Chapter 208

Ava’s POV

The first thing I registered as my eyes fluttered open was Grayson’s scent. Familiar and grounding, it enveloped me. However, the moment I moved, I braced for pain. The explosion had hurled us from the factory; I'd felt my body slam against the ground and expected to be broken and aching. Instead, I felt fine.

I remembered the intense heat, the searing flames consuming everything. I thought that was it—my final moment. Then, instantly, we were flung clear, and everything went dark.

“You’re awake.”

I blinked, turning toward the voice. Isabella sat in the corner, arms crossed, her eyes burning with a dangerous rage. Outrageously pissed would be the most accurate description.

Then it hit me—everything else. Memories flooded back, and before I could stop myself, I pushed off the bed.

Isabella’s voice cut through my panic. “Your father is fine. Or, at least, he will be. Grayson had the entire realm searching for that Nightshade thing, and Maria saved him with her magic. She put him in a sleeping state so the antidote could work properly.”

That should have calmed me, but my mind raced to the next person. “Damien—” I tried to move.

“We know,” she said firmly, her eyes sharp as she cut me off. “Your mother told us everything. Damien was behind it all. Liam was his puppet. He stole your twin sister—the one you didn’t even know existed. And Elaine? She’s not actually pregnant. Liam’s been using her since their involvement began.”

I stared at her, my heart pounding.

She continued, “Your mother took your pack and father home. Grayson’s been gone for days, but before that, he held a meeting. Every single wolf in the realm attended. I’ll spare you the details for now. The realm is under attack, but no one is dying or in immediate danger. This means you and I are going to talk.”

My breath caught, and my hand flew to my stomach.

Isabella’s gaze followed the movement, but her anger didn’t waver. “Your mother’s been checking on you. The baby is fine.” Her lips pressed into a thin line. “Grayson doesn’t know.” She exhaled sharply. “And I think that’s enough for now.”

Silence settled between us, thick and suffocating.

I sat up slowly, placing a pillow between us as a pathetic shield. “How long have I been unconscious?” I asked quietly.

“Five days.”

I nodded. Better than two weeks.

Then I fell silent.

There were many sides to Isabella, and I’d encountered this one only twice before. Both times, I’d learned a crucial lesson: when she was like this, it was best to keep quiet and let her speak. Let her vent.

“What exactly is your problem, Lilian?”

I said nothing.

“I mean—” She stood abruptly, and I instinctively scooted back on the bed. Then I realized—I was in Grayson’s bed.

Isabella continued, “I hadn’t even gotten over you not coming to me when it all started. Then you refused to help at first. And what do you do next? You run headfirst into danger! I told you to wait for backup! But no, you shut off our connection. Is that it? Are you breaking our connection? Don’t you want to be friends with me anymore?”

Through her fury, I heard the pain.

My throat tightened.

I knew I had every right to distance myself. I didn’t want to be connected to how much Grayson had hurt me. I didn’t want reassurances or promises that I’d feel better. And now that the adrenaline had faded, I realized with painful clarity—the hurt remained.

I hadn’t let go of how easily he believed I was capable of those terrible things. Every moment we’d shared, every bond we’d formed—he’d dismissed it all as lies.

And yet… I had still fought for him. I had told Mikayla I would, and I had.

But he hadn’t believed me. He hadn’t listened.

Get out of my life.

The words echoed in my head, thunderous and unforgiving. No, I couldn’t let what he’d done go so easily, regardless of what I’d said or done in the heat of the moment.

But I also couldn’t let my pain push away one of the best things I’d found in this life: Isabella.

I looked up at her, arms still crossed, frustration radiating from her. But she wasn’t speaking anymore.

I pushed the pillow aside and stood. Without a word, I closed the distance and wrapped my arms around her.

It took a moment. A long, tense moment.

Then her shoulders slumped, and I felt the anger drain from her as she hugged me back.

“You’ve been a really pissy friend, Lilian,” she muttered against my shoulder.

A small, sad smile touched my lips. “I know,” I whispered. “I’m sorry.”

She exhaled, her breath warm against my shoulder as she tightened her embrace. I felt her heartbeat against mine, steady but strained, as if she were holding something back.

“You scared the hell out of me,” she murmured. “Five days, Lilian. Five. I thought—” Her voice cracked, and she pulled back slightly to look at me. Her usually sharp, mischievous eyes were clouded with something deeper. “I thought I lost you. Again.”

I swallowed, guilt settling heavily in my chest. I’d never meant to push her away, never wanted her to feel unimportant. But I’d been so consumed by my own pain that I hadn’t considered the impact on those who cared.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered again, my fingers gripping her shirt. “I didn’t mean to shut you out. I just… I didn’t know how to handle everything. Shutting you out felt easier than facing it.”

She let out a shaky breath, flicking my forehead. “You’re an idiot.”

I laughed softly, rubbing the spot. “Yeah, I kind of am.”

She sighed, her expression softening. “You don’t have to do everything alone. You’re stubborn, and you think carrying everything yourself is the only way. But Lilian, that’s not how it works. You have people. You have me.”

I nodded, my throat tightening. “I know. I won’t do that again. I promise.”

She studied me before nodding. “Good.” Then, she flicked my forehead again.

“Okay, ow—” I started, but she grabbed my hand.

“I’m serious, Lilian. You don’t have to go through this alone. And whether you like it or not, I’m always going to be here, yelling at you when you do something reckless and being the amazing best friend that I am.”

Something inside me loosened. “I don’t deserve you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, you really don’t. But I’m not going anywhere, so deal with it.”

I smiled, squeezing her hand. “Thank you.”

She smirked, nudging my shoulder. “You can thank me by not almost dying next time, okay?”

I chuckled softly. “I’ll try.”

But reality crashed down—so much was at stake.

I looked at Isabella. “I need to leave. I’m not ready to face Grayson, and definitely not to tell him about the baby. But more importantly, I have something to do.”

Her brows furrowed. “What?”

I took a deep breath, my heart pounding. “My sister… I have to find my twin sister.”