The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

hapter 173

Chapter 173

-Ava’s POV-

“No!”

The word tore from my throat, a gut–wrenching scream of panic and disbelief. I rushed toward him, but my legs felt like they were made of lead. The world spun, the sounds of chaos in the background fading into a haunting silence, leaving only the ringing in my ears and the terrifying sight of Grayson lying on the ground.

I dropped to my knees beside him, my hands trembling as I reached for him, desperately trying to find his pulse.

“Grayson, stay with me!” My voice cracked as I pressed my fingers against his wrist. His skin was cold, his pulse faint, and I felt a wave of nausea and helplessness claw up my throat.

The world around us continued to erupt–screams, shouting, the distant sound of more shots ringing out–but all I could hear was the rush of blood in my ears. My vision blurred again, this time with the sting of unshed tears.

I tried to shake him, my hands trembling as I gently nudged his face, but his eyes remained unfocused, glazed over. His breaths were shallow, ragged, and the blood was pooling faster now–seeping into the cracks in the pavement, staining the concrete a deep crimson. It was spreading in a way that terrified me, growing with each passing second. It was the most vivid thing I had ever seen.

I couldn’t think. My mind raced, panic clawing at my chest, but my body moved instinctively. My hands fumbled over him, as if trying to find some way to stop the bleeding. My heart was pounding so hard that it felt like it would break free from my chest. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t even speak.

I shook him again. “Grayson. Grayson, please, stay with me.”

But there was no response.

The world around me seemed to fade away. The screams of people rushing to escape the chaos, the shouts from carnival- goers trying to find safety, it all felt so distant now, like the sounds were coming from behind a wall of fog. All that mattered was Grayson–his life hanging in the balance–and the growing stain of blood beneath him.

but I Then, suddenly, someone yanked me off him. My wolf growled in alarm, an instinctual warning surging through me, twisted around, panic in my eyes, and met the gaze of Liam. His grip on my arm was tight, almost too tight, but it was his urgent expression that stopped me from pushing him away.

“We need to get you out of here, now,” Liam said, his voice low but firm. His eyes were darting around, scanning the crowd of people, looking for danger. “It’s not safe.”

I gasped, struggling against his grip, my heart racing in my chest. “I’m not leaving him, Liam. He needs

something dark, something unreadable, but he didn’t argue. His gaze dropped to Grayson, and I could see

said, his voice clipped, trying to calm me down.

he would heal from this on his own. The bullet had hit too close

Liam.

Mon, Jan 27

Chapter 173

words, to tell him the truth–‘Grayson won’t heal.

I told anyone about his

back the rising tide of fear and helplessness. “Get him to my father’s hospital,” I

the panic clawing at my

looked at Grayson again, more carefully now. The bullet had missed his heart, but just barely. If we didn’t get him to a hospital right now,

surrounding us, their faces grim and unreadable. Some of them stepped forward and began to lift Grayson’s body

die if you

tried to calm me down. “We’ll

my voice now firm with an authority I didn’t even know I had. “And that is an order. You will take him

I felt their cold eyes on

of one of the cars, where Grayson was laid out, unconscious and still. I took his hand in mine, pressing it against my chest, trying to will him

leave me. I need you. You’re going to be okay. I swear on

clawed at my mind. What if I

this?

the car jerk forward, the engine roaring to life as we sped down the street. I felt the tears

my voice shaking. “This is my fault. If we hadn’t gone to the carnival… If I

swallow me whole, a soft pressure on my hand made me stop. Grayson’s fingers

breath hitched, my heart racing again, and I leaned down, pressing my forehead to his.

voice breaking as I held my