Defying the Rogue Alpha
Chapter 113: Sting

Chapter 113: Sting

Dennis strolled into the clearing. "It takes you five minutes? Wow. That explains why she ran away from you."

Lucas gave him a withering glare. "Dickhead."

But the sting didn’t last long. The truth was, Lucas had missed this; the banter, the teasing, the joy that came from not being weighed down by secrets and responsibility. He had his brother back. He was on the verge of reclaiming his woman.

Dennis, unfazed by his brother’s death-glare, waved him over. "Come on, I need you to see someone. There’s something strange about her."

Lucas stood up, his protective instincts kicking in. "Something strange, and you let her in? I gave specific instructions, Dennis."

Dennis snorted. "You’re not the alpha of my land. You don’t get to give out instructions."

Lucas sighed, but followed, casting one last look at Ava over his shoulder. He winked at her, a silent promise in his eyes. She offered a small smile in return, though it was tinged with sadness.

And that smile gutted him.

Because Lucas knew, as well as she did, that this wasn’t just about lust. It never had been. Ava was battling a war inside herself. She didn’t know whether to trust him again, whether to trust herself. And Lucas had sworn that this time, he would give her the space to decide. Even if it killed him.

She watched him walk away, heart fluttering.

He said he loved her.

But love had been a battlefield before.

Still, her body hummed with the memory of his touch, her skin still tingled from his mouth, and her soul ached at his absence the second he walked away. She wrapped her arms around herself, half to comfort and half to remember the warmth he’d given.

*****

Dennis dragged Lucas by the arm. His grip was tight, his movements jerky, and Lucas couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

"Could we not manhandle me?"

"Shut up," Dennis muttered as he yanked him around the corner and to the small room where they stood by the open window.

"Do you know her?" Dennis asked.

Lucas squinted through the open window, gaze falling on Zoe.

Lucas stared. Her face didn’t trigger anything in his memory. She was beautiful though. She felt... foreign.

He shook his head. "No. Never seen her before."

Dennis frowned. "I swear she feels like someone I’ve met before."

Lucas gave his brother a side glance, one eyebrow raised. The gears in Dennis’s mind were clearly grinding, but they weren’t producing anything helpful. Instead, Lucas noticed the flicker behind his brother’s eyes. The subtle shift of gold bleeding into blue.

Lucas narrowed his gaze. "How long have you kept Dread buried, Dennis?"

That made Dennis snap out of his daze. "What does that have to do with this?"

Lucas shrugged. "Nothing. Just asking."

Dennis’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t trust Lucas when he acted this casual. That usually meant there was a psychological trap being set somewhere nearby.

"So," Lucas went on, still eyeing Zoe through the window, "what is it about the woman in there?"

Dennis sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don’t know... I can’t explain it. I just..." He hesitated, searching for words that didn’t sound ridiculous.

Lucas cut in helpfully, "You think you wanna fuck her?"

Dennis flinched. "Sort of. But not in the dirty, sick way you just made it sound, you psycho."

Lucas smirked.

"I thought you had a thing for Ava. What, you switch women like you switch underwear?" Lucas asked. "Is that why you have this rogue sanctuary thing? Your own little revolving door of heartbroken women who fall for the mysterious Rogue Alpha? Is that why you started this rogue shop? To fuck anyone who wanders in?"

"Lucas..." Dennis’s tone darkened in warning.

But Lucas wasn’t done. Oh no. He was winding up.

"I really thought you were being noble for once," Lucas continued. "But turns out you’re just feeding your penis. Real classy, Den. And Mum thought you were the honourable one."

Dennis’s face twisted. His whole body tensed, and for a second, Lucas thought maybe he’d just stunned him. He thought Dennis might need a bit more push. But then...

Dennis roared. His fist connected with Lucas’s jaw, sending him stumbling a step back. Lucas caught himself, lips splitting into a grin.

"Oh, you are awake now," he murmured, cracking his neck.

Every part of this had been intentional. Calculated. Lucas had poked the bear because he wanted the bear to fight back. Dennis had been suppressing Dread for far too long.

Lucas’s eyes flared gold as he half-shifted. His face contorted slightly, his hands thickening, claws emerging just enough to look monstrous. Then, with the dramatic flair of a man who lived for chaos, he backhanded Dennis.

Dennis went flying like a human with wings, crashing into the ground with a dull thud. He grunted, rolled, and jumped to his feet.

"What the hell, Lucas?!" he spat.

Lucas didn’t answer. He launched himself forward, fists swinging at speeds that could rival lightning. But Dennis wasn’t just some weak alpha. He blocked each one, arms weaving through Lucas’s attacks until he was able to land a kick to his stomach.

Scratches appeared along his ribs and arms, Lucas’s claws had found skin.

An audience had gathered now. Pack members stood at the edge of the clearing, watching with morbid fascination.

Missy rubbed her temples in exasperation. Even in good terms, the brothers were still fighting.

Zoe stepped out of the room.

The moment she appeared, Dennis’s back straightened. He felt like he needed to impress her. Her eyes darted from Lucas to Dennis, and narrowed at the blood streaking Dennis’s forearm.

Her protective instincts kicked in. She didn’t think, she acted. Like she had been taught, like she had been trained. But this time, she was acting for herself.

With a feral growl, Zoe launched herself at Lucas, her body a blur of motion. She didn’t need to tap into any latent wolf instincts to take down this smirking lunatic; years of rigorous training and a past steeped in shadows had honed her into a weapon all her own. Her foot connected with Lucas’s chest in a powerful kick, the impact reverberating through his frame and sending him skidding back in the sand. Yet, infuriatingly, that insufferable grin never left his face.

Lucas felt the force behind her attack and couldn’t help but be impressed. His eyes gleamed with a mixture of amusement and challenge.

Dennis’s heart lurched in his chest, a cold dread seeping into his veins. He knew his brother well; Lucas might have been holding back with him, but Zoe was an unknown variable, a woman who, as far as Lucas was concerned, meant nothing to him. There would be no restraint. "Zoe, get away from him!"

But Zoe was beyond hearing. She rolled her shoulders, a predatory glint in her eyes, and charged at Lucas once more. This time, Lucas was ready. With a swift, almost lazy motion, he delivered his signature backhanded punch, catching her squarely on the cheek. The crack echoed, and Zoe stumbled, a flash of pain crossing her face.

That single act was the spark that ignited the storm within Dennis. His vision blurred, colors bleeding into each other as Dread, his long-suppressed wolf, surged to the forefront. The air around him seemed to vibrate with energy, and the gathered rogues erupted into cheers and howls, sensing the awakening.

Dennis’s form shifted, muscles rippling and bones reshaping in a half-transformation that left him more beast than man. With a guttural snarl, he lunged at Lucas, the ground trembling beneath his weight.

Lucas, seeing the oncoming onslaught, raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, the smirk still playing on his lips. He allowed his own transformation to recede, features softening back to human. Dennis skidded to a halt, confusion flickering in his eyes as realization dawned. This had been Lucas’s plan all along, to draw Dread out. But why?

Lucas’s grin widened as he turned his gaze toward Zoe, who was now back on her feet, rubbing her jaw. Dennis followed his brother’s line of sight, and this time, the mate bond hit him with the force of a tidal wave. It was a magnetic pull that drew him toward her. His feet moved of their own accord, closing the distance between them. Their eyes locked, the world around them fading into insignificance.

"You?"

@Lindsey_tennyson. @daoistkriqcc: High five!

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