Alpha Asher

I was placed on something soft, something familiar. I ran my fingers over the comforter on my bed.

Dad, Grandma, Breyona and Mason were all standing in my bedroom. I could remember their names now, and place them to their faces. My mind was becoming clear slowly. I still couldn't figure out their importance to me. All I knew was Tristan, wondering where he was or what he was doing. Grandma was dabbing something wet along my shoulder, and I sighed dreamily as my shoulder stung in pain. The feeling of Tristan's teeth along my soft skin danced in my head. His lips were so cool against my heated skin, igniting a fire that burned low in my abdomen. "What is that?" Breyona gasped, and I felt soft fingers trail themselves over the sore spot on my shoulder.

"The vampire." Grandma's voice was full of sorrow. "He's marked her."

"Vampire?" Breyona growled lowly, her voice set me on edge.

What they were saying held little importance to me, and my mind tuned out the rest of their conversation. Tristan's swirling blue eyes came to the front of my mind, his sly yet devastatingly handsome smile, his musky yet sweet scent. All of it was doing a little dance routine in my head, distracting me from everything else.

"You need to tell her." Breyona's voice sounded weak, frightened. "She has a right to know why their after her."

"Don't you think we know this." My Dad growled, but his heart wasn't in it. "Regardless, she's my daughter. It's my job to protect her."

"She needs a chance to protect herself." Breyona snapped in response, "If you don't tell her, I will. I can't lie to her, not about this."

"We will tell her." Grandma's voice was still full of sorrow, but she had a air of peacefulness around her. "Wait until tomorrow, when the Vampire's tricks have worn off."

My eyes quickly fluttered close. Even in my dreams, Tristan was there. My mind was a muddled mess, struggling to focus on the details of my dream. We were somewhere dark, a small light shining in the corner of what looked like a room. Tristan and I were lying on a soft bed, red sheets rubbing softly against my skin.

"Come to me, love." Tristan murmured, trailing soft kisses down my neck.

A sigh of bliss escaped my lips, and I tilted my head to give him easier access.

His teeth sharpened, grazing against the soft flesh of my shoulder. A stinging pain jolted me from my sleep, from my confusing dream. I looked down at my hand, realizing I had been pressing it against the wound on my shoulder hard enough to draw blood.

As I looked down at the scarlet liquid staining my fingers, the events of last night rushed back to me. The way Tristan's arms felt wrapped around me, the way his lips trailed down my throat.

My mind was clear-crystal, in fact.

What had possessed me to let Tristan have his way? I was delirious with my infatuation for him, an infatuation that hadn't existed until I met him again.

Grandma's words-Breyona's threat, they rushed to my mind along with one specific word.

Vampire.

So that was a Vampire. What caused him to come this close to a werewolf pack was beyond me, but sometimes mistakes happened. Why did he go after me? He knew what I was, there was no mistaking it. And yet he openly chose to go after a werewolf. Tristan had to be a pure-blood Vampire, judging by how clouded my mind had been last night. I had never experienced anything like it before, except for the first time I had met him.

My fingers curled around something rough, something I had stuffed under my pillow.

"sh*t." I moaned, crumbling the note from last night in my hands.

I had completely forgotten about my meeting at midnight, to learn more about what happened to Kanyon and Katie. My insides recoiled, and guilt flooded me. I could've helped their families find some peace, but I had to be out at a club late at night. I stared down at the note, frustration burning the backs of my eyelids. I could only hope I would have another chance.

If Tristan was working with Tyler, than surely he'd know why I couldn't arrive last night. All I had to do was wait.

I trudged from my bedroom and into the bathroom, my brain feeling like mush in my skull. Every inch of me was hurting in some shape or form. My head pounded, my shoulder stung, my eyelids burned. This weekend was not planning out the way I had thought. I wasn't even sure if Breyona had found her mate or not.

"Ugh!" I moaned, staring at my gaunt reflection in the mirror.

Something stood out in the crappy bathroom light. Something scarlett that didn't quite look like blood.

A mark stood out bright on my porcelain skin, glinting at me smugly. The mark was scarlett in color, shaped almost like an eye. The skin around the mark was raised and angry. The entire mark stung my skin, and the more I looked at it the more I began to like the color "Lola?" Grandma's soft voice called out from behind the bathroom door. "Can your Dad and I talk to you for a minute?"

My reflection jumped, startled by my Grandma's voice. My attention was pulled from the mark on my skin, but confusion and worry were still ever so present in my head.

"Sure, give me five." I muttered, rubbing the sides of my head.

I grabbed the bottle of ibuprofen from the cabinet, shoving six in my mouth and downing them with some sink water. It wouldn't last for long, but hopefully long enough.

I brushed my hair and teeth, and slipped into the shower. The shower was solely for my benefit, as I currently lacked the energy to do anything other rub my pounding head. I slipped on something clean and walked out of the bathroom.

Food was sizzling away in a pan at the stove, my Grandma keeping a watchful eye was on standby.

"Good morning." I grunted. It was not a good morning at all.

I dropped into one of the kitchen chairs carelessly, resisting the urge to rest my head against the cool coffee table. My eyes were closed, but I could hear Dad trudging into the kitchen and plopping down in a chair. His aftershave was strong in my nose, but it was oddly comforting. It gave me something to anchor onto, something to think about other than Tristan and the throbbing in my head.

When I finally opened my eyes, my Dad was looking at me. His eyes were practically burning into my skin. He wasn't looking into my eyes, his gaze was locked on the scarlett mark that stained my skin.

"I don't-" I paused. Did I know what happened?

A Vampire had attacked me at the club. But I think I actually enjoyed it, or did I? My mind was a fogged mess which definitely sounds like some mind games, but I still couldn't be sure. The fog made me doubt bits and pieces of last night. Like how Tristan said I was his, and I agreed wholeheartedly. That couldn't have actually happened. I wasn't even old enough to find my mate, and I had no idea if Vampires even had mates. "Lola?" Dad frowned, and I realized I had been staring off into space.

"Here, dear." Grandma murmured, "You need to eat and drink before we talk, those mind games are quite painful."

I wanted to open my mouth and ask how she knew, but the smell of fresh roasted coffee, eggs, and bacon called to me more. Grandma was right as always, I gradually began to feel better with each bite and sip I took. "Don't ever do that again." Maya groaned in my head. I could tell she was feeling the same pain as I.

"I have no clue what you're talking about." I grumbled, eating another fork full of eggs.

"That guy shoved me away and you let him." Maya shook her head, letting out a angry huff. "I was trying to help you, but you didn't even fight back."

"I didn't know there was even something to fight against." I groaned, "Your not the one who had their thoughts all messy and jumbled. I couldn't even remember who you were."

"You couldn't remember me?" Maya frowned, and I felt her worry.

"I couldn't remember anyone" I shook my head, "Anyone but-y'know, Tristan."

"We're staying away from Haze." Maya shuddered, horrified at the thought of me forgetting my own wolf. "We are never seeing him again, and we need to figure out how to get that ugly mark off your neck."

I was in silent agreement with Maya. But somewhere deep in my mind a piece of that fog remained, longing for Tristan.

"Thanks." I nodded at my Grandma. My voice sounded much clearer and filled with less pain.

"You'll be good in no time." Grandma gave me a soft smile, "Just takes a few hours is all."

"It's rough." I nodded, "So-Is my account of last nights events real or am I just confused."

My voice sounded hesitant, almost unsure. I hadn't heard myself use that tone since Tyler and I were together.

"I'm afraid they are very real." Grandma frowned, pulling out a chair and sitting down at the table.

She had no food for herself, just a cup of dark coffee. I could always tell when Grandma was stressed. She'd drink an entire pot of coffee herself, never putting her usual dosage of cream and sugar.

"So Vampires can actually get in your head." I nodded, my lips parted in disbelief. "I never-I didn't know what he was."

"We know." Grandma nodded, and Dad gave a quiet grunt. "And yes, they can get in your head. Only pure-blooded Vampires have that ability.”

"So Tristan was a pure-blood." I was confirming the things I had already known, things I was doubting until now. "Is that why I wanted to leave with him?"

"What?" Dad frowned, clearly taken aback by my question.

"No, Lola." Grandma smiled sadly, "They can't force your decision. They can only muddle your thoughts to force you into deciding."

Of course I could hear the hidden meaning in her words. He simply took away my worries, my inhibitions. He removed all factors holding me back and left me to decide. That meant, some part of me actually wanted to go with him.

"But how-Why me?" I sputtered, my mind moving faster than I could process.

"We think-" Grandma sighed and shot Dad a pointed look. "We think he came for you, specifically."

"Me." I nodded, "Why? Why mess with some random werewolf."

"Vampire's can't mark full blooded werewolves, dear." Grandma frowned grimly, "I should know."

Grandma shot Dad another pointed look, "It's your job to tell her this. Man up and tell your daughter the truth."

"Alright." Dad snapped, giving Grandma an irritable glare. "Your Mom had a mate before she met me. We were together for two years and had Sean, but her mate came knocking. Your Mom slipped up and he got her pregnant, but the mate-bond is a strong thing. You can't always resist when it's pulled." I could hear the words coming from his mouth, but my brain refused to process them. Maya already understood, and began a fit of howling in my head. The meaning of his words spiraled in my head, screaming the unforgiving truth.

"No." I shook my head, a second away from leaving the kitchen all together.

"Your Mom's mate was a Vampire." Dad said the cursed words, the ones that would send everything crashing down.