The Alpha King's Reluctant Bride (Ava and Grayson) novel Chapter 132

-Grayson’s POV-

Rickon and I followed Alaric deeper into the heart of this hidden world, the path growing narrower as the soft glow from the crystalline walls dimmed. The sound of the waterfall faded into the distance, replaced by the quiet hum of this strange sanctuary. Despite the peace surrounding us, I couldn’t shake the tension coiling in my chest.

Rickon walked slightly behind me, his usual sharp remarks kept in check, though I could feel his unease. Alaric, on the other hand, moved with a calm confidence, his steps unhurried, his presence unnervingly composed.

Finally, Rickon broke the silence, his voice low. “You’re awfully quiet for someone who supposedly wants to show us something.”

Alaric stopped abruptly, his back still to us. “Because you’re not ready to hear it.”

I frowned. “Then why bring us here at all?”

Alaric turned, his dark eyes gleaming in the faint light. “Because there is a reason you’re here, Grayson Blackwood.” His gaze flicked briefly to Rickon before settling back on me.

Rickon shifted uncomfortably, but he didn’t speak.

“You think we live in isolation out of ignorance,” Alaric continued, his tone even. “That we’ve removed ourselves from the world because we fear it. But let me assure you, we know everything.”

The weight of his words filled the space, pressing down on us like a heavy fog.noveldrama

“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice quiet but firm.

“We know of every war that has come and passed. Every betrayal. Every alliance forged in blood and broken in greed. We know of the battles fought in your name, Grayson. Of the lives lost, the territories claimed, the power struggles that have defined the werewolf world for centuries.”

Rickon glanced at me, his expression unreadable.

“And you just… watch?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

Alaric’s smile was faint, almost pitying. “We observe. We remember. But no matter what happens beyond these walls, we will never involve ourselves in it. This is a sanctuary. A place untouched by the chaos of your world. To interfere would be to taint what we’ve built here.”

His words struck a nerve. “So you hide,” I said, my tone sharper than I intended. “You let the rest of us fight and die while you sit here in peace, thinking you’re above it all.”

Alaric’s gaze didn’t waver. “Perhaps. But tell me, Grayson, has your way brought you peace? Has it made you stronger, or has it only torn your world apart?”

I had no

answer for that.

Rickon cleared his throat, his voice tentative. “If you don’t involve yourselves, then why are we here? Why did you save us?”

Alaric’s expression shifted slightly, a shadow passing over his features. “Your arrival was no accident. There was a reason your plane crashed. A reason you were brought to this place.”

The air grew colder, the silence heavier.

“You’re saying you caused it?” I asked, my voice low.

Alaric shook his head. “Not-us. But something far greater than any of us—something that even we cannot fully understand- has drawn you

here.”

Alaric’s expression didn’t change. If anything, his calm only irritated me further. “For someone who isn’t your friend, certainly seem to care a great deal about him,” he said, his tone maddeningly composed.

you

The woman, without a word, disappeared as abruptly as she had appeared, fading back into the shadows as though she had never been there at all.

“Answer me,” I demanded, glaring at Alaric.

He raised a hand, a gesture meant to pacify. “Calm yourself, Grayson. Your friend is fine. He’s merely… resting. He’s heard all he needs to hear, unless, of course, you wish for him to know about the curse. About its consequences. And perhaps even your potential weaknesses.”

That stopped me cold. The word curse hit me like a blow, and all my focus snapped to Alaric. My fists clenched at my sides, but I forced my voice to remain steady. “What do you know about the curse?”

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Alaric’s faint, knowing smile returned. “I know far more than you think, Grayson Blackwood. More than anyone else has dared to tell you. But as I said before, we only observe. We don’t interfere. That curse is yours to bear, and only you can

break it.”

Frustration surged through me, my wolf stirring faintly at the edges of my mind, though still oddly quiet. “If you know so much, then you must know how to break it. Tell me.”

Alaric tilted his head slightly, studying me with an almost pitying gaze. “Breaking the curse isn’t as simple as you might hope. Before you can end it, you need to understand how it truly began. Why it was placed upon you.,” He paused for a second before delivering a blow that rooted me to my spot, “And why, as long as you remain with the woman who holds your heart, you will never be able to break it.”