The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 232

*Ava’s POV

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1 blinked at him, my mind scrambling to make sense of his words. Had I heard him right? My lips parted, ready to speak but before I could, he stepped back, putting space between us.

“And the disbelief,” He murmured, “the fact that you don’t know if you heard me right, or if you can even believe I’d say that.. that’s exactly why we can’t end, Ava”

His chest rose and fell as he closed his eyes, his jaw tightening. He stood there, unmoving, silent, and the seconds stretched unbearably. When he finally opened his eyes again, they were filled with something raw, something I wasn’t sure I was ready to face.

“The realm finding out I didn’t have my wolf felt like an attack,” He admitted, voice thick with emotion, “And I didn’t handle it well. Then immediately after, I saw all those messages, and I just didn’t. I didn’t think past my anger. And you suffered for it.” He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “I am sorry. I am so sorry, Ava. And these past weeks… I’ve been miserable without you, 1”

His eyes fluttered shut again, his whole body tense as if the words hurt to say.

I didn’t wait for him to finish.

I closed the distance between us, pressing myself against him, my arms winding around his waist, holding on, “We can’t keep doing this,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “Please.”

His hands hesitated before settling on my back, pulling me closer, tucking me against his chest like he was afraid I’d slip away, “I know,”

I squeezed my eyes shut, breathing him in. The scent of him, the warmth, the familiarity—it hurt.

“I’m still so mad at you,” I murmured.

“I know.”

“I don’t forgive you yet.”

A soft kiss landed on the top of my head, his arms tightening around me. “I know.”

We stood there for a long time, wrapped in silence, neither of us willing to let go. The storm of everything that had happened still loomed over us, but for the first time in weeks, I could breathe.

“I don’t want to be done with you,” I finally whispered, my voice so small, so fragile, “I can’t be done with you.”

His grip on me tightened. “I know.”

I let out a choked laugh, tears slipping down my cheeks as I pulled back just enough to glare up at him, “Stop saying ‘I

know.“”

A small, tired smile tugged at his lips, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“You can’t hurt me like that again,” I continued, my voice trembling with barely contained emotion, “You can’t do that to me ever again. And if you say ‘I know‘ one more time, I swear to the goddess, I will punch you.”

through the storm in his eyes, but he caught himself just in time. Instead,

he kissed me.

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Chapter 232

my breath or set my skin on fire. It was soft. Careful. A hesitant

But it was something.

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chest, “Do you really want this child? I didn’t mean for it to happen. I started taking birth control pills

when Elaine told me, I still didn’t know if I wanted this child. I didn’t know what to do with it, what it meant for us, for everything. But then at the hospital, when I thought I might have lost you-” His voice

words, trying to

you sure?” I whispered, searching his face, looking for even the

hands tightened around me, warm and grounding. “I want both of you, Ava. And I will spend every minute showing you

at his words. The weight of everything–the pain, the betrayals, the longing, the love–pressed down on me all at once, and to my own surprise, I laughed. It

pulled back just enough to look at me, his

lips. “It’s just… I always thought us making up would be this grand moment, you know? Some dramatic, cinematic moment where everything just clicks and everything is perfect again.”

through his nose, something like amusement flashing in his tired eyes, “Nothing about us has ever been simple,

for a moment before meeting his

between us, neither of

murmured, his voice so

hard, my fingers curling around the front of his shirt.

a whisper, “I really

his hands sliding down to my waist, “Then let

closed my eyes for a moment, trying to calm the storm inside me, but then I felt

I finally opened my eyes, he was watching me–waiting, hoping.

despite everything, despite the anger, the pain, the betrayal…. I still loved him. I mean that much was obvious. It had only been

to finally give him my answer, but before I could, he

grand cinematic moment,” He said

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Chapter 232

the shift

just slightly, “Remember? In

11

my life wasn’t a story, and maybe I’d never have an epic romance, but I wanted this moment.

that happened in another lifetime but despite myself

down on me. “So, I’d better mark you then,” I murmured, shifting closer, my fingers brushing against

any further, he shook his head,

could question him, the door

gaze sharp, her

to break