Alpha Asher By Jane Doe
Chapter 172

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 Iopened it. He blocked the way with his lanky torso, not allowing me the chance to slip outsidewithout 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 ancientspell 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 watchedsome romantic comedies and talked about boys. Really, you didn’t miss much. If you wanted towatch 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. Thelook on his face was one I'd seen in the mirror more times than I could count: exhaustion regardlessof 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 mycar 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 andunsurprised. He curled his lip at the wolves watching us, too far to hear our words but close enoughto 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 neverpass up a chance to help me go against Asher's wishes. “You've got a plan forming in that devioushead 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 unfoldedin my mind.

Her voice was accompanied by the sound of music and laughter. “Hey, Lola! I mean, I'm not busywith anything important. I'm at this wedding Asher's mom put together, figured I'd feel safer arounda 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**Iyeah, 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 onceher reply reverberated in my head.

“Lola?” Tristan’s voice sounded from a few feet away. As I turned away from the forest line and metthe brunt of his worried stare, I felt a small throb from the mark he'd long ago put on my neck-theone I still needed to replace 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 Ireached the living room and Holly's petite frame came into view. She was in the same position I'dleft her in, bundled in blankets like a human burrito with an extra-large bow! of popcorn in herhands.

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

“Thank you, Holly.” I exhaled, my shoulders slumping with relief. With two sets of curious eyes onmy 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 bitanxious about going out in public. Never been to a wedding before...” Holly chattered softly, herhands two dark blurs in the rearview mirror as she moved them back and forth, gesturing atseemingly nothing.

A small whisper of a smile ghosted across my face as I listened to her ramble, watching as shetalked with her hands. I found it both interesting and odd that the same amused expression driftedacross 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.” Hollyhummed. The sound of rustled lace came from the backseat as she shifted and tugged the hemdown 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 mythoughts 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 thehouse 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 ledinto town, staying just inside the forest line to give me the illusion of privacy. I had no doubt thateven if I demanded they back off, they wouldn't listen. They'd protect me with their lives, no matterhow much I protested.

“Thanks for the personal brigade of wolves, but it's really not necessary.’ I shot my snarky responsedown 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 followingme.’

Asher’s reply was instant. The second his calm and collected voice hit my ear drums, I wished hewere here, but only so I could throttle him. “I understand you're pissed, but I'm just trying to keepyou safe. This isn't how I wanted to do things, but you haven't given me much of a choice. When Iget 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 secondtime.

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

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