The Heartless Alpha’s Beloved Luna (Avery and Gideon) novel Chapter 385

Chapter 385

Avery’s POV

“Go figure.” I stormed over to the gift bag and picked it up, glancing inside one last time. Shaking my head, I turned to the nurse who had been working with me before.

“Is there a place I can donate this?” I asked, holding the bag up. “Maybe the kids in the clinic would like to play with these toys.”

The woman hesitated, then shook her head. “Not here, unfortunately. I can’t have the clutter laying around.” She gestured vaguely. “The pack house would accept it, I’m sure.”

“Thanks.” With that, I turned and left, intending to march right down to the pack house and hand the so-called “gifts” over.

I made it halfway down the path, the afternoon sun warm against my face, when a familiar figure appeared in the distance. A woman in a long, flowing skirt and a handkerchief top came walking up the path, swinging a basket of what looked like freshly harvested fruits and vegetables at her side.

When she saw me, she waved and walked over. “Avery,” she said.

I smiled politely. “It’s Melissa, right?”

She nodded, and her eyes immediately went to the bag. “What’s that?” she asked.

“Oh.” I held the bag up. “It’s something Alpha Gideon left for Bjorn. I was planning on donating it to the pack house kids.”

Melissa arched a brow and peered inside the bag, then looked up at me again. “Why not give it to the boy it was intended for?”

“Because he has plenty of toys, and besides, I don’t really want to be accepting gifts from…” My voice trailed off as I realized what I had almost admitted to. That Gideon was Bjorn’s father. Somehow, I felt strangely compelled to open up to this woman, although I restrained myself.

Melissa tucked her chin. “I think you do.”

I felt my cheeks flush instinctively under her gaze. I couldn’t explain it, but something about her made me uneasy. Not in a bad way-she still had a comforting, kind presence-but rather as if her words were forcing me to look inward, and I didn’t like it.

Because maybe, deep down, I knew a part of what she said was right.

Bjorn had obviously taken an immediate liking to Gideon, and the feeling was clearly mutual. I couldn’t deny that, no matter how much I wished I could. And I knew that someday, regardless of how much I tried to keep them apart, the truth would come out, and then there would be no hiding from what would happen next.

Melissa, noticing my look, gently reached out and touched my hand that was holding the bag. “It’s ultimately your decision,” she said softly. “But think deeply about whether this defensiveness is truly necessary and aligned with the real evidence you have, or if it’s founded on mere fear and misunderstandings.” 4

I didn’t answer that. She pulled her hand away and walked down the path, swinging her basket at her side. I watched her go moment, her skirt trailing behind her, her feet bare in the dirt.