The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 69

-Grayson’s POV-

“The grand gesture under the rain worked, didn’t it?” Isabella’s voice cut through the silence, filled with that triumphant tone that was too annoying for my liking. Not like I actually ever liked anything She was leaning against the counter, casually munching on her chips, each loud crunch a reminder of how much she’d enjoyed orchestrating this entire situation

I exhaled, glancing toward the hallway. I was counting down the seconds until Ava came out so we could leave Sure, Isabella’s advice had been helpful, but she’d been insistent on this whole “romantic under–the–rain” idea. When she called and told me to stand outside in the drizzle, I thought she’d lost it There was no way I was going to stand there and get soaked like some love–struck fool. Yet twenty minutes later, there I was–drenched, humoring Isabella’s ridiculous suggestion. And as cliché as it felt, it worked. The moment 1 saw va’s silhouette at the door, everything faded into the background.

But now, my patience was wearing thin. Ava Isadn’t come out yet and Isabella’s loud, crunching chewing was grating on

every nerve.

“Oh, so that’s how it’s going to be?” she said, feigning offense. “I help you fix things with her, and you just ignore me!”

I shot her a glare. “Do you have to chew so loudly? And talk with your mouth full?”

She smirked, her eyes glinting with mischief. “No, I don’t. But I noticed it bothers you, so I’m definitely not stopping.

I narrowed my eyes, deadpan. “You’re lucky Ava likes you.”

“Oh, please. You like me too, and you know it.”

I scoffed, choosing to ignore her. The longer I stayed quiet, the sooner she’d give up and leave me in peace.

“Fine,” she sighed, finally relenting. “Don’t talk to me, then.”

Seconds ticked by in a rare silence as I checked my phone, looking for any distraction. Then she broke it with, “Oh, did you hear Lilian felt her wolf?”

The words caught me off guard. “What? When?”

She arched a brow, a sly smile playing on her lips. “Thought we weren’t speaking?”

A thought suddenly registered and I smiled, “Fine. How is Rickon?”

a nerve, her grin vanishing as she glared agme. “I’m going

herself off the counter and stormed inside. I smirked to myself. Petty, sure, but it felt like a win. I couldn’t believe I was even entertaining these kinds of conversations; I barely cared about winning

up to know she was there; the faint click of her shoes and the quiet rustle of fabric was enough to jolt my awareness. I turned, and there

greeted her voice

felt something warm, unfamiliar. I cleared my throat,

her suitcases. She bit her lip, hesitating before speaking. “Uh. Isabella wanted me to tell you she thinks you’re petty for bringing

Mon, Dec 16

Chapter 09

rang–out from somewhere in

she says you’re ungrateful for not acknowledging her

my head, grabbing two

She waved, thanked her, and finally joined me, slipping into the passenger seat. The moment she settled in thick tension filled the space between us. I turned on the engine, letting the silence stretch as I navigated us onto the road I could feel her gaze flicker toward me, but neither of us seemed ready to break

just as

quiet was just.. making me uncomfortable.

steering wheel. “Honestly, I don’t

by the hum of the engine. I tried to think of something, anything that would

a bit too loud for the quiet car. “I’m almost scared to answer that, just in case you try flying me somewhere across the country for some specialty dish.

these feelings, all the emotions I’d buried for so long, I’d spent years walling myself off, building layers around myself to keep anything or anyone from getting too close. But this -whatever it

throat, her voice softening. “Isabella told me she told you that

“So it’s true?”

wound on my shoulder started burning, then it healed up, like magic. I heard her voice, but only for a

in my own thoughts that I hadn’t even asked her how she

mind. “When exactly did this happen? The

time, but it was the day before the

“Anything more specific?”

twenty to thirty minutes

same time Maria was casting the spell to link us. Somehow, even though the spell hadn’t fully

another word, I shifted gears, making