Alpha Asher and Lola novel Chapter 68

Read Alpha Asher [by Jane Doe] Chapter 68 – If Alpha Asher was surprised by the Vampire’s words, he didn’t let it show. Alpha Asher’s face remained an impassive mask, disinterest flashing in his eyes. I wondered how he managed to keep his cool, and how long it had taken him to perfect that technique. Alpha Asher raked his eyes over the Vampire lazily, a neutral expression on his face. I honed my features, hoping they would convey the same disinterest.

While my heart was a hammering mess, I meticulously checked the stable bookshelves in my mind. Each thought and memory were safely tucked away, bound in leather and stuffed onto a shelf. Before I could wonder if the man was a full-blooded Vampire, I felt someone entering my mind.

Clear as day, I watched as the raven-haired Vampire strolled through my mind. His nails scratched against the thick oak bookshelves. It felt like an irritating scratching sensation in the back of my mind, an itch I could never scratch. It took all of my concentration to keep the library in my mind upright. Clearly this guy wasn’t as skilled as Tristan with the mind games. Nonetheless, his intrusion caused me discomfort. I wasn’t sure I had room in my head for anyone else, Maya already took up enough space. Resisting the urge to wince, I schooled my face into an irritated glare.

“Could you stay out of my head?” I raised my eyebrow at the Vampire, my eyes flashing dangerously. “It itches.”

Alpha Asher turned his eyes to me, letting them flash with caution and concern before wiping the emotions away. The raven-haired Vampire stared at me blankly before letting his lips turn up in a dazzling smile. While the smile transformed the man’s entire face, it was a smile that lacked any form of warmth or comfort. His smile was serpent-like, cold and calculating.

“My apologies, but surely you can’t blame me for trying.” The raven-haired man smirked, his emerald eyes bright and alert.

‘Instead of insulting me, let’s keep the Vampire’s out of our head.’ Maya grumbled, bristling at the close proximity between the Vampire and I.

“It is a welcome surprise to find you here, Alpha Asher.” The Vampire smirked, his emerald eyes raking over Alpha Asher before turning on me. His full lips turned up in interest as he met my eyes. Something dark twinkled in their depths, a knowing smile forming on the man’s face. “And a pleasure to finally meet you, Lola. I presume you’re here for one of our fighters.”

A low warning growl shook Alpha Asher’s chest, the Vampire’s smile deepening in response. The bright-eyed Vampire knew why we were here, who we had come for.

‘This could be a trap.’ Maya murmured, ‘They don’t plan on letting us leave.’

‘I knew we’d have to fight our way out of here the moment we stepped inside. Let’s make it count and take Sean with us.’ I nodded in response.

Alpha Asher’s voice filtered through my mind, anger lacing his tone. I could feel the presences of Breyona and the guys listening in, waiting for word of what happened.

‘They knew we were coming.’ Alpha Asher repeated what Maya had said, his voice hard yet determined. ‘We’re waiting for an opening. I’ll need a distraction to get the three of us out safely. When I give the signal, sow chaos.’

Annoying pinpricks danced behind my eyes as I looked at Alpha Asher. He was determined to lead this mission even though he had no obligation to my family. He could have just sent a team of men to do the job for him, but he knew I’d insist on coming along. He was willing to go so far to get my brother, willing to fight for his life. I felt the same as I thought about Breyona and Mason, how there was no hesitation when I asked for their help. I gathered up my strength and forced the tears away, giving the Vampire a hard look.

“If you know what we’re here for, then you know how far I am willing to go to get him back.” My voice came out steady and strong, conveying none of the that currently boiled in my stomach.

There was no reason to continue playing nice. I wasn’t needlessly trying to start a fight, but it was better to get straight to the point. Whether they had time to prepare or not, they knew what we came for.

I refused to let myself think of Tristan, determined to ignore the fluttering in my stomach at the thought of seeing him. Since the scarlet mark on my shoulder had healed, I felt the pull to Tristan much stronger than before. That small part of me hoped Tristan would be here tonight. Maya growled in frustration, hating the scarlet mark that brought nothing but torment.

“A fight would be pointless, unnecessary bloodshed.” The dark-haired Vampire shrugged, his emerald eyes flashing with amusement. He leaned forward, his cold eyes staring into my own. “I’m sure we can come to an agreement.”

Alpha Asher caught on without needing an explanation, but I could feel the growl that had been building in his chest. Attacking the Vampire would do us no good, at least not at the moment. The fight had yet to begun and Sean was nowhere in sight.

“What do you want for him?” My voice was hard and cold, but even I couldn’t hide the interest that lingered in my gaze. As though he knew I were hooked, a serpentine smile formed on his face.

“That can be discussed.” The Vampire smiled, the strange expression lighting up his face.

“Do you even have him?” Alpha Asher’s voice matched my own, cold and patient.

“Stay for the fight, Alpha Asher. You’ll see soon enough.” The Vampire’s eyes hardened as they flickered to Alpha Asher. “My friend will be over to discuss our terms.”

In a fluid and graceful movement, the Vampire stood and left the two of us alone. Alpha Asher’s eyes met my own, and I swore we were thinking the same thing.

‘An agreement?’ Breyona frowned, her voice concerned as she spoke through the mind-link.

‘Sounds kind of sketchy.’ Carter’s voice ran through my mind, followed by Mason and Wade’s approval.