Defying the Rogue Alpha
Chapter 134: Grace

Chapter 134: Grace

Ava nodded, standing to her feet with practiced grace, though the tightness in her shoulders gave her away.

Lucas narrowed his eyes. "You okay?"

She hesitated. "Yeah... just still reeling from last night’s excitement," she said with a wry smile.

He stepped closer. "I was proud of you. Am proud of you. You scared the hell out of me...but damn, you were brilliant."

"You? Frightened?" Ava arched a brow, tilting her head. "Unbelievable!"

Lucas’s eyes glinted with mischief. "You being a smart ass now, huh?"

"You know I am."

In a flash, his hand came down in a playful smack on her behind, making her yelp and laugh as he pulled her closer by the hips. "We’ll see how smart your ass is when we get back."

Ava giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I look forward to it."

Lucas chuckled, but the moment softened into something more intimate as he looked into her eyes. He pulled her tightly into his embrace, one hand cradling the back of her head.

"Fuck," he whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too, Alpha Lucas Raventhorn. My Alpha, My Lord," Ava said, eyes twinkling with that playful submission she knew drove him wild. The words wrapped around Lucas’s heart. He wasn’t sure why the way she said his title always sent shivers down his spine...maybe because no one had ever said it with love before.

"Do you think we have time for a quickie?" he asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes that was practically trademarked by now.

Ava didn’t even break stride as she tossed him a look over her shoulder. "Oh for God’s sake! Keep it in your pants for a couple more hours." Her tone was exasperated, but the corner of her mouth tugged upward into a grin.

Lucas watched her saunter off, totally unbothered by his antics, and muttered under his breath with mock indignation, "No promises, babe. No promises..." His gaze lingered on the way her hips swayed with every step, and he tilted his head appreciatively. "Damn, that dress should come with a warning label."

*****

The party was already in full swing by the time they arrived at the club. Music pounded through the walls, and the laughter of warriors and their mates filled the air with rare joy. They’d been preparing for war, yes, but tonight was about the people and Ava.

Ava was on the dance floor, radiant and free, spinning in a circle with his Gammas like she didn’t have the weight of the world on her shoulders. Lucas had claimed the VIP section more for the elevated view than the prestige...he liked watching her from a distance sometimes, especially when she was smiling like that.

He leaned back in his seat, his fingers cradling a glass of whiskey, his gaze never leaving her. It struck him how different this was from the last time they were here. That night, he’d been angry, possessive. He’d barely understood the depth of his feelings for her then. He hadn’t understood her.

Now? Now he knew. He knew what she was made of. What she had faced. What she had done. And he also knew that he’d never be the same man again.

They had both grown. Hardened. Softened. Twisted into versions of themselves that neither could have predicted, but somehow, they’d done it side by side.

He watched her laugh with his Gammas, the way she tipped her head back freely, unafraid. The men surrounded her with easy camaraderie and open respect. They didn’t fawn over her, didn’t patronize her. They looked at her like an equal. Like a Luna. She had earned their loyalty.

He was their Alpha but Ava connected with them like they were old friends. Like she’d been born for this life, while he had spent decades building it with sweat and blood.

His gaze shifted subtly to Nolan.

He had assigned Nolan to guard her. But the way the man stood there, arms crossed, eyes never leaving her... it was personal. This wasn’t just a job to Nolan. He had taken the assignment to heart like her life was tied to his own.

Nolan was a skilled warrior, loyal to a fault, and obviously capable.

Ava brought out the best in everyone around her. Even Nolan, who barely smiled at anything, seemed lighter when she was near. And that... well, that was the kind of power no Alpha could command. It was earned. Ava didn’t rule through fear or brute strength. She ruled with grace, with laughter, with that heart of hers that somehow held everyone she met.

He leaned forward in his seat, watching her.

"Dance all you want, my Luna," he murmured. "Just remember who you’re coming home to."

Ava looked up at Lucas from across the dance floor, her face lighting up with the kind of joy that could outshine the full moon. In that moment, she wasn’t the Luna carrying the weight of war, she was just a young woman seeing her love sulking in a corner. It made her smile widen.

Without a second thought, she left the dance floor and beelined toward him, weaving between whirling bodies and half-drunken warriors. "Will you stop scowling and come dance?" she said, tugging at his arm. Her eyes sparkled mischievously.

Lucas, barely moved. He raised an eyebrow at her. "When hell freezes over."

"Oh come on!" she groaned, tugging harder. "Look at your people. They’re actually happy for once. You’re sitting here like you just lost a bet to Death himself."

Lucas snorted. "Ava, I’m an Alpha. You expect me to move around like a headless chicken while my entire pack watches me lose every ounce of dignity?"

She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "I will lock you out of my building for three weeks if you don’t get up right now."

He blinked. "Okay! Let’s go!" He shot out of his seat like his butt was on fire, causing a few warriors nearby to choke on their drinks from laughter.

Ava giggled triumphantly and looped her arm through his, dragging him to the dance floor with exaggerated sways of her hips. He let her. He didn’t care about the eyes on him now. If she was smiling, laughing, teasing—then let them all watch. Let them all see what their Luna did to their unshakable Alpha.

A few minutes into the song, it became painfully obvious: Lucas Raventhorn could not dance to save his life. His idea of rhythm looked like a confused bear trying to swat bees. Ava, in contrast, danced like she had music sewn into her bones. She moved with fluid confidence, every sway and twist lighting her up.

Lucas shuffled awkwardly behind her, swaying offbeat, but there was no shame in his face, just a lopsided grin. Her laughter made up for every step he missed.

A few Gammas noticed. The snickers started low but grew as Lucas made a particularly enthusiastic spin. He threw a death glare in their direction, but it only made them laugh harder.

He turned back to Ava with the most pitiful pout he could muster. "You’re embarrassing me."

"You’re embarrassing yourself, my love," she replied, spinning again and completely ignoring his theatrics.

Ava’s movements were mesmerizing. Every turn was graceful, every pop of her hip made the music feel alive. Lucas tried to focus on not tripping over his own feet, but it became increasingly difficult as her butt kept brushing against him.

At first, it was innocent. A little bump here. A wiggle there. But then it became impossible to ignore.

With every brush, every tantalizing graze, his pants became a little more... complicated. Lucas gritted his teeth and tried to think of anything but the fact that his mate was rubbing up against him like they weren’t surrounded by two hundred warriors.

Mid-step, he grabbed her waist and pulled her flush against his chest. She gasped in surprise, her back hitting the solid wall of muscle that was her Alpha. His breath was warm against her ear, voice a low growl meant only for her.

"You keep that up, and everyone here’s gonna find out just how loud you moan my name when I fuck you."

Ava choked on a laugh, her cheeks instantly turning red, eyes wide. "Lucas!" she hissed, shoving him lightly in the chest.

"What?" he shrugged, a dangerous smile dancing on his lips. "Just being honest. You’re out here trying to kill me."

@Lindsey_Tennyson: Thanks for reading.