NovelStartChapter 276
-Ava's POV-
Grayson.
It was Grayson.
The massive blur of fur, the weight that had slammed into Dylan-it was him.
| could barely process it. My heart pounded so hard it hurt, my body frozen where Dylan had just almost killed
me. Everything aroundwas chaos. The ship rocked beneath me, the wind howled, and the ocean crashed
against the sides.
And then-
Footsteps. Heavy. Rushed.
Men poured onto the deck from both sides, their movements sharp, purposeful. | hadn't even thought about it-if
there had been anyone else on the ship-not with everything happening. But Dylan's wolves were here.
A deep growl rumbled from somewhere ahead, then another, and another. My breath caught. The scent of
wolves filled the air, thick and suffocating. My body tensed on instinct.
| tried to move, tried to think, but | was still reeling-Grayson and Dylan fighting, the fear clinging to my skin, the
exhaustion draggingdown like dead weight. My limbs wouldn't cooperate, my mind struggling to keep up-
Then suddenly-a hand grabbed me.
| screamed.
My body jerked back, my pulse exploding in my ears. My hands scrambled against the slick deck, ready to fight,
to claw, to do anything to get away.
"Ava! It's me!"
Rickon's voice.
| blinked, breath still coming in sharp, uneven gasps. My eyes locked onto his, the icy blue of them grounding me
for just a second. He was crouched beside me, his hand still gripping mine, his expression tight with urgency.
| shook my head, trying to clear the panic, but my body wouldn't stop trembling. Everything was happening too
fast, too loud-
"Con," Rickon urged. "We have to move."
| nodded-shaky, unsteady-but | pushed against the deck, trying to make it easier
for him to pullup. My legs wobbled beneath me, my grip on his hand tightening as the world around me
spun.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtMore growls. More movement. Dylan's wolves were closing in. Men were firing at them.
And Grayson-Grayson was still fighting.
| swallowed hard, my fingers tightening around Rickon's as I forced my body to keep going.
"Grayson-"
"Gaveone job, and it's to get you to the powerboat. He's going to be fine, so what | need you to do is stop
looking back at them and keep moving."
"But
"No buts," He snapped, pullingalong.
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Thunder roared overhead, a deep, rolling sound that shook the very air. Lightning streaked across the sky,
lighting up the chaos-dark figures moving, wolves snarling, bodies crashing against the deck. The ocean churned
violently beneath the ship, waves crashing hard against the sides, making the deck slick and unsteady beneath
my feet.
| forced myself to keep moving, to focus on Rickon's grip draggingforward. But even as | fought to keep my
gaze ahead, | could feel it-Grayson was winning. Every t| glanced back, even for a second, he was tearing
through Dylan like it wasn't even a fight. A brutal, effortless force.
It was that sliver of relief that keptmoving forward, pushing through the storm. The wind whipped against
my skin like knives, cold and merciless.
We were almost at the edge.
| could see the powerboat, the rope still tied, bobbing wildly with the waves
below.
Then-
A gunshot fired.
The sharp crack split the air, so close | felt it more than heard it.
Pain tore through me-white-hot and searing-ripping into my side. | didn't even
realize | had screamed until my knees buckled and I hit the ground.
Rickon cursed, dropping beside me. My breath cin ragged gasps, my hands pressing against my side-warm,
wet- blood. My blood.
"Damn it- Rickon started, but his voice cut off as another shot fired.
It missed.
We both turned-
Crystal.
She stood just a few feet away, her soaked hair plastered to her face, her eyes wild with fury. She gripped the
gun tightly, her hands steady despite the storm raging around us.
"I have had it with her," Rickon growled.
Lightning flashed, illuminating his face-rage carved into every line. He didn't hesitate. He grabbed me, hauling
| clenched my teeth against the pain-but then something shifted.
The pain was there-hot, burning-but then it was fading. My breath caught as I looked down, watching in shock as
my skin knitted itself back together-faster than
| had ever healed in my life.
Rickon noticed too. His arms tightened aroundfor a second, his breath hitching but there was no tto
question it.
Another gunshot fired.
Rickon grunted, his body jerking as the bullet tore through him.
| barely had tto scream before his arms gave out.
He fell
Straight into the water
1 lunged forward, my arm outstretched, fingers barely brushing his before the waves watlowed tium wiche
"No-no, no, no-
The storm howled around me, the rain pounding, against my skin. My heart was hammering, so hard | thought it
inge buret.
| didn't even have tto process it before another shot fired,
| ducked low, my heart hammering as | scrambled behind a stack of wooden crates near the ship's railing, My
breath cfast and sharp, my fingers pressing against the cold, rain-slick surface. The ship groaned beneath
me, tilting, sharply as the storm raged on.
That was the moment everything, shifted.
The deck lurched, the ship rocking so violently that the fighting wolves lost their footing, | could barely see
through the rain and darkness, but the moment stretched, slow and terrible. Dylan's wolves-sstill in human
form, others fully shifted- slipped over the edge, their bodies swallowed by the raging sea. Grayson and Dylan-
locked in brutal combat-stumbled toward the edge, their growls lost beneath the wind and waves. Then, with a
final jolt, they both went over,
| didn't have tto process it.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmCrystal fired again.
The bullet missed, but the sharp hiss of it cutting through the air sentrunning.
| sprinted toward the ship's entrance, my legs burning, my mind screaming at me
to move faster. The moment | crowed into the narrow hall below deck, | knew she was following me.
Her footsteps pounded against the metal floor, quick and steady. She wasn't running blindly-she was hunting me.
| kept moving, my shoulder slamming against the walls as the ship pitched beneath me. The hallway was dark,
barely lit by the emergency lights flickering overhead. Doors lined both sides, but | didn't dare stop. | had no
weapon. No way to fight her head-on. If she caught up tonow, | was dead.
| turned sharply, nearly slipping as | ducked into another passageway. My lungs burned. The pain from my earlier
wound had completely faded, but my body still ached from exhaustion.
Her voice rang out behind me, "Do you really think you can win? | would rather we all die than let that happen."
| swallowed hard, pressing myself into the shadows of the narrow hall.
Another shot.
The bullet struck the metal wall just ahead of me, the sharp ping echoing through
the corridor.
| clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay silent. She was trying to flushout, forceto make a mistake.
I slid deeper into the darkness, moving as quietly as | could. My pulse was a drum
in my ears, my body tight with tension. The ship creaked and groaned, the storm
battering it from all sides.
Crystal's footsteps slowed.
She was close.
Too close.
My fingers curled into fists. | needed a plan. A weapon. Something. But all | had
was the narrow hallway, the dim lights, and the knowledge that if | didn't act soon,
she would find me.
And she wouldn't miss the next shot.
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