Chapter 64: Ghosts
Lucas sat at his desk, elbows on his knees, fingers laced together, his head bowed as if in prayer. But there were no gods here to listen, only ghosts. The ghost of his past mistakes. The ghost of his own doubt. And most painfully, the ghost of Ava’s voice, whispering through his mind, reminding him of who she was, of the fire that had burned in her eyes the first time he met her.
A traitor? Ava? The woman who had risked her own life for him. The idea of her conspiring against him made as much sense as a wolf swearing off meat. It just didn’t fit.
And yet...Dorian was rarely wrong. He had seen the signs before, seen the cracks forming in Lucas’s world long before Lucas himself ever noticed. He had been right about Dennis. And that was what truly scared him. He had ignored the warnings once before. His own brother had stabbed him in the back, and he hadn’t seen it coming. What if history was repeating itself?
Lucas’s fists tightened. No. Ava was different. He felt it in his bones. But until he had proof, until he had something solid to hold onto, doubt would continue to creep in like an infection.
He could feel his pulse in his temples, the weight of his own mind pressing down on him. He needed air. He needed to breathe.
"Alpha?"
Fuck. Not now.
Lucas didn’t even need to look up to know who it was.
He exhaled slowly, not bothering to lift his head. "Sarah, not now."
But Sarah was nothing if not persistent. He heard the slow shuffle of her feet as she moved closer, her scent wrapping around him. She knelt beside him, her delicate fingers grazing his knee, the touch light yet intentional.
"Alpha," she murmured, voice dripping with honeyed seduction. "Have I done anything short of being loyal to you? Why do you dismiss me this way? Do I deserve this?"