Chapter 150
AVA POV
My parents instilled the importance of being careful, so I'd never experienced anything extreme—no broken bones, no close calls, and certainly no burns. But if I had ever been burned, I imagine the pain would be similar to what I was enduring now—only worse. Much worse. It felt as though every nerve in my body had been ignited, each pain sharper than the last.
I groaned, struggling to open my eyes. Memories slammed into me with brutal clarity: the panic attack, the hunters, and then, "There's something you need to see," followed by darkness.
The thought of the hunters sent panic slicing through the fog in my mind. My eyes flew open. I sat up abruptly, wincing as the fiery ache intensified, threatening to overwhelm me. Forcing myself to push past it, I glanced around, bracing for the worst. Whatever the hunters had done, or wherever they'd taken me, I was ready to face it.
My surroundings came into focus, revealing something unexpected: towering trees, their branches swaying gently despite the still air. The colors were incredibly vivid—surreal greens, browns, and a faint golden light filtering through the canopy. The air was heavy yet strangely fresh, carrying the scent of moss and damp earth. Something about this place felt…off.
"You're awake."
Grayson's familiar voice pulled my attention. He stood a few feet away, his gaze fixed on me, his face unreadable, his expression as hard as stone. I knew that look well—he'd erected his emotional walls, shutting me out.
I sighed, pushing myself to my feet. My body protested with every movement, the pain coursing through me like flames. Grayson stepped closer, offering his hand. I hesitated, but his grip was firm and steadying as I found my balance.
"Thanks," I muttered, brushing off the momentary vulnerability.
He didn't respond. Instead, he turned toward the forest, his posture rigid.
Clearing my throat, I gestured around us. "Where are we?"
"I don't know," he said flatly, his voice almost robotic. "My wolf is gone again. You'll need to reach out psychically and call for help. We need to move."
I clenched my jaw, biting back a retort. He was acting cold, but this wasn't the time for an argument. His wolf's absence was a serious problem.
"How did it happen this time?" I asked, focusing on the bigger issue.
A flicker of irritation crossed his eyes, but it vanished quickly. At least irritation was an emotion—better than the blank neutrality he'd been projecting.
Chapter 150 (Continued)
"Just send the message, Ava," he said tersely.
I stepped back, exhaling slowly to center myself. Reaching out to my wolf should have been easy. She'd been quiet, but I assumed it was exhaustion from the chaos. Closing my eyes, I reached out, tugging at our bond.
Nothing.
The silence was deafening. I frowned, pulling harder. I could sense her presence—distant but unresponsive, like a static radio channel.
‘I don’t know what I did, but maybe you could help instead of giving me the silent treatment?’ I thought bitterly, trying to stir her to action.
Still nothing.
‘You and I are on the same team. You were going to show me something, remember?’
The silence grated on my nerves. Frustration bubbled over. "You can be really annoying, you know that?" I snapped.
I groaned, rubbing my temples as a headache joined the fiery pain. Grayson watched, his expression unreadable.
"She isn't answering," I said, exasperation lacing my voice. "I don't know what to do."
He stared at me before sighing heavily. "We should start walking."
His tone was clipped, detached.
"Hold on," I said, anger flaring. "Why are you mad at me? I told you what happened with Dylan—"
"I don't want to hear his name," Grayson interrupted sharply. His voice was ice. "Better yet, I don't want to hear anything from you."
My temper flared. "Fine," I snapped. "We'll figure out how to leave separately because I'm so sick of this back-and-forth nonsense. If something's upsetting you, say it. Stop acting like I'm the enemy when I haven't done anything wrong!"
He didn't respond. His silence fueled my anger. I turned, stalking away, but slammed into an invisible barrier that jolted me to a stop. Blinking in confusion, I reached out, feeling the air resist my hand, like an invisible wall.
"What the hell?" I muttered, pushing against it.
"It's a barrier," Grayson said calmly, almost detached. "I've already tried. You can't pass it." I spun to face him, glaring. "And you didn't think to mention that sooner?"
His gaze was unblinking, his expression hard to read. Clicking my tongue, I brushed past him, muttering, "You and my wolf are really pissing me off right now."
Grayson didn't respond, but I felt his presence as he followed. For now, we could only search for a way out of this strange, surreal forest. And as much as I hated to admit it, unease was creeping in.
Chapter 130 (This section seems out of order. It should be incorporated where it fits chronologically in the overall narrative.)
Something about this place felt too quiet, too perfect, too wrong.
"I'm mad because you always defend him."
The words stopped me in my tracks. I turned, startled. "What? I told you—what happened at the ball wasn't about him—"
His gaze softened slightly; I caught a flicker of hurt. It was fleeting, but it was there. "It's about the fact that you were fated to him," he said quietly. "Nothing is ever going to change that." He hesitated, as if wanting to say more but couldn't.
I clutched my oversized shirt tighter as I walked toward him. "Grayson, from the moment I felt that bond with Dylan, I knew it was wrong. I went along with it because it was what I was supposed to do, what everyone said was meant to be. But I hated it. I hated that marriage, and I hated being in it. Dylan treated me like nothing. He hit me. He made me feel worthless." My voice cracked, but I didn't stop. "You already know that. That's why we're here. I have never—will never—choose Dylan. When I defend him, it's not for him. It's because I think it's the right thing to do, even if he doesn't deserve it. And if that's upset you, I'm sorry. Truly."
He closed his eyes, motionless for a moment. When he sighed and looked at me again, his barriers seemed to lower slightly. I saw him—vulnerable and raw. My heart ached. Without hesitation, I wrapped my arms around him. His heartbeat was steady against my ear.
"I'm sorry," I whispered.
His scent enveloped me. For a moment, my wolf stirred, then stilled again, silent and unreachable. I bit back my frustration, focusing on Grayson's warmth.
When I first met him, I thought he was cold and distant. And he was—he had every reason to be. But I realized that shutting out the pain of his past had left him emotionally adrift. It was like watching a baby learn to understand feelings. Grayson was a baby. The thought brought a small giggle to my lips.
Grayson leaned back. "What's funny?"
"Nothing," I said, smiling softly. I stepped back, the enormity of our situation sinking in. "You don't have your wolf, mine won't talk to me, we're stuck somewhere, there's a barrier, and we can't call for help. So… any ideas? Also, what happened to the hunters?"
He shrugged, his tone flat. "I killed them before my wolf disappeared again."
"Oh."
That was all I could say. Would I ever get used to the fact that he killed people? Probably not. But it was Grayson, and that was part of him—part I had to accept. I shoved the thought aside and opened my mouth to ask another question when something stopped me.
The air grew heavy and oppressive. A strange hum filled my ears, low and constant, and the ground vibrated slightly. I froze, my eyes darting around. The trees swayed unnaturally, though there was no breeze.
"Grayson," I whispered, my voice trembling.
He moved, stepping in front of me, his body tense. "Stay behind me."
Chapter 150 (Continued)
And then, before either of us could react, the world tilted. It wasn't darkness; it was a void—an endless, empty void.
The final section needs more context to make sense. The abrupt shifts between chapters and the unclear narrative flow make a complete edit difficult. Please provide more context or clarify the intended sequence of events.