The Alpha King's Reluctant Bride (Ava and Grayson) novel Chapter 185

Avay POV

The words echoed in my mind like a scream in an empty hall, refusing to fade. I stared at her, waiting for the punchline that didn’t come. My heart thundered against my ribs, tightening with every second of silence that passed between us.

“What?” I finally managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper, thick with disbelief.

Isabella turned the phone around and showed me the article. Nalie Kingston’s signature style was unmistakable-bold fonts and dramatic phrasing meant to incité chaos, fear, and doubt. The headline blazed across the screen like a challenge.

“Alpha King Grayson Blackwood is cursed and has lost his connection to his wolf. The implications of such a revelation could shake the very foundation of his rule and leave the realm vulnerable to its enemies…..”

The room seemed to spin. My knees buckled slightly, and I reached out for the edge of the bed to steady myself. The words blurred as my stomach twisted in knots.

“Did you know?” Isabella’s voice broke through the haze, but her words barely registered. I was already getting to my feet, my mind racing faster than I could keep up with. This wasn’t just bad-it was catastrophic.

I barely heard Isabella’s voice again as she followed me across the room, her tone sharp with worry. “Lilian, where are you going?”

Lignored her, rummaging through the mess of clothes and blankets on the bed, desperately searching for my phone. My hands trembled, and I froze mid-search as a chilling thought pierced through the chaos in my mind.

I was the only one who knew about Grayson’s wolf.

My breath hitched. Could he think I’d betrayed him? That I was the one who let this out? No. I shook my head firmly, rejecting the idea. He trusted me–things were different now. He knew I would never do something like this.

“Lilian!” Isabella’s voice snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts. I turned to her, startled, to find her staring at me with a mixture of frustration and concern. “What the hell is going on? Why do you look like you’re about to have a panic attack? Is it true? Did you know? And you’d better calm down because I cannot deal with you shifting and disappearing for two months again.”

I sucked in a shaky breath and forced myself to focus. “This is not good at all, Bels.”

“So it is true,” she said, her expression hardening.

“Yes,” I admitted. My hands finally closed around my phone, and I clutched it tightly as I dialed Grayson’s number. I already knew what would happen, but the sting of his voicemail still hit me like a slap.

“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath, lowering the phone and glancing at Isabella, who waited silently, her arms crossed. “It started happening a while back,” I began, my voice strained. “His wolf would disappear and then come back. After… after that strange thing, when we disappeared for two months, his wolf didn’t return. But things were good after that-they’ve been good. He didn’t seem bothered by it, or at least he didn’t show it. I was the only one he told. No one else knows.”

I sucked in a deep breath continuing, “He asked Maria for help with a spell once. It worked. She thought his wolf came back, and that was it. She didn’t know it didn’t last.” My voice faltered as a waye of dread washed over me. “He didn’t want anyone to know. And now…’

Chanter 183

And now everyone knows, Isabella finished, her voice quieter,ed with understanding.

I nodded, swallowing hard as I stared down at my phone again

And if you were the only one who knew….. Isabella trailed off, a radow of worry crossing her face. “He won’t think it was you, Lian. He knows you wouldn’t do this.”

“I just need to see him,” I said, “I need to tell him that.”

She reached out and took my hand, squeezing it tightly. “Everything will be okay.”

But it wouldn’t. Not this time. Grayson had made it clear to the how much damage this getting our would cause. The Alpha King without his wolf-it wasn’t just a personal loss. It was a sign of weakness. A sign that the throne could be taken, that enemies could close in. And the chaos we’d worked so hard to push aside would come crashing back in full force.

Isabella’s voice cut through the silence. “What about the curse? Is it linked to why his wolf is gone?”

“Yes,” I admitted, my voice hollow. “Or at least I think so. It’s tied to his bloodline. The only way to break it is by… by finding his fated mate and mating with her.”

Her face fell, sympathy written all over her features. “Oh, Lilian.

I forced a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “It’s fine. He told me he wasn’t going to do that.”

Before she could respond, a noise outside caught both of our attention. Isabella and I exchanged a look before we both got to our feet and rushed toward the entrance. The men Grayson had assigned to keep me safe trailed behind us, keeping their distance but ready to intervene if needed.

Posture rigid, his expression unreadable. A group of warriors blocked his path, forming a line between him and the mansion. My wolf stirred uneasily, a low growl rumbling in the back of my mind.

As we stepped outside, the first thing I saw was Charles. He stood near the gates, his This was definitely not going to end well.

I approached cautiously, my steps deliberate, and caught the tail end of Charles’s heated words.

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