Mag-log inGideon’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 POVThe sun was setting on another day of hard work. I stretched wearily, feeling my shirt draw tight over chafed skin. My shoulders and back ached from bending low over my tasks. I walked over to my water bottle and chugged it, grateful for the cool water.I was eager to collapse into my be
Jessica stared at me for a long moment, then inclined her head, “Go on.” “I am leaving the pack on a business trip for a few weeks,” I said, and saw her nod. She had known this already, “Dierdra is staying behind. I need someone to keep tabs on her and let me know what she does in my absence.” “Yo
Avery’s POVDierdra sprawled across the floor like a rag doll. She wasn’t moving. “What have you done?” Gideon snarled, leaping across the space towards his ‘mate’. Had I killed her? She looked so limp and broken where she lay. I couldn’t believe that I could have done such a thing, even with my w
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







