Alpha Asher By Jane Doe

Hours later I could still hear his roar in my ears, trickling down my spine in wave after wave of crippling pleasure . His face was painted in my head , eyes black with need and jaw carved from stone even though the promises he whispered were soft and sweet . It played in the background of my mind and along the swollen , tender bits of my skin as Rowena’s delicate voice threaded words together in small notes of conversation

"I'm not sensing any magic attached to him . ” She said with an encroaching frown, her lips painted in a new shade of lipstick — one with a nude undertone that reminded me of a caramel latte . Her dainty hands moved swiftly , weaving around one another in a graceful dance that was made mysterious by the jade glow they emitted . A scowl coated Asher’s face in harsh lines and angles when she dropped them abruptly . “ ... just a great deal of stress , and quite a bit of anger

" As I thought he would , Asher stood from the leather chair the moment a wilting note of sympathy laced itself within Rowena's voice . “ With the pressure you're both under, no one can blame either one you for acting swiftly . You're both so'young , with such little time to enjoy it. ” The stubble across his jawline rippled from the tensing of his muscles as he grunted , “ There will be plenty of time to enjoy youth once the people murdering our pack members are brought to light .

"" Yes ... well , with that attitude you're bound to succeed . ” She replied , aiming a tight — lipped frown in his direction . It mirrored one a teacher might make when an unruly child spoke out of turn . Her eyes , the same jade green as the treetops outside , slid over the stony expression on my face and stalled . ” Will I still be seeing you at training today , Lola ? * She'll be there . ” Asher answered first, his voice curt and attention placed solely o n me even though the witch he replied to was standing a few feet to his left . I didn't break my stare from his , and instead listened to the ominous beat our hearts made , counting each note until Rowena cleared her throat and said, ” I'll leave you both to talk, then ...

"" You've gone fully insane if you think I'm letting you out of my sight . “I told him only after the thud of the heavy office door swinging shut faded from our ears . My words hung in the air between us and were much truer than either of us could've known . As his eyes narrowed and head tilted , I shifted on my feet and nearly bumped into the bar cart and coffee maker I stood beside — both of which I knew were unused because Asher didn't drink coffee . “ I may be called insane in tomorrow's papers, but what this article is calling you i s much worse . .

" Both his baritone and the tiny ink of the newspaper clipping traveled the short distance to pelt me with the truth . He spun the page around and stopped it with a finger . “ I'll spare you the specifics , so you'll still be surprised once you read it yourself, but it paints a pretty little picture of your life this past year . Tyler's birthday , returning home , meeting me , the murders . The wolf that wrote this , the web of lies that they've spun —

It's more than convincing . It's already begun to turn heads , and not just ones in our pack." * Whose , then ? " I asked and instantly regretted it when his fists clenched , and irritation flashed within the pits of his eyes . His laugh was as dry as the air I sucked into my lungs, swirling with dust particles that made my throat constrict . ” The ones surrounding ours know , and the news is spreading by the hour . Within a month every pack in the world will know someone else's version of your story . They'll have more reason than ever to hate you and every witch or vampire they stumble across .

" His eyes softened at the sudden rush of my fear, but he didn't move from where he stood . I wasn't sure my stomach could plummet any further, but as always Asher lived to prove me wrong . I could practically taste the wicked promise on his tongue when he said , * I wish I could tell you that were it, but it's not . Our old friend Alpha Bran .... he’s already campaigning against you.” You're joking . * Cassidy hissed , narrowing her eyes in a way that reminded me of Breyona .

I had mind linked my best — friend during the fifteen — minute drive to the training center and told her everything that happened after our peaceful morning turned tumultuous . Part of me needed a second opinion on what happened with Asher, while the other side wanted to shove his vicious glassy — eyed stare deep within the depths o f my mind , buried so deep I'd never have t o hear the empty tone of his voice again , a Half an hour later I found myself sitting beside Cassidy, stretching on the padded mats that lined the classroom we met in every weekday for training . With over a dozen other students doing warm — ups around us , talking wasn't an option .

"1 wish I were joking . * I sighed out loud , leaning forwards to touch my toes . Cassidy followed my movements and together we stared at the floor, our ponytails grazing the sweaty , bloodstained mat. I mean you saw him . H e was he was feral or something . How does that just happen to someone ? “ ... maybe it is an Alpha thing . * Cassidy's baby blues were reluctant as they, flitted over to meet my own . When I turned my head in her direction and the burn in my muscles faded into static , she swallowed and quickly explained . * What I mean is there's still a lot we don’t know about Alphas .

They're stronger , faster ... they have bigger wolves . We know they have rage and possessiveness down to a science , but maybe this is what happens when an Alpha gets overwhelmed ... “* You don't seem convinced of that, and you're the one that's known him his entire life .

I pointed out the obvious , returning to a standing position in time for Emilia to begin today’s lesson . Even though this was the second time I'd seen her sweep into the room and claim the attention of every student, the awe that followed hadn't lessened . There was something incredibly feminine about her delicate eyebrows and slender nose . Even her wide — set mouth and plump lips were symmetrical and gave her a softness one wouldn't associate

with a warrior . Those qualities paired with her rippling muscles and broad shoulders highlighted her unique form of beauty . ” Alright, class . I know we're all a bit amped from what happened to Devin Armstrong- -and may he rest in peace, but this is when we need to settle down and focus . You're here to learn how to defend yourself , to master your weaknesses and turn them into strengths . That, my students is how you stay alive . “ 15 Emilia walked the length of the room, eyeing us like we were soldiers prepping t o step onto the battlefield . Her soprano voice bounced off the brick walls , sharp like the commands of a general at war . I was immediately grateful she hadn't taken a side , unlike some of the students i n the room who felt the need to tell me they supported Clint Armstrong and the mess he had made .

As her speech came to its conclusion, she came to a stop at the center of the room . For a moment she stood there , hands clasped behind her back as she stared us all down . More than half the wolves began to shift on their feet, averting their eyes in favor of the floor, ceiling, or their athletic shoes . Even Cassidy's jaw began to clench, but I knew from the stubbornness written across her face that she'd never submit to Emilia .

It was my position in this pack which made staring into her champagne tinted eyes all too easy . ” How many of you know the ten core fundamentals to Krav Maga ? “ Emilia asked , holding my stare as though she were waiting for me to raise my hand . No one else in the room responded , except for Cassidy who let out a disgruntled huff under her breath . As my hand inched into the air and the curious and condemning of the other students fell on my face , I felt a rush of Maya's stubborn strength fill my bones . eyes ” Luna, if you'd be kind enough to tell us the first three ... “ Emilia said , gesturing to the room to show that everyone was waiting for me to speak . I stepped forwards and met the eyes of the

students staring me down , the word murderer * written across the tense muscles in their faces . ” The first is to aim for your opponents * weak points . “ I said loudly, plastering my attention on a she — wolf who at the beginning of class felt the need to snarl the word traitor as I walked into the room . My words were directed at her and her alone . Shifting weight to a particular side could mean a childhood injury that didn’t heal correctly .

" Without waiting for the blood to rush to her face and embarrassment to claim her features 1 pivoted my head in the direction of another student, this one a muscular guy who promised I'd receive my comeuppance soon enough . “ The second and third go hand in hand . Quick and powerful responses are what will save you in battle . You have to be ready for the situation to go from 0 to 100 ... but strength will only get you so far . Speed and technique are crucial .

They'll win you any fight, no matter how big the H meathead you're up against is. “ One by one I ran through them all , using each fundamental to pick apart the weaknesses of the students who decided t o stand against me and Asher . As I recited each one by memory , courtesy of Chris who pummeled me into the dirt until they were etched into the back of my skull , Emilia’s smile seemed to widen . “ Wonderful .

" She exhaled , speaking only after I'd finished shaming half the class . I f she noticed their embarrassment and anger she didn’t let on . Her eyes darted from face to face, ... now that is a warrior . Someone who not only memorizes every single aspect of a fighting form, but also uses those moves in a way that turns them into art — into a dance where one lives and the other dies . ” Once she finished making the rounds, her attention returned to me . “ Luna, would you mind sparring with me ? I'd like to give the class a demonstration of a few of those fundamentals . “ * Of course . " I replied instantly and without a hint of hesitation . ... good luck, she punches hard . * Cassidy's voice trickled into my head , and I glanced back to see her eyebrows furrowed and lips pursed in the direction of our trainer.

I made sure to take my time approaching, using those valuable seconds to scan Emilia from head to toe . Her widening grin told me she knew what I was doing and was thrilled to see me respond accordingly . As I watched her walk a few feet to her left, I noted no imperfections i n her long stride nor in the way she bounced on the balls of her feet

" This might actually be challenging .... Maya murmured , impressed even though we'd yet to begin . " Can anyone here tell me what our Luna just did ? ” Emilia asked the class once I stood at her side . When no one raised their hands she continued , ” She sized me up and took in my movements , posture , and the way I distribute my weight

This i s what a warrior does . They see the fight i n their head before it even begins, and that way they'll always be prepared . ” ” The man who trained me always said preparing is half the victory . * I said both t o Emilia and the class, thinking back to simple days in Grandma's cottage , where training with Chris was the most strenuous thing I had to deal with .

Emilia’s eyes twinkled pleasantly.when she asked , * And what is the other half, Luna ? “ “ The other half is earned . ” I told her, this time turning away from the class to stare into the eyes of the she — wolf Cassidy claimed long ago tried to win Asher over .

There was no malice I could detect whether it be with my eyes or what strange sense unlocking my magic had given me . Either way, right now she was a n opponent . With that reminder swirling i n my head , I squared my shoulders and sank into my fighting stance . “ Through blood and sweat , it is earned .