The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 54

-Ava’s POV-

I had pictured my wedding day only once when I was a child, and it had always been a perfect, precise image. In a grand hall, with every corner draped in white. Nothing would be out of place; the flowers would be flawless, and at the entrance, there’d be a large mirror my parents placed there so everyone could ensure they looked their best before stepping into the hall.

Perfection was what I knew but still, I had loved that version of a wedding I hoped to have.

In that childhood vision, there was a little boy at the end of the aisle, waiting for me. He was faceless then–a figure without a name or identity.

The wedding with Dylan hadn’t felt anything like that image. Being fated mates and his family ties to Uncle Damien were the only reasons it happened at all, but there was always something about it that felt wrong, that didn’t align with the dream I had as a girl.

Now, as I walked down the aisle again, every step felt like something out of a fairytale I’d secretly cherished. Everything looked just as the little girl in me would have wished, perfect in every way.

And the boy was now a man, with a face–and it was Grayson’s face.

A tug pulled me back to reality as Isabella’s voice shattered the dream. She was bouncing on my bed, practically screaming, “It’s our wedding day! Wake up, wake up!”

I groaned, rolling over and pulling the pillow over my head. “Since it’s ours, you go marry him, and we’ll switch later,” I mumbled. “I still need to sleep.”

She smacked me with another pillow, not giving up. “Don’t be a buzzkill, Lilian! Get up! Eliza’s already on her way back with the bridesmaid dresses, and the hair and makeup people are practically at the door. We need to get moving if we want to make it to the venue on time. Grayson sent the location to Eliza, and I forwarded it to Uncle Damien. You’re lucky I let you sleep in this long!”

I threw a mock glare her way, launching my pillow at her. “I hate you.”

“And I love you too. Now, let’s get you married,” she said with a grin that was contagious.

Those were the last words of sanity before the day picked up speed. Everything came at me in a blur: hair, makeup, gown fittings, the practiced smile, the slow, deliberate steps. Isabella kept barking orders, keeping me moving from one thing to the next. My excitement bubbled beneath the surface, spilling out in shy glances and faint smiles.

Getting married to Dylan had never felt like this–it had felt more like a burden, an expectation I was fulfilling. But with Grayson… even though I knew this marriage was a temporary arrangement, I couldn’t deny how the idea of marrying him stirred something strange and beautiful in me.

back. The gown hugged me perfectly, sleek and timeless, with a sophistication that was both simple

of dark hair that flowed around me like liquid midnight, enhancing every angle, every detail. My eyes, those shifting shades of blue that could look straight through someone, seemed more intense than usual. They were surrounded

my way to the room I would stay before

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Chapter 54

look beautiful, Little Dove,” Uncle Damien’s voice broke into my thoughts, drawing me back to the present, “Are

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the mirror, giving a small mod. “Yes, I am,” I whispered, barely believing

down the aisle. The hall was filled with guests, over a thousand pairs of eyes watching me, but I only saw him–Grayson, standing at the other end. His face was unreadable, cold as stone, with

Isabella and Eliza’s supportive presence behind me as we moved forward. For a brief moment, I scanned the crowd, almost instinctively searching for my parents, hoping they’d actually show up.

in my chest, each word pushing us closer to the moment of truth. Grayson’s face remained impassive, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that his mind was somewhere else, detached and

the vows were supposed to begin, and I prepared

us, Grayson turned to face me, a slight shift in his expression. I braced myself, expecting nothing, but his voice surprised me–low, curt,

steady as he spoke, his voice low and controlled,

didn’t expect to find myself here, standing before you,” he began, a subtle edge to his tone, “but here I am. I won’t promise things I don’t believe in, or pretend to be something I’m not. But Ava, I’ll stand beside you–not because it’s expected, but because it’s a choice I’m willing to make. As long as you need me. I’ll be here, even when things

restrained, but there was a gravity in them that held me in place making me feel as though he’d given me something unspoken–a

this might seem sudden. Maybe even reckless,” I began, my

between us. “With you, things make sense in a way I can’t explain. I may not know where this path will take us, but I know this is where I’m supposed to be, with you. And I’m willing to

a faint flicker in his eyes, something that hinted at surprise before he closed off again, returning to that cold, unreadable

my reverie, “do you, Ava, take Grayson as your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in

I said, my voice steady, even

as your lawful wedded wife, to have and

paused, his gaze unwavering. For a fleeting second, I thought he might actually hesitate. But he