The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 178

Chapter 178

-Ava’s POV-

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I adjusted the strap of my dress, checking myself in the mirror one last time before I turned away and headed towards the grand hall. Everything had happened so fast, and this was the first time I would be attending an entire pack meeting since I had come here. I’d been here for a while now, but it still felt so intimidating.

Grayson was king, and as such, he had the largest pack in the realm. Though not everyone lived on his estate, pack meetings meant everyone would be present. And that meant they would all be staring at me.

I forced myself to take a calming breath, steadying myself. A part of me felt like I could never truly belong here, but I had to try. I had to make myself believe that I could, that this wasn’t some dream I would wake up from. But the nerves twisted in my stomach like a knot that wouldn’t loosen.

“Are you ready, Ava?” Grayson’s voice came from the other room calm and even, as if nothing could shake him. His words echoed in my mind for a moment, grounding me.

It was almost time.

This was happening.

I opened the door, and there he was–standing by the large, wooden table with its polished surface gleaming under the soft light of the chandeliers. He had changed into another one of his perfectly tailored suits, the dark fabric hugging his frame just right, making him look even more… perfect. As if it was possible for him to look more perfect than he already did.

Grayson walked towards me, his movements fluid and effortless, and before I could even think of anything to say, he pulled me into him. His lips pressed against mine in a soft kiss, tender yet commanding, and for a brief moment, everything else faded away. When he pulled back, his eyes held mine, “You look beautiful.”

I felt my heart flutter at his words, but before I could respond, he glanced at my eyes, his gaze narrowing slightly as though something caught his attention. “Do you have any idea why the colors of your eyes swirl and change?”

I blinked at him, surprised by the question. I had never really thought much about it, had never questioned it. “It’s always been that way,” I said quietly. “Since I was born.”

“That was the first thing

help but replay that first meeting in my mind. It felt like decades ago, not just a few months. So much had happened, and yet here we were, standing in his

he linked his fingers with mine. “It’s time,” he said

had tried to carve out for myself, separate from this, had already been swallowed by the beast

to the meeting room. I could hear the low murmur of voices from within, the pack members no doubt already gathering.

you’re going to say to them?” I asked. The question was more for myself than

Wed, Jan

Chapter 178

reassurance, even if I

+23)

always. “I’ll tell them the truth and it is something I should have done right from the moment this startel. That things are changing. That war is upon us

You are going to make them scared and

know but everyone needs to know and I need to stop pretending like this isn’t above anything I

it.”

Is Next?

warning signal, but I quickly shoved them down, forcing myself to focus on the present. Grayson had sensed it. I could tell because he stopped in his tracks and turned

do, they’re going

quiet rage that had been there when we first met and the fear I had felt moments before, the tightness in my chest,

need me to say anything. We continued walking and we reached the entrance, a thousand eyes turned toward us. A thousand pairs of gaze–some curious, some respectful, and others unreadable–focused on us with

Gray

any gathering; this was the core of Grayson’s world, the heartbeat

divided into sections, with each part clearly designated according to rank. At the back,

to where a couple of men were seated and I could

greeting or

of the hall, where the highest–ranking members sat, I saw the two chairs that had been prepared for us. One was larger than the other, a throne–like chair that radiated power and authority. Grayson nodded at me, silently instructing me to take the smaller

of it. He didn’t want me to feel like I was a mere spectator, but a partner in this world. Without saying a word, I obeyed him, sitting down in the chair that had been set aside for me.

The weight of the silence pressed on us all, the anticipation thick in the air. Every eye in the hall was on Grayson, waiting for him to speak, to give them the direction they needed. The power of his presence was undeniable, and it was in that moment that I realized just how