The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

inches from my throat.

His eyes burned into mine, wild and untamed then his weight shifted just enough forto move, and I took the

chance. | drove my elbow into his side, throwing my full strength behind it. He grunted, momentarily losing

balance, and | used that second to roll out from under him. My fingers stretched toward my gun, but he was

faster.

Claws raked down my back. Fire-hot pain flared as my shirt tore open, blood welling up instantly. | gritted my

teeth, ignoring it, and went for the gun again. Liam growled and lunged.

| grabbed the weapon and fired.

The bullet slammed into his side.

He yelped, staggering back, but it wasn’t enough to stop him. He shook himself, his breathing heavy but still

steady, his muscles rippling beneath his thick black fur.

| pushed myself up, my back screaming in protest, my leg barely holding my weight.

He catagain.

This time, | wasn’t fast enough.

His jaws closed around my forearm, the pressure bone-crushing, pain ripping throughlike a white-hot blade.

| roared in pain but didn’t let go of my gun. | twisted my body, using the momentum to drive my knee into his

stomach. It was like hitting a brick wall, but it was enough to make him loosen his grip just slightly.

| ripped my arm free, blood splattering across the floor.

Liam growled, his massive form crouching low, readying for the next attack. His chest heaved, his golden eyes

locked ontowith pure, deadly intent. He wasn’t holding back. He wasn’t playing.

He wanteddead.

| tightened my grip on the gun, knowing | only had a few shots left.

I had to make them count.

But Liam wasn’t going to givethe chance.

He lunged again, and | barely managed to duck, his claws slicing through the air just inches from my face. My

heartbea thundered in my ears, my breath coming fast and shallow. My entire body screamed in pain-the bite in

my leg, the burning gashes on my back, the throbbing ache in my arm where his teeth had nearly shattered

bone-but | couldn't stop.

| wouldn't survive if | stopped.

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Chapter 244

60 *

He was relentless, circlingwith measured steps, his claws clicking against the concrete floor, his lips curled in

a smart Blood oozed from the bullet wound in his side, staining his black for, but he barely seemed to notice. If

anything, the injury only seemed to enrage him further.

| tightened my grip on the gun, forcing my shaking fingers to stay steady. Three shots left. | had to make them

count.

Liam lunged again, fast and vicious. | sidestepped, barely avoiding his snapping jaws, and fired. The bullet tore

through his shoulder, but he didn’t slow down. He twisted mid-air, landing on all fours with terrifying agility.

Before | could take another shot, he was already coming atagain.

| threw myself backward, my wounded leg nearly giving out beneath me, but | stayed on my feet. My back hit

the cold concrete wall, trapping me. Liam saw the opening and took it.

His body slammed into mine with full force.

| felt the impact in my ribs, a sharp crack that sent agony shooting through my chest. My head smacked against

the wall, a dizzying wave of nausea flooding my senses. The gun slipped from my fingers, clattering to the floor. |

reached for it, but Liam was faster. His massive paw crashed down on my wrist, pinningin place.

His breath was hot against my face, his golden eyes burning with something feral and merciless.

| braced myself.

Liam's jaws snapped toward my throat.

With the last of my strength, | twisted my body, just barely avoiding the killing blow. His teeth sank into my

shoulder instead, tearing through flesh like paper. A scream ripped from my throat, raw and guttural. My vision

blurred with the sheer intensity of the pain, but | forced myself to move.

My free hand reached blindly for the gun, my fingers brushing the cold metal just as Liam released my shoulder

and reared back, ready for the final strike.

| seized the weapon, fingers slick with my own blood, and fired.

The bullet struck him square in the chest.

He let out a snarl of pain, staggering back, but he didn’t go down. His breathing was ragged now, his stance

unsteady, but he was still standing. Still fighting.

I had one shot left.

Liam lowered his head, his muscles bunching, his golden eyes flashing with a final, deadly determination.

This was it.

| lifted the gun, aiming for his head, knowing | had no choice. My hand trembled. My pulse pounded in my ears.

Liam lunged.

And then-

“You fucking bastard!”

A gunshot rang out.

Liam jerked violently, his body twisting mid-air, his snarl turning into a howl of agony.

1 didn’t fire that shot.

08:43 Mon, 3 Mar

Chapter 244

Another one followed

And another.

Liam collapsed onto the ground, his body shuddering from the impact of each butler. His growls nurnent into

pained whimpers, his massive form twitching.

My gaze snapped to the source.

Elaine stood a few feet away, her breath ragged, her hand gripping a smoking gum. Her expression was pure

fury, her dark eyes locked onto Liam's form. Blood spattered her clothes-sof it hit, sof it hers-but she

didn’t seem to care

Our eyes met.

“Go find Ava.” She said, her voice steel. “I've got this.”

| hesitated for half a second but more than anyone, the fight with Liam was ours so | pushed past the pain, past

the exhaustion threatening to pullunder, and moved.

Every step felt like fire. My leg throbbed, my shoulder burned, and my lungs screamed for air, but | didn’t stop. |

couldn’t. The only thing that mattered was getting to Ava. The sounds of distant gunfire and echoing footsteps

blurred into the background as | stumbled forward, gripping the gun tightly in my blood-slicked fingers.

Somewhere behind me, Elaine’s voice cut through the haze, “You're going to pay for everything you did to me.”

A gunshot followed. Loud. Final.

I didn’t look back.

| kept going.

Then, just as | neared the open space ahead, | felt Ava followed by Crystal's irritating voice, “I wouldn't do that if

| were you.”

| didn’t stop moving, didn’t even hesitate, though my grip on the gun tightened. Her voice slithered through the

air, smug and dripping with malice, but I didn’t waste tresponding. | was close. Almost there.

Then | heard Ava.

“Just let him go. Your problem is with me, not him.”

Her voice was steady, but | knew her well enough to hear the fear buried beneath it.

Crystal let out a short, humorless laugh, “And that is where you're wrong.”

I moved faster, ignoring the sharp jolt of pain every tmy foot hit the ground. The space ahead was opening

up now, and | could make out the silhouettes in the dim light. Ava. Crystal. Luther.

“My problem is with every single one of you.” Crystal's voice was sharper now, venom curling around each word,

“And once | make you watch as I kill him, you're next.”

| was nearly there. Close enough to see the glint of the knife in her hand, the way Ava’s breath hitched.

Crystal tilted her head, considering. Then she hummed, low and thoughtful.

“Or better still,” She mused, eyes gleaming, “I just kill you both at the exact stime.”

“What?” Ava’s voice barely registered because at that exact moment, everything happened at once as | reached.

My eyes for sreason found it immediately and locked onto the arrow first.

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08:43 Mon, 3 Mar M

Chapter 244

Aimed directly at her.

Just like before.

At the stime, | saw Crystal's knife plunging downward, straight for Luther's chest.

Ava moved, her scream tearing through the air, but | didn’t think-I ran.

Faster than my body should have allowed, faster than the pain should have let me.

The arrow fired.

The knife sank into flesh.

And | threw myself right at her.

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