The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 87

Chapter 87

-Grayson'’s POV-

“You think | don’t know about your little arrangement with Grayson? How your marriage is fake? That he hired

you to play his pretend Luna?”

Elaine’s sharp, condescending voice echoed through the clearing just as | stepped in. The smugness in her tone

sent a rush of irritation coursing through me, and | immediately scanned the scene. Ava stood in the center of it

all, her face pale, her lips parting and closing as if she wanted to defend herself but couldn't quite find the

words. She looked blindsided, cornered like prey facing a predator.

-And Elaine? She was basking in the attention, her arms crossed, her smirk widening as she relished the silence

that followed

her damning words.

My jaw tightened. Nobody knew about the arrangement-not even Liam-and that secrecy had been deliberate.

For Elaine to have found out was troubling, but | didn’t have the luxury to dwell on how. What mattered was

shutting her down before she caused more damage.

The moment | was close enough, | let my voice cut through the heavy silence, cold and lethal.

“Elaine, sometimes | think you have a death wish. One day, you're going to pushfar enough that I'll grant it.”

All heads whipped in my direction, the tension thickening in the air. Elaine’s smug before she could recover and

speak, | continued, my tone sharp and unwavering.

“And who told you that I hired Ava to be my fake Luna?”

Pression faltered as her face paled, but

She opened her mouth, then shut it, her confidence visibly crumbling under the weight of my glare. “I-I was

looking for you,” she stammered. “I went to your study, and | just... | saw spapers in your drawer. | scanned

through them and-"

“You went through my things?” My voice dropped, laced with quiet fury, and | took a step closer. She flinched.

“We'll address that later. Right now, | want to know this: from whatever you scanned, what made you so sure Ava

was hired? So sure that

felt the need to announce it in front of the entire pack?”

you

Elaine’s gaze darted nervously betweenand Ava, who was still standing motionless, her arms now wrapped

around herself. “I just... | assumed. From what I read. The circumstances fit-she showed up out of nowhere!”

| let her words hang in the air for a moment before | shifted my gaze to Ava. “Ava,” | said, keeping my voice

steady, hire you to be my Luna?”

Her answer was immediate, firm. “No.”

“did |

The conviction in her voice made something tighten in my chest, something I didn’t want to analyze. | forced it

down, turning my attention back to Elaine.

“I've told you before to stop your antics,” | said, my voice growing colder. “You refuse to listen. So, I'll say this

only once.” My gaze swept the crowd, ensuring every single person was paying attention. “Ava is my Luna. By

name, by title, and by bond. I didn’t hire her. And if I hear so much as a whisper about this nonsense outside of

this clearing, whoever is responsible will regret it. Do you all understand?”

A ripple of murmured agreement passed through the crowd, and | turned back to Elaine. “As for you,” | said, my

tone final, “go

back to your apartment. Make sure you and | don’t cross paths for at least a week.”

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Chapter 87

Her lips parted as if to argue, but the look | gave her made her think twice. “Now,” | snapped.

She hesitated, her gaze flickering to Ava one last time, but she didn’t dare speak. With her face flushing red with

embarrassment, she turned and hurried away.

| hated that it had cto this. She could've ctoin private if she had questions-or even accusations.

But Elaine had chosen to make a spectacle, so the consequences had to match.

Out of the corner of my eye, | noticed the rest of the pack beginning to shuffle, preparing to leave. “No,” | said

firmly, stopping them in their tracks. “You can continue with your feast only chere to talk to Ava.”

Their surprise was evident, but | ignored it, focusing on Ava. He expression was a mix of confusion and

something else | couldn’t quite place. Since | was already pushing boundaries tonight, | turned to the older man

I'd threatened earlier.

“I had no reason for threatening you earlier,” | said, my tone softer but still firm. “I shouldn't have.”

Mouths opened and closed in stunned silence as everyone stared atlike I'd grown two heads. Ignoring them,

| closed my eyes and reached for my wolf. He growled in response, and | sighed inwardly-the skind when |

had felt him after | called Maria putting aside what she did to Ava and she did a spell

He was my counterpart, my other half. For as long as | could remember, he had always been there. When |

couldn't feel

and told him I didn’t know what I'd do without him. It was strange-our egos rarely let us admit such things-but |

felt his voice in my head, agreeing, even though neither of us understood what had happened.

him, | realized how scared I'd been. When he returned, | swallowed my pride a

king. If something went wrong, they were That moment maderealize Ava was right-these people were the

reason | was the ones I'd have to rely on. As much as that thought unsettled me, | had accepted it.

So, | cout here to see whatever was going on, only to be met with yet another of Elaine’s antics All eyes

remained on me, their stares heavy with expectation. | considered leaving before my aura-the one Liam and Ava

always accusedof made things worse.

I cleared

my

throat, shifting my attention back to Ava. “Can I talk to you

[e]

for a moment?”

She blinked, clearly surprised, but nodded and followed as | led her away from the crowd. We stopped far enough

that even the sharpest werewolf hearing wouldn't pick up our conversation

When | turned to face her, she spoke first. “Grayson, I-"

“No,” | interrupted gently. “Letgo first.”

She bit her lip and nodded, her eyes wide and expectant.

“You were right,” | admitted, the words tasting strange but necessary. “I pick fights with you because it's easier

than dealing with... this. With us. Because | don’t know how to handle what | feel when it comes to you.”

Her eyes softened, and she opened her mouth to speak, but I shook my head. “I'm not done,” | said. “Thave a lot

to focus on, Ava. Being Alpha King doesn’t leave much room for anything else. But I'm tired of this back and

forth. | don’t want to fight with you anymore. | want to move forward-properly. And when we do, | want it to be

all or nothing. So from now on, I'll stay true to what | wrote in that letter. I'll try. I'm no promising perfection, but

when it comes to you, I'll try to be better and when | am ready, I'll tell you about my parents, if you choose to

stay long enough to hear it.”

Tears welled in her eyes, spilling over before she could stop them. Instinctively, | reached out and brushed a tear

from her cheek.

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Chapter 87

930

“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice trembling. Then her expression shifted, worry replacing the softness.

“But... what if people believe Elaine? What if they think our bond is just a contract?”

| shook my head. “It doesn’t matter what they think. All that matters is that you are my Luna. That's all.”

She hesitated, then nodded. “And what about the killings? The message? Someone could cfor you,

Grayson-"

“Ava,” | said, cutting her off. “Stop. | have it under control. Everything will be fine. Right now, | just want to focus

on this. On us. Okay?”

Her lips parted, and for a moment, she looked like she might argue. But then she nodded again. “Okay.”

Without thinking, | smiled. Not the smirk | wore when | wanted to intimidate or dismiss someone-but a genuine

smile. Ava’s eyes widened slightly at the sight of it, and then her gaze flickered to my lips.

I didn’t overthink it. | didn’t hesitate. | leaned in, closing the distance between us and brushing my lips against

hers.

This kiss was different. It wasn’t rushed or full of fiery passion. It was slow, deliberate, and deeper than anything

we'd shared before. Her arms slid around my neck, pullingcloser, and | responded in kind, my hands settling

on her waist as | deepened the kiss.

Her lips parted for me, soft and inviting, as though they had been waiting for this moment as much as | had. |

didn’t hesitate. Sliding my tongue against hers, | felt a spark-no, a wildfire-ignite between us. She tasted like

sweetness and warmth, a mixture of innocence and passion that made my control fray at the edges. My hands

slid from her waist to the curve of her back, pulling her even closer, until there wasn't a sliver of space left

between us.

Ava responded with the sfervor, her fingers threading into my hair, tugging slightly as if anchoring herself to

this

moment.

I tilted my head, deepening the kiss further, and her soft gasp as our tongues tangled made my chest tighten

with a feeling | couldn't name. My wolf stirred within me, not with hunger or aggression, but with a quiet sense of

awe. She was his, and she was mine, in a way neither of us fully understood yet.

When I finally drew back, it wasn’t because | wanted to. It was because | had to. Our foreheads rested together,

and her breath fanned over my lips, still heavy and uneven. Her cheeks were flushed, a deep rose that painted

her pale skin beautifully. My thumb instinctively brushed her jawline, tracing the faint curve that led to her

slightly swollen lips.

Her eyes fluttered open, and what | saw nearly stole the breath from my lungs. They weren't just her usual color-

no, they were changing. Shimmering. Hues of blue, green, and amber swirled together like a kaleidoscope,

glowing faintly in the dim light. It was as if the emotions she felt were too vast, too profound to be contained in a

single shade.

Then she took a shaky breath, her chest rising and falling as though she was steadying herself and, in a voice so

soft it was almost a whisper, she asked, “Do you... want to cto my room with me?”

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