The Heartless Alpha’s Beloved Luna (Avery and Gideon) novel Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Avery’s POV

Gideon’s dangerous gaze was fixated on me as I spoke. He seemed like he was trying to see through me, to tell if I was telling the truth. His intense scrutiny made my blood turn to ice in my veins.

Ok, so maybe what I said was a bit optimistic. I don’t know that I can make this ‘relationship’ work if we remain strangers to each other. But, he didn’t need to throw me to these sharks so publicly!

His indifference might have just been his own facade, but he was the one being naive if he didn’t think these women would find any excuse to get rid of me and insert themselves in my place.

Their mockery doesn’t bother me, I’m used to that. They just want to see me embarrassed so they can leave the imprints of their heels in my back as they climb over my body.

I felt the deep irony of knowing they would be even more incredulous if they knew that I hadn’t chosen any of this. Everyone thought they wanted to be with the heartless Alpha, until they were the one actually on the wedding podium.

I could understand what they thought. Gideon had this horrible reputation outside of Nightwolf, but his power and good looks were evident to anyone who met him. A desperate wolf would see only the opportunities, and hope they could survive the rest.

Like me. I’m just doing my best to survive.

I stared placidly back into Gideon’s stormy eyes.

You picked the wrong survivor, if you think I’m going to quit easily. I thought.

Finally he turned away and stalked off towards the bar.

I guess he agrees this arrangement is acceptable.

A part of me felt dejected that he was so casual about our relationship, but emotional connections just made everything messy, in my experience. It’s better this way, I suppose. More clear cut.

I wandered to the dessert table and was selecting something chocolate-y to eat along with my feelings when Ryan appeared. He had a look of urgency and snagged my wrist, pulling me through a staff door and into a back hallway.

“Hey!” I exclaimed, watching my carefully selected treats be abandoned on a napkin still on the table as he tugged me along, “I was eating those!”

The door shut behind us and now it was just Ryan and I standing in the hallway outside the kitchen where there was a great commotion of dishes and shouting as they prepared for the larger pack feast after the ceremony.

Ryan’s face looked stricken. At first I thought this was about my confrontation with Zara, but he seemed… more upset. Despite the shitty way we’d parted, I still felt concern for him and his well-being.

“What’s wrong?” I asked. Maybe his father was sick, or one of our friends had been harmed in the fighting?

“Avery,” Ryan grabbed my hand in both of his, “I want you back.”

What the actual…???

“Wha-?” I sputtered..

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Did this man just… really think I would want anything to do with him after what had happened??

“I don’t even mind that you’ve been marked!” Ryan went on, completely oblivious, “I’m willing to cover it up! But I… still have feelings for you.”

1/3

I repressed the retch that threatened to spill from my lips and yanked my hand from his.

How pathetic. Only now does he realize what he gave up? How did I not see that he was this deplorable before?

My wolf snarled in my mind, sending me a burst of love that carried with it the strong sense that I wasn’t to blame myself for Ryan’s failings.

“You… have feelings for me…” I repeated, slowly.

“They never really stopped.” Ryan looked miserable, but somehow I was having a hard time believing his pitiable act. “I shouldn’t have slept with Zara, I’m sorry.”

“Well, it’s a bit late for that, isn’t it!” I snapped, “And now you think you can just take me back and everything will be like it was?”

“Yes!” Ryan didn’t seem to grasp it was a question, “I know you might not believe me, but I miss you. I love you! And…”

He got down on one knee while I gaped at him in disbelief, “I should announce Zara as my Luna tonight once I’m made Alpha, but if you agree, I’m willing to choose you instead!”

“Have you… consulted your parents? Or Zara about this??” I choked out, stunned. “Because this is classic Ryan behavior.”

He blinked up at me in surprise as my voice rose angrily.

“Typical for you! You have a feeling that you don’t know how to handle so you make a rash choice. Except every time it’s me who takes the fall for it! You get in trouble, and then somehow I pay the price!” I berated him.

“And now you think you can just swap me in for Zara, like we’re interchangeable! Feelings don’t work that way, Ryan, and if you thought about someone other than yourself for once, you would understand that!”

Seeing that I wouldn’t relent, Ryan reached out and grabbed my hands again, but his face twisted into an ugly expression this time, “Did you sleep with Gideon?? Don’t tell me you think you’ve already fallen for him in just a few days! Can you really say that you don’t love me anymore?”

There it is. He just wants to know that I didn’t throw him away. Projection much?

His questions were awful, and showed just what he actually thought of me. Any love and care I still carried for him withered away to nothing.

I kept silent and refused to look at him.

Instead, I watched the door to the hallway swing open.

Gideon entered. He took one look at Ryan clinging onto me from where he knelt on the floor and my disgusted expression, and placed his boot on his chest and kicked him backwards through the door.

Stunned, Ryan slid on his back into the ceremony hall, swiftly followed by Gideon who bore down on him with a look of

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