The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 237

-Grayson'’s POV-

“Why did you letheat all of that Why did you letfollow when you knew that meeting her would reveal all

of this?”

Evelyn sat besidein 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 | wanted to see my mother. She said simply. “And | wasn’t in the mood to argue with you about tagging

along.”

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

“If you wanted to see her,” | 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?” | 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 | thought | had failed the Pierces-the only people who ever madefeel like myself, who | could

relate to when one of my daughters was stolen and | believed that Ava was the wrong twin. But then, | saw my

mother in her.” Her voice wavered for the first time, the edges of her carefully crafted armor beginning to crack.

“And | didn’t want my daughter to turn into my mother. Or my sister.”

| studied her for a moment, the tension in her jaw, the exhaustion in her eyes. | couldn't believe | was actually

engaging with Evelyn Pierce for the second ttoday, 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...” | 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 | thought was best for my daughter.” Her gaze dropped to

her lap, her fingers tightening slightly. “And | never stopped trying to find Crystal. | 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 | was so focused on making sure Ava didn’t turn into my mother,” She continued, “that | ended up

becoming her instead. A horrible mother, just like she was toand 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 | 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 | turned away from her, pulling out my phone instinctively. No messages, no missed calls. Nothing

urgent. Yet | 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 t| was seeing Evelyn Pierce for who she really was.

| 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 | pressed on

You might have lost Crystal the moment she was born.” | 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. Becwhether 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.

“Aren’t you supposed to be full of hate?” She asked, something almost like a smile in her tone.

| didn’t return it. Instead, leaned back against the seat, exhaling slowly, “I mer Ava Pierce”

That was all | said. That was all that needed to be said.

She didn’t respond. Neither of us spoke after that.

The silence 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 given me.

The essence has made Ava its host, and it won't leave her. But if she doesn’t learn to control it, it will eat away at

her from the inside until there is nothing left.

| had no illusions about what that meant. This wasn’t just about Ava carrying power-this was about something

alive inside her. Something dangerous. Something that, if left unchecked, would consher completely.

| turned to Evelyn, “Is there skind of manual or handbook for this? Something Ava can use to learn how to

control whatever the hell this power is?”

Evelyn gave a short, humorless laugh. “A manual?” She repeated, shaking her head. “You think there's a

guidebook for something like this?”

| didn’t answer. | just waited.

...She sighed, running a hand through her hair, “It’s not that simple. What she has inside her-it’s not like the

abilities of an

ordinary werewolf. It's not even something I fully understand. It's a force, something old, something that was

never meant to belong to her. And it’s fighting to claw its way to the surface.”

Evelyn continued, “That's the only glimpse I've seen of it like at the ball and when she broke us out of the vault. |

never had the chance to understand what the essence truly was. | never let myself learn more about it because,

for the longest time, | thought it was gone with Crystal.” Her expression darkened, and she turned away, staring

out the window. “This conversation is better had with Luther.”

“If only he would wake up,” | finished for her.

She didn’t say anything to that.

I let out a slow breath, my fingers tapping idly against my knee. At least | knew now that Damien couldn't gain

more power from Ava than he already had. That was something. That meant | could focus on the real problem-

the curse.

Finally getting my wolf had to be my main priority.

I let my gaze drift outside, watching as the headlights illuminated the road ahead. It was late, the moon hidden

behind thick clouds, the night unusually still.

Too still.

A prickle ran down my spine.

| shifted, sitting up a little straighter.

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Chapter 237

Evelyn caught the movement, her eyes narrowing slightly. “What?”

| didn’t answer immediately. Instead, | listened.

Something wasn’t right.

Then, | felt it.

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The air changed. A presence. A pressure. The kind of silence that only cbefore an ambush. The kind of

silence that meant we weren't alone.

| barely had tto react before a blur of movement shot out from the trees-fast, too fast-slamming into the

side of the car with a force that sent us careening off the road.

The driver cursed, yanking the wheel as the tires screeched against the pavement.

| caught a glimpse of glowing eyes through the shattered window before we spun, metal groaning as the car

crashed through the underbrush, coming to a violent halt.

For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of my own breathing, the sharp scent of gasoline filling my nose.

Then-another hit.

This time, the roof of the car buckled inward as something landed on top of it.

Evelyn moved first, shoving the door open and stepping out with practiced ease. She barely made it a foot away

from the car

shifted mid-stride, her body twisting, reforming, fur bursting across her skin.

before sh

A sleek, dark wolf landed where she had been standing only seconds ago, growling low in its throat. | was

already moving, my fingers curling around my gun as | stepped out onto the dirt, the cold night air biting against

my skin.

Another growl.

Then another.

Shapes moved in the darkness, eyes glowing, bodies low to the ground as they circled.

We were surrounded.

One of the wolves lunged.

I didn’t hesitate.

| fired-precise, controlled. The bullet hit its mark, slamming into the wolf's shoulder, forcing it back with a pained

snarl. But | already knew it wouldn't be enough to stop them.

Not all of them.

Evelyn was a blur of movement, tearing through the closest wolf before it could reach me. Her claws raked

across its side, sending it howling in pain before she spun, teeth snapping at another.

| adjusted my aim, stepping back as more wolves emerged from the trees.

Too many.

Another lunged. | twisted at the last second, using the weight of my body to slam the butt of my gun into its

skull. It yelped, staggering back, but another took its place almost immediately.

| fired again.

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Evelyn snarled, tearing into another wolf's throat.

But for every one that fell, more kept coming.

They weren't just attacking.

They were hunting.

And we were the prey.

A shadow moved in my periphery. Too late-I felt the impact before | saw it, the weight of a wolf slamming into

me, knocking the gun from my grip as | hit the ground hard.

Teeth snapped inches from my throat.

| twisted, driving my elbow into its ribs, using its own momentum to roll it off of me. But another was already

there, its claws raking across my arm, hot pain slicing through my skin.

| grabbed the knife strapped to my belt, plunging it into the side of the wolf's neck. It yelped, jerking away, but

the moment of relief was short-lived.

Because the moment | staggered back to my feet-

Another wolf slammed into my side, sendingcrashing into a tree. The force knocked the breath from my

lungs, my vision blurring for half a second. | barely had tto process it before something else lunged-

A massive shape, bigger than the others. Stronger.

And as | braced myself, muscles coiled, weapon ready-

A single thought registered.

This wasn’t just an ambush.

This was an execution.

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