Alpha Asher and Lola novel Chapter 234

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.

I 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 blood. They’d heal quickly, only to be torn open again. It was unfortunate that I knew how this worked.

“Not good.”

Holly’s face flashed in my mind, and with it came a 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 also felt lost-betrayed.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t bring myself to hate her.

Brandon’s shoulders slumped, his lips merging into a thin line. “You might as well tell me everything considering neither one of us is leaving anytime soon.”

Starting off at the beginning, I recounted the moments leading up 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 garnered a reaction.

Brandon’s eyes darkened in nearly the same fashion as Asher’s, but no amount of anger would coax Brandon’s wolf forward with all that silver touching his skin. His time here must’ve permanently altered his brain because the next words that left his mouth put me in a stupor.

“I’m sorry. Your brother was a good guy.”

I blinked the tears away, swallowing the knot in my throat. It ached as it went down, forming a weight in my chest that wouldn’t go away.

“Yeah, he was.” My whisper danced along each corner of the room before fading into the darkness.

Brandon’s eyes drifted to the floor. “I can imagine how Asher’s taking it. He’s never going to let that one go.”

“I’ll spend every day of the rest of my life reminding him it wasn’t his fault.”

“You might have to.” Brandon voiced his agreement.

I 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.

She’d be so disappointed to know what I had attempted to do.

When I reached the part 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 wolf before the color

died off and the beast went back into hibernation.

I shouldn’t have mentioned it since I had no

intention on elaborating, but I finished by telling Brandon I knew who the second witch was.

“Who? Who is it?” He leaned forward in his shackles, tilting his head.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

Brandon opened his mouth, probably to 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 a squeal from the hinges as it opened.

Even in shitty lighting, I could make out that head of hair anywhere.

It was an open flame streaked with golds and yellows, beautiful if not for the scowl marring the face of the person it was attached to.

“Ember.” I snarled, but it wasn’t nearly as threatening as it could’ve been had my throat not felt like I’d swallowed the Sahara.

Considering there was nothing else to focus on, it was all too obvious to notice the smirk

Ember tossed Brandon’s way. She 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 voice.