Alpha Asher By Jane Doe -
Chapter 155
Chapter 155 — “Oh, these are good.” Cassidy's moan sounded from the kitchen, followed byBreyona's laughter.
I squinted against the early morning sun that peered through the c******s and padded down thehall, catching snippets of their conversation the closer I neared.
"Aren“t they? You don’t know him, but the recipe belongs to a grumpy vamp named Tristan. It tookme days to figure out how to make them since he'd always grumble when I asked.” The sizzle ofsomething cooking in a pan followed Breyona's soprano and filled the air with something bothsweet and savory.
“Tristan knows how to cook?” I asked skeptically, leaning against the door jamb as both she-wolvesspotted me lurking.
Cassidy was perched on one of the island stools eating a bowl of oatmeal and nibbling on a rolled-up pancake, her strawberry blonde hair a halo around her shoulders.
"Oh, he does. Gio was complaining about it a few days ago while cooking dinner. He said somethingabout Tristan making his family recipes better than his nonna.” Breyona scrunched her nose andturned back to the omelet sizzling away on the pan. She said over her shoulder, “I can't believe hownervous I am to meet his family. Usually I don't care so much what other people think of me, but Ican't seem not to care.”
I glanced down at the eggs simmering away and held back a frown. I'd have to sneak a bag of bloodand some sugary cereal when the two of them left. Not that there was anything wrong with theomelet, but my appetite had been changing since becoming Vampire Queen. The sudden chime ofthe doorbell had me spinning around, but the figure standing beyond the frosted glass wasdistorted.
“Probably the newspaper boy.” Cassidy shrugged and scooped another spoonful of oatmeal into hermouth.
“They'd be insane not to like you. You're the total package.” I smirked at Breyona before crossingthe foyer to the front door.
"Of course, you're right. How could I forget?” Her laughter trickled into the foyer, along with herreply to Cassidy. “You still get newspapers delivered around here?”
"Asher's Dad tried to get rid of it a while ago. We have a website-even an app that broadcasts packnews across the country, but some of the older members were totally against it. They liked the waythings were, so he kept it.” The warmth that Cassidy had for Asher's family was laced within herevery word.
My stomach dropped when I opened the door and heard Cassidy ask, “Your old Alpha wouldn'thave done the same, I'm assuming?”
Oh, this wasn't good.
“Tyler would've done what he wanted, and lock anyone who disagreed in the nearest cell.” Breyonareplied, and I could hear the grimace in her voice.
Cassidy made a sound of disgust, “...sounds like a grade “A’ wolf right there.”
Her laugh was as dry and brittle as my own when I snatched the newspaper off the porch andglared down at the bold printed headliner.
“Well, you can read all about it on the front page.” A snarl tore past my lips, making Breyona jumpin a way I would've thought were odd if I hadn't been seeing red. Ignoring Cassidy's widened eyes, Islapped the newspaper down on the counter between them.
It took several seconds for both to read and process not only the headline, but the two photosprinted in bright coloring-so vivid I felt like I were still there.
"...you need to get a hold of Asher...now.” Cassidy paled, dropping her spoon into her oatmeal. Itwas quickly swallowed whole by the brown sugar and cinnamon flecked sludge.
"Even Asher can't fix this...what's done is done.” Breyona frowned and leaned against the counter.“It's not about him fixing it, it's about Lola getting to him before he replaces the wolves responsible andkills them.” I could taste the urgency in her voice and forced myself not to panic. My resolve onlyfaltered a little when her sea-green eyes met mine, bright as they were honest. “You know he'll usetheir deaths to make a statement-and from what I do know, the last thing you want is a publiceer—
I narrowed my eyes at the perfectly timed photograph of myself and Clint Armstrong facing offagainst one another, right at the scene of his son's m****r. Breyona and Mason stood off to the side,both glowering with fists clenched. My chin was angled upwards as I met his defiant stare, and eventhough I was several feet shorter than him, there was something about the way I stood that feltmore threatening-or maybe it was just my confidence and over inflated ego
Either way, someone had taken a photo that morning and I wanted to know who. As for the second,I had an inkling on the person responsible.
Seeing Tyler's arm draped over my shoulder made my stomach clench, his bleached teeth andfreshly plucked eyebrows now grating where I'd once found them charming and irrevocablyhandsome.
It was his slender face and weasel-like nose that had me clenching my teeth, and not the way hiseyes strayed mid-photograph to check out the scantily dressed bartender nearby. Chelsea's arm waslinked with my own, the smile on her face more like a sneer now that I was no longer blinded byshallow popularity.
There was no need for me to read the contents of the article, the headings pieced the storiestogether flawlessly.
Tri-brid, seductress linked to the d***h of a young Alpha, tied to the slayings of numerous wolves.My eyes strayed from the five columns of tiny print that took up the entirety of the front page. Noway in h**I was I reading those. I was both hungry and murderous, and worried Maya would huntthe culprit down themselves.
"Oh, Goddess.” Cassidy murmured, her eyebrows and forehead creased with disbelief. I heard as myheart skipped a beat, and then another when she flipped her phone around and showed me thepack’s app. In the same bold lettering, was the article that depicted me as some sort of temptress.A headache throbbed at my temples, “...you're right, I'll try to mind link him.”
"Here, you look like you're going to pass out...or b**n the city down looking for the a*****e that didthis.” Breyona's slender lips tilted up at the corners as she handed me a blood bag.
“Don’t even worry about it...I do hope it tastes better than it smells, though.” Cassidy waved herhand dismissively even though she watched me with interest brimming in her eyes.
I realized she was waiting for an answer, but my train of thought was stopped short when Breyonaset a box of cereal in front of me. It was sugary and fruity, everything I looked for in a breakfast. Shecaught sight of my frown when I looked over at the omelet she made me forgotten on its plate.“You know what's worse than cold eggs? Microwaved eggs.” Breyona's lips were pursed as sheshuddered. She shrugged a single shoulder, “...besides we both know you don't care what's forbreakfast as long as you get your blood bag. Gio’s the same way.”
Ignoring the feel of Cassidy's eyes on me, I emptied the blood into a cup and sent my thoughtsveering down the mate-bond, where I was met with a wall of nothingness.
“He must still be asleep.” I told the two of them, my mind too clouded to notice the sugary cereal asit hit my tongue. Unease accompanied the food as it settled in my stomach. Where I slept like thed**d, Asher would wake to the smallest of sounds.
Halfway through my second bowl the shrill chime of a cellphone blasted from somewhere in thekitchen. I made a mad grab for it once I realized it was mine and frowned at the name on thescreen.
"Zeke, tell me this bad feeling I'm having nothing to do with you and Asher.” I skipped thepleasantries and got down to business, but each second it took him to answer solidified the truth.“The bad feeling you're having has nothing to do with me...and everything to do with Asher.” Heblurted, stumbling over his words. It took me a few seconds to realize it was worry that filled hisvoice. “I'm only telling you this because I love you like a little sister and because I'm more afraid ofyou than I am of him...but you need to come get him before he kills Clint Armstong.”
"Zeke, where are you?”
"His office.” Zeke's voice was gritty with emotion, but my thoughts were racing too fast to dissectthem all. “Armstrong decided to hand deliver him todays paper. You're the only one that can getthrough to him. I tried and he threatened me. So, when you get him calmed down again, let himknow I'll be expecting my apology in writing. I'll text you the address, but you need to get here fastbefore he-"
The call ended abruptly, but Cassidy was already on her feet with the car keys in hand.
“Don’t bother waiting for the address, I know where his office is. It's the same building his dad's isin.” Her smile was reassuring even though the pale complexion of her face told me she heard everyword and knew how precious our seconds were.
“Gio and I were going to leave in a couple hours, but I can't just leave you to deal with this byyourself.” Breyona frowned, her eyes darting between the two of us
"Go to Giovanni and when I mind-link you tonight, I'll be expecting a detailed summary. Got it? Takeadvantage of the chaos and slip out of the pack unnoticed. I'm sure there will be wolves watching usafter this.” I'm sure my stern expression was flimsy at best, but it was enough to reassure her thatwe'd survive on our own.
"Only if you give me one. I'd like to hear what Asher does to that foul-mouthed Judge.” Her facecontorted into a grimace, and for a split second her eyes deepened past their natural mocha browninto something darker. It was that, paired with the coldness in her voice which sent a chill racingdown my spine.
“Deal.” I nodded slowly, scanning her eyes for any trace of that strange darkness.
When I came up empty handed, and found myself staring into the unchanged eyes of my best-friend. Left with only the memory and fading chill of darkness, I couldn't help but wonder if it hadever existed at all.
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