The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 172

Chapter 172

-Ava’s POV

I didn’t understand what happened in the span of a second. Grayson had been his usual composed self, though his death glare at the food vendor had been intense enough to make the poor man shrink. He didn’t seem the least bit fazed as he caught up to me after I practically skipped away with my dumplings. I’d barely bitten into one when he grabbed my wrist and pulled me, his grip firm but not rough, dragging me away from the carnival stalls.

“Grayson… what is-”

I didn’t get to finish.

The sharp crack of a gunshot rang out, loud and startling enough to make me stumble. For a fleeting moment, I thought it might be from one of the carnival games–those old booths with the fake rifles and cheap prizes–but the sound wasn’t quite right.

Then the screaming started.

A wave of chaos erupted around us. People’s laughter turned into shrieks of panic as they scattered like startled birds. I froze for half a second, my body reacting slower than my mind.

Grayson didn’t freeze.

He yanked me closer, his hand wrapping protectively around my arm as his body pressed against mine, shielding me. “We have to get out of here. Now.” His tone was low, urgent, and sharp enough to cut through the noise.

“What’s going on?” I yelled over the chaos, but he didn’t answer.

Another gunshot echoed through the air, closer this time. More screams.

“Run,” Grayson growled, pulling me harder. He was steering me toward the edge of the carnival, where the exit gates stood The crowd was surging in the same direction, people screaming and shoving in blind panic.

“What the hell is happening?” I screamed again, my voice cracking as the sound of another shot sent my heart into a frenzy.

He still didn’t answer me. His jaw was clenched, his eyes scanning the area with razor–sharp focus. The crowd around us was becoming a writhing, chaotic mass.

I tripped over something–a discarded soda cup, maybe–but Grayson caught me before I could fall, his arm wrapping around my waist and hauling me upright.

“Keep moving,” he barked.

And then I saw it.

A man collapsed a few feet ahead of us. At first, I thought he’d tripped, but as we pushed closer, I saw the blood pooling beneath him. My gaze locked on the hole in his forehead, and I froze.

“Oh my Goddess,” I whispered, my stomach lurching.

“Don’t look,” Grayson ordered, his voice harsh as he physically turned me away from the sight. But it was too late. The image was burned into my mind.

11:18 Sun, Jan 26 G

Chapter 172

People were shoving past us, their screams filling the air as more shots rang out. I stumbled age, my legs barely cooperating as my brain struggled to process the chaos. The smell of sweat, fear, and gunpowder was suffocating.

was stirring inside me, growling and clawing at my control, ready to fight. “Where are

crowd, his body a solid shield between me and

us.

I yelled, my

my shoulders tightly as his gray eyes locked onto mine. “Listen to me,”

heart hammering in my

firing until we’re out of here. Once we leave, they’ll

racing to keep up. “Why?

interrupted, his tone brooking no argument.

gunshot rang out, closer than before. The sound jolted me, and I flinched, my instincts screaming at me to run or

to act on it. He grabbed my hand again, pulling me

of bodies was overwhelming. People were screaming, shoving, trampling over anything and anyone in their way. A woman to my left fell, her face pale with terror as she clawed at the ground, trying to get back up A man to my right was yelling at someone

his voice a steady

I snapped, nearly losing my balance as someone

and the crowd surged forward like a tidal wave. I

man stumbled into our path, clutching his side. Blood seeped between his fingers, his face contorted in pain. He looked up at us, his eyes wide with fear, before collapsing

froze again, my gaze locked on the growing pool of blood beneath

snapped me out

“I–he-”

can do for him,” he said firmly, pulling me forward.

my feet

the crowd was Bottlenecking there, people

to escape.

shaking. “We’re not going to make it out

L

said, his tone leaving

Sun, Jan

Chapter 172

rang out, and this time I caught a glimpse of the shooter–a figure in black perched on the roof of a

there!” I yelled,

“Don’t look. Just focus on getting to

“But-”

he barked, his tone snapping me into silence.

+13

pushed closer to the gates, the crush of bodies almost unbearable. A child nearby was crying, clinging to his

screamed at someone to let her through. A man was yelling at another man to

screams blending into a deafening cacophony. My

voice barely audible over the noise. “What

grip on my hand tightening. “I

get us out of this. But the chaos around us felt suffocating, and the image

than ever. The crowd surged again, and I was

reaching for

caught my wrist just in time, pulling me back to him. “I’ve got you,”