Chapter 36

Grayson’s POV

I felt the flames rise, licking closer and closer to my skin, the heat unbearable. My wolf surged forward, roaring in my head, and I let him take control. Chains snapped, wood cracked, and we crashed through the cabin wall, bursting into the night just before the fire engulfed everything.

The fresh air hit me like a punch—cool and sharp. I didn’t waste any time. My paws pounded the ground as I ran through the trees, my lungs burning with each breath. Death had come for me once before.

I knew that feeling—the cold, endless void that seemed to stretch on forever, pulling me deeper, drowning me in nothingness. It was like falling, slipping further and further away from everything that made me who I was. But then, just before the darkness could take me, I was pulled back. Yanked violently back into life.

This time felt no different. Except… I was down to my last chance. I was powerful, but even I knew I wasn’t invincible. That’s why I’d had Maria use magic to give me extra lives through a ring. I wore it constantly. Whenever I shifted, it became embedded in my skin. The only downside was that it gave me only three chances to come back to life, and since I’d used two, I was down to my last.

The thought made me grind my teeth. I should have been more focused. This attack should never have happened.

I pushed harder, my body moving swiftly through the shadows as I made my way back to the estate. The city loomed ahead, lights flickering through the trees. I didn’t stop. Couldn’t. My paws hit the ground in rapid succession, my heart hammering in my chest, until I reached the back entrance I’d installed for moments like this—when I needed to slip in unnoticed.

Once inside, I shifted back into my human form, the transformation smooth but leaving me momentarily drained. My limbs felt heavy, and the remnants of the wolfsbane still lingered in my system, dulling my senses. However, I couldn’t afford to rest. Not now.

The hot water from the shower did little to soothe my muscles, but at least it washed away the soot, the blood, the evidence of another close brush with death. I dressed quickly, my hands moving with precision. I adjusted my tie in the mirror; my reflection stared back, cold and unfeeling.

I should be dead. Again. But instead, I was standing here, alive, and that meant someone was going to pay for what happened tonight.

I moved to my laptop, fingers flying across the keyboard as I inputted the information I’d gathered about Dominic. Narcissist. Personal vendetta against me because of something I’d done to his family, something he couldn’t let go of. Hot-headed. Dangerous, but predictable. I forwarded the details to Carter, already anticipating his response.

Seconds later, my phone buzzed. Carter, always quick on the draw: “With a sprinkle of happiness, my heart is warmed by the fact that you are not dead.”

I almost smirked. Almost. I shook my head, ignoring his sarcasm. Carter would find him, and Dominic would soon realize he’d just made the worst mistake of his life.

Friday, December 13th

Chapter 36

I prepared to step out, but before I could, my emergency phone rang. Maria’s voice, laced with tiredness, filled my ear.

“Considering the fact that I just felt a surge of energy pass through me, I’m guessing you got yourself killed again.”

Her words were flat, but I knew better. Beneath her tone, there was concern.

“Your enthusiasm at my survival warms my heart,” I replied dryly.

I couldn’t see her, but I knew she just rolled her eyes. “Are you okay?”

There was a pause before I answered. “I’m fine. There’s business I need to handle now. I’ll call you later.”

“Make it hurt,” she said, her voice dark, and I smiled at that. She always did have a flair for the dramatic. Before I could hang up, her voice softened. “Grayson…”

I sighed, knowing what was coming. “I know. I’m down to one chance with the ring.”

“And I might be powerful, but I don’t have the ability to create another one of that magnitude. So, please. Be careful.”

“I know.” I ended the call.

With one last look in the mirror to ensure everything was in place, I left my room. I had work to do. The media would be on this like vultures, and I needed to get ahead of the story. Liam would need to send out a statement to keep things under control. Being a public figure came with its burdens, and while I preferred that people minded their own business, I wasn’t naive enough to think that would happen.

As I walked down the hallway, voices drifted from the living room. I followed the sound, my steps silent, until I reached the doorway. Ava, Isabella, Elaine, Liam, and Monica were scattered around; the tension in the room was thick. The news playing in the background caught my attention: “Patek Philippe, belonging to billionaire Grayson Blackwood. However, a body has still not been found…”

I almost growled at the screen. The inaccuracy grated on me, like nails on a chalkboard.

“If they’re going to talk about the watch, they should at least get the brand right,” my voice cut through the room like a blade.

Elaine’s eyes shot to mine, and before I could react, she threw herself into my arms, her small frame colliding with mine. I stiffened, my body rigid. I wasn’t the type for unnecessary displays of affection, and reluctantly, I hugged her back.

Then my eyes shifted to Ava. Her eyes met mine; they were stagnant and a deep shade of blue, reminding me too much of the man I suspected was behind all this.

People were predictable. I’d learned that long ago. And I knew that no matter how much Ava fought with her father, if I was responsible for his death, she would never forgive me.

I shouldn’t care. I didn’t want to care. Except I did. And that pissed me off more than anything. If Luther was going to die, I needed to be sure. I needed to look him in the eyes, see for myself if he was truly responsible before I ended him. For her sake.

She moved instantly after my command, and now we were both seated in my car. My fingers briefly lingered on the brake pedal, checking it one last time. Satisfied, I started the engine. I wasn’t taking any chances after what had happened.

09:01 Friday, December 13th

Chapter 36

I could feel her body vibrating with questions. She was practically brimming with them, but she kept silent, her eyes staring out the window, frozen like a statue.

The quiet inside the car was heavy, broken only by the hum of the engine and the soft whisper of the road beneath us. My mind kept flicking back to the attack, and before I realized it, the words slipped out, almost like a confession.

“I was attacked.”

Her head whipped toward me so fast I half-expected to hear a crack. I sighed, already regretting opening my mouth, but the truth was out now. Might as well continue.

“Someone paid to have my brakes cut,” I said, keeping my voice flat, controlled, though I saw her eyes widen, her gaze darting instinctively to her door handle as if considering an escape. I managed a small, wry smile. “I made sure we won’t encounter the same issue.”

She exhaled a breath she didn’t realize she was holding and relaxed, if only slightly. “What happened after the crash?” she asked, her voice softer now, cautious.

“I woke up chained in some rundown cabin in the woods, dosed with enough wolfsbane to kill me.”

Her eyes widened further, fear flashing in them for a moment. She didn’t need to know that it did kill me. That wasn’t something I wanted to explain—especially not now.

“But you’re alive,” she whispered, like she was trying to convince herself. Relief washed over her face, but she wasn’t done. “Is that why we’re going to see my father? You think he’s responsible?”

I didn’t answer immediately. My jaw tightened, my eyes fixed on the road ahead.

She shifted beside me, then spoke again, more insistent this time. “I’m not trying to defend him—I know what he’s capable of. But my father doesn’t stab people in the back. If he were behind this, you’d know. He’d make sure you saw him coming. He always takes the high road, in a twisted sense.”

Her words were my thoughts exactly. Luther Pierce wouldn’t hide behind some third-rate assassin. He was proud, too proud to operate in the shadows. And yet, I couldn’t shake the doubt. Not entirely.

“What happens if he is behind this?” she asked, her voice low, almost trembling.

My grip on the wheel tightened, my knuckles white against the leather. I turned my gaze toward her, just briefly enough for her to catch the seriousness in my eyes.

“For your sake, Ava… hope he’s not.”