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.”

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

he kissed me.

A

Tue, 25 Feb

Chapter 232

my breath or set my skin on fire. It was soft.

enough. But it was

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a shaky breath, my hands still resting on his chest, “Do you really want this child?

exhaled, his thumb brushing over my jaw, “I know I said I didn’t want a child. And 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 faltered, but he steadied himself.

his words, trying to find the truth in his

looking for even

will spend every minute showing you how sorry I am for not trusting you

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 wasn’t a bitter laugh, nor was it full of humor. It was

back just enough to look at me, his brow furrowing.

Some dramatic, cinematic moment where everything just clicks and everything is perfect again.” I let out a breathy chuckle, shaking my head. “But this… this is just messy

exhaled through his nose, something like amusement flashing in his tired eyes, “Nothing about

moment before meeting his gaze again, “Yeah… I guess that’s true.”

us, neither of us willing to let go just yet.

don’t deserve to ask for another chance,” he murmured, his voice so low it was almost lost in the space between

swallowed hard, my fingers curling around the front of

a whisper, “I really do.

waist, “Then let me prove

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

I finally opened my eyes,

him. I mean that much was obvious. It had only been barely a month but still it felt like so

my mouth, ready to finally give him my

grand cinematic moment,” He said

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Chapter 232

off by the shift in tone “What?”

just slightly,

11

rushed in before I could stop it, my exact words coming back–Maybe my life wasn’t a story, and maybe I’d never have an epic romance, but I wanted this moment. I wanted to be the girl who met him halfway, kissed in the rain, not the one who walked

but despite myself and the situation, I smiled, “Yes,

everything pressing down on me. “So, I’d better mark you then,” I

any further, he

I could question him, the door swung

mother stepped back inside, her gaze sharp, her presence

break the curse anyway,” She said,