Alpha Asher by Jane Doe (Alpha Asher & Lola)
Chapter 54
Breyona’s POV:
Against my better judgement, I had given Giovanni the address to my Aunt’s house. I knew what I should’ve done instead, beating myself down for being too weak. I should have rejected him on the spot. I should’ve grabbed Lola and Mason, leaving the club and my mate behind. My Mom had spent my entire life telling me about the mate bond, and how it would be the happiest day of my life. I wonder what she would think if she knew the truth. This wasn’t the happiest day of my life; it was the worst. A mate I could never be with, one destined to fight against my kind.
It was selfish to hope he would abandon his kind when I would never do the same. I couldn’t leave my pack and family behind, yet I couldn’t say the three words that would sever our connection for good.
‘I reject you.’
Those words physically couldn’t form on my lips.
The night Lola was marked by Tristan, I took her and Mason home. I stayed around long enough to learn the truth about Lola. She was half-vampire. As bad as it sounded, my heart soared at the news. That meant a werewolf and a vampire were compatible in some form. If they could have children together, couldn’t they somehow be mates? Maybe this wasn’t such an anomaly.
After taking Mason home, I hopped into my car. I knew I should’ve driven straight home, but my heart led me elsewhere. I was released from my thoughts as I pulled into the driveway of my Aunt’s house. The lights were off as they had been since she died. My Aunt was much like Lola’s Grandma. They were both erratic with an incredible outlook on life. I turned my car off and stared up at the old farmhouse. There had been countless summers where I and my older sister would visit to play. My Aunt had all kinds of animals back then. We would play with the horses, running from the hyperactive dogs that would circle our feet.
When my Aunt died, the animals were sold to various farms. The gr@ssbegan to whither and die, no longer being taken care of. My Mom could never bring herself to come back here. She had been close with her sister. Her death hit her harder than anything I had witnessed before. It was terrifying to see my Mom down on her knees, tears streaming from her eyes as sobs of agony hit her.
I opened the car door and stepped into the cool night. My body was on auto pilot. I felt as though someone were tugging the mate bond, pulling me closer to where Giovanni may be. Things would have been so much simpler if I had just gone home. My hands were shaking as I unlocked the door, hearing it creak loudly as it swung open. The house smelled of dust and my Aunt’s cinnamon apple air fresheners. They had long ago run out, but the smell remained. It was faded by time but was a peaceful reminder of who had lived here.
I didn’t lock the door behind me, some small part of me hoping Giovanni would show. I flipped on the lights, thankful my Mom continued paying the electric bill. I think some part of her enjoyed pretending my Aunt still lived here, that she was just a phone call away if anything happened. That made two people who were ignoring the truth, like mother like daughter.
I sent my Mom a quick text, letting her know I was sleeping over a friend’s house. I made sure not to include any names, determined to keep Lola out of trouble if I could. I curled up in my Aunt’s teal armchair. Mom had hated this piece of furniture for years, yet my Aunt never got rid of it. She claimed to love the wide seat, constantly stating how easy it was to curl up on with a book in hand. I think my Aunt only kept it around to see the grimace on Mom’s face. My Aunt was funny that way. The armchair still smelled like her, light and floral. My eyes snapped open as the floorboards creaked warily. I had fallen asleep in my Aunt’s chair, lulled by the familiar scents of home.
My heart nearly jumped from my chest, my eyes widening as I noticed Giovanni standing in the open kitchen. He was leaning against the counter, his dark eyes on me. I wondered how long he had been standing there for, and if he had watched me sleep.
“You came.” I ch*oked out; my voice thick with sleep.
I had to remind myself to stay on guard. Mate or not, Giovanni was the enemy. My wolf howled pitifully, pacing in my head. She had been trying to deny the thought, pretend this entire fight wasn’t existing. It went against her nature to betray her pack, and yet it was also against her nature to reject her mate. We were both in a tight spot.
My feet moved on their own, approaching Giovanni as he stood in the kitchen. His clothes had changed from what he was wearing at the club. He was dressed in a dark sweater, a thick leather jacket enclosing his torso. His curly hair was messy, drops of rain clinging to each strand.
“I’m not sure why I came here.” Giovanni murmured, his dark eyes were bright and wide as he looked down on me. “I felt as though you wanted me here.”
My mouth ran dry at the sound of his voice. His rough voice, with just a hint of an Italian accent. His voice sounded like honey, thick and sweet. It was something I could never tire of, and yet we could not be together.
“It’s the mate bond.” I murmured, running my tongue along my dry lips. I could only imagine how it felt for Giovanni. Vampire’s weren’t raised knowing about a future bond they would experience. “Mate-bond.” Giovanni repeated, his dark eyes glued to my lips. He was hanging on my every word, just as I was hanging on his. The mate-bond cared not for species or wars. The mate-bond had one duty, to bring two people together. It worked against Giovanni and I, turning our willpower to mush. The urge to step into his arms was overwhelming, his scent swirling around me in suffocating waves.
My own willpower was the first to snap. My fingers twitched, wanting to feel his skin beneath my own. His tanned skin looked soft, smooth and flawless. Without hesitation, my fingers glided over the soft skin of his hand. Sparks danced along my fingertips, sending a wave of relaxation through me.
“This make’s me feel calm.” Giovanni murmured; his eyes locked on our hands. “Is that part of the mate-bond?”
“Yes.” I nodded, my eyes trailing over his face. The frustration on his face was gone as he watched my fingers trail over his skin.
“And the strange feeling running across my skin?” Giovanni’s eyes snapped up to my own.
“That’s also the mate-bond.” I nodded, su*ked in by his intense gaze. “The feeling lets you know you’ve found them—your other half.”
“How can a Vampire be your other half?” Giovanni grimaced, giving a quick shake of his head.
“I don’t know.” I answered honestly, already craving another touch. I continued running my fingers over his hand as he made no move to stop me. With each caress, my own restraint evaporated. My wolf was in awe, taken in by the man who claimed half our soul. She was determined to pretend. Pretend there was nothing else outside these walls. There was only
Giovanni and I, only my mate and me. It was easy to get su*ked into her thoughts, wanting to believe the same. When Giovanni leaned into my touch, stepping closer to my body, my mind still hadn’t begun to clear. I could feel the heat from his body, begging to meet my own. My fingers trailed up his clothed arms, grazing the skin of his neck.
His dark eyes were blown wide, lingering on the sparks that caressed his skin. I su*ked in a sharp breath as my fingers trailed up his neck, dancing along his curly hair. The moment I felt Giovanni’s hands on my hips, I knew we were both lost.
Giovanni leaned down, and I pressed myself against him as our lips clashed together. His lips were hot against my own, something I hadn’t expected. My hands tangled in his curly hair, marveling at how soft it felt. While I was tall for a girl, I was small against his huge frame. His hands grasped my hips tightly, as though he were making sure I had been real. Our lips moved against each other’s effortlessly, the emotions we suppressed guiding us. His touch sent a fire crawling across my skin, begging to be relieved.
“This has been a mistake.” Giovanni grunted, tearing himself from me. I could see the toll it had taken on him. A sharp pang of pain radiated throughout my chest.
“We’re mates for a reason.” I was grasping at straws, pleading for some way to make this work.
“There is no reason.” Giovanni’s eyes hardened as he took a few steps away from me. “Neither of us will ever change sides.”
“We can still meet here.” The words left my lips before I could even process them.
“How, little she-wolf?” Giovanni hissed, his eyes darkening. “Would we ignore our own kind? Pretend there is not a war brewing?” It was stupid, so stupid. And yet I couldn’t stop myself.
“That’s exactly what we do.” I clamped my lips together as the words came out. “I—We don’t have to talk about what’s going on when were here. It can be somewhere safe for the two of us.”
‘Until I’m able to sway your loyalty.’ The words I had almost spoke lingered in my head. I had no choice, I had to sway his loyalty. The only other option was impossible to think of. Giovanni looked unconvinced.
“The odds of this ending badly are high, little she-wolf.” Giovanni frowned, nearly making me wince.
“I know.” I admitted, and yet I couldn’t help but hope.
* * * *
I had returned to the house a couple nights later, after Lola had been moved into the packhouse. I had spent days resisting the urge to drive off, running to my Aunt’s house in hopes Giovanni would be there. Some nights I would lie awake, remembering the feel of his lips against my own.
I couldn’t bring myself to ask my Mom about Vampire mates. Her face would contort in confusion as she asked why I wanted the information. I already knew what she would say. She would claim we had no more texts on Vampires. She had no idea I knew about her secret stash. Information so old she kept it under tight lock and key. Only her and my Dad had the privilege of seeing this information.
I wanted to sneak off and find a way to access the information, but I couldn’t. I wasn’t sure I wanted to read what it said. Would it doom us? We were already doomed according to Giovanni. Could it save us? I wasn’t sure anything could.