Defying the Rogue Alpha
Chapter 83: Scent

Chapter 83: Scent

Lucas lay sprawled across Ava’s bed in the Luna’s quarters he had just newly refurbished. His face buried in her pillow, breathing in the only thing she had left behind; her scent. It was a cruel, intoxicating torment.

He squeezed his eyes shut, his jaw clenched so tightly that his teeth ached.

This was all he had now.

A scent. Memories.

A hollow ache that no amount of bloodshed or whiskey could numb.

His hand curled into a fist, gripping the blanket she had used for only a few weeks, the fabric still warm with the phantom of her touch.

Gods, he was pathetic.

The great Alpha of the Silver Pack, reduced to sniffing bedsheets.

He scoffed at himself but didn’t move.

Because if he moved, he would have to face the truth.

The truth that he had been wrong.

The truth that he had failed her.

The truth that the last conversation he had in that cursed forest had shattered him more than he dared to admit.

Just a few hours ago, Kade had almost died in his hands.

"Alpha!" Kade had choked, his voice wet with pain, his body trembling beneath Lucas’s iron grip. Life was draining from his eyes, slipping away.

Lucas had tightened his hold, his rage an unrelenting fire licking at his insides. "You dare betray me too?" His voice had been a growl.

But Kade’s eyes had not been filled with fear.

Not of death.

Not of him.

"Never," Kade rasped, struggling to breathe. "We would never."

Lucas stilled.

"We?"

His hold faltered. And he let Kade drop to the ground.

Kade gasped, gulping in air. His chest heaved, his body sagging, but still, he didn’t run. Didn’t beg.

Instead, he looked up at Lucas, and Lucas saw honesty in his eyes. made his stomach twist.

Conviction.

Something that shouldn’t have belonged in the gaze of a man who had just faced death.

Lucas’s voice was sharp. "Explain."

Kade swallowed hard, his throat working painfully. "She... didn’t do it."

A muscle in Lucas’s jaw ticked. His mind warred with itself, logic battling against fury.

He exhaled slowly. "You do realize that if she is innocent, your father is a dead man?"

Kade’s expression was grim, but he nodded. "I know."

There was no hesitation.

No fear. Only acceptance.

Lucas let out a bitter laugh, raking a hand through his hair. "And you saved her? For me?"

Kade straightened, despite the pain in his body. "Yes."

Lucas scoffed, shaking his head. "You sent her to Dennis, didn’t you?" His tone darkened. "You sent my mate to a man who betrayed me?"

Kade met his gaze without wavering. "That was the only way I knew to save her."

Lucas was silent.

The trees around them stood tall and unmoving, the wind rustling through the leaves.

Kade inhaled sharply, forcing himself to keep speaking. "My father set this up."

Lucas’s eyes snapped to him.

Kade’s jaw tightened. "With Sarah."

"Why?"

"Sarah wants you to herself," Kade said simply. "And my father... he thinks Ava makes you weak."

Lucas’s lips curled into a sneer. "Weak?"

He turned away for a moment, tilting his head to the sky as if it held the answers he desperately needed. His heartbeat was erratic, a wild drum pounding against his ribs.

Then, quietly, he asked, "And what do you think?"

Kade hesitated only for a breath.

"I think..." He swallowed. "She makes you human."

Lucas’s chest constricted.

Kade continued, voice steady. "A worthy Alpha."

Lucas let out a slow, shaky exhale.

Human. He had spent so long trying to bury that part of himself. The part that wanted. The part that needed.

And Ava had brought it back.

She had ruined him.

Or maybe...

Maybe she had saved him.

Lucas laughed at himself. "You trust her more than I do."

He was a fool.

A pathetic, undeserving fool.

He had doubted her.

And another man, a boy, had believed in her more than he ever had.

Lucas closed his eyes briefly.

Then, he inhaled sharply and straightened. "Find me something. Anything to prove her innocence."

Kade’s shoulders relaxed, and he nodded, accepting the command.

Lucas turned to leave but stopped, glancing over his shoulder.

"Oh, and one more thing, Kade." His voice was softer now, but not without weight. "From this moment on, you are a dead man. Find me when you have something."

Kade’s face remained neutral, but his eyes betrayed understanding.

"And Ava?"

Lucas exhaled slowly, gaze shifting toward the distant hill.

She was out there.

With Dennis. "She will be fine. She is better off without me anyway."

And with that, he walked away, leaving Kade standing in the middle of the forest.

*****

Lucas opened his eyes.

This had been her space.

Her bed. Her scent.

And he had let her go.

A bitter smile curled his lips. "Better off without me?" He scoffed at himself.

Ava had been his last chance at salvation.

And he had thrown it away.

*****

Dennis sat with his arms crossed, watching as the healer finished working on the strange woman. Inwardly, he was troubled.

Lucas was getting worse. Not better.

The last report Dennis had received painted a hopeful picture that Lucas was changing, becoming merciful, more reasonable. He had let two of his people go which was surprising.

Dennis had dared to hope that maybe, just maybe, his brother would some day return to his normal self.

But now, as his gaze flickered to the woman lying on the cot, he wasn’t so sure anymore.

What the hell had she done to him?

Her wounds were closing, but she was far from healed. The damage wasn’t just physical.

She had the look of someone who had been shattered.

And yet, she kept glancing at him from the corner of her eyes.

Dennis shifted uncomfortably under her stare. Yeah, lady, I get it. I look yummy. No need to keep gawking.

The door creaked open, and Missy bustled in, holding a bundle of clothes. "Change into these," she instructed briskly, setting the garments down beside the cot.

Ava hesitated before reaching for the clothes.

Dennis frowned, his gaze flickering over the ragged remains of her dress. Or what was once a night dress. The fabric was soaked with blood, torn in places that made his stomach twist. It must have been beautiful once.

Missy turned to glare at Dennis.

"Oh right! Yeah, sorry." He quickly spun on his heel, turning his back to give Ava some privacy.

Behind him, he heard the rustle of fabric.

When he turned back, Ava was dressed, though the clothes hung loosely on her, swallowing her frame. She looked even smaller now, more fragile than before.

Missy handed her a cup of tea and sat back, arms crossed.

Dennis, on the other hand, was still trying to figure out what exactly had landed this woman here.

The door opened again, and a boy scurried in, holding a wooden bowl filled with a strong-smelling herbal mixture.

He beamed up at Dennis as he passed by, and Dennis ruffled his hair on instinct.

Justin giggled before turning toward the woman on the cot. His eyes widened in surprise.

"It’s you!"

Ava blinked, startled.

She studied him for a moment before shaking her head. "Do I know you?"

(@cherryopr0ba: welcome on board.)