The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 23

-Ava’s POV

“I’m still trying to understand how your life got so interesting all of a sudden,” Isabella said with a dramatic sigh, handing me a drink.

I couldn’t help but laugh, taking a sip. “If you count the absolute chaos I’ve been dealing with as interesting…”

She rolled her eyes and flopped down onto the couch, snuggling into the blanket she’d wrapped herself in. She was right, though–Grayson’s mansion really did have everything. From an indoor swimming pool to an outdoor one, and now this private theater room that Isabella had dragged me into for a binge–watching session.

In her words, “Grayson won’t mind. You’re going to be his wife anyway.”

His wife. The words still made me tense up. I hadn’t seen Grayson since the moment I’d impulsively told him I wanted to marry him in two weeks. And of course, he didn’t argue, didn’t react beyond a cold, calculated look that barely gave anything away. He’d simply had Liam hand me a black card the next day to plan whatever kind of wedding I wanted. Isabella was far more excited about that detail than I was.

Honestly, I hadn’t thought much about the wedding. Not since I’d blurted it out in his office. I’d put off any kind of planning until next week because, frankly, the idea of it was overwhelming. I didn’t want a big event. Just something small and simple. Besides, I didn’t have much of a guest list. If I was being honest with myself, Isabella would probably be the only one there for me,

The thought made my stomach twist in sadness. I didn’t expect it to hurt as much as it did, realizing that no one from my family would be there. The people who were supposed to love me unconditionally had turned their backs on me the second I didn’t fit into their plans.

But Grayson had more power than my mother. That much was clear now. I had an interview scheduled at one of the biggest medical centers next week. The blacklist she’d tried to enforce? Cone. Erased by a single phone call from him. Dylan was nowhere in sight neither had I heard from him. Damien had called to check up on me so everything was fine as of this

moment.

Still but fine.

Until Isabella brought up the one thing I didn’t want to think about.

“The ultimatum

quiet.

your

father us for tomorrow… what do you think he’s going to do?” she asked, her voice unusually

gave

I sighed, setting the glass down on the table in front of me. “They already disowned me. I doubt he’ll go through with the threat. What’s left to take?”

we both sat there, the tension gnawing at me. I wanted to push it away, to ignore the ache in my chest, but I couldn’t. My father had made his intentions clear, and the weight of it still

She asked eventually, clearly trying to lighten the

muttered. “Can we

wasn’t one to let things go that easily. Of course,

the black card! You could go all out, Lilian. This could be the biggest, most glamorous wedding of the

“I don’t want that, Bels. I

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Chapter 23

blinked at me like I’d just said I wanted to get

I repeated, more firmly this time. “I don’t want a

narrowing her eyes. “Wait Don’t tell me this is about Grayson. Is he making you feel

quickly. “It’s not about him. I just

eyebrow but didn’t argue. She knew better than to push when I was serious. “Fine,” she relented. “But you’re at least getting a

that she was trying to lighten the mood. But even as I sat there, pretending to focus on the movie, my mind kept

his office? I didn’t expect him to be the kind of guy who’d hover, but the silence was unsettling. It made me feel like was in some kind of limbo–waiting for

I told him I wanted to get married in two weeks. There had been no surprise in his eyes, no emotion at all, really. Just cold calculation. Grayson was a man of control, and

kind of power… it terrified me and fascinated me in

her hand in front of my face. “You’re

shook my head, trying

She gave

“No,” I lied.

in the city, you sure do spend a lot of time pretending like it’s no big

sinking back into the couch. But even I didn’t believe my

sip of her drink, her gaze never leaving me. “Look, Lilian, I know this whole situation is insane, and I know Grayson can be…

“That’s an understatement.”

finished, ignoring my interruption. “You’re marrying him because you need to. And let’s be

there was something about Grayson–something cold, something distant–that made my skin prickle with unease. It wasn’t that I didn’t

two weeks, I would be his