The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 153

Ava’s POV

The ground beneath my feet trembled again, sending a wave of anic through me. My knees almost buckled as the rumbling grew louder, vibrating through my chest. I reached out my hands instinctively grasping for something stable to hold on to, but before I could even process the fear flooding my system, Grayson’s hand was on my elbow, steadying me. His grip was firm, reassuring, and somehow, despite the chaos, I felt a small flicker of calm from the connection.

“Stay close to me.” His voice was low and steady, but the tension in his tone wasn’t lost on me. The world around us felt wrong. The air was thick, charged with an unnatural energy that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Every instinct in me screamed that we weren’t supposed to be here. But there was no choice. Not now.

The rumbling stopped as suddenly as it had started, leaving behind an unsettling silence. The stillness was suffocating, pressing in on me from all sides. I could hear nothing but the erratic thrum of my own heartbeat. Grayson’s presence beside me was the only thing that kept me tethered to reality.

“Grayson…” I whispered, my voice trembling as I tried to make sense of what had just happened. “What was that?”

He didn’t answer right away. His gaze scanned the area around us, sharp and alert, as if expecting something–or someone- to emerge from the darkness. I did the same, eyes darting to every shadow, every rustle in the trees. But all I saw were the dense woods stretching endlessly before us. Nothing made sense

“I don’t know,” Grayson finally admitted, his voice quiet, but there was no hiding the uncertainty in his tone. “Whatever it is, it’s not normal. And I don’t know what’s coming next.”

His words did nothing to ease the knot of dread tightening in my stomach. But I wasn’t sure if it was his presence or the absolute chaos around us that made me want to stay close, to trust him.

“I’ll be right here,” he said firmly, though his tone softened just a little, as if trying to reassure me. “We’ll figure it out. Just stay calm.”

I nodded, biting my lip to try to steady myself. I wasn’t calm, not at all, but I didn’t want him to know that. “I’m not panicking,” I insisted, though the quiver in my voice said otherwise.

He didn’t call me out on it. He didn’t need to. We both knew the truth.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from our left, and before I could even react, Grayson stepped in front of me, his body blocking mine. His muscles tensed, and his eyes zeroed in on the movement, every fiber of his being on high alert.

I couldn’t see what it was yet, but whatever it was, it was big. And it wasn’t friendly.

A dark, wolf–like creature stepped into view, its form distorted and unnatural. Its glowing red eyes fixed on us, and its movements were jerky, almost as if it wasn’t fully in control of its body. My first

whispered, barely

creature, his jaw tightening as

It was sizing us up, waiting for the right moment to strike. And the way it moved, almost like it wasn’t

process what I was seeing.

1/3

Jan 17. G

Chapter 153

to run, you run,” he said, his tone calm but with a deadly edge. I felt him tighten his grip on my arm, pulling me

I asked, my voice rising in

right behind you,” he said, his words so steady that

had no choice. I had no other

low, guttural growl, the sound vibrating through the trees, shaking me to my core. Grayson didn’t waste another second. “Run!” he barked, pushing

was running, my breath coming in sharp gasps as I

right behind you!” I cried

moving faster than I could comprehend. But I could hear the creature, the sound of its heavy feet thundering against the ground, growing louder with every step. It was gaining on us, and

shouted back, his voice

time to see the creature’s glowing eyes locking onto me, its

to move faster, my heart thumping wildly in my chest. “Grayson, what do we do?” gasped, panic

back to me, his voice steady despite the chaos. “We just have to outthink it.” “Outthink it?” I repeated, confused and terrified. “How?”

he pulled me forward.

burst into a small clearing, and Grayson stopped abruptly, pulling me behind him. I could feel the tension radiating from his body, the way he was ready for anything. I didn’t question him this time. I clung to his arm, trying to steady my

creature emerging from the trees, its red eyes never leaving

didn’t hesitate.

was surely coming. The creature’s claws slashed across my skin, but as soon as they made contact, something strange happened. The ground beneath me shifted, my wolf stirring deep within, and