The Heartless Alpha's Beloved Luna Novel

---- Chapter 359 Avery's POV | spotted Bjorn from across the field. He was standing near the treeline at the far edge of the grounds, away from the other pups, talking to a man | didn't recognize. The man was wearing a baseball hat pulled low and sunglasses. His back was to me, but something about him set me off right away. | hurried across the lawn, calling Bjorn's name. He turned, and the man stiffened. By the time | reached my son, the man had walked back into the crowd. "Bjorn!" | came skidding to a halt beside my son, trying to spot the man, but | couldn't see him anymore.

"Who was that?" He shrugged. "I dunno." "What do you mean you don't know? What were you talking to a stranger for?" "He just asked me about kickball. It wasn't a big deal, Mom." "It is too a big deal." | stared at the crowd. The man was completely gone, swallowed up by the people like he'd never been there. | hadn't gotten a good look at his face. All | had was the hat, the sunglasses, the broad set of his shoulders. ---- That was enough for me to put two and two together. "Did he tell you his name?" | asked. "No, Mom." Bjorn groaned, like | was being a nuisance.

"But | felt like | knew him from somewhere. Like I'd seen him before or something." He paused, tilting his head. "My wolf kept going nuts the whole time." My stomach dropped "We need to go." | grabbed Bjorn's arm and began pulling him back toward the house. "What? Why? Mom-" "Just come with me, please." "| was in the middle of a game!" He dug his heels in. "Can you just tell me what's going on?" "Later. Right now | need you inside." "You're doing that thing again." He yanked his arm out of my grip so hard that | stumbled a step. "You always do this!

Freaking out over nothing!" | opened my mouth. "And I'm sick of it! I'm finishing my game whether you like it or ---- not!" he blurted out. Before | could respond, he turned and stomped back to the kickball field. By now, a small crowd had formed. The other kids were staring. A couple of pack members were whispering to each other. "Avery!" Sebastian jogged over with a furrowed brow, having heard the altercation. "What's going on?" | turned to him. "I think Gideon was here," | whispered. His face fell. "What?

How-" "Please do something." Sebastian nodded, and his eyes briefly glazed over as he mindlinked his Beta. A moment later, | saw a few pack guards moving deliberately through the crowd, searching. Sebastian and | stayed close to the kickball field, keeping an eye on Bjorn, until they were finished searching. He received a mindlink back, then turned to me and shook his head. "He's not here, Avery." "But-" "If he was here at some point, then he's gone now." | let out a breath, but it wasn't enough to soothe my nerves. That was Gideon, or at least someone sent here by him; | was sure of ---- it.

Which meant that the pack wasn't as secure as Sebastian made it out. "Avery, you've got that look again." Sebastian placed his hand on my shoulder. "Everything is okay, alright? Please don't let this ruin your day." | wanted to believe him. | really did. | looked at Bjorn, who was playing his game again and pretending | didn't exist. Even from here, | could see my son's jaw set hard and his eyes flashing with frustration. He was kicking the ball harder than before. Maybe I'd been too hasty in jumping to conclusions.

Maybe | was hurting my son because of it, making him lose trust in me by acting flighty and unpredictable. Another breath. Then a nod. "Alright. I'm fine." Sebastian smiled faintly. "I'll protect you, Avery." "Thank you," | said, although deep down, a part of me wondered if | should just get better at protecting myself rather than relying 'on someone else to do it. Because the fact of the matter was, Gideon knew | was alive now, and he knew Bjorn existed, and there was no running anymore.

---- Sooner or later, | might just have to face him, Later that afternoon, | realized I'd forgotten to pack a few things. Basic, but specific things, like the face cream | really liked and the sleep eye mask that I needed. | decided to run out to get what | needed. Honestly, | could use the air, anyway,