The Alpha King's Reluctant Bride (Ava and Grayson) novel Chapter 203

Grayson’s POV-

I blinked my eyes open, my vision swimming in and out of focus. For a moment, I didn’t know where I was-the world was a haze of muffled sounds and blurry shapes. My body felt heavy, sluggish, and the faint taste of blood lingered on my tongue. The smell of burnt metal and chemicals stung my nose.

Voices reached me through the fog-urgent, frantic. I tried to sit up, but a sharp pain lanced through my side, forcing me back down. I groaned, my head throbbing in time with my heartbeat.

“Grayson.” A firm hand gripped my shoulder, and I flinched at the sudden contact. My vision cleared just enough to see Rickon crouched beside me, his face etched with worry. His dark hair was disheveled, and blood smeared one side of his face, though it didn’t look like it was his.

“Grayson,” Rickon repeated, his voice steady but urgent. “We need to get out of here. Now.”

I blinked up at him, my mind struggling to process his words. “Elaine…..” I croaked, my throat raw from the gas and the explosion. I turned my head, searching for her through the chaos.

“She’s okay,” Rickon said quickly, his hand tightening on my shoulder as if to keep me grounded. “Monica’s with her. She’s helping her up. You need to focus. Can you stand?”

Through the haze, I spotted them-Monica kneeling beside Elaine, her arms wrapped tightly around her as she helped her to her feet. Elaine leaned heavily against her. Relief washed over me, though it was short-lived.

The ground beneath us trembled again, and the sound of twisting metal echoed through the space. The air was thick with smoke, making it harder to see, harder to breathe. My wolf stirred weakly within me, still far too subdued to offer any real strength.

“Grayson,” Rickon snapped, shaking me slightly. “Move!”

I gritted my teeth as I forced myself to stand, every movement making the pain in my ribs flare hotter. My legs felt like lead, but I ignored it. I had to. Rickon slipped an arm under mine, pulling me upright. His grip was firm and steady, his body tense like a coiled spring ready to snap.

“Easy,” he muttered, his tone sharp but not unkind. “You look like you’re about to pass out on me. Don’t make me carry your ass out of here.”

“I can walk,” I said, gritting my teeth to keep the pain from showing. I straightened as much as my ribs would allow, curving slightly to protect the injured side. “What the hell is going on?”

Rickon didn’t answer right away, his eyes scanning the debris-filled corridor beyond the vault. The air was thick with smoke and the metallic tang of blood, and the faint sounds of gunfire echoed in the distance. He tugged me forward, his pace brisk, forcing me to keep up. I turned my head to make sure Elaine was okay and tie men were at her side holding her up with Monica trailing behind.

My brain couldn’t wrap around why she was here but then again my brain wasn’t wrapping around a lot of things right now.

That was when I realized that the explosion that just happened was them blowing up the vault then Rickon spoke finally, as “It is a damn war zone out here.”

Growls, savage and guttural, filled the space, cutting through the chaos.

“What is going on?” I asked again.

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“Those are my wolves,” Rickon said grimly. “And the Pierce pack Liam’s men realized we were here, so I ordered them to attack while the rest of us found you.”

I froze mid-step. “Pierce?” The name hit me harder than any blow I’d taken today. Ultimately linking to Ava? Rickon pulled me forward, not letting me linger. “Yes, Ava was involved,” he said, his tone hurried but calm. “She asked her mother to let her use their pack to track you down. She was the one that someone found your location then she came in here to find you, and then Evelyn followed her. Now, we can’t find either of them.”

His words blurred together, but the only thing I truly heard was Ava was here. She had come to find me. If nothing else, that sparked a fire inside me, sharper and more potent than anything else.

I pulled my arm free from Rickon’s grip, straightening with as much strength as I could muster. “I can manage on my own,” I said flatly, the pain in my ribs now an afterthought.

Rickon hesitated, his eyes narrowing as he looked me over. He must’ve seen something in my expression because he didn’t argue. Instead, he stepped aside, motioning for me to move forward.

I turned, and my gaze landed on two of Rickon’s men holding Elaine. Monica followed closely behind, her face pale but determined. The growls were louder now, accompanied by sporadic gunfire in the distance. My senses sharpened, adrenaline overriding the pain.

Then Rickon’s earlier words registered fully. I stopped dead in my tracks, turning to face him. “What do you mean you can’t find her?”

“Grayson,” Rickon said firmly, his voice carrying the authority of someone used to being obeyed. “We need to get you out of here and to a hospital. Whatever you’re thinking of doing, don’t

I grabbed Elaine, pulling her up as she stumbled against me. “Hold on,” I told her, keeping her shielded behind my arm as we pressed forward. Every step felt like dragging my body through quicksand, but I didn’t stop. Couldn’t stop.

More shadows shifted ahead-two men, guns raised. I ducked instinctively, pulling Elaine down with me. The sharp crack of gunfire echoed through the corridor, but Rickon was faster. He charged, leaping onto one of the gunmen and tearing his throat out in one brutal motion. His wolf turned on the second man before he could react, claws slicing through flesh with a sickening sound.

I pushed Elaine forward, urging her to keep moving. “Come on,” I said, my voice tight with urgency. My ribs screamed in protest, but I ignored the pain, focusing on the faint light up ahead. The exit.

Gunfire, snarls, and the occasional explosion rumbled behind us as Rickon and his men finished off the remaining guards. Finally, the cold night air hit my face, and I stumbled into the open, dragging Elaine with me. The scene outside was chaos -a battlefield of wolves, men, and fire. The sky glowed orange, smoke billowing into the air.

I scanned the crowd frantically, my heart pounding harder with each second that passed. Where is she? My eyes darted from figure to figure, desperately searching for Ava. Instead, they landed on Isabella. She stood a few feet away, her face pale and streaked with dirt. Relief flickered in her eyes when she saw me, but there was no sign of Ava.

A growl rumbled behind me, followed by the sickening crack of bones breaking. I turned just in time to see one of Rickon shifting back into human form, his face bloodied, his chest heaving as one of his men rushed to him with clothes and the

blood turned to ice. met mine, my moment his eyes

He lied.

His face gave everything away. The tension in his jaw, the way his eyes wouldn’t quite meet mine-it hit me like a punch to the gut. Ava wasn’t outside.

I opened my mouth to demand answers, but Rickon spoke first. “Grayson-” Before he could finish, a deafening explosion ripped through the air, the force of it sending shockwaves that knocked me to the ground. Flames erupted from the factory behind us, roaring into the night sky like a fiery beast. The sound was deafening, a chaotic blend of shattering glass, crumbling metal, and the panicked screams of men and wolves alike.

I froze. Ice cold.

The factory was engulfed in flames, collapsing in on itself in a fiery inferno and…..

Ava was still in there.