The Alpha King's Reluctant Bride (Ava and Grayson) novel Chapter 146

Chapter 146 Chapter 146

Ava’s POV-

Dylan had never kissed me. Not even on the day of our mating ceremony. That day, he had simply marked me-it was cold

and forced, a reminder of what fate demanded rather than what And now, here he was, his lips on mine, and for

one horrifying second, I froze in shock. Then the disgust hit me like a tidal wave. I tried to push him away, my hands shoving at his chest, but his grip tightened.

Before I could do more, the decision was taken from me.

A flash of motion blurred past, and suddenly, Dylan was ripped away. I stumbled, falling hard to the ground as his hold broke. My eyes darted up just in time to see him flying through the air before crashing into the far wall with a sickening thud. The sound echoed in the grand hall, silencing every conversation. Gasps erupted from the crowd, their collective

down on me.. shock a tangible force that seemed to press

The room’s atmosphere shifted instantly. The air grew heavier, colder, as Grayson’s fury took over. It was so intense, so raw, that it felt like the walls themselves were trembling.

Scrambling to my feet, my heart pounded wildly. Crystal’s shrill scream cut through the silence, grating against my ears as she ran to Dylan’s crumpled form. My gaze snapped to Grayson, who was already advancing toward Dylan with deadly intent. His expression was terrifying, his anger so palpable that it seemed to ripple through the space, choking the air from the room.

“Grayson, stop!” I shouted, throwing myself between him and Dylan. My hands were outstretched, a futile barrier between the unstoppable force Grayson had become and Dylan, who still hadn’t moved.

“Get out of my way, Ava,” Grayson growled, his voice low and lethal..

“No.” I stood my ground, trembling but firm.

Behind me, Crystal shrieked again. “Dylan’s bleeding! Someone do something!”

Grayson

didn’t even flinch. He took another step forward, his focus locked entirely on me now. His gray eyes were stormy dark with unrelenting rage. “Step aside,” he commanded, his tone sharp enough to cut glass.

“Yes, Lilian, step aside!” Isabella’s voice rang out, her tone laced with vindictive glee.

I whipped my head toward her, glaring daggers, before turning back to Grayson. My voice softened, pleading now. “Grayson, please. Don’t do this. Not here. Not like this.”

He stopped, but his anger didn’t diminish. Instead, it shifted, snapping directly at me. “Why?” he demanded. “Why are you defending him?”

I swallowed hard, my heart racing. “I’m not defending him,” I said quietly. “But this isn’t the place. Let’s just go outside. Please.”

Crystal’s voice rose behind me again, panic and hysteria laced into every word. “He’s bleeding out! Someone help him!” I turned instinctively, my body moving toward Dylan, but before I could take another step, Grayson’s hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. His grip was firm but not painful. His eyes bore into mine, cold and unyielding.

“If you don’t want me to make sure Dylan’s ‘bleeding out’ is the least of his problems,” he said, his voice as sharp as steel, “then you’ll come with me. Now.”

I froze, feeling the weight of everyone’s stares on me. My mind raced. I glanced at Isabella, her smug annoyance etched clearly on her face, then at Eliza, who looked genuinely worried. Finally, my eyes landed on my father.

And for the first time in my life, I felt his psychic presence brush against mine. His voice echoed in my mind, steady and

calm. ‘Go.

Crystal screamed again, her words fading into the background as I made my decision. I looked at Dylan, broken bricks Jeanered around him, and then back at Grayson. His expression didn’t waver, his demand clear.

I nodded slowly, my hands trembling as I reached for his. Ilis gp was firm, steady, a sharp contrast to the storm of emotions raging inside me. Without a word, I led him out of the hall, feeling every burning gaze on us as we passed through the heavy doors.

He nodded, his eyes lingering on mine as if searching for reassurance. With one last glance in his direction, I turned and walked back inside.

The moment I stepped into the ballroom, chaos greeted me.

Crystal was on me before I had time to register the scene. Her shrill voice cut through the heavy silence. “You slut! You did this to him!”

10.45 vion, Jan to

9

I barely noticed my father kneeling next to Dylan, or the eerie quiet that had fallen over the crowd. Every pair

of eyes was glued to us, waiting for the next drama to unfold.

Crystal shoved me hard, her nails clawing at my arm as she snarled.noveldrama

And then something inside me snapped.

Before I could even think, my wolf reacted. My hands shot out, shoving her back with a force even more than the one I had used on Elaine that day and the impact sent her flying across the hall.

She crashed into the display of glass decorations with a deafening smash. The sharp crack of shattering glass echoed in the room, followed by the sickening sound of her body hitting the floor. Blood spread quickly across the polished tiles, glinting under the harsh lights.

The entire room froze. My breath caught in my throat as I stared at the shards of glass scattered around her, my heart hammering in my chest and one question filtering through the shock:

What the hell had I just done?