The Alpha King's Contracted Luna by Nelson Claudia

Chapter 192

Chapter 192

-Ava’s POV-

That was two weeks ago.

In that time, | had tried countless times to tell Tessa and Mikayla that | didn’t want to impose, that | didn’t want

to be a burden. But every time, they shutdown with quiet reassurance, insisting that | wasn’t one.

They never asked about what had happened, never pried. But something in Tessa’s eyes that first night-some

understanding | couldn't name-must have told her that | needed this. That | needed them.

So, | stayed.

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We quickly fell into a routine. Every morning, Tessa would struggle to drag Mikayla out of bed. Mikayla, of course,

fought tooth and nail to stay wrapped up in her blanket, muttering complaints about how school was overrated

or how she could beca millionaire without math. It was always a struggle but always funny-a small, warm

distraction that becthe highlight of my mornings.

As | watched them day after day, that warmth grew into something more. A thought began to take root in my

mind, one that refused to be ignored: | wanted this someday. | wanted these small struggles, this love wrapped

in bickering and laughter.

This was what | could look forward to, | realized. This was what | wanted for

my child.

The conviction settled deeper with each passing day. | wanted this baby growing inside me, and | would love

them with everything | had. | would never becmy parents. From the moment they took their first breath, my

child would know they were wanted, enough, and deeply loved.

Each morning, Mikayla begrudgingly got ready for school after much prodding from Tessa. We'd all leave

together because Tessa owned a food truck, and I'd started helping her with it. It wasn’t much, but it kept my

mind busy.

| called Isabella only once during that time. | kept it brief, telling her | was fine but that | needed space for a

while. | didn’t want to hear anything about Grayson or my life back home. | didn’t tell her about the baby-I

wasn't ready for that conversation.

For now, all | wanted was to live simply. To pretend, even just for a little while, that | was someone else entirely. If

there was one thing I'd perfected over the years, it was pretending.

“Ava, can you helpwith this?”

Tessa’s voice pulledfrom my thoughts. | plastered on a smile and hurried over to help her with the heavy

container she was struggling to carry.

“Thanks,” she said, glancing atwith a hint of concern. “You okay?”

| nodded quickly, brushing it off. “I'm fine, just lost in my head.”

She studiedfor a moment longer but let it go.

The morning rush began soon after. The food truck, painted a cheerful yellow, was parked in its usual spot, and

the familiar smell of bacon, eggs, and fresh coffee filled the air. | worked alongside Tessa, greeting customers

with a smile, taking orders, and handing out food.

“Order up for Sam-egg and cheese on a croissant, side of hash browns!” | called out, sliding a paper bag across

the counter.

12:37 Wed, 5 Feb MMO.

Chapter 192

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A man stepped up next, glancing at the small chalkboard menu. “Can | get a turkey and avocado wrap and a

black coffee?”

“Coming right up!” | replied, punching his order into the small tablet and handing the receipt to Tessa.

The flow of customers was steady but manageable. Schatted while waiting for their orders, others hurriedly

grabbed their food and rushed off.

| finished serving another group and turned to grab more napkins when | heard a voice behind me.

“Can | get a cappuccino and a blueberry muffin?”

| froze mid-step.

That voice.

| sucked in a shaky breath before slowly turning around. My eyes landed on Isabella, her face a mix of warmth

and determination, and standing just behind her was Eliza, her expression unreadable.

Isabella smiled, her tone light but pointed. “Hi, Lilian.”

| forced a smile onto my face, even as my stomach twisted into a knot. “Sure,” | said, my voice carefully neutral.

Without waiting for a reply, | turned to prepare Isabella’s order. My hands shook slightly as | poured the

cappuccino, but | tried to steady myself by focusing on the mundane task. Blueberry muffin. Cappuccino.

| turned back and handed Isabella her order. She took it from me, her fingers brushing mine briefly. Her eyes

never left my face, sharp and unrelenting.

| swallowed hard, forcing myself to hold her gaze for a moment before turning to Eliza, whose expression was

somewhere between uneasy and apologetic. “Anything for you, Eliza?”

Before Eliza could answer, Isabella laughed. It wasn’t a warm laugh; it was sharp, cutting, and devoid of humor.

“I thought she was going to pretend she didn’t know us,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she turned

to Eliza.

My shoulders sagged, and | closed my eyes briefly before letting out a sigh. “Bels, please,” | said quietly. “Just

don’t. Not here.”

Before Isabella could respond, someone in line shouted from behind, their irritation clear. “Hey! Can you stop

holding up the line? Sof us have places to be!”

| turned toward the customer, ready to apologize, but Tessa appeared at my side before I could say anything, “Is

there a problem?”

| opened my mouth to say no, to dismiss it and move on, but Isabella beatto it. She smiled, the same

practiced smile I'd seen her use a thousand times before, and addressed Tessa directly. “I was just hoping to

borrow your employee for a tiny moment. It won't take long, | promise.”

Tessa looked at me, her brows furrowing slightly. She could sense something was off, and | shook my head

almost imperceptibly. | knew Isabella too well-her calm exterior was cracking, and beneath it was a storm |

wasn't ready to face.

“We've got a lot of customers to serve,” Tessa began cautiously, clearly trying to keep the peace.

Isabella didn’t bother acknowledging her again. She turned her attention fully to me, her smile vanishing, “I'll

give you three seconds to cout of this truck, or so help me, I'll march in there and drag you out myself.”

Eliza shifted uncomfortably behind her, glancing atas though she wanted to intervene but didn’t know how.

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Chapter 192

Tessa’s mouth opened to protest, but | cut her off. “It’s fine,” | said quickly. | wasn’t fine, but | also knew Isabella

wasn't bluffing. I knew she would findand would be beyond pissed that | had asked everyone to leave me

alone. Her included.

Tessa hesitated, looking like she wanted to argue, but she must have seen something in my expression because

she simply nodded. | turned to Isabella, my stomach churning, and stepped out of the food truck. The cold

morning air hitlike a slap, and | crossed my arms over my chest as | faced her.

“Can we at least step away from the crowd?” | asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

Her eyes narrowed, her jaw tightening, before she gestured sharply with her hand forto move first.

Reluctantly, | did. Eliza hurried to catch up with me, her voice low as she whispered, “She's really pissed.”

I sighed, barely sparing her a glance. “You don’t say.”

“I told you not to cozy up to her, Eliza,” Isabella snapped from behind us, her words sharp enough to cut. Eliza

flinched and immediately stepped away, putting a little distance between us.

The tension was unbearable as we walked. My feet felt heavy, like they didn’t want to carryany further, but |

kept moving. Finally, | stopped when | thought we were far enough from the food truck, the noise of the

customers now just a faint hum. | turned, ready to speak, but Isabella’s eyes burned with a mix of anger and

hurt, and she beatto it.

“You want everyone to leave you alone? Since when am | ‘everyone*“?” Her voice cracked slightly, but she

quickly recovered, the fury in her tone makingwince. “You know that’s not what I’m most pissed about. What

makesso mad-what makesso fucking mad—is that you chose to go back to your horrible parents instead

of coming towhen everything fell apart. And then, as if that wasn’t bad enough, you shutout completely

refusing to see me. And now? Now, you're staying with strangers-strangers, Lilian-when you're at your lowest!

And then you have the audacity to call just to say what?”

| opened my mouth, trying to find the right words, but she cutoff with a sharp, “I’m not finished!”

Her words hit like a slap, and | clamped my mouth shut, swallowing the lump in my throat.

“You called to say you want to be left alone? That's fucking bullshit, Lilian,” she said, her voice trembling. The

anger was still there, but now the hurt was bleeding through, raw and unfiltered.

| couldn’t bring myself to say anything because she was right. She had every reason to feel this way. Things with

Grayson had gone up in flames-so utterly, completely up in flames-and | didn’t know how to handle it. | still

didn’t want to handle it. But what | was doing to Isabella was wrong. | had shut her out, my best friend, the one

person who had been there forthrough everything.

| knew what she would've done if I'd gone to her-she would've tried to makefeel better. And I didn’t want to

feel better.

“Well?” she snapped again, her voice breaking into my thoughts. “I'm done talking. Don’t you have anything to

say for yourself?”

| looked at her, then at Eliza, who stood quietly to the side, clearly uncomfortable. The words that slipped from

my lips cout before | could stop them. “I'm pregnant.”

Eliza let out a startled sound, like a strangled gasp, her hand flying to her mouth. Isabella froze, the anger falling

off her face in an instant. Her eyes widened, and her lips parted as though she was about to say something. But

before she could, another voice spoke.

“Well, isn’t that just great news.”

My wolf growled instantly, the sound rumbling low in my chest, as | turned my head toward the source of the

voice.

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Chapter 192

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Isabella didn’t miss a beat, her venom returning as she narrowed her eyes at the intruder. “What the hell are you

doing here?”

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