Alpha Asher By Jane Doe

I didn’t stop running until I was deep into the forest, my lungs burning from being deprived of oxygen.

My wolf, Maya, was furious.

She was hesitant about Tyler in the beginning, but was eventually won over. She thought he was our mate too. While I was heartbroken and fighting back tears, Maya was seething.

I closed my eyes and allowed her to take over, making her promise that she wouldn’t go and hunt Tyler down.

Maya carried us farther into the woods, and I allowed myself to sink into the furthest depths of her mind. My head was still racing with what had just happened, I wanted to turn everything off for just a few moments. I couldn’t handle it.

Hours and hours had passed, but I hardly noticed. I drifted off as Maya hunted and continued running.

I finally came to my senses when soft grass tickled my naked back. The familiar scent of herbs filled the air. Basil, Lavender, and Mint invaded my nose and soothed my aching heart.

“Lola, dear? Is that you?” A withered voice called out and I felt my heart jump.

“You brought me here?” I asked Maya in surprise.

“We need her. We’re not going back.” She growled, resenting me for thwarting her plans on attacking Tyler.

“Grandma?” My voice cracked and I sat up from the grass.

It was nearing dawn, the sun was just beginning to rise and it cast orange hues along her small cottage. Her herb gardens lifted and swayed in the breeze.

I had always loved coming to grandma’s house. My mom forbade me and my brother from coming back here, holding a grudge against my grandma for years.

The story of my mom meeting my dad isn’t one I like to talk about. My mom and dad aren’t mates. Mom rejected her mate when she was younger, seeking out my dad when she realized his mate had died. My grandma always resented her for that, for throwing the mate bond away.

“Lola, what on earth are you doing here?” My grandma exclaimed, wrapping a woven blanket around my exposed body. She pulled me into a hug and I could feel myself break down at her familiar scent and touch.

My grandma had this quality that made everyone love her. She was nearly impossible not to get along with. My grandma matched my extremely short height of 5’2′, and had the same long black hair. She was more withered, with laugh lines circling her mouth and eyes, but she had never looked better to me.

“I missed you so much.” I cried into her shoulder. I even remembered how she smelled. So many different herbs and apples. Grandma had a couple of apple trees she absolutely adored. She would always be making a pie or some kind of dessert when we used to visit.

“What’s got you all worked up, Lola?” Grandma frowned, “Is it that boy you’re dating?”

Grandma was always supportive of anything I wanted to do, she just always reminded me to think things through.

led me into her little cottage and sat me by her

what happened?” She sat next to me, placing

tell her, I did.I poured my heart out for what seemed like hours. She never once threw my

Grandma. I

go back. You’ll stay here with me.” My grandma nodded with finality. She

I sighed, knowing a huge fight between them was

me deal with your parents.” My grandma shook her head,

1 Year Later

myself through the air. I maneuvered around the muscular arms that

to the ground, dodging limbs and landing my own blows as I

me land any blows.” Chris’s weary voice yelled

He’s getting tired.” Maya

dodge each move Chris made, while landing my own in the process. I could feel him breaking down, growing tired as he threw all

yelled in

in shock before he could defend himself. He turned away, as if he were going to run. I landed on his back and wrapped my arms around his neck, putting pressure on his

or two of holding it there, I jumped off his back and beamed up at

work,

gotten

“Don’t go getting cocky now. You still need to work on building

know, I know. Just let me have this win.” I sighed, smiling at my grandma as she came out of the cottage with

giving me updates on Tyler and his mate, which I learned was named Brittany. I kept in constant contact with my dad, the only person who seemed to understand the

had started taking over his duties as Beta, my father having retired

with my grandma. I spent my eighteenth birthday in her cottage, picking herbs and making pastries with the apples she had picked. My grandma lived a

a werewolf like Grandma and I. In Chris’s prime he was one of the best warriors in history, and even a Beta at one point. No one knew what happened to him

to work with. After training with Chris for almost a year, I could easily handle myself. I’m small and fast, which means men twice my size had

line waiting for you!” Grandma informed me, placing a sandwich in my

a mouthful of sandwich. Why would

Sean’s voice responded from the

up?” I frowned, sitting on the arm of the couch as I munched on my

long pause on the other end of

replied in a

could mom be dead?