Chapter 57

Erin’s POV

I was on lockdown, and there was nothing I was going to be able to do about it.

I didn’t talk to Gavin for the rest of the night; once he put his foot down and ordered that I stayed inside the packhouse for the next unforeseen future, he disappeared into his study, leaving me alone to process his order.

The gamma warriors were already standing guard at the door, watching my every move. Beta Seth was standing behind me, staring at me with a somber look in his eyes. A look I didn’t recognize coming from him.

“I don’t like this any more than you do,” he said. “But he’s worried because Bane has gone crazy and is after something. He’s trying to protect you.”

Gavin didn’t tell Seth the entire truth; that Bane was after me.

“And you’re okay with that?” I asked, raising my brows. “With Alpha Gavin protecting me?”

Bane frowned as he searched my face.

“No,” he answered. “But he’s the Alpha and I can’t go against him. Neither can you.”

“Can I have a minute so I can call my boss?” I asked.

Seth thought about it for a moment before nodding and leaving the living room. Even though I couldn’t see him, I could still feel his presence outside the door.

In the 3 years I had worked at the restaurant, I had never called out. I wondered how Kelsey was going to handle it.

“You’re what?” Kelsey asked into the phone after I told her I couldn’t come in for the next couple of weeks. “I don’t understand.”

I couldn’t tell her the entire truth; or could I?

“Bane’s presence really upset Alpha Gavin,” I explained. “He thinks Bane is after an alternative motive and he wants to keep me safe.”

“Since when do you listen to Alpha Gavin?”

“Would you go against him?” I asked, raising my brows even though I knew she couldn’t see me. “He’s a terrifying Alpha. I certainly don’t wish to get on his bad side.”

“Are you sure that’s the real reason you aren’t coming to work?” Kelsey asked, suspicion clear in her tone.

“What other reason would there be?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe you and Alpha Gavin have run off together and plan to marry in a week?” She teased.

I rolled my eyes at her ridiculous words.

“You’d be invited to the wedding if that were to happen,” I teased in return. “There’s no chance in hell I’m marrying him. As I said, it’s for my own protection. When I told him that Bane came to the restaurant and how he acted, it worried him. He wants to keep me safe.”

She was quiet for a moment as she processed that.

“I guess it makes sense,” she said thoughtfully. “Bane was being completely weird, and I don’t blame either of you for being worried.” She paused for a moment. “Will you keep me updated on your well-being?”

“Of course, Kelsey,” I promised her. “I’ll call you in a couple of days and we can talk some more.”

“Sounds good,” Kelsey breathed. “Be safe, Erin.”

“Yeah, you too.”

I hung up the phone and instantly Seth came into the room, indicating that he was listening to me the entire time and knew when my phone conversation was over.

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes at him, folding my arms across my chest.

“I asked for privacy,” I muttered.

“And I left the room,” he shrugged, nonchalantly.

“You were still listening.”

“I’m doing my job.”

I wanted to argue more, but I really didn’t have it in me. It was getting late, and I was growing exhausted.

“Is it okay if I just go to bed?” I asked him.

He glanced over at the clock that hung on the wall across the room.

“Sure; I’ll walk you upstairs.”

“It’s not necessary,” I protested, walking past him toward the stairway.

He followed closely behind me without saying a word.

Seth waited for me outside the bathroom door; he was acting like my personal bodyguard. I guess technically he was.

Once I finished in the bathroom, I went toward the guest room. I paused at the door and turned to him.

“Now will you leave me alone?”

“I’ll be here in the morning,” he said with a cocky grin.

I furrowed my brows together.

“You aren’t staying out here all night,” I said firmly in return.

“Just get some sleep,” he muttered, turning away from me, and standing in place.

I groaned and slammed the door shut.

…

I wasn’t surprised when he was still outside the door when I got up the next morning. However, he was in different clothing, and he looked well-rested and showered for the morning. So, perhaps he didn’t stay outside the door the entire night.

I was going to ask him, but I decided I didn’t care that much.

“Want some breakfast?” He asked as I left the room.

“Sure,” I muttered. I wasn’t that hungry, but I hadn’t eaten all day yesterday and it wouldn’t be long before my stomach began to eat itself.

I followed him down the stairs and into the kitchen. There was a plate filled with bagels and cream cheese; another plate was filled with a different assortment of pastries.

“Coffee?” He asked, walking toward the coffee pot.

“Tea if you have it,” I said in return.

He let out a laugh as he went over to one of the cupboards and opened it, revealing an entire cupboard of different assorted teas. A mixture of powered and bags. I gasped at the sight; I’d never seen that much tea in one sitting before.

“Gavin likes tea too,” he explained before I had the chance to ask. “I guess that’s one thing you two have in common.”

I wanted to tell him that we had plenty in common from what I remembered, but I thought against it.

I went over to the cupboard and grabbed a green tea bag.

“Where is Gavin?” I asked, peering over at Seth from across the kitchen.

He was plastering his bagel with a heavy amount of cream cheese.

“He’s busy trying to figure out how to keep Bane away,” he answered.

“By himself?”

“He’s capable of handling it by himself, yes,” Seth said.

I finished making the tea and I grabbed a scone off the plate; I went with Seth to the dining room so we could eat.

I guess I had to get used to this new normal; hanging around Seth all the time. Somebody who seemingly couldn’t stand me.

“Why do you hate me?” I found myself asking as I took a bite of the scone; the blueberry flavor exploded in my mouth and I couldn’t help the look of delight on my face.

Seth glanced over at me from across the table, a perplexed look on his face.

“I don’t hate you,” he admitted, taking a bite of his bagel. “But you aren’t Luna material. Even you have to admit that.”

“I don’t want to be a Luna.”

“Maybe not; but you love him and I know he loves you,” Seth said in return.

I felt my face growing warm at his words.

“What Gavin and I had ended a long time ago,” I assured him.

Seth rose one brow and I could see the disbelief on his face.

“I’m not stupid, Erin,” Seth said, shaking his head. “I know you are sleeping with him.”

My face grew even redder; I should have known that Seth would know that information.

“It only happened a couple of times,” I admitted, lowering my gaze, and fixating it on the scone before me. “It’s not something I’m trying to make a habit.”

“No, but it’s confusing for his feelings. You left him a long time ago and now you are back in his life—”

“He’s back in my life,” I corrected. “I was doing fine until he walked into my place of work and—”

“I know,” Seth said, stopping my words. “But you have to admit that even though he’s back in your life and approached you first, you find it difficult to walk away from him. Or you wouldn’t be in his packhouse at all.”

He was right; I did have trouble letting go of Gavin.

It was the damn mate bond; I just couldn’t forget about him. There was a part of me that didn’t want to forget about him.

“I’m not saying Susanna is a good woman… but she would have made a great Luna. The pack already loves and adores her. She’s rich and knows how to lead. She would make the most proper Luna to take to the Alpha convention. But I’m doubting that’s going to happen,” Seth shrugged.

I wasn’t sure what to say in return; I felt hollow inside as I leaned back in my seat. I suddenly lost my appetite.

“I’m not saying that to upset you,” he said softly. “I don’t want you to take it wrong.”

“I’m not sure how else to take it,” I told him admittedly.

He was quiet for a moment longer as he searched my face; then a small smile played on his lips.

“Want to play a board game?”