The Alpha King's Contracted Luna (Ava and Grayson)
My Billionaire King 71

Chapter 71

-Ava's POV-

“Are you nervous?" Maria asked, placing a few materials on the table in front of her with a calm, practiced ease.

I hesitated, my eyes on her hands as she worked. “I don't know, replied finally, trying to keep my voice steady. “I don't know if I'm nervous o really hard sometimes-

I've learned to live with it. I don't want to let myself hope too much only to be disappointed.”

Maria nodded, an understanding glint in her eyes as she arranged the items carefully. The silence stretched for a moment, broken only by th it was written all over his face even though he tried to mask it.

A chill ran down my spine. Whoever was behind the deaths was just killing randomly; they were going after Alphas. And if this was about po well, then the one with the greatest power of all-the Alpha King-

was at risk. Grayson was a potential target. And if I let myself think too hard, I'd realize my father was, too. A powerful Alpha in his own right

I forced myself to shove the thought away, willing myself to focus on what was in front of me. Maria had nearly finished setting up when she I swallowed, feeling a mixture of excitement and dread twist in my stomach. "What do I do?"

"Give me your hand," she said softly.

I held out my hand, and she took it, her fingers warm and steady against mine as she closed her eyes. Her lips began to move in a low mur inside me—warm, buzzing, as though something ancient was stirring just beneath the surface

For a few moments, I let myself hope, feeling the magic work its way through me. My pulse quickened, and I thought maybe, just maybe, it Then...nothing.

The warmth faded. The tingling stopped. I was left in silence, feeling empty and almost hollow.

Maria blinked her eyes open, her brow furrowed. "Something's blocking the spell,” she said, frowning as if she hadn't expected that outcome I felt a knot of frustration twist inside me. “You mean someone casting a spell right now to stop this one!"

She chuckled, shaking her head. "Aren't you adorable? No, it's not someone else. Something inside you is blocking it The magic can't even 1 blinked, trying to make sense of it. "When I felt her the first time well, it was like..she warthiere in my head. And then I heard her say, 'Find Maria's face softened in thought, her gaze thoughtful. “She asked you to replace her..interesting. She paused, her fingers tapping lightly on the about thi the wrong way. The spell isn't working because we're trying to force her out. But she wants you to come to her. You heard her voic

I took a sharp breath, processing what that meant. "You mean..that possible?"

"It is," she nodded, eyes scanning my face. "I can put you into a deep enough trance, one that could let you cross into your

08:50 Tue, Dec

Chapter 71

subconscious. That way you might have a chance to replace her." She hesitated,

glancing toward the door where Grayson had disappeared. “But this kind of spell.....

it's not entirely safe. We should probably talk to Grayson about it first before-

"No." I cut in quickly, my voice stronger than I'd expected. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to interrupt, but if Grayson knows there's even the slightes

Maria watched me closely, her expression torn for a moment before she nodded in

understanding. “Alright. I'll need to prepare a few more things. Let's head to the back- there's a space I can use."

I followed her through the house, my heart racing. We went out to a secluded part of her yard where the trees hung low, casting shadows a circle in the dirt with a chalk, scattering powders and herbs around it, her movements swift and precise. She placed candles at each cardina flickered to life.

When she finished, she gestured toward the center. "Lie down inside the circle," she instructed.

1 hesitated, glancing around at the shadowed edges of the trees. The reality of what I was about to do

started to sink in, and a chill ran through me. I was about to dive headfirst into my own mind, with no idea what I might replace. But if I waited t long, Grayson might return-and he'd end this without a second thought.

"Are you sure about this?" Maria asked, sensing my hesitation.

Taking a steadying breath, I nodded. "If I don't want Grayson to stop this, then we need to start before he realizes what we're doing."

She gave a slight smile, but her expression was serious as she knelt beside me, beginning to chant

again. I lay back on the cool ground, staring up at the sky as the low murmur of her words

washed over me. Her voice grew stronger, the language dark and rhythmic, almost hypnotic. I closed my eyes, feeling a heaviness settle ov

A tingling crept over my skin, slowly sinking in deeper, as though the very air around me was thick with energy. My breathing slowed, and I

Suddenly, I felt a tug, as if an unseen force was pulling me forward, drawing me into an endless darkness. The edges of the world around me began to blur and fade, dissolving into shadows. My heartbeat echoed in my ears, growing louder agains the stillness, until it felt as thou so deep, so complete, it felt like it could swallow me whole.

Out of the void, Maria's voice reached me, sounding distant and oddly fragile. "Grayson might kill me for this... I was going to send you in w I agree with you, all possibilities should be explored. This spell-

it will put you in a state of almost death. That's the only way you'll be able to access your subconscious."

My eyes shot open-

or at least, I thought they did, but I could barely see anything in the darkness surrounding me. My heart slammed in my chest as fear grippe me, and I tried to sit up, but it was like my entire body was sinking, like I was submerged under a heavy weight. My limbs felt leaden, unresp

“Maria....“I managed to whisper, my voice sounding distant, even to myself. “Stop the spell.”

“If you're strong enough to get through to Grayson, then you can do this,” she said, her voice laced with something that sounded like both h regret. "I know you can."

"Stop the spell...” I tried to shout, but the words barely formed in my mind, their echoes bouncing endlessly in the void. The ugging sensatio "You have to replace her,” Maria's voice called out one last time, "before the candles burn out. That's how long the spell will hold." Chapter 71

Dec

Those were the last words I heard before a sudden, violent pull yanked me downward. My mind whirled as if I was falling into an abyss, Las at me, but my body felt numb, beyond my control, as if my consciousness had been tom from it entirely. A brief, flecting thought passed thro a warning-if Grayson didn't kill Maria for this, then I just might.

Then, in an instant, the last bit of awareness slipped away, and everything went black.

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