The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 62

-Grayson’s POV-

I arrived at the office as early as I could the next morning, forcing myself to shove down the anger simmering beneath the surface. My wolf was clawing for revenge, eager to strike, but I knew that now wasn’t the time. This needed calculation, not blind rage.

Eliza was already at her desk when I walked in. She didn’t flincher act any different as she rattled off all the updates I needed. She didn’t even bat an eye, despite the faint smell of alcohol still clinging to her from whatever escapade she’d had the night before. I had to admit, she was proving to be efficient–maybe even someone who’d stick around for a while.

Good for her.

I threw myself into work as the day went on, feeling that itch at the back of my mind–the urge to handle what I’d been trying to ignore. The tapes Carter sent over were waiting for meat the mansion. I’d told him to send them there so I wouldn’t get distracted during work hours, but my mind kept drifting back to them, each hour passing making it harder to resist. Finally, I gave in, packed up my things, and headed home

When I arrived, the mansion was quiet. Almost too quiet, like it was holding its breath. My staff went about their tasks, but there was an unnatural stillness that prickled at the as I made my way to the study, where the tapes waited.

Just as I was about to reach the study, a muffled sound came from the sitting room, stopping me mid–step. I turned on my heel and followed the sound, irritation sparking inside me. When I entered, my eyes narrowed as I saw Elaine seated in front of the TV, which she quickly turned off the moment she sensed my presence. She fumbled with the remote, her face paling as she looked up at me, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes

I cut her off before she could speak. “I told you not to watch that here.”

My voice came out colder than I intended, and she flinched. “I didn’t know you’d be back so early.”

1 forced myself to take a breath, softening my tone slightly. “I had an entire home theater built for you, Elaine. If you need

watch it, do it there. Away from me. Understand?”

She nodded, casting her gaze down, and for a moment, something inside me cracked. Against my usual restraint, I reached out, surprising even myself. “Come here.”

Hee eyes flashed with surprise and she hesitated, then stepped forward, slipping into my arms. She rested her head against chest, and I counted the seconds in my head, giving her the comfort she seemed to crave, until she was the one to pull away first, murmuring a quiet, “Thank you,” before grabbing her things and leaving the room.

my

I stared at the blank TV screen, the echo of her presence lingering. Part of me knew it was selfish to treat Elaine the way I did sometimes, to offer her moments of warmth when I was the one who’d turned her world dark to begin with. She was only this broken because of me.

When my world became so bleak that even I couldn’t bear it, I liked to imagine what we would have been in an alternaté universe. Maybe she would have grown up with happiness instead of having to go through therapy sessions that I think screwed her up even more than it did help and maybe if I had been born regular, not with the burden of a throne that my father was so obsessed with making me fit for, I could have had been happy.

Normal and happy.

had festered into something I couldn’t control until it began

it, I wondered if I would

hated how much my thoughts

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Chapter 62

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started gnawing at me. With a sigh. I headed to the study,

blurred as I watched the tapes. Person after person appeared on screen, all interacting with the drinks, but none of them placed anything suspicious in them. Frustration boiled within me, and I was on the

wolf tensed, growling low within me, a warning I chose

a gust of wind that rattled everything in its path She looked

to

“Sit down.”

room, back when I’d offered her that damned contract. If I’d been smarter,

in

is up, we’ll go our separate ways, just as planned,” I said, keeping my tone as curt and detached as possible. The words were rehearsed, each one a nail in

betrayed a flash of pain, but she quickly masked it,

but I stopped her with a single

down, her expression a mix of

and we’ll attend events together. But beyond that, there’s no reason for us to interact. The other parts of the

looked like she wanted to say something, her lips parting, but then she closed them again, casting one last look at me before getting up.

sort of sick satisfaction

sighed, rubbing my temples. “Ava, just

then sharpened, her frustration pouring out. “If you were just going to do this, why did you even offer me the contract in the first place? No, don’t answer that. Better yet, why even go through with the

and the silence only seemed to fuel her

suddenly, you don’t need me to treat your erectile dysfunction

she said the

bitterly. “Or maybe you never had a problem at all, did you? Every time I tried to talk about treatments, you shut me down. Was this your plan all along? Toying with me? Is this

what? I’m done. I signed that contract because I was desperate, because I was trying to escape from a life that was killing me and I hadn’t thought things through. But I don’t need your money, and I don’t need your games. Find someone else to play your pretend trophy Luna because I won’t and

09:28 Mon, Dec 16.