Alethea
I look around the room, and then I see him.
Asher.
His piercing green eyes cut through the crowd like a blade, locking onto me with such intensity that it sends a shiver down my spine. His gaze is changing color, darkening, flickering between green and something more dangerous. Something wild. I shift on one foot, suddenly uneasy. I can’t make out all his features from here, but I don’t need to. I can feel his fury from across the room.
Trent follows my line of sight. His posture stiffens the moment he sees Asher walking toward us.
Asher’s stride is purposeful, powerful-like a predator closing in on his prey. Every step he takes is full of authority, stripped of any weakness. And that aura… it rolls off him in waves, sharp and heavy, crashing into Trent with force.
Trent steps away from me without a word, clearly shaken. He can tell that Asher’s anger isn’t just random-it’s aimed straight at him.
The crowd seems to freeze. Conversations die. Heads turn as the full weight of Asher’s Alpha presence sweeps through the room. The air grows thick to breathe.
“Back off, Trent,” Asher says coldly, his voice like ice. “You have no right.”
Trent looks like he might melt into the floor. He raises his hands quickly, palms out. “I’m sorry, bro. This was a mistake.”
Bro?
I glance between them. Now that I look, I see the same jawlines and the same shade of dark hair. There’s a resemblance, but it’s faint.
Asher waves him off, not even sparing him another glance. His eyes are locked on me now, and in that moment, everything else fades. The music, the people, the lights-none of it matters.
Only Asher and me.
Time slows. The world blurs. His eyes hold mine like a silent demand, searching me, reaching deeper than anyone ever has. It feels like he’s looking straight into my soul like he wants to fix everything that’s broken inside me.
Then he speaks, voice low and steady. “I told you to save a dance for me.”
I don’t answer.
Instead, I rise on my toes, pull him closer, and press my lips to his.
He stiffens, caught off guard. His eyes search mine, looking for hesitation. “Ally,” he whispers, his breath warm against my lips, “you’re drunk. I can’t kiss you like this.”
“But I want to kiss you,” I breathe, my voice trembling with truth.
A rush of memories hits me our first night together, celebrating at the club after landing the deal with the textile company. I remember laughing, dancing, throwing caution to the wind. I remember the way he held me and kissed me like I was the only girl in the world.
“Kiss me, Asher,” I say softly, teasingly, “or I’ll grab the next guy I see and kiss him instead.”
His green eyes widen instantly, pupils dilating as a deep, low growl rumbles from his chest. It vibrates through me, shaking something buried deep inside. I know I’ve pushed him to maybe past it.
I don’t know what’s happening to me. All I know is this sudden, overwhelming need to have all of him. Just for me. I crave him in a way that feels wild, and out of control. Something isn’t right, but I can’t bring myself to care.
Before I can make sense of my thoughts, his lips crash into mine.
It’s not a gentle kiss. It’s fierce, demanding-like he’s been starving and I’m the only thing that can satisfy him. Our mouths move in perfect sync, and sparks shoot through my entire body, waking something primal and raw. Something that’s been sleeping for too long.
My mind blurs.
All I can think about is his hands on me, his body against mine, his scent, his heat. The ache inside me grows, terrifying and thrilling at the same time. I haven’t felt this way in weeks, maybe longer. And now that I do, it’s consuming.
I gasp when he pulls away, breathing heavily.
“What’s happening, Asher?” I whisper, my voice shaky.
His eyes are dark, burning. “You’re experiencing a mini heat,” he says.
“A mini… what?” My breath catches as I look around.
Suddenly, I realize Unmated wolves around the room are staring at me with an intensity that makes my skin crawl. Their eyes glow faintly, their hunger almost tangible.
Without warning, Asher scoops me into his arms.
His Alpha aura explodes commanding. I cling to him as the others instinctively back away, his power forcing them to retreat.
Relief floods me. He came for me. He’s keeping me safe.
I wrap my arms around his neck and rest my head against his chest. His heart is pounding, fast and wild, syncing with mine. His steps are long and determined, like I weigh nothing, like getting me out of here is the only thing that matters.
But even in his arms, I feel a tight, pulsing knot in my belly. It comes and goes in waves, but it’s getting stronger. And worse, I’m soaked. Every brush of his body against mine only adds fuel to the fire inside me.
We reach his room.
He kicks the door open and gently places me on his bed. I sink into the mattress, but I’m already aching for him again.
Asher stands over me, eyes glowing with heat and restraint. His fists clench at his sides. He’s trying to hold back. Fighting himself.
“Fuck,” he mutters under his breath, jaw tight.
I can tell how hard he’s trying not to lose control.
But I want him to.
“You’re leaving tomorrow,” Xena says through gritted teeth.
“So what?” I whisper, voice low and needy. “What difference does it make if I feel him inside me just once before I go?”
Xena, my wolf, purrs at the idea, rolling in satisfaction.
**”Whore,”** she mutters darkly, but I ignore her and shut the mind-link down.
I shift on the bed, my body betraying me. The wetness between my thighs pools in waves, and I can’t stop it. I need more. I need him.
I look up at Asher, pleading with my eyes.
And I see the war inside him.
One second from snapping.
One second from giving in.
And I pray that he does.
“You don’t want me?” I slur, my voice dripping with mock sweetness. “Then go, Asher.”
A crooked smile stretches across my lips-sickening, teasing, deliberate. His jaw tightens. I can see the war in his eyes, the way my words twist inside him.
“Fine,” I whisper, lying back. “I’ll take care of myself.”
I spread my legs just enough to make him freeze in place and slide my hand down, slipping my fingers inside my soaking core. I gasp at the sensation-wet, hot, desperate. My hips begin to move slowly.
“F-Fuck me, Asher,” I moan, dragging his name out like a spell. My eyes never leave his.
He stands there, rooted to the spot, eyes locked on me with pure, feral hunger. His fists are clenched, breathing heavily, his bulge straining painfully against the fabric of his trousers.
I arch my back and let out a low moan, moving my other hand to my breast, squeezing through the fabric. I can smell my arousal thick in the air, and I know he can too. The way his nostrils flare, the way his eyes darken-he’s barely holding on.
“Come get your last taste, Asher,” I purr, hips grinding harder against my fingers. “Or are you going to waste the chance to have your final fuck?”
His eyes flash with fury and need. His control is shattering.
“Fuck, Ally,” he growls. “Why are you torturing me?”
I smile, sultry and shameless. “It’s nature, Asher. I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t ask to want your touch this badly just because of a mini heat.”
“Then *take* me,” I say again, sharper this time. My voice cuts through the air, full of hunger and frustration. “Come fuck me like you mean it.”
Still, he hesitates-and it stings more than I expect.
I rise to my feet slowly, my legs unsteady but my pride burning bright. “Sorry, I asked,” I snap. “It’s obvious you don’t want me. Let me go.”
Before I can take a single step, his voice roars through the room-deep, furious, and shaking the very walls.
“Don’t move.”
His aura hits me like a wave.
And I know.
The Alpha in him has finally broken free.