Alpha Asher by Jane

Chapter 234

There was no doubt in my mind that the place I had been was not of this world.

Not only had Sean been there, confusing me with talk of some mysterious person watching over me, but the concept of pain had been elusive and just out of reach. The peace that hung in the air, shimmering as brightly as the magic interwoven to create a place that was both real and memory, could only belong to some kind of afterlife.

At least, that’s what I was hoping.

Pain was the first thing I felt as that place slipped away. It held my head in its strong grip, claws digging into my scalp to produce a throbbing pain that chased me into consciousness. I hadn’t even opened my eyes yet and there it was.

When I did manage to peel my lids back, I tried to recoil at the pale face staring out at

More pain engulfed me, stinging my wrists, neck, and ankles. It blasted my mind, sapping my strength until even calling out to the shadows felt impossible.

I craned my head down, staring blankly at the silver-plated cuffs that pinned me to the wall. What was even more surprising than my restraints was the fact that my hands and arms were no longer covered in inky veins of dark magic.

As much as I wanted to wrack my brain for the identity of this mystery being watching over me, there was someone else vying for my attention. 1

“It’s about damn time. I thought you were dead.” A voice snapped.

The person staring at me from across the room came into focus. Toffee eyes sharpened, so familiar that my chest begun to ache. Only, they didn’t belong to Asher.

“Brandon?”

His name came out as a rasp, my tongue sticking to the roof of my dry mouth. My throat contracted with the effort it took to speak. When was the last time I had something to drink? I had a couple blood bags back at the house, but how long had it been since then?

“The one and only.”

Brandon was chained against the far wall in the same position, silver cuffs around his wrists, neck, and ankles. His reply was dripping with sarcasm, but beyond it I could see clearly the rough shape he was in.

Dark circles ringed his eyes, and his cheekbones were just a tad more pronounced. There was dried blood where the silver had previously made contact with his skin. As he fidgeted, fresh blood sprouted from raw, cracked flesh.

“What happened?” I grimaced. It felt like I’d been hit upside the head with a sledgehammer. Every single thought was paired with a wave of nauseating pain. “How long have you been here?”

“Oh, lets see…” Brandon mumbled, blowing the hair out of his face with a frustrated huff.

He made a show of counting on his fingers, though I wasn’t sure what for.

After going over each one on his hand several times he grunted. “Since that bitch

Ember and the other witches attacked the Vamp town.”

“That was days ago.” I blanched, my stomach sinking. “You’ve been here for that long?”

“Yeah, I fucking have. You wouldn’t happen to have a bottle of liquor stashed on you?”

I tried to snort, but my dry throat refused to let the sound pass. “No, I definitely don’t have any alcohol on me.”

He leaned his head against the brick wall, glaring at the singular light hanging from the center of the room. It was nothing more than a lightbulb on a thin wire, with a little string dangling from the side. The light it produced was shitty, but it was better than drowning in darkness.

“Fair warning, Lola. The service in this place fucking sucks!” He bellowed, thrashing against his restraints.

The chains clanked against the brick, spitting out a thin plume of dust, but he was clearly too weak to do any more damage. Blood trickled from his wrists, splattering on the concrete floor. It dribbled from his neck as well, soaking into an already blood- stained shirt.

When he was finished, he slumped against the wall, his chest heaving. He swiveled his head towards me, scanning me up and down the way I had done to him mere minutes ago.

“You look different. How are things back home?” He asked.

swallowed, shifting in my restraints. The sting of silver split the thin skin around my wrists, and I winced as the wounds began to weep

“Not good.”

slew of emotions I couldn’t handle dealing with right now. I’d trusted her, bonded with her, and thought of her as the little sister I’d always wanted but never had. Not only did I feel pathetic and stupid, but I

how hard I tried, I couldn’t bring myself

well tell me everything considering neither

to when everything went horribly wrong. I’d expected a look of disgust when telling him about Asher’s proposal, but his face hadn’t changed in the slightest. When I mentioned what happened to Sean, that

all that silver touching his skin. His time

sorry. Your brother was

away, swallowing the knot in my throat. It ached as it went down, forming a weight

whisper danced along each corner of the room

imagine how Asher’s taking it. He’s never going

of the rest of my life reminding him

Brandon voiced his

continued on, explaining what happened after Sean and grandma had been attacked. Brandon was more than angry to hear about grandma, which was another surprise. The woman truly did make everyone fall in love with her. My heart clenched painfully at the thought of the woman I considered my second mother.

be so disappointed to know what I had attempted to do.

about Rowena, that was the first time I’d seen Brandon show any glimmer of happiness. His eyes flashed with just a hint of his

and the beast went back into hibernation.

shouldn’t have mentioned it

telling Brandon I knew

forward in

if I told you.”

goad me into telling him, when a sound came from beyond the heavy wooden door on the other side of the room. It sat to the left of me, far out of reach. There was a long groan, followed by

make

not for the scowl marring the face of the person it was

as threatening as it could’ve been had my throat not felt like I’d

nothing else to focus on, it was

sauntered into the room wearing a pair of skin-tight leather pants and a low-cut blouse the same fiery shade as her hair. Propping her hand on the flare of her hip, she opened her mouth, but the only sound that filled the room was Brandon’s

here without that pizza. All that talking you did and you’re doing a shit job at keeping

going rigid. Her eyes, which were

you to shut your damn mouth.” She hissed, barely craning

his mouth, I already

owned. You were the type of kid to squeeze her hamsters to death weren’t you? Seems like the kind of psychopathic thing you’d do.”

boots into the ground, Ember spun

about the

the dingy room we were locked in. Brandon didn’t seem to care in the slightest. If anything, I’d say he was enjoying riling her up so much, but that- that didn’t make any

Brandon snapped his teeth in response. The longer I watched two,

arguing like a married couple -wait a damn

of the second witch, I had too much information and emotion to sort through. It would take me years to process it all, to move on from the rage and the pain that

hell that this was possible.

was clear hatred there, which would’ve been soothing if it weren’t for

recognized that edge intimately.

been the same edge in my own eyes when I’d first met

two are mates.”

crack. Just like that, their

out.” Brandon sang, his teeth bared in a sarcastic grin.

stare burned into

I knew her words weren’t

“Shut. Your. Mouth.”

shuddered in my chest. First Tessa, and now

the back of my neck. For the smallest of seconds,