So since Alpha Rylan is now officially available for purchase now on Amazon, I thought I would show you a picture of the book, and my cat Bean!

Hope you guys will get the book now! I'm excited for it (:

Word Count: 2126

~Alaya

"Your idea is stupid," Sinful says flatly.

"Well, I never said it was going to be good. But it is my plan, and I know you will do it," I comment, folding my leg over my knee.

My strategy in this situation is to challenge him back. Sinful has me manipulated time and time again, so now, I know what to look for. He has a very easy way of smoothly gaining your acceptance, your trust. Now that I've had all that trust shattered, I know how to best avoid it.

The easiest way being to stick to my original plan, and not let him convince me out of it.

"I'll do it, don't worry about that," he continues, raising a dark eyebrow at me. His gaze is more daunting today with the lavender eyes. "I'm just curious why you're sacrificing your life for someone you hardly know."

I knew Sinful didn't actually believe Aspen was my husband who abandoned me at the altar. I may not be full aware of the extent of his power, however, it would be too convenient for him to not know, when he knew Asher was my mate. Everything that has happened has been a distraction, which leaves me to wonder what else Sinful knows.

At least I can be sure about this. He confirmed it by hardly reacting when I used Aspen's name.

"You can hear what I'm thinking," I say firmly, knowing for a fact he is able to. "Do you not see why I'm willing to do it?"

"Is your life really worth so little to you?" he questions, raising an eyebrow at me.

I've completely expected him to be speculative. What I'm thinking about is dangerous, and I have no idea whether he is willing to go along with me plan. For him, he doesn't care about Fate or Aspen. At least I don't think he does. Him making an effort in this situation is all I have left to hope for. If he doesn't agree, I'm dead. No, Aspen's dead.

"That's why I need your help," I say softly, teetering from my toes to my heels. He's not about to feel sorry for me, if he feels anything at all, but it's worth a shot. "I need you to keep my life intact, if that's not so hard."

There's a glint in those lavender eyes that allows me to see that I have sparked his interest.
Perfect.

"You do astound me Alaya. Not many can do that," Sinful says. "Alright then, you have yourself a deal."

***
~Asher

I don't think Alaya quite fully understands.

We walk together, arms brushing, the soft grass and small wild flowers being crushed under our steps. The sun sets, the Desire Pack beginning to fully glow with the brilliant lights of each high rise to small building. I miss this place. It's a lot like the immortal lands in the way people here live by the night. However, it's completely different.

People here are more alive. They realise the extent of their lives is short, while immortals have forever. I can see the appreciation for life every time I look into my mate's eyes, reflecting off the darkness of her irises.

Alaya doesn't understand me. I don't expect her to. Every time I look at my Pack, I want back, however, I'm tied to Sinful.

I need to explain why to her, but every time I see that smile on her face, I can't bear to break it.

We walk in silence. I'm enjoying her company, although I'm not sure it is likewise. A part of me feels foolish for bringing her back here, luring her into the temptation that the Desire Pack brings. She hardly knows of it's power, I'm sure. Heck, she hardly knows of my power. Again, something I'm not so sure I want to share with her right now.

"Where exactly are we heading?" She asks finally, scuffing her feet through the grass as if she's bored of walking.

This didn't get off to the best start as we first landed on my property. It reminded her of how I had used Shanae as an excuse to get her out of the house originally, and also to get her to the immortal lands in the first place. Okay, that was more of an impulsive gesture; I shouldn't have brought her there.

"Somewhere special," I comment obscurely, admiring the horizon as the sun slightly dips below it. Hopefully I'll get her where she needs to be before night consumes the sky.

She grumbles something lowly under her breath that I ignore.

"Even though I'm proving to you that I'm somewhat worth getting to know, can I ask you a question?" I ask softly, hoping not to scare her away with that proposition. I decide to add, "then perhaps you can ask me one, if you please."

"Okay, I like the sound of that," she replies cautiously.

I don't need to think for long, but as if to not seem too eager, I wait, glancing at her once to find her staring up at me, watching. I resist the urge to just pull to a stop and kiss her. Perhaps she would appreciate spontaneity, however, I'm not willing to risk it right now.

"What's your passion?"

She seems almost startled by the question, but replies instantly. "Acting. I've wanted it my whole life, and when it happened, it wasn't...how I hoped. Here's me wishing I had a second chance. Guess that's not an option anymore."

I can tell that's not a purposeful dig at me or the position I put her in, but naturally, I feel it in my lower stomach. Guilt. It was me who took that away from her. It's not something I can remind myself to give her one day. It's something I have to do.

"What's yours?"

"I'm not sure," I say carefully. "I'm kind of lost right now."

She shakes her head. "Don't say that. It's not true. There's something, no matter where in your life, that you find comfort in knowing you enjoy. Right?"

I think about that for a moment before I speak.

"History. The past. Something about it intrigues me, I can't explain why," I say softly. This is almost a revelation to me as I say it. I never had time to truly consider what meant something to me. Becoming Alpha means giving away the things you care about. Sometimes that includes your mate. That won't be an option for me.

"That's the great thing about having a passion," Alaya comments, skipping over a small rock in her path. We are coming down a hill right now, a gate in our line of sight that will lead us to the city. "You don't have to explain it to anyone."

I smile slightly.

"My turn for a question," I say, biting the edge of the lip. I'm anticipating her reaction to this one. "Could you ever see yourself as a Luna of the Desire Pack."

She takes a surprisingly short amount of time to answer. "Sometimes I think I would be a better Alpha than you."

I smirk. "You're not wrong."

"Did you really think I had a connection with Sinful? Was there a point where you were worried I would actually fall in love with him?" She question so suddenly I almost physically flinch in response.

My mind goes through careful processes before I answer that question. She knows little about my abilities to feel emotion first hand, and how the entire time we were together, I notice her interest in Sinful, and how he returned it. However, on either side, there was never any romantic feeling. In a sense, they both used each other. Still, I reply cryptically, unsure of how else to answer.

"I hoped not."

"That's not an answer," she growls playfully. She skips ahead slightly before she turns, walking backwards so we could face each other. I watch carefully behind her, hoping she doesn't slip backwards down the hill.

"It most definitely is," I say. Before I can think, I speak. "Will you give me a chance?"

She stills walks backward, but her steps falter slightly. I analyse every inch of her face, trying to catch onto what she is thinking.

"I can try," she says, almost seeming anxious. "If you will give me one."

My confusion is disrupted as she almost stumbles into the gate behind her, her feet slipping dangerously. I catch her arm in time, pressing her against me to feel her heart flutter in surprise from the potential fall. It takes a special part of me to let her go.

"We are nearly at the city," I murmur, wishing I could brush off her last comment. "I still have something to show you."

***

~Alaya

I knew where we were going before Asher could even say a word.

Walking this route everyday to work this time a few years was a task. A task I miss. Now, with the Alpha of Desire beside me, it seems almost surreal. Luckily, no one notices Asher, as he keeps those indisputably familiar eyes cast down at the ground.

"We aren't going in there," I say nervously, as Asher produces a key. "They surely sold it."

"They haven't, trust me," Asher replies.

It's my old apartment. I remember when I hardly had any money to pay for this thing. Just thinking about it makes my head spin; it feels like years ago. The moment I step inside my room, everything almost completely unchanged, even with my old couch pushed up against the wall. They never got rid of that thing? I asked the movers to trash it...

"This feels like a time capsule," I remark, relishing in the sound of the boards cracking under my feet.

This is Asher being considerate. For the first time in a long while, I feel as though maybe he does care for me. The way he looks down at me, almost as if I'm the only one to exist in this world, as foolish as that surely sounds. This may have been a sad time living here, after dad died, but it marks the beginning of the story Asher and I shared. The moment Sky received that letter.

"I was thinking maybe you would want to go see your sister as well, when you're done here," Asher says tentatively, as if somehow worried to interrupt the moment I was having in my own mind. "That is, if you-"

I couldn't really consider any other way of showing my gratitude, or how much this simple gesture means to me. Asher nearly was knocked over by the force of which I jumped at him.

The problem with having a Asher as my mate is that the moment my lips touch his, that's it. I can't consider a way of turning back from that.

Almost instantly, Asher responds, his arms coming around me, trapping against me against his bodyguards. I'm not sure I would like anything at this point. Well, more of my mate, I think, as I slowly push Asher back toward my old couch.

Hopefully he has the same idea as me, and he takes the lead, taking me by surprise as he picks me up by the back of my thighs, carrying me the rest of the way to lay me on the couch. For a moment, he pulls away, looming over me, eyes shimmering brilliantly under the dull light of the rooms one lamp.

"I'm really falling for you," he breathes, before leaning down to steal another kiss.

As he does so, guilt blooms in my stomach, because I'm beginning to do so to.

🖤••🖤

Want more and don't want to wait!? More of Asher is available now on Radish!

Fate is on Radish now! I hope you guys will check it out! First three updates are free! (:

Alpha Kaden, Alpha Grayson and Alpha Jasper are available for purchase on Amazon now! Send me a picture of you with the book to be featured!

💎••💎

So you can blame these late updates on a variety of things.

Mara is proving harder to write than I would like it to.

My boyfriend is basically at my house everyday and is incredibly distracting, no matter how supportive he is of my writing.

And exams. I have three weeks of the pain that is exams. They are important though.

I promise things will work out soon.

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~Midika 💜🐼