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.

they spoke about him, which made me even more curious

features softened–only slightly. “I’m Liam, Grayson’s Beta.” He looked me up and down, his expression unreadable, before continuing, “He asked

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

me a glare that could burn through steel.

raked over me again, full of judgment, like she was searching for any

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Chapter 6

Π

that would matter. This woman had

enemy,

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

your room

stood there, my legs feeling like jelly, before snapping out of it and following him, all too aware of Elaine’s eyes burning into my back. Just

don’t know who you think you are,” she said, her tone as shargas a

didn’t turn around. I couldn’t. Instead, I swallowed the lump in my throat and quickened my pace, keeping my focus on Liam’s broad

it open, revealing a lavish room

your room. Make yourself comfortable. Grayson

still feeling out of place.

him. And just like that, I was alone again, with nothing but my spiraling thoughts for

had

I fumbled in my pocket, my

one with the evidence–the

mess

a word in

my ear, wincing at the sheer volume of Isabella’s scream. “What is wrong with you, Bels?” I

always taught me to be composed, to maintain control. In their eyes, perfection was the only acceptable standard. Be perfect, stay calm, never lose your cool–that’s who I was supposed to be.

on our first day at the werewolf academy. I still remembered the

actual target, and clocked me right in the nose instead. It hurt like hellmixed

you?” She paused for a moment, her eyes suddenly brightening like she had finally found all the answers,

she’d lost her mind, clutching my throbbing nose. But here we

“I know you’re not still on this call

Chapter 6

temples. “Please keep it down, Bels,” I muered, exhaustion seeping into my voice.

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

grabbing her jacket to storm out the door. “You don’t even know where 1 am,” I muttered under