The Heartless Alpha’s Beloved Luna (Avery and Gideon) novel Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Gideon’s POV

For a girl with a wounded leg, she sure could move fast.

I watched the door to Avery’s bathroom swing shut, a bemused frown on my face.

Although her wound was healing, it could easily become infected, and I would much prefer that she have it treated.

Unfortunately, the pack doctor was not my first choice for someone I wanted that close to the future Luna.

I had my reasons.

The bathroom was quiet, and I wondered if Avery even planned on bathing, or if she’d just been trying to get away from me.

I rose from the bed and quietly walked over towards the door. My keen ears could hear her breathing on the other side, and then the rustling of clothes dropping to the floor.

I closed my eyes and concentrated. I could picture her robe dropping from her slim shoulders. The way her hair cascaded down

her back.

It all came readily to my imagination and I indulged the moment.

As I heard the water start, I imagined her leaning over the side of the tub. Those hips that were oh-so-grabbable on full display.

I remembered the time I had cornered her in the hallway outside.

The way she had sounded when she’d moaned in my ear had been delicious. A part of me wanted to open that door and make her

moan for me again.

The skin on her thighs had been so soft beneath my fingertips.

And my lips.

When I had received the report that there were signs of a scuffle on the path in Silvermoon territory, and that Avery was missing, I had felt my heart leap into my throat.

She may not be my fated mate, but my pack needed a Luna and she was… acceptable.

She was also distracting.

Until my true mate showed up.

I rested my forehead on the door and closed my eyes in frustration.

I needed to get back to work.

The rogue prisoners had told me that a marked girl had been captured, and that one of the prisoners had managed to repel them with an Alpha’s power.

That sounded like my mate.

But they weren’t sure which of the captured girls and women it had been. They had all been tied up in different parts of the forest, and some had been moved before we had gotten there.

I swore under my breath.

Silvermoon had really fucked up in letting my mate be captured.

They hadn’t been mounting patrols with any sort of regularity, and as a result the rogues had set up warrens all across their territory.

It made me furious that any Alpha could fail his pack so spectacularly. The only grace I could give was that they were mid- transition from Old Alpha to New, and that could be… messy.

Not only had my mate been taken, but their mistakes had resulted in Avery’s capture.

For those two reasons, I hated them.

The sound of running water on the other side of the door pulled me away from imagining the nasty things I would do to make my displeasure known to Silvermoon.

I heard the slap of Avery’s feet on the tile as she moved towards the bath, and then a loud crash and thud.

There was silence, then a groan of pain.

“Avery?” I frowned at the door. That had sounded like she had fallen.

Stupid girl. She really needed to not be walking on that leg. Not until she’d recovered.

There was only silence on the other side of the door.

What if she’d hit her head and knocked herself out? That thought added urgency to my call.

“Avery! I’m coming in!”

I put my shoulder to the door and opened it easily. Those flimsy doorlatches were mere annoyances as I forced my way in.

She was sprawled on the floor in a heap.

All skin. All curves.

I didn’t see any blood.

“So stupid.” I growled at myself. I should have known not to leave her unattended in her state.

I turned off the water, then leaned down and scooped her off the floor easily.

Avery made some disgruntled noise but I ignored it. The most important thing for now was to make sure that she couldn’t hurt herself further.

She was slapping at my shoulders, about as effective as a mildly annoying insect.

I deposited her back where she belonged.

In bed.

“Now.” I crossed my arms and scowled down at her.

My eyes roved across her body.

While she was distractingly, and tantalizingly, naked, my main concern was to make sure she hadn’t twisted or broken anything.

At first glance, all appeared in order.

She was staring up at me, eyes wide, as I did an inventory of all her limbs and parts. She tried to wiggle once more to the edge of the bed.

“Stop evading me and putting yourself in danger.” I snapped, making it a command. Avery stilled immediately.

I wondered, belatedly, if she was trying to avoid me because of the scene I had interrupted between her and Ryan. He had been such a pathetic, lovesick pup.

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Just the sight of him putting his hands on Avery had made me want to rip his throat out.

I growled at the memory.

Avery whimpered, a confused sound.

The sound reminded me that she had once had feelings for that puppy. She had told me it was over between them, but perhaps that was why she was keeping this distance between us. Maybe she was still tangled up in his web.

There was no room for that here. Nightwolf needed its traditions, and it needed her.

I needed her.

To do her job.

Obviously.

For too long the Old Luna had been overwhelmed by the size of our growing pack. We needed young blood and fresh eyes to confront the new dangers that threatened us.

Avery was part of the solution. I needed her to wake up and realize that, and to stop acting like such a damned cub.

“It’s time you stepped up as Luna, and left your past behind.” I frowned. She was slowly reaching for her houserobe and pulling it on.

A part of me was annoyed that she’d thought it mattered what she was wearing.

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