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.

I barely recognized the woman looking back. The gown hugged me perfectly, sleek and timeless, with a sophistication that was both simple and stunning. It fit like a dream. There were no excessive

detail. My eyes, those shifting shades of blue that could look straight through someone, seemed more

scene sink in as the car took me to the venue and I made my way to the room I would stay before it started. I could picture

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11:19 Sun, Dec 15

Chapter 54

my thoughts, drawing me

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gaze in the mirror, giving a small mod. “Yes, I am,”

pairs of eyes watching me, but I only saw him–Grayson, standing at the other end. His face

as we moved forward. For a brief moment, I scanned the crowd, almost instinctively searching for my parents, hoping they’d actually show up. But they weren’t there. I already knew they wouldn’t be, yet the sting still lingered, sharper than

heart pounded in my chest, each word pushing us closer to the

the ceremony where the vows were supposed to begin, and I prepared

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

as he spoke, his voice low and controlled, each

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

but there was a gravity in them that held me in place making me feel as though he’d given me something unspoken–a promise without embellishment, but with

steadying breath, searching for words that felt genuine, words that matched the whirlwind that had brought us here. “Grayson, this might seem sudden. Maybe even reckless,” I began, my voice a little shaky but growing stronger. “But being here,

weight of everything unspoken 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

they sounded. There was a faint flicker in his eyes, something that hinted at surprise

voice rose, snapping me out of my reverie, “do you, Ava, take Grayson as your lawful wedded husband, to

steady, even though my heart raced.

expression as impassive as ever. “And do you, Grayson, take Ava as your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in

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