The Heartless Alpha’s Beloved Luna (Avery and Gideon) novel Chapter 449

Chapter 449

Avery’s POV

Sebastian’s office was peaceful, the window open, letting in the breeze. It did little to calm the racing thoughts in my head.

“Coffee?” he asked, reaching for the carafe on the side table.

“Um. Sure.” I sat, running my hands over my face as he poured it. A moment later, a steaming cup was held under my nose. “Thanks,” I muttered, taking it.

Sebastian nodded and sat on the edge of his desk. I wrapped my hands around the cup, more so savoring the warmth rather than drinking it, and looked up at him.

“So,” I said. “What did you want to talk about?”

Sebastian hesitated. His mouth opened once, then closed again, and he made a little sound of thought.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Sorry, it’s just… I’ve been trying to figure out how to say this for a few days,” he said.

“Then say it.”

He looked down at me. Something had softened in his expression, not entirely unlike the way he had

looked at me at the banquet.

My stomach dropped.

Fuck.

“I’m in love with you, Avery.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

“I know,” he said quickly before I could respond. “I know what you said yesterday about independence, and I know this is probably the last thing you want to hear right now. But I couldn’t go on forever without telling you how I feel, and now that Bjorn is sick again…”

“Please don’t,” I whispered.

If Sebastian heard me, then he didn’t show any indication.

“I want to marry you,” he said. “And not just as a cover. I want to mark you, sever the bond with Gideon permanently. Then, you’d be free from him. And, of course, I’ll claim Bjorn as my heir. He would be fully accepted into this pack as my son. His sickness would resolve. He would be healthy. And when he comes of age, he’ll inherit Evergreen.”

I stared at him. “He’s not your biological son.”

1/2

+25 Bonus

“I know he’s not, and I understand your concern. But first of all-I wouldn’t ask you to have another child, not unless that’s what you wanted. And even if you did, Bjorn would remain my heir regardless. He would never fight for his place here.”

Silence fell after that.

My breath came out slow and shaky, evidence of the effort it took to keep myself from hyperventilating. I set my coffee cup down very carefully and stared at the floor.

It hurt more than I wanted to admit. I had just told Sebastian how I felt about my independence, and now … Now, he was using my son’s illness as a way to pull me into another arrangement. Not just a fake marriage, but a real one, complete with a mating mark and everything.

He could delude himself into thinking that it would become something real all he wanted, but the truth was, I didn’t love Sebastian. And I had made up my mind when I told him I didn’t want to lean on a man

anymore.

How could he just… ignore that and make an offer like this? Not just accepting Bjorn as his heir, but wanting me too, all of me, despite everything I’d told him?

I stood abruptly. Sebastian shot to his feet, too. “Avery-”

“I need some air.”

Sebastian called after me, but I didn’t look back as I turned and left.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify