Defy The Alpha(s)

Chapter 181: Alone

Violet stood paralyzed, watching the chaos unfold around her, her heart hammering against her ribcage. She had known her decision would shake the school, but she hadn’t expected it to unravel into complete madness.

Griffin struggled to keep the peace, but it was a losing battle. Asher was beyond livid, his rage rippling through his pack, igniting an instinctive aggression in them

His wolves had taken aggressive stances, snarling and baring their fangs, their bodies coiled. They were ready to defend their Alpha, to strike down anyone who dared oppose him.

On the other hand, Roman, who had borne the brunt of Asher’s punch was not pushing for revenge, no, it was his pack demanding for violence. Both packs might have been friends in the past but they weren’t about to stand back and let their Alpha be attacked without retaliation, especially when Asher had already sunk his teeth into him.

The agitation was too much, with the low growls and hisses filling the air like the prelude to an all-out war. The human students were frozen in place, unsure whether to flee or stay, while others whispered anxiously among themselves, their eyes darting between the enraged Alphas.

"That’s enough!"

Alaric’s voice thundered across the space, carrying a command so powerful it shattered the air like a storm’s fury.

As if the heavens themselves answered, lightning tore across the sky, striking the earth with a deafening crack. The ground sizzled where the bolt landed, dangerously close to where Asher, Griffin and Roman stood.

The reaction was instant. The Cardinal Alphas recoiled, breaking apart as another bolt of lightning struck closer to their wolves. The scattered sparks sent the snarling pack members scrambling, their yelps filling the night as they backed away in alarm.

All eyes snapped toward Alaric Storm.

He stood at the spot, his eyes sparking with uncontained electricity, his platinum hair glowing under the eerie flicker of lightning. The air around him pulsed with so much power that no one dared to move or speak.

Slowly, Alaric ascended the stairs leading to the entrance, elevating himself above the others and demanding the full attention of everyone present.

He gazed out at the crowd, his expression looking like it was carved from stone. Then he spoke with a voice so cold it felt like a death sentence.

"You heard them. They rejected the four houses. They refuse to be governed. They deny the protection of a pack."

The bitterness in his tone was obvious, and was edged with something close to betrayal and disappointment.

"They have turned their backs on the natural order. They owe no allegiance to the Cardinal Alphas. And we all know what that means."

Alaric let the words settle, his furious gaze sweeping over the assembled crowd, challenging them to speak the truth aloud.

At first, there was nothing but silence until a lone voice whispered. "Rogues."

Another voice picked it up, louder this time. "Rogues."

Then another, and another, until, like a flood breaking free, the entire school chanted in unison, their voices filled with scorn and condemnation.

"ROGUES! ROGUES! ROGUES!"

reverberated through the school ground, the

stomach twisted into

a hand down her face. "Fuck.

panic

moved slow on purpose like a predator sizing up its prey. His nostrils flared as he inhaled, and the snarl that followed sent a chill

"Violet, what is happening?!"

menacing dance, their eyes locked onto Violet, Lila, Ivy, and Daisy with unhidden hostility. They weren’t just looking at

as she realized this was a

knew rejecting the houses would mark her as an outcast, but she never thought it was this serious. Her decision marked her and her friends as enemies to the very system that

the snarling wolves, whose eyes burned with the primal need to put

her to do this. The look on his face was indecipherable, but something in his eyes told her he knew exactly what

up for this.

mean, Rogues?" Lila cried with disbelief. "We’re

sacred laws of their kind. Others were lone wanderers, forsaking their packs for reasons of their own. But no matter the cause,

rogue was

there was no

if a rogue gathered enough numbers, they could pose an even bigger threat to the alphas, to the packs, to

why most alphas eliminated them on sight. It was an unspoken rule of survival—kill first

now, Violet and her friends had just been branded as one of

with resignation. "Even if we aren’t werewolves or rogues in the traditional sense, our choice

tight with frustration. "Or have you forgotten that Lunaris Academy operates under a strict werewolf

clear to me now why you did

a sharp breath, the words hitting her harder

they had still chosen to stand by her side. It was no excuse but now, they were

if an invisible noose had cinched around her neck. Her mind scrambled for something to say, for a way to explain, but the words refused to form. She hadn’t wanted this. She had just wanted freedom. A way out. She didn’t know it would be

could even attempt to apologize, Alaric’s voice rose above

houses would be executed tomorrow. Enjoy what’s left of your morning." His voice was different now, it sounded lower,

his back already turned to her. His broad shoulders, once squared with

before. Defeated. It was like a knife

she blurted,

never

A wolf stood in her path, its gleaming fangs bared, hackles raised.

Cardinal Alpha from now on, rogue." His voice was as

Finn, I just need to talk to him

sound vibrating

for negotiation. Violet clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palm. Fine. She would