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.

the way they spoke about him, which made me

slightly. “I’m Liam, Grayson’s Beta.” He looked me up and down, his expression unreadable, before continuing, “He asked me to escort you to your room. He wants his Luna as comfortable as

surprise as she crossed her arms over her chest, sizing me up like I was

with disdain. She shot me a glare that could burn through steel. “Where the hell

like she was searching for any weakness she

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Chapter 6

Π

that would matter. This woman had

enemy,

her entirely. He gave me a polite smile, gesturing down the hallway. “This way. I’ll

your room

and following him, all too aware of Elaine’s eyes burning into my back. Just as I passed her, her

tone as shargas a blade, “but outsiders aren’t welcome here. Count

I swallowed the lump in my throat and quickened my pace, keeping

metal door. He pushed it open, revealing a lavish room that looked like it had been ripped from a magazine–dark wood, plush carpets, and

comfortable. Grayson will call for you

nodded, still feeling out of place. “Thank

before stepping out, the door closing softly behind him. And just like that, I was

hell had

fumbled in my pocket, my fingers trembling

the phone. The one with the evidence–the proof of betrayal that

mess

in before the voice on

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

perfect, stay calm, never lose your cool–that’s who I was supposed to be. But then there

her fist accidentally met my face on our first day at the werewolf academy. I still remembered the moment like it

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

she marched up to me, grabbed my face, “What in the moon goddess of a swirling eye creature are you?” She paused for a moment, her eyes suddenly

her like she’d lost her mind, clutching my throbbing nose. But here we were, nine years later, and Isabella had bulldozed her

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

Chapter 6

my temples. “Please keep it down, Bels,” I muered, exhaustion seeping into my voice. “I’ve already had the

was the only person who ever called me Lalian–always insisting she had to be different. “You

already grabbing her jacket to storm out the door. “You don’t even know where