Chapter 18
Chapter 18
Gideon’s POV
I raised Avery’s chin. She was streaked with mud and dirt, and she smelled of fresh air and growing things.
I stared at the line where the graceful curve of her neck met her shoulder. It was beautiful… but disappointingly unmarked.
I inhaled slowly, and chose my words carefully, the way one would with a disobedient pup.
“In the Pack, hierarchy is what keeps us alive. There are always wolves watching and listening p>
The image of her holding lan’s hand at the end of the garden row kept swimming to the front of my mind and I bit my words off more sharply than I intended.
“Stop. Speaking. Back. I won’t always let you get away with it p>
Avery stared at me with eyes that flashed like coins. Her jaw was clenched tight, and I could tell she wanted to argue. Her stubborn expression was unexpectedly endearing.
She is cute when she is trying so hard. The thought surprised me.
I found my eyes drawn to the way she’d pressed her lips together in a firm line, the dimple in her chin as her bottom lip pouted just slightly. Her lips looked soft and inviting.
I watched her swallow her frustration, and then her face broke into a sweet smile that she flashed at me on purpose.
“Okay.” She said brightly, and then turned and walked away, ignoring me.
I watched as she broke into a jog and caught up with Ian as he headed towards the training grounds.
She had to know that blatantly disregarding my correction would be the absolute worst choice here.
My pulse picked up its pace as I heard her say, “Sorry, I’ll run with you p>
The little minx. I cursed under my breath. She had thrown me off balance with her smile, and now she was openly defying me?
I wanted to run after them. To pull her away from Ian and shake her until she finally listened to me. Perhaps a spanking was in order, if she insisted in behaving like a child. I thought with grim satisfaction.
Somehow the image of pinning Avery down and spanking her seemed to derail into other images in my head and I shook my head to clear it.
I can’t let her head games work on me.
I thought back to the lingerie she’d sought to entice me with on her bed, and the way Tegan had mentioned she was flirting with Ian all afternoon. She wasn’t the first woman to try and tease me with little jealousy games, but it had been a long time since they’d worked.
“I can send someone to stop her from running.” Tegan said as I left the gardens, “She’ll overexert herself in this heat p>
“No need.” I said flatly, “Let her run if she wants to p>
I have more important things to worry about than an impertinent Luna.
Our walk back to the house took us past the gardening supplies Avery had gathered for her project. I was amazed by the organized piles of seedling trays, drip hoses, rakes and hoes, and other materials.
Tegan saw my surprised glance, “Most of this stuff was already in storage, but Avery was the one who asked to look at the inventory lists and gather what was needed. Anna says that once her garden is underway, we will be able to save almost twenty percent off of our produce expenses annually p>
Twenty percent? That’s got to be a mistake.
Later, after looking over the charts that Avery and Anna had drawn up, I was forced to admit that I hadn’t even considered this plan of action. I was impressed by her ingenuity.
“See that she has whatever else she needs.” I said. The rest of this afternoon’s irritation aside, Avery had seemed much happier with something to do.
“She seems to be both practical and intelligent.” Tegan said honestly, “Qualities that are excellent in a Luna.” I could tell he was watching my reaction to the compliment.
Olivia Harris
Olivia Harris is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy novels. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.