The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 277

-Ava’s POV

| had spent the better part of my life putting up a facade and had lived as Ava Lilian Pierce.

She was the perfect daughter. The obedient one. The one who followed orders, swallowed her pride, and let

herself be molded into whatever was expected of her. For a little while, she had tried to fight, tried to run, tried

to fly-but when she failed at all of them, she simply gave up and becsomeone she didn’t want to be.

Someone without a will. Someone who could be pushed around, broken, discarded.

But | wasn’t Ava Lilian Pierce anymore.

I had learned to fight again. And this time, | was going to keep fighting.

Because now, more than ever, | had something worth fighting for.

The thought alone sent a surge of strength throughas | rushed down the dimly lit corridor of the ship, my

breath coming in short, sharp gasps. The walls groaned aroundwith every tilt of the vessel, the metal floors

slick with water leaking in from the storm raging outside. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, drowning out the

distant sound of waves crashing against the hull.

And then another shot.

A bullet whizzed past me, slamming into the metal wall just inches from my head. Sparks flew. The scent of

gunpowder filled the air, thick and sharp.

| ducked, my pulse racing.

In any other situation, | would have thought of how much of a good shot she actually was.

From behind me, her voice echoed through the narrow hallway, her tone light, almost playful.

“There's nowhere to hide, Ava,” She taunted, her shoe splashing through the water pooling on the floor, “You

might as well give up now. You know how this ends.”

| gritted my teeth, darting behind a stack of overturned crates near the engine room. My mind was running

through every possible escape, every possible way out-but | knew there was none. Not unless | stopped her.

She wasn’t going to stop until she killed me.

| pressed a hand against my stomach, steadying my breath before calling out, “Are you really so full of hate that

you won't even consider the fact that we're both carrying children? That you'd rather killthan even think

about what that means?”

Crystal let out a sharp, humorless laugh, the sound bouncing off the walls.

“Children?” she sneered. “You think that matters? You think | care? | should have ripped those things out of you

when | had the chance before Dylan convincedotherwise.”

| swallowed hard, forcing myself to stay still, to keep her talking. She was unraveling, her hatred making her

reckless.

And | could use that.

“You don’t have to do this, Crystal,” | said, my voice even. “This isn’t going to end well for either of us if you

don’t stop now.”

The ship rocked violently, and | heard her stumble.

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Chapter 277

Then canother gunshot.

The bullet ricocheted off the metal pipe beside me, sending a sharp ringing through my ears. She was still firing,

but she wasn’t hitting me.

She didn’t know exactly where | was.

She was guessing.

Good.

Crystal let out a low chuckle, the kind that sent chills down my spine.

“That's what you think?” she mocked. “Oh, Ava, you really are stupid. Dylan changed his plans.”

My stomach twisted.

“He was going to expose the werewolves first, take Grayson out later-but now? Now he’s going to end Grayson’s

life once and for all. And this time, there’s no surviving this. Not for you, not for him. Dylan and | will be the only

one leaving here alive. This is Grayson Blackwood’s execution and Dylan is going to make sure of that.”

| sucked in a breath, my fingers curling into fists.

She was still moving, her voice growing louder, closer. | could hear her reloading. The metallic click of the gun

echoed through the narrow hallway.

This was my chance.

“For the sake of the fact that we once shared the swomb,” | said, my voice steady, “I'll give you a chance to

stop this.”

Crystal's laughter was instant, sharp and cruel.

“I'll stop when you're dead,” She spat.

That was all | needed.

I moved.

With everything in me, | lunged forward, slamming into her before she had a chance to react.

The impact sent us both crashing against the metal floor, water splashing around us as the ship rocked violently.

The gun flew from her grip, skidding across the slick floor. For a split second, we both froze, eyes locking onto the

weapon.

Then we scrambled for it.

My fingers brushed against the cold metal just as hers did, but the ship lurched again, and the gun slipped away,

disappearing beneath a grate in the floor.

Crystal hissed in frustration, but she recovered faster than | did.

Her claws shot out in an instant, sharp and gleaming under the dim lights. | barely had tto react before she

slashed at me, the curved edges of her nails raking across my hand.

A sharp, searing pain shot through me.

| yelped, jerking back instinctively, clutching my bleeding hand to my chest.

That was all the opportunity she needed.

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Chapter 277

With a vicious snarl, she shoved me, sendingsprawling onto my back. My breath punched out of my lungs as

I hit the floor. The ship swayed violently again, and I tried to push myself up, but then | saw her eyes.

Black.

Completely black.

There was nothing there-no hesitation, no doubt, just raw, consuming hatred.

And | knew then that truly, there was nothing left of a bond between us.

1 surged forward aiming for her face and avoiding her stomach. Even though she was almost due, her belly

wasn’t enormous -it had been one of the things that annoyed Isabella the most, the fact that Crystal had a

flawless pregnancy even though she was the devil's spawn.

Why the hell was | thinking about that now?

Crystal slashed atagain.

| barely dodged in time, her claws grazing my arm instead of my face. The sharp sting made my wolf who had

been quiet growl deep inside me, and | felt it-power surging, instincts sharpening.

And then suddenly the ship shook.

Loudly.

The vibrations rattled through my bones. The distant echoes of growls and gunfire rumbled through the

corridors. The storm outside was raging, but the real battle was happening in here.

And | had to win this one.

I launched at Crystal again, this twith everything I had. My fist connected with her jaw, snapping her head to

the side.

She staggered but didn’t go down.

She struck back, clawing at my shoulder, her movements sharp, fueled by rage. | gritted my teeth against the

pain and swung again, driving my knee into her ribs.

She choked on a gasp, stumbling back.

I hated this.

Hated that we had cto this.

In another world, we could have been best friends. Twin sisters.

“I'm sorry,” | said between heavy breaths, circling her. My voice was hoarse, filled with something I didn’t want

to name. ““I'm sorry the first twe met, | might have been horrible to you. But | was a child. And that doesn’t

give you the right to do all the evil things you've done.”

Her lips curled, exposing her teeth, but she didn’t respond.

She just lunged atagain.

| ducked, dodging her claws by a hair's breadth, then slammed my elbow into her ribs. She stumbled but didn’t

fall.

She was strong. Too strong.

And she wasn’t stopping.

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Chapter 277

“I'm going to kill you,” She snarled.

And | believed her..

She struck again, wild and reckless, and | barely managed to block it. My muscles burned. My breaths were

coming too fast.

Then suddenly her body stiffened.

Her eyes widened.

And she gasped, barely a whisper, Dylan.”

Confusion flickered through me, but | didn’t waste the opportunity.

I struck.

My fist collided with her, sending her staggering backward.

But she didn’t fight back.

She wasn’t even looking atanymore. Her eyes were still wide, unblinking.

And then, in a voice | barely recognized, she whispered, “No... Dylan, no.”

| hesitated, my body still tense, waiting for her next move-but it never came.

Her hands trembled as they moved to her stomach, her fingers pressing against the fabric of her dress as if

trying to feel for something. And then, slowly, her gaze dropped.

That's when | saw it.

Dark crimson, trailing down her legs, mixing with the water pooling beneath us.

The realization slammed intolike a freight train:

She was losing the baby.

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