Defying the Rogue Alpha
Chapter 89: Luxury

Chapter 89: Luxury

Ava stepped into the small room, pausing at the entrance as her eyes swept across the space. It was tiny, barely more than a closet with four walls. A single bed sat against one side, its thin mattress looking like it had seen better days. The only other pieces of furniture were a small wooden stool and a crate that had apparently been repurposed as a table. There was one window and a small lamp.

Behind her, Dennis shifted uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know it isn’t much," he admitted. "In fact, it’s nothing at all. But it’s a place to sleep."

Ava turned back to him, offering a small smile. "Thank you," she said, and meant it.

She walked further into the room and sat on the edge of the bed, testing it. It did creak, but she had spent nights on the bare floor before. This was practically luxury.

"So," she said, stretching her legs out as she sat on the bed, "what’s the routine like around here?"

Dennis leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. "We farm early in the morning," he said. "Then we have breakfast. We go hunting every once in a while too, but we never stray past our territory except for the very rebellious teenagers, like Justin."

"You’ve done a great job keeping this place together," she said. "It can’t be easy."

Dennis exhaled, rubbing a hand over his jaw. "It’s been hard," he admitted. "But we try."

Ava could hear the exhaustion in his voice, the quiet weight of responsibility pressing down on him. He was younger than Lucas, but his shoulders carried the burdens of a man twice his age. She could see it in the lines around his eyes, the tension in his posture.

Dennis might crack jokes, but he wasn’t just surviving here, he was leading.

And he was doing it alone.

Ava looked down, her fingers running absentmindedly over the blanket.

"I’m gonna leave you to... uh... well... to yourself," Dennis said awkwardly.

She glanced up, amused. "You and Lucas look so much alike, but you’re so different," she observed.

Dennis smirked. "First of all, I look better."

Ava snorted. "Debatable."

"Not really," he shot back. Then he shrugged. "Second, I agree. We’re nothing alike."

Ava tilted her head. "For one, Lucas doesn’t stutter."

He raised a brow. "Never?"

"Never," Ava confirmed.

Dennis tapped his chin, pretending to think. "Not even when he’s being... intimate with you?"

Ava’s breath caught.

The playful atmosphere instantly soured, and Dennis’s knowing smile faltered when he saw the flicker of pain in her eyes.

"I... I really can’t say," Ava said softly.

Dennis cursed under his breath, suddenly feeling like the worst person in the world. He hadn’t meant to bring up something so painful, he was just teasing. But of course, Lucas was still a wound Ava wouldn’t heal from so soon.

He cleared his throat, awkwardly shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "I mean," he said quickly, "I’m sure he stutters. You’re a very beautiful woman."

Ava blinked at him.

Then, to his surprise, she blushed.

For a moment, he just looked at her.

Then he exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck again. "Alright, well..." he cleared his throat, "good night."

"Good night," Ava murmured.

Dennis turned, stepping out into the night.

The moment she was alone, it hit her.

The weight of it all crashed into her.

She pressed a hand to her chest, as if she could physically hold herself together, but it was useless.

Tears burned in her eyes before she even realized they were there.

It was happening again.

She was alone.

Again. Some kind of terrible luck followed her everywhere.

First, Leon. She had thought he was her forever. Her destined mate. But he had rejected her for a political alliance.

That betrayal had hurt her.

But nothing compared to Lucas.

Because Lucas wasn’t just a rejection.

He was a death sentence.

Her mate wanted her dead.

Her mate had killed her father.

Her own mother was his fated mate.

A fresh sob tore from her throat, and she curled in on herself, shaking.

Her heart broke again.

And again. And again.

She didn’t know how many times a heart could shatter before there was nothing left.

She didn’t know how long she could survive.

Ava clenched her eyes shut.

She wanted to stop feeling.

She wanted the pain to go away.

But it didn’t.

*****

Leon stood at the border of the Crimson Pack, arms crossed, eyes scanning the darkness. The wind was cold whipping through the trees with an eerie whisper.

Lucas would come for Crimson Pack now.

It was inevitable.

Leon exhaled heavily, rolling his shoulders, trying to ease the weight pressing down on them. He had seen this moment coming, had dreaded it, and yet, it didn’t make it any easier.

And it was his fault.

Ava had asked him once for the truth about her father’s death. And he had lied. Not because he wanted to, but because telling her the truth would have put everything at risk. His pack. His people. His home.

But now... now the truth was out, and the consequences were disastrous.

Ava had acted on it. Of course she had. She had plotted to murder Lucas.

And because of that, the contract was broken.

Leon clenched his jaw.

Now, everyone was in danger.

The faintest rustle of movement snapped him out of his thoughts, his sharp eyes catching a shadow moving along the treeline.

Someone was approaching.

He tensed, hands itching towards the knives strapped to his belt. Whoever it was had chosen to meet him under the cover of darkness, which meant they didn’t want to be seen.

A potential threat.

Or an ally.

The figure stepped into the moonlight, reaching up with slow, deliberate movements to pull back their hoodie.

"Kade?" His voice was barely above a whisper, thick with shock.

Kade smirked. "Surprised?"

Leon blinked rapidly. "What are you doing here?" His gaze darted around, scanning for anyone who might have followed. "You sent the message?"

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