The Heartless Alpha’s Beloved Luna (Avery and Gideon) novel Chapter 516

Avery’s POV

I frowned, running my fingers over the pendant. I distinctly recalled Gideon taking it off and setting it on the vanity. I didn’t recall putting it back on. But now, here it was, sitting against my skin, still irritating it, still red and itchy.

“Huh. I must have put it back on when I got changed,” I said. “I wasn’t thinking.”

Gideon looked up at me. “Is it still hurting you?”

“Is fine.” I picked up my fork. “I’ll take it off before bed.”

He let it go, although I caught him glancing at it once or twice more before the conversation moved on. Across the table, Bjorn had launched into yet another retelling of the afternoon’s game, this time with added dramatic reenactment, nearly knocking over his water glass demonstrating what was apparently a very controversial call from the girl with the pigtails.

Tegan caught the glass without looking up from his plate, set it back, and continued eating with his head propped in one hand.

I kept thinking about the damn necklace, but ultimately, I decided I was scatterbrained today. I’d been thinking about the perfume formula on and off since the village, running all the possibilities and variables through my head. My mind was clearly elsewhere for long enough to throw on a necklace that was sitting in front of me without really paying attention to which one it was.

The meal wound down slowly, the table clearing gradually as people drifted off for the night. Bjorn fell asleep sitting up. Gideon got up and carried him upstairs without saying a word. For the first time in ten years, parenting duties didn’t fall entirely on me, and it was kind of nice just being able to sit back and sip a cup of decaf tea and think about the day without being needed by someone.

I was still sitting there when one of the house staff appeared in the doorway.

“There’s someone at the front door for you,” she said. “A woman. She says her name is Melissa.”

I set my glass down.

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