Chapter 9

Ava’s POV

“So, you told your father to screw himself, and you just walked out?” Isabella’s voice vibrated with excitement. Leaning over the table, her eyes were wide with curiosity.

I groaned, trying to remain calm as I looked up from my half-eaten sandwich. “For like the tenth time, Bels, I didn’t tell him to screw himself. I just told him I wasn’t going back to Dylan, and to stop asking me to repeat it!”

Isabella ignored me, as she often did when very excited. “I just had to be sure!” she squealed, bouncing in her chair. She grabbed my shoulders, her face inches from mine. “Lilian, do you know how long I’ve been waiting for this moment? You finally told your dad to suck it! Well, maybe not both your parents, but one is good enough for now!”

I pushed her away with a half-laugh, shaking my head. “You’re so dramatic.”

But even as I laughed, a wave of relief washed over me. I hadn’t realized how much weight I was carrying until I slammed the door behind me at my father’s house. The relief was almost overwhelming, a peace I hadn’t known in years.

I was supposed to head straight back to Grayson’s mansion after seeing my dad, but when Isabella bombarded me with texts demanding I meet her, I decided to make a quick stop at our favorite restaurant. The food was comforting, as was Isabella’s enthusiasm—though I hadn’t told her the full truth. She didn’t know about Grayson. She didn’t know about the deal I’d made to be his Contracted Luna.

No one did, not yet. The official announcement hadn’t been made, but she was my best friend, and I didn’t want her to hear it from the rest of the world.

“There’s something else I need to tell you. It’s about—”

My words were cut off as a waitress approached, holding a drink. “Sorry to bother you, but those two men over there sent this drink for you.”

I opened my mouth to politely refuse, but before I could speak, Isabella glared at the waitress. “She’s not interested. And if she wanted a drink, she’d order one herself.”

The waitress flinched at Isabella’s tone, her forced smile wavering as she scurried away. I turned to Isabella, raising an eyebrow.

“You didn’t have to be mean about it,” I said softly.

She shrugged, unapologetic. “I know, but remember the last time something like this happened? You accepted the drink, gave him an opening because you’re too damn nice, and what happened?”

I flinched, the memory burning like an old wound. “He had drugged it, and I almost got raped.”

“Exactly,” she said, her voice steely. “As your best friend, it’s my duty to protect you. Now, what were you going to say?”

I barely had a chance to gather my thoughts before the two men from across the room slid up to our table, completely ignoring Isabella’s rejection. One of them, tall with slicked-back hair and an air of arrogance, leaned on the edge of the table. His smirk was slimy, and I immediately tensed.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he drawled. “What’s with the cold shoulder? Just wanted to buy a pretty lady a drink.”

“I already told you, she’s not interested,” Isabella snapped, her eyes blazing.

The second guy, shorter but stockier, stepped closer, crossing his arms. “I think she can speak for herself,” he drawled, his eyes locking on mine with a challenge.

My pulse quickened, an uncomfortable knot forming in my stomach. “I’m really not interested,” I replied, trying to keep my voice calm but firm. “Please, just go back to your table.”

But they didn’t budge.

The taller one reached out, his fingers grazing my arm in a way that sent a shiver of disgust through me. “Come on, no need to play hard to get.”

Everything happened so fast after that. Isabella was out of her seat in a flash, her fist connecting with the guy’s jaw before I even had time to process it. “Don’t touch her!” she spat, standing between me and the men like a shield.

The guy staggered back, clutching his face, anger twisting his features. “You crazy bitch!” he growled.

“Get lost before you regret it,” Isabella warned, her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.

The second guy lunged forward, ready to retaliate. Before either of us could move, the taller guy grabbed a chair and swung it at Isabella. She ducked, but the motion sent the chair flying into a nearby table, knocking over several candles.

A scream erupted. The moment the chair flew and knocked over the candles, everything escalated so quickly that I didn’t even have time to process it. Smoke billowed into the air, filling the space instantly. I coughed, my throat burning as the acrid smell of burning wood stung my nostrils.

“Come on, Lilian, we need to get out of here!” Isabella grabbed my hand, her grip firm as she tugged me through the thickening smoke. Her wolf senses were sharp, while mine were basically nonexistent, helping her navigate us through the haze.

We were so close to the exit. The cool air outside seemed within reach when, out of nowhere, I was yanked backward with sharp, jarring force. My body hit the ground hard, knocking the wind out of me.

“Lilian!” I heard Isabella scream, her voice panicked.

I barely had time to react before the taller guy was towering over me, his hand tightening in my hair as he dragged me closer. “Where do you think you’re going, you little bitch?”

My heart raced, panic flooding through me as I struggled to push him off. He was stronger—so much stronger—and fueled by something darker than just the fire spreading around us.

“I could have been nicer about it,” he sneered, pinning me to the ground. “But it seems you like the violence, so I’ll make it hurt.”

He pressed down harder, his weight crushing me into the floor. The heat from the fire was rising, the smoke thickening, but none of that seemed to faze him. His eyes were filled with nothing but rage and lust. The fire had escalated quickly, and the restaurant was practically burning to the ground, and this guy was really focused on payback? Really? Were people this fucked up?

“Get off me!” I spat through clenched teeth, my voice strangled by fear and the choking smoke.

He responded by slapping me across the face. Then he grabbed both of my wrists, pinning them above my head. I struggled, kicking and wriggling, but it was no use.

“I’m going to teach you a lesson about how to play nice,” he hissed, his breath hot and foul as he leaned down. His free hand fumbled with his belt, and terror washed over me in waves. I couldn’t believe this was happening again. The irony bit—I didn't know what it was about me that made men want to rape me when my own hadn't refused to touch me.

“Lilian! Where are you?” Isabella’s voice was frantic, cutting through the smoke.

I tried to scream, but the smoke filled my lungs, making it impossible to breathe. I coughed, gasping for air, and felt the man’s hand tugging at my jeans. His claws dug into my skin, and in that moment, I realized he was a werewolf. My body froze in horror as I realized just how much danger I was in.

“I’m going to enjoy this,” he whispered, a sickening grin twisting his face. “And when I get to hell, I’ll tell the devil I died fucking a bitch.”

Tears blurred my vision as his claws ripped through my jeans, scraping my thighs. I tried to scream for help, but the smoke choked me, my voice failing as panic and exhaustion took over. The fire was raging around us, the heat unbearable, but none of that mattered to him.

Then, without warning, something warm splattered across my face. I blinked, trying to focus through the haze of smoke and fear. Blood. It was blood—his blood.

I stared up at him, watching as shock crossed his face. His body stalled for a moment before half his head slid off his shoulders, landing beside me with a sickening thud.

A scream finally tore from my throat, loud and panicked, as the now lifeless body was yanked off me with brutal force. I gasped, sucking in air as my body shook uncontrollably.

Strong arms lifted me, cradling me as if I weighed nothing. My vision was blurry, my consciousness slipping, but I forced my eyes open, desperate to see who had saved me.

Grayson.

Cold, piercing eyes stared down at me, his gaze as icy as it was intense, and in that moment, I felt something shift inside me—something primal and unfamiliar. For a split second, everything around us faded—the fire, the chaos, the smoke. It was just him and me, locked in a silent exchange that I couldn’t fully understand.

And then, something even more shocking happened. For the first time in twenty-four years, I felt her. My wolf. She stirred inside me, weak but present, responding to something in him that I couldn’t comprehend.

The world tilted as my vision darkened. I tried to hold on, to stay conscious, but it was too much. The pain, the fear, the fire—it all blurred together until my entire world faded to black.