Chapter 17

Ava POV

“You really didn’t have to do that,” I snapped at Isabella the moment we stepped outside. My voice was sharper than I intended, but I couldn’t help it. “That was petty and low, even for you.”

Isabella shrugged. “I didn’t like her pity. And if you think about it, maybe I did you a favor. Maybe Grayson will ground her, and you won’t have to see her face for a while.”

I glared, frustration bubbling in my chest. Sometimes, she could be so damn childish. “You act like a kid, you know that, right?”

“But you love me anyway.” She grinned, somehow managing a smirk at the same time. It was almost disarming, and before I knew it, I was rolling my eyes and letting out a reluctant smile.

“Come on, let’s go before any of them come out,” I said, nudging her toward my room.

“Or before his royal hotness comes out and eats you up with his eyes,” Isabella said, giving me a look that made my stomach drop. “Good luck surviving a whole year with him, seeing him every day with all that gorgeousness shoved in your face. If it’s too much for you, we can trade.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, even though I didn’t find the situation half as amusing as she did. “Let’s just get drunk and go to bed. I can’t deal with you sober right now.”

Her phone rang, and she frowned, pulling it from her pocket. “It’s work,” she muttered. “Jameson never calls this late unless it’s important.”

“Go ahead. I’ll roam around until you’re done, then we can head to my room.”

The words felt strange—my room. I didn’t want to get comfortable here. This wasn’t my home, no matter how long I stayed. I was on borrowed time, under the roof of a man I barely knew and definitely didn’t trust. A man who could ruin me with a single decision.

With that thought gnawing at me, I wandered through the enormous mansion, my steps aimless until I found myself stepping outside. The air was cooler, and I inhaled deeply, trying to clear my head. But just as I started to relax, a voice—his voice—cut through the night like a knife.

“Well, aren’t you already making yourself comfortable?” Dylan’s tone was venomous, dripping with the malice I’d grown too familiar with.

My heart lurched, and every instinct screamed at me to run. I whipped my head in his direction, fear coiling in my stomach as memories of every slap, every punch, every cruel word came rushing back. I took an involuntary step backward, and his smile widened. He knew he still had power over me.

“It’s good you still know your place,” he sneered.

Anger flared, pushing past the fear. “You’re a bastard, Dylan.”

His eyes narrowed dangerously. “If I were you, I’d watch my tone. Just because Grayson Blackwood showed you a shred of interest doesn’t mean I can’t still put you in your place.”

I clenched my fists, frustration bubbling over. How did I ever end up with someone like him as my…mate? What cosmic joke was this? “How did I end up with you?” I muttered, more to myself than to him.

He stepped closer, and I instinctively raised the bottle I was holding. “Don’t come near me, or I swear I’ll smash this over your head.”

(The following section seems to be a continuation of the same chapter but was separated in the original text. I've combined it.)

Dylan laughed, a cruel, mocking sound. “You sound pathetic. And just so you know, Grayson did us both a favor by dissolving the marriage. I didn’t want a divorce, and I only stayed with you out of pity. I could barely stand the sight of you.”

A bitter laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it. Of course. Why was I even bothering to argue with him? “I don’t even know why I’m wasting my breath on you. Shouldn’t you be at home with your pregnant mistress?” I shot back, my voice dripping with mockery.

His eyes flashed with anger, and for a moment, I thought he might actually hit me again. “Watch your tone, Ava,” he growled, taking another step toward me. “I’m warning you.”

“Or what?” I held my ground, refusing to back down this time. “Leave, Dylan, before Grayson realizes you’re here.”

“I’m not scared of him,” Dylan snarled, his voice low and threatening. “And if you don’t get out of my way, I’ll—”

“You’ll what?”

My heart stopped. I whipped around so fast I almost got whiplash. Grayson’s voice, cold and deadly, cut through the tension like a blade. He stepped out of the shadows, his gray eyes locked on Dylan with an intensity that scared me.

Dylan’s face transformed instantly; a fake smile plastered itself across his features. “Alpha King Grayson,” he bowed, the deference in his voice almost comical. “I was just asking Ava how I might request an audience with you.”

Grayson didn’t blink. His gaze stayed fixed on Dylan, cold and unyielding. “That’s not what it sounded like. And threatening her? That’s how you ask for an audience?” His voice was ice, each word measured and dripping with coldness. “I suggest you choose your next words carefully.”

He didn’t wait for Dylan to answer. Instead, he turned to me, his eyes softening—just barely. “Come here.”

It wasn’t a request. My body reacted before my brain did, and I found myself walking toward him, my heart pounding. The moment I was beside him, Dylan cleared his throat, trying to recover.

“I really do apologize,” Dylan said, his voice dripping with insincerity. “I was just trying to get my point across. Ava can be…stubborn.”

I almost laughed at how pathetic he sounded, but Grayson beat me to it. “Not only did you step into my house uninvited, but you also threatened and insulted my Luna.”

The word slammed into me, and I saw the impact it had on Dylan. His eyes widened, flicking between the two of us as if he couldn’t comprehend what he’d just heard.

“Your Luna?” Dylan spat, his face twisting in anger as he looked at me. “You’re already jumping from one man to another? What would your parents say, Ava? Have you no shame?”

The moment the words left his mouth, the atmosphere shifted. I didn’t have time to process it before Grayson moved, swift and controlled, a show of power that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. He grabbed Dylan by the collar, lifting him off the ground effortlessly, his expression cold and lethal.

“You dare speak to her like that in my presence?” Grayson’s voice was low, barely above a whisper, but the threat was unmistakable. His grip tightened, and Dylan choked, his face turning red as he clawed at Grayson’s hand.

I watched, frozen in shock. The display of power was calculated, terrifyingly calm, and it took everything in me not to flinch.

“Grayson,” I whispered, barely able to find my voice.

He didn’t look at me, his focus entirely on Dylan. “If you ever come near her again, or step foot into my home, you won’t leave breathing.”

With that, he released Dylan, who fell to the ground, gasping for air. Grayson didn’t spare him another glance. The cold detachment in his eyes melted for a brief second as he looked at me.

“Are you okay?”

I nodded, my heart still racing, but something inside me shifted, realizing just how dangerous this man could be—dangerous and protective.

Dylan’s voice rang out, desperate and shaky. “Hold on, Alpha Grayson! I apologize for my actions and words. You can have Ava, but if we can just talk about the alliance again—”

I felt the tension ripple through Grayson like a coiled spring—almost about to snap. He was going to kill Dylan, I was sure of it this time. Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed Grayson’s hand, an impulsive, instinctive move to stop him. The moment my fingers touched his skin, that jolt of electricity shot through me, startling me like a live wire.

His gaze dropped to where my hand met his, and those gray eyes darkened, not with the cold fury I’d expected but something else. Something deeper, more dangerous. It terrified me, and yet, at the same time, it drew me in. My throat went dry. Was that desire? No, it couldn’t be. Not with someone like him. But the heat in his eyes was unmistakable, and for a moment, it looked like I wasn’t the only one feeling the electric pull between us.

I snatched my hand back as though his skin had burned me.

“Please,” I whispered, my voice sounding far smaller than I intended. “Let’s just go.”

For a moment, he didn’t move, and I could see the gears turning in his mind, calculating whether or not Dylan was worth his time. I half expected him to break his neck right there, but after a tense beat, he turned and began walking away, his shoulders rigid with the force of keeping his fury in check.

As soon as we were inside, and the door shut behind us with a resounding thud, I spun around, blocking his path before he could disappear into the shadows of his mansion again.

“Can we talk for a moment?”

His cold gaze flicked to mine. “About what?”

I hesitated. The words I had carefully rehearsed in my head suddenly felt flimsy and awkward under his scrutiny. “I was thinking…if we’re going to do this, we need to come up with some ground rules.”

His brow arched, the slightest hint of amusement tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Rules?”

“And a schedule,” I added quickly, stumbling over the words. “For your…treatments.”

Grayson crossed his arms over his broad chest, watching me with an unreadable expression.

“And…” I took a deep breath, feeling the heat of embarrassment rise in my cheeks. “We need to talk about what happened in your study. When I…when I touched you.”