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.

emerged from the bushes, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. 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 thought was that it might be a werewolf, but no. This wasn’t like any werewolf I’d ever encountered. This

that?” I whispered, barely able to form

eyes off the creature, his jaw tightening as he muttered, “I don’t know.”

pulling back to reveal rows of jagged teeth. It was sizing us up, waiting for the right moment to strike. And the way it moved, almost like it wasn’t fully in control

mind was racing, trying to process what I was seeing. This couldn’t be real. I was

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Fri, Jan 17. G

Chapter 153

tell you to run, you run,” he said, his tone calm but

asked, my

his words so steady that they

no choice. I had no other option but to believe in him, to believe in his strength, in his ability

let out a low, guttural growl, the sound vibrating through the trees, shaking me to my core. Grayson didn’t waste another

before I could think, and I was running, my breath coming in sharp gasps as I tore through the underbrush. My heart raced, my feet pounding against the ground, but I couldn’t help the

behind you!” I cried out, my

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 I

his voice sharp with urgency. “Don’t

eyes locking onto me,

chest. “Grayson, what do we do?” gasped, panic creeping into

he called back to me, his voice steady despite the

answer, but I felt his hand grab mine, his grip tight as he pulled me forward. I

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 breathing as I whispered, “What

the trees, its red eyes never leaving us like he was preparing to fight it but then, in an

I didn’t

I threw myself in front of Grayson, bracing for the hit that 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 I felt an odd