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.”

caught himself just in time. Instead, he cupped my

then he kissed me.

A

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Chapter 232

of kiss that stole my breath or set my skin on fire. It was soft. Careful. A hesitant apology and a quiet plea wrapped

enough. But it was

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hands still resting on his chest, “Do you really want this child? I didn’t mean for it to happen. I

it, what it meant for us, for everything. But then at the

stared at him, trying to process his words, trying to find the truth

his face, looking for

of you, Ava. And I will spend every minute showing you how sorry I am for not trusting you in the first

me cracked 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

tears from my cheeks even as a small smile pulled at my 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

flashing in his tired eyes, “Nothing about us has ever

nodded, looking away for a moment before meeting his

stretched between us, neither of us

hesitantly, he reached out, his fingers brushing against my cheek before he cupped my face gently, “I know I don’t deserve to ask for another chance,” he murmured, his voice so low it was almost lost in the space between us. “But I need you to know

hard, my fingers curling around the front of

believe you,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper, “I really do. But I don’t know how to trust that this time will

to my waist,

inside me, but then

I finally opened my eyes, he was

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

him my answer, but before I could,

already had our grand cinematic moment,” He said

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Chapter 232

off by the

twitched, just slightly, “Remember? In the rain?”

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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 alone when

all of that happened in another lifetime but despite

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

any further, he shook his head, “No. Not

question him, the door swung open.

back inside, her gaze sharp, her presence immediately filling

going to break