Defying the Rogue Alpha
Chapter 179: Murmurs

Chapter 179: Murmurs

A wave of murmurs rippled through the audience, a sea of confusion and surprise.

"I will not be answering those questions because I will not be your king," he continued, his gaze sweeping across the room. "But I will be appointing your leader. Whatever questions you may have will be redirected at an appointed date."

He paused, letting the words sink in.

"I have my own territory to rule. My people await me in the East. I will be giving your leader complete and absolute power to the throne. The moment I step out of your lands, I become either an intruder or a guest if I ever return."

In the front row, Zoe leaned over to Dennis, whispering, "Well, that was unexpected."

Dennis nodded, his eyes never leaving Lucas. "He’s full of surprises."

He glanced at Dennis. Their eyes met, and Lucas offered an apologetic look, aware that his next words would stir unrest.

"I appoint Zoe, legitimate daughter of Herod, as your Alpha Queen," Lucas announced.

The hall erupted into chaos. Gasps, shouts, and incredulous whispers filled the air. The revelation of Herod’s hidden child and her sudden elevation to leadership was too much for many to process. Questions flew, but Lucas stood firm, unwilling to engage in a debate.

Ava’s hand tightened on his hand. "Lucas... what have you done?"

He turned to her. "I had to," he replied, bracing himself for the confrontation he knew was coming.

Dennis rose from his seat, his face a mix of shock and anger. Zoe stood beside him approaching Lucas.

"Are you kidding me?" Dennis said, trying not to raise his voice to attract attention to their disagreement about the matter. "Alpha Queen of the North? She’s my mate. I’m an Alpha in the East. What are we supposed to do?"

Lucas met his brother’s gaze, understanding the turmoil he had caused. "Dennis, I know this is unexpected, but Zoe is the right choice. She has the strength and the lineage to lead. "

Lucas turned back to the crowd, raising his hands to signal for silence. "I understand this is a lot to take in. There will be a formal meeting to address your questions and concerns. For now, please respect this decision and give Zoe the chance to prove herself."

The doors of the hall opened, and the crowd began to disperse, still murmuring among themselves. Lucas watched them go, aware that the real work was just beginning. He turned to Ava, who looked at him with concern.

The tension in the air could have snapped a sword in half. Dennis’s chest was heaving.

"Calm down, Dennis," Lucas said. "It is her throne. It’s rightfully hers. I was never interested in the North, you should know that. But we had to get our women back."

"You didn’t think to talk this through with us first?"

Before Lucas could respond, Zoe placed a steady hand on Dennis’s arm. "It’s okay, Dennis," she said softly. "He made me Alpha Queen. I can pass it on to someone else."

Lucas held up a hand. "You cannot....But there is a solution," he added quickly before Dennis exploded again. "Dennis moves here...to be with you. His rogue pack in the East...those who want to come here with him, can do so."

"And the ones who don’t want to?" Dennis asked.

"I’ll take them into my pack," Lucas replied, unwavering.

Dennis squinted at him suspiciously, sniffing for any whiff of a trap. "Even the ones labeled traitors?"

Lucas nodded slowly. "Even the traitors."

There was a long pause.

Finally, Dennis’s face lit up. "Okay," he breathed. "Whew! I was scared there for a moment!"

"You would give up your life as an alpha?" Zoe asked, wide eyed.

Dennis turned toward her fully, taking both of her hands in his. "You are my life, Zoe. I didn’t build that pack for power. I built it to survive. But now, I want to live and living means being with you."

"Dennis..."

Lucas watched them, the corner of his mouth lifting just slightly. "Alright, let’s not get too mushy," he muttered, glancing away as if he were offended by the emotional sincerity leaking into the room.

"You’re just jealous," Ava said, pinching his side.

"Of what?" he asked, feigning offense. "You give me that same googly-eyed look at least once every hour."

"Stop being a baby." Ava smacked his arm.

"Can we get out of here now, before I puke?" Lucas muttered under his breath, his arm wrapping around Ava’s waist

Ava chuckled. She gave his side a gentle nudge with her elbow but leaned closer anyway. "You did good," she said with genuine warmth, a touch of pride in her eyes as she looked up at him. "That was really wise, what you did."

"Do I get a reward for being wise?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows.

"Sure," Ava replied, smirking.

"Alright, let’s go!" Lucas grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the town hall, practically dragging her behind him. Ava laughed and let herself be tugged along.

*****

"Oh Kade, my darling! It’s so good to see you!" Nelly screeched as she barreled toward him. She threw her arms around him with enough force to nearly knock the wind out of his lungs.

Kade barely had time to open his arms before she was already wrapped around him. "I once got news you were dead!" she gasped dramatically. "And then I cried for a week straight, nearly drowned in my own tears."

Kade smiled warmly. His eyes crinkled slightly at the corners. He gave her a soft pat on the back.

"So much has happened since I left the Silver Pack," she continued breathlessly, linking her arm with his and steering him in the direction of the pool. "There is a new drama every day. And now I hear there was a war? My God! You guys keep attracting trouble."

"How do you even get all of this information all the way out here?" Kade asked, squinting at Nelly as she popped a grape into her mouth and leaned back on the lounge chair.