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
These people would never question the Luna’s commands in a public forum, but they would air their doubts privately to neighbors or friends. Gossip spread quickly in a tight-knit pack, and their silent glances and whispered judgements were palpable if you knew what to look for.The grocer had complet
Avery’s POVAnd then he was gone. The one person I thought might be able to intervene, who might have been able to throw me a lifeline, instead turned and walked out my bedroom door. He held all the cards, and instead of playing the hand that could have saved me, he had done the equivalent of polit
Avery’s POVAfter Jessica’s unpleasant visit, I felt as though even my long-shot hope had been decimated. I had written the letter as she requested, though it pained me to have to write my false testament to her character. It wasn’t all lies. I had no doubt that ruthlessness, pride, tenacity, and a
Avery’s POVDierdra stomped across the room towards us as Gideon stepped back from me guiltily. I could see her eyes measuring the distance between us, my state of undress, Gideon’s body language. She was doing the math. “What are you doing?” she sneered at me, “Gideon has a pack to run, he doesn’t







