The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 222

-Grayson'’s POV-

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The moment Damien’s words left his mouth, the world aroundseemed to tilt, as if the very foundation

beneath my feet had cracked open.

“He might not have realized it yet, but he did mark his fated mage.”

I didn’t move. I didn’t breathe.

Ava.

Not her sister. Not sstranger | had convinced myself to search for, Not sfaceless figure of prophecy,

meant to shape the fate of this war.

It was her.

| stared at her, watching the way her body went rigid, the way her shoulders locked like she was bracing for

impact. Like she was preparing for a blow that hadn't even landed yet-but she already felt it coming.

And then | turned to Damien.

The bastard.

There was satisfaction in his expression, a gleam in his dark eyes that made my blood burn. He had known this

whole time. Every smug glance, every cryptic word-it had all been leading to this moment.

And | had been blind.

The realization hitlike a punch to the gut, knocking the air from my lungs.

Ava was my

fated mate.

And | had cast her out. | had shattered her.

A bitter taste filled my mouth, something sharp and self-destructive curling in my gut. | wanted to lash out. |

wanted to take Damien apart piece by piece, but | forced myself to stay still, to keep my breathing steady, to not

let him see how deeply he had just sunk his claws into my mind.

Damien tilted his head, watching us like a man who had just played his final, winning move. Then he spoke

again, his voice smooth, dripping with cruel amusement.

“I believe it is tfor you to meet your sister, Little Dove.”

The world seemed to stop.

| watched the color drain from Ava’s face. | saw something flicker in her eyes-something raw, something

vulnerable.

| knew that look. I had seen it before. Right before | had thrown her out. Right before | had ripped her apart with

my rejection.

And Damien had seen it too. He smiled like a predator, like a man who knew exactly how deep he was cutting

into her.

“She is right here in Italy with me,” He continued casually, as if he wasn’t unraveling everything she thought she

knew about her own existence, “In fact, | asked her to be on standby. All you have to do is say yes, and I'll have

her brought in. I will introduce you. She’s been eager to reveal herself, so... two birds with one stone, right?”

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Chapter 222

He said the last part like it was sprivate joke that only he understood, his smirk widening.

A silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating.

Then Ava spoke.

“What happens if | say yes?”

Her voice was quiet, but steady.

| turned to her sharply, surprise flashing through ine.

Damien’s grin deepened, his amusement growing. He had been waitin

for this.

“Well,” He mused, tilting his head like he was considering his answer, “if our reign is going to hold, there are

certain people who cannot be allowed to live.”

His eyes slid toward me.

Then, like a man listing off things on a shopping list, he continued, “Your parents, of course. Can't have them

interfering. Perhaps I'll consider sparing the cousin, she'll likely self-destruct anyway.” He gave a mockingly

thoughtful shrug. “And Rickon. The Ricardo can’t be in the picture either. Loose ends are dangerous, you see.”

Ava’s voice was softer this twhen she asked, “And Isabella?”

Damien merely shrugged again. “As long as her existence doesn’t get in our way.”

| looked at Ava, waiting, hoping to see sflicker of resistance in her expression.

But she didn’t react-not in the way | had expected.

Instead, she took a slow breath, tilting her chin up slightly, her fingers curling at her sides.

“And what's your plan, Damien?” She asked, “How do you expect this to play out? How do you plan on taking the

throne?”

Damien exhaled a small laugh.

And then he looked at me.

“Oh, he’s going to die anyway,” He said smoothly, “So I might as well say it.”

He turned back to Ava, taking his time, like he was savoring

very second of this.

“Everything | have been doing these past months has led to this. The realm is already crumbling. The packs of

those Alphas I killed? I've been uniting them. | have more than an army, Little Dove.”

His eyes gleamed with something dark and triumphant.

“I have them,” He continued. “Their warriors, their heirs, their entire bloodlines. And do you know what happens

when people lose their Alphas, Ava? They look for a new leader. They look for someone stronger. Someone who

can promise them vengeance, power, a future. And that’s exactly what I've been giving them.”

He let the words settle, watching her.

Ava didn’t move.

“So you see,” He went on, his voice dropping into something dangerously soft, “I don’t have to take the throne, |

only need to let them give it to me.”

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Chapter 222

Silence.

And then Ava spoke again.

“What about the high ranking members of the realm,” She asked

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Damien scoffed, What about them? Half of them are already under my influence. The others... well, let's just say

that loyalty is a fickle thing when power is on the table.”

Ava nodded slowly, as if absorbing every word.

“And the other Alphas?”

Damien smiled. “A divided kingdom is a weak kingdom, Little Dove. They will bow, or they will burn.”

| clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms.

Damien was methodical. Precise. Ruthless. He wasn’t just spower-hungry madman. He had a plan-one that

had been unfolding right under our noses.

And Ava... Ava was standing there, listening to it all, as if she were actually considering it.

| studied her, my heart pounding.

| didn’t know what she was thinking.

I didn’t know if she was trying to play him, or if, deep down, a part of her was truly weighing the offer.

Damien leaned forward slightly. “You're smart, Little Dove. You know how this ends. You've seen what happens to

those who stand in my way,” His voice softened, almost coaxing. “Why fight the inevitable?”

Ava exhaled slowly.

And then, at last, she met my gaze.

| held my breath.

Because in that moment, | wasn’t sure what she was going to say

The tension in the air was suffocating, like a storm brewing on the horizon then she said,

kay

| didn’t even have tto process her words before she started moving, stepping toward Damien with a

determination | had never seen in her before. My breath caught in my throat as she continued, “If I'm to protect

my child... then | need to be on the winning team, don’t I?”

| opened my mouth to say something-anything-to stop her, but the words died in my throat. She was right. |

could see it in her eyes, the weight of her decision sinking in.

And then, before I could react, she moved.

Her hand whipped to the side, fast as lightning. | didn’t see the knife until it was already in her grasp, gleaming

under the dim light then she aimed it at Damien's throat.

Everything happened so quickly.

Damien's eyes darkened, blackness crawling across the irises, a snarl twisting his lips. But he wasn’t caught off

guard. He was always three steps ahead. As Ava lunged, her grip tight on the knife, Damien's hands shot out,

faster than | could blink. He grabbed the blade, yanking it backwards with terrifying strength

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Chapter 222

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I saw the look in Ava’s eyes as the knife was ripped from her grasp, the shock, the fury, the betrayal. And then,

before | could reach her, her legs gave out. Her body collapsed towards the ground.

| caught her just in time, my arms wrapping around her as | steadied her, heart racing in my chest.

But Damien wasn’t done.

His eyes-now fully black-locked on me, a guttural growl vibrating from his chest. His hand twitched as if he were

ready to rip my head off in a single motion. But before he could make a move, another voice cut through the

tension, smooth and laced with mockery.

“| told you she’s so predictable.”

The voice was a soft, taunting melody, but it held an unmistakable edge. My eyes darted to the source, and | felt

the blood in my veins turn cold.

The sound of clinking heels echoed through the room, each step slow, deliberate, like a countdown ticking

toward something catastrophic.

And then, as if the air itself had shifted, the woman stepped into view.

Ava froze in my arms as our eyes met, both of us instinctively tensing. Dark hair cascaded around her shoulders,

framing a face that suddenly looked so familiar even though she was but as | was sure Ava was thinking right

now, none of us had recognized the familiarity before this.

Her eyes, sharp and unblinking, locked onto Ava’s with an intensity that made the air between them crackle.

Ava'’s breath caught in her throat. | could feel her body stiffen in my arms, her muscles taut with shock.

And then she spoke again, her voice soft but lethal, “I guess it's tfor a proper introduction.”

A smile curled on her lips, dark and dangerous, as her eyes focused entirely on Ava.

“Hello, sister.”

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