Chapter 61

Erin’s POV

I haven’t heard from Henry in days and this is what he has to say to me? Not to trust Gavin?

I already knew that Henry didn’t like Gavin; it wasn’t much of a secret. But what did Henry know that I didn’t? I had to admit that it got me curious.

I decided to call Henry and find out what it is that he knows.

“Erin?” Henry answered the phone on the first ring.

I was pleased to finally hear his voice considering I’d been trying to get a hold of him for days. But I was also upset with him for disappearing.

“Where have you been?” I asked him right off the bat. I was trying not to sound upset, but I knew it was leaking through in my tone.

“That’s not important right now. Do you have a minute to meet somewhere?”

I frowned, staring at the clock.

It was a little after 9 pm.

I wasn’t even supposed to leave the packhouse; getting out of the door was going to be difficult with all of the guards keeping a watch over the place. Especially, since they were keeping a watch over me.

“I can’t leave,” I answered. “Gavin has this place on lockdown.”

“He’s not letting you leave?”

“It’s more complicated than that,” I told him. “He’s worried about my safety.”

“No,” Henry said firmly; it almost sounded harsh. “That’s not the reason he’s keeping you locked inside. You need to get out of there, now.”

“I can’t Henry… even if wanted to I—”

“Since when do you let a little lockdown stop you from getting places?” Henry asked. “I need to see you. Please.”

We were both silent for a moment as I thought about an escape route. There was no way I was going to be able to get out of there. But he sounded urgent.

“Where do you want to meet?”

“Just come home,” he said.

“I can’t stay there,” I told him in return.

He was quiet for a moment.

“I just need to talk to you.”

“Okay… I’ll see what I can do.”

I hung up the phone without another word. I looked over at the closed door; I didn’t hear anybody in the halls, but I should probably check just in case.

I poked my head out of the door and saw that the halls were vacant. There was only the faint light under Gavin’s office door indicating that he was still in there and awake. There was no way he’d be coming into my room tonight. He thinks I’m already in bed and sleeping so I wouldn’t have to worry about being seen until tomorrow.

I closed my door, sealing it tightly and then I made my way over to the bay window.

I was on the second floor, so I was a far distance off the ground, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. I opened the window and climbed over the edge.

I managed to get to the ground with ease. Now I just had to hope nobody saw me running from the packhouse; I also hoped that Gavin wouldn’t notice I was missing.

I was only planning on being away for a little over an hour; I’m sure I can return before anyone notices I’m gone.

Thankfully, after shifting into my old form, I was able to get away from the packhouse quickly and without being seen.

It felt weird returning to the home I once shared with Henry. It’s only been a few days since I had been here, but it felt like a stranger’s home.

Once I shifted back into my human form and dressed in the clothing I brought along with me, I stayed outside for a moment. I took in the appearance of the home that we had picked out together. The home that was once my safe haven and I felt comfortable.

The light in the window indicated that Henry was here and that he was waiting for me.

I shouldn’t have been this nervous to speak with him; he’s been my partner for many years and acted as my husband for 3 of those years. But maybe I was nervous because I worried about what he was going to tell me about Gavin.

It sounded urgent on the phone, and he was adamant that I couldn’t trust Gavin.

I took a deep breath before entering the house.

Henry stood in the living room, staring at me with a sunken expression on his face. I could tell he’s been stressed, maybe even worried.

Before I could fully get inside and before I could say anting, he was rushing toward me. I stood frozen, unsure of what he was about to do.

Our last conversation in the Moonshadow organization’s headquarters wasn’t exactly pleasant. I flinched at his nearness, which he didn’t seem to notice.

But he didn’t stop rushing toward me; soon, he opened his arms and pulled me into a tight embrace.

My body was limp and went with him willingly; he tightened the embrace, keeping me in his arms for a long while.

It felt comfortable and oddly safe, but then again, there was something off about him. Something that wasn’t there before, and I couldn’t figure it out. It made the hug seem less genuine and more possessive.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally pulled away from me.

“You aren’t safe staying with Gavin,” he warned, ruining the small moment between us.

I frowned, searching for his serious face.

“Gavin wouldn’t hurt me,” I tell him in return. “He just wants to protect me.”

“That’s the opposite of what he’s doing, Erin,” Henry said, shaking his head. “How do you think Bane knew where to find you at work?”

I stared around his face, shocked.

“How did you know about that?” I asked. I’ve been calling him since Bane showed up, but I didn’t tell him about the reasoning behind the phone call. I didn’t tell him Bane showed up at my job and stayed there for half my shift.

“Because I’ve been watching him,” Henry admitted. “Just like I’ve been watching Gavin.”

“You’ve been what?” I gasped. “Henry—”

“Just listen to me, okay?” Henry pleaded; he grabbed onto my shoulders to keep me steady as he stared into my eyes. I could see how worried he was, but I had trouble seeing things from his point of view.

“Okay,” I finally said after a pause. “What did you find out?”

“Both Bane and Gavin are working with the slayers. I saw them talking the other day. I couldn’t get close enough to tell what they were talking about, but they were both engrossed in the conversation. I could tell based on looking at them that they were under some kind of control.”

I raised my brows.

“If you couldn’t hear what they were saying, then you don’t know what they were talking about. Gavin told me that Bane went to see him after he went to see me. Bane is after me because he thinks I’m incredibly powerful and—”

“Bane isn’t the one after you… he’s being controlled to collect you. They both are. The only difference is Gavin actually has you and is keeping you hostage.”

“What are you talking about? Being controlled by who?”

“They are being controlled by the Slayers.”