The Alpha's Rogue ✔️

18 | Set Up House

A little melancholy song for this chapter 😌 Fuzzy Blue Lights by Owl City

3741 words

Zion approached his father with a smirk on his face. "What do you think?"

"I think you should have warned me," Victor narrowed his eyes on his son, his arms folded as he leaned back on his desk.

Zion's steps faltered. "She can handle a joke. Apparently, she loves to prank her pack members, and told me about this time when she froze peaches—"

"That isn't what I called you here to talk about," Victor suddenly interrupted, holding up a hand and silencing Zion.

"I thought you'd be happy?" Zion asked after a tense moment of silence. "You're always going on about me finding someone to care for."

"So I am. But have you ever thought that she, an Alpha, might do more harm than good?" he jabbed a finger in the direction Savannah was, beyond the heavy closed doors where she wouldn't hear their conversation.

"I understand the risks. We're rogues, and she has every natural tendency to exploit us for her own purposes, if not kill us outright."

"And she hasn't?"

"No. She's told me at every turn that she wants us to work out, and come to a compromise of beliefs."

"Beliefs? We're not talking religions here, son."

"It feels like it sometimes."

"We're lone wolves. We don't fit in a pack. They threw us out as soon as we didn't agree with their ideals and strict regimes. What if she plays you, goes along for a while and lets you have your freedom, before reeling you in with a seductive smile and honeyed words? Can you afford to lose everything you've worked for?"

"She isn't like that, Dad," Zion replied hotly, suddenly wondering why he felt such a strong urge to defend Savannah. Protecting her life from his murderous enemies was one thing, but standing up for her against someone on his side was strange.

"How do you know?" Victor pinned him with a relentless gaze, his blue eyes darkening to sapphire as he tried reading his son's wistful expressions.

"She's different. I can feel it. Most Alphas would have killed me on sight, and she nearly did. But the mate bond means something to her. She's willing to give me a chance."

"Very well. Don't blow it," his father stated flatly.

"Yes, sir."

"Now, onto pressing matters. Did you retrieve the key?"

"Yes, it was exactly where you thought it would be. It seems Darek played his part well. That leech Persia didn't even realise it slipped right under her nose."

"As expected. You never can trust a Vinn. Remember that, son."

Zion's eyebrows rose in question, but before he could ask what he meant, Victor continued. "Do you know this man?"

Zion squinted at the grainy image his father pulled up on his computer screen. "He looks familiar, but I can't say I recognise him."

"The boss of the Hell's Saints. He goes by the moniker 'Lucifer'. We've been tracking him across the continent, mostly via cellular networks and bank statements for the aliases we know of. But when he left the country, we had to rely on satellite images. This image was taken from over the Catalya Islands at Port Quarie. A few days later, what shows up for auction on the dark web?"

"The Lava Mount ruby?" Zion felt his chest constrict at the thought that the prized gem could once more be in their reach.

"Not quite. But this stone, dubbed the 'bloodstone'." Victor pulled up another image of a gleaming red ruby nestled in black velvet.