Defying the Rogue Alpha
Chapter 178: Better Man

Chapter 178: Better Man

"I will find her if she is alive," Lucas said. He turned to leave, not understanding why he was being nice to Herod. Ava was rubbing off on him.

"You were wrong, Lucas," Herod called after him.

Lucas paused. Just for a second. It wasn’t enough to admit the words meant anything, but it was enough to say he’d heard them.

"You are a better man."

Lucas didn’t respond. He didn’t turn around. He just kept walking. He didn’t need Herod’s validation.

*****

Ava and Zoe were walking side-by-side toward the town hall.

They were headed to arrange an official announcement, a call to the people. After the fall of Alpha King Herod, questions buzzed through the community.

"Did you speak with Herod?" Ava ventured.

Zoe didn’t even hesitate. "No. I don’t want to talk about that. Lucas already told me how you feel about it, and honestly, I do not care. He will die. End of story."

Ava blinked, caught off guard by the sheer finality in Zoe’s voice. She’d expected hesitation. Maybe a little moral tug-of-war. Not this.

"Zoe..."

"No, Ava. You don’t get to pull the moral high ground card when you know what he did to me. Just because you want to see the good in people doesn’t mean it exists."

"Look, he is a despicable man. I know," Ava said. "But you have a chance to find out about a lot of things. A chance to know your mother through him. He talked about her once, Zoe. I was there. He was... different. Soft. Completely and utterly smitten."

Zoe snorted, arms crossed. "Maybe she ran away from him. Did you think of that? We don’t know what truly happened, Ava. Maybe she took one look at that madman and bolted."

Ava gave her a sideways look, eyebrow raised. "She ran away from Herod and left you with Alaric? Really? Of all people?"

"Nothing makes sense anymore, Ava," Zoe snapped, stopping short and spinning toward her friend. "Nothing! Alaric wasn’t great, sure. But Herod? Herod was a certified lunatic. Blaming Alaric for everything Herod did is unfair because Herod himself is evil."

"Zoe, I get it. You’ve been through hell. You were hurt, and your entire childhood was a lie But... what if just one thing good could come out of all this?"

Zoe rolled her eyes and turned away, but she didn’t walk off. Which was a win, in Ava’s book.

"Just take some time," Ava said, stepping closer. "Think about what you want. Not what you want for revenge or justice or out of rage. What you really want for yourself. Don’t rush. Please."

Zoe groaned dramatically. "Ugh, fine!" she huffed, storming toward the town hall. "But only because you guilt-tripped me."

They plastered the flyers on the announcement boards, doorways, and even a lamp post.

*****

"Start talking. What do you want?" Alpha Leon said, dropping into his chair. He didn’t offer Alaric a seat, not even a polite grunt of hospitality.

Alaric raised an elegant eyebrow

"As you know, Alpha Leon, Alpha Lucas is mated to the Daughter of the Moon," Alaric began

Leon blinked, unimpressed. "You lost me. Daughter of what now?" he asked, already reaching the limits of his patience.

"Luna Ava is the Daughter of the Moon," Alaric repeated with a theatrical sigh and an exaggerated sweep of his hand. "I assumed you knew, seeing as you were once very... close to her." He tilted his head, letting the implication dangle.

Leon scowled. "What is a Daughter of the Moon?"

"She is the most powerful woman to ever be born," Alaric said. "She has abilities beyond our comprehension. She can bring a wolf to his knees with a thought. She can strip a werewolf of their very essence, command nature itself. She is the storm, Leon. And the calm after it." He sighed again, dreamy this time.

Leon squinted at him. "Ava? Ava Wishbone? The Omega the entire pack used to spit on and trip over in the hallway? That Ava?"

Alaric gave him a slow, knowing nod.

"Ava. My fated mate," Leon said softly, the words catching in his throat. His eyes darted to the window, memories hitting him. She had been so small, trying to be invisible in a world that treated her like she was dirt. And he... he’d let it happen. Hell, he’d been part of it.

Alaric’s eyebrows went up, eyes twinkling. "I was hoping you’d bring that up, Alpha. May I ask... why did you reject her?"

The temperature in the room dropped.

"We are not friends, Alaric," Leon said. "Some questions shouldn’t be asked of me."

"But you will need me as a friend," Alaric said. "Because the mating ritual between Alpha Lucas and Luna Ava is now complete. Fully sealed. Bonded in body, spirit, and, shared power. Lucas now possesses some of Ava’s abilities. And when he returns to the East, he’ll make sure every werewolf bows." Alaric leaned forward. "Including you. Especially you."

"Why especially me?" he asked, trying and failing to sound bored. "I have a truce agreement with Alpha Lucas. He signed it. He got Ava in exchange for a truce. That was the deal."

Alaric gave a smile that had more pity than satisfaction in it. "Yes. He got Ava. And Lucas didn’t just gain Ava, he gained her pain, her scars, her rage especially the ones you helped inflict. Truce or not, power like theirs doesn’t forget."

"Okay... but still...why would I, of all people, be a target? There are a lot of folks who’ve wronged Ava."

"Because right now, you are the only werewolf in the world who is immune to their powers. That makes you dangerous. A threat."

Leon blinked. "Immune?" He tried to play it cool, but the twitch in his left eyelid betrayed him.

"Yes," Alaric said. "You are Ava’s fated mate. The Moon Goddess prepared you for her. You were born tethered to her soul. That tether means you are the only one in existence who will not be affected by her or Lucas’s submission powers. You do not have to bow. You cannot be forced to kneel. That makes you... inconvenient."

Leon sank deeper into his chair, the weight of that truth falling on his shoulders. "So what you’re saying," he muttered, "is that I could stand up to them?"

"Technically, yes," Alaric said.

Leon rubbed his temples. "Why the hell are you telling me this?" he asked.

"I came to prepare you," Alaric said, "to fortify you... so what happened to my king doesn’t happen to you."

Leon scoffed, arms folded across his chest, his eyes narrowing. "Your king kidnapped an Alpha’s mate, Alaric. He got what was coming to him. That wasn’t some tragic downfall, it was basic consequences. Even omegas know better than to steal what’s marked."

Alaric sighed. "Yes, well, my king didn’t listen to me. And believe it or not, helping you helps my people. A stable Alpha is good for the region."

"Look, I think Ava has changed Lucas. He’s not that beast Herod was. Even if what you’re saying is true, about the powers, the shared essence, or whatever, you think they’ll misuse that kind of bond? Nah. Ava won’t let him. She’ll guilt-trip him into being a decent person."

Alaric’s lips curled into a foxy smile. "She’s already changed him, I’ll give you that. But change, my dear Alpha, isn’t always permanent. Love burns bright, yes but so does madness." He gave a light bow. "I’ll hang around, Alpha. And when you need me, I will show up."

"But remember this: everyone labels you the weakest Alpha in the East. You are the joke at every Alpha summit. This is your chance," Alaric continued, already moving toward the door, "to prove them all wrong. Don’t waste it... Alpha."

*****

At the town hall, Lucas sat on the high-backed chair. The room was beginning to fill with murmurs and curious faces.

Beside him stood Ava, her hand resting gently on his shoulder.

The stool next to him bore Herod’s crown. Whispers continued, curious gazes bouncing between the crown and the man who now sat next to it.

He was about to make a decision that would raise eyebrows.

Ava’s thumb rubbed slow circles into his shoulder.

He stood slowly, clearing his throat, and the room began to quiet. All eyes turned to the alpha who’d overthrown a tyrant and now held power that felt divine.

He glanced at the crown.

Then he looked at the people.

Lucas hadn’t even told Ava about his decision. Not because he didn’t trust her but because he knew she would disagree. Not with the choice itself, but with the unspoken promise that came with it, the death of Herod. He could already imagine her reaction. But he needed to do this. For himself. No one touched his mate. No one.

Zoe and Dennis sat in the front row.

The alarm sounded, signaling the start of the meeting, and the doors closed with a definitive thud.

"Welcome, everyone," he began. "I understand that you all have a lot of questions following the fall of your king. But I will not be answering those questions."

(What do you all think Lucas is up to?)