The Heartless Alpha’s Beloved Luna (Avery and Gideon) novel Chapter 400

Avery’s POV

I supposed I should have expected that question by now.

I just didn’t think it would come at this exact moment.

For a moment, I almost considered coming up with another pretty lie; that Gideon was not Bjorn’s father. That Bjorn’s father was an astronaut, or a king, or something fantastical that was too far away to reach. The kind of thing I might have told him when he was too little for it to really make much of a difference.

But as Bjorn looked at me with that face that had always been beyond his years, those knowing eyes that looked too much like Gideon’s for comfort, I just…

I knew I couldn’t lie. Not now. Not to him.

It wouldn’t be right if I did.

I took a breath and turned to face him fully. “Do you want the truth?” I asked. “Or do you want the easy answer?”

“The truth,” Bjorn said immediately. “Always the truth.”

“Even if it hurts?”

He nodded.

I exhaled, scratching my head, then moved back over to the tub. There was a small footstool there, which I pulled out to sit on. I hesitated for a moment, wondering where to begin.

Finally, I decided to just go for it.

“Yes,” I said. “Gideon is your father.”

Bjorn’s whole face lit up like the sun. “I knew it!” He threw his hands out of the water so fast that it splashed me. “I knew he was my dad! I felt it from the very first moment I saw him!”

I didn’t respond to that. Just dried my face with the back of my hand and waited.

Once Bjorn’s excitement wore off a little, he gave me a wary look. “So… What now?” he asked. “Are we gonna move in with him? He can teach me how to be an Alpha. I want to see his pack, too.”

I sighed and looked at my lap. “Bjorn, I’m… not sure if that’s the best idea.”

“Why not?” He tilted his head.

“Because… Because your dad and I have a very complicated past. I’m not sure if we can love each other now, or if we ever could before. Besides, he’s in a relationship with Fiona.”

“But he said he doesn’t love her,” Bjorn said.

“People say things like that sometimes. Especially in the packs, where social status and political connections are the most important thing, sometimes people marry people they don’t love.”

“Well… If you don’t love him, then why would that stop you from marrying him in that case?” Bjorn asked.

“Because I’m not like that,” I said. “I never have been, and I take great pride in that. Even when Gideon and I were together, before you were born, I wasn’t happy because he wouldn’t say he loved me.”

“He says it now,” Bjorn pointed out.

“Yeah. He does. That doesn’t mean it’s true.”

Bjorn thought about that for a moment with his brow furrowed. I could tell he didn’t fully understand. I didn’t, either.

Finally, he looked up at me again. “Well,” he said, “I do want a dad. A real one. But if you don’t want him, then I won’t be mad at you. I’ll always stay with you, Mom.”

I blinked. That took me by surprise. After everything, I’d almost expected Bjorn to want to go with his father if it came to that—like many kids of broken families did, I thought he might choose the “fun”, exciting parent over the one who had spent years disciplining.

“You really mean that?” I asked.

Bjorn nodded. “Yeah. I mean, you’re my mom. I know we fight sometimes, but I know you way better than Gideon, and I love you. I can’t picture myself without you.”

My eyes filled instantly. “Bjorn, that’s… That’s very mature of you.”

He smiled. “I know.” He looked at me. “But… can I ask something?”

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