The Heartless Alpha’s Beloved Luna (Avery and Gideon) novel Chapter 392

“I don’t have Bjorn,” he said. “Wait, is he missing?”

I nodded slowly.

Gideon just stared at me with wide eyes.

I stared back, searching for a lie in his face.

I saw none. Just shock and horror.

Slowly, I released his shirt, composing myself. My lip trembled, although I tried to quell it. “He’s been missing all day,” I whispered. “I’m… I’m worried.”

Gideon was silent for a long moment. Then, his expression hardened. He grabbed the dishcloth off his shoulder and tossed it aside, then reached for his jacket.

“I’ll help you find him,” he said.

…

Fiona’s POV

“See? Pretty cool, right?” I stuck my hands in my pockets, forcing myself to smile even though my heart pounded. The waterfall was rushing overhead, sending a cascade of cold water across the rocks.

Bjorn leaned over the ravine edge, gasping as he watched the water disappear into the small lake below.

“This is cool!” he exclaimed. “Oh! I think I see a deer!”

I took a step back, still smiling. “You should try to get a closer look. The deer are really friendly around here—they’ll come right up to you.”

The kid looked at me over his shoulder. “Really?”

“Really. I’ll wait here; you go ahead.”

Was I making a mistake in leaving that kid all on his own in weather like this?

I never meant for him to get hurt. I just… wanted to scare Avery a little. Give her a good reason to leave the packs forever.

Now, though, I was having second thoughts. In weather like this, he could slip and fall into the ravine. Or he could get all turned around, and by the time anyone found him, he might be in really bad shape. If he survived at all; these woods were wild and full of animals and steep dropoffs. A ten year old who had spent most of his life in the human lands wouldn’t have the survival skills to find his way home.

But as I thought it, my father’s voice slipped into my mind. I imagined what he would say: that it was Avery’s fault for bringing her kid here to begin with, and that if she had just stayed away, this would never have happened.

Besides, I had to do what needed to be done. My family was relying on this union with Nightwolf, and I couldn’t afford to mess up again. Father would be furious with me.

So, I turned, climbing into the car, and pulled away from the side of the road. I reached over to the middle console and clicked on the radio, turning it to the weather forecast.

“Looks like our sunny day has taken a turn for the worse, folks,” the weatherman’s voice crackled through. “We’ve got flooding, lightning, and high winds on the way. Seek shelter, and avoid travel until the storm passes.”