The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 90

-Grayson’s POV

The door to my car slammed shut as Ava slid in, slumping again the seat. | let a few seconds pass before asking

her, “Is she okay?

Not that | really cared.

My wolf growled low, an almost primal warning, and | shot himone back just as sharp. Yes, | could admit-at least

to myself -that something had shifted inlast night. Something | hadn't thought possible. But that didn’t mean

| was going to start acting like | was ssaint or suddenly cared about a stranger.

And, frankly, her emergency had ruined my morning plans for Ava.

| knew exactly what | was. An asshole. That was a fact | never denied or tried to sugarcoat.

Ava let out a sigh, her shoulders relaxing as she stared out the windshield. Her sigh pulledout of my internal

monologue, and, as my gaze lingered on her, memories of last night ccrashing down like a tidal wave.

| had neverthought much about sex before-hever really cared about it. The only reason | had even sought a

solution to my “problem” was because | couldn’t stand the idea of being bad at something. Of being incapable. It

wasn't about need or desire-it was about pride.

But last night

| hadn’t known what to expect. Perfection wasn’t the right word to describe it. Explosive. Consuming. More than

I'd thought it could be. If I'd ever envisioned what sex might feel like, it would have fallen short compared to

what happened with Ava.

I'd wanted to give her the perfect day. That had been the plan. And then it had been ruined.

My irritation toward the other woman was well-deserved.

“She's fine,” Ava said finally, breakingout of my thoughts. “Suble now, at least, but her daughter-Mikayla-

she’s pretty mad at me.” She exhaled heavily, running a hand through her hair. “I'm just glad Tessa’s okay. |

don’t know how I'd live with myself if something happened just because...”

She trailed off, her words hanging heavy in the air.

| opened my mouth to say something-probably something stupid, like reminding her it had been on a Sunday-

but | bit it back. It wasn’t the tfor my particular brand of insensitivity. If things between Ava andwere

going to progress, I'd need to be smart about when I let my true colors show.

“I can’t leave yet,” Ava added softly. “I have to-"

And there went my entire day.

“I'll stay with you,” | heard myself say before my brain could catch up.

Ava turned her head toward me, surprise flickering in her tired eyes. “Are you sure?”

| wanted to snatch the words back. Hospitals weren't my thing-cold, sterile, suffocating. It was almost ironic that

the woman I... loved for was a doctor.

froze mid-thought. The woman ! what?

No. That couldn't be right. Love wasn’t something | understood, let alone felt. Where had that even cfrom?

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Chapter 90

“Grayson!” Ava’s voice pulledback to reality.

| cleared my throat, shifting uncomfortably in the driver's seat. “Sorry, | was... thinking about something”

She gavea look, the kind that madewonder if she could read my thoughts. “Okay...” she said slowly,

clearly unconvinced. “I was just saying | don’t know how long this is going to take, and I'd feel bad keeping you

waiting in the car,”

“Then I'll wait inside the hospital,” I replied before | could stop myself.

Seriously?

My wolf let out an amused rumble, clearly enjoying my predicament, but I ignored him.

Ava’s lips curved into a small, shy smile. “Really? You'd do that for me?”

No. I hate hospitals.

“Yes,” | said instead.

At this rate, | might need to detach my own lips because they were starting to operate without consulting my

brain.

We got out of the car, and | followed her back into the hospital. The moment we stepped inside, | felt the stares.

Heads turned, sout of curiosity, others out of recognition. | wasn’t exactly an inconspicuous figure, and my

reputation often preceded me.

As we walked through the halls, Ava slowed, turning toward me. Before | could react, she leaned in and kissed

me-soft and

eeting. My lips barely registered the warmth of hers before she pulled away and hurried off.

| stood there for a moment, stunned.

Seriously?” | muttered to myself.

I shook my head and made my way to the waiting area, sinking into one of the uncomfortable chairs. My wolf

growled sofily, but I ignored him, pulling out my phone to distract myself. Tdragged on, and eventually, |

grew restless. Hospitals had a way of amplifying every little noise, from the distant hum of machines to the

hurried footsteps of nurses.

Finally, | decided | couldn't sit still any longer. | got up and started wandering aimlessly, letting my legs take me

wherever

That's when | saw her.

A girl, maybe in her late teens or early twenties, stood in front of a vending machine, kicking it repeatedly. Her

face was a mix of frustration and anger, and she muttered curses under her breath as she aimed another solid

kick at the machine.

| was about to walk past her-because, honestly, not my problem-but something madepause. Maybe it was

the sheer force of her anger or the way her shoulders slumped like the weight of the world was on her.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. Why am | doing this?

“Hey,” | said, my voice cutting through the sound of her foot connecting with the vending machine.

She turned, startled, and for a moment, her glare madethink she was about to tellto mind my business.

But then her eyes widened slightly, recognition flickering in them.

“Can | help you?” asked dryly, raising a brow.

“The stupid machine ate my money she muttered, crossing her arms defensively.

| glanced at the machine, then back at her. “Kicking it isn’t going to fix that.”

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Chapter 90

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She glared at me, her chin jutting out stubbornly. “What else am supposed to do? It's not like there's anyone

around to help”

With a sigh, | reached into my pocket and pulled out a dollar bill, slipping them into the machine. | punched the

buttons, and, unsurprisingly, it worked on the first try. A bag of chips dropped into the tray.

“Here,” | said, holding it out to her.

Her cheeks flushed as she took the chips, mumbling a quiet, “Thanks”

| started to walk away, but her voice stopped me.

“Wait,” she said, hesitating. “You're... Grayson Blackwood, Dr Pierce’s husband

right?”

Before | answered, the first thought that cto my mind was how irritating it was to hear her being referred to

as a Pie by someone else. We were married now. She should take my name.

| let out a sigh internally. At this point, I'd soon force her to embed my ninto her skin. | realized the girl was

waiting for an answer and nodded.

“Cool” she extended her hand. “I'm Mikayla”

The nclicked, and my eyes narrowed. So it was her mother that ruined my plans. She took a step backward,

and it tooka moment to realize my aura, which had subtly faded aroun Ava, had kicked in again. People were

usually scared of me.

Her hand dropped because | had no plans of taking it.

“Are you aware that you upset my...” | stopped, catching myself. Wife?”

She blinked, “What?”

“You're upset because she wasn’t here on a Sunday, and now you

It all happened so fast. One moment she was standing there, and the next, tears welled up in her eyes. Then she

started.

crying.

1 froze.

Crying women weren't exactly in my wheelhouse. Crying anyone, for that matter. What the hell was | supposed

to do? “Hey,” | said awkwardly, my voice lower than usual as if lowering the decibels might somehow make her

stop, “you can't just -look, you need to stop crying. You're drawing attention.”

Of course, my tone was probably more gruff than it should have been, and Mikayla’s tears didn’t stop. In fact,

she just cried harder.

“I'm not trying to-" she sniffled so loudly it sounded like she was trying to inhale her own lungs-‘draw attention! |

don’t care if people stare. My life is falling apart, and you- her voice broke mid-sentence as she pointed a

trembling finger at me. -are making it worse!”

| blinked, stunned. How was this my fault?

“What did | do?” 4 psked, exasperated, running a hand through my hair.

“You-you cin here all intimidating and tall and and mean and now | feel even worse!” She hiccupped mid-

cry and wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her oversized sweater. “And my mom-she’s not going to make it, and if

she doesn’t- her voice cracked again, and she dissolved into fresh sobs, her words muilled and garbled.

| stared at her, thoroughly out of my depth. What was | supposed to say? What was 1 supposed to do? This

wasn't a business

Chapter 90

deal. I couldn’t throw

“Your mom money at her and call it a day.

fine,” | tried, remembering Ava’s words earlier. “She’s stable now, isn’t she? Focus on that-"

“But that's just now!” Mikayla interrupted, her voice rising in pitch. ‘She’s only stable for now. What if something

happens. later? What if she..what if she. Her words broke apart again as the tears cfaster and more

violently. “And then I'll have no one else! No one! It’s just beenand her for so long, and you don’t get it. You

don’t know what it’s like to feel y powerless, to know you can’t do anything to save the one person you love

most in the world!”

That hit a nerve | didn't expect. My wolf went deathly silent, and | felt an uncomfortable twinge in my chest. |

wasn’t about to admit it, but I did know that feeling. | knew it all too well.

Her words were like tiny daggers, poking at emotions | hadn't planned on dealing with today-or ever. The air

between us grew heavy, charged with something unspoken, and | opened my mouth to say something, anything,

when Ava’s voice cut through the tension.

“Grayson?”

| turned sharply to see Ava standing a few feet away, her gaze flickering between Mikayla and me. Her

expression was a mix of curiosity and concern, and then she fixated her sad gaze on Mikayla, “Mikayla., | think

you should go be with your mum.”

The rest of the words echoed in the air even though she didn’t say it:

There is nothing we can do and she is not going to make it.

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