The Alpha King's Reluctant Bride (Ava and Grayson) novel Chapter 103

-Ava’s POV-

He slipped into a coma the next day. At least, that was what happened medically. I had begged Liam to let me take him to the hospital, desperate for some sense of control, some tangible way to help. But he had stood firm, his voice calm but unyielding as he told me, “Ava, I know you care about him deeply, but this is pack business. Grayson will be taken care of by the healers.”.

I had tried to fight him on it, tried to explain that I needed to do something. But in the end, he had gently guided me away, leaving me feeling powerless and utterly lost.

The only silver lining, if it could even be called that, was that Isabella had fully healed. Rickon and Eliza were by her side, ensuring she had all the support she needed. But I wasn’t a good friend—not to her, not to anyone. My focus was completely consumed by Grayson.

I had called into work, fumbling through a conversation with Dr. Griffin about Grayson’s “accident.” He had been understanding, giving me the time off I asked for without question. Tessa, thankfully, was doing well. As for Crystal, who I’d been forced to tolerate over the last few days—well, she could go to hell for all I cared.

up and Now, I sat in Grayson’s room, the dim light casting long shadows on the walls. The healers had cleaned him bandaged his wounds, but he still looked fragile in a way I had never imagined possible. The all- powerful Grayson Blackwood, reduced to this. It felt

unnatural. wrong,

I sighed, pulling the chair closer to his bed and reaching for his hand. His skin was warm, a small comfort, but his fingers were limp in mine.

“You know,” I began, my voice barely above a whisper, “the first time I saw you, I thought you were insanely hot.” I let out a shaky laugh, tears pooling in my eyes. “I know I was supposed to be focused on getting out of that damned marriage with Dylan, but part of me just kept thinking, Wow, this guy is gorgeous. Ridiculous, right?”

I sniffled, brushing a stray tear off my cheek. “It feels like forever ago now. Like a lifetime.”

I squeezed his hand gently, willing him to give me some kind of response-a twitch, a flicker, anything. But he remained still, his breathing steady but shallow.

“Please wake up,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Grayson, you have to wake up. You’re… you’re supposed to be invincible. The Alpha King, remember? You’re the one who saves everyone else, not the one lying here like this.”

I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat threatening to choke me. Closing my eyes, I leaned my forehead against our joined hands.

“You know, I used to have this fantasy,” I said softly, my voice barely audible. “A stupid little daydream about the life I wanted. And for some reason, over time, you became the man in that fantasy.”

I paused, taking a shaky breath before continuing. “In that world you weren’t the Alpha King. You weren’t burdened with all this responsibility, all this pain. You were just….. you. Grayson. And we had this little house– not a mansion, not some grand estate, just a cozy little house with a garden in the back. You love working in that garden, did you know that?” I laughed quietly, the sound tinged with sadness. “You’d plant vegetables, and I’d tease you about how seriously you took it. But you’d just smile at me, that crooked grin of yours, and say it was for the kids.”

I looked at him, my tears falling freely now. “Yeah, kids. We had two-no, three. Two boys and a little girl. You were such a good dad, Grayson. You’d take them out to the park every weekend, and they’d come back covered in mud and completely exhausted, but so happy

My voice wavered, and I wiped at my cheeks, though the tears kept coming. “And you weren’t angry or closed off in that world. You didn’t have to be. You didn’t grow up with all that pain, all those expectations weighing you down. You didn’t have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. You were free to just… live

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I let out a shaky breath, my thumb brushing over his knuckles. “We’d have these lazy Sundays where we’d all pile into bed- me, you, the kids. The boys would fight over who got to sit closest to you, and the little one would curl up on my lap. You’d tell them these ridiculous stories, and I’d just sit there, watching you, thinking how lucky I was.”

I paused, biting my lip to keep from breaking down completely. You were happy in that world, Grayson. And I was happy too. No politics, no battles, no bloodshed. Just us, living a simple, beautiful life.”

The room was silent except for the steady rhythm of his breathing and the occasional rustle of fabric as I shifted in my seat.

“I know it’s stupid,” I murmured, my voice barely audible. “It’s not real. It’s just some silly dream I came up with

to escape for a little while. But… I wanted it so badly. I still do. And if you wake up, maybe-maybe we can try to make something like that real. I don’t care about the title, or the power, or any of it. I just want you. I want us.”

I leaned closer, pressing a kiss to his knuckles. “So please, Grayson. Come back to me. I don’t care how long

it takes or what I have to do—I’ll be right here, waiting for you. But you have to wake up.”

My voice cracked, and I pressed my forehead against his hand again, my tears soaking into the bandages around his wrist.

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