LOGINGideon’s jaw tightened. “I looked at the stars every night. Wondering if you were alive. If you were safe. If you ever thought about me.”“I never stopped thinking about you,” I admitted. My voice came out rougher than I would have liked, but it felt good to be honest for once. “Even when I hated yo
Avery’s POVI grabbed my jacket from the chair and followed Gideon down the stairs and out the back door. The night air was cool against my skin, and I took a deep breath, shutting my eyes for a moment as the smell seeped into my lungs.“Smells good, doesn’t it?” Gideon’s voice was low, and when I o
Avery’s POVThe drive to Nightwolf took three hours. Bjorn fell asleep in the back seat halfway through, his head lolling against the window. I watched him in the side mirror, his chest rising and falling in slow, shallow breaths.Gideon didn’t say much. He kept his eyes on the road, hands steady on
“Avery, you hurt me, too,” Gideon cut me off.I snapped my mouth shut.“You kept my son from me for ten years,” he said. “You lied to me, ran from me, and made me believe I’d never have the family I wanted. So trust me when I say the feeling is mutual.”The words stung, but I deserved them. I knew I
Avery’s POVI pushed myself up from the bed as soon as I heard Bjorn’s voice. Gideon moved over to me and offered me his arm. I looked at it for a moment, then up at his face, set firm and yet threaded with a tenderness that I couldn’t ignore. Finally, I took it and let him guide me out of the room.
I looked away. I didn’t answer; I couldn’t. My throat felt too choked up, not just from my injuries, but from all of it.“Why did you keep him from me?” Gideon’s voice was barely above a whisper. “All these years, and my son was right here. Why did you lie to me?”I opened my mouth, then closed it a
Avery’s POV“Enough.” Gideon growled, and the training grounds fell silent, “Get off of her.” Unable to disobey a direct order from his Alpha, Ian released me and stood to his feet, offering me a hand to rise as well. “Alpha,” he bowed his head in respect. Gideon’s eyes flicked between us as we b
Avery’s POVThe next day I dressed carefully and left the pack house before the sun rose once more. A low fog hung over the village, making the air damp and heavy. I breathed deeply and took off at a jog, letting the movement and my steady pace warm my muscles and waken my mind. I had put my new p
Avery’s POVDim light was filtering past the window curtains when I groggily pulled myself from sleep. Something had awoken me, but for a moment I wasn’t sure what. My mind was full of hazy memories, and it took me a long moment to remember where I was. Ah, right. The Council palace. I had… been
Gideon’s POVI sipped my coffee in the pack hall late that night and waited for Tegan’s report on my missing Luna. Even this late, there were always wolves coming and going on pack business. I was surrounded by bustle and yet it couldn’t match the turmoil I felt inside.Avery and Dierdra both had de







