The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 72

-Ava’s POV-

I let out a sharp gasp as my eyes snapped open, blinking rapidly trying to force my senses to catch up with the shock of waking. For a moment, everything felt disorienting, my vision blurred, my mind groggy, but as I took in my surroundings. I felt a chill settle over me. I pushed myself up slowly, feeling the mugh, cold ground beneath me, and realized that I was standing in the middle of an empty street. The street stretched endlessly in either direction, bordered by houses lined up in neat rows. But these weren’t pist any houses–they looked identical to my parents‘ mansion. Each one was a perfect replica, from the tall windows to the finely manicured bushes, lined up like ghostly memories from my past

As

A cold groan escaped my hips Really? My subconscious couldn’t have dropped me somewhere with a car waiting for me, or at least some other way to move through this endless nightmare?

looked down the street, the houses stretched out as far as I could see, irlentical facades disappearing into the distance

With a sigh, I started walking, my footsteps echoing softly against the empty street. Each step seemed to take an eternity, my progress feeling agonizingly slow. The houses blurred into each other, perfectly maintained yet empty, like shells. I didn’t even know where I was going, just that I had to keep moving forward.

Then, after what felt like hours, something caught my eye–a faint detail that broke the monotonous perfection. One of the houses had a small dent at the corner of its exterior, so subtle it was barely noticeable. But I saw it immediately. Growing up. Td been trained to notice details, to catch imperfections, and that training kicked in automatically, honing my focus on that small, imperfect mark. I’d passed this house five times now, and every time, I’d seen that dent. My heart sank as a realization washed over me–I’d been walking in a loop.

So… either my subconscious wanted me to enter that house, or something was keeping me trapped.

I couldn’t think of any other explanation, so I took a deep breath, turned, and walked toward it. My steps felt heavier as I approached the front door, the eerie silence pressing down around me. I raised my hand to knock, half–expecting the butler from my childhood–the one who’d always looked down at me with that sneer of disdain–to answer. But the knock echoed back at me unanswered.

No movement, no sound.

Was I really that alone? Not even a memory of my family here to greet me even though I didn’t really like them? At the very least, I would have expected Isabella or Uncle Damien or someone who made this place feel like home.

Pushing the door open, I called out, “Hello? Is anyone home? Mother? Father? Ava Ugly–nose butler?” My voice sounded small, almost swallowed up by the empty house

Silence greeted me, followed by a soft slam as the door closed behind me. I took a few tentative steps forward, glancing around. The place looked exactly as I remembered it–the same furniture, the same paintings on the walls. Every inch of the space seemed frozen in time.

If there was anything to find inside my head, surely it would be there moved quickly up the staircase, my hand gliding over the polished banister, familiar yet

but everything was in twos. Two cribs, two small beds, toys scattered around I froze, confusion blooming into unease. Why

Td

away, a sharp, piercing cry shattered the silence. Startled. I turned to see a small figure in one of the cribs suddenly, staring up at

reached out hesitantly, my fingers just about to touch her, when suddenly everything started to shake violently. The ground seemed to tremble beneath my feet, the walls and ceiling swaying as if caught in an earthquake. I stumbled backward, watching as the room seemed to crack and peel away ke the

Chapter 72

impact, throwing my hands up to shield

an instant,

2

around me was thick, oppressive, and when I looked

it would be easier if you just showed yourself?” I shouted into the sharlows. “Then

mocking in its stillness.

surface.

on, help me out here!” I yelled, feeling my frustration grow. “You’re supposed to be some powerful

behind me, like a branch bending under pressure. I spun around, eyes scanning the shadows. For a moment, there was nothing. Then, a figure stepped into view–my exact reflection, staring back at me with a

looked exactly like me, down to the last detail, but there was something darker, more primal in

back

she asked, her voice a low, mocking echo of my own. “I took one step toward you, and you flinched. I could smell your fear from miles away. Maybe that’s why she refuses to come out. Maybe that’s why she’s stayed hidden your whole life… because she’d rather stay buried than

ground. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” I said, clinging to whatever courage I could

down, you know it. She knows it. Just like you know you were never the better choice. You’ve done nothing but prove it to everyone–your parents, yourself, Grayson” Her smile twisted, colder than before. “One day, he’ll see it too. He’ll see you for what you truly are–a

what are you even talking about?” My voice was shaky, my confidence unraveling under the

darkened to an inky black, and her fingers extended into sharp, claw–like talons. She lunged forward, slashing across my face. Pain exploded, hot and searing, and

hissed, advancing as I scrambled back on

let out a snarl of pain, her eyes

forest, her footsteps echoing close behind, relentless and quick. “Running away, just like you always do?” she taunted, her voice haunting echo in the night. “Is that all you’re good