The Alpha King's Reluctant Bride (Ava and Grayson) novel Chapter 69

-Grayson’s POV-

“The grand gesture under the rain worked, didn’t it?” Isabella’s voice cut through the silence, filled with that triumphant tone that was too an

I exhaled, glancing toward the hallway. I was counting down the seconds until Ava came out so we could leave Sure, Isabella’s advice had b the-

rain” idea. When she called and told me to stand outside in the drizzle, I thought she’d lost it There was no way I was going to stand there a struck fool. Yet twenty minutes later, there I was-

drenched, humoring Isabella’s ridiculous suggestion. And as cliché as it felt, it worked. The moment 1 saw va’s silhouette at the door, every

But now, my patience was wearing thin. Ava Isadn’t come out yet and Isabella’s loud, crunching chewing was grating on

every nerve.

“Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be?” she said, feigning offense. “I help you fix things with her, and you just ignore me!”

I shot her a glare. “Do you have to chew so loudly? And talk with your mouth full?”

She smirked, her eyes glinting with mischief. “No, I don’t. But I noticed it bothers you, so I’m definitely not stopping.

I narrowed my eyes, deadpan. “You’re lucky Ava likes you.”

“Oh, please. You like me too, and you know it.”

I scoffed, choosing to ignore her. The longer I stayed quiet, the sooner she’d give up and leave me in peace.

“Fine,” she sighed, finally relenting. “Don’t talk to me, then.”

Seconds ticked by in a rare silence as I checked my phone, looking for any distraction. Then she broke it with, “Oh, did you hear Lilian felt h The words caught me off guard. “What? When?”

She arched a brow, a sly smile playing on her lips. “Thought we weren’t speaking?”

A thought suddenly registered and I smiled, “Fine. How is Rickon?”

The name clearly hit a nerve, her grin vanishing as she glared agme. “I’m going to go get Lilian.”

With a huff, she pushed herself off the counter and stormed inside. I smirked to myself. Petty, sure, but it felt like a win. I couldn’t believe I w

Suddenly, I sensed Ava’s presence in front of me. I didn’t even have to look up to know she was there; the faint

click of her shoes and the quiet rustle of fabric was enough to jolt my awareness. I turned,

and there she was, pushing a stack of suitcases toward the door. Our eyes met, and a blush crept up her cheeks

“Hi, she greeted her voice barely above a whisper.noveldrama

I felt something warm, unfamiliar. I cleared my throat, trying to shake it off. “Hi.”

I stepped forward to grab one of her suitcases. She bit her lip, hesitating before speaking. “Uh. Isabella wanted me to tell you she thinks yo Mon, Dec 16

“And?” Isabella’s voice rang-out from somewhere in the house.

I clenched the wheel, realization dawning on me. The healing it must have happened at the same time Maria was casting the spell to link us Without another word, I shifted gears, making a hard turn.

Ava looked over, confused “Where are we going?”

I kept my eyes focused on the road, taking a deep, steadying breath. The words I was about to say felt fieavy on my tongue, and I wasn’t su

back at the road. “I had Maria perform a linking spell on us

She looked at me, curiosity and confusion mingling in her gaze pushed, “The idea behind the

spell was that if you were ever in danger, I’d be able to sense it immediately. I could feel it wherever I was, and I’d be able to get to you in tir a connerson between

1. US.

There was a brief pause as she absorbed this, her face unreadable. I continued, “The first time Maria tried, the spell didn’t work. But I think. Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper when she finally asked, “Did it actually work? The linking spell?”

I hesitated, shaking my head. “No, it didn’t fully work. Not then, anyway. Maria said that for the spell to be effective, for us to be truly linked, Her cheeks flushed slightly, and her eyes shifted as she connected the dots. “So, that feeling I had when we kissed?” trailed off, leaving the “Yes,” I said, nodding. “I think that was enough to make the connection start to take root.”

Silence settled over us, filling the space with unspoken words and lingering tension. I swallowed, glancing over at her again. “You’re not… n She shrugged, her lips curving into a small, almost amused smile. “I think I’m starting to get used to it

Her calm acceptance took me by surprise, and I felt an unexpected wave of relief wash over me. I hadn’t realized just how much I’d been h

I took another breath, steadying myself. “We’re going to see Maria. I’m going to ask her to help you unlock your wolf fully-

to release her, wherever she’s hidden. We’re going to make you a full werewolf.”