Alpha Asher by Jane

Chapter 223

Even chalk-white and swaying on two feet, Zeke managed a look of utter surprise. Tessa’s slender eyebrows fell into a grimace, and a subtle blush stained her face. From the way she avoided his gaze at all costs, I knew things were far from perfect between the two, but it was a start.

Tessa was no longer against us, so long as I held up my end and kept my word that witches would have a place in the world, one where they didn’t have to hide in the shadows.

“Can you heal him?” I asked her, nodding in Zeke’s direction.

“I think so, but I might need some help. I’ve only ever mended small wounds…

nothing like this. Plus, his weakness to silver is going to stunt things.” Tessa replied, peeling up the bottom half of Zeke’s shirt. When she made it to his back, where the gem-incrusted hilt jutted out a few inches from his spine, she winced. “I’m going to have to pull it out. It’s…it’s going to hurt.”

“Do it.” Zeke grunted, sinking to his knees to brace his hands in the dirt.

“On three…” Tessa murmured, gingerly wrapping her hands around the hilt. She took a deep, shuddering breath. “One… two…”

Without warning, she pulled. Zeke’s eyes flashed silver, his wolf threatening to emerge the second the blade slid from his back, and he let out a harrowing snarl.

“Now, Lola. Funnel your magic into me.” Tessa urged, flattening her hands on Zeke’s back, right overtop of the wound.

I did as she said and had to close my eyes halfway through to bask in how good it felt. A single thought and my magic flared to life like an obedient pet. It followed my every whim much like a dog would, only its sheer strength reminded me more of a fire-breathing dragon.

A thread of glistening gold connected Tessa and I, growing brighter the more magic I sent crackling through.

Nearly ten whole seconds later, Tessal lifted her hands from Zeke’s body and shouted, “Alright, Lola. That’s enough.”

At the snap of my fingers, the connection shattered into golden dust.

“Too much?” I questioned, tilting my head.

Zeke stood, pulling his t-shirt off to hand to Tessa. She wiped her hands on the clean parts of the fabric, then shuddered.

“It was intense, almost like drowning.” She said breathlessly, looking at me in a way I wasn’t sure I liked. “Is it like that all the time?”

I took off the

If only you had Ember’s strength.” Rowena said, her voice no

frowned, turning to hover over Rowena. “Ember’s strong, but her stubbornness keeps her from seeing the bigger picture. Freya won’t just stop with the Werewolves. She’ll go after

you there?’ Breyona’s voice filled my head, distant and muffled. ‘Shit’s hit the fan, bad. I think I’m losing my mind here.

desperately trying to keep my cool but

hadn’t heard anything from Asher- hadn’t felt a single thing

and the moment she saw an opportunity to escape, she’d take it.

Breyona shouted, her snarl ringing down the mate -bond along with another, one that lifted the hairs on my arms with how familiar it sounded. ‘I know it’s crazy, but

I was sure of it.

loud so that Zeke and Tessa could both hear. “Zeke’s standing right next to

I’d never hurt Asher, you know that. Either way, I can’t be in two places at once. I’ve been at the prison this entire

to cut your

have no clue what’s going on. Just-just stop him from hurting Asher. I’ll be on my way

it.’ She snarled in response, her voice fading into the

damned

that moment to turn

was

at the prison

his earlier

obvious information. “Yeah, that’s why I didn’t know what happened to your brother. Breyona called me up and told me she, Giovanni, and Tristan were searching for Asher and that something happened. She asked if I’d come help, and I wanted to-seriously, I did, but I wasn’t comfortable leaving the prison unprotected. She said if I changed my mind to meet her at your place, then that was the last

amused laughter hit the

found myself teetering off the edge, hanging on with what little strength I had left in my

She giggled to herself, the decayed patch of skin on

“Do you know why Zeke’s suddenly

purred, staring up at me through

took to coax the shadows holding her in place to tighten, digging further into her skin. They lapped up the blood that wept from her wrists and neck with long tongues the color of an oil slick. She winced, and I watched with disgust as the decaying skin on her face began to peel away. The flesh beneath was black, like her meat had rotted.

to bleed every secret from your body, Rowena.” I promised, my voice dropping an octave. “Every. Last. One.”

her full lips peeling back to expose her

me?’ I called out to my best-friend, holding tightly to the mind-link between