Alpha Asher

Two Days Before Announcement

"You're sure they're going to accept me?" I asked for the thirtieth time since passing the 'Welcome to the town of Pine Plains."

I had yet to see a single building, house, or spec of life since passing that sign. There seemed to be nothing but unending forest, caps of juniper and pine that inched higher and higher as they veered up the slopes of the mountainous terrain. The scent of sap and earth permeated the air, mixing with the richness of the trees, slipping through the sliver in the window as we coasted down the highway.

The views were incredible; jagged walls of earth surrounded us as we drove through and around mountains.

We had been driving for hours now, but the finality of everything hadn't truly set in until I saw the sign, reminding me that we were growing closer and

closer to the capital of Asher's--of our pack.

I have no doubt they'll accept you." Asher replied from the driver's seat, the depth of his voice near matching the rumble of the engine as we sped up an incline. Even though the sounds were similar, only one affected me so much. Eyes I had once thought were honey colored, but were actually full of golden fragments, were locked on me in the passenger seat.

The way his eyes would heat when he looked at me for too long, darkening the golden hues into something savage, the impact of it hit me full force every time.

I swallowed heavily when they drifted downwards, to the charcoal-colored dress I had picked out for this special occasion. It was the most professional article of clothing I had in my closet, along with a pair of black pumps. The dress fit to my athletic form, which had toned even more over the last three months, and ended just above my knees. His eyes ventured back up, taking their time as I squirmed in my seat.

"They will accept you because you are my mate, and you deserve to be accepted." He smirked, revealing just a flash of canine before wiping the expression away. "As for our people, they will accept you because I do. They will respect you as I do, and trust will build over time." "Wow. They must have a lot of faith in you and your parents." I murmured in surprise.

The next words that trickled through my brain might have been better left unsaid, but I had a bad habit of letting things slip past my lips. "Not many had that kind of loyalty towards Tyler or his parents. Most of them only stayed because there was no other option."

11

Not everyone is capable of inspiring that kind of loyalty." Asher said with honesty in his voice, not at all irritated from the mention of my recently deceased ex-boyfriend.

The man--boy, I thought I'd mark, mate, and spend the rest of my life with. The excitement I once felt at being toted around on his arm made me want to gag. Asher's eyes flickered over to me again, though this time only for a fraction of a second. "You'll notice that my family house isn't very large. Most of the money that is taxed from the members of our pack is put back into the community, and the warriors who protect it.

Actually, a good portion of my parent's income is from my morn."

"Doesn't your dad make money, from being Alpha?" I questioned, remembering how Tyler and I would run through the maze-like halls of his house, which seemed more like a mansion or estate.

There had been a time or two when I was very young, where I had actually become lost within those halls. The first few times Tyler had found me crying in the hallway, and would snicker at me as he led me downstairs. There was never a time where Tyler had to go without something never a time where his family worried about making ends meet.

"Being an Alpha doesn't come with a paycheck." Asher chuckled lowly, the sound rumbling through his chest. Even though I felt like I knew the man well, some of the things he said surprised me.

I soaked in every word, feeling out of step in the world of ruling. "A good Alpha takes what he needs to survive comfortably, only if his people are living in the same conditions."

I replayed his words in my head for the rest of the drive, trying to apply them to my own newfound position as Queen of the Vampires.

As we coasted down the curved highway that wrapped around the base of the mountain, I thought of my new role and how much trouble I had encountered in just three short months.

Since the death of their once King, things have been rocky. I was a newcomer, a tribrid without any roots. The ones who followed me did so out of duty and sense of self-preservation, but there were still many who voiced their opinions against me. I couldn't blame them, not entirely After all, my first act in their world had been to assassinate their King.

The dark thoughts that swarmed my head scattered as my name fell from Asher's lips, fleeing from the sun that washed my world in tones of gold and amber.

"We're just a few minutes away." He told me with a grin, chuckling when my eyes flitted out the window.

"Is the capital of your pack in the middle of the forest?" I asked, lifting an eyebrow at him.

While I had expected a sprawling city, or at least a semi-bustling town, neither Maya or I would have complained if it was. It would give us an excuse to go on more than our morning runs, which had become few and far between already. "Now you're picturing huts, and little wooden cabins. " Asher deadpanned, making me snicker where I sat.

"That and small fishing boats, nightly town bonfires..." My teasing trailed off when we coasted down another hill, and around a sharp curve.

Traffic seemed too thin at some point, making us and the two cars behind us the only ones on the road. In a moss -colored minivan behind us, with rusted rims and a bundle of lavender hanging from the rearview mirror, was my grandma, dad and Sean. Breyona, her parents, and Mason followed behind, in a blacked-out SUV that held both Giovanni and Tristan inside.

We had decided to bring Holly along as well, to expose her more to the world. It was Holly I worried about the most.

She seemed to shut down once being rescued, fearful of this new place. She rode in the blacked-out SUV with Tristan and Giovanni, even though she could withstand direct daylight. Her half witch, half vampire genetics made sunlight uncomfortable, but not deadly.

As lost in thought as I was, I wasn't oblivious to the passing forests and ravines. From the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of silver, and turned my head to see the very distinct outline of a wolf dashing through the woods. Anytime it neared closer to the tree line, I could see a flash of silver and a long snout.

"I think we're being followed." I told Asher, nodding towards the passenger window.

He glanced over once, then twice before rolling his eyes and cursing. What I did notice was the very distinct lack of surprise on his face.

"Of course, mom told him we were almost here." He snorted, turning his eyes back to the road. I watched the muscle in his jaw move before looking back towards the silver wolf. "The welcoming committee tailing us right now is my younger brother, Brandon."

"Well, I don't know how skilled he is at swimming, but he's running out of ground to run on." I snickered, now fully invested in watching.

The forest began to thin out, giving me a better view of my mate's younger brother. We had talked about his family many times, but Brandon was always a subject that made Asher uptight.

Brandon's wolf was silver with some onyx patches around his face and ears. Nearly the same size as my wolf, he kept up with us easily, even over the rocky terrain. He was agile, I'd give him that.

He pressed off of a particularly large stone and landed on four paws just a few seconds later, never losing speed. His eyes, which were a more washed-out shade of Asher's honey color, kept darting towards us.

"He's showing off for you." Asher deadpanned, never once looking over from where he sat. "If you wave at him, he might never leave us be."

For good measure, I waved a couple times.

Another minute in and I watched withheld breath as the road we were currently on became a two-lane bridge. There was no more earth on either side of us for Brandon to continue running on, just a steep rocky slope, and a near endless looking lake that glittered beneath the sun. "He's not going to jump." I shook my head, certain of it. A few more seconds passed, but he wasn't slowing down. If anything, he was gaining speed with every leap and push. I looked towards Asher with wide eyes, "Is he?"

Asher glanced over at the cliff and was quiet for just a second, "The fall won't kill him. Won't even break a bone if he sticks his landing right."

"That's going to be hard to do as a wolf. " I pointed out, just a tad more concerned than Asher.

"He's a fast shifter." Asher shrugged, lifting a thick eyebrow at me.

At the very last moment, Brandon's feet kicked off the ground and into the air. One foot turned into six and then seven, until there was nothing but sky and air beneath his body.

With his snout towards the glittering lake, the silver fur shrunk into his body, revealing bare skin, a cocky grin, and a very obvious male appendage. The splash signifying his landing was the last thing I heard.

We coasted over the bridge and back into the densely packed forest without another glimpse of silver fur or toffee eyes.

Now it was my turn to gasp when the forest finally opened up. The tree's veered off to the left and right, creating a bowl shape around the entire city with steep mountain edge's blocking everything in.

There were at least three snowcapped mountains off in the distance, each one more jagged and unique.

The entire city was bathed in color. Brick buildings and cobalt shutters, plum colored park benches and flower wrapped street lamps. There were buildings with graffiti art on the sides, pictures that sprawled from top to bottom showing hyper realistic wolves and other animals. "This is the art district. Anything that has to do with creative expression, you'll find here. " Asher smirked softly, some of the harshness in his eyes smoothing out.

"Art galleries, classes, restaurants, and clubs are all on this side of town. The university is actually only a few blocks away."

We continued through the art district, and I marveled at the random statues that seemed to have little monuments around town.

Many of them were abstract pieces, twisted and curved. I couldn't interpret a single one, but they were all incredible to look at.

"The college students make those." Asher pointed out as we passed another, "Mom figured they'd look better around town than in a storage closet somewhere, so every year she picks a few winners to be featured in the city."

From the art district, it was another ten-minute drive to a modest looking neighborhood, surrounded by little ponds and domed fountains.

The houses were clearly meant for families, judging from the assortment of toys across many of the lawns. The neighborhood was very obviously lived in and loved with great care.

We headed towards the end of the street, and pulled into a long driveway. My heart thudded with every passing second, listening to the sound of smooth pavement beneath the tires of the SUV.

I took a second to admire the house, trying to see a younger version of Asher storming out the front door and down the porch steps. Large windows allowed light into the living room, giving me a glimpse at a leather sectional and a small television.

We hadn't the chance to climb the porch steps before the front door was opening, and a petite woman came outside. hestnut hair that drifted just a bit farther than her shoulders, along with a light spattering of freckles across her face.

Asher's morn still looked young, with slight creases around her eyes and mouth. A smile stole her face the moment she saw us both, though I'm sure my face was one of surprise.

"You're both early." She squealed, eyes lighting up as she clasped her hands together. She pivoted on her heel and glanced back at us. "I'll go get your dad!"

I smirked at Asher as I heard his morn's voice ring throughout the house, telling Killian to get downstairs and that work can take a minute.

I wasn't at all stunned to see that Asher was the spitting image of his dad, who gave me a firm handshake and what I assumed was a warm smile. He was much like Asher with the limited facial expressions, the most frequent ones ranged from mildly disgruntled to full blown rage. The only difference were that Asher's eyes were completely unique from his parents, and that his dad's hair was a bit on the longer side.

"I have been waiting so long to meet you. All I ask is that you call me laire, and make yourself at home here." Asher's morn beamed, pulling me into a hug even though I had no say. She was a few inches taller than me, and for a brief moment, my chest

tightened as I remembered my own morn. ur relationship had been tumultuous at best, but there had been a time where I wanted her attention and advice.

She gave Asher a smug grin and released me from her grip, "I told him that once he left this town he'd finally find his mate. I knew from the very beginning it would take someone special to catch his attention. He was just too stubborn to listen to me." pecial is a very generous way of describing me." I nodded, giving her a sheepish grin that showed just how out of my element I was.

44

Fighting I could do, but meeting my mate's parents- that was bound to make anyone nervous. I stumbled over my words for a moment before regaining my footing, "Are you sure you don't mind my family staying here?"

"Of course, we don't mind. You're all a part of the family now. It's been too long since we've had a full house." Claire shook her head, smiling softly up at Asher's Dad, Killian. "I 've been beginning to think Killian here enjoys the peace."

"Of course, I don't mind if they stay." Killian grumbled, the look on his face was equal parts pain and adoration.

I didn't bother trying to stifle my grin, even when Asher cocked a dark eyebrow at me.

Dad, Grandma and Sean arrived just fifteen minutes later, pulling the van into the long driveway.

Grandma veered towards the porch, stopping at the garden that sat just next to the front steps. Colorful flowers sat in rows, with a small wire fence protecting them from smaller creatures. The flowers themselves were wilted, only shadows of their potential. I watched Dad chuckle to himself as he spotted her, and hobbled over to the trunk to grab some of the smaller bags. Asher and Read more