Alpha Asher By Jane Doe

Chapter 218

“Lola-Lola, wait! Where are you going?” Breyona called out, her voice echoing down the empty hallway.

I turned, remembering that I actually didn’t know where I was going. All I knew was that I needed to do something, anything to smother the pain holding me in its serrated grip.

“Where was Cordelia’s body found?” I asked impatiently.

Beneath the pain, a small wave of guilt washed over me. This wasn’t Breyona’s fault. She’d been through just as much as I had, and it wasn’t right to take my frustrations out on her.

“I-I can just take you there if you want. I’m meeting up with Giovanni anyway…you know, to help find Asher.” She tacked the second part on quietly.

It was a bit grating the way everyone was walking on eggshells around me, like I was a bomb whose timer was slowly ticking away. Staring into Breyona’s eyes, watching the warm flecks of brown deepen in color, made me realize that since her parents were murdered, that was how everyone’s been treating her as well.

If there was one person who understood, it was Breyona.

“Perfect. Let’s go.” I replied, softening my tone.

I had to bite back a snarl when a wave of pain vibrated down the mate-bond.

Even without grandma’s side of things, I would’ve never believed that Asher had…had done what he did of his own accord. It went against everything he believed in and stood for. More than anything I wanted to soothe his pain, but all I could hear were my dad’s words rattling in my skull.

I needed to find the witch first, then I would go to Asher.

I’d take every ounce of his pain, piece every broken shard back together again and bind them with the love I had for him. Love that hadn’t faded in the slightest despite the fact that his body was the weapon that killed my brother.

“If you guys find Asher, keep him safe for me, okay? Tell him I know what happened and that it wasn’t his fault.”

Breyona’s grief-stricken eyes softened as she nodded. “Of course, Lola.”

Once outside, Breyona was quick to shift and bend the shadows around our forms, propelling us through darkness that spat us out nearly fifteen minutes away from the hospital.

We stood in the mulch of a children’s playground, and while I didn’t recognize the jungle gym, I did recognize the surrounding park. The clusters of square hedges and yellow wildflowers stood out like a beacon, even in the dark.

times I’d passed this place on the

the day, the park was downright cheery. There would always be

desolate before, so ominous in a way

need of oiling, squeaking in tune to the merry-go-round, creating a song

shuddering from the cold breeze even though

ahead. It’s barely a minute walk inside the forest line, but you’ll know it

about me and that I’d be safe, but the moment I locked eyes with the shadows lingering along the forests edge, words escaped me. I turned away from my best-friend and headed in the direction she pointed me

“Please be careful, Lola.”

the last thing I heard Breyona say, and as much as I wanted to, I

about how much things had changed and

in my mind. I kept my eyes peeled, staring through the darkness, embracing every cell in my body that reminded me what

way, I was all but daring a witch to come

wasn’t a long walk to find where Cordelia lost her life,

was a small clearing up ahead, barely large enough to fit two full-grown wolves. Moonlight streamed down on the patch of grass, illuminating the large spot of blood that had long ago soaked into

myself, an image of Cordelia came to mind, her lying helpless

another wave of pain wracked my body. This time it wasn’t from the mate-bond, but from myself. I silently wondered how much more a heart could take

up to and wanted good things for.

know that this was where she died, cold and

of my head whispered, it’s words like freshly sharpened razor blades against my

telling it to shut the fuck up when the

‘Over there…by the tree.’

the forest, choosing to keep their distance even more so

they could sense. how close to the edge I was, and knew that with every passing second, my foot came closer and closer

the forest floor, gathering around the base of a particular tree. It was bigger than the rest, it’s roots more pronounced as they crawled across

longer roots, a hint

blood, wincing as I did so, to get

sigil…’

heard from her since waking up in the forest. I’d almost thought she was unaffected by what happened, but hearing her voice

that

was some possibility, no matter how small, that we