The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 237

-Grayson’s POV-

“Why did you let me heat all of that Why did you let me follow when you knew that meeting her would reveal all of this?”

Evelyn sat beside me in the backseat of the car, her gaze fixed out the window, watching as the leaves on the trees rustled and swayed. She had been silent since we left, her expression unreadable, but at my question, she finally exhaled, tilting her head slightly toward me.

“Because I wanted to see my mother. She said simply. “And I wasn’t in the mood to argue with you about tagging along.”

My gaze snapped to her in actual surprise. Of all the answers I had been expecting, that wasn’t one of them.

“If you wanted to see her,” I countered, “then why were you so hostile

A bitter smile crossed her lips as she finally turned to face me, “Because that’s how it has always been. Some dynamies never change. They aren’t supposed to.”

I let her words settle in the silence that followed, the weight of them pressing down between us.

“Why didn’t you ever tell Ava about any of this?” I asked eventually, “That she has another whole family outside of the Pierces?”

Evelyn let out a sharp breath, shaking her head slightly as she leaned back against the seat. “It was already hard enough that I thought I had failed the Pierces–the only people who ever made me feel like myself, who I could relate to when one of my daughters was stolen and I believed that Ava was the wrong twin. But then, I saw my mother in her.” Her voice wavered for the first time, the edges of her carefully crafted armor beginning to crack. “And I didn’t want my daughter to turn into my mother. Or my sister.”

I studied her for a moment, the tension in her jaw, the exhaustion in her eyes. I couldn’t believe I was actually engaging with Evelyn Pierce for the second time today, but there was something about the way she spoke now–less guarded, less cruel. As if, for once, she wasn’t speaking as Evelyn Pierce, the woman feared by so many, but as something else. Something more human.

“So everything you’ve done to Ava…” I started, searching her expression. “Everything you put her through… Was that all just your way of trying to stop history from repeating itself?”

She let out a humorless laugh, “I only wanted what I thought was best for my daughter.” Her gaze dropped to her lap, her fingers tightening slightly. “And I never stopped trying to find Crystal. I searched for years. But unfortunately, it’s too late. I. would be a fool to think that she will ever see herself as my daughter now.”

Her voice dropped lower. “And Ava… she hates me.”

“I guess I was so focused on making sure Ava didn’t turn into my mother,” She continued, “that I ended up becoming her instead. A horrible mother, just like she was to me and my sister.” She exhaled shakily. “Because she never acted like a mother. She was more of a playmate. There were no punishments for any of Rosa’s reckless behaviors until she eventually moved to Italy and thrust herself into a more dangerous world that could get her And I spent my entire life resenting her for it.”

The car engine roared to life, breaking the silence. The low hum of the tires against the road filled the space between us as I turned away from her, pulling out my phone instinctively. No messages, no missed calls. Nothing urgent. Yet I still hesitated before slipping it back into my pocket.

Maybe it was the exhaustion settling in, maybe it was the weight of everything we had learned today, or maybe–just maybe -it was the first time I was seeing Evelyn Pierce for who she really was.

I met her gaze again. “Maybe you should tell Ava that.”

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Chapter 237

She didn’t react at first, her expression carefully blank, but I pressed on

You might have lost Crystal the moment she was born.” I said quietly. That you still have a chance with one of your children. And maybe, while you’re at it, let your mother meet her. Became whether you like it or not, she’s still a part of Ava

Evelyn studied me, her expression unreadable. Then, finally, she let out a breath, rilting her head slightly.

hate?” She asked, something almost like

didn’t return it. Instead, leaned back against the seat,

was all that needed to

respond. Neither of us spoke after that.

stretched between us as the car moved steadily down the road, but my mind wasn’t on Evelyn anymore. It was on Raina’s words, on the warning she had

doesn’t learn to control it, it will eat away at her from the inside until there

This wasn’t just about Ava carrying power–this was about something alive inside her. Something dangerous. Something that, if

manual or handbook for this? Something

humorless laugh. “A manual?” She repeated, shaking her

didn’t answer. I just waited.

a hand through her hair, “It’s not that simple. What she has inside

that was never meant to belong to her. And it’s fighting to claw its way to

when she broke us out of the vault. I never had the chance to understand what the essence truly was. I never let myself learn more about it because, for the longest time, I thought it was gone with Crystal.” Her expression darkened, and she turned away, staring out the window. “This conversation is

he would wake up,”

anything to that.

fingers tapping idly against my knee. At least I knew now that Damien couldn’t gain more power from Ava than he already had. That was something. That meant I could focus on

had to be my

illuminated the road ahead. It

Too still.

ran down my spine.

up a little straighter.

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Chapter 237

her eyes narrowing slightly. “What?”

didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I listened.

Something wasn’t right.

I felt

84%

air changed. A presence. A pressure. The kind of silence that only came before an ambush. The kind of silence that meant we weren’t

a blur of movement shot out from the trees–fast, too fast–slamming into the side of the car with a

as the tires screeched against

of glowing eyes through the shattered window before we spun, metal groaning as the car crashed through the underbrush, coming to a violent halt.

was nothing but the sound of my own breathing, the sharp scent of gasoline filling my

Then–another hit.

the roof of the car buckled inward as something landed on top

shoving the door open and stepping out with practiced ease. She barely made

mid–stride, her body twisting, reforming,

before sh

landed where she had been standing only seconds ago, growling low in its throat. I was already moving, my fingers curling around my

Another growl.

Then another.

glowing, bodies low to the ground

We were surrounded.