Chapter 80


    Read Alpha Asher [by Jane Doe] Chapter 80 – Alpha Asher mind-linked his Beta, and the two of us


    waited by Jessie’s body until he showed. With Jessie’s lifeless face lingering in my mind, Asher turned


    to face me. His honey eyes were hard as they regarded me, stress and exhaustion hidden beneath the


    surface.


    “The Vampire King used her as payment, didn’t he?” Asher asked, recognizing the pattern of d***h.


    “It seems he did.” I frowned, my eyes lingering on the spot Jessie had once sat.


    ‘This isn’t your fault, L.’ Maya murmured, ‘You aren’t responsible for everyone.’


    I wasn’t sure she knew about her heritage, and I never had the chance to exin. I had long stopped


    trying to understand the shadows and why they demand such payments, but I couldn’t see the point in


    Belongs to ? n0velDrama.Org.


    k*****g another half-blood. Jessie was just a child, born into a world where species are at war, and


    coteral damage is high.


    “Why?” Asher grimaced, anger ring in his dark eyes.


    “She was like me.” I stated simply, turning my face away as his intense eyes searched for my own. “Not


    the same blood-line, but she was a half-blood.”


    “How long have you known this?” Asher asked, his voice dark.


    “Not long.” I shook my head, “I met her when the attacks were happening. We could both smell the


    Vampire’s–though neither of us knew where the scent wasing from.”


    “And this is an indication of her species?” Asher asked, his voice taking on an impatient tone.


    I brushed the anger in his voice off, knowing we both endured a very long night. I wondered if either of


    us would manage to achieve any sleep. With my birthday two days away and a war between species


    looming over my head, I needed all the sleep I could manage.


    “You can’t tell Breyona any of this.” I sighed, knowing her Mom would k**l the two of us if she found out


    we read her private collection of books. “Breyona’s Mom has a secret stash of books. We broke into


    her safe and read them. ording to the books, Vampire’s scents are nearly undetectable. The scent


    is undetectable, unless you’re a Vampire.”


    “Undetectable?” Asher questioned; his eyes were captivated as I continued speaking.


    “They smell sweet–like, really sweet.” I grimaced as the smell ebbed to the front of my memory. “Jessie


    could smell them too.”


    “Then, I suppose the shadows asked for the life of a half-blood.” Asher frowned, “Though he hadn’t


    k****d her himself.”


    “Maybe the shadows have a preference.” I shrugged, though a nagging feeling remained in my gut. “I’m


    no closer to figuring them out than I was a month ago.”


    “I’m not sure I want you to figure them out.” Asher murmured to himself, each of us sharing a look of


    uncertain concern.


    “We need to talk to Brittany, don’t we?” I sighed, knowing this night wasn’t through yet.


    “We do.” Asher nodded, “Though I would prefer to speak with her sooner rather thanter.”


    “I know.” I frowned, “I think I should speak with Tyler.


    “Even locked in a cell, I cannot stand the thought of him under the same roof as you.” Asher growled


    lowly, exhaling sharply as we entered the house.


    Alpha Bran had made it back to the packhouse before us, and was slumped on the living room couch.


    A thin trail of blood ran the length of his face, along with a b****y wound on his arm. The pristine couch


    in the living room was flecked with blood, but neither Alpha seemed to care.


    “One of the fking vermin bit me.” Alpha Bran snapped, holding his arm up to showcase the b****y


    wound. “Bit me like I’m a fking sausage.”


    “Did you make him regret it?” I found myself asking, a dry smile on my face as I looked at the Alpha I


    had once beat.


    “I did, my dear.” Alpha Bran returned my grim smile with one of his own. “His remains are scattered


    throughout the forest.”


    “And what of Alpha Zeke?” Asher questioned, his eyes shing at Bran with annoyance.


    “Tending to his men.” Alpha Bran grunted.


    The putrid smell was far from mind as we walked down into the dungeons. While my nose wrinkled at


    the scent, my stomach no longer turned itself into knots. I had seen enough d***h and blood tost a


    lifetime, a putrid stench was nothingpared to that. Reluctantly, Asher took the left tunnel where


    Brittany resided and I took the right.


    Unable to leave Brittany and Tyler unguarded, Asher had left two men each to guard their cells. Isaac


    and one of Asher’s men guarded Tyler’s cell. It was almost humorous to see Tyler’s once best-friend


    guarding his p****n cell, though Isaac’s eyes held no fondness for his old friend.


    “L.” Isaac nodded; his eyes hard as he nced at Tyler’s slumped figure. “I wanted to apologize


    about–before.”


    “No need.” I shook my head, dismissing his apology with a wave. I had long ago moved on from Tyler.


    The more I thought about my rtionship with Tyler, the more I realized how much I had truly changed.


    The girl who dated Tyler was the shallow daughter of a Beta. She didn’t care for pack politics or a war


    between species. Even though it had only been a year ago, it felt like another lifetime.


    “Trying to get in her pants already, Isaac?” Tyler snorted; his voice rough fromck of water. “Get in


    line, though I’m not sure you canpete with an Alpha or Vampire.”


    Isaac didn’t react to Tyler’s bait, clearly used to it at this point. I rolled my eyes at Tyler and watched as


    he pulled himself from the earthen wall. He was looking much more haggard than yesterday, his hair a


    couple shades darker from a thick coating of dirt.


    “I assume there’s a reason behind your visit?” Tyler smirked, having the gall to act smug while he rotted


    in a silver cage. “Are things not going so well with your new Alpha?”


    The bitterness in Tyler’s words fell on my ears, and part of me wanted tough. While a war between


    our species must have been brewing for quite some time, it was Tyler that lit the match and watched


    everything go up in mes. Had Tyler truly expected everything to work out in his favor?


    ‘Yes, because his pride clouds his mind.’ Maya murmured.


    “Let’s y a game, shall we?” Tyler chuckled, though hisughter was a shell of what it used to be. “A


    question for a question.”


    “Very well.” I nodded, remaining cautious incase Tyler had something up his sleeve.


    “Are you worried, L?” Tyler spoke lowly, his eyes aze with hidden emotion. “I assume your


    birthday ising up any day now. Whoever could your mate be?”


    “That’s two questions.” I rolled my eyes. “And of course, I’m worried. Did you know about the a****k


    tonight?”


    “Tonight?” Tyler’s eyes were bright, almost hopeful. “I knew they were nning an a****k, but I hadn’t a


    clue when or where it would happen. How far did they get?”


    I couldn’t see the harm in answering his question, so I obliged.


    “Not far.” I shrugged, “They headed to my Dad’s house. It seems they were looking for me.”


    I watched in silence as some of the light in Tyler’s eyes diminished. I realized; Tyler was hoping the


    Vampire’s would rescue him. He had nothing for them, nothing to benefit their cause of theplete


    destruction of all werewolves. They wouldn’te for Tyler, and now he was beginning to believe it.


    “Is Brittany in on this?” I asked, watching Tyler’s expression carefully.


    Irritation flooded my veins as an ear-splitting grin formed on Tyler’s face. A deep, raspy chuckle


    emerged from his chest while his eyes were bright with amusement.


    “You’re desperate for this answer, I can see it in your eyes.” Tyler snickered, “Perhaps she is–but


    maybe she isn’t.”


    “Enough, cut the bull-sh*t.” I snapped, pinching the bridge of my nose as I exhaled slowly. As I opened


    my eyes, Tyler’s grin had only widened.


    “How interesting.” Tyler chuckled, “If I told you she was in fact working with the Vampire’s, your Alpha


    would k**l her, but I could be lying. Could you handle that, L? Could you live with yourself knowing


    your precious Alpha tortured and m******d an innocent girl?”


    I knew this conversation was pointless when Tyler erupted into unhingedughter. His time in Asher’s


    dungeons had muddled his mind, or perhaps he had always been this way.


    There was one other option, one I had refused to think about until we were left empty handed. I could


    use the one-sided bond between Tristan and I to find out the truth. If Brittany was working with the


    Vampire’s, Tristan would know. For once, Maya begrudgingly epted my alternative n.


    Asher and I were silent as we retreated up to our bedroom. Once the door closed softly, he turned to


    face me. I could see the exhaustion etched onto his gorgeous face; the corners of his full lips were


    turned down. His eyes were clouded, filled with emotion that knotted my stomach.


    If anyone were to look closely, they would see the truth behind Alpha Asher. Rumored to be ruthless


    and cruel, Asher had a limitless love for his pack and people. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for his


    pack, nothing he wouldn’t sacrifice.


    “Did she say anything?” I found myself asking, holding myself back from running into his arms.


    “She cried, a lot.” Asher sighed, running a hand through his already messy hair. “I had to resort to


    some–unsavory methods to ensure she wasn’t lying.”


    “And was she?” I leaned in, my heart hammering for some unknown reason.


    “She ims to have no idea the Vampire’s changed their ns.” Asher murmured thoughtfully, yet a


    shred of suspicion lingered within him.


    “You’re not going to like this–but it’s something I need to do.” I grimaced at how weak my own voice


    sounded. “I’m going to use the bond between Tristan and I to visit him. I’ll do everything I can to


    uncover the traitors in this pack.”


    Asher’s honey eyes turned dark in seconds, shing in anger as he stalked over to me. Before his lips


    parted, I knew what he was going to say. There wasn’t a chance in h**l he would willingly allow me to


    do this, but I didn’t care. I continued speaking before he had the chance to utter a single word.


    “This is my pack too, Asher. Sean could have died tonight. My Dad, my Grandma both could have died


    tonight.” I frowned, remembering the fear I felt when my Dad ran from the house. “If she is innocent, I


    won’t let Brittany suffer.”


    “I have one condition.” Asher murmured darkly; lingering anger continued to swim in his obsidian eyes.


    “If he touches you, moves towards you, or breaths too closely, you wille right back.”


    “I will, I promise.” I nodded, and I truly meant it. The part of me that longed for Tristan was much easier


    to control now, and I knew I wouldn’t be caught off guard by him again.


    Surprise jolted me as Asher wrapped his arms around my waist, holding me to his chest tightly. The


    quickened pace of his heart matched my own and calmed some of the raging storm within me.


    His dark eyes were consuming, heating my skin as they roamed my face slowly. His hot breath fanned


    across my lips, and my body leaned in on its own ord. Every nerve ending erupted in little


    explosions at the short distance between us. The heat that radiated from his core warmed me, and


    chased away the chill that settled in my bones when I called on the shadows.


    As his lips hovered above my own, a surge of fear washed over me, strong enough to bring me to my


    knees.


    All this time with Asher, and I hadn’t asked the obvious question in fear of the answer. Unknowingly, I


    had given this man my entire heart and was unsure if I owned his in return. The fear that crippled me


    spurred my decision.


    Confusion fluttered in the depths of his dark eyes as I turned my head away from his own.


    “Asher–what do you feel for me?” I found myself asking, looking into the depths of his eyes as though


    they held the answer.


    I had held back asking these questions, knowing I would be destroyed if the answer wasn’t what I


    expected. I had shoved those burning questions away, content to live in bliss with Asher.


    “What do I feel for you?” He murmured, those intoxicating eyes burning into my own. “Why have you


    waited so long to ask me this?”


    “I–I was afraid.” I grimaced, clearing my throat in a poor attempt to strengthen my voice. A fool could


    hear how fragile my words were, how everything hinged on Asher’s response. “I’m still afraid.”


    “I find you intriguing, intoxicating, and utterly irresistible.” Asher purred, his hand tracingzy circles


    across my lower back. “I think about you so often, I moved you into my house and bedroom. And how


    do you feel about me, L?”


    “I–” Those three words hovered on my tongue, sweet like honey as it awoken my tastebuds. I couldn’t


    bring myself to utter those words, not without knowing for sure. “Am I your mate?”


    Those four words hovered in the air between us, and as the seconds ticked by, my heart cracked


    painfully.


    Asher’s eyes gave nothing away, not a single emotion as he weighed my words on his tongue. Even as


    my heart threatened to split in two, I couldn’t bring myself to regret asking the question. My patience


    had finally run thin, and I couldn’t stand waiting the two days until my birthday.


    Asher’s words were slow and measured, as though he spent a considerable amount of time thinking


    over his response. He had gone over this conversation in his head hundreds of times, waiting until I


    was brave enough to ask the question.


    “I know how I feel about you.” Asher murmured; his hand rough as it trailed along my cheek. “The


    moment I met you, I was drawn in. My parents told me many times what the mate-bond feels like, and


    yet–this is different.”


    “Different.” The word stung my skin, like a de against soft flesh.


    “I understood more once I learned you were half-vampire.” Asher murmured, capturing my attention


    with a gentle s****e of his hand. “Vampires are able to pick their own mates, yet werewolves cannot.


    You are a mix of both. While I feel drawn to you, how are we to know you cannot just pick a mate as


    you please?”


    Something inside of me ached as I understood the reason behind Asher’s restraint. He hadn’t given


    that part of himself over to me in fear I wouldn’t choose him, as if anyone else stood a chance.


    “You think I might be able to choose my own mate?” I asked.


    The thought had never urred to me before, but sent a jolt of panic down my spine. This was a good


    thing, right? Yet, I felt no relief.


    If I were able to choose my own mate, that meant Asher had a mate in the world, and she wasn’t me. I


    had knowingly gotten involved with another Alpha, one whose mate was possibly someone other than


    myself. I had promised I would never go through this again, and yet I couldn’t seem to resist Asher.


    “What if you’re wrong?” I questioned, holding his gaze as I silently pleaded with the Moon-Goddess.


    “What if–what if you’re my mate?”


    “If you’re my mate, I’d consider myself the luckiest Alpha in the world and will not hesitate to remove


    that Vampire’s mark from your skin.” Asher purred, drawing me into his arms once more. His thick


    fingers trailed over my back, and I couldn’t hold in the jagged sigh that left my lips.


    Despite the renewed anticipation I felt for my birthday, the knot epassing my heart had finally


    began to unravel.


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