The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 8

- Grayson’s POV-

An irritated growl left my lips as the phone went straight to voicemail again. The incompetence of people never

ceased to amaze me, especially when | needed that witch to explain what the hell was happening. | clenched my

jaw, grinding my teeth as the door to my study swung open.

Elaine stepped inside, radiating irritation. It took everything in the not to let out another growl.

Seconds passed before she spoke. “Really? You won't acknowledge my presence?”

| lifted my head from the phone to assess lar. Elaine, with her long dark hair and sharp, furious eyes, looked

pissed- nothing new. Elaine and anger went hand in hand, like rain and thunder. | sometimes wondered how we

could even be related. She wore her emotions on her sleeve, whereas | couldn't care less about much of

anything.

A bored sigh left my lips. “Elaine, what brings you here?”

“Really? That's what you're going to ask me?” she snapped, crossing her arms like a petulant child.

| stared at her blankly, my patience already wearing thin. “Considering the fact that you're being repetitive, I'm

positive you have nothing of relevance toso-

“Who the hell is she?” Elaine interrupted, and the temperature in the room dropped instantly.

The air felt heavy, thick with tension, and she took an instinctive step back. Her voice trembled when she spoke

again. “I-1 apologize. | didn’t mean to interrupt you. I'm sorry, Gray

Her head dipped, eyes lowered, and my wolf receded, satisfied with the submission. Family or not, disrespect

wasn't tolerated, and Elaine knew that all too well. She'd crossed the line before and had the scars-emotional,

not physical-to prove it

After a moment, | spoke. “Who is who?”

She swallowed hard, her previous bravado vanishing, “Liam said srandom woman is now your Luna. | don’t

understand. How can a nobody be your Luna? Where did she even cfrom?”

| rose from my chair, walking around the desk until | was closer to her. Not close enough for comfort, but enough

to make a point. Elaine, ever the fragile flower when it cto authority, took a step back

I smiled.

“And who says she’s a nobody?”

Elaine hesitated, her voice small, “L. L. she can’t be your Luna. She just can’t.

“Okay,” | replied casually.

Her head snapped up, confusion and disbelief written all over her face. “Okay? You'll send her away, right?”

“No.” 1 frowned, leaning casually against the desk. “Okay, as in I've heard your complaints, likened them to a

child’s tantrum, and decided they're irrelevant. You can leave now.”

Elaine’s eyes blazed with a mix of anger and pain. “I am not a child! How can you just bring someone in and

decide she’s your Luna? Do you know what the pack members will say? What the other Alphas will say?”

“And why should | care!” | was bored of this conversation already, but her tics were amusing. “Ava Pierce is

daughter of a powerful Alpha. By the look on your face, you recognize the Pierce name. Good”

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Chapter 8

She opened her mouth to protest, but | continued before she could get a word in “No one is above me, Elaine

Ava is my Lama, and any disrespect toward her is a direct insult to me. Do you understand?”

Her lips quivered, and for a second, she looked like she was about to cry, but she nodded quickly, biting back

whatever emotion was threatening to spill over.

“You don’t want her here because of how she looks. Am | right? | could see the truth written all over her face.

She didn’t respond, but she didn’t have to. Elaine had always prided herself on being the most beautiful woman

in any room she walked into, commanding attention, basking in the envy of others.

But Ava Ava Pierce was in a league of her own

Ava’s beauty wasn't just surface-level. It wasn’t just about her striking features or perfect figure. It was in the

way her eyes- those swirling pools of blue, sometimes shifting into darker shades-seemed to look right through

you. Her hair, dark as night, framed a face that looked sculpted by the gods themselves. And her body? Well, it

was built to make men sin

I wasn’t blind to the effect she had, but I didn’t care.

| could see it in Elaine’s eyes-the jealousy, the insecurity. Ava was a threat, and she wanted her gone.

“Ava is staying. You will accord her the respect she deserves. Besides...” | stood, walking toward Elaine. | reached

out and wiped away the tear that had slipped down her cheek. “You will always be beautiful in my eyes.”

| didn’t care about much, but Elaine was my blood. | had protected her since we were children, after everything

that happened with her parents. She was mine to protect. That didn’t mean | wanted to see her hurt, but she

needed to be reminded of her place.

Elaine sniffed, trying to pull herself together. “It’s just.. you can possibly love her.”

| raised a brow. Love? The concept was as foreign toas caring about the opinions of others. “Love has

nothing to do with

Elaine’s eyes searched mine, looking for something-anything-to grasp onto. “Then why? Why her!

| exhaled, more out of frustration than anything else. “Because | said so, Elaine. That's all the reason you need.”

She stared atfor a long moment, her jaw clenched tight, and | could see the wheels turning in her head. She

wanted to push back, to argue, but she knew better,

Finally, she nodded. “I understand.”

“Good.” | turned away from her, already done with the conversation. “You can go now!”

Elaine hesitated for a moment longer before turning and leaving the room, the door closing softly behind her.

The second she was gone. | let out a breath in appreciation of having my space back to myself. My wolf stirred

uneasily. thoughts of Ava creeping into my mind again. Her scent still clung to my senses, intoxicating and

maddening

| clenched my fists, trying to shake the thought, but it lingered.

What the hell was it about her? She was just another woman. Nothing special.

Nothing worth thinking about

| walked to the window, staring out into the dark night, trying to focus on anything but the way my body had

reacted to her earlier. | was the Alpha King. The Alphas of all Alphas. Everyone bowed to me. Control was

everything, and yet, for the first tin years. | felt something slipping.

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Chapter 8

The door opened againuddenly, and a growl ripped from my chest before | could stop it. “Elaine, | told you to-"

“Grayson”

The voice wasn’t Elaine’s, and | immediately turned, my irritation barely contained as | cface to face with

Liam, the only person that | gave an ounce of reliability.

“Is she settled in?” | asked, my voice clipped. The last thing | needed right now was another problem.

Liam’s face gave just the smallest twitch of discomfort before he hid it behind his usual humor, the mask he

wore to downplay situations. “We've got a problem.” he said carefully. “She left.”

My wolf bristled immediately, a sharp growl rumbling deep in my chest, but | forced it down. Control. Always

control. “What do you mean she left?” The words were measured, laced with the kind of danger Liam knew not

to provoke.

He shifted uneasily, his eyes darting briefly before meeting mine again. “I didn’t think it was something you

needed to be directly involved in. She wanted to see her father, so | had a driver take her. He was supposed to

bring her back, but...” He hesitated.

| narrowed my eyes. “But what?”

“She made a stop along the way,” he continued, voice taut. “There was an incident. Scasualties.”

My brow lifted slightly, but | remained silent, waiting for him to get to the point.

Liam swallowed hard. “She went to a restaurant and there was a fight.” He paused, then forced the words out in

a rush. The restaurant burned down.”

Silence fell between us like a lead weight.

My wolf surged again, snapping at the restraint | had kept him under for too long. This time, | stepped forward,

my body tense with the controlled rage simmering beneath the surface. “Where is Ava?”

“I've already sent people to look for her but no one has seen her Liam said quickly, his expression tense then his

next words made the air freeze around me