Chapter 18

Erin’s POV

I stared at the ring in shock.

He must have gone to see Gavin.

Being part of the Moonshadow organization, Henry has his way of finding things out. I shouldn’t have been surprised that he would soon find out about Gavin. I have been his partner for many years; I knew what he was capable of.

I thought about the day I first met Henry. It was 10 years ago, right after my parents had died from a werewolf pack fight. My heart was so broken; I had previously broken up with the love of my life and now I was completely alone in the world.

My family was incredibly rich and of course, left me their fortune, but it wasn’t enough to dry my tears. During that time, when I thought I have cried all that I could, I have woken my special ability. The manipulation of liquids.

For a while, the ability frightened me. I wasn’t sure what it meant; I only read a little bit about the special abilities of wolves. I read that they could do a lot of damage if not trained properly. I didn’t want to do damage though, I wanted to do good with my powers.

I tried to train myself in secret for a little while; it was a distraction from my parent’s death. At least, for a little while it was.

Henry found me using my abilities and he was in awe of them. I thought he would think of me as a freak, but he revealed to me his power of manipulation of memories. He can erase the mind and replace memories with new memories. I thought that was beautiful.

He later introduced me to the Moonshadow organization.

“What is it?” I had asked him.

“It’s an organization set out to achieve world peace,” he explained. “Members of the Moonshadow use their powers for good. There is another organization called the Slayers that is made up of most vampires. They are pretty much the opposite of the Moonshadow and are set to achieve world domination…” he paused for a moment so I could gather what he had just told me.

I always knew that vampires weren’t particularly friendly. Our world is a giant war. A war between creatures, humans, and packs.

“Then there are those with abilities that aren’t a part of either organization but formed their own. They are seeking to torment those who don’t have abilities. They could either be wolves, humans, or any other creature. We call them Killers.”

“The Moonshadow organization protects those who don’t have powers from those who do have powers and wish them harm?” I asked.

Henry nodded.

“We protect the world from violence,” he said. “But it’s a secret organization. If too many knew about us, it could put the entire organization in danger. The Slayers and Killers would know whom to hunt. There are more of them than there are of us. Many who find they have abilities want to seek revenge against those who had done them wrong before their powers were awoken. So, they don’t join us.”

“If I join the Moonshadow, I will be able to use my powers for good?” I asked, peering up at him with worried eyes.

He gave me a kind smile and nodded his head.

“Yes,” he answered. “We can help you train to use your powers. Your ability is incredible and I would love to learn more about them with you. Perhaps one day we can become partners and fight for world peace together.”

For the first time since before my parents’ death, I found myself smiling. But that smile wouldn’t last. 3 years ago, during a mission, I made a mistake that risked many innocent lives. Including my best friend, Jessies.

Being devasted by my own actions, I hadn’t been able to return to the Moonshadow. I set out to live an ordinary life and blend in with the normal ones around me. Henry, being an incredible partner, agreed to act the part of my adoring husband to help me live out my goals and accompany me through this thing called life.

My mind was brought back to the present moment when I heard Henry saying my name. I had completely zoned out and forgot that I was still in the restaurant, staring at the ring he had recovered from Gavin.

“I’m sorry Henry…” I breathed, tears filling my eyes.

“Since when do we lie to each other?” Henry asked, narrowing his eyes at me. “I agreed as your partner to act as your husband and yet you have been keeping things from me.”

“I know…” I breathed, staring down at my feet. “I feel so ashamed for betraying you…”

“You didn’t betray me, Erin. You betrayed yourself. This isn’t the ordinary life you wanted.”

“I know that.”

“If Gavin can touch your heart in such a way… I don’t understand why I can’t.”

“You have touched my heart in more ways than you know, Henry. I swear Gavin and I were just a one-night stand. I will never fall in love with him again.”

“How do I know that’s the truth? Can I trust you?” He asked, keeping his eyes steadily on my features.

“Of course, you can trust me.”

He looked at me for a moment longer; his eyes softened, and he gave me a kind smile. We stayed like that for a moment before he gave me a small laugh.

“Okay,” he finally said. “But you know I can help you to get him to stop chasing you, right?”

…

Gavin’s POV

Gavin stared at the doorway for a long while after Henry had left. It was what Henry had said that made Gavin decide to give him the ring. He was still in shock over his words.

“I know she still loves you; at least in a way she does…” Henry said, staring at Gavin from across his desk. “But I love her very much and I want her to be happy. If you make her happier than I do, then I will step aside.”

“Step aside? From your wife? Would it really be that easy for you?” Gavin asked, raising his brows.

“No, it wouldn’t be. But it would be more doable than you think. Our marriage isn’t contracted. So, the separation would be an easy process,” Henry admitted. “But I want to give her the choice whether or not she wants to stay or go. If she chooses to go, I will allow her to do so. But if she wants to stay, I ask that you give her up and don’t seek her out again.”

“I don’t make deals with—”

“I ask you this favor man-to-man,” Henry said, cutting off Gavin’s words. “I ask that you return to me the ring that I had gifted her. I want to ask her to accept it once again. If she refuses, I won’t fight her. But if she accepts it, I ask that you back down. I know you are powerful, and you are used to getting your way. But you can’t force someone to love you. Especially not someone who is as strong as Erin.”

Gavin stared at him for a moment longer; he had a compelling argument. He cared for Erin deeply; he will never stop loving her and he knows that she will never stop loving him.

He finally reached into his desk drawer and pulled out the ring he had been keeping, handing it to Henry.

“If she denies the ring, then I will step in,” Gavin warned.

“I understand,” Henry agreed.

Later in the afternoon, Gavin could no longer stand being in his office. He needed to see Erin; he couldn’t wait any longer. He wanted to tell her that his relationship with Susanna was over and that he wanted Erin to be his one and only.

He wished for her to marry him and become his Luna. He wanted her and only her to accompany him to the Alpha Convention in 3 months.

Without saying a word to his Beta, he got into his Rolls-Royce and drove to the restaurant. But as he neared, he saw Erin standing outside, and beside her was Henry. She had arms wrapped around him and they were locked in a tight embrace.

But that wasn’t the part that made Gavin’s heart drop into his stomach.

It was the fact that she was wearing her wedding ring.