Chapter 172

Ava’s POV

I didn't understand what happened in a second. Grayson was his usual composed self, although his death glare at the food vendor was intense enough to make the poor man shrink. He didn't seem fazed as he caught up to me after I practically skipped away with my dumplings. I'd barely bitten into one when he grabbed my wrist and pulled me away from the carnival stalls. His grip was firm but not rough.

"Grayson… what is—"

I didn't finish.

The sharp crack of a gunshot rang out, loud and startling enough to make me stumble. For a fleeting moment, I thought it might be from one of the carnival games—those old booths with the fake rifles and cheap prizes—but the sound wasn't right.

Then the screaming started.

Chaos erupted. People's laughter turned into shrieks of panic as they scattered. I froze for a half-second, my body reacting slower than my mind. Grayson didn't freeze. He yanked me closer, his hand protectively around my arm, his body shielding me. "We have to get out of here. Now." His tone was low, urgent, and sharp.

"What's going on?" I yelled, but he didn't answer.

Another gunshot echoed, closer this time. More screams.

"Run," Grayson growled, pulling me toward the exit gates. The crowd surged in the same direction, people screaming and shoving.

"What the hell is happening?" I screamed, my voice cracking as another shot sent my heart racing.

He still didn't answer. His jaw was clenched, his eyes scanning the area with razor-sharp focus. The crowd became a writhing, chaotic mass.

I tripped over something—a discarded soda cup, perhaps—but Grayson caught me, his arm around my waist, hauling me upright.

"Keep moving," he barked.

Then I saw it. A man collapsed a few feet ahead. At first, I thought he'd tripped, but as we approached, I saw the blood pooling beneath him. My gaze locked on the hole in his forehead, and I froze.

"Oh my God," I whispered, my stomach lurching.

"Don't look," Grayson ordered, turning me away. But it was too late. The image was burned into my mind.

People shoved past us, their screams filling the air as more shots rang out. I stumbled, my legs barely cooperating as my brain struggled to process the chaos. The smell of sweat, fear, and gunpowder was suffocating.

"Who's shooting?" I demanded, my voice shaky. My wolf stirred, growling, ready to fight. "Where are they shooting from?"

Grayson didn't answer. He pushed through the crowd, his body shielding me.

"Why is someone shooting people?!" I yelled, my voice breaking.

He stopped, pulling me into a narrow space between two booths. His hands gripped my shoulders. His gray eyes locked onto mine. "Listen to me," he said, his voice low but intense. "They're after me. And by extension, you."

"What?" I breathed, my heart hammering.

"Whoever's shooting will keep firing until we're out of here. Once we leave, they'll stop targeting random people."

I stared at him, my mind racing. "Why? Who—"

"There's no time for that," he interrupted. "Right now, we need to get out of here."

Another gunshot rang out, closer. I flinched, my instincts screaming to run or fight. My wolf growled louder.

But Grayson pulled me back into the crowd.

The crush of bodies was overwhelming. People were screaming, shoving, trampling. A woman fell, a man yelled.

"Stay close," Grayson said, his voice steady.

"I'm trying," I snapped, nearly losing my balance.

Another gunshot cracked through the air, and the crowd surged. I almost fell, but Grayson's grip didn't falter.

Then, a man stumbled into our path, clutching his side. Blood seeped between his fingers. He looked up, his eyes wide with fear, before collapsing.

I froze, my gaze locked on the growing pool of blood.

"Ava, keep moving!" Grayson snapped me out of my daze.

"I—he—"

"There's nothing we can do for him," he said, pulling me forward.

The exit gates were in sight, but the crowd bottlenecked there.

"Grayson, this is insane," I said, my voice shaking. "We're not going to make it out of here like this."

"We will," he said.

Another shot rang out, and I caught a glimpse of the shooter—a figure in black on a nearby booth roof, a rifle in hand. My wolf growled louder.

"They're up there!" I yelled, pointing.

Grayson didn't glance. "Don't look. Just focus on getting to the exit."

"But—"

"Ava, focus!" he barked.

We pushed closer to the gates. A child cried, a man yelled. The air was thick with panic.

"Grayson," I said, my voice barely audible. "What if we don't—"

"We will," he said, his grip tightening. "I promise."

I wanted to believe him. But the chaos felt suffocating, and the image of the man was seared into my mind.

We were almost at the gates when another shot rang out. The crowd surged, and I was almost ripped away from Grayson.

"No!" I screamed.

He caught my wrist. "I've got you," he said.

We broke through the crowd and reached the gates, stumbling onto the street. The screams and gunshots faded as we moved away, but the tension didn't ease.

Grayson didn't stop until we were a safe distance. He turned to me, his expression a mix of frustration and concern. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, though my legs felt like jelly. "What the hell was that?"

"It's not over," he said grimly. "We need to keep moving. They won't stop until I'm dead."

I stared at him. "Grayson… who are 'they'? Why are they after you?"

"I'll explain later," he said. "Right now, I need you to trust me."

I wanted to scream, but the urgency in his eyes stopped me.

My wolf growled, but I forced her down, focusing on Grayson.

"Okay," I said. "I trust you."

His expression softened, and he nodded. "Good. Let's go."

I started to follow him, my feet barely touching the ground, when everything blurred. Grayson was pulling me forward, his grip firm on my wrist, and then—everything stopped. Time warped. My heartbeat hammered, and the clamor around us dimmed, a rising pressure building.

Then I heard it. A sharp crack, a sound that cut through the air. The shot echoed, and something cold splattered across my face. I felt warmth, the metallic tang of blood.

I looked up, seeing Grayson stumble back, his expression frozen, eyes wide in shock. A gasp ripped from my throat. I tried to reach him, but it was too late. He collapsed, his knees buckling, his body falling in slow motion, blood pooling around him.