The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 188

Chapter 188

-Ava’s POV

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Isabella once called what was happening between Grayson anda story. A story that had been told countless

times before, but maybe ours, with the constant ups and downs and endless back-and-forths, was just a little

longer. Maybe a little more

tedious.

And | would know because | was the one living it.

So, what was happening right now? It was that inevitable breakup part-the one where we separate, realize we're

meant for each other, and cback together for the happily ever after.

But a few things didn’t match the usual rhythm of the tales told and written.

Like how Grayson and I, no matter what the world wanted or what destiny had in mind, weren't meant for each

other.

How it was over between us, and absolutely nothing would bring us back together.

And how this most definitely wasn’t a story.

“This cin for you today,” My mother’s voice cut through the stillness, makingslowly raise my head. My

eyes landed on the envelope in her hand before | looked back down at my clasped hands, saying nothing.

“I read it.”

Of course, she did. Like she read everything that chere when | lived under her roof, making sure only the

things she deemed acceptable made it into my hands.

“Dr. Griffin fired you.”

‘Well, that makes writing my resignation letter easier,’ | thought to myself but didn’t say it. Just like | hadn't said

a single word for two days. Ever since | cried in her arms. Ever since | collapsed into this couch. Ever since my

entire world imploded. | hadn't eaten. | hadn't moved. | was simply...here. Existing.

Well, I did move once yesterday. The nausea had crept up on me, and I'd barely made it to the bathroom before

vomiting everything I'd barely eaten the day before.

“Ava.”

Her voice broughtback to the present. Slowly, | forced myself to look at her. But the moment of softness |

thought might remain was gone. Instead, | saw that look. The one I'd grown up with. The Evelyn Pierce look.

Cold. Calculating.

| let out a soft laugh. It was kind of catchy. The Evelyn Pierce look.

“Ava,” She snapped again.

| blinked, forcing myself to focus on her-or at least try to. Maybe this wasn’t real. Maybe I'd wake up and...

What is that nauseating smell?

“Ava Lilian Pierce!”

Her sharp tone joltedfully into reality. Every fragmented thought vanished. The smell disappeared. And the

pain ccrashing back, sharper than before.

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Chapter 188

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“I'm sorry | got fired,” | whispered finally, though the words barely felt like my own. My voice sounded foreign,

hollow, as if it belonged to someone else entirely.

She let out an annoyed sigh, tossing the envelope to the side. Then, with a calculating air, she sat down across

from me. “It wasn’t even that good of a hospital anyway,” She said, her tone dismissive as always.

| didn’t argue. What was the point? Why bother telling her that | loved working there? That it wasn’t “just” a

hospital. It was where I'd seen the first glimpses of Grayson’s humanity-the day he saved Mikayla’s mother

instead of focusing on his own needs.

But none of that mattered now. None of it. Because my life was a disaster and someone was trying to kill me.

| giggled bitterly at the thought. Someone was trying to kill me, and here | was, fired, alone, and utterly useless.

Grayson hadn't even let the guards cwith me. He'd dismissedso thoroughly, so completely, that he

didn’t even care about the threat hanging over my head anymore.

Well, the message did say “The Queen is Next.” But I'm not his queen anymore, so problem solved, right?

Another giggle escaped me.

| was so smart. If only I'd been this smart when | met him. | would have known to stay the hell away.

“That man has driven my daughter to insanity,” | heard my mother mutter under her breath.

| blinked at her, startled, before realizing | was smiling. M

expression dropped instantly, the pain rushing back in full force. Her gaze lingered on my disheveled

appearance, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly as they flickered to my stomach and back to my face.

She sighed again, her tone softening just slightly. “At least take a shower and change your clothes. It's been

three days.”

Three days? | thought it had only been two.

| didn’t respond. | didn’t move.

“Your rude, ill-mannered friend cby looking for you yesterday,” She said, trying another tactic. “I asked her

to leave.” For once, | was thankful for my mother’s disdain for Isabella. | didn’t want to see her. | didn’t want her

pity, her reassurances that I'd get through this because | wouldn't.

My entire body felt like it was being stabbed with needles-an unrelenting, excruciating pain that only seemed to

grow worse with every passing moment. And just when | thought it might ease, even for a second, it came

roaring back, sharper and crueler than before.

| wanted to scream. | wanted to cry. | wanted to march back to Grayson and make him listen to me. | wanted to

find whoever planted those messages-the ones that destroyed us-and kick them for ruining everything.

Most of all, | wanted Grayson to see past the lies and believe me. | wanted everything to stop. | just wanted...

“Ava?”

“Leavethe hell alone!” | screamed, the force of it tearing through the air, shattering the fragile stillness.

It felt like the walls themselves vibrated with the echo, a ripple of power bursting outward.

| barely registered my mother’s wide eyes, the shock on her face. The next moment, something slammed into

me-a force. so strong it felt like the weight of the universe-and everything went black.

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Chapter 188

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What happened next was a dreamless sleep. The kind of sleep where the world seemed to stop, and nothing

existed but the vast emptiness of my own mind. It was the kind of sleep that almost felt like death, the kind that

erased everything around me. | had no thoughts, no dreams, nothing at all, just a deep, unshakable silence.

Then, slowly, the voices began. It started with a murmur in the background, soft and indistinct, and before |

knew it, it was enough to pullfrom the depths of sleep. | blinked open my eyes, the brightness of the room

blurring my vision. For a moment, everything felt disorienting, like | wasn’t quite sure where | was. | forced

myself to sit up, my body heavy and sluggish, a lingering fog of exhaustion clouding my senses. It took a

moment for my brain to catch up with the reality around me, but when it did, | realized | was back in my old

room. The familiar walls, the soft floral curtains, the old dresser -everything was exactly as it had been before.

| glanced over and saw my mother, her eyes fixed onwith that cold, calculating gaze I'd known all my life.

She was standing by the door, speaking to two Omegas who were leaving, their footsteps echoing in the hallway

before the door clicked shut. My mother turned back to me, her gaze lingering on my stomach for a moment, a

silent assessment, before her eyes met mine. She didn’t say the words | expected.

“You are awake,” She said then she added something | hadn't anticipated, “How often does that happen?”

| blinked, trying to process her question, and realized she wasn’t asking aboutwaking up. She was asking

about... the power. The surge of energy that had knockedout earlier. The thing that | couldn’t explain.

“Uh... I don’t know,” | muttered, rubbing my eyes. “I don’t know what it is or why it happens. Can I... can | please

have swater?” | pushed myself up slowly, wincing as my body protested.

She didn’t answer immediately, but | saw her walk to the corner of the room, filling a glass with water from a

bottle before handing it to me. Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes were sharp, searching. And then, as

she handedthe glass, she asked, “What is a cryptic pregnancy, Ava?”

| stared at her for a long moment, wondering if I'd heard her right. A cryptic pregnancy? Of all the things to ask

about, why that?

| almost wanted to laugh. | could feel the bitterness bubbling up inside me. Seriously? After everything that had

happened after all the chaos, this is what she chose to focus on? A medical term?

But instead of laughing, | just sighed, the weight of it all pressing down on me. “I'm not in the mood for this,

please. I'm really not in the mood,” | muttered, hoping she'd drop it.

But, of course, she didn’t. She stood there, waiting for my response. And so, reluctantly, | gave it to her. “In a

cryptic pregnancy, the individual is unaware of their pregnancy for a significant portion-or even the entirety-of

the pregnancy. It happens for a number of reasons, like hormonal imbalances, or because the symptoms just

aren't noticeable. Or maybe there are psychological factors involved. You know, stress, or... focus on other

things, things that distract you from your body's changes.”

I didn’t know why | was explaining it to her. It just cout, the words spilling from my mouth before | could

stop them. Maybe | was just trying to make sense of it all, too.

| went on, my voice quiet, almost detached. “When something stressful or traumatic happens, like... something

big, the body might start responding. It releases stress hormones, and that can trigger symptoms that were once

suppressed. Like, nausea, vomiting...” | trailed off, realizing what | was saying, and as soon as the words left my

lips, | felt the full weight of them settle

in.

No. No.

| shook my head, trying to shake off the thought. But it was there, lingering, heavy in my chest.

Her eyes were already on my stomach, and I could feel her gaze burning into me, assessing, calculating. My

stomach

15:11 Sen 2 Feb @

Chapter 188

churned, and | couldn't bring myself to look at her.

Before | could stop her, she said it-she said exactly what | was dreading “From my calculations, ports out two

mone and two weeks pregnant.”

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