Defying the Rogue Alpha
Chapter 81: Gone

Chapter 81: Gone

Lucas or rather, what was left of Lucas stalked toward the dungeons.

He had spent days avoiding this moment.

But he couldn’t do it anymore.

Not with the questions burning in his mind.

Why?

Why had she done it?

Had she always been a traitor? Had she been playing him from the start, smiling in his face while stabbing him in the back?

Had she ever loved him?

Or was it all just a well-orchestrated lie?

Manic was barely contained beneath the surface. Lucas wasn’t sure who was in control anymore. But it didn’t matter. What mattered was Ava.

He needed to see her.

He needed answers.

But the second he stepped into the dungeon corridor, he knew something was wrong.

The Gammas stationed outside were sprawled on the cold stone floor, their bodies motionless. A few of them snored lightly, one of them drooled.

Lucas’s lips curled into a snarl.

Someone had drugged them.

His vision darkened at the edges, rage pumping through his veins like fire.

A deep, guttural growl rumbled in his chest as he stepped over the useless guards and shoved open the dungeon door.

It was empty. She was gone.

His sharp gaze flickered to the floor. Small droplets of blood trailing toward the exit.

She was injured.

She had lost more blood.

And yet she was gone.

A bone-chilling howl ripping through his throat.

Within seconds, his men answered his call. Gammas appeared in a blur of movement.

Dorian was among them, his face set in a murderous scowl.

Lucas didn’t bother with pleasantries.

"She’s gone," he announced. His fangs were already elongating, his claws itching to rip through flesh. "Find her and bring her back to me."

Dorian was quite done with Ava escaping his claws every damn time. If I find her first, I’m going to kill her. Forget orders. He thought.

Lucas’s gaze flickered toward the forest, behind the forest.

Ava’s scent was faint but still in the air.

Lucas led the charge, as soon as they entered the forest.

His eyes narrowed as they reached the first set of footprints.

They were deep. Too deep.

Ava’s weight alone wouldn’t have made such an imprint in the soil.

Unless...

Lucas’s head snapped toward his men.

"Where’s Kade?"

The Gammas exchanged uneasy glances.

Dorian’s face drained of color. That stupid love struck idiot. What had he done?

Lucas exhaled slowly through his nose, his hands curling into fists.

He turned his attention back to the footprints.

Studied them. Analyzed them.

Then, suddenly, it clicked.

"He’s carrying her." His voice was lethal. "And he’s trying to confuse us."

His sharp gaze followed the twists and turns in the tracks, the purposeful misdirection.

A trick. A well-played one, but not good enough.

His lips curled into a wolfish grin.

"They went east," he announced. "Find them."

Without hesitation, his men took off in the direction he pointed.

Lucas, however, didn’t follow.

He turned west.

Because he knew Kade.

Knew how his mind worked. He had taught Kade, personally trained him.

And if Kade had half a brain, he would be leading the trackers away from their true escape route.

Lucas wasn’t falling for it.

His wolf growled in satisfaction as he disappeared into the shadows of the forest.

*****

Halfway through the forest, Ava woke up.

Kade felt the shift instantly, the way her body tensed, the way her breathing changed.

"What the fuck..."

She started thrashing, nearly sending them both toppling to the ground.

"Ava!" Kade hissed, struggling to keep his balance. "For the love of the Moon Goddess, stop moving!"

"What the hell is going on? Where..."

"You’re welcome, by the way," he grunted. "Just saving your life. No big deal."

She went still. "Saving my..." And then it hit her. "he sentenced me to death, didn’t he?"

Her body sagged against him once more.

"Put me down," she said quietly.

"Not happening."

"Kade." Her voice was sharp now. "I said put me down."

"And I said not happening," he shot back.

"I’d rather die."

Kade stopped dead in his tracks.

He turned his head slightly, just enough to catch a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye.

Her face was pale, her eyes hollow.

And she meant it.

She actually meant it.

"You know," he said after a long pause, "for someone who just got rescued, you are really ungrateful."

"I didn’t ask to be rescued."

"You think I wanted to be the one to do this? You think I wanted to betray my Alpha?"

She didn’t answer.

"I loved you, you know," he muttered.

That got her attention.

She stiffened against him.

He let out a bitter laugh.

"Yeah," he said. "I did. Still do, apparently. Not that it matters, you always belonged to the alpha."

She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

It didn’t matter.

This wasn’t about that.

This was about keeping her alive.

Because like hell was he going to let Lucas destroy the best thing that ever happened to him.

Even if it killed him in the process.

Taking a deep breath, Kade adjusted his grip and started running again.

Faster this time.

Ava felt warmth and love as kade ran with her. The mate bond.

Her breath caught in her throat.

Her heart pounded against her ribs.

Kade must have sensed it because his head snapped toward her, his face twisted with panic.

"Kade," she choked out. "He’s here."

His body tensed. His nostrils flared. His eyes darted through the dense forest, scanning every shadow, every rustling leaf.

But he wouldn’t see him.

No one saw Lucas coming.

Not until it was too late.

"Shit!" he hissed.

Ava turned.

She couldn’t see him either.

But she could feel him.

Lucas was close.

Kade’s fingers wrapped around her shoulders, gripping her tighter than he probably intended. Desperation bled into his touch.

"Ava, listen to me," he said. "You have your wolf now. You can make it."

She opened her mouth to argue, but he didn’t let her.

His hands moved to cup her face, forcing her to meet his gaze.

"Get to the top of the hill," he continued. "Jump into the river. Follow the current until you reach the run-down village on the other side. They’ll take care of you. They’ll hide you."

Ava swallowed thickly.

She shook her head. "What’s going to happen to you?"

Kade smiled. A soft, tragic, knowing smile.

He had already accepted his fate.

"Don’t worry about me," he said. "I’ll be fine. A few days in the dungeons, maybe a slap on the wrist." He winked.

The truth was different.

Lucas wouldn’t just throw Kade into the dungeons.

He would kill him. Ruthlessly. Brutally. Without hesitation.

And Kade knew that.

Still, he stood there.

Still, he smiled.

Still, he lied.

Because he loved her.

Ava’s hands shook as she nodded, as she forced herself to turn away, to run even though every instinct screamed at her to stay.

Her legs felt weak, her wounds burned, and her breath came in short, ragged gasps, but she ran.

She didn’t look back.

She couldn’t look back.

Because if she did, she would stay.

So she ran.

She ran toward the top of the hill.

She ran toward the river.

She ran toward the unknown.

And Kade stood still.

Waiting. For impact. For death. For him.

Lucas didn’t disappoint.

The moment the wind shifted, Kade felt it.

A blur of movement. A gust of force.

One second he was standing.

The next, he was flying.

His body crashed into a tree with a sickening crack, the impact knocking the breath from his lungs.

A clawed hand wrapped around his throat, lifting him off the ground.

Kade gasped, choking, his feet dangling helplessly as golden eyes burned into his.

The alpha’s face was shadowed in darkness.

"Where is she?" Lucas’s voice was quiet.

Kade’s fingers clawed at the alpha’s wrist, his lungs screaming for air.

He stayed quiet. She had to live, to live for the Alpha. Maybe someday, if the goddess willed it, she would return and heal him once more and the Silver Pack would be able to breathe again.

Lucas squeezed, tighter and tighter and tighter.

Until Kade saw black at the edges of his vision.

Until his bones creaked under the pressure.

Until his body started shutting down.

(@Oldsoul: Welcome on board)