The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

My feet moved faster than my brain could register. One minute I was gripping onto whatever little control I had left, and the next, I was bolting down the hall like my life depended on it. Which, given the situation, wasn’t far from the truth

How did I end up here? One moment, I was just another woman trying to survive heartbreak, and now.. now I was Luna to the Alpha King.

Contracted Lama, that tiny voice in my head whispered, as if that made a difference.

It didn’t.

Grayson’s silky voice replayed in my head, like a broken record couldn’t shut off.

“I have a problem with my erection. I can’t get hard.”

The

The bluntness of his confession had knocked the air out of my lungs. Him? Of all people?

Grayson Blackwood, with his carved–from–stone jawline and eyes that seemed to strip me bare every time they landed on

me that man had problems getting aroused? It didn’t seem possible. But that was the least of my problems.

–

I had no time to process the absurdity of it all before I crashed straight into someone. Hard. My body hit the floor with a painful thud, a curse half–formed on my lips.

“Watch it!” An annoyed voice cut through the air.

My hands stung where they broke my fall, and winced, staring at the floor for a moment before I blinked up at the woman standing over me. She was stunning–long dark hair, sharp cheekbones, and eyes so intense they practically pierced through me. She looked like she belonged on a runway, not in the halls of this freezing castle

I continued to stare at her and her eyes narrowed, “Will you not apologize? Do you realize that Grayson is my cousin and

you

almost ruined a dress worth more than your life?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but a deep, commanding voice boomed down the hall. My head snapped toward it just as a tall man strode toward us. His eyes, hard and unforgiving, locked onto the woman with a look that could freeze water.

“Elaine,” he said in a tone that left no room for argument, “Grayson told you didn’t want to see you around for a while after what you did.”

The woman. Elaine only smiled in return. A dark mischievous smile. “It’s nice to see you too.”

Grayson.

called him Grayson, not Alpha. There was something almost casual in the way they spoke about him, which made me even more curious about the dynamics

his expression unreadable, before continuing, “He asked me to escort you to your room. He wants his

snapped in surprise as she crossed her arms over her chest, sizing me up

that could burn through steel. “Where the hell did she crawl out of to become his

over me again, full of judgment, like she was searching for any weakness she could exploit. I wanted to

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Chapter 6

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words wouldn’t come, Not that would matter. This woman

enemy,

He gave me a polite smile, gesturing down the hallway. “This way.

your room

too aware of Elaine’s eyes

as shargas a blade, “but

around. I couldn’t. Instead, I swallowed the lump in my throat and quickened my

winding halls in silence, stopping in front of a heavy metal door. He pushed it open, revealing a lavish room that looked like it had been ripped from a magazine–dark

your room. Make yourself comfortable. Grayson will call for you

still feeling out of

softly behind him. And just like that, I was

had I gotten myself

of my phone yanked me back to reality. I fumbled in my pocket, my fingers trembling slightly as I pulled it out. The screen flashed with

was the phone. The one with the evidence–the proof of betrayal that had thrown me

mess

a word in before the voice on the other end exploded, “How fucking

at the sheer volume of Isabella’s scream. “What is wrong with you, Bels?” I whispered harshly, trying to contain the storm

calm, never lose your cool–that’s who I was supposed

accidentally met my face on our first day at the werewolf academy. I

thrown a punch, missed her actual target, and clocked me right in the nose instead. It hurt like hellmixed with surprise, but what followed

a swirling eye creature are you?” She paused for a moment, her

nose. But here we were, nine years later, and Isabella

the present. “I know you’re not still on this call ignoring me! And WHY THE HELL. DID I JUST

Chapter 6

it down, Bels,” I muered, exhaustion seeping into my

dare, Lilian,” she shot back, her voice full of fire. She was the only person who ever called me Lalian–always insisting she had

practically see her pacing, probably already grabbing her jacket to storm out the door. “You don’t