The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 176

Chapter 176

-Grayson'’s POV-

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| was fifteen the first tmy father hit me. It started as outbursts of his madness, a fury that seemed to have

no direction other than me. At first, it shocked me, then it hurt, and finally, | learned to endure it. In time, my

body adjusted to the pain, and I'd hardened myself to it.

That was three years before | got my wolf.

Now, without my wolf, that old, bitter familiarity with pain was the only thing keepinggrounded. The burning

ache in my chest was excruciating, but I'd felt worse-or at least, | told myself | had.

When | blinked, the bright fluorescent light pierced my vision, makingwince. The antiseptic smell hit me

next, sharp and clinical, and | knew exactly where | was. A hospital..

The memories surged forward all at once: the text, the shouting. Ava’s panicked voice calling my name, and the

sharp explosion of pain in my chest. My hands twitched involuntarily, a grim reminder of the helplessness I'd felt

in those

moments.

| turned my head, and the first thing | saw was a curtain of dark hair resting beside me. Relief flooded me

instantly. Ava. She was okay!

“Ava.” My voice cout rough, barely audible, but it was enough to wake her.

Her head shot up, and her wide, tear-filled eyes locked onto mine. “Oh, my goddess, Grayson!” she cried,

throwing herself forward in a hug. The sudden pressure madewince, and she pulled back just as quickly. “I'm

so sorry!”

| managed a weak nod, glancing around. “I need water.”

“Of course,” she said quickly, standing up and moving to the corner of the room. She poured water into a cup

with shaky hands and brought it to me. | took it gratefully, the cool liquid sliding down my throat like salvation.

“What hospital is this?” | asked after a moment.

Her hesitation was subtle but noticeable. “It’s... my father’s hospital,” she admitted softly. “Grayson, | know

you're going to be

but I didn’t know what else to do. He was the only one | could trust to help you in time.” angry,

Luther Pierce saved my life. That was a sentence | never wanted to think about, but she wasn’t wrong. As much

as | hated the man, | knew his reputation. | had learnt from Alaric that the Pierces were blessed by the Moon

Goddess herself; if anyone could pull off a miracle, it was him.

| pushed myself into a sitting position, ignoring the dull throb in my chest. Ava rushed to steady me, her hands

hovering. “Grayson, you shouldn't sit up yet. Lie back down.”

| raised an eyebrow. “Are you playing doctor now?”

It was meant to be a joke, but she didn’t even crack a smile. That's when | saw it-the guilt written all over her

face. She thought this was her fault.

Before she could say anything, | decided to cut through her spiraling thoughts. “Ava,” | said firmly, “whoever is

behind the killings of Aphas sent and sent that message to my estate senta message just before the

shooting started. It was a warning. They said they'd make good on their threat to see the king fall.” | paused,

meeting her gaze. “It wouldn't have. mattered if we were at the carnival or locked in a bunker. They would've

found a way to cafter me. This isn’t your fault.

11:29 Tue, Jan 28

Chapter 176

Do you hear me?”

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If

Her lips trembled as she whispered, “It’s not just that, Grayson. you had your wolf, you would've healed by now.

And the reason you don’t is because of me. You're still cursed because of me. You can’t find your mate because

of-"

“Ava.”

She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

“You are not responsible for the choices | make,” | said firmly. “I chose this. Ill figure out a way to break the

curse without my mate, but you need to understand that none of this is on your

“It would be easier if-"

“Ava, stop.” My tone left no room for argument. “I don’t want to hear another word about it.”

Her lips parted like she wanted to argue, but she finally nodded, though her eyes lingered on the wound on my

chest. “It missed your heart by a fraction. If—"

“No more ‘ifs,” | let out a sigh. “Chere.”

A small smile tugged at her lips. “I'm not supposed to get on the bed. My father already threatened to kick me

out once.”

I sighed again, about to respond, when the door opened, and Luther Pierce walked in like he owned the place.

Technically, he did-it was his hospital-but his arrogant demeanor still rubbedthe wrong way.

Ava straightened immediately, her body going tense. His sharp gaze landed on me, and he tilted his head

slightly. “Of course, you're alive,” he said dryly.

At least he wasn’t pretending to care.

He stepped closer, his eyes scanningcritically. “How do you feel?”

“Fine,” | answered shortly.

He narrowed his eyes, clearly irritated by my one-word response. “Any dizziness? Difficulty breathing?”

“No.”

His jaw tightened, and he turned to Ava. His expression softened slightly, and there was a faint hint of pride in

his voice as he said, “If any complications arise, I'm sure you can handle it.”

Then his gaze flicked back to me, all traces of warmth gone. “I'm discharging you. | want you out of my hospital

immediately.”

With that, he turned to leave but paused at the door, glancing over his shoulder. “And stop dragging my

daughter into your shenanigans,” he added coldly before closing the door behind him.

For a moment, the room was silent. Then | turned to Ava, leaning backwards. “Have you ever considered the

possibility that your father might be bipolar?”

She blinked in surprise, and then she laughed. A real, genuine laugh, “At least he’s honest about hating you,”

she said, still chuckling. “He doesn’t bother pretending to want you alive or keeping you here for his image. He

must really hate you.”

I couldn’t help but smile at that. “Yeah, he’s not exactly subtle.”

11:29 Tue, Jan 28

Chapter 176

Her laughter faded, and she looked at me, her expression softening. “I'm really glad you're okay Grayson.”

I held her gaze, my voice quieter now. “Chere.”

8

This time, she didn’t argue. She moved closer, and | shifted to make room for her. She climbed onto the bed

carefully, mindful of my wound, but | didn’t care. | pulled her closer, ignoring the dull ache in my chest.

“I'm sorry,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

| rested my chin on top of her head, holding her tighter. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”

+13

Silence stretched between us but it was peaceful. She was right about the curse, about my wolf, and about how

none of this would have happened if things were different. But deep down, | knew | hadn't found a solution to the

curse because | hadn't really been trying. | had wanted to experience peace, to pretend that | could live a normal

life without the weight of my responsibilities crushing me.

This was a wake-up call.

| couldn't afford to put things off any longer. | needed to find a way to break this curse, find my wolf, and hunt

down whoever was behind the threats. If | didn’t, next time, | might not wake up in a hospital bed.

As if Ava could hear my thoughts, she broke the silence. “What if we tracked the number that text cfrom?”

Her voice was quiet at first, almost hesitant, but then she sat up straighter, determination sharpening her

features. Without waiting for my response, she got up and walked over to where my clothes were folded neatly

on a chair.

She rifled through the pile, pulling out my phone, and cback to the bed. “Here,” she said, already punching

in my password.

| blinked at her, startled. “How the hell do you know my password?”

Ava rolled her eyes. “I've seen you do it a hundred times. You're not exactly subtle when you put it in.”

| opened my mouth, a teasing remark ready at the double meaning of that last sentence but she caught on

before | could say anything.

“Don’t even try it,” she said, smacking my shoulder lightly.

| winced at the sting, but a small smile tugged at my lips anyway. | took it, the screen already glowing in my

hand. My fingers hovered over the messages icon then | opened the messagingand scrolled to the text.

But the moment the message loaded, the screen flickered. A strange, static-like noise buzzed faintly from the

phone. The message was there for a brief second-just enough for us to make out a few words-but then it

disappeared, leaving nothing but a blank screen in its place.

“What the hell?” Ava said, leaning closer to look at the phone.

“I don’t know,” | muttered, pressing the screen again, trying to refresh the app. It didn’t help.

Before | could try anything else, a new notification popped up. My phone vibrated in my hand, and the static

noise grew louder.

Ava’s eyes widened. “Grayson... what's happening?”

| stared at the phone, the words on the screen clear and deliberate:

11:29 Tue, Jan 28 o

Chapter 176

‘The Queen Is Next.

Then, the screen went black.

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