The Heartless Alpha's Beloved Luna Novel

---- Chapter 118 Avery's POV "Oh, you came for the delivery schedules?" The driver in front of me wrung his hat between his hands and looked embarrassed, " My apologies, Luna, | have already passed those reports along to the Alpha." "Gideon came for the schedules himself?" | asked, surprised "No, Luna," the man shuffled his feet, "His mate did." | gritted my teeth in irritation, but it wasn't this man's fault. | thanked him and let him get back to loading the produce we'd grown in my garden into his truck.

This was the third time this week that | had gone to perform my Luna duties and discovered that Dierdra had beaten me to it. Her angle was obvious. She was seeking to supplant me. It would be one sort of escape, | suppose. Let her push me out. If Gideon made her his Luna, then | would be free. ---- However, | still needed Gideon's help to rescue my mother and, frankly, the thought of his false-mate winning my position infuriated me. I kept asking myself why I cared. | didn't have a good answer, except that | knew what she was, and | wouldn't let her beat me.

| turned back to sorting out the spring radishes and greens we had grown and washed for transport to pack families. It wasn't yet at the scale | hoped to reach, but | was proud of what Madelyn and | had managed to do with the pack garden in just a few weeks. We were now supplying produce weekly to most of the pack families and our surplus was being used in the pack mess hall kitchens. Not that Gideon seemed to notice. | stood up from the packing crates and stretched.

Soon the weather would be getting hot, and | would need to finish installing the drip irrigation that would keep the raised beds watered in the summer months There was still lots to do, and for a few hours | let myself lose track of time in sorting out planting schedules and bed rotations. "It's good to see you, Luna." Madelyn said with a small smile as she showed up for her shift. | looked up in surprise. ---- "Thank you." | said, taken aback. She saw my expression and looked concerned. "Is something wrong?" Madelyn asked. "Oh!

No, no," | lied, "You just startled me, is all." Really, it had just been a while since anyone had expressed that my presence brought them pleasure. Madelyn looked at me for a long moment. "I might be overstepping, Luna, but." she paused. "Yes?" | asked carefully, spine stiff as | pretended to be busy with my garden diagrams. "There's just been some talk," Madelyn looked uncomfortable, " but folks are saying that Gideon's, uh, mate?

She's been showing up at places around the village and getting involved in things that are usually a Luna's responsibility." My hands stilled, "Has she now?" | kept my voice level, with effort. "| wanted to ask," Madelyn placed one hand on mine carefully. When | raised my eyes | saw her looking at me with concern, " Did everything go okay... on your wedding night?" | bit my lip and looked down. | knew she was asking as a friend, ---- and it was nice to have someone who cared, but how could | answer that question?

"It went fine." | said, and shrugged, "Don't tell me there's a rumor about that as well?" "Oh yes," Madelyn smiled sheepishly, "Wolves love to gossip." "What are they saying about it?" | asked, though | was not sure | really wanted to hear. "That Gideon looked uncharacteristically upset when he appeared in the pack hall after.

That his mate had stormed off into the village and he had to go apologize to get her to come back..." Madelyn confessed, "There's folks who think having a separate mate and Luna is nothing but trouble." "What do you think?" My voice was guarded and Madelyn moved in to give me a quick side hug. "| think it must be very hard for you." She said, "I have had my own troubles with someone who is consumed by duty. If you need a friend to talk to..."