Alpha Asher By Jane Doe
Chapter 102

Read Alpha Asher [by Jane Doe] Chapter 102 — There was something so satisfying about disobeyingmy mate, no matter how selfish and conceited it sounded. Perhaps it was the way his eyes darkenedand nostrils flared whenever rage surged through him, or maybe it was the fact that deep down, mydisobedience turned him on.

The respected and feared Alpha Asher, tormented and denied by a girl.

From the possessive touches that reminded me who my body responded to, and with the looks thatheld just a flicker of anger, I knew what Asher had planned for me the moment we made it back tothe house.

Luckily, the things he wanted to do weren't suited for his parents’ house, so I was in the clear for thetime being.

A silent game played between the two of us, one where I seldom won — -but I wasn't through trying.Later that night, like many previous nights, sleep was an elusive beast that even I couldn't tame.

I woke up with foggy eyes and a bit of drool on my face, torn from what could have been the bestsleep I've had all week.

That was perhaps the only thing I missed about my old life, the endless potential for naps.

I woke from Giovanni tugging on the chord that connected me, the Vampire Queen, to every singleliving Vampire in this world.

It wasn't quite like a mind-link. I couldn't enter his thoughts and snare him to my will. I could merelyfeel his presence, like an annoying tap on the shoulder that wouldn't cease

I left the bedroom and wandered down the hall to the bathroom, opting to wake Asher up once Icould form coherent sentences.

“I'm beginning to wonder who's really the monarch here. Doesn't the Queen ever get to sleep in?” Imumbled to myself, stumbling backwards when I nearly ran into Brandon's towering form. I took afew steps back, wiping my eyes with the backs of my hands. “Oh.”

"What were you saying about monarchs and lack of sleep?” He smirked down at me, the spittingimage of Asher, only with messier hair and crystal blue eyes.

The lights in the hallway were bright, making my eyes ache, but I could still smell the alcohol thatwafted off of Brandon in waves. Rich amber and notes of thick honey, definitely some kind ofwhiskey. He wasn't p**s drunk, not by far, but he had consumed more than enough to affect youraverage male wolf.

“Just mumbling about a dream I had.” I said a bit harsher than I meant, but he was blocking thebathroom door with his frame.

Both Claire and Killian had agreed it was better not to tell Brandon the truth. At least, not until thebig announcement. Apparently, the man couldn't keep a secret to save his life. It was almostimpossible to believe.

“Maybe you could tell me about this dream sometime, if my brother dares to let you out of hissight.” Brandon replied, his smirk a bit messier considering his state.

I couldn't keep the d***h glare from settling over my face when Brandon felt bold enough to glancedown a t the tank top and shorts, I wore. Not at all revealing, but my obvious anger only seemed toamuse him further. I stepped back and to the side when he tried to take a step towards me.

"Why don’t you hold your breath, and I'll get on that. ” I answered without pause, my voice rightfullyharsh. I slipped past him and gave him one last glare. “Go sleep off the alcohol before I knock youout myself.”

“Mm, now I see why you're my brothers’ mate. “ He chuckled to himself, turning on his heel. With alast drunken grin, he called out over his shoulder. * Goodnight, Lola.”

I woke Asher up ten minutes later, letting him know his brother was a raging dumbass. Afterspending a total of three minutes convincing Asher not to go and kick his drunken a*s, we left thehouse and hopped into the sedan.

Tristan, Holly, Giovanni, Breyona and Mason all stayed in a house two neighborhoods over. Thehouses were newly built, so many of them were vacant for the time being. It was the perfect place tostash two Vampire's, and one Witch-Vampire who happened to be my half-sister.

We pulled up to the two —story house, wide with large windows that overlooked the porch andfront yard. A driveway jutted off to the side, wrapping around the back where a two -car garage sat.As Asher and I walked up the porch steps and through the front door, I was hit with the distinctscent of my grandina’s lavender cookies—mixed with the heady perfume that was human blood.Since becoming the Vampire Queen, human blood was as vital as food and water. Granted, I couldgo longer without human blood than I could food, but it was blood that often smelled better. Amonth ago, I had tried to go an entire week without the thick taste of blood in my mouth. Thesickness that swept through me was horrible , all but vanishing once I finally gave in.

I could feel my mouth watering, though I wasn't sure if it was from the blood or the cookies.

As we walked through the foyer and into the kitchen, I was greeted by the scent of both.

Tristan leaned against the wall; his golden hair cropped shorter now, just a few inches below hisears. It made him look a bit younger, less serious even though a scowl currently decorated his face.Per usual, Holly was nowhere to be found. Over the past month, I had been trying to get to knowher.

Never once pushing her to join the outside world or my pack, I tried everything possible to reachher.

Oddly enough, it seemed Tristan was the one to understand her most of the time. He was the onlyone who could get her to open up, but it didn't seem to be helping. She continued to shut herselfoff from the world, refusing to talk about the magic that had to be swirling beneath her skin. Thesame way I swore it swirled beneath mine.

Giovanni sat at the kitchen table, watching Breyona with dark eyes that shimmered with amusementevery so often. Giovanni had always been reserved. Only Tristan and Breyona could evoke theslightest hint of emotion from the man. While Breyona invoked all of the good things, Tristan hadthe opposite effect.

“Does this taste right to you?” Breyona frowned, shoving a cookie in my face. The delicate scent oflavender mixed with vanilla and brown sugar to create something deliciously unique.

I grabbed the cookie, and took a bite, wrinkling my nose when something salty crossed my tongue.“Too much salt.” She sighed softly, snatching the oven mitts from off the counter. With her hands onher hips, she glared at the remaining cookies in the oven. “You know, when your grandma gave methis recipe, I thought there would be actual measurements.”

“Grandma never measures anything.” I chuckled, my eyes straying to where Giovanni sat, a darkglass of blood in his hands.

With a snort, he stood and waltzed over to the fridge, purposefully ignoring Tristan as he stood justa foot away. He grabbed a blood bag from the fridge and poured it into a glass, approaching mewith long steps to place it in my hands.

“Thanks.” I mumbled, still not at all used to my new title.

Vampire's and their monarchs were different than werewolves. While there was no Vampirecommand forcing their will, they could feel the strength of their ruler and had a sort of sixth sensewhen it came to certain things. It didn't go as far as a mind-link, but both Giovanni and Tristan couldoften tell when I was hungry for something other than food.

Giovanni was a man of few words, but the fact that he often brought me blood when I needed it,that was statement enough for where we stood. He supported me, both because of my friendshipwith Breyona, and because of the new future I wished to put into motion.

I tried not to drain the glass entirely within seconds, feeling Asher’s curious eyes on my face.

“I'm sure you didn't call us here at four in the morning to chat?” I asked warily, already suresomething had gone wrong.

“Just another pesky band of Vampire's trying to rouse up trouble.” Tristan sighed, brushing back thestrands of hair from his face. When Giovanni grunted, Tristan flashed him an icy glare.

"Pesky?" Giovanni repeated, his light accent paired with his deep voice to create something almostmusical. “They k****d six werewolves.”

"Six?" I paled, already thinking about the future backlash and the grief the families must be goingthrough. I glanced up at Asher, whose golden eyes had darkened with rage. “Where are theyattacking from? We'll send forces after the announcement, and give them an opportunity to standdown.”

“They could cause much more damage within the next eight hours.” Breyona pointed out.

“I know, but I don't think sending warriors there to slaughter them is any better.” I sighed, ploppingdown in one of the wooden chairs at the dining room table. “I need the other Vampire's to see thatI'm on their side, that I'm not going to k**I them all because I'm mated to an Alpha.”

"Why don't you send your troops to where they've been attacking and simply tell them to holdback.

Don't engage unless more lives are in danger.” Tristan suggested, leveling his cool gaze withAsher’s.

I could feel the response in him instantly, but Asher had much more patience than Giovanni. WhereTristan and Giovanni often resorted to punches, Asher hadn't so much as laid a finger on Tristan.“It's not a terrible plan. “ I replied, knowing as well as he did that it was our best option.

Within the next half an hour, assignments had been sent out to a team of warriors, all of whichAsher and I trusted to obey orders. With bleary eyes, we headed for the front door. Tristan followedus outside, eyeing the rising sun warily.

“We need to speak.” His voice was unusually gruff, and I nodded for Asher to get in the sedanwithout me.

“Something wrong, Tristan?”

“Your sister is having nightmares again.” Was all he said, and I felt my stomach plummet to theground. “ Bad ones.”

"Have Breyona's parents had any luck yet?" I asked, feeling desperation swirl in the pits of mystomach.

“They've found a few candidates.” He nodded sharply, eyes staring down at me. “You'll get the filesin a few hours. The sooner you go through them, the sooner we can get her help.”

“I “ll get on it.” I assured him, “But Asher’s going to have a say in it as well.”

“I'd expect nothing less.” He replied with a brittle smile, eyes roaming my face before he turned onhis heel and went back inside.

Asher and I putted down the road, the engine a smooth hum as we passed houses and street signs.When we passed his family home, I frowned and looked at him.

"Where are we going?” I asked, to which he smirked softly.

“You look like you could use a run. I think I might want one as well.”

“That sounds a lot more fun than sleeping.” I replied truthfully, feeling my wolf stir beneath my skin.If there was one thing I adored more than sleep, but less than Asher, it was shifting. The feel ofbounding through the forest, your feet near silent against the earth as pure strength and instinctshurl you forwards; there's nothing more freeing.

He pulled over on the shoulder of the road when the forest became thick, nearly impossible to peerthrough even from where we stood.

It was impossible not to feel confident around Asher, especially when I stripped the clothes from mybody.

His eyes tracked my every movement, leaving behind goosebumps along every place his mouth andhands had touched.

Once we were both b**e, the cool wind whipping across our heated skin, I closed my eyes and letMaya come through. The pain of shifting was brief, thanks to the nightly runs I often took.

I charged into the forest after Asher, hot on his trail as we kicked up dirt and clumps of grass. Wewere both blips of darkness as we sprinted throughout the forest.

I tailed him for a few minutes, when Maya had the brilliant idea to nip at his hind legs. Like I hadexpected, he turned on his heel and the two of us skidded to a stop. It took a few seconds for thedirt to settle, my heart hammering as each one passed.

With our chests heaving, we faced one another.

There was a challenge in his eyes, and Maya snarled playfully when his voice ran through our head.'Did you just bite me, Lola?" Asher’s voice wasn't velvet smooth as it normally was, but rough andcommanding.

“Maybe if you picked up your pace, I wouldn't have to. “ I replied breathlessly, relishing the thrill ashis eyes darkened and hackles raised.

Maya and I, on the same page as always when it came to teasing our temperamental mate, hadanother plan in mind.

I blinked innocently at him, taking a few steps forward to drop my head. Just as he lunged for me,easily suspecting I was up to no good, I rolled to the side and took off into the forest.

I could feel him on my tail instantly, just a few feet away as he snapped and snarled at my heels. Ifeigned exhaustion for a few seconds before putting on a show and kicking off the ground in aburst of strength that sent me propelling forwards.

There was a reason Asher and I were mated, one of those reason’s being that he was the only manin this world that held the title as my equal.

While I leaped over the rotten carcass of a fallen tree, Asher used it as a springboard, kicking off itas he soared into the air.

The impact of his body slamming into mine made m y teeth rattle, but I hardly felt the sliver of painover the thrill of being chased—and caught.

The two of us landed in a mess of tangled limbs, b**e and human as we rolled to a stop in the tallgrass that surrounded us.

I had landed rather clumsily on his chest, straddling his stomach. The pads of my fingers werepressed into the thick muscle that spanned his smooth chest. My eyes trailed the vein that ran downhis neck before I smirked and dug my fingernails into his chest, pinning him down for the moment.My obsidian hair, still long and wavy, hung over us like a curtain.

" See? Now's the perfect time to practice your self— control. ” I snickered breathlessly, my entirebody thrumming from the closeness between us—and the need that tugged at my own willpower.Asher thrived and desired control, but secretly liked the disobedience and chaos I brought to hislife.

There was little to no one who would dare defy Asher, a fact I had given little thought when I firstmet the man.

I had been trying for weeks now to take the reins, each time failing- -though not miserably. Theoutcome was still phenomenal each time.

I could feel him stirring beneath me, hardening with every heavy breath that left his lips. Secondslater, the thick length of him brushed against my backside.

Keeping one hand of fingernails firmly pressed into his skin, I used the other hand to reach behindme. Smooth skin stretched taut, just a few seconds of contact before Asher snarled and flipped meover.

My breath halted in my chest as the warm grass met my back. His large hand was wrapped aroundmy throat, while his hulking form towered over me, wedged in between my spread legs.

Since coming into both of my titles, Asher and I rarely had more than a few minutes to ourselves.Unfortunately, this time was no different.

As his Beta’s voice filled his mind, I felt a persistent and incredibly impatient tug from Tristan.

“You tell me to control myself, but look at how wet you are.” His snarl was another jolt of adrenalinelighting up every nerve ending on my body, pulling my thoughts away from anyone other thanhimself. His fingers flexed around my throat, powerful and rough with callouses. The same ones thathad ended many lives, just as his teeth had torn through countless enemies. The same set of teeththat currently hovered above my own throat. Yet, it wasn't fear that rushed through me. “The nexttime you do something like that, I will not stop.

Regardless of who calls us.”