Avery’s POV
Now, in addition to my own internal war about leaving, I had added shame for my own hypocrisy, and guilt for letting Dierdra be recaptured by the Rogue King.
At least my desire to ignore being left alone to stew in my own emotions meant I threw myself into the preparations for the Annual Mating Ceremony. The logistics were daunting, but unfortunately there were also a few key events leading up to the day where Gideon and I were expected to appear as a couple.
There was a solstice luncheon, where everyone gathered on the pack house’s south patio to bat eyelashes at each other under sweaty brows. Romantic.
Then there was some sort of rustic hay wagon ride, where flirtatious young wolves could get hauled behind an ancient tractor that spat great clouds of black exhaust as i
