Chapter 148

Grayson’s POV

“Are you sure about this?” Carter’s voice, calm yet cautious, came through the line.

My wolf growled his disapproval, the sound loud in my head. I shoved back the urge to let him influence my decision.

There was a pause before Carter spoke again. “I’ll say it again—you werewolves are way too complicated for my limited-interest brain. But based on what you just told me, I have to ask—are you sure about this?”

I paused, the question dredging up the doubts I was suppressing. When I saw Dylan kiss Ava in the ballroom, all I wanted was to rip him apart. But then she was there, standing between us. She wasn’t choosing him, she’d said, but she didn’t want bloodshed.

But he would always be her fated mate.

That truth twisted inside me like a knife. I hated it, hated how much it consumed me, but it was inescapable. I had chosen her, repeatedly, but maybe that was the problem. Maybe there was a reason for the back-and-forth, the constant push and pull. Maybe, no matter how hard we tried, we’d never find common ground because we were never meant to be.

I let out a bitter laugh. Funny how one moment, one flash of realization, could change everything.

So I’d made up my mind. I needed to find the woman who was meant for me.

“Grayson?” Carter’s voice, now impatient, pulled me back.

“Yes, I’m sure,” I said firmly. “Find her.”

He hesitated, then said something that ignited my fury. “I’ve been doing this long enough to know that some things are better left alone.”

Anger surged. My voice hardened as I snapped, “I don’t pay you millions to play counselor, Carter. Find Ava’s twin sister. You have a week.”

I ended the call before he could respond, gripping the phone so tightly I thought it might break. My wolf growled, angry and restless, as I paced. I wanted to throw the phone, to destroy something, anything, to release the frustration clawing at me.

It was all her fault.

Ava had unraveled everything. I was trying—so damn hard—to be better, to leave behind the man who thrived on threats and hate. For a moment, I thought I’d succeeded. Things had felt lighter, clearer, like I’d finally escaped the darkness.

But now?

Now, anger consumed me, and all I wanted was to burn everything to the ground.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, trying to calm myself. Frantic knocking broke the silence, loud and insistent.

January 10, 2026

Chapter 148

I strode to the door, yanking it open to find Eliza, her face pale, her eyes wide with panic.

“What is it?” I demanded, my voice sharper than intended.

She spoke so quickly her words blurred. “Ava…pushed someone…there was blood…and then she…Isabella went after her…I didn’t know what to do…”

I stared, blankly trying to make sense of it. “I didn’t understand a single thing you just said. Start over. And calm down.”

She sucked in a shaky breath, her hands trembling. She opened her mouth to speak.

“More breaths,” I ordered, cutting her off.

She paused, steadying herself, and finally spoke clearly. “I think Ava is in trouble.”

My wolf growled, his agitation growing. “Isn’t she in the grand hall, ending that ridiculous ball?”

Eliza shook her head frantically. “Something happened! She shoved a pregnant woman—and like that guy you threw, she flew across the hall. There was so much blood. Ava ran away, and when we found her, she started having a panic attack. Then she turned into her wolf and ran off. Isabella went after her, but I don’t know where she is now!”

Her words hit me like a freight train, despite my earlier self-assurances.

My wolf snarled, and I was already moving before I could think. Ava was in trouble.

“Where did she go?” I barked, grabbing Eliza’s arm.

“I—I don’t know,” she stammered. “She ran into the woods. Isabella tried to follow, but she lost her!”

I didn’t wait. My wolf surged forward, and I didn’t fight him. I let him take control, the shift shredding my clothes.

The transformation was instant, and the world sharpened—every scent, every sound, every heartbeat amplified. I caught her scent immediately, faint but distinct, and launched myself forward.

My paws pounded the earth as I ran, faster and faster, following her trail. Her fear was palpable, mixed with the earthy scent of the woods and something else—something wrong.

The trees blurred, the wind cutting through my fur. Her scent led me deeper into the forest, further from the estate. My wolf growled, his worry mirroring mine.

As I ran, Ava’s scent grew stronger. My wolf urged me onward, the primal need to protect her overpowering all else. But then I heard voices—low, gruff tones.

I slowed, ears twitching.

“There’s another one!” a voice barked.

A sharp sting hit my side. I snarled, whipping around to see a tranquilizer dart embedded in my skin. The drug began to seep in, a sluggish heaviness threatening to overwhelm me. My wolf growled, shaking off the haze, forcing me to keep moving.

“Got it! Another hit!” someone shouted.

Another dart struck me, this time in the shoulder. The pain only fueled my fury as I tore through the underbrush.

The voices grew louder, clearer.

“Tonight, we’re just getting lucky!” one exclaimed triumphantly.

It hit me—they weren’t werewolf hunters. They were regular hunters, the kind who kill wolves for sport. My rage flared. They didn’t know what they were dealing with, but it didn’t matter. They had Ava.

I charged ahead, ignoring the weight in my limbs, the drug fighting to slow me. My wolf snarled as another dart grazed my flank, but I didn’t stop.

“Why isn’t it dropping?!” one yelled, panic in his voice.

I broke through the trees. There she was. Ava, caged like an animal in a clearing. The sight of her—her wolf form slumped and motionless, streaked with blood—sent a growl ripping through me that echoed across the clearing.

The hunters turned, their flashlights blinding me momentarily as they surrounded me, weapons aimed. There were so many—too many—but I didn’t care. My wolf was ready to fight.

I lunged forward, and the last thing I heard was one of them shouting, “Take it down!” before a deafening crack echoed through the night.