The Heartless Alpha’s Beloved Luna

Chapter 67 Avery's POV | could feel the thunderstorm approaching at my back as | watched Ryan disappear down the path. | didn't even need to turn around to know that Gideon was standing behind me, with his icy stare and his cold disapproval. "| told you to stay away from him." His growl made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "Is that why you're here?" | whirled to face him. "To police me? Aren't you only here to hunt down your missing mate?" The words flew out of my mouth before | could reel them back in.

| watched Gideon's expression go flat, his mouth compressing into a thin line. Admittedly, this probably was going to set back our trust- building exercises somewhat, but | was tired of tip-toeing around his inconvenient truths. "| don't understand you, Gideon." | said, "You want me as Luna, but not as your mate. I'm supposed to be your secretary, and | hope, at least your friend. What happens to me when you find your real mate? Do | just get ushered out the door to live my life ---- as a rogue? Packless?" I marched closer to him, staring up at him and letting my tongue loose.

"You want us to learn how to trust each other, but my future is forever uncertain with you! | don't see how | can marry someone who doesn't see me as their mate. It's all of me, or nothing!" | crossed my arms and stared into his stormy eyes, "I want a real commitment, not a bunch of Alpha-jealousy bullshit! What security do you really offer me?" He let my tirade continue until it slowed. "Is security and commitment what you think Ryan will offer you?" His voice was glacial.

"If so, you are more a fool than | thought possible." He didn't answer any of my accusations, but he did step closer, looking down his nose at me. | could feel his powerful aura, like always, and smell the scent of him. Cedar and the ozone and smoke of a lightning strike. Ryan definitely didn't activate all my senses the way Gideon did. | didn't want Ryan. With a sinking but triumphant realization, | knew in my heart that | only wanted Gideon.

me. But before any of that could happen, | just wanted Gideon to give me a straight answer about what we could be to each other. He owed me that, at least,

guess all rats come back to the sewer occasionally. | didn't have a good reason to deny her the chance to see her mother, but clearly | had been too soft and lenient. All of that would stop now. If Avery wanted to visit, she would come with a full complement ---- of body guards. Silvermoon was a cesspool, and it was only getting

well and truly entrenched now, and my attempts to talk to our ally pack about it were met with gross indifference. They truly didn't seem to care that the enemy was on their doorstep. 1 | had come to try and prevent this territory from being overrun, for my bride's sake. Now, after 3 seconds in the arms of her ex, she apparently didn't want to be my

in your pants, not getting it out." | drawled, leaning against a tree nearby. Ryan swore and whirled around, half-shifted. ---- Oh good, give me a fucking reason and

snapping. "Your whole territory stinks, Ryan. Probably because you're such a shitty Alpha." "What do you want, Gideon?" He whined pathetically, "You can't