Chapter 97

Grayson’s POV

“Why the hell isn’t she waking up?” I ground my teeth, glaring at the doctor. My patience was already thin, and his nervous fidgeting wasn’t helping.

“Mr. Blackwood,” he stammered, clutching his clipboard like a shield. “I—I don’t know. There’s no physical reason why she isn’t waking up. All her vitals are stable, and her scans show nothing abnormal. I—”

“Then why the hell is she still unconscious?” I barked, taking a threatening step forward. My wolf clawed at the surface, itching to take over, but I forced it back.

The doctor opened his mouth to speak, but before he could stammer another excuse, a sharp gasp cut through the room. My head snapped toward Ava as her eyes flew open. She shot upright, nearly throwing herself off the bed.

“Ava!” I was at her side instantly, my heart slamming against my ribs as relief and panic warred within me.

The doctor moved toward her, but I turned on him, my voice low and deadly. “Get out.”

“Mr. Blackwood, I really should—”

“You said there was nothing wrong with her,” I growled, my gaze locking onto his. “So get out before I reconsider letting you walk out alive.”

The doctor, face pale, quickly scurried from the room, leaving us alone.

“Grayson,” Ava whispered, her voice weak but steady enough to snap me out of my anger.

I turned to her, watching as her eyes darted around the room, taking in her surroundings with a disoriented expression. I crouched beside her, brushing a strand of hair from her face, my voice softening. “Hey. I’m here. You’re okay.”

She blinked, her gaze finally focusing on me, but something haunted her eyes. “I—I almost killed him. My wolf… they…”

“Ava,” I placed a hand on her cheek, grounding her. “You’re okay. Do you hear me?”

She nodded, her lip trembling. Without warning, she pulled me close. I didn’t hesitate, sitting on the bed and wrapping my arms around her as she buried her face against my chest.

Relief washed over me, and I exhaled a shaky breath. She was alive. Safe. Here in my arms.

The moment I’d woken after the crash, my first instinct had been to find her. Not to check my injuries, not to assess the damage, but to find Ava. That realization hit me hard. For sixteen years, I’d lived selfishly, putting myself first. But not with her. Never with her.

When I’d seen her lying motionless and bloody yards from the wreck, everything in me had stilled. The world had stopped until I reached her. And now, holding her close, I knew I’d do whatever it took to protect her.

Her breathing slowed, and soon she was asleep again, her body exhausted. I carefully scooped her into my arms, carrying her from the hospital room to the car I’d had brought around.

At home, I placed her in my bed, pulling the blankets up to her chin. For a moment, I stood over her, watching her chest rise and fall. As terrifying as the thought was, I could do this forever—just watch her sleep, knowing she was safe.

But the world wasn’t done with us yet.

A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. Covering Ava with the blanket, I opened the door to find Liam, his expression grim.

“Is she okay?” he asked, his eyes scanning me.

“She’s fine,” I said, stepping into the hallway and closing the door. The moment I was away from Ava’s calming presence, the anger returned, burning hot and furious. “Have you found the driver yet?”

“Not yet,” Liam admitted. “But Grayson, are you sure this was deliberate? Accidents happen.”

I stepped closer, my voice dropping to a dangerous growl. “He came right at us, Liam. That wasn’t an accident. Someone sent him, or he acted alone. Either way, the intent was clear. We were targets.”

Liam’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. “I’ll keep looking.”

“Find him before the day is over. And make it clear—no one touches Ava. That message needs to spread.”

With that, I turned and headed to my study, needing to focus. The swirling chaos had gone unchecked for too long.

“The king must fall.” The bloody message scrawled on the wall echoed in my mind. These weren’t random attacks. There had to be a pattern, a link. I just hadn’t seen it yet.

I pulled up my laptop, reviewing every detail of the attacks: the three Alphas, Ricardo, Luther Pierce, Rickon… Apart from the three Alphas, they were all connected to me, but the pattern didn’t make sense. But something was clear: whoever was orchestrating this wanted me gone.

Time slipped away as I worked, frustration mounting with every dead end.

A soft knock interrupted my thoughts. Before I could respond, the door opened, and Ava stepped inside.

She hesitated, her voice soft. “Hey.”

“You should be asleep,” I said, leaning back in my chair.

She smirked faintly. “I was just about to tell you the same thing. It’s…”

I glanced at the clock, surprised by how much time had passed. She walked toward me, and instinctively, I made room for her. She slid into my lap, her warmth instantly calming me.

“Are you okay?” she asked, her eyes scanning my face.

“I’m fine,” I replied, though the question tightened my chest.

Her gaze shifted to my laptop. “What are you working on?”

“Nothing you need to worry about.”

Her eyes flicked to the faint mark on her neck, and I knew what was coming.

“Are we going to talk about it?”

I met her gaze, my voice steady. “I told you my wolf wanted to mark you.”

“I know,” she said, her voice quieter. “But what does this mean? For us? Are we… mates now? Or is this just…” She trailed off, glancing at the desk. “And the contract. You said you needed a fallback, but… I don’t know. It feels like every time we find stable ground, something throws us off balance.”

Her voice softened. “I just… I want to know where I stand in all of this.”

I cupped her face, my thumb brushing her cheek. “It means you’re mine. Mates or not, contracts or not, I stopped seeing this as a transaction a long time ago. I just didn’t realize it until now.”

Her lips curved into a small smile, and she leaned in, her lips brushing against mine. The kiss was soft but full of unspoken promises, grounding me.

When we pulled back, I rested my forehead against hers, my hand gently cradling the back of her head. “Do you remember what you said when you woke up? About almost killing someone?”

Her eyes fluttered shut, and she let out a shaky breath, her fingers gripping my shirt. “I don’t even know where to start.”

I tightened my hold on her, keeping my voice steady and low. “Then start with me. We’ll figure it out together.”

She began, her voice a whisper. “When I was eighteen, at the academy… there was this boy.” She hesitated, swallowing hard. “He tried to—” Her voice cracked. “He tried to rape me.”

A growl rumbled in my chest, my wolf’s rage igniting alongside mine. I forced myself to stay calm for her sake, but in my mind, I was already planning to find him. If he was still alive, he wouldn’t be for long.

She didn’t look at me, her gaze distant. “My wolf… I had always thought I was latent. That was the first time she showed up. She took over, and he never got the chance to—” Her voice faltered. “I almost killed him. And I didn’t feel bad about it.”

“You shouldn’t,” I said, my voice rough with conviction. “If he tried to hurt you, he deserved worse.”

Her eyes flicked to mine, something raw and vulnerable in them. Then she continued, “But it wasn’t just my wolf. There was… something else. Another part of me, darker. It’s always been there. That part warned me about what’s coming.”

“What’s coming?” I prompted, furrowing my brow.

“The war,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “It’s not just about us, Grayson. The entire realm is at risk. This… thing inside me said the balance is about to be shattered. And you and I…” Her gaze met mine, resolute despite the fear I could see. “We’re at the center of it. Our fates are tied together because we’re the ones who are supposed to stop it.”

If it had been anyone else, I might have called it insanity. But not her. Not Ava. There was something in the way she spoke that made me believe every word.

Her lips parted, but then her gaze drifted to my laptop. She stared, unblinking.

“Ava?” I called her name softly, but she didn’t respond. Her body stiffened, her breathing shallow, her fingers clutching my shirt tighter.

“Ava,” I tried again, my voice more insistent. Just as I reached out to touch her face, her eyes widened, and she let out a sharp gasp, her body jolting.

“There’s a pattern,” she breathed, her voice trembling but filled with frantic energy. “The attacks. He’s using a pattern.”

“Ava, what are you talking about?”

Her hands trembled as she gestured toward the laptop, her gaze distant. Then, her focus snapped back to me, and her eyes burned with clarity.

“I know who his next target is going to be.”