The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 221

Chapter 221

-Ava’s POV-

This was a very

bad idea.

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There was no justification, no silver lining, no noble sacrifice attached to it. It was just bad.

| exhaled slowly, closing my eyes for a brief moment as | reached for my wolf making sure she was there. Before

| even got into the car that broughthere, | had made my stance clear to her-I would not tolerate her

tics or stubbornness today. If | called for her, she had better listen.

All | got in response was a sharp flicker of amusement in my head, but | knew deep down that if | truly needed

her, she would be there. At least, | was counting on it.

The restaurant was eerily empty. No tables, no chairs-just a vast open space that felt more like a stage than a

meeting place. Damien was nowhere to be seen yet, but | knew better than to relax.

Then the door creaked open, and | went rigid.

Footsteps./Steady, unhurried.

My wolf bristled instantly, a low growl vibrating through my chest. | turned sharply, expecting Damien.

But it wasn’t him.

It was Grayson.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

| wasn’t sure what to say. | wasn’t even sure why he was here. Had Damien called him, too? Or had he followed

me?

Another set of footsteps echoed through the space, and my wolf's growl turned violent this time. | tore my gaze

from Grayson just in tto see Damien stroll in from the other side, wearing that signature smile of his.

And just like that, | realized how much I had hated that smile had held so much reassurances that had helped me

stay sane over the years. | had to remind myself that every single, every single smile ever directed atwas

fake.

Just like this one was..

“The golden couple to be graceswith their presence,” He mused, spreading his arms as if he were welcoming

guests to a party, “What an honor this is.”

| opened my mouth to speak, but he raised a single hand, cuttingoff before | could even begin.

“The rules from the vault still apply here, Little Dove,” He remindedsmoothly. “Don’t speak unless | ask or

give you permission to. Istill have a target on all your friends. And your... non-friends.”

His gaze flickered to Grayson behind me, and something dark curled in his smirk.

“You know, has anyone ever told you that you frown too much?” Damien mused. “Wrinkle lines aren't a good

look. It'll ruin that picture-perfect face of yours. Why do you think | smile so much?”

“Because you're a lunatic,” | spat before | could stop myself.

Damien’s smirk sharpened, his eyes flashing with something unreadable.

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Grayson still hadn't said a word, but | felt the shift in him, the quiet, simmering tension radiating off of him in

waves. Even without his wolf, he carried that raw, commanding presence that had once been second nature to

him.

And for sreason, that realization settled something deep inside me, madefeel more reassured that we

were going to get out from whatever sick and twisted thing Danien had by bringing us here.

Not that it mattered. | pushed the thought away as quickly as it came.

| wasn’t depending on him. | didn’t need him to saveanymore.

“The tension in here is just suffocating,” Damien sighed tically, stepping back toward the door he had

cfrom, “Why don’t we clear the air a little?”

| glanced back at Grayson, but he wasn’t looking at me.

His eyes were locked on the exact spot where Damien had entered from, his expression stone-cold.

And then, with a casual ease that made my stomach twist, Damien disappeared behind the doorway.

A few seconds passed, and then he returned-this tcarrying a single chair.

He set it down in the middle of the empty space, flipped it around, and straddled it backward, resting his arms

lazily over the backrest. His eyes flicked between us, amusement glinting in their depths.

“You two are tense,” He observed, shaking his head. “Honestly, | expected a little more warmth. A little more...

chemistry. What's going on? Trouble in paradise?”

My jaw clenched.

“Don’t,” | warned.

Damien ignoredcompletely, tilting his head as he studied Grayson, “Tell me, Your Highness, do you ever stop

brooding/ long enough to actually talk to her? Because from where I'm sitting, it looks like-"

“Enough,” Grayson cut in, his voice like ice.

It was the first thing he had said since walking in, and the weight of it was enough to silence the room.

Damien arched a brow, lips curving.

Grayson stepped forward slightly, his gaze locked on Damien's. No one is in the mood for your games. Why don’t

you tell us what you want, or better yet-tell us what the next step in your grand plan is?”

And Damien-he laughed.

Low, Amused.

Like he had been waiting for that exact moment.

“Ah,” He exhaled, his smile deepening, “There it is. That lovely edge | was waiting for.”

Grayson said nothing.

| said nothing.

Damien leaned forward, resting his chin on his arms as his eyes glimmered with something dark, something

wicked.

“Alright, then, he murmured. “If we're skipping the foreplay, lets get to the good part, shall we?”

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Chapter 221

The room felt impossibly still.

Then Damien's

eyes

nicked up, straight toward the window behind us.

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And his smirk widened..

“I do have a question for you both,” He mused, tilting his head, “Why is the curse still intact? He might not have

realized it yet, but he did mark his fated mate.”

Behind me, | felt Grayson go completely still. The shift in his presence was so sudden, so sharp, that it sent a

wave of tension through my body. My teeth ground together in frustration, my hands curling into fists at my

sides.

Damien's smirk stretched wider as his eyes gleamed with realization, “Oh,” He breathed, almost delighted, “You

didn’t tell him, did you, Little Dove? About the misunderstanding surrounding your entire existence? About how

your dear sister, the one | took, was supposed to carry the essence? How she was meant to be his fated mate-

but in reality, it was you all along?”

My breath caught in my throat.

1 didn’t move.

| didn’t dare look at Grayson.

Because | didn’t want to see it.

Didn't want to see the weight of realization settle in his features, the moment it all clicked into place for him. |

didn’t want to see him takein-not as the mistake, the replacement, the miscalculation | had believed myself

to be, but as the truth That we had been right to find each other. That we had been meant to.

Damien let out a low, mocking whistle, “So many secrets between you two. It's honestly exhausting watching

you around them. | think it’s twe leveled the playing field.”

dance

His eyes flicked back to me, sharp and knowing, “You found out about your sister after he threw you out. Which

means he never told you that he already knew she existed. That he was searching for her. That he had his

precious PI sniffing around trying to track her down, believing she was the one he had been waiting for all

along.”

| felt my chest tighten.

Damien's gaze slid toward Grayson, his smirk deepening. “Of course, he failed. Couldn't find a single trace of

her.” His voice dripped with satisfaction.

| swallowed hard, forcing myself to turn toward Grayson.

“You knew?” My voice was quiet, but it carried, “You knew | had a twin sister? You thought she was your fated

mate? And didn’t tell me?”

you

For a fleeting moment, his gaze softened. Just for a second. A flicker of something raw passed through his eyes-

something close to regret.

And then, just as quickly, it was gone.

His expression hardened, his jaw tightening as he tore his gaze away fromand back to Damien, “Get to the

point.”

Damien sighed, shaking his head in disappointment, “You used to be so much more interesting, you know that?

All of you.” He leaned back lazily, stretching out his legs, “You were all just pieces on my board, and none of you

even knew it. And now?” He clicked his tongue. “Look at you. Refusing to work through your issues. Refusing to

acknowledge the truth that’s staring you right in the face.”

His eyes

found mine again, the amusement in them chilling, “But no matter. | have a proposition for you, Little Dove.”

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Chapter 221

1 stiffened.

“I know what you are,” His voice lowered, the playfulness melting into something far more dangerous, “The

product of a prophecy. The vessel of something ancient. And I've felt it. The glimpses of power inside you. The

mistake | made was trying to kill you when I should have harnessed you instead.”

The air in the room changed.

“I accept my misstep,” He admitted, “But | am offering you something now-something greater than any of the

chains they've tried to put on you. You and | together?” His lips curled. We could take the realm, With your power

and my influence, we would be unstoppable. Everyone who has ever doubted you, everyone who has ever tried

to cage you...” His gaze flickered to Grayson, “They would be nothing compared to you.”

Silence hung between us, thick and suffocating.

And then | exhaled sharply, tilting my head, “And that,” | said slowly, “was supposed to be the part that tempted

me? The part where | jump at the chance to join you?”

Damien frowned slightly.

But just as quickly as the expression appeared, it vanished-replaced by something far more calculated.

His smirk returned, smoother than before. “What if | promised you something more? What if | offered you

something more? A real family more connected to you than anyone could ever freak of being.”

My pulse stuttered.

“You and |,” Damien continued, voice almost gentle now, “We have always made a good team. You know we

have. That's not just history-it's nature.” His head tilted, “And that, my dear, is a trait | shared with both Pierce

daughters.”

Silence followed before his next words, “I believe it is tfor you to meet your sister, Little Dove.”

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