Defying the Rogue Alpha
Chapter 136: Unison

Chapter 136: Unison

All three men turned to Ava in unison.

"Of course," Lucas muttered under his breath. "Naturally."

Ava met each of their gazes with cool defiance. But inside, her pulse ticked up. Being stared at was exhausting.

Councilman Thorne, still smiling leaned forward. "Councilman Eryx may not have handled the situation appropriately at the time..."

Lucas snorted. "You think?"

"We do agree with Eryx," Councilman Lucien chimed in, waving his hand. "But this time, we came with a solution."

Lucas’s brow arched. "A solution?"

"We simply believe... limits are needed. Alpha Lucas, you have to admit...you’ve not exactly been a model alpha. You raided territories for the stupidest reasons. You’re unpredictable. You’ve always been unpredictable. But now you have access to this level of power," he gestured to Ava, "Forgive us if we’re not eager to sit back and see what happens."

"I do understand your point, reasonably put. But this power is mine, not Lucas’s. I fail to see why Lucas is the problem here. Besides, don’t you think if we wanted to use it for destructive purposes, we would have already?" Ava’s words hung in the air, challenging and defiant.

Councilman Eryx leaned forward, his gaze intense. "How much do you know about your powers?"

Ava’s shoulders sagged slightly, the admission heavy on her lips. "Barely anything. We know nothing...not how to activate it, not how to use it. Why are you so afraid?"

Eryx’s eyes softened, a hint of sorrow flickering within. "Luna Raventhorn, since your last visit, we delved into the archives. The last Daughter of the Moon was a good woman, but she mated with a ruthless alpha much like your husband. He used her power to amalgamate the territories in the North, forcing everyone who defied him to kneel. She opposed him, and he killed her when she was no longer useful. That’s why the North has a king and not alphas in various territories like we do here."

Lucas’s jaw tightened. "I still don’t see your point."

Eryx’s voice was grave. "When you mate as tradition requires beneath the full moon, the part of you that commands submission is transferred to your mate, because your wolf recognizes your mate as her superior, her alpha. Which means you, Lucas, will have powers that we fear. With one word, you could bring everyone to their knees."

The room fell silent, the weight of Eryx’s words pressing down on them. Ava reached out, placing a hand on Lucas’s arm, grounding him. He looked at her, the storm in his eyes meeting her calm resolve.

"We are not them," Ava said softly. "Our bond is built on trust and love, not dominance and fear."

Eryx nodded slowly. "Didn’t he sentence you to death just a few months ago? You may have your differences, yes but everyone gets drunk on power, everyone."

Ava sat frozen, her hands clenched tightly in her lap as if they were the only things tethering her to reality.

They were talking about her, yet it sounded like they were describing a stranger.

She thought back to the many times she had been dismissed, belittled, and underestimated. "Unworthy, weak," they’d said. "Too fragile." There was once a time she believed them. But now, sitting here, she couldn’t help but wonder, How did I become this?

"You said earlier you have a solution."

"There is an artefact that helps complete your Luna’s divinity," one of them said solemnly. "To keep your position as alpha, this artefact must be in the possession of the High Council. Only then can we approve of your union."

Lucas tilted his head, the motion deliberate and slightly menacing. His eyes gleamed with that dangerous amusement Ava had learned to recognize. The one that meant someone was about to be verbally drop-kicked.

"I really urge you to choose your words carefully, Councilmen," he said. "No one approves or disapproves of us."

Ava’s heart did a weird little flip. She knew that tone. That was Alpha mode.

"I am trying to be reasonable and understanding of your fears," he continued, his hands folded with deceptive calm. "But whether or not you approve, she is going to be my mate in every single way."

Ava’s cheeks went crimson. Every single way? That was either wildly romantic or scandalously inappropriate for a formal council meeting. Possibly both. She peeked at Lucas through her lashes. Yep. Still smoldering. Still ridiculously handsome.

"If we can get the artefact, we have nothing to fear," Thorn interjected quickly, likely trying to steer the conversation away from the rapidly rising mating tension in the room. "But we believe it is still in the hands of the Alpha King, which is why we are going to help you stop him. Is that fair?"

Lucas rubbed his jaw, a thoughtful frown tugging at his lips. "I’d like to discuss this further with my Luna... and my brother."

Eryx arched a skeptical brow. "Your brother? You are on speaking terms once more?"

Lucas flashed a grin, equal parts sarcasm and smug pride. "Evidence of the power of the daughter of the moon."

"Congratulations. We hope to hear from you soon," Thorn said. He rose to his feet. The other council members followed and they filed out solemnly.

Ava let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. Lucas leaned closer, lips brushing her ear, "We are going to be fine. I promise."

*****

Dorian hit the floor. His body bounced once, awkwardly, and then lay there in an undignified sprawl. Dirt clung to him, his right eye was already swelling. He groaned dramatically, as if the impact had insulted him on a personal level.

"Your majesty," he began. "It’s finally nice to see you."

He looked... well, he looked terrible. The King’s dungeon made Silver pack’s look like five-star resorts. There were no windows. The walls were damp and stank. The only source of air came from three tiny holes in the door—Dorian had spent hours trying to count them to avoid counting the cockroaches instead.

His roommates were rats, lizards, and cockroaches with boundary issues. The room wasn’t fit for a person.

"I hear you have information for me," King Herod said, gaze piercing. He didn’t bother with pretense. Just business.

Dorian, despite his sorry state, lifted his chin. "I’d like a drink of water."

King Herod tilted his head, momentarily stunned. With a flick of his fingers, a cup of water was summoned.

Dorian seized the cup greedily, nearly choking as he drank. He emptied it in a few gulps, then licked his lips with exaggerated delight. "Ah."

King Herod arched a brow.

"I must say, Your Highness," Dorian continued, swaying slightly but standing tall, "you’re far more welcoming than your grey-haired, cranky, spiritually constipated advisor."

Behind the throne, Alaric flinched. His eyes narrowed into fine, offended lines, but he said nothing.

King Herod leaned forward, steepling his fingers. "Is this considered proper behavior where you come from?"

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.