Defying the Rogue Alpha
Chapter 138: Laughter

Chapter 138: Laughter

Dennis nodded, his cheeks tinged with pink. "Ah... minus the curse word... exactly what he said."

The room filled with laughter, a brief respite from the gravity of their situation.

Zoe threw her arms around him. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

*****

Lucas stared at the letter as if it might burst into flames. It had arrived in the early hours, hand-delivered by the King’s courier himself who refused to give it to anyone else but Lucas.

With a heavy sigh, he broke the seal and unfolded the parchment. The script was elegant:

’Alpha Lucas Raventhorn,

Quite a lucky man. I didn’t know the Daughter of the Moon was taken. I will respect that though your letter could have been less rude. I accept I wasn’t proactive in searching for her.

On the matter of Zoe, deserters aren’t welcome in my kingdom anyway.

Good luck.

King Herod of the North.’

Lucas scoffed, the sound sharp in the stillness of his office. "Respect that?" he muttered. "Please." He flung the letter onto the desk. Herod wasn’t the kind of man to "respect" anything unless he was in the process of stealing it or burning it to the ground. The letter was polite but Lucas knew better. This wasn’t surrender.

Herod was like him. The council had seen that too clearly. A year ago, he’d have wanted to be Herod. But things were different now. He was different now. The thirst for power had dulled into a longing for something real. Something like Ava’s sleepy morning smile, or the way she touched his arm. The way her body drove him crazy.

Love had tamed him and by the goddess, he was grateful for it.

*****

THREE WEEKS LATER

Zoe was in hell. She stood in the middle of a boutique that smelled like roses, surrounded by a sea of lace, silk, and fluttering chiffon. Somewhere behind her, a very chipper shop assistant chirped, "This one brings out your eyes!" while shoving a peach-colored thing into her arms.

"This one brings out my rage," Zoe muttered.

She had never gone shopping for dresses. Ever. Her "wardrobe" had been a sparse collection of practical clothes. Outfits meant to blend her into shadows, to make her invisible.

Dennis had popped the question in a stammer so cute it could’ve melted a glacier. And she’d said yes. She said yes to him, to the future, to the terrifying, glittering possibility of happiness. She just hadn’t realized it would involve so much tulle.

Behind the curtain, Ava peeked out and gave her a thumbs up. "You look stunning, by the way!"

"I look like a cupcake," Zoe grumbled, turning side to side in front of the mirror. The dress sparkled. She looked like someone had rolled her in moonlight.

But despite herself, her lips twitched into a smile. She was marrying the one man who saw her, not the assassin, not the weapon—but the woman behind the blades. And maybe just a little sparkle wouldn’t kill her.

"I’ll try the next one," she sighed, stepping back into the dressing room. "But if it’s pink, someone dies."

"You are having an engagement party, at least dress up for it," Ava said, hands on her hips and eyes narrowed.

Zoe stared at the delicate gown Ava held up. It shimmered slightly with sheer sleeves that screamed elegance. Zoe took one look and recoiled. "Ava... these... these are beautiful. I appreciate the thought, I really do, but I’m not getting in those. That dress looks like it leaves nothing to the imagination."

Ava rolled her eyes with a smile. "Tell me, what are you going to get married in if you can’t manage a mere engagement dress?"

Zoe paused. She had never in her life thought that far. The idea of walking down an aisle, of people looking at her was dizzying. Her whole life had been built in the shadows. The thought of stepping into a spotlight, even for love, made her itch. But Dennis made the thought of vulnerability feel safe.

Ava took her silence as a small victory and pressed on. "Just imagine this as training before the big deal. You’ve faced Lucas. You can survive glitter."

"Fine!" Zoe groaned, snatching the dress.

Fifteen minutes in and she was already regretting every life decision that led her to this moment. Ava, as Silver Pack’s Luna, got royal treatment. They were surrounded by velvet sofas, warm lighting, an attendant who practically floated across the floor to offer wine and compliments.

She sat rigid in her chair, her newly painted nails gleaming against her black jeans. She missed her boots. But she stayed, because this was for Dennis. She would wear a dress for him. And besides, whatever she picked, he was going to rip it off later anyway. Small victories.

Zoe sipped from the wine glass with a sigh. "Did you have an engagement party?"

Ava shook her head, chuckling softly. "No. Lucas doesn’t exactly follow anything traditional. It was by the Moon Goddess’s grace we even had a wedding. I got this mark in the heat of a moment." She brushed her fingers across the mate mark on her neck. "Nothing has ever gone normally with us."

Zoe snorted. "That’s hot."

"It was messy," Ava admitted. "But perfect. In its own way."

Zoe looked down at her wine. "I’ve followed rules and orders my entire life. I don’t even know what kind of person I am outside of missions and routines. I feel like I don’t own myself."

"Dennis will take care of you, Zoe," Ava said softly. "Besides, you have a new life now. The Alpha King has backed out. Your father no longer has his magical hold on you. Embrace your freedom."

Zoe managed a tight smile. But inside, her chest felt heavy, as if chains still hung around her ribs. Ava meant well, she always did. But the thing was, people like Ava were made for love. For family. Zoe? Zoe had been trained to break things.

She didn’t doubt Dennis’s love. Goddess, no. Her father may not have been physically present anymore, but the scars of his power, it ran bone-deep. When the time came, when he called to her with that dark, inescapable voice... would she have the strength to defy him?

Before she could sink further into her spiral of doom and dread, Ava let out a soft gasp. "I... I...."

Zoe’s instincts flared. Her head whipped around as she saw Ava stagger, her hands clutching at nothing before her legs gave out. "What’s wrong?" she asked, heart now pounding violently against her ribs.

@ASgoog: Thanks for your support.

(Warning: You all will hate me from here on out so before that happens: send me all the gifts at once cause I know i ain’t getting shit after this)