Chapter 155

Grayson’s POV

Two months. To say I was shocked is an understatement, but I couldn't let anyone see it. The weight of those words hit me hard, but I had to maintain composure. Two months gone—vanished—when it should have been only two days. How? My mind raced, filled with unanswered questions. The world seemed to tilt, and for a moment, I closed my eyes, leaning back in my chair to gather my thoughts.

My wolf was silent, or gone. Strangely, that wasn't my biggest concern. I felt he wasn't lost forever, that he would return. But for now, I needed to focus on the here and now—on finding a loophole in this madness.

Opening my eyes, I grabbed my phone, pushing aside the chaos in my mind. The screen lit up, and a flood of notifications poured in: thousands of missed calls, texts, and emails. The phone vibrated incessantly; the sheer volume was overwhelming.

One message caught my eye: Luther Pierce. I didn't know how he got my number, but the message was clear: "Stop this nonsense and bring my daughter back."

My jaw tightened. Was he concerned for Ava, or was this another tactic? A threat? A test? Whatever it was, I wasn't interested. I ignored his message, as I ignored the rest—the board members, the acquaintances, everyone who probably didn't care if I ever returned.

I scrolled through my contacts until I found Carter's number. Dialing, I leaned back, letting the phone ring while I tried to clear my head.

Carter answered. "I knew you weren't dead. I admit, I was slightly worried."

I exhaled sharply, not in the mood for his antics. "I need you to stop looking for Ava's sister."

He paused. "You don't even want to know if I found her?"

Did I? The question hung heavy. What would I do if she was found? Would I go after her? Risk everything—the pull, the consequences of marking her, the complications? No, it wasn't worth it. I had to find another way to break the curse.

"No," I said firmly. "I don't want to know. If you haven't found her, stop looking."

Carter sighed. "Well, it's a good thing I never started. I'm slightly glad you're not dead, by the way. But next time you take your wife on a disappearing getaway, maybe give a heads-up to those of us who might actually care."

He hung up.

Before I could breathe a sigh of relief, a knock sounded at the door. I sat up straighter, starting to say "come in," but the door burst open.

Ricardo strolled in, Rickon trailing behind.

"There he is," Ricardo said, grinning.

His voice sent a wave of irritation crashing over me. My head ached; I was in no mood for his antics.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Ricardo frowned, tapping his temple. "Oh, wait. Let me guess—you forgot we agreed to align. Don't worry. I don't blame you. Two months is a long time."

His nonchalance sent my irritation boiling over.

"I remember because we had that conversation three days ago," I snapped. "And I wasn't gone for two months. It was a day—two days at most. And I need everyone to shut up about two months because I need to think." My gaze focused on Ricardo. "And why aren't you in Italy? And why are you two even together? Actually, don't answer that. Just leave. Who even let you in here?"

They exchanged a look. Ricardo, surprisingly serious, said, "That has to be the most words I've ever heard you say in one breath. Maybe you should go lie down."

My irritation spiked. "What are you, my babysitters now? I didn't ask to see or speak to anyone, and—" I pointed at Ricardo. "I don't want you anywhere near Ava. Leave."

I was losing control, and I hated it. If things felt like they were slipping before, now everything was spiraling.

But instead of leaving, they sat down, ignoring my command.

Rickon spoke first, calm but pointed. "What do you mean you were only gone for two days? Where were you?"

I glared, reluctant to answer. But I saw the seriousness in their expressions—something unusual. For once, they weren't treating this like a joke.

Letting out a heavy breath, I leaned back. "It was supposed to be two days. I don't know what happened. One moment, I was dealing with human hunters after Ava was captured in her wolf form. I followed her and killed them. Then, suddenly, we were in this… place. A very strange place where the trees were alive and closing in."

I paused, remembering. "There was a wolf-like creature. And Ava—" My voice faltered. "She jumped in front of me. The next thing I know, we're here. And two months have passed."

Rickon and Ricardo exchanged another glance.

"What happened in the last two months?" I asked reluctantly.

Ricardo leaned forward. "You've been missing. No one knew where you were. At first, it was rumors, speculation. But then it escalated. You were tagged as missing. The realm has been restless. Alphas are gunning for power. I would have too, but being Alpha King sounds like too much work."

Rickon continued: "Plus, if you disappeared, any smart person would know you'd reappear, and I didn't want to be on the wrong side of that reappearance."

Ricardo: "So we thought we'd do you a solid and keep an eye on things. The realm might not have plunged into chaos, there were no more attacks, but I could feel it ready to implode. And then your company. My source said the board has been circling like vultures, trying to position themselves. Some even started making moves like you weren't coming back."

Rickon: "And Luther's been stirring things up, claiming you kidnapped his daughter and probably killed her. He's been trying to get allies on his side, even though no one really knew the truth."

The room fell silent. Two months lost. Two months of chaos. And now, I had to fix it all.

"This is a fucking mess," I muttered, rising to my feet. Liam would have been the one to handle this, not these two. I glanced at Rickon and Ricardo. I begrudgingly admitted I appreciated them stepping up, even if it was unexpected.

Still, I needed to find Liam.

"Where are you going?" they asked in unison. I made a mental note: separating these two might be a priority.

"I need to find Liam," I said, brushing past them. I needed to change and start working. Too much time had been lost. But before I could take another step, they shared a wordless look.

Rickon: "About that circling of the board? Liam was leading it."

My steps faltered. Liam, leading a move against the board? Before I could ask, Ricardo chimed in.

"Oh, and one more thing," Ricardo said, his usual grin gone. "While you were gone, Liam and your cousin had a mating ceremony."