The Alpha King's Reluctant Bride (Ava and Grayson) novel Chapter 41

-Grayson’s POV-

I waited until there was enough distance between us before stepping out of the shadows and approaching the vendor to convince myself th

The vendor she had just left smiled at me, the same smile he’d given Ava-

a smile I wanted to rip right off his face. M cut through him, and his grin vanished instantly. Good.

He cleared his throat uneasily, “What can I do for you, Signor?”

“The woman that was here a few minutes ago, what did she want?” My voice was sharp, unyielding.

His grin returned, and he

fished out some tacky necklace that looked like a toddler had glued it together with sil.tri Out of all the things she could’ve picked, this is wha

“How much is it? I sighed, feeling irritation creep in.

“Just 20 euros.”

I handed him the money without another word, taking the ugly necklace and turning on my heel.

“Signor!” the vendor called after me. “This is too much-”

I didn’t stop. My strides quickened as I tried to keep her in my line of sight. Ava was smart in her own way, but sometime questioned her decisions. She hadn’t even tried to cover her tracks or make me chase her. My first instinct had been to g her and drag her back to the

I remembered the look in her eyes when I found her, wide and full of wonder as she stared at the streets around her. It w like watching a chi she didn’t want to be chased. She wanted to explore, to taste freedom, even if just for a moment.

So I let her.

I kept a careful distance, watching her every move. The way she smiled when the wind swept through her hair, oblivious to the stares she w And everything was fine-until he showed up.

Now, I was sitting

in my car, parked outside the restaurant where he had taken her thinking of the different ways I could detach his limps. My hands gripped th

I pushed the door open, stepping into the cozy little restaurant. The warm lighting and soft hurn of chatter did nothing to calm the storm brev

I scanned the area immediately, instincts kicking in. My eyes landed on a half-

eaten pizza at an empty table, and my chest: tightened. Something was wrong.noveldrama

I approached a waitress with cold precision. “A woman and a man were just here. She stands out-

too beautiful not to notice. Where did they go?”

And when I found Luca?

I’d show him exactly what it means to touch what was mine.

I sped along the winding streets of Italy, the car’s engine roaring beneath me, but the only sound I could truly hear was the pounding of my a wave of rage coursing through my veins, my wolf snarling within me, restless and violent. Memories of the past flashed in my mind- his smag face, the sound of that silver bullet tearing through my chest, the taste of my own blood as I lay dying.

He had been the reason I lost one chance of life which made me angrier and now Ava. She was mine, and Ricardo had made the fatal mist Ricardo had always been one to capitalize on moments of weakness, and I hadn’t been focused. The second I landed in Italy. I knew Ricard The sky had darkened by the time I neared the location Carter scut me. A rundown warehouse on the outskirts of the city, hidden well enoug location where he could hide

her fast enough.

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I parked the car a few blocks away and killed the engine, sitting silence for a moment, letting my senses sharpen. Every noise, every scent faint, but unmistakable-Ava’s scent. Sweet, soft, like wildflowers after a storm. She was close. I could feel it.

I stepped out of the car, careful to shut the door quietly. My pule quickened, but I kept my movements measured. Swift. Precise. The wareho As I approached the warehouse’s rear entrance, I took a deep breath, my senses sharpening. I could smell them—

Luca and Ava weeren’t the only ones here. Two, maybe three. No more than that. I crouched low, peeking around the corner. They were po near the

main door, weapons strapped to their sides, but their stances were lazy, casual. They weren’t expecting me to get this far so quickly. Amateu

I circled around, keeping my distance, heading for the back. The scent of gasoline grew stronger, mixed with the faint scent of cigars but the