The Alpha King's Reluctant Bride (Ava and Grayson) novel Chapter 179

Chapter 179 Chapter 179

-Grayson’s POV-

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I hadn’t given it much thought before. For years, I had built my reputation on fear, a reputation so formidable that the mere idea of betrayal seemed laughable. No one would dare go against me-not if they valued their life. Or so I thought. But the moment the screen of my phone went black, the realization hit me like a blade to the gut.

Someone had tampered with it.

Someone on the inside.

It was all clear now. The way the message from the person behind the killings had appeared at the estate’s entrance without anyone seeing them. The way they had slipped past the tight security I had spent years perfecting. There was no doubt in my mind anymore. Whoever was responsible wasn’t just bold-they had help. And that help was coming from within.

I wasn’t naïve enough to think I’d uncover the mole during this meeting. That would have been too easy. No, this was about sending a message to the traitor, to the pack, to anyone foolish enough to think they could challenge me. They needed to remember who I was. And why no one dared cross me.

The whispers in the hall were rising, filling the grand space with a nervous energy. I allowed it for a moment, letting them murmur their theories, their doubts. Fear was a powerful tool, and silence commanded respect, but sometimes you needed to let people unravel before reeling them back in.

My gaze swept across the room and landed briefly on Ava. She was seated to my right, her expression carefully blank, though the slight crease in her brow betrayed her annoyance. She was irritated, no doubt because I hadn’t informed her of my plans.

I raised my hand, and the whispers died instantly. The room fell silent, the kind of silence that pressed against the skin, heavy and oppressive. When I spoke, my voice was calm, even, but there was no mistaking the steel beneath it.

“As some of you may have heard, there was a shooting recently,” began, my eyes scanning the faces in the room. “I was the target, and yes, I was shot.”

The collective intake of breath was audible, followed by a ripple of murmurs. I didn’t stop to address the shock or concern, “The person responsible is the same individual-or group-behind the killings. They’ve made it clear they want my throne. They’re trying to destabilize us, to weaken us from the inside.”

I paused, letting the weight of my words sink in. The room had gone completely still, the silence now tinged with unease. “And I’ll admit something surprising to all of you,” I continued, my tone dropping slightly, “I don’t have the answers. I don’t know who’s responsible. And I don’t yet know how I’m going to stop them.”

The silence stretched, heavy and almost unbearable. It wasn’t often Ladmitted vulnerability-not to my pack, not to anyone, But there was power in honesty, in showing that I wasn’t invincible but still standing, still fighting.

“What I do know,” I said, my voice growing stronger, “is that the throne has been in my family for centuries. And I have no intention of losing it.”

A flicker of something passed through the crowd-relief, perhap, or renewed determination.

“My pack will not suffer because of this war. I will ensure that. But make no mistake-this isn’t just my battle. It’s ours. Whoever is responsible isn’t just coming for me. They’re coming for all of us, for everything we’ve built, for everything

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we’ve fought to protect.”

“From this moment forward,” I continued, “things are going to change. We will tighten security. No one comes or goes without my knowledge. Every member of this pack will be accounted for. There will be no room for error, no room for weakness.”

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I let my words hang in the air before delivering the final blow. “And as of today, I am invoking a curfew. No one leaves their homes after sundown without my express permission.”

The announcement caused an immediate ripple of reactions. The room erupted into a low hum of discontent, whispers and murmurs filling the space once more. The higher ranks exchanged glances, some nodding in agreement, others frowning in clear displeasure.

A tense silence followed. Then, a voice from the back broke the quiet.

“No.” she said flatly.

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All eyes turned to her. She was an Omega, barely noticeable unless you were paying attention. But now, her

words had caused every gaze in the room to snap to her.

I watched her carefully, my gaze unyielding. “Why, Kendra?”

She blinked, clearly startled by my focus. “You know my name, Your Highness?”

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I didn’t respond, my eyes still fixed on her. Her posture stiffened, and she went on, voice wavering slightly as she continued.

“I just… I don’t think it’s possible. There are over a thousand people here,” she paused, her breath shaky. “How could anyone possibly figure out who’s betraying us?”

I nodded slowly, acknowledging her point. It was a reasonable concern, but it didn’t change anything. “She is right but that doesn’t mean I’m going to change my words. Nobody is leaving until I find out who it is. And maybe… just maybe… you could help yourselves by suggesting how I can find this person, so you can all go about your day.”

The tension in the hall thickened, and murmurs began to swell. The pressure of everyone waiting for an answer, a solution, was palpable. And then, as the room started to erupt into chaos, one of my high-ranking members stood up abruptly, his voice cutting through the noise.

“How are we sure it isn’t her?” he asked, his eyes narrowing at Ava. “After all, this all started when she came along. How are you sure your Luna isn’t the mole?”