The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 233

Ava’s POV

What do you even say at your best friend's burial?

| couldn’t form the words, not because of grief, but because my brain was too preoccupied with planning the

murder of the said best friend who had putin this position in the first place.

Because of her, | was now stuck replaying the words that had completely derailed a fraction of my brain for a

whole minute.

“Congratulations, you're having twins.”

Twins.

That was another whole human being on top of the one | had just barely wrapped my head around. | had been

sure- without a doubt, without hesitation, without a single whisper of uncertainty-that there was only one baby

in there.

But then Isabella, in true Isabella fashion, had to open her mouth. She just had to throw sridiculous

comment into the universe, and somehow, as if she willed it into existence, a second baby just-appeared.

| knew, logically, that wasn’t how biology worked. But still. | was blaming her for this.

The entire car ride from the hospital had been silent. Tense. Heavy.

Now, we sat across from each other at a restaurant, untouched plates of food in front of us, the air still thick with

everything left unsaid. The restaurant itself was warm, the low hum of conversation surrounding us, but | felt

cold. My mind hadn't stopped spinning since the moment the doctor said twins.

Seven minutes.

That was how long it took before Isabella finally gathered the courage to speak.

“I didn’t put two children in you, Lilian,” She said, her voice careful, testing the waters.

| shot her a glare, gripping my fork tight enough that it might snap. “I told you not to talk to me.”

She huffed and rolled her

“Not another word.”

Yes, “Oh, con-

A beat of silence and then, “I mean, technically, the father is the one who-"

My hand smacked down on the table, loud enough that a few nearby diners turned to look. Isabella immediately

burst into laughter, completely unfazed.

| glared harder.

“I hate you,” | muttered.

“No, you don’t.” She smirked, propping her chin on her hand, “But you do owefor manifesting the second

baby into existence. | think | want naming rights.”

| picked up a sugar packet and threw it at her head. She dodged, still laughing, and I let out a small laugh,

rubbing my temples. | really shouldn't be laughing. Not when | had much bigger problems to deal with.

Grayson and | had kind of made up, but things were still far from okay. My mother had dropped a bombshell that

Damien was planning to siphon the essence out of me-which was why he was in Italy to find the only person

powerful enough to

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Chapter 233

perform the spell.

A High Priestess.

11

A woman said to have been touched by the Moon Goddess herself. A woman who was rumored to be somewhere

here.

Grayson and my mother an alliance | never thought I'd see were currently trying to track her down before

Damien did.

Meanwhile, | was told to go get checked up.

Like a routine hospital visit could possibly fix the fact that my unborn children and | were walking targets,

Grayson had, of course, overcompensated for his earlier mistake of kickingout by assigning an army of

security toand he had tripled their numbers. But deep down, | knew that if Damien wanted to strike, he

would.

And he wouldn't miss.

“Remember how we always planned on coming here together?” Isabella sighed suddenly, breakingfrom my

thoughts, “We were supposed to just exist, you know? No , no curses, no imminent death threats.”

| let out a tired breath. “I think it was Paris, actually. And if | remember correctly, you were going to ditchto

go fall in love.”

She glared, “Do you have to remember every little detail, Ava?”

I gave her a look, “Not my fault my brain is brilliant, Isabella.”

She rolled her eyes, leaning back in her chair, “Italy, Paris, whatever. The point is, why can’t we just be here for

the shopping? Or to lounge by sexpensive-ass pool, drinking fruity cocktails? Why does someone always

have to be in mortal danger?”

“If I had the answer, Bels,” | sighed, “I would be right next to you at that pool. But hey, at least you should be

excited- Rickon going to be here soon.”

She frowned, pushing her food around with her fork. “Yeah, about that...”

I raised a brow. “What?”

She hesitated, “We are kind of in a weird place right now. | know | said I liked that he is taking things more

seriously but he is TOO serious. | miss when he was trying to winover and would sendridiculous

messages informingof what he was doing each minute. He's just been... different lately. It's weird.”

| smirked. “You miss him being like Ricardo and thinking everything is a joke?”

“I miss him being Rickon and no. Ricardo is just plainly mad. By the way, have you noticed the way he has been

staring at Elaine?”

“I thought | was the only one who saw it but you have to admit, her telling everyone off was quite the moment.”

Then, glancing down at my plate, | nudged her. “We should eat. | need to be back before my father and Maria

arrive. | have to tell her about the spell. If we can figure this out, we can finally end this curse.”

Isabella didn’t answer right away. She just stared at me, her expression unreadable.

“So... things are good with you two again?”

| sighed, pushing my plate away, “They will be. | hope they will be. | just-" | ran a hand through my hair. “I just

want to be done with the chaos. With the .”

Her gaze softened, “I know.”

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Chapter 233

Silence stretched between us again, this tmore comfortable.

| wanted to believe that everything would be okay. That we would break the curse. That my children would be

safe,

But the truth was, | didn’t know.

+13

Suddenly a mind touched mine, an unwanted tug that made my wolf growl in response. It was a force | could feel

pressing against my mind-insistent, but not yet overwhelming. My instincts screamed to push the connection

away, to lock the door and pretend | hadn't felt it. But | opened the mental link anyway, because | was stubborn

and curious and, if | were being honest, because | needed to know what she wanted.

Her voice was a whisper, an echo that seemed to reverberate against the walls of my mind. | knew it before she

even spoke: Crystal.

‘Hello, sister’

| sighed inwardly, rolling my eyes, though | knew she couldn’t see me. ‘Whatever it is that you want, Crystal, get

to it.

Her laugh was light, almost mocking, and it made my blood boil. ‘So much for wanting to get to know each other.

So much hostility. It actually saddensthat my own twin sister doesn’t like me. Con, Ava, we're family. Do

you not understand the bond we share? Twins-

| cut her off, already irritated, ‘If you do not get to the point, | am closing the link.

| felt the brief pause in her thoughts, like she was weighing her options before replying. ‘Fine,” She said, her

mental presence settling abovelike a cloud, something distant but still hovering in my head, ‘Damien had a

plan when he thought | was the powerful twin. He planned to keepaway from Grayson so we would never

form the bond, and the curse would ultimately destroy him. When Grayson dies, he planned to take the throne,

with the most powerful wolf at his side. But now that that’s you, and you're too goody-two-shoes, he plans to

siphon the power back into me. By the way, way to steal my thunder, sister.”

| could feel her amusement, the way her words were coated with a kind of sick pleasure. Her casual tone only

fueled my growing frustration. | wanted to lash out, to tear the connection apart, but | had to know more. |

needed answers.

‘And you are tellingall of this because?’ My voice dripped with disdain, irritation simmering beneath the

surface.

She laughed again, that sirritating sound. ‘Because I'm currently bored and getting my nails done. | figured

I'd reach out to my darling little sister. I'm older, by the way. By ten seconds.

‘No,’ | growled, my wolf taking over for a brief moment, ‘What you are is a plain old bitch. Now get the hell out of

my head.

| made to slam the mental door on her head but stopped suddenly to confirm something, ‘Does Dylan know abou

all of this?"

| could feel the shift in her energy immediately, her amusement faltering for the first time. It was subtle, but it

was there- like a shadow falling over her, dampening her playfulness, “No, he doesn’t and you had better-

| didn’t wait for her to finish her threat. With a snarl, | slammed the mental door on her head. Hard. It wasn’t just

a simple closing-it was a forceful, final barrier that left no room for debate.

“Okay, what just happened?” Isabella’s voice broke through the storm in my mind, pullingback to reality.

| took a breath, steadying myself, and got to my feet, “It was Crystal. Con, we need to go.”

“Where?” She asked, confusion clear in her tone, but | could see the familiar spark of concern in her eyes.

| paused, letting the weight of the decision settle into my bones. It was one | knew | would regret, “There are a

lot of devil spawns walking the earth,” | said slowly, my voice dropping to a whisper, as if speaking the words

aloud would tauntwhich it probably would.

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Chapter 233

“I need to go and make a deal with the one | hate the most.”

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