The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 174

Ava’s POV

Grayson died.

For eight agonizing seconds, his chest was still, his breath completely gone. My world stopped with him. And then, on the ninth second, his chest rose again, faint but alive. Relief hit me like a wave, but it was fleeting, swallowed almost instantly by the chaos around me..

I don’t remember much of what happened next. Everything blurred. Hands pulled him from me, voices shouted orders, and I barely registered the sight of his body being placed on a stretcher and rushed inside.

I had thought of my father because had saved lives before in ways that felt almost miraculous. Despite his flaws–his coldness, his disdain for Grayson–I knew one thing with certainty: he would never turn a patient away, no matter who they

were.

I stumbled out of the car, my legs unsteady, my mind reeling. Somehow, I followed the stretcher into the hospital, but when they wheeled him into the operating theater, I stopped. As much as I wanted to run in after him, I knew better. I might be consumed by fear right now, but I was still a doctor. I knew that crossing that line would only waste time.

The doors swung shut with a finality that made my chest tighten. I caught a brief glimpse of my father’s face as he entered the room–calm, focused, and professional. That was all I needed to see.

The strength in my legs gave out, and I sank to the floor, leaning back against the cold, unforgiving wall.

Why was this happening?

We were happy. Just a few hours ago, we were happy.

Why did I ask him to take me to that carnival?

A choked sob escaped my lips, and I buried my face in my hands. I couldn’t stop the tears. They came fast and hard, shaking my whole body as I sat there on the cold, sterile floor..

“Please,” I whispered, closing my eyes tightly, my voice breaking. “Please, Moon Goddess, don’t let him die. I’ll do anything. Just don’t take him from me.”

I didn’t know how long I sat there, consumed by my fear and guilt, when a voice finally broke through the haze.

“Mrs. Blackwood?”

I looked up, my vision blurry from the tears. A nurse was standing in front of me, one I didn’t know from the time I had spent working here, her expression soft but professional. Her badge read “Rachel,” and her scrubs were already stained from the rush to stabilize Grayson.

I croaked, my voice raw.

come with me,” she said gently. “We’ve moved him into the operating theater, and Dr. Pierce–I mean your father–is leading the surgery. It’ll be a while before we have

I whispered, shaking my head. “I

Mon, 280 2

Chapter 17

be able to help him from here,” she interrupted softly but firmly, crouching down teet my gaze. “I’m sure you already know your father is the best and has the best team working on him right

swallowed hard, her words barely registering. “He wasn’t breathing.” I murmured. “He stopped breathing. What if he

falter. “He’s in critical condition, but he’s alive right now, and that’s what we’re

mind struggling to process her words. “Can you–can you tell

can’t give you specifics yet,” she said carefully. “But from what I’ve seen, the bullet missed his heart by a narrow margin. That’s a good sign. There’s still a lot of blood loss, though, and his vitals were unstable when he came in. He’s in the

was right and I already knew all of that, trying to force

room,” she said again. “There’s

grip. She led me down the hallway even though I already knew the hospital by heart, the harsh fluorescent lights

I sank into a chair, my hands trembling as I clutched my

an update,” she promised. “But if you need

my voice barely audible.

gave me a small, reassuring nod turning to leave when I

Dr. Pierce isn’t. in today”

at the bottle of water in my hands, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts

once.

still alive. He’s

for how long?

my stomach twisting in knots. Every creak of a door or shuffle of footsteps made my head snap up anxiously, desperate for my father to

that would either

my

tiled floor. My head turned instinctively, and I froze when I saw another

but what I saw. Instead, she sighed heavily, exhaustion etched into her features, and without a word, she lowered herself onto

The silence between us was heavy, uncomfortable but familiar. Finally,

力

Mon, Jan

Chapter 174

not