Chapter 26

Erin’s POV

The door chime sounded at the restaurant and my entire body froze. I didn’t need to look to know who it was. The excitement of my wolf told me everything I needed to know.

I glanced up to meet the dark gaze of Gavin standing at the door. He had one brow lifted and a smirk spread across his handsome face, causing a knot to form in the pit of my stomach.

One of my coworkers went to greet him at the door and take him to his booth, but he ignored her, making his way toward me. Before I could say anything, everyone in the restaurant had frozen; much like the night Gavin and I had sex in the booth.

My face warmed as he neared me; he was only standing inches from me, and he spoke in a low tone.

“Can we talk now?”

“How are you doing this?” I whisper to him. “How do you have these abilities?”

“It’s not a conversation for right now,” he told me, keeping his eyes locked on mine. “But I would like to discuss everything with you in due time.”

“You should go,” I say to him, turning away from him. “Please, don’t make this difficult, Gavin.”

“Erin—”

“Unfreeze everyone,” I order without looking at him.

If he were to see my face, he would see how painful turning him away was for me. I couldn’t let him see that kind of pain. Cutting ties would be the best thing I could do for both of us.

“When can we have a proper conversation?”

“I’m married.”

“No, you aren’t,” he said firmly, bringing my attention back to him.

My heart was racing in my chest as he reached his hand out to me and touched my arm; his touch felt nice. Every fiber in my being was wanting me to fall into his embrace and get lost in his arms much like I used to. I wanted to smell his scent and bury my face in my broad chest.

I wanted to press my lips against his and taste him.

But I knew I couldn’t.

“I’m going to be back in that same hotel suite tonight,” he said to me as he reached into his pocket.

He pulled out the hotel room key and brought it to my eyes. I stared at it for a long while, unmoving.

“Come see me so we can talk, okay?” He asked.

I kept my eyes on the key; I shouldn’t take it.

I couldn’t.

…

Henry was sitting on the couch when I returned home in the evening. I could tell something was wrong right away because he looked lost for a few moments. He was staring down at his hands with a small frown on his face.

“Henry? What’s going on?” I asked him as I joined him on the couch.

“I went to the headquarters to report Gavin and they want to brush it under the rug.”

He said it so nonchalantly that it took a moment for me to realize what it was he just said.

“What?” I gasped, staring at him in disbelief. “You did what?”

“I reported him to headquarters…”

“I told you not to,” I said, standing to my feet quickly. “How could you go against me and—”

“It was the right thing to do,” Henry said in return, meeting my eyes. “I can’t just keep something like this from them.”

“You had no right to—”

“You had no right to ask me to lie to them, Erin,” Henry snapped, standing to his feet as well. “I did what I thought was best, but it didn’t do me any good.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

“They don’t think he’s a danger to anyone because he’s a famous Alpha,” Henry scoffed.

“He’s not a danger to anyone. I’ve told you this.”

“I don’t trust him,” Henry said in return with a head shake.

“I don’t need you to trust him. I need you to trust me.”

“Well, lately your judgment has sucked so I’m not sure if I do trust you,” he shot back.

His words hurt me more than I could put into words. I stared at him for a long while; shocked that he would say such a thing to me.

“He’s up to no good. I’m going to prove it one way or another,” he said, breaking the silence that grew between us.

I pressed my lips firmly together and took a step toward the door.

“Well, I’m not going to help you with this,” I say to him as I turn toward the door and began walking quickly toward it.

“Where are you going?” He shouted after me.

“I need air.”

I slammed the door behind me as I left.

I fished in my pocket until I uncovered the room key that Gavin had given me.

It wasn’t a plan to go to the suite and meet with him tonight, but now it looked like I didn’t have much of a choice. He needed to be warned that Henry was investigating him.

He might be in trouble.

…

I stood outside the hotel suite door, trying to convince myself to walk away. It was probably a bad idea that I was here, but he needed to know what Henry was up to.

Then again, why did I care so much?

I rose my fist to knock, but the door opened, making me jerk backward.

“Are you coming in? Or are you just going to stand there?” Gavin asked, staring down at me with a frown.

I took in a steady breath before walking past him and into the room.

“I almost didn’t think you were going to come,” he says as he shuts the door, sealing us inside his large suite.

“I’m not here for the reason you think,” I say, turning back to face him.

He rose his brows almost playfully as he took a step closer to me.

“And what reason do I think you’re here for?”

“I’m serious, Gavin. You might be in danger if you aren’t careful.”

He paused for a moment, his blue eyes searching my face curiously.

“Why would I be in danger?” He asked after a beat of silence.

“Henry seems to think you are the one responsible for the latest murders,” I warn him, lowering my tone. “He’s looking into you.”

He looked puzzled as I said those words.

“Why exactly would Henry be the one to investigate me?” He asked, narrowing his eyes at me.

I hadn’t thought of an excuse as to why Henry would be investigating Gavin. I had to come up with something, anything, that didn’t out Henry for being a part of the Moonshadow organization.

“As a lawyer, he wants to do his part in keeping our kingdom safe. He’s working closely with the local authorities to find the criminal.”

This time, Gavin lets out a low laugh and closes the small gap that remained between us.

“I’m not afraid of the local authorities,” he says in a low and husky tone that sent my heart into turmoil.

My entire body was frozen as I stared up at him. I almost forgot how to speak; his scent was so intoxicating, and my heart was racing at lightning speed.

“You should be,” I said, matching my tone to his. “If word gets out about this—”

“Then the Moonshadow will start investigating me too?” He asked, lowering his head to mine. “Is that what you’re so worried about?”

“Gavin—”

“I brought you here for a reason, Erin,” he said to me in a low and sexy tone.

I could hardly contain my rapid heartbeat and my unsteady breath.

“What reason?” I dared to ask.

“I need to show you something and I don’t want you to freak out.”

I rose my brows, confused by his words but a small and playful smile played on his lips.

“Close your eyes,” he instructed.

I hesitated for a moment, but then reluctantly my eyes fluttered shut.

I felt a small gust of wind at that moment, and I thought it was just my imagination, but when I opened my eyes, I realized it wasn’t. We were no longer in his hotel room; we were standing in a field of grass.

No.

It wasn’t just a field of grass. I turned around and gasped when I saw the giant high school that sat before me.

It was our high school.