Chapter 247


    Alpha Asher by Jane Doe Chapter 247


    Tessa & Zeke


    Six Years Later Tessa’s P.O.V.


    “What do you say we wrap up early and head out to the cabin-just the two of us?”


    A voice I spent thest six years memorizing called out from across the room. I lifted my head. from the


    mountain of paperwork I was sorting through, a smile already tugging at my lips as I spotted the yful


    light shimmering in Zeke’s eyes.


    My mate and fiancé-a term I couldn’t seem to stop using-was peering at me from across our shared


    office, a shameless grin tugging at his velvet soft lips. I drummed my fingers across the top of the desk,


    tapping out a pattern that filled the silence between us.


    A jolt of electricity crackled along my skin, delving past my flesh to settle in my stomach. Once upon a


    time, I couldn’t bare more than a few seconds staring into those eyes of his. Now I couldn’t seem to get


    enough.


    We’de so far from where we’d once been. Not as far as Ember and Brandon, who had a sea of


    troubles even six yearster, but those two were another story entirely.


    I pursed my lips, tapping the end of the pen I held against my lip. Zeke tracked the movement with a


    slight tilt to his head. His nostrils red with desire and I knew if I didn’t answer soon he’d close the


    distance between us, fall to his knees at the foot of my desk, and burrow his up my pencil skirt as he


    had nearly a hundred times now.


    way


    “Hmm, that does sound fun. Too bad you won’t be going anywhere until those peace treaties are


    signed. Better get on that, Alpha.” I giggled, my cheeks warming when a husky growl slid past his lips.


    He always did love when I used his title.


    Admittedly, I enjoyed when he used mine as well. Only, instead of a pang of lust, I was greeted with a


    swell of pride.


    Tessa, the first Witch to ever be named a Luna.


    Our cabin was anything but modest, which I should’ve expected when Zeke presented it to me four


    years ago. It had a rustic quality I adored with its stone fireces and hand carved interior, but it’s three


    stories and plethora of floor-to-ceiling windows gave it the same feel as a woodsy mansion. It could’ve


    been a card board box for all I cared, though. The cabin held a ce in my heart that could never be


    reced.


    It was where Zeke and I shared our many firsts.


    The very forest where he wrapped me in his arms and promised me in a whispered voice that I’d never


    again be alone-that he and all of our friends would forever be my family. The front porch where he


    kissed me for the first time, followed by the fire pit out back, where we watched the stars wink into


    existence in the sky before he sank onto one knee and promised me the world.


    The bed where I gave him my heart and my body, and received something so very precious in return.


    Speaking of something precious, the mark on my neck tingled at the thought of our cabin and the


    memories associated with it. No amount of strength or magic could force me to tear my


    attention away from Zeke. More and more these days I found myself lost in the past, marveling at how


    far we’de and at how much things had changed.


    This was my future–he was my future.


    Zeke’s scratched his signature across countless peace treaties, all of which Asher had sent our way


    after personally reviewing himself. Even doing something as mundane as paperwork, his hair falling


    over his forehead as he scowled in concentration, Zeke was utterly breathtaking.


    To think just six years ago I was a breath away from rejecting him, from passing up on all of this. I


    couldn’t fathom the reality that beneath his yful exterior, there was a man with a heart of gold. One


    fiercely protective of those he loved, willing to do anything-absolutely anything to help them.


    When my mom and Dad were murdered, I thought Ember was all I had left in this world. She was who I


    Property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    confided in, who I took sce in. Despite how the years had hardened us, there was this gaping wound


    in my chest that longed for a family-for awork of people who loved. me and enjoyed having me


    around.


    While I still love Ember with my entire heart, no matter how troublesome she can be, I’d finally found


    the family I’d been searching my entire life for. And while she still won’t admit it, I know she had too.


    Lost in the dreams of the past, a heavy knock to our office door pulled me back to the present. It opens


    just a hair before Brandon’s head appears in the gap, his hair just as unruly and overgrown as Zeke’s.


    “Got a couple someone’s here wanting a word with the Alpha and Luna.” He drawled; lips tilted in a


    lopsided grin.


    “Send them in.” Zeke called out, not looking up from his paperwork.


    Meeting Brandon’s eyes and seeing the light that shone within them, a light my sister of all people


    cultivated, I smiled. “Thank you, Beta.”


    “My pleasure.” He said with a tip of his head.


    Clearly, I wasn’t the only one enjoying my title. It only made sense with Ember taking over this


    division’s Magisterium that Zeke name Brandon his Beta. The shift that urred when. letting Witches


    and Vampire’s into the world of Wolves was one some found hard to swallow. Zeke’s previous Beta


    was one of the many that couldn’t fathom a world of peace.


    “Tessa!” A voice squealed, one full of enthusiasm.


    Breyona burst into the room; her cheeks pulled back in a grin. She waved to Zeke, leaving Giovanni in


    the dust as she pranced to my desk. I stood, seconds away from pulling her into my arms when I


    noticed the little bundle of blue silk she held.


    A sleepy wail emerged from that bundle, giving Breyona pause.


    “Oops.” She mouthed sheepishly.


    “Here, I’ll take him. You go say hello.” Giovanni chuckled, not an ounce of ire towards his mate or


    newborn son. The massive Vampire swept the infant into his arms, bringing him to his chest where he


    murmured sweet words just out of range.


    I came out from around my desk, nudging the chair in ce with the tip of my heel. “I can’t believe


    you’re here!”


    She pulled me into her arms, smothering me in the buttery scent of her perfume. I held her tightly, my


    heart full and warm at the sight of them. Zeke and I tried hard to make it in time. for the birth of


    Breyona’s baby, but we’d been just a few hours toote. Still, holding little Vincenzo in my arms had


    been a joy that left it’s imprint for years toe.


    On cue, Vince let out a monstrous wail, balling his little fists which appeared from the hem of the


    nket. The lights flickered and grew dim, prompting Zeke to look up from his paperwork. Not a


    secondter, the diaper bag at Giovanni’s feet vanished in a plume of shadow and smoke. Breyona


    cursed, locking eyes with her mate. “He’s going to give us grey hairs once he reaches his terrible two’s.


    There’s a spare bag in the car. Somehow I knew this would happen.”


    “Good looking out.” Giovanni said with a tilt to his lips. He kissed Breyona on the cheek and plucked


    the car keys from her hand, carrying Vince out the door and down the hall.


    I didn’t miss the flicker of pride in his eyes at his son’s show of power.


    Exchanging a loaded look with Breyona, I brought her over to the loveseat against the far wall and


    offered her something from the bar cart.


    “Just a seltzer water. I’ve still got acid reflux from being pregnant with him. Who knew having to drink


    blood to nourish a half-breed Vampire baby would cause such issues?” She chuckled.


    “I can’t say I’m jealous of that part.” I wrinkled my nose. “My stomach is way too sensitive to drink


    blood.”


    “Luckily you won’t have to worry about that when your timees around.” She winked.


    I waved her off. “I’m not thinking about those things yet. Not until we get married, anyway.”


    Leaning forward on the couch, she let out a squeal. “Oh, tell me how the wedding nning is going!


    Have you and Ember decided on a venue? What about a color scheme? You know, I never would’ve


    thought I’d enjoy sharing my wedding day with someone else, but having ra and Mason take half of


    the nning load was just a Goddess send.”


    I didn’t need any coaxing to get me tounch into the finer details of the wedding Ember and I were


    nning. It didn’t matter that she and I had shared everything our entire lives, even a crib at one point.


    There wasn’t a single piece of my life that I didn’t want to include my twin in. That being said, it didn’t


    help that she and I were like night and day.


    It made things interesting, though. That was for sure.


    Ember wanted seafood and steak, while I preferred more vegetarian options. Brandon made no effort


    to hide how hrious he thought that was.


    “You’re marrying a werewolf and you want vegetarian options?!” He’d cackled.


    “Anyway, enough about me and my hectic life. Tell me about how things are going for you. How have


    you been since…” I trailed off, wincing at my absoluteck of tact.


    Tasting the tension that now filled the air and our mate-bond, Zeke stood from his desk. With the peace


    treaties now signed in his hand, he gestured to the door with a knowing tilt to his lips. “I’m going to send


    these back to Asher and give you two a minute alone.”


    “I swear I’m not going to break.” Breyona sighed only after Zeke had left, the door clicking shut behind


    him. “It…it sucks, yes. I’ll manage though. It’s closure, after all. That’s what I’ve been searching for all


    these years.”


    Her shoulders dropped a few inches. It sounded like she’d been trying to convince herself of something


    and failed. A feeling I understoodpletely.


    “None of us think you’re going to break. It’s natural that it still hurts, Breyona. Those Witches. took your


    parents from you. That pain won’t go away just because they’re locked away in the Tower.” I said not


    unkindly, taking hold of the hand that was picking idly at thebel on her seltzer water. “If anything,


    we’re all incredibly proud of you.”


    “Why would you guys be proud of me?” She huffed, barking out augh as she swiped under her eye.


    I gave her a knowing look thatsted several seconds. “If I’m not mistaken, didn’t L and Ember offer


    to kill the witches for you?”


    “Yeah, they did.” She giggled. “ra said she’d help, too.”


    “That she did, but you didn’t take them up on it. You did the right thing taking them to the prison. I


    might’ve never had the pleasure of knowing your parents, but I think they’d be proud.”


    We talked for several minutes, going back and forth as we recapped the moments in each other’s lives


    that we missed. She told me about Vincenzo and how Giovanni’s family had fallen in love with the


    infant, showering him with presents and affection, while I went further into detail about the uing


    wedding they’d all soon be invited to.


    Soon enough, Zeke and Giovanni appeared in the doorway. Both were wrapping up their own


    conversations when Zeke met my eyes, his expression softening as adoration swept across his rugged


    features. Breyona and Giovanni waved, saying their goodbyes as they slipped down the hallway and to


    the elevators that led into the main lobby.


    “You ready to go, beautiful?” Zeke asked, his hand outstretched and awaiting my own. “Always.”