Chapter 162
Chapter 162
Avery’s POV
The fever finally left my body but it took the last of my strength with it. I was weak as a kitten and spent much of the next few days sleeping deeply, only rousing myself to drink water and use the bathroom.
My friends, lan, Madelyn, and Melody, came to visit in those first few days. They were the ones who told me what had happened after the rogues attacked. My memories were so fever-drenched, I had little grasp of what had happened.
The rogues had been carrying me away between them, ostensibly to take me to the Rogue King, who had been waiting nearby in the forest. Likely, the whole attack had been coordinated in an attempt to grab me. They had known that Gideon and I were riding in separate cars and had directed their forces to separate us intentionally.
I remembered Gideon turning away towards Dierdra, leaving me to fend for myself. That was the last thing that was crystal clear in my mind from that day.
Each day I worked on recovering my strength. When I was finally strong enough to rise from my bed unassisted, I was allowed to sit on the balcony and feel the sun on my cheeks. My mind drifted in those days, remembering the events of the Alpha Council.
No one else visited.
Maybe that wouldn’t have bothered me, once. I hated being wounded, and I particularly resented showing my weakness to others. I should have been grateful for the space and time to heal.
But I wasn’t.
Gideon never came to my room. As far as I knew, he never came while I was sick either.
I was hopelessly alone.
What other signs did I need that this was never going to work? He had chosen Dierdra over me at every turn. It was only a matter of time before she successfully engineered my downfall.
Or worse, my death.
Her connection to Zara was becoming more clear. How had the Rogue King known where to find us? Who had told him when we were leaving?
It was no longer simply a matter of beating Dierdra at her social competition. There was a very good chance she was assisting Zara in trying to deliver me to the Rogue King, and if that was true, then I was living on borrowed time.
I took to locking my doors at night, though I doubted it could really protect me. If the Rogue King could strike at me here, deep in Nightwolf Territory, then nowhere was truly safe.
After a week of recovery, I managed to make it downstairs to the kitchens and made myself tea. After
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that, I made the trip twice a day, taking it slow on the staircase.
I wondered if Dierdra’s ‘pregnancy’ was progressing. My mother had said that she had drank so much herbal tea when she was pregnant with me, but, looking at the teabags in the cabinet, I was the only one touching the ginger, peppermint, and orange peel. (1)
Throughout all those long days, and longer, exhausting nights, one question repeated in my head constantly.
What was I going to do?
This situation was untenable. I was rejected by the Alpha in every tangible way that mattered to my soul. My wolf was awake, but distant. My body was broken, and healing slowly.
I was Luna in name, but I had been able to perform none of my duties while wounded. Dierdra was now, allegedly, Gideon’s pregnant true mate. Even if he, himself didn’t get rid of me, someone else in the pack would no doubt offer to do it for him.
I was an uncomfortable loose end.
And I had never felt so keenly how expendable I was.
Finally, on a day in which I had a modicum of energy, I dragged myself down the hallway to Gideon’s office. He hadn’t been expecting me, that much was clear. To be fair, I was somewhat surprised to find myself there.
My feet had shuffled down the hallway as of their own volition. Following the cues of my subconscious, rather than the instructions coming from my brain.
For a moment, Gideon and I just stared at each other. He, stuck in a startled pose, in the middle of shuffling papers.
Emotions flitted over his face so quickly, it was hard to read them. Was that… guilt? Regret? Concern? Anger?
“We need to talk,” I creaked, my voice rusty from disuse. After a beat he replied.
“Do we p>
“Yes,” I closed my eyes, gathering my strength for what must be done. Silence stretched between us, so quiet I could hear the gentle clanging of the pullchain on the overhead fan as it rattled in the breeze, “We do p>
“Ok,” when I opened my eyes, Gideon was staring at me, waiting.
“You left me,” I said. It would have sounded accusatory, if I had any force behind it, but I was too tired for that. It was simply a statement of fact.
His eyes flickered, his mouth opened, then shut.
“You left me to die,” I repeated.
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“I did,” Gideon said flatly.
“Why?” I hated how plaintive the question sounded leaving my lips, “They were carrying me away. To him p>
“I know,” he leaned back in his chair, frowning.
“I have been… healing… and thinking…I have these thoughts p>
“What are your thoughts, Avery?” His eyes glittered as they remained fixed on me, as though he knew what I was trying to say before I did.
“Being your wife is going to be the death of me,” I said it simply, staring back at him, “It’s going to kill me, Gideon. I have too many enemies, and I have no one on my side. Not even you p>
His fingers twitched where he had them clasped on the desktop, and he moved them to his lap. Still, he did not respond.
“This…dynamic between you and Dierdra and I… Is there even any point to it anymore? You have me here as your Luna. I signed your damn contract. You know she will never rest until I am fully out of the picture p>
He didn’t deny it, he just listened as I talked. That cold, penetrating gaze gave nothing away.
“Though there are days I doubt it, I think I still want to live. I want to walk away from all this p>
“You want to walk away from me,” Gideon asked sharply. 1
“Yes.” I nodded, “From you. From whatever is between us p>
He rose from the desk and walked around it towards where I stood, swaying on my feet.
“You are barely standing,” he said, “perhaps we should talk about this another time.” 1
“No!” I said, raising my voice, “Don’t you understand? I don’t have time left. If the Rogue King doesn’t get me, she might! Or my sister! Or some disgruntled pack member who thinks they’re doing you a favor! I’m running out of time p>
He had been reaching to grasp my elbow, perhaps to support me, but I twitched away from his touch. I needed him to hear me. I needed him to understand.
I turned to face him and placed one hand on his cheek. He stilled, barely breathing.
“I need a divorce, Gideon.” 2
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