Alpha Asher By Jane Doe

As always, Tristan had impeccable timing.

Not ten minutes later he stood at the front door, an instant look of suspicion on his face when I opened it. He blocked the way with his lanky torso, not allowing me the chance to slip outside without thoroughly scanning the inside of the house.

"Holly still here?” He asked, knowing full and well that she was.

I rolled my eyes, sarcasm thickening my voice. “She's in the living room doing a dark and ancient spell that could save us all, but it has horrible consequences.”

Tristan blinked once, his already milky skin somehow growing paler.

“It's hard to tell when you're joking sometimes.”

"Obviously, I'm joking.” I sighed, patting his shoulder as I slipped out the front door. “We watched some romantic comedies and talked about boys. Really, you didn’t miss much. If you wanted to watch us do some magic, I'm sure we could uncover a spell or two-*

“No, that's alright.” He shook his head, pushing back his newly cropped locks with his hand. The look on his face was one I'd seen in the mirror more times than I could count: exhaustion regardless of how much sleep was had. “On second thought, you might need some magic once you see-."

I stopped in my tracks, standing at the top of the stairs on the front porch. The circular driveway my car rested in was deserted, covered in a thick and eerie silence that enticed me to look even farther, towards the forest that surrounded the house.

When I spotted half a dozen sets of eyes glittering just within the forest line, I cursed loudly.

“I'm guessing your mate disapproves of your plan.” Tristan remarked, his tone brittle and unsurprised. He curled his lip at the wolves watching us, too far to hear our words but close enough to stop me if I tried to make a run for it. “Looks like you get to have your girl's night after all.”

“This is our only chance.” I hissed quietly, clenching my fists at my side. “We know nothing, absolutely nothing about the witches doing this.”

Rowena's words replayed themselves in my mind, so loud that if I closed my eyes and concentrated, I could've easily fooled myself into believing she were here.

Tristan lifted one of his pale eyebrows. Despite the dangers of going to the Vampire lair, he'd never pass up a chance to help me go against Asher's wishes. “You've got a plan forming in that devious head of yours, I can tell. What is it?”

I didn't answer right away, but instead sent a certain blonde she-wolf a quick mind-link.

“Hey, Cass. You busy?’ I called out, thankful for her speed when an instant jolt of awareness unfolded in my mind.

Her voice was accompanied by the sound of music and laughter. “Hey, Lola! I mean, I'm not busy with anything important. I'm at this wedding Asher's mom put together, figured I'd feel safer around a bunch of wolves. Why, did something happen?’

“Nothing happened, but I need your help with a plan. You game?’

Despite how shaken up shed been, her voice held a kernel of excitement when she replied. “H**I yeah, I'm game. Let me know where and when, and I'll be there."

“Actually, stay where you are, and I'll come to you.’ I told her, quickly snipping the connection once her reply reverberated in my head.

“Lola?” Tristan’s voice sounded from a few feet away. As I turned away from the forest line and met the brunt of his worried stare, I felt a small throb from the mark he'd long ago put on my neck-the one I still needed to find a way to remove. “This plan of yours, what is it?"

“It's not so much of an "it" as it is a “who.

I snarled at the wolves currently watching us and stormed back into the house, stopping only when I reached the living room and Holly's petite frame came into view. She was in the same position I'd left her in, bundled in blankets like a human burrito with an extra-large bow! of popcorn in her hands.

“I'll help.” She sighed, speaking before I had the chance to even explain my plan. Her eyebrows were furrowed with a look of worry, and she held up a hand to silence me as I opened my mouth to speak. “If it involves me going out in public, I'd really rather not know the specifics until it's too late to turn back.”

“Thank you, Holly.” I exhaled, my shoulders slumping with relief. With two sets of curious eyes on my face, I rounded out the last details of my plan and said, “Alright, we have a few stops to make. How do you guys feel about going to a wedding?”

"Well, I can't say I saw this coming. It's nice, in a way. I've always liked surprises, even if I am a bit anxious about going out in public. Never been to a wedding before...” Holly chattered softly, her hands two dark blurs in the rearview mirror as she moved them back and forth, gesturing at seemingly nothing.

A small whisper of a smile ghosted across my face as I listened to her ramble, watching as she talked with her hands. I found it both interesting and odd that the same amused expression drifted across Tristan’s face, only to be wiped away once he caught me looking.

“This dress is nice, Lola. I appreciate you loaning it to me, though I wish it were a bit longer.” Holly hummed. The sound of rustled lace came from the backseat as she shifted and tugged the hem down past her knees. “It certainly smells like you, that's for sure.”

With Holly's wispy voice floating in the background, I focused on the road and on sending my thoughts down the mate-bond to wherever Asher currently was. He'd been radio silent all day, which wasn't too concerning since I'd know if anything serious happened to him. Given that the house was surrounded by wolves, his silence made perfect sense.

Currently, those same wolves were tailing my car as I coasted around the curvy backroads that led into town, staying just inside the forest line to give me the illusion of privacy. I had no doubt that even if I demanded they back off, they wouldn't listen. They'd protect me with their lives, no matter how much I protested.

“Thanks for the personal brigade of wolves, but it's really not necessary.’ I shot my snarky response down the mate-bond between Asher and I, hurling it like a flaming projectile intent on destruction. "You can call them off now, or at least tell them to stop acting like I don't know they're following me.’

Asher’s reply was instant. The second his calm and collected voice hit my ear drums, I wished he were here, but only so I could throttle him. “I understand you're pissed, but I'm just trying to keep you safe. This isn't how I wanted to do things, but you haven't given me much of a choice. When I get back, we can go to the Vampire lair together.”

For all of his stubborn over-bearing ways, I loved the man, but I refused to repeat myself a second time.

"You've made me a prisoner in my own pack, Asher. I won't be forgetting that anytime soon, and more than anything, I promise to make you regret it.’ I replied, cutting the link between us before he could formulate a response. The longer I kept him in my head, the more of a chance he had at figuring out my plan.

“Has he figured it out yet?” Tristan asked, his eyes sliding across the forest line to where I sat behind the wheel.

I made a face, something in-between a grimace and a smirk.

“You'll know once he has. The entire pack will be after us when that happens.”