The Heartless Alpha's Beloved Luna Novel

---- Chapter 88 Gideon's POV "W-what? Your brother? The pack doctor?" Avery tilted her head, confused. The softness of... whatever she'd been doing in the moonlight was falling away as she tucked her robe around herself. "Yes. My brother. Hudson. Don't see him." "Ok, but why?" She acquiesced so easily that something in my core loosened. She genuinely seemed confused as to why | was asking. "He was acting strangely anyway. | wasn't sure if | should mention it, but | don't think | want to see him regardless.' Her words made me want to embrace her all over again. But she wasn't my mate.

Best not to confuse the matter further. "Is something wrong?" Avery asked. "Not at all," | said, tamping down the feelings. | didn't want to have to explain it all. "You disappeared." "Ah." She looked a bit embarrassed. "! was trying..." Her voice faded off, as though she wasn't sure she wanted to say. She ---- gestured at the woods. | looked around at the lit candles, smelled the rich herbal aroma of crushed rosemary and mint. "Are you... summoning a demon?" | asked. Avery laughed, a lovely sound. "No, no. Just trying to commune with the Moon Goddess." She looked at me, shyly. "|...

wasn't sure how I was able to help you with your wound. I'm trying to learn more so | can do it on demand." That was such an admirable goal that | was taken aback slightly. And | had barged in here with my temper at its max. | felt a little ashamed | cleared my throat, "Well, any luck?" She frowned, "I'm not sure. | felt something... but there's no one here needs healing." That was an excellent point. One | needed to hammer home. "You can't be out here alone. It's not safe." "| was barely out of sight of the house!" Avery protested.

"Really Gideon, you can't keep me locked up." ---- Oh couldn't |? Just the thought of her being attacked by rogues again was enough to raise my hackles. "I certainly can." | growled, "No more running around in the woods naked, for starters. | don't care how strong your wolf is, you go with me, or don't go at all." Avery was struck speechless. "Oh.. you!" She sputtered as | stomped around, blowing out her candles and shoving her supplies into her arms. "And stay away from my brother!" | repeated. "You said that already!" She stomped her foot.

"Though | certainly don't understand why!" | grabbed her hand and hauled her with me, back towards her room, and didn't stop until I'd shut the door on her pouting face. Then I went to my room and drank too much whiskey. The judgmental sun found me the next morning and told me what an idiot | had been, with a strong stab of brightness to my eyes. The whiskey fumes cleared away and | felt some remorse that | had stomped all over Avery's attempts at trying to master her powers for my benefit. My dreams from the night before had been strange beyond ---- belief.

Over and over, | had dreamed of the girl in the woods. The one | had mated. In my dreams | was trying to see her face, but no matter how | tried to look at her, something was always obscuring it. | woke up tormented, and desperately needing bodily release. A cold shower was the order of the day, but even there | found myself thinking of my mystery mate... and Avery. My mind kept trying to fuse them into the same person. l ended my shower as frustrated as when I'd started. Frankly, the memory of Avery healing me in the woods was itself something of a fever dream now that | was fully well.

| had been avoiding thinking about it too much. It was just too visceral and uncomfortable, the idea that there really was someone who had the Moon Goddess' blessing and could wield the powers of a deity.