Alpha Asher | Completed ✔️

Chapter Thirty Five

Thank you so much Abi, Vanishingskies for this amazing fanart! You're so talented!!! (:

Word Count: 1678

~Sinful

I watch him carefully, for a specific reaction.

He's been coy with me. Careful, in fact. I've been waiting for him to start questioning me about Alaya. About what we did that night. Instead, all he has been doing is brooding, and now that this has happened, I'm not anticipating any further reaction. My favourite side of Asher is about to come out.

The dark side.

We assume Alaya and Aspen left together this morning. I don't believe there is an inch of my property Asher hasn't scoured. It's interesting watching his reaction to this. He pretended not to care about her, as if I don't know him and how he works. This will drive him insane, which is exactly why I am letting him take care of the issue.

"Don't bring anything with you," I instruct, pausing Asher's movement up the stairs. "You won't need it."

"Who knows how far they have gotten," he replies.

I shake my head at him in disbelief, not preferring him like this. His expression is withdrawn, his eyes wandering in all directions as if Alaya is in this building. Surprisingly, he's weaker while she is away rather than while she is here. More distracted even. If he wasn't, I wouldn't be pressing for her return.

"You're an Alpha, Asher, use that to your advantage," I mutter flatly. He understands what I mean by that. It shouldn't take him more than a few hours to scope her and the other male out.

"She hasn't shifted, otherwise I would have been able to find her by now," he said, folding his arms over his chest.

"Your mate is out there, it just depends when you want to find her."

We keep eye contact for a few moments, before his stubbornness chips away completely, until he turns to walk away from me. I watch his departing back. Alaya has no idea what is coming from her. Or what's in store when she gets back.

***

~Alaya

(11 hours earlier)

"Seriously?"

"I convinced him," Asher informs me, leaning against the doorframe to my room. I smile at the thought of that.

Aspen isn't going to be spending the night in a cell like I had assumed he would. Asher had managed to convince Sinful that Aspen wasn't' a threat, which he probably already knew. It wouldn't surprise me if Asher is only doing that for Aspen because he knows he's going to be executed by Sinful soon anyway.

The thought makes me sick to my stomach, but I swallow my hateful words. Him being in his own room helps me another way too. In a way Asher doesn't know about.

"You can go," I comment, pulling my bedcovers over my legs as I look back at the book I was reading, not taking in any of the words.

Asher knows I'm mad at him. He also knows it's for good reason.

"Alaya, I'm sorry-"