Defying the Rogue Alpha
Chapter 52: Lifeless

Chapter 52: Lifeless

Across the fortress, just at the entrance of the Alpha’s building, Lucas Raventhorn was having a very difficult conversation with Dorian.

It wasn’t difficult because he doubted his decision.

It was difficult because Dorian wouldn’t approve.

The two men walked side by side as they moved toward his office.

"Alpha, you can’t."

Lucas arched a brow at his Beta. "Excuse me?"

Dorian exhaled, rubbing his temples.

"I don’t remember appointing you as my Beta to tell me what I can and cannot do, Dorian," Lucas said dryly.

"But my job is to challenge some of your decisions," Dorian shot back, exasperated. "Especially when I think they’re insane."

Lucas glared at him.

Dorian was of course being dramatic.

"First of all," Dorian continued, counting off on his fingers, "she’s the daughter of a man you killed. Do I need to repeat that?"

Lucas’s jaw twitched. He knew he would have to tell her someday, explain it to her.

"She has no wolf," Dorian added. "It’s a wrong move, Alpha."

Lucas stopped walking.

Dorian swallowed but held his ground.

Lucas turned his head slowly, his blue eyes sharp and unyielding.

"Doesn’t make her any less powerful," he said, his voice calm.

Dorian hesitated. "Alpha..."

Lucas folded his arms. "Show me anyone else who has the supernatural ability to heal."

Dorian sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He knew arguing with Lucas was pointless when it came to matters that involved Ava.

Lucas moved forward again, dismissing the conversation entirely. "I only informed you as my Beta. What I really need to know is how the silver bullet got onto my land." His expression darkened. "Any headway?"

Dorian was about to answer when something caught his eye.

Or rather, someone.

A mass of people came charging toward them, moving at a speed that wasn’t normal.

Lucas noticed it too. His gaze sharpened, focusing on the chaos approaching like an oncoming storm.

He saw her.

His heart stopped.

His breath caught.

He took one step forward, then another and then he was running.

The guards barely had time to react before Lucas reached them, his powerful hands grabbing Ava’s limp form out of their arms. He held her close, scanning her face, searching for the rise and fall of her chest, for any sign of life.

Lucas had seen dead bodies before.

He had ripped heads from shoulders. He had bathed in blood.

But this?

This was different.

The sight of her, pale and lifeless in his arms, made something inside him snap.

He tried to steady his breathing, his grip tightening around her fragile frame.

"What the fuck is going on?" His voice was lethal as he turned to Doctor Mary.

"I’m not sure yet, Alpha," she admitted. "But I suspect poison."

Lucas’s eyes flashed.

Manic howled inside his head, clawing to take over.

His grip on Ava tightened.

She wasn’t going to die.

Not while he still breathed.

"Find Lanaya. Now."

She was the only one who could save Ava.

Without another word, he turned on his heel and carried Ava back toward his chambers.

Doctor Mary followed close behind. The others fell back.

*****

Nelly was livid.

Sarah had refused to come out of her room, which only meant one thing, the little snake was guilty.

If Nelly had been furious before, she was incandescent with rage now.

And so, with the fury of the devil himself, she stormed down the hallway. Maids scattered. Guards stepped out of her way. Nobody wanted to be caught in Nelly’s warpath.

She reached Sarah’s door and didn’t bother knocking.

Knocking was for people with patience.

With a feral snarl, she lifted her foot and kicked the door down. The door flew open so violently that it nearly came off the hinges, slamming against the opposite wall with an earth-shattering BANG.

Sarah jumped out of her skin.

"Holy...! What the hell?!" she shrieked, nearly falling off her chair.

But she barely had time to process her near heart attack before Nelly was on her.

Without a word, without hesitation, Nelly smacked her across the face.

The sound of the impact was sharp. Sarah’s head snapped to the side, a red imprint already forming on her cheek. She let out a gasp, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"How could you?! Sarah?!" Nelly’s voice trembled with unfiltered rage. "How?! Poison?!"

"Wait... what???" Sarah said, blinking innocently.

Nelly’s eyes narrowed into slits. "Don’t you dare pretend with me." She took a menacing step forward, forcing Sarah to instinctively shuffle back.

"Y-you’re being crazy," Sarah stammered.

"Oh, I’m crazy?" Nelly scoffed. "You’re the only one crazy enough to pull something like this just to have the Alpha all to yourself!"

Sarah’s lips parted, her mind racing for a response.

"What are you talking about?"

Nelly folded her arms. "Oh, don’t you worry. I’m going straight to the Alpha to tell him exactly what you’ve done to Ava since she got here. Because let me tell you something, sweetheart, I do not intend to go down with you when the investigation begins."

Her heart lurched.

Her palms grew colder than a corpse.

"The Alpha is alive?!" she choked out before she could stop herself.

Nelly’s eyebrow twitched. "Where have you been living? Beneath a rock?"

Sarah’s soul nearly left her body.

The Alpha was alive?

She felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over her head.

Lucas was alive.

Which meant...

Nobody had to know what she had done.

Her cover was still intact.

Her panic vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by a lazy smirk.

She shrugged, tossing her long hair over her shoulder. "Listen, Nelly, I seriously and honestly have no idea what you’re talking about."

Nelly’s fists tightened.

"You didn’t poison Ava?"

Sarah tilted her head. "Nope."

But she didn’t even bother to fake sadness over the news. Instead, she gave a careless shrug.

"But, I won’t lie... I’m not exactly heartbroken over it." She smiled sweetly. "Good riddance."

Nelly’s rage skyrocketed.

Sarah was a demon in a human suit.