The Heartless Alpha’s Beloved Luna (Avery and Gideon) novel Chapter 441

Chapter 441

“I love Avery,” I said. “And because I love her, I have spent a lot of time recently thinking about what that actually means. It doesn’t mean I get to decide things for her. It doesn’t mean I get to manipulate her into being with me.” I shot Deirdre a meaningful look. “It means I let her choose. Whatever she chooses. Even if I don’t like what she wants; that’s what loving someone is about. Sometimes, it means letting them go.”

Deirde was silent.

I heard a shuffle on the path behind me. Turning, I saw her standing there. Avery. She’d clearly heard the entire thing, and her face was pale and expressionless. Her arms hung loosely at her sides. She wasn’t looking at Deirdre. She was looking at me.

I nodded to her, just once, then turned back to Deirdre.

For her part, Deirdre looked like she’d just sucked on a lemon. Clearly, my words had hit their mark.

“You have no idea how big of a mistake you’re making by choosing her,” she muttered.

I shrugged. “My whole life is one big mistake after another. That’s sort of the whole point of being alive.”

With that, I nodded to Tegan. He stepped forward, took Deirdre by the arm, and hauled her back to her feet. I watched, as did the entire gathering of onlookers, as Tegan and the other Nightwolf warrior loaded

her into the back of the car.

Sebastian, who I hadn’t noticed was there, moved to stand beside me. He had his hands in his pockets.

“So,” he said quietly, watching as the car pulled away, “what happens for her now?”

I shrugged. “She’ll be taken back to Nightwolf, where she’ll stand trial. We’ll see what the pack has to say when they hear her story.”

Sebastian nodded, satisfied by my response.

I let out a small breath once Tegan’s car was out of sight. Finally, after ten years of searching and not knowing, Deirdre had been found. This time, she wasn’t going to escape. She was going to face justice for everything she had done.

For the relationship she had had a hand in tearing apart a decade ago.

Deep down, though, I knew what happened-the reason behind why Avery left and didn’t look back- wasn’t entirely Deirdre’s fault. She’d had a hand in it, yes, but a good portion of the onus was on me.

I knew that now, even if it made me feel bitter inside. By refusing to tell Avery how much she really mattered to me, I pushed her away. She was traumatized and frightened, and I hadn’t been there for her, not in the way that truly mattered.

I glanced at Avery again. She was still standing a few feet away, staring at the spot where Deirdre had just been. Her eyes briefly met mine, and the look in them was unreadable.

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For a moment, I thought about last night. The warmth and passion that briefly drew us together, even if only for a little while.

She still loved me, deep down, even if she didn’t want to admit it. I knew, in that moment, that I had to do what was necessary to win her back.

Even if it meant giving her the space she wanted, the liberty to choose me or not choose me. Even if it meant only seeing her once a month beneath the light of the full moon.

I knew that now.

There was still one person to deal with, though. An eighteen year old girl who was not completely innocent in the matter of what happened last night was still sitting in the holding cells, awaiting a trial of her own.

I was just about to turn to Sebastian and ask what was to become of Fiona when, as if on cue, the sound of tires screeching cut through the quiet. Everyone turned to see a familiar black car ripping up the driveway. An older male was sitting in the driver’s seat, his face tight with anger and his knuckles white around the steering wheel.

Alpha Matthew came screeching to a stop mere inches from Sebastian and I. Neither Sebastian nor I moved as he flung the driver’s side door open and leapt out of the car. Up close, I could see that his face

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