The Heartless Alpha's Beloved Luna Novel

---- Chapter 139 Avery's POV As night fell, we pulled up to the huge complex that was where the Ball, and surrounding events, would be held. Each represented pack had been given a suite of rooms. Apparently the Alpha Council managed this huge set of buildings expressly for gatherings that required many packs to come together. My mouth dropped open as I climbed out of the car into the twilight. The wings of the buildings stretched out to either side on a massive scale, and every window held a candle.

The resulting effect was ethereal and spectacular, with so many lit flames illuminating the fancy stonework facade. "This way, Luna," a wolf wearing the insignia of the Council of Alphas bowed and gestured for me to enter through one of the massive wooden doorways that Jed off of the circular drive. Behind me, I saw Gideon's car pulling to the disembarkment point. From the moment the doors opened, I could hear Dierdra's voice exclaiming... and complaining. I felt sorry for Gideon, he must have ---- been bored out of his mind being trapped in the same car as her for hours.

' Indeed, Gideon looked very stern as he buttoned the front of his formal suit coat and approached where I stood near the entrance. Formally, he nodded, bowed, and offered me his arm. Stubbornly, Dierdra took his other side, and the three of us proceeded through the wide entrance into the ballroom beyond. The interior of the gathering hall was massive, and the layout made the two hundred or so people within look even more populous. There was a dance floor, of course, and a raised stage where a live band was playing.

The perimeter of the ballroom held alcoves where chairs and couches and low tables created comfy niches to socialize in small groups. A long banquet table at one end provided refreshment while a lively bar near the dance floor supplied alcohol and mixed drinks. We had apparently been one of the packs coming from furthest away, as it appeared most of the other Alphas and Lunas were already in attendance.

That meant it was all the more obvious when our entrance ---- caused the room to quiet and most heads swiveled to regard Gideon, Dierdra, and I as we descended the few steps onto the ballroom floor. Dierdra had worn a skin-tight velvet cocktail dress in a bright sky blue that complimented her dark hair and fair skin. My dark indigo gown on the other hand offset my pale hair and eyes. Between us, Gideon's black suit matched his black hair and dark gaze.

I thought in a row we looked like the encroachment of night, my dusk hues bleeding into Gideon's shadow, then brightening to the sky blue of day. We were very striking, and yet that was not what the attendees were staring at. "TWO Lunas?" I heard someone exclaim, "Is that even allowed?" Not his Luna, Well, one is. The other is his mate." "Sounds messy, do you think they all... you know?" I blushed as the ill-concealed speculations rose on all sides. We were a spectacle for all the wrong reasons, and as couples began to approach to make introductions and small talk, it only got worse.

"Very brave of you, dearie, to share your position," ---- one matronly old Luna whispered to me theatrically, " I tried something like that when I was younger, but then of course I found out he was lying to me, so I ended it." "You stopped being Luna?" I asked, shocked.

No no, I killed him," the grizzled Luna gave a terrifying smile and patted the arm of her much younger Alpha, "simplified everything fantastically." Oh..." I paled, turning to regard Gideon who stared at me blandly, "Sounds messy." "Well, yes," the Luna smiled, " most Alpha business is," before she turned away to compliment Dierdra's dress. "J must say, if I had to guess, you must be the mistress," a young Alpha bowed to me with a leer.

Actually, I..." I started to correct him, but he grasped my hand with a smooth gesture and bowed over it, meeting my eyes even as he kissed the back of my hand expressively. "No? Would you like to be one?" The Alpha grinned wolfishly, and I snatched my hand away. ---- Was he... suggesting an affair? And why did he assume I was the mistress? I glowered and slunk towards the edge of the room to flop myself on an overstuffed sofa and stare out at the drifting crowd with a distrustful glare. The music and noise in the room intensified.

The seclusion and avoidance that had initially felt relieving began to feel more awkward and lonely. No one else came to talk to me once I had separated myself from Gideon.