NovelEnglishChapter 242
-Ava’s POV
A deafening boom ripped through the room, a shockwave slamming into my chest and stealing the breath from
my lungs. Stone and debris rained down as thick clouds of dust swallowed the air, turning everything into a
disorienting blur of gray. The force of the explosion sent people staggering, shitting the ground, others
shielding themselves as best they could. My ears rang, drowning out everything else.
| barely had tto react before men poured.in.
Armed. Fast. Moving with lethal precision.
Gunfire erupted, the sharp crack of bullets tearing through the room as chaos descended in a brutal instant. |
didn’t understand what was happening-I couldn’t. One second we were trapped, forced to play Damien’s twisted
game, and the next, the walls had been blasted apart and men in dark combat gear stormed in, taking us all by
surprise.
| turned to Grayson, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it might break my ribs. His face was unreadable, but
there was no shock in his expression. No hesitation.
Rickon’s, still clutching his bleeding leg, groaned as he tried to push himself up. His lips curled into a pained grin,
his voice rough but laced with something | could only call vindication.
“The bastard’s plan actually worked.”
Plan?
Realization slammed intolike a physical blow. Grayson had been waiting for this. While he’d kept quiet, he
had been biding his time, waiting for the attack he had set into motion. But how... why?
| was so confused right now.
Through the chaos, | looked for Damien, catching the surprise on his face as he stood stunned for a moment
then | saw the High Priestess-my grandmother-move faster than | thought possible. One moment, she was
kneeling beside him, appearing fragile and unassuming, just another old woman bent by time.
The next, she struck.
The blade in her hand glinted under the dim, flickering light as she drove it into Damien's side. His body jolted,
his mouth parting in stunned silence before a sharp, ragged breath escaped him. Blood blossomed through his
shirt.
My grandmother whispered something under her breath, and the air cracked. A ripple of energy surged outward,
and then the barrier that had kept us trapped shattered like glass.
For a fraction of a second, no one moved.
Then Damien-his face twisting from shock to rage-lunged for her.
But for an old woman, she was fast. She sidestepped smoothly, her blade slashing outward. The tip caught his
arm, a deep, clean cut that sent another spurt of blood onto the cold floor. Damien snarled, stumbling back, his
hand gripping his wound, eyes burning with fury.
Before he could retaliate, the next wave of men poured in.
Armed. Efficient. Our men.
| barely had tto process it when strong hands grabbed me, pullingback. My head snapped up, my heart
hammering, my pulse roaring in my ears.
Grayson'’s voice cut through the chaos, “You need to go. Now.”
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Go? Go where | was still trying to make sense of what had just happened, how he had known to prepare for this-
when Isabella moved to Rickon, her eyes scanning him. “Are you okay? Does it really hurt that bad?”
Rickon, still pressing his hand against his wound, grinned. Actually grinned. “I finally agree. You'd make a badass
actress.”
Isabella smirked. “Told you.”
| stared at them, absolutely bewildered.
What the hell was happening right now?
None of this made sense. My grandmother? A hidden plan? An entire attack force suddenly storming in? My mind
reeled, trying to connect the pieces, but nothing fit.
Grayson moved to Rickon, looping an arm under his shoulder to help him to his feet. Isabella turned to me,
grabbing my
arm.
“You have to go.” He repeated.
| twisted, scanning the room for my mother, but she was gone. My chest tightened, but then | saw two men
lifting my father’s unconscious form, carrying him toward the exit. Relief mixed with panic-I didn’t know if he was
okay, if he was even breathing, but we didn’t have tto check.
Maria and Elaine too were gone.
| turned back to Grayson, my voice coming out harsher than | intended, “What about you?”
Grayson met my eyes. “Go.”
Something in his voice made my stomach drop, but before | could argue, Isabella tightened her grip and yanked
We ran.
Through the gaping hole where the walls had been, where men were still pouring in. | stumbled over debris, my
breath ragged, my mind still struggling to catch up.
| twisted toward Isabella, screaming, “What the hell is going on?”
She screamed back, “I have no ball-shit idea how Grayson knew this would happen, but he had a plan!”
A plan?
When? How?
| dodged a falling beam, my heart lurching, “Why wasn’t I in on it?”
“If we survive this shit hole,” Isabella shouted, breathless, “I'll tell you!”
We ran past bodies-sof Damien’s men, sof ours. Gunfire echoed. My pulse pounded. Someone
screamed behind us, but I didn’t dare look back.
Then-we stopped.
We had no choice.
The hallway stretched out before us, long and unfamiliar. A maze of turns and corridors and panic surged
through me.
“Where the hell are we?”
Isabella spun, just as lost as | was, “I don’t know”
“You two! This way!”
Elaine's voice.
We turned sharply, spotting her up ahead, motioning frantically from an open doorway. Without thinking, we
bolted toward her, feet pounding against the floor, lungs burning.
Behind us, the sounds of battle grew louder.
We caught up with Elaine, breathless, adrenaline making every nerve in my body feel like it was on fire.
“Where is my mother? And Maria?” | screamed over the chaos, the sharp sounds of gunfire and inhuman growls
filling the
air.
Elaine’s voice was just as loud when she shouted back, “Grayson had them leave first! They went with his men-
I'm sure they're already out! Your father-"
“I saw,” | cut in, my chest still heaving. That small flicker of relief-knowing at least my mother even though | was
still pissed at her for yet another secret and Maria were safe-did nothing to slow the terror still clawing at my
throat.
We kept moving, feet pounding against the cold, hard floor. The walls around us shook from the battle raging
through this goddessforsaken place. The scent of blood-thick and metallic-filled the air, mixing with smoke and
something worse.
A deep, guttural growl sounded from ahead.
Close. Too close.
We skidded to a stop at the stime, breath hitching as two wolves emerged from the darkness, blocking our
path.
Shit.
Their massive bodies, lean and powerful, bristled with tension and snarled, sharp teeth glinting as they prowled
forward.
“Shit,” Isabella muttered under her breath, voicing my exact thought out, “Anyone got their wolves back yet?”
“No,” Elaine and | answered in unison, slowly backing away.
The larger of the two wolves snarled again, muscles coiling it lunged right at us. Immediately three gunshot
sounds filled the air, sounding right after the other.
Three precise shots and the wolves dropped instantly.
We all whipped our heads in the direction of the gunfire.
A woman-middle-aged, clad in all black, heels so high | would never survive walking in them-stood a few feet
away, her gun still raised. She looked completely unbothered, like she had just swatted a fly instead of taking
down two fully shifted wolves.
She was effortless. Sharp cheekbones, dark eyes that held no fear, and a presence that commanded attention.
Her gaze settled on us, “Any of you seen my mother?” she asked, her voice smooth, edged with impatience,
“Silver hair? Has
a knack for trouble?”
Elaine, Isabella, and | exchanged looks before shaking our heads in unison.
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“No?”
The woman sighed, muttering something in Italian under her breath before refocusing on me. Her eyes scanned
my face with an intensity that made my stomach twist. Then, her lips curled into something resembling
amusement, “Well, Lily really did just spit you out, didn’t she?” She said dryly.
1 blinked, “What?”
She tucked the gun away smoothly. “If | didn’t know Lily-sorry, Evelyn-I would almost be offended she never
mentionedonce.” She tilted her head. “I'm your aunt.”
The words didn’t register for a full second. My brain outright rejected them.
My what?
She didn’t wait for my response, “We will save the reunion for later,” She continued. “Let’s go. You're going the
wrong way, and | need to find my mother.” Then she turned and started walking.
What.
What in the-what in all the hells of what?
Isabella was the first to react.
“You have an aunt? A badass all black wearing, gun precise aiming ain't?” She asked, voice somewhere between
disbelief and absolute delight, “And then you also have a grandmother who is a High Priestess? And your
mother’s nis Lily?”
| shook my head, my legs moving
on autopilot as | followed the woman, “Apparently so.”
Elaine, still slightly breathless, muttered, “Don’t forget a long-lost twin sister with an intent to kill you.”
Isabella and | both turned sharply to look at her, and she rolled her eyes. “We are practically running-or now
walking-for our lives. Allowto participate.”
And despite everything-the gunfire, the growls, the blood, the unknown dangers waiting ahead-I almost laughed.
But the almost laughter died before | could take a third step because a voice-her voice-slid into my mind like a
blade, sharp and cold.
“1 wouldn't take another step if | were you?
I froze.
For a split second, confusion drowned out everything else. My wolf was still gone-so how the hell was she
reaching me?
My fingers curled into fists as | forced my mind to respond, my thoughts laced with ice. ‘Save it, Crystal. We're
almost out, and Damien’s done. You lost.’
| felt her smile before | heard her voice again, slow and triumphant, ‘Have I, really? Is that what you call standing
over our dear, dear father... with a silver knife pressed to his heart?”
My stomach dropped.
| saw them take him out.
How did she have him?
My breath caught in my throat, my pulse hammering.
Then her voice cagain, soaked in victory, ‘You're going to leave your little crew, and you're going to come
back. Alone, Or | swear, the knife goes straight through his heart.
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