Chapter 185
Chapter 185
Avay POV
The words echoed in my mind like a scream in an empty hall, refusing to fade. I stared at her, waiting for the punchline that didn’t come. My heart thundered against my ribs, tightening with every second of silence that passed between us.
“What?” I finally managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper, thick with disbelief.
Isabella turned the phone around and showed me the article. Nalie Kingston’s signature style was unmistakable–bold fonts and dramatic phrasing meant to incité chaos, fear, and doubt. The headline blazed across the screen like a challenge.
“Alpha King Grayson Blackwood is cursed and has lost his connection to his wolf. The implications of such a revelation could shake the very foundation of his rule and leave the realm vulnerable to its enemies…”
The room seemed to spin. My knees buckled slightly, and I reached out for the edge of the bed to steady myself. The words blurred as my stomach twisted in knots.
“Did you know?” Isabella’s voice broke through the haze, but her words barely registered. I was already getting to my feet, my mind racing faster than I could keep up with. This wasn’t just bad–it was catastrophic.
I barely heard Isabella’s voice again as she followed me across the room, her tone sharp with worry. “Lilian, where are you going?”
Lignored her, rummaging through the mess of clothes and blankets on the bed, desperately searching for my phone. My hands trembled, and I froze mid–search as a chilling thought pierced through the chaos in my mind.
I was the only one who knew about Grayson’s wolf.
My breath hitched. Could he think I’d betrayed him? That I was the one who let this out? No. I shook my head firmly, rejecting the idea. He trusted me–things were different now. He knew I would never do something like this.
“Lilian!” Isabella’s voice snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts. I turned to her, startled, to find her staring at me with a mixture of frustration and concern. “What the hell is going on? Why do you look like you’re about to have a panic attack? Is it true? Did you know? And you’d better calm down because I cannot deal with you shifting and disappearing for two months again.”
I sucked in a shaky breath and forced myself to focus. “This is not good at all, Bels.”
“So it is true,” she said, her expression hardening.
“Yes,” I admitted. My hands finally closed around my phone, and I clutched it tightly as I dialed Grayson’s number. I already knew what would happen, but the sting of his voicemail still hit me like a slap.
“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath, lowering the phone and glancing at Isabella, who waited silently, her arms crossed. “It started happening a while back,” I began, my voice strained. “His wolf would disappear and then come back. After… after that strange thing, when we disappeared for two months, his wolf didn’t return. But things were good after that—they’ve been good. He didn’t seem bothered by it, or at least he didn’t show it. I was the only one he told. No one else knows.”
I sucked in a deep breath continuing, “He asked Maria for help with a spell once. It worked. She thought his wolf came back, and that was it. She didn’t know it didn’t last.” My voice faltered as a waye of dread washed over me. “He didn’t want anyone to know. And now…‘
Chanter 183
And now everyone knows, Isabella finished, her voice quieter,ed with understanding.
I nodded, swallowing hard as I stared down at my phone again
And if you were the only one who knew… Isabella trailed off, a radow of worry crossing her face. “He won’t think it was you, Lian. He knows you wouldn’t do this.”
“I just need to see him,” I said, “I need to tell him that.”
She reached out and took my hand, squeezing it tightly. “Everything will be okay.”
But it wouldn’t. Not this time. Grayson had made it clear to the how much damage this getting our would cause. The Alpha King without his wolf–it wasn’t just a personal loss. It was a sign of weakness. A sign that the throne could be taken, that enemies could close in. And the chaos we’d worked so hard to push aside would come crashing back in full force.
Isabella’s voice cut through the silence. “What about the curse? Is it linked to why his wolf is gone?”
“Yes,” I admitted, my voice hollow. “Or at least I think so. It’s tied to his bloodline. The only way to break it is by… by finding his fated mate and mating with her.”
Her face fell, sympathy written all over her features. “Oh, Lilian.
I forced a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “It’s fine. He told me he wasn’t going to do that.”
Before she could respond, a noise outside caught both of our attention. Isabella and I exchanged a look before we both got to our feet and rushed toward the entrance. The men Grayson had assigned to keep me safe trailed behind us, keeping their distance but ready to intervene if needed.
Posture rigid, his expression unreadable. A group of warriors blocked his path, forming a line between him and the mansion. My wolf stirred uneasily, a low growl rumbling in the back of my mind.
As we stepped outside, the first thing I saw was Charles. He stood near the gates, his
This was definitely not going to end well.
I approached cautiously, my steps deliberate, and caught the tail end of Charles’s heated words.
“…high–ranking member of the pack, and I demand to be treated as such. I need to speak with His Majesty.”
One of the warriors turned to me as I drew closer. He bowed his head slightly in deference. “Luna, we’re under strict instructions not to let anyone enter the mansion.”
“Move aside and let me through this instant,” Charles sparked.
I let it a sigh, fixing my gaze on Charles, studying his face carefully, searching for any signs of deception. “What do you want to talk to him about?”
Charles‘ eyes narrowed immediately, “With the news that just broke out, I am sure Grayson needs as many people on his side as he can get so tell them to move aside.”
I let out another sigh, looking at the warriors, “Let him through.
The warrior shifted uncomfortably beside me. “Luna, we’re under orders-”
“I know,” I said sharply, raising a hand to stop him mid–sentence. My eyes stayed locked on Charles, his expression smug yet guarded, as if daring me to challenge his presence. “Let me handle this.”
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Chapter 183
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Before the warrior could say another word, a low rumble in the distance caught my attention. The sound grew louder. unmistakable now–engines. My head snapped toward the source, and I saw a fleet of black SUVS rolling through the estate gates, their presence as ominous as the storm clouds gathering my chest.
The same cars that had left with Grayson. He was back.
Without thinking, I pushed past the line of warriors, ignoring their calls to stop me. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, louder than their warnings. My eyes frantically scanned the approaching vehicles, searching for the one Grayson had been in.
But I didn’t see it.
“Ava!”
The voice made me turn, and my gaze landed on Maria stepping out of one of the cars. Relief hit me like a tidal wave, and before I could think twice, I ran to her, throwing my arms around her. She stiffened in surprise before hesitantly returning the embrace.
“Thank the goddess you’re okay,” I breathed, squeezing her tightly as if that would somehow steady the chaos spiraling inside me.
When I pulled back, her smile was faint, strained–more a grimace than anything genuine. “Well,” she said dryly, her tone laced with a bitterness that couldn’t be missed, “this isn’t quite the welcome I expected after what I nearly did to you the last time we saw each other.”
Lshook my head quickly. “It’s long forgotten, Maria. None of that matters anymore.”
Her eyes searched mine for a moment, but before she could say anything else, I glanced back toward the cars again. Warriors were pouring out, but the one face I desperately needed to see was nowhere to be found.
“Where’s Grayson?” I asked, my voice trembling despite my effort to sound calm.
Maria’s hesitation was like a knife to my gut. Her gaze softened with something that looked far too much like pity. “He’s not here.”
My stomach dropped. “What do you mean he’s not here?”
Maria looked down, her brows furrowing as if she didn’t know how to explain. When she finally met my eyes again, there was a weariness there that made my breath catch.
“I don’t know what happened. We were in the car together, heading back. Everything seemed fine–well, as fine as it could be. And then…” She trailed off, her hands fidgeting.
“Then what?” I pressed, my voice rising with panic.
She let out a shaky breath. “He got a message. I didn’t see what it said, but the second he read it…” She shook her head, her expression haunted. “Ava, I don’t know how to explain it. The air in the car–it just… shifted. It went completely still, like all the oxygen had been sucked out. I’ve known Grayson for years, but I’ve never–never–felt him radiate that kind of coldness before. It was like he turned into a different person.”
I stared at her, my throat tight
“He told the driver to stop the car,” Maria continued, her voice cracking slightly. “Then he told me to get out and join another vehicle. He didn’t explain, didn’t say a word about where he was going. He just…” She hesitated again, her lips pressing into a thin line.
20.10 Sal, reu
Chapter 185
The dread pooling in my stomach grew heavier with every word she spoke. “He just?”
Her eyes filled with sorrow, and when she spoke again, her word felt like the final blow to my chest. “Before I got out, he told me to deliver a message to you.” She paused, as if she didn’t want to say it. “He said that by the time he gets back…. he wants you gone. And that he never wants to see you in his life again.”
