The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 276

-Ava's POV-

Grayson.

It was Grayson.

The massive blur of fur, the weight that had slammed into Dylan-it was him.

I could barely process it. My heart pounded so hard it hurt, my body frozen where Dylan had just almost killed me. Everything around me was chaos. The ship rocked beneath me, the wind howled, and the ocean crashed against the sides.

And then-

Footsteps. Heavy. Rushed.

Men poured onto the deck from both sides, their movements sharp, purposeful. I hadn't even thought about it-if there had been anyone else on the ship-not with everything happening. But Dylan's wolves were here.

A deep growl rumbled from somewhere ahead, then another, and another. My breath caught. The scent of wolves filled the air, thick and suffocating. My body tensed on instinct.

I tried to move, tried to think, but I was still reeling-Grayson and Dylan fighting, the fear clinging to my skin, the exhaustion dragging me down like dead weight. My limbs wouldn't cooperate, my mind struggling to keep up-

Then suddenly-a hand grabbed me.

I screamed.

My body jerked back, my pulse exploding in my ears. My hands scrambled against the slick deck, ready to fight, to claw, to do anything to get away.

"Ava! It's me!"

Rickon's voice.

I blinked, breath still coming in sharp, uneven gasps. My eyes locked onto his, the icy blue of them grounding me for just a second. He was crouched beside me, his hand still gripping mine, his expression tight with urgency.

I shook my head, trying to clear the panic, but my body wouldn't stop trembling. Everything was happening too fast, too loud-

"Come on," Rickon urged. "We have to move."

I nodded-shaky, unsteady-but I pushed against the deck, trying to make it easier

for him to pull me up. My legs wobbled beneath me, my grip on his hand tightening as the world around me spun.

More growls. More movement. Dylan's wolves were closing in. Men were firing at them.

And Grayson-Grayson was still fighting.

fingers tightening around Rickon's as I forced my body to

"Grayson-"

the powerboat. He's going to be fine, so what I need you to do is stop looking

"But

snapped, pulling me

91%

rolling sound that shook the very air. Lightning streaked across the sky, lighting up the chaos-dark figures moving, wolves snarling, bodies crashing against the deck. The ocean churned violently beneath

to focus on Rickon's grip dragging me forward. But even as I fought to keep my gaze ahead, I could feel it-Grayson was winning. Every time I glanced back, even for

that sliver of relief that kept me moving forward, pushing through the storm. The wind whipped against

were almost at the

rope still tied, bobbing wildly

below.

Then-

A gunshot fired.

crack split the air, so close I felt it

searing-ripping into my

knees buckled and I

me. My breath came in ragged gasps, my hands pressing against my side-warm,

but his voice

It missed.

We both turned-

Crystal.

few feet away, her soaked hair plastered to her face, her eyes wild with fury. She gripped the gun tightly, her hands

had it with

every line. He didn't hesitate. He grabbed me, hauling me into his arms, lifting me like I weighed

against the pain-but then

then it was fading. My breath caught as I looked down, watching in shock as my skin knitted itself

ever healed in my

tightened around me for a second, his breath hitching but there was no time

Another gunshot fired.

as the bullet tore

had time to scream before

He fell

Straight into the water

lunged forward, my arm outstretched, fingers barely brushing his before

"No-no, no, no-

me, the rain pounding, against my skin. My heart

time to process

I scrambled behind a stack of wooden crates near the ship's railing, My breath came fast and sharp, my fingers pressing against the cold, rain-slick surface. The ship groaned beneath me, tilting, sharply as

the

fighting wolves lost their footing, I could barely see through the rain and darkness, but the moment stretched, slow and terrible. Dylan's wolves-some still in human form, others fully shifted- slipped over the