Defying the Rogue Alpha
Chapter 79: Documents

Chapter 79: Documents

Ava’s instincts took over. She could not let him see the papers. Not yet. Not until she had figured out what to do. With shaking hands, she shoved the documents under the bed, then straightened up, wiping the tear stains from her cheeks.

A second later, the tent’s entrance was pushed aside, and Lucas entered.

Her husband. Her mate. Her father’s murderer.

Lucas’s eyes instantly locked onto hers. A slow smirk curled at the edge of his lips. "It’s too soon to be a sad wife, don’t you think?" he teased, his voice filled with playful warmth.

Ava couldn’t even force a smile. The weight of the betrayal crushed her chest, making it impossible to pretend. Her lips trembled, and her voice came out hollow.

"Did you kill my father?"

The question sliced through the air.

The teasing glint in Lucas’s eyes vanished.

"Ava..." His voice was careful, cautious.

Her fists clenched. "Did you kill my father?" she repeated, her voice firmer this time. "It’s a simple yes or no question."

Lucas’s entire body went rigid.

Yes or no.

But for him, it wasn’t that simple.

It had never been that simple.

Pain flickered in his gaze, a silent plea for her to let him explain, to give him a chance to justify the unjustifiable.

But Ava wasn’t interested in justifications.

She wanted the truth.

Tears burned at the corners of her eyes. "Lucas." Her voice cracked. "Tell me."

Lucas exhaled, long and heavy, as if the weight of the world had just settled on his shoulders.

"Yes."

The word slammed into her chest.

Ava sucked in a sharp breath, stumbling back.

The world around her blurred as she struggled to process it.

He had said it.

Confirmed it. No excuses. No hesitation.

Just a cold, hard yes.

"All this time..." Her voice wavered, her vision blurring. "I thought you saved me." She let out a broken, humorless laugh. "But you were the reason for all my suffering from the beginning."

Lucas took a step toward her. "Ava..."

"I loved you," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I love my father’s murderer."

"Ava, let me explain," he said, reaching for her.

She recoiled as if his touch would burn her.

"Don’t." Her voice was laced with venom. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, rage and grief battling for dominance. "You’re truly a monster. I refused to see it because I thought you were capable of change."

"I have changed," Lucas argued.

Ava’s stomach twisted, bile rising in her throat.

She felt disgusted.

Disgusted with him.

Disgusted with herself.

Because despite everything, despite knowing what he had done, her heart still ached for him.

****

Lucas took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling with a controlled slowness. The love of his life stood in front of him, looking at him like he was nothing more than the monster the world had always believed him to be. His mind screamed for him to explain, to make her understand.

But before he could, the heavy thud of boots against the ground sent a chill through the air.

Lucas stiffened. Ava blinked, her grief-stricken expression momentarily shifting to confusion. They both turned just as the tent flaps were thrown open, and in strode Dorian flanked by a handful of Gammas.

Lucas’s mood, already hanging by a thread, snapped entirely.

"What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Dorian?" he snarled, stepping protectively in front of Ava out of instinct.

Dorian bowed slightly before looking up, his expression a well-crafted mask of concern.

"Alpha? Are you okay?" he asked, his voice laced with exaggerated worry.

Lucas’s muscles tensed.

"You have seconds to explain this madness, or I swear to the Goddess, Dorian, I will rip your throat out."

Dorian straightened.

"Search the room."

The Gammas spread out, rummaging through the tent.

Dorian sighed theatrically, as if he were the unfortunate bearer of tragic news. "We found men of the Bloodhound Pack lurking in the back forest, waiting to attack. We cut them down before they could get anywhere close." He paused, his eyes flickering to Ava. "The last one, however, lived long enough to confess something very interesting."

Lucas narrowed his eyes, his wolf stirring beneath his skin.

Dorian smirked.

"He claimed our Alpha was already dead."

Lucas’s heart pounded.

Dorian turned to Ava now, and this time, he didn’t bother hiding the cruelty in his gaze.

"He said our Luna had already killed him. And that Dravon was on his way to take over the pack."

Lucas’s body locked up, his mind racing.

Ava? Betray him?

It was impossible.

Wasn’t it?

Ava swallowed, her lips parting slightly, but no words came out.

She didn’t deny it.

Dorian turned to Lucas, gesturing toward Ava like he had just presented irrefutable evidence. "She was working with the enemy."

Lucas’s head snapped toward Ava, waiting, begging for her to speak, to deny it, to scream that this was a lie.

But she remained silent.

And that silence burned worse than any betrayal.

The sound of shuffling brought Lucas’s attention back to the Gammas. One of them straightened, his hand clutching several sheets of paper.

"Alpha," the warrior said hesitantly, stepping forward and presenting the documents to Lucas. He scanned through them realising what they were.

Another Gamma held up something else; a silver stake.

It had been hidden under the pillow.

Lucas felt like the ground had been ripped from beneath his feet.

He exhaled, slow and controlled, though it did nothing to calm the storm inside him.

Ava still didn’t speak.

Didn’t fight.

Didn’t argue.

She just stood there, her face blank, her body unmoving.

As if she had already accepted this fate.

Lucas clenched his jaw. "Tell me this is a lie."

Ava’s lips trembled, but she said nothing.

Goddess. She wasn’t even trying to defend herself.

His warriors were waiting.

Lucas closed his eyes briefly.

"Take her away."

Ava didn’t resist.

Didn’t cry. Didn’t plead.

She just let them take her.

And as Lucas watched her go, he realized that this night, meant to be their beginning, had instead become their end.