Defying the Rogue Alpha

Lily's eyes widened.

"Ava…" she started.

Ava rolled her eyes, already knowing where this was going. "Yeah, yeah, I know. The Alpha is going to break you. He's ruthless in bed. He takes what he wants, blah blah blah." She waved a hand dismissively. "Spare me the warnings. I still want to please him."

Lily studied her for a moment, but Ava's expression was determined, even desperate.

She wanted him.

Not just in passing, not because she loved him, but because that was the next step in her plan.

Lily sighed. "Fine."

Ava straightened.

"The Alpha," Lily began, "tells you exactly what to do. He doesn't play guessing games. He'll guide you; he'll take you where he wants to go."

Ava swallowed hard, her body heating up again. She thought back to Kade and the way he made her toes curl last night.

"But the real work," Lily continued, "is when he enters you."

Ava's breath caught in her throat.

"He shows no mercy," Lily murmured. "And he won't stop until he is finished."

Ava clenched her thighs together, pulse pounding. That she already expected, Alpha Raventhorn was a beast in and out of the bedroom. But her frustration wasn't just about the act itself.

She wanted more. She wanted to control him.

"I know that," Ava admitted. "But… how do I make him want me? It's hard to explain now that I'm actually talking about it."

Lily gave a knowing smirk. "You want romance. You want him to touch you before he takes you. You want him to seduce you."

"Yes!" Ava exhaled, her mind flashing back to the way Kade had looked at her, the way his lips had kissed her, the way he had teased her, but everything he did to her felt like she had the power over him. It was exhilarating.

Lily sighed, "I'm sorry, Ava. I don't have those answers."

Ava's stomach twisted in disappointment.

Lily leaned forward. "If you really want to do this, without a wolf to guide you, without experience, you're going to have to wing it."

Ava swallowed.

"But," Lily continued, "one thing I do know. The Alpha hates weakness."

Ava nodded.

"Right."

She could do this.

Easy peasy.

*****

Lily had barely stepped out of Ava's room when Sarah materialized in the hallway, her arms crossed and eyes gleaming with suspicion.

"I knew you would crack," Sarah sneered.

Lily exhaled, already exhausted by the confrontation she knew was coming. "What would you have me do? Piss her off even further? Do you want her to run to the Alpha with a full report?"

Sarah scoffed, "Please. You're acting like she matters. This is just a phase. When I first arrived, he was all over me too."

Lily stilled, "Was he?" There was a pause, one heavy with disbelief.

Sarah's face darkened. "Whatever." She waved a hand, brushing off the question. "What is she up to?"

"What do you mean?" Lily asked.

Sarah's eyes narrowed. "You were in there for a long time. What were you talking about?"

Lily shrugged. "Nothing major. She just… wants to see the Alpha tonight."

Sarah stiffened. A flash of panic crossed her face before she replaced it with anger.

"You're so dumb," she hissed. "If she sees him tonight, she'll tell him about the devil beans."

Lily's stomach twisted. "That has nothing to do with me."

Sarah grabbed Lily's wrist. "If I'm going down, you're coming down with me. Do you hear me?"

Lily wrenched her arm away. "Oh, get the hell out of my face." With a forceful shove, she pushed Sarah back, watching her stumble before storming away down the hall.

But Sarah was already seething. Ava was going to ruin everything. If she went to the Alpha, there would be no escape, no talking her way out of it.

Her heartbeat pounded like war drums in her chest.

No.

She couldn't let that happen.

Without thinking, she turned on her heel and rushed down the corridor, her feet slapping against the polished floors as she made a beeline for the Alpha's office.

She had to get to him first.

*****

Sarah stood outside the Alpha's office. She knew this was a gamble, a desperate move to keep Ava away from him, but she had no other choice. If Ava saw him tonight, she would be in trouble.

Lucas protected his women from others and from themselves. This was why they had tried to live in harmony until Ava showed up.

She sucked in a deep breath and knocked.

"Enter."

Pushing open the heavy door, she stepped inside to find Alpha Lucas sprawled across the leather sofa. He looked tense. His dark brows were furrowed, his jaw clenched in thought.

"What?" he growled.

Sarah hesitated for half a second before stepping forward. "Alpha, I would like to visit you tonight. To please you."

Lucas barely reacted. His gaze drifted past her, his fingers tapping restlessly against the armrest. His mind wasn't there; it was somewhere else, in thoughts that had nothing to do with her.

Lucas had been at war with himself all day. His instincts screamed at him to go to Ava, but his mind resisted. He hated this weakness. He had bedded countless women in his lifetime. Only one had had this effect on him, and she had been dead for years now; he made sure of it.

She was in his head, under his skin. He hadn't seen her since yesterday, and the ache of her absence was gnawing at him like a wound refusing to heal.

His wolf was restless, pacing inside him. She was a mere concubine, a nobody traded to him. She wasn't even a wolf. She shouldn't have this power over him.

And yet, every time he closed his eyes, he saw her: her defiant stare, her sharp tongue, the way she dared to challenge him when no one else would.

He despised it.

He craved it.

His fingers curled into a fist.

"Alpha?"

Sarah's voice dragged him back to the present. He blinked, realizing he had completely forgotten she was standing there.

"What?!"

Sarah shifted on her feet but forced a seductive smile. "I would like to come over tonight…"

Lucas exhaled sharply and ran a hand through his hair.

"Yeah… yeah… yeah… fine. Eight o'clock," he muttered distractedly, flicking his fingers toward the door in dismissal.

Sarah smiled in triumph as she turned to leave. Let's see you go blab to the Alpha now, Ava.

She walked out, closing the door behind her.

Lucas let out a low, frustrated growl. Sarah better do her best to please him tonight, to help with his weird desire to be near Ava.