The Alpha King's Reluctant Bride (Ava and Grayson) novel Chapter 78

-Grayson’s POV-

Trouble at home?”

Rickon’s voice sliced through my thoughts, laced with that irritating edge of amusement he seemed to always carry. My eyes snapped up fro “Don’t start. I’m not in the mood.”

He raised his hands defensively, though his smirk didn’t falter. To his credit, he didn’t say another word. The room fell into silence, save for t blowing up my phone with promises of a breakthrough-had better be worth the disruption.

As much as I hated to admit it, I was running out of options. Ricardo’s death was a sharp reminder of how little control I had over the situatio

Unfortunately, my mind wasn’t entirely on the case.

Ava’s voice played on a loop in my head. “Kiss me.”

It had been all I could think about since the moment she said it. My wolf growled, demanding I give in, to claim her in ways that terrified me I knew that—but there was something undeniable between us, something that felt primal and unrelenting

Yesterday night had been hell. I’d forced myself to stay away, but even that hadn’t spared me. Her scent lingered in the air, pulling me in, re had seemed like the perfect antidote.

Until I stepped out and heard her.

A soft moan, breathy and broken, slipped through the thin walls My name followed.

My wolf snapped to attention, growling with satisfaction as her body shuddered and fell silent. The realization hit me like a truck, and when h wide and horrified—and locked with mine, I did the only thing I could think of.

I walked away.

But the image refused to leave me, replaying over and over in vivid detail, even now,

“I know you indirectly told me to shut up,” Rickon’s voice yanked me out of my spiraling thoughts, “but in case you haven’t noticed, I have a 1 shot him a glare. “The answer is no.”

He grinned, clearly unbothered. That cocky, infuriating charm he wore like armor was the reason I hated dealing with him. Everyone seeme “It’s not a yes or no question,” he replied, leaning back in his chair.

“Why are you still talking to me? You’ve already wasted twenty minutes of my time. If your source doesn’t deliver

in the next ten, I’m leaving”

His grin widened as if I’d told him a joke. “That’s what my question is about, actually. Do you have, like, a specific thought

anary all the time?”

08:51 Tue, Dec 1,

1 blinked, unsure if I’d heard him right. “What?”

“You know,” he continued, nodding as though he’d solved a great mystery, “like a mental image or something. Because there’s no logical rea

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I leaned forward, letting my voice drop to a low growl. “Yes. I think about how incompetent some of the Alphas under me are. How they was Rickon’s smile faltered, a flicker of unease crossing his face. I didn’t break eye contact, watching as he cleared his throat and shifted uncon “Come in,” he called, his voice slightly higher than usual.

His assistant entered, her gaze flickering to me briefly before she turned her attention to Rickon. “Should I send in your six o’clock now?”

Rickon frowned. “I don’t have any meetings scheduled today.”

“Yes, you do,” she replied hesitantly. “And he is here already.”

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