NovelUpdateChapter 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 from the laptop in front of me, fixing him with an unamused glare.
“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 the faint hum of the air conditioner and the occasional creak of his chair as he
shifted. It was a strained silence, filled with anticipation for the information we were waiting on. The lead he had
draggedinto his office for- blowing up my phone with promises of a breakthrough-had better be worth the
disruption.
As much as | hated to admit it, | was running out of options. Ricardo’s death was a sharp reminder of how little
control | had over the situation. Carter hadn't been able to find anything concrete, and if someone powerful
enough to take out Ricardo was still out there, | needed to pay attention, even if it meant dealing with Rickon’s
antics.
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 | could think about since the moment she said it. My wolf growled, demanding I give in, to claim
her in ways that terrifiedwith their intensity. She wasn’t my mate-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, pullingin, refusing to letsleep. By the tdawn broke, thought I'd managed to
wrestle back scontrol. A cold. shower had seemed like the perfect antidote.
Until | stepped out and heard her.
A soft moan, breathy and broken, slipped through the thin walls My nfollowed.
My wolf snapped to attention, growling with satisfaction as her body shuddered and fell silent. The realization hit
think of.
| walked away.
But the image refused to leave me, replaying over and over in vivid detail, even now,
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt“I know you indirectly toldto shut up,” Rickon’s voice yankedout of my spiraling thoughts, “but in case
you haven't noticed, | have a problem staying shut. So | have a question to ask ”
1 shot him a glare. “The answer is no.”
He grinned, clearly unbothered. That cocky, infuriating charm he wore like armor was the reason | hated dealing
with him. Everyone seemed drawn to it, falling under his spell effortlessly. Ava included.
“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,
Chapter 78
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 reason for you to look this pissed off right now
94%
| leaned forward, letting my voice drop to a low growl. “Yes. I think about how incompetent sof the Alphas
underare. How they waste my twith idiotic questions that makeconsider cutting their tongues out,
which I've imagined doing at least a hundred times. That usually does the trick”
Rickon’s smile faltered, a flicker of unease crossing his face. | didn’t break eye contact, watching as he cleared
his throat and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Before he could muster a reply, a knock at the door broke the
tension.
“Cin,” he called, his voice slightly higher than usual.
His assistant entered, her gaze flickering tobriefly before she turned her attention to Rickon. “Should | 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.”
| barely registered their exchange because | as already ready to leave anyay but the moment the door opened
again, my wolf bristled. The scent hitfirst-Dylan.
Tension coiled in the room as he stepped inside, his gaze darting between Rickon and me.
“Alpha King Grayson,” he said, inclining his head in politeness the second our eyes clashed. “I didn’t realize
you'd be here
Rickon held up a hand, his expression shifting into something close to panic. “I swear, this wasn’t planned. The
meeting was supposed to be tomorrow,” he snapped, shooting a pointed look at his assistant, who shrank under
his glare.
“My apologies,” she stammered, quickly excusing herself.
Dylan hesitated, his eyes flickering with unease as they darted betweenand Rickon. “If this is a bad time, |
can return later,” he said, his voice laced with careful deference.
| stood, my patience already stretched too thin. “You can have your meeting. This was a waste of tanyway.”
As | moved to leave, Rickon’s phone buzzed on the desk. His gaze dropped to the screen, and his expression
shifted into something slightly smug. “The file just cthrough,” he announced, then glanced up atwith
what he probably thought was an apologetic smile. “We can go over it now.”
Before | could speak, he added quickly, “This won't take long. | promise. | just need to finalize the alliance with
Dylan.”
That word madepause, my movements stilled by its implication. Alliance?
My gaze snapped to Dylan, then back to Rickon. Forcing down the flicker of surprise and irritation tightening my
chest. | exhaled through my nose and nodded curtly, retaking my seat. Dylan, doing his best to avoid looking
directly at me, shuffled into the room and sank into the chair opposite Rickon, next to me. The subtle scent of his
unease drifted in the air, a bitter note my wolf picked up on immediately.
Rickon wasted no tlaunching into the discussion, his voice smooth and casual, as though he weren't playing
a dangerous gby aligning himself with someone like Dylan. | leaned back in my chair, forcing myself into an
appearance of detached interest, though my thoughts churned violently.
Why him?
Rickon, of all people, should've known better. Given the history between Dylan and Ava-and Isabella being his
mate-this alliance seemed reckless at best, treacherous at worst. My wolf growled low in my chest, the sound
vibrating through me. |
Chapter 78
clenched my jaw, forcing it lack before it could escape.
Stay calm. Focus.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm| didn’t care about Dylan-not really other than the fact that if i ever stepped two inches near Ava, | would rip his
head off and | hated that | could not do that now because all he had done was show respect since he stepped in.
Rickon and Dylan’s voices continued to hum in the backgrounds I tuned them out, too restless to process
whatever nonsense they were hashing out. My thoughts drifted, pulled Isack to the one thing | couldn't seem to
shake-Ava
The way her lips parted when she'd whispered, “Kiss me.”
I should have just done it-consequences be damned. This morning, instead of walking away, | should've done
anything but that. Because now, more than ever, it was clear that | didn’t have a problem anymore. My body
reacted to her, and maybe a part ofhad walked away because | wasn’t sure what the hell to do with it.
That seemed to be the thof my life ever since Ava walked in Before her, | never second-guessed anything.
Then suddenly, everything was different. She madehesitate. She madethink
A voice snappedout of my thoughts. “I'll send over the papers
| blinked, realizing Rickon’s words meant the meeting was wrapping up Surprisingly short, given the weight of
their so- called alliance. Dylan stood, smoothing down his shirt, and just as he opened his mouth to say
something, a commotion broke out outside the office.
My heightened senses picked up the sound of the assistant frantically trying to stop someone from entering. | let
out a groan, already bracing myself for whatever was about to unfold.”
The door burst open, and as if conjured from my thoughts, there she was. Ava.
She stood in the doorway, her eyes immediately locking onto mine like we were magnets drawn together. Her
eyes widened, and for a moment, everything else disappeared. Then, just as quickly, someone pushed past her.
Isabella stormed into the room, the assistant still trying ineffectively to hold her back. Her fiery glare landed
squarely on Rickon as she ignored everyone else in the room.
“What the fuck do you think you're doing aligning with him?”
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