, isn’t it?”

There had to be at least fifteen men that followed Asher into the clearing. Far too many men for what looked like a simple rogue attack.

A man I hadn’t met before approached Mason and I while Asher looked over Katie’s lifeless body.

The unnamed man was nearly as intimidating as Asher himself, but he lacked the powerful aura that Asher seemed to constantly exude.

“Beta Drake.” Mason murmured, nodding his head in an act of respect.

Beta Drake was the man mentioned when I first arrived at the pack boarders. No wonder Sean was in such a sour mood when I finally arrived home. Asher had no need for another Beta when he had one of his own. Sean had essentially been stripped of his title, a title my family had held for years.

Beta Drake had the same extremely large build all of Asher’s men had, as if giant blood ran in their family. A long scar ran down the side of his neck, disappearing under the t-shirt he wore. His hair was a strange shade of ash blonde and reached down to his ears.

“Tell me tonight’s events leading up to the discovery of the she-wolf.” Beta Drake spoke in a very informal tone, “Do not leave anything out.”

Mason glanced at me, and with reluctance I began to speak.

I kept my hammering heart under control, determined to keep my wandering eyes away from Katie’s body. The last thing I needed was to lose what tight grip I had on my emotions.

Much to my surprise, my voice came out calm and steady. The turmoil I was feeling inside didn’t rear it’s ugly head.

Mason chimed in here and there, confirming my account of tonight’s events.

Asher hadn’t approached the two of us, nor spared us a glance as we left from the clearing.

Mason, kind as always, walked me home in silence.

“First night of patrol and this happens.” Mason shook his head, a frown forming on his pale lips.

I scoffed, but the action was filled with exhaustion. “Not a very good sign, is it?”

Mason shook his head, “Not at all.”

“There were too many of Asher’s men there tonight for it to be a simple rogue attack.” I pursed my lips, the gears in my mind turning.

“You think so?” Mason’s head tilted slightly as my words sunk in.

I shrugged, “Fifteen men seems like an awful lot. Rogue attacks happen sometimes, but tonight seemed different.”

“I think we both need some sleep. Try not to think about it too much.” Mason frowned as we stood on the stairs to my house, “I’ll see you for training tomorrow, right?”

I rolled my eyes, gaining some of my sarcastic humor back. “Like Alpha Asher would let me miss training.”

was one that took effort to maintain. “Good, I’ll hunt you down myself if you

off

home, but Grandma and Dad sat in the living room. From the looks of it, they were having a hushed conversation between themselves. I couldn’t make out any of

don’t wanna

wanted to care, to inquire what they were talking

heads snapped to the door as I walked in,

happened tonight at patrol.” Dad frowned, his gruff voice

and crossed my arms, “A girl

out running patrol anymore, or anywhere

he was coming from, but I

won’t happen, Dad.” I frowned,

or Sean.” Dad growled, running a hand through his

allow that. He can’t let half the people in town stop showing up for patrol cause

this.” Dad grimaced, but I had already

will not run again. I’m back now, and I can handle

behind something else. A sense of power and authority filled

strange waves rolling

subsided

was that?” Maya sounded just as confused and

grumbled, my limbs feeling heavy. “All I know is

his jaw clenched while

up the stairs, “I have

effortless, and I made sure to set

dreams. Her glassy green eyes were burned into my head, along with the image of her scarlet

so real, and I had almost mistaken it for reality. It was one detail that stood out, it reminded me this wasn’t reality. A set

dreams of Katie hindered my sleep,

of workout shorts. Slipping my long hair into

in the kitchen flipping something in a pan. The sticky sweet smell of

time for once, I see.” Grandma turned and flashed

from the fridge, “Very

was afraid Alpha Asher would show up to torment you some more.” Grandma smirked,

“Certainly didn’t

her, pushing my strange

attention to the steaming pancakes she had set on a plate,

Dad?” I frowned, glancing at the plate of pancakes she

shook her head and sat down, a cup of steaming tea clasped in her

upset.” Grandma frowned, “He just needs

sighed, “I didn’t want to upset

gave me a kind smile,

I raised my eyebrow at her, knowing

no. You know your Dad is much too stubborn to admit

say that’s how you know, Grandma. You’ve

can agree with.” Grandma

with a full stomach, walking to the pack

conversation was light, but not as carefree as I had hoped for. Death lingered in the air, the news of Katie’s

surprised Alpha Asher didn’t keep this from

only imagine how Katie’s poor parents

shook her head, her short hair shifting. “Alpha Asher isn’t

a good thing.” Mason

the pack house along with the other trainee’s. Breyona and I threw our change of clothes in the lockers and

kicked today, shorty?” Mason snickered, leaning down

scoffed and turned to him, my fists raised. “Bring it on. You still can’t

you I’ll get at least one

it on, Mason.” I poked my tongue out, jabbing one of my fists at his

the room and I knew without looking that

his own, and they

Mason, our arms grazing each other as Mason looked down at me

ear and I fought to keep a smile from

doesn’t he?” I giggled, keeping my voice low