Chapter 12

Grayson’s POV

I sat behind my desk, watching Luther Pierce stand before me. His presence demanded attention. I knew power when I saw it, recognized it in posture, in the way someone carried themselves. Pierce was no different. But it didn’t faze me; it never did. I had been born into power, molded by it. I had never needed to shout or lift a finger to command the respect that kept nations in line. Fear did the talking for me—a quiet, controlled fear that bled through every interaction.

But today, staring into Luther’s eyes, I didn’t see that fear. He wasn’t bowing. No submission. And that made my wolf stir, irritated, just under the surface.

“Are you not going to offer me a seat?” Luther’s voice cut through the room, a thread of irritation lacing his words. He was used to respect, used to people acknowledging his power, just like I was.

I didn’t move, didn’t even blink. “I didn’t invite you here, Pierce. So I see no reason for courtesy.”

His eyes darkened, flashing black for a brief moment before he masked his anger. A small smile tugged at my lips. He prided himself on control, just like I did. Maybe, under different circumstances, I might have respected that.

He sat down anyway, uninvited. “I didn’t come here to exchange pleasantries. I’m here for one reason and one reason only.” He leaned forward, his voice low, almost a growl. “You will end your relationship with Ava and send her back to her husband. Where she belongs.”

I raised an eyebrow, my lips twitching in amusement. “Is that so?”

Silence filled the room—the kind that hung heavy, charged. Neither of us moved, just staring at each other. My wolf growled low, pushing at the edges of my control. He didn’t like the lack of deference, didn’t like the challenge in Luther’s gaze. I was the Alpha King, placed above all of them. Yet here was Luther Pierce, sitting in front of me, refusing to acknowledge what that meant.

The smile on my face grew. “You know what I find interesting, Pierce? How you suddenly want to play the protective father now. When, in fact, I’m the one who saved your daughter from the very person you should have been protecting her from in the first place.”

For a brief second, something flickered in his eyes—guilt, maybe. But it was gone just as fast, replaced by the same hard look. “This conversation is over,” he said, his voice clipped. “I’m taking my daughter, and I’m leaving. You won’t like the consequences if you try to stop me.”

I leaned back in my chair, letting the amusement wash over me. This was almost too easy. “Is that a threat?”

Luther’s jaw tightened, his fists clenching at his sides. “It’s not a threat. It’s a fact. Ava doesn’t need someone like you in her life.”

“Someone like me?” I repeated, my voice dripping with mockery.

“A monster,” he spat, venom coating every word. “You think I don’t know what you are? You think I can’t see what you hide underneath that expensive suit and all the power you pretend to control? You might fool others, Grayson, but not me.”

I felt my wolf push harder against my control, wanting to rip him apart for the insult, but I stayed calm, leaning forward slightly, letting my voice drop to a dangerous low. “What I am is none of your concern. What matters is that Ava is under my protection now. She is MY Luna.”

Luther’s nostrils flared, and his voice rose. “She doesn’t need your protection. She’s my daughter. I’ve kept her safe for years, and I’ll continue to do so without you.”

A short, humorless laugh escaped my lips. “Safe?” I said, shaking my head. “Is that what you call letting her stay in a marriage that nearly killed her? Or are you referring to tonight, when your daughter was almost burned alive? That’s your idea of keeping her safe?”

His face twitched, a tiny crack in his tough façade, but his eyes never left mine. “If she had been where she was supposed to be, this wouldn’t have happened.”

That did it. My amusement vanished, replaced by cold fury. “And that is exactly why she won’t be going anywhere with you,” I growled, my voice like ice.

Luther opened his mouth to argue, but I didn’t give him the chance. “I’d say you’ve overstayed your welcome, but the truth is you were never welcome here.”

His fists clenched even tighter, his knuckles turning white, barely able to contain the rage simmering just below the surface.

“This isn’t over,” he hissed.

“For your sake, I hope it is,” I replied, my tone colder, deadlier. “Because if you interfere with what I have with Ava, you’ll wish a monster was all I am.”

The tension in the room was thick, crackling between us like electricity. For a moment, I thought he might actually try something, but then he stood up, his eyes filled with a mix of anger and hatred, glaring down at me. “Let it be known that I tried to settle this civilly,” he said, his voice shaking with barely contained fury. “You have three days, Grayson. Three days to end this relationship and send her back to her husband. Or I’ll declare war.”

My wolf surged to the surface, snarling, ready to tear him apart, but I held back. Barely. Instead, I smiled, slow and dangerous. “Then I’ll count the hours until your death.”

Luther’s face twisted, the anger rolling off him in waves as he stormed out of the room. The moment the door clicked shut, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.

Three days. I had three days to figure this out. Not that I cared about his ultimatum. He could declare all the wars he wanted; it wouldn’t change the fact that Ava was mine, at least for the next year, and I wasn’t letting her go.

But there was a part of me—deep down—that recognized the danger. Not to me, but to her. This wasn’t just about power or territory. It was about the one thing that had always eluded me, the one thing I’d never thought I would have: a weakness.

Once I made the official announcement, it didn’t matter that between us it was just a contract. She would become my Luna, a title that would come with a target on her back because, while I was powerful, I had also made a lot of enemies over the years, and I just managed to add another to the list.

My fingers drummed against the desk, the weight of the situation settling in. I wasn’t afraid of Luther Pierce. I had never had to associate with him before, even though cordial words had been exchanged out of necessity. He was a man with pride—not that I cared for it—but I wasn’t blind to the risks he posed. The man wasn’t bluffing. He had resources, connections, and an ego big enough to follow through on his threat.

Luther could declare war. He could bring his entire pack if he wanted to. I’d burn the whole world down before I let anyone take what I had deemed mine.

The thought cemented in my head when there was a sudden knock on the door of my study. I didn’t answer. Whoever it was should have known better than to disturb me without being called for. The knock came again, more insistent this time, grating on my nerves.

I gritted my teeth, the weight of the previous conversation still pressing on my mind. Luther Pierce’s threats, the audacity of him thinking he could command me, an Alpha King—it was enough to make my wolf stir with irritation.

The door creaked open, cautious, hesitant. My eyes snapped to the entrance, my wolf bristling as the scent hit me before she even stepped inside. Ava. The bearer of it all, the source of this mess.

Her presence filled the room the moment she walked in, but she seemed startled to find me sitting behind my desk. Her eyes widened slightly, her body trembling like she hadn’t expected me to be here. I hadn’t answered, after all. She should have taken that as a sign to stay away.

Her voice came out in a soft stutter: “I—I’m sorry for coming.”