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086: A Tight Chest
Last Updated:
2024-08-07 21:19:15Related chapters
Tempted by the Rogue Alpha 087: Grim Announcement
LaraAfter hours of driving around and not finding him, I feel just about ready to give up. I’m so damn devastated. It’s impossible to know who’s telling the truth and who isn’t, and I’m just about done. I feel like my mind will cave into itself. It’s so much pressure. So much anguish. I hardly know what to do with it all. My sweet boy. Where is he?Tears prick my eyes but I have to keep going. I can’t stop. Nobody loves him more than I do so they’ll never put in more effort than me. I just have to not give up no matter how tired I am. I’ll never be able to rest unless I find him. My phone starts ringing unexpectedly and my heart drops. I park the car on the side of the road quickly and reach for it. It’s Ambrose. “Did you find him?” I ask right away. “How close are you to the strip club?” he asks me. He sounds very strange and I don’t know why. I can’t really read his emotions well. “Why?” I ask hurriedly. “I need to speak with you.”Desperately, I ask, “Is it about Ander?”“
Last Updated : 2024-08-08Tempted by the Rogue Alpha 088: Fatherly Feelings
Dexter The more I think about all the shit that’s happening, the worse I feel. There are times when I have to stop driving just to fucking think. I can’t believe this. The more I think about it, the more unbelievable everything becomes. Vanessa is Lara Taylor. I’ve never felt like I had to think back to that moment. I never saw a reason to. My goal was to bring that man to his knees in any way I could and I succeeded. I figured why not use her? I was a different man back then. Riddled with hatred and uncaring of anyone who wasn’t me. I’m still that man, but not where Red is concerned. I feel a deep sense of shame whenever I recall those moments. I’m forced to park the car again, which I do, because I get so lost in my damn head that it’s easy for me to forget I’m even in the road. She was blonde. Younger. Her face was rounder. But hell, I hadn’t been thinking about her face. And when I recognized her as my mate, I felt so damn angry still that it didn’t matter to me
Last Updated : 2024-08-08Tempted by the Rogue Alpha 089: Loss
LaraA Few Minutes Earlier…What was that sound?Ambrose and I pull away from each other and concern courses through me. I’m pretty sure I heard a loud sound. “Get back!” Ambrose says suddenly while simultaneously reaching down his waistband and closing his hand around a gun before pulling it free. I stagger backward, my eyes on the cold-looking metal in his hand. A few moments later, the doors burst open and a scream leaves my lips. It’s instinctive. I rush behind the desk just before bullets start to fly. My whole body is tingling in a way that it never has before, and I find myself feeling random pains on certain parts of my body. Why does it feel like I’ve been shot?Ambrose. My thoughts are on him as I hear the grunts of the men fighting. I want to peer over the desk to look at him but I’m too scared of getting shot. Bullets keep hitting the wall behind me. My ears are ringing. For a moment, it feels like I’ve been hiding under this desk for years and not mere seconds. It’s b
Last Updated : 2024-08-10Tempted by the Rogue Alpha 090: Emotionally Drained
LaraI reach Finch's place in what feels like a few minutes. I'm sure it's been longer than a few minutes but I've been so lost inside my head that I'm having a hard time focusing on the moment. Finch is waiting outside. It seems he's been renting this house in the outskirts of the city and has been there for a while. It's pretty comfortable, with plenty of space in the front and back, but it's not comparable to the house we grew up in with its marble fountains, museum-like rooms, and two storeys. I can't say that the sight of him doesn't offer me some comfort. It does. His eyes are laced with concern and although I want to hate him, I can't bring myself to do it. His concern saved me. If he hadn't sent this man to get me out of there, I would have died alongside Ambrose. "Lara," he says when I near him. I pause, my body not allowing me to go any further. I feel these tremors now and they wreck me entirely. I've been feeling them ever since I left the strip club. I start to sob
Last Updated : 2024-08-12Tempted by the Rogue Alpha 091: Stand Down
Dexter I had watched Lara from a distance and concluded that she was safe in this house. I’d sped after the car that took her away, my heart racing in my throat. I’d never felt this kind of anxiety before. I thought she was hurt but at the same time, I couldn’t alarm Ander, who’d been by my side the whole time. He was already scared by what happened, so why should I make things worse? “You’ll be with her soon,” I told him to reassure him. I was torn between rescuing her and keeping Ander safe. I couldn’t endanger him, not after the trouble it had taken to find him safe. So, I called for backup. I asked Damson to come to the location. He told me he’d be here in a few. I parked on the other side of the road and watched. The car she was in went into the building. I gripped the steering wheel with one hand, cursing at myself for being a useless cripple. If I had both hands, I would’ve left Ander in the car and stormed in there without any fear of being caught. But I couldn’t leave hi
Last Updated : 2024-08-13Tempted by the Rogue Alpha 092: Indecision
Lara "So, then we had an agreement," Finch recounts. “He handed me the boy, deciding to trust me, and I let him leave. It was the least I could do for what he did for you.”I look back at Ander, who’s asleep on the couch. I’d take him upstairs but I don’t want to let him out of my sight. I can’t stop looking at him every five minutes to make sure he’s there. Dexter was the one who brought him back to me. He was the one who found him. I would’ve said that he was the one responsible for the whole thing but Dexter then told me about the woman who took him away. Dexter told Finch that woman was his ex-wife. She must’ve been following me, which was why she knew about Ander, and then at the first opportunity, she snatched my son. I couldn’t help but wonder if she was the same woman who slapped me the other day. I mean, Jensen had suggested that she was someone’s angry wife. And sure enough, Ander told me it was a blonde woman. So, it was the same bitch. It would be too much of a coinc
Last Updated : 2024-08-14Tempted by the Rogue Alpha 093: Trashed
Dexter I haven’t slept a wink last night and the effects of my insomnia are starting to take a toll on me. I walk into a café and order two espressos. I down them both one after the other, but even that isn’t enough to wake me the fuck up. Everything is a damn mess and when things start to come together, I realize many more things. Like how Lara had tried to set me up in the beginning, especially with that shipment story. The things that went wrong for me. Walter surviving the attack. So many other little things that was obviously her. I’d told her about the plan to kill my father-in-law. And somehow, she found a way to let him know. I’m bitterly disappointed but at the same time, I can’t find it in me to hate her for what she’s done. I treated her…there aren’t any words. I’ve exhausted all of them. What I’ve done is irredeemable and now I see why she could never find it in herself to care about me the way I cared about her. How could she love me when the oldest memory she had
Last Updated : 2024-08-15Tempted by the Rogue Alpha 094: Check Out
Lara When I receive word from Finch, it’s very late in the night, and two days have passed since he left here. “It’s done,” he claims. I glance at Ander before deciding to get up and head outside where we can have this conversation in peace. I don’t want him to overhear a thing. “What’s done exactly?” I ask him. “Vaughan and I are married,” he answers. “Tonight, I’ll kill him.”The way he says the words makes me shiver. He sounds very cold, and honestly, it’s the first time I’ve realized that he’s changed. The years have hardened him. Finch wasn’t like this. The Finch I knew would never have been capable of killing someone. He was too nice. Too sensitive. “When will you come back?” I ask him. “If everything goes well, I’ll send a car for you,” he reveals. “You’ll come here. And then from here, we’ll start with our plan.”I feel anxiety when he tells me this. I can’t say that it’s something easy for me to accept. I haven’t prepared myself to this huge task ahead even though I’v
Last Updated : 2024-08-16
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
