Chapter 181
Chapter 181
Gideon frowned at me, “That is not the plan. When Avery is finished with her community service, she will be reinstated p>
I ground my teeth in a smile that was more of a grimace. Why must he persist with this idea that bringing Avery back was ever going to happen? I would be sure to give Avery even more labor to do today.
Perhaps if he saw that she was unable to perform even simple work, she was certainly not suited to be
Luna once more.
His refusal to permanently remove her, from hierarchy or his marriage, troubled me. Every time he talked like this, it made my anxiety spike. What more did I need to do to secure my position here?
I ran my fingers along the new curves of my body and watched his expression soften. He was still a man, like any other man, and once I was able to bear him a child he would forget all about Avery.
I gave him a sweet smile as I gathered up the dishes. Meanwhile, my mind was racing. I needed to find a way to break the deadlock and become the true Luna of Nightwolf pack forever.
“One more thing before you go,” Gideon placed a hand on my wrist and I froze, “There have been some complaints… A few villagers have expressed concern about Avery’s treatment p>
I snorted, “Avery is being treated far better than she deserves for someone who endangered the life of our child. You should care about that more than what the villagers think p>
Gideon’s mouth pressed into a line and I hurried to follow up my hasty words with, “You are, of course, welcome to check on former Luna Avery and see for
yourself, but perhaps these villagers only express concern because she is complaining to them. The chores she has been given are so simple a child could do them p>
Gideon nodded at my response, “I am sure it is as you say, thank you for looking into it p>
I hadn’t said I’d do any such thing, but I would certainly look into how to make sure Avery couldn’t stir up more trouble in the village while she worked. I already knew from her guards that she wasn’t talking to anyone, but maybe she was communicating in some other way… She was conniving.
I left Gideon’s office and paused to restrategize. Fortunately for me, at that moment Gideon’s parents, the former Luna and Alpha entered the pack house and I hurried down to the foyer to intercept them.
They greeted me with generous smiles. Unlike their son, they had no issues with fully committing to me once my pregnancy was announced.
“How are you holding up dear? ” Gideon’s mother asked with a beaming smile, “How is my grandchild doing? ”
“ Oh! We’re doing quite well, although…” I let my voice trail off in worry.
“ What is it child? ” Gideon’s father encouraged.
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Chapter 181
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“ Call it a mother’s intuition, but I can’t help but worry that former Luna Avery might try to harm this child, to regain her status as Luna p>
“Oh surely not!” Gideon’s mother exclaimed, and I hurried to follow up my statement.
“It’s just that, under werewolf law, only the Luna’s child has the right to inherit the pack titles and assets,” I bit my lip, “but Avery doesn’t believe in tradition. She holds beliefs that are sympathetic to rogues, and I worry she might try and change the law if she’s allowed to be reinstated as Luna p>
“But, my dear, weren’t you a rogue yourself?” Gideon’s sister asked.
I suppressed my glare, and instead dropped my eyes to the floor, “It’s true that I was rescued from the Rogue King, but my status was due to my original pack being destroyed…” I faked a sob, “Alpha Gideon rescued me and I owe him my loyalty p>
“Quite right,” Gideon’s father was quick to side with me. He was such a softy for vulnerable–looking women, I had discovered, “Never fear, child, we will make sure that Gideon sees sense in this. The child is all that matters for his legacy now p>
I murmured my thanks, and dipped in farewell.
That had gone well, I congratulated myself as I stared out the windows of the pack house.
Still, something was bothering me. With the amount of work I was giving her, I had expected Avery to collapse weeks ago. How had she held out for so long?
Was it possible she was getting stronger?
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