Defying the Rogue Alpha
Chapter 177: Turmoil

Chapter 177: Turmoil

Herod’s mind was in turmoil. When the heavy door creaked open, and Lucas stepped inside, Herod’s heart skipped a beat. There was a part of him that still wanted to challenge Lucas to make him pay for everything, to remind him that winning the throne didn’t make him invincible. But there was another part of him, a part that had been beaten into submission by his circumstances, that just... wanted answers. And he was going to get them, even if it killed him.

Herod stood up immediately, his hands gripping the bars of his cell as he leaned forward, his gaze piercing through the shadows. "Thank you for seeing me," he said.

Lucas’s expression didn’t soften. If anything, it grew even colder, his glare fixed firmly on Herod. "It’s hard to ignore when you keep sending the guards to me after every shift change," Lucas replied. "It kind of gets annoying. What do you want?"

Herod swallowed hard, trying to steady himself. The cage he was in, both physical and emotional, was suffocating. "Zoe," he said. "I know you care about her."

Lucas’s eyebrow twitched. His face hardened, but Herod could see the smallest crack in his armor. The hint of vulnerability, the twitch of an emotion that had been buried beneath layers of pride and power. "What gives you that idea?" Lucas asked, though the question was little more than a way to mask the unease creeping into his tone.

Herod met Lucas’s gaze, not backing down. "You saved her, didn’t you?" he asked, leaning in slightly. "And Ava said Zoe is her best friend. Your wife’s best friend."

Lucas’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t interrupt. That was a good sign. It meant Herod was getting somewhere.

"Keep talking," Lucas said.

Herod let out a long breath, steeling himself. "She is next in line to the throne," he said.

Lucas’s lips curled into a sneer. "I won the throne fair and square, Herod....You know the rules. I beat you, I take your throne."

"I do not think you want to stay back in the north, Alpha Lucas." Herod’s words were measured. He could see the way Lucas was holding himself, with all that arrogance and pride, but there was a flicker of uncertainty behind those dark eyes. It was barely perceptible, but it was there.

Lucas’s expression didn’t shift at first. He wasn’t a man who liked to show weakness, and certainly not to someone like Herod. But even in his steely demeanor, there was a crack. "Good point," Lucas muttered after a moment. "But I do have capable hands to rule on my behalf."

"Zoe is that capable hand," Herod said. He stepped closer to the bars, leaning in slightly. "She has a good heart. She’ll take care of the people. She isn’t greedy." There was a slight pause as Herod let his words sink in.

"Why?...Why do you want her on the throne so badly?"

"Because she will right my wrongs," Herod began. "And more importantly, she has to look for her mother."

"Pray tell," Lucas drawled, his lips curling into a dangerous grin. "Why do you think I will do all of these things for you, Herod?" He crossed his arms tightly over his chest, flexing his muscles with a casual display of power.

"You are like me," Herod said bluntly, his eyes locking onto Lucas’s with intensity. "You know what it feels like to lose someone you love and go crazy."

Lucas’s face twisted in anger, his muscles visibly tensing beneath his clothes. "Yes, I went crazy when you took Ava but..."

Herod shook his head. "I am not speaking about Ava," he said quietly. "The one before Ava."

The room seemed to still at that moment, as if the air itself had frozen. Herod could see the change in Lucas. The shift in his eyes, the way his posture faltered for just a moment.

"You know an awful lot about me, Herod," he said finally. "I wonder how long you’ve had your eyes on me?"

Herod leaned back slightly. "I didn’t know you existed until Alaric told me," he said. "Don’t flatter yourself, Alpha."

"Zoe is special to me... very special. She’s the sister I didn’t have. You took her, tortured her, sentenced her to death. You took my mate and had her mind twisted. You’ve done so many things... and yet Ava still thinks you do not deserve death. Do you think you deserve mercy?"

"I do not," Herod replied simply.

"Now, see, the thing about my mate is...she always gets her way. She will get her way." Lucas’s lips curled into a rueful smile, a mix of pride and frustration. "Yeah, she has that power over me, wanting to make me a better man and all that bullshit."

Lucas paused.

"But I am not a better man, Herod," Lucas continued. "Especially when it comes to the woman I love. I will not rest until I see you in the same ground one of my most loyal men is in."

Herod’s eyes darkened, the challenge in Lucas’s voice clearly not lost on him. Lucas didn’t move. He didn’t have to. Herod knew what that threat meant. If he had to lose his humanity to make Herod suffer, he would do it.

Herod, however, didn’t look at Lucas with fear. No, there was a glint of respect.

"I understand," he said. For a man who had ruled with an iron fist, the act of surrendering to understanding felt like dragging his pride through mud. He didn’t even meet Lucas’s eyes, he looked at the wall behind him, as if the truth would be easier to digest if he wasn’t staring into the eyes of the man who had every right to hate him.

Lucas gave a curt nod in response. There was no warmth in his agreement, just a soldier’s efficiency. "Good," he said. "What makes you think Zoe’s mother is still alive?"

Herod gave a shrug that didn’t quite mask the helplessness in his eyes. "I don’t know if she is or not. She may be somewhere only Alaric knows, or she may be buried somewhere under six feet of soil and silence. I just want to know."