Defying the Rogue Alpha
Chapter 127: Ava Raventhorn

Chapter 127: Ava Raventhorn

"I’m Ava Raventhorn. And you are?"

The man leaned back, a smirk playing on his lips. "Elder Eryx. When we heard Alpha Lucas was getting a Luna, we were shocked. He was the biggest fuck in these parts. You must be something."

Lucas raised an eyebrow, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "I would think you’d offer us a seat before diving into my sexual history. At least buy me a drink before we get that close and personal."

Eryx chuckled, unbothered. "Please, sit."

As they settled into their chairs, Eryx wasted no time. "So, what’s the emergency about?"

Lucas leaned forward, his expression serious. "There’s a threat from the north. The Alpha King is moving in on the east."

Eryx’s interest piqued slightly. "How did you get this information?"

"A reliable source from the king’s inner circle came forward," Lucas replied.

Eryx scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. "The Alpha King attacking the east is a death sentence. He wouldn’t dare."

Lucas met his gaze, unwavering. "Not if he has the power."

Eryx narrowed his eyes. "Why do I have a feeling you’re not giving me all the details?"

Lucas sighed, realizing that withholding information wouldn’t serve them. "He knows the location of the Daughter of the Moon."

That revelation hit Eryx. He paused mid-thought, eyes narrowing slightly as he mentally chewed on the information Lucas had just handed over. Then, slowly, he turned to Ava. His gaze hardened—not cruel, but calculating. "You," he said, the word slow and laced with disbelief.

It wasn’t a question. It was confirmation. And in that moment, all the pieces fit. The declared emergency. The sudden humility from Lucas Raventhorn, a man with the patience of a mustard seed. Lucas, infamous for his bloodlust and complete disregard for bureaucracy. Lucas, who had once challenged the High Council’s authority by declaring their existence useless. This man had walked in willingly, hat metaphorically in hand.

All because of her.

Ava gave a single, measured nod. She didn’t flinch under Eryx’s scrutiny, though the air felt heavier now. Every breath was thick with implication.

"So," Eryx said, leaning back and steepling his fingers, "The Alpha King isn’t exactly moving in on the East. He’s moving in on your Luna."

Lucas clenched his jaw. "What do you think he’s going to do with her power?"

Eryx arched an eyebrow, not missing a beat. "The devil you know is better than the angel you don’t. So let me redirect that question, Alpha Lucas Raventhorn. What are you going to do with her power? You are untamed. Merciless. You’ve taken more territory in the East than any other alpha. Your alliances are built on fear, not trust. You’re a beast wrapped in a pretty suit and a goodlooking face. With her powers? You’d be unstoppable. So tell me..." Eryx leaned forward now, the room charged with challenge. "Who should we really fear—you, or the Alpha King of the North?"

Ava sucked in a breath, her hand twitching beside Lucas’s. His fingers found hers under the table—an anchoring touch, warm and steady, betraying the storm inside him.

Lucas stood abruptly, his chair groaning in protest. "I came here," he growled, "tried to do the right thing. You think I’m being a pussy for showing up. For asking for help. You think I came to beg? I came to protect my mate."

Ava rose beside him. She didn’t say anything, but her presence alone was enough to amplify the statement. She was not some trophy to be hidden behind him. She was the moonlight itself capable of pulling oceans when provoked.

Lucas looked down at Eryx. "I will protect her with my life. And if that means taking on the Alpha King alone, then so be it."

"You do you," Elder Eryx said with a smug shrug that barely hid the glint of provocation in his eyes, "but I will be discussing the issue of your Luna being the Daughter of the Moon with the other council members. With such power at your fingertips, the council may decide to relieve you as Alpha."

Ava froze mid-step. It was like her entire body inhaled the weight of that threat. Relief Lucas of his title? Take away the very thing he had built with blood and bone? The nerve. Her heart slammed in her chest, a war drum echoing through her veins. She turned slowly, and faced Eryx with a storm rising in her eyes.

"I dare you," she said. Her voice a mix of her own and divinity. "I double dare you, Elder Eryx."

Lucas blinked. Oh hell.

"You think Lucas brought chaos?" Ava continued, her tone rising with a dangerous cadence. "I will rain down hell on you if it costs me my last breath."

She stepped forward, and in that moment, the entire room seemed to tilt toward her. Her skin glowed with a faint shimmer, the kind of shine that warned of moonlight turning into lightning. Even the walls seemed to hold their breath. Lucas felt it too—the shift in the atmosphere, the sudden reverence, the electricity in the air thick enough to taste.

Eryx shrunk a little in his seat, his previous bravado evaporating into thin air. He wasn’t afraid of Ava—not exactly. But something in his wolf stirred. Bowed. Submitted. That had never happened before. Not to anyone.

And then, just as fast, he recovered, adjusting his shirt and sitting up straighter with a dismissive sniff. "We will be in touch, Luna Raventhorn," he said, although his voice wasn’t quite as steady as before.

Lucas was by her side in an instant, wrapping his arm around her waist like she might collapse without it. And truthfully, she might have. He could feel the tremble just beneath her skin. She had poured out more energy than she was supposed to, her legs now shaky from the burn of fury and divine power.

But she didn’t waver. Not until they were out of Eryx’s sight.

*****

Lucas was practically vibrating with fury as they stormed down the corridor. He didn’t speak. He just fumed, silently constructing a long and satisfying list of things he wanted to break—starting with Eryx’s nose and ending with the council chambers.

"Things just got even more complicated, didn’t it?" Ava asked softly.