The Heartless Alpha's Beloved Luna Novel

---- Chapter 99 Two paths lay before me. | dropped to my knees in the grass and dug my fingers into the dirt. "Moon Goddess," | prayed, "If Gideon is who | am meant to be with, then let his be the only mark | bear. Let me have a clean slate." The breeze picked up around me, lifting my hair and kissing my cheeks. The sun was warm on my back, and the air smelled of flowers and earth. This secret garden was a paradise. Surely, a man who gave me all these things couldn't be so bad? | rose, feeling as though the Goddess had given me her blessing.

| would go to Gideon and ask him about renouncing his old mate once and for all and taking me instead. + I eft the garden and locked the gate behind me. From the top of this hill, | could see over the village below. There were many pack vehicles clustered around the pack house. | could see warriors swarming in and out. | hurried down, greeting those wolves | had gotten to know over the past month as | passed. ---- | expected to find Gideon in his office, but to my surprise, a large number of wolves were gathered in the main entrance hall, clustered around the Alpha.

| pushed my way through to the front and slid to Gideon's side. He looked down at me in greeting. | didn't think | was making up the look of fondness in his eyes. He seemed to remember the comfort | had offered him in his office after he had told me about losing his friends. We hadn't talked since then, but our hands brushed together lightly as we stood, and there was familiarity in the gesture. Surely if we were this connected, he wouldn't reject my request? But now was not the time, something was happening. "What's going on?" | asked him quietly.

"There was a group of women rescued from a rogue campsite in Silvermoon territory." Gideon explained, "We have offered them sanctuary and the first car is arriving now." The doors opened and a group entered, escorted by Quinn, one of Gideon's lieutenants. The women were all younger, and many looked bedraggled and cold. "Welcome to Nightwolf." Gideon gestured with an open palm, " There are blankets and clean clothes and food here for you. ---- Please warm yourselves." By his side | nodded my welcome, eyes sweeping over the women, some of whom were crying in relief at their rescue.

"| will help arrange their accommodations," | said to Gideon, who nodded appreciatively. "Thank you, Luna." "Later, | was wondering if we might speak?" | asked carefully. "Of course," Gideon replied, "I could come to your..." He cut off abruptly, staring at something behind me. | turned to see a waifish young woman stumbling towards us, unsteady on bare feet. Her dress was torn and ragged, gaping away from her neck. Her wide eyes were bright and shining as she reached for Gideon. As she fell towards us, Gideon darted forward with a low cry. | flinched at the sound of the emotion in it.

"No!" he gasped, catching the woman. He raised his gaze to mine, his expression full of incredulous joy. Gideon's trembling hand pushed away the hair from the side of the woman's neck, revealing the Alpha mark on her skin. It glowed under his touch. ---- "My mate!" Gideon curled his body over the young woman, who clung to him immediately. He looked down into her upturned face rapturously, "| have found you at last!" In my chest, my heart tured to stone and plummeted to Hell. The nightmare of being betrayed by Ryan resurfaced with a vengeance.

Here, once again, the man | thought | had a future with was choosing someone else. | covered my mouth to stifle a sob and stumbled backwards. The young woman's eyes tracked me as | retreated, and her mouth curved upwards in a smile as she pulled Gideon's face to hers and kissed him. | backed out of the room as tears poured from my cheeks. Pack members were turning to see their Alpha kissing the rescued woman, and then glancing at me. | couldn't stand their stares. | fled. Gideon never once lifted his head from the new girl to watch me leave.