Defying the Rogue Alpha
Chapter 80: Broken

Chapter 80: Broken

Ava was beyond broken. Not just in body, but in spirit. The pain she endured was relentless, but it wasn’t the whip tearing into her flesh that crushed her soul—it was the pain in her heart. The weight of it sat on her chest.

Her hands were bound above her, secured to the ceiling with thick, silver chains that dug into her wrists. Her body sagged under its own weight, every muscle screaming in agony.

A few days ago, she had been married.

Now, she was being flogged like a traitor.

The irony almost made her laugh.

The lash came again, slicing through her back, and she let out a strangled cry. But she barely felt it anymore. What was a whip compared to the knowledge that she had given her heart to a murderer? That she had loved a man who had torn her world apart long before she even knew him?

She had no more fight left in her.

She didn’t even try to convince them of her innocence.

What was the point?

Her own mate had ordered her to be taken away.

So she took every hit. Every ounce of pain.

The Gammas interrogating her were relentless. "Where is Dravon?" they demanded, over and over.

She wanted to laugh in their faces.

She had never even spoken to Dravon, let alone know where he would be.

Yet, here she was, bleeding out for him.

Another lash. She bit her lip until she tasted blood.

Another. Her vision blurred.

Her body was failing, but it didn’t matter. She welcomed the darkness creeping at the edges of her consciousness.

Would death be so bad?

It seemed almost peaceful compared to this.

Another lash. She barely registered the voice that interrupted the torture.

"That’s enough. take a break." Kade’s tone left no room for argument.

Ava’s head lolled forward, her throat dry, her body trembling from exhaustion. She didn’t have the strength to lift her head when Kade approached.

He knelt beside her, uncapping a bottle of water.

"Here." His voice was apologetic. He brought the bottle to her lips, tilting it carefully.

The water was cool against her cracked lips, soothing her burning throat. She drank slowly, ignoring the way her body screamed in protest.

"Hang in there, Ava," Kade murmured. "I’m sure the Alpha will get you out of here."

Ava swallowed the last sip of water, then smiled weakly.

Lucas wasn’t coming for her.

They both knew it.

*****

Lucas was barely human anymore.

For days, he had been locked in a half-shifted state, Manic refusing to retreat. His claws remained extended, his fangs ever-present, his eyes a constant, eerie shade of gold. His pack tiptoed around him, their fear thick in the air.

No one spoke to him.

No one dared.

Even now, as he sat at the conference table facing the council, he barely had the strength to hold his human form. His hands gripped the armrests of his chair, claws digging into the wood.

He hadn’t slept.

Hadn’t eaten. Hadn’t even breathed properly since the moment Ava had been dragged away.

And the worst part?

It was her silence that haunted him.

She hadn’t fought.

Hadn’t screamed her innocence.

Hadn’t even looked at him as they took her.

That silence was worse than any betrayal.

Because it meant that, in her heart, she had already given up on him.

She hadn’t waited for him to explain.

If she had just listened, just waited, maybe things would be different.

Maybe she wouldn’t hate him as much.

Maybe she wouldn’t have turned to Dravon.

How long had she known the truth?

Had she always planned to betray him?

More questions. No answers.

Lucas’s grip tightened, the chair groaning under the force.

"Alpha." The voice pulled him from his spiraling thoughts.

He turned his head slowly, his golden eyes locking onto Councilman Thalric.

The older man cleared his throat but held his ground.

"If we may?"

Lucas grunted. It was the closest thing to permission they were going to get.

Thalric adjusted his glasses and continued. "The laws are clear about treason, especially when committed by a Luna." He hesitated. "Even if she has not yet been officially crowned."

Lucas’s chest burned.

A few days ago, she was his bride.

Now, she was his traitor.

Thalric sighed. "Alpha, you must sentence her as the law dictates."

Lucas barked out a laugh, the sound twisted; half human, half wolf.

So this was it.

He had finally found happiness.

And now, he had to kill it.

With his own hands.

Life truly was a bitch.

*****

Kade had been many things in his life. A warrior. A strategist.

But never a traitor.

Until now. From the moment he heard the verdict, he became restless.

Sentenced to death.

It echoed in his head over and over, until he thought he’d go mad.

There was no way Alpha Lucas had said that in his right mind.

This was madness.

This wasn’t Lucas.

This was Manic.

The wolf had taken control, and if Lucas didn’t snap out of it soon, he would regret this for the rest of his miserable life.

Kade had seen the way Lucas looked at Ava. The way he breathed her in, the way he softened when she was near.

Ava had healed him.

He had been a wreck before her. Shattered by betrayal, weighed down by the ghosts of his past. She had picked up those broken pieces, put him back together.

And now, he was going to kill her.

Kade slammed his fist against the wall, barely noticing the pain shooting up his arm.

No. No way in hell was he letting this happen.

The only person who could save Lucas from himself was Ava.

And the only way to save Ava?

Was to get her the hell out of there.

*****

The plan was simple.

Kade had spent the better part of the evening waiting for the perfect moment. He had injected the Gammas’ water with a special blend of sleeping herbs.

It had taken forever for the herbs to kick in.

Eventually, the Gammas started dropping one by one, their bodies slumping in their chairs.

Kade gave them a few extra minutes then got to work.

Ava was still hanging limply from the chains.

"Ava," he called softly, stepping forward. "Ava, wake up."

Nothing. Shit.

He didn’t have time for this.

Kade quickly undid the chains, catching her just before she collapsed onto the stone floor. Her body was terrifyingly light, her breathing shallow.

The sight of her like this sent a sharp pain through his chest.

She had been the strongest person he had ever known. The woman who had stood up to an Alpha without fear. Who had laughed in the face of danger, who had held Lucas in the palm of her hand.

Now, she was barely holding on.

Kade adjusted her weight against his back, securing his grip.

And then, with one last glance at the dungeon door, he bolted.