Chapter 199

Ava’s POV

“So the Beta is responsible for all of this? He can take the throne?” my mother asked.

I kept my gaze fixed on the window, watching the blurring buildings and trees as the car sped down the road. I hoped my silence would deter her, but, as always, she was relentless.

I clenched my fists, suppressing the simmering anger. Yes, I had returned to her. Yes, I had asked for the pack’s help in finding Grayson. But that didn't erase years of pain, or make sharing a car with her any easier.

“Ava, you’re asking me to use the pack,” she pressed, her voice sharper. “The least you can do is answer my question.”

“I don’t have to do anything,” I snapped, finally turning to glare at her. “You already agreed to help. If you’re going to use this to guilt-trip me, tell the driver to stop. You can take them and leave. I’m not in the mood—ever.”

She sighed, but thankfully, remained silent. I returned my attention to the window, the cold glass doing little to cool my rising anger. Her proximity alone reignited the flames, no matter how hard I tried to extinguish them.

“Did you have to come with me?” I asked, venom lacing my voice. “Or ride in the same car? Shouldn’t you be doing something else—like, being a terrible mother?”

“That’s enough, Ava,” she said tightly. “You’re being cruel.”

“Cruel?” I scoffed, facing her fully. “I’m the cruel one? What do you call how you and Father treated me? I did nothing wrong. I never asked to be a child of prophecy. You two ruined my childhood and every year after, because you thought I was the wrong choice.”

Her expression hardened, but a flicker of guilt or regret crossed her eyes. I wasn't interested in deciphering it.

“That’s not true,” she said quietly. “Everything we did was for your benefit. We tried to make you strong.”

“But you made me miserable,” I shot back, my voice trembling. I took a deep breath. “That’s why I left. That’s why I wanted to escape—to pretend I wasn’t Ava Pierce. Because being your daughter is nothing but anger, pain, and unanswered questions.”

The silence was heavy. I stared out the window, fighting for calm, but the question I’d been avoiding for weeks surfaced. I couldn't hold it back.

“Do you know where she is? Or if she’s alive?”

Her silence felt eternal. When she spoke, her voice was softer than I’d ever heard. “I don’t know where she is. Your father and I couldn’t find her—or her abductor. But I know she’s alive. I’ve never stopped feeling it.”

“Way to be maternal,” I muttered, rolling my eyes and turning away.

My thoughts drifted. A sister. I hadn't allowed myself to dwell on it, but the realization settled like a stone. Somewhere, there was someone who was supposed to be my other half.

Was she like me? Did we look alike? Identical or fraternal? The idea that someone might look exactly like me was almost funny, but also bittersweet.

Did she even know I existed? Or had she been lied to, like I had been?

Was she happy? Safe?

The car jolted to a stop.

“What’s going on?” my mother asked sharply.

The driver’s voice was calm but apologetic. “Luna, we’ve reached a dead end.”

I opened the door and stepped out. Dead ends and empty streets surrounded me. Frustration welled as I contacted Isabella mentally.

‘Another dead end,’ I told her, trying to control my bitterness.

Her reply was instant. ‘I’m still pissed at you,’ she began, referencing my refusal to help earlier. ‘But we haven’t found anything either.’

Rickon’s wolves and my mother’s pack had searched the city for Grayson. His scent was faint, and his and Elaine’s phones had been abandoned in a bar. They’d vanished.

I clenched my fists, the weight of it all threatening to crush me. I’d dragged everyone into this, for what? We were no closer to finding them.

“This is pointless,” I said, my voice hard. “We’re chasing shadows. We’re wasting time, and Grayson—” My voice caught. “Grayson doesn’t have time for this.”

My mother approached, her expression softening, making me uneasy. “Ava—”

“No,” I snapped. “Don’t pretend to care. You don’t get to play the concerned parent after a lifetime of being anything but.”

She flinched slightly, but didn't argue.

I scanned the empty streets. Grayson’s scent was too faint to follow, but I felt we were missing something.

The driver spoke. “Luna, your orders?”

I looked to my mother. She hesitated before nodding. “Keep moving,” she said. “Search the area. We’ll find something.”

But the sinking feeling deepened. Time was slipping away, and the chances of finding Grayson alive were dwindling.

I closed my eyes, leaning back. For the first time in hours, silence settled in my mind. I felt my wolf stir, stronger now.

“He is your fate. Let go. Focus. Find him.”

The words echoed, growing louder until they were all I could hear. My heart hammered. Something inside shifted. I exhaled and let go—of the anger, frustration, pain, resentment, the ache of not knowing my sister, Isabella’s anger—everything.

Then I focused. Grayson. Only Grayson.

I thought of every moment with him. The way he looked at me, his protectiveness, his rare smile. His voice replayed in my mind:

“I would rather let the world burn than let anything happen to you.” “No one touches what is mine.” “You look beautiful no matter what you wear.” “I just… I can’t lose you.” “I love you.”

A sharp pull in my chest. My eyes snapped open—but I wasn’t in the car. I was in a narrow, dimly lit hallway. The cold concrete pressed in, the hum of machinery filled the air.

I didn’t have time to question it. Footsteps echoed, growing louder, along with voices. I hid behind crates. My pulse raced, but I remained still, quiet, focused.

The voices grew closer. I recognized Liam. His tone was casual but sharp, the kind he used with inferiors.

“Everything’s set,” he said. “They’re in the vault below the old steel factory. Explosives are in place. We’re waiting for the signal.”

I gasped, covering my mouth. A vault. Explosives. He’s going to blow it up.

They moved on. My heart pounded. The air felt heavy with dread.

Then, I was back in the car. My eyes snapped open. I turned to my mother, disoriented and breathless.

“Ava? Are you okay?”

I shook my head, trying to make sense of it. My hands trembled. “I know where they are.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What?”

“They’re in a vault,” I said, my voice steadying. “Beneath the old steel factory. Liam has them, and he’s planning to blow it up. In exactly one hour.”