Alpha Asher By Jane Doe novel Chapter 170

There was no room for argument, no room for negotiation within the gruff plains of his voice. Not a single shred of remorse or sympathy was viable within his words, nothing I could play on or entice to change his mind.

‘Asher, come on. I have to do this -‘

You don’t have to do s**t.’ He snarled, the sound raising each and every hair on my body until I felt like I’d touched a live wire. ‘You can wait until we get back, then we can assemble an actual team to accompany us.’

‘It’ll be too late by then. I’ve already told you that they change the location of their lairs. If I don’t act now, they’ll move somewhere else and then we’ll never find them. How can you not understand that?’ I barked, frustration sharpening my voice and tinting my vision in a dull shade of red.

I was being insensitive, uncaring of the fact that he’d gone through so much while I was held captive by my father, but Asher was being so d**n stubborn.

‘I might be stubborn, but I’m not reckless. I don’t leap into a dangerous situation with the word of a Vampire we don’t know nor trust.’ His rebuttal was instant, a barrage of fire and ice clashing within the confines of my skull. ‘If they move locations before we’re both able to go, then so be it, but I will not risk my mate a second time. I mean it, Lola. Do not do this. As your Alpha and mate, I forbid it.’

A sound of surprise and defiance slipped past my lips, making several heads in the coffee shop I sat in turn in my direction. I wrapped my hands around the to-go cup I held, tightening them to ease the shaking my rage had incited.

‘Did he just try to Alpha-command us?’ Maya scoffed, offence thickening her voice.

Hastily, I maneuvered around the growing line of customers and veered straight for the doors. The slew of crimson tinted emotions I was currently experiencing deafened my ears to the few patrons I heard call out my name followed by a ‘hello.’

The door jingled as it clattered shut, and a warm breeze lapped at my face, carrying my lowered voice several feet.

“Says the guy on a dangerous mission by himself with a witch he still doesn’t trust.” I seethed, so consumed by disbelief and anger that I hadn’t noticed Rowena’s auburn hair and flowing sundress until I clipped her shoulder roughly.

“Oh, Lola.” She half-yelped, placing a hand against her shoulder as she smiled warily. A flash of recognition danced within her mossy eyes and the expression she had turned to one of concern. “Is everything alright?”

I opened my mouth to speak, but she beat me to it with a wave of her hand.

“Don’t answer that, clearly something’s wrong. I didn’t even want coffee today, but something was telling me to come here. Let’s have a chat, shall we?” She mused, flipping back the loose curls that trailed down her shoulder. I was seconds away from declining when she said, “…and I warn you, I won’t take no for an answer.”

“Alright, yeah. Let’s have a chat.” I grumbled, sounding so much like Tristan that I took a moment to collect myself.

Rowena led the two of us to a vacant bench, her flowy dress swishing around her full hips and clinging to her slender waistline with each move. She smoothed out the back of her dress before sitting down and placed her dainty purse on the bench in between us.

While Rowena waited patiently for me to explain, I watched the morning traffic ebb and flow, eventually thinning out as everyone headed to their respective jobs. There was no twisting sensation in my gut, no feeling of mistrust that forced me to remain silent.