The Alpha King's Reluctant Bride (Ava and Grayson) novel Chapter 149

Grayson’s POV

The crack of a gunshot ripped through the air, and I felt the sharp impact of something grazing my side. My wolf snarled in fury, his instincts roaring to the surface. The pain only fueled us as we circled the clearing, the hunters tightening their formation around Ava’s cage.

“Stay back!” one of them barked, his flashlight trembling in his grip. The scent of fear rolled off him in waves.

My wolf ignored the command. I bared my teeth, a guttural grow rising in my chest as I crouched low, ready to strike. The hunters hesitated, their confidence faltering.

“Is that thing even a normal wolf?” another muttered, his voice tinged with doubt.

“It doesn’t matter!” the leader snapped. “Focus! Take it down before it gets any closer.”

Another tranquilizer dart whizzed past me, narrowly missing my neck. My wolf growled, surging forward despite the heaviness in my limbs. The tranquilizers were wearing me down but my determination to reach Ava burned hotter than the drug’s numbing effects

Ava’s scent was everywhere, sharp and filled with the coppery tang of blood. My eyes darted to her cage again. She wasn’t moving, her fur matted and her breathing shallow. The sight sent a fresh wave of anger crashing over me. They had hurt

Another dart hit my side, this one embedding deep. I stumbled but didn’t fall, shaking it off with a snarl that made the nearest hunter flinch.

“Why isn’t it going down?!” one of them shouted, panic creeping into his voice.

The leader cursed under his breath. “Use the nets! Take it alive if we can!”

Two of them moved swiftly, flinging a thick, reinforced net in my direction. My wolf twisted mid-lunge, narrowly avoiding it. I snapped at the closest hunter, my jaws closing inches from his arm. He scrambled back, tripping over a fallen branch. “Stay on it!” the leader barked, his tone sharp with authority. “We’re not losing this one!”

More hunters moved in, their weapons raised, forming a wall of bodies between me and Ava. My w wanted blood. He wanted to tear through them, to protect what was his.

Iv wolf’s

rage

boiled over. He

I lunged again, my claws slashing through the air, but just as I broke through the nearest line of hunters, something heavy crashed into me from the side. The force sent me sprawling to the ground. I roared, twisting to see two hunters pinning me down, their knees digging into my back.

A third dart struck my neck, and this time, the drug hit harder. My vision blurred, the edges of the world growing hazy. My wolf fought against the pull of unconsciousness, his growls turning into guttural snarls.

The world was a haze of pain and rage, and then I felt it—that flicker. The connection with my wolf stuttered, like a flame about to go out, and for a moment, I froze.

Not now. Not like this.

The world around me felt distant as panic clawed its way into my chest. I tried to reach for him, to pull him back, but it was Hike grasping at smoke.

“If you’re about to leave me now, this is a fucking bad time,” I growled inwardly.

There was silence for a moment, then the faintest response a low, guntural growl of pante. He was there, but barely fis presence flickered like a dying flame, and I could feel his fear such as my own.

“Hang on? I hissed at him. “Hang on until they’re all dead. For Ava. You can’t leave now. Not now!”

It was as if those words struck a nerve. I felt the bond between unap back into place, but it wasn’t smooth or naturalit was forceful, almost violent like a door being slammed shut. It didn’t matter. He was back, and that was all I needed.

Rage surged through me like a flood, and my wolf howled, the send echoing both in my mind and through the clearing. The hunters stumbled back, their bravado crumbling as I roke ny feet, towering over them

“Take it down!” one of them shouted, his voice cracking with feal

I moved faster than they could react. My claws raked through the chest of the nearest hunter, blood spraying across the ground as he crumpled to the earth. Another raised his rifle, but was on him before he could fire. My teeth sank into his shoulder, bone crunching under the pressure.

“What the hell is this thing?!” someone screamed, but I didn’t stop to listen.

a worn flannel shirt, pulling them on quickly before turning my attention to Ava.

She was still in the cage, motionless and quiet. Now that the chaos had settled, I finally got a good look at her

wolf.

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Her fur was a brilliant white, streaked with lines of gold that shimmered faintly in the moonlight. She looked like a creature pulled from myth, her beauty undeniable even in her battered state.

I knelt by the cage, my hands fumbling with the lock until it finally gave way. The door creaked open, and I reached in, my fingers brushing against her fur. It was softer than I expected, silken and warm despite the blood that matted parts of it.

“Ava,” I murmured, my voice raw and hoarse. “It’s over. You’re safe.”

She didn’t stir, her breathing shallow but steady. I ran my hand gently over her side, feeling for any injuries that might need immediate attention. The bond between us was quiet now, her wolf as unresponsive as mine had been moments before.

I reached for my wolf again, desperate for that connection, but there was only emptiness—a void that felt all too familiar.

The absence burned more than I wanted to admit. Without him I couldn’t mind-link anyone from the estate to come get us out of here That meant I’d have to wait until Ava woke up before we could move.

I leaned back, taking in the sight of her wolf again. Even in this state, she was beautiful. The sight of her made something stir deep within me-a protective instinct so fierce it almost hurt.

“You’re not leaving me,” I said softly, brushing a strand of golden fur away from her face. “Not now. Not ever.”noveldrama

The clearing was silent, save for the faint rustle of the wind and then I finally glanced around, like really looked and a wave of confusion coursed through my mind as I took a step backwards, wondering:

Where the hell were we?