Chapter 102 Ava’s POV

The air felt heavy as Grayson’s bloodied body was carried through the estate doors. My stomach churned, a knot of dread tightening with every second. Time seemed to slow, the world blurring as I stared at him. His face, usually strong and commanding, was pale, streaked with blood and dirt.

For a moment, I couldn't move. I stood frozen, watching as Rickon shifted back into his human form, accepting clothes from the omegas before striding off to find Isabella. Liam had left with the backup, so… what had happened?

What the hell had happened?

The pit in my stomach deepened as they rushed Grayson toward his room, the estate buzzing with activity. Healers swarmed him, shouting instructions, their hands already working to stabilize him.

Finally, I forced my feet to move, following them into his room. My heart pounded so loudly it drowned out the surrounding noise. He couldn’t be like this. He was Grayson. Strong. Invincible.

“What—what happened?” I whispered, my voice cracking.

The oldest healer, a silver-haired woman with an air of calm authority, turned, her hands bloodied from tending to him. “Luna,” she said softly, “I promise we will take care of him. He is our King, but you must leave the room so we can work.”

“No,” I said, my voice sharper than intended. “I’m a doctor. I can help—I can—”

But the words caught in my throat. He wasn’t healing. The gashes on his chest were open, blood pooling beneath him. His breathing was shallow, his chest barely rising and falling.

The healer placed a firm but gentle hand on my shoulder. “Luna,” she said, her tone firm but kind, “he will be fine. I swear it. But you need to step out.”

My mouth opened and closed. I wanted to argue, to scream, to stay, but her eyes wouldn't budge. Slowly, she guided me toward the door.

Before I knew it, I was outside. The door shut softly behind me, cutting me off from the chaos within.

I stood staring at the wooden panel, willing it to open. My mind raced, thoughts colliding like a storm.

Why wasn’t he healing? What had happened out there? When I left him, he was winning. He was always winning.

My arms wrapped around myself. My legs felt unsteady, but I didn’t dare sit. I needed to stay close, ready for any news.

The hall was eerily quiet, save for faint murmurs. Liam’s voice broke through the haze.

“He’s going to be okay,” he said gently.

I looked up to see him a few feet away, his face etched with worry. His clothes were torn, his knuckles bloodied, but his eyes were focused on me.

I shook my head, unable to believe him. “He doesn’t look okay, Liam. When I left him, he was winning. He was fine. I don’t understand.”

Liam sighed, running a hand through his disheveled hair. “I don’t know what happened,” he admitted, his voice low. “By the time we got there, he was in his human form. Wolves were all over him, and—” He paused, his jaw tightening. “—we couldn’t get to him fast enough.”

I took a shaky breath. “But… why was he in his human form? That doesn’t make sense, Liam. He was winning.”

“I know.” His voice was heavy with the same confusion and frustration I felt. “Something must have gone wrong. I don’t know what, but the healers—” He stepped closer, his eyes searching mine. “—the healers know what they’re doing. He’ll pull through. He’s Grayson.”

I shook my head, a lump growing in my throat. “What if he doesn’t?”

“He will,” Liam said firmly, though doubt betrayed his words. “Ava, maybe you should sit with Isabella. I’ll deal with the fallout.”

“No.” My voice was steady, though I felt anything but. “I’ll wait here.”

Liam hesitated, then nodded. “Okay. But try to rest, Ava. He’d want you to take care of yourself.”

I didn’t answer. I sank to the floor outside Grayson’s door, leaning against the wall. It was my silent declaration: I wasn’t going anywhere. Not until he woke up.

As the minutes stretched into hours, my thoughts spiraled.

Why wasn’t he healing? What had gone wrong?

I replayed the moments before the battle, searching for answers. He was strong, unstoppable. So how had it come to this?

Then there was the memory of his voice, commanding me to leave. The urgency still echoed in my ears. I pressed my palms against my knees, digging my nails into my skin to stay grounded. The alternative was surrendering to the panic.

I felt my wolf stir—she had been doing so—and while the feeling felt foreign, and I wished I could concentrate on the fact that I actually had a wolf…

I just couldn’t think of anyone but him.

The door creaked open, and a younger healer stepped out. She glanced at me, then quickly away, her expression unreadable.

“Wait,” I called, my voice sharper than intended. “How is he?”

She hesitated. “He’s stable. But it’s… taking time. The injuries are deep, and his wolf isn’t responding as it should.”

My chest tightened. “Why not? What does that mean?”

“We’re doing everything we can, Luna,” she said before hurrying away.

I sat back, closing my eyes as helplessness washed over me. I’d faced impossible situations before, but this… this was different. Grayson’s strength had always been a constant, an unshakable truth. Seeing him like this felt like the ground beneath me was crumbling. I didn’t move from my spot, not even as the hours stretched into the night. I didn’t care if my legs were numb or my back ached. I was staying. For him.

The first thing I was aware of was the ache in my back and the coolness of the floor. I blinked, disoriented, realizing I’d fallen asleep outside Grayson’s door. I shifted upright and froze. Elaine sat beside me.

For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. Elaine wasn’t one for quiet, especially near me. And yet, there she was, her arms resting on her knees, gazing at the opposite wall.

I sat straighter but didn’t speak. She didn’t look at me, and the silence stretched, heavy and unfamiliar.

Elaine broke it, her voice soft. “Do you think he’ll be okay?”

I turned, surprised by her tone. There was no sharpness or venom. She wasn’t looking at me.

“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “I hope so. He has to be because…” My voice trailed off.

Elaine glanced at me, her lips pressed into a thin line. “Because he’s Grayson,” she finished.

I nodded, feeling the weight of those words. It wasn’t wishful thinking. It was a belief. Grayson was supposed to be unbreakable.

Silence fell, but it wasn’t tense. It felt… shared.

Then Elaine spoke, catching me off guard. “I miss the days when he was just that. Just Grayson.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

She laughed hollowly, shaking her head. “The days when he wasn’t so full of hate. When I wasn’t so bitter.”

I stared, unsure how to respond. This wasn’t the Elaine I knew. This was someone raw and vulnerable.

I stayed silent, letting her words hang in the air.

The door opening shattered the moment. We jumped to our feet, focusing on the oldest healer. Her expression was grave, her hands stained with blood.

“How is he?” Elaine and I asked in unison.

The healer looked at us, sorrow in her eyes. She shook her head, her voice trembling. “He’s not healing. His Highness has been injured worse before. He always heals. But this…” She trailed off. “I don’t understand what’s happening.”

My heart sank. My knees felt weak. Elaine’s composure slipped.

The healer hesitated. Finally, she looked at me, whispering, “Something is blocking his wolf. If we can’t figure out what it is… we might lose him.”

This version removes redundancies, corrects grammar and punctuation, and improves sentence flow for better readability. I've also removed some of the extraneous metadata.