The Heartless Alpha’s Beloved Luna (Avery and Gideon) novel Chapter 244

Chapter 244

Avery’s POV

Gideon’s gaze was intense as he tugged me towards him.

The village alarm klaxons were ringing in the distance. It was unusual for rogues to attack so close to the village. They were growing bolder each month. Their increasing pressure made me feel as though. the walls were closing in.

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Gideon was still looking at me as he pulled me towards the door. This would be the first time he’d invited me to go along with him towards combat. Was it because my wolf was stronger? Or was it because he didn’t want me out of his sight?

Finally I nodded and we rushed towards the village. There was a pack of warriors gathered in the Main Street, while scouts and others rushed around the village perimeter.

“Report,” Gideon instructed his Beta.

“Rogues spotted in the tree lines, sir. We’re not sure what they’re doing. They haven’t attacked.”

“Where are they concentrated?”

Tegan escorted us towards a path between the buildings that led out into the fields surrounding the village.

“They’re just past the end of this field, sir.”

I squinted in the direction he was pointing. This was near where I had spent a lot of time working the last few months, repairing stone fences and hauling in deliveries.

“Who spotted them?” Gideon asked.

“One of the guards of the old Luna, sir,” Tegan’s eyes flickered to me as he said it.

My head snapped up. Dierdra.

“They’ve come for her,” I said, shock flowing through me.

“What?” Gideon turned towards me, eyes narrowing.

“Dierdra,” I said numbly, as comprehension washed over me, “Today she was to work out here. Stupid, stupid, stupid!” I berated myself.

“Where is the other guard who was with Dierdra?” Gideon turned back to Tegan, who did not have an answer. There was a ripple of movement among the warriors.

“We will need to send a party out to that stand of trees,” Tegan quickly began pulling a group together, Recapture the woman, retrieve and rescue. Let’s go!”

I watched them swarm across the field, many shifting to increase speed. There was a distant howling as

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Chapter 244

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they entered the trees, and then only the distant sound of combat.

“Avery,” Gideon said slowly, “Why was Dierdra assigned to this field? I made no such assignation.”

I wrapped my arms around myself and turned to face him.

“I changed her orders last night,” I lowered my eyes away from his piercing stare, “I’m sorry.”

“Why did you do it?” he asked, voice low and furious.

I pressed my lips together. I didn’t want to explain, but how else could I justify my actions?

“I went to talk to her,” I confessed, “She said… some things. I decided to assign her to the same work she had me doing during my punishment. It seemed… fitting.”

“What did she say?” Gideon’s voice was like iron and it made me shudder.

“She said…” I squared my shoulders and lifted my head to try and meet his gaze. All of my desperation and sorrow and hurt was in my eyes when I said, “That you were lying to me. That you are using me.”

The muscle in Gideon’s cheek was jumping as he stared at me. He didn’t even look away when Tegan approached with the report that they’d run the rogues off but Dierdra had gone with them.

And that they’d found a wounded man in the woods. The guard who had stayed with Dierdra when his partner had notified the warriors of the approach of the Rogues.

“Tegan,” Gideon said, still staring hard at me, “The Luna and I will be meeting at the pack house. See that we are not interrupted.”

“Yessir,” his Beta saluted.

The walk back to the pack house was tense. Gideon didn’t lead.me to the upstairs offices or our rooms, instead he took me back to the kitchen and sat me at the tall table.

“Avery,” he said, sliding into the stool across from me, “I need to ask you some questions.”

Warily, I nodded.

“What was it that Dierdra made you do, exactly, during your punishment?”

So I explained to him all the tasks I had been assigned. Moving rocks, digging ditches, cleaning bathrooms.

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