Defying the Rogue Alpha
Chapter 97: Sense

Chapter 97: Sense

Ava swallowed, her palm resting against the rapid, thunderous beat of his heart.

"That’s what happens when I’m close to you."

Her fingers curled slightly, gripping the fabric of his shirt.

"Dennis..." she breathed.

His gaze flickered to her lips, dark and hungry. "I cannot touch you. I cannot kiss you. I cannot fuck you. I cannot love you." His forehead pressed against hers, his breath mingling with her own. "And yet, the beast inside me is squeezing the last of my goddamn common sense."

Ava’s heart pounded so hard she thought it might break her ribs.

"Now tell me," he rasped. "Do you want to stay?"

Ava’s fingers tightened on his shirt, her pulse hammering. Her body screamed one answer. Her mind whispered the same. She loved only one man, she wanted only one man and his mark was on her neck. Maybe someday, she would get over him but not yet, and most importantly not with his brother.

Dennis was breaking.

He let out a sharp breath and yanked himself away, raking a hand through his already-messy hair.

"This isn’t fair," she said.

"No," he agreed. "It isn’t."

And with that, he walked out of the room, leaving Ava standing there, heart racing, lips tingling.

*****

Lucas stood a few feet from the rogues’ gate, his sharp eyes locked onto the figures approaching from the other side. His stance was relaxed and lazy but beneath that calm exterior, his mind worked like a grandmaster moving chess pieces across a board. Every word, every move today had been carefully calculated. He wasn’t here for a fight, he was there to fool the traitors in his own pack.

His councilmen, Dorian and Nolan, flanked him, each standing at attention.

It had been ten years since Lucas had been this close to Dennis. Ten years since betrayal had driven them apart, transforming them from inseparable brothers into bitter rivals. Time had changed them both, but Lucas doubted it had changed what mattered. The pain. The resentment. The festering anger that had never truly faded.

And now, the very same brother who had betrayed him, who had hurt their mother, was hiding Ava. He was thankful for that.

He could feel the others watching, waiting for the moment when words would fail and blood would spill. But Lucas was too smart for that. He was always thinking three moves ahead, and today was no different. That’s why he had sent Dorian forward first.

Dorian took measured steps toward Dennis, every inch the negotiator. "Dennis," he greeted.

Dennis barely glanced at him. "I’m not speaking with you," he said flatly, his eyes locked past Dorian, straight on Lucas.

"And yet here I am." Dorian’s lips curled into a smirk, ever the provocateur.

Lucas didn’t have to be a mind reader to know that was the wrong move.

Dennis took a single step closer to Dorian, so close that their breaths mixed in the cold air. "I don’t need my wolf to tear you limb from limb, you pathetic traitor. Move out of my space, or I will rip your heart out and shove it down your throat."

Lucas sighed and signaled to Nolan, who quickly stepped between them, clearing his throat. "Dennis," Nolan began, "we didn’t come here to fight."

Dennis turned his gaze to Nolan, assessing him with quiet intensity. Behind him, Missy stood still as a shadow, her eyes locked onto Dorian.

"What’s this talk about?" Dennis asked, his patience clearly thinning.

"The Alpha wants Ava," Nolan said, cutting straight to the point. "He wants you to hand her over."

A muscle twitched in Dennis’s jaw. He folded his arms across his chest, stance solid. "We have about four Avas in our pack. I will not be handing any of them over."

Nolan let out a slow breath. "Dennis, you know which Ava we’re talking about. She is the Alpha’s wife."

Lucas remained silent, watching the scene unfold exactly as he had planned. Dorian was bait. Nolan was the bridge.

Dennis’s expression darkened. "I don’t have your Alpha’s wife, Nolan."

Dorian, as expected, took the opportunity to push. "Then we will conduct a search of your p..."

He didn’t finish the sentence.

Dennis’s fist connected with his mouth with such force that Dorian staggered back several paces, blood immediately dripping from his split lip.

Missy moved faster than lightning, murmuring an incantation under her breath, and winding her hands like she was gripping something. Dorian suddenly froze, his body locked in place, limbs rigid as if turned to stone.

Dennis stalked toward him, muscles rippling beneath his shirt, his entire body radiating fury. "How dare you? Search my pack? Have you lost your mind?!"

Lucas, still lounging against the hood of his car, let out an amused chuckle. His brother’s temper was just as short as ever, maybe even worse. But he could see that Dennis was still keeping his wolf caged.

The council members scrambled behind Lucas, whispering among themselves, unsure whether to step in or run. Pathetic.

Lucas exhaled heavily and straightened. Enough entertainment.

"Leave us," he instructed smoothly.

Nolan bowed slightly and stepped back. Missy, however, didn’t move an inch. She remained beside her alpha, unwavering.

Lucas’s eyes flicked to her. "I said, leave us."

She lifted her chin defiantly but glanced at Dennis. At his small nod, she finally stepped back, though she didn’t go far. Lucas had to give her credit, loyalty like that was rare.

Now, it was just the two of them.

"You look terrible."

Dennis scoffed. "And you still look like a maniac."

Lucas smirked. "I’ll take that as a compliment. Allow the search,"

Dennis’s expression hardened immediately, his stance shifting into one of refusal.

Before he could object, Lucas added, "Just me and Nolan. No one else. You trust Nolan, don’t you?"

Dennis hesitated.

"I don’t trust you," he muttered.

Lucas gave a slow nod, as if that was expected. "You shouldn’t." He stepped closer. "The only reason your sad excuse of a pack is still standing is because of our mother. And I won’t break my promise to her. But understand this, brother...I will do what’s right by Ava."

Dennis’s entire body tensed at the mention of her name. His eyes burned with something Lucas recognized well. Possession.

Interesting.

Lucas gestured for Nolan to follow him, moving past his brother without another word. The chessboard was still set, and Lucas was still playing to win.

Dennis and Missy remained behind, watching as the gate creaked open, allowing the alpha of the most powerful pack in the region to step inside.

Lucas stood at the entrance of the rogue village, his sharp eyes sweeping over the pitiful landscape before him. It was worse than he had imagined. Dilapidated huts barely held together by rusted nails and rotting wood lined the muddy paths. The air smelled of damp earth, unwashed bodies, and desperation. It was the kind of place that made him want to shower the second he left.

And this... this was where his Ava had been living?

A flicker of guilt slithered through him, curling around his ribcage. He had let his pride, his rage, and his strategy dictate everything, but he hadn’t considered what that meant for her. His Luna was Forced to hide in the shadows, among the outcasts. No, this wasn’t where she belonged. It was beneath her.

"Stand guard," Lucas ordered Nolan, who gave a curt nod and took position near the gate. Lucas, on the other hand, let instinct guide him.

Eyes followed his every step as he walked deeper into the village, some filled with suspicion, others with barely contained fear. He could hear the whispers exchanged between the rogues as he passed. They knew who he was. What he was.

The devil had walked through their gates, and they were praying he didn’t burn their world to the ground.

But Lucas paid them no mind. He didn’t care about the terrified rogues or the way some of them clutched their children close. His focus was singular. His mate bond hummed under his skin. Ava was here. He could feel it in his bones.

He closed his eyes for a moment, listening, not with his ears, but with his heart. And then, his feet moved, following a force greater than logic or reason. He stopped before the largest building in the village. It wasn’t much better than the others. The paint was peeling, the windows cracked, the entire structure leaning slightly to the left as if it was too tired to stand upright anymore.

Lucas entered without hesitation, the scent of his brother lingered in the air along with Ava’s.

His heartbeat quickened, his wolf stirred beneath the surface. He followed the scent down the hallway, stopping at the last door. Without a moment’s pause, he pushed it open.

The bedroom was empty.

Lucas exhaled sharply, his eyes scanning the space with cold efficiency. The bed was unmade, the furniture sparse, the walls bare except for one small photograph. He stepped closer, his fingers grazing the frame. It was a picture of Dennis and their mother.

Lucas felt a twinge in his chest. Memories of a time when they weren’t enemies flashed through his mind. They had once been inseparable, two halves of a whole, brothers in every sense of the word.

Now, they stood on opposite sides of a war neither of them had truly won.

He shook the thought away and refocused. His instincts had led him here. There had to be a reason.

Lucas took another sweep of the room, frustration creeping in. No signs of Ava. Had his bond betrayed him? Had he imagined...

His gaze dropped to the floor.

The carpet near the foot of the bed was slightly off-center. It had been moved recently. His lips curled into a smirk.

Well, well. Bending down, he lifted the edge of the rug, revealing the hidden hatch underneath. His fingers brushed against the handle, and instantly, the mate bond roared to life.

Her scent rushed through him, so potent he could almost taste her. His Ava was here. Not gone. Not lost. Hiding.

From him. Lucas inhaled deeply, steadying himself. A strange mix of emotions battled within him. Did she truly believe she could hide from him forever?

Slowly, deliberately, he placed the rug back, smoothing it over the hatch as if he had never found it. Then, without another glance, he left the room.

He walked out of the house. The moment he stepped through the gates, all eyes were on him again. Dennis stood at the front, arms crossed.

"She isn’t there!" he declared.

Lucas approached his brother, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Nice touch with the underground hatch," he murmured. "But know this, Ava is mine. She holds my mark."

Dennis’s lips twitched into that familiar, boyish grin. "Marks can be erased," he said smoothly.

For the briefest moment, Lucas saw red. His wolf snarled beneath the surface, demanding he tear his brother apart. His hands itched to shift, to break bones and draw blood.

But he didn’t.

Instead, he forced the rage down, swallowing it whole. He wasn’t going to lose control. That wasn’t how this game was played.

He turned sharply on his heel, walking away.

Dorian, however, wasn’t convinced.

"Alpha," he called after Lucas. "Just the two of you couldn’t have searched the place. We need the gammas to search every inch."

Lucas didn’t slow his stride. "She isn’t there!" he repeated, this time sharper, more final.

Dorian narrowed his eyes. Something wasn’t right. He could smell it, taste it. Lucas never gave up this easily. He was hiding something.

And Dorian was going to find out what.

@Lindsey_Tennyson: Thank you. Mwaaahhh!