The Heartless Alpha’s Beloved Luna

Chapter 252 Avery's POV He hadn't answered my question. His silence lingered in my mind as the taste of him faded from my lips. If he felt it, why couldn't he just say it? Our bond told me his feelings. Desire, yes. Concern, yes. Wouldn't I feel it if he loved me? He would kiss me in front of his men, but he wouldn't tell me what I meant to him. If I stayed here, was that how our relationship would continue, with so much unsaid? Or was there a possible future where we finally were transparent with each other? He had tried to offer that to me before.

What if he dropped his shields and behind them there was not the depth of emotion I hoped for? I wasn't sure I could stand knowing that he cared somewhat for me, but not the way I cared for him. To be half-loved, a stand-in for a mate he would have loved more. Could I ever believe that he loved me, even if he decided to say it? My secret couldn't afford to wait until he decided where his emotions lay. I couldn't plan my future around a 'maybe'. I slid off of the kitchen stool and stepped outside into the late afternoon sunset.

There was a festive air in the village, with everyone dressed in their best clothes, whether they intended to participate or not. This afternoon the wolves were gathering in two groups. Predominantly men in one and women in the other. In the Annual Mating Ceremony, the wolves roamed in the forest until they found and captured their mates.

but for the most part it was seen a big, flirtatious game in which the wolves played hard-to-get while their prospective partners proved their physical strength and agility. If I entered that forest tonight, Gideon would be out there, hunting along with the rest. He had said that he would find me, but there would also

change forever. Right now we were operating on a half-formed bond through my mark, but if I accepted Gideon and marked him back, we would finally be full mates. For a moment my resolve fluctuated. I was at a crossroads, Was I willing to accept an outcome where Gideon didn't end up as my reciprocated

to the mating ceremony, I was refusing to stake my claim on him, and other wolves would take notice. A very primal part of me that spoke with