Defying the Rogue Alpha
Chapter 209: Regret

Chapter 209: Regret

"Look, I thought about it. I really did." His thumb brushed her cheek, gentle and full of regret. "I need to apologize. For a lot of things. And not just because I want to do sinful things to you while you’re mad at me."

Ava arched a brow, folding her arms. "I’m listening. Blow me away."

He chuckled. Then sighed. "I’m sorry, Ava. When your loyalty was tested, I threw you to the wolves. I let my alpha brain take over, and I shut my heart out of the decision entirely."

"Aww... Lucas..." She met his eyes and sighed. "If you’re trying to get me to be less mad at you, it’s working... a little." She tried to keep a stern face, but the tiny smile tugging at the corner of her lips betrayed her.

Lucas smiled.

"I love you, Ava Raventhorn...And yes, my decisions might seem stupid to you—and maybe they are. But every living, breathing moment, I live in fear. Fear of hurting you, fear of losing you. And now..." He reached around, resting a hand protectively over her belly. "Now there’s going to be two people who hold my heart in their hands. Two people I would destroy the world for. That kind of fear doesn’t always make you smart—it just makes you desperate."

Ava blinked back tears she hadn’t expected. Her heart cracked open, wide and vulnerable. She twisted in his arms, cupped his jaw, and kissed him softly, reverently. "I love you too, Lucas Raventhorn. Always have. Probably always will... even when you’re being a boneheaded alpha."

Lucas chuckled, relaxing into the moment.

"Oh," she added nonchalantly, "and I called your brother. He’s on his way." She said it like she was commenting on the weather—then turned away quickly, bracing for impact.

"What the fuck did you do that for?!" Lucas whined. His arms flailed in exasperation, his naked chest heaving with betrayal.

"Because someone has to stop you from making those stupid decisions, and clearly it’s not going to be your highly motivated testosterone factory of a brain." Ava shot back, perfectly unbothered. She fluffed her pillow with one hand and rubbed her belly with the other, smug and serene.

Lucas groaned and flopped onto the bed dramatically. "Ughhh, why did I marry such a manipulative, brilliant, frustrating woman?"

"Because the Moon Goddess knew no one else would have the patience to tolerate your dramatics." Ava smirked.

"Well then," he said, crawling back toward her with the slow, deliberate movement of a lion stalking his mate, "since we’ve settled all that—and since everything’s about to go to shit when my brother gets here—can we please have sex before the apocalypse?"

"I thought you weren’t interested in fucking," Ava teased, arching a brow, already half-laughing.

"I changed my mind." Lucas muttered, right before sliding his hand down her thigh.

And then there was no more talking.

He entered her from behind, their bodies molding together. Her laughter melted into moans, her fingers tangling in the sheets, while he kissed her shoulder and whispered apologies and adoration with every thrust.

*****

Dennis’ arrival came in like a full-blown festival—complete with the sound of laughter, and Ava’s shriek. She threw her arms around him as if she hadn’t been the one who summoned him.

"Dennis!" Ava squealed, jumping into his arms despite her very pregnant state. He staggered but caught her, laughing.

"Careful! We don’t want the baby to drop." he teased as he hugged her, giving her a proper bear hug.

Lucas stood at the edge of the room, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.

"What’s this I hear, brother?" Dennis began, raising a brow with mock judgment as he released Ava. "You plan on walking away from your wife... your pregnant wife?"

"Because you’re King of the North doesn’t mean you’re king here," Lucas growled, stepping forward, every muscle taut. "I can still kick your ass."

Dennis looked utterly delighted. "Is it just me or does he and my wife share a scary number of personality traits?" he said, turning to Ava. "The whole ’I-love-you-but-I’ll-act-first-think-later’ thing is familiar."

Ava folded her arms across her belly and nodded solemnly. "Oh, I agree. Honestly, sometimes I think they were both born under the same chaotic star."

Lucas’s jaw tightened. "I thought you agreed with Zoe’s decision!" He turned to Ava, face etched in exasperation.

"I support her," Ava clarified, jabbing a finger toward him, "That doesn’t mean I agree with her." Her scowl could have carved through iron.

Lucas muttered something inaudible and likely offensive.

Dennis clapped his hands dramatically. "Okay! So, people are dropping dead like Herod."

Lucas scrubbed a hand over his face. The weight of everything seemed to settle on his shoulders in that moment.

"Good thing you’re here actually," Lucas said gratefully. "The High Council won’t let me get within an inch of them without assuming I’ll mind-control someone. I was thinking... maybe you go on my behalf. To the Alphas’ Meeting."

"Okay. What’s the plan?" Dennis asked, arms crossed, his eyes flicking between Lucas and Ava.

Lucas planted his hands on his hips, chin lifted. "You’re going to listen in on the meeting without being seen. No one can know you’re there—not any of the other alphas. We need ears in the room, Dennis. We need to find out who’s the most eager to see me fall. That’ll be our lead."

Dennis raised a brow. "Do you already have any suspects in mind?"

"No," Ava answered, just a touch too quickly. Dennis clocked the tension immediately and narrowed his eyes at her.

"Okay, I got your backs. You know that. Just next time, Lucas—" he turned to his brother, "—would it kill you to call me before making life-altering decisions? Like ’Hey Dennis, I’m thinking of walking out on my wife and unborn child, you think that’s smart?’ Because newsflash—you suck at decisions when emotionally compromised."

"Me and you. Training ground. Now."

Dennis laughed again, this time a little too eagerly. "You’d lose. I have so much pent-up aggression from my wife being away from me. And the fact that I have to sneak her in and out of my room like she’s contraband." He threw a dramatic glance to the ceiling.

"Oooooh..." Ava suddenly perked up on the couch, eyes glinting. "I like sneaky sex." Her grin widened in that mischief-laced way that made Lucas immediately forget how to breathe.

Lucas gave her a slow, appreciative once-over, his smirk deepening. "I knew there was a reason I married you."

Dennis looked between the two of them, then made a dramatic show of gagging. "My goddess," he groaned, rubbing his forehead as though trying to erase the image, "What have you turned her into? She used to be dignified."

*****

Leon arrived at the Alpha’s meeting held at the High Council grounds with swagger. Today, he was a man riding the high of his own cunning. Teaming up with Alaric had been, as far as Leon was concerned, the most deliciously decision he had ever made. If everything unfolded the way they planned, Alpha Lucas Raventhorn would be history and he would be taking over the Silver pack.

The grand chamber echoed with the low hum of murmurs and shifting chairs as the alphas from the East filed in. Thirteen of them in total. The only empty seat in the room belonged to Lucas Raventhorn.

Leon noted it with satisfaction.

Councilman Eryx banged the ceremonial staff twice against the marble floor. The room hushed.

"We are all here today to discuss Alpha Lucas," Eryx began, his tone appropriately grim.

Leon’s hand shot up faster than it probably should have. He couldn’t help it—the excitement was practically leaking from his pores. Restraint, Leon, he reminded himself. Subtlety.

"Yes, Alpha Leon?" Eryx said.

"We were under the impression," Leon began smoothly, lacing his fingers together, "that Alpha Lucas would already be in custody."

Well, well, well... What a way to show your hand, Leon, Dennis mused silently from his concealed perch just beyond the chamber wall. The meeting had barely started and Leon had already screamed suspect number one.

Back in the room, Eryx blinked, clearly recalibrating his response to Leon’s not-so-subtle jab. "Well..." he cleared his throat, coughing more for effect than necessity. "His pack remains firm in their belief in his innocence. We felt it would be unjust to act without due process. We have instead given him the benefit of the doubt and requested that he provide proof—concrete evidence—that he was not involved in Councilman Thorn’s death."

Several alphas nodded. A few frowned.

Leon forced a tight smile, his molars grinding. Proof? That wasn’t part of the plan. Lucas was supposed to be in shackles by now, humiliated and furious, a rabid animal caged before the Council. The longer this dragged out, the more likely someone was to sniff out the rotting meat under Leon’s pants.

He shifted in his seat, fingers drumming lightly on the armrest. He glanced at the others, reading their body language. A few seemed uneasy. Leon would have to steer the conversation carefully, gently fanning the flames without burning his own fingers.