The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 120

-Grayson'’s POV-

| tapped my fingers rhythmically on my desk, silently counting the seconds in my head, fighting the growing

irritation clawing its way to the surface. For the past eight minutes, a relentless sniffing noise had punctuated

the silence every three seconds. | had tried-really tried-to keep my composure. The mantra | had been repeating

in my head-Be patient, she’s Ava’s friend-was wearing thin. Finally, | couldn't take it anymore.

“Stop crying, Eliza.” | let the irritation seep into my tone.

She sniffed one last time, raising her tear-streaked face to meet my eyes before glancing back at her trembling

hands. Letting out a resigned sigh, | softened my voice slightly. “Look, I'm not mad at you, and I'm not going to

fire you. But you need to meethalfway here. Your boyfriend used you to get information about me, and the

man who paid him refuses to talk.”

My wolf growled low in my mind, already imagining what it would do to that man. | pushed the thought aside for

now. There were more pressing matters.

“I need to know what Jeremy told that man so | can figure out what I'm dealing with here. That's it, Eliza. No

threats, no harm-just-answers.”

That had been my plan when | called her into my office, but the moment she sat down, she broke into tears.

Normally, | wouldn't have had the patience for this kind of behavior. | could have pulled every resource | had to

track Jeremy down or resorted to making threats, but | wanted to be better for Ava. Ava wouldn't approve of

either method, and | didn’t want to do anything that would disappoint her.

“You promise you won't hurt him?” Eliza’s voice wavered as she finally spoke.

“I just want to talk to him,” |

assured her, keeping my tone even

She hesitated, her gaze dropping to her trembling hands once more before she nodded. “He’s hiding out at his

grandparents’ farm. He's really scared. He didn’t mean for this to happen, Mr. Blackwood. Please... he only took

the money to help his mom.”

Helping his mother. Unfortunately, | understood that sentiment better than most people. For a moment, |

considered her words. My wolf growled softly, dissatisfied but silent.

“You can take the rest of the day off,” | said finally, standing and grabbing my keys.

She looked up, startled. “Thank you, Mr. Blackwood.”

| didn’t respond. | left the office and was about to step into the elevator when Liam called my nfrom down

the hall. |

his face. turned to face him, noting the forced smile on

“It feels like | haven't seen you in forever,” he said, his tone attempting casualness but failing miserably.

“Maybe because you've been intentionally avoidingever since you pieced together that killed my parents,” |

said matter-of-factly.

His forced smile faltered, replaced by a sigh. “I know... and I'm sorry. It's just... a lot to process, and then Elaine-"

“I have somewhere | need to be, Liam. Do you need something? I interrupted, unwilling to linger on this topic.

He held up a document. “This needs your signature, but I'll just leave it with Eliza.”

“Okay,” | said curtly.

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Chapter 120-

Our eyes met just as the elevator doors began to close. For a fleeting moment, | felt... something. | didn’t know

what | expected from Liam. He had been my constant over the years, and though | never asked or hoped for

anything from him, his sudden absence after learning about that night stung in a way | couldn't quite describe. If

| were better at processing emotions, maybe I'd call it hurt. But | wasn’t.

The elevator descended, and | shoved the thought aside. Getting into my car, | drove straight to my estate,

where | had arranged for the man who | still didn’t know his nand I still hadn't found anything about his

background to be brought. As | pulled up, Rickon was already waiting for me, standing by the entrance.

“What are you doing here? Who even let you in?” | asked sharply folding my arms across my chest as | stared at

the intruder standing casually in front of my mansion. His insufferable grin spread wider, the kind that had me

clenching my fists by my sides.

“Why, hello to you too, Your Highness,” he replied, his tone laced with mock politeness. “It’s nice to see you as

well. And what a lovely day we're having, isn't it?”

I arched an unimpressed brow. “I am, and will never be, in the mood for your theatrics. What do you want,

Rickon?”

He chuckled, a low sound that somehow managed to grate on my nerves. Folding his arms, he leaned casually

against the doorframe. The grin faltered for a brief moment before reappearing, even more infuriating than

before. “As always, I'm just here to help. You do remember I'm responsible for catching the man, don’t you? A

little gratitude wouldn't kill you.”

My tone was dry as | replied, “And you have my utmost gratitude. Truly. Now, please use the sgate you

cin through to make your exit.”

| turned on my heel, ready to walk away, but his voice stoppedin my tracks. It lacked its usual smugness,

almost serious. “You know, sometimes people don’t have an ulterior motive. Sometimes, they just want to help

because they want to.”

| glanced over my shoulder, fixing him with a cold stare. “Really? This wouldn't have anything to do with you

wanting to play the helpful Alpha to win Isabella over, would it? And don’t think | don’t know about your little

stunt in your office. Settingand Dylan up to clash, making sure Isabella arrived at just the right moment-it

was all you, wasn’t it? Did you even want the alliance, or was that just another move in your game?”

Rickon smirked, his face a mask of infuriating confidence. “No, | didn’t want the alliance. And | said people, not

a,

If | weren't trying be better, | might have made him pay for manipulating me. But as irritating as he was, | had to

admit he was proving useful. “Fine,” | said, my voice clipped. “You can stay. But keep your mouth shut.”

“I'll take what | can get,” he replied with a satisfied grin.

| didn’t wait for him to follow as | strode down the hall toward the eastern wing of the house. It was a part of the

estate reserved for delicate situations like this, far from prying eyes. Rickon trailed behind me, his presence a

constant irritation | had to tolerate for now.

Ivan metat the door, bowing his head slightly. The flicker of fear in his eyes didn’t escape me, and | couldn't

entirely blhim. His role in Ava’s reckless little mission had not gone unnoticed. “He still hasn't said anything,

Your Highness,” Ivan reported, his voice steady but subdued.

| gave him a nod, then stepped into the room. The man chained to the floor lifted his head as | entered, his

mocking smile stretching across his face. “So this is the legendary Grayson Blackwood,” he drawled “Thave to

say, | expected more. Guess the stories were just that-stories.”

D

| didn’t respond, letting the silence speak for itself. Rickon leaned casually against the wall behind me, a quiet

but undeniable presence. The man in chains was large, his frimposing even in his current state, but the

defiance in his eye toldhe believed he was untouchable. He thought he was beyond consequence.

He was wrong.

| pulled out my phone, the buzz of a notification catching my attention. Carter's message lit up the screen, and |

couldn't

10:37 Wed, Jan 14 G

Chapter 120

help the small smile that formed. I really should consider giving him a raise.

| read the nCarter had sentaloud, letting it hang in the air like a bomb. “Andrew.”

The effect was immediate. The man’s bravado crumbled, his face paling as the smug gleam in his eyes

disappeared. For the first tsince he’d been dragged into this room, he looked afraid.

I didn’t wait for him to recover. “I'm trying to be a better man,” | said, my voice calm but sharp as steel. “So |

won't threaten a thirteen-year-old child. But make no mistake-I will extend the consequences of your actions to

him if you don’t cooperate. This is your one chance to tell the truth. Who sent you?”

Behind me, Rickon’s voice was laced with amusement. “That sounded an awful lot like a threat.”

A faint smile touched my lips. “I said trying.”

The man’s eyes darted betweenand Rickon, his confidence unraveling with every passing second. He

opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. Finally, the fight left his body, and he slumped forward,

defeated.

“Evelyn Pierce.”

COMMENT

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