The Heartless Alpha’s Beloved Luna (Avery and Gideon) novel Chapter 492

“Avery, you hurt me, too,” Gideon cut me off.

I snapped my mouth shut.

“You kept my son from me for ten years,” he said. “You lied to me, ran from me, and made me believe I’d never have the family I wanted. So trust me when I say the feeling is mutual.”

The words stung, but I deserved them. I knew I did.

In a strange way, though, I felt a small smile tugging at one corner of my mouth. And when I looked up at Gideon, I swore I saw one on his face, too. Just a ghost of one, but it was there. Understanding.

We went back into the room. Bjorn stirred slightly when we entered, his dark lashes fluttering against his cheeks.

“Hey,” I said, sitting down on the edge of the bed again. “We need to talk to you about something.”

Bjorn turned his head to look at me and rasped, “What… Is it?”

I glanced at Gideon, who nodded.

“We’re going to Nightwolf,” I said. “All of us. You, me, and… Your dad.”

Bjorn’s eyes widened. He looked at Gideon.

Gideon nodded. “Yeah. I know the truth now.”

Bjorn let out a small breath of what sounded like relief. “When are we going?” he asked.

I hesitated, thinking back on what happened before—the reason for the bandage across my nose and the pain in my chest. I still cared deeply for Sebastian, but right now, I didn’t trust him. He’d nearly killed Gideon, just as he’d nearly killed that Alpha before. Maybe he wasn’t the man I once thought he was.

“Today,” I said.

Bjorn grinned, and for a moment, he looked like the bright, energetic kid he’d been before the sickness took hold. “That’s amazing. I can’t wait to see it. And meet everyone. And learn about the pack.”

I reached out and brushed the hair back from his forehead. “We’ll take it slow, okay? You need to rest and get better first.”

“I know. But I’m going to get better. I know I will.”

With that, I turned and walked down the hallway. When I stepped outside, Gideon was leaning against the car, waiting. He straightened when he saw me.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I lied.

He didn’t press the matter. He knew I was lying, anyway.

I climbed into the passenger seat and shut the door. Gideon got in beside me and started the engine. As we pulled away from the house, I looked back up at it one last time.

Sebastian’s face appeared in one of them on the second floor. His skin was pale, but his eyes were dark, and the expression on his face was something I’d never seen before, at least not directed at me.

Rage. Bitterness. Hate.

A shiver scuttled up my spin. I turned back around and stared at the road ahead.