The Heartless Alpha’s Beloved Luna

Chapter 44 Avery's POV What I had overheard was troubling, and I wasn't sure what to do with the information. Although Nightwolf on the whole seemed better run than Silvermoon, there were still those who resented Gideon's leadership as Alpha. And certainly wolves like Jessica were just out for their own gain. If I was truly going to stay and become Luna, I would need to think about how I could help smooth over these rough patches. Was the person who I'd overheard someone whose family had been overlooked for events like the upcoming Mating Gala?

I began to see the true responsibility the Old Luna had put on me, and the level of trust it had required. Any mistake I made could be the reason why a Nightwolf pack member might decide to leave, or worse, turn on their own pack. These were sobering thoughts. The Old Luna was not in her office at this time of night, so I would turn the list over to her in the morning. But I didn't want to go back to my room just yet. So I headed towards the kitchen. As I approached the back door of the kitchen, I heard the quiet sounds of someone crying.

I stilled my footsteps and moved closer, rounding the corner quietly. There was a girl seated on a barrel outside the Kitchen. She had her hands over her face and was holding a kitchen towel over her eyes. Maybe she was hurt? I thought. Concerned, I asked, "Are you ok?" The girl startled and swung her head to look at me. As she pulled the towel away, I realized it was one of the girls who had been with Jessica earlier that morning. "Oh, uh." I said, awkwardly. "I heard crying. Did you hurt yourself in the kitchen?" I didn't see any injuries. The girl sniffed loudly, then shook her head.

"No." She said miserably, "I'm ok." Alone like this, neither of us seemed to know what to say next. I thought about the times I had found a quiet corner to release pent-up feelings when I didn't have anywhere else to go. "Well, ah, if you need someone to talk to?" I offered, clumsily. "No!" The girl said loudly, then with a grimace, "I mean... No, thank you. But I can't talk to you." "Because of Jessica?" I asked, with a touch of bitterness. "You must know she started all of this." She nodded once, hunching her shoulders, "I know.

has a lot of power." "More than a Luna?" I said with a cold smile. "Of course not." She looked at me with a look that indicated she thought I was a bit dense, "but you're not fully Luna. Not yet. And..." 1/3 She looked like she wanted to say something more, but trailed off. "And...?" I prompted. "Listen, I can't really be talking to you.

over and shook her head violently. "Sorry, you seem nice, and I feel bad, but it's not safe here. For either of us. You have to do this on your own, and so do I. But..." she

now." Personally, I couldn't blame them, but I did feel a stab of pity for this girl who was caught up in something with a bad person like Jessica. I nodded, and watched as she walked away. Then I picked up the towel she'd left behind and carried it into the kitchen. Anna was at

the subject and said, "I got an invoice for a shipment of flowers for the Gala, but there seems to have been some mix up, as we already had a shipment delivered. If you remember, you might mention it to the Old Luna when you see her."

I didn't have a firm grasp on any of them yet. We shared a cup of tea and a slice of toast, talking about nothing much, and then I said 'goodnight' and headed for my room. That night I dreamed of being tangled in vines. No matter how hard I struggled, they only grew tighter and tighter. I kept expecting to open my