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053: Hope
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2024-07-09 23:55:01Related chapters
Tempted by the Rogue Alpha 054: Invasive
Lara I hand the list of names along with their phone numbers to Ambrose. “This is everything I got from his phone. I also took pictures of some of his messages. He doesn’t seem to talk to anyone by text, though, but you never know. You might find something useful.”Going through Dexter’s phone gave me a thrill that’s hard to describe. My fingers were shaking as I scrolled through his phone, trying to get as much information as I could while being cautious not to get distracted so he wouldn’t catch me red-handed. “You’ve done a great job, Lara,” Ambrose says to me as he takes the list from me along with some of the pictures I printed out. He skims over them briefly before asking, “Where is he now?”“He left but he said he’d come back,” I explain. “What about Ander? How is he?”“He’s with my associate. I’ll give you her number. Call any time you want to talk to him.” He grabs one of his business cards, flips it, and notes the number down. “Here.”I take it from him. “Thanks.”“Let me
Last Updated : 2024-07-10Tempted by the Rogue Alpha 055: Bitter Goodbye
Lara“I think it’s a good idea, Lara,” Ambrose says to me. “It would be a way for you to get close to him.”I sigh. The worst part is that deep down, I know he’s right. I know that he means well when he says that I have to get closer to Dexter and make the most of the opportunities presented to me. My only concern is Ander and I was thinking about him even when Dexter made me the offer. I had to ask him for some time to think the offer through because I didn’t feel ready to give him an answer then just as I don’t feel ready now. Ambrose must be sensing my confusion because he stands up and moves to stand in front of me. His eyes soften as he says, “It’s your decision to make. I can’t force or convince you into doing something you don’t want. I won’t either. But as an outsider and as a friend, I’ll have to tell you that I think you’re making a mistake in not seriously considering this. It could change your life. While this man is alive and powerful, you’ll never have the guarantee t
Last Updated : 2024-07-11Tempted by the Rogue Alpha 056: Trip
Lara At the end of the day, I have to leave without having said a proper word to my son because he refuses to see me. It’s very depressing and I fear that these changes will alter the relationship I have with him. I don’t want that to happen. My son is all I have and if I end up losing his affection, I won’t know what to do. I drive back, my heart slamming against the base of my throat. My hands are trembling a little as I hold onto the steering wheel. I’m making it back to the strip club, where I’ll most likely have to call Dexter and tell him I’m taking him up on his offer. Maybe I should call now. I reach for my phone while still driving. I stop at a red light and dial his number. I press the phone to my ear and try not to feel too nervous. Whenever I’m talking to him, I have to be as calm as possible. Dexter answers almost right away. “Have you made your decision?”“Yes,” I answer before taking a silent shaky breath. “I have. I’m going with you.”There’s a pause, and when he
Last Updated : 2024-07-12Tempted by the Rogue Alpha 057: Arrival
Lara The way he's looking at me makes me uncomfortable. We're sitting next to each other in the backseat of the taxi we're in and he occasionally glances at me. It feels like he has something to say but for some reason, he won't talk. It's unnerving and I have to convince myself to keep my cool. It's fairly difficult because of how much I miss Ander and I'm blaming Dexter for putting me in this miserable spot. We're heading to a hotel. I stare out the window instead of focusing too much on him and take in all the sights. Baywood is very much a coastal town, so the ocean surrounds the whole town. It's everywhere I look. The sky is just starting to lighten, and it'll be morning soon. I feel so empty that I'm not hungry or anything. There are also traces of fear inside of me. Anything is possible and it doesn't matter how confident I am that he's in love with me. I could be completely wrong and he just brought me out here to kill him instead of trying to get help from his supposed
Last Updated : 2024-07-14Tempted by the Rogue Alpha 058: Emotional Introductions
LaraAfter breakfast, Dexter goes to find his family as he’s already called them, and he wants me to go with him. I don’t think there are any lines for me to draw because I’m here in the first place, and being here means that I know his story and want to be here, so really, I can’t say no to things without looking crazy. And Ambrose is right. I’m making a lot of progress and can’t discard that fact. So, I’m in the car with him. I keep an eye on the window because I feel very ill at ease with him. Although I’m here, I don’t want to give him too many liberties because that might backfire for me. Like I don’t want him to randomly place his hand on me. That’s not something we’ve discussed and I’m hoping we won’t have to discuss it at all. Ever. Because if we do I won’t know what to say. It seems his family lives on the worst part of Baywood. Although it’s a city not necessarily known for its luxuries, I’ve seen enough to surprise me. However, the parts of it that we’re seeing now in
Last Updated : 2024-07-15Tempted by the Rogue Alpha 059: All For Show
Dexter We’re all sitting around the massive fire in the backyard. Although this is a coastal town, it gets surprisingly cold at night. The fire is necessary and even welcome. I glance at Vanessa and find that she’s staring into the fire. When she notices me staring at her, she turns her head and fixes her eyes on me. I immediately feel my heart skip a damn beat. I don’t know why I feel this way about her. Every time I look at her, I feel like I develop more feelings for her. It’s the strangest thing ever. I’ve definitely never felt this way about anyone in my life and I don’t know what it is about this woman that enthralls me so damn much. It’s everything about her. The way she looks at me. The way she smiles a little when she’s uncomfortable. There are so many little things that I don’t even know where to begin. I notice that she’s been looking around for my cousin and Jules. I think she’s nervous about seeing him and it pisses me off. I don’t know what their interact
Last Updated : 2024-07-16Tempted by the Rogue Alpha 060: Unpleasantness
Lara Things have gotten a bit out of hand and they’re very tense now. Honestly, I just want to get out of here. I don’t want to be here anymore and have Jules’s eyes on me. He’s staring at me intently but surely he’s noticed that Dexter is glaring at him because I have. So, why is he doing this?Is this some kind of provocation between kin?Then, there’s Tessa. She hasn’t stopped looking at me in a way that makes me somewhat angry. What’s her problem? Goddess, I can’t believe this is happening to me. Is she jealous or something? I think she is because nothing else explains this weird behavior of hers. How’s she jealous of a cousin she’s never even met?That’s wrong. Dexter is holding my hand but he’s talking in a low voice to his aunt. I can’t hear what they’re saying but what I can notice is that she looks very happy indeed. I don’t mean to judge but it’s clear, judging by the surroundings, that they need the money. I know because I raised my son in a place just like this. Elwoo
Last Updated : 2024-07-17Tempted by the Rogue Alpha 061: Disappointing Phone Call
Dexter The first person I see when I step out of the elevator is my cousin, Tessa. I’m surprised at the sight of her standing next to the elevator. When she catches my eye, she flashes me a bright smile and closes the distance between us to embrace me. “Good morning,” she says before stepping back. “I thought I should come extend our invitation to lunch personally. My mom wanted to come herself but I told her she could just sit back and relax and I’d come.”“Thanks for the invitation,” I tell her as I look around for Vanessa. Where is she? When I woke up, I didn’t find her in the room. “I’ll be sure to stop by.”After I say this, we just stand facing each other awkwardly. I’m not sure of what else to say to her. I scratch the back of my head and then ask her, “Would you like to stay for breakfast?”“Yes, please!” she laughs. We walk toward the restaurant. It’s somewhat crowded but I have no trouble in spotting Red. She’s seated in the far end of the room with nothing but a cup of
Last Updated : 2024-07-19
Latest chapter
Tempted by the Rogue Alpha Epilogue 4
DexterA month has passed since Finch’s untimely death, and Lara hasn’t quite been the same. She’s been suffering quite a lot, and honestly, I understand why. Nothing he said made sense to me. Yesterday, she told me that she started to understand a little, but this is all a mystery to me. Maybe she gets it because she knew him better than I did. She grew up with him even though he was my biological brother and not hers. That gives her a pretty fair advantage over me. I’m haunted by the brief conversation we had over the phone. I hadn’t guessed at the time that it would be our first and last one. To sum it up, he told me that he wanted me to be Beta, and that he wanted me to promise that I’d take care of Lara and never hurt her again. But before that, he told me that he wasn’t as forgiving as she was and that he was glad I lose a hand. It was a crazy damn day, and it ended so tragically. But slowly, she’s been crawling out of her shell. Of course, her grief is only noticeable to t
Tempted by the Rogue Alpha Epilogue 3
Lara“Is it done?” Finch asks me over the phone. I find myself nodding, and then say, “Yes. It is.”Putting my father down was a decision we all made. It was ultimately what was best for everyone. We’ve all been hurt by him, and I think now, we can have that closure. With him being alive, there’s always that fear that he might run away from prison and target us. He’s always been vindictive. We had an incident with Jensen’s father, who had been Ambrose’s employer. When he heard of his son’s death, he orchestrated a prison break and came after us. Well, that’s what we gathered from the Gammas and Deltas who protect us. He never got close, but that didn’t mean the worst couldn’t have happened. He’s dead now, but he was a reminder that Lycans are very vindictive and will stop at nothing to get revenge. We’re all part-Lycan, so we understand this better than anyone else. We’re also vengeful in our own ways. All of us. Finch heaves a sigh. “Well, that’s the end of it.”For some reason,
Tempted by the Rogue Alpha Epilogue 2
Dexter“You’re free to pass through,” the prison guard tells me as he opens the door to the visitor’s room. I never thought that I would find myself here. After I sent Victor to prison for the murder of my mother, I thought I wouldn’t need to speak to him again. I didn’t need him to explain to me why the fuck he killed my mother so brutally. I didn’t want to hear any of it. But since I got together with Lara, I started feeling this sense for closure. My story doesn’t feel complete yet, and that’s because there are loose ends that I haven’t tied up. Well, there’s one, and that’s Victor. He’s sitting alone at the metal table. His hands are out of sight, and he looks older than I remember him. Maybe it’s the orange uniform that’s giving me that impression.When he sees me approaching, his eyes don’t leave my face. There’s not a single thought behind them, and as I sit across from him, I try to convince myself not to lose my cool and end this in a way that won’t land me in prison.“D
Tempted by the Rogue Alpha Epilogue
LaraI stand in the balcony of my room and stare at the moon, which is high in the sky.The sky has never looked more lovely. It’s like a velvety canvas dusted with thousands of glittering stars. Then, there’s the moon, of course. She’s the star of the show. I can’t help but feel gratitude spreading all through my body as I stare up at Her. Things worked out well for me. For us. The air is cool and still, and it’s carrying this fresh scent of pine from the surrounding forest that invades my nostrils every my time the wind blows. It’s so serene at this time of the night. Everything is still and peaceful. Arms encircle my waist from behind, and I feel the coldness of the metal of his prosthetic against my bare belly. I nestle into Dex’s warmth. I know it’s him. His warm scent envelops me like a cloud, and he kisses the arch of my neck sensually. “Awake at this time?” he asks hoarsely. “Couldn’t sleep,” I say. “Today was a good day, wasn’t it?”I think about the trial that happened
Tempted by the Rogue Alpha 114: Generosity
Lara"So," Finch begins when I sit directly across from him. "What happens now?"I've been asking myself this for the past few days and honestly, there's no answer. I don't think that's such a bad thing, though. Sometimes, it's great to not be able to predict anything. I want to see where this goes, too. Why should there always be an answer to everything?I tell him this, and add, "I'm happy with the progress that we've made. Isn't that great? We're taking it a day at a time. All of us."Finch looks right and stares out the window to the spot where Ander is flying a kite with Dex. The two of them are inseparable and it's a joy to see. Ander is a lot more active and they get along. "Hm," Finch says. "What?" I ask, my lips curving into a smile. "Stop being so pessimistic all the time. Why can't you be happy with me for once? I know how you feel about Dex, but he's a part of the family now. You have to put in an effort."Finch scoffs. "When hasn't he not been a part of the family?"I
Tempted by the Rogue Alpha 113: Acceptance
DexterThree days later, I'm as good as new.As soon as I step out of the hospital, Lara is outside. She’s in the driver’s seat of the car, wearing dark sunglasses. The sight of her fills me with a fresh new will to live. When I left her room that night—right before getting jumped by fucking Jensen and his men—I thought there was no hope for us. I left that house with no expectations. But look at where we are now. I climb in the passenger’s seat. I lean toward her and press a kiss to her lips. They’re soft and she smiles against me. For the past three days, she’s barely left my side, and we’ve gotten close in a way that I didn’t think would be possible for us. I’m a brand new man, and suddenly, my life is full of possibilities. “It’s so fucking good to see you,” I tell her as I tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. She smiles, but then it falters. “We’ve got our work cut out for us. You know what today is.”The reminder makes my heart skip a fucking beat. We both agreed that
Tempted by the Rogue Alpha 112: The Alpha
LaraWhen we reach the house, I tell the men to stay outside with Dexter. “I’m sorry,” I tell them, looking at the injured man. “It’s only going to be for a few minutes. I’ll send a signal for you to come back.”Dex grabs my hand before I step out of the car. He stares at me and says, “Promise me that you’re going to take care of yourself. That you won’t get hurt.”“I promise,” I say. We stare intently at each other before he pushes me toward him. Our lips collide and we share a brief but passionate kiss. It’s time to go, though. I head toward the house and the gates open. I step in. I can’t meet them yet, not when I’m in only a coat and have my scrapes and cuts on display. I have to get dressed. There can’t be signs of a fight on me. It only occurs to me as I step inside the house that someone could’ve called Jensen to warn him that we attacked. But they didn’t have the time to do it, not when they were fighting for their lives. A man meets me at the door. I think his name is G
Tempted by the Rogue Alpha 111: Lucky Guess
Lara But wait. Something keeps tugging at me, and when I pay close attention to it, I realize that it’s the background noise that caught my attention. The rattling chains. That almost metallic sound of the door opening. That’s all familiar to me. I chew my bottom lip and think deeply as we head home. It’s been three minutes since I last spoke to Jensen and I haven’t stopped thinking about that tiny detail. Why’s it all so familiar to me?I close my eyes and try to think. Chains. The first thing that comes to mind is Dexter’s ex. She was tied up in them when he took me there so I could decide her fate. And then there was the sound of him opening the door to the warehouse. That’s how I figure out where Dexter is. Jensen took him to the warehouse where the money had initially been stashed. The realization makes my heart pump faster and I tell the driver. “Stop. We’re going someplace else first.”My nerves are making my fingers shake with anxiety. I just have to take a deep breath
Tempted by the Rogue Alpha 110: Ultimatum
Lara There’s no way that Jensen has Dexter. This has to be another bluff. That’s what I tell to myself to calm down. My heart is slamming against the base of my throat and I find it hard to breathe. “You’re a damn fucking liar, Jensen.”“Am I?” he asks quizzically. “The plan was always to use capture Dexter. Only, we figured it would be hard to get him to talk, considering he’s tough as nails and would rather die than tell us where the money was. I suppose you know about that by now, don’t you? That I’m the one who was your employer? If not, now you do. This filthy fucking rogue took my money and I want it back. I’m prepared to take this to hell if necessary. What the fuck do I have to lose?”I say nothing for a good few seconds as I try to figure out what I have established so far. Jensen is my employer. Earlier, he told me he had someone I cared about and that he wanted to negotiate. I thought it was Ambrose, but it’s actually Dexter. Suddenly, someone comes to mind. I was talkin
