The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 16

-Grayson'’s POV-

The entire room went still for a second. Liam's eyes flickered was unease. Elaine’s face paled, as if all the blood

had drained from it. Ava’s eyes narrowed at her friend, disbelief and irritation flashing across her face. “Serioudy,

Bel?”

Isabella shrugged, completely unfazed. “You said you wouldn’t tell. | made no such promises.”

| still hadn't said anything. There was no need to rush. The silence itself was a weapon, and | knew how to wield

it well. | wasn’t stupid-far from it. I'd known for a while now that Liam and Elaine were sneaking around, trying to

cover their tracks with the guise of mutual hatred. The stolen glances, the awkward tension-they couldn't hide it

from me, not even if they tried

They were all waiting, expectingto say something.

| kept quiet, letting the tension build, letting the threat of silence hang heavy in the air.

It was Liam who finally broke, stepping forward with a slight bow of his head, his voice steady but tight.

“Grayson, | meant no disrespect. Elaine and I... it just happened.”

My gaze flickered from him to Elaine, who was staring atwith wide, almost pleading eyes. Then, to Ava, who

looked torn between irritation at Isabella’s recklessness and curiosity at what my next move would be. | let the

moment stretch, enjoying the weight of their discomfort before | spoke.

okay.”

The single word cut through the air like a knife. Simple. Cold. But loaded with enough weight to keep them on

edge.

Elaine’s voice wavered, unsure of where this was going. “Okay? You're.. fine with it?”

| could feel the corners of my lips twitch, not quite a smile but something close enough to make the atmosphere

more suffocating. “Do you not wantto be?”

The question hung in the air, heavy with implication. The truth was, | didn’t care much that they were sneaking

around. Liam was competent, loyal, and | trusted him enough to let him be with my baby cousin. But that didn’t

mean | was going to make it easy for them. | had no intention of giving them an out from this discomfort. If they

were going to be together, they'd have to earn it

Elaine opened her mouth as if to respond but hesitated, unsure of what to say. searching for skind of

confirmation, but none came.

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Her eyes

darted betweenand Liam,

And then, of course, Isabella chimed in, completely oblivious-or maybe entirely aware-of the tension in the

room. “I didn’t know it was possible for her to be this mellow,” she mused with a sly grin.

My wolf growled with something akin to interest. Not the type he felt for Ava which was like a spark of fire but

the type that toldhe liked Isabella’s bravery and the fact that she said what was on her mind.

Elaine’s head snapped in her direction, and for a moment, it looked like she was going to snap back, but Ava

stepped in, grabbing Isabella’s arm and dragging her away from the conversation before it escalated. “We're

leaving.” Ava muttered under her breath, clearly trying to defuse the situation before it got any worse.

Isabella, however, didn’t seem to get the memo, laughing softly as she let Ara pull her out of the room. “Come

on, | was just getting started,” she whispered with a wink as they left.

Now, it was just me, Liam, and Elaine. The tension in the room still lingered, though it had shifted slightly. Liam,

always one to try and fix things, cleared his throat, stepping in front of Elaine as if to shield her from whatever |

fight say next.

Chapter 16

“I apologize that this happened the way it did, Grayson, Liam began, hits voire low and measured. “But my

feelings for

Elaine are real,”

Elaine crossed her arms, trying hard to look composed, but | could hear the slight tremor in her voice. “I know |

should've cto you first, considering the relationship between all of us here. I'm sorry. | know I'm messed up.

| know, but Liam... She sighed, defeated. “Liam makes those feelings a little better

| said nothing. Just stared, letting her words hang in the air. I could see her wavering, but | didn’t offer her any

relief. | wasn’t in the mood to make this easy for anyone tonight. My gaze move between the two of them, my

expression deliberately

blank

Then | smiled. “Well, if that’s the case, how could | possibly refuse

Elaine blinked, probably caught off guard by my response, but she forced a smile in return, choosing to ignore

the sharp edge in my tone. Typical. She had always been good at avoidance.

“I need to shower,” she muttered, more to herself than anyone c. I'll see you later.”

| watched her glance at Liam, her eyes softening for a split second before she turned to me. | saw the unease in

her gaze as she masked her discomfort. Smart girl. Then she walked out, leavingalone with Liam.

The silence between us was heavy, deliberate. Liam was shifting his weight like he was ready forto explode.

“You're thinking of all the ways you could skinalive and hangout for everyone to see, aren't you?” Liam

finally broke the tension, his voice low but laced with humor. Trying to diffuse the situation

tilted my head, giving him a measured look. “And what gave you that impression?”

He exhaled a shaky laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Con, Grayson. I've known you long enough to

know when you're not reacting, that’s when I should worry. So just... tellwhat my punishment is for sneaking

around with Elaine.”

my

I didn’t respond immediately. Instead, | turned away from him and made my way over to the bar, grabbing a

bottle and pouring myself a drink. The sound of the liquid filling the glass was the only noise in the room for a

few seconds.

| held the glass up, inspecting it. “I should probably have everything in here sterilized.”

Liam didn’t respond, and | didn’t expect him to. | took a slow sig before turning my attention back to him.

“I swore to protect her,” | said quietly, my voice steady but cold. After everything that happened between us in

the past, you more than anyone understand how important that is. How volatile she can be. So if you've chosen

to be with her,” | took another sip. “then you better be ready to make sure nothing happens to tick her off.

Understand?”

Liam’s posture straightened, and he nodded, his expression serious. “I do.”

Satisfied, | poured another drink and handed it to him. “Then I’m not mad. | paused, letting my words sink in.

“But if your hurt her...

“Yeah, yeah,” Liam interrupted with a chuckle, accepting the glass. “My skin being flayed will be the least of my

worries, right?”

| didn’t respond, just raised an eyebrow. The two of us sat down in silence, the tension slowly ebbing away but

never fully leaving the room. | didn’t do emotions. | never had. And Liam understood that. He'd been by my side

since the beginning. knew how | operated, and knew the lines he couldn't cross.

If there was anyone | trusted with Elaine, it was him.

The silence stretched on for a few moments before Liam broker again. “Why her?”

1 didn’t need to ask who he was talking about, but | didn’t answer right away. | just stared into my drink, letting

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the question

Chapter 16

linger.

Dec

“I get that you need a Lama,” Lian continued when | didn’t respond. “That the circumstances around Ava are...

odd, to say least. And now her father’s declaring war.”

the

| clenched my jaw, the mention of Luther Pierce already setting my blood on fire. Til handle Luther Pierce,” |

growled, my wolf stirring inside me. “His ego will be his downfall if he tries to take her away from me.”

Liam's eyebrows shot up at the venom in my tone, “Is she... is sh your mate!”

Mate. The word echoed in my head, stirring something dangerolis. No, Ava wasn’t my mate. She had found the

one destined for her. | wasn’t part of that equation. But something had happened between us in my study,

something | couldn't explain. and now | was entangled in a mess | hadn't foreseen.

| downed the rest of my drink without answering and stood up abruptly. Liam didn’t push the subject, smart

enough to know when to back off

Without another word, | headed for the door. | needed air. | needed space. My wolf was restless, clawing at me

from the inside, begging to be let loose. | needed a run, something to clear my head. Anything to escape the

mess that was building around me

As | stepped outside, the cold night air hit me, but it did little to cool the fire burning inside. That's when 1 heard

voices.

Familiar voices.

AvL

My steps quickened as the voices grew louder, and when | rounded the corner, | saw them.

Ava was standing in front of Dylan, her posture tense. “Leave, Dylan, before he realizes you're here,” she

snapped, her voice sharp and full of warning. I'm not scared of him, Ava,” Dylan growled back. “And if you don’t

get out of my way, I'll-

You'll what? My voice cut through the night like a knife as | stepped into the light. My wolf was practically

vibrating under my skin, hungry for a fight. “I dare you to finish that sentence.”

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