The Heartless Alpha’s Beloved Luna (Avery and Gideon) novel Chapter 491

Avery’s POV

I pushed myself up from the bed as soon as I heard Bjorn’s voice. Gideon moved over to me and offered me his arm. I looked at it for a moment, then up at his face, set firm and yet threaded with a tenderness that I couldn’t ignore. Finally, I took it and let him guide me out of the room.

The healers, who had been standing outside, gasped and rushed over when they saw me.

“Miss, you shouldn’t be—”

“I’m fine,” I said, waving them off. “My son needs me.”

The healers looked concerned, but didn’t stop me.

We found Bjorn in his room just down the hall, propped up against a pile of pillows. He looked small in the big bed, his face pale and drawn. But his eyes were open, and when he saw me, he tried to smile.

“Mom,” he said, lifting a hand and reaching for me.

Pushing away from Gideon, I crossed the room in three quick strides and sat on the edge of the bed, clasping his hand in both of mine.

“Hey, baby,” I said. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired.” He coughed. It was wet and raspy, and it made my stomach knot up. “What happened to your face?”

I touched the bandage across my nose. “I got into a little accident. Nothing to worry about.”

Bjorn’s eyes shifted to Gideon, who was standing near the doorway. “You’re here,” he said.

Gideon stepped closer. “Yeah. I’m here.”

Bjorn smiled again, and this time it was a little stronger. “Good.”

I called for the healers, who had followed us to the room, and one came in and checked Bjorn’s vitals. She listened to his chest, checked his pulse, and looked into his eyes. When she was done, she gave me a tight nod.

“His coughing has improved,” she said. “Your tincture is helping with the physical symptoms.”

“But his overall condition?” I asked, dreading the answer.

Her face fell. “His overall condition is still declining. His wolf is growing weaker. I can sense it.”

Gideon watched me for a long moment. “There is one cure for this. And it’s standing right in front of you.”

I looked down at my hands. They were still shaking.

“I know that too,” I said.

“So what are you going to do?”

I didn’t answer right away. I’d been running from Nightwolf for ten years. Running from Gideon, from the life I thought I didn’t want, from the fear that I’d be trapped in something I couldn’t escape.

But Bjorn was dying. And I couldn’t run from that.

“I’ll come with you,” I said. “To Nightwolf.”

Gideon’s expression softened. “Okay,” he said.

I looked up at him. “But this doesn’t mean we’re getting back together. I’m doing this for Bjorn. Not for you. Not for us. I won’t step into the role of your Luna, not now, and maybe not ever. And I certainly won’t—”