The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 193

Chapter 193

-Ava’s POV-

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The silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating. Eighteen long seconds passed before Monica finally broke it with a sigh, her gaze shifting from Isabella to me. Her eyes flickered down to my stomach, and she spoke, her tone surprisingly soft. “I guess congratulations are in order?”

The words caught me off guard–not just their content but the sincerity in her voice. I blinked, stunned, unable to respond for a moment.

Isabella, however, didn’t miss a beat. “I know you have an obsession with Lilian,” she shot back, her voice sharp as a blade, “but following her here? That’s just another level of crazy, even for you.”

Monica’s irritated expression hardened as she turned her attention to Isabella. “Do you always have to be so aggressive?”

“Do you always have to be a bitch?” Isabella snapped.

I opened my mouth to intervene, to put an end to the back–and–forth before it escalated, but I just couldn’t summon the strength. Whatever Monica was here for, whatever plan or scheme she had in mind, I didn’t have the energy for it. “I have to get back to the food truck,” I said instead, turning to leave.

“Oh no, you don’t,” Isabella said quickly, stepping forward to block my path. “We’re not done talking, and we’re definitely not done discussing the fact that you’re-” she waved a hand vaguely toward my stomach, “with child.”

Eliza, still chewing on a muffin she’d somehow procured, chimed in, “Saying ‘with child‘ is just plain weird.”

Isabella turned to glare at her. “When did you take that from me, and why are you eating it?”

Eliza shrugged, completely unfazed. “Because you dragged me from work all the way here. You’re lucky Grayson-” The air seemed to crackle the moment his name slipped out. The tension in the space tightened like a coiled spring. Eliza stopped mid–sentence, her face turning pale as she looked at me apologetically. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s fine,” I cut her off quickly, though my voice wavered. I forced myself to take a steadying breath, then turned to Isabella “I really am sorry, but I can’t do this right now. I promise I’ll call you once I’m done with the day. Please, I just can’t handle all of this right now.”

Isabella opened her mouth, probably to argue, but then she stopped. Her jaw tightened, but she nodded reluctantly.

I turned to Eliza, gave her a small nod, and began walking away.

“Excuse me?” Monica’s voice called after me.

“Can you not see that we’re ignoring you?” Isabella said, spinning on her heel to face her. “We’re pretending like you don’t exist.”

I heard Monica click her tongue, then she spoke again, her voice softer. “I need your help with something, Ava.”

my tracks. I didn’t turn around, though, not yet.

she was trying to get them all out before Isabella could cut her off. “I really didn’t. I know I’ve done some terrible

understatement,” Isabella interjected, crossing her arms. “I made a list. Do you want me to read it

Chapter 193

finally turned back to face them, my eyes narrowing at Monica, “You need my help?”

you cannot seriously be considering helping her with whatever this is. This is probably a scheme from The Threesome of Evil. Or wait–what did

Threesome Alliance of Doom,” Eliza supplied, stuffing the last bit of

downright betrayed. “You didn’t even save me

two of them. Monica sighed and stepped closer to me, her voice low so only I could hear,

name. It had been so long since I let myself think about him, since I’d even spoken his name aloud I had locked all of it–him, the pain, the heartbreak–into a box and shoved it into the deepest recesses of my

my head firmly. “That’s

“Ava, please-”

“It’s not

back to the food truck. The line had grown longer

guilt gnawing at me. “I’m really sorry about earlier. Isabella is just…” I trailed off, not

follow you to the ends of the earth, no

would follow me to the depths of the earth. That is

truck became my sanctuary, a place where I could shove everything–Grayson, my mother, and Monica’s bizarre arrival–to the back of my mind. I focused on each customer, each order, each second that passed, ignoring the gnawing ache inside me.

practiced ease beside me, but I could feel her curious glances. Not until the rush finally died down, and the last customer walked away with a smile and a bag of food.

deep breath, hoping it would cleanse

me before her scent did. My eyes snapped up,

away.

aloud, dragging my hand down my face. How did they find me? First Isabella then Monica, now her. What part of leave me alone did no

ready to walk away, when she

sharp, cutting through the quiet. “It is time for you to stop whatever this thing you’re doing and come back

Permitted

permitted me to be angry?” My voice dripped with disbelief. “Permitted me?”

Chapter 198

one out of line. “I didn’t come here to be on the

bitterly, hollowly, “You’ve suddenly found the urge to be maternal? Don’t make me laugh.” I shook my head, my voice sharpening with every word. “I told you I didn’t want you in my life anymore. Don’t make me get a restraining order, mother”

just for a moment, before she let out another

interrupted, shaking my head again. “You

Tired of the pain that consumed me, the ache that I couldn’t escape no matter how hard I tried. I

was to be left alone. To not have my wounds ripped open every time someone dragged me back into the chaos I’d been trying

said, my voice softening. “Just leave

listen, but before I could

“Lilian!”

clenching my fists.