The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 14

-Ava’s POV

My head was pounding. Every inch of my holy felt like it had been dragged through hell, and I could barely think straight. Everything was just crashing down on the all at once, and the presstire was unbearable. I wanted to scream, but all I could do was sit there, frozen in place, as if somehow doing nothing would make the storm swirling in my mind stop.

I had walked out on my father, and I had no intention of speaking to him anytime soon.

Not that it would matter. He never listened to me anyway,

“This place is freaking huge!” Isabella’s voice snapped me out of my trance, her laughter echoing through the room Grayson had given me. I blinked, confused by her presence. I hadn’t even heard her come back in.

“I thought you left, I said, staring at her with a frown.

Isabella paused halfway to the bed, looking at me like I’d grown a second head. “I left?” she echoed, clearly puzzled.

“Yeah,” I replied, rubbing my temples. “Remember? You were supposed to go home, and I was going to talk to Grayson Then I’d call you afterward to tell you how it went?”

She burst out laughing. “Oh, that. Totally forgot about that.” She lifted her hand, revealing a bottle of wine. “Look what I found in the bar.”

sighed, exasperated. “Bels, you can’t just go rummaging through people’s houses and stealing their wine. And wait–there’s a bar in this place?”

She grinned, knowing exactly how to push my buttons. “Yup. Well, I was going to leave, but I kind of got lost, and then I decided to explore. You know, this place has, like, everything. I guess that’s what happens when you’re a billionaire.”

“Excuse me? Billionaire? Who?”

She shot me a look. “Grayson Blackwood. Did you seriously not know?”

I stared at her, my mind struggling to process that bit of information. Sure, I knew Grayson was rich, but I had no idea he was billionaire–rich. My thoughts drifted back to him, and I let out a deep sigh, feeling the weight of everything all over

again.

Isabella sat down on the bed, her face softening

ng with concern. “Take it the talk

talk didn’t go so well?”

long swig before handing it back. We both knew it wasn’t a good habit, but it was one of those things we did–our not–so–classy, unspoken ritual. I

least not for the next year, and my father’s going to follow through on his threat. I

stay out of

blinked, turning to look

is because of their egos. Why are you

rising in my chest. “Because I can’t. There are death threats flying around, Bels. My father could end up dead if I just sit back and do

maybe that’d solve half your problems. Throw your mother in

13

Chapter 14

finally get

though there was a tiny part of

surrender, laughing “Okay, okay, hard timing for that joke. But come on, you know I’m right Your father’s an asshole, and your mother–well, don’t

phone started ringing. I let out the loindredth sigh of the day, bracing myself as I looked at the

I muttered, answering the

only have you abandoned your husband, but now you’re associating with a man with a vile reputation who insulted your father?

My mother was even worse than my father, and right now, the last thing I wanted was another lecture from her. But it didn’t matter what I

going to sit there in silence?” she demanded. “You had plenty to say to your father earlier. Now get to the

No room for arguments. No concern for what I was

know you could just not answer their calls, right?” Isabella sud, her voice sharp with irritation. “What’s the worst that could happen? They disown you? Honestly, that would be

how much control my parents had over me, how I kept letting them pull

walking over to the wardrobe. “I need to go,” I said, ignoring the look on

her,” she snapped, her voice hard.

it’ll just get worse. It’s

almost died tonight, and the first thing out of her mouth wasn’t “Are you okay?‘ but ‘Come see me now? It’s after 10 p.m. for Goddess sake, and you’re

but she wasn’t

since yesterday. You almost died in a fire, and instead of taking care of yourself, you’re letting your parents run your life. You still need to get checked out, and you need to rest. And more than anything, you to start living for yourself. Not for them. Not for

need

admit, but they were the same words she’d been telling me for years. And yet,

a couple more bottles, laugh like maníacs, talk crap about that asshole Dylan, and yeah, we’ll even talk about how hot Graysons–because let’s be honest, he’s hot, how you’re going to survive this year without one of us jumping him and

crept onto my face despite the exhaustion weighing me down. “Yeah, I understand.” “Good,” she

2/3

Chapter 14