The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 46

-Ava’s POV-

| blinked my eyes open, the sterile white of the hospital room coming into focus. My shoulder throbbed, the pain

makinggasp. remindingthat none of this was a bad dream. I tried to sit up, but the sharp ache shot

through my arm,

“The doctor said you shouldn't sit up just yet.” Grayson’s voice sounded from somewhere to my left. | turned,

catching sight of him sitting in a chair, legs crossed, eyes glued to his phone. His expression was unreadable, as

if he were made of stone. For a second, | wondered why | hadn't felt his presence right away; his energy usually

filled any room.

| leaned back, fighting the discomfort, and let out a breath, hoping he'd go back to ignoring me. But then he

spoke again, his voice steady, almost clinical. “How do you feel?”

“Like | just got shot,” | muttered, the words slipping out before | could stop myself. | saw the corner of his mouth

twitch, but his face remained impassive.

His next words cswift and cold. “I'm ending the contract.”

My head snapped up, and | pushed myself up on the bed despite the pain, a strangled curse slipping from my

lips. “You're what?”

Grayson finally looked up, his gaze ice-cold, “I just told you not to sit up. Lie back down before you do more

damage.” | glared at him, ignoring the pain that pulsed through my shoulder. “What do you mean, you're ending

the contract? He opened his mouth, probably to deliver smeasured, unfeeling response, but | wasn’t about

to give him the chance. “No. I'm not finished. | know you hate interruptions, but I just got shot, so I'm going to

talk, and you're going to listen. You're not ending this contract. When | cto you and asked for a way out, you

said no. So now it's my turn to say no. End of discussion.”

My tone was sharp, bordering on desperate, but | didn’t care. “And if you bring it up again, | swear I'll start

screaming, and when the doctors rush in, I'll tell them you're stressingout. They'll kick you out. Don’t think |

won't do it.”

His eyes narrowed slightly, but he quickly masked it, his gaze going back to that cool, controlled look. “You got

kidnapped and shot because of your association with me, and | can’t guarantee this won't be the worst thing

that happens.”

“And if | want to go through worse, that’s my decision to make.”

The words spilled out before I fully understood why | was pushing against him. He was offeringan exit, the

very thing I'd once wanted—a way out, with my dignity and, hopefully, my life intact. | would still get the money

and | could take it,

my own life. disappear, leave the mess behind and finally prove to my parents that I could handle

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But deep down, | knew that wasn’t what | wanted anymore. Since I'd met Grayson, my life had been a

rollercoaster, but it was a life | was actually living-not just existing. Before him, | was a ghost in my own world,

never taking risks, never feeling anything real. And now, even with all the danger, | felt more alive than ever.

“Ava,” he said, my nslipping from his lips like an order, snappingback to the present.

| shook my head. “No. The contract will end when the year is up. Like we agreed from the start.”

For a moment, silence stretched between us, a standoff of wills. Finally, he spoke, his voice even colder than

before. “Fine.”

| released a breath | didn’t realize | was holding, thinking it was over. But he continued, his tone flat. “I'll speak

with the doctor and have you discharged. We're leaving Italy.”

With that, he got up, not sparinganother glance as he strode to the door and slammed it shut behind him. |

let myself collapse back against the bed, the wave of pain only adding to the bitterness of his exit.

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So much for a wishful almost-romantic getaway. And to make it worse, | hadn't even gotten to taste the gelato.

The entire flight back was a blur of pain and frustration. Grayson barely said two words to me, reverting to his

icy, unfeeling self. I'd seen the walls around him before, but now it felt like he added several layers just to make

sure no one-especially me-could get close.

By the twe arrived back at the mansion, | was both physically and mentally drained. Grayson disappeared

the moment we arrived, leavingalone to replay every infuriating interaction, every half-spoken word. | spent

the night tossing and turning, wrestling with memories and half-formed thoughts until the early morning light

finally crept through the window.

The door suddenly burst open, and I flinched, only to see Isabella bounding into the room.

“Where's my sneaky little best friend who just disappeared to Italy without a word?”

| groaned, grabbing a pillow and pulling it over my head. Isabella yanked it away almost immediately, her eyes

going wide when she noticed the bandage on my shoulder. “Lilian, what the hell happened to you?”

| forced a weak smile. “I got shot. Well, kidnapped, then shot-two separate incidents, strip.”

She gasped, eyes filling with shock and concern then flicked my forehead. “Why are you acting like it’s no big

deal? Why didn’t you tellyou were going to Italy? Or that you were, you know, planning to get kidnapped and

shot?”

| rubbed my forehead, feeling a twinge of guilt. “You know | hate it when you do that,” | grumbled. “And | didn’t

know | was going to Italy. All | said was that | wanted pizza, and next thing | knew, | was on a plane with him.”

“Are you serious?” Isabella looked like she was trying to decide if | was joking. “And you didn’t think to text me,

call me, something? | got to know from a message from his assistant that you were in Italy and | had to take over

the wedding plans until Saturday, seriously what's going on with you?”

| sighed, “I'm sorry, Bels. Everything happened so fast. | just got back three hours ago. Before that, | was busy,

you know, fighting for my life and being unconscious.”

She smacked my arm gently. “You're impossible, you know that. And here | thought you were off having some

romantic European adventure.”

| couldn’t hold back the bitter laugh. “Romantic? Please. I've never met anyone as cold and closed-off as him.

And yet...” My voice trailed off, not sure if | wanted to admit it, tell her everything he had said, tell her how he

calledhis, how he had mercilessly killed Luca because he went after me.

Isabella's eyes softened, reading between the lines. “Are you okay?”

| paused, feeling the weight of the question settle over me. “Honestly? | don’t even know. | thought | wanted out,

but then... I don’t know. It’s like every tI'm around him, | get pulled in deeper, no matter how many times he

tries to shutout.”

She sat beside me, her expression shifting to one of deep concern. “Maybe you need to talk about all of this

before you two fully cement yourselves as Alpha King and Luna to the world.”

| shook my head, torn between laughter and frustration. “Oh, believe me, | tried to talk about,” I air quoted with

one hand, “Feelings and his walls went even more up then he toldhe was ending the contract.”

Isabella looked shocked. “Ending the contract? Just like that?”

“Yeah. He said it would be safer forto leave, to avoid more.. complications after he all but yelled that he'd

burn the world down before he let anything happen to me.”

Isabella’s eyebrows shot up. “He said that? Lilian that’s like...”

“The most romantic thing any girl in a book would want to hear right?” | cut in, smiling sadly. “The all-powerful

man who would do anything to protect her. But this isn't a book, Bels. It’s real life. Grayson Blackwood isn’t the

male lead in my story,

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Chapter 46

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just like I'm not the woman who thinks she’ll break down his wall and have an epic romance in the end. That's

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not real

Silence hung between us for a few seconds before Tabela reached out and squeezed my fond “I know and I'm

really sorry. But if it were, it would be a story I'd love to read.”

I smiled. too, Bels.too

She shifted, breaking the moment, and | asked, “How'd you even know | was back?”

Tve been tracking your phone since | found out you were in Italy I've just been waiting for you to cback so |

could show up and yell at you.”

“You put a-“I waved my hand, laughing. “You know what, never mind.”

| pushed myself up. “I need a shower. | feel disgusting. Want to grab something to ear after, or are you just going

to ignore the words | am saying?” | asked as she drifted over to the window

“What's going on out there? Why is there a moving truck?”

| moved to the window, but my view was blocked. Isabella turned back to me. “Let’s go outside. | can’t see from

here.”

“I'm sure it nothing. Just lettake a-”

“Now, Lilian.”

“Sorry, Coming.”

| followed her outside to find three moving trucks near the estate entrance. Isabella glanced at me. “Any idea

who's moving

in

Just then. Elaine’s voice chimed in. “Do you two need a marriage certificate to make this official?”

Isabella started to turn, but | held her hand to stop her. | turned to face Elaine, forcing a small smile. “Nice to see

you too, Elaine. Do you know what's going on? Why the moving trucks?”

Her smile widened, and | instantly regretted asking. “I was so shaken after almost losing Grayson, so | asked if |

could move back in, spend more twith him. He said yes. The movers are bringing in my things to the

mansion. That's the apartment Grayson set aside for me.”

“You need three large moving trucks?” Isabella deadpanned.

Elaine’s smile only grew. “Oh no, sweetheart, they're not all for me. Monica is moving into my apartment. She

will be staying with us in the estate from now on.”

H