The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 28

-Ava’s POV

The moment I found the perfect dress after Grayson’s impromptu declaration that I was going to the ball with him, I stared at myself in the mirror and smiled. The deep blue gown hugged my body in all the right places, the silky material shimmering under the soft lighting. The off–shoulder neckline revealed just enough skin to be alluring, while still remaining elegant. It was adorned with delicate silver beading that caught the light, adding an ethereal glow to the entire ensemble. My hair, styled into loose waves, cascaded down my back, a few strands framing my face. I’d chosen simple, yet elegant, diamond earrings and a matching bracelet. I had always known was beautiful, but tonight… tonight I felt different. Lighter. Freer.

Like something inside me was about to shift, though I couldn’t bite place what. Isabella had left after I told her how I got scolded which she found funny and now it was just me.

Strangely looking forward to tonight.

This night was going to be perfect. After all, I was going to a ball with a king.

That night of perfection washed down the drain the moment my eyes landed on my parents. Why hadn’t I thought they would be here? Maybe it was because I didn’t even know whose ball it was, and I figured Grayson wouldn’t be linked to them in any way. But there they were. Standing at the entrance of the hall, dressed in their usual lavish attire, looking down at me like I was something beneath them.

Grayson, sensing the shift in my mood, pulled me closer to him. His touch sent a wave of warmth through my body, but it did little to calm the storm brewing inside me, My heart pounded in my chest, and I could feel my breath quicken.

The four of us–Grayson, my parents, and I–stood there, staring at each other, the tension thickening by the second.

“You won’t greet your parents, Ava? Is that how we raised you?” My mother’s voice cut through the air like a blade, cold and sharp. Her words dripped with superiority, as if I were nothing more than an embarrassing inconvenience.

I clenched my fists, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. I had had it with this “how you were raised” nonsense. They didn’t raise me–they controlled me. There was a difference.

“I thought I wasn’t your daughter anymore,” I replied, my voice steady but edged with bitterness. “You two disowned me, remember? I believe it goes both ways, so technically, you’re not my parents anymore.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Grayson smile. A small, approving smirk that told me he liked my defiance. I stood straighter, feeling a surge of confidence. But that confidence wavered as I saw the way my father glared at me, his eyes burning with anger.

“Watch your tone or else,” he growled, his voice low and menacing. It was the voice that had always made me shrink back as a child, the one that taught me to be obedient, silent, compliant.

Before I could say anything else, Grayson finally spoke up. His voice was cold, commanding, and the air seemed to shift around us, the power in his tone undeniable.

“I won’t take kindly to anyone threatening my Luna.”

a sneer, but he didn’t speak, while my mother–ph, she scoffed.

disdain. “Please. This little rebellion of hers

a wave of doubt washing over me. My mother always had a way of making me feel like a child, like everything I did was just a phase that would eventually lead me

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Thu, Dec 12

Chapter 28

better, if she was untouchable.

was standing up for me. Even if my parents were powerful, he was more powerful. He was

my mother, who had the nerve to keep looking at him like he was beneath

step forward, his chest puffed out, his arrogance on full display. “You may think you’re powerful,” he spat, “and just because you managed to get a hospital to take her, you think you have more connection but you

father, his presence cold, dangerous, like a predator sizing up its prey. “I’m more than aware of

have entertained you

face reddened, his fists clenched at his sides, but even he wasn’t stupid enough to challenge Grayson outright. Not

her voice a deadly whisper. “But don’t fool yourself into thinking this will end well for you. You’ve always been stubborn, but in the end, you’ll come running back to us.

I wanted to tell her that I wasn’t the girl they could control anymore, that I wasn’t going to fall back into their grasp yet the words got stuck in my throat, choking me. I hated how she still had this hold over me, how

to you. Not ever. So you might as well let go

for a second, and I could see the flash of anger

see. We always

her heel, my father following close behind, and they disappeared into the crowd, leaving

let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding, my entire body trembling with a mixture of anger, fear, and relief. Grayson’s hand remained on my waist, his grip firm but

not sure what else to say. My parents had a way of ruining everything, even

softening slightly as he looked down at me. His cold, dangerous exterior melted

heat of his touch suddenly feeling more intense now that we were standing alone. The awareness of it sent a flush to my cheeks, and I instinctively moved away from his hold just as someone called

Ava!“.

spreading across his face. Without thinking, I smiled back, stepping forward to hug him.

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