Chapter 65 - Avery and Heartless Gideon: A Werewolf Romance

Now that this mist had rolled in, that would be very difficult. We would have to wait until it cleared to head b to the pack.

Of course, I would be hauling Avery back with me. Her attempts at independence, while admirable, would not do. I needed her for my bride, and that was that.

But the torment she continued to receive from her former pack was provoking. Not just for her, but for me. It stirred dissension and threatened the careful peace I had spent my life guarding.

Here in the northern wilds, unnecessarily weakening a pack in any manner was treasonous. Resources were scarce, and our communities were our survival. Silvermoon was suicidal to keep threatening the status quo, especially with the rising rogue threat.

My thoughts were derailed by another sharp pain. I could feel the volume of blood increasing as it poured out of me. Avery was doing her best, but the silver was accelerating the deterioration of the wound.

“Please, Goddess” she whispered, and something warm and lovely bloomed in the middle of the pain.

I snapped my head up to look at her.

“Say it again.” I prompted. Her hands started to glow with moonlight. I had never seen anything like it. It was like she was gilded in silver.

“Avery, your hands.”

Moonlight coursed down from the celestial sky, cutting through the mist and brushing over my shoulder. The relief was immediate.

If you’ve ever been in constant pain that suddenly shut off, you understand what I mean. The absence of it took my breath away.

Avery crawled towards me, pressing her hands softly to my shoulder. Soft warmth spread through that side of my body. Instead of stabbing torment, now I could feel my healing accelerating. The tide of the silver fever was turning.

Sweat broke out on my brow from the sudden fever break. Somewhere in my soul, my wolf was making a low, growling purr of approval.

The amplitude of the magic swirling around us increased suddenly. The magic flowing through my blood was singing, a crystalline hum, but there were other notes within it. I could feel the low rumbling vibration of my wolf’s magic, and the soft, sweet harmony of Avery’s power.

And then within her power, a reverberation of my own, echoing back. No… emanating from her?

I tried to concentrate on the strange feelings my wolf was picking up. It felt like there was a part of me inside her. That was strange. Perhaps some of my blood on her hands?

“Why am I inside of you?” I asked. Avery shot me a strange look.

“My magic.” I repeated, “Your magic and mine are mingled.”

She shook her head in confusion, “I don’t really know how any of this works,” she admitted, “All of the books I’ve found on werewolf healing are somewhat vague on the specifics. I don’t even know how I’m doing this!”

I had a suspicion. I had read more of the old bloodline records than she had, looking for cures for my demonblood. Over and over, references to the Moon Goddess were peppered throughout Silvermoon Pack’s history.

This was living proof that the Goddess’ blessing still flowed through Avery’s lineage. No wonder Silvermoon wanted her back! She was valuable beyond their estimation.

The glow around her hands was subsiding. Some of the ache was flooding back into me, however the advance of the silver was slowed and retreating. She had given my own magic the time and strength it needed to take over.

She pulled her hands away from my shoulder, but I reached out and grabbed them in mine. If she really had access to the Moon Goddess’ blessing, then it was all the more essential that she not abandon Nightwolf. I would do whatever I needed to do to keep her here.

“You must stay.” I said, forcefully. I stared into her eyes, trying to convey how important it was that she remain.

“Gideon…” She said softly. Her eyes were huge and dark, vulnerable.

“You are essential to Nightwolf’s survival. We need you. I need you.” I squeezed her hands, perhaps a bit harder than I intended, because she winced.

“I understand that a Silvermoon bride is important…” She said softly, “But I don’t think I’m the right person for the job.”

I couldn’t think of anyone better for the job. She was everything we needed. Everything I needed. The pain was fraying the edges of my nerves now, and I could feel my energy depleting as my stores were directed into healing.

“You must stay.” I growled through the pain. It was so important that she realize that she couldn’t leave. “I cannot allow you to leave.”

“We must break our engagement!” She protested. “Surely you don’t think we can effectively be Alpha and Luna without being mates?”

“We can. We will. We must.” There was no other way forward. “I will allow no divorce. No nullification of our engagement. If you run again, I will find you. Make your peace with that.”

Her face was stricken, her hands still in mine. I could tell that she didn’t understand how vital she was. No one I had ever met could do what she had just done. Healing with moonlight was only the beginning, if even half the legends were correct.

She tried changing tactics, rubbing her fingers against mine.

“How do you see this working, then?” She pleaded, “Am I to be your prisoner forever?”

The fever was coming back. I needed to lay down and heal.

I leaned forward, until my forehead was pressing against hers. I could feel the flutter of her breath on my mouth.

“Not my prisoner.”

“My Luna.”

Avery’s POV

Gideon’s eyes were closed as he leaned his forehead against mine. I could see the crease between his brows furrow as pain washed over him. Thankfully, the blood flow had almost stopped, and soon the worst of the healing would be over.

His fever had returned. I could feel the heat of him against my skin. He would need to rest, and he would be hungry when he awoke.

Exasperatingly, he seemed to have no intention of allowing me to continue my journey. I should have known he would stop me. I guess it was good he’d shown up when he did, or I’d be mincemeat in some rogue’s jaws right now.

“My Luna.” Something about how he said those words had touched me in my core. As frustrating as his repeated denials of a separation were, he had said those words with such fervor. As though I truly was important to him.

I couldn’t imagine why he would choose me, while rejecting Zara. She was more powerful, more desirable in every way. She had a wolf that could manifest. I had no claim to his loyalty.

Yet here he was, protecting me once again. It made me want to do the same for him.

Tendrils of mist crept across the floor of the glade. The temperature was dropping, and it threatened to be a rainy, cold night. We needed to shelter here and let Gideon heal to safely make the trek back to Nightwolf.

Quickly I rose and gathered up pine boughs to create a roof over the fallen log we were leaning against. I would have loved to build a fire, but with rogues in these woods, it would be a beacon straight to our location.

As it was, the bodies of the fallen wolves would send a blood signal to their comrades. We just had to hope to get out of here before they found us.

Occasionally the fog parted and moonlight streamed down upon us. Remembering the way it had felt in my hands was surreal.

Experimentally, I wiggled my fingers in the moonlight, but the sensation of being able to manipulate the light did not return.

<< Previous Chapter

Next Chapter >>