The Heartless Alpha's Beloved Luna Novel

---- Chapter 356 Avery's POV My body trembled the entire walk back to the house, but somehow, | managed to keep my footsteps even and my shoulders back. The moment | was inside, though, | crumbled. | drew in a shaky breath, leaning back against the wall for support. My heart was racing. | felt a pang through the mate bond, but quickly clamped down my mental blockade, ensuring Gideon couldn't reach me. How did he find out | was here? It didn't matter; he knew | was here now, and he likely knew Bjorn was here, too, and now he wasn't going to give up until he got what he wanted.

Regret washed over me. | began to wonder if | should go back to the human lands, where it would be more difficult for Gideon to find me. But he knew my identity there now, too. Nowhere felt safe. | was still standing there, breathing hard, when Sebastian entered the house. When he opened the door, | could briefly hear Gideon's shouts, but it grew muffled again once the door was shut. "There you are." Sebastian rushed over to me and took my ---- shoulders in his hands, studying me. "Are you okay?" I nodded stiffly, but we both knew it was a lie.

"Avery..." "| shouldn't have come here," | said, looking up at Sebastian. Not now, and not before. Now that he knows my identity, | can't hide anywhere. I-I'll have to move overseas-" "Avery." Sebastian tightened his grip on me and leveled me with an even look. "You don't have to jump to such drastic measures." "But Gideon could try to take Bjorn away." Sebastian's expression softened a little. Gently, he guided me out of the hallway and into the nearby drawing room. He helped me sit down in a chair and walked over to the side bar, where he poured me a small finger of whisky.

| didn't drink too often lately, but | took it anyway, knocking it back in one swallow. The alcohol burned a warm path down my throat, soothing my chest a little. | leaned back in the chair and shut my eyes. "Thank you." | could hear Sebastian sitting down across from me. "Listen," he said, his voice soft, "you don't have to worry about Gideon." "You don't know that," | said. ---- "| do. Avery, he's an aging wolf. He's beyond his prime and he's lost more than a few marbles over the past ten years. You're safe here. I'll make sure of it." I cracked one eye open to look at Sebastian.

For a moment, he almost reminded me of the Gideon | knew ten years ago. Younger, stronger, more level-headed. It was more comforting than | wanted to admit. "He could still use his parental rights to take my son away." "If it comes to that-if-then we'll handle it," he said firmly and without hesitation. "Gideon won't take Bjorn from you. He doesn't even know he exists." | shot Sebastian a look as if to say "We don't know that for certain," but his expression was unwavering. | let out a small breath. Just then, the door flung open. Bjorn, breathless and windswept, burst into the house.

"Water?" he asked, looking at Sebastian, who pointed toward the kitchen. Bjorn took off that way, probably to chug several glasses full When he was gone, Sebastian shot me an arch look. "You can't pull Bjorn away from here. Just look at him. Two days, and he's already just like the other pups." My heart sank a little as | realized that he was right. As much as | ---- hated to admit it, Bjorn had taken to pack life like sails take to the wind. He belonged here, amongst his own kind. And we'd only just gotten here; | couldn't rip it away from him yet. | sighed, passing my hands over my face.

"You promise Gideon can't get into the pack?" | asked.