Alpha Asher and Lola novel Chapter 195

Read Alpha Asher by Jane Doe Chapter 195

Dad’s grin didn’t falter, remaining intact while I picked my jaw up off the floor. He chuckled, the sound warm and throaty, while tugging Flora over to his side.

The woman with the kind eyes and soft curls smiled at me, her pink lips matching the petals on the dress she wore. She was clearly nervous, twiddling her fingers and glancing around the kitchen with interest. I felt a tad guilty considering I hadn’t really spoken more than a couple words to Flora. The last thing I wanted her to think was that I had a problem with her and my dad being mates.

“That’s great, dad! You’re like a whole new person, but how did this happen?” I had to ask, glancing over at grandma when she made a noise in her throat.

She said nothing, currently hunched over as she stuffed our refrigerator full of her homemade sweets. There were tupperware containers stacked on the shelves, and from a distance I could make out a couple batches of cookies and even a plate of brownies. I’d have to sneak away later on and steal a few before Asher and Zeke scarfed them all down.
Dad heard it too, his grin widening as he shrugged. It made sense he wouldn’t be too worried about how it happened, only that it had. He jutted his chin in grandma’s direction and said, “Had to be your grandma working her magic.”

“I told you four times now it wasn’t me that fixed your leg.” Grandma huffed, swatting at him as she closed the refrigerator door.

Dad shrugged, “All I know is I hope it lasts. Flora here has been teaching me how do dance. Can you imagine that, Lola? Your old man on the dancefloor!”

I had to grin at what he said, laughing at the excitement on his face and how it made him less of a gruff veteran and more of a lovesick puppy. Before I could get more than a chuckle out, my smile fell. What he said about dancing, it plucked a memory from the back of my head, one I hadn’t thought about since Tristan and I sped out of the pack via motorcycle.

A familiar tickle started in my stomach as I remembered Flora and dad dancing at the wedding. Seeing him like that, his face contorted in pain and shame while his eyes b****d with longing, it broke a part of my heart that wanted nothing more than my dad’s happiness. He’d been through so much, lost out on so many things with Flora that it didn’t seem fair for him to miss out on this too.

Grandma was the first to speak, instantly noticing the fallout in my joy.

“What is it, Lola?” She asked, coming to my side, and placing a steadying hand on my shoulder. The scent of dried lavender followed her, mixing with her floral perfume to create a scent that was familiar and calming.

Hearing the seriousness in her voice, dad broke off his silent conversation with Flora and turned my way. His eyebrows creased with concern, the same salt and pepper shade as the hair on his head.

I was connecting the dots, realizing that the burst of emotion I’d felt watching my dad and Flora dance was my magic manifesting itself. There was no point in hiding this from them, from the people I trusted more than anything in the world. Even though I hardly knew Flora, the way she looked at my dad had me wanting to trust her in the same way. She’d never replace my mom, and I knew she didn’t want to, but she deserved happiness just as dad did.

“I think I’m the one that healed your leg, actually.” I admitted, “It’s a long story, but Asher and I figured out my magical type. I can conjure things, make them real just by thinking about them. It’s why the witches want to use me so badly.”

Understandably, no one looked too relieved to hear the truth. Everyone, Flora included, now had identical looks of unease on their faces. Dads was mixed with anger, while grandma’s had small traces of worry. They both looked at one another, then at Asher who had just walked into the room.

“They’re not going to get their hands on you though, isn’t that right’?” Dad said, but his question was directed at Asher.

Asher came up behind me, his arms circling my waist and drawing an instant sigh of relief from my lips. His masculine scent and the heat of his skin melting against my own took the edge off and filled me with a sense of confidence that came from feeling safe. Dad knew as well as I did that Asher would sooner send the entirety of our forces into battle if it meant keeping me protected, but I didn’t blame him for needing reassurance.

Apparently, neither did Asher, because he replied without a hint of offense in his voice. I could feel his chest vibrating against my back, quaking with the gravely sound of his voice.

“Not a chance. We’re going to take every measure possible to make sure she stays safe.”

I craned my head to look up at him, momentarily d******g in the amber pools that circled his pupils. His lips, which looked irrevocably soft and kissable, twisted into a small smirk. It didn’t matter that I was openly ogling him. Any time our eyes locked, it was like the room melted away, leaving us both alone in our own small bubble.

“Taking every measure possible doesn’t mean I’m going to be locked away like a princess in a tower, though.” I reminded them both, “I have this power for a reason, and I’m going to use it to stop the witches.”

“Lola, maybe that’s not—” Dad began, putting on his stern parental voice.

“First, you need to master it. No point in running head-first into battle with this Blood Witch without knowing your stuff.” Grandma chimed in, on my side as always. Pride sparkled in her eyes, but it had always been there, even when I was nothing more than a werewolf living in her little cottage in the woods.

Dad side-eyed her, still grimacing. “Mom, we’re not sending my daughter up against an army of witches.”

“Don’t you look at me like that. I care about her just as much as you do, but even I can put aside my own feelings to see what’s best for this world.” She huffed, snapping her fingers. “This doesn’t just affect this pack. Maybe it did at first, but things have grown bigger than that. This fight can very well change things everywhere, and not for the better. Your daughter’s been given a special sort of power, and power like that demands to be used.”

“H**l, yeah! Tell him, Grandma.” Zeke’s whoop sounded from across the kitchen.

The messy-haired Alpha appeared in the entryway; a lopsided grin pasted onto his face. Dad skewered him with a look so vicious that Zeke held up his hands in surrender. The smile didn’t slip from his face, and after a moment Dad let out a deep sigh.

“I know you’re strong, Lola. Stronger than half the wolves in this pack, but that doesn’t mean I still don’t worry about you. You’ve taken on so much so young, and everyone has their limits. I’m just afraid of what might happen once you reach yours.” He grunted.

Dad’s eyes carried a weight I’d noticed my entire life, but never fully understood. He’d been an incredible warrior in his prime, shot down during battle and grievously injured. In the span of one day, his entire life had been flipped on its head. I wondered if dad had reached his own limits that day, and if that was why he mentioned what might happen once I reached my own.

I slipped from Asher’s arms and stepped into my dad’s, inhaling his woodsy scent, and smiling at the tobacco and leather notes of his cologne, a gift mom had gotten him a few years ago. Even though I wasn’t his daughter by blood, there was nothing but affection in his eyes.

“I know, dad, but I have to fight. I have so many people counting on me and letting them down isn’t an option. I’m trying my best not to go into this blind.”

His smile turned wry, and his eyes glistened with the emotion he fought to hide. “You’ve changed, you know that, kid? The old you would’ve charged in there and set the place on fire. You’re becoming a better ruler each and every day, making your old man proud. Just remember that you’re not in this alone, alright? You got so many people here wanting to help you, and you need to let them.”